Live Review : HRH Viking - December 5th 2021 at the O2 Academy, Sheffield

By Mjolnir the mighty hammer of Thor I am out of my depth here! Due to other commitments I am only able to do the one day at Hard Rock Hell’s annual beard and helmet fest, and I have no idea what to expect. I mean it’s (supposed to be) Scandi-rock Jim, but not as I know it…… only of course it’s not. This is a rollover from 2020 and due to the dreaded ‘rona the line-up looks very different from the one originally booked. It’s all UK bands and I have no idea if they fit with the Viking theme as I’m a fish out of water here – I only know two of the bands playing. So let’s just play it by ear and see what happens right?

Live Review : Damnation Festival 2021 - "A Night Of Salvation"

We ended our Damnation 2019 review by stating that we were already counting down the 365 days till the next one. Well, we got that spectacularly wrong, didn’t we? Damnation 2021 has been a long-time coming and has faced many hurdles during its elongated gestation period. But here we are back together once more at Leeds University Students Union.

Damnation Festival 2021 Preview

We stand on the edge of the precipice. This time next week we will all be deep in the bowls of the Labyrinth that is Leeds Student Union. You see, even though it felt that it would never come around, we are now a mere seven days away from Damnation 2021. Well, what a journey it has been. For obvious reasons Damnation 2020 went off with the fairies and the bill that we will feast our eyes and ears on next Saturday bears little or no resemblance to the one that they launched late last year. BUT it is testament to the tremendous work of Gavin McInally and Paul Farrington that, not only, has it been sold out since March this year, but they have managed to put together a much stronger bill than they had at the start. There is also the small matter of an absolute cracker of an opening party in the shape of Night of Salvation (this Friday, tickets still available!!!).

FleshtivalsAuthor : Stewart Lucas30 October 2021Damnation Festival, 2021, PreviewComment

Live Review : Badgerfest - Sunday, October 17th 2021 at the Bread Shed, Manchester

It’s day three of Badgerfest and our Sarah has taken a well earnt early bath and gone home to put her feet up. I’ve taken on the reviewing baton and steel myself for a full on day of metal. As said, this is the third and final day and as an urban city-based festival it is always going to be a struggle to get punters out of their own beds/ hotel rooms / friend’s couches and into the venue for a 1.30pm start. The answer is simple. You stick the most hyped local band in decades into that opening slot.

Live Review : Badgerfest - Saturday, October 16th 2021 at The Bread Shed, Manchester

After my hotel booking for the weekend was randomly cancelled with barely any notice, I decided I would be more than capable of getting the train to Badgerfest each day. Day 2 and I am regretting that thought already, as I whizz through Warrington and Newton Le Willows, unable to get lost in my usual daydreamy train thoughts (todays is “They missed a trick last night not covering the Badger song”) as I am alarmingly close to Dave and his workmates having a staff day out and sipping their pre mixed G and Ts.

Live Review : Badgerfest - Friday, October 15th 2021 at The Bread Shed, Manchester

We all knew it was going to be a moment of pure joy, but words cannot adequately express the ecstasy of finally being back in a room with such a wonderful group of people and such an excellent line up of some of the finest UK metal bands.

Badgerfest’s opening day arrived in with a bang... that bang being John Badgers foot on the bass drum of the kit.

Live Review : Rockin The Bowl (Forged In Fire & Steel) – Sunday September 12th at Don Valley Bowl, Sheffield

Sunday starts not with a bang, but more of a splat. There is an Issue with the toilets, namely that the company that was supposed to come and clear them out on a regular basis over the weekend hasn’t turned up. This has led to a bit of a crisis, as those of us camping are faced with (literally) brimming cubicles, and the arena can’t open for health and safety reasons. Thankfully after frantic ringing around a replacement pumping company is found, and the situation is relieved. As are the campers!

Live Review : Rockin The Bowl (Forged In Fire & Steel) – Saturday September 11th at Don Valley Bowl, Sheffield

It’s an early start after a late night as we trundle along the M62 in the campervan. The weather is looking promising, and we arrive in plenty of time to get settled in before the bands start. This event has expanded from one day to 3 this year, to make up for having to roll over from 2020, and the campsite is busy but well-organised. You can pitch your tent next to your car (which is handy) and those of us in vans just park them up in an available space. Everything is compact, it’s a very short walk to the arena, in fact there are several places where you can sit outside your tent, car or van and both see and hear the main stage pretty well.

Live Review : Slam Dunk Festival (North), Leeds Temple Newsham Park on September 4th 2021

There’ve been times that Slam Dunk looked like it may have shot its final 3-pointer, what with the date changes close to four times across the pandemic. But the determined promoters kept at it and managed to get the festival, together with a still fantastic line-up to the masses of Leeds and Hatfield. I’m off to the North date, and start by navigating the intricate shuttle bus queuing system in the centre of Leeds (have I just entered Alton towers?). Pleasingly I can see loads of people are ensuring they get there for opening at Slam Dunk 2021.

Live Review : Steelhouse Festival 2021 - Day 3

Much to everyone’s surprise, Sunday at Steelhouse actually did dawn bright and sunny, and the mood as we trooped into the arena for the final day was very definitely on the up. We scatter onto the grass to bask in the sub and soak up the atmospheric sound of our opening band Empyre.

Live Review : Steelhouse Festival 2021 - Day 2

Saturday dawned bright and…… nah. This is Wales. The wind got up a bit overnight, the rain came in and Saturday morning was wet and blustery. Much re-pegging and such was done on the various campsites as people woke and surveyed the havoc wreaked by the unforecast gales. Thankfully casualties seemed to be minor, and it was soon time to head into the arena to see what the second day would bring.

Live Review : Steelhouse Festival 2021 - Day 1

It’s been a long 18 months, hasn’t it? Since Covid kicked us all in the face in March 2020 our lives have changed so much, possibly forever. For those of us who love our live music our hearts have been torn out as we have watched gig after gig, festival after festival fall to the dreaded “Covid Rules”. There have been glimmers of hope here and there with a smattering of socially-distanced and sanitised events and some online streams, but they have been few and far between and, while better than nothing, they haven’t really been able to replace what we have lost.