From friends that were chatting to security guards, I was told that they were going to get the crowd standing for Kasim’s opening set. It’s something that I’ll moan about more in the review of Meat Loaf’s set but a lot of people at the front of this particular crowd just didn’t stand all evening so security seemed to shelve that idea!

Kasim came on stage at about 7.40pm and received quite a good round of applause. He said hello to Birmingham and introduced himself by saying that he also plays with Meat Loaf and that he’d just play a few songs before he launched into Don’t Hold Me Back. Kasim’s voice tonight seemed very slightly husky to me for his first song but it soon warmed up (or maybe it was my ears).

Kasim appeared to be having some bother with the sound as straight after his first song, he said into the microphone something about “the sides” but it was soon adjusted to his satisfaction. Next Kasim spoke about Quid Pro Quo and how it makes a great stocking filler. (He also mentioned Boxing Day which is a UK holiday!) Unfortunately he next played a song that isn’t actually on Quid Pro Quo - Sometimes Love Is A Dangerous Thing!

Kasim next mentioned that Meat Loaf had been ill but he said that he is recovered now. Kasim also said that he reckoned that the last few concerts that they’ve played since Meat Loaf returned are the best that they’ve played in the “past year and a half”. He then counted on his fingers (it looked so sweet!) that this was their fifth concert and he said that if we didn’t agree that it was one of the best then we could see him afterwards! (A friend of mine was impressed with his UK geography that when he counted out Dublin, the two in Belfast and Newcastle, he said “up in Newcastle” as so many people make the mistake of thinking that it is south!)

Finally Kasim sang Sacrifice which was brilliant as always. He actually changed the guitar part in the middle as he didn’t do the muted part but played it more like it is on the album. I actually thought when Kasim walked on stage that he wasn’t going to sing Sacrifice as he didn’t have his clothes peg on his guitar but his guitar tech (Charlie) brought it out later.

All too soon for me, it was time for Kasim to say goodbye to Birmingham and to leave the stage. The one thing I did notice was how he said “Birmingham” as he said it the correct way of “Birmingham” whereas most UK people will say “Birmingh’m”….after I’m been struggling to say US city names like Schenectady and Tahlequah, it was nice to hear Kasim pronounce a UK city differently too!

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