OK, so a new live platter from Saxon is nothing…um, new. However, this twin CD package is stuffed not only with plenty of classics (aren’t they all?) but several newbies, since it was recorded April 23rd, last year. Actually, since 2008, Biff Byford and crew have made it something of an annual occasion, to celebrate St. George’s Day (the patron saint of England), typically offering an extremely rare set, often in an equally unique setting. Having been there myself, The Ritz, in Manchester, is a small room, particularly for someone who can still headline the biggest festivals throughout Europe.

No less than a half dozen “Sacrifice” inclusions were aired that night, opening the concert with the title track. It was the 30th anniversary of their “Power And The Glory” album (and going forward, each year will now mark at least one three-decade milestone, if not older), the titular cut up early, sandwiched between ‘Wheels Of Terror’ and ‘Made In Belfast’. The latter featuring authentic strings accompanying an Irish number in (albeit Northern) England…my how times have changed! Prior to ‘Rock N Roll Gypsy’, Byford offers a glimpse into the members’ personal lives. During the portion where they amends the setlist on the fly, based upon audience voting, somehow classics like ‘To Hell And Back Again’ and ‘Motorcycle Man’ miss the cut! However, Inner Sanctum’s ‘I’ve Got To Rock (To Stay Alive)’ remains. Later they also trot out the Christopher Cross cover, ‘Ride Like The Wind’. Otherwise, aside from “Sacrifice”, ‘Conquistador’ (off ’99 Metalhead) is the only other not culled from the classic 80s era Saxon.

‘OK, ‘Broken Heroes’, comes off the much (rightly so) maligned “Innocence Is No Excuse” record. The entire disc doesn’t rate with the back catalog, but there’s no denying it’s a great song and here dedicated to the British soldiers who died in the Falklands war. In that context, eerie that follow-up ‘Guardians Of The Tomb’ closes out the initial disc. Hard to nit-pick the second installment, as apart from the aforementioned cover and robust ‘Stand Up And Fight’ (which retains an old school edge), the remaining eight tracks are Hall Of Fame material, including the finishing sextet: ‘Dallas 1PM’, ‘747 (Strangers in The Night)’, ‘Wheels Of Steel’, ‘Denim And Leather’ and ‘Princess Of The Night’. In addition to the music, there's always a chuckle-inducing tale, from the frontman, including how South American customs drilled through a guitar, looking for contraband. Live shows this side of the Atlantic have concluded in similar Grand Finale fashion, solidifying the notion you really need to see Saxon live, whenever you can. This vintage just keeps getting better!