Tag Archives: live music

Features, Reviews

Ice Nine Kills, Creeper, Devil Wears Prada and TX2 Rock Nottingham Arena!

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It is no secret that two of these bands are very close to my heart. So, to be able to see INK get to headline arenas in the UK was already something special, but to do so alongside one of the best modern bands in Creeper was truly something else. I had tickets for this show from the moment they went on sale, and have been super hyped for it ever since. There was no way I wasn’t writing this review, so let’s dive right in!

TX2… the old adage is if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all…

I really wanted to enjoy The Devil Wears Prada. I’ve definitely enjoyed them in the past on track, even if not as much recently. The band are very clearly a talented bunch of musicians, playing well and crafting some good sounding stuff. However, for the most part their music isn’t really my sort of bag when it comes to modern metal/metalcore, especially when most of their short setlist was made up of newer material. Plus, the band felt just a little bit like they were more going through the motions here. I get that they were second of four bands on that night, but the place had packed out fairly considerably for their set, and I was left a little bored and distracted while they were on. It was probably more just me, as the pit looked pretty good, but I sadly wouldn’t rush to see them again live.

Creeper will never not be good live. The only time I’ve seen them recently was back at 2000 Trees where they blew me away, and they did that here once again! The band were on top form, blasting through the top hits of both parts of Sanguivore without barely pausing for breath. And how could they, when they barely had 30 minutes to work with? That is my only complaint about the show, is that in stacking the lineup, the openers didn’t get a whole lot of time to show what they’re about. Still, Creeper made the most of it, and even despite some early technical issues, put on a blinder of a show! From new bangers like ‘Blood Magik’ and ‘Headstones’ to previous album classics ‘The Ballad of Spook and Mercy’ and ‘Cry to Heaven’, there wasn’t a dull moment!

The band performed masterfully, too. Will has become an effortlessly charismatic frontman in recent years, taking what could be a cheesy gimmick and making it actually cool. Meanwhile, the renewed focus on Hannah with Mistress of Death has added a great dynamic as she is a born stage performer, too. And not to take away from the rest of the band either, who all played their asses off and had such fantastic stage presence, fitting the theme perfectly. They are about ready to take on venues like this on their own, and more than deserve it after their recent studio output and solid live shows. But for now, this was an amazing set, and I already look forward to seeing them again soon!

This was my third time seeing Ice Nine Kills. First back in a smaller club, then main stage at a major festival. Both times were awesome, and both times they upped the ante in terms of stage show. This, however, was on another level. They were made to play these huge arena stages, and they brought enough props and fire to prove just that. From the usual mask changes and prop axes and knives to new stuff like plenty of pyro, smoke and their backing screens. Everything was so perfectly and meticulously planned out, every track having a story and a show to it in its own right. Speaking of the screens, using them to play a little vignette to introduce every song was masterful, and fully on brand for the band. It’s a show that can only be put on at this sort of size of venue, and now I never want to see them on a smaller one again!

As for the set itself, it was pretty damn perfect. It was fairly similar to what I’ve seen before, but given that they are still on the Silver Scream duos’ album cycle, that was to be expected. However, the three new tracks they’ve released since I last saw them were all phenomenal, even the middling ‘Great Unknown’. Heck, both ‘The Laugh Track’ and closer ‘A Work of Art’ were incredible and so chaotic in the best ways, being easy set highlights. And, not only did we get their incredible ‘Walking on Sunshine’ cover live (the bass of RBF were there for the whole show, making it sound even more awesome!) but we also got a fantastic cover of The Mighty Mighty Bostones’ big hit. And, all the classics were just as good too, and performed to perfection by the band. Everyone on the stage was so damn talented, the songs being pretty technical throughout, and played them all amazingly well. And, for the first time watching them, it honestly felt like a more cohesive band, and less of just Spencer and backing. It was nice, and made the show even better! It was somehow the best set I’ve seen from them, and easily one of the best I’ve seen all year!

So there you have it, folks! Two of my favourite current bands playing blinding sets to a packed out arena crowd, what more could you want? Yes, while I wasn’t a huge fan of the opening two, I am just one guy with my own opinion, and I’ve seen plenty of love for both online too. But honestly, I cannot recommend Creeper and INK enough, both are INCREDIBLE live and are going to be the future of heavy music for years to come, mark my words! The next possible chance you have to check either out, do it!

Features, Reviews

ONE OK ROCK and Paledusk Tear Down Manchester Apollo!

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WOW. What a fucking show! My first time at the venue and also my first time seeing either band. I was at least pretty familiar with the headliners, but didn’t know Paledusk that well. I went into the evening expecting to enjoy it, but I wasn’t quite expecting the level of performance throughout!

Firstly, the Apollo was packed. The gig got downgraded from Manchester arena to this venue, and the result meant that it was sold out and packed full of die-hard fans who showed up early to get down close. We queued well over half an hour, and we arrived 20 minutes after doors. Everyone was ready, that’s for sure!

I wasn’t too familiar with the openers heading into the show. I knew the name and had checked out a couple of tracks before the show, but that was about it. However, they have a HUGE new fan in me from this set! Firstly, the sheer energy and showmanship on display throughout their 40-minutes was insane. I’ve seen fewer spin-kicks in a Bruce Lee movie than I saw guitarist Daidai; the guy was all over the stage with them! Then you had frontman Kaito’s infectious energy too, throwing himself around with almost as little regard. He also held the crowd in the palm of his hand throughout. I thought they may have struggled given the heaviness compared to the headliner, but the crowd were more than down to bounce around and even got a pretty decent circle pit going when instructed. I’ve also never heard a crowd cheer a breakdown before, but it was pretty fun to see every time!

And we haven’t even spoken about their music yet! Their quirky, whacky, heavy, melodic music. It was all over the place in the best way possible! They are all insanely talented players, performers and vocalists, and I immediately want to be seeing them back over here again ASAP.

Then, after a brief changeover, the headliners took to the stage. It at first seemed a little odd when it was barely 8:05, but they tore the roof off the place for a solid two hours! After a fantastic little video package set the tone for their latest release, they exploded on with recent hit ‘Puppets Can’t Control You’. Now, y’all know I loved DETOX, so the fact that they played almost all of it was incredible. From personal favourites like ‘N.A.S.T.Y’, ‘Tropical Therapy’ and ‘Delusion:All’ to more unexpected cuts in ‘Party’s Over’ and ‘The Pilot </3’, it was all incredible live and sounded so very close to the track. But don’t fear, because old-school fans still had plenty to sink their teeth into. From ‘The Beginning’ to the beautiful, empowering ‘Stand Out Fit In’ and perennial set closer ‘We Are’, the setlist was honestly damn near perfect!

And the performance… GODDAMN. Honestly, I was looking forward to seeing them at the UKs biggest arena, but seeing essentially a stadium-level band back home putting on that caliber of show to a 4k cap venue was truly something special. The band played, sung and headbanged their hearts out from the very first note to the very last. And, because of that, the crowd fed them that very same energy back. I can’t recall a time when I had been part of a crowd so loud and passionate, except for maybe Drake Milligan, and even then it wasn’t for the full show. The crowd felt like just as much a part of the show as anything else; singing every word back to the band and jumping around and clapping constantly. I can honestly say it was one of the best sets I’ve seen from an all-round perspective, and not one I’ll ever forget!

And there you have it, folks. Two of Japan’s biggest and best rock bands playing a more intimate show in one of the UKs honestly best venues (aside for the tiny amount of toilets, wtf?). The sound for both was great, even when under the balcony, so massive props to the sound guys too! I honestly cannot recommend seeing either band enough, they both blew me away for somehow both different and similar reasons. Honestly, if I wasn’t working tomorrow I’d be on the first train down to see them in London, they were THAT good. Hopefully both manage to make it back over here soon, be it together again or separate, as I’d be right there buying tickets the moment they went on sale! If you get the chance to see them live, take it, but even if not, you have got to listen to them on track too!

Features, Reviews

Bad Touch, The Dust Coda and Eddie & The Wolves Rock Rescue Rooms!

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The tour that felt like it would never come finally kicked off on Wednesday night, packing out the legendary Rescue Rooms in Nottingham. It’s been a while since I’ve seen my old friends in Bad Touch, and have been a fan of The Dust Coda for a while now yet have never seen them, so this was a damn exciting gig for me. But what did we think of the evening? Let’s dive right in and find out!

Eddie & the Wolves opened the show in style. Y’all know by now the deal here. I would like to say a huge thank you to both bands for letting us share a stage with them, as well as every single person who came out early to check out the band. The room was pretty packed from the jump, and we had several people say some very kind words to us after the set. And, in this writers humble opinion, I thought we sounded pretty good! I had a blast playing, even if I did nearly break my cable and fall flat on my face at one point, and I can speak for the other three in saying they did too! And, from going to see bands in that venue since I was 15 to actually being up on the stage playing there, it was pretty damn special!

Next up and fresh off a lineup change were The Dust Coda. Our good friend from AK and the Red Kites has been fronting the band since earlier this year, and this was his first gig with them officially. Honestly, you wouldn’t have known at all, as he looked right at home up on stage with them and the whole band smashed it out of the park! They all sounded so tight and solid, with Andrew’s vocals fitting them well and it all matching the tracks pretty closely. If I had one ever so slight criticism, it was that it didn’t feel like the band interacted or moved a huge amount through the set. However, they haven’t played for a while, and had a new frontman, so a combination of slight rust and slight nerves may not have helped. But I’m sure they’ll shake it off by the other tour stops and, as I said, they sounded absolutely excellent. How I hadn’t seen them live before is beyond me, but I am so glad I finally have and will definitely be seeing them again soon!

Headliners Bad Touch absolutely smashed it. Myself and the boys go way back but as I said, it’s been a while since I’ve managed to see them. Somehow over the last four years they have gotten even better! It’s crazy to see them go from a tiny band playing at pubs to a handful of people to packing out a venue like Rescue, but the band owned that stage from the very first note to the very last. They were a well oiled machine up there, even with two members that have only been with them 18 months or so. From brand new, never before heard tracks to classics like ‘Good on Me’ and ‘Skyman’ to even older tracks the band have never played live (in the UK) before, it was a fantastic, varied setlist. Personal favourite was ‘I Get High’, getting the crowd going awesomely! The band had so much energy too, bouncing around every inch of the stage and all of them had the crowd in the palm of their hand throughout! The band are now tailor made for bigger venues and crowds like this, putting on a show fitting of their position in the UK music scene. It was slick but still felt completely natural and like the band were genuinely having a good time up on stage, too!

And there you have it, folks! A night jam packed full of awesome hard rock music from start to finish. All three bands below the roof off the place and the crowd was loving it all night. I cannot recommend checking out either of the headliners on track or live enough, they are two of the best in the UK rock scene right now and put on one hell of a show. The tour is very much still in full swing, so get down to your closest stop for one hell of a night!

Features, Interviews & Features

Baylen Leonard: ‘It’s so much better they have an opinion about it than no opinion at all!’

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We had the absolute pleasure of chatting to Long Road organiser Baylen ahead of this year’s edition of the festival. Check out as we chat about the highs and lows of it below!

We’re just a couple of days out [at the time of recording] from Long Road, are you more excited or nervous?

What’s really exciting about it is when you see everybody who’s coming start posting about it online and start excited about packing and doing a trial run of setting their tent up in their garden. The crew is already on-site now building it so I’ve been getting loads of pictures and videos all week of the stages going up and everything going. It becomes a big machine at this point, it’s like a train you can’t stop! I’m really excited to get there and see it with my eyes!

Have they been there since Monday, then?

There’s been some people on site since last week. Most of the crew have been there since the weekend. I will get down there tomorrow, and not freak out at all. I’ve learned by now that every year I get there and so much is done, I think ‘oh my god, what about that?’ and I’ve learnt that it always comes together. There’s always a lot of running about and mayhem right before the gates open, but then it’s all perfect!

How do you find the time to do all of this alongside your radio work as well?

I don’t do it alone, there’s no way! There’s a big team and we work on it year round. Then as we get closer to the event the teams within the teams start adding people to their teams so it becomes quite a big operation by the time we get here.

I always kinda see it as one thing, doing radio and all the other stuff I do in country music. It almost just feels like it’s one thing. If I’m playing someone on the radio that I really love I’ll think about trying to get them on the festival. Or if I’m seeing someone in a live setting that I’m considering for the festival, I might think they’d sound great for the radio. I kinda get to do all the things I do all at the same time!

What inspired you to start the festival? C2C has been going a while but it feels like you guys were the next ones to do the country thing over here!

I’m originally from Tennessee. I’ve lived in the UK for a really long time, and country music has been my thing for a really long time, so for years I was always wanting to do something like this and had lots of different ideas about it. I met up with somebody else who also wanted to do this. She’s Irish so she grew up going to Irish music festivals and wanted to bring that. So between her and that background and me, we thought what could we do that’s authentic and brings the best of both of those worlds together, but makes it very much a UK festival. So we started it! Our first was in 2018 and it seems crazy that it was that long ago! It’s really nice that we seem to have found out spot within what is a really exciting time for country music.

People have really taken The Long Road under their wing and those who come to it feel a sense of ownership over it as well which is exactly what we want! We want it to feel like home for everyone who’s into country, Americana and Roots. Even people who don’t like country, maybe there’s something in there for them! Then they come along and find some country that they actually love. It really comes from a love of the genre and wanting to bring this authentic country experience to the UK, and to help it grow too!

It’s our fourth year now and just the atmosphere is amazing, it’s really become a favourite of ours. Seeing familiar faces there every year is great!

That’s really something we wanted to bake into it from the beginning, to be a friendly, warm festival where everyone felt welcome! And as we grow to try and retain those things. We’re bigger this year than we’ve ever been, but I hope it still feels like the same festival!

You’ve added the Hitching Post this year, right?

Oh, I’m so excited about the Hitching Post! I named it after a venue from back home when I was growing up. A lot of towns in the South, The Hitching Post is quite a popular name for a honkytonk. This venue back home was a real stop for artists that were touring and coming up so like Darius Rucker and Garth Brooks played it before anyone knew them. I found all this out after I moved away, of course!

The point of the Hitching Post at the Long Road is that it’s a hardwood floor. We really wanted somewhere where people could dance. We’ll have dance classes and the music in there really lends itself to people doing line dances or swing dances. We’ll have people there to teach you how to do that. We’re also using it for sit-down conversations with people like Drake Milligan. It’s just another venue where people can hang out, make their own, meet their friends. I think it’s gonna be a really good vibe! I can’t wait to get there and see it!

I imagine it’s a bit of a logistical nightmare to get so many international bands to play. Do you approach a band and they arrange a tour after, or do you see who’s touring first?

It’s both of those things! Some artists we approach and say “we’d love to have you at The Long Road”. Sometimes we’ll book them and they book a tour around it, sometimes they’ll just come and do it UK exclusive, like Drake Milligan this year. Some will come and do TLR and then go to Europe and do some shows. Some of them will already will be planning to come so will approach us, or will be planning on doing something nearby. Sometimes we’ll talk to people and they’ll go “it’s not going to work this year but let’s talk next year”. It really is just a case of all of those things!

Is it sometimes a struggle to decide what artists to book? There’s been a little backlash online from the James Bay booking.

I think that one of the goals of TLR was to get as many people into country music as we could and to celebrate all types of country, Americana and roots. If you look at our lineups from year one we’ve always had artists sit a little bit outside of those core genres but that aren’t completely different. James Bay is a great example. I know a lot of people don’t think of him as fitting in, but he really does. He’s made music in all of those genres. He’s recorded in Nashville and just made his Grand Ole Opry debut, the absolutely approval stamp for any artist in country music. I think because he’s so big and so well known, it’s actually easy to forget he’s actually in these genres. If it means James Bay fans who don’t count themselves as country fans but find some country artists that they do love, I think that’s a great thing! I actually think a lot of country fans are going to have a really great time watching him!

Also, with a festival like TLR, as big as it is and with as many artists as it has, there’s always going to be artists that you love and those you don’t, or that you haven’t heard of. We have six stages, there’s always something going on somewhere that you’re gonna love! He’s a great get for us and a fantastic live artist! But it goes back to what I said about people feeling ownership of the festival; it’s so much better they have an opinion about it than no opinion at all!

You’ve got a couple of new stage takeovers at Buddy’s this year, right?

Yeah! We have Loose Music which is a UK label that we’ve worked with since the beginning, and then Spinefarm, a really big UK label. The thing about doing that is we want those people to bring their sensibilities to the festival. Colour me Country, we want Rissi to bring artists that maybe we don’t know or artists that wouldn’t be able to come to the UK at this stage in their careers. The same thing with all the other takeovers we have, it’s people I’ve known from the industry for years and years, I’ve always liked their taste and what they do. It’s great to give them the freedom to show their side of country.

Do you have any hand in booking for them, or do you let them get whoever they think will fit?

We work together. We kinda go “hey, here’s your takeover, these are the slots, what are you thinking?”. They come to us with a list, we go to the, with a list, sometimes we have people we can’t fit in elsewhere. It works both ways, but for the most part they’re people we trust, we don’t get in their way too much!

Have you got some stuff in the pipeline for next year already?

Oh, we work so far ahead it’s unbelievable. Even before the lineup is complete each year we’re already having conversations about the next year and even the year after that! Conversations about next year are already happening!

Do you have a dream get for The Long Road? Anyone you’re really wanting to book over the next few years?

Yeah, absolutely. There’s always a dream list. And that list changes every week, at least! But I couldn’t tell you, because we might just get ‘em!

I imagine you’re happy to keep the festival growing, there’s more room on site for it to expand?

Yeah, part of the reason we picked the sight… it just felt right. It reminded me of the geography of back home so it looked really great. It’s easy to get to. And also because there’s room there for there to grow. We’re happy for it to grow but we want to maintain the vibe of the festival, so that’s why we’ve been doing it little by little! We really think about how it’s going to impact everything, how it fits in with what we’re doing already, how it will affect the layout and the capacity. Make sure that it all makes sense for the people who come to the festival!

Features, Reviews

Hella Rock 2025: The Big Bad Review!

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The second edition of Hella Rock festival took over the HMV Empire in Coventry last weekend, bringing seven incredible bands with it! We had the pleasure of heading down to check it all out, and knew we had to shout about how great it was!

Mystiek opened things up in style. They tore the Empire a new one with their insane energy right from the gate. Being pretty heavy but still having some catchiness and melody to them, they were the perfect way to kick off the day! It was somehow the first time I’d really heard them, but they almost immediately made a new fan in me. They’re all clearly talented musicians, and put their all into their performance here!

After some brief technical issues. Eddie & The Wolves took to the stage. It’s no secret at this point that I am in this band, so of course I’d praise the set. However, I had a blast on stage, and the rest of the band seemed to, too! Thank you so much to James and the rest of the Hella Rock team for having us on and being so accommodating, and for every single person that showed up early to check us out! I thought we sounded pretty good, and it was fun to play a shorter set full of energy throughout after a summer of slightly longer sets. Of course, let us know what you thought in our comments though, especially if you disagree!

Outlaw Orchestra followed swiftly suite and blew the roof off the place! Any longtime readers know we love these guys, and it’s been too long since we’ve seen them live! They were on top form again here, and it was so great to hear some of their new songs make it into their set! The band have grown into some of the best performers on the circuit in recent years, with multi-instrumentalist Pete Briley bouncing all over the stage while his brothers-in-arms were stuck behind the kit and at the mic. And, to top it off, they are all such incredibly talented musicians. From the regular rock fair to box guitars, banjos and plenty of percussion, there was never a dull moment! Their Southern rock stylings made them a unique addition to the bill, and they certainly stood out in the best way!

Not long after, another excellent trio took to the stage in Apriori. The fact that these bands can pack so much of a punch and huge sound into their arrangements is incredible, and it would be a rather running theme throughout the night. The keys packed out the songs fantastically, and brought an air of AOR to the heavy blues sound that set them apart in a big way. They look the part and play it just as well, putting on one of my favourite sets of the day!

Electric Black were fan favourites heading in, and on the day! They were the closest thing to straight-up hard rock on the day, and put on a show to match that. It was like stepping back into the 80s in the best way, putting on a performance reminiscent of the likes of GnR or Electric Boys, or modern counterparts like The LA Maybe. The band very much came, saw, and kicked ass! They showed off their talent for both playing and songwriting perfectly, and had plenty of stage presence to go alongside it. They have been around a little while now and their live shows are like a well-oiled machine, being polished in a way only a rough hard rock band can be!

Tattoo Molly took the stage like they had something to prove, and they did just that! Only their second show under their new lineup, you wouldn’t have thought that they’d had minimal prep time as they smashed it out of the park to the hometown crowd. While it took the new frontman Tim a little to warm up, everyone else put on an immediately electric show, and he soon warmed up to join them! It was a great setlist full of their biggest and best hits, performed masterfully to an adoring crowd. Even with the bands leader also being the organiser for the festival, Tattoo Molly have owned the festival for two straight years now, making the most of their slot!

Fury have returned with a vengeance this year, it feels, and their live shows match up to that. On the verge of dropping their massive new album, the band are firing on all cylinders currently, in a major way! The powerful pairing of Julian and Nyah’s vocals soar perfectly over the heavy, NOWBHM-inspired riffs, making for a fantastic mix of old and new. Speaking of old and new, the band played a great spread of their fantastic back catalogue, thrilling with every track. They have been gathering a wealth of momentum over the last few years and it’s insane that they aren’t one of the biggest bands in the UK currently, especially when they put on shows like this. Still, seeing them in a smallish venue like this is incredible, and the sound for them made it even better!

Finally, the mighty Virginmarys took to the stage. Veterans of the scene by this point, they are no strangers to packed out clubs, and played their asses off accordingly. The fact that they have been so warmly accepted into the NWOCR scene is amazing, and it was clear a large swath of the crowd have been eagerly anticipating the bands set. The fact that it is just two of them making this much noise is mind-blowing, and a true testament to their talent! I love this band yet it was somehow the first time I had seen them live, and I was hugely impressed! Opening on crowd and personal favourite ‘Just a Ride’ was a masterful choice, and playing a lot off The House Beyond the Fires made it even better. They’re headliners and a respected band in the scene for good reason, and they put on one hell of a set to close things out!

And there we have it folks, an excellent day of live rock music! Eight incredible bands that I cannot recommend checking out enough, both live and on track. Tickets are already on sale for next year’s edition of the festival, get them while they’re hot and while you still can. If this year is anything to go off, it’ll be another stellar lineup and will most likely sell out fast!

Features, Reviews

The Long Road 2025: The Big Bad Review – Day 3!

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The final day of the festival opened as equally chilled as the others with The Wranglers and Steady Habits. The former was somehow about our only trip over to the Showground of the weekend, but were a fantastic acoustic duo that could easily make it onto the Front Porch or beyond in a year or two. The latter was on said Front Porch stage, and gave similar vibes to Ferrari in that kinda acoustic indie-Americana thang. However, they brought a full band, which was great for so early on in the day on a smaller stage. They made some great music, whether it was more stripped-back, slower acoustics numbers or full-band rock tracks. Arguably, they’d have done even better with a better slot! Another band that I’d checked out a bit of beforehand but have come away loving and can’t wait for the new album!

Evan Bartels absolutely blew me away on the Interstate stage. I loved his EP when I checked it out so knew I had to head to one of his sets on the Sunday, but wasn’t expecting it to be quite that good! For one man and one guitar, the sheer sound and emotion he portrayed was insane. The man sings like he’s had 200 years of hard life experiences, and is one of the best storytellers I’ve ever seen live. Even as he just spoke between songs, and during our interview (stay tuned soon), I got lost in his words; he’s a captivating man. His set went by in a flash and he played to a pretty packed out tent, everyone being locked onto him throughout. He’s another one that got a tear or two out of me, just like the other Evan. From his incredible vocals to insane lyrics and the guitar that fits it perfectly, it was honestly phenomenal. If anyone reading this is at all into old-school, true country music, you have to check him out immediately. Another massive weekend highlight.

Our good friends These Wicked Rivers tore the roof off of Buddy’s, next. Heavy for the festival, for sure, but playing to a pretty packed out crowd non the less, Rivers owned their time on the stage. Whether it was heavier numbers like ‘Testify’ or ‘Shine On’ or more ballad-tracks like ‘When the War is Won’, the crowd ate up everything the band lay down. I’ve loved them for years, so seeing them on a bit more of an out-of-the-box stage like this and killing it is really amazing to see. The band played their asses off for the whole set, with John’s vocals sounding as great as ever and the rest of the band putting on a fantastic show. Hopefully this is the start of something awesome for the band in the country sphere, as it will help two worlds that we cover quite a lot get closer!

Alyssa Bonagura was on Buddy’s after, continuing on the Snakefarm takeover of the stage. It was another slightly heavier British artist, but slightly more on the country-pop end of things. She was another excellent set, somehow sounding exactly like she does on track live, which is an incredible feat in this sort of music. She’s another artist that could have done with a bigger platform, but also perfectly fit for the smaller, packed out crowd at Buddy’s. We’ve spent a lot of time there this year and it’s quickly becoming one of my favourite stages; from the setting to the sound to the general setup, it’s all awesome. Alyssa will surely follow Kezia in becoming a massive name in the UK country scene sooner rather than later!

Erin Kinsey blew the metaphorical roof off the place on the joint at the Rhinstone stage. Flying in pretty last minute by the sounds of things, you wouldn’t have told she was in Germany earlier that day, as she sounded fantastic and had all the energy in the world. And plus, she was HEAVY, dude. And even if this wasn’t coming from a guy who’s big into rock and metal, I’d say in a good way! It helped that the stage was perfectly loud on the Sunday, but yeah, the guitars were distorted, the bass thumping and her drummer was smacking the shit out of his skins. It really set her apart from the other women around her in the scene who she could be compared to. She goes rockier on her latest album, but I wasn’t expecting it to translate this well live! ‘Matchmaker’ was a personal highlight of mine, but the set was jam packed full of awesome tracks that the crowd ate up! Hopefully she’s over here more regularly as I’d love to see her again, hopefully at her own show, soon!

I went into The White Buffalo not quite knowing what to expect, outside of a more slower, Americana-style thing similar to Uncle Lucius. What I got was not that, but was even better! There were certainly tracks like that, but there band also got dark and heavy in the best ways. It almost boarded on the heavier end of grunge, which was sick! And, on top of that, the band were full of energy, and put on one hell of a show considering it was just them and their instruments. I love how heavy the Sunday ended up, almost feeling more like a Southern rock festival than anything else, and Buffalo were definitely a highlight in amongst that. They’re another band that I would LOVE to see again, and need to ASAP.

Kim Churchill rocked the hell out of his solo performance on the Front Porch stage. Up against some steep competition on other stages, the Aussie native still drew a pretty great crowd for what again felt like a closer, more intimate gig. His voice was amazing, and the sheer amount of other stuff he had going on at the same time really filled out the sound (I’m a sucker for a harmonica). I’d be curious to see if he plays with a full band back home, and how that would sound, but for now the acoustic solo stuff was awesome, and a fitting change of pace for us on a pretty high energy day!

It was at this point that, as we got a drink, we quickly headed to check out a bit of the dog show. Watching them all getting distracted by toys instead of running to their owners was very cute!

The UK country legend Kezia Gill played to a packed out Buddy’s, completing her mission to play every stage at the festival (well, aside from the Hitching Post now). The stage was, of course, packed out, as she was definitely ‘too big’ for the setting. However, it made it even more rowdy, and almost everyone knew so much of what she was playing, and loving every minute. We were no different. Somehow this is the first time we’ve had the chance to see Kezia and it’s very easy to see why she has such a fantastic reputation: she was really great live! Rattling through some of her biggest and best songs to an adoring crowd that have watched her grow alongside the scene over the last few years. She’s a fantastic front woman and her voice more than hold up live. If I had any complaint at all, and it’s a super minor one, is that she’s very straight-forward in terms of her sound, and on a day where everything is a little out there and different, it felt almost safe. Still, that’s hardly Kezia’s fault, and she still put on a blinder of a set.

The controversial James Bay closed out the main show on the Sunday. The amount of arguments I’ve seen that he doesn’t fit the festival, that he isn’t country so he shouldn’t be there… I think he proved a lot of the haters wrong on Sunday night. Despite being sick, he still put on an utterly fantastic show, rattling through so many of his incredible hits and doing so in style. Despite not playing my favourite song of his (‘Give me the Reason’), he still hit so many amazing songs, from his hits ‘Let It Go’ and ‘Hold Back the River’ to deeper cuts like ‘Scars’ and ‘Wanderlust’. And we got an absolutely incredible extended version of ‘Best Fake Smile’, complete with an amazing extended blues solo that really blew me away, and clearly James and the band were having a blast playing it. He’s such a professional, putting on a flawless show and coming across as such a genuine, likeable guy in the process. It was an incredible headline set fitting of the festival, and if it wasn’t for the fact that Drake was also present, he would have been headliner of the year. Anyone who’s still on the fence, I cannot recommend enough seeing him live, he puts on a fantastic show and you’d definitely be won over!

Alana Springsteen was the aftershow party artist of the Sunday, and closed out the whole weekend pretty fantastically. We caught her a couple of years ago and, much like FTF, it feels like she’s grown even more as a performer in the time since she’s been away. She put on a great, all too short set of some of her best hits, and performed them all perfectly, also sounding so close to her track stuff! I hated that I missed her full set earlier on, but at least I managed to check her out here. She brought just enough energy to the proceedings this late on, getting everyone who was exhausted still dancing and partying and singing along and having fun to close out a truly fantastic evening. That’s how it’s done!

And there we have it folks, three excellent days of country, roots, blues and Americana music. It really is one of the best festivals around currently, is family friendly and still has plenty of energy and room to grow. Again, a huge thanks and congrats to Baylen the whole team for putting on such an excellent weekend. Until next year!

<- Day 2

Features, Reviews

The Long Road 2025: The Big Bad Review – Day 2!

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Our second day started off with us stumbling vaguely hungoverly over to the Front Porch to catch rising star Halle Kearns. For just one woman and her guitar she sounded awesome, bringing a fantastic 2000s country-pop vibe to a festival that had clearly craved that sound until now. She had a pretty packed out crowd for so early in the day, and they definitely got more and more into it throughout. Her music is fantastic, as is her lyric-writing, and the duet she sung with her husband was beautiful! Sadly we missed her the day after living it up on the main stage, but it was nice to see her in this more stripped-back, chilled-out setting, and it fit her rather perfectly. I was a fan of a couple of her songs heading in, and she’s definitely made me want to dive into her catalogue more now I’m home!

P.S. I also got a ‘media comped’ Moonshine cocktail from the wonderful O’Donnell. Massive shoutout, they make some amazing drinks and I cannot praise them enough! May have played a little hackysack too with our drinks…

WE ARE WELLS FERRARI. Now that the formalities are out of the way, we got an ‘electric’ set from the pair on the Porch following Halle. And by that, they meant one of them would have an electric guitar, instead of both being on acoustics. A minor change but one that did shift their sound somewhat, making for an interesting second listen. And they were just as good as they were the night before; a pretty big compliment I’d say give that I enjoyed them both sober and not! A pretty similar set but still a lot of fun, and another duo I’d love bring a whole band back over here if they get the chance next time.

Griffin Brothers were up next on the Interstate. They were pretty good, and we went in almost completely blind. The set was fairly heavy on covers, which were great, but I loved their original stuff just as much! It was sadly a bit of a flying visit around interviews, so I’d love to check them out again at some point when I can pay more attention, but I’ll certainly be checking them out on track coming out of this!

Our first trip to Rhinestone of the day came curtesy of the overnight Irish sensation Gareth. We’d already had the pleasure of seeing him earlier this year, supporting Kip Moore, so were eager to see him again! He was great yet again, though I do feel he was maybe a touch nervous. Heck, how couldn’t you be, especially as a newer artist! He still sounded excellent, but I do think his set in Birmingham was just a smidge better. Still, his songs are amazing, they were performed great and it all really packed a punch on a stage that really nailed the sound for a lot of the weekend. He’s going to be a massive name in business sooner rather than later, that’s clear to see and hear, and it’s awesome to get to see him right at the start of that journey.

I wanted to quickly take some time out to once again praise some incredible artists we saw a song or two of in passing on the Front Porch. David Unlayao was one of the artists I was gutted to miss a full set of, & Rissi Palmer is someone I’m so shocked I’ve somehow never seen before in all my years heading to TLR. Both were great and far better live than I expected them to be! Rissi is a legend in the festival world at this point, and her ‘Southern Soul’ styling was amazing and something I am already desperate to see more of! Meanwhile, David’s pop-country vibe translated surprisingly well to the smaller stage, though the full All-Stars band backing him may have helped there! Both are awesome artists that are well worth checking out, and I have to see them both properly soon!

Next up was maybe my most anticipated set of the weekend, Evan Honer. To say he knocked it out of the park may be an understatement. He had me laughing, crying and covered in goosebumps for a good majority of the set! Right from the bittersweet opener of ‘Nowhere Fast’ I knew I was in for something special, and then he just kept going with incredible song after incredible song! ‘Mr Myers’ would have made me cry anyway, but inviting the powerful voice of Charles Wesley Godwin on to help out for the first time live utterly destroyed me. Following that up with ‘Take me as I Come’ was a one-two gut punch in the best way. Then to close out on ‘Foolin’ Ourselves’ and ‘idk shit about cars’ whipped the crowd into a deserved frenzy. I wasn’t entirely sure how he would end up going down at this sort of festival, but the tent was packed and they hung on every single word he sung. Oh, I almost forgot about him two stepping with We Are Wells Ferrari, another fun stand-out moment on a set packed full of them. A good time but also an emotional one, and easily one of the best sets of the weekend for me. I NEED to see Evan again immediately!

Larry Fleet was up next on the Rhinestone, his chilled-out, good-guy energy making for a perfect relaxed atmosphere. I have to say he’s not something I’d listen to massively often on track, but live he was amazing to sit back and listen to and enjoy with a drink! His voice is absolutely amazing and translates perfectly into a live setting. And oh my god, how have I gotten this far without talking about Crazy Legs?! What a guy, best live performer I’ve ever seen, I’mma have to take lessons and stretch before gigs now! Another awesome set arguably at the best time for it!

Charles Wesley Godwin played to an absolutely packed out Interstate tent that hung on his every note. He arguably could have been put on the main stage, but something about the darker, roofed setting just worked perfectly for him! It was another set that I just got lost in; stood in the middle of a packed out crowd just swaying and singing along to the music. Honestly, it was all awesome too, it’s hard to pick out any specific song that was between than the rest. He’s back out here soon I believe with Evan Bartels (more overleaf) and I may have to get a ticket! He’s amazing live and I’d recommend anyone even slightly curious to go!

Midland closed out the main show in typically old-school style. Bringing the smoky vegas vibes as much as the dive bar saloon ones, it was a pretty perfect way to round out the Saturday with a little bit of everything. The harmonies once again were spot on, as expected. The playing throughout was exception, from the main three to the others. From recent stuff like ‘Barely Blue’ to classics like ‘Drinking Problem’ and even their awesome cover of classic ‘Boot Scooting Boogie’, it was all SO GOOD. The band are consummate professionals, putting on a fantastic show that highlighted every member of the band perfectly, and was a lot of fun to watch. Heck, when a crowd member took a fall towards the end of the set, they even paused the show until the paramedics got them out, a fantastic, admirable move, and they all seemed genuinely concerned. That’s what the festival is all about, care and humanity, and the band encapsulated that perfectly. Yet another awesome set, and the perfect way to headline this festival!

An artist that we fell in love with our very first year there, Everette finally returned, this time as a solo(ish) artist. Closing out the day with an hour-long afterparty full of awesome songs and good times, he was another that finished things off perfectly. He and his new guitarist (on loan from Larry Fleet) sounded awesome together. Weather it was old favourites like ‘Dang the Whiskey’, ‘Woo Hoo Hoo’ and even ‘Kings of the Dairy Queen Parking Lot’(!) or newer stuff like ‘High and Lonesome’ and ‘Fright Train’, there was so much to love! Then there were the moments he brung touring partner Larry Fleet on himself, first to do a song they’d written together and then later as the whole band to sing ‘Free Fallin’’ with the crowd. The whole thing was just awesome! Brent’s voice is like butter and he’s an amazing frontman and songwriter, so this was the perfect way to close things for the Saturday!

<- Day 1

Day 3 ->

Features, Reviews

The Long Road 2025: The Big Bad Review!

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Our fourth year at our favourite festival, and what a fantastic year it was yet again! While a touch controversial on the lineup side of things, the growing country-Americana-roots festival provides so much entertainment in one of the nicest environments around, and we had a blast from start to end. Join us in checking out everything that went down!

First, a very big thank you to every single member of not just the Long Road staffing, but also the wonderful Lime Tree Music. I was looked after all weekend and the staff all did a cracking job. The place was clean and full of smiles throughout, and the vibe of the festival is incredibly hard to top!

Our first foray into the festival came in two parts, really. First we headed up to the brand new Hitching Post stage. It’s an amazing addition to the festival, giving it the perfect space for things like the conversations with artists, the line dancing classes and plenty more. It fit the vibe and aesthetic of the festival perfectly, and it seems to be a very popular introduction. We caught our new friends Two Ways Home presenting their Round-Up. Sadly we didn’t manage to catch all of it, but saw a couple of their songs and loved it! We then headed over to the ever-awesome Buddy’s Good Time Bar to catch Madalitso Band. Sadly they were running late, so I could only stick around for a couple of their songs, too. However, they were also pretty damn enjoyable, and I wish I’d managed to stick around longer. Their talent and creativity is off the charts, and I know a few people pegged them as one of their favourites of the weekend.

After a quick interview we caught the first half of the first set on the Rhinestone stage, Liam St. John. I knew very little of his music heading into this, but came away as a huge fan! I wasn’t expecting it to be quite so heavy-blues which, as any sort of length reader of this site knows, is a big influence to me as a musician and a firm genre favourite. The guitar work was amazing, bringing a great/surprising amount of riffs on an early Friday, but his powerful, emotion-filled vocals were as much of a firm highlight. And the performance he put on matched it perfectly. Yeah, everything about this is awesome, and I immediately added his albums release date to our calendar as I definitely don’t want to miss diving deep into it! Hopefully it isn’t the last we see of him over here soon, as I’d LOVE to hear a full set, especially after the album’s release. Definitely a very nice surprise, and an early highlight!

After Liam we cut across to the Interstate stage for our good friends First Time Flyers. We’ve loved them since the last time they played a full set, and even had the chance to chat with them then. However, we sadly haven’t had the chance to see them since. Somehow, they have gotten even better! The harmonies have somehow gotten even tighter, and the band’s chemistry on stage is now undeniable. Their last outing at the festival was just their sixth live show together, and they have clearly grown and experienced a lot since then. And the new additions to the set were just as awesome as their old stuff, too! ‘Jump’ and ‘Stay’ were both amazing, while it’s incredibly easy to tell why ‘Primadonna’ is such a firm crowd favourite, it’s still stuck in my head days later! The band are getting one hell of a great reputation in the UK country scene, and with performances like this there is no wonder why! And this was set one of three over the weekend, so the fact that they put in so much energy and passion to this first set shows just how hard-working the quartet are. I said two years ago they are going to be a big band, and given the reception they got this last weekend, I think they are almost about there!

Back over to Buddy’s next, we saw the wonderful Janet Devlin. A far cry from nervous young girl from X Factor all those years back, Janet has battled through her demons and come out the other side a new woman. However, she has still maintained her amazing voice, and is one hell of a performer to boot. And the fact that she brought a lot of energy still to a more stripped-back, acoustic performance is great proof of that! Bringing her unique blend of traditional folk and modern country, the set was packed full of awesome songs, and some equally great stories told by the woman herself. I’d love to see her in a bigger setup with a full band, but I did also enjoy the more intimate setting here, and the crowd were loving it, too!

A brief trip out to the Front Porch stage and another couple of great tracks from Two Ways Home. Then, it was back into Buddy’s for a band that I was very excited for, Crowe Boys. Though it was just the titular brothers over without the full band backing them, with the sheer sound and emotion they produced you’d think they’d never need one! The sheer power of Ocie’s vocals, paired with Wes’ incredible harmonies, packs a phenomenal punch and packs out the sound around the guitar and banjo. And as I said, the emotion on display… ‘Brother Song’ honestly had me in tears and I’m so glad they played it! The band’s blend of Americana and indie music isn’t necessarily brand new, but the pair do it to perfection and it’s really awesome to see that as a genre it’s really gathering momentum. The small tent was packed and honestly hung on every word and note, it being a truly special experience. This band are gonna go hugely far, and it was an honour getting to see them in such an intimate setting. Another massive highlight of the weekend.

Now from one highlight to another, for two wildly different reasons! What more can I say about Drake Milligan that I haven’t already. He was maybe my favourite set of last year from any artist, and honestly he could very easily be the same again this year. I’ve never seen such a naturally charismatic performer before, so effortlessly holding a crowd in the palm of his hand. It’s one thing to do it to 1.5k people inside Manchester’s Ritz, it’s a whole other ballgame to do it to 10,000+ at an outdoor venue. And yet, here the 27-year old prodigy was, putting on a show the likes of which could rival the very best to ever do it. From opening on his hit ‘Sounds Like Something I’d Do’ (to the shock of most of the crowd) to riding through most of his album and EP, to some incredible covers of both Merle Haggard and of course Elvis, it was an hour and a half of incredible music. But everyone up on that stage worked their asses off, playing like their lives depended on it and looking like they genuinely had a blast doing so. The soloing was impeccable, and the ‘big band show’ element was very present. We even got some yet-unreleased ones, like already fan favourite ‘Slow Dancin’ to a Fast Song’ and the brand new (and set highlight) ‘Tumbleweed’. Everything about it was just incredible yet again, and I cannot recommend Drake more if I tried. Everyone should see him play live at least once in their lives, and he’s just going to keep getting bigger and bigger with the performance he puts on.

To close our night off in chilled-out style, we got an acoustic set from California’s own Wells Ferrari on the Front Porch. Or should that be ‘We Are Wells Ferrari’? I feel like I’ve been indoctrinated into some sort of cult, and I for one am fine with it! The duo sounded great, playing and singing their hearts out and hitting some incredible harmonies. That really seems to be the theme of this year’s edition of the festival; fantastic vocal harmonies. The pair were great fun to watch as they had a great laugh and joke with the crowd throughout, definitely closing out the night in style! And, it helped that they plated some amazing songs, too!

Day 2 ->

Features, Reviews

The Heavy Souls, Eddie & The Wolves and Penumbra Rock Real Time Live!

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It has been a while since we were last at this awesome Chesterfield venue! So, the fact that we were able to return to see three incredible young rock bands is honestly awesome! And the gig was nearly sold out too, which is impressive for originals bands in a more cover/tribute-based venue. Let’s see how it all was, shall we?

First up were the local lads, Penumbra. The band were a little more indie than the rest on the lineup, but they are a fantastic live band and brought plenty of their friends and fans along for the show! And the band are born showmen too, performing fantastically even though they don’t seem to have been going too long! Plus, it’s pretty heavy for indie rock, a side of the genre that I have always loved! They tore the place down for a solid half an hour set and definitely gained some new fans in the process, including myself! I can’t wait to hear more studio stuff from the band and see where they go from here, as they are already gathering a great following!

Next up were, of course, the best band in the world. You know the spiel by now. Yes, I’m in the band, but there was no way I wasn’t reviewing this awesome gig. And, I’d like to think that we did a good job! People were enjoying it; the crowd still being pretty packed out, and it sounded great from up on stage! A massive thank you to Ben and the rest of the Souls lot for having us on the show, it was a great night and we all had a blast, even though we were melting in the heat! Thank you to everyone who came out early to check us out, and who came up to us to compliment the show afterwards, it was a good night!

After a brief, only somewhat stressful changeover, the headliners took to the stage. The band are consummate professionals, having their full back line and a big banner and coming on to ‘Country Roads’, making them feel like a big deal right from the offset. Then, they came on and played a stormer of a set for a full 90-minutes, and that feeling continued throughout! Playing so much awesome stuff for their incredible debut album, as well as a couple of fantastic covers, it was certainly a set to remember! Everyone sounded incredible throughout and had such a suave stage presence about them that was magnetic to watch. Heck, we even got a MEGA drum solo from Charlie, easily a highlight of a set packed full of them! It’s very easy to see why the band have been quickly on the up and up over the last couple of years; from shows like this to their studio stuff, it’s all awesome. They are gonna be a massive name in the scene sooner rather than later, mark my words!

And there we have it folks, an awesome night in a great venue in a city that is rather underrated when it comes to live music. All three bands were awesome and put on one hell of a show to the packed, nearly sold-out crowd at Real Time Live. If you ever get the chance to see any of the three bands live, I cannot recommend them enough, and you should definitely check them out on track too! All the bands have plenty of shows and festivals over the summer, so get down to at least one of them, you won’t be disappointed!

Features, Reviews

Trowsholm, LN and Reliquia Rock Scruffy Murphys!

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A day after our trip to Download (not reviewing it, it feels weird to review one day of a three day festival) we headed up to Birmingham for a night of folky, dark metal goodness. Three awesome bands packing out a small, hot venue that’s been recently refurbished and reopened; it was set to be a good night! Let’s dive into all three and let y’all know just how awesome they were!

Kicking off the night were the gothic metallers Reliquia. They were the only band I hadn’t checked out beforehand, but they came away with a big new fan in me! They’re a sort of style I love; the epic, dark, gothy-doom sound, and reminded me a lot of bands like My Dying Bride. It had all the best elements of doom and black metal, but also sounded pretty unique. And for a venue as small as it was to get a sound as massive as the band produced was amazing, so big props to the sound guy as well as the band for producing a great show. The band are all hugely talented, playing perfectly along with their organ-and-bass backing track as well as writing some awesome songs. And they really grew into their performance, too. They seemed a touch nervous at first, but as the packed room got more into it so did the band, with Gregg in particular being a great frontman by the end. He also had some of the best live vocals I’ve heard in a while; from low singing to awesome screams they were all great. As I said, they won me round pretty quickly into a new fan, and I’d recommend checking them out if you haven’t already!

Next up were the reason we were there, the incredible LN. After seeing them at Winters End back in February and falling in love, we knew we had to see them again ASAP. To the shock of I’m sure no one, we once again were blow away by the band! They’re one of the most interesting bands in the UK underground scene today, as well as being one of the best live bands around. Their studio work is phenomenal and translates perfectly live, especially in such an intimate setting. There was no denying the crowd were there for them, and they played off it perfectly. Heck, they even got a pit going, which I was not expecting at all! LN is such an engaging and magnetic frontwoman, having the crowd in the palm of her hand throughout. Everyone else also put on a great show though, as well! From their popular older stuff to new preview songs and latest single ‘Hellfire’, it was a fantastic set, too. They band are clearly going to go far fast, and it’s so cool seeing them in these small venues before they blow up! 

Headlining the night were Scotlands own Trowsholm. Right off the bat it was an interesting collection of people; a viking, a wizard, someone in a matching short, shirt and bucket-hat combo and a thrasher… seems like the start of a bad joke! However, it made for one hell of a party mood right from the offset, and the band kept said mood high through the whole set. They were potentially the heaviest band of the night, and at very least the highest energy and paced, and it made for an awesome headline set! It felt almost like a heavier Alestorm, so impossible not to love! They travelled far to be at the gig and made sure it was worth it as they put on a show from beginning to end. They were the least ‘my thing’ of the night but I still had a blast, as did the still-packed-out crowd around me! They were polished and professional while still feeling fun and more light-hearted, and I can’t recommend them enough!

Overall, it’s was an absolutely amazing night of live music! All three bands knocked it out of the park and fit so well on the same bill together. I cannot recommend seeing all three of them enough if they come close to where you are, and I already want to see all of them live again already! And plus, shoutout to the venue, which was awesome, and is helping keep rock and metal alive in one of the most important cities for it!