Gig

PAUL DI'ANNO - Gig Review 16th January @ Amplifier Bar, Perth WA

Walladmin

Heavy Metal Wordsmith

Jan 17, 2024

7 min read

PAUL DI’ANNO
Amplifier Bar, Perth, WAJanuary 16, 2024
Support: SILENT KNIGHT

Paul Di’Anno is a man who needs no introduction, the legendary former vocalist for Iron Maiden may have left the band in 1981 but those first two albums hold a dear place in the metal hearts of many fans. So the chance to see and hear a swag of songs performed live by the man who first performed them is a chance too good to pass by. Perth were the launch pad for Di’Anno’s Australia tour, and you gotta believe Wall of Sound were there to witness it.

Opening for the legend were Perth’s premier power metal band Silent Knight. As the only support, the boys were given a full hour to show Perth why they deserved the spot. I said it before but I’ve seen Silent Knight more times than I can count both headlining and as support for international acts. An 8 o’clock kick-off meant there were plenty of punters who if they haven’t seen Silent Knight before were able to. The boys took this opportunity with both hands and delivered a solid set with a bunch of favorites from their ever-growing catalogue, including Conquer and Command, Power Metal Surpreme and a good dose of Full Force. 30 minutes into their set the crowd was well and truly warming up with spots right in the front of the stage being taken up for some serious power metal headbanging. This was the highlight of the night, because things were about to head south in a truly bizarre fashion.

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The first hint we had that something wasn’t right started with Paul Di’Anno’s band set up and ready to go but no sign on the man himself. The four musicians stood around, instruments in hand for what seemed like an eternity until they just walked off. We were eventually told the show would start in 10 minutes. A punter caught me looking at my watch, he leaned over and shouted “it doesn’t look good”. I agreed. It was nearly half an hour later before the legend appeared. Paul Di’Anno has been wheelchair-bound for the last few years with a leg/knee complaint and as there’s no ramp to the stage in The Amplifier Bar – a swag of roadies lifted him up chair and all. Adapt overcome and all that jazz.

But Di’Anno did not adapt to his surroundings. He started with a smile on his dial, but it soon faded. Halfway into ‘Murders in The Rue Morgue’ he stopped the show. Admittedly the band was out of time, but I honestly can’t remember the last time I saw a show stopped because the song wasn’t perfect. Di’Anno had a rant at his drummer and complained he couldn’t hear himself. His lead guitarist then apologized on the microphone the band hadn’t rehearsed for the show at all. It was like Spinal Tap on steroids. Things eventually got going again, but between every song the frontman complained. It started with jetlag, being tired, the weather, the sound and his microphone. Paul wanted a cordless one so the lead wouldn’t get tangled in his wheelchair. This was actually a fair call, but not one to make mid-show. The wheelchair also copped the man-child’s wrath for being “f^%king uncomfortable”. Like a toddler throwing a toy from their highchair Di’Anno pulled a cushion he was sitting on and threw it on the stage.

Di’Anno’s favourite word contains four letters and begins with C – and just about everyone was in the firing line. The bloke at the sound desk was one, multiple punters literally begging him to keep playing – all shared the same word. One punter got told to call a cab or he was going home in an ambulance. It would almost have been funny if it wasn’t so sad. I wanted to follow the lead of a few others and just walk out, but morbid curiosity got the better of me and I stayed until the bitter end. Di’Anno was on a bizarre journey. Like the stages of grief, we saw the denial of it being anyone’s fault but his own. Next was expletive-ridden anger directed at a female punter near the front being told to “shut the f^%k up” and to either stop drinking, or drink more. It was hard to tell in his rambling rant. The bargaining started with a few songs from the end of the show, and although the sound guy was still a C – now came contrition, apologies, and the promise of a free show for when/if he returns. Depression is what we were all feeling and Di’Anno looked like a defeated man.

From what I witnessed over the preceding hour, I’m not sure Di’Anno had reached acceptance. What he should have reached for were the door takings and refunded every single person who had the misfortune to experience the world’s slowest heavy metal car crash. Paul Di’Anno is someone I have admired for decades and to see what he’s become is just heartbreaking. With 4 more shows in the current Australian tour maybe he’ll pull it back. For his sake and the sake of his fans I hope he does.

But Paul Di’Anno is a man who I genuinely believe needs help.

Review by Gareth Williams

Editor’s notes: The promoter has been approached for further comment.

If you or anyone you know needs help with their own mental well-being - call Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636, Lifeline on 13 11 14, or Google your closest Suicide Prevention/Crisis Support Organisation.

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