Review by Gary Spiller for MPM
The overnight rain has mercifully mooched off elsewhere and the third and final day of Love Rocks 2024 dawns, with much in terms of promise, bright and dry. Based upon the wide diversity of styles witnessed it’s a safe, scientifically based conclusion that a furthering of this model will be the order of the day.
As well as there being a good spread with regards to the music there’s a good balance between the actual spread of it. All acts receive a minimum of 40 minutes with a generous 30 minutes between on-stage performances.
It’s a nice leisurely pace which permits the social aspect of festival-going to flourish and with a no-music policy during these breaks the ebb and flow, without any noticeable loss of momentum, surely makes the festival a decent, respectful neighbour and allows the chance for a satisfying natter.
Commencing business this morning is Farnham skate / surf rocker Kit Trigg. Completely unknown to myself Trigg and his brothers in arms Guy Fenegan (bass) and Nic Sleight (drums) set about dismantling the second stage piece by piece with a fervent approach from the very off.
Looking back through the records I realise that Trigg was part of the very first Love Rocks Festival back in 2017 and has been around for quite some time despite his apparent youthful years – his back catalogue on Spotify goes back to his ‘17’ EP from 2013. He’s an effusive character with an appearance that makes you think he’s just stepped off Fistral Beach down in Cornwall, all that’s missing is a surfboard under one arm.
Trigg bounds on stage, raises horns and greets the crowd with a quick “How ya doing?” breaking into ‘Show ‘Em What You’re Made Of’. With a nod to The Knack in a southern domain it’s a cracking way to start the day. Another day, another prodigious opening act!
With a bluesy Credence Clearwater Revival swagger ‘Making It’ snarls and snaps whilst fellow 2022 single ‘Light At The End Of The Tunnel’ is warp-speed Tom Petty with a steroid injection of the 21st century. This is music that talks for itself loudly, very loudly.
‘Down To Earth’ steamrollers along before the slower furrow of ‘Snake In The Grass’. A crossover of Rage Against The Machine and Lynyrd Skynyrd with one of the best lines of the weekend in “I’m a honey badger on the edge.” You can’t buy that sort of potion!
A fuzzed-up version of ‘Oh Well’ storms the proverbial barn before a detonative ‘Proud Mary’ segues effortlessly into ‘Going’ For Glory’ – the title track of last year’s EP – impacting with one almighty hook with line, sinker and, for good measure, year’s subscription to Angling Times attached. The early doors crowd loudly show their appreciation, it’s richly deserved.
Spiky and petite Wakefield powerhouse Loz Campbell possesses the broadest, most illuminating smile. One that is capable of further lighting up Love Rocks even in the bright lunchtime sunshine! Having just toured with the legendary Marco Mendoza and hitting double-duties at Call Of The Wild Loz and her band are in lean, murderously good form.
A jet takes off at nearby Bournemouth International Airport whilst a high-powered motorcycle powers along the A31 as the strongarm quadrumvirate gather, without fuss, onstage. Drummer Tom Kirby sprints to his station and with a crashing rumble paves an introduction for new guitarist William Price, Loz herself and the ever-energetic bassist Steven Pickles.
With more than sniff of a punkier edition of Haxan ‘Evil’ pokes Love Rocks with a hyperactive presence. Pickles, intent on covering every square inch of the stage, heads upwards with his trademark low-slung bass to rival that of such luminaries as Peter Hook.
Once again dipping into 2019’s EP we’re firmly struck with the Mad Max punk n’ roll of its title track ‘Back Biting The Bullet’ ahead of dark growl of ‘Organized Chaos’, one of three tracks hoisted in from 2017’s lost-to-Spotify album ‘Green Eyes’. Punching his four-string charge Pickles storms into the 70s punk Pink crossover ‘Bad Girl’. No surprise that this firecracker goes down a storm.
It’s clear this quartet are in ascendant form; notches have been climbed in the delivery. Maintaining faith with the running order of the 2023 self-titled EP so ‘Beautiful Liar’ follows; Satan’s herd is out of control as Price, legs firmly planted wide apart in a power stance, hammers the strengthy riffs of a melding of Elastica and Garbage.
Latest single ‘Can’t Get Enough’ darts in and out of the shadows wins further friends with its outright hook as does the band’s yellow-haired road warrior Brad Bennett as he distributes some complimentary t-shirts to the eager crowd.
The kerosene fuelled ‘My Motivation’ ignites before a brace of covers – in the muscular shape of AC/DC’s ‘Shot Down In Flames’ and Runaway’s legendary ‘Cherry Bomb’ – bracket the cascading rousing of ‘Generic Girl’.
The showstopping torrent is unleashed within set finale ‘The World Was Made To Destroy You’. The now trademark ‘pyramid’ with Campbell the pinnacle atop the sure base of Price and Pickles garners admirers throughout the arena. It’s been a set of perfection in my opinion and one that serves as a most healthy reminder that this musician is much, much more than red lipstick, fishnet, and docs.
Working in conjunction with Scotland’s Wildfire Festival this year has resulted in Love Rocks first ever Italian band taking to the stage. Hailing from Florence the alt / symphonic strains of Violet Blend storm the battlements that form the bastion of classic rock.
Rock has always proven itself, as an entity, most capable of re-working and re-invention. With their roots in the realms of Evanescence and Iron Maiden this Italian quartet are, alongside the likes of Rexoria and League Of Distortion, amongst the forefront of a vanguard that will surely apply much required new dimensions. Full credit to both Love Rocks and Wildfire in their foreseeing other festivals need to take note.
The quartet, all neatly attired in matching violet jackets with a single ‘V’ atop their left sleeves, spring an almighty surprise as the rasping riffage of opening shot in the arm ‘Rock DJ’ punches hard and swiftly. Crystalline vocals and a scorching guitar solo set out their stall.
Attentions firmly grasped ‘Funeral of Love’ is all low-slung Les Paul snarls, rhythmic basslines atop a surly bedrock of percussive elementals. High above Gadia Celeste Chelli’s, classically trained, vocals tower. The crouching tiger leaps forth.
Violet Blend certainly don’t shrink or fade away in terms of lyrical content and relationships with drink are explored in the Halestorm infusion of ‘You, Me and the Alcohol’. Hard on its tail the tear-jerking ‘Voices In My Head’ tackles the darkness of psychosis in typical Evanescence / Rexoria symphonic anthemic dominions. Trust me this track cuts so very close to the bone in its glorious starkness, as does the following one.
Latest single ‘My Head Is Broken’ resonates in a similar vein. Ordinally recorded in a collaborative effort with US solo project Tired Violence drummer Michel Agostini provides entwining vocals richly complementing Chelli.
Hauntingly ‘Need’ spreads its rocking wings in spectacular fashion enthralling switching one way then the opposite. Violet Blend plough deep furrows in the nu-metal angst of ‘I’m Only Happy When I’m Drunk’. Two of my newfound favourites of 2024, Amaranthe and Unleash The Archers, are fused strikingly in ‘Among All These Fools’ such is the breadth herein.
Reminiscent of the arrestingly beautiful symphonic metal emanating from Sweden and Germany the souped-up power ballad ‘Every Time (We Say Goodbye)’ swoops talons fully stretched. With an operatic uplift ‘La Donna Mobile’ (from Verdi’s opera Rigoletto) provides Love Rocks with another first ahead of the set-closing the triturating pound of ‘My Daughter’.
In 45 minutes, Love Rocks has been provided with a glimpse of what the future holds for the rock scene, the metaphorical wheel is about to undergo a power-driven reworking and reshaping.
Blackpool-based triumvirate A’Priori have battled their collective way down to the south coast. Following on in the wake a scintillating appearance at Swansea’s Station 18 Festival they are stretching their geographical boundaries even further here in the Dorset heathland. “It’s our first time this far south!” notes lead vocalist/guitarist Tony Lang furthering with a little ‘locational error’ “We’re from North of the Wall!”
This is an aptly titled band as, derived from Latin, their name is a phrase in philosophy to describe ideas and arguments based upon knowledge independent from any experience. Thus, it follows that given that individual qualities of Lang and his band brothers – keyboardist/vocalist Mark Wilson and drummer ‘Mouse’ – that the combined output equals one heck of a rock n’ roll shot in the arm with their own unique twist!
Zeppelin with a 21st century contortion ‘Watch The World Burn’, following a doomy intro, with its southern drawl gets affairs underway. ‘Mouse’ pounds his way into the underlying geological layers, the Love Rocks crowd claps in earnest along with Wilson as Lang bursts into life for ‘Wasted Years’ – a darkened reminder of localish rockers Western Sand.
What we’re given in their allotted 45 or so minutes is a balanced selection from both of their albums released to date with an initial ‘flip-flopping’ between the pair continuing with a maelstromic ‘Better Man’ and the party cavalcading ‘Nah Nah Nah Nah’ during which a member of the ‘barrier-gang’ gets tambourine funky. “If someone wants to beat my instrument for three and a bit minutes” quips Lang.
Violet Blend is a tricky outfit to follow no doubt but these three instantly likeable Northern lads relish scaling this high bar in accomplished fashion. The Sabbath-energised v-twin ‘Here Comes The Reign’ is the lead element of a hat-trick from 2019’s ‘Black Church’ long-player with the conflagrant abyssal title track sandwiching ‘Halo’ and Lang’s growling Gibson charge.
Lang’s vocals are reminiscent of Myles Kennedy in a sub-grungy ‘Shotgun Blues’ before winding up with ‘Making Love To The Devil’, coincidentally the closing number of ‘House of Cards’. All bodes well ahead of the release, in early September, of their third album ‘Voodoo Love’.
A second Lancashire band follows with heavy metallers Promethium stepping onto the second stage, the final service users of this upgraded facility for 2024. Having hauled their way through the first half of a near six-hundred-mile round trip the initial greeting from a sizeable contingent of their fanbase surely proved a spirit-lifter.
Last year’s ‘Bleeding The Ghost’ album had drawn critical praise across the board and I, amongst many it would seem, were looking forward to catching this in the live arena. The Love Rocks organisational team are to be applauded for venturing outside of the confines of the original musical boundaries and continuing to book bands in other genres like this quintet, Violet Blend and Dead Writers.
Sadly, however sometimes it transpires that a band doesn’t bring its ‘A-game’ on to the stage. A good few years ago I witnessed Status Quo play an off-kilter set, in neighbouring Somerset, at Shepton Mallet. Turns out Rick Parfitt had misplaced an extremely sentimental item which had a negative effect upon his performance.
Within a couple of tracks – ‘Won’t Break Me’ and ‘Visions’ – it struck me that vocalist James Candlin was seemingly struggling to translate his high standards from recorded efforts. His timing and pitch seemed adrift a touch, sufficiently so to jar things for me personally.
Talking to extremely affable guitarist Daniel Lovett-Horn later, post-set, it transpires that Candlin had completed a 50-mile charity walk, between Grasmere and Garstang, at 4am that morning before heading southwards with the band! A most honourable undertaking that deserves to be highlighted to garner a complete picture and to derive the credit most thoroughly deserved.
Full credit, however, to Candlin along with the rest of the band for not bemoaning a single thing and giving absolutely everything they had in the tanks in their attempts to overcome the metaphorical hurdle afront them.
‘Bleeding The Ghost’ is, naturally, well represented with half of their twelve-track set, including the darkened rapid-fire of the title track, drawn from the tasty long-player. Reminiscent, in part, of Diamond Head ‘Priest’ occupies a realm between Baleful Creed and King Kraken and is a shining beacon.
‘Healing Your Sin’ features a neat interplay between Lovett-Horn and his six-string partner Andy Haworth whilst the clansmen riffage of ‘Knives Out’ catches the ear. At risk of sounding like a wine-taster dashes of Anthrax come through the ether in the brutalistic bludgeoning of ‘Murder Inc’ which receives a raucous round of appreciation.
‘Enemies Fate’ rounds off a challenging set but one which has intrigued me and has left me wanting to catch this North-Western five-piece once more when they’re all at the races. There are questions in my mind that require answering and will be left for a day when the ‘A-game’ is prevalent.
The river of molten rock that is Love Rocks 2024 continues to gloriously meander as we switch tack back over to the main stage for the remaining four bands of the day and, in fact, this year’s festival. First up UK Blues Awards nominated Blue Nation tore St. Leonards a new one on the ‘bouncy castle’ second stage in 2023 and consequently were handed their deserved revisitation.
Their talents in despatching their particular reverent 21st century brand of blues rock is undeniable but even more so is their instant affability. Out front of drummer Nick Sharman the cheeky-chappy repartee between frontman Neil Murdoch and barefooted bassist Luke Weston is a chemistry all of its own.
To me they’re the ‘Bastard Offspring of Frank Skinner’ indulging in a spot of badinage between tracks in a connective manner that doesn’t overbalance into casting an unsolicited and uninvited shadow upon their music. This mastery is a skilled one and all-enhancing.
Their easy laid-back vibe translates, naturally, into their music with the sharp, precise guitar and bass, in the bright early evening sunshine, fusing silkily in the set-opening ‘She’s A Storm’. Flecked shadows encroach across the fringes of the arena.
Zeppelin and Sabbath look approvingly at ‘Hand Me Down’ with its impressive rasping melding. With bourbon-festooned notes ‘Good Times’ blows in off the bouldered planes whirling with dust-devil mischief. Murdoch and Weston survey the scene and note “Upon tally of band shirts …. We’re getting our arses handed to us by These Wicked Rivers and Amongst Liars!”
Released just a month prior latest single ‘Time Is A Thief’ explores emotional depths whilst soar albatross-like above the ocean waves. ‘Spooked’ by the sudden, side stage, appearance by These Wicked Rivers’ virtuoso frontman John Hartnell, Murdoch momentarily loses his stride, chuckling.
This trio can switch one way then the next as atramentous accents descend in ‘Gimme Some Time’ harking back to The Graveltones’ garage rock. Gritty dustbowl rocking blues rears its head in ‘I Feel Low’, Love Rocks swaggers along into ‘Every Single Time’.
Resolute advocates of mental health Blue Nation, collecting for their chosen charity throughout their stay here in Dorset, offer hugs at their merch stand after parcelling up a heady concoction of Cream, Zeppelin, and Peter Green in ‘Strangers’. Those influences shine brightly in their modern-day wrapping.
The pairing of ‘Echoes’ and ‘Down By The River’ tread along southern trails uplifting upon thermals to coast along effortlessly to complete a scintillating three quarters of an hour in the company of three completely unassuming but talented musicians. Frank Skinner is surely proud of his bastard offspring.
Love Rocks is renown for its loyalty towards bands that have scaled the parapets during previous visits and, like Blue Nation previously, so inflammatory South coast alt-metallers Amongst Liars take the latter stages of 2024’s edition by the jugular. Transitioning from the second of three opening day acts in 2022 to the higher echelons what transpires is tangible evidence of the stratospheric progression achieved.
Just a couple of weeks ahead of the release of their second album ‘By Design’ Amongst Liars give a decent percentage of their allotted 45 minutes rightfully to their forthcoming release whilst lobbing in a trio from their eponymous debut plus one truly deep cut.
Slap bang in the middle of an opening four-way salvo from ‘By Design’ we’re treated one almighty detonation at the rock-face. Raging vocalist Ian George relates “Sound of sirens, ring of bells, for tonight we drink in hell!!” Tornadic energies sweep all in its path; there’s Audioslave and Rage Against The Machine all broiling away in this track. One which pre-dates AL revisiting Saint Apache a previous incarnation of what we have before us.
Channellings of Shinedown, Royal Blood and Queens Of The Stone Age vividly froth in this supersonic alt / nu metal crossover. ‘You’re Not A Slave’ and ‘Vice’ run on the shortest of short fuse wires with James Brummeo’s keys add a neat electronic edge. All the while Leo Burdett’s guitars snarl and snap intently whilst the obsidian reverberance of Ross Towner’s bass endeavours and the seismic percussion of skinsman Adam Oarton threaten imminent structural damage.
“We’re from Eastbourne! It’s where people go to die,” introduces George adding venomously “We’re alive and kicking!” Sharply suited and booted and with a passion to match the angst of the material he cuts a figure reminiscent of Aaron Buchanan. The title track of ‘By Design’ takes a Linkin Park path with those keys prominent alongside a dark melodic.
Seamlessly segueing into ‘Alibi’ advances the unrepentant demonstration of how to focus one’s innermost angst into a corporeal artform. Atop the gentle, sensitive strains of ‘Drown’, acoustic guitar in hand, George states “It’s all about mental health” continuing to heartfeltly urge “Look after yourself and others.”
Fast and furious ‘Cut It’ is warped upwards; Burdett jumps off stage to indulge in hi 5’s along the front row. “This silence breeds violence” seethes George. ‘Black Days’ and ‘Wolf Machine’ ensure a jet-propelled set climax and once the last notes settle the ensuing silence seems, somehow, that bit louder.
Like the finest of whiskeys, barrel matured in rum-lined wooden heavens, so These Wicked Rivers have grown finer with each passing year. Their tenth anniversary show – at Wolverhampton’s KK Steel Mill, Saturday 12th October – looms on the horizon. These are the heirs expectant with respect for a future Love Rocks headline slot, such is the gravitas with regards to their continuing rise and rise.
Their unique collective talents have been evident from early on, in fact I was hooked from crossing paths with them at 2016’s Giants of Rock festival where they incandescently lit up the Introducing Stage. Such tracks as ‘When The War Is Won’ and ‘Don’t Pray For Me’ from those early formative days remain firmly, and rightfully, ensconced in The Rivers’ current setlist.
These Wicked Rivers stock has multiplied manyfold even in the couple of years since their first Love Rocks appearance. This evening, unlike 2022 however, the trademark standard lamps have made the trip south from their Derby headquarters accompanying the paisley patterned drapes and mini milk churns full of flowers. It’s all rather 60s in its vibrancy and things are much cooler for it.
For 50 minutes we are bewitched caught under a spell of potent Southern infusion and delicate pysch. As my MPM colleague Ritchie Birnie noted in his album review of ‘Force of Nature’ this is “For lovers of Black Stone Cherry, Skynyrd and Black Crowes.” I couldn’t agree more with nearly three quarters of their second album forming an overwhelming percentage of this evening’s set.
The titular track of ‘Force of Nature’ shakes the moneymaker from the off. Charismatic guitarist Aaran Day roars a hoarse “C’mon” before five energies combine to take Love Rocks fill tilt. The precision interaction between Day and the engaging frontman John Hartwell are joyous as ever. The equation is simple TWR = FoN.
Moving ever closer to the post-solstice horizon the sun bursts through the trees surrounding the arena casting dappled shadows. There’s a seismic shift to the southern groove of ‘Shine On’ which is followed by its fellow album number, off ‘Eden’, ‘Evergreen’ and its hybrid concoction of Black Crowes partying with AC/DC down in the swampy slough.
Introducing ‘When The War Is Won’ Hartwell gives a shout out to Blue Nation and their meritorious efforts collecting for their chosen mental health charity. “It’s all about going through tough times and getting through” concludes Hartwell. Originally from the ‘II’ EP, and now re-worked upon ‘Force of Nature’, it’s one of my favourite TWR tracks, utterly timeless and pure mellifluous magic.
Surrounding the ‘back-to-the-future’ moments there are further much-warranted explorations of ‘Force of Nature’. The omni-present hard rocking ‘Black Gold’ seems to have been about forever; indeed, it was in TWR’s set in 2022’s edition of Love Rocks. The affluent imagery of ‘The Riverboat Man’ and its multi-hued waterway kicks the most serious of posterior, hollering right out of the deepest of delta lands, as does ‘The Family’.
Two other tracks from ‘II’ have received the same rightful treatment as ‘War’ and are both aired too. ‘Testify’ is a howling whistle across the still midnight with its mournful harmonica courtesy of keyboardist Rich Wilson, full of bluesy soul Day, keen to connect directly with the crowd is off the stage in a flash. The set closing ‘Don’t Pray For Me’ holds precious special sentiments before those flowers are handed out by the band.
The honour of the final fireworks of 2024’s instalment of Love Rocks is deservedly handed to reignited County Down rockers The Answer. Erase their name from their headstone as following a seven-year hiatus they switched their status from ‘MIA’ to ‘Active’ The release of 2023’s ‘Sundowner’ album confirmed a triumphant comeback performance at Planet Rockstock at the tail end of the previous year.
Since formation in 2000 across the six albums that preceded their step back from rock’s frontline The Answer had garnered much positivity leading to uber-prestigious support slots with The Rolling Stones and Aerosmith as well as a 2-year stint on AC/DC’s ‘Black Ice’ tour. With the onset of dusk approaching so Love Rocks is more than ready to embrace the craic.
Walking out onto a darkened, stage with only the acoustic vibes of Dylan’s ‘Blowing In The Wind’ posing rhetorical, to this day scientifically unanswered, questions for company. Bassist Micky ‘The Warrior’ Waters shakes his four-string charge as coruscant guitarist Paul Mahon strikes the raw chordage of initial number ‘Blood Brother’.
All albums bar 2015’s ‘Raise A Little Hell’ are represented here in Dorset with their being a natural tilt towards ‘Sundowners’. Throughout enigmatic frontman Cormac Neeson, ever sincere in his expression, whirls and dances his way as the band, enhanced with the addition of keyboardist Cara Bruns, scales the peaks.
Tubthumper ‘Nowhere Freeway’, think Tom Petty and Kid Rock drinking from the same bottle of bourbon, replete with Brun’s keys piercing the dusk elicits a mighty loud roar following Neeson confirmatively stating “It’s true the rumours [that] Love does indeed Rock!”
Beneath cloudless skies ‘Under The Sky’ couldn’t contain more swagger if it tried. Neeson constantly engages, speaking of the latest album “We’re getting used to playing it!” furthering “The Answer don’t do bad karma, are you about good vibes and positive energy?” An answer in the affirmative draws a smile, this is the very essence of The Answer.
Mahon’s sumptuous spirit-cleansing slide guitar in ‘Sundowners’ is the perfect accompaniment to Neeson’s freight train harmonica, The Answer’s Mulder to Scully. It’s banger following banger with the steamrollering dirty southern blues of ‘Want You To Love Me’ leading the charge into the mid-quarters of the set.
The latest singles ‘Put Your Money On Me’ and ‘Wild Heart’ give good indication of that there is still plenty of creative juices in The Answer’s rock n’ roll tank. This is clearly a band who are far, far from done.
The tempo drops a little with the Celtic feel of ‘Comfort Zone’ but not the mood. The beautifully ethereality of ‘Solas’ illuminates and ‘Spectacular’ does precisely what it says on the tin with Neeson rallying “Alright Love Rocks let’s be having yas!”, the assembled ranks sing raucously in response.
The classic anthem, Planet Rock approved, ‘Come Follow Me’ ascends constructing a solid path into the latter stages of an enthralling performance. With a thunderous explosion and a huge slice of AC/DC trucking this corner of Dorset is treated to an absolute barnstorming rendition.
The soulful ‘Cold Heart’ and gritty ‘No Salvation’ are plucked off ‘Sundowners’ either side of a spellbinding ‘Preachin’’ in which Neeson, and extra long mic cable (nice work Jon and Nigel!), joins the crowd savouring the moment in amongst ‘his people’. Throughout the arena Brother Lee Love hands are raised as we party with Neeson, the consummate frontman, and his band. Mahon’s slide notes despatched from his silvery steel guitar are simply sublime.
Neeson’s solo version of the Irish traditional song ‘Here’s A Health To Company’ is Celtic fervour in its soul; glasses are raised with no encouraging necessary. “Sláinte mhaith” indeed, let us drink and be merry for one more song. That one being the set closing rousing rumbustiousness of ‘Demon Eyes’.
There’s a quiet moment immediately following to reflect upon two people without whom there would be no Love Rocks, no St. Leonards Farm Campsite. We respectfully raise a glass to the memory of co-organiser Jim’s parents Roland and Zena Love to whom this year’s review is dedicated to.
Photography by Kelly Spiller for MPM