The Answer + Black Wolf + Fireroad, Sin City, Swansea 16/03/14

An excellent night of heavy rocking music at Swansea's Sin City headlined by Ireland's The Answer was enhanced by their fellow countrymen closing out rugby's 6 Nations title just an hour or two before the gig kicked off.

In fact, I missed opening act Fireroad due to this, but got there in time to see Bristol based Black Wolf who impressed me much with their self defined "soulful hard edged sound...channeling a contemporary voice with a vintage focus". They are loud and powerful and are well worth checking out at the Steelhouse Festival this summer.

Black Wolf

Come 9.20 pm and it was time for the main men. It's difficult for me to take in that I first saw The Answer supporting Whitesnake back in 2006, and I've been back many times since.  Now complete with a brilliant new album 'New Horizon' the band are trying to re-establish a reputation forged on the festival circuit and during their huge support slot for AC/DC a few years back.

They are a superb live outfit and the 200 or so punters in Swansea totally enjoyed their 90 minutes of hard and heavy riffage. They energise their audience and leave nothing in the dressing room, and through this have established a loyal fan base. To be honest they deserve to be playing bigger venues, but maybe that's where rock music is right now.

The set list was based quite a bit on the new record with a few of the favourites from the earlier albums thrown in - something like:

New Horizon
Road Less Travelled
Trouble
Under The Sky
Concrete
Cradle Rock
Nowhere Freeway
Spectacular
Memphis Water
Come Follow Me
Comfort Zone
Preachin'

The Answer in Sin City

Paul Mahon on guitar

Micky Waters bass

Cormac Neeson on lead vocals

James Heatley on drums