Pretty Maids @ Jailbreak 2024
Warning: This review contains fangirling
For those of you who've been following my concert reviews this summer, you'll recall that I was kinda blown away by seeing my old heroes in Pretty Maids return at Copenhell after a 5-year hiatus following lead singer Ronnie Atkins' diagnosis with terminal lung cancer. Shit, how could I not? Not only did Atkins' vocals – strongest Danish metal vocals of all time, might I add – sound as powerful as virtually ever, but the man seemed completely unfazed by his death sentence, rocking as hard as any other time I've seen the Maids over these last 25 years.
Seeing as how this is a proper headlining show in the band's old hometown of Horsens, I'm expecting a little more tonight. And that's also what we're getting. Not a lot more, but a little more.
The set is largely the same as at Copenhell. But just like at last night's Avantasia tour de force, you can clearly feel an anticipation amongst the audience that wasn't there last time. And even though we gave aformentioned all-time strongest Danish metal vocalist his proper welcome last night, we do the same right now as the band enters with majestic "Mother of All Lies".
And just as majestic as the intro, the sound, and the songwriting are, it all does justice to a band which, although they may be past their prime, are still as tight, well-playing, and all-round solid as the best of their heavy metal peers worldwide. Hat-wearing guitarist Ken Hammer, (curiously looking more and more like Zucchero), can damn well wail on more than par with the Brian Robertson and John Sykes that inspired him. And fortunately returned batterist Allan Tschicaja may very well be the sturdiest, steadiest, and all-round best drummer the Maids ever had. Velkommen tilbage!
That aforementioned little more that we didn't get at Copenhell, then, are a couple of amazing mid-set inclusions from the band's criminally overlooked mid-90s period: the steel-heavy hammer blows of fist-pumper "Nightmare in the Neighborhood" and stadium-sized power rock anthem "Walk Away". This is impeccable fucking songwriting right here, people. But of course, so is everything else right here. New and old songs alike.
Even for a band that's sold more than 2 million albums worldwide, and even though Pretty Maids managed to get relatively big in Asia, they remain sadly overlooked internationally.
The Maids are ballsy playing two of their biggest debut LP classics back-to-back, title track "Red, Hot, and Heavy" and, well… "Back To Back". But shit, even as awesome as those pure heavy metal gems are, I'd be a piece of garbage if that gigantic, melodic AOR of newer single "Will You Still Kiss Me (If I See You in Heaven)?" isn't as flawless as any other flawless song they ever wrote – and there are many. Same thing goes for bouncy shout-along "I.N.V.U." and the magically equal parts severe and infectious title track from "Pandemonium" (2010). (Yes, those songs are still new. Shut up.)
Even though this is an international website, I couldn't look myself in the eye without also mentioning the wonderful shamelessness with which the Maids conclude tonight's main set by covering "Det Bedste til Mig og Mine Venner" ("The Best for Me and My Friends") by Danish legendary rock institution Gasolin'. It's not the first time I've seen them doing it, but again: You can feel the audience's heart-warm gratitude and nostalgic love in the very singalong. Just like this is a homecoming show in a very literal sense for the band, we're back at the beginning, right here.
And even though we can all figure out what's coming next, first encore "Future World", as aggressive as it's memorable, and with its, indeed, futuristically Blade Runner-esque intro, remains immovable proof that Denmark's contributions to the golden age of heavy metal on a global scale is still as qualified as that of any other country. If this had been recorded by Accept or Dio around the same time, it would've made history. (Shit, imagine hearing Dio covering it!)
And its juxtaposition with melodic show-closer "Love Games" says all about the Maids' great flair for varied songwriting: Whether they wanna have you headbanging, shouting, waving a lighter around, singing along with everyone around you, or tenderly holding your special girl, they make it happen through their rhythms, riffs, and melodies. People, we're dealing with fucking world-class here.
Like I wrote in my Copenhell review, you could expect more fangirling here. But in all humility, any heavy metal connoisseur would agree.
I've said it many times before, and I'll gladly say it again: Even for a band that's sold more than 2 million albums worldwide, and even though Pretty Maids managed to get relatively big in Asia, they remain sadly overlooked internationally. Just like their fine countrymen in D-A-D, incidentally. My hope is that anyone reading this who's unfamiliar with the band will at least check out their two first albums, "Red, Hot, And Heavy" (1984) and "Future World" (1987).
... Well, actually also "Jump the Gun" (1990), even though people tend to hate on that for some reason; it's got some bitchin' fucking tunes on it. And while you're at it, you should also dig into "Sin-Decade" from '92 as well – that's my personal favorite. And "Scream" ('94) is equally powerful – those two albums have some bangers on par with the band's best ones. And although "Spooked" ('97) had a coupla fillers, that one also…
Yeah, sorry. Like I wrote in my Copenhell review, you could expect more fangirling here. But in all humility, any heavy metal connoisseur would agree.
Rating: 5 out of 6
Genre: Heavy metal / hard rock
Venue: Jailbreak, outdoor stage
Date: Sat., Aug. 17th, 2024
Setlist:
- Mother of All Lies
- Kingmaker
- Back to Back
- Red, Hot, and Heavy
- Will You Still Kiss Me (If I See You in Heaven)?
- Serpentine
- Yellow Rain
- Nightmare in the Neighbourhood
- Walk Away
- Pandemonium
- I.N.V.U.
- Please Don't Leave Me (John Sykes cover)
- Rodeo
- Little Drops of Heaven
- Det Bedste til Mig og Mine Venner (Gasolin' cover)
Encore: - Future World
- Love Games