Alter Bridge End Tour In Lisbon With As Lions In The Best Way
Lisbon, Sunday, October 29. 8pm.
There are two of the longest lines I’ve ever seen for the Coliseum in the Portuguese capital, as Alter Bridge and As Lions are about to perform for the last time this tour. You see everyone with the t-shirts and hear how Alter Bridge have been introducing the gigs with different songs. What we’re going to be treated to is a mystery, but we do know that even before walking through the door, it’s going to be memorable.
As I walk in, As(s) Lions (I’ll get to that later) are about to come on-stage, for the first time ever in Portugal. With Austin Dickenson, son of the legendary Iron Maiden frontman, Bruce Dickenson, helming his own band, you can rest assured that he is doing his own thing. Naturally, dad will have a certain influence, but this is his night, along with his bandmates.
As the band gives out their best for the last gig of this tour, we’re introduced to live versions of hard-hitters like “Bury The Dead” and “Deathless”.
The venue is slowing packing up to its fullest and while not everyone pays attention to the opening band, most seem to give them a listen by the time “The Fall” is performed, and people really liked “World On Fire”, seeing their reactions. Seems like As Lions have formed a small fanbase in Portugal, hopefully to return sooner rather than later!
Closing the set is “The Great Escape”, giving us the last chance to see the showmanship of Austin and Co. We approve. Highly!
Regarding the As(s) Lions, seems like #endoftourpranks are taking interesting grounds tonight, as the Britsh bands banner was vandalised, leaving us wondering if they will take revenge.
Now comes the odd part: Usually, I’d interview bands before their set, but because life is made of firsts, I had the pleasure to speak to Austin Dickenson himself after the set!
Austin is cheery as we sit. Considering he’s just gone through a huge set, he shows no signs of exhaustion, with really good energy going around him. We start off talking about Portugal and seafood (of which he is a big fan).
But have just come off stage, I had to ask: How was the experience of being on a Portuguese stage:
I hope it was good. I hope they enjoyed it. For me it was one hell of an end of a tour! The fact that we’re on tour with Alter Bridge, it’s a huge deal for us already, and it’s a really amazing opportunity.
I mean, they are just the biggest of rock gods. But they’re also of the most down to earth people I know. They get lauded and sell out shows and yet, all of them are still curious about music, they still wanna be better than they are, so for us, that’s what we want. So for a band like us, it’s really encouraging.I know for a fact I’ll never be 100% happy with how I sing. I’ll always be trying to get to that point and it’ll always be two steps ahead. So it’s kind of comforting seeing a band that are just purely fucking destroying being humble.
Despite me not wanting to pull Austin’s father into conversation, I did however confront him regarding the Dickinson showmanship running in the blood:
(laughs) I don’t know! Maybe! (laughs) Sometimes it depends on the crowd. If they’re a really quiet crowd, then going (growls) it’s just weird.
I’m 27 and I’ve been doing this since I’ve been 17 already…
A hydraulic machine hisses in the background…
You hear that. That’s exactly how I feel when I say that. It’s just ten years (hisses) and it’s been amazing. I’ve had to work for it and I’m no where near the ideal frontman dude I dream to be in my head. I think the chase is the fun part so may the chase never end!
We talk about debut album, with members from previous band Rise To Remain and presenting it live:
It’s a completely new band, with completely new songs. I think there is a complete honesty and willingness to go back to the beginning. The same reason we didn’t just change the Rise To Remain’s internet pages to As Lions, what a dick that would be to do.
So it’s very honest in its intentions, brand new and the reactions to the song and us presenting the songs is kinda liberating. Because it’s music we wanted to make that with that band we couldn’t, or we could about 5 albums down the line when you realise that screaming and singing just shoots out your voice and you tour on the same five tours over and over and all sorts of other stuff. That’s bullshit.
If you want to make this, then just do it, because we’re never going to get this opportunity again, while we still love it and believe in it, before we’re jaded old metalcore dudes. Let’s make a fucking record that no matter what anyone else thinks, we can stand behind and say ‘Fuck off, we love what we did!’.
With a big sense of pride, and rightfully so, the US have been kind to As Lions, as they hit the Mainstream Rock chart, hitting number 12 with single “Aftermath”.
But you know it’s kinda weird, for an English dude, playing English music in an English band, from England (laughs), you don’t tend to think of America as the viable option. You think ‘Yeah, that’d be nice, but no, probably won’t happen!’, so for us to go there and do it and the song to get where it got on the charts, the record do what its done and get the the tours we’ve been offered, that still a headfuck to me. It’s crazy.
Fans brace yourselves, because I’ve got good news:
We’ve been writing some stuff on the road. I was actually writing some stuff today. We’ve got about 6 to 10 songs. I say 6 to 10, because there’s six I’m like ‘Yup!’ and four that we might change some stuff. But by the new year we want about 20, we just want to keep that building.”
I’ll get home and go be doing my stuff, and the guys will go be doing theirs and we’ll start to build towards something. We just want to get the fire stoked and get things going.
I reckon there’ll definitely be something new next year. Don’t know if it’s a single or an EP, but it will be something. It’ll be us with the next step!
The coolest thing of our debut album not only that it’s out and people can listen to it, it’s that we have an identity. So people when they hear it, they can know what we sound like, and it’s so great because we have that launchpad because the next step is so much harder, a bigger imprint.”
Austin doesn’t say this out of the blue, he, as well as the rest of the band seem to have some plan in their minds, but is is there any pressure in making this next step their greatest yet?
Oh, of course! We love these songs! It’s exactly the album we wanted to make and so now we got to blow this one out of the water. (laughs) By the time the new one comes out we want to be like ‘Oh, that one, yeah it’s alright. ’(laughs)
I’m very honest as well. I don’t do the whole (mocks voice) ‘Uhh, it’s bigger. The heavy parts are heavier, and the melodic parts are more melodic. And it’s the best album ever!’ (laughs). If we make something we believe in, we will definitely put it out.”
There is no feeling indifferent after this sit down with of the best young talents in metal right now. I say my goodbyes and climb to the top floor to catch what Alter Bridge are doing on the stage.
The night keeps on getting better, as Myles Kennedy and company walk on-stage ready to perform the first song of what promises to be one of those nights, the kind that will stick to your memory for a long time.
Kicking-off with “The Other Side”, we quickly see that Alter Bridge are not afraid to go ahead and play a new song in their first instance. But things turn back in time, when “Come To Life” plays next.
“Cry of Achilles” and “Ties That Bind” get the crowd moving, while the inevitable small yet furious pit is open for those who enjoy a rougher night out in town. There’s also hearable singing from the entire venue! These people came more than prepared!
It isn’t until “Shed My Skin”, probably one of the songs that introduced the band to many of these peoples lives that we realise how this gig is really an experience that both audience and musicians are in synchronicity tonight. Their interaction with the crowd truly show how important their fan-base is to them, and for a band that’s been around for almost 15 years. they still look overwhelmed by the whole thing.
It happens again shortly after, as their most popular song, wrestling anthem “Metalingus” really gets everybody going, in a performance so perfect, that its only flaw was missing WWE Superstar Adam “Edge” Copeland.
Closer the the end of the night, we’re treated to yet another classic, “Open Your Eyes” that gets chanting, singing and a fair share of lighters and cellphone torches.
After the shortest wait for the encore in the history of live concerts, another newer song makes its mark on the setlist, as “Show Me A Leader” gets everything back to normal levels of excitement.
Then, the casual fun starts, with Myles Kennedy and Mark Tremonti dueling with their axes, all while throwing out hundreds of picks to the audience.
Finally, closer “Rise Today” feels a lot longer, as Alter Bridge take their time and try to postpone as much as they can the end of The Last Hero Tour.
But not before Austin Dickenson makes his way back on-stage driving a radio controlled car with a… Special accessory! See more below:
There are laughs, there are cries, but as we’re exiting the venue, there is mostly pride. Pride that every single fan who was at this gig will have a story to tell about seeing one of the greatest rock bands around.
Alter Bridge’s latest release The Last Hero, as well as their double-live album Live at The O2 Arena, along with As Lions debut album Selfish Age are all now available on all physical and digital outlets, as well as streaming services.
A big thanks to Austin from As Lions for the interview, and to Eros at KINDA Agency for making it happen. Special thanks to Dave for everything else!
