Off to the city again, on a Tuesday night, sure what else would you be doing otherwise, the Aussies have come to town, ably support by Irish lads Vendetta love, love to see the words Sold Out at a lot of these gigs in Belfast it's been a great year for bands and with venues packed out, long may it continue!!!
Ricky Warwick is a many with many hats these days. When he’s not upfront with Black Star Riders or Thin Lizzy, he’s busy solo, re-forming The Almighty for a farewell tour or recently performing as part of an acoustic duo with Sam Wood.
It has been a while since we have seen Avenged Sevenfold. The band finally dropped the follow-up to 2016’s ‘The Stage’ with the album ‘Life Is But a Dream…’ It’s a record that has been debated and dissected among fans since its release and now the band has embarked on a North American tour to support it.
A two hour drive up into the back end of Derbyshire has me at the venue in good time. The journey was filled with good music and a chat with the boss about a holiday he spent in Poland, it’s surprising what you chat about but it all helps to pass the time.
Having been home and dried out at the end of Saturday I returned for the third and final day of Maid Of Stone hoping that the weather might improve and the early signs were promising as the day had started much brighter.
Having promised wall to wall sunshine on Saturday earlier in the week, now we were here, the outlook wasn’t so promising from a weather point of view.
Although it is a cool and damp Tuesday evening, the offer of a trip to one of our favourite venues, combined with the performances of two absolutely banging bands, was too much for these two ‘Old Muppets’ to resist.
It’s 4 years since Kent last hosted Ramblin’ Man festival that bought the great and good of the rock, blues and Americana world alongside more leather than a herd of Fresians to the Garden of England.
It’s very leafy and green here in the countryside of South Gloucestershire, it’s also rather refined hereabouts too. It’s a very pleasant Sunday afternoon, in between the blustery downpours, for The Who to ‘Hit Bristol’ as their tour poster for today proclaims. Splitting hairs, here at Badminton Estate, we’re about a half hour’s drive and as far removed from the hustle and bustle of Bristol’s city centre as one can be.
UK Tech Fest - 10 years of building a strong, respected event showcasing the finest bands in the metal scene of today, giving underground and newer bands the opportunities to shine amongst some of metal’s household named bands and then some… what a festival!
Another day, another trip down the awful M6 into Birmingham once more, on getting there I find my little cheap car-park has now closed so in the panic I end up in the Utilita North Car park and pay the price for it being underneath the venue.
Sunday was a perfect music feast at Glastonbury Festival. While The Rocket Man, aka Sir Elton John, was playing his farewell gig on Pyramid Stage, the fans of heavier sounds enjoyed Other Stage set by Queens Of The Stone Age.
After getting notification that I’m good to shoot the amalgam of godfathers from the halcyon days of English Punk, I find myself sat on the dread M6 watching the time pass by all to quickly.
The skies above the hustling streets of the capital might well be grey and leaden, rain threatens, but there’s a kind of carnival expectation akin to Sunshine City.
We are really getting treated well at the minute in Belfast, with some great gigs and lineups happening nearly every week and tonight is no exception, Spiritbox bringing Liverpudlians Loathe and fellow Canadians Brand of Sacrifice with them!
So, summer in the Midwest is in full swing and it has been hot and humid! It doesn’t help that the Canadian wildfires have been causing air quality issues either. But we soldier on because summer is concert season and the bands coming to the area this year make it well worth braving the elements!