Saxon - Dallas 1pm

Here`s to those among us who have a memory of the years when the New Wave of British Heavy Metal reached its musical and commercial pinnacle (1980-1984). The "Big 4 (or 5)" of British Metal (Motörhead, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Saxon and, arguably, Diamond Head) owed their breakthrough to a band who were neither British, nor were they, even by late 70s standards, Heavy Metal. Strange as it may seem, it was AC/DC who, in the wake of their ascent to fame, dragged a trail of other bands behind them.. Firstly, there were bands like AC/DC`s compatriots ROSE TATTOO or the "Alpine Rockers" of KROKUS who hailed from Switzerland and whose vocalist`s voice sounded so uncannily like the late Bon Scott`s that he, if only for a split second, was considered as the latter`s replacement. KROKUS, Rose Tattoo and half a dozen lesser known bands all had in common that they were carbon copies of AC/DC. As of 1980, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal were no longer interchangeable terms, but transitions between the styles would remain fluid for another half-decade until the "Thrash Metal Landslide" of the mid-decade left Hard Rock and Heavy Metal as two distinct genres. As to the NWOBHM, there was Motörhead who, on one hand, downright DECLINED the "Heavy Metal" label, whilst, on the other hand, their trademark sound - Kilmister`s hoarse shout paired with Clarke`s ultra-fast riffing and Taylor`s blastbeat assaults - seems almost outlandish in its conscious and deliberate quest for sonic overkill. In any case, Motörhead`s claim to being just a „good ol` Rock`n`Roll“ band was much weaker than AC/DC`s. Motörhead`s music is as devoid of an audible Blues influence as, say, Metallica`s. Kilmister`s insistence on Motörhead being „Rock`n`Roll“ may be due to the fact that the term „Heavy Metal“ – to the exclusion of its earlier, broader understanding – came to be identified increasingly with the bleak, misanthropic outlook of church-arsonists. The „Thrash Metal Landslide“ had kickstarted the careers