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GMT (Robin Guy, John McCoy, Bernie Torme)
The Peel, Kingston, London 13 August 2005

The Peel is a small but professional venue, and with bands like Iron Pig and The Quireboys, it’s a venue worth checking out.

GMT are drummer Robin Guy (Rachel Stamp, Bruce Dickinson), bassist John McCoy (Gillan, Mammoth, Gillan) and guitarist Bernie Torme (Gillan, Ozzy et al). Halfway through recording a new album, this gig was a one off and what a marvellous event it was too.

Openers Skintight Jaguars were good, if inexperienced. A touch glammy but no bullshit. With a bit more match practice should go far.

For a three piece band the sonic assault is full, the arrangements excellent and tight. Opening with a couple of old Torme numbers Wild West and Star. Bernie’s guitar was blistering, fast, brilliant; McCoy’s bass heavy, thundering, solid, and at times even a little intricate. Robin Guy’s drumming was superb all night. Heavy too, one of the great young drummers of today.

Some new tracks off the forthcoming album were aired too, including the excellent Cannonball, Down To Here and Can’t Beat Rock’n’Roll. These are excellent and make the new album a promising prospect.

Bernie is a good frontman too, interjecting with humour. “Everybody has their faults, I’m a stuttering Irish git, Robin’s a drummer, and John’s a fat bastard” before they all launched into Mammoth’s Fatman. Summerland was a tad disappointing, but Rocky Road was one of the best rock songs I’ve heard. A cover of Presley’s Trouble (an old Gillan staple) was another highlight, followed by a mammoth and incredible drum solo. Another old track made Gillan’s own, New Orleans, went down a storm, with Torme playing Colin Town’s old keyboard lines. When on this kind of form, there is no-one that touch these guys. Blistering speed without the overdose, energy, finesse, Closing with Smoke On The Water was rousing, and the encores of No Justice and the old Gillan classic Secret Of The Dance proved a brilliant finish to a brilliant set.

Review: Joe Geesin

Interview (John McCoy)

Interview (Bernie Torme)