For the second time in a week I was back at the LG Arena in Birmingham and this time it was for Paramore. They were being supported by fun and B.o.B. Having seen Paramore twice before I was looking forward to seeing them again just hoping it wasn’t a poor set (late, short & quiet) like it had been at Leeds Festival.

With a name like fun I very much doubted liking them and I didn't. What sprang to mind was the kind of band you'd see in a battle of the bands in a Disney film. But then they swore! I wasn't expecting that. The singer had xfactor written all over him while the rest of the band looked like they might have been failed rockers(?). There was a girl on the keys and acoustic guitar who looked alright from I was standing. The whole set was a bit simple and nothing stood out. They went down ok with the young Paramore fans but really should have had a better support act than fun.

Mr Bobby "B.O.B" Ray was next. I had only heard his songs that he's collaborated with someone on. It was alright but nothing special. I only really enjoyed the collaborations. His own stuff didn't do anything for me but I appreciate what he's doing. It was kinda cool and really had some decent bass. He earned some points by playing his own guitar & having a full band on stage. The highlight was, of course, Airplanes with Hayley. I won't make an effort to see him again and the only reason he’s big right now is because of the famous names he's attached himself too.

Paramore finished the evening with an incredibly energetic set. They come on and straight into Ignorance. What hit me first was the volume. Much louder than I had expected having seen them at Leeds. So that instantly did it for me. Their set was simple with 5 video screens and some dangling light bulbs (a la the Ignorance video) which look pretty awesome when they dropped from the ceiling and bounced around. The music was performed really well and when my eyes moved away from Hayley for a moment they’d always go to the drummer who was good to watch. In the middle they played three acoustic songs which worked really well. Paramore finished off the night with Misery Business during which they dragged on a young girl to sing and a guy to play the tambourine. The whole Paramore set was spot on and nothing but quality through. They are a class and a perfect band for all ages and appeal to fans of all genres, from your Justin Beiber fans to Anthrax metal heads (yes I saw an Anthrax t-shirt in the crowd and he was having a great time).

On Wednesday my uncle, John Jackson, was awarded the VIP Award by Classic Rock magazine for his work as a tour agent. Congratulations to him and below a video of the presentation from Rod Smallwood, Alice Cooper and Sarah Cawood.

K2 Agent John Jackson, one of the creators of the Sonisphere rock festival, was honoured with the VIP Award (sponsored by currencies.co.uk), following in the footsteps of Harvey Goldsmith and Doc McGhee, for his impact on the music world through representing global rock and metal acts such as Slipknot, Metallica, Iron Maiden and AC/DC.

From Classic Rock Roll of Honour Winners

After only becoming an fan of Alter Bridge about a year ago, this was still the gig I had really been waiting for. Tickets came on sale about six months before and I had been excited about it all the while. Their new album, AB III, came out only the week before and is amazing. So it was all go for a fantastic gig. 

Supporting Alter Bridge was Slaves to Gravity. These guys look like a bunch of physics students (and with a name like that I’m betting they are) who got together to make some music. Slaves to Gravity didn’t make much of an impression on me but to be totally honest I was only there for Alter Bridge.

Having only one support act meant Alter Bridge were next. They kicked off the opening track of AB III (Slip to the Void). It was a show and a half. Every song they played was played perfectly. Myles Kennedy’s voice sounds even better live than on their albums and talent on stage with him didn’t play a bum note. There were two acoustic songs played (Blackbird and Wonderful Life). The hairs on the back of my neck were standing up during Wonder Life. I managed to record Wonderful Life. It’s well worth a listen.

Their whole set was perfect even though they didn’t play the three songs that originally got me into Alter Bridge in the first play. They are Broken Wings, In Loving Memory or Down To My Last. But the gig was still perfect which just shows how many great songs they have.

Next time they, play I’m there!

Slash is a great guitarist and Myles Kennedy is in one of my favourite bands (Alter Bridge). To be honest I've got quite the man crush of Myles's voice. IT'S AMAZING! Starlight is one of two songs the pair made together for Slash's self titled album and by far my favourite song on the album. Here's the performance from Download 2010.

After the most emotional performance of any song I've ever seen I can't stop listening to Bother by Stone Sour. Below is THE performance from Download and here's my review of Sunday at Download 2010.