5 comments on “Live At Last”

1. Edwin Baeyens says:

   23 March , 2000 at 11:53 am

   I have the US edition of this CD, with a cover that refers to both Praying
   Mantis and Iron Maiden. Funny, but a bit silly too, especially compared to the wonderful covers of their other albums.

   This is as much of an Iron Maiden album as it is a Mantis album. Being a Di’Anno-era Maiden fan as well, there’s not much I can complain about.
   Paul Di’Anno sings on two Mantis songs and does OK, but it¹s especially nice to hear Chris and Tino perform their songs. “Panic in the Streets”, “Children of the Earth”, “Lovers to the Grave”, “Flirting with Suicide”,… wonderful! The Maiden songs are at least as good as the originals and I’m very happy my favourite Maiden song “Remember Tomorrow” is included.
   All in all, this is a collection of great songs (they could have done
   without “Dangerous Game” & “Hot Tonight” though), performed well. Nothing to get really excited about, but a welcome addittion to any collection.

   Reply
2. Voltz Magazine says:

   23 March , 2000 at 11:53 am

   PRAYING MANTIS – ALIVE IN TOKYO CITY PRAYING MANTIS & PAUL DIANNO, DENNIS
   STRATTON – ZOOM CLUB

   Praying Mantis were one of the better NWOBHM bands doing the rounds in the
   late seventies/early eighties although they never had the commercial success
   enjoyed by the likes of Saxon, Iron Maiden and Def Leppard. In the days of Rob
   Loonhouse ‘Captured City’ could be heard alongside Iron Maiden’s ‘Sound House
   Tapes’, Saxons ‘Stallions Of The Highway’ and Def Leppard’s ‘Getcha Rocks Off.’
   The scene was far from glamorous, but bands at least toured, even if they did
   play in arenas like Cheltenham Town Hall and Deptford bike sheds.

   Praying Mantis missed the boat in the UK but instead caught one to Japan where
   they are now enormous. The core of the band remains the same with Chris and
   Tino Troy as the driving force but ex-Iron Maiden chaps Dennis Stratton (guitar)
   and Clive Burr (drums) have now been roped in to add their weight, although
   Bruce Bisland has now replaced Burr on drums. Ex-MSG veteran Gary Barden handles
   lead vocals, although Tony O’Hora has now replaced him.

   Praying Mantis now combine the twin guitar attack of Iron Maiden with the big
   harmonies of the short-lived and highly underrated Lionheart. The songs are
   competent but are very much formularised; each having a verse, chorus, verse,
   chorus approach that becomes tedious.

   Praying Mantis are hugely melodic such as on ‘A Cry For The New World’ or the
   pomp orientated ‘Rise Up Again’ and their musical mettle is no better demonstrated
   than on the instrumental ‘The Horn’. ‘Children Of The Earth’s song from the
   bands early days is fine tuned and brought up to date with its Maidenesque harmony
   guitar parts whilst the opener ‘Victory’ proves the need for bands to suck up
   to the Japanese market. Barden is in fine form on vocals as is drummer Clive
   Burr but even they somehow fail to make this into anything more than an average
   melodic rock album. The new material on the Frontiers label should be more encouraging.

   Zoom Club have seen fit to capitalise on the success of Praying Mantis by releasing
   an album that is basically Praying Mantis, with ex-Iron Maiden/ Battlezone propping
   up the microphone stand (or should that be the other way round). ‘Live At Last’
   features material that has been of relevance to the careers of Stratton, Dianno,
   and Praying Mantis. Six Praying Mantis songs are given an airing-‘Children Of
   The Earth’ being the pick of the bunch-along with six from Dianno’s Maiden days.
   Two tracks represent Stratton’s Involvement in Lionheart, ‘Dangerous Game’,
   and the title track from the Epic release ‘Hot Tonight’.

   The line up of songs is, on paper at least, a good one but Dianno who on this
   evidence has turned Into the club singer ruins the whole affair. ‘Running Free’
   and ‘Wrathchild’ are more suited to Dianno’s screams and growls, but the more
   melodic songs prove an impossible task for someone who has a clear problem remembering
   the lyrics.

   ‘Live At Last’ is a poor release that does Dianno no favours at all. Record
   companies would do themselves and the record buying public a favour if they
   invested their money more wisely. How about releasing the Stampede or Lionheart
   demos with Rueben Archer on vocals, surely this would be much more worthwhile.
   Mike Newdeck

   Reply
3. George Arvanitakis says:

   23 March , 2001 at 11:54 am

   Japan!!!! The land were all NWOBHM earn the recognition they deserve…The first attack was the legendary “re-union” after long years of absence by the Mantis. Tino and Chris with the collaboration of Dennis Stratton and B. Bisland decided to do some concerts in Japan. The cd/Lp features the best (till that period that was released) songs that Mantis ever recorded. Also features some great songs from Lionheart such as “Dangerous Game” and “Hot tonight” with Paul Dianno shows that still is one of the best frontman in the world. Most of the people thought this was “a money re-union” but for me it was the start for Mantis to be one of the leading melodic bands in our era. The songs of Iron Maiden simply rule and shows why Paul Dianno was the best vocalist that Maiden ever had. Dennis Stratton and the Troy brothers started to show that this was the beggining for a strong and hard as a fist line-up. The only bad thing i can find in this release is that doesn’t have the great European cover with 2 P.Mantis figures on the front trying to copy the cover of Running Free cover.

   This is one of my best live albums and since P.Mantis is my fave band i cann’t say any bad word for them. Children of the Earth , Hot tonight and Wrathchild is the best momments of the cd….or shold i say Lp???

   Any of you out there who doesn’t have this masterpiece do your self a favour and buy it!!!!

   ..and for all those who say “bad” things for Dennis Stratton and Paul Dianno here is an advice “it it better to play with your heart than to play for the money”

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4. john crawford says:

   23 March , 2004 at 11:54 am

   This is one of the best live albums ever recorded by any group. They sound like they’re having a lot of fun, and the performance is dead-on with lots of energy. It sounds as though someone is singing out of tune at times, but that dissonance adds character.

   Reply
5. Min says:

   23 March , 2007 at 11:55 am

   Starts with a good rendition of Panic in the streets.
   Then Dennis comes on and it just gets better – more Mantis classics and a great Lionheart tune.
   Unfortunately Paul DiAnno then takes over the mike. Now I know he CAN sing (nothing fantastic – but good enough), but he just seems to want to sound like a pub singer. Luckily he doesn’t quite ruin the next Mantis track or Lionheart tune. Then it goes rapidly downhill; it’s like DiAnno is paradying himself. Sorry, but the first 5 Maiden tracks are not good.
   By the time we reach Cheated, he seems to have calmed down, either that or the song just can’t be ruined within his range. On the plus side, Running Free is a good closer, and DiAnno shows his humour with a Bob Marley impression….there’s even a snippet of Kylie!
   Worth buying if it is cheap!

   Reply