First of all, what a line-up! Three insanely good rock bands on the same bill at a little venue in Nottingham – what’s not to love? Yes, it was a Sunday night, but there was still a damn good turnout.

Local openers Rules of Engagement took to the stage to a crowd of their own supporters. They blew the roof off the place with a variety of styles, the band could go from sounding like pretty heavy bluesy rock to Pearl Jam in seconds. It was in these slower, Pearl Jam-style tracks that I felt the band really came into its own. The heavier stuff was good, don’t get me wrong, but the band had more of a chance to breathe and show off with their more ballady material reminiscent of Black Stone Cherry. They also did a fantastic cover of ‘Dirty Diana’, the highlight of an overall great set!

Next up, things got weird. Switzerland’s own Dirty Sound Magnet took to the stage. They immediately showed everyone that they are some of the best musicians around today. The level of playing from all three of them was off the charts, leaving my jaw hanging open frequently. They played some of the catchiest, if weirdest, psychedelic/stoner rock I’ve ever heard, and I loved every second of it (think psychedelic meets acid western meets space cowboy). They blasted through an impressive 50 minutes of some of their biggest songs, and I had a blast. Hopefully they’re over here again soon.

Then, the awesome Daxx & Roxane finally hit the stage. Having seen them once before at Rockin’ The Bowl (review here) we were excited to see them again. Opening on their popular classic ‘Ticket to Ride’, the band preceded to rip through nearly an hour of fantastic NWOCR track after track. Personal favourite ‘Heal’ was a particular highlight, as was their cover of the always-awesome ‘Superstition.’ The band have a unique sound, classic rock meets Jimi Hendrix with a healthy dose of that slower middle part from Metallica’s ‘Orion.’ It also helps that they are fantastic live. They bring crazy amounts of energy and stage presence to every gig. Either they have the best chiropractor in the world, or they have the secret to perfecting head banging without suffering neck injuries everyday. They are definitely ones to watch out for.

And there we have it, another fantastic gig from the IKE guys. They never fail to put on a good line-up, and all three of these bands put on one hell of a show – check them out.

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