A nice excursion to Coventry for this charity event. Dementia Aware festivals are held for a cause, that is becoming increasingly common and all the bands and crew have given up their time for free today, in aid of this all dayer. Sadly our notable compère for the day, the unique and extraordinary Wardi, has had to cancel. On his return from Spain he suffering a slight injury while carrying his suitcases, could only happen to Jon ‘Wardi’ Ward, bless you and get well soon x. I haven’t been to the HMV Empire before, so I spend a few minutes getting my bearings, it’s a decent joint, not enough staff behind the bar and the toilets are in the sky, but minor problems. The actual room is quite big and a space with another stage is hidden behind a curtain, so there’s capacity for pretty large bands here. That’s confirmed with the live schedule on the wall, which is impressive. Sound checks take longer than expected so the 3pm start is slightly delayed, however the bar is full, there’s a Christmas Market outside providing food and plenty of folk have turned up paying on the door, looking good already.
The role of compère falls to Tony Feasey, of Adam And The Hellcats, who does a wondrous job and it was nice to catch up with him during the day.
STEVE VINCENT – Despite being in a lot of discomfort, Steve has battled the pain and travelled down from Sheffield to open the show. Adam Feasey from ‘Adam and the Hellcats’, is now a fixture on guitar and although being relatively new, he has risen to the challenge. The first song, ‘Looking At You’ is a ‘Paradise Alley’ number, Steve’s old band. They were part of that UK glam scene back in the late 80’s early 90’s that was such a privilege to be part of, chaotic, debauched, totally unsurpassable and still missed by many. With a hint of how libertine it was down the Charing Cross Road back then, Steve rolls off a few from his ‘Recovered From My Past’ album. ‘Don’t Go Breaking My Heart Again’, ‘Last Train To Babylon’ and ‘Fortune Wheel’ are all held in that sleazy rock genre. Backing vocals provide that easy to go bounce and guitars are strummed with flicks and effortless perfection. Steve adds Harmonica on occasion and it’s streetwise rock and roll at its best. They pour more ‘Paradise Alley’ favourites into the air, ‘Three Time Loser’ and ‘Baby Don’t Go’, which are both adorable. ‘All I Wanna Do’ is a chanting whoop that you can sing along to before they end on the brilliantly crafted ‘I Don’t Care About You’. If you want a ‘Paradise Alley’ fix, then ‘The Rest Of The Best’ album is well worth purchasing. Lovely to catch up with Steve, the beautiful Kerry Angel and bassist Ged again.
BLACK STAR BULLET – Are a local three man outfit who were previously known as ‘Loophole’ a moniker I quite like. Digging in the archives it looks like they have been playing together in one form or another since the early 90’s, mostly when they were called ‘Skullduggery’, (rings a bell), all this explains how they are so tight knit on stage. There are three albums to date as ‘Black Star Bullet’ the new name since 2010 and they literally take us by ’Storm’ for their opener. A ‘Ry Cooder’ slide intro, gives way to staunch rocking and Trev Goddard begins screaming with furore. A couple from the latest album ‘The Route One Hustle’ follow, ‘Noisy Silence’ steps more decidedly, while ‘Fractured’ has some riveting bass underscoring the harmony and more of those dominant vocals from Trev, before the guitar kicks in. The self titled debut album is represented by ‘Hate’ which has a fabulous guitar sound. These guys do have a way with words, I like the album title ‘Our Own Noise’ and we get ‘Shut Up And Listen, ‘Catch The Bus’ and the more bluesy rocker ‘Look It In The Eye’ from this delightful 2017 release. They go back to the debut from 2011 for ‘8:50 Am’ which has more of that wild guitar noise. Really liked watching this Coventry band, there’s no frills, they just rock and they do it in timeless style.
LIFE OF A HERO – A change of direction towards melodic rock next. ‘Life A Hero’ may have only been around since 2021, but they’ve produced a stunning debut album ‘Letting Go’ and their set today is 99% of it. Frontman Russ Grimmett has a voice that carries. With a range of octaves that reach into the most distant crevices, he stands on stage and delivers ‘3D’ with impeccable charm. The band consists of guitarist Miles Meakin (Midnite City), whose dexterous fret working introduces ‘Caught In A Lie’. As we hear ’Shine A light’ and ‘When We let Go’ the band have warmed the audience sufficiently for them to clap along and I see plenty of heads nodding in mutual agreement, that this is a mighty performance. The powerful melody of ‘In My Dreams’ has so much character, up there with some of the finest and the guitar playing is incredible. Low and more dangerous rhythm with ‘Falling Apart At The Seams’ which rocks up a frenzy as it travels. Russ is tremendous, standing on the barrier encouraging us to participate and when the lighting catches his silhouette, arms aloft, it portrays the high level of talent and showmanship he has inherited. They aren’t done yet though, ‘Risk It All’ swaggers the band into action and under the harmonious lyrics there’s a thunderous blasting of sound. ‘Down And Out’ is another that has a multi sided theme, a crashing riff underpinning those marvellous vocals. They end on ‘Letting Go’ which is one hell of a track. A tune that just flows without hesitation. Brilliant set, guys.
BLACK WATER FIEND – Another local Coventry band and another change to the atmosphere. This set begins with darker stuff as ‘Where Do We Go’ proves, slowly creeping with a sense of menace. However, the addition of Rhys Scott adds something else, he’s like a young ‘Wilko Johnson’ swinging his bass around, with a pout to match that legendary guitarist’s. The band have released a few singles of late, ‘Bring The Fire’ being one from 2021. It’s quite a sturdy tune, Danny Starkey on vocals is joined by Sam Martin on guitar, the latter adding a lot of weighty riffs and impressive string bending. The title track from the ‘Catacomb’ EP begins with delicate, ghostly vibes as the name suggests. This continues and allows for structure, eventually building into quite a melancholy, yet dramatic finish. I’ve decided there’s a lot more to these guys than we’ve seen so far and a track from 2018, when the band first got together, entitled ‘Apocalypse’ brings everything into the forefront. Heavy and unspoilt rawness, with lashings of grating chords, it’s highly intoxicating. The new single ‘Push’ is really catchy and it was produced by a mutual friend and extraordinary guy, ‘Jay Shredder’. They end on ‘Protect You’ now this does shake the roof timbers, a swirling mass of noise that oozes and spurts like a boiling cauldron. Wow, I liked them, be certain to catch up with ‘Black Water Fiend’ soon. Meanwhile download the back catalogue, it’s wicked stuff.
THE HOT ONE TWO – I’m really up to date with this Cambridgeshire band, I’ve just reviewed the debut album and have been following them for a while. They are definitely ones to watch, as they say. So here in front of a relatively sparse crowd, the majority having not seen them before, is probably their biggest test for ages. The new album ’Superbia’ is played in its entirety tonight, with a couple from the ‘Unrestrained’ EP of 2022, thrown in to complete the menu. ‘The Fray’ and ‘Rolling Stone’ are the introductions and to be honest frontman Sinon West and his band, being true professionals, are no different in front of fifty people or five thousand, they could be stood on the main Download stage, it would be a similar performance. ‘Bleed On Me’ from the mentioned EP, is gritty and has all the hard hitting and rocking melody, their fans adore. I think they’re already acquiring some new followers to the camp, judging by the response they’re receiving. The other EP choice is ‘Move and Shake’ and the newly initiated are bemused by rhythm guitarist Kev Baker’s face pulling, actually it’s something that never fails to entertain, no matter how many times you see him. ‘Is It Hot’ and ‘Something Real’ get the synchronised guitars rolling and there’s a lot of dashing around the stage, it’s what they do ! ‘Playing With Fire’ and one of the best tracks ‘Tie Me Down’ bring the show to a close. I think they proved a lot tonight, especially to those of us who know how good they are. No doubt in my mind, 2024 is going to be mega for them.
Link to my Album Review of ‘Superbia’ HERE
GYPSY PISTOLEROS – My second viewing of the ‘Greatest Flamenco Punk Glam Band Ever’ in a month and there’s never a dull moment with Lee Mark Jones, chief hombre and one of the most natural frontmen you’ll ever witness. It’s a colourful and wild theme these days, mix up the ‘Dia de los Muertos’ ( Day of the Dead ) with South American Latino, fiery Glam Rock and you are half way there. There are no boundaries, just an original and unique style of music. ‘Duende A Go Go Loco!’ is the new album and they start with the title song. With faces painted like bandits, theatrical costumes and those Flamenco style outpourings, they stun those new to the band. They play quite a few new tunes, but in-between there’s room for classic’s like ‘Hotel De La Muerta’ and ‘Livin La Vida Loca’ which are truly spectacular, the latter getting us singing along. New guitarist Shane has fitted in perfectly and alongside bassist Kerry White they make a decent partnership. Lee moves to the barrier and is full of banter with the folk in the audience, his humour and wit melting them. ‘Close As You’ll Ever Be’ provides more punk elements, before they resume with tracks from the new release, ‘I’ll Remember You’ is a slower ballad type and breaks up the set superbly, while ‘Thrill Kill Killer Club’ comprises of punching chords and vocals with shock tactics. ‘The Ballad Of Tommy Selby’ is a dedication to the ‘Peaky Blinder’ and tells a tale with more flamboyant behaviour. ‘Forever, Wild, Beautiful and Dammed’ is not only the title of the 2012 album, but the song itself has popped up in differing disguises over the years. They play a version tonight, that’s terrific before the finale of ‘Dexys Midnight Runners’ mega hit from 1982, ‘Come On Eileen’. If there’s one song that gets old, young and the infirm partying it’s this one. I fully recommend ‘Duende A Go Go Loco!’ which is available now.
Before the final act, our compère Tony leads the organisers, Allison and Richard onto the stage along with their crew. There’s a lot of thank you’s and well deserved applause, before the charity bucket makes another round. All proceeds go to Dementia Awareness and everyone has given up their free time for this amazing charity event.
STOP STOP – This is a story of how anything is possible if you believe in what you are doing. These guys from Barcelona, put all their money into buying a van and moved to the UK in 2011, in an attempt to make it on the music scene. Tonight they headline the ‘Dementia Aware Festival’ proving they are now set solid here, achieving more than they ever expected. This is the first time I’ve seen them with new guitarist Dennis Felperlaan, who has all the looks and charisma to ensure ‘StOp, sToP!’ continue to wow us. ‘Lost In The UK’ is an early number from 2014, which must be written from experience. It gets the party started before ‘Anarchy’ and ‘Let Me Fill Your Void’ let us see how good Dennis is. Carefully choreographed and 100% in tune with each other, he and lead man Jacob, on bass and vocals, entertain with a precise and well thought out routine. We have no excuse to ‘Join The Party’ is it’s aired and the atmosphere here in the Empire is one of electric celebration. The album ‘Get Selfied’ was a massive hit for the band in 2019, ‘Renegade’ and ‘You Drive Me Loco’ remind me how strikingly good it still is. The room is heaving now, these guys sure know how to captivate an audience. They let us hear the new single ‘Fire Fire!’ this is on the next album ’Tangled’ due out on December 1st. What a song, well in keeping with the lively theme that ’StOp, sToP!’ create, it’s a screamer. I know what’s coming next, Danny Spasov leaves his drum stool, putting a single ‘snare’ ( I think ) around his neck and the trio take to the floor, parading around to a mix of rock classics, it’s a win win move and the punters love it. When they finally get back on stage, they end on their eponymous track and despite being one of their first, it’s as unstoppable and magnificent as ‘StOp sToP!’ themselves. Amazing stuff and so much to take in, they were utterly outstanding. Visit their social pages for details on how to buy ‘Tangled’ or go to the Website: www.stopstoptheband.com/online-store
What a full on and rewarding day ! Every band had something different to offer and I couldn’t fault any of them in all fairness. The venue was in the middle of the Coventry, easily accessible, I walked from the Railway Station which only took 10 minutes. There were plenty of shops nearby and the Empire itself, has everything. Loads of seating in the bars and an outside balcony upstairs if you need it. I did mention the ‘Sparse’ audience, but on reflection this was a large room and if it had been say, the Giffard Arms, then it would have been rammed. So massive congratulations to Allison and Richard, who organised this festival, as it went without a hitch. Here’s to the next one !
PHOTO CREDIT – Martin Power his gallery of the day can be seen HERE
Thanks To – Allison Jayne , Richard Forbes, Tony Feasley, Adam Feasley and Martin for grabbing the set lists !
