With their 1986 debut album ‘Indiscreet’ FM took on the Americans at their own game with among the finest, and arguably the very best, British AOR albums ever recorded, with all the hallmarks of the genre- hook-filled songs on the subjects of nocturnal pleasures and lost love, prominent keys, clean guitar work and above all superb vocals from Steve Overland. It may not have sold the millions it deserved to, but it launched a career that continues (albeit with a 12 year hiatus) to this day, and songs from the album have featured prominently in the live set ever since.

Its 40^th anniversary was an opportune moment to play the album in full in some rarely visited territories across South America and Europe. Here on home soil, they are constantly on tour including an extensive jaunt last autumn and festival appearances coming up, so the ‘Indiscreet 40’ dates are more selective.

For those of us based in London and the South East this meant an Easter weekend trip down to Hastings, where the enterprising folk at See You There Promotions are bringing an impressive array of bands to satisfy the growing community of former London based rockers on the South Coast. After booking FM for the town’s legendary rock pub The Carlisle 18 months ago, this time the basement studio of the White Rock Theatre provided somewhat more prestigious though still modestly sized surroundings.

It was a double of two of my favourite bands, as Brave Rival provided support, as indeed they have on several FM shows in recent memory. Indeed, with their sharp riffs with a modern twist on the likes of opener ‘Let Me Rock and Roll’ and ‘Poison’, their sound has evolved to the extent they sit better in this environment than the blues scene from which they emerged.

‘Bad Choices’ (with guitarist Ed ‘The Shred’ Clarke shouting out backing vocals) was a good warm up for the ‘who-oahs’ and clapalongs that would punctuate the headliner’s set, ‘On the Next Round’ was a grower and ‘Run and Hide’, with charismatic singer Lindsey Bonnick providing an opening acapella vocal slot, rocked with some force.

But the crowning glory was their big power ballad ‘Heavy’ with an impassioned vocal from Lindsey, FM keyboardist Jem Davis guesting to give the song added colour, and the coda of a superb closing guitar solo from Ed taking the song over the ten minute mark. The always interesting riffing of ‘Fairytale’ concluded another impressive set.

FM opened, as they used to back in the day, with an intro tape of the Pink Panther tune then a disembodied voice asking us to go back to the days when shoulder pads were big and hair even bigger. However, as the less hirsute present-day band emerged it was to a couple of songs of more recent vintage in ‘Digging Up the Dirt’ and ‘Killed by Love’, the ‘yay-yay-oh’ chorus and clapping along to the latter setting the tone nicely.

Only then did we go fully back into the time machine as Jem’s keyboard intro led into ‘That Girl’, probably still FM’s signature song and featuring a slick guitar solo from Jim Kirkpatrick. Another fan favourite followed in ‘Other Side of Midnight’ with Jem stepping forward to play his ‘keytar’ before he played a lengthy intro to ‘Love Lies Dying’, probably the album’s least heralded track but a variant of Journey’s ‘Who’s Cryin Now’ with the most tasteful of solos from Jim.

So far the album’s running order had been respected but for whatever reason they then mixed the songs up- with ‘American Girls’- one of my all-time favourites for a number of reasons, yet rarely played live and the ballad ‘Frozen Heart’. Steve’s yearning voice is as marvellous as ever, though the crowd took over large parts of the song.

Both ‘Hot Wired’ and ‘Face to Face’ featured short but sweet harmony guitar solos between Jim and Steve, which I wouldn’t mind betting were originally slipped into the songs by Thin Lizzy-loving bassist Merv Goldsworthy. Two classic eighties keyboard intros led into the live staple ‘I Belong to the Night’ and ‘Heart of the Matter’ to complete the album sequence.

However it was just as much a delight, if not even more, to hear a couple of songs which were also in their repertoire in that period, but sadly never made the album, in the hard driving ‘Dangerous’, though Jem’s keyboards ‘parped’ through rather too loudly at one point, and ‘Let Love Be the Leader ‘with another of those harmony guitar breaks. Either side of them we had a couple of more recent songs- the southern blues stylings of ‘Black Water’ seemed a little out of place on this night, whereas ‘Synchronised’ was much more simpatico to the vintage style.

However the treats kept on coming with a quartet from the follow-up ‘Tough it Out’. That was closer stylistically to the rock mainstream of the time, but it was fitting the first choices were two of the album’s more AOR moments in the soaring vocals of ‘Someday (You’ll Come Running)’ and ‘Does It Feel Like Love’ with Jim soloing at the front of the stage and Steve performing a solo slot of vocal gymnastics. They ended with the album’s two undisputed singalong classics in ‘Bad Luck’ and the title track.

At that point I wondered what had still been saved up for the encores, but they started with a keyboard intro and Steve singing ‘Closer to Heaven’ with minimal musical backing, proving that voice can sing soul and blues just as well as AOR. Finally came evidence that, even if their crowning glory was 40 years ago, FM can write modern classics in ‘Turn This Car Around’, with the last of the ‘who-oah’ vocals that punctuated nearly every song, and Roy Bittan-like piano driving an anthem that saw the band pulling poses with their usual sense of relaxed fun. It ended a set just short of two hours- by my reckoning the longest I’ve ever seen them play.

I’ve seen FM play ‘Indiscreet’ in full before to mark its 25^th and 30^th anniversary yet can’t remember it feeling so special as it did this night. I tried to rationalise why and came to two conclusions: one is that the majority of us present had been there since the early days and therefore, as we reach the latter half of our fifties or turn 60, time seems to pass faster and be more precious, not least as original guitarist Chris Overland is among those we have lost since the 30^th anniversary.

The other is that the current line up, still featuring three original members including drummer Pete Jupp, has been together 17 years and are arguably performing better than ever. It was a night therefore which did their master work full justice.

Review and Photos by Andy Nathan

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

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Power Plays w/c 30 March 2026

EVA UNDER FIRE Villainous (Better Noise Music)
HOKKA Blackbird (Nuclear Blast Records)
CELLDWELLER Elaleth (FiXT)
DAEDRIC Iridescent Wings (FiXT)
ARKADO Phoenix And Stardust (Pride & Joy Music)
THE DAVIDSON TRIO Disillusion (indie)
S8NT ELEKTRIC Catacombs (Long Branch Records)

Featured Albums w/c 16 March 2026

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Singer Songwriter)

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