Stryper brought their 2018 God Damn Evil tour to Versailles, Ohio Friday, May 26. Lending tour support was ‘80s veterans Kix with Columbus cover artists Kodebreaker opening the show. Fans from Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati and elsewhere came to BMI Indoor Speedway to hear new tunes, classics and the songs many grew up with.
Kix was rocking the 30th year anniversary of Blow My Fuse, with a remastered release of the record that brought “Don’t Close Your Eyes” and “Girl Money” to the MTV vocabulary. Both bands made major schedule changes and road sacrifices to play to a full house.
Kodebreaker played the immortal tunes of the ‘70s and ‘80s. In tribute to MTV’s heyday and the millions of musicians inspired by the big hair and bands on Headbangers Ball. Opening the show with an impressive set of anthems including guitar solo and an extended “Eruption” on “You Really Got Me.” It was also a fun fill in gig for drummer Ric Martelino.
Scott Moore and Lewis Carey
The prince of darkness came howling from the dead of night on “Bark at the Moon.” The late ‘70s called on “Dirty White Boy.” Before Pyromania and Hysteria the early ‘80s ushered in Def Leppards’s “Let It Go.” Vital classic Idol was delivered with a strong, loud “Rebel Yell.” From Out of the Cellar came RATT’s biggest tune. Given the age range assembled, many people lived 1984 while a small percentage heard about it as guitars busted out “Panama.”
It wasn’t the still of the night quite yet so they played “Love Ain’t No Stranger.” They went full arena rock, with a blistering solo, milking the crowd, making them earn ‘the tapping’ climax slamming into “You Really Got Me.” From flickering lightning notes to Tesla coils “Midnight Cowboy” proclaimed the tale of the modern day guitar slinging lawman. You can’t end a show without celebrating the first heavy metal record to hit the top spot on Billboard as the crowd banged heads to “Metal Health.”
Steve Whiteman and Mark Schenker
All the cool kids came to Versailles to celebrate 30 years of Blow My Fuse with the aptly updated Fuse 30 Reblown due in September.
Whiteman said they only had an hour so they were gonna play Blow My Fuse start to finish beginning with some TNT straight out of the “Red Lite, Green Lite” district as Whitman went to town on the harmonica. “Get It While It’s Hot” revved up the guitars and adrenaline. AC/DC beat them to it but there was still a lot of woman left in “No Ring around Rosy.” Keyboards chimed in on the rock ballad Atlantic Records insisted they make a video for, “Don’t Close Your Eyes.”
She was a tad bit explosive, loaded with dynamite and “She Dropped Me The Bomb.” Her “Cold Blood” was all we needed to get motivated for a “Piece of the Pie.” “Boomerang” came full circle on the sizzle and boom, boom, burn of relationship bliss. The opening riff of “Blow My Fuse,” ignited crowd approval as the “Dirty Boys” finished things up. Whiteman said they were out of time but they were gonna play another one anyway. Whipping out the mean green, taking a page from Hot Wire, they flashed all their “Girl Money.”
Michael Sweet
Playing four new tunes from God Damn Evil, Stryper performed a 20-song set, deep and rich with selections from the early ‘80s to 2018. Former Firehouse bassist Perry Richardson recently joined the ranks sporting Stryper yellow. All albums but Murder by Pride and Reborn were represented.
The crowd stood poised and ready for the yellow and black as the opening choir and praise of “Yahweh” began with Michael Sweet’s wailing delivery. God Damn Evil started with the thrash-like chug of “The Valley” as the first big haired, striped ‘80s flashbacks came on “Calling on You,” “Free,” and “More than a Man.”
The ‘90s stand-alone Against The Law got shouts on “All for One” and “Lady.” Modern day came with “Revelation” handing out God’s word with time honored Stryper Bibles. MTV’s spotlight returned on “In God We Trust” as “Sorry” damned evil again.
Oz Fox
“Surrender” and “Soldiers Under Command” went old-school. “Big Screen Lies” chastised those who deny his existence and presence as Sweet’s lungs got worked, on “Can’t Live without Your Love.” The big stage and bigger outfits were remembered on “Always there for You.”
Sweet took them back to ’86 saying this was proof the power a song has, “Honestly.”
The “Abyss” made its dark black, crimson flames known encoring with “To Hell with the Devil.”
Images by Mike Ritchie
