Before I go any further it's time for a correction: the Hard Rock Hell event actually commenced Thursday night so the previous blog should really refer to the second night, even if it was my first night there! Anyway, the Saturday was the third and final day/night in Prestatyn, and my second trip into Gogledd Cymru* in as many nights.
As I was being driven this time (I drove the night before) we'd arranged to meet up early evening. As we were coming from different places, it would have been difficult to get there during the day. Anyway, by the time we got to the resort and headed back to the main stage, we caught the end of Rogue Male's set. Based on the one song I heard (Crazy Motorcycle) it sounded loud, proud and ultra-heavy! They're a band I only gave fleeting attention to back in the 1980s but this rendition kicked ass! We then decamped to the second stage in order to catch a few numbers from another 80s band, Demon. They had a pretty dismal crowd for their set, to be honest, as they ran through their old back catalogue including 'Night Of The Demon' and 'The Plague'. A little unfair, as they were giving a decent account of themselves, but their set clashed with that of W.A.S.P. over on the main stage. So we left them after three numbers, and found the floor at the main stage completely and utterly packed out! It seemed like the entire HRH crowd had decided to come over for Blackie and his crew's set, so we were obliged to watch from the sides where the merchandise stalls were and see as best as we could. Considering only Blackie Lawless himself is left from the 80s band, that has to be considered a personal triumph for the W.A.S.P. mainman. They played plenty of the old favourites including 'L.O.V.E. Machine' and 'Blind In Texas' alongside some newer songs, and although only one of the band was an original it really felt like 1986 all over again. They played great, went down a storm and probably were the talking point of the entire weekend. Superb.
Queensryche were the designated 'headline' act for the night and were up next on stage, but once W.A.S.P. had finished there was a total exodus from the main hall. Before they came on we decided to see what was going on over on the second stage, and caught the last number from Onslaught. That also took me back, but high-speed thrash long since lost its appeal to me and we quickly headed back for the Seattle prog-metallers. We had little trouble finding a nice spot in the crowd this time and we settled back as the intro tape began... then stopped again. The start was plagued by a technical problem which caused guitarist Michael Wilton to emerge, then scuttle back off stage again while they sorted it out.
After a short delay they started up again and this time all was well. They played very well, and singer Geoff Tate gave arguably the vocal performance of the entire event, but after the W.A.S.P. set they had a tough act to follow. Their more cerebral brand of rock was probably best suited to either a later slot or a different night after the pure bombast from Lawless and co. Although the vocalist declared early on he'd keep chat to a minimum, as they had a lot to get through (they played tracks from most recent album 'American Soldier' alongside material from 'Rage For Order' and 'Empire'; significantly no 'Mindcrime' stuff), he did actually talk quite a lot between songs, which didn't go down well with everyone. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt though, since those songs are tough to sing even for a vocalist of his calibre and he probably needed a short breather! They did deliver a good if shortened set, and played with the expected precision but the substantially thinner crowd told its own story: the real headliners played during the previous hour.
Following that set we once again decided to check out the other stage; another thrash act were reliving 1985 as we entered and quickly exited. They sounded almost exactly like Onslaught to me, but my moshing days are long behind me!
The last band we wanted to see this night were the New York Dolls; now although I've read plenty about them, and have seen countless bands who cited them as an influence, I'd never seen this band before nor was I particularly well-up on their material. Not that it mattered, since they looked and sounded exactly like I expected, with the frilly shirts, the hats, the posing and pouting from vocalist David Johansen and the sleazy guitar riffs from Sylvain Sylvain and Steve Conte all making up the complete trash rock experience. They managed somehow to show both how much they influenced subsequent bands and also display their own influences; you could see where Hanoi Rocks nicked their look and sound from straight off (notwithstanding the fact that one-time Hanoi bassist Sami Yaffa is now a fully-fledged Doll himself!) and you could also see how much a certain M. Jagger had influenced the stage act of Johansen. Whether or not you consider it a proper revival, considering there are more Dolls pushing up the daisies than there are kicking out the jams these days, it was an entertaining hour of sleaze from the originators (or at least two of them!)
I was ready to call it a night after the Dolls had finished, but once again there was another act to come and close out the night: Lauren Harris was last act up for this year's event. I've seen her before and was surprised when the lads I was with thought they would at least check her out, despite the fact all they knew about her was that her dad is in a very famous Metal band (!). Anyway I elected to take a 'comfort break' at that point, when I came back, she had started her set and the two guys immediately saw me and shouted 'Let's go!!' - with that we made a sharp exit!
It's fair to say I'm not a fan of Ms Harris's singing and, having sat through an entire set of hers once while she opened for another favourite band of mine, I was all too willing to make tracks.
So that was my Hard Rock Hell for 2009, given that I didn't stay on site I cannot comment on the accommodation facilites (which have been slated in some quarters!) but, when you hold a rock festival at an old-fashioned holiday camp straight out of 'Hi-de-Hi', and in the depths of Winter too, you're not gonna please everyone. Fortunately for me the site is reasonably close by and so despite that, I hope they have it here again in 2010 with more great bands!
*North Wales!
Tuesday, 8 December 2009
Sunday, 6 December 2009
Caught Live: Hard Rock Hell (Friday) - Pontin's Prestatyn 4/12/09
For the second year running my luck was in for this event, held at a holiday centre in North Wales, not too far from Ronsterland. Last year I got to see Black Label Society (plus Clutch and others) thanks to some connections
and this year, a friend of mine won tickets to the 2009 renewal.
So it was that we headed over to Prestatyn late Friday afternoon; we were unable to leave sooner owing to commitments and we got to the main stage to find Gun already on and playing. (We'd missed Logan, unfortunately, and had no hope of catching Voodoo Johnson as I might have liked, so you'll both just have to come back to Liverpool!)
I've never seen Gun before but have seen their new singer Toby Jepson on numerous occasions; it did sometimes feel a bit like Little Angels but Toby is a fine frontman and has been accepted warmly by Gun's fans. Being an Englishman fronting a Scottish band, that in itself is worth a pat on the back (!). A pleasant hour reliving Gun's hits, then, ending of course with 'Word Up'. Quite what that song's writer (Larry Blackmon, of Cameo) may think of his song being played at a Hard Rock event, one can only guess at, but here, it was delivered well, and Toby sounded close to original vocalist Mark Rankin.
A quick 'fred durst' later, we were back in the crowd for what we thought would be Terrorvision. Instead, what looked like Steel Panther's dads emerged - I failed to recognise any of them at first and it was only when I heard the song that I twigged: it was Ratt next on the bill, not Terrorvision! A closer look at the line-up revealed former Quiet Riot guitarist Carlos Cavazo in place of the late Robbin Crosby, and as it had been 23 years since last I saw this band I had few expectations. However, I really enjoyed them! Admittedly Pearcy's vocal is not the best, (then again he never has claimed to be a Dio) but they delivered a short set full of their favourite old songs, mostly from the 'Out of the Cellar' and 'Invasion of your Privacy' albums from their mid-80s glory days. Guitarist Warren deMartini still sounds fluid and they went down very well with the crowd, probably all of whom still have the vinyl LPs in their attics (!)
A pleasant surprise, then and upon double-checking the programme, Terrorvision would follow Ratt (or should that be 'Quiet Ratt'?)
When they came out, I was surprised to see them dressed in suits (apart from drummer Shutty) - Tony Wright was looking very resplendent, as was bassist Leigh Marklew. Guitarist Mark Yates held up the rock look though, wearing suit trousers and a waistcoat with no shirt, showing numerous tattoos! The band ran through all their 90s favourites, yes, that included 'Tequila' (but played properly with the guitars intact - yah boo sucks to Zoe Ball! ) Their set was a short snappy party, Wright was unable to keep still all night, bounding around the stage with commendable energy for a forty-something! They've split and come back a few times now, if they're still capable of this kind of performance they ought to stick around a little longer this time.
Next up were the headliners and a band I'd been looking forward to seeing: Monster Magnet. I've been a fan of these 90s stoners for years but have only seen them live once before, and this promised to be a highlight of the weekend. I got a shock at the sight of vocalist Dave Wyndorf when he came onstage though; he's now a Monster by nature as well as by name! The formerly slim figure has been replaced by a seriously chubby Dave; not so much Stoner rock as 16-Stoner rock!
That said, having been through all manner of drug addictions in the past, if his present addiction is just pies, that is probably the least of his troubles! The band were still awesome, still weighty (in the right sense of the word!) and still produce a 70s-style, satisfyingly sludgy Metal sound that nobody else seems to do any more. They did a long set including an encore with (by my reckoning) 4 songs, so we got the full value here. I'd love to see more from the Magnet, even if Dave stops at every branch of Waterfield's in the UK along the way!!
The crowd had evaporated after the headliners' set, but they were not the last band on. Hard Rock Hell has an unusual setup where they have another band afterward, and this slot was given to Sonata Arctica. I'd actually planned to go to one of their other gigs during this brief UK stop but as I'll be at the second night of Hard Rock Hell instead now, that will have to be postponed. I've seen the Finnish band several times now and thoroughly enjoyed them each time; and I was really looking forward to this especially as they now have a new album out: 'The Days of Grays'. I had managed to grab a spot on the barrier for this set as many of the crowd had left, so I was in a prime spot. They delivered a typically energetic and technically excellent performance, with the expected great playing from guitarist Elias 'E.Vil' Viljanen and keyboard player Henrik Klingenberg. The sound wasn't the best from my spot though, the drums tended to dominate. My only real problem with the set was that it was just too short! They played four songs from the new album, with the only oldies being '8th Commandment', 'Full Moon', 'In Black and White' and 'Don't Say A Word' (with 'Vodka' ending). With it being such a short set I'd have liked one or two more old songs, but I got the impression the band thought that as they were not so well known to this crowd, they may as well play their new stuff as it would all be unfamiliar to the crowd.
Judging from the between-song chat from vocalist Tony Kakko, that seemed to be the case. I still enjoyed it, but it just was not enough for me and I hope that they return to the UK in 2010 for some more dates.
So that was the first night of Hard Rock Hell; a report on the second night will follow, if I can remember it!
and this year, a friend of mine won tickets to the 2009 renewal.
So it was that we headed over to Prestatyn late Friday afternoon; we were unable to leave sooner owing to commitments and we got to the main stage to find Gun already on and playing. (We'd missed Logan, unfortunately, and had no hope of catching Voodoo Johnson as I might have liked, so you'll both just have to come back to Liverpool!)
I've never seen Gun before but have seen their new singer Toby Jepson on numerous occasions; it did sometimes feel a bit like Little Angels but Toby is a fine frontman and has been accepted warmly by Gun's fans. Being an Englishman fronting a Scottish band, that in itself is worth a pat on the back (!). A pleasant hour reliving Gun's hits, then, ending of course with 'Word Up'. Quite what that song's writer (Larry Blackmon, of Cameo) may think of his song being played at a Hard Rock event, one can only guess at, but here, it was delivered well, and Toby sounded close to original vocalist Mark Rankin.
A quick 'fred durst' later, we were back in the crowd for what we thought would be Terrorvision. Instead, what looked like Steel Panther's dads emerged - I failed to recognise any of them at first and it was only when I heard the song that I twigged: it was Ratt next on the bill, not Terrorvision! A closer look at the line-up revealed former Quiet Riot guitarist Carlos Cavazo in place of the late Robbin Crosby, and as it had been 23 years since last I saw this band I had few expectations. However, I really enjoyed them! Admittedly Pearcy's vocal is not the best, (then again he never has claimed to be a Dio) but they delivered a short set full of their favourite old songs, mostly from the 'Out of the Cellar' and 'Invasion of your Privacy' albums from their mid-80s glory days. Guitarist Warren deMartini still sounds fluid and they went down very well with the crowd, probably all of whom still have the vinyl LPs in their attics (!)
A pleasant surprise, then and upon double-checking the programme, Terrorvision would follow Ratt (or should that be 'Quiet Ratt'?)
When they came out, I was surprised to see them dressed in suits (apart from drummer Shutty) - Tony Wright was looking very resplendent, as was bassist Leigh Marklew. Guitarist Mark Yates held up the rock look though, wearing suit trousers and a waistcoat with no shirt, showing numerous tattoos! The band ran through all their 90s favourites, yes, that included 'Tequila' (but played properly with the guitars intact - yah boo sucks to Zoe Ball! ) Their set was a short snappy party, Wright was unable to keep still all night, bounding around the stage with commendable energy for a forty-something! They've split and come back a few times now, if they're still capable of this kind of performance they ought to stick around a little longer this time.
Next up were the headliners and a band I'd been looking forward to seeing: Monster Magnet. I've been a fan of these 90s stoners for years but have only seen them live once before, and this promised to be a highlight of the weekend. I got a shock at the sight of vocalist Dave Wyndorf when he came onstage though; he's now a Monster by nature as well as by name! The formerly slim figure has been replaced by a seriously chubby Dave; not so much Stoner rock as 16-Stoner rock!
That said, having been through all manner of drug addictions in the past, if his present addiction is just pies, that is probably the least of his troubles! The band were still awesome, still weighty (in the right sense of the word!) and still produce a 70s-style, satisfyingly sludgy Metal sound that nobody else seems to do any more. They did a long set including an encore with (by my reckoning) 4 songs, so we got the full value here. I'd love to see more from the Magnet, even if Dave stops at every branch of Waterfield's in the UK along the way!!
The crowd had evaporated after the headliners' set, but they were not the last band on. Hard Rock Hell has an unusual setup where they have another band afterward, and this slot was given to Sonata Arctica. I'd actually planned to go to one of their other gigs during this brief UK stop but as I'll be at the second night of Hard Rock Hell instead now, that will have to be postponed. I've seen the Finnish band several times now and thoroughly enjoyed them each time; and I was really looking forward to this especially as they now have a new album out: 'The Days of Grays'. I had managed to grab a spot on the barrier for this set as many of the crowd had left, so I was in a prime spot. They delivered a typically energetic and technically excellent performance, with the expected great playing from guitarist Elias 'E.Vil' Viljanen and keyboard player Henrik Klingenberg. The sound wasn't the best from my spot though, the drums tended to dominate. My only real problem with the set was that it was just too short! They played four songs from the new album, with the only oldies being '8th Commandment', 'Full Moon', 'In Black and White' and 'Don't Say A Word' (with 'Vodka' ending). With it being such a short set I'd have liked one or two more old songs, but I got the impression the band thought that as they were not so well known to this crowd, they may as well play their new stuff as it would all be unfamiliar to the crowd.
Judging from the between-song chat from vocalist Tony Kakko, that seemed to be the case. I still enjoyed it, but it just was not enough for me and I hope that they return to the UK in 2010 for some more dates.
So that was the first night of Hard Rock Hell; a report on the second night will follow, if I can remember it!
Friday, 30 October 2009
Caught Live: Magnum - O2 Academy, Liverpool 29 October 2009
Another midweek night, another gig from a veteran band. This time it was melodic rock survivors Magnum who pitched up at Liverpool's O2 Academy, and it was a substantially different gig experience to the Y&T one of two nights earlier. For one thing, the turnout was only OK - they used the larger upstairs room, but to be honest this crowd could probably have fitted in the downstairs part without too much trouble. A far cry from their arena-headlining days of the late 1980s, but full marks for perservering long after the musical trend shifted away from their style of rock.
However the band have a lot of kit and so the bigger stage did suit them. I only got in around 15 minutes before they were due on, but had no problem finding a nice spot in the middle.
The other thing about this gig was the fact that Magnum chose to play a lot of songs from their new album 'Into The Valley of the Moonking'. It's not a CD I have got hold of yet, and so I was unfamiliar with much of the set played tonight. It seems a brave move from a band with a substantial back catalogue and many classics to choose from, to push their new material so heavily but it does show confidence in what they are doing now, as opposed to what they did 20 years back. In fact, it was at least an hour into the show before I heard anything I recognised, that being 'Les Morts Dansant'.
This did not detract from the band's performance; they still feature three of their classic line-up in keyboard player Mark Stanway, guitarist and songwriter Tony 'No Hat' Clarkin (!) and singer Bob Catley. Now into his 60s, Catley still sounds in good vocal shape and is backed well by bassist Al Barrow. The new songs were well received by those that did show, the crowd once again looked to be full of middle-aged blokes (looks in mirror here!) but there were quite a few women present too, and there were some younger fans in among the oldies (yaaay!) The drum stool is now occupied by everyone's favourite Bald Eagle, Mr Harry James. Harry was in fine form tonight; loud but not overwhelmingly so, he drives this band expertly. Tony Clarkin, although the creative force in the band, prefers to leave the spotlight with the singer; never looking to dominate proceedings with long solos, he always plays for the song.
The crowd really roared their appreciation once the band dipped into their oldies; 'Les Morts Dansant' was enthusiastically cheered and set closer 'Vigilante' ensured they left with loud roars ringing in their ears. Despite leaving out many of their favourites, such as 'The Spirit', 'Soldier of the Line' and 'Sacred Hour' they still delivered an entertaining set. As said earlier it was a brave move to do that and probably one that will irk some of their more long-term fans, but hats off (sorry Tony!) to them for taking the gamble.
However the band have a lot of kit and so the bigger stage did suit them. I only got in around 15 minutes before they were due on, but had no problem finding a nice spot in the middle.
The other thing about this gig was the fact that Magnum chose to play a lot of songs from their new album 'Into The Valley of the Moonking'. It's not a CD I have got hold of yet, and so I was unfamiliar with much of the set played tonight. It seems a brave move from a band with a substantial back catalogue and many classics to choose from, to push their new material so heavily but it does show confidence in what they are doing now, as opposed to what they did 20 years back. In fact, it was at least an hour into the show before I heard anything I recognised, that being 'Les Morts Dansant'.
This did not detract from the band's performance; they still feature three of their classic line-up in keyboard player Mark Stanway, guitarist and songwriter Tony 'No Hat' Clarkin (!) and singer Bob Catley. Now into his 60s, Catley still sounds in good vocal shape and is backed well by bassist Al Barrow. The new songs were well received by those that did show, the crowd once again looked to be full of middle-aged blokes (looks in mirror here!) but there were quite a few women present too, and there were some younger fans in among the oldies (yaaay!) The drum stool is now occupied by everyone's favourite Bald Eagle, Mr Harry James. Harry was in fine form tonight; loud but not overwhelmingly so, he drives this band expertly. Tony Clarkin, although the creative force in the band, prefers to leave the spotlight with the singer; never looking to dominate proceedings with long solos, he always plays for the song.
The crowd really roared their appreciation once the band dipped into their oldies; 'Les Morts Dansant' was enthusiastically cheered and set closer 'Vigilante' ensured they left with loud roars ringing in their ears. Despite leaving out many of their favourites, such as 'The Spirit', 'Soldier of the Line' and 'Sacred Hour' they still delivered an entertaining set. As said earlier it was a brave move to do that and probably one that will irk some of their more long-term fans, but hats off (sorry Tony!) to them for taking the gamble.
Wednesday, 28 October 2009
Caught Live: Y&T - Academy 3, Manchester 27 October 2009
Another gig that I left up until the last moment before deciding to attend, and I cut it rather fine when getting in to find the guys on and playing. As they were due on at 9pm and I had only got into the venue a few minutes later, I guess I didn't miss too much.
There must have been a substantial 'walk-up' crowd this night, since I was able to get a ticket on the door but once inside I found a very full Academy 3. Admittedly this is the smallest of the venues at Manchester University but still, a very good turnout for a midweek gig as acknowledged by singer/guitarist Dave Meniketti. Of the current line-up I recognised only him and bassist Phil Kennemore from their glory days of the 1980s; I've not really stayed up to date with this band and in fact this was only the third time I'd seen them at all, the first being an appearance at the 1984 Donington festival.
Despite that however, I knew almost all the songs played in the set. They'd obviously decided to concentrate on the fan favourites, and so the set was heavily weighted in favour of material from their early 80s heyday. So we got all the classics, including 'Dirty Girl', 'Mean Streak', 'Barroom Boogie', 'Hurricane' and an excellent 'I Believe In You', allowing Meniketti to showcase his more bluesy guitar style. Their only UK hit 'Summertime Girls' was delivered mid-set also; I know they had to play it but even so, it invokes uncomfortable memories of Jonathan King and his 'Entertainment USA' programme from the 80s (!)
Dave Meniketti impressed with some sublime guitar playing; he mainly sets his guitar to kill but when he chooses to, he can play with real subtlety and feel. His voice held up pretty well too considering he told the crowd he'd been hit by a bug just days before. He handled most of the lead playing but was backed well by fellow guitarist John Nymann, who did occasionally get a chance to show his own leads (unlike the Joey Alves days, who preferred to concentrate purely on rhythm)
Late in the set, bassist Phil Kennemore was given the microphone to perform 'Squeeze' from the classic 'Earthshaker' album; he and Meniketti were lauded with football-style chants but Phil chose to get the crowd to chant back 'F**k You Phil' – that, he explained, was because while on tour, he missed hearing that from his wife (!) There was a brief drum solo from Mike Vanderhule during this song but by the time it came, most of what we had come to hear had been played so it was not too intrusive.
There was not much in the way of stage banter from the frontman, the guys had a lot to get through and just got on with it. Consequently it sometimes came over more like a pub gig, but nobody came to hear Dave Lee Roth-style joking around. However, one request from the crowd to play 'Lipstick and Leather' was granted; they had obviously not rehearsed it and just about managed to busk their way through it, to big cheers.
The main set ended with 'Forever' before they came back to do just the one song as an encore, what else could it be but 'Rescue Me'. The night ended with Kennemore getting the crowd to chant 'F**k You Phil' some more, much to his amusement!
All in all then, an excellent gig; a throwback to the days when Metal was allowed to have melody and musicianship. The operative word being 'throwback'; that was the only thing that left a slight downer with me. The audience tonight was almost exclusively male 30/40-somethings, apart from one or two who were there with their fathers there were absolutely no younger fans that I could see. I cannot complain about the set being full of songs that are at least 25 years old either, since they all hold up extremely well and will probably still sound good in another 25 years (will we still be saying that about the latest hotshots... draw your own conclusions!) but, this show was definitely preaching to the converted. Maybe it's just me, but I really think bands such as this shouldn't be reliant on a fanbase that is ageing with them, they should be attracting new ones to go with the existing fans. I suppose you have to be a really massive name like AC/DC or even Whitesnake to do that but, if this kind of music is not attracting younger fans to rock then I dread to think how the scene is going to look in years to come. Surely it can't be as bad as the dark days of nu-metal... can it?!?
Wednesday, 21 October 2009
Caught Live: Black Stone Cherry (with Loaded) Apollo Theatre, Manchester 20 October 2009
I ummed and ahhed about going to this gig up to the last moment; the venue is not my favourite in the country (not even my favourite in Manchester; the Academy is a far better place since its recent revamp) but as it's been a while since my last 'proper' gig and as I'm currently not able to get to as many as I might like, the decision was taken to check this show out.
I got there in plenty of time to catch Loaded, and a decent-sized crowd was already standing in the stalls awaiting Duff and his crew. 22 years ago I saw Duff McKagan play this same place with Guns 'n' Roses when their star was very much in the ascendancy. Only last year, he was in Liverpool with this band and went down a storm with a small crowd, who had come mainly to see the big name. However this time around his band had a much harder job with the crowd, despite Duff's status he had his work cut out to get anything going beyond the first dozen rows. The band's set was mostly the same sort of punk 'n' roll delivered last year, but there were some songs which slowed things down a bit. That was probably not a great idea when supporting; with a limited time you have to keep it short and sharp, and hit hard. It was when they did the harder songs, including covers such as 'Attitude', 'New Rose' and even set closing treat 'It's So Easy' that they went down best. So not quite the stormer they played last year, but I did note the great performance of drummer Isaac Carpenter, and was especially impressed with bassist Jeff Rouse, he possesses a better singing voice than the main man and was given a chance to show it just before the end.
Up to now I've only seen Black Stone Cherry as support for bigger bands; they got their break last year as openers on the Whitesnake/Def Leppard arena tour and it's clear from the turnout tonight (a close-on full Apollo) that they've won a lot of friends since then. When I first saw them last year I wrote in an earlier blog that they were 'solid but unspectacular'. That's still the impression they leave me with now; all the ingredients are there, a great singer in Chris Robertson, energetic sidemen in guitarist Ben Wells and bassist Jon Lawhon (they never stood still all night, frequently swapping sides and climbing the monitors) and a sound drummer in John Fred Young. They also have some good songs to back all this activity up, but something for me doesn't quite hit the mark, they don't send the shivers down the spine, they don't leave me walking out of the venue in a near-trance, blown away by what I've just seen. That is not to say they were bad; not at all, they were very good live, they make all the right moves and they say all the right things. They just don't seem to be quite matching up to the status they now find themselves in, headlining large theatres like the Apollo.
Perhaps Black Stone Cherry are just one of those bands you have to stick with and watch them grow into their role; or perhaps it's simply me who doesn't get it. There were certainly enough there who did, Robertson was often able to leave the singing to the crowd and most notably so on the poignant 'The Things My Father Said'. But for me, although those ingredients are in place, the cake isn't quite fully baked, they're not yet the finished article.
One last thing; the sound in the theatre once again did neither band any favours; the bass was so loud especially during the headline set that I'm still buzzing from it now! As said at the top, this place is not my favourite venue and I don't make a habit of going there these days. Just a shame so many acts choose it! Perhaps if they had played the Academy I may have enjoyed it more, but as it was, the air guitar remained in its case.
Saturday, 12 September 2009
Caught Live: Livewire (AC/DC tribute) with Limehouse Lizzy, o2 Academy Liverpool 11 Sept 2009
It was through every fault of my own, but I got there when Limehouse were already on, and they had played over half their set already! The gig was held in the larger upstairs part of the venue, which surprised me but it seems that Limehouse had brought along a large following of their own. Although a tribute to Thin Lizzy, they're highly regarded in their own right and these days have a totally professional setup, with a large illuminated sign just like the one Phil and his mates had. They play supremely well too, you really can close your eyes and imagine the dulcet Dublin tones of Philo, although when vocalist Wayne Ellis does talk, it is in flat Lancastrian vowels!
The Limehouse lads were roared off stage and almost immediately cheered back on it again, overruning their alloted hour to play an encore of 'Whiskey In The Jar'. Despite missing over half the set, I enjoyed what I saw immensely. It's not the first time I've seen the boys and it certainly won't be the last, their incessant touring has brought them many friends.
They were quick in setting up the stage for Livewire, the AC/DC tribute band and with hardly a fanfare, they ran on stage. Opening with 'Shot Down in Flames', they ran through a repertoire of Scott-era material. Their vocalist dressed as Bon right down to the cutoff denims; he didn't have the menacing presence or charm of the genuine article, then again who has? He did sing the material pretty well, though and his 'Angus' was suitably energetic on stage. 'Angus' did look a bit like (local indie hero) Julian Cope though!
After around 40 minutes of classic 'DC, the vocalist departed, and the bells rang out to signal 'Hells Bells'. I expected him to make a quick wardrobe change here, but when the song struck up, we were greeted by a new vocalist! Dressed almost exactly like Brian Johnson, and sounding like he did almost 30 years ago too, he made a great impression performing 'Beano'-era songs. We even got two 'Black Ice' tracks ('War Machine' and 'Rock and Roll Train') I actually enjoyed this part of the show more; replicating an iconic figure such as Bon Scott is a near-impossible job but taking off the more down-to earth Johnson sat better with me, and his vocals were very close to the real thing. They were a little pushed for time tonight, and so the cannons which were sat atop the amps remained unused. They did fit in as much as they could, closing with 'Bon' returning to play 'Whole Lotta Rosie' before being joined by 'Brian' for a duet version of 'Let There Be Rock'. That in itself, was a surreal spectacle!
As I say, they did play well, and went down great with a crowd hungry for classic 'DC. However, having seen the real thing only a few months earlier, this was always gonna fall short. Their 'Malcolm' was struggling to make his rhythm guitar heard, which didn't help the band's sound. The drummer was a bit too hard-hitting for me too, not quite that metronomic beat of the great Phil Rudd. But these are relatively minor gripes, basically they came to play 'DC songs to an appreciative audience and in the main did a fine job.
On an entirely unrelated note, I noticed on the way out that Airbourne are coming to play this venue again next year... must get a ticket for that!
The Limehouse lads were roared off stage and almost immediately cheered back on it again, overruning their alloted hour to play an encore of 'Whiskey In The Jar'. Despite missing over half the set, I enjoyed what I saw immensely. It's not the first time I've seen the boys and it certainly won't be the last, their incessant touring has brought them many friends.
They were quick in setting up the stage for Livewire, the AC/DC tribute band and with hardly a fanfare, they ran on stage. Opening with 'Shot Down in Flames', they ran through a repertoire of Scott-era material. Their vocalist dressed as Bon right down to the cutoff denims; he didn't have the menacing presence or charm of the genuine article, then again who has? He did sing the material pretty well, though and his 'Angus' was suitably energetic on stage. 'Angus' did look a bit like (local indie hero) Julian Cope though!
After around 40 minutes of classic 'DC, the vocalist departed, and the bells rang out to signal 'Hells Bells'. I expected him to make a quick wardrobe change here, but when the song struck up, we were greeted by a new vocalist! Dressed almost exactly like Brian Johnson, and sounding like he did almost 30 years ago too, he made a great impression performing 'Beano'-era songs. We even got two 'Black Ice' tracks ('War Machine' and 'Rock and Roll Train') I actually enjoyed this part of the show more; replicating an iconic figure such as Bon Scott is a near-impossible job but taking off the more down-to earth Johnson sat better with me, and his vocals were very close to the real thing. They were a little pushed for time tonight, and so the cannons which were sat atop the amps remained unused. They did fit in as much as they could, closing with 'Bon' returning to play 'Whole Lotta Rosie' before being joined by 'Brian' for a duet version of 'Let There Be Rock'. That in itself, was a surreal spectacle!
As I say, they did play well, and went down great with a crowd hungry for classic 'DC. However, having seen the real thing only a few months earlier, this was always gonna fall short. Their 'Malcolm' was struggling to make his rhythm guitar heard, which didn't help the band's sound. The drummer was a bit too hard-hitting for me too, not quite that metronomic beat of the great Phil Rudd. But these are relatively minor gripes, basically they came to play 'DC songs to an appreciative audience and in the main did a fine job.
On an entirely unrelated note, I noticed on the way out that Airbourne are coming to play this venue again next year... must get a ticket for that!
Thursday, 3 September 2009
Mathew Street Festival 2009 - the rains came!
August Bank Holiday weekend came around again, and that means it's time to close off the roads in Liverpool City Centre, set up some stages, get some bands in, and enjoy the music! It's the 'Mathew Street Festival' in name only these days, as there is live music happening across the city centre during the event, not just in that one street. The 2007 debacle is now a distant memory, with a full line-up of bands scheduled to play across town at both the outdoor stages and the many indoor venues. A new element to this year's event was a 'fringe' festival, which aimed to showcase unsigned local acts, and this came about as a consequence
of the cancellation of two years ago. The local clubs are now as much a part of the event as the outdoor stages, and the area around Mathew Street itself. With so much going on, you have to plan out what to see, which I did by looking at the site www.mathewstreetfestival.org and scanning through the line-up.
The outdoor stages were all themed; that is to say the acts playing on each stage were dedicated to either a specific music genre, or Beatle-related, or simply country-related (one of the stages was devoted to Irish rock, for example). Having seen what was on offer on the Sunday, I decided to head for the main stage (situated close to the old Mersey Tunnel entrance - it HAD been closed off!) which was given over to classic rock. All the bands were tributes to classic acts, and I arrived at around midday to find a band calling themselves Free's Company entertaining an already large crowd.
They dressed as Free circa 1971, but played both classic Free and Bad Company songs (hence the name!) Their singer was good, but no Rodgers. He actually sounded more like the Black Crowes' Chris Robinson to these ears, but it mattered little to a crowd hell bent on enjoying a day of music. Of course, the dilemma for a band like that is, if they DID actually find a guy who could emulate the great Paul Rodgers, you can bet that fella wouldn't be playing in a tribute band for long! It was cloudy when the band finished (with 'All Right Now', of course) but there were plenty of people with brollies, anticipating the worst.
Next band up were Guns 2 Roses, a tribute act I've seen twice before at this festival. They'd made a few changes since last year; most noticeable was a new 'Slash', but they also had a new drummer (local guy from Crosby, according to 'Axl') and had dispensed with their guy dressed as 'The Joker' on keyboards, in favour of a more conventional ivory-tinkler. They once again turned up right on cue (not at all like the real band!) and gave their all with an energetic set. They included three covers, all of which were done by the real GnR ('Live and Let Die', 'Knocking on Heaven's Door' and 'Attitude') and pleased the crowd with the (cleaner!) songs from 'Appetite for Destruction' too.
By this time, the rain had started to come down, we were all hoping it was just a passing shower but once the next band up came on stage (Led Zed), that shower simply refused to pass us by! As the rain got heavier, brollies popped up and t-shirts were getting saturated, not to mention cameras which remained in cases (!) I was hoping to stick around and watch the last band 'Dios Salve a la Reina' (a Queen tribute act who are regulars at the event) but by the time Led Zed had worked their way through the classic Zep numbers, I was so drenched I had to get out of the crowd and call it a day. I couldn't see a thing apart from umbrellas and raindrops, which were all over my specs! So after hearing a fine rendition of 'Stairway to Heaven' from the act, I headed for shelter, changed my T-shirt and dashed back to the Pugmobile.
On the Monday the weather had improved a little, there were even patches of sun! The plan for this day was to visit two of the other stages; the main stage which I was at the day before was now given over to 'contemporary' acts (which included an Amy Winehouse tribute, called 'Amy Wynehouse'!). So instead, I headed to the stage sited near the Superlambbanana, dedicated to Irish rock music. First band up were 'Dizzy Lizzy', fronted by a middle-aged bloke from the Midlands known only as 'H', and dressed as Phil Lynott circa 1980.
They were very good in their alloted 45 minutes; where Lizzy tributes are concerned I'm a dedicated Limehouse fan but these guys gave us a sterling performance, running through as many of Philo's favourites as they could fit in. 'H' had the Lynott moves down pat, throwing all the shapes and pumping the fist to the crowd, all the time wearing a large smile. They told the crowd present they would be back in the area soon, appearing in St Helens. I was impressed enough by the guys to make a note of that and will definitely check them out again. After they finished, it was a dash across town, mindful of the army of hi-visibility jackets stationed along the streets who seem to enjoy telling people where they can and cannot go (a rant for another blog!) and I arrived at the Williamson Square stage about 1/2 a mile away in time for 'Cheap Purple'. This stage was dedicated to the memory of the late Phil Easton, a local radio presenter who hosted a rock programme on Liverpool's local station for many years ('The Great Easton Express'). The acts featured were all tributes to bands Phil championed in those days (but later in the day the headline act on that stage was China Crisis - the actual band!)
Cheap Purple was made up of veteran local players; I immediately recognised the singer as being the same bloke who fronted 'Led Zed' the day before (!) but he actually resembled Gillan more than Plant. There was a genuine link to Gillan/Purple in this band; bassist Keith Mulholland did play in Ian Gillan's side project 'Garth Rockett and the Moonshiners' in the late 80s, which was something Phil Easton had a hand in assembling. Another familiar face in this band was Dave Goldberg, regular keyboard player with Rumours of Fleetwood Mac. The band played Mk 2 material almost exclusively, apart from 'Hush' and went down well. They lost accuracy points for me though, not because of their playing (they didn't try to look like the band, or aim for the same sound, but did play the lead solos close to how they were on record) but, because their guitar player did not throw one tantrum throughout the set! You got the impression this band were assembled just for the day, but they did play well.
Next up on the Phil Easton stage was a Bowie tribute, 'The Bowie Experience' from Dorset. I've seen 'Jean Genie' play this festival on several occasions previously and enjoyed it each time, so I was looking forward to this. Their 'David' was indeed a Thin White Duke, hardly a pick on him, and was dressed in a tattered-looking Union Flag coat. His band were the classic power trio, no keyboards and no frills but they did feature a female bassist. They weren't afraid to rearrange some of the Bowie classics to suit the basic band setup, and their short set of the rock chameleon's classic material went over well with a substantial crowd. Another tribute worth a look if they're in your area.
I then headed straight back to the Superlambbanana stage, for what was my last band of the day. Sinnerboy, a Rory Gallagher tribute, were up on this stage next. These were not the same guys who played last year's festival, but were very enjoyable indeed. Their guitarist bears no resemblance whatsoever to Rory Gallagher, I was trying to think wh
o he did remind me of (an actor, I think!) but the name escapes me. However, he both played and sang extremely well. He's ably backed by his bassist (who did remind me of someone - the late George Best!) and drummer, and this was a great power trio delivering a fitting tribute to one of the most revered guitarists of the 1970s. I'm not that knowledgeable about Rory Gallagher despite having once seen him live, but was extremely impressed by Sinnerboy. They plugged an upcoming Cavern show featuring themselves and other Gallagher tributes, that promises to be an excellent night. By this stage my back was shouting obscenities at me (I find it tough to stand for long periods without sitting down for a while, or moving around) and so I called it a day after Sinnerboy. Before heading back to the Pugmobile I took the chance to take a few snaps of the crowd at the main stage, where 'Amy Wynehouse' was entertaining what looked like a completely rammed crowd. I could only hear her, not see her, but she did sound accurate and of course, she turned up on time!
So that was my experience of this year's Mathew Street Festival. I only got to experience a small portion of what was on offer, but you cannot possibly take it all in. Maybe next year I'll try and catch some unsigned acts, back and legs permitting!
If anyone is interested in coming next year, it's held over the August Bank Holiday weekend and - the important point here - it's totally FREE to attend! They do try hard to provide something for everyone, so whether you're a Beatle freak, a rocker, a pop fan or even a country lover, you'll find something to your taste.
Band Links:
Dizzy Lizzy
The Bowie Experience
Sinnerboy
Guns 2 Roses
of the cancellation of two years ago. The local clubs are now as much a part of the event as the outdoor stages, and the area around Mathew Street itself. With so much going on, you have to plan out what to see, which I did by looking at the site www.mathewstreetfestival.org and scanning through the line-up.
The outdoor stages were all themed; that is to say the acts playing on each stage were dedicated to either a specific music genre, or Beatle-related, or simply country-related (one of the stages was devoted to Irish rock, for example). Having seen what was on offer on the Sunday, I decided to head for the main stage (situated close to the old Mersey Tunnel entrance - it HAD been closed off!) which was given over to classic rock. All the bands were tributes to classic acts, and I arrived at around midday to find a band calling themselves Free's Company entertaining an already large crowd.They dressed as Free circa 1971, but played both classic Free and Bad Company songs (hence the name!) Their singer was good, but no Rodgers. He actually sounded more like the Black Crowes' Chris Robinson to these ears, but it mattered little to a crowd hell bent on enjoying a day of music. Of course, the dilemma for a band like that is, if they DID actually find a guy who could emulate the great Paul Rodgers, you can bet that fella wouldn't be playing in a tribute band for long! It was cloudy when the band finished (with 'All Right Now', of course) but there were plenty of people with brollies, anticipating the worst.
Next band up were Guns 2 Roses, a tribute act I've seen twice before at this festival. They'd made a few changes since last year; most noticeable was a new 'Slash', but they also had a new drummer (local guy from Crosby, according to 'Axl') and had dispensed with their guy dressed as 'The Joker' on keyboards, in favour of a more conventional ivory-tinkler. They once again turned up right on cue (not at all like the real band!) and gave their all with an energetic set. They included three covers, all of which were done by the real GnR ('Live and Let Die', 'Knocking on Heaven's Door' and 'Attitude') and pleased the crowd with the (cleaner!) songs from 'Appetite for Destruction' too.By this time, the rain had started to come down, we were all hoping it was just a passing shower but once the next band up came on stage (Led Zed), that shower simply refused to pass us by! As the rain got heavier, brollies popped up and t-shirts were getting saturated, not to mention cameras which remained in cases (!) I was hoping to stick around and watch the last band 'Dios Salve a la Reina' (a Queen tribute act who are regulars at the event) but by the time Led Zed had worked their way through the classic Zep numbers, I was so drenched I had to get out of the crowd and call it a day. I couldn't see a thing apart from umbrellas and raindrops, which were all over my specs! So after hearing a fine rendition of 'Stairway to Heaven' from the act, I headed for shelter, changed my T-shirt and dashed back to the Pugmobile.
On the Monday the weather had improved a little, there were even patches of sun! The plan for this day was to visit two of the other stages; the main stage which I was at the day before was now given over to 'contemporary' acts (which included an Amy Winehouse tribute, called 'Amy Wynehouse'!). So instead, I headed to the stage sited near the Superlambbanana, dedicated to Irish rock music. First band up were 'Dizzy Lizzy', fronted by a middle-aged bloke from the Midlands known only as 'H', and dressed as Phil Lynott circa 1980.
They were very good in their alloted 45 minutes; where Lizzy tributes are concerned I'm a dedicated Limehouse fan but these guys gave us a sterling performance, running through as many of Philo's favourites as they could fit in. 'H' had the Lynott moves down pat, throwing all the shapes and pumping the fist to the crowd, all the time wearing a large smile. They told the crowd present they would be back in the area soon, appearing in St Helens. I was impressed enough by the guys to make a note of that and will definitely check them out again. After they finished, it was a dash across town, mindful of the army of hi-visibility jackets stationed along the streets who seem to enjoy telling people where they can and cannot go (a rant for another blog!) and I arrived at the Williamson Square stage about 1/2 a mile away in time for 'Cheap Purple'. This stage was dedicated to the memory of the late Phil Easton, a local radio presenter who hosted a rock programme on Liverpool's local station for many years ('The Great Easton Express'). The acts featured were all tributes to bands Phil championed in those days (but later in the day the headline act on that stage was China Crisis - the actual band!)Cheap Purple was made up of veteran local players; I immediately recognised the singer as being the same bloke who fronted 'Led Zed' the day before (!) but he actually resembled Gillan more than Plant. There was a genuine link to Gillan/Purple in this band; bassist Keith Mulholland did play in Ian Gillan's side project 'Garth Rockett and the Moonshiners' in the late 80s, which was something Phil Easton had a hand in assembling. Another familiar face in this band was Dave Goldberg, regular keyboard player with Rumours of Fleetwood Mac. The band played Mk 2 material almost exclusively, apart from 'Hush' and went down well. They lost accuracy points for me though, not because of their playing (they didn't try to look like the band, or aim for the same sound, but did play the lead solos close to how they were on record) but, because their guitar player did not throw one tantrum throughout the set! You got the impression this band were assembled just for the day, but they did play well.
Next up on the Phil Easton stage was a Bowie tribute, 'The Bowie Experience' from Dorset. I've seen 'Jean Genie' play this festival on several occasions previously and enjoyed it each time, so I was looking forward to this. Their 'David' was indeed a Thin White Duke, hardly a pick on him, and was dressed in a tattered-looking Union Flag coat. His band were the classic power trio, no keyboards and no frills but they did feature a female bassist. They weren't afraid to rearrange some of the Bowie classics to suit the basic band setup, and their short set of the rock chameleon's classic material went over well with a substantial crowd. Another tribute worth a look if they're in your area.I then headed straight back to the Superlambbanana stage, for what was my last band of the day. Sinnerboy, a Rory Gallagher tribute, were up on this stage next. These were not the same guys who played last year's festival, but were very enjoyable indeed. Their guitarist bears no resemblance whatsoever to Rory Gallagher, I was trying to think wh
o he did remind me of (an actor, I think!) but the name escapes me. However, he both played and sang extremely well. He's ably backed by his bassist (who did remind me of someone - the late George Best!) and drummer, and this was a great power trio delivering a fitting tribute to one of the most revered guitarists of the 1970s. I'm not that knowledgeable about Rory Gallagher despite having once seen him live, but was extremely impressed by Sinnerboy. They plugged an upcoming Cavern show featuring themselves and other Gallagher tributes, that promises to be an excellent night. By this stage my back was shouting obscenities at me (I find it tough to stand for long periods without sitting down for a while, or moving around) and so I called it a day after Sinnerboy. Before heading back to the Pugmobile I took the chance to take a few snaps of the crowd at the main stage, where 'Amy Wynehouse' was entertaining what looked like a completely rammed crowd. I could only hear her, not see her, but she did sound accurate and of course, she turned up on time!
So that was my experience of this year's Mathew Street Festival. I only got to experience a small portion of what was on offer, but you cannot possibly take it all in. Maybe next year I'll try and catch some unsigned acts, back and legs permitting!If anyone is interested in coming next year, it's held over the August Bank Holiday weekend and - the important point here - it's totally FREE to attend! They do try hard to provide something for everyone, so whether you're a Beatle freak, a rocker, a pop fan or even a country lover, you'll find something to your taste.
Band Links:
Dizzy Lizzy
The Bowie Experience
Sinnerboy
Guns 2 Roses
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
