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 once again 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…
After two days and 14 bands covering all shades of hard rock, from the old guard to the new wave classic revivalists, the psyched-out to the hard-hitting anthem deliverers, it is time to look forward to the third and final day, which promises more of the same – with the emphasis on the MORE – in the form of another day of rockin’ action that features some of the finest up-and-coming young talent with some Steelhouse faves, a long-awaited headline treat – and a very special surprise package to boot \m/
Cranking the amps up to maximum to kick off the final day will be the fiery talent that is Troy Redfern, who undoubtedly will rip up both his fretboard and the stage in fine style, bringing things to an early fever pitch with a sound that combines early Alice Cooper with SRV-style slide-shredding blooziness… Lord, have mercy on our hangovers, ‘cos Troy definitely is going to blow those cobwebs away…
A band developing something of a ‘Relentless‘ (sic) momentum at the moment are Empyre, who combine kick ass heavy beats with searing melodies and the sort of innate sense of harmony that guarantee to get feet tapping, necks snapping and voices raised in equal measure, as will no doubt be the case when they make their Steelhouse debut:
The NWoCR vibe will be back on the stage when The Cruel Knives defiantly stick it to us with their brand of massive riff-led alt-rock which delivers big, crunching riffs, cleverly worked vocal harmonies and infectious choruses, coupled with frontman Tom Harris’ proven enthusiasm and excitement which definitely has them making their own lives in the rock ‘n’ roll fast lane:
Making a well-deserved return to the mountain just 12 months after her impressive debut, and elevated from the lower reaches of the Friday bill to a late Sunday afternoon slot, Kira Mac promises some heart-rending bluesy soulfulness to spark a light in what might be by now some flagging spirits, which nevertheless will be lifted by this highly-strung and energetic performer:
Icelandic progressive rockers The Vintage Caravan may be something of an acquired taste for many, and could be seen as an unusual choice for this Sunday slot, especially coming in the midst of the such high energy acts that surround them, but they could well provide that much needed chilldown with their brand of eco-aware psychedelia which nevertheless can rock it up when needed:
Making a very welcome return, in more ways than one, are our very own The Answer, who came storming back into action earlier this year after an extended hiatus, proving that absence does indeed make the heart grow fonder and that the sun ain’t going down (sic) on them any time soon… Cormac Neeson is one of the most charismatic frontmen in the business and no doubt will have the Steelhouse faithful eating out of the palm of his hand as if he was offering them a slice of cooling watermelon…
Now, it may have initially come as a surprise to see a previously “unknown” act swooping into the special guest slot, but when said act features the talents of no less than Judas Priest axeslinger Richie Faulkner and vocalist extraordinaire Ronnie Romero, then Elegant Weapons are fully deserving of such a billing. Having produced an elegantly weaponized (sic) debut album (hopefully it’s just that) of quality classic hard rock that touches every base you would expect, this promises to be a real treat of a set:
Finally, you asked for ’em – and you finally got ’em… For several years now, every post-Steelhouse survey into what bands fans most wanted to see headline the following year’s festivities, there has been one name that has stood head and shoulders above the rest- and that is, of course, Black Stone Cherry, who won’t be feeling in the slightest bit ‘Nervous’ and undoubtedly will be doing plenty of ‘Screamin’ At The Sky‘ as they rock the mountain to its very core with what promises to be another high-energy display of southern rock at its finest…
Well, that’s all the bands introduced, so here is everything else you need to know to get the best from your weekend…
- 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 we 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 31 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.
All that remains to say now is let’s Rocio Y Mynedd \m/
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