Libraries' worth of books have been written about the history of rock over the years, but when it comes to rock n’ roll music, a good tune doesn’t just speak a thousand words; it makes them dance, sing, and puts the strut in their swagger.

In other words, the History of Rock is all about the music, which is why the History of Rock that hit Abergavenny’s Borough Theatre earlier this month like a sledgehammer made of riffs and power chords is a band, not a book.

In the era of tribute bands, these boys and gals do something a little different. They don’t dress up like replicas of someone famous and focus on capturing the sound of the real deal as close as possible.

Their church is far broader than that.

They perform a wide selection of songs, from, you guessed it, the history of rock, and bring their own vibe to the table.

It’s a show by rock fans for rock fans, and it’s all about capturing the spirit of the originals and what made their engine hum.

On the night they played everything from Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Fortunate Son” to Kiss’s “Detroit Rock City,” Queen’s “Hammer To Fall,” The Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up,” Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades,” Van Halen’s “Panama,” The Eagles' “Hotel California” and Thin Lizzy’s “The Boys Are Back In Town.”

And that’s just a tiny sample of the goods on offer from the History of Rock.

It’s all delivered with an infectious and feel-good enthusiasm that gets under the skin of the most reluctant crowd and gets them to their feet, or at least a spot of chair dancing.

As is only fitting, considering his passing last year, it was a hat-trick of songs from the back catalogue of the Prince of Darkness himself that changed a large part of the crowd from passive to willing participants in a rock n’roll frenzy.

After all, who can resist the three-punch combo of “War Pigs,” “Crazy Train” and “Paranoid” devised in a high-octane, take no prisoners approach?

Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” got a rapturous reception and if nothing else, it’s worth the price of admission alone to see the pensioner element in the audience nodding their heads gently in unison to AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell.”

Talk about living easy and season tickets on a one-way ride!

The History of Rock’s frontman was the sort of hyperactive livewire that a good rock band just can’t do without. The guitarists played. Like they’d just come back from making a deal with a man of wealth and taste at the crossroads.

The bassist anchored the whole thing with a cool and stoic nonchalance, and the drummer pounded the skins like the four riders of the apocalypse were galloping into Abergavenny.

They weren’t, of course, but needless to say, it was a damned fine show, and if you get a chance at some point in the future, give the History of a Rock a go. You won’t regret it.

Now let them hear you say, “Yeah!”