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Features, Reviews

My Chemical Romance and Skunk Anansie Rock Wembley!

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The first time the Black Parade had rolled through the iconic stadium since 2007, they now top the bill on the reprive of that show. Backed by British legends Skunk Anansie, it was set to be one hell of a show! From the iconic imagery of the album to the newly added Soviet-style set dressing and moments, I somehow knew exactly what to expect and not at all what to expect at the same time. We’ve all seen the videos but how does it hold up in person? Let’s dive in and find out!

P.S. first of all, fuck the Golden Circle concept. Forcing fans to be nearly as far back as the halfway line if they don’t cough up even more money on top of the already high GA prices is insane. Especially when, looking at photos, the GC area wasn’t even full! Ticket-Nation is going to be the death of big gigs at this rate, or at least will price out a lot of actual fans. And let’s not even talk about the security for the event, especially on the way out. But anyway, onto cheerier things…

Coming on slightly late, Skunk Anansie claimed the stage from the moment they stepped on it. This was the first time I’d gotten the chance to see them live in 15 years, and they certainly didn’t disappoint! 12 awesome songs spanning their expansive back catologue, and all played to perfection. Whether it was older bangers ‘Hedonism’, ‘Charlie Big Potato’ or ‘Tear the Place Up’ or stuff off the newer album that translates better live than on track in ‘Lost and Found’ and ‘An Artist is an Artist’, it was full of greatness. And that’s not even mentioning the three off my favourite album, Paranoid and Sunburnt. ‘Weak’ will always be a firm crowd favourite, ‘I Can Dream’ is one of my favourite songs they’ve ever put out, and ‘Little Baby Swastika’ is an awesome set closer.

The band themselves played their asses off, too. Skin is such a fantastic front woman, holding the crowd in the palm of her hand throughout. As I’m sure plenty of people have pointed out before, what she lacks in stature she more makes up for in presence and personality. And she seemed to be having a blast up on the stage too, which is also a plus. The inclusivity speech she gave in particular resonated perfectly with the crowd she was in front of, and resonated a lot with me personally. However, the rest of the band played their asses off throughout, too. Cass is a criminally underrated bassist, while Ace and Mark are fantastically talented players and performers in their own right. For a support slot, they put on a massive show still, and I imagine won over plenty of new fans in the process!

After what felt like a surprisingly short turnaround, the sounds of Vera Lynn’s ‘We’ll Meet Again’ filled the speakers to herald the start of MCR’s set. And, to get this out of the way early; HOLY FUCKING SHIT. I’d been waiting to see them for most of my life, but didn’t expect them to be quite so phenomenal. The Black Parade is one of my favourite albums of all time, so to see it live from front to back was honestly a dream come true. Every song on that album is perfection, and they all tell such an amazing, bittersweet story when put together. But not only that, after the album was done we got another hour of spectacular tracks from their back catologue. Hell, the moment they opened their second set with ‘Honey…’, the first time they’d played it live since 2010, I knew we were in for something special. Both ‘Thank You for the Venom’ and personal highlight ‘Cemetary Drive’ followed it up fantastically, while ‘Give ‘Em Hell, Kid’ was another Three Cheers banger. Then you have underrated Danger Days tracks in ‘Planetary (GO!)’ and ‘DESTROYA’, as well as their big three other singles, and the setlist truly was superb. Heck, we even got a cover from their early days, Morrissey’s ‘Jack the Ripper’.

In terms of the stageshow itself, it was also truly phenomenal. The lore behind their sudden Soviet turn in recent years is a bit odd, but makes for a damn fun show indeed! The actual stage itself was cool, the lighting rig adding a lot to the visuals. And all the video stuff with His Grand Immortal Dictator, and even him watching the Black Parade set, was a fantastic addition. Their use of pyro started out sparing, not really kicking in until ‘Mama’, but they had PLENTY of flames then, and it added so much to the atmosphere. And my god, ‘Famous Last Words’ is going to be etched into my mind forever. All the pyro, the emotion behind the song, the excellent sound and the 50 thousand plus people screaming every word back to the band, it was truly something special to be a part of. The big fireworks shooting across the pitch and from the top the stadium was honestly magical.

And then just like that, the Black Parade was over. The wonderful Clarice Jensen performed masterfully while they set up the smaller b-stage in the middle of the crowd, and then they launched into a completely different kind of set. No frills, no screens, no pyro, just a band having a blast, playing songs to an adoring crowd. We really got the best of everything!

And, speaking of the band, they sounded even more excellent than I’d have hoped they would! The sound for a stadium was fantastic, and the band all played their asses off for over two hours. And, on top of that, they all looked like they were genuinely having a blast up on stage, even through their Black Parade characters, which always enhances the experience even more. The band are all super talented, and Gerard arguably sounded better than he has since they reunited. He sounded almost as good as the tracks, yet knew where his limitations were as he’s not exactly in his 20s any more. And, whether it was the leader of the Regiment or his slightly quirky self later on, he was a magentically captivating performer, a born frontman.

So, as you can tell, I enjoyed this rather a lot! Skunk Anasie were good, but they were very much the warm-up act for the main event. Meanwhile, MCR’s triumphant return to Wembley was everything nine year old Joe would have wanted and then some! They have earned every bit of love and adoration and praise that they are getting, and absolutely deserve a nearly sold-out three night residency at one of the most famous stadiums in the world. They have more than proved that they are one of the biggest bands of the millennium. I already need them to come back over here with another tour, and some more new music wouldn’t be too much to ask for too, right…? Holy shit. Long live the Black Parade, and long live My Chemical Romance.

Reviews

Suburban Legends and Codename Colin Rock the Bodega!

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It’s been a hot minute since we made it down to The Bodega, and then it was for a pretty different gig! This time was for the ska legends Suburban Legends, returning to the UK after last years acoustic tour, and for their first electric shows in seven years! Y’all should know how big of a fan we are here at Overtone of ska punk by now, and we get far too little come over to the UK these days, so there was no way we were missing this! Of course we were going to have a blast, but read below to find out just how great of a night it was!

It felt slightly odd only having two bands on the bill, but it is becoming increasingly more of a thing in recent years. However, when both bands are this good and get given some time, it’s really hard to complain! And Codename Colin really brought it last night! I wasn’t too familiar with them aside a couple of songs I checked out before the show, but I came away a pretty damn big fan of the band! Even despite some technical issues with the guitar the band played a fantastic set, sounding awesome and coming across as damn professional. They were a little heavier live than I was expecting too, having an air of metal to them, especially in the half-time outros. All four of them were insanely talented too, getting their own time to shine at various stages throughout.

And, their setlist was pretty great! From their amazing originals to a couple of fantastic covers, it honestly left me wanting more! ‘Hit Me Baby One More Time’ was a personal highlight, but I found myself enjoying their original stuff just as much, truly. Hell, the new songs they threw into the set were awesome, and have left me excited to hear what’s next in store for them, release-wise! They played their asses off throughout and clearly impressed a lot of the crowd, including us. This certainly won’t be the last time I see them, and hopefully they’re back nearby soon!

After a pretty brief changeover, it was already time for the headliners! I’ve wanted to see them for so long, not able to make it to their last full tour pre-pandemic, and somehow they didn’t disappoint even with my high hype for them! From the moment they took to the stage I was obsessed. Opening on old classic ‘High Fives’ was a great choice, and kicked off well over an hour of catchy, high-energy ska punk. From Day Job bangers like ‘Arigato’ and perennial closer ‘Whoa’ to more older classics in ‘Hey DJ’ and ‘Bright Spring Morning’ to even ‘Forever in the Friendzone’, the set was packed full of the very best of their back catalogue. And, of course, we can’t not address the Disney songs. From Toy Story’s ‘You’ve got a Friend in Me’ to Lion King’s ‘Just Can’t Wait to be King’, ‘DuckTales’ to ‘Under the Sea’, the band have done some of the funnest ska covers, and Disney covers, around!

And the show the collective put on… DAMN. I don’t have the energy to do what they do now still in my 20s, let alone 15+ years down the line. The energy that every one of them put into their performance was infectious, having the crowd dancing, clapping and bouncing along throughout. Heck, they managed to get a solid 60-70% of the not-particularly-young crowd squatted down, ready to jump-the-fuck-up and pretend to be fireworks. That’s commitment from everyone involved, right there! The choreography was also amazing; synchronised dancing is always impressive but to do it to ska music, as well as sometimes while singing/playing a horn, is honestly awesome!

Plus, everyone sounded awesome. Vincent’s vocals are amazing live, and it blows my mind still that he wasn’t even originally the singer of the band. The backing and harmonies were awesome too, with Aaron sounding great and being a born frontman in his own right. And all the rest of the band absolutely killed it too, being so tight live and sounding really excellent. The talent throughout them all is truly off the charts, and to witness it live was something truly special. Damn, I could gush about this band all day!

And there you have it folks, an awesome night packed full of some incredible punk music! Two bands that I am already desperate to see live again, and would recommend checking out to anyone if they are anywhere nearby you. And, what’s more, it was all at one of the best small venues in the country! I certainly had a blast, and couldn’t have asked for any more!

Features, Reviews

Phoenix Lake and Friends Rock Saltbox!

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Nottingham locals Phoenix Lake headlined a packed line up at Saltbox, hot off the release of their debut album ‘Seraphina: The Fall From Eden’. Friday night drew a good crowd to the bar-venue in  Nottingham, and with four bands taking the stage that evening it wasn’t long before that crowd
got energetic.

Opening the night and getting room on the right level were 7eventh Sea, another Nottingham based metalcore band with heavy riffs and high energy breakdowns. Their thirty minute set was impressive from start to finish, their track ‘Falsified Dreams’ was a particular standout from the set. Vocalist Stee Owen had a commanding stage presence and skilled vocals to back it up, and drummer Aaron Gregory was incredibly tight throughout the dynamic and technical set. Fans of  Lorna Shore and While She Sleeps keep an eye on these lads over the next few years.

With the room filling as more people arrive, Aethoria took the stage next. Hailing from Ipswich this  hard rock group are a perfect accompaniment to headliners Phoenix Lake. Very similar in style and sound, but with their own attitude and a good hit with the crowd in the room. After some initial technical problems with the microphone, vocalist Mecia had the room in the palm of her  hands for the rest of their time on stage. A confident band with a solid sound, raising the energy once again in the room.

The crowd are raring to go by this point two solid sets down and two bands left to perform, next up: Black Lakes from South Wales. Entering the stage draped in black cloaks and kilts alike the
five piece metal group started strong with some high energy tracks. It appeared a good portion of the crowd were fans and had come down to check them out, and their energetic frontman knew how to play to the crowd well. While they performed well I think due to the strong showings of the other bands Black Lakes were the weakest set of the night. Their strong start felt like it waned as the set progressed, leaving me expecting more of a band this high in the billing.

Any feelings of disappointment were quickly dispelled when headliners Phoenix Lake took the stage. Coming out to a roaring crowd the Nottingham band felt the hometown love in Saltbox as they tore into their hour long set. Vocalist Lana Phillis doesn’t have to rely on just her impressive vocal talents to hold her own on stage with the rest of the band, interacting seamlessly with the crowd and letting the other band members take their moments to shine. A healthy dose of tracks off the new album was to be expected as the band tours the UK to promote its release.

Luckily for us the album is brilliant and the new songs sound great live. The group obviously revelled in having a home town crowd show so much support, it will be great to see what lofty heights the four piece can reach off the back of the album. Phoenix Lake are on the road around the UK throughout April and the beginning of May, be sure to check them out as they rightfully show off what they have created together! A truly amazing night packed full of incredible music!

Written by Owen Hathaway.

Features, Reviews

Cam and Amélie Farren Rock the O2 Institute!

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This is one we’ve been waiting for for a while! We booked tickets all the way back in August when it was announced, we have been excited ever since. We hadn’t seen the country megastar since The Long Road a few years back, but then she honestly put on one of the best sets I’d ever seen, so we snapped up tickets as soon as we could; there was no way we were missing her. Plus, the downstairs of the Institute is such a quirky little room that always has some really great sound, especially when it’s full like it was the other night, so we were surely in for a good time!

I wasn’t actually really familiar with Amélie at all heading into this, bar a track or two I’d checked out in the days prior. Honestly though, she blew me away here, and certainly has a new fan in me! She was the perfect mix of folk-country, rock and 90s/early 2000s pop. There was everything from Alanis Morissette to The Cranberries to Paula Cole to Ingrid Andress. All the sounds blended together perfectly, and her great vocals and amazing lyric writing also added so much to that. Her songwriting skills are fantastic, and it’s easy to see why she was paired up with Cam for this tour. And, kudos to her for going up on stage on her own in front of a packed out crowd, playing all her own music and using a track for the other instruments; when supporting a full band that is no easy feat! However, that is my only one vague negative(ish): I’d have loved to have seen this with a full band. I completely get the logistical and sadly now financial nightmare of having a band on tour with you, but I can only imagine her songs somehow being even better with instruments performed live, and I feel like she could have been able to do more without having to focus on the backing as much. Still, it’s a minor gripe as it was still a great set, and she won a lot of the crowd over pretty quick into it! Definitely one to keep an eye on!

After a short break, the headliner soon took the stage! I have to say right off the bat that ‘Slow Down’ was one of the most unexpectedly perfect set openers I’ve ever heard. It was simple yet so damn effective, setting the tone of the evening fantastically with the chilled-yet-poignant vibe and the killer harmonies. From there, we got a full whistle-stop tour of her fantastic new album; all the highs and painfully lows. Whether it’s slower, melancholic numbers like ‘Everblue’ or ‘Hallelujah’ or the lighter later numbers like ‘Kill the Guru!’ and ‘Look at the Pretty Girls!’, Cam and her band really took the crowd on a journey. Heck, we even got the beautiful lullaby she wrote for her sister/daughter, ‘Meet you By the River’, a touching, memorable moment of the set that I may have shed a tear over. Leaving out only two from the release (damn I would have loved ‘Wherever You Are’), it was awesome to hear so much love given to her new release. ‘Alchemy’ was another big highlight, as was ‘Kill the Guru!’.

Then we reached the back third of the set and she busted out the very best of her greatest hits. From bangers off her debut like ‘Mayday’ and ‘Hungover on Heartache’ to massive single ‘Til There’s Nothing Left’ and even a version of ‘AMERICAN REQUIEM’, the song she wrote for Beyoncé, it was all awesome. The two late-stage highlights had to be her big hits, though. ‘Diane’ is the perfect live track, whipping the crowd up into a frenzy as they sung along to every word. Then you have the emotion-filled ‘Burning House’, her breakout song and a track that the audience hung on every note of. Having seen both live before, I find it hard to believe either will get old, as I loved them both here, too! And that’s not even mentioning the tear-jerking, beautiful encore of ‘Village’ a song that will never not reduce me to tears, and when done so beautifully live I don’t even mind!

And hell, we haven’t even talked about her band, yet! On top of Cam’s incredible performance, all three of her band-mates also played their asses off throughout. Be it drums or multiple guitars or keys, as well as the absolutely stunning, powerful harmonies, they were all so good. Also, playing a cheeky bit of ‘Crazy Train’ during a big song-ending solo while in Birmingham was a master stroke, I hear you Simon! They all complimented Cam perfectly, who really put her all into the performance. A true storyteller, she’s perfectly introduce each song as it was coming up, giving it some backstory as well as being so endearing and comical, holding the crowd in the palm of her hand throughout. And, on top of that, she is a criminally underrated vocalist, singing hear heart out through her entire set, it sometimes sounding somehow even better than on track. As much as I enjoyed her the other year, knowing more of her stuff this time made it even more special!

So, there you have it, folks. An amazing night of live Americana and country music, performed by two incredible artists! Amélie warmed the crowd up perfectly, while Cam put on every bit as incredible a show as I was expecting heading in. I can’t recommend either artist enough, either on track or live, so check them out as soon as you possibly can. As much as we’ve literally just seen her and just had a new album from her, I am already ready for more Cam, that’s how good she truly is! It’ll surely be a night we won’t soon forget!

Features, Reviews

Mika and Jack Jarrett Blow the Roof Off the AO Arena!

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I would say that this is a bit out there for Overtone, but we already have one review of the wonderful man on here! Still, I wasn’t planning on reviewing this. However, both acts put on such a great show that there was no way I couldn’t rave about it! So, let’s dive right into the show, shall we?

My one gripe of the evening to start things off… why were doors at six if nothing was going to happen until eight? It’s an awful lot of time to drag people into a venue for and just leave them waiting around. They could have easily had a second support band on in this time!

Speaking of support, Jack Garrett was actually someone I wasn’t too interested in heading into it from the tiny bit I’d checked out beforehand. However, talk about winning me over! He is insanely talented, both as a musician and a performer, and I think he got more than just me on his side, as the whole crowd was loving it by the end. Being a one-man-band will never not be impressive, and Jack did it in such a fantastic, fascinating way that it was hard to take my eyes off him while he was blowing my mind. From drums to guitar to keys to vocals, we got a bit of everything, and he was a virtuoso at every bit of it! And, on top of that, he’s an excellent songwriter, as I loved each one he played! His unique blend of indie, pop and blues was infectious, and impossible not to love. To the point where, honestly, I’d have LOVED it with a whole band. The loop pedal stuff is certainly impressive, but I think it lost a little bit of the emotion of the tracks at times, and at times it was clear he was struggling with his stage levels of it all. I completely get wanting to do it all yourself, but I’d have somehow loved it even more with him being a vocalist/guitarist/occasional pianist, with other band members also taking the rest of the parts. Still, it was a great set, and he definitely has a new fan in me!

Having seen Mika at a smaller venue, I had no idea what to expect heading into this. However, I certainly wasn’t expecting the AMAZING show that we got! Starting the show descending from the heavens in a giant industrial hamster wheel was definitely not on my 2026 bingo card. Neither was him strapping himself into it later on and spinning around above the crowd mid-song. However, both added so much to the show, as did the rest of the mechanical stage theming. Add to that the pyro, confetti and the giant inflatable megaphone and rainbow, and it was one hell of a stage show!

As for the music itself, it was just as good as you’d expect it to be! His backing band are absolutely phenomenal musicians, complimenting the main man perfectly while also putting on a good show in their own right, when they could. And, as for Mika, he still has one of the best voices in the game today. His vocal range, even live, still blows me away each time, and his charisma is magnetising. He has more energy and flexibility than I do, and I have a solid 14 years on him! As, setlist-wise, it was everything as good as when we last saw him. Opening with two off his latest album was a slight gamble, even though that’s what the tour was and it sounded incredible. But the moment ‘Relax’ hit, the crowd were locked IN dude, bouncing around and singing along to the very end. And, because of that, I felt like the rest of Hyperlove was received better after. Tracks like ‘Spinning Out’ and ‘Excuses For Love’ were amazing live, and fit perfectly around crowd favourites like ‘Lollipop’ and ‘We Are Golden’. Add to that we got him bring back ‘Popular Song’ (because of course), him taking to the stands during ‘Big Girl’, and the one-two-punch of ‘Grace Kelly’ into ‘Happy Ending’ to close out the main set, and it was a tour de force of everything Mika does brilliantly. By the time ‘Yo Yo’ hit, the crowd was spent, in the best way possible! And absolutely phenomenal set!

And there we have it, yet another incredible night of live music so far this year. Both artist were completely different but phenomenal in their own way, and had the crowd in the palms of their hands through the whole night. How this was Mika’s first time headlining arenas in the UK I do not know, but that man owned the stage as if he’d been on there his whole life. I cannot recommend either artist enough, both on track and live, and have listened to both plenty over the weekend!

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Preacher Stone, Revenant and Eddie & The Wolves Rock the Old Cold Store!

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An apt name for a venue, as it was bloody cold last Friday when we arrived at the venue (part of the INCREDIBLE Castle Rock Brewery). However, we had three awesome rock bands to warm us up with, and they did exactly that! Somehow it was my first time seeing both Preacher and Revenant, though I’d been a fan for years, so to say I was excited was an understatement! Let’s dive right into the night’s fun, shall we?

Eddie & The Wolves opened the show and killed it if I do say so myself. Those who came down early saw, I’d like to thing, a good hard rock set! As usual, I’d like to thank everyone that came down to watch us, brought our merch, gave us such kind words, you’re all the reason the four of us do it. And, while I’m happy to tongue-in-cheek type here that we put on ‘the best set of all time, and anyone who missed it will never see something so glorious’, I just hope that we gave people an enjoyable half an hour! I had a blast up on stage, and I know the other three did too, and it sounded good to us, at least!

Next up were the incredible Revenant. They’ve been building a lot of momentum over the last couple of years with a handful of great EPs, and that momentum truly carries over to their stage show. The four-piece filled the room with their energy, and sounded just as good live as they do on track. Opening on the run of maybe my two favourite tracks from them, ‘Public Service Announcement’ into ‘Best Medicine’, before blasting through a lot of the rest of their awesome three EPs, it was one hell of a setlist. And the band put their all into playing each and every track! The bands stage presence as a whole is undeniable, and Sugarman held the crowd in the palm of his hand throughout. The band have put in the work to get to where they are at, and it couldn’t happen to a more deserving bunch!

After a short break, the legendary headliners took to the stage. The North Carolinan Southern rockers have really been embraced over here in recent years, which reflected perfectly in their ability to pull off a headline tour like this to a packed out, adoring crowd. I still spin By the Horns now, so for it to get so much love in the set (I mean, it was the tours namesake) was awesome. However, having never seen them live before, getting to hear the classics was also amazing! From ‘Old Joe’ and ‘Writing on the Wall’ to ‘Olf Fashioned Ass Whoopin’…’ and ‘Not Today’ we got a great spread of their back catalogue, a journey through the bands whole career. Ronnie is still one of the best frontmen in the genre some nearly 20 years into the band, and the rest of the guys compliment him perfectly. Special shoutout to drummer Josh Wyatt, he blew me away not just in his solo but throughout the whole set, what a phenomenal talent! The whole band were excellent from start to finish though, playing their asses off and keeping the crowd singing and clapping along throughout!

And there you have it folks, another great night for underground (ish) rock music! What more could you ask for? Three incredible bands working their ass off, a good venue, a great crowd, and surrounded by great beer! All the wins! I cannot recommend any of the bands or the venue enough, check them all out our as soon as you possibly can. I already need to see Revenant and Preacher again, and hopefully we can get a run-back of the whole tour sometime in the future!

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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!

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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

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!

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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 ->