Review by Gary Spiller for MPM
So, the rocking river doth meander and flow with complete grace here in Dorset. Day two in the Love Rocks ‘house’ dawns brightly naturally full of expectation.
It’s very evident reflecting upon yesterday’s opening salvo along with projecting forwards to the coming two days of the festival that things are not only expanding, and advancing, on the infrastructure side of matters but also on the breadth of genres being embraced herein.
There’s a gentle yet tangible shift in directions away from the nucleus of classic rock and blues. Not that the core ethos is being lost, far from it that connection rightfully remains. However, the Love Rocks Festival organisers are recognising that outside the middle ground of staple genres there is a movement flexing its muscles and beginning to take hold. Kudos to them for them being ‘John Peel’ in this regard.
The next ‘new wave’; it’s something that has its roots in the likes of Linkin Park, Audioslave and Evanescense. A blending of the varied blends of what was once ‘nu’; a ‘nu mark 2’ if you wish to apply a moniker. Rock will always evolve, and the baton is forever passed to the next generation; a moment to step forwards.
Stepping forwards on the second stage; Friday’s opening band Crowley do precisely this with an absolute abundance of energy and a confident air. Ushered to get their set underway a full quarter of an hour early – a slight negative mark not against the band themselves, far from it, but whoever within the stage management team is responsible – the quintet set about decanting their paganistic proclivities upon a somewhat unexpecting crowd.
Taking prisoners zero latest single ‘Hell Hath No Fury’ possesses an internal rage within its darkened tones. An opening submission that sets out their stall and immediately garners rightful attention. Former Thieves of Liberty vocalist / guitarist Lidya Balaban delivers a Lzzy Hale fronting Black Sabbath tone in amongst the sheer power of ‘Silver Star’. “Morning are y’all awake?” Lidya enquires, oozing composure, before continuing “Screaming at this hour is disgusting!” with tongue firmly inserted in cheek.
Consider along the lines of Pantera’s version of ‘Planet Caravan’ and you’re on the correct avenue that the gentle intro of ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ inhabits. Enhancing the likes of The Cult and Sabaton it’s a number that has it all – infectious hooks, glorious harmonies, a classic vibe enveloped in a 21st century wrap. Bassist Kim Fellows and guitarist Ruth Cranston (Fallen Mafia) lean on one another’s shoulders during; there’s a closeness in the ranks.
Travelling from their NE lands the band stopped off at Stonehenge the previous night. “Did anyone see the moon last night?” asks an enthused Balaban. Guitarist Eliza Lee (Venus Grrrls) proudly sports her brand-new Stonehenge solstice t-shirt.
The sensitive undertow of ‘Hecate’ pulls you under with the gentlest of applied forces prior to the nitrous injection of acceleration in ‘Resurrection Song’. The crowd continues to swell drawn in by the occultic inflections zigzagging about.
The instantaneous detonation of ‘The Witching Hour’ corrals the aforementioned Sabbath with Green Lung and Orange Goblin in a doom-laden heavyweight bewitchment. “We’re a bunch of spooky witches who write spooky stuff” informs Balaban should there be any dubiety lurking. Apparently, drummer Sav Montore has been summoned as a gift from the wood gods.
With the dam well and truly bust ‘Pyre’ spills forth; it’s truly batshit crazy within a defined nutshell that engages warp-drive. With a self-assurance that reminds me of The Amorettes back in the day Crowley have taken Love Rocks firmly by the throat and given the morning crowd a surefire awakening in what I’m sure will be recalled as one of the sets of the weekend. This is why Maid of Stone and Bloodstock await.
How on earth do you follow that? Well, emerging from the darkness to the light so the sinuous Love Rocks river continues to flow in musical terms thus unleashing the never say no to a party attitude of local lads Skinny Knowledge. With a bouncing splurge vocalist Andy L Smooth declares, first line in “I’m just here cos I want to party.”
As initial proclamations go this is one I’m most happy to vote for. ‘I Wanna (Rock N’ Roll)’, the opening track of SK’s sophomore album ‘Twentytwo’ gets the main stage jumping with oodles of pop-punk. A rousing call for the weekend that gets the bubbles flying!
Harking back to the early days of Green Day, Blink 182 and Sum 1 the single only release ‘Class a Dummy’ (how on earth didn’t this make one of the two albums it bridges?) is tight as heck with new guitarist Duncan Petrus – having made his official debut a couple of weeks previous after ‘depping’ at SK’s O2 Academy show beforehand – nailing a searing solo afront a fully engaged gathering.
“Was gonna ask if we’re loud enough” Smooth wisecracks as a car alarm rails. ‘Disobey’, harder and darker, has contrasting touches of Rancid and Foo Fighters; this isn’t a one trick pony. ‘Stereo’ riffs along a razor wire barrier pummelling the senses as SK skitter one way then another.
Want to hear a punky Foo Fighters? Look no further than the tubthumping ‘Strike Out!’ “I’m here for a good time” enthuses Smooth, Love Rocks are indulging in those good times as the wonderfully shirted quartet go down the proverbial storm. Referencing the shirts Smooth expands “They make us at least 15% sexier my mum told me!” Possible merch line perhaps gents?
Close your eyes the buzzsawing ‘Too Scared to Live’ – written by affable bassist Rab McGowan – is primetime Green Day but remember the US punkers have their roots in the likes of the Ramones, Pistols, Dickies and thus these influences also shine through to varying degrees too.
‘Goes Around Comes Around’, a loudly ticking timebomb, permits an expression of acerbity within an unlikely alloy of Massive Wagons and Franz Ferdinand. Latest single ‘Home’, released just a few days previously, yields broad smiles all round.
Which is just as well as teeth are fully bared in the snarling ‘Sayonara’. The delightful chaos is brought to a shining crescendo with the tidal energies of ‘Keep Me Out Of It’. Above barely a cloud and beneath a field full of happy punters.
Like today’s opening band the next one up is also a complete unknown entity to me. However, what is indisputable is the really decent amount of support that the Dead Writers have amongst the Love Rocks crowd even before a note is even struck. A genuinely sizeable crowd has gathered afront the second stage, my journalistic ‘whiskers’ are attuned to expectations of something quite special about to occur.
Following Hunted By Elephants out of London down to the south coast this is an outfit my learned MPM colleague Paul Monkhouse has championed. Reviewing the brace of singles – ‘Lisa’ and ‘Among Spirits’ – that they have released thus far he has described the quintet as having “a Gothic grandeur that is as darkly romantic as it is light and pastoral” and being “so effortlessly cool that they should come with a health warning.”
Simply put one couldn’t be more intrigued about what is to come. Frontman Paul Shine, sporting a very fine burgundy crushed velvet jacket and cutting a Marc Bolan figure, looks up and comments “God created summer” before greeting the ensemble.
Opening track ‘Meet The Shadow’ is serious business and bloody good to boot! With gothic overtones beloved of The Mission and The Cure the hooks are sunk in. The Love Rocks ‘river’ divagates from the safety of the ‘middle ground’. Shine takes to the keys for their second single ‘Lisa’; alone with his piano notes he treads sympathetically through Lennon / McCartney territory.
The chilled atmospherics swirl as the four members of the band return to surf a summery vibe; one that is a touch reminiscent of mid 90s Britpoppers Dodgy. If the following track ‘Beautiful Mess’, with its redolence of spiritwalkers amongst the trees, doesn’t get recorded then gods of rock n’ roll are serving us all a great travesty. It’s an art rock masterpiece that flies with a touch of flamboyance.
A welcome cooling breeze sweeps across the arena during The Cure infused ‘Perfect Portrait’; I, along with many so it would seem, are being most ably transported back to the mid to late 80s. All that’s missing is something ‘herbal’, such is the overriding ambience. Something that is heightened in the moody goth atmospheres of ‘December’, invocations of All About Eve and memories of hazy barroom sessions flood over me.
The soaring ‘Among Spirits’ sees Shine right within his lyrics, lost in a magical moment as I’m taken to Jeff Buckley’s seminal, and long recollected, set at Glastonbury ’95. The freneticism of New Model Army is injected, no doubt howling at the prospect of tonight’s Strawberry Moon, into the bucketful of Babylon that is The Waterboy’s ‘Be My Enemy’.
Here we have witnessed a band as divergent as the path trod by Love Rocks 2024; a band which moves in mellifluous snakelike serpentine locomotion. ‘She’s All The Animals’ is a blistering finale its hard-driving kinetics topped off with a blazing solo courtesy of John Martyn lookalike Filippo Faustini.
Come set end, amidst loud cheers, I can only echo Love Rocks co-promoter Simon Jones’ words “I think we’ve had another Love Rocks moment!” True, so absolutely true; I’m off to allow the last 40 or so minutes wash over me and soak in. We can now fully appreciate why Nick Cave describes, quite simply, this band as “Astonishing.” Poe’s Raven nods in black feathered approval.
With further divergent weaving and winding the course is warmly received taking to the main stage to a blooming Christmas carol! Well with a name like We Three Kings it does make some sort of rational sense.
Originally a trio nowadays they’re more We Two Kings having parted ways with their bassist midway through last year. Fear not however as the third ‘King’ is the ever-faithful skeleton ‘Bonesy’. Well, he does sport a black studded crown so by default that does, in my book, makes him a King.
Just a few seconds into the first hard rocking card the Mancunian pair despatch – the exasperatingly rasping ‘Do It’ – it’s a thoroughly axiomatic fact that an inversely proportional amount of decibels is outputted by their slim numbers.
A younger cousin of their near neighbours The Virginmarys We Three Kings revel in the delights of The White Stripes, Royal Blood all frothed up in a lights out 70s Sabbath-esque groove twisted with some very early fuzzed up Quo riffage from albums ‘Ma Kelly’s Greasy Spoon’ and ‘Dog Of Two Head’. This latter comparison is an undercurrent of ‘Uncontrollable Squeal’ which crashes waves of anger upon the shorelines of Loves Rocks.
Raging torrents of a relentless assault batter down the ramparts as Rich (vocals / guitar) and Pete (drums) storm through the Love Rocks portcullis. A meaty 11 songs in three quarters of an hours, now that’s how to rock n’ roll. Rattling through ‘The Edge Of Death’ and rat-a-tatting the bleeding soul that is ‘Buried Alive’ W3K are winning new fans aplenty.
2019 single ‘Give It To Me, Go!’ and brand-new track ‘Sold My Soul To The Devil’ rollercoaster right out of the garage rocking on a razorblade. Whilst the raw, gravelly riffs of ‘The Criminal’ combine with some trademark New Model Army angst with Zeppelin and Sabbath; phasers set to obliterate.
Don’t expect lengthy solos or epic opuses here as W3K specialise in a short, sharp shock therapy. Released this year ‘Gold Digger’ is as fine a fuzzed up three minutes as you’re like to discover.
Intensity levels are maintained on high with ‘Walk’ and another fresh dynamic ‘Get Back’building towards the buzzsawing finale of ‘Bright Lights of the City’. The demand is building, following a couple of EPs and a whole slew of singles, for a W3K album. Once again, the excellent variance continues on day two.
“What a lovely day for some music” notes, as way of introduction, Austin Gold vocalist/guitarist David James Smith. His shimmering, rippling six-strings brings in the easy highway sentiments of ‘Brand New Love’, the opening track of not only their set but of their debut album ‘Before Dark Clouds’, with a laid-back vibe. The imminent detonation is realised with the concussive bass of Lee Churchill and James Pepper’s percussive elements pursuing the blacktop as Adam Leon’s vivid keys braid facilely with those strings of six employed by Smith.
These Peterborough hard rockers vigorously took hold of our attention on last year’s middle day at Steelhouse Festival with a supremely polished despatch. The perfect dish for rock n’ roll in the great outdoors. Like the majority of bands the cursed pandemic knocked the wind out of their collective sails, but a steady period of rebuilding sees the quartet head out, in September, for a UK tour supporting another Love Rocks favourite The Karma Effect.
As we have come to expect from Austin Gold the lads serve Love Rocks not only their high standard of polish but a well curated and balanced set. Their two albums and EP all got an airing with curiously the first two tracks of each release included this afternoon. The Black Crowes growl of ‘Caught on You’ breezes through the afternoon as bubbles, a recurrent theme of LR ’24, float past.
Leon’s oh-so sweet keys are prominent throughout ‘Invincible’, well received everything, thanks to the sound crew, is in perfect balance. The devil incarnate stares right into the eyes as we follow Austin Gold down that lonely track in ‘Another Kinda Bad’. A mixture of re-usable glasses from various festivals are raised aloft at the appropriate moment; the alcohol is freely flowing, very few glasses are full.
The second half of the set is handed over, in the main, to 2022’s ‘Those City Lights’ with the Planet Rock approved single ‘Mountain’, a Rolls Royce rocker if there ever was one, trucking along as the first grey clouds gather with a slight ominous presence out to the west.
Leon gives the affirmative thumbs up to the stage tech fixing a troublesome piece of kit during the energies of ‘Cut & Run’ before Smith announces the fantastic news of a new album in the autumn. ‘We Are Lightning’, sandwiched between the sumptuous, yet not indulgent, opulence of ‘Hold On Me’ and the anthemic culminations of most recent single ‘Never End’, rouses in a stirring war whoop. On this showing there’s much to look forward to from the Austin Gold camp for the remainder of 2024 and beyond.
The ethereal mist swirls as the ghost ships enters dock and moors alongside. It’s crew, numbering just three, step down the umbilical connection from their vessel to stage. Oli Brown & The Dead Collective are ashore.
We have been fortunate, and ever so privileged, to have witnessed some wondrous things in our relatively short time as media and right atop this list is this particular chapter in Norfolk-born Oli Brown’s career. From award-winning bluesman via the metalliferous offerings of Raveneye to his Dead Collective project, the latest words are earnestly writing themselves.
From the very first notes of their debut gig, supporting Florence Black at Cardiff’s Tramshed venue, it was very apparent that something special was afoot. A good friend, during that gig, stated “This is the British Rival Sons!” Those words ring true two years on.
Three deservedly lauded EPs – ‘Prelude’ to ‘Epilogue’ via ‘Prologue’ – have been released to much clamour and praise. What I admire the most about this unassuming individual is his stark honesty, speaking about his songs in a press release of ‘Prologue’ Brown noted in words so worthy of repeating “My subconscious was about to make me more aware of what was happening in my mental health than my consciousness. I realised these songs would quickly take on a more significant meaning to my life.”
What occurs in the next 45 minutes will live long, transpiring to be without a doubt, for myself with every respect for all 23 bands from this weekend, THE performance of Love Rocks 2024. The emotions run high and by the time the captivations of ‘Your Love’ drift across St. Leonards Farm there is not a singular dry eye. Such is the depth of beauty and interpretations.
Flanked by his trusted lieutenants, and close friends, Wayne Proctor (drums) and Sam Wood (guitar) Brown strikes up the rough-edged bluesy snarls of ‘Father’ rolling right into the ever-haunting dynamics of ‘Everything You Want’. Seismic shockwaves emanate from the epicentre.
There’s a steely strength between each of the three elements herein; they seemingly read one another without the need of spoken words, a special subconscious understanding crackles with electricity. ‘Goliath’ harks to Peter Green era Fleetwood Mac with coruscant waves above the obsidian depths.
Proctor’s percussives cascade as Wood and Brown illuminate in ‘Haunted’. Every ounce of physical and passion is poured into the track and there’s an upwelling of sentiment. Powerful stuff that simply cannot be purchased or even taught; this is right from the heart and raw in its intrinsic beauty.
‘Estranged’ follows in the same vein with the Love Rocks crowd fully captivated. Tempestuously bursting out of the shadowy basement ‘Heard It All Before’ stomps majestically across the Dorset heathlands before a climax is reached in ‘Your Love’ and the fiercely incandescent ‘Home Sweet Home’. Brown is visibly choked as, raising his hand above his head, he thanks the gathered massed ranks of Love Rocks. Pure rocking alchemy from the highest order of musical magi.
With special guest slots in early July, in Birmingham and London, with the almighty heavyweight of Mammoth WVH to look forward to for London-based rockers The Dust Coda. This following supporting Guns n’ Roses at BST Hyde Park last year and tours opening for Dead Daisies, British Lion and Black Stone Cherry.
An enthralling performance at Steelhouse 2022 and a stellar set at Planet Rock’s Winter’s End a few months prior have seen this hard punching quartet claw their way into my sphere. I’ll be honest as my first few encounters with TDC I struggled to engage with frontman John Drake’s vocals.
Not that there was any wrongdoing on the part of Drake, far from it in fact, as it was just something not connecting on my side of things. That particular barrier has, now, been well and truly smashed apart and Drake is up amongst the finest of the emerging grassroots scene with his wide-ranging 21st century Robert Plant infusions.
All three of the Coda’s albums are showcased in their nine-tracks this evening and the ever-greying skies are not about to trample upon their party. The raw grooves of ‘Limbo Man’ are the first of a triple from sophomore long-player ‘Mojo Skyline’; being backed up with the hooky atmospheres of the anthemic ‘Dream Alright’ and the scorching Southern crossover singalong ‘Breakdown’.
Incendiary rock n’ roller ‘Love Sick’ drags The Allman Brothers right along Sunset Strip. Drake’s succulent vocals entwine about Adam Mackie sensitive fretwork in the intro of ‘Sweet Love Is Gone’; this could be Zeppelin at their pinnacle.
Stage tech Nigel Poole, in the side stage shadows, is ‘lost in the moment’, alone with his finely tuned air guitar, during the all-out rock of ‘Jimmy 2 Times’. The cage is rattled, and the walls torn down by ‘Call Out The Dogs’ before AC/DC and Zeppelin are alloyed in freight-training personal favourite ‘Down In The Valley’.
Proceedings are well and truly whipped up with the onslaught of ‘Road To Hell’ that serves as the perfect conduit for tonight’s headlining outfit. “The road to hell is wide open” informs Drake as the fury fully engages setting the scene for Cambridgeshire’s hard as nails The Treatment.
Formed back in 2008 The Treatment are the quintessential hard rocking party band; they’re gonna unashamedly demolish your stocks of beer and Jack whilst proudly donning their influences upon their collective sleeve. There’s zero pretence in what they do and by gawd they do it bloody well!
With the rain that’s threatened for the last few hours sadly beginning to fall if there’s one band, as a festival organiser, you want to go out there and rock the living daylights out of the place then you don’t need to look any further than Cambridge’s finest. The five-piece deliver ‘balls-nailed-to-the-wall’ rock n’ roll without any concerns for meteorological interferences. The frontline monitors have, for safety reasons, retreated under the stage canopy but there’s no holding back these gents!
With six studio releases under their belt, including the hard chimes of this year’s ‘Wake Up The Neighbourhood’, the riot is unchained with ‘Let’s Wake Up This Town’. The set-opener is no-nonsense and uncompromising in its attitude, the essence of Airbourne and AC/DC, and it achieves its mission objectives with precision.
The heavy reflections of ‘Back To The 1970’s’ keep the juggernaut rolling along. “Zeppelin is getting heavy” roars vocalist Tom Rampton as the twin guitars of the Greys – Tagore and Tao – emit a dangerous contagion.
This isn’t for the squeamish, this is a full-on headlong gallop that has no interest in the taking of prisoners. Shoot on sight franticness of the frenetic ‘Let It Begin’ and the bluesy thunder of ‘Eyes on You’ guzzle the fuel. Forget an economical mpg, this is top gear and fully possible rpm throughout.
With a dash of Dio and Deep Purple ‘When Thunder and Lightning Strikes’ aptness isn’t lost as the rain continues to descend. Turning eyes red ‘Vampress’ would be howling at the moon’s fullness were it not for the cursed clouds.
Following the rumbustious ‘Hold Fire’ Rampton announces further appearances at Gravesend’s Leos and Nozfest teasingly adding “We may or may not be touring with the Dead Daisies, we’re coming in fucking hard and coming in fucking fast!!” Not a dissenting voice is to be heard.
With the rain now sweeping across the arena ‘On The Money’ harvests a particularly loud roar from the hardy souls hellbent on keeping the party rolling into the late hours. They’re on point partaking in fine voice during the rollercoasting of ‘Bite Back’ and bounce along to the charms of ‘Running With The Dogs’.
‘Wrong Way’ runs on the shortest of fuse wires, exploding in the faces of all gathered abouts. The final few tracks rocket by in the veritable blink of an optical organ. ‘This Fire Still Burns’ is out on a razor wire joined by ‘Hang Them High’ in demagogic configuration.
The elevating thermals of ‘Let’s Get Dirty’ ensure that the shindig carousels remain right on track before the trump hand of ‘Get The Party On’ and ‘Shake The Mountain’ ensure that was is on the exterior of the tin is fully complied with. “We’re English and we can deal with this motherfucker” rallies Rampton, sneering at the meddlesome precipitation.
Some bands would have shied away from the challenges that The Treatment have most ably risen to tonight. Memories of Kira Mac’s rain-soaked ‘getting stuck in’ performance at last year’s Steelhouse are rekindled. This is what endears bands to the fans for sure. Shrinking violets The Treatment are most certainly not!
Photography by Kelly Spiller for MPM
