A return to one of my favourite venues for the last show on this tour. Apparently it’s been a journey of over 2800 miles in Eleven days and from all accounts it’s been a huge success. The three bands have bonded, received heaps of praise and most importantly have had the time of their lives.
ADAM AND THE HELLCATS The Bristol hell raisers got under way with a couple from the 2021 ‘Claws Out’ and ‘She’s A Vampire’ certainly brought an immediate upsurge of positive vibes. This band are so cool to watch, colourful jollification rules when vocalist Adam Feasey and company are entertaining you. A trio from the new ‘Catalyst’ album next, with ‘Black Witch Bomb’, ‘What The Cat Dragged In’ and ‘Demons’ and the Station crowd were in full party mood by the end. Cirwen Costa in her ‘Hellcat’ make up, also supplied superb vocals and Steve Long on keyboards, provided the perfect sound to reflect this band’s lighthearted and absorbing style. ‘Cover Band’ is a dig at those who choose to go that way, it’s a stabbing anthem and has effective tongue in cheek humour. Adam requests everyone to step forward and the majority oblige for the finale, ‘Peace. Love (and Rock and Roll)’ which is a superb knees up, punk inspired singalong. That was so much fun !
WHITE RAVEN DOWN Do you remember the emergence of this band back in 2018 with the debut single ‘Take Me’ ? It was the start of a ride for these guys that hasn’t meandered or stopped short since, with tours, festivals and an outstanding first album ‘Don’t Shoot The Messenger’. Fast forward to the present and guitarist Stu Bailey has doubled up as vocalist for over nine months now. ’Mind Reader’ is the opener after a dramatic intro, the riff is a succulent taste of what’s in store for us. Blending the grit with smooth melody is how WRD beguile you and ‘Roll Of The Dice’ with its rolling overtones and distinct lyrics is such a force to be reckoned with. Raising the whammy for ‘All Day Long’ and ‘Demons’ the set is now in its highest gear and totally mind bending. ‘Salvation’ is a wondrous song, harmonies and a drop in tempo, giving us a lush feel of summer on this cold evening in Cannock. ‘Price You Pay’ regains the momentum and ‘Void & Flame’ is another that takes you into the depths, wondrous stuff. After the aforementioned ’Take Me’ we are invited to participate with ‘Whoa’s’ for the chugging and rifftastic ‘Lost Your Hold’. Nice to hear some tracks live for the first time tonight, as well.
I recall the first time I watched Stu take the mic, it was at last years Breaking Bands festival. I was nervous for my friend, it was a massive undertaking, replacing a singer like Will, who had such a powerful range and even after that stunning performance, to be completely honest, I wasn’t convinced it was the right decision. Where am I going with this, well it’s been a while since I saw them live and tonight Stu proved not only to me, but everyone in the room, that WRD have moved on and are now more capable and compact than ever. Stu has vocals that match the songs with enhanced passion and the type of aggression that’s required, something Will was naturally capable of, but Stu has this ability to pour his vocals direct from the heart, which he delivers so emphatically. It made it a truly heartwarming experience. They are back in the Midlands soon for The Mayors Fest and Sharkfest, don’t miss them .
HEARTS & HAND GRENADES I did play the two albums for this band from Buffalo New York, prior to the gig tonight. I hadn’t heard of them before and needed an introduction of some kind. Well, both albums sounded amazing, so I was full of anticipation to see them live on stage. The word feisty hardly describes the spirit of Stephanie Wlosinski, wow she is so compelling. A dynamo of a front woman, she leads the way into ‘My Sickness’ and ‘For The Weakened’ both off the ’Turning To Ashes’ album from 2020 and she absolutely charms you with her gifted shrieks and finely toned voice. The masterful lyrics of these songs, only add to the rapturous feeling in this venue and we are mesmerised with this bands talent. ‘Secret’ has Hoy’s or Hey’s ( depends where you’re from !)especially added for us to join in, we really didn’t need any encouragement, what a ballsy number, simple but it stuck like glue. A few more from the ‘Between The Lines’ album, delight and sway us, I liked ‘Black Sunset’ with its breeziness and wavering, the drums of Cory Michalski were impeccable and ‘Scream It Out’ has delectable guitar riffing and low hovering vocals.
The band are joined by the supports for a version of AC/DC’s ‘Highway To Hell’ and you witness the camaraderie that has built up during this tour. It’s manic for a few minutes, completely chaotic and you can see how much the fun they must have had on the road. After that it’s time for guitarist Kenny Blesy to have his say and ‘Daggers’ with its explosive intro and thunderous strings is laid on us, yes that was something else. They wind up with the two title tracks from the albums, ‘Between The Lines’ (which bites at the lies given out by the media and the negative results), is a throbbing soul melt of a track, adorably infectious and ‘Turning To Ashes’ grates faster with Stephanie’s bass and the essential rhythm guitar of founder member Mike Bress. What a stupendous performance, totally blew the Station apart and guess what? I hear they just might make a return to the UK later this year.
What a night, three bands offering different styles, but all delighting us with fun, dexterity and sublimely played music. Go and grab the albums, and book the tickets, you won’t be disappointed.
Photo Credits – Paul Richardson at Cyclops Gig Photos
Thanks to David Clarke at The Station Cannock
