Local band A’priori open the show today, and do a damn fine job of it too. They have changed a lot since I last saw them. Previous vocalist Mouse is now the drummer, his brother Tony still plays the guitar but also handles lead vocals, and new boy Mark covers pretty much all other bases on an impressive bank of keyboards. I’ve seen bands play with a drum machine before but I think this is the first time I’ve seen bass played on a keyboard, with feet! I really like this band, their songs are catchy and powerful and they make a big noise for a small 3-piece band. There is some rather nifty shredding guitar, and I am hearing several whispers of Alter Bridge as a comparison from those around me. Standout tracks for me were one called ‘Liberty’ I think, and their current single release ‘I Feel Alive’, which you can find on all the usual platforms. There’s an album in the offing too, so I strongly recommend you put this band on your “ones to watch” list cos I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

WACO come on next, under the “and now for something completely different” banner. Describing themselves as psychedelic punks they present us with loud, choppy songs, shirts that are also loud and a drummer with possibly the worst headband in the world. The songs are punchy 3-minute specials, spat out by frontman Jack who is a wheeling, gurning Zebedee of a singer. They are happy and smiley with just a touch of fuck-you attitude, and they are making the crowd smile too. They suit a small crowded venue like this, and are definitely worth a watch.

The Dust Coda, I felt were a bit average. They were good, but only good, not “Oh, My God!” good. The vocals were tuneful, the choruses were catchy, the musicianship was excellent, they covered a range of genres and were very versatile but I just couldn’t find anything special about them. A great filler band, fine as a support band but just missing that special something for me to make them stand out. I think they have the potential to go to the next level, they just need to find their mojo.

Soldato on the other hand are heavy. Not thrash heavy but riff-heavy, powerful and solid. Technically they are very proficient, and there are some surprisingly whoah-oh-oh choruses sneaking in there as well. They remind me a bit of a harder, more ballsier Black Stone Cherry. Didn’t note any standout songs but the whole set was easy to nod along to and I enjoyed it very much. Another new name on the watch list!

Samarkind are up next, and they start with some pretty awesome slide guitar. Hmm, I’ve not been over keen when I’ve seen this band before as I found their modern-retro sound a little boring but today they are another band that are growing on me. They still have a distinct whiff of Led Zep and Glenn Hughes era Deep Purple about them but tonight the songs seem sharper somehow, more polished and more up-to-date. I am preferring this slightly harder, on-point Samarkind and although they definitely have a 70s vibe going on I’m finding it easier to get into the music today. There’s a big power ballad at the end of the set that is particularly good, with a little segue into ‘Heaven And Hell’ at the bridge and some proper screaming from both vocals and guitar. I admit it, I was wrong about Samarkind, they are actually a pretty decent band.

Beth Blade And The Beautiful Disasters unfortunately coincide with me needing to nip out and get some food, so I only catch a small portion of their set. Ably assisted today by the lovely Berty Burton on bass, they are basic hard rock with some decent tunes. By the time I get back, they are obviously going down very well with the crowd. I’ll catch you next time for a full review Beth, promise!

Those Damn Crows come back to give us a full set tonight. This is a band who are very much at the top of their game at the moment. They hit the stage in a blast of sound and vision. Right from the start, the crowd is with them as they blast out song after song. Shane is over the barrier and into the crowd, then up on the bar, all the time still singing. The pose box is back (hurrah!) and gets well used by the rest of the band as they own the stage. Watching them is exhilarating, because you are part of the show. The band is the crowd and the crowd is the band. I suspect the welsh act will go far in the future. There’s a photo of the setlist in the gallery for those who like that sort of thing, but as usual they finish with ‘Rock & Roll Ain’t Dead’ and I don’t think there is a single person in the room not singing along. Rock & Roll is alive and well, at least here in Blackpool tonight. Those Damn Crows are the living proof of that.

This of course has left Falling Red with the difficult task of following them onto the stage, and I am just a little worried that they might fall a bit flat. But no, with their usual swagger and good humour they give a set that, while maybe not as energetic as the Crows, is certainly as full of beautifully crafted rock songs. They too have a varied repertoire, and the set includes the happy singalong ‘My Town My City’ with its poignant chorus of “it’s always home to me”. Yep, watching Falling Red is like coming home and after some setbacks over the last year that I’m not going to go into here I can’t tell you how good it is to see this band back on form and tearing up the stage again. My personal favourite song ‘Come On Down’ gets an airing, and they finish with the riotous ‘If You Ain’t Down With The Rock’ and its shoutback chorus of “You Can Fuck Right Off!” Tonight we are down with the rock, the crowd are right with them and they too end on a massive high.

Talking of massive, we of course finally get to headliners Massive Wagons. Although I’ve been a fan of the band for a long time I’ve not managed to see much of them recently, so as they smash into the opening bars of ‘Rising Tide’ I’m happy to see that nothing has changed. Wagons are still a good-time party band with songs that are simple but effective. Their tribute to the late Rick Parfitt ‘Back To The Stack’ sees the whole room raise a glass to him and ‘Billy Balloon Head’ is a proper bouncy good-time song even though I have no idea what it’s about! ‘Sunshine Smile’ is debuted, and is typical upbeat Wagons fare with a simple beat, complex guitars and lyrics that completely baffle me. It’s also nice to see some older songs get aired again, especially ‘Black Witch’ and ‘Red Dress’, both of which are favourites of mine. It’s a little odd now to see a band with the size of the following that Wagons have these days play in such a small intimate venue, and I suspect that in years to come this may end up being one of those legendary gigs where you can look back fondly and say “Yeah, I was there!” It’s ridiculously hot and sweaty, ridiculously crowded, but the love in the room is palpable and the songs just keep on coming. ‘Northern Boy’ in particular, showcases just what a fine voice Baz Mills actually has. Sometimes you forget when he’s belting out the fast rockers but this boy can really hold a tune and it’s one of the highlights of the set for me. I’m a little disappointed that ‘Fight The System’, although on the setlist, gets cut due to time constraints, but as they finish with ‘Fee Fi Fo Fum’ the crowd response is phenomenal and I’m caught in the moment just like everyone else, cheering myself hoarse, happy to know that bands of this calibre are alive and well and tearing the roof off the Waterloo tonight!