Ten / The Reminisce - La Belle Angele Edinburgh 19th July 2025

I guess they’ve been going since 1995 then – just a little too late for the period when quality melodic rock was at its peak and in the spotlight, which might explain how they seem to have flown under my radar. I’ve picked up a few songs here and there, I’ve even reviewed an album of theirs and I am certainly familiar with their cool artwork and imagery, but somehow, I had not yet seen them live. Better late than never, I suppose.

The band are a classic 5-piece (two guitarists, keyboards, bass and drums) plus Gary on vocals. He strode on looking lean and fit, like a young Stone Cold Steve Austin, and joined in with the opening song ‘Arabian Nights’ which put me in the mood for a chicken shawarma to go with the very fine Outcider that they’ve now got on draught in LBA. That leads into ‘Alone in the Dark Tonight’ which was embellished by a very fine solo by the lefty Dann Rosingana, who might be the best guitarist the band has ever had, and then ‘Spellbound’.

So far, so good, and Gary announced their intention to play something from nearly every album (17 studio albums, I think). The band had a selection of CDs from their back catalogue on the merchandise table for a bargain £10 but I’m told it is the last of the stock and when they’re gone, they’re gone, so jump on it quickly.

The set list was indeed crammed with a fine selection of their well-crafted songs – typically ambitious in scale and sometimes exploring epic concepts, but always melodic and tuneful. One that particularly caught my attention was ‘The Tidal Wave’ from ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ which started with some Steiman-esque piano but when the revels began it was a tsunami of good sounds and inspired three guys down the front to form the most Eurovision-looking mosh pit I’ve ever seen.

Their most streamed song is apparently ‘The Hour Glass and the Landslide’ from ‘Stormwarning’ – just one of several of their albums featuring an epic pair of well-drawn buttocks in the artwork. It seemed that all of the fan favourites got an airing. There is absolutely no shortage of very good tunes here, and yet, somehow, they seem to be missing that one absolute blockbuster that everyone knows or that random X-factor quality that would have put them right in spotlight. ‘The Name of the Rose’ is probably the closest thing they have to a “greatest hit” and it ended what was a thoroughly enjoyable show.

The tour runs sporadically through to November, so it will be worth your while to check them out. Gary can’t seem to stop himself churning out immaculately-formed tunes – he’s previously created songs for Bob Catley and Tao, as well as solo material, and I’m told that they have enough quality material ready now for two new ‘Ten’ albums – watch out for details in due course.

At the other end of the experience scale were the support act ‘The Reminisce’, who opened the show. They are a very young modern hard rock band from Stockport, channelling a Halestorm / Paramore vibe. They are very new but already have a handful of interesting songs, featuring some fiery guitar work from Fred Roberts and a bright vocal performance by Belle Rigden, who has a strong visual image.

An early highlight might have been called ‘Burn Me Alive’ and there was a slower, more intimate song, possibly called ‘Look in my Eyes’ that worked well. Overall, they seemed quite promising. They will be appearing on some more of the Ten dates in Gravesend, Sheffield and Manchester and might be a great fit for smaller festivals like Wildfire. It will be interesting to see how they develop but they are off to a good start.