Live Review: Cozy Powell Birthday Bash - KK's Steel Mill, Wolverhampton
129th December 2025
Words: Cat Finch
Photos: Tim Finch
The 5th annual Cozy Powell Birthday Bash at KK’s Steel Mill once again proved why it has become a firm fixture in the Wolverhampton rock calendar. A heartfelt celebration of one of rock’s greatest drummers, a night that brought together an impressive cast of musicians to honour the vast legacy Powell left behind across multiple legendary bands.
The evening opened in spectacular fashion with the Rainbow set, featuring Neil Fairclough, Jimi Anderson, Ian Richard Wills, Bob Richards and Chris Childs. From the epic sweep of ‘Stargazer’ to the breakneck energy of ‘Kill The King’ and ‘Silver Mountain’, this set perfectly captured the drama and power of Cozy’s Rainbow years, with ‘Lost in Hollywood’ and ‘All Night Long’ earning huge reactions from the crowd.
Next up was the Michael Schenker Group set, with Adam Payne on vocals and Sam Wood on guitar leading a tight, punchy performance. Instrumental opener ‘Into The Arena’ set the tone before classics like ‘Armed and Ready’, ‘Cry for the Nations’ and ‘Mad Axeman’ showcased the precision and fire that defined Powell’s time with MSG.
The Whitesnake set raised the bar even further, with Dan Byrne delivering commanding vocals alongside guitarists Chris Buck and Jim Kirkpatrick. From the bluesy swagger of ‘Shadow of the Blues’ to crowd-pleasers ‘Here I Go Again’ and ‘Fool for Your Loving’, this was classic British hard rock done right, with Richard Bailey’s drumming anchoring the set brilliantly.
A crushing Black Sabbath set, performed by Jayler, brought a heavier edge to the night. ‘War Pigs’, ‘Paranoid’ and ‘NIB’ landed with immense force, while ‘The Wizard’ added a welcome deep-cut feel, reminding everyone of Cozy’s versatility and sheer power behind the kit.
The night continued with a crowd-pleasing Queen set, featuring Jim Kirkpatrick, Glenn Quinn, Neil Fairclough and Chris Allan. A Brian May tribute moment with ‘Driven By You’ led into a slick medley of Queen classics before a storming rendition of ‘We Will Rock You’ and ‘Hammer To Fall’. This in build up to the evening being closed in fitting style with a special set from Blaze Bayley. All in all, the Cozy Powell Birthday Bash was a powerful, passionate tribute; loud, proud, and worthy of the man it honoured.
Photo Credits: Tim Finch Photography
A couple of quibbles: drums for the Whitesnake set was the magnificent Bob Richards, the man behind the whole event for 5 years, with Richard Bailey (ex-Magnum/Whitesnake) on keys. I’m also not sure I’d describe Blaze Bayley’s one song as a set?
Jayler’s set was enjoyable, but didn’t include Sabbath songs from the era that Cozy would actually have played on.
Richard Bailey on drums hmmm shouldn’t that be keys