SAZ - Westport Bar, Dundee 20-05-06
With the place pretty full and a shedload of Iron Maiden fans looking forward to the
headline set by Iron Maiden tribute band, Maiden Scotland, the support slot was provided by local Dundee's SAZ, a female-fronted 5-piece metal band featuring young singers Nikki on lead vocal and Nichola on co-lead and backing vocals, along with Marina Mermaid on bass, Kev The Rev on lead guitar and Ritchie Thundersticks on drums. Tonight the band were ready to rock - and as the surging lead guitar riff of opener "Gotta Get A Grip" rang out, Ritchie's drums and Marina's bass fired up as the band went supernova in the blink of an eye, vocalist Nikki soaring to huge heights as the song rings out, and Nichola's spot-on timing adding dynamics to the vocal tour-de-force. Without a break it was straight into the blistering pace of "Scavenger" as the band sent out the message "who needs Motorhead anyway" with a nuclear powered three minute slice of rampaging rock that would give the likes of Motorhead's "See Me Burning" more than a run for its money, with the added visual treat of the black-clad Nichola dancing like a dervish as Goth amazon Nikki strides the stage and leather clad bassist Marina launches herself onto the dancefloor, while Kev's pouring out riff after headbanging riff. The audience were right there with the band, as the eruption of applause showed when the track came to its molten end, even the many there who had never witnessed the SAZ phenomenon before. As a thirty minute, 8 or 9 song set rose from peak to peak, the effect was every bit as adrenaline-rousing as a Motorhead fan's wet dream, putting the likes of Girlschool into the box marked "yesterday's thing". This was SAZ at their explosive best with the visual impact to boot - and you should see Nikki's boots!! - and when they ended with their own anthem "We Are SAZ", you not only knew who they were, not only soaked up every blistering minute of metal attack, but you couldn't wait to see them again - that being the most asked question from the crowd, after the gig. SAZ are here - and ready to hit your town.