So it’s Soundbay Festival tomorrow…thus one is very special to me…never in the last 30 years of doing this have we taken 3 ½ years to put a show together, 2 headline changes, 6 line up changes, 2 special guest changes, 2 pandemics, 40 tech riders, 12 tech rider changers, 6 good friends passing, my beautiful mam passing, countless trips to the printers to amend promo material, £1000’s of pounds in lost revenue due to covid, 31 hotels booked, 31 hotels cancelled and money lost, 23 hotels booked, 10 cancelled, hours and hours on zoom, venue floods, backline issues, 3 changes in liability insurance, some tears, load of tantrums…”. Aled Lewis, Big Day Productions.
Why have a plagiarised the promoter’s words to begin this review? Because its heartfelt and I couldn’t sum up how difficult any live show is to put on especially a festival in these uncertain times, any better myself.
Well, it may be 3 ½ years in the making but today marked day one of the fruition of those endeavours.
Opening the evening is The Rock Project, 11-16 year olds with a passion for music, performing on such a stage for hardened rock fans did not phase these guys whatsoever and they charmed the audience with a range of well known songs including a banging rendition of Highway to Hell which they obviously loved performing.
This is the future of our music industry and allowing these young guys to be part of this festival was just lovely, seeing how they played to the crowd, the quality of the musicianship and fabulous attitude made me very proud of the rock world and those individuals who teach and mentor, developing the next generation in such a manner is to be congratulated.
Beth Blade and the Beautiful Disasters never disappoint and they tore Swansea a new one with their smoking hot riffs and catchy lyrics, playing crowd pleasers including Bad Habit, Down and Dirty and finishing with Jack and Coke.
It’s been a while and seeing them again put a smile on faces and lots of fists in the air. A great set over too soon. I am looking forward to hearing their new album and seeing them back on the road.
One band I was really looking forward to seeing was FALLEN TEMPLES, a guitar driven, hard rock trio who have the songs, the soaring solos and one of the best drummers around smashing out a killer set of hard rock, down and dirty, thumping bassline songs that start in the soles of your feet and explode in your brain with a total assault of magical music.
How do you follow that? There’s only one way and that’s the Wayward Sons way…
With a setlist taking songs from all three albums, tonight’s headliners showed why they are such a firm favourite on the live circuit and deserving of their place on the bill.
Opening with Any Other Way’, Don’t Wanna Go and Even Up The Score, it was fast and furious, the sweat running down Nick Wastells face as he stalled and bounced across the stage in a way we have become accustomed too while Sam Wood, hair flying around him delivered on the raw guitar energy front.
Phil Martini smashed out the bottom end with an, as always, impressive and measured consistency of power and aggression. What can you say about Toby Jepson that isn’t always said, a great guitarist, full on vocals, a delivery that never gets lost amongst the music and a stage personality that hooks the crowd in and holds them there.
A band who are always loud, never distorted but always running at full steam ahead. It must be getting more difficult to decide what goes on the set list now but this was bang right for the crowd, a blend of old and new had the Patti bouncing!
What a way to close out the first night of Soundbay. I am looking forward to much more over the next couple of days.
Tickets for Saturday and Sunday are available on the door – come down and get yourself a big dose of fabulous music in a great venue
Lindsay Smith for Metal Planet Music
