The Paranoid Squirrel ep 426

Sometimes when a band tries to take a second bite of the Cherry (Baby) they end up looking like a pale imitation of themselves, trying too hard and end up sullying their past. This is something Starz have managed to circumnavigate for two reasons. Reason one; even though Kerrang! Magazine listed their first two albums, “Starz” and “Violation”, in the most important Heavy Metal albums of all time with Poison, and Mötley Crüe citing them as a primary influence, the band only managed to lick the cherry. Main stream commercial success seemed to alluded them; all right the “Cherry Baby” 7” was a State side hit but they never managed to capitalise on it. In 2013 they finally made it over to the UK now with Alex Kane on guitar and a guesting Ginger Wildheart on bass. Fast forward to the 11^th March 2015 and Starz rolled back into the UK for three dates, Leamington Spa, Camden Underworld and the Hard Rock Hell Festival. London was my port of call and I have to say it was even better than The Garage with regular bassist George DiAna once again plucking the four stringed beast. Even Alex Kane thinks the current incarnation is “Magical”. He’s not wrong. The set was split into two parts as drummer Joe X. Dube needed a quick break having only six weeks earlier been in Hospital undergoing Heart Surgery. The Underworld was not a busy as it should’ve been under normal circumstances as Night Ranger were playing the Islington Academy and Jettblack were having their album listening party in Denmark Street, but for those of us who were there knew we had made the correct choice. As you will hear……