Live Review : Springfest @ The Waterloo Music Bar, Blackpool on April 26th 2025

Springfest returns to the Waterloo once more for its third iteration, again bringing together half a dozen bands covering a range of styles and genres; so there’s majestic 70s riffage here, spangly 80s keys there, glorious Southern stylings, some innovative contemporary rock (plus some bands that defy easy categorisation) creating a fantastic showcase of what 21st Century grassroots rock music has to offer. 

This House We Built kick things off in fine style putting smiles on the faces of those who got in early to catch the first band on the bill.  Today things are a little different to what we are accustomed from the band with three guitarists perched atop stools for a semi-acoustic set. But even without the electrification and the drums This House We Built are still a force to be reckoned with.  This more stripped back arrangement allows for more rich soulfulness to come to the fore showcasing the strength of the band’s songwriting and depth of their catalogue.  So, the always sublime ‘Nobody’s Fool’ takes on a more reflective, regretful tone, elegant and understated, but all the more powerful for it, the Waterloo crowd joining their voices with those on stage, for a rousing chorus that sets the tone for the rest of the festival. This Springfest crowd wants to sing and ‘My Old Friend’ gives them that opportunity, the crowd now having swelled to even greater proportions. This culminates in ‘Coming Home to You’, crowd and band joined in a beautiful symbiosis of voices and music that is really quite something. There feels like there’s so much more to come from This House We Built; they’re a unique band with such depth and heart, melded to fabulous musicianship that they have the potential, with just a little bit of luck on their side, to go very far indeed… 

For anyone who didn’t catch Old Glory and the Black Riviera’s set we’re here to tell you, you missed a treat. The Stoke four-piece deal in rousing, feel-good tunes with a distinctly Southern edge, whilst maintaining plenty of rock bite. Guitars slide, vocals soar, drums pound, it’s enormous fun and sees energy levels soaring. Jordan Davies on vocals, has a voice perfectly suited to this style, loaded with a whole bucket load of charisma and personality. Likewise, Aaron Pointon on Bass (and Dolly Parton Tee-Shirt) and the dazzling slide skills of guitarist Jay Meehan weave a hypnotic spell, whether on the grooving splendid beats of ‘Miracle’ or on a thunderous version of ‘Jumping Jack Flash’.  Driven by an epic drum attack that takes no prisoners, inspired guitar runs lift it from just another cover to something altogether more muscular and powerful. But as great and crowd-pleasing as it is, it’s the band’s own material that impresses the most; ‘Had It All’ shimmers and pulses, new song ‘You and I’ is a maelstrom of frantic drum fills, a riotous solo and a memorable chorus, whilst ‘Where Did I Go Wrong’ brings their set to a close with a stomping verse and a wild and frenzied chorus that is nothing short of spectacular. Like all the best bands, Old Glory and the Black Riviera leave the crowd wanting more; they may have been an unfamiliar name to some, but they were a name on many of the crowd’s lips long after their set ended. A true triumph for great, honest, good time rock n roll, catch them if you can… 

Thieves of Liberty were one of the standouts at the very first Springfest and looking back at the review from that day ROCKFLESH branded them “ones to watch”. Now, two years later, with a multitude of support slots, festival appearances and their own headline shows behind them, plus a cracking debut album in the bag, it’s great to see that these Sunderland boys are making good on the promise we saw back then. By now, the crowd has swollen to near capacity and there is a definite air of anticipation buzzing through the assembled masses, the unasked question being “can the band meet the evidently high expectations?” Well, the answer is a categoric and emphatic “Yes”! 

If the last performance at Springfest was good, this time around they’re next level; those years on the road have sharpened them into a fiercely tight unit, self-assured, confident, playing with power, control and absolute conviction. And it’s this completely justified, self-belief that has got them this far and will continue to drive them ever higher up festival bills and into bigger and bigger venues. Much of the set comes from last year’s excellent debut album “Shangri-La”, sounding even bigger and more impactful live than on that recording. So ‘Sick Pup’ has a riff that could carve rock from a mountainside, ‘Sweet as Today’ is a rollicking slab of rock n’ roll delight, whilst the bombastic ‘Rabbit Hole’, sees singer James Boak clambering over the barrier and in the crowd with guitarist Liam Lindsley borne aloft on his shoulders, soloing away without missing a note. The band are in perpetual motion, a constantly moving vortex of movement as the musicians seem to feed off each other’s energy, their camaraderie and joy in what they do clearly evident for all to see, the evergreen ‘Calypso’ bringing to a close a set that no-one wants to see end. 

Thieves of Liberty are a potent swaggering mix of retro influences and 21st century fire that rightfully seems to be capturing the hearts of more and more, certainly judging by the number of their Tee-Shirts seen adorning a large number of today’s crowd. In 2025, Thieves of Liberty are still ones to watch, they have the talent, the songs and the momentum on their side, but now we’re watching to see just how far this rock n’ roll train will take them… 

Beth Blade surely has rock n’ roll running through her veins; no stranger to either the Waterloo or the grass roots scene, alongside her Beautiful Disasters she is one of the most honest, vibrant and passionate musicians you are likely to see, that passion and enthusiasm transcending the stage and lifting those of us on this side of the barrier, so that an early evening slot feels more like a headliner. There’s an exuberance in the whole band’s approach, Berty Burton a commanding force stage right, bouncing, spinning, bass slung low throwing out the meatiest, dirtiest licks, thrumming through the floor and the soles of your feet. On the other side of the stage cowboy-hatted Dan Rowe provides the six-string fire-power, with Sam Brain on drums bringing the thunder with his bruising beats and fills. 

Tonight’s is a crowd-pleasing, career spanning set with numbers culled from across the bands catalogue that really show the full range of what the band are all about.  There’s oldies and newies, from a majestic ‘This Bitch Bites’ and a rocket-fuelled ‘Give It All You Got’ to brand new tunes from the new album due later this year. 

Their set is also a masterclass in pacing, managing to deliver a near perfect four song run to close their time on stage. First up is new single ‘Never Let Go’, due for release in a matter of weeks, and the perfect companion to the effervescent ‘Tonight I’m With You’, both sharing that BBatBD songwriting DNA of anthemic, upbeat joyfulness that will be bouncing round your head for days to come. And speaking of anthems, surely nothing captures the spirit of the whole event (and our life choices!) like ‘I Ain’t Got Nothing (If I Ain’t Got Rock n Roll)’, a true 21st century rock anthem if ever there was one. Rounding out their night in Lemmy’s Bar it can only be ‘Jack and Coke’ to bring their set to a breathless and sublime conclusion. With new music due in a few month’s it looks like this could be the biggest year yet for this most irrepressible of bands… 

Next up, Ashen Reach deliver a thoroughly modern take on rock, altogether different than everything that has come so far today. Fascinating in that uniqueness, their impact and power are impossible to deny. Ashen Reach’s sound is a huge, monumentally epic soundscape, dazzling in its technicality and scope. Take ‘Homecoming’, formidable in its ferocity and brutally heavy at times, whilst introspective moments of delicate beauty crash against that crushing heaviness to cinematic effect, reminiscent of a heavier Queensryche, in their emotional heft and ambition.   

Probably the heaviest band on today’s bill, Ashen Reach, obviously command a lot of loyalty as displayed by the enthusiasm of the crowd’s reaction; there’s a lot of grooving to those gigantic riffs and words being sung back, helping Paddy Cummins with the words, for in common with This House We Built earlier in the day, Ashen Reach are performing with a man down, in this case lead singer Kyle, with guitarist Paddy stepping up to the mic. It’s testament to the band’s professionalism and musical skill that they are able to put in such a strong and dynamic set even in this reduced state, proving that three quarters of Ashen Reach is far better than no Ashen Reach at all. It’s a brave and gutsy performance, from a band that were originally a five-piece, now a four-piece and today perform as a trio! Every credit to the band for their commitment, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat and delivering a memorable set that was a real triumph over adversity.   

Can there be anything better than a set of life-affirming, joyful hair metal on a Saturday night? Midnite City are on a mission to prove that is indeed the case, and in doing so bring the curtain down on this year’s event, in a blaze of colour, melody and fun.  

We might be nearly eight hours into Springfest, but Rob Wylde and his cohorts certainly know how to energise a crowd, and energy levels that may have been flagging moments earlier, now catapult back up to rapturous heights as they take us through a polished and vibrant set of gems culled from across their back catalogue. Bringing the Saturday night party vibe to the Waterloo, the band leave no-one in any doubt as to why they are considered the undisputed kings of the UK hair metal scene.     

You know what you’re getting with Midnite City, but what they do, they do so damn well, that you can’t help but be swept along by their infectious, enthusiastic onslaught. So ‘Atomic’ swings and grooves, with one of the first but by no means last tremendous solos by Miles Meakin, whose precise and tasty playing forms the backbone of the band’s sound along with the legendary keyboard skills of Shawn Charvette.  And you can’t underestimate the impact of Shawn’s keys, whether providing a sparkling undercurrent to the main motif or coming more to the fore, exquisitely played they add a layer of glitter and emotional depth that is so crucial in this genre. 

As you would expect, there is a mix of irreverent singalong anthems like ‘Girls Gone Wild’, coupled with magnificently brooding balladry, like the sumptuous ‘Hardest Heart to Break’. Rob prowls and preens around the stage leading band and crowd alike like a hair metal Master of Ceremonies (the MC of MC if you will), the Midnite Army in full force, some having travelled huge distances to see the band play. The only band with more Tees on display than Thieves of Liberty, Midnite City’s following are dedicated and loud, singing along to every word, dancing with abandon and generally partying like the eighties never ended (and maybe they didn’t…). It's a fiery performance that cranks up the heat both literally and metaphorically, closing out the third Springfest in epic style.   

It’s been another event of great bands, great camaraderie and community and great fun, showing why events like Springfest and their other North-Western contemporaries (S.O.S and Rockwich, I’m looking at you!) are such vital and valued fixture in the gig-goers calendar…See you next year…! 

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
Midnite City + Ashen Reach + Beth Blade and the Beautiful Disasters + Thieves of Liberty + Old Glory and the Black Riviera + This House We Built