In 46 years of making music with Girlschool, singer/rhythm guitarist Kim McAuliffe has likely experienced everything.
So when a guitar broke in the middle of a song Thursday night, McAuliffe wasn't bothered. She handed off the guitar, leaned on the shoulder of bassist Tracey Lamb and wondered what to do with her suddenly idle hands.
“Usually, it’s a string,” McAuliffe said. “This time the knob fell off!”
The groundbreaking all-female group Girlschool, which performed at Mr. Smalls Funhouse in Millvale on their final North American Tour, delivered an evening of strong rock ‘n’ roll.
Whether it was starting with “Demolition Boys” or ending with “Emergency” — both from their 1980 debut, “Demolition” — Girlschool’s energetic, and a little bit chaotic, journey through their collection proved enjoyable alongside their rendition of Motörhead’s “Bomber.”
Exploring newer songs like “It Is What It Is” and “Up to No Good” also felt fitting.
Joined by original drummer Denise Dufort and “new” guitarist Jackie Chambers — she’s only been in the band since 2000 — Girlschool made a strong return in their first show in Pittsburgh since 1984.
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Lillian Axe, a hard rock band formed in 1983 in New Orleans, delivered a nearly hour-long performance, with original guitarist Steve Blaze and singer Brent Graham leading the way. They performed several tracks from their “Psychoschizophrenia” album, culminating with their greatest hit, “Show A Little Love.”
Alcatrazz, a Los Angeles-based band that also started in 1983, opened the show with new vocalist Giles Lavery, who recently joined last month. With original member Jimmy Waldo on keyboards, the band that once featured Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai tackled their best-known songs such as “Island in the Sun” and “Hiroshima Mon Amour.” For “Sword of Deliverance,” Lavery sang while wielding a sword.
