Event Reviews

Arriving at the Rescue Rooms tonight to see Fozzy I must admit I had never heard of the opening band Sumo Cyco.  Upon hearing lead female vocalist Sever’s powerful vocal and personality however, I instantly liked this band. Disregard any images of a dainty, shy lead vocalist.  This lady has industrial strength balls …

For those unfamiliar to Nottingham’s Rescue Rooms I should point out that the venue is a smaller scale Rock City. On a Sunday school night the crowd for the opening band Wild Lies was quite small.  Unaffected by the lack of audience, the London rockers tried their very best to bait …

On a wet and breezy day at the beginning of December a pirate ship bearing the Jolly Roger insignia sailed up Oxford Road and deposited The Captain (Sensible of The Damned) and his crew of brigands, Slim Jim Phantom (of Stray Cats), Chris Cheney (of The Living End) and Mike …

And so it is almost upon us again… the annual Bloodstock Metal 2 The Masses competition, with it’s reward being the much coveted and desired chance to play the New Blood stage at Britain’s favourite bespoke metalfest alongside the likes of Slayer, Mastodon, Twisted Sister, Venom and a host of …

‘Oh the weather outside is frightful…’ Alright, so we might only be three days into December, but the opening line from ‘Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow’ is pretty damn apt this evening in Bristol. The wind and the rain has been disruptive for the whole day, …

First up were Archer – a metal band from Santa Cruz, California.  This three piece had plenty of enthusiasm but to be brutally honest I found them dull and mediocre with nothing at all to make them stand out from the sort of bands you can see playing gigs in …

With a society very much stuck in the epic nature of the now, tonight’s Slayer/Anthrax/Kvelertak show has been labelled as the metal event of the year by many. In a 2015 where we have already been blessed with a Slipknot/Korn tour, a Megadeth/Lamb Of God Tour and a host of …

When Nick Oliveri left the stage of this very venue a little more than four months ago, he confidently predicted that the next time he appeared in Belfast it would be with Mondo Generator… little did most of those present realize that the touring schedule was already locked in and the …

Sometimes, you really should do your homework before going to a gig!  On this occasion, I was familiar with three of the five acts beforehand, and was particularly looking forward to seeing the two heavy acts bookending the bill – especially as one was unveiling a new line up and …

With many of their US counterparts cancelling, postponing or cutting short their European tours in the wake of the atrocities in Paris earlier this month and the subsequent security concerns across much of Europe – just hours before the doors opened this evening, Brussels went into a state of lock …

I arrived at the venue for tonight’s show to find a huge queue despite the doors having opened some time ago.  The reason soon became apparent – coming not long after the tragic events in Paris, security had been stepped up for tonight’s show with everyone being thoroughly frisked and …

It’s a freezing cold afternoon in November which reflects the darkness falling across the metal community currently with the horrific tragedy and loss, with recent events weighing heavily on our hearts.  I know a lot of us are still anxious about going to gigs and I applaud the venue staff …

Friday the 13th of November is the date Paradise Lost chose to end their extensive European tour in Nottingham’s Rock City. Braving the fierce winds outside the venue a small queue of stalwart fans lined the side of the building chatting eagerly while seeking shelter where they could. Rock City …

Given the horrendous events that unfolded in Paris on Friday night, you’d be forgiven for expecting that all gigs in the UK for a period of time would have smaller audiences, earlier finishing times and filled with a certain air of unease. However, in a true tip of the hat …

Tonight is about respect. Not just for each other – which we’ll get to later – but also between band and punter. It’s well known to frontmen and women that if you can earn the respect of a crowd, they’ll be putty in your hands and do pretty much anything you …

The opening act of the night was local band Enkelination.  They haven’t been playing many gigs this year as they are currently focussing on working on their second album, but tonight is a rare show for them, and judging by the number of EnkElination T-shirts being worn by people in …

Bands often get an affinity with certain places they tour, for Tracer that place seems to be Sheffield with a sold out gig at Plug. Before the scantily clad teenagers and twenty-somethings spilled drunkenly out of taxis into the venue and Tracer tore through the smoke that resembled a fireman’s …

The guys behind the sound desk at Bristol Academy deserve medals. Every venue is prone to issues with mixes at one point or another, but tonight it’s spot-on for every single band that plays which means there’s a buzz in the air not felt for a long time. We even …

There are few people in the music business to whom the term “living legend” can, and should, be deservedly applied.  As far as the the Irish rock scene is concerned, there is one gentleman to whom that descriptive does not even begin to do justice – and that is Mr …

This weekend, Wales played home to the heavily anticipated ninth cycle of Hard Rock Hell Festival, delivering yet another extraordinary event filled with die-hard fans, a copious level of booze, and over fifty bands from across the globe ready and willing to perform to thousands of rockers, all confined to …