They do say that once is never enough, so it’s with a great deal of pleasure that we head back to the Motorsport Lounge for a second round of splendid music in a good setting. This time we get the grand tour, including the garage which now houses some of the classic vehicles that used to be on display here. It’s always good to learn something about both the history and the future plans of a decent venue, and it seems that the Motorsport Lounge is going to go from strength to strength in the coming months and years. Watch this space!

In the meantime we have a gig to go to, so we duly troop back into the main room in time for openers New Generation Superstars. This Nottingham-based beat combo hit the stage running, delivering a set packed full of punch and energy. Their style is sharp and fast, ever so slightly sleazy but at the same time ebullient and effervescent. Yes, they fizz. They’ve been around the gritty underbelly of the UK rock scene for some 18 years now, keeping their blend of rock melody with punk attitude going throughout. The 11-song set sees them showcase tunes from throughout their career, and showcases how their barely-contained aggression is tempered with some great songwriting. The drummer is a superstar, pounding away at the back and keeping everything mostly under control. There’s riffing galore, hummable choruses and overall a sense that the band are really enjoying themselves which means that after a slow start the crowd quickly warms to them and draws closer.

Next we have the final UK performance this year from the legendary New York art-rockers Warrior Soul. Frontman Kory Clark is a human dynamo in rock-star trousers. He formed the band back in the late 80’s although their heyday was probably the mid-90’s when, having parted company from their major label, the band released their seminal album “Space Age Cowboys”. Since then, in true rockstar diva style, Kory has disbanded and rebanded many times, and worked his way through a variety of lineups. Dour bassist Christian Kimmet has remained by his side for the last 12 years however, bringing some much-needed stability with his unflinching rhythms and interesting selection of headgear. Kory’s performance verges on the eccentric, his background in performance arts lends itself nicely to a selection of songs which are, in places, more like spoken word poetry than standard 4-4 rock.

The set starts with an intense, heartbeat-like pace over which Kory raps and spits in a seemingly endless stream of consciousness. Before long the pace of the music increases and becomes more standard rock, the shirt of the guitarist comes off and yet still Kory continues to weave his magic. The music is in him, it possesses him. Overall the sound can be a little doomy, with more than a nod towards the stoner-rock influence of the post-grunge Seattle bands. There’s quite a big Black Sabbath vibe going on, interwoven with an unmistakeable 90’s groove. Highlights were a song called “The Drug” which brought to mind scuzzy glamsters L.A. Guns, and final track ‘Wasteland’ which drew in all the energy in the room and exhaled it in a whiskey-soaked breath of freshness. The merch stand features a selection of Kory’s original artwork, which is mostly the band’s logo splatter-painted onto sacking, and on viewing it you can’t help wondering what it might be like living in the chaos of the inside of his mind.

This has been a co-headlining tour, with Warrior Soul and Spread Eagle sharing the headline slot. Tonight it’s the turn of Spread Eagle to close the night out, and their harder, more metal sound is a great way to do it. This band also dates back to the late 80’s, with the bulk of their original work being recorded in the early 90’s. Unlike Warrior Soul, they disbanded for quite a long period in 1995. Of the founding members still in the band, vocalist Ray West turned his back on the music industry for a long time, whilst bassist Rob DeLuca became a prolific session and touring musician – he’s probably best known here in the UK for being a member of UFO from 2008 until they finally called it quits in 2022. As often happens though, a remaster of one of their old albums generated considerable interest, and Rob and Ray got back together about 10 years ago to record a 3rd album which eventually dropped in 2019. The renewed and refreshed band have since toured extensively all over the world, re-winning the hearts and minds that may have largely forgotten about them in the interim.

Tonight they give us a 13-song set that draws from all 3 of their albums and even includes a countrified tribute to the King as they cover ‘It’s Alright Mama!’ Singer Ray is personable, although he does burble on a bit between songs, but he is forgiven because of the sheer power and range of his vocals. Spread Eagle give us traditional old school metal – here there’s a touch of Judas Priest, there a nod to Motorhead. There’s a little flirting with other genres but essentially this band play metal, and they play it well. The solos scream, the riffs abound, the bass vibrates and the drums pound. It’s well done, although there are places where perhaps a second guitar would have filled the sound out more, but nonetheless they soon get hair flying and air guitars soloing in the crowd as well as on the stage!

This is a band who have remained true to their roots; not for them the plaid shirts and cargo shorts of the grunge era. Instead they bided their time and waited until the world turned far enough for their hard rock sound to become the next big thing again, at which point they were able to jump on board and resume the ride. They may not have shifted as many records as Kory and co over the years but quiet, unassuming Rob from behind the merch stand becomes a bit of a monster on stage and has never lost his vision of where he wants this band to be. Hopefully that’s exactly where they are now, giving their all to an appreciative crowd who are happy to be part of their return to glory.