FM @ Bataclan, Paris - October 15th, 2018

FM was an odd choice for this middle slot. Squeezed in between pure metal artists like Raven and Saxon, their brand of AOR seemed a little out of place.

Y&T was initially supposed to play in their stead, and if Meniketti's bluesier band was not an obvious fit either, it was not as puzzling a pairing.

Unsurprisingly, the crowd didn't respond well to the meticulously crafted synth-heavy power pop melodies coming from the British veterans, and that's a shame because their set was absolutely excellent. They played a few songs which I must admit I didn't know, but also some classics like Tough It Out. Steve Overland's voice was great and the lead guitarist played some really tasteful solos.

I didn't expect much from them because I had unfairly lumped them is the fluff metal genre (and there IS some truth to that categorisation) but they deserve to be re-evaluated and seen under better conditions.