Live Review: Airbourne @ The Forum, London (13/12/13)

If you’re looking for an entertaining night out filled with some classic rock & roll tunes then you can’t go wrong seeing Airbourne live.

This was my first time seeing them headlining after initially being quite critical of their AC/DC comparisons. Seeing them playing a short set at Sonisphere 2011 perked up my interest & I started listening to them a bit more. It wasn’t until the latest album Black Dog Barking that I really found myself falling for them. Enough so that I had to get tickets to see them at The ‘hit & miss sound-wise’ Forum. I was glad I did…

The well-known Terminator 2 music indicates we are about to get started before the band erupt on stage to the frantic sing-a-long, Ready To Rock. It is the kind of song that gets you moving & that you are grateful to have a beer in your hand.

The entire show moves at an insane pace & the songs come thick & fast. Plenty of banter in between the songs including some well placed Ashes (cricket) references that elect plenty of laughs & groans.

Having not seen a full Airbourne set getting the amount of hits we did pleased me. Too Much, Too Young, Too Fast, Diamond In The Rough, Cheap Wine & Cheaper Women & Stand Up For Rock ‘N’ Roll were played to great delight from the hungry crowd.

The new songs all went down well & I was glad to see the band not bother messing around with a lengthy encore wait, either do one or don’t, I say. Live It Up is probably my favourite song of Black Dog Barking & it sounded killer live.

If there is one thing Airbourne can’t be accused of it is not giving it their all. They are on total form tonight & none more so then the energetic frontman Joel O’Keefe who cracks beer cans open with his head & goes for a wander during Raise The Flag ending up on the balcony while still playing guitar. It is a lot of fun to see especially when he has to come past where you are standing!

The band ends an exhausting night with fan-favourite, Runnin’ Wild. I didn’t see many faces not smiling at the end & on a side night I got to meet the lead singer of Black Spiders who was in attendance!