They may not have the most prolific touring schedule, but within the first three months of the year, Romeo’s Daughter have already played London twice. The first was a rare acoustic gig in January at the Jazz Cafe (which, with terrible timing, clashed with Magnum’s tribute to Tony Clarkin) but this saw the enduring melodic rockers in more familiar electric territory and at the same venue where they last played 18 months ago. Sadly, despite an excellent double bill of the two of best UK-based melodic rock acts, as on that occasion the Garage was under half full.

First up were Collateral, who when they dramatically emerged seven years ago seemed to have the world at their feet. However owing to a number of untimely factors including the pandemic and line-up changes, they still find themselves playing very similar support slots. Yet last year’s ‘Should Have Known Better’ album was a step forward and the band obviously believe in it strongly, as unexpectedly virtually the whole set was drawn from it.

They opened with two already established live favourites in one of their more intricate songs, ‘Glass Sky’, though the lyrics ’out of the darkness we’ll be coming home’ were unintentionally apposite with the band dimly lit, and ‘Sin In the City’ with a typically tidy riff from Louis Malagodi. However, it was interesting to hear a couple of the lesser played songs in ‘Original Criminal’, with a touch of Def Leppard in the chorus, and the longer ‘Final Stand’.

While I’ve been a fan from day one, I’d observed in the past that the disparate influences of the band members do not always gel coherently as a live act, but I found myself pleasantly impressed how they were noticeably leaner, tighter and generally more solid in the year since I last saw them.

After the classic eighties inspired melodies of ‘No Place For Love’, charismatic singer Angelo Tristan belatedly donned acoustic guitar for a couple of songs, the elegiac ballad ‘On the Long Road’ which even had some of the melodies and chord progressions of Bryan Adams’ ‘Heaven’, and the jaunty ‘One Of Those Days’ reminding me of Tyketto, as many of their more melodic moments do. After a final newie in ‘Elysium’ there was just a solitary first album effort in ‘Mr Big Shot’ to close a splendid 45 minute set, whetting the appetite very nicely for the headliner.

Romeo’s Daughter played a lengthy and comprehensive set and even the most hardened fan would be hard pressed to quibble their favourite song was omitted. They opened with ‘Heaven in the Backseat’ and while for many years this would have been my favourite, it now feels a little dated, especially given the need for taped keyboards and backing vocals to replicate the original huge Mutt Lange production. However, ‘Bittersweet’ felt more authentic with some wonderful melodies and a couple of friends at the front swaying to the ‘who-oah-oh-oah’ outro, before ‘Attracted To the Animal’ was another with strong Lange/Leppard-isms.

Then the first pair of the night from excellent most recent album ‘Slipstream’ in ‘Fake’ and ‘Inseparable’ were both catchy but rocked with some urgency, either side of ‘Radio’ which singer Leigh Matty confessed was one of her favourites, and another oldie in the classy ‘Velvet Tongue’ with the crowd joining in on the closing ‘na-na-na’ refrain.

After the sweet mid-tempo sounds of ‘Time Of Your Life’, ‘Thinking About You’ was a new addition to the live set and yet still Leigh conducted a singalong, dividing the crowd left and right, while she then captured the moment perfectly in saying that the joyful ‘I’m Alive’ was the perfect antidote to escape the troubles of the world outside. With that raven coloured fringe that never changes, and sporting black leathers and a white frilled blouse, she was as ever the perfect host, radiating a well-spoken bonhomie and playful humour.

Once upon a time, I would have been hankering for the first album stuff to come round, but increasingly I enjoy the material from the three post-reunion albums just as much, if not more. ‘Enemy’ and ‘Over You’ bore out the maxim (was it Albert Einstein’s, or Henry Ford’s?) that ‘simplicity is genius’. Despite his modest low-key manner, they made guitarist Craig Joiner fully deserving of the songwriter’s awards he was teased for repeatedly during the evening.

Only ‘Trippin’ Out’ fell short of the highest standards for me and yet there was still plenty to enjoy, not least in the way their sound is notably tougher live these days in the hands of the rhythm section of Steve Drennan and Andy Wells, who made the most of his drumkit being in the line of the rear spotlighting, despite lacking a riser.

Inevitably it was time to go back to the beginning- I hadn’t realised till Leigh said it that the classy ‘Stay With Me Tonight’ was the first song that brought them to Mutt’s attention, before something more up tempo in ‘Inside Out’ with another of those wordless singalongs. During ‘Cry Myself to Sleep at Night’, there was a pregnant pause from Leigh to allow the crowd to roar the ‘I’m a Romeo’s Daughter’ line, while Craig deservedly took the spotlight with his sweet extended solo. Then after surprisingly teasing with the intro to ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’, debut single ‘Don’t Break My Heart’ kept the fun atmosphere going.

By now the official Friday night curfew had been exceeded, but the club goers had to wait as they came back for their usual encore: Leigh saying in that delightful voice that they were ‘rather cross’ that Heart, not they, had a big hit with ‘Wild Child’, which again rocked convincingly in slightly extended fashion. It was the perfect end to a generous hour and 45 minute set that saw the band playing arguably better than ever. What more will it take for them to pull a deservedly larger crowd next time?

Review and Photos by Andy Nathan

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

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Power Plays w/c 7 April 2025

SEVEN BLOOD To The Unknown (indie)
FROM FALL TO SPRING Incomplete (Arising Empire)
POP EVIL Side Effects (MNRK Heavy)
ERJA LYYTINEN Abyss (Tuohi Records)
SKY VALLEY MISTRESS Too Many Ghosts (New Heavy Sounds)
RED GIANT Free Me (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 7 April 2025

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

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