Event Reviews

Here we are for soggy Sunday! Sadly the last day of Bloodstock Open Air Festival 2019 where (most of) the bands delivered. First band up on the New Blood Stage at the eye rubbingly time of 10.30am were Leicester based tech metal crew Fractions. They created a swirling metal vortex …

Mother Nature must have got out of the wrong side of bed today as the wind hit harder than the after effects of a prawn vindaloo, so much so that the Ronnie James Dio Stage was shut down and cordoned off for about an hour later on in the day. …

Music wise, 2019 was my favourite Bloodstock Open Air Festival I’ve attended in the last eleven years, weather wise it was the worst as mother nature tested the mettle of the metalheads but came out in second place to a packed out Catton Hall in Alrewas, Walton-On-Trent. First band of …

The first band of the day for me was Sweet Crisis, opening proceedings on the Blues stage. It’s only a quick visit before I had to head off to see another band, but what I heard sounded very good with a mix of classic and modern influences. Definitely a band …

For me, Saturday at Ramblin Man started with a quick trip to the VIP area to see Bad Touch doing an acoustic session for the VIP ticket holders. They’d got a big crowd and their short set sounded great. Over on the Prog stage, Israeli band Scardust were the first …

The 2019 edition of Ramblin Man kicked off on Friday afternoon with Australian rockers The Lazys. I’d seen them a couple of months ago in a small venue and been impressed, so was looking forward to seeing them again. On the big Ramblin Man main stage they seemed just as …

When a mouthwatering line-up such as this comes along there’s only one place to be, and that’s right in the thick of it. Not only was I witnessing ex-Pantera front man Phil Anselmo tonight, but I was also catching one of my favourite bands for the very first time in …

I’ve been to many Massive Wagons gigs over the years but this one with my eyes and ears saw them reach their full potential. Whether it comes from opening up recent stadium shows with Status Quo and Lynyrd Skynyrd above them, I’m not sure but this performance at the Live …

What a gig to kick off the album release for Vapours by Fahran at Percy’s Cafe Bar, a little gem of a venue tucked away in Whitchurch, Shropshire. The venue was pretty much packed as they took to the stage following impressive opening sets from Hollow Illusion and Kamino. I’ve …

KISS kicked off the UK leg of their farewell tour in Birmingham. For fans in the mood for some drinking before the gig there was good news (bad news for music lovers though). Instead of bringing a band along to open for them, KISS instead decided to bring an artist …

I normally avoid arena and stadium gigs like the plague but if one band was going to change my mind, then it has to be Rammstein, especially as they are only doing one UK gig here in 2019. Tickets were bought last November and the last eight months have seemed …

Tonight saw The Eagles in Birmingham. As they said when they took to the stage, there are no fireworks, just some guys with guitar playing. With no support act the band took to the stage at 8pm and promised two and a half hours of music. While they may not …

Tonight’s gig at the Resorts World arena (or NEC as most fans still call it) was one I’d been looking forward to for a while as it’s a superb bill. Headlining is Lynyrd Skynyrd on their farewell tour. The main support is Status Quo, and the opening act is Massive …

When it comes to visiting the UK, Pennsylvania’s finest can be compared to a Solar Eclipse. Very rarely does it happen, but when it does, you have to be there to witness it. I can’t remember exactly when my favourite band of all time last visited these shores. Thirteen years …

Friday Despite an early bus from Derby, the shuttle from the transport hub to the guest entrance resulted in a wait of an hour, so when I finally made it into the arena I’d missed the arrival of the Heavy Metal Truants after their cycle ride from London to raise …

Last year’s Rockin the blues even was a great night, and this year promised to be even better. The bill featured Kris Barras, Walter Trout and Jonny Lang, with each getting their own set and the finale being a jam featuring all of them. The venue this year was The …

Venue Cymru in Llandudno has two areas. A Theatre and an event arena. I’ve visited the Theatre part here a couple of times. More recently just a few weeks ago to watch the hilarious ‘Benidorm‘  live show, but this is my first taste of a live gig here and indeed, …

I had not planned to review this gig but being the last date on the tour and also no support bands meant that over two hours of music was promised by Twisted Illusion so it would be a shame to not document it. Notes were kept to a minimum so …