By Monk and The Dark Queen
It is a mark of Steelhouse’s stature as one of ÜR’s favourite festivals that it is one of the very rare occasions when your HQ team bite the bullet, max out the collective credit cards and traverse the singular most expensive of water in the Überverse for a weekend of classic rock as delivered by some of the finest exponents of the genre, both old school and new breed alike. And so it is that, in exactly four weeks time, we will be climbing that long and winding path to the top of the mountain, hooking up with a tonne of old friends and basking in whatever the (in)glorious Welsh weather chucks at us for three days of quality rock ‘n’ roll action…
As with a lot of festivals, the opening Friday night started out as something of a “pre-show” party for weekend ticket holders, but has evolved into a full day event in its own right, bringing with it plenty of additional opportunities of beer-drinkin’ and hell-raisin’ (no doubt washed down by plenty of Roadcrew ale), as well as Steelhouse’s now traditional combination of young up ‘n’ coming acts and more established names, some of them making more than welcome returns to edge of the Brecon Beacons.
Opening proceedings is the prodigious talent that is Dan Byrne, who is taking a rare step back into the solo spotlight to get this year’s party started. The Revival Black/Bad Rain frontman is one of a number of artists returning to the Steelhouse stage for a second successive year and is bound to bring plenty of his trademark strut and swagger to the Friday afternoon:
Showcasing both Steelhouse’s diversity and support of rising artists, London combo Jordan Red deliver nu-metal tinged alt-rock vibes that undoubtedly will see plenty of jumping around, not least on stage but hopefully from the early comers in the crowd:
Fellow Londoners The Karma Effect first came to our intention last year, with their self-titled debut EP. They play the sort of blues-infused NWoCR that always goes down a storm at Steelhouse, and I am sure they will have a similar effect on their festival debut, regardless of the weather overhead or in front of the stage:
When Rivers Meet aren’t quite perfect strangers (sic) to ÜRHQ, and shouldn’t be to fans of NWoCR as they’ve blending countrified southern-infused boogie with hard-edged blues rock in a way which would make Jack White blush with embarrassment for a couple of years ago. Pitch perfect vocals that send a shiver down your spine mixed with more gristle than a well-cooked lamb shank (well, we had to get a sheep reference in here somewhere!) promise the delivery of a captivating set…
Next up we have a true character who should need no introduction to the ÜR massive, and that is the inimitable Ginger Wildheart, one of the hardest working artists in the business and an erstwhile fave of the Steelhouse bookers and fans alike, whether as a band member or solo act. This year he his bringing his own group of Sinners along to join in the shenanigans, although given the vagaries of the Welsh weather (particularly atop the mountain) it is more likely they’ll be leaving footprints in the mud than the sand…
Rounding off the Friday night proceedings is another ÜR fave, in the form of former MMA fighter turned blues rocker Kris Barras and his band, with whom we last crossed paths just two months ago, and who has rapidly climbed the ranks to this deserved headline status. No doubt it won’t be too long before he is doing the same on the main stage…
Everything else you need to know…
- Steelhouse takes place at Hafod-y-Dafal Farm, Aberbeeg, Ebbw Vale, NP13 2ER. The ‘What 3 Words’ locater is Needle.Navy.Canal. The site is best approached from the north (ie Ebbw Vale/Cwm) as the entrance to the site is on the southward side of the A4046. If you approach from the south you will be directed on towards Ebbw Vale to return to the site during busy periods. The car park is about 500 yards from the festival arena and the general campsite along a farm track.
- There will be traffic on the road to the site – an obvious statement I know, but the road to the site is towards a forestry/farm site and is a bit “interesting” shall we say. Make sure your tyres and handbrake are in good condition!
- Again stating the obvious, but the festival is on the top of a mountain, 1,300 feet above sea level so irrespective of the weather it is likely to be windy. Pack good quality tent pegs, not the traditional 3mm wire pin ones you get with any tent: the number of tents that get trashed each year is not funny for those festival goers on the receiving end of the sometimes rather strong hilltop “breezes”.
- The festival site won’t open before 12 midday on Friday. The arena opens at 2pm on Friday, and 11.30am on both Saturday and Sunday. It closes at midnight each night.
- Food and non-alcoholic drinks are available throughout the night from campsite vendors. All vehicles and campers must exit the site by 11am on Monday 31st July 2023.
- No glass is allowed on site, as it is a working farm. Please take cans or plastic bottles only. Steelhouse is staffed almost entirely by volunteers. Please help them and throw your rubbish in the appropriate bins. Cleaning the arena of litter every morning is undertaken by the volunteers who also help to set up the site every year.
- There is no drinking water on site, but bottled water will be provided, free of charge, by the volunteers in the site offices.
- No fires or tinfoil barbecues are allowed, although BBQs can be used if they are raised off the ground.
- Above all, please be friendly – and expect to receive plenty of cwtches over the course of the weekend.
- For all terms and conditions, and answers to FAQs, visit www.steelhousefestival.com/info/
Very limited tickets remain available.
Tune back to this channel tomorrow for our guide to all of the acts gracing the second day of Europe’s geographically highest stage. In the meantime, keep ‘er lit rockers n’ groovers \m/
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