London’s East End had to batten down the hatches as the mighty Airforce launched an air raid over Stratford. Well, The Cart & Horses, to be precise. Led by Chop Pitman, Flavio Lino ‘Van Cleef’, as he apparently likes to be referred to, Tony Hatton and former Iron Maiden drummer Doug Sampson, rocked out to a sell-out crowd.
Airforce – Osmium Guillotine
Cart & Horses – 21 September 2024
Words And Photography: Steve Kenton
Ably supporting Airforce, the NWOBHM stalwarts, were Essex’s finest, Osmium Guillotine, who roared off the blocks with their own brand of high quality Metal. It’s the perfect starter to the main meal.
It is always a difficult task to be the support act, as a level of disinterest occasionally emanates from any crowd, who are generally just there for the main event. In this particular case, Osmium Guillotine baulked that trend with some foot-stomping, heavy bass-driven Metal with punk undertones. With their first song Globehead setting the tone for some high-quality music, two stand-out tracks, Subjective Perspective and Satan’s Castle, really showed what this band can do.
Despite only having a set list of seven songs, Osmium Guillotine were clearly enjoying themselves, with the lead singer and the bassist deciding to go a-wandering into the throng and join the audience while performing a couple of tracks. This band, who have been around since around 2009, have some great tracks and are well worth checking out.
Airforce
We had all enjoyed the starter and now the main course was Airforce with all the trimmings and a pint of Trooper to wash it down.
Anybody who has seen Airforce will know that this band should be far bigger than they are. Formed around the mid-’80s, the NWOBHM stalwarts have built up a loyal following despite the relatively low number of albums produced.
A new album was due to be launched around early August, although it has been ready since April. However, according to the band, the release has been delayed due to the legal wrangling involving the integration of their label ROAR (Rock Of Angels Records) with RPM (Reigning Phoenix Music). As a result, the album may not be released until February. However, this delay did not stop Airforce dropping three new tracks through the bomb-bay doors.
A quick burst from Winston Churchill heralded the opening track, Fight. Tony Hatton, sporting his customary shorts, came thundering in with his Fender P bass like the roaring engine of a B52. The aggression on this particular track was almost tangible and was the perfect precursor to the next track, Life Turns To Dust. With the crowd joining in at various sections within the song, conducted by the band’s ringmaster and vocalist Lino, the Cart & Horses Metalheads were suitably warmed up.
After two more crowd-pleasing songs, the first of the new additions, Among The Shadows, made its debut. An energetic track, this showcased how good a guitarist Chop Pitman truly is. The stomping mid-pacer War Games preceded the second of the new tracks, The Fury. This rapid-paced rocker emphasised how tight Doug Sampson and Tony Hatton are as a rhythm section.
Given how long the band have been together, this should be no surprise. Seven songs in and Lino’s voice was holding up really well given the sheer ferocity of his singing. The talented vocalist has a fantastic range and his voice just did not seem to waiver or crack.
With air raid sirens kicking in, courtesy of honourary fifth member Chris Minter, the song Heroes then sent the crowd wild. Airforce mascot Ded Seb made his first appearance, rallying and cajoling the moshpit and emulating Chop’s six-stringed pyrotechnics with some fine air guitar.
The Reaper was the next track to wow the crowd, complete with a superb Chop Pitman solo that was more rapid than a rabbit-chasing greyhound. Four more songs exploded from the band’s arsenal before the last of the new additions made its debut. Westworld boasts an excellent opening riff and is a really catchy trailblazer to the eagerly anticipated new album, sporting a short but sweet solo. The audience absolutely loved it. Again, Doug and Tony were tighter than a 17th Century corset.
With the penultimate song Finest Hour a real crowd favourite testing Lino’s vocals to the limit, the singer gave it the full ‘Ian Gillan’ and transformed himself into The Hairy Scream. This is no mean feat for a vocalist who is 15 songs into a 16-song set.
Sniper was the final track before a satisfied crowd, some of whom had travelled from Belgium and France, exited the venue. With a European tour underway, Airforce are a force to be reckoned with. They can most certainly hold their own at much bigger venues. With a charismatic, talented frontman and three excellent musicians, make no mistake, these guys are serious about putting on a great show but insist on having fun while doing it.
Ultimately, Airforce are essential viewing and listening for any budding Metalhead. If you get the opportunity, they are well worth catching on the road. And they are incredibly nice guys, too.
