Category: Gig Reviews
The Wildhearts – ‘By Request’ (Live Stream) – 17 April 2021
Even with a roadmap out of the COVID crisis now seemingly nailed to the table, at least in some parts of the Über Kingdom – here in our home territory of Northern Ireland all dates remain “indicative” and even when bars are eventually allowed to re-open they won’t be able to host live music until our so-called political leaders deign otherwise – we think it is safe to assert that streaming shows are set to remain part of our regular “gigging” routine for the foreseeable future. The latest act to throw their hats into the vagaries of the lives stream virtual arena this past weekend were those erstwhile rock ‘n’ roll reprobates by the names of Ginger, CJ, Danny and Ritch (or is it Mark, Twitterati), collectively known as The Wildhearts, emerging from the dustiness of the studio and into the spotlight of the live arena…
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Ihsahn – Notodden, Norway (livestream) – 4 April 2021
While many folk were going mad this past Sunday with the indulgence of chocolate eggs and such like, Jonny B was indulging in his own cravings in a very different way by settling down for an evening with Ihsahn. Now, you may have realized that Ihsahn was pretty busy in 2020 with the release of not one, but two fantastic EPs that we’ve yet to have the pleasure of hearing live. Fortunately, that all changed with a pretty packed live event ahead promising both EPs to be played in full! So, JB got himself dressed up in his finest black band T-shirt (well, the cleanest anyway), cracked open a can of delicious booze, and got himself cosy in the lounge for the spectacle ahead….
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Mountain Tamer – Live in the Mojave Desert – 6 March 2021
Saturday night has rolled around yet again, which means that it’s time for the now habitual beers on the sofa! But, tonight is slightly different because Jonny B is being whisked off to the Mojave desert again (remotely of course) to pick up the fourth instalment in this five concert series that culminates with Nick Oliveri’s Stoner in just two weeks’ time.
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Hollowstar/Daxx & Roxane – New Wave of Classic Rock Webfest – 26 February 2021
BoJo The Clown may finally have published his much-vaunted “roadmap” towards post COVID pan(dem)ic “normality”, but at least as far as the music business is concerned, any sight of light at the end of the tunnel is still the faintest of glimmers in some far-off distant future, with more shows, tours and festivals continuing to be cancelled, postponed or rescheduled for what seems like the umpteenth time. Thus, the only “normality” which those of seeking our regular fix for live music continues to exist only in the virtual world of cyberspace, via livestreamed events such as this, the latest in a weekly series brought to us by the lovely people behind the wonderful New Wave of Classic Rock Facebook group, who have continued to fly the flag for the genre, in all its forms, with these showcases of some of the finest ÜK acts around… The formula is basically the same every week, with two bands performing a handful of songs, either in full electric format or stripped back to an acoustic alternative, with each set preceded by interviews with the acts concerned.
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Spirit Mother – Live in the Mojave Desert – 20 February 2021
It’s a cold and wet Saturday night in the North West of England, so we tagged Jonny B in for a trip out to the desert (from the safety of his own home of course) to catch the third installment of the ‘Live in the Mojave Desert’ series. This week it’s the turn of Spirit Mother, who are possibly the youngest band in the series (yes, we know Stoner have only recently formed, but we’d say the experience of the members excludes them from the “young” title) which shows that these guys from Long Beach, CA are whipping up quite the sandstorm in the desert rock scene.
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Crowbar – Live from New Orleans – 20 February 2021
Live streams are getting as clash strewn as gigs used to be. Crowbar and Spirit Mother on the same night is quite a choice for our DJ by the name of Astrocreep, though luckily both have view on demand, which makes life a bit easier than choosing between gigs on the same night! So, the big lad poured a single malt, took his seat in his reclining chair and get himself ready for some serious armchair headbanging – while live streams are obviously not as good as being at an actual show, they’re a damn sight better than nothing at all – a junkie needs his fix after all!
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Todd Rundgren – ‘Clearly Human’ Virtual Tour – 17 February 2021
Monk vividly remember the first time he came across the idea of a “virtual tour”. It was during a typically in(s)ane interview with those Midlands maniacs Evil Scarecrow back in November 2015, when it was suggested that these particular members of metal’s lunatic fringe should undertake their next tour without leaving their hometown of Nottingham, instead flying fans in from all corners of the Überverse to enjoy the show and then let the band enjoy the comfort of their own beds each and every night… Little did they all know that, five short years later, the whole dynamic of the global “live” music scene would have changed dramatically (and possibly forever), making events such as “virtual tours” almost de rigeur for artists attempting to bring the experience of a live show into their fans’ living rooms…
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Nebula – Live In The Mojave Desert – 6 February 2021
The canyon parties of the early desert rock scene are a thing of legend and rightfully so. It may have been a few years since Josh, Nick, Brant and friends played right through the night in the desert but the current lockdown is making people have to be resourceful about how they’re going to safely organise any gig or live stream. Step forth five of the foremost bands of that scene, or at least some that were involved at the time. In this particular stream Nebula, to re-enact the passion and tripped out music that made that scene so iconic.
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Immersed Festival – Cardiff, University of South Wales – 31 January 2021
It is coming up to a year since the ÜK live music industry went into virtual shutdown, thanks to the ongoing global pan(dem)ic which has swept through the Überverse and decimated so many lives. With seemingly no light at the end of the tunnel, at least for the foreseeable future, and no sign of any form of “normal” shows, as we once knew them, returning any time soon, artists and bands have had to find new ways of engaging and interacting with their audiences, and promoting their product – never mind selling it and thus keeping a roof over their heads and allow them to plot a course into the future. While some of the bigger, more established, names have had the wherewithal to re-invent their communication and promotional channels, perhaps hardest hit have been what we can perhaps best describe as the next generation… the new breed of young, up-and-coming artistes who would have relied on blagging an invaluable support slot on a bigger bill to spread their message and showcase their talents to wider audiences… which brings us neatly to the subject (sic) in hand…
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Immersed Festival – Cardiff, University of South Wales – 30 January 2021
It is coming up to a year since the ÜK live music industry went into virtual shutdown, thanks to the ongoing global pan(dem)ic which has swept through the Überverse and decimated so many lives. With seemingly no light at the end of the tunnel, at least for the foreseeable future, and no sign of any form of “normal” shows, as we once knew them, returning any time soon, artists and bands have had to find new ways of engaging and interacting with their audiences, and promoting their product – never mind selling it and thus keeping a roof over their heads and allow them to plot a course into the future. While some of the bigger, more established, names have had the wherewithal to re-invent their communication and promotional channels, perhaps hardest hit have been what we can perhaps best describe as the next generation… the new breed of young, up-and-coming artistes who would have relied on blagging an invaluable support slot on a bigger bill to spread their message and showcase their talents to wider audiences… which brings us neatly to the subject (sic) in hand…
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Immersed Festival – Cardiff, University of South Wales – 29 January 2021
It is coming up to a year since the ÜK live music industry went into virtual shutdown, thanks to the ongoing global pan(dem)ic which has swept through the Überverse and decimated so many lives. With seemingly no light at the end of the tunnel, at least for the foreseeable future, and no sign of any form of “normal” shows, as we once knew them, returning any time soon, artists and bands have had to find new ways of engaging and interacting with their audiences, and promoting their product – never mind selling it and thus keeping a roof over their heads and allow them to plot a course into the future. While some of the bigger, more established, names have had the wherewithal to re-invent their communication and promotional channels, perhaps hardest hit have been what we can perhaps best describe as the next generation… the new breed of young, up-and-coming artistes who would have relied on blagging an invaluable support slot on a bigger bill to spread their message and showcase their talents to wider audiences… which brings us neatly to the subject (sic) in hand…
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Pulse Of The Maggots Festival (MusiCares Stage) – Friday 13 November
For those unfamiliar with the concept, Knotfest is a touring festival curated, and usually headlined, by Slipknot. Like many music events, the festival has been forced to re-invent itself in this ‘Year Of The Pandemic’, taking the vast majority of its activities online – and to great effect with the majority of what they have been doing being made available to fans free of charge, relying in turn on the charity of those same fans to reciprocate in other ways, by buying merchandise and releases from the myriad of bands to whom they have given an invaluable boost over the eight months to date of the various lockdowns brought about as a result of the global spread of the beer bug…
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