Written by:	Baz Anderson
Published:	December 21, 2011
Event:	Saxon: UK Tour (Website)
Location:	02 Academy, Sheffield, United Kingdom
Galleries:	Saxon, Hammerfall - Sheffield, England, 19th December 2011 by Baz Anderson (39)

An impressive queue had formed outside the moderately sized O2 Academy for what would be Saxon's home-county show in Yorkshire, and the second to last date of their extensive worldwide tour.




Local lads Crimes Of Passion opened the night with a solid but ultimately quite forgettable set of heavy metal. A few modern influences crept into the sound of this capable band, but even in their home city, the opening slot probably didn't do them any justice.



Following on with a quick changeover, the heavy metal Swedes received a warmer reception, although still not exactly wild. HammerFall delivered a real workman type set with a cut down 45-minute set of edited highlights. Despite the still seemingly reluctant audience at large, Cans did a great job in waking up with his sing-along sections.



Setlist: Any Means Necessary / Heeding The Call / Renegade / Bang Your Head / Blood Bound / Last Man Standing / Let The Hammer Fall / One More Time / Hearts On Fire



A headlining Saxon show is like a marathon; these guys together might have an average age approaching 60, but they can still rock the stage each night for just shy of two hours. The Yorkshire lads took the stage for a bit of an up and down first portion of the show. Alternating an old song with a new one, the band worked the audience up and then took the foot off the accelerator with a new one. Songs from the band's latest album Call To Arms, which is their best selling album for many years featured heavily in this section, unfortunate as it's much superior predecessor Into The Labyrinth was left completely out of this set.



As the set progressed, the Sheffield audience finally warmed for a few songs that rarely see the light of day. "Dogs Of War" might not be completely unheard of, but "Rock The Nations" and "Broken Heroes" from the less known 80's albums sure made the set a little more interesting. The last portion of the show was littered with the classics the audience had paid their money to see; "Power And The Glory" might not be a setlist staple either, but even the routine "Wheels Of Steel" sounded fresh tonight. With so many albums and so many great songs it would be impossible for the band to create a perfect setlist for each individual, but the band certainly make the biggest of efforts each night, each year for their loyal fans. The band genuinely happy to be playing in their home county did what they do best, what they have been doing for so many years; playing it loud, proud, and late into the night.



Setlist: Heavy Metal Thunder / Hammer Of The Gods / Never Surrender / When Doomsday Comes (Hybrid Theory) / Chasing The Bullet / Motorcycle Man / Back In '79 / Dogs Of War / To Hell And Back Again / Call To Arms / Rock The Nations / Broken Heroes / Mists Of Avalon / Power And The Glory / Denim And Leather / Wheels Of Steel / Crusader / And The Bands Played On / 747 (Strangers In The Night) / Princess Of The Night