Ricky Warwick & The Fighting Hearts - Jul 23 I’m back at the Facebar for the third time in eight days for what is looking to be another highlight in the venue’s already busy gig listings.

Ricky Warwick has been in various bands for over thirty five years now, and with those bands including New Model Army, The Almighty, Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders, he knows a thing or two about putting on exhilarating rock n roll shows. Having him play at the Facebar is a bit of a coup and raises the venue’s profile even further as one of the best places in town to see both local, national and international touring bands. Seeing bands at close quarters, not having to travel into London and having reasonably priced drinks adds to the overall appeal of the venue.

The night starts quietly with the deep baritone vocals of Boss Caine returning to the venue again to entertain the early birds with his Yorkshire take on Americana. It’s a short set but with songs as strong as ‘Ghosts and Drunks’, ‘Father Time’ and ‘Truckstop Jukebox’ in Boss Caine’s repertoire, it was always going to be a winning and well received one.  

Boss Caine - Jul 23 It’s a complete change of pace next with the frenetic gutter trash rock n roll of The Suicide Notes. The fact that they are still standing given the number of ailments within the band is testament to the power of rock n roll excess to produce the sort of adrenaline rush that normal medicinal remedies cannot replicate. Even new drummer Scott missed his own Facebar debut after a (non-gardening related) muscle strain incident.

The Suicide Notes - July 23 Tonight, after a few acoustic performances, we are back to the full The Suicide Notes experience with Danny and Alex trading dirty licks whilst Damien’s bass rumble keeps the whole shebang together. Billy Tee is as reliably louche as ever with his droll sardonicism between songs whilst growling through the likes of ‘Momma Sang the Blues’, ‘Snakes Grin Within’ and ‘Smoke it Like a Cigarette’. It’s a cracking set and the addition of Scott adds extra power to the rhythm section – I’m looking forward to what comes next.

The Suicide Notes - July 23

I’ve already seen Ricky Warwick once this year with Black Star Riders and will be seeing him with The Almighty later this year, so seeing him close up and personal with his solo band will be a satisfying juxtaposition between the two London shows. In The Fighting Hearts, Ricky has assembled a formidable bunch of musicians with a wealth of experience between them. Guitarist Ben Christo (The Sisters of Mercy), bassist Richard Vernon (The Mission) and Jack Taylor (Tax the Heat) on the drums are a formidable lineup.

Ricky Warwick & The Fighting Hearts - Jul 23

Opening with Ricky’s raucous cover of Mink Deville’s ‘Gunslinger’, the scene is set for a night of adrenaline filled rock. Tonight’s set covers a great multitude of Ricky’s career with songs from his time with The Almighty, Black Star Riders, Thin Lizzy and his solo material. The Almighty’s ‘Over the Edge’ is followed by ‘The Road to Damascus’ and ‘You Don’t Love Me’ before the band embark on a fearless run through Thin Lizzy’s ‘Jailbreak'. 

Thin Lizzy clearly knew what they were doing when they invited Ricky to take lead vocals back in 2010, adding his own touch to the songs while keeping them instantly recognisable. For those in the front row, the thrill of having no barrier means that every bead of sweat, facial expression and guitar posture is clearly visible from their enviable positions. Ben Christo plays most of the gig foot on top of his monitor breaking down the distance between band and audience even further.

Ricky Warwick & The Fighting Hearts - Jul 23

The wonderfully named ‘When Patsy Cline was Crazy (And Guy Mitchell Sang the Blues)’ starts a run that features Black Star Riders ‘The Killer Instinct’, The Almighty’s ‘Wrench’ and ‘Fighting Heart’ from his last album.  Songs such as ‘You’re My Rock n Roll’ and ‘When Life was Hard and Fast’ easily match the material from Ricky’s earlier career and add up to a highly enjoyable set. The final portion is an almost perfect run with The Almighty’s ‘Wild & Wonderful’, Black Star Riders ‘Finest Hour’ and an incendiary version of Motorhead’s ‘Iron Fist’ making sure that the venue is now a hot sweaty mass of rock appreciation.

Ricky Warwick & The Fighting Hearts - Jul 23

Finishing with a rampaging version of The Almighty’s ‘Free n Easy’ the band depart the stage to cheers from the elated audience. This has been a masterclass in how to put on a career covering set maintaining the pace and satisfying everyone in the crowd.

After the show Ricky can be found at the merch desk chatting freely with the fans and having pictures taken long into the night. This is what venues like the Facebar are here for – the opportunity to see great bands at close quarters and mingle with them afterwards. Luckily for us, there are musicians like Ricky who frequently play on huge festival stages but still return to the smaller venues to remember their roots and give their fans a memorable night. May he long continue to do so.

Ricky Warwick & The Fighting Hearts - Jul 23