This was the first HRH Vikings event. Like HRH Metal, CROWS and Sleaze, it’s held at an O2 Academy venue rather than a holiday camp. Despite being the first one, it’s proved popular with the place being busy right from the start of the first day. With headliners Turisas and …
Read More »Crapsons / Uncle Peanut / Spam Javelin / Dilation – The Skerries, Bangor, North Wales – 30/12/18
I’ve always believed that it is vital to review and support up and coming talent whenever I can. Tonight at The Skerries in Bangor, North Wales I witnessed four solid reasons why I continue to do it. I also took the opportunity at this gig of chatting with Mike & Andy from …
Read More »Uriah Heep – Rock City, Nottingham – 15th December 2018
Tonight’s gig had an early start due to the 10pm curfew to allow the regular club night to happen afterwards. Sometimes it’s actually quite nice to have an early finish, and given the crowd tonight is slightly more mature than for most of the gigs held here, an early finish …
Read More »Black Stone Cherry – Arena, Birmingham – 11th December 2018
In recent years Black Stone Cherry have been going from strength to strength and these days are headlining arena tours. A Black Stone Cherry gig is always something to look forward to, but on this tour the support makes it even more of an event. Opening the shows is Monster …
Read More »Massive Wagons – Waterloo Music Bar, Blackpool.
All the gigs I’ve been to in 2018 met their Waterloo at the Waterloo Music Bar on Friday 22nd December 2018, a date that will be forever etched in my memory as this little gem of a venue was packed to the rafters with four sets of high octane rock …
Read More »The Last Band review at The Parish Huddersfield, 7th December 2018 by Alex English
High energy metal rockers The Last Band are pumped up and ready for action tonight at The Parish in Huddersfield. Before their set, I had the opportunity to grab an interview with The Last Band singer Coffe Blood. Chatting with singer Coffe Here’s an excerpt of some of the question’s …
Read More »Skindred / Sonic Boom Six / Scare Tactics – O2 Academy, Liverpool – 15-12-18
There’s three things that I’ve fallen in love with during this latest Skindred tour. The venues, Skindred’s set-list and most importantly the exposure of new, raw talented bands. ‘I Saw The World Burn’ and ‘Mr.Shiraz’ are just two bands that have shone for me and tonight we had another. Scare Tactics …
Read More »Wolfsbane – Tivoli, Buckley.
Tonight at the Tivoli was a night of two twenty five year anniversaries the first of which was seeing Wolfsbane here again for the first time since that time gap. Their fans, known as HMS or Howling Mad Shitheads turned up last night in full voice and mine is shot …
Read More »The Alarm – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds – 6th December 2018
Tonight The Alarm played the Brudenell Social Club with support from Ryan Hamilton & The Harlequin Ghosts and Julia Othmer. Julia Othmer, a one-woman show with her piano, and all the way from sunny California opens tonight’s show. With sultry gravelly vocals Julia tell’s stories on how her songs came to …
Read More »Satan – The Lounge, London – 24th November 2018
Saturday the 24th marks the 5 year anniversary of Retribution Alive and what best way to celebrate than having a big party with various DJs in the multi-floored Lounge, as well as Satan headlining a London show, along with Toledo Steel, Primitai and Ai Force. Even though it was an …
Read More »Night Flight Orchestra – Underworld, London – 30th November 2018
Gates open at 6.00 and the promising flight of the Night Flight Orchestra in London is finally on track. The opening act, Black Mirrors came on stage at 7.15. The Belgian rockers brought their Indian feathers on stage and under the dim lights they set the atmosphere for boarding on …
Read More »Nightwish – Arena, Birmingham – 10th December 2018
Tonight is the second of three UK arena shows for Nightwish on their Decades tour. It’s a sign of how they’ve grown in recent years as their last proper UK tour was in Academy venues, whereas this year they’ve already played Bloodstock and are doing three arena shows. The turnout …
Read More »Def leppard – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham- 8th December 2018
Tonight’s show was completely sold out – not a huge surprise really as not only is this Def Leppard on tour, it’s Def Leppard playing their biggest album (and arguably one of the biggest selling rock albums in history) in full – Hysteria. As if that wasn’t enough, they’ve brought …
Read More »CKY / Sumo Cyco / Bullets And Octane – Live At O2 Academy 2, Liverpool – 08/12/18
Walking into a venue like the O2 Academy 2 in Liverpool for the very first time tonight made me realise just how lucky we are that certain bands feel the need to play these small, exclusive places in order to be close to their fans. This was definitely the case with …
Read More »Skindred – Craufurd arms, Milton Keynes – 5th December 2018
On their current tour, Skindred have taken the decision to play smaller venues than normal. Whereas their last tour saw them playing the larger academy venues including Brixton academy in London, on this tour the venues are far more intimate – tonight’s venue, The Craufurd arms in Milton Keynes holds …
Read More »Diamond Head review at The Mulberry Tavern, Sheffield 23rd November 2018
Feeling lucky? Damn, right I was. Friday night at the Mulberry Tavern, Sheffield and Diamond Head is the last band I expected to watch gracing the stage of its 200 capacity venue, Jackpot!! Diamond Head have been busy touring Europe for most of Autumn taking in the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, …
Read More »Dan Patlansky – Islington academy, London – 29th November 2018
First up tonight, not long after doors open is Gorilla Riot. I saw this Manchester based band a few weeks ago at the HRH CROWS festival in Sheffield where they opened the main stage on Sunday with one hell of an impressive set. Given that, my expectations were high and …
Read More »Lovebites – Islington academy, London – 21st November 2018
Support tonight came from Seven Sisters – a London based band with a definite NWOBHM sound. They take a few minutes to really get going but once they do it’s a good solid set that goes down well with the crowd. Next came Japanese band Lovebites. Earlier this year their …
Read More »Seven More Days – Eleven, Stoke.
Seven More Days stunning debut album Little Dark Pleasures proved to be a big big pleasure when it was released this year. It oozed confidence with ten tracks of hard rock and they played eight from it at Eleven supporting the Scopyons. It was my first time seeing them and …
Read More »Ward XVI – Sophie Lancaster Festival, Rebellion, Manchester
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After touring their debut album The Art Of Manipulation to death, Preston based nutters Ward XVI are taking a hiatus to write new material so this gig was to be their last show of 2018 but not even a disrupted train service full of annoying Manchester United fans and even …