Sunday 3 December 2023
Supporting Extreme were fellow funk metallers Living Colour, although it’s important to point out that neither band fit in one genre. Guitar lovers were not only treated to Nuno Bettencourt’s virtuosity, but also to the fretboard fireworks of Vernon Reid, all for the price of one ticket. Bassist Doug Wimbish, another first class musician, was also on top form. The band’s short set included a mix of songs from their albums «Time’s Up», «Vivid» and «Stain» and several covers, including Sinead O’Connor’s «Nothing Compares 2 U» (written by Prince), Led Zepplin’s «Rock and Roll», the Talking Heads «Memories Can’t Wait» and the Clash’s «Should I Stay or Should I Go». The highlights were the band’s own «Type» and «Cult of Personality». At the end, frontman Corey Glover walked through the crowd not only on the floor but also on the balcony. From the roar of the crowd, it was clear they had won over several Extreme fans. 4.5/6
The sold out crowd were packed tightly in the venue, elbow to elbow, in anticipation of Extreme’s performance. There was not a spare space anywhere, and some people had to stand on the stairs that lead to the balcony. They were of mixed age, some of whom would remember the band from the late 80s/early 90s, but there were also plenty of young people. Several young women were seen dancing on the balcony throughout the show. This is a band that are still fresh, still relevant, and this was evident from the moment they stepped on stage and throughout their two hour set.
Kicking off proceedings, the spotlight graced Nuno Bettencourt and his Marshall amps as he launched into «It (‘s a Monster)», followed by a shortened version of «Decadence Dance», both from their highly acclaimed «Extreme II: Pornograffitti» album, but the early highlight was the third track, «#Rebel», from their latest album, «Six«. The band has not lost any of the energy they had 30 something years ago, and it was hard to believe that lithe frontman Gary Cherone, who didn’t keep still until he sat down for «More than Words», is 62 years old. His voice remains strong and powerful and he can contort his body in ways many a 26 year old could not.
The ringmaster of the evening was guitar god Nuno Bettencourt, who, as usual, does most of the talking on stage. He exchanged some banter with the crowd and also had some amusing anecdotes to tell. When he paid tribute to Living Colour, who he said were amazing musicians and people, he told us he had asked Vernon Reid to «take it easy on the fretboard» because he was playing on stage before him. The response from Reid was «Yeah, sure. Go f*** yourself»! He also asked the crowd who had been there for their last Bristol gig in the early 90s, and started pointing at people who held up their hands: “Bullshit! Bullshit! Too young! Not even born yet!” When he and Cherone sat down for «More than Words», he quipped «After the age of 55, sitting down is like having an orgasm».
There were multiple tributes to the band’s beloved Queen. The intro to «Play With Me» was a section from «We Will Rock You», and before «Banshee», which Nuno dedicated to women, they played an extract from «Fat Bottomed Girls». The gig stepped up a level with the intense and progressive «Cupid’s Dead», which showcased how tight the rhythm section of bassist Pat Badger and drummer Kevin Figueiredo are, followed by «Am I Ever Gonna Change», both from the band’s «III Sides to Every Story» album. Nuno’s solo on the latter track was particularly heartfelt, but some of his best guitar work of the evening was just before the encore, with his solo spot on «Flight of the Wounded Bumblebee» and his spectacular solo on «Get the Funk Out», which Brian May has said is a «landmark in rock history» (check out what he has to say about it here).
Proving yet again that they are a band of this century as well as the 1900s, the encore was made up entirely of songs from «Six»: the sing-along ballad «Small Town Beautiful» and the comeback track featuring the extraordinary guitar solo of the year, «Rise», which Bettencourt played to perfection. The song ends with the repeated lyrics «You got what you want», and on this particular evening, the Bristol crowd certainly did. 5.5/6
Text and photography: Anne-Marie Forker
