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During tonight’s Fozzy show in Birmingham, frontman Chris Jericho tells the crowd that the last time they were in Birmingham, he’d had a pulmonary embolism following the show. He explains how he went to hospital a few days later and was stuck in the UK for a couple of weeks. “Here’s the moral of the story – right now, I have a 100% clean bill of health, and I just want to tell you how much I appreciate all of you coming to see us tonight, ‘cause I’ll never take anything for granted ever, ever, ever again.”
We also don’t take for granted that Fozzy are alive and well and back in the UK. In fact, tonight, we are feeling blessed, especially as they had postponed some of their U.S. shows. We’re glad they made it back over to our side of the pond, and to hear that Chris is fit and well; he certainly shows it on stage. Opening with the blistering ‘Sane’, which sees blasts of smoke bursting up on either side of the drum riser, the five-piece, which also includes guitarists Rich Ward and Billy Grey, bassist PJ Farley and drummer Grant Brooks, are like a combined chemical rocket launched and heading to the moon. The force of their energy and dynamism is immediate and the whole room is captivated.
“I have just as much fire and passion inside me as I ever have. Hopefully we can pass that on to you. Live your life to the fullest, follow your fuckin’ dreams and make things happen – is that a deal?” Chris says, before the inspiring ‘I Still Burn’. The singer, who is, of course, very successful in the wrestling world (as well as being a best-selling author and podcast host), is definitely a great example to follow, and seeing him and the band committed to rock ‘n’ roll is continually motivating. ‘I Still Burn’ is one of our favourite songs, which shows that the band keep getting better and better.
The band’s show is a fun one for the audience. The crowd delight in chanting ‘Fozzy, Fozzy, Fozzy’ between songs. Guitarist Rich, at one point, puts his guitar through Chris’s legs when Chris is standing on the riser in front of his mic stand, and the frontman fires his infamous smoke gun over the audience during ‘Do You Wanna Start A War’.
“This is the home of heavy metal, correct? Tonight, this is also the home of Fozzy,” Chris says before ‘Nowhere To Run’. We have no intention of running from tonight’s show, although a few members of the audience do run around in a mini moshpit.
The band’s cover of Frankie Goes To Hollywood’s ‘Relax’ glistens and shines. The band jump in time to the beat. “That might be the first time I’ve seen a moshpit for Frankie Goes To Hollywood,” Chris comments at the end of the song.
‘Enemy’ is a particular highlight for its guitar solo spotlight, with guitarists Rich Ward and Billy Grey impressing with their talents, making their guitars scream one by one and coming together in a duel. At one point, Rich puts his hand over Billy’s eyes while Billy is playing.
The band have added in a few different songs to the setlist; ‘Martyr No More’ hasn’t been played live for a few years, while ‘The Vulture Club’, from latest album ‘Boombox’, is a new song added into the setlist too, ending the main set. There are chants for ‘Judas’ – the charismatic rocker opens the encore before the rollicking fun of ‘Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap’ ends the night. Nothing is cheap in Fozzy’s set, and tonight’s Fozzy show is worth its weight in gold.
Read our Fozzy review in issue 105 of Black Velvet by clicking HERE
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