To quote Led Zeppelin, “It’s been a long time since I rock and rolled”, and as much as I love music my live mojo has been in retirement, bar supporting local folk gigs. However, when a band as classy as FM are in town (well, Newbury which is near-ish to Didcot), you can’t resist the draw of seeing them one more time. Plus, they were playing their first ever gig at the Arlington Arts Centre, an oasis of live music and events in the heart of the countryside near Newbury and one of my favourite music venues.

The other bonus was a chance to see support band Collateral, a band who I have followed and reviewed since they started back in 2018. Led by flamboyant singer/guitarist Angelo Tristan, they won over many a new fan after tonight’s set.

Opening with the rifftastic ‘Glass Sky’ (where bassist Jack Bentley-Smith looked a lot like Cousin It from the Addams Family with his swirling long hair) from their new album, ‘Should’ve Known Better’, which is out on May 24, Collateral didn’t put a foot wrong.

Well paced set with a heartfelt ballad ‘On The Long Road’, which shows the band have upped their game both lyrically and musically. Then there are the rock anthems that are ‘About This Boy’, ‘Merry Go Round’ and set closer, ‘Midnight Queen’.

If the new album lives up to expectations and the rest of their live shows are as good as tonight, Collateral are definitely on the rise and rightly so.

FM are out on their longest tour for many a year as they celebrate their 40th anniversary. If my memory is correct this writer is celebrating thirty eight years since first seeing them play live at the Victoria Hall, Hanley with White Sister as support. When they take to the start after a suitably dramatic cinematic intro (including the Pearl & Dean jingle!), it is safe to say FM have aged well like a fine wine or cheese (although less smelly or mouldy).

Tonight’s set list was a good mix of a couple of songs from their recently released album, ‘Old Habits Die Hard’ and plenty of older songs, with a few lesser performed gems. Kicking off with ‘Digging Up The Dirt’, you soon realise how well this line-up perform together and the ease at which they relate to their audience. Luckily FM still make good new music and FM fans are appreciative – so long as some of the ‘must play’ songs are still included in any set list, which the next song, ‘Tough It Out’, belongs to.

Steve Overland is one of the few singers who lose none of their vocal prowess, and indeed could be said to sound better now. A more beautiful mix of rock and soul in a vocal you won’t hear this side of Paul Rodgers. With songs like ‘Someday (You’ll Come Running)’ and the newbie, ‘Don’t Need Another Heartache’, the audience is treated to vocal masterclass, although the vocal performance of the night is yet to come…

FM isn’t just Steve Overland, as each band member contributes to what has made them an enjoyable act, both live and on record, for all these years. The backing vocals of guitarist Jim Kirkpatrick and bassist Merv Golkdsworthy ensure the band capture their trademark harmonies in a live setting, none more so than on ‘Does It Feel Like Love’ and the aforementioned ‘Tough It Out’. Drummer Pete Jupp keeps the backbeat rock solid and keys player Jem Davis adds that little bit extra to the band’s sound. Plus he’s a bundle of energy switching between his banks of keyboards.

As we get towards the main set’s finale FM wheel out their AOR classics in the shape of ‘That Girl’ and ‘Bad Luck’, and a treat for long-time fans in ‘Hot Wired’, a song not performed live that often. Closing with what has soon become a ‘newer’ fan favourite ‘Turn This Car Around’, one of their finest tunes in recent times.

Encores start with Jem Davis tinkling the ivories before Steve Overland joins him onstage to perform ‘Story of My Life’, which certainly for this fan, was the vocal highlight of the evening. Steve Overland hits the notes with ease and like the rest of the band tonight, genuinely seems to be enjoying himself and performing to the fans. No perform by numbers from this band.

Full band back for ‘Dangerous’ (although my one change would have been to have ‘Frozen Heart’ instead, but hey it is still a great song) and the grand finale – you tell it is when Jem Davis dons his keytar – ‘Other Side of Midnight’. Sung with gusto by both the band and audience, this is how you end a fine gig by one the best bands out there.

To be this good after forty years is no mean feat (and to still feature three original members), but then we expected nothing less from FM, who really have found a purple patch since this line-up took shape in 2008. Get and see them on one of their gigs this year as AOR this classy doesn’t pass by that often nowadays.

Setlist: Digging Up The Dirt/Tough It Out/Killed By Love/Someday (You’ll Come/Running)/Don’t Need Another Heartache/Everytime I Think of You/Out of the Blue/The Dream That Died/Synchronized/Say It Like It Is/Closer to Heaven/Does It Feel Like Love/That Girl/Bad Luck/Hot Wired/Turn This Car Around/Encores: Story of My Life/Dangerous/Other Side of Midnight

Review by Jason Ritchie

Album review (Old Habits Die Hard, 2024)

The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness (June, 2023)

The Grotto of Greatness (FM, 2023)

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)