Heavy metal band Saracen were in their pomp at Head of Steam gig

It may have taken a while but Derbyshire pomp rockers Saracen finally made their first headlining appearance in Newcastle almost four decades after the release of their cult classic, Heroes Saints and Fools album.
By Mick Burgess
Published 27th Jan 2019, 13:32 BST
Updated 27th Jan 2019, 13:33 BST
Pomp rockers Saracen at the Head of Steam in Newcastle. Pic: Mick Burgess.Pomp rockers Saracen at the Head of Steam in Newcastle. Pic: Mick Burgess.
Pomp rockers Saracen at the Head of Steam in Newcastle. Pic: Mick Burgess.

The small but perfectly formed Head Of Steam was suitably rammed by a loyal and enthusiastic crowd who burst into animated life as We Have Arrived kicked off the show - a rather appropriate opening statement.

It wasn't long before their fabled classic debut album was mined for goodies, with the punchy Rock Of Ages showing the tighter, harder edge of the band, whereas Horseman Of The Apocalypse was Saracen at their most majestic as Paul Bradder added layer upon layer of keyboards to dramatic effect.

Saracen singer Steve Bettney at the Head of Steam in Newcastle. Pic: Mick Burgess.Saracen singer Steve Bettney at the Head of Steam in Newcastle. Pic: Mick Burgess.
Saracen singer Steve Bettney at the Head of Steam in Newcastle. Pic: Mick Burgess.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Vocalist Steve Bettney, the only surviving member from those early days, has retained the rich, powerful voice that made Saracen stand out from the pack back then, and impressed on the likes of Red Sky and Whither The Wind Blows.

The keyboard-driven Follow The Piper upped the tempo and sensing the crowd was deserving of something special, Saracen pulled out the gorgeous Face In The Crowd from their Change Of Heart album for a first-ever live outing.

Of course, it was the title track to their illustrious debut that everyone was waiting for, and 40 years on it still sounded every inch the pomp rock classic it is.

It was dramatic, overblown and totally magnificent with one fan seemingly so overwhelmed that they fell face down on the stage, or maybe that was just the beer.

Saracen performing at the Head of Steam in Newcastle. Pic: Mick Burgess.Saracen performing at the Head of Steam in Newcastle. Pic: Mick Burgess.
Saracen performing at the Head of Steam in Newcastle. Pic: Mick Burgess.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The up-tempo Ready To Fly brought the show to an end, with Bettney showing off his still-impressive range, and much to everyone`s amusement, when he handed his microphone into the crowd to join him, a fan hit a sweet, perfectly pitched note a la Mark Wahlberg in the Rockstar movie, drawing a round of applause from Bettney and backslaps from other fans.

It was a fun ending to a great evening.

Related topics:SaracenDerbyshireNewcastle