Day two dawned after a bit of a battering from the wind that saw significant rainfall damp the dust overnight. It looked like normal service was resumed and so it proved with intermittent drizzle throughout the day… but that didn’t stop the bands playing on (sic)!
Whilst many nursed their Friday night hangovers they really missed a show from Saturday openers Mother Vulture. If ever a band put on a show that grabbed the audience by the balls and squeezed them until everyone screamed then these guys were it. Thirty minutes of frenetic activity that was impossible to keep your eyes off. Described as a hectic blues-punk band but dressed in a brown striped suit the guitarist Brodie Maguire and the bassist Chris Simpson barely stood still. The vocal style of Georgi Valentine is unique. I don’t think I’ve seen so much activity on a stage since the Sex Pistols were around. At the end of the set Maguire and his beautiful green Gretsch leapt across the barrier to play guitar on his back among the crowd. The majority of the small audience looked at each other with mouths agape thinking “WTF just happened”? I really felt sorry for the next band on after that…
Anchor Lane are a three-piece from Glasgow who were just getting some serious traction when the pandemic hit. However, they have a new album out that is going to help with that. They were good but everyone was still a bit stunned by Mother Vulture.
Cardinal Black took to the stage with Chris Buck wearing a black mac. Again, the set was laid back and as cool as ice cream, super laid back guitar riffs accompanied by the caramel soft vocal of Tom Hollister. With a limited set there was no need to alter anything in my view.
Black Spiders should have performed last year but the dreaded RONA got them. The first person on stage was Wyatt Van Wendells, the Planet Rock presenter who is rather an accomplished drummer. With a list of tracks that were more familiar than many realized, these guys picked up the mood and tempo significantly after Cardinal Black. Welcome back Black Spiders!
The Finnish Von Hertzen Brothers will always get my vote. I have loved their music since seeing them up the mountain in 2016 (has it really been six years!). Opening up with ‘Day of Reckoning’ lets you know what they are about. The last album ‘Red Alert In The Blue Forest’ featured heavily in the set list but there was an unfortunate technical hitch with Kie’s acoustic guitar on ‘All Of A Sudden You’re Gone’ which detracted from the overall feeling of the track, but it still stopped me from taking many photos in the pit as it gets me every time. However, ‘Long Lost Sailor’, ‘Flowers And Rust’ and the full 10 minutes of ‘Peace Patrol’ left many wanting more. Love the brothers.
H.E.A.T continued the Scandinavian theme for the weekend and absolutely warmed everyone up. With the return of the original singer Kenny Leckremo rock was back up the mountain. Looking and performing like a real rock band front man the crowd were left breathless by the display these guys put on. It really was a ‘Force Majeure’ which is incidentally the title of their just-released new album.
How can you top that? Oh I know, the Graham Bonnet Band doing a largely ‘Down To Earth’ Rainbow set and some new stuff from their new album. There were some very happy rockers up the mountain.
All I have to say is thank the lords above for Saxon. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t improve in time for their 90 minute set. Kicking off with ‘Motorcyle Man’, ‘Thunderbolt’ and ‘Wheels Of Steel’ isn’t a bad way to get the crowd going. As many people say “age is just a number” and these guys proved that. Rocking through almost 50 years of classic tracks the guys just laid down a lesson in how to be NWoBHM legends. Biff and the boys were definitely the Power and the Glory on the final set of Saturday before the 747 took all the strangers off into the night with their Princesses.
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- Steelhouse 2023 takes place over the weekend of 28 – 30 July. You can get your tickets HERE.
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