The boys are back in town

It’s been a tough year for Thin Lizzy, having lost guitarist Gary Moore and hitting the 25th anniversary of frontman Phil Lynott’s death. Two albums have been reissued by UME, however, and a packed lineup hits Chicago.

The current group features veterans Scott Gorham (guitar), Brian Downey (drums), and Darren Wharton (keyboards), and brings singer/guitarist Ricky Warwick, bassist Marco Mendoza, and Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell. Gorham told Billboard recently that they’re thinking about heading into the studio (Warwick’s writing lyrics), and the turnouts on the road (combined with major support from Def Leppard, whose Joe Elliott supported the reissue project) have hardly deterred them. Repackaged versions of Bad Reputation and Chinatown are reportedly next. (Friday@Vic Theatre with Lovehammers.)

An artificial wall stands between indie-rock fans and guitar-noodling classic rockers that’s built on bullshit and nothing more. The swirling soundscapes produced on Soft Speaker‘s I’ll Tend Your Garden (Forty Acres) — no offense to the club — should be blasting from a bigger stage than the Empty Bottle’s. The local band have hit stride with their fourth release in three years, packing lithe Homme vocal melodies, Built To Spill’s modernized lust for Crazy Horse, a barge full of reverb, and a pedalboard that would make any Guitar Center wannabe cream his jeans. Our lone complaint is that we’d like to tell you our favorite songs, but our CD has no tracklisting and there’s eff-all online. (Friday@Empty Bottle with California Wives and Color Radio.)

— Steve Forstneger

Tags: Def Leppard, Joe Elliott, Phil Lynott, Ricky Warwick, Scott Gorham, Soft Speaker, Thin Lizzy, Vivian Campbell

Category: Featured, Stage Buzz, Weekly