Event Reviews

I arrived in a (surprisingly) sunny Pwllheli in North Wales way ahead of schedule 1pm on the Thursday. This time last year, poor Hammerfest fell victim to a horrendous downpour – flooding the site from day 1. After checking in and exchanging pleasantries with my caravan-mates for the weekend, I …

Despite its remote location – in the crook of north Wales’ Llŷn Peninsula, between Snowdonia and the Irish Sea – Hard Rock Hell is undoubtedly one of the UK’s favourite festivals, often booking out a year in advance… and even before a single band is announced!  That was evinced yet …

On an unusually mild, bright early Spring evening in our wee neck of the woods off I set to what, according to the poster promises to be a great night of good old fashioned rock n roll.. As the lights go down, the opening band Massive Wagons take to the …

It’s Saturday night and for the third consecutive week, I find myself at Fibber Magees on Dublin’s Parnell St. for the last heat of this year’s Metal 2 The Masses Ireland showcase. With 5 bands going toe to toe on the stage, could this heat be the magnificent seventh? Opening …

For the first time in my life I actually got off the train at Wolverhampton rather than just passing through on the way back from Birmingham! The violent hailstorm and grey miserable skies did little to dampen my spirits as I was there to see two Finnish rock bands Reckless …

Tonight’s gig was the first full Avantasia gig in the UK.  It’s hard to believe it’s taken so long – the band have been going for 15 years and recently released their seventh album, but apart from a set at Bloodstock festival a couple of years ago they haven’t played …

I first came across Anti-Nowhere League (ANL) five years ago when I was in Glasgow for a few days. I had a look to see if there were any gigs on, saw that they were playing, watched the video to So What and thought well so what, they’ll be a …

First up tonight was Ricky Warwick and the Fighting Hearts, who took to the stage in front of a half empty venue (a lot of SLF fans chose to drink at the nearby pub rather than watch the support act).  Ricky Warwick has changed his look dramatically – when I …

It had been quite some time since yours truly last descended the steps into the hallowed Mandela Hall…  almost exactly 18 months in fact.  And, as I stood outside the chilly Sunday night air awaiting my photographer, I could not help but note the eclectic nature of the hundreds of …

Another year, another Badass Bash at the Snooty Fox in Wakefield. An excellent venue for live music with a punchy p.a system cranking out some great live music from 18 bands hand picked once again by event organiser Martin Short. At a spritely 62yrs young he also compered the event …

It’s a cold March Saturday night at Fibber Magees in Dublin and that can only mean one thing; it’s time for the penultimate Metal 2 The Masses Ireland heat where 4 bands are set to play their hearts out for places in this year’s semi final on the road to …

Tonight’s bill looked certain to be a good one – Sabaton and Alestorm plus Bloodbound.  The two main acts both pulled in a lot of fans – there were lots of Sabaton Tshirts being worn in the queue outside, and also a lot of Alestorm Tshirts plus people dressed as …

It always amazes me how certain social media channels are always filled with whinging, so called “rock fans” who complain that there are never any gigs on… I don’t know what sort of cloud cuckoo land they live in, because this, the official launch of Zlatanera‘s debut album, ‘Legerdemain‘, was …

It may have been just a relatively short six years since thrash legends Exodus last graced this very stage, but it has been a lot longer since the Steve ‘Zetro’ Souza fronted  incarnation was last in these parts… almost 27 years and 1989’s ‘Fabulous Disaster’ tour.  In fact, not one single member …

Arriving at the O2 ABC just before 6pm on Sunday for an interview with bass player Dean Back, I couldn’t help but notice that over an hour before doors there was already a queue forming down the street.  Theory of a Deadman fans are nothing if not keen.  You can …

Tonight’s show was part of Wednesday 13’s acoustic tour.  Billed as “An evening with..” There is no support act, and instead fans get a two hour show from Wednesday 13.  It’s more than a straightforward acoustic gig though as rather than just playing songs, there is far more to it …

For those unfamiliar with the event, Blazefest is an annual fundraising show in aid of the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.  It is inspired by a very brave young man, Blaze Shields-Pettitt, who, in his short life, has endured a lot more than many of us old fogies could …

This will be a co-review between myself and PlanetMosh stalwart Louise Swift, who unfortunately couldn’t make the afternoon sessions. Last year’s Rockmantic saw the Saturday afternoon given over to acoustic performances, this year it was the turn of the youngsters. First up we had Black Nevada, a five-piece alt.rock band …

It’s just short of a year since Wilson played their first Scottish gigs as support for Halestorm.  Back then they played the legendary Barrowland Ballroom, so tonight’s gig at Broadcast was definitely a change of scenery.  The basement venue, underneath the street level bar, is a tiny hobbit hole of …

You know what they say, home is where the heart is; or in this case, home is where the music is. For me it has been a couple of years since I last entered the chess floorboard Hagues Bar situated in the centre of my home of Lisburn, Northern Ireland. …