Still going strong since the band's original formation in 1982, Spear of Destiny have had many incarnations and permutations over the years. Back with a new album Janus, and plenty of energy to tour it, the band are proving themselves - once again - to be legends of the British rock scene...
The packed room was captivated by Spear's performance
No fuss, no grand entrance, just six musicians walked on stage, plugged in and ripped through a polished set of new and old material that defined Spear of Destiny at their best. The 2025 Janus Tour kicked off in Leeds less than a week ago and launched their new double album of the same name - not exactly a 'best of', but tracks taken from two of their biggest selling albums.
The current line up of Spear is the longest serving to date, and features Adrian Portas (New Model Army / Sex Gang Children), Craig Adams (Sisters of Mercy / The Cult / The Mission) and Phil Martini (Jim Jones and the Righteous Mind) on drums, saxophonist Clive Osborne and long time Brandon collaborator Steve Allen Jones on keys. Portas had an insanely low hung guitar and prowled around the stage with menace and faultless solos, whilst Craig Adams and Phil Martini provided an impeccable foundation on bass and drums, respectively. There were some outstanding solos from Clive on sax (in my opinion much more of this would have been awesome) and Steve Allen Jones played a mostly understated but vital role on synth throughout. Founder and only remaining original member of Spears, Kirk Brandon gave space and respect to his fellow musicians throughout the show, leaving them to get on with what they did best: play.
This was a really busy Rescue Rooms night and the packed room was captivated by Spear's performance. A fan to my left insisted on screaming out for Kirk to play various early hits and was rewarded towards the end of the show. Noisy, busy and loud - this is what an 80s night out was all about and the night had a real retro feel. My personal favourites on the night were Soldier Soldier and They'll Never Take Me Alive.
It's clear that Spear of Destiny still have a firm hand on delivering Rock Anthems. The Janus Tour is back in The Midlands soon. Don't miss them!
Spear of Destiny performed at Rescue Rooms on 29th April 2025.
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