Category: Gig Reviews
Clutch/Crowbar/Blacktop Mojo/Saul – ‘Live From The Doom Saloon’ – 27 May 2020
It’s time for another lockdown live-stream gig, which Jonny B guesses is almost like the nicorette of the music world. It may go towards quelling the live music cravings but it’s still not quite the same! Nevertheless, here at ÜRHQ we’re continuing to make the best of what we can get, so JB was sent to the comfort of his own lounge to enjoy a gig with two bands he’s pretty familiar with, and another two who are completely new to him. Tonight is the aptly named “Doom Saloon” live event hosted by one of JB’s favourites – Clutch, with support from Crowbar, Blacktop Mojo and Saul, all for the incredibly reasonable price of $9, which is a bit of a steal really!
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Burning Witches – ‘Live Acoustic Jam From The Studio’ – 29 May 2020
As with so many other aspects of everyday life, and so many of the things we take for granted, the final impact of the current Covid-19 pandemic and its associated lockdowns and quarantines on the rock ‘n’ roll industry will not be known for quite some time to come, if ever. Bands have been forced to change, sometimes completely, how they interact with their audiences, with one preferred option being the hosting of online performances – the nature of which often has been dictated by the particular circumstances in which the artists concerned have found themselves, not least in terms of national/regional restrictions on social gatherings, which have affected the ability of bands to rehearse or perform together: the latter is becoming easier as conditions are eased locality by locality, with even whole virtual festivals being able to be held.
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Insomnium/Omnium Gatherum – Online – 10 April 2020
Jonny B was incredibly excited to see that two titans of the melodic death metal genre had joined forces to put on a live streamed gig last Friday night for the reasonable price of something like nine Euros, or about two pints in our book. So, our boy got himself comfortable, cracked open a beer and sat down for an evening of melodic goodness: but, alas, disaster struck. The chosen technical provider for the stream suffered from capacity issues that ultimately resulted in the bands being forced to make the decision to abandon the attempt at a live performance and instead record their sets and release the recordings, for a limited time, to those who had bought tickets. It wasn’t the end of the world though, instead JB settled down for a second time on Monday evening to catch up on what he, and every other fan, had missed out on Friday.
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Psychostick – Virtual Gig – 20 March 2020
We seem to have got ourselves caught in a little bit of a jam here. Gigs have been cancelled across the board, and now even the pubs are being closed! Yet our crack team of resident gig-goers still need to be kept entertained before they go stir-crazy. Fortunately, as always, bands are being particularly inventive at finding ways to still perform to their fans. And you know how the old saying goes… If a band plays and a journal isn’t there to review it, did the band play at all? Okay, you got us, we just made that up. But that doesn’t change the situation, which found Jonny B sat in his own lounge with a beer in hand eagerly awaiting an evening of silliness with the fantastic Psychostick!
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Crossfire/Ifreann/Sinocence/Acid Age – Belfast, Voodoo – 13 March 2020
Little could anyone involved have realized the importance of the timing of this gig, the second date on the second leg of the ‘Celtic Thrash’ tour featuring Edinburgh shredders Ifreann and their Dublin counterparts Crossfire. OK, it was Friday the 13th – but, then, that’s probably the most appropriate date possible for a metal show. But then the world was thrown into chaos with the coronavirus outbreak, and Irfeann arrived on the island of Ireland on the very day that the government south of the border decreed a ban on gatherings of 100 or more people… somehow, however, the visitors got away with bringing their party to Dublin’s fair city – although the third and final date in Cork ultimately fell victim to the new restrictions.
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Syteria/More Human Than Human/Foreigner’s Son – Pontypool, The Dragonffli – 6 March 2020
This was a bit of an unexpected visit to the Dragonffli for David O’Neill, usually a regular haunt of his, but circumstances had prevented hisregular visits. However, this was an opportunity to pick up with a few new bands to our Valleys correspondent…
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Haggard Cat – Belfast, Limelight 1 – 12 March 2020
We have a cardinal rule here at Über Rock… we do not, repeat do NOT, do tribute shows. Never. Ever. Full stop. End of conversation. So, what were your ÜR head honchos doing in a nightclub in the centre of Belfast where the main attraction was some bunch of bozos doing Elvis in the style of Nirvana and Nirvana in the style of Elvis? Well… you know the old saying about when you go to a gig always check out the support band? Well, on this occasion, Monk and DQ were there for the sole purpose of checking out the support band, who were the rising Nottingham alt-rock duo Haggard Cat, playing what can be regarded as a warm-up show for their own forthcoming headline tour in support of new album ‘Common Sense Holiday’…
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Anvil/Ragdoll Sunday/Electus – Belfast, Limelight 2 – 11 March 2020
Some things never change – and thank the gods of rock ‘n’f’n’ roll for that! It had taken almost four decades of begging, cajoling and pleading by their most über of über fans to get the band with the most heavy metal name in heavy metal to make their first visit to this little corner of the Überverse. And, now, here they are again, a little over two years down the line, and it’s almost as if time has stood still in the interim… but, we’ll get to that in a bit…
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OHHMS/Hundred Year Old Man/Agvirre – Manchester, Satan’s Hollow – 7 March 2020
OHHMS have been a band that’s popped up on more gigs in Manchester recently that Jase W can count: they always seem to be playing Rebellion or Satan’s with a myriad of supports. For their latest show at Satan’s they brought with them a favourite of our resident Manc, in the form of drone metal six-piece, Hundred Year Old Man, as well as Agvirre, with local live music expert, John Badger manning drums.
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Heavy Psych Sounds Fest – Camden, The Underworld – 7 March 2020
So, it’s back down to the Heavy Psych Sounds Festival again, meaning another round trip to London, despite the ongoing COVID-19 issue. It is the same issue, in fact, that renders two bands unable to play on the day, with Gorilla having an ill member and not risking it being the illness, and Giöbia having been denied access to the UK, despite getting clearance previously from the Italian embassy.
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New Pagans/Heavy Salad – Manchester, Off The Square – 6 March 2020
Having discovered them via the power of our ‘Video of the Week’ feature last weekend, Astrocreep now finds himself having been drawn into the New Pagans’ web, after covering their album a few days’ ago and now making the usual jump across to Manchester to catch them in a live setting now, too. Will the trains work with him for once? Only one way to find out!
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…And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead/Alex Henry Foster – Manchester, Night & Day Café – 4 March 2020
Astrocreep travels between Liverpool and Manchester with greater efficiency than the Northern Line, with his latest trip seeing him take in the rather distinctive art-rock vibesof …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead, with Our Favourite Enemies frontman and advocate Alex Henry Foster presenting the seven-piece ensemble for his personal project as our only support for the evening. A short walk from Piccadilly station later, the big lad arrived at the sold-out venue to an already very busy room before even the first note was played, with the support act for the evening being delayed with their start…
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