Review: The Classic Rock Show 2024 Tour at The Glasshouse ICM Gateshead

The Classic Rock Show opened its 2024 tour with a fantastic night of guitar riffing and rock vocals that had the crowd in awe, reliving an era of which will not be forgotten! 

The Classic Rock Show may have had an average age of about 40+ at the Glasshouse International Centre For Music in Gateshead but this audience were in the know. This was an audience that lived every moment and danced through the time of a great musical era.  

I’ve now seen the band the last three years in a row and four in total. So I may be a little biased in this, but the gig is the perfect night out. I’m not the most rock person out there, but there is so much variety in the show that it will have something for everyone. Trying to pick songs for a tour must be hard.. how do you get everyone’s favourite into a set? What’s classed as classic rock? 

After these thoughts they come up with a set list that is accompanied with brilliant vocals which kicked off brilliantly with shooting to thrill by AC/DC, followed by Heartbreaker by Led Zeppelin and Wishing Well by Free, which introduced our three lead singers for the night Rudy Cardenas, Jesse Smith and Jess Harwood individually.

A set list of 23 songs in total excited, immersed and brought an audience alive! I won’t mention the songs as don’t want to ruin the anticipation of what may come for upcoming audiences but you’re guaranteed to hear Queen, Van Halen, Kansas, Fleetwood Mac, Yes, Whitesnake, Status Quo, Iron Maiden and more! 

The brilliant thing about The Classic Rock Show is that they are all multi talented and intertwine between lead vocal, backing vocal or guitar, which again expands their range of variety to an amazingly big scope. 

As mentioned earlier Rudy Cardenas, Jesse Smith and Jess Harwood are just phenomenal. I love their stage presence and delivery, and honestly cannot pick a favourite. All of them bringing such different qualities and tones. It’s hard not to be impressed by any of them. 

Wayne Banks, Peter Thorn and James Cole strum those guitar cords with expertise and ensure those riffs reverberate around the Glasshouse. Henry Burnett also does a fab job on keyboard along with Tim Brown also on Drums. 

The Classic Rock Show opened the tour here in Gateshead and what a way to do it! They now embark on an extensive world tour, and while they may welcome for the break when it finishes, I’m already counting down until they come back next year!