Last week, at short notice, I managed to get the authorisation to shoot Santa Cruz, you've read that right, not Santa Claus, but Santa Cruz, the hard rock Scandinavian quartet from Helsinki, Finland.

The local Liverpool band Black Cat Bones opened the proceedings, I say local but they are actually from Liverpool and not Chester. On first appearance, you would be forgiven for thinking that they are a Guns N' Roses cover band. I fell victim of making the same judgment the first time I saw them. Sure, they have been influenced by them, musically and may have possibly robbed their wardrobe but Black Cat Bones are offering much more than that.
As I live in Liverpool, I have seen them at least 5 times in the last couple of years, their stage presence and song delivery have vastly improved. Last week was no exception. Performing most of their new EP "Down To The River", Jonnie Hodson (vocals) is energetic and entertaining. We are treated to a bit of harmonica on the classic bluesy "The River" while Alan Rimmer (lead guitar) coolishly delivers monster riffs and great solos.

Skarlett Riot were next on the bill as they were the main support for Santa Cruz for the whole of their UK tour. They came on full of energy but the act is more metal than hard rock and I did ponder for a while as to why they were sandwiched between two more rock n' roll oriented acts. The Scunthorp outlet was unphased by it, so why should I be. Although I did not know any of their songs, I did enjoy their set. They started with the heavy ‘Break’ from the new album ‘Regenerate’. Skarlett, the lead singer worked the room well while Danny (guitar) and Martin (bass) relentlessly bounced around the stage.

I first noticed Santa Cruz when they were invited in 2015 to the AXS "Breaking Band" show to be mentored by Sebastian Bach. You can still watch the show here and to this day, I am still wondering what this TV program was about. Santa Cruz came across as a pretty clued up band which didn't need any advice from anyone. Last year, I caught them supporting their friends and fellow finnish citizens Reckless Love on their UK tour (gallery).
This year, they were headlining their UK tour for the release of their 3rd album "Bad Blood Rising". Archie Cruz & Co wasted no time in getting you up to speed. Each of their songs are infectious anthems with great riffs and catchy chorus, all of this amplified by the fact that all band members contribute to the backing vocals make a great show. When you expect a solo, you are more likely to get 2 for the price of one as Archie and Johnny alternate shredding duties and boy, oh, boy, these boys can shred.
A special mention should go to their sound engineer for a fantastic job on the night.