IT'S not every day that York can welcome British rock legends to town, let alone two in one night.

First up at Fibbers on Wednesday was the wonderful Bernie Marsden, ex-Whitesnake and Moody Marsden Band, who was support to the mighty FM, an underrated melodic rock band who had their finest years in the 1980s with a string of fabulous singles, which dented the charts at the time.

Firstly, let’s pay due respect to Bernie, co-writer with David Coverdale of some of the finest AOR classics including Fool For Your Loving. Playing an acoustic solo gig, he gave us a short but sweet 35-minute set of old blues standards mixed with some Whitesnake classics. I loved his gentle humour and the intimacy of the occasion.

York Press:

Bernie Marsden

I saw FM three times in the Eighties and early Nineties, when they wore trendy, light-coloured suits and all had fabulous mullet hairstyles, as I recall.

With three original members still in the line-up, times and fashions may have changed – and their hair has turned a distinct hint of grey – but they know how to play top quality melodic rock with front man Steve Overland still having the sweetest soulful voice around.

Old favourites such Tough It Out, That Girl and Someday were complemented by new material from their 2015 album, Heroes And Villains, most strikingly Life Is A Highway.

Marsden made a triumphant return to the stage for encores, joining FM for rip-roaring versions of a couple of Whitesnake classics. Here I Go Again was a great finale to a wonderful evening featuring these legends of British rock.

Review by Alex Calnan