Live Review : The L.A. Maybe + A'Priori + Unknown Refuge @ Waterloo Music Bar, Blackpool on December 7th 2022

The small venue with the massive attitude serves as a worthy backdrop on this bitterly cold December evening. The L.A. Maybe are perhaps one of those bands you may or may not have heard of, and I confess to being one of them. A couple of You Tube videos later and I can report back being suitably impressed by this American quintet. One video, a beautiful power ballad called ‘When I’m Done’ blew me away. Apparently, the new singer is the old singer who doesn't sing that tune on the video. Would they play that tonight? I’m ready to find out.

Live Review : The Dead Daisies + Graham Bonnet Band + FM @ O2 Ritz, Manchester on December 4th 2022

It’s certainly more than worth missing the footy for this evening with such a mouth-watering mix of brilliant rock to suitably whet the appetite instead. There’s a long queue outside and for some reason, a near half hour delay in getting those doors open, but not to worry though as a certain Doug Aldrich is busy hanging out at the front posing for pics and chatting with the freezing cold punters, with many in disbelief it’s actually him. Saying that, other various band members from tonight’s line up were also spotted loitering with intent including FM’s Pete Jupp making his way back in doing his best to save money by bringing his own ale in for the chaps to sup after their earlier than usual start.

Live Review : Kira Mac + A'priori + Dan Byrne @ The Waterloo Music Bar, Blackpool on November 24th 2022

Small correction to that third name actually, as tonight the banner on stage tells us we are watching Dan Byrne featuring… well let me explain… Last year we saw Myke Gray (Skin, Jagged Edge) make something of a comeback in what was meant to be his final year of touring. Dan Byrne helped him out alongside his day job in Revival Black, and was very much a bit player (albeit a good one!) in Myke’s show. Now we have reached the stage where Dan has left Revival Black to embark on a solo career, and this run of shows with Kira Mac were going to be a toes-in-the-water time for him as a solo artist.

Live Review : Samantha Fish + Wille and the Bandits @Academy 2, Manchester on October 16th 2022

It’s always nice to watch bands in a busy venue, and by the time I make it into the Academy 2, tonight’s support band Wille and The Bandits are already a good way into their set. Glancing round, it is indeed a near full house and it’s great to see. It’s also great to see these chaps having a blast up on the stage creating a wonderful atmosphere for everyone. Singer and frontman; ironically called Wile, is busy wringing some lovely sounds from his lap steel guitar and the crowd are thoroughly enjoying their powerhouse set.

Live Review : Florence Black + Häxan + Crude Virtue @ Rebellion, Manchester on October 10th 2022

There’s a flag being vigorously waved at the moment for the New Wave of Classic Rock, with lots of new, exciting and upcoming bands in there. Tonight at the Rebellion one of those bands firmly at the head of the pack are back in town having recently returned from a string of German stadium dates as guests to Böhse Onkelz. The buzz that Florence Black created led to further dates and now they are on their own UK tour in support of the album “Weight of The World” released 12 months ago to critical acclaim. It’s no wonder then the Rebellion is busy for a Monday night.

Live Review : Godsmack + The Raven Age @ Academy, Manchester on October 9th 2022

Something as simple as geography being a determiner of a band’s success has always been amazing to me. You hear a lot about some of the UK’s biggest bands struggling to “break the states”, which can turn a band that is of monumental stature over here into another run of the mill band clogging up a festival line up poster for some festival in the arse end of Colorado. What does not get mentioned all that much, however, is those gargantuan bands over in the United States, trying to “Break the UK.”

Live Review : Massive + Takeaway Thieves + Bastette @ The Waterloo Music Bar, Blackpool on August 8th 2022

We start the evening with Bastette and the first thing I notice is that there's yet another new guitarist. This time it's Laurie Buchanon, also a member of The Hot Damn and previously working with her brother Aaron Buchanon. This isn't a bad thing though because Laurie is a cracking guitarist and she brings a little bit of extra magic to the band.

Live Review : Myke Gray + Ashen Reach @ Waterloo Music Bar, Blackpool on July 24th 2022

It’s hard to imagine sometimes exactly where the last 30 years have gone isn’t it? If we think back to those days, say every time we listen to Planet Rock, it immediately transports you back through time and the music we listened to, or probably still listen to, and how it has woven in and out of our lives through the good, the bad and the indifferent times.

Live Review : Tremonti + The Raven Age @ O2 Ritz, Manchester on June 20th 2022

In a rush as usual but I head upstairs to get a good view of the stage and the place is not only heaving, it’s also hot. Until Sunday I had never heard of The Raven Age, so I am quite surprised at how packed the venue is already and there is an air of anticipation, so I am expecting good things.

The Raven Age are an English heavy metal band formed in 2009 by guitarists Dan Wright and George Harris (son of Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris). They have previously toured with Tremonti, along with Iron Maiden, Anthrax and Killswitch Engage. They are described as melodic metalcore, but I am non-the-wiser…

Live Review : Walter Trout + Elles Bayley @ The Live Rooms, Chester on June 13th 2022

"But I'm not a reviewer", I kept nervously saying to myself whilst queueing amongst a good humoured and well-seasoned crowd (myself included) waiting to gain entry to Chester's Live Rooms. You see due to a technicality we have no official reviewer for the evening so I am off the sub bench and into action. I can barely string two words together in written form, and definitely struggle to go beyond "this is epic" or "naa, I’m not keen" when talking music. I tend to like what I like, and in more recent times find that I prefer tracks to bands.

Live Review : Phil Campbell and The Bastard Sons + Gorilla Riot + Unknown Refuge @ Academy Club, Manchester on May 17th 2022

In these days of media driven celebrity drivel- where everyone wants to be famous for 5 minutes for exposing their breasts, telling some seedy kiss and tell ‘story’ or dancing like a twat and sharing it for some unknown pointless reason on Tik Tok in the vague hope that someone will give them ‘likes’ and comment and praise them into thinking they are talented, real talent often goes amiss and shockingly overlooked. As does the term legend. Again, too often loosely thrown about, bestowed by corrupt media on any such non entity they deem deserved of that title.

Live Review : Gary Numan + Divine Shade @ O2 Academy, Liverpool on May 3rd 2022

Every now and then I get a ROCKFLESH assignment that turns out to be on a level so beyond exciting that my cold dead shattered heart suddenly bursts into a joyful rhythm of what I imagine sounds like Industrial drums. I reckon my heart beats sound like Nine Inch Nails. And tonight my heart is beating for the Gothfather of Electro himself…. Gary Numan.

A few years ago me and our Gregg were sat having a pre Thy Art Is Murder pint in Grand Central in Manchester. It was our first time working together and we started chatting about who we were into. We both settled on one name.

Live Review : Feeder + Dea Matrona @ The Academy, Manchester on April 29th 2022

First things first… it’s busy! And not just that, I am unprepared for how “normal” the majority of the crowd look. Momentarily forgetting how spoilt I have been recently with all the metal gigs and more eclectic musicianship. My weirdo beacon is shining brightly as I head to the front to check out the support band. Last time I was in Academy 1 it was to see Skindred, so this all feels very different.

Live Review : Baest + PIST + Atanamir @ Satan's Hollow, Manchester on April 12th 2022

Well, the shows are coming thick and fast. Tonight, is the utter antithesis of my previous engagement with Ghost at the arena. This is metal in its most gnarly cellar-dwelling form. Harsh, anti-social, un-commercial and utterly unrepentant. Liverpudlians Atanamir are first up, and whilst Satan’s Hollow is not in any way full, they pull a good crowd for this time of the day. They trade in doom laced thrash, which results in a really interesting intertwinement of the formers lethargy and the latter’s pulsating canter like nature.

Live Review : Evil Scarecrow + Lullaby For A Unicorn + Severenth @ The Tivoli, Buckley on March 17th 2022

Unfortunately on this, my first gig back of the year, logistics meant that I didn’t make it to the Tivoli in time for tonight’s first support Severenth. Seems a shame, as friends who live a little nearer and arrived a little earlier told me they were pretty good. They were described to me as modern doomy rock with a bit of a bounce. A bit like Killswitch Engage apparently, and the vocals were very good when not shouted. Oh well, hopefully I’ll catch them again at some point.

Live Review : Kris Barras Band + Florence Black + Ashley Sherlock Band @ Academy 2, Manchester on March 16th 2022

He’s rather a nice chap that Kris Barras fella; on the tour to support their latest album “Death Valley Paradise’, he’s been offering an opening slot to local bands as a way of giving promotion and exposure, and tonight Manchester’s very own Ashley Sherlock Band has the unenviable job of opening the show.

Live Review : Cassyette + Bambie Thug + AlienBlaze @ The Deaf Institute, Manchester on February 22nd 2022

Us old guard are pretty protective of our music. We look with a mixture of derision and superstition at those that try to take it in different directions. All of this is highly ironic as the only reason Metal has survived fifty plus years is the fact that it has absorbed and integrated into its super-structure various other genres and styles. Ours is parasitic form of music, wholly reliant on continually assimilating all around it. Tonight, is a prime example of Metal’s ongoing evolution. At pushing fifty I may look like someone’s dad (or to be honest grandad) come to chaperone them, but ladies and gentlemen this is the future.

Live Review : Skynd @ The Deaf Institute, Manchester on February 19th 2022

Also featuring a brief history on murder, death, and serial killers– those with a nervous disposition are advised not to read on…

“Come to a gig with freshly pierced nipples” they said. “You'll be fine” they said. I think they were telling porkies. I go to the gig anyway. I am a well-known local idiot after all, and I've battled through train cancellations and stormy weather to join the crowd for a performance by the ever eerie and utterly captivating Skynd.

Live Review : Bad Touch + Bastette + Shape Of Water @ The Bread Shed, Manchester on February 11th 2022

The start of Bad Touch’s Better Late than Never tour has apparently been postponed some 5 times over the past 18 months or so, and tonight, it finally gets underway. There’s an added bonus too with local band Shape of Water added to the bill opening the show.

Live Review : Skarlett Riot + Lesbian Bed Death + Maziac @ Rebellion, Manchester on November 18th 2021

I head into Rebellion for the first time since the before times of January 2020, slightly disorientated by the new wall around the entrance (pretty sure that wasn’t there before?) and even more disturbed by the toilets now seeming to be outside… and while the original toilets were not great now I am greeted with portaloos! Bar isn’t much better as I order a pint of coke but it’s more akin to Rola Cola than something more palatable. Urgh.