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Reviews

The Long Road 2023: The Big Bad Review – Day 3!

The Sunday of The Long Road was once again STACKED for us, lineup-wise. So, just to warn you, there’s going to be lots of gushing on this last page.

The first band we saw on the Interstate were honestly phenomenal. Holy Moly and the Crackers are so much better live than on track, and that’s saying something as they are really pretty good on track! They have a bit more of a folky, bouncy feel to them live, while on the tracks it feels a little more hard rock and grungy. Neither sides of the band are bad, but the energy they give off live is infectious and outstanding.

For a smallish band that aren’t too close to the typical music style on the third morning of the festival, they had a pretty busy crowd moving dancing along to every song. And, considering they had a frontwoman who, while massively charismatic, can’t move around quite as much, it’s one hell of an achievement. I’ve been listening to them a lot since I got home, and will definitely be getting tickets to see them again on their tour in November!

After that we headed to see another fast rising country star, Alana Springsteen. I’ve been a fan of her since she was announced, and her album that was released the other week was pretty damn great. Much like a lot over the weekend, she lived up to my hype of her and then some! Much like a fair bit of the big stuff on the bill, it’s the usual female-led pop country. However, it’s done so well, and Alana has one hell of a stage presence about her.

Rattling off some of her big hit singles, as well some great album tracks from TWENTY SOMETHING (and saying the word tequila a potential record time in one set), it was one hell of a set. She’s already on track to be a huge name in the scene, and live shows like this are definitely going to help. Also, shoutout to her British session players, who smashed it.

On our way over towards the Interstate we stopped and caught a fair bit of Laketown. Though I wasn’t really familiar with them at all going into it, I really enjoyed them. It was also nice to see another full band on the Front Porch, especially when it was so many solo acoustic acts on it last year. The three guys put on a fun show and definitely won me over!

Then it was another duo I was hugely excited for, The War and Treaty. To say they lived up to the hype would be a massive understatement. Honestly, this was more an experience than a live set. I don’t think they were expecting the kind of reception and packed out crowd. They clearly got rather emotional at one or two points during the set. However, it just made the crowd response that much greater and willed Michael and Tanya on even more.

Their voices are absolutely incredible and pair together perfectly. I’ve not really heard any soul live and this was the very best way to introduce me to the sound. The whole band did incredibly behind them, but the couple were on a level above all others. It was the loudest I had ever heard that tent be, and it’s my favourite set of the weekend. I LOVE this band!

It was back over to the main stage after that for the amazing Caylee Hammock. Another woman who I have been a fan of since the announcement, she put on a great show and sounded amazing live. Her slightly lighter, more folky spin on country went down a storm with the crowd, and her voice was hauntingly beautiful at times. ‘Just Friends’ and ‘Family Tree’ were personal favourites, but the whole set was great!

TikTok sensation Breland was up next. Honestly, this could have easily headlined the festival, and he certainly treated it like a headline show! Bringing out guests to sing duets with like Alana Springsteen and Kezia Gill was a lot of fun, and the crowd loved both. Between that and rattling out crowd favourite after crowd favourite, it was a truly awesome set. And, just like War & Treaty, it really enhances the experience of a show when the artist is clearly enjoying themselves too. Breland was having a blast here. I cannot pick a single fault with his set, and he’s a born performer. He’s another that is going to be massive sooner rather than later.

Folk superstar Sierra Ferrell was next on the Interstate stage. A packed out tent greeted Ferrell as her and her band took the stage, and despite some early technical issues the set was clearly a hit with the crowd. Opening with a new track ‘Making My Way’ the group then dived into some larger hits from Ferrell’s debut album Long Time Coming released in 2021. Six tracks in and we are given another new unreleased song called ‘Fox Hunt’, for which Ferrell drops her guitar in exchange for a violin as does one of her band members. ‘Fox Hunt’ is a foot-stomping anthem honouring ancestors that had to hunt for survival, keep an ear out for this one when it does get released.

Festival sets can always be a bit tricky, its a fine balance between playing to your dedicated fans that are there for you and those in the crowd that are experiencing your music for the first time. The mix of new tracks, old
tracks, hits and a cover played to all parts of the audience and I doubt anyone came away from this set not counting themselves a fan of Ferrell.

Shane Smith & The Saints were another HUGE highlight of the festival. I’m a big fan of the band and have been watching a lot of their live performances in the leadup, so knew what to be expecting. However, hearing the band being this good live and in person is still mind-blowing. His low, raspy voice is incredible, and complimented perfectly by the rest of the band behind him. And every single one played their hearts out, putting on one hell of a performance. No wonder they’re getting massive in the US, and fingers crossed that success will now follow them across the pond!

Check out our interview with Shane here.

Next up was the bittersweet Sunday headliner, Cam. The last minute replacement of Jon Pardi (who dropped out of his whole European tour the week before because… reasons?), there was a whole heap of pressure on the woman. You wouldn’t have guessed it at all, as Cam smashed it out of the park. Honestly, I think this is a lot of people’s set of the weekend. She is a festival alumni, having played back in the before times, so having a lot of the crowd familiar with her and already a big fan certainly helped.

However, Cam certainly brought it as well, putting on an effortlessly spectacular performance. I laughed, I cried, I sung along, and had the time of my life. She’s another artist that I’ve listened to nearly non stop since I got home, and for good reason. I think it’s the best headline set I’ve seen in the two years I’ve been going. ‘Diane’ is one of the best experiences I’ve ever had live. I really hope she tours over here again soon, as I’d recommend her to anyone!

The final after show act was the awesome Megan Moroney. I hate the fact that this was the first chance I had to see her over the weekend. And I heard she was very good on the Rhinestone stage earlier in the day. However, between interviews and clashes, we just couldn’t make it happen. Much like a lot of this review, hopefully she tours over here so I can see her properly!

However, just in the brief acoustic after show set we saw, she was amazing. Her voice is incredible and her songwriting talent is off the charts. I’m a big fan of her last album and LOVED everything she played off it. She’s another natural performer who had the crowd in the palm of her hand throughout. A damn good way to close out the festival!

And there we have it, folks. Another fantastic year of The Long Road festival under our belts. One of the best weekends ever, and we can’t wait to do it all again next year!

<- Day 2

Reviews

The Long Road 2023: The Big Bad Review – Day 2!

We started off our second day at The Long Road seeing the amazing Tyler Booth over at Buddy’s. Just like Tim Hicks the night before, he was absolutely great, but man I wish he had his full setup and band with him! His voice is utterly incredible, even for a country singer, and his songs translate well over to an acoustic sound. The fun and bounce of the tracks still remained with the stripped back setting. And the crowd loved it, especially for pretty early on! His ‘Keep it Real’ EP is out mid next month and it’s definitely something we’ll be checking out here at Overtone!

After Tyler it was over to the Rhinestone stage for the wonderful Megan McKenna. The first thing I have in my notes is how good the sound was for the set, and honestly it was a running thing throughout the weekend, and not just on the main stage. Even when some of the heavier-handed drummers hit the stage and things got loud, everything was clear and well mixed. Massive props to everyone working sound over the weekend!

Check out more country here.

Back to Megan, though, it was an amazing setlist. Skirting the line between modern pop-country and a more traditional, almost Dolly Parton sound, it was the perfect backdrop to open the Long Road ‘s main stage. It was a really fun show and honestly one of the highlight sets of the day for me!

We headed back over to Buddy’s then for Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse. The band were just as interesting and fun as their title, too. A more blues, soul soaked Americana sound was a great change of pace from the more pop country that we’d had so far in the day. The crowd, though they didn’t seem as knowledgeable of the band as others over the weekend, responded really well to them, too. I’m definitely going to have to check out more of them as the band have a new fan in me!

Then we hightailed it back over to the Rhinestone stage for Jackson Dean. I was pretty excited to see him, and he didn’t disappoint at all! His voice is somehow even more impressive live, which is really saying something. And his darker edge to the country sound is really fantastic, and translates perfectly to a big stage setting. Plus, being a primarily a heavier rock fan, it of course worked for me! Honestly, for someone who is still relatively new to the scene to be this polished and well rounded is impressive. He is already getting huge, but he’s going to be a megastar if this performance and sound is anything to go by. Hopefully next time he’s over here he’s on a bit later and can put on a bit more of a show!

Sadly we couldn’t catch the final couple of Jackson’s track as we headed over to the Front Porch. There was no chance we were missing the incredible Gabe Lee! One of the hardest working people in the genre, as well as being possibly the most successful Asian American in country, Gabe Lee has exploded onto the scene and gotten bigger and bigger with each passing year. Now on his fourth critically-acclaimed release, Lee played a great selection of songs throughout his career. His unique blend of folk, Americana and honky tonk suited the Front Porch so well, and the crowd lapped up every second.

My only slight comment, much like Jackson before, is that there wasn’t much of a show. I know that the music doesn’t exactly lend itself to one, and there were definitely times where I got lost in the music. However, with a full band, everyone just standing there chilling out was a bit odd to watch for this metalhead. Still, an amazing set, with him jumping on keys for the last track being a particular highlight!

We caught the back half of the indie folk Sons of the East in the Interstate tent. While I don’t have a huge amount to say about them as we just chilled out outside the tent, they sounded incredible, and so close to how they do on track. I love this sort of music live, and the band didn’t disappoint at all. I’mma have to see them again at some point and see a full set!

We managed to get a quick interview with Tenille Arts earlier in the day (keep your eyes peeled for it!) so having the chance to see her after was amazing. She’s exactly what you’d expect from a female pop-country singer in her twenties, and it was great. Huge, catchy anthems performed masterfully well by Tenille; her stage presence is captivating. From massive, fantastic original songs like ‘I Hate This’ and ‘Summer Don’t Go’ to a medley of great tracks that inspired her to even (of course) a cover of the best Taylor Swift track ever, it was a stacked, amazing set. I was a fan of her before we went but am an even bigger one now! Amazing stuff!

I managed to hear a lot of Margo Price’s set from the media area, as well as catching a few songs here and there. Her voice was incredible throughout, and she seemed like she put on one hell of a show. I wish we’d have been able to see more of her, but from what I did see I’d highly recommend seeing her live.

Like Sons of the East, we sat outside the tent and caught a good chunk of Nickel Creek’s set. I was familiar with the band already, having reviewed their latest album here. However, they sounded even better live than on track. I always think this sort of slower, more chilled out music does translate better to a live audience, but everyone in and out of the tent was loving it, and they had a pretty packed crowd. Playing a varied, career-spanning set, they were great!

Saturday night headliners Blackberry Smoke absolutely blew me away. I’d only seen them once before, on a rainy Friday afternoon slot at Download festival, so getting to see the full show from them, especially now I was an even bigger fan of their music, was truly magical. Much like a lot of the festival, we got a varied set from across their albums, including big hitters and crowd favourites like ‘Waiting for the Thunder’ and ‘One Horse Town’. And we even got to be treated, being the first big crowd to hear their brand new released single, ‘Dig A Hole’. It was fucking awesome.

Charlie Starr oozes such effortless charisma and stage presence. And the rest of the band have Lynyrd Skynyrd levels of coolness and swagger too. It’s so good to see this awesome band finally getting big slots over here, and watching them playing outdoors on a big stage to a packed crowd as it got dark was truly magic.

The after party for the Saturday were Americas Got Talent alumni Chapel Hart. (Find another album review, this time for them, here). Another band I went into as a fan, and enjoyed thoroughly. All three women sound incredible live and clearly have a lot of fun being on stage with one another. And the packed out tent were having just as much fun, chanting, shouting and practically demanding an encore. And there comes my one and only issue with their setlist: covers. I don’t mind covers at all, and they did a great job with Journey, but they only had a short set and I really like their original stuff. It would have been nice to hear more of it than an extended cover. But hell that’s just me, and the crowd were loving it. Still, a damn good set to round out a damn good day!

<- Day 1

Day 3 ->

Reviews

Call of the Wild 2023: The Big Bad Review – Sunday

Kicking off the final day of Call of the Wild for us were LaVire. Having never really heard the band before, they utterly blew me away. Their brand of heavier hard rock, bordering on metal was amazing. Frontwoman Chloé stole the show for me, though. Whether it was her soring vocals or surprising, occasional and amazing screams, she blew me away. The band did good with their early slot, getting a decent crowd and for sure winning over a lot of them, including myself. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for them next time they’re around my area again, I can’t wait to see them again!

Next up were our good friends Dead Writers. After a small afternoon slot in the tent last year, Paul, Fabio and co have been bumped up to the Lawless stage, and they made perfect use of that. Though their set was short, they played banger after banger like ‘She’s All the Animals’, ‘Among Spirits’ and recent single ‘Lisa’. Both core members owned the stage and played to a crowd that were appreciative and clearly remembered them from the previous year. Plus, since then they’ve added to their ranks. This was the first big gig for new bassist Naomi Boschetti and she absolutely smashed it, fitting in perfectly with the rest of the band. These guys are ones to watch for sure, they’re going to be massive when their EP drops.

I think Brad Marr is incapable of putting on an un-entertaining set. The Massive frontman’s new German project rocked the main stage and left everyone thoroughly happy. While he’s been a near constant in the UK underground rock scene for a decade now, his new band are all phenomenally talented a good fun to watch on stage. They also write some amazing music (as well as play one great, heavy LMFAO cover). However, there is no denying that Brad is the star of the show. Especially without a guitar in hand this time, meaning he has more of a reign to bounce around. At one point he even somehow managed to fall of the stage, save his pint, and march back up much to everyone’s cheers. One of the most entertaining live bands you will see, and I cannot recommend them enough.

The next band we caught were Tailgunner. Ripped straight out of the NWOBHM scene, these guys were the perfect blend of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. It was fucking awesome. The energy coming from every band member was infectious, and they were all so insanely talented at their craft. And they sent the crowd home happy with an amazing rendition of ‘Painkiller’, which will never fail to impress people! They have a new fan in me!

Off to the tent again to check out the first band I ever interviewed here at Overtone, We Three Kings (check it out here). They seem heavier live than they do on track, which is definitely a good thing as it played right into the genre for the festival. The tent was pretty busy for them which was great to see, and the band played their asses off. Unfortunately we could only stay for a couple as we had to check out the other band too, but it was great stuff!

Fury tore the Killmister stage a new one. I struggled to nail them down into a specific genre, having elements of power metal, hard rock and alternative stuff. Whatever they get put down as, they are a phenomenal band, both on track and live. And they put on one hell of a show, too. And of course, we have to talk about that ballad. ‘Upon the Lonesome Tide’ is maybe the best single song performance of the weekend for me. I was familiar with their heavier tracks but this took me completely off guard in the best way. It was almost like if Phil Collins wrote a pirate ballad. Julian’s vocal delivery was spectacular. It put more of a heaviness on the other tracks around it, too. Another band that I would DEFINITELY recommend checking out live if you ever get the chance!

The next band we managed to see were one of my most anticipated of the weekend, King Kraken. Bringing their unique blend of sludgey stoner metal, they were another band I was surprised and so happy went down a storm with the crowd. The Welsh lads were on top form too, playing a set full of their debut album which was released earlier this year. Considering they haven’t played much up this way recently, the crowd were hot for the band and gave them just as much energy back. Plus, they had tentacles on stage, which was amazing.

We then went over to check out our friends in Outlaw Orchestra. Somehow I’ve chatted to them a couple of times now and have been a big fan of their music, yet hadn’t seen them live until the festival. To say they didn’t disappoint would be an understatement. I’ve not seen a trio look more like they are just three friends enjoying themselves playing music together. Much like I have said for previous bands; if you look like you’re enjoying yourself, so will the crowd. And they (including me) most certainly did. It was another of my favourite sets of the weekend. The fact that they did a bluegrass/blues style version of Motorhead’s ‘Iron Fist’ should really say it all. If you are into the slightly more southern/country side of things check them out, you will not be disappointed.

Then we reach a slight low point for me. I don’t know what it was, but something about Black Spiders didn’t quite click for me. I’ve seen them before since their reunion (check out the review here) and enjoyed it. However here it just felt a little… meh. Even though they were playing new songs off their brand new album, it felt a tad like they were going through the motions. They sounded great, don’t get me wrong, but performance wise it didn’t hold my attention. Still, I loved the new album and the songs they did off it sounded great live.

Then we reached the festival closers, the mighty Those Damn Crows. One of the biggest bands to come out of the NWOCR scene, anticipation was high for their set. On a personal note, they currently have my album of the year, so I was definitely excited. They somehow managed to live up to and even surpass the hype and expectation. This was a band on top form from a playing and performing standpoint, and they knew it.

From new album tracks to their previous hits, this was a blissful hour plus of alt rock that ended far too soon. And they didn’t even need all the big theatrics that a band could have brought. They plugged in and played and let their talent, presence and charisma do the talking. This is maybe the best live show I’ve seen all year so far, or at very least up there with Nanowar of Steel. They ended the festival perfectly.

And there we have it, folks! Another year, another fantastic Call of the Wild festival in the books. So many amazing bands across three different stages and three days, and all of them played their hearts out. Next year’s is already looking amazing from the few bands that have been announced, so I’d advise picking up tickets sooner rather than later. Thanks again to everyone at the festival and UPSTGD for letting us come along, and long live NWOCR!

<- Saturday

Reviews

Call of the Wild 2023: The Big Bad Review

Hundreds of rock and metal fans once again descended on Lincolnshire Showground last weekend for the third Call of the Wild festival. Boasting another incredible line-up of some not just the UKs, but the worlds best bands, it was another weekend not to miss. Thankfully, we were once again able to go down and cover it, so expect plenty of interviews as well as this over the coming weeks!

Unfortunate disclaimer, I couldn’t make it down on the Friday. I was off gigging with Eddie and the Wolves so couldn’t make it down. However, our good friend Tom over at CGCM Radio will have their review up of it soon, so keep an eye out for that here.

There was no better way to start out the second day of a festival than the shot of adrenaline that is Shadow Smile. While a little heavier than a lot of the rest of the bands on, as well as being at 11am, the Sheffield band garnered an impressive crowd. Be it punchy riffs, heavy breakdowns or Connor’s amazing range of soaring vocals and harsh screams, the band showed off every ounce of their incredible talent. Ripping through a short setlist featuring crowd favourites, latest single ‘Hellbound Heart’ and even some off the upcoming album. THIS is how you win over a crowd!

Next up we took a sharp turn into punk with Continental Lovers. I love that NWOCR has really grown to encompass such a wide variety of different sounds, maybe more so than any other sub-genre. It means we get line-ups like this and the crowd loves every single band. This one was no different as they went down a storm. They reminded me a little of City Kids from last year, though a little more traditional in their approach. The band looked to be having plenty of fun on stage and it easily translated to the crowd.

Shifting gears a little again, we got a heathy dose of bluesy rock goodness with Beth Blade and the Beautiful Disasters. No stranger to big stages and crowds, Beth looked right at home strutting about across the whole stage. And on top of having the charisma to hold the crowd to her every move, her powerful, soaring vocals and amazing guitar playing were on top form, too. And that’s not to take away from the Disasters either, who played their parts to perfection. She ripped through all of her hits, including some from last year’s phenomenal Mythos, Confession, Tragedies and Love. They definitely left the crowd happy and buzzing throughout!

The next band we managed to catch were ones I’d wanted to see for a while, The Hot One Two. The band lived up to the hype too, being just as good live as I had heard. They heavied it up a little live yet still maintained the sleazy, sludgy rock sound that brought them to the dance. The crowd were familiar with a fair bit of their work which was great to see and seemed to energize the band even more. They are fantastic live performers and I’d definitely recommend going down to see them if they play near you.

Next we headed over to the tent stage to catch a band that I’d gigged with the day before, Star Circus. This was honestly one of the highlights of my day. After having seen them at Glastonbudget the day before, a festival where the crowds typically shun original music, it was so nice to see them play to an appreciative audience in a pretty packed tent. A fair amount of the crowd knew the music and it was so good to see the band play off them because of it. They had fun and played well, putting on a great show. I’d definitely see them again if they play near me!

Time to heavy it up now as we headed over to catch the thrash awesomeness of Solitary. The fact that the band even got a bit of a pit out of this sort of crowd was amazing, and I have to applaud them for that. Considering how not really into Raging Speedhorn the festival was last year, seeing a heavy band get this much love from the crowd was amazing. The band were top notch as always, wipping the crowd up into a frenzy with a fast-paced rip through their best tracks.

The glam/sleaze Cruel Intentions were up next. Somewhat unfortunately frontman Lizzy DeVine was suffering with a sore throat throughout the set. Props to him and the rest of the band for soldiering on, and if anything it kinda worked in their favour. The raspiness of the voice added an almost Dani Filth edge to it all that fit surprisingly well with their heavy punk-glam sound. Plus, Lizzy is such an entertaining frontman that he could make anything work. Their tracks translate well to a live environment and the crowd loved every second of this. They did amazingly with the hand they were dealt and I’m sure won a lot of new fans by the end!

Sour Tusk were up next in the tent and were certainly interesting! The side project of Doomsday Outlaw’s own resident stick-man Nic Rudd is a lot more groove and sludge orientated than the Outlaws. The crowd were big into them and the trio knew it, playing off them well. I have to admit I wasn’t fully into it, but I did really enjoy their cover of Electric Six’s ‘Gay Bar’. And there is no denying their talent!

Next up was the glam-rock powerhouses Shiraz Lane. After blowing the crowd away during their set last year they returned somehow even better than before. A lot of the crowd were clearly more familiar with their music this time around and were fully into this. Every single band member worked their ass off to put on a great show. They genuinely looked like they were having fun and were one cohesive unit on stage. I can see this band becoming huge in the next few years based on this performance alone. One of the best sets I saw all weekend!

Headlining the Southall Lawless stage on Saturday were another familiar Call of the Wild face, Kickin’ Valentina. Becoming practically the festival’s house band by this point, they never fail to disappoint and are massively loved by the crowd. Unfortunately I did feel the band were a tad quiet, though that very much may have been the wind. Still, they put on a headline worthy set that brought the house down. The crowd was one of the biggest I saw all weekend and there was barely an eye taken off the stage throughout. Another band that are going to be massive over here sooner rather than later. Their sound and Appetite for Destruction style and attitude are both incredible and I’d urge anyone reading this to check them out on track or live as soon as possible!

Last up were the mighty Terrorvision. My notes only say ‘I mean, it’s fuckin’ Terrorvision’. Need I say more? One of the best live bands around for the last two plus decades, they ripped through a perfect set of all their biggest back-catalogue hits. Heck, we even got treated to a preview of new music, which didn’t disappoint at all. Tony Wright is one of the most effortlessly captivating frontmen of all time and shows no signs of ever slowing down his crazy stage antics. And all the rest of the band played their asses off for the over-hour long set. Hats off to them, it was another phenomenal performance.

Sunday ->

Interviews & Features, Reviews

Eddie & the Wolves, Confyde and Velvet Queens Rock the Tap & Tumbler!

Three of a large collection of bands in the Nottinghamshire area vying for the chance to play the legendary Bloodstock festival. Playing at one of the best venues in the city, the three bands competed in the Metal 2 the Masses opening round, with only one having the chance to advance.

First on were the best band who ever existed. Although they were a member down due to illness, Eddie & the Wolves rocked the place. Swaggering blues riffs dripping with attitude and a huge sound for just the three of them, the band knew how to pack a punch. Rattling through some of the highlights of their debut album, alongside single ‘Bad Touch’ and even a rendition of ‘Whole Lotta Love’, it was a fun set. Of course it could not have been done without the exceptional playing of bassist Joe Griffiths, truly a visionary of our time.

Next up were the proggy metallers Confyde. Being a mixture between Alter Bridge and Gojira, this writer loved it. The riffs were INSANE and a huge highlight, but the vocals were amazing too, soring high as well as hitting some powerful notes. It was also the heavyiest, most metal band on the line-up, which was awesome to hear. All four of them were fantastic at what they do, I was jealous of all of them for their talent.

The final band of the evening were Lincolnshire’s own Velvet Queens. We were familiar with them already, having first seen them and interviewed them at Call of the Wild last year. (Check out the review here). Since last May they have gotten even better. Their unique brand of sleaze is a lot of fun, and the guys were clearly enjoying themselves up on stage. Their cover of ‘School of Rock’ is always a lot of fun, but their own music sounded just as good.

It was a hugely stiff competition, with all three bands bringing the fire. With the three judges at a tie, it came down to an audience vote, and the amazing Confyde came away victorious. A well deserved win in front of a packed hometown crowd felt almost poetic.

We had the chance to speak to frontman Martin after the show and they had this to say:

‘Confyde had an absolute blast playing our M2TM heat! Every band played a blinder to a packed out room and everyone seemed to be having a wicked time. Our material and setlist is usually very eclectic, with a lot of ebb & flow with different styles. It was a nice change to just bust out the heaviest songs we have, including the new song “Scalper”!

So thankful to everyone who came out to see and vote for us, not to mention Mangata Music and the Tap n Tumbler for having us. We’re stoked as hell for the semi-final 🤘🏻’

The Metal 2 the Masses competition runs annually and is continuing every weekend through until the end of April. Find more details of it here.

Written by Joe Griffiths

Reviews

Biffy Clyro and Architects Tear the Roof off Birmingham’s Resort World!

My first arena gig since the pre-apocolypse times, so this had a fair amount to live up to. Luckily I’m a fan of both bands, at least enough that the drive and the extortionate prices of anything in the arena didn’t put me off. However, both recent albums by the bands didn’t blow me away, so I was curious! I’ve seen Biffy Clyro a couple of times before, so was hoping they’d be just as good as both of those times.

Architects took to the stage to a rather spread-out crowd. But, by the time they’d finished their first number, the place had packed out considerably. I, like I’m sure a lot of others, were shocked that the metalcore titans were chosen to support the considerably lighter Scots. Yes, Simon did that song with the band on their album last year, but still. Heck, there was a pretty clear distinction between the two sets of fans in terms of merch and look, too. However, by the end of the set I feel like there were a lot of converts.

Opening on their big single from their most recent album, ‘Deep Fake’, their blend of metal and more radio sounds came across perfectly live. Architects are the one metalcore band that I never truly ‘got’, but clearly I just needed to see them live to appreciate it more. However, that may have been because almost the entire set was made up of tracks released in the last two years, with the lone exception being Holy Hell’s ‘Doomsday’. I’m sure it probably pissed off a few of the hardcore fans in the crowd, but I personally loved it. It made my appreciation of the new album that much higher and has since made me revisit it, as I didn’t like it too much before. Plus, the newer stuff is a little more radio friendly, and fits in more to the crowd they were playing to.

The band ripped through nearly an hours set of bangers, with crowd favourites definitely being the likes of ‘Black Lung’ and closer ‘Animals’. Sam Carter is such an entertaining and captivating frontman that it didn’t matter much that the rest of the band didn’t really move about. This was a polished, professional setlist and if anything the perfect opener for Biffy.

After a brief interval, the main men themselves took to the stage. The anticipation and energy in the air was palpable… and then they came on and played ‘DumDum’. It’s not a bad track at all, but after all that build-up it does feel a little anticlimactic to not burst straight into something a little more upbeat. However, they soon rectify that as they quickly head into the awesome ‘A Hunger In Your Haunt’, an instant crowd favourite.

From there, the band launch into, honestly, one of the most perfectly crafter setlists I’ve ever seen. Whether it was the hits or the deeper cuts, almost their entire back catalogue got some love at one point in their two-hour set. Whether it was the ever awesome ‘Black Chandelier’ or ‘Mountains’ to new hits like ‘End Of’ or ‘Unknown Male 01’, it all went down a storm with the packed out crowd. And the band played them all to perfection too, putting on an energetic show and some amazing visuals with lighting to go alongside the great music.

Check out our review of Biffy’s latest album here.

Whether it was ballads or more upbeat songs, the set was filled to the brim with highlights, too. From the heavy, prog awesomeness of ‘Cop Syrup’ to Simon, his acoustic, the two string players and his choir of 15,000+ singing along to ‘God and Satan’ with him, or the surprising crowd (and my personal favourite) ‘Biblical’. And of course we cannot forget about the epic set closer, their biggest ballad, ‘Many of Horror’. Simon barely had to sing a word of it, the crowd handled the vocals dutifully.

It was honestly, excluding Locash at The Long Road earlier this year, the first time since Covid I’ve stood in a crowd and felt that energy. The first time I’ve thought to myself ‘this is why I love this industry’. Mon the Biff.

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Reviews

These Wicked Rivers, Gorilla Riot and 28 Double at The Hairy Dog!

Southern/country rock band These Wicked Rivers took a brief break from their tour supporting bluegrass legends Hayseed Dixie to do a hometown gig. And what a gig it was. Playing to the absolutely packed Derby crowd at The Hairy Dog, it was definitely a night to remember for everyone involved. Add to that the fact that it was a fundraiser for These Wicked Rivers’ new album, and it was an awesome night for sure.

Other local boys 28 Double were the first to take the stage. While it wasn’t long after the doors had opened, they still drew a fair crowd. Being easily the heaviest band on the line-up, bordering on metal, it did feel like it took the crowd a little minute to warm to them. However, the band ripped through a fantastic short set of some of their best songs. I’ve seen them multiple times over the years, having gigged with them a fair bit back in the day, and they have come on massive amounts since. They put on a great show and sounded awesome!

Next up was the Manchester blues machine known as Gorilla Riot. Friends of the channel, it’s been almost a year since we last saw the band, at Amped last year. They were on top form again here. Arjun has such a fantastic swagger and stage presence, feeling like you’re watching a true rockstar. And yet he never overshadows the rest of the band, moving out of the spotlight even on longer instrumental parts. The band have great chemistry on stage too, clearly enjoying themselves and regularly joking around. The crowd ate up everything they laid down, too. They loved their grungy sound and great songwriting. If anything, my only criticism is that they didn’t have long enough on stage. However, they for sure won over some new fans with their set and were the perfect warmup to the headliners.

Then, came the headliners, the anticipation in the room palpable. These Wicked Rivers soon came on and left not a single person disappointed. Rattling through a set full of their older tracks and a few of the new singles too. This was by far the best set I’ve seen the band do. That’s a surprise too, as I’ve seen them a few times over the last couple of years. They keep getting better and better, both live and on track. If this gig is anything to go by, they are going to be HUGE in a year or two. One hell of a way to cap off a fantastic night and honestly one of the best sets I have seen from a band this year.

And there we have it, a brilliant night of great music from some of the best underground rock bands the scene has to offer. These Wicked Rivers are back out on the road with Hayseed Dixie while Gorillia Riot and 28 Double still have a few gigs left this year. Both bands are also headlining both nights of SharkFest in Cannock next year!

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Reviews

Massive, Ghosts of Men and Dig Lazarus at Ye Olde Sal!

Pardon my French, but what a great putain gig! Three hugely impressive sets from some of the best hard rock bands in the underground rock scene right now. Massive, Ghosts of Men and Dig Lazarus. A big thanks to our good friends at Dig Lazarus sneaking us into the sold out Ye Olde Salutation Inn in Nottingham for the gig! We were able to experience it first hand, and just had to let you know how great it was!

Opening the night were the ever awesome Dig Lazarus. For a band that I had not really heard of before Call of the Wild Festival back in May, I have become a huge fan since then. The band were on top form here as well. Their sludgy, heavy blues sound translates perfectly live, especially in a smaller, indoor setting. However, my favourite thing about them is still the backing/duelling vocals. It adds so much to the catchiness of tracks like ‘Never Change’ and ‘Tell Me Why’ and begs audience interaction. These guys are going to be huge sooner rather than later if they keep putting out great music like this and putting on shows to match!

Next up were a new band to me but ones that definitely won me over fast, Ghosts of Men! When just two people took to the stage, I was wearily curious. However, they filled out the sound and the stage masterfully. The frontman oozed charisma and had a voice sounding like a combination of Zakk Wylde and Neil Fallon. Meanwhile between his fantastic guitar playing and the drummer’s awesomeness, they both played a great set of QOTSA-sounding grunge/desert rock.

The band don’t take themselves too seriously, joking around and having fun on stage. It is refreshing to see these days and means when they do get serious with track ‘Wolfpack’, it hits even harder. The band have a new fan in me from their amazing set. I’ll definitely be listening to them a lot moving forward!

Check out our last live review here.

Finally, we reached the headliner and the band that the vast majority of the crowd were there for, Massive. Frontman Brad Marr spoke about how long it had been since their last show in the city and how much the tour had been postponed. You could see and feel his passion throughout the gig, clearly missing being up on stage playing his music. Unfortunately due to injuries and visa issues the band had a few last minute lineup changes for the tour. But, all four of them played their hearts out for the rabid, packed house.

Tracks like ‘Hollywood’ and ‘Dancefloor’ sound just as good now as they did 10 years ago, and went down a storm, just like the most recent tracks. And Brad is one of the best frontmen in the business right now, having the crowd in the palm of his hand through the whole set. I’ve been a fan of the band since Full Throttle and have seen them a few times but never this good. They were on top form and I cannot wait to see where they go from here!

And there we have it. One of the best gigs we’ve been to this year thanks to three incredible bands, an amazing venue and a packed house full of hungry rock fans. Be sure to support each of the bands as much as you can and definitely go and see them if they are playing locally to you. I can’t wait to see them again already!

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Reviews

How Bring Me The Horizon rocked Sheffield’s world

Bring Me The Horizon
Bring Me The Horizon

Bring Me The Horizon made Sheffield Arena bounce last Thursday. Bringing everything they had, the Yorkshire legends quite literally made waves in the arena and I’m pretty sure everyone went home dripping with sweat and sore muscles that not even an hour at the gym could compete with.

Nova Twins
Nova Twins

Opening the gig were the fantastic Nova Twins. They brought an immense amount of energy to the stage that immediately made them a likeable and entertaining duo. Both Amy Love and Georgia South are incredibly talented individuals. Love had complete control over her powerful voice, switching between heavy growls and screams to her head voice with ease. South can move up and down the bass like you wouldn’t believe – she has clearly mastered her instrument and took it to the next level with the amount of pedals she controls to perfect the band’s sound. You wouldn’t believe all of their sound comes from just drums, guitar and bass.

You Me At Six
You Me At Six

You Me At Six were the second support band before BMTH. Combining a set of their older hits and new tracks, they got the balance between long-time fans and new listeners. They even teased a Sinners Never Sleep 10 year anniversary tour – something the long-time fans would be ecstatic to hear.

The guys were as slick as usual and put on a real show. I think everyone was hoping Ollie Sykes would make a special appearance for ‘Bite My Tongue’ but unfortunately we were forced to wait a little longer to see the BMTH frontman. They finished their set on a high with a hit from their 2021 album release titled SUCKAPUNCH – ‘Beautiful Way’ was the perfect track to close with and left the crowd warmed up and ready.

Bring Me The Horizon
Bring Me The Horizon

When Bring Me The Horizon walked on stage I think the whole of Sheffield knew about it. With everyone screaming from the high heavens, my ears were ringing before the band even struck a chord. As expected, the band delivered an excellent gig both instrumentally and in their performance style. Bring Me The Horizon don’t just play a gig, they put on a show.

Similar to YMAS, BMTH combined their classic heavier songs such as ‘The House Of Wolves’ and ‘Shadow Moses’ with their latest releases like ‘DiE4u’, ‘Parasite Eve’ and ‘Teardrops.’ There wasn’t a single song that didn’t get a massive reaction from the crowd.

Frontman Ollie also opened up to the audience, admitting it was one of the first gigs he has played completely sober. It was really emotional listening to the band’s love for performing and sharing the experience with their fans.

The pit was a nightmare. Ollie made numerous requests for the crowd to create a circle pit, crowd surfing and for the crowd to jump up and down… and who were we to object. It was a mess.

I think everyone was hoping Yungblud would make a special appearance for ‘Obey’, especially since it was a home gig for both the headlining band and the Doncaster singer. Unfortunately, Yungblud didn’t take to the stage but he did feature in the animation behind the band so his part remained in the track for everyone to sing along to.

Special shout out to the animation artists for Nova Twins and BMTH – every track had its own individual artwork that served as amazing backgrounds for both bands. They really helped to tie the show together and helped to take the concert to the next level.

The concert as a whole was an experience unlike any other. Bring Me The Horizon took their music to a new level by playing with such raw and rich emotion and turned their tracks into an emotional performance.

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Interviews & Features

Last Hyena + FES + Blight Town @ The Chameleon, Nottingham

What a fantastic lineup for Overtone’s first live gig review – three of Britain’s best and brightest rising math rock-esque bands all under one roof. Local boys Blight Town are a great blend of math rock and post hardcore, FES are on the more pop/punk side (and have frequently been referred to as the Paramore of math rock thanks to lead singer Polly’s stunning tone) while the headliners are an instrumental powerhouse of the genre. Hosted by IKE Promotions at Nottingham’s fantastic little venue, The Chameleon, it promised a great (if sweaty) night of live music. 

Blight Town

Blight Town come on to a packed crowd and immediately blasted into half an hour of fast paced, heavy post hardcore music. Every member of the band is incredibly talented but I couldn’t help but gravitate towards the singer; his clean vocals and screams were both incredible and he managed to switch between the two with little effort. The local boys brought a good few fans of their own so it was great to see the crowd reacting and singing along, giving the band a little more energy and passion. A great opening band and the perfect one for the night.

FES

After a short break, FES came on to absolutely blow the roof off the place. Blight Town were a tough act to follow, but FES managed it. Their unique blend of math rock and catchy guitar-pop hooks and choruses was captivating from start to finish. The vocals were amazing, eerily reminiscent of the likes of Hayley Williams, and being able to sing like that while also playing crazy math rock riffs is an extraordinary talent. Not to discedit the rest of the band, though, who were both equally talented and fit the music and style perfectly. They blasted through a forty-five minute set that felt like it had run for no time at all, leaving the crowd easily wanting more but being ‘forced’ to head over to the merch booth instead.

FES FACTS:

  • FES originally, and ironically, stood for Flat Earth Society until the public began to take the name too seriously – their name has been shortened to FES ever since to skip the confusion
  • For such a popular and enthusiastic band on stage, they are all admittedly introverts.
  • With a booking manager based in Truro, FES frequently find themselves travelling across the country for tours and festivals.

What venues do you like to play at? Have you been to The Chameleon before?

Tom: We played at Brewdog once at Tramlines which was really weird because there were loads of middle aged people trying to get a pint or eating and we were in the corner doing our weird shit.

Matt: We played in this DIY place called the Audacious Art Experiment and it was like 30 people crammed into basically a cupboard.

Polly: I think we just really like the DIY style.

Tom: This is our first time at The Chameleon. I’ve been aware of The Chameleon for a long time – I was supposed to come to a gig here like 10 years ago but I had to go to parents evening instead.

Matt: Did you get a good report?

Tom: No! But it’s a really cool venue with obviously a lovely audience so it’s really good to play.

So up until now you’ve released EPs but you have a debut album out soon. Is there a different writing or recording process you go through?

Polly: The biggest difference when recording this album was the pandemic because we couldn’t see each other.

Tom: We couldn’t see each other for months and that’s hard when you’re wanting to write. We hired out an Air BnB, it was like a cabin in Wales on the coast and we wrote like six or seven songs in that time.

Matt: That was just before the pandemic hit – it was January 2020. So we were like ‘it’s all going well’ and then… March. But we did a lot of online stuff and it started to ease up again so we tried to make it work.

Polly: Because an album is more songs we felt more stress anyway and with the timing of it, because we had the studio booked before we had the songs, we had this deadline coming up. There was a lot of anxiety but it all worked out.

Tom: We recorded it two months ago. There’s going to be 11 songs and we’ve only got 10 songs out in the world anyway so we’re going to double the amount of songs available to people. It’s all mixed and we’ve got the artwork, we just need to get it mastered.

Matt: And to get a record label to be nice to us.

Tom: Hopefully we’ve got a tour next May which was meant to happen last year that’s been rebooked so if we can get it out before May that’s ideal.

How does it feel being called the Paramore of math rock?

Polly: We get it often. I was brought up on her and I love all of their whole discography and how it’s developed. I think they’re a genius band and I love Hayley’s solo stuff too.

Matt: I think a lot of bands with female vocalists get compared to Haley Williams.

Tom: We’re friends with a band with a female vocalist and they get it a lot.

Matt: It’s like one reference point for women or something. But we like them so we’ll take it.

Are there any other bands you take inspiration from?

Tom: I think we all have different influences and I guess it’s like a mix. Polly is the main writer, don’t get me wrong.

Polly: Yeah bands like Tube Law, Delta Sleep, Fish Tank. I have personal ones for writing style like Regina Spectre.

Matt: We have influences from when we started which have changed.

Polly: Biffy Clyro are probably a big one because they were really mathy when they first started off. I really liked early Orchids, they were a big influence too.

Matt: Well me and Tom grew up as metal heads. I was obsessed with Iron Maiden. I could tell you anything.

Tom: His old email was like “mattlikesironmaiden@something”

How would you sum up the theme of your upcoming album?

Polly: So there’s lots of themes of mortality and childhood. I wrote a lot of the songs once my grandad died so it’s almost nostalgic.

Tom: All of your lyrics are really personal to you really about what’s going on in that time.

Polly: They probably don’t make sense to anyone else but me. I wrote a song about Matt because I wrote a song about Tom in 2017 and Matt always been like “when are you going to do one about me?”

Matt: So she wrote a song about me having a breakdown.

Tom: So was mine! If we keep having breakdowns, we’re going to get some more tunes. They were songs of support though and I think that happens a lot with songwriting. When you have things going on quite drastic or emotional it can serve as a catalyst for writing. Some people I think go for different narratives but our music is quite personal.

Matt: We do like the idea of doing a concept album though.

Polly: I kind of want to write a musical because I think our music is quite theatrical anyway so if we write a concept album and then turn it, adapt it into an actual theatre production that’s like the goal with FES.

Last Hyena

Last Hyena took the stage last and once again blew the crowd away. Step aside Rush. Step aside Muse. There is a new up-and-coming three man collection of the most talented musicians out there. I can’t remember ever seeing a band play as tightly live as they did, and all three showed off their incredible affinity for their instruments. For a wholly instrumental band too, they held the attention of every single crowd member there for their entire set with their infectious grooves, melodies and obvious love for their craft. They were having fun, which meant the audience were having more fun as a result – their personalities shone through which is always amazing to see. Again, the 45 minute set went by in a flash – calling to an end a fantastic night of live music. 

We managed to sit down with the headliners before the gig to talk about their recent tour.

How do you feel playing to a live crowd again after a year of restrictions?

Max: It’s amazing, it’s like having a piece of ourselves back really.

Rory: We played our first show back in Bristol where we’re based and it was honestly the weirdest feeling. We’ve been practicing for the whole 18 months every week in our studio space so we’ve just been writing and practicing. The first gig back and setting up before we played we all felt giddy. It was so nice to get back into it.

Max: It’s been full on really with the tour and we’ve realised how unfit we are.

Have you played in Nottingham before?

Rory: We have but it’s our first time here which is wicked because it’s a nice space.

Josh: Nottingham’s one of our favourite places, we always try and get on the bill. Whatever the turn out is, the people are there to see it and absolutely love it. There are always hardcore music fans in Nottingham, so it always goes down well.

Max: I always love the really small, intimate venues. You can play to any sort of crowd as long as there are people that want to be there for the music.

How does being a purely instrumental band make you stand out from the bands on tonight’s line up or any other venue that you play at?

Rory: It gives you a lot more freedom which we love. We never set out to be a math rock, kind of post-rocky band. We just started writing music we enjoy and it fell into the math rock genre with ‘and then we do this’ and ‘then we do this segment’ and ‘no one will see it coming.’ It literally is just music to try and keep people on their feet.

Josh: We had an idea when we first started out. Rory and I were in a band before without a vocalist so we decided to play instrumentally as we had gigs booked anyway and thought maybe a vocalist will find us. And then the more gigs we played we thought maybe we don’t need one. We were having far too much fun.

Max: Plus it always gets us on the good side of sound people.

Rory: They’re like “how many vocals?” And we say “none” and they’re like “oh cool!”

Max: Yeah, “any midi?” “No!”

Rory: It’s a different one because take FES with Polly, they have an amazing singer with really catchy choruses whereas we literally don’t have any repetitive parts. Every song has a different phrasing or section, so we have a lot of hooks I’d say but it is an amalgamation of chaos.

Max: Yesterday, people actually sang back to ‘Doctorpus’ on the vocal line.

Rory: A lot of people really into their music will see the musicianship of it and how much idiocity is behind it and be like ‘that was crazy’, it’s so tight etcetera. A lot of people, more like my parents’ age, will say “you don’t have a singer?” And we say no it’s just instrumental!

Josh: And then you say people come to our shows and they’re like “do they?!”

Max: Because it’s such a small genre in terms of how many fans there are really, it’s a very dedicated pool of people. They’re not necessarily massively dedicated to individual bands, they are just there for the scene which is nice. You get people who listen to bands like FES, which is why it’s so nice to play with FES, because while they’re very different to us they also bring in the same sort of people so you get people into what they do but not us and vice versa.

Josh: There’s something for everyone to enjoy.

If you’re a fan of rock sub-genres, or have a respect for the instrumental skill it takes to be part of a math rock band, check out any of the bands from this line up via Overtone’s Insta.