30/7/2011 Airbourne @ Shepherds Bush Empire

Subject	Airbourne @ Shepherds Bush Empire
DateCreated	8/22/2011
	I've been waiting a long time for this gig - all year in fact as it was cancelled earlier due to illness. Now Airbourne are finally back in London. This show was originally going to happen at Brixton Academy, but is now taking place in slightly more intimate confines of Shepherds Bush Empire. Better from my point of view. although it would have been nice if TFL hadn't chosen this weekend to shut the Hammersmith & City line.  Frontman Joel O'Keefe has lost none of his energy, and when he vanishes from the stage you never know where he is going to appear next - like up on the balcony! I'm glad to say the sound and performance is still as raw and 'in your face' as ever - in fact Joel is likely to pop up literally in your face. Cheers cobber! I've seen Airbourne several times now and they have never failed to deliver the goods. The band are still promoting their second album 'No Guts No Glory' and are also on tour supporting Iron Maiden.  It's a bigger production show this time, but the band's energy on stage remains at an amazingly high level. These guys really do throw everything they have into every show. Once again Joel demonstrates his own special way of cracking open a can of beer - with his head!   This show was certainly worth waiting those extra months for, and I don't think I've seen any other band come close to putting out this level of energy all year - and for an hour and a half they just don't let up for a minute - encore gap apart. Although Airbourne almost sound like an AC/DC tribute band (without the classic songs obviously) if we have to wait years before the real thing tour again (if ever) then this is a very acceptable substitute as far as I'm concerned. And although their songs might not be up there with the AC/DC classics they do have some cracking singalong anthems like 'Raise The Flag' and with songs like 'Bottom Of The Well' their songwriting has definitely taken a step forward from their first album - and even that has plenty of good songs on it.  I was quite proud of myself as I managed to go the whole show without patronising the venue's overpriced and piss-poor selection bar once - although I did grab a quiet pint in the Plastic Paddy pub on the corner beforehand, and another one or two in there after the gig.