To say I was disappointed that John Sykes left Thin Lizzy, would be the understatement of the year (Well at least in 2009). Being such a Sykes fan, it was hard to accept that he was out, and a new incarnation would carry on without him. Once Sykes left Scott Gorham recruited Vivian Campbell (Dio, Riverdogs and Def Leppard) to fill the missing axe roll as well as Ricky Warwick (The Almighty) to take over the vacant vocal slot. If you're not familiar with Warwick, he was with the band The Almighty, back in the 90's. The band had moderate success but never really made an impact. Warwick's vocal style, at least in Lizzy, is very close to Phil Lynott's. Just like many of the classic band's from that era, as they carry on, they move away from any sort of new identity and stick to the old sound, at least vocally. Hence, the addition of Warwick.
I was prepared to scrutinize this new line up, but knew in the back of my mind it would be great, because Gorham, wouldn't have it any other way. I had seen some footage of the band, fan shot, but never got a true idea of how the band would sound, until their new release Live in London. The band sound really good and Warwick is solid doing his Lynott style vocals. The band is tight which made this release an enjoyable listen. This won't replace the classic Live and Dangerous, but will fill the void of no new material from the band. The songs are updated with current production techniques, but do not hold the same magic as only the original lineup could produce. The band did a nice job on tracks like Are You Ready and Dancing in the Moonlight. The set list is standard Lizzy and should make any diehard happy.
Bottom Line: The latest incarnation of Lizzy killing it live. With Sykes out of the band there is a new dynamic to the band, which takes them back to the classic sound.
Standout Tracks: Dancing in the Moonlight, Jailbreak, Still In Love With You and Are You Ready.
-Ragman wonders if there wil be a new studio record from the band at some point in time.