Dutch Air Guitar Championships

Sunday, 11th of March: English hardrock band Saxon plays a live show at the Paradiso, Amsterdam. A well known venue, but not renowned for its metal or hard rock concerts (nor is Amsterdam a hard rock city). It must have been 10 years since a metal outfit played here on the main stage, not hip enough for big city audiences. Well, Saxon never could be described as very original (except maybe for a short while in the seventies) with the band playing rather straightforward hardrock in the tradition of Iron Maiden, Uriah Heep, AC/DC and Black Sabbath. Their greatest call of fame came when they became, without intention that is, a source of inspiration for the motion picture ‘This is Spinal Tap’, a ‘mockumentary’ which changed life dramatically for most hardrock bands. In short, after the release of ’Spinal Tap’ it became impossible for hardrockers to be taken very seriously. And when Saxon singer Bill Byford makes fun of the enormous backdrop behind him, saying: ‘we don’t need this f**king Spinal Tap backdrop’, everything is clear. These guys ARE ‘Spinal Tap’!What are the bare necessities of a hard rock band like Saxon? Well to start with, all bandmembers should have long hair, or when there is no hair left, a bandana. Check! Second is that the setlist should include multiple songs about hell and/or rock. Check! There should be an enormous backdrop with crosses, skulls or battlefields. Check! Bandmembers should be wearing spandex trousers and/or showing off their well trained bodies. Check (well with one exception: the small beer belly of  Byford)! Furthermore, the lead singer should have a high pitched voice. Check! Live, the amplifiers should be on 11. Check! Also, the setlist should contain songs refering to sourcery, ancient civilizations and/or death and the hereafter. Check! And of course, there should be lots and lots of mano cornuto high up in the air. Double Check!

So, Saxon has all the ingredients a hard rock band needs. Only problem is that it is all not very original. But still, a new song like ‘I Got To Rock’, which sounded like an AC/DC track sung by Bon Scott, was hard rock as it should be and could even make Angus Young envious. Other good songs were ’747 (Strangers In The Night)’ and ‘The Power and the Glory’. No points for originality though, but for a night of pure fun, reminiscences of Spinal Tap and no holds barred, its thumbs up for the hard working men of Saxon.

Dutch Air Guitar Championships Score: