One benefit of having trading on the market in Cannock is knowing where the cheap car park is and just a short walk to the Station for the mid day start. Ten bands for Saturdays SHARKFEST 3 and besides some of my favourites, there are a couple of new ones, that I’ve been looking forward to seeing for a while. As I get inside, the room is already filling up and I see a lot of familiar faces, a few from last night are looking as fresh as daisies, how do they do that ? Once again Pete K Mally is compere for the day and the comedian keeps us happy with his unique brand of foolishness.
ZAC AND THE NEW MEN are from South Wales and despite the guys being extremely young, they take first prize for looking cool. Wearing similar garb to create visual harmony, I respect it’s something some bands prefer not to do, but it often appeals to the audience. Zac and his band have nailed the retro 70’s look perfectly, maybe by raiding their grandad’s wardrobes. ‘Say It’ and ‘Atom Bomb’ wake us up, not only with the drilling riffs, but Zac has the most immaculate voice. The recent Kickstarter campaign has been successful and the new album ‘Reinvent Me’ is out now and they are already landing support slots for some big names.
‘Thats Ok’ is already out as a single and today it cuts the air with its innocent and dreamy presence. We have a choice, do we want Led Zeppelin or Hendrix ? Jimi’s ‘Voodoo Chile’ wins the vote and they play a blinding version. ‘Deeper’ has a super riff and is one that stands out. Incredible how these young men take all their influences and pour out songs like this. I think the journey has already taken some turns to develop and reach this stage, which is acceptable with so many genres out there these days. I just hope they evolve more down this line, as they’re just amazing.
OLD GLORY AND THE BLACK RIVERIA Are a Stoke on Trent band, who play their own blend of Southern Rock with lashings of blues and slide guitar. Frontman Jord Davies is a character, he’s very humorous between songs with his quick wit and remarks. They kick off with ‘Jealous’ a light bluesy number from their 2022 EP ’Subtle Reminder Of Somewhere’. Perfect music for this lunch time, easy going but enough fire to keep our attention. The set is mixed up with EP tracks and some off the self titled album of 2018. ’Two Hearted Woman’ oozes slide from Jay Meehan and stomps with bluegrass and swamp fever. ‘Had It All’ smooths the creases and we are swaying along to this band, there’s even a little hollering on the chorus to add more of that delta feel. More string pressing on ‘Dollar’ which hits staggering heights, Jay is backed by Aaron Pointon on bass and drummer Myles Pockett. A more recent single ‘Waiting For You ( To Come Home)’ has a 12 bar rhythm, diluted with Jord’s soulful vocals, it’s a luscious piece of work and again the guitar sound is magical. ‘Miracle’, takes it all down a notch, grinding into a deep groove, ‘Working Man’ has Deep South influence, love those clear notes and finally ‘Where Did I Go Wrong’ brings the show to an end. They were a good call by the Sharkfest organisers, fitting in well on todays bill and I loved the setlist on the paper plate, that took some deciphering !
ELECTRIC BLACK I’m always pleased to see these guys from Hitchin. I bumped into them outside earlier, for hugs and a quick catch up. A big part of the NWOCR scene, Ali Shiach leads a band that have more groove and bluesy melodies than most of their contemporaries. ‘Love Is The Light (For The Lost)’, ‘Homecoming’ and ‘Not Afraid To Die’ are separated with newer songs ‘Put It Down On Me’ being something quite remarkable. Ryan Trotman on bass is wearing a less elaborate outfit than usual, although the wrap sunglasses are way cool. On drums sits Matt Butler who joined the band in 2018, after stepping in one night as a favour for Ryan, he never left. The quiet one is guitarist Jonny Bryant, but he makes up for it on stage, dishing out brilliantly executed play, on every song. Another album is due soon, again thanks to kick-starter and fans support. The back catalogue is still available including ‘The Calm Before’ and ‘Beggars, Thieves & Everything In-between’. This afternoon they were as stunningly magnetic as usual and made a heap of new fans.
WAKING THE ANGELS are on next and this is only the second time I’ve seen them. Local to the Midlands the music is classic rock with melodic overtones. The original songs are full of flawless guitar from Greg Dean and Mike Deeley’s unwavering voice. Holding it all together is Paul ‘Biff’ Bateman on bass and drummer Greg ‘Rozzy’ Ison. A new album is due later in the year, but before that there will be more singles released. Todays set starts with ‘Can You See Me Now ?’ which dropped as a single on May 12th. ‘Prisoner’ and ‘Stand Back From The Redline’ see the Station punters getting in tune with Mike and Co, the singer is comfortable on stage and interacts a great deal with his audience. With a fab title ‘Destination Love Affair’ is chance to sing along, having an easy to repeat chorus. ‘Gypsy Queen’ is a superb ballad with ground breaking vocals, while ‘Toxic Lullaby’ has a balance that lets it flow. They end on the catchy ‘Waking The Angels’ which sees a few of us singing the words ‘We Are, We Are, Waking The Angels’ back at them. I think they gained a few fans as well after this show. Keep up to date on their social pages, as new singles are being released regularly, leading up to an album launch later in the year.
There’s around twenty minutes in-between each set, so it’s ample time to pop outside for some fresh air and have a chat to whoever’s about. My head is pounding a bit, probably due to lack of sleep, so thanks to my friend Miranda for the paracetamol, which soon starts to work.
WHITE RAVEN DOWN are a band who are one of the friendliest you will meet. I know I’ve said it before but these guys always take time to chat with anyone who approaches them and they nearly always stick around after they’ve played, rubbing shoulders with us and watching other performers. ‘Don’t Shoot The Messenger’ is an album you can listen to again and again. This late evening they play a fair few off it and most of the room know the songs so well, there are heads nodding all over the place. Stu Bailey on vocals and guitar, is in control and it’s good to see how much his confidence has grown since becoming the frontman. ’Mind Reader’ and ‘Demons At Your Door’ are all instantly recognisable and Luke Chappell on bass with Tom Mrazek on drums, back up Stu so solidly. A three piece which have overcome a lot recently, are now fixed and in a good place. Stu serenades us with ‘Salvation’ and after ‘Roll Of The Dice’ they throw out the, all guns blazing, ‘Lost Your Hold’. Brilliant all round performance and yes they are still here at the end of the night.
THE BAD DAY are from London and are new to me. The cool looking bloke who’s been holding the bar up most of the day, now appears on stage in a not too shabby fur coat, I could have guessed he was the singer ! Labeled as predominantly a Blues band with Rock n Soul, they totally dazzle us after just the initial few notes. Vocalist Adam Rigg, originally from Hartlepool, leads with his stunning ‘Crom’ bass, a ‘Romantic Warrior’ custom with a carved wood design. On guitar is Nick Peck, he gave me the set list later off this phone, but as I have discovered with this band, they are so laid back, I’m not sure how accurate it was ! What I have learnt is that they’re one of the best original blues bands I’ve seen for ages. All the way from Uruguay, now based in London, is German Moura on drums and completing the line up is Sam Spranger, the liveliest Harmonica player ever. The Interaction between these guys on stage is thrilling to watch, battles between Harp and Guitar, solo’s from Nick and the delightfully entertaining Adam, result in an entertaining forty minutes I won’t forget in a hurry. With over 11k followers on Facebook they are in one way, the widest known band on the bill, as they have been seen at numerous Blues festivals. However, they have also appeared at Ronnie Scotts, The Isle of Wight festival, The 100 Club and the Romanian Brezoi Open Air Fest. Check out ‘Table By The Wall’ and ‘The Bad Day’ both available on Spotify or Bandcamp, awesome music.
THE KARMA EFFECT are also up from London and like ‘The Bad Day’ are managed by TMR Music, who are here today enjoying the festival. This band brought out one of the top albums of 2022 and the self titled debut is repped with seven of the eight songs for this show. They only formed at the start of covid, bad timing in hindsight, so the album was written mainly by Zoom from individual bedrooms. ‘Wrong Again’ and the ever so delectable ‘Doubt She’s Coming Back’ remind us how addictive this band are. ‘Mercy’ jostles and sways with Henry Gottelier’s vocals, which are in fine form tonight. A lot of fans here at Sharkfest from counting the T-shirts and as the band stomp into ‘The River’ they make themselves known as there’s dancing and smiles everywhere. ‘Stand’ is the quiet one, a ballad softly lit by Robbie Blake’s guitar and Henry’s cooler tones. The intro for ’Steal Your Heart’ is recognised by most of the crowd, the first track off the album is one of those, that signals how much talent these guys possess. ‘Testify’ is last up, rolling in like the tide, overlapping with waves of intense passion. The second album has been recorded and will be released soon, keep up to date on the bands socials. Playing their own brand of rock, taking influences from the Southern States and British Blues, but with contemporary additions, if you like bands like ‘The Answer’ then the Karma Effect are for you.
BASTETTE Won the HRH Highway To Hell competition in 2021 and thoroughly deserved it. Caroline Eve Kenyon leads a slightly different line up these days and presently Tony Lang, otherwise seen with ‘Apriori’ is on lead guitar. Nothing short of sultry with a capital S, as the singer slowly prowls the stage for ‘Fiction’ and ‘Hunter’ both dynamic songs and as those sensual words spill out into the room, it gets a bit warmer in the station. ‘Pyscho’ is about a bad relationship and has multiple layers, switching from demure to attacking’, sounding a little like ‘The Pretenders’ at their best. Most of the set has been released as singles or on EP’s, ‘Awakening’ being the most recent. ‘Good Time Girl’ and ‘Sick And Twisted’ are next and Caroline steps onto the barrier, an up close and personal experience, for those lucky to be stood there. The majority of Bastette’s songs relate to past occurrences as ‘Karma’ demonstrates. They finish the provocative set with ‘Roller Coaster’, that leaves the audience cheering for more. The only female singer of the day, certainly made an impression. Follow Caroline and Bastette on the bands socials for more info.
ASHEN REACH are formidable, I don’t think they realise how intensely brilliant they are. I thought ‘Homecoming’ was the album of 2020, then I watched as they opened at Steelhouse last year, raising the mountain with their performance. Every time I see them I’m engrossed and I’m not the only one, they are simply phenomenal. Very often their set is too short and I’m left disappointed, but tonight we get nine off the debut album, which means the band can demonstrate their talents a lot more and indulge us with the tracks, as they should be played. ‘Fighting For my Life’ has that stirring intro, with the pulsating riff and as Kyle Stanley lunges into the lyrics the band look at ease already. ‘Epiphany’ and ‘Prey’ follow and I notice how Jess Stanley keeps the battle drums pounding in tight accord. Having two guitarists often allows for more depth and both Paddy Cummins and Joe O’Sullivan provide driving chords that resonate around the Station. The sedate intro on ‘Here I Go’ proves that Ashen Reach can play softer, then it builds into a powerful ride and this is why I like this band so much, their music has multi levels that mulch into the most entrancing songs. ‘Hole In The Sky’ has a similar effect, gradually gathering pace, eventually becoming an outpouring of divine vocals. Not so on ‘Alive Again’ where the change over is after the gentle intro, Jess adds her sticks and this one takes no prisoners. Chugging in with the moodiest of riffs ‘Heir To The Throne’ is one of the most encapsulating tracks. The Sharkfest crowd are firmly glued to the floor now, taking all this in with wide adulation. ‘Broken Column’ with Mike McCarroll’s bass a notable feature, is a welcome addition, before the title track ‘Homecoming’ leaves us all pleasantly numb, Ashen Reach have that lasting affect on you and it was a performance to remember tonight.
Doddy White and Katie Richardson have shaken the charity bucket around the room collecting for Halton Haven Hospice, which Kyle Stanley is fundraising for. This and an auction of Sharkfest memorabilia raising over £300 on the night and I believe Kyle has reached over £1000 now, so well done all.
THESE WICKED RIVERS are headlining tonight, the lampshades and scarves are put in place, which signals the start of the organ grinder intro ’Tea Leaves’. A lot from ‘Eden’ with ’Shine On’ and the fiery rocker ‘Evergreen’ being staples. Looking back I realise I’ve seen them all over the UK recently, from Steelhouse to Cornwall Rocks and only last week at KK’s. John Hartwell is charming, the perfect gentleman, with newer songs ‘Force Of Nature’ and ‘Black Gold’ he just performs with absolute coolness. Aaron Day on guitar strikes up delicate chords for the amazing recent single ‘Lonely Road’ and one of their older tracks ‘That Girl’ turns it up again, Rich Wilson on keyboards and bassist Dale Tonks getting into their stride. I like ‘Floyd’ it sums up the bands style, Amercian sounding rock with retro hippy and groove. ’Testify’ has been given a makeover since it appeared on ‘II’ in 2017. It has a deeper cut with more underscoring from the band, it works well and makes it one of their most endearing songs. The keys announce ‘Don’y Prey For Me’ which John takes to another level with his powerful vocals and Aaron’a solo piece is blindingly good. A momentous way to finish the set and bring Sharkfest to a close.
The end of Sharkfest 3 , which has been a total success. An array of bands that organisers Sharon Crosby and Mark Parsley, not only managed to get on board, but also planned the running order with so much thought. The Station is one of the best venues for festivals this size and David Clarke and his team do all they can to accommodate you. A bar with decent prices and you could even grab some food. Have to thank the whole festival team for their efforts. Sharkfest 4 is already planned for October 28th and Sharkfest 5 will be next March, this is one of the most well organised and friendly of festivals and after the feedback from this one, I think they will sell out in future. Well done everybody.
Special Thanks to Mark Parsley, Sharon Crosby, Pete K Mally, David Clarke, The Station Cannock, Nigel Poole, Richard Brindley , Liz Austin, & The Parsley Family – Sally, Michael, Abigail & Becky & Clare Merritt. Miranda Wright , Doddy White, Katie Richardson.
Photo Credit – Rob Billingham & Lisa Billingham 0f Billibee Creative Studio
Full Gallery HERE
