Dio Killing The Dragon in Phoenix, Arizona Written and all photos By Ken Boyd © 2002 Sample some of the Dio live set in Real Audio: Killing The Dragon (Houston) Last In Line (Dallas)

This trip was one I was really looking forward to. I was getting ready to team up with one of the greatest Dio fans I know, and a man I consider a very good friend. Joe Montoya from California.

I got into Phoenix after a five hour drive to land at the house of Joe’s good friend from his younger days Rob and Traci Henchel. It was a real pleasure to meet these folks and their hospitality was really wonderful.

Once everyone was there we all just kicked back to have a few brew (Joe had sent out my all time favorite American lager: BLACK VOODOO) and watch some Dio Videos I had brought out.  There really is nothing better to get primed up for a Dio show!

The next day we made our way there without incident and also found ourselves all set with after shows and photo passes. The only down side was that we had to split up going in due to those very passes. They made me enter with all the rest of the press people, so I had to wait by the press gate while the rest of our group went in. Too bad too, as one of my all time favorite past times is to just kick back while waiting for the show and talking some Dio to build excitement.

At about fifteen minutes before the show was to start (trust me when I say I was getting pretty worried) security brought us down to the press pit. But, without a doubt, it was WELL worth the wait!

It was even better than being front row center! I have had photo passes before, but I just never went down front, always picking a nice spot where I could shoot off photos at my leisure throughout the show instead of being restricted to the first three songs. Oddly enough I turned out to be the only guy in the pit—the other guy with a photo pass did not have a camera—DUH!—so he had to stand over to the side of the stage.

Thankfully the intro was short, as my anticipation would NOT build a whole hell of a lot higher! When that first song kicked in, my jaw just dropped and I did not even take pictures for a good measure of the song! Ronnie blasted onto the stage with his signature “I’m in my element” grin; Doug ripped into the loping riff of the new album’s title track, and the other three Dio boys stamped out the rhythm section with a proficient ferocity.

WOW! What a rush—especially when Ronnie bent down to say hi! I had my digital so I could shoot off about 90 good sized pictures. I am actually more experienced with emulsion based SLR photography so they did not come out as well as my previous shows—but it was a GREAT experience I would not trade for the world.

The Set list panned out to fill almost exactly one hour::   Killing The Dragon Egypt The Chains Are On, Children Of The Sea (Medley) Push Simon’s Drum Solo Stand Up & Shout Rock N Roll Heaven & Hell Doug’s Guitar Solo Holy Diver   Surprisingly there was No Rainbow In The Dark—neither in the set, nor in the encore. Well, in all truth I did not miss it so much. After seeing as many shows as I have, with RitD in the list EVERY time, it was not a huge loss to me. Perhaps some of the fans that are only occasional Dio goers would have really loved hearing it.

Killing the Dragon was a perfect opener. Despite the fact that most of the crowd was not yet familiar with the new tunes, they caught the groove of the loping rhythms of this new title track. Naturally Doug pulled this off well—he strode out upon the stage with an attitude of confidence and his playing showed just that. The rest of the band were also really together on this considering it was the second night of the tour for them.

My jaw just about hit the floor when they did Egypt/Children of the Sea medley—for I had not (intentionally) looked at the set list from the prior night in Vegas. It was really nice to see this back in the set after some 12 years. It should be noted that Doug did a fabulous job of bringing this great set of tunes back to life.

There were some technical problems during PUSH, right as I left the press pit. So my account of it is all from those other fans I spoke to throughout the night.

Apparently Doug sprang out on stage for this song to kick in and after the first verse NOTHING—no sound from the guitar. He swiftly ran back stage for a switch and STILL nothing. The entire song ended up being played without guitar and went right into Simon’s Drum Solo.

I guess I have to say, if I had to miss ANY song in the set, THIS one would be the one. I care little for this tune, both studio wise and the several live versions I have heard thus far. But, hey, if it puts Ronnie on the radio or on the charts, then GREAT!

The Dio band more than made up for the technical boo-boo when they came back on stage and Ronnie simply screamed “Stand up and Shout!!” I especially liked the way this tune was handled. It is always a really great live staple, but to see it in a new light. Scott Warren was out on stage in full glory (well, as much glory as that man can muster) and Doug and Jimmy made a really great team.

Ronnie introduced the next song—I think he feels rather strongly about it due to the way he talks about it in interviews as well as how he talks about it on stage. Rock and Roll…the light accapella that normally introduces the tune was skipped and went right into the grinding guitar that so many compare to Kashmir.

The band transitioned right into Heaven & Hell and the crowed recognized it immediately and simply loved it. They reacted so well. There was a short audience participation  moment that was really great to look back on the crowd and see them shoving fists in the air and singing along their assigned part. Naturally, Ronnie made use of that ever present red light and the crowd went totally nuts.

The people here in Phoenix went even crazier when Doug romped into his guitar solo. It was very refreshing to see a guitar player with such talent back in Dio again. I always hate to compare one talent to another so I won’t compare him to any past players directly, but this man can ROCK! I had two pretty talented amateur guitar players right next to me (in Rob and Joe both) and they were highly impressed—so it was not just an unschooled opinion on just how hot Doug’s playing is.

Holy Diver was the only encore, and it was one really great way to end the night for the Dio band. I was most impressed with the fact firsts and foremost that Scott did a great job of an intro with the keys. But even more than that, in addition to Ronnie and Jimmy’s top form tonight, Simon was right on everything with an aggressive manner. The cream of this just dessert goes to Doug Aldrich though. Not only did he play the Vivian licks SO well, but he added a spice of his own to the playing and the soloing. I truly was blissful throughout this closing tune.

The after show turned out to be quite a humorous disaster. Rob had asked some security personnel (who were actually the most professional in my experience of just about any venue I have ever experienced—refreshing!) when the meet and greet for DIO would take place. The security officer apparently indicated that it would take place after everybody was done playing. Which is actually rather typical. But in truth it was actually right after Dio’s set. And though the band was not gone (I confirmed this through talking with Doug’s guitar tech and Scott, Simon’s drum tech) they were only allowing back DP pass bearing people…disappointing but the whole night was quite a nice time and I was FAR less disappointed than those people with me who had not met with Ronnie and the boys back stage as often as I!

Well, in closing I have to say that if these guys some to your area GO SEE THEM!

The headline tour is already getting me excited and I am very much looking forward to several dates out in California with my good friend Joe!

Drop by the Dio Jukebox and sample a full show in MP3 from this tour: Houston, Texas, if you have not already caught a show in your area.

So, rock out, rock on and see you in thirty!

Take care and all the best,

KEN