Ant May

I spend half my life at gigs or festivals and the other half writing the reviews and editing photos, and somehow find time for a full time job too. Who needs sleep - I've got coffee.

The Mission – Bending the arc

When is a live album, not really a live album? That sounds a strange question to open a review of The Mission’s new Live album with until you look at where it was recorded. Generally a live album is recorded at one concert or more often, a run of concerts …

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Tribulation – Down below

With their last album, 2015’s “Children of the night” having received so much critical acclaim, Swedish band Tribulation had their work cut out with the new album to try and match the success of that album. When you listen to “Down below” it quickly becomes obvious that they rose to …

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Accept – Koko, London – 8th February 2018

Support tonight came from US band Night Demon. Their latest album, 2017’s “Darkness remains” is a great album so I was looking forward to seeing them live. A three-piece, they’ve got a real NWOBHM influenced sound although the bands that inspired them had 4 or 5 members, so to have …

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Loudness – Rise to glory

Loudness were formed in Japan in May 1981 and have been a prolific band releasing around 30 albums since then including live albums and English versions of their Japanese language albums. In 1983 they did their first US and European tours and signed a record deal with Atlantic records, in …

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Cats in space – Cats alive!

Cats in space are a band I only saw live for the first time late last year, opening for Deep Purple, and they really impressed me, both on stage, and in their attitude with them coming out to the merch stand at an arena show as soon as they finished …

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Die so fluid – One bullet from paradise

2016 was a year that saw the death of Die so fluid drummer Al Fletcher. After the death of their friend, the remaining members, Grog and Mr Drew stepped back to consider the future of the band. They eventually decided to make a new album. Before Al’s death a number …

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Koch Marshall Trio – Toby arrives

The Koch Marshall Trio is Greg Koch, a guitarist described by Joe Bonamassa as “scary good”, Dylan Koch on drums, and organist Toby Lee Marshall on the Hammond B3. In terms of vocals, well, there are none – yes it’s an instrumental album. By now 90% of people reading have …

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Bloodstock reveal eight more bands

As we head into February, the days are clicking by and BLOODSTOCK is just six months away!  Tickets are moving faster than ever in 2018 so don’t delay in picking up yours!  There’s another batch of bands to announce; one main stage band and seven more to flesh out part …

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Ramblin Man Fair announce Caddillac Three

Following on from the critically acclaimed and commercially successful third year in 2017, Ramblin’ Man Fair returns in 2018! This year the festival will move from its traditional end of July slot to the 30th June and 1st July 2018 Ramblin’ Man Fair is pleased to announce the next band …

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Amplified Festival Sunday Special Guest Announcement

Amplified Festival announce Sunday’s Special Guests and end of Early Bird Tickets. Cotswolds Based Amplified Festival have announced their Sunday Main stage support act for this years festival as SULPHER. Bursting onto the scene in 2003 with their ground-breaking and stunning debut album Spray… ‘a riotous blend of industrial hard …

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Machine Head unveil ‘Volatile’ lyric vid

MACHINE HEAD are set to release their ninth studio album, ‘Catharsis’ tomorrow,, 26th January via Nuclear Blast Entertainment.  Today, the band has released the official lyric video for the album’s incendiary opening track, ‘Volatile’ The track is dedicated to Heather D. Heyer who lost her life during a protest against …

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