Three rock bands and one rowdy crowd in one of the country’s finest rock clubs can only mean one thing: the Fozzy tour has arrived at Bradford’s Nightrain.

The posters outside the venue might be advertising a few tribute bands coming to the venue, but for one night only, this was the real deal.

First up were Marisa and the Moths, who were ready to spin their web. Their ace card remains Marisa, who with grace and style charmed the Bradford audience with songs that have grit, heart and melody coming with an emotional punch. With a few more memorable songs in their repertoire, they will move to a higher level.

Anyone witnessing Tailgunner for the first time might have thought that they were back in the early eighties at the start of the so-called New Wave of British Heavy Metal – that is if you were around then; the members of the band certainly weren’t.

From their stage attire to the classic rock poses, this was a performance that had been perfected and studied with fine detail – from the twin guitar solos to lead singer Craig Cairns never missing an opportunity to ask the fans to raise their hands in the air, no matter how many times it seemed clichéd, the raw energy and passion the band emitted was infectious.

While their audience was mainly middle-aged men who were taken back in time to their youth, the band's future lies in attracting a younger audience, no doubt aided by their forthcoming festival dates this summer. If you have the opportunity, catch the band – Tailgunner is definitely on a roll.

Fozzy has been performing for over twenty years. In a performance that was a masterclass in style, musicianship and presentation, the show proved how good a rock show can be – when in the right hands. It helps when your frontman is Chris Jericho, the American-Canadian wrestler who knows how to entertain an audience. His charisma and commanding stage presence were attributes that other singers on the bill tonight could learn a lot from.

Swapping his glitzy jackets during the show as many times as his last fighting victories tonight was one that those present will remember for years to come. If Fall in Line was a call to rebel, then the unexpected cover of the ABBA song SOS was a good excuse for the band to demonstrate their pop credentials.

Rich Ward danced around the stage like a man possessed, never missing a chance to play alongside rhythm guitarist Billy Grey. Army of One slowed the pace – if the song had ever been picked up by the radio stations, the track would have introduced Fozzy to a wider audience.

The band concluded their performance on an even bigger high with a cover of the Ozzy Osbourne classic, Crazy Train, which was aptly performed in the style of Nightrain. On a night where all three bands went off the rails in terms of power, passion and presentation, it was ultimately Fozzy who dealt the biggest punch of them all.

Fozzy appeared at the Boiler Shop in Newcastle on Sunday 15th February

https://www.boilershop.net/events/fozzy-15-02-26