Event Reviews

It had been a long weekend – and, to be honest, the pace of it was starting to tell on PM’s Belfast team as we prepared for our third gig in as many days and a review tally which would take us to 18 bands in that period (it would …

First up tonight was Belfast band, No hot ashes.  They are a band that formed in the 80’s before splitting a few years later.  After 25 years apart they reunited a couple of years ago.  As you’d expect, most of the set is songs from the 80s but they do …

Almost a year to the date since the epic Dublin Metal 2 The Masses final of 2014, we were back in Fibber Magees for the climax of the 2015 instalment. 36 hopefuls were whittled down to the sumptuous sextet of Nautilus, The Devil Wants Her Swagger Back, Snowblind, Theories Divide, Vile …

Still hungover and bleary eyed from the previous evening’s final of the Bloodstock Metal 2 The Masses competition, the PlanetMosh team were up and about at a ridiculously early hour to catch the mid-afternoon train for one of our all-too-rare forays out of the big smoke for a ten band …

Way back in 1939 Winston Churchill described the Russians as being “a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.” I can’t help thinking this is also an apt description of Ginger Wildheart‘s Songs and Words show. It’s not a gig, It’s not stand-up comedy. It’s not theatre. It’s not …

The Fifth NLC/Rockin’ For The Children Festival took place at The Maze, Nottingham over May Day Bank Holiday Weekend 2015. This now annual event is organised by David Tonge (AKA Big D) and his family and friends with a lot of time and hard work going into the organising. Last …

The night opened with Irishman Miles Graham.  He performs doing vocals and playing acoustic guitar, and has two musicians with him, one on the Cajon (a box shaped drum that the drummer sits on as he plays), and one on bass.  His set is very good – a classic singer-songwriter …

As, a few hundred yards away, Belfast joins the rest of the country in marking the 70th anniversary of VE Day, five of Northern Ireland’s finest groups of metallians have come together in a darkened city centre venue to see which of them will secure just as momentous – to …

And so, here we are again – at the business end of the first ever Bloodstock Metal 2 The Masses competition to be held here in Northern Ireland, and, over the course of the past nine weeks, the PlanetMosh team have counted every band in and every band out (to …

With PM’s illustrious (!) Ireland editor laid low with a dose of the lurgy, it was up to yours truly to venture first into the rare bright sunny evening and then into the darkened venue for what promises to be rip roaring gig – and my first encounter with the legendary UFO. …

“The Fleece is a better venue but I felt this gig would be more fun.” Jeffery Johns, affectionately known as Big Jeff, is in attendance tonight at the Marble Factory, having turned down the chance to see Russian Circles down the road at one of Bristol’s more established venues. Something of a …

Sunday night was the third time I’d seen Theory of a Deadman, having previously seen them open for Alter Bridge and Black Stone Cherry, and I’ve always thought they were good but that the short time a support act gets held them back from showing how good they really are.  …

The night kicked off with Tristan Mackay, a solo performer and former busker. He plays with an acoustic guitar and uses a device to record short bits of playing then replay them in a loop which means he’s able to play more complex stuff than if he just used the …

Celebration, anniversary, reunion; call it what you like but the Anathema show in Dublin’s Academy was the final evening of the ‘Resonance’ tour, an evening of the band’s entire career that since it was announced had left many salivating at the prospect. This was a show that many never envisaged …

And so, after five intense heats spaced out over six weeks, we arrive at the business end of the inaugural Bloodstock Metal 2 The Masses competition here in Northern Ireland, with the first of the semi-finals.  Twenty bands had entered the fray back in mid-February, and now we are down …

Tonight’s gig opened with Dutch band Stream of Passion, who are supporting Anneke van Giersbergen on this Gentle Storm tour, and two of the members also perform on stage as Anneke’s band. Stream of Passion are a band I’ve seen several times and they always impress.  Singer Marcela Bovio has …

Rebellion, is a small bar/venue/nightclub on Whitworth Street Manchester, near to Deansgate Rail Station and Deansgate Locks and conveniently close to Manchester’s tallest building Beetham Tower, which houses The Hilton Hotel (should you wish to stay there for a rocking night out), although having spotted the picture of the accommodation …

First up tonight was The Pearl Harts.   Unusually, they’re a two-piece band – other than the Graveltones they’re probably the only two-piece I’ve seen. Unlike the Graveltones, both members of the Pearl harts are petite ladies. They took to the stage in front of a very quiet venue, but …

Friday night in Glasgow saw the much awaited headline show from local boys Afterlife, almost exactly a year after I first saw them open for Bonafide at the Cathouse.  That gig marked the last gig I ever went to without earplugs, as I was deaf for four days afterwards.  This …

The night kicked off with 2 cards of 25, a London based Hard rock band.  It’s certainly an unusual name which presumably has some meaning, but ignoring the name, what you have here is a very good hard rock band.  Singer Diego Gutierrez has a good voice, and is helped …