Fozzy. A name that you may not necessarily associate with a rock band but be warned, this is all about to change.

If you're not familiar with Fozzy then you won't have heard about their love of the UK and their show at London's Mean Fiddler on 4th February which was the penultimate gig in a tour which marked their fifth visit here in twelve months. Not bad for a band who have never released a single here and, up until last February, had never even set foot on these shores.

Of course, I have to admit to being one of the 'people in the know' and have managed to catch a few of their gigs; most notably their impressive performance at the Download Festival last June. So when they announced a show at the Mean Fiddler, I knew I had to keep that Saturday night free.

The Mean Fiddler venue itself is a good testing ground for bands looking to crack the London market. With a capacity of less than 800, it is a great way to see an artist in a fairly intimate setting without being in a dimly lit, cramped, dingy pub. Of course, big venues, fancy lights and a good acoustics can cover up a multitude of sins for many of the major bands these days and, as far as I'm concerned, if an artist can cut it in a smaller venue like the Fiddler then they can do it anywhere.

With this in mind, I cannot complement the two supports: Forever Never and Nineteenth Century enough. Admittedly, I have seen both bands on previous occasions and am pleased to say that they are two British talents that deserve success. Forever Never, who are set to release their debut album in March, had the crowd jumping and cheering to the point where one of the staff actually asked if they were the headliners. Front man Renny owned the stage and really knew how to effortlessly work up the crowd into a frenzy.

Nineteenth Century had a different approach to the melodic metal that was Forever Never, and preferred to keep the spirit of Rock and Roll alive! From my vantage point in the upstairs bar (where bands can be heard succinctly and without crowd noise), lead singer Wane had an amazing vocal ability. Their set could easily have been recorded and used as a live cd as he never missed a note and the band itself would put many other artists to shame. I look forward to hearing more from them.

And so onto Fozzy, for which I ventured down to the main floor, not wanting to miss a second of what I knew would be an amazing gig. And amazing it was. From the moment the guys walked on stage until their final bow, it was non-stop energy.

Lead singer Chris Jericho had the crowd hanging on his every word and along with guitarist Rich "The Duke" Ward, we were suitably entertained between songs with jokes, observations and stand-up comedy that would not be out of place at The Comedy Store down the road! Of course, there was singing too and with Fozzy drawing on three albums, there was plenty of choice and diversity.

Unlike some bands who concentrate primarily on their most recent release and only throw in a few older tracks, Jericho et al had a good mix of all three with favourites such as "To Kill A Stranger", "Crucify Yourself" and "With The Fire" played alongside new tracks which included "Enemy", "Wanderlust" and "Daze Of The Week". We were even treated to a cover of Judas Priest's "Freewheel Burning" and the song "Don't You Wish You Were Me" which doesn't appear on any of their albums.

Along with all this, it's a wonder how they managed to fit in a breathtaking five minute guitar solo from Mike Martin which proved just why he is nicknamed "Mr. Holy Shit".

If there is only one gig that you go to this year then I'd make it Fozzy. With the way the fans are directing the band to these shores, I'm hoping that it won't be too long before they make that trip back over here for another round of shows. And until then, I will most definitely be "Spreading the Fozzpel" because it means that I may just get to see another live performance from the HUGE rock stars!