Journey, BIC

AT LEAST two, perhaps even three, generations of Journey fans hailed their heroes with a warmth and a fervour that matched the sheer artistry of a five-piece that came to rock and succeeded in both excitement and volume.

The fans came to worship and Neal Schon kicked off proceedings with a searing electric guitar interpretation of Jerusalem' before the band ripped in to Rubicon, Stone In Love and Ask The Lonely.

In December, Jeff Scott Soto stepped in to take over vocal duties after Steve Augeri left due to health problems, but fans must be delighted the extrovert frontman delivers on every level.

His strong voice is a perfect complement to Schon's intricate fretwork and power chords, the rock solid backline of veteran bassist Ross Valory and drummer Deen Castronovo and Jonathan Cain's keyboards and he stamps his own personality on the material.

Castronovo's vocal treatments of Open Arms, Faithfully and Who's Crying Now were also faultless and as a blistering Separate Ways heralded the end of two hours of consummate rock professionalism, it's clear that the end is far from over for this particular Journey.