In the good ol' U.S. of A., the British metallic power trio
Budgie
were never more than a cult attraction -- actually best known for their songs being covered by other bands. But the group always seemed to have a stronghold in Texas, which served as the site for a 2002 live album,
Life in San Antonio
. For many years by this point, singer/bassist
Burke Shelley
was the lone original member left in attendance -- joined on this night (August 2, 2002, to be exact) by guitarist
Andy Hart
and drummer
Steve Williams
. Highlights include two nearly eight-minute medleys of
classics --
"In for the Kill"
/
"Rape of the Locks"
"Guts"
and the set-closing
"Breadfan"
"Nude Disintegrating Parachutist Woman"
-- as well as another early nugget,
"Zoom Club."
Sadly, the greatest song title in the history of recorded music,
"Hot as a Docker's Armpit,"
was not performed on this fateful evening. No matter --
Shelley
's unmistakable banshee wail has never sounded sweeter, and the boys in the band can still churn out
Sabbathy
metallic slabs with the greatest of ease. ~ Greg Prato