By David O’Neill

Poster for Steelhouse 2024Well, we are finally in July and now that the Euros are all but over and as I write this its coming/not coming home again, it is time to focus my mind on my role as the stalwart Über Rock representative at the highest festival of the summer atop the hallowed mountain between Abertillery and Cwm, at the mighty Steelhouse Festival. Despite the regular jolts up the mountain goatherd track this has been my home from home for the last weekend in July for the past nine years! If you have yet to go my words thus far hopefully cannot but inspire you to try it. Despite the widely variable weather and its remote location it always proves to be a highlight of my year.

So this year there is a significant departure from the usual Friday to Sunday format due the sad passing of the guitar legend Mr Bernie Marsden at the end of August last year. Being a longtime friend and supporter of Steelhouse festival (he famously played each day of the weekend back in the pre-Covid era), it was only fitting that the organizers thought it a suitable tribute to the great man to entitle the Friday night as BernieFest and giving the evening a lineup of contemporary musicians who would/have been influenced by the man himself.

I have to say that I was really happy to find out that Belfast rockers Trucker Diablo, who have just completed recording their new album, were a late addition to the bill. I remember the last time the “Big Truck” rocked atop the mountain when it was a “little inclement” shall we say but they still took to the poser ramp in the dampness and gave a bloody good account of themselves (see image). I’m sure they will do so again with their last released album, ‘Tail End Of A Hurricane‘ being most apt for the last appearance… let’s hope it isn’t prophetic for this year!

Next in line is Oli Brown and the Dead Collective, who have been making a lot of noise on the scene, including no less than six ÜK festival lineups this summer on the back of supporting The Answer on their tour earlier this year. In case you think you’ve seen the guitarist before, it is none other than Sam Wood from Wayward Sons! His latest release, ‘ Prelude’, has an old school blues/alt sound that will go down well with the Steelhouse regulars.

Now if you really want to set up an evening of blues-based scintillation then there can be no better way than to bring in the blues/roots sensation that is Elles Bailey, the singer/guitarist and part time DJ from Planet Rock. I regularly listen to her show on Saturdays and she rings all my bells with her chosen playlists. However, her voice and guitar virtuosity can be not be decried. All you have to do is wrap your ears around any of her tracks on streaming services, such as the acoustic version of ‘Medicine Man’, to get an idea.

Next up for Friday is blues powerhouse King King. The last time I saw Alan Nimmo and the band was in 2019 when American songstress Sari Schorr was on the bill and Lyndsey Coulson was on his last King King tour on bass (he has subsequently been replaced by Zander Greenshields). Their trip up the mountain is preceded by a little trip to Nebraska and the Netherlands! So a bit of mileage being clocked up there guys before an extensive UK/European tour in the autumn.

This is going to be a great support for the main event of “Berniefest”, where a significant array of superb artists will collaborate in a sensational celebration of the works of one of the greatest guitarists of the rock and blues era, and genuinely nice guy.

Following the posthumous release of his last album, ‘Working Man‘, in December 2023 the Steelhouse organizers have worked hard to arrange a “supergroup” of his contemporaries as a fitting tribute to the great man. This includes the local “Voice of the Mountain” Nev MacDonald of Kooga/Skin/Hand of Dimes, supported by a variety of musicians including Hand of Dimes, Neil Murray (bassist with Whitesnake), Jim Kirkpatrick (FM guitarist), Luke Morley (Thunder guitarist), Steve Overland (FM vocalist), Toby Jepson (Wayward Sons, Little Angels), the incredibly talented Chris Buck (Cardinal Black) and Elles Bailey.

This is going to be a very special “I was there” moment. In anticipation of this event there is only one thing to do and point everyone to Bernies last (and fitting) tribute to his love of the festival.