Lynyrd Skynyrd, Birmingham NIA

May 31 2009 by Paul Cole, Sunday Mercury

“IT’S time for the South to rise again!” growled Johnny Van Zant as Lynyrd Skynyrd launched into rock anthem Sweet Home Alabama.

But it will be a short-lived rebellion on the strength of this gig – only one of four UK dates on the band’s God & Guns world tour.

Still grieving the deaths this year of keyboardsman Billy Powell and bassist Ean Evans, the Free Bird band never really took flight.

A surprisingly short 90-minute rush through past glories did little to rekindle the Skynyrd flame when it most needed to burn bright.

Yes, they made all the right noises, the duelling guitars of sole survivor Gary Rossington, Rickey Medlocke and Mark Matejka to the fore as you’d expect.

But despite incessant exhortations from Van Zant, kid brother of former frontman Ronnie – killed in the plane crash that killed three of the original line-up – the southern-fried spark was missing. At times it was by the numbers.

Back catalogue classics such as Workin’ For MCA, Saturday Night Special and What’s Your Name became stodgy re-runs. A messy medley was saved only by the inclusion of slowburner Tuesday’s Gone.

There were suggestions that things might step up. Both Simple Man and That Smell briefly lifted the gig but it was a worrisome wait for Call Me The Breeze, Sweet Home Alabama and Free Bird.

The three songs were worth the price of the ticket alone, of course. They always are.

But there’s something wrong when a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band has to rely shamelessly on crowd-pleasing set pieces.

I was lucky enough to see Skynyrd before tragedy took its toll in 1977, and they were breathtaking.

Since then I’ve caught them a handful of times and they’ve barnstormed venues of all sizes – but this was a pale imitation.

It may have pleased newcomers inspired by Kid Rock and Guitar Hero but c’mon guys, gimme back my bullets. PC