Devin Townsend, Klone + Fixation  –  4 April 2023

Live from KK’s Steel Mill, Wolverhampton

© Lisa Billingham, Billibee Creative

The metal hordes were out in their black leather gloriousness for the return of the “Uncle Fester Of Metal”. Part of a huge European tour, the KK’s gig was the last but one of a 7 date tour of the UK to promote his latest album “Lightwork” with a little help from his friends – Fixation (Norway) and Klone (France) First up, Fixation took to the stage. There’s a lot going on with this young band, a great deal of sweat and energy with Jonas Hansen on lead vocals jumping around all over the place like a demented loon, including a couple of excursions into the crowd. Operating as a four piece and only a 30 minute set, they certainly made an impact and although I’d not see them before, I suspect they gained more than a few fans after tonight’s performance. If you couldn’t make it to any of the gigs on the current tour (culminating in Norwich on 5th April), you have the opportunity to catch them later in the year at the inaugural UK outing for the popular PROGNOSIS festival and also the legendary Download.

Next we had Klone, an older, less raucous and more established band. Their recently released album “Meanwhile” featured heavily (excuse the pun) in their all too brief set. On the Kscope label with the likes of The Pineapple Thief, Tangerine Dream, Anathema, Godsticks and Gazpacho, I do feel that lead vocalist Yann Ligner was a bit deep in the mix so at times it was difficult to hear him over the pounding bass and drums, but with an ever growing fanbase, they were well received and a nice lead-in to the main man’s arrival. While the stage was swapped around, like part of a soundtrack from a day at the local health spa, we had some laid back ambient sounds from one of Devin’s other projects, the calm before the storm perhaps ???

Dev took to the stage around 9.30 and immediately kicked off with “Lightworker”, the first of a number of tracks from his latest album “Lightwork” which hit the shelves in October 2022, we also had some time honoured classics like Deadhead, Deep Peace and Truth……….our resident crowd sang along in full voice, an incredible atmosphere. At one point, Dev was festooned with a number of stuffed toys provided by members of the audience – the guy’s as mad as a bag of cats and was probably wearing one too !! Totally love his fast-paced and goofball humour between songs, entertaining in SO many ways and one of the night’s highlights for me, took the gig to another level. Incredible musicians, incredible music and THAT VOICE !!! Nobody does Devin Townsend like the main man himself, a total original, long may he reign…… Love, a Strapping Young Lad tune, finished the evening at which point the place erupted – a very fitting way to end a memorable evening. Come again, you crazy Canadian !!

Reviewer – Steve Gould, MMH Radio