Redemption Festival 2016, Warehouse 23, Wakefield

Following a successful one day Festival in 2015. (Reviewed here). The second Redemption Festival returned on a bigger scale, with sixteen bands over two days at Warehouse 23 in Wakefield on Saturday and Sunday 10th-11th September. With different ticket options if you were canny and bought in advance you could get a two day ticket for £15 and the chance to see Bad Touch, Bigfoot, Hell’s Addiction, The Burning Crows, A Joker’s Rage, SKAM, Fahran, SertralineCaptain Horizon, Daylight Robbery, Suborbital Lobotomy, Cenacle, A Thousand EnemiesFury, The Prog Doctors and Sinnergod and raise money for two worthy local charities Barnsley Hospice and Wakefield Hospice.

I didn’t make it to the entire festival but am reliably informed that all the bands I wasn’t able to see put on a great show. I made it out for the latter part of Sunday in time to see SKAM, a rock band from Leicester. Despite being out til 5am this morning they still appeared all bright eyed and bushy tailed or make that duck faced pouts, rolling eyes and tongue pulling! I love watching the faces these guys pull, nearly as much as listening to the music and frontman Steve and bass guitarist Matt woudl make a great comedy double act with their onstage banter. Songs included old and new, including the title track from their latest album Peacemaker, the older Let’s Get Rocked and the popular Holy City. Steve then said they had made it to end of their set and it had been an honour and a priviledge to play and told us that the organisation was mega. They finished off with the Black Sabbath style Massacre which had some of the lyrics from War Pigs woven in.  A final thank you then Steve stood on drum riser and finished off with a jump.

Next up were Fury a four piece from Worcester who describe their genre as ‘Epic, Universe Spanning Fantasycore’ on Facebook, which isn’t a genre I’m familiar with but always open to a new experience! Unfortunatley they played the tea time slot and a few revellers had chosen to head off to Wetherspoons for sustenance, but if these guys were disappointed, they certainly didn’t show it as frontman Julian asked ‘Are you ready to get lost? Lost In Space?’ and they lauched into the Iron Maiden style number. I was going to say the next song was more of the same but when I caught the words ‘Lost In Space’ I realised it was still the same song, a bit of an epic with harmonic yet powerful vocals, reminding me of a beefed up Eye of The Tiger by Survivor. I was particularly impressed by the nice line in V shaped guitars, I think one was a Gibson, as to the other, I haven’t a clue, I’m no connisseur I just liked the look! With it’s bullet drum start Dragon’s Song a Motorhead fast song albeit an Orchestral Motorhead! Valhalla a soulful song with an acoustic medieval start. Julian thanked organiser Matt Black for putting them on before the patriotic This is Britannia. They finished the set with a rousing Drunken Sailor sea shanty and a ‘Wakefield. Thank you very much’ from Julian and the venue had got a a bit busier towards the end.

The venue was filling up nicely by the time Bigfoot a five piece hard rock band from Wigan came on. Bigfott are fronted by Antony Ellis, who’s like a hyper Jack Black, expressive from the off, pumping the microphone stand and hair flying everywhere. He seemed to be using the mic stand as a weapon or a prop so wasn’t sure I dare go down to the front to take some photos but in the end I did. After the opener Antony said ‘Thank you very much. You’re Ok in the gutter you little shits’ and I might have taken offence but was the title of the next song was In The Gutter.

We’ve just finished a new video – tuneful – ELO melodic –

Anthony – Just give me a minute Ok – got guitar – just need to get my weapon? If you like what you’re hearing – come over and have a little talk with us.

Come Down My Way – think Dead or Alive – Bon Jovi – good riffs –

Antony ditched guitar then ,the music quickened up – Fists in the air  – AE asked fists in the air – tuneful highers – guitarists together at front – how you feeling guys – you alright? yeah

Sam Millar holding guitar aloft – Thank you very much guys – cheers – it’s getting hot in here – it smells like Shit? brief pause

people dancing – funky bass part from Matt Avery part way through – Antony – Matthew Avery on the bass – showcase –

We’ve all come here to have some fun – we’re going to play a game – in the middle – this side first – then other yea yeas – then baby’s bass beat throughout – right won but can redeem – strength in unity – Antony sweating – looked to having a good time –

Good to see some of your faces – come and chat to us at merch stand – got one last song – The Other Side of Paradise – word Redemption worked in to the lyrics – Redemption come on put your hands together – everyone clapping. People down at front – arms waving side to side – ended on a power drum roll and a thank you all very much – see you all next time.

Sinnergod

REviewed album but even though Manchester bass niver had chance to see then yet

all in black t-shirts and jeans with black hair – matching waistcoats with embroidery NN plus one guitarist and drummer both in reverse baseball caps

Singer short black hair – black everyliner a bit Green Day meets Placebo

Spooky/haunting intro –

Come on fellas – move forward –  clapping

Rammstein meets Marilyn Manson – electronica – audience moved a bit?

how are you doing Wakefield?

Bands heads nodding but not much hair to fly – keys/laptop- waterfall

Electric start – singer on old style mic – keys – backing vocals

EP a few years ago – get it bought – help us pay the rent

strong bass ebat – very MM – a coupld of t-shirts in audience – guitar quiver a la Dirk Dale – gentle drum – keys intro then got heavier – cheers – thank you very much –

Heartbeat sound bit like start to Vienna Ultravox –

Got a new album out – going to attempt to play a new one – hope you like it – if not? Age of Sinf – hard hitting start – bass nodding to beat – spooky sound womb like/heartbeat –

If anyone wakes up thinking of really banging songs you’ll relate to this – I do

This is our new video – check it out – cheers ears – sppoky like a wind chime then choral

yell – die.

Bass like Bowz with eyerliner – strong bass beat again – thank you very much – more heart beat

This is our last song – Thank you very much for coming out – Song called Aren’t you Dead – Rammstein-y (NIN)

meets Dr Who Theme? off album – bullet drums – a spoken bang –

bass smiling all the time – other a bit more serious –

Thank you – we’re Sinnergod – thank you so much for checking us out.

Redemption Festival is set to be an annual charity event to raise to raise money for

 

About Louise Swift

I first went to a gig in 1981, Gillan at Leeds University. I've been a regular gig goer ever since. I haven't kept count of how many gigs I've been to over the intervening years, but it's a lot! My favourite bands are AC/DC then, in no particular order, Anti-Nowhere League, Slaughter and the Dogs, Towers of London and Dirt Box Disco. I tend to like Glam/Punk and rude offensive lyrics, not sure what that says about me but as Animal would say 'So What!' The question was recently put to me - did I write for any online publications? My reply - No, but I'd like to! Planetmosh was suggested and I found myself offering to review Aces High Festival. Easy peasy I thought! Well not quite, if a jobs worth doing it's worth doing well! I had sixteen bands to research. I found I actually enjoyed that and it kept me too busy to be making lunatic comments on Facebook! ;) Then I felt a bit inadequately qualified. I mean, who am I to comment on others, when my musical expertise extends to being able to play a mean Greensleeves on the recorder and a passable Annie's song on the flute! Haven't picked up either instrument for years! What I do have, however, is over 30 years of experience as a gig goer, so I can comment on what I like and what I don't! It's only my opinion and, if I don't like a band it doesn't mean they are bad, just not to my own liking. I admire anyone who has the guts to get up on that stage and have a go!