Opinion

So here we are at the third heat of the Bloodstock Metal 2 the Masses Northern Ireland battle royale.   A different venue and a different reviewer.  As the crowd who have braved the freezing wet weather arrive the news breaks that, unfortunately,  Baleful Creed have had to pull out …

Tax the heat were the first up on this all-British bill.  The Bristol band have a very smart image with their suits – something you don’t see very often, with Joe Bonamassa being one of the few other acts to dress in a suit on stage. The band have a …

Midway through their well-received tour Chris Jericho’s hard rock outfit Fozzy made a pit stop in Fibber Magee’s in Dublin. The night provided an outstanding atmosphere and a great performance form all the bands involved: Fozzy, The Dirty Youth and local band Call to Arms. The night kicked off with …

US superstars Night Ranger made a triumphant return to the UK this past weekend, with a sell out show in London followed by a sensational headline appearance at the HRH AOR festival in Pwllheli – the first time the band had played more than one gig on British soil on the same …

Knock Out Kaine, a four piece Rock band from Lincoln, released their second album ‘Rise of the Electric Jester’ on 2nd March, with an album launch show in their hometown of Lincoln. The first night of their UK tour (see poster and any additional dates here) took place at The Salutation …

The Amorettes had the job of opening the bill on this tour.  It must be a fairly daunting task opening for two bands of this calibre, but these Scottish ladies showed no sign of nerves as they took to the stage.  It’s a good sign that the venue was already …

PlanetMosh is proud to be one of the official media partners for this weekend’s Blazefest, Northern Ireland’s biggest annual charity gig, which brings together the top rock and metal bands from this part of the world to raise funds for the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children.  One of the highlights …

Tonight’s gig was billed as An evening with Night Ranger, and is the first time they’ve been to the UK to do more than one show – as well as tonight’s gig they are also appearing at the HRH United festival in Pwllheli at the weekend.  Tonight’s gig has no …

It’s the week before St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin and while the last vestiges of winter cling to shackles of the city centre streets the crowd gathered around the corner of the Button Factory seems impervious to the biting cold. Tonight sees the return of the Americo-pean power metal act …

They say that a week is a long time in politics, but a year is an extremely long time in the music business.  Fans can lose interest in a band who have been quiet for any length of time, never mind a full 12 months:  after all, it could be …

Heat 5 of the Ireland chapter of this year’s Bloodstock Metal 2 The Masses took place last Saturday. With a strong line up, it was definitely one of the must see heats of this run of shows. Unfortunately, one of the bands (Axial Symmetry) had withdrawn the night before and …

As I arrived on a weeknight to one of my (very) local music arenas, The Slade Rooms to see Glamour Of The Kill, a security guard joked about not being able to come in because the first band are currently playing. Holy crap – I thought doors opened at 7pm; …

PlanetMosh continues its support for the Northern Ireland leg of the annual Metal 2 The Masses competition – which gives the winners a slot on the New Blood stage at Bloodstock – by interviewing the participants in heat number three, which takes place at Belfast’s Voodoo on Thursday (March 12).  …

Valentine’s Day loomed bright but breezy in Carlisle and after a day opening all my cards, erm make that looking round Carlisle Cathedral, Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery, the market  every charity shop I passed and several fine cafés I’d built up an appetite for Rockmantic 3, Day 2. …

PlanetMosh had the opportunity to have a few words with Claire Percival of the Death-Groove Metal machine that is Dead Label. We chatted about their recent tour of the USA, new album Throne Of Bones and the brand new video for Salvation In Sacrifice which will be released on Friday, …

Tonight’s gig kicked off with support act Snow White’s Poison Bite.  Even before they start to play, they seem like an obvious choice to support Wednesday 13 as they take to the stage with the faces painted as skulls, so they fit the night’s horror theme.  Once they start to …

First up tonight was Laurence Jones, a very young (21 years old) blues guitarist.  I saw him support Joanne Shaw Taylor at her album launch last year and was impressed by his short acoustic set.  Tonight was a ful eletric set and he was accompanied by his producer, Roger Inniss …

I last saw the Quireboys in November last year which was a plugged in gig. It was a high energy show as always but their latest UK tour is an acoustic affair minus Dave Mc’ Cluskey on drums and Nick Mailing on bass guitar but the Live Rooms gig last …

Louise Swift for PlanetMosh interviews Dean Foxx and Lee Byrne from Knock Out Kaine ahead of their gig at Wildside, The Salutation, Nottingham on 7th March 2015. This was to be the first date of their Rise of The Electric Jester Tour, following an official album launch party in their …

Friday night in Glasgow was miserable, wet, raining and freezing cold, but none of the almost 2000 people who turned up to see Halestorm even noticed with some of them already forming a queue when I arrived at 5pm, two hours before the doors opened.  I was there to interview …