Event Reviews

Tonight’s gig had a very early start – 6pm doors with the first band on stage at 6.15pm.  Sadly being a weeknight then this inevitably meant most people didn’t arrive in time to see the first band.  Opening act Imperial Age therefore played to a tiny number of people which …

A cold damp January Saturday evening in Dublin can only mean one thing. It’s that time of year again; Metal 2 The Masses Ireland; that time when the hibernating beasts of the Irish metal scene awake from their winter slumber and begin the new quest to sally forth on a …

A little more than three months after he last graced this same stage – then accompanied by his Black Star Riders bandmate Damon Johnson – Ricky Warwick returned to one of his favourite haunts for this special New Year show.  In fact, Warwick had forsaken the somewhat sunnier climes of …

Matty James & The Irregulars It was a busy Saturday night in December when Matty James brought his band Matty James & The Irregulars to Tiger Lounge, Manchester for the final night of his first UK tour with a full band. What had been a very rainy day in Manchester …

Winter Rocks 2015 – Corporation, Sheffield A very windy day in December heralded the second ever Winter Rocks Festival at Corporation, Sheffield . After a successful event in 2014. There was a bit of a queue when I arrived and the event didn’t kick off at 12.15 with Skarlett Riot …

For most people, celebrating the festive time of year quite often starts and ends with work related staff outings. Not for me though, this rocker saw in the silly season at Rock City Nottingham for the manic craziness that was the Lawnmower Deth Xmas party. Those of a hardened nature …

Tonight was my third time seeing Nightwish on this tour, and having seen how good they are at the moment I was really looking forward to seeing this, the last date on their European tour, and the first time they’ve brought their full show over to the UK.  It’s probably …

Some people would go to any lengths for a great party… and, by this, I don’t just mean those of us who regularly board the Beer Bus for the regular trips to the best little rock club in the country:  no, I mean some of the determined folk who have …

It’s staggering how different gigs can be from one night to next. On Sunday, people were still queueing round the corner for The Darkness a full 30-45 minutes after doors opened. Fifteen minutes before entry here and there’s barely fifty in line. Interestingly, it’s much the same audience demographic; from the …

Deciding to drive into Glasgow city centre on the last Friday night before Christmas probably wasn’t my best idea ever.  As I circled the blocks for what seemed like forever before finally squeezing my tiny car into half a space behind a Ferrari who’s arse of a driver apparently needs …

Tonight was a night I was so excited about, Fear Factory celebrating 20 years since the release of Demanufacture. I was 8 years old when this album came out, I was lucky enough to be raised on a diet of copious amounts of metal very early on; as I got …

It’s two weeks before Christmas, and the dreaded party season is in full swing.  Bars in the centre of Belfast – in common with those in most towns and cities – are filled with what in these parts refer, rather disdainfully, to as “oncers”:  those people who only get out …

First tonight is British band Hell.  I’ve seen them live several times and they always put on a fantastic show. Since the band was resurrected a few years ago when Andy Sneap teamed up with them, they’ve released two great albums and tonight’s set includes songs from both of those …

Tonight was a gig I’d been looking forward to for some time – Deep Purple’s only UK date.   As the band that many years ago started my love of rock and metal music I’ve been a fan ever since, and while they aren’t the same live as they were years …

Opening for Orange Goblin tonight were local lads Line of Fire.  Unfortunately as luck would have it, work restraints meant they were playing their final song as I got there. Noticing the lead singer was sporting an Incinery t-shirt I noticed they had also stolen their drummer too. Warming the stage up preceding …

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, …