Punky Meadows and Frank DiMino of Angel, The Hard Way at The Whisky

Punky Meadows and Frank DiMino of Angel

Punky Meadows and Frank DiMino of Angel, The Hard Way, The Whisky, June 16, 2018

Punky Meadows and Frank DiMino of Angel

Who would have even imagined in 2018 we’d be having an Angel reunion at the world famous Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip. With two keys members Punky Meadows and Frank DiMino getting together to present what would surely be the tour of a lifetime, the Angel classics were all brought back in a fierce and hard rocking manner. All this, and material from their respective solo albums were unveiled, rendering this an absolutely memorable night on the Sunset Strip. Kicking off their set with a one-two punch of On The Rocks and Can You Feel It, one noticed right away an entire collective in topnotch form.

Punky Meadows presents guitar solos that are absolutely staggering in scope, bringing back the Angel glory days with an all-out vengeance. And Frank DiMino’s vocals are epic, exuding a power that was wondrous to behold! It was terrific hearing DiMino’s banter in between songs as he spoke about the past, present, and future of the almighty Angel. In addition to the landmark selections such as Rock & Rollers and The Tower, solo tunes such as Rocking In The City and Straight Shooter were rapturously received by the capacity Whisky crowd. And as a tribute to the late, great David Bowie, Meadows and DiMino unveiled a rousing rendition of All The Young Dudes, which inspired quite a singalong when the wickedly infectious chorus arrived.

Eric Jeffreys of The Hard Way

The Hard Way

Opening in direct support of Punky Meadows and Frank DiMino of Angel was L.A.’s own The Hard Way – local legends in the own right who may always be depended upon to fire up the crowd for the headlining acts. The Hard Way clearly have their own fan base as well, easily demonstrated by the many audience members were singing along to each and every song. While The Hard Way girls were not in attendance, focus was solely on the band and their music, and what an exciting presentation these seasoned musicians had in store for the early arrivals. From the opening refrains of the explosive CUM and on, The Hard Way presented their own take on sleaze rock and roll that was exhilarating to witness.

And what a superb band lineup The Hard Way possesses, fronted by the one and only Eric Jeffreys, a supremely charismatic vocalist who really knows how to rock your world and send the party soaring!  Joe Drock and John Holt present a massive amount of dueling guitar action. Tim Luce of Alcatrazz infamy supplies a kickass low end on bass, and his energy and enthusiasm is a lot of fun to watch. And then slamming the beats home with skilled precision is Jonas Streffer, who also plays with Abba Rox and The Flux Capacitors.

Diabolical Bitch is certainly the Sunset Strip anthem for the ages while Police Brutality shows a striking socially conscious side to The Hard Way experience. Be sure to check into The Hard Way the next time they play The Whisky, which will be July 13th opening for L.A. Guns. Their latest album Police Brutality is a slamming effort that is not to be missed as well!

(Review by Ken Morton – Photos by Jack Lue)

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