Thunder – ‘Live at Leeds’

 

BAND MEMBERS:

Danny Bowes – lead vocals
Luke Morley – guitar, keyboards, harmonica, mandolin, backing vocals
Ben Matthews – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
Chris Childs – bass, backing vocals
Gary "Harry" James – drums, percussion, guitar, backing vocals

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

DISCOGRAPHY:

‘Back Street Symphony’-1990
‘Laughing on Judgement Day’-1992
‘Behind Closed Doors’-1995
‘The Thrill of It All’-1996
‘Giving the Game Away’-1999
‘Shooting at the Sun’-2003
‘The Magnificent Seventh’-2005
‘Robert Johnson's Tombstone’-2006
‘Bang!’-2008
‘Wonder Days’-2015
‘Rip It Up-2017
‘Please Remain Seated’-2019
‘All the Right Noises’-2021
Dopamine’-2022

♫♫Not including the nime compilations, thirty live releases, twenty-two singles and numerous DVD's.♫♫

SET LIST:

Disc I:
1.)“Wonder Days”
2.)“River Of Pain “
3.)“Black Water
4.)“Resurrection Day”
5.)“Broken”
6.)“The Devil Made Me Do It”
7.)“Empty City”
8.)“Backstreet Symphony”
9.)“I'll Be Waiting
Disc II:
1.)“The Thing I Want”
2.)“When The Music Played”
3.)“Love Walked In”
4.)“I Love You More Than Rock & Roll”
5.)“Low Life In High Places”
6.)“Higher Ground”
7.)“Dirty Love”

     

 

Biography:
   Vocalist Danny Bowes and lead guitarist Luke Morley first played together when they were 15-year-old classmates in London. The two later formed the band Terraplane and released two albums but broke up in 1988. Bowes, Morley, and drummer Gary "Harry" James then formed Thunder, recruiting bassist Mark "Snake" Luckhurst and rhythm guitarist Ben Matthews.
   The group's first two singles both hit the “Dirty Love and “Love Walked In” and earned Thunder a support slot for Aerosmith and a gig at the 1990 Monsters of Rock Festival. ‘Backstreet Symphony’, released a year-and-a-half after the group's live debut, reached the U.K.'s Top 20 and was certified gold. The follow-up, ‘Laughing on Judgement Day’, appeared in 1992, followed three years later by ‘Behind Closed Doors’. Their fourth full-length album, the radio-ready ‘Thrill of It All’, arrived in 1996. A series of live recordings and compilations peppered the next five to seven years, followed by the arrival of 2003's ‘Shooting at the Sun’ on Frontiers Records. The year 2005 saw the Frontiers label release ‘Magnificent Seventh!’, followed by ‘Robert Johnson's Tombstone’ in 2006. The next year, Thunder embarked on their first European tour in 12 years, and in 2008 they issued their ninth studio long-player, ‘Bang!’.
   Citing "outside interests," Thunder disbanded in 2009, and the members became involved with various other projects. They reunited for a one-off live performance in 2011, and spent the ensuing years keeping the project going with the occasional live show. In 2014, the band announced the impending arrival of a new studio album. The resulting ‘Wonder Days’ arrived in February of the next year. Thunder followed up the album with the release of ‘All You Can Eat’, which documented the story of ‘Wonder Days’ with a short film and two live recordings (one of which was in-studio). In 2017, the group put out its 11th studio effort ‘Rip It Up’. While on tour in support of the album, Thunder recorded a live show at Cardiff's Motorpoint Arena. The result was ‘Stage’ -- which featured tracks from their vast back catalog -- was issued in early 2018. The group returned in 2019 with their 12th album, ‘Please Remain Seated’. Inspired by their reworking of the single "Love Walked In" -- which was the B-side of their 2017 Christmas single -- the group took tracks from their back catalog and gave them a full overhaul, with some of the songs sounding radically different than their originals. Celebrating 30 years in the industry, the group also issued the career-spanning album simply titled, ‘The Greatest Hits’ that same year. In March 2021, they released their 13th album, ‘All the Right Noises’. Pushed back six months by COVID-19, it saw a return to their classic, hard-driving sound.
   I saw Thunder about a week before I actually even heard what the band sounded like.  In 1990 I was sitting at bar of a very loud nightclub watching the television.  When a video came on of a band that looked like they may sound pretty good plus, the video had my laughing hilariously. Looking back on it I probably looked like a drunken idiot!  I was able to catch the band’s name it was Thunder.  A couple days later I went to the local record store to see if they had it and was able to purchase it.  The title of the album was “Backstreet Symphony”.  From the opening few notes of Luke Morley’s guitar riff of “She’s So Fine”, all the way through the final track, and I was completely mesmerized!!!  The songs were greatly structured with memorable lyrics.  I could actually hear Thunder’s live energy on a studio release!?  I really thought Thunder would be a musical import that would have huge success.  However to my surprise, not long after the release of their sophomore album titled, ‘Laughing on Judgment Day’ released on August 24, 1992 Thunder like some many hard rock bands from the eighties they did not make a huge impression on American music fans and faded away with the changing music scene.
The Review:
   The concert was recorded on March 12th 2015, at the First Direct Arena in West Yorkshire, England, while the band was on tour in support of their release titled, ‘Wonder Days’.  For the ‘Wonder Days Tour’ the guys in Thunder chose a sixteen song set list.  Because of the way artists have to design their set lists along with time they are allotted for a show.  Every Thunder concert I have ever listed to had just about as new perfect set list I have ever heard or saw a band design not only as far as the songs chosen however also the order.  With Thunder you are not only going to get a high energy set list, moreover a very high energetic performance.  This is something that you can actually hear within the audio! 
   This is the 31st live album the band has released each one equally as great as the last.  ‘Live at Leeds’ is equally as great as any of their studio releases.  If you are a Thunder fan you will probably be buying this anyway.  So, I am speaking to the hard rock fans out there that maybe have not had the chance to check Thunder out to much.  I guarantee if you check this band out you will become a fan.  This live album is a must have for you collection!!!