Mojo - The Music Magazine

WITH LAST MONTH'S Mott The Hoople dates and a looming UK tour with Bad Company, guitarist Mick Ralphs must feel like his life is flashing before his eyes.

Yet he looked hale enough at this afternoon's showcase gig at the West End's enduringly naff Hard Rock Café venue, as the three surviving members of the original Bad Company line-up played acoustic versions of some of their finest songs.

As they ripped gleefully into Feel Like Makin' Love, Shooting Star, Seagull and Do Right By Your Woman, Rodgers flexed every fibre of the gritty soulfolkrock instrument on which his reputation is made. The anthemic weight of these numbers had my companion exclaiming: "Bon Jovi are their fault!"

Between 1974 and 1977, Bad Co were the fourth-biggest British rock band in the world, back when such distinctions meant something. Compiled after the break-up of Free and Mott threw Rodgers and Ralphs together, along with Free drummer Simon Kirke and ex-King Crimson bassist Boz Burrell, the group's uncomplicated heavy blues attack was an instant phenomenon, with Can't Get Enough a Stateside Number 1 and their self-titled debut album, released on Led Zeppelin's Swan Song label, one of the decade's biggest sellers.

The tour kicks off at the Birmingham LG Arena on April 1 with the final show on April 11 at Wembley Arena - the first Wembley Arena concert appearance in the history of the band. Support comes from the Joe Perry Project.

The gigs follows a one-off show last August at the Seminole Hard Rock & Casino in Hollywood, Florida, which Rodgers admitted had been partly booked to reassert the group's rights over their name. Too long a hiatus between bouts of touring can make even big-name acts vulnerable to any old bunch of parvenus wishing to gig under, say, the Bad Company moniker.

"By doing this one-night stand with Bad Company, we will be cementing our right to the trademark 'Bad Company' for touring," Rodgers told Billboard last year, "and anyone who attempts to challenge us and tour misusing our trademark and mislead the fans will be liable to legal action."

Rodgers says their reasons for reconvening on British soil were rather more touchy-feely: "It's in response to feedback from the UK, saying, What about us?" Rhythm guitar duties will be handled by Heart's Howard Lees while Lynn Sorensen from Rodgers' solo band fills the late Burrell's shoes on bass. A member of today's audience, putting a question in the Q&A section of the event, volunteered his own services: "I work for the NHS," he revealed, "so I'm dirt cheap."

The offer was politely declined.

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Full dates are as follows...

Thursday April 1 / Birmingham LG Arena
Friday April 2 / Manchester Evening News Arena
Sunday April 4 / Sheffield City Hall
Monday April 5 / Cardiff CIA
Wednesday April 7 / Newcastle Metro Arena
Thursday April 8 / Glasgow Clyde
Saturday April 10 / Brighton Centre
Sunday April 11 / Wembley Arena

Tickets go on sale at 10am Friday 20th November priced £38.50 London / £34.50 Regional (subject to booking fee) and are available from www.livenation.co.uk. Additionally, a new Bad Company live CD/DVD set is set for release prior to the tour on 9th February 2010 (Image/Universal Music Group).