Category Gig/Festival Reviews

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Tonights support comes from Voodoo Johnson playing what is almost certainly their largest ever show, at the sold out Shepherds Bush Empire. Voodoo Johnson are the support for the whole of Europe’s UK tour and have been getting postive responses from both reviewers and audience alike, and tonight appears to be no different with the crowd clearly appreciating their classic rock sound.

Tonights performance by Europe is being filmed for a DVD release, so there are numerous film cameras in evidence, including one in an already overcrowded photo pit. As the time approaches for the band to come on stage the rising excitement in the crowd is clearly evident...

Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

Tonights event at the Scala venue is completely sold out with a large queue forming outside well before the doors open.
First up tonight is Anathema’s label mates North Atlantic Oscillation. By the time they go on stage the venue is already fairly full so they have a large crod to impress. NAO play some very good prog rock with a strong electronic feel to it. Its certainly nowhere near as heavy as Anathema but their brand of prog goes down well with the crowd and no doubt will have earned them some new fans. Their set includes several tracks from their album ”Grappling Hooks” as well as a number of new tracks.

By the time Anathema take to the stage, the venue is absolutely jammed full of people...

Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

Rob Zombie, Manchester Apollo, England, Thursday Feb 17th 2011.

This show had a lot to live up to. 12 long years had passed since Rob Zombie had toured the UK, Having presold all tickets to the original venue, the Academy 1, the show was moved to the much bigger venue, the Apollo, and this also sold out in record time, you just knew this was going to be something just a little bit special.

Revoker, the 1st of two support bands were already on and seemed to have a pretty big crowd for an opening band. Though I suspect most people where claiming there places for Rob Zombie, more than anything else. Not a bad band, but I missed most of their set, trying to get a drink at the bar.

Skindred took to the stage around 8pm...

Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

The winter-end and beginning of Spring 2011 comes with a bunch of cool concerts at the Betong venue which belongs to the Norwegian Students organisation. These events go under the name of South of Heaven and the first night had Nile as headliners, 3 more bands on the lineup and it ended up with an extra band playing in between (Pressure Points). The evening started right on time, as opposed to most of Oslo concerts that tend to start at least half an hour after the doors open.

Hence, when I entered the venue, Goat the Head was already on stage and I only witnessed their last song. And how sorry I can be...

Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

Med dieselosande och rykfärska Higway Pirates har småländska Bullet tankat upp sin gamla trotjänare till flaggskepp (gamla omtalade bussen) och begett sig ut på de svenska vägarna för att plundra och rocka röven av alla med sin Mad Max inspirerade tredje platta.

Kulturbolaget i Malmö hissade upp vita flaggan och bjöd in Bullet på en svettig kväll, som ställde flera frågetecken efter kvällen slut?

Första frågetecknet eller snarare utropstecknet var lokala öppningsbandet Dolly Daggers! Vad var de för några och vad gjorde de där? Ett elektrisk indie-band med glamour och glitter! Framkrystad Depeche Mode blandad med fnittrigt Melody Club. Bullets fans stod mestadels stilla och förskräckta! Det viskades och pekades från dansgolvet. Ett dansgolv som inte bjöd upp till dans...

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Det mörka rummet med väggar klädda i svart tyg är nog en av de minsta spellokaler jag satt min fot i, men jag tänker direkt att det här blir perfekt. För när jag lyssnade på The Devil’s ride, plattan som är anledningen till kvällens fest, så tänkte jag att det här borde upplevas i en trång och svettig lokal med röjig publik. Och det var ju precis det jag fick.

Stiligt svartklädda i hatt, hängslen, kedjor, converse och läderboots intar Lou Siffer and the howling demons den pyttelilla scenen, alla med varsin retromikrofon modell 50-tal. Jävlar, vad coola de är. På riktigt alltså.
Fem nya låtar rivs av och publiken sjunger med för fulla muggar. Händerna i luften, svett och trängsel...

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Oktoberkvällen är mörk och jag tar ensam tunnelbanan ut till Fryshuset i Stockholm för att möta upp Jimmy, en helskön kille som bestämt sig för att bjuda mig på en hel kväll av black metal. Detta i förhoppning om att lära mig uppskatta en genre jag en gång gillat – men som jag sedan länge lagt på hyllan. På väg mot Fryshuset kan jag emellertid inte låta bli att känna både förväntan blandat med en sorts bortglömd nostalgi för vad som komma skall…

Fryshuset är redan packat när vi kommer, precis i tid för australienska Deströyer 666 som redan intagit scenen och börjat slå sina första tunga riff...

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Den lilla men folkkära linköpingsklubben/restaurangen L’Orient är redan knökad när det första förbandet At My Trial ställer sig på scenen för att dra igång publiken inför kvällens höjdpunkt Entombed. Sami, ägare till L’Orient, pilar storförtjust omkring i lokalen där mer människor samlats än någonsin tidigare. Stämningen är vibrerande och Linköpingsborna höjer sina ölglas till ett samfält vrål när Entombed med L-G i spetsen intar scenen.

Eftersom jag känt sångaren L-G sedan länge får jag tillfälle att umgås med bandet innan spelningen. Jag finner dem samlade på drickabackar och pinnstolar bakom scenen i ett mindre förrådsrum...

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First on stage tonight are Sandhurst band Primitai. Recently named as one of the bands to watch for 2011 by Classic Rock magazine, this young thrash/metal band take to the stage in front of a half filled venue – the rest of the audience and all the press/photographers are still queueing outside. Once inside it was a quick dash to get photos taken before the end of the bands first song (sadly half the photographers tonight were unable to photograph the band as the door staff’s decision to make them queue with everyone else meant they didnt enter the venue till after the third song, so were refused access to the photo pit.
Once the photos were out of the way I was able to relax and enjoy watching the band...

Posted in Gig/Festival Reviews

Tonights support band are the oddly named ”Sparrow and the workshop”. This three piece folk-rock band from Glasgow take to the stage in a half-full venue – many people are either struggling with the snow or are simply preparing for the Pogues by drinking in nearby pubs. While they do get plenty of applause, this bands sound seems more suited to smaller venues and in my opinion they struggle to create any real impact in such a large venue, which is as they admit the largest they’ve ever played.

By the time The Pogues eventually make it on stage the venue is full to bursting point with an enthusiastic crowd. The band come on stage with singer Shane McGowan staggering which suggests their late entry to the stage is the result of some pre-show drinking on his part...