Review: Alter Bridge, Rock City

THERE was a surreal end as a power cut plunged Rock City into near total darkness. It interrupted the encore to what had been an excellent performance by Myles Kennedy and the AB boys of their 2007 album Blackbird.

While we wondered whether the management had paid the electricity bill, AB did their best to keep us entertained with an awesome drum solo from Scott Phillips. And after informing us that the whole block was powerless, Myles and guitarist Mark Tremonti were just about to embark on a very much unplugged acoustic set when the lights came back to life.

Ironically, they'd opened the set with the ominous Come to Life, the beginning of a triumphant night for Myles and his vocal range. The lilting melodic quality of his singing is infused with controlled power, delivering the lyrics with distinction.

Nice touches in the set were the characteristic opening bars of the Beatles' White Album ditty Blackbird, used as a preamble to their own album title track; and the rendition of Happy Birthday for Kenny Collins, the vocalist of the admirable Scottish support band Logan.

They even gave him a cake with a solitary candle. Thankfully, we didn't need more of them later on!

Joel Wainwright