Saturday 13th October 07 - Vampires Rock at Hull New Theatre (2/2) By Steve Rudd

(1/2), (2/2).

Rockula's trusted sidekick in bartender Stringfellow also proves to be worth his weight in musical talent as he performs a number of songs too, with Queen's Killer Queen arguably being his finest moment. Such a character provides many of the comedy aspects to the lavish show, sprinkling refreshingly light dashes of innuendo to proceedings in a hilarious and coolly camp Carry On-esque fashion. Indeed, Vampires Rock is a fun show with a capital F from start to finish... even in its slightly darker moments when Pandora's character is feasted upon by Rockula and his friends after he announces that it's feeding time as she's shrouded by black material and the house lights go down, leaving the rest to the audience's imagination.

While the first half of the show focuses on Rockula's crazed attempts to seduce Pandora, the second half is kick-started with a high-energy rendition of the Guns 'n' Roses classic Sweet Child of Mine before they are both married, with Stringfellow charismatically conducting the service from the elevated pulpit. Naturally, Billy Idol's White Wedding provides the soundtrack. From then on in, after Pandora's been bitten and become a creature of the night herself, it's onto even more vamped-up material, with Pandora/ Emily getting her newly acquired gnashers of doom into tunes such as Alice Cooper's Poison and Suzi Quatro's Devil Gate Drive.

Complete with an awesome stage-set, pyrotechnics and devilishly pretty dancing girls in cages at either side of the stage, Vampires Rock is a magnificent spectacle on every level. The close attention to detail has paid off, and it can't be cheap to stage a show of this pedigree, night after night. That's why Steve Steinman's shows always represent such amazing value for money, because you are always guaranteed a great time without having to pay the earth for the experience.

Another of Steve's virtues is his comic wit and natural charisma. He can win over a crowd with a single quip or by simply raising his eyebrows in consternation at the right moment. All this goes to prove that he's a natural born entertainer, and one who goes to great lengths to show that he truly values his fellow performers by religiously introducing them to the crowd and thanking them all profusely. But, given that Eddie Ojeda had joined him on this tour, there was an extra special treat in store after Steve had unleashed a blindingly life-affirming version of Bat Out Of Hell.

It's a wonder there was a roof still left on the theatre after such an exhilarating performance, but we were lucky - it held just in time for Steve to welcome Eddie back to the stage for him to lead the rest of the show's cast in an unexpected rendition of Twisted Sister's most well-known hit: We're Not Gonna Take It. Understandably, the mixed-age crowd took right to it, singing along with all their might, and clapping their hands sore once the final bows had been made and everybody had left the stage.

As the crowd filed out, eager to meet Steve & Co. in the foyer, a smile was pasted upon every face that rushed past. Such a reaction was unsurprising really, because what we'd just collectively witnessed for over the past two hours was surely one of the best shows to be touring the country. It genuinely is packed with all the essential elements that are necessary for an unforgettable show. And it more than rocks. It electrifies the senses. www.kidjuxta.tk

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