Spread Eagle
Wednesday, 9/2/2026, 9:00 PM
Velden am Wörthersee / Bluesiana Rock Cafe / Austria
Few bands seem to have had a career path paved quite like the one belonging to cult hard rock and glam metal outfit Spread Eagle from New York. After just a few months together, they signed with MCA Records, and it looked like the road to stardom was laid out right in front of them. Their debut “Spread Eagle” dropped quickly and threw off hot singles like Switchblade Serenade, Scratch Like A Cat and Broken City, but after the follow-up “Open To The Public”, the band had to make the call to split in 1993. Simple as that. The label gave them absolutely no support, and commercial interests took center stage, with all eyes firmly on the rising grunge wave.
Let’s leave the past behind. Thanks to the driving locomotive of the band, the outstanding bassist Rob De Luca, who later built a career playing with UFO (we caught him with UFO on December 12, 2015 in Brno, opening for Judas Priest – RockLine review of the show), and before that played with Sebastian Bach, not to mention all his other studio and stage collaborations with Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, Helmet, George Lynch, Mike Chlasciak (Halford) and the band Of Earth. In short, the guy is an absolute legend.
Anyway, in 2006 De Luca reformed the band, but it wasn’t until 2017 that they found enough time and energy to record and release a third studio album, “Subway to the Stars”. Then we waited all the way until this year for a fourth, “The Brutal Divide”, which has finally brought the band out on an extensive European tour!
Alongside De Luca in the lineup today is original vocalist Ray West, which matters a lot, since his voice gives the Spread Eagle classics their own distinctive tone. One of the essential ones. The drums are handled by Rik Da Luca (Rob and Rik are cousins), and the lineup is rounded out by phenomenal guitarist Gianmaria “Jommy” Puledda, who comes from Sardinia but has lived in the United States for a few years (he replaced longtime guitarist Ziv Shalev in 2022).
The news that Spread Eagle were coming to Bluesiana simply got every true rock fan up on their toes. The turnout didn’t quite reflect that, though, and it’s true the show was officially confirmed very late. But… you just can’t pass up an opportunity like this. Well past nine in the evening, the band hit the Bluesiana stage and played a brilliant hour-and-a-half set. Considering how small the place is, the sound was exceptionally well dialed in, and nothing was ever overpowering in the room. The smaller the venue, after all, the harder it is to get good sound, to nail the right mix. Rik’s drums were gigantic, practically sticking out to the edge of the stage. Ray West took on most of the glam look! A great frontman and entertainer, he had everything under control as Spread Eagle stormed through the classics as well as older original material. At moments you could tell the vocals don’t have the freshness they had years ago (Ray was a bit flat a few times), but he covered those occasional wobbles with veteran skill, plenty of confidence and charisma. Excellent guitarist Jommy repeatedly grabbed the spotlight, shining with a top-notch display of everything he tackled. This all-around guitar virtuoso definitely brings tremendous added value to the band. A bomb!
The band is special in every way. Back when they emerged on the scene, they stood out from the crowd of glam metal acts with their raw, direct sound. And that’s how they thundered in Bluesiana too. Head-on, uncompromising and with no brakes. Even with the new songs, meaning from the latest album “The Brutal Divide”, led by the title track, Street Noise, Flat Earth Vultures, plus the UFO cover Pushed to the Limit (from the album “Walk On Water”, 1995), which added extra spice to the show. Fans who know the band were of course waiting for those gems released more than 35 years ago. The band attacked right away with the classic King of the Dogs, and over the course of the show it was joined by Sound Of Speed, Back On The Bitch, Broken City, Switchblade Serenade, which, as expected, kicked up the most dust in the crowd, then Scratch Like a Cat, Suzy Suicide, Thru These Eyes and More Wolf Than Lamb.
I could say the show was almost over before it began. Spread Eagle raced from song to song, and Ray West was about to leave the stage when Rob held him back, telling him the show wasn’t over yet. Bomb. Tight and incredibly well rehearsed. There’s nothing to add, nothing to take away. Let’s just hope Spread Eagle show up more often on stages near Slovenia (they’ll never make it to us one way or another, but that’s a different story). This gig (at Bluesiana, an hour and fifteen minutes’ drive from Ljubljana) was a top-notch surprise. One of the sweetest things on this year’s concert menu in our region. After the show the band took a huge amount of time to chat with fans, and the night at Bluesiana was a long one. Gorgeous!
Author: Edita Klemen & Aleš Podbrežnik
Photos: Aleš Podbrežnik
