The first gig of the year for me, after a bit of a break, I’m starting to get back into the swing of things. What better way to get the 2024 ball rolling than the Dementia Aware Fest at the Station in Cannock. I met Dave Evans on the door and got a massive hug, so good to see him although sadly this is the last ‘Dementia’ he’s organising. As soon as I walk into the venue I bump into friends I haven’t seen for months and some have travelled quite a long way to be here today. It’s like a big party to be honest, the atmosphere is so laidback and it seems everyone knows each other, by the end of the night I’m sure we’ll all be linked on social media !
A legendary compère today, as PETE K MALLY is our host, he changes clothes more times than a catwalk model today. I send a pic of him wearing a Slyder and the Oblivion Kids T, to Mr Smith, who is truly flattered. Unfortunately White Skies had to cancel at the last minute, due to a family emergency, so we wish them well. Seven bands on the bill and a bit of variety, it all kicks off at 3.30pm and the room is already full.
It all starts with a bang, yes it’s Stoke On Trent’s noise merchants, BANG BANG FIRECRACKER who wake us up with their, quote, ‘Hard Hittin’ Ear Splittin’ Rock n’ F#ckin’ Roll’. The introduction is ‘Hail Waco’ and from the album ‘Welcome to the Slaughterhouse’ they give us ‘Immortalized’. Frontman Kieron Berry is one of those vocalists who has a whiskey induced, throaty approach to his singing and as they launch into ‘The Power of 72’ I’m reminded of those 3 immense multi-track singles they brought out ’See, Hear and Speak Evil’, classic stuff. Bassist Marcus Wrench should not be overlooked, I watch with respect as he picks out notes and plays like a lead guitarist on more than one occasion. ‘No Class’ is one of my favourite ‘Motörhead’ tracks and BBF do it proud, it definitely gets the crowd going. ‘G.F.Y’ and ’Set The World Ablaze’ melt the walls, before they blast out ‘Father Genocide’ to finish. Getting a lot more notice recently and being added to the bill for some notable events, check them out on their FACEBOOK page
Up from Hereford are the much loved KINSTRIFE, a band who deliver a brand of heavy melodic rock with that tone of the ‘Marches’ in their music. Mostly from the ‘Fools And Monsters’ album of 2021, it’s a set packed with warm and embracing tracks like the opener ‘Interventions’, one of many songs that set this band apart. The last single ’Sticks And Stones’ comes up next, over four minutes long and frontman Mike Hoskins, is in his element, singing with that impeccable and effortless style and having a persona you can’t fail to like. More from the album, ‘Get Away’, with its magical groove and shaman like vocals, the more delicate ‘Fear’ that sways like a cool breeze and ‘Rise And Fall’ which ups the pace with a marvellous hook. ‘Unconditional’ summons us to listen intently and that break in the melody when Mike releases some of his best vocals, is just stunning. ‘Any Given Day’ has a great rhythm with the guitar from Alan ‘Kinstrife’ Tiga, who is also impressive to watch. ‘Ground Hammer’ came out as a single in 2022, an intro that thuds with anticipation is broken with unwavering lyrics and a powerful chant of ‘Ground Hammer’ is like a warrior’s cry. After all that excitement, they end on ‘Make Me’ another with a melody to die for, a chugging riff and heated vocals.
Catch up with KINSTRIFE on social pages HERE
The tapping of the Cow Bell by drummer Tony Feasey is the signal for ADAM AND THE HELLCATS to grace the stage here in Cannock with ‘ She’s A Vampire’. Not the first time they’ve made their way up the Motorway from Bristol recently to appear at The Station, as they were here for Sharkfest back in November. The ‘Claws Out’ LP is also repped with ‘Queen And Country’ and Cirwen Farrant livens it up with her squeals and extraordinary voice. Lovely riff to it and the song grinds with some awesome bass. The more recent ‘Catalyst’ is a 12 track hummer and ‘Black Witch Bomb’ is a massive tease off that album. Easy to sing along and indulge in some head shaking as Cirwen adds even more evocative purring. ‘Cover Band’ is a stab at that fraternity, however this is a crawling masterpiece, it hits the floor with its low chords and thunders unshakeably in its own wake. Like the majority of Adam And The Hellcat Songs, the underlying messages are those regarding mental health and ‘Demons’ takes the suffering by the throat. Upfront Adam Feasey keeps us entertained with his unique style and the upbeat ’Traitor’ allows him to demonstrate why he’s so popular. ‘Go Easy’ is a new one and the response from the audience is remarkable, Tony explained to me that ‘The song is about things like wishing you had another day to say something to someone, before they go’ and it certainly made an impact. ‘What The Cat Dragged In’ takes us back to ‘Catalyst’ and shows what fabulous albums these guys have produced. It all ends with the anthem and audience participation of ‘Peace,Love (And Rock N Roll)’ or ’Sausage Rolls’ if you caught a set list. Another band that are gaining fans and getting sought after by promoters. Visit the bands social pages for more info as a new album is in the pipeline.
ADAM AND THE HELLCATS – FACEBOOK
CIRCUS 66 are a four piece from London led by the feisty Annabelle Alexandra Zaychenko. The first album ‘Follow The Black Crow’ and a multitude of performances has seem them grow into one of the top bands of the current NWOCR scene and tonight they light up the room with their own high voltage of electricity. A new single off the sophomore album ‘Elements’ is up first, to get the show going, ‘Replace The Pain’ is nonstop power rock and Annabelle is an instant hit with the festival goers. She has a voice, no doubt about it and she knows how to keep your attention, as we watch enthralled during ‘Jekyll Or Hyde’. The older single from ‘Elements’ is ‘A Little Piece Of Magic’ this and then more new tracks take the set to another level, like ‘Save The Damn World’. ‘Live For The Day’ along with ‘Little Texas Princess’ are also fresh, before hear more familiar songs ‘Take A Shot’ and finally the widely loved ‘Monster’. As usual Annabelle leaves the stage for a while to roam about the room and it’s this intimate side of the band that make them adored by so many. Follow the band on FACEBOOK – HERE and join the crowd funder for ‘Elements’, by the sound of tonights show it’s going to be one hell of an album.
I haven’t seen the Blackpool trio A’PRIORI before tonight, but I have spent most of the week listening to their two albums. I already know how good a guitarist Tony Lang is, as I saw him stand in for one show with Bastette at Sharkfest last year. How can I describe this band ? A mix of ‘Florence Black’, ‘Ethyrfield’ and ‘Audioslave’, maybe, however the use of a Korg keyboard (or two) instead of a bass guitar, opens up so many choice elements, that sound wise A’priori are a rather a unique breed. Taking their name from the latin phrase ‘From what is earlier’ and the knowledge that comes from reasoning, based on cause and effect, may be a bit deep but there’s no avoiding the cause and effect they have on their audience, especially tonight. Or maybe it’s the hair ? Both Tony and drummer Mouse Lang have wondrous locks ( I jest ) ! Cool to hear tracks live from both albums and they kick off with ‘Watch The World Burn’ and ‘Shotgun Blues’, we aren’t in Cannock we’re in heaven. ‘Black Church’ is the title song from the debut album of 2019. Gentle, bluesy and having just a touch of fire with some powerful guitar chords towards the end, it’s absolutely sumptuous. More from that album ‘Better Man’ and ‘Halo’ precede ‘Here Comes The Reign’ and ‘I feel Alive’ and to be honest it’s quite a journey. You’re in the band’s headlights and there’s no escape, as they perform and there’s a major difference between playing and performing on this scale. A brace from ‘House Of Cards’ which is the second album, ‘Making Love To The Devil’ and the more funky, ‘Nah, Nah, Nah, Nah’, when Tony takes to the floor to play up close and personal with a few of us. He hands a tambourine to a girl on the barrier for the last song ‘Wasted Years’, gaining more audience involvement and yes that set was something from another planet. The third album ‘Voodoo love’ is on its way in September and there’s already an album launch show at the Waterloo in Blackpool on September 6th and some tour dates advertised. Head over to FACEBOOK – HERE for details. In the meantime you have plenty of opportunity to grab the back catalogue.
The Welsh outfit BLACK LAKES are always a welcome addition to a festival. Having seen them a few times over recent years, they never fail to amaze me with their highly intense performances. The black hoods hiding their faces, conjure up a post apocalypse scenario, or maybe it’s a hint towards the new album ‘Dead Gods’, either way it’s an effective means of attracting our curiosity. The set revolves around the debut ‘For All We’ve Left Behind’ which was produced by Romesh Dodangoda and won them praise far and wide in 2022 within the rock media. ‘Avarice’ yes greed is the theme of the opening number and I do like Dafydd Fuller’s drumming on this one. Vocalist Will Preston has a range that fits in impeccably, with the heavy riffs from Scott Bradshaw and James Rowland, the latter wearing his trademark Kilt. ‘Verity In Flames’ and ‘Fragments’ continue the plunge, falling into the increasing mire with lasting chords, severe guitar strokes and those intrepid Lee Harris bass lines. There are some pretty enticing notes on ‘Break The Silence’ that form the base for Will’s incredible lyrics, the frontman taking the song to higher levels before it drops back to serenity. The audience are mesmerised, those who haven’t seen Black Lakes before, are now aware of why they are so sought after. You could cut the Station air with a silken thread. ‘The Divide’ and particularly ‘Landslide’ have an atmospheric feel on the album, so it’s quite astonishing how the band re-create that sound live. ‘White Cliffs’ and ‘One Step Closer’ may well appear on the new album, which you can pre-order now at – https://www.blacklakes.com/merch There are multiple deals and formats available on the page, including bundles featuring exclusive tracks, EPS, Vinyl, shirts and more. The captivating ‘Dissident’ is one of the most forceful tracks, almost post-grunge in the way it crawls and slithers. It’s a fitting end to the set, which has left us stunned in amazement.
BLACK LAKES – FACEBOOK
Pete K Mally has been on form throughout the day as usual, the ‘quotes’ from the Bible and Prince Harry’s ‘Spare’ to introduce the bands is pure genius. It’s now time for him to draw the raffle and there are some brilliant wins. Tickets, merchandise and my friend Miranda has even baked one of her renown cakes, what a prize. I’m lucky enough to win an AC/DC memorabilia box ! The draw itself is hilarious with Pete’s assistant taking first place for laughs, he was so cool, what a dude.
Headlining the festival are THE HOT ONE TWO who are fast becoming THE band to see. I have been following them from a while, whenever and wherever I can and the way they are gathering momentum is downright scary ! The debut album ‘Superbia’, centred around the seven deadly sins and it was a pleasure to review it back in November – Link HERE . Tonight we get all ten off the album, ( vocalist Simon West checks and confirms that fact later on ) There’s an energy with this Cambridge five piece, that spills over the stage and into the audience. The songs are full of elevating spirit and each member of The Hot One Two is a character, from Kev (Kev Mutherf**in Baker Baby) Baker, as described on Pete Mally’s t-shirt, yes we all want one ! To the smiling face of lead guitarist Nick Manners as he launches into his demolishing riffs.
‘Playing With Fire’ sees the guys embark on tonights set, warming us up nicely with its smooth thudding. The only non-album song is ‘Bleed On Me’ from the bands EP ‘Unrestrained’, it’s one you can jump around to, as proved by the crowd tonight. The hooks of ‘God Forsaken Blues’ are chucked at us and the guitar from Nick is sublime. Hats off to the sound guys today, there may have been moments, but they have done a superb job. ‘Demon Daze’ jaunts into action straight after, another favourite from Superbia and it’s a roaring piece. Some of the songs allow the guitarists to swing their axes in unison, its a deadly trick needing precise choreography, but it’s managed a few times without any accidents. ‘The Fray’ and one of the older tracks ‘Rolling Stone’ are next, the latter sure has something about it and gets the room bouncing even more. We join in with the chorus and scream ‘Crawling On My Knees, Just To be’ along with Simon. ‘Feeling Good’ is a powerful stomp and slows the running down a touch, before ‘Something Real’ emerges. This is a wonderful song, building and cascading in all directions with that scraping riff underscoring it. We’ve got it as ‘You’ve Got It ( I Want It ) comes up, another chugging pack of riffs and they are truly off the scale tonight, what a show. ‘Is It Hot ?’ Guys it’s sweltering ! They finish on ‘Tie Me Down’ with rapturous applause, they could have played all the set again and no-one would have left. This performance proves why ‘Superbia’ grabbed best album of the year with so many and why they won the vote to open the Stonedead festival this year.
Follow The Hot One Two on – FACEBOOK
THE HOT ONE TWO are Simon West – Vocals . Nick Manners – Lead Guitar & Backing Vocals . Kev Baker – Rhythm Guitar . Nick Blackburn – Bass & Backing Vocals . Joe Chivers – Drums
What a way to get over my winter blues, the first event of 2024 for many of us gig goers, not to mention many of the bands initial show for the new year and it has been a blast. Big thanks to Dave Evans and I wish him well, he’s been a rock of an organiser over the years for this charity event and I will see him again on March 31st at the Billesley in Birmingham when we salute our lost and much missed friend Steve Downes. Please grab a ticket for that fundraising event all proceeds going to the Sophie Lancaster Foundation and pay homage to Steve’s memory – SEE POSTER BELOW FOR FULL DETAILS
Massive thanks to Dave Clarke and his crew at The Station and all those involved in making sure this event ran smoothly.
Photo Credit – Tony Gaskin – StageDive Photography
Full Gallery of Tonys Photos HERE
