There seems to be something of a rock renaissance in the Preston live music scene with this the fourth gig ROCKFLESH has reviewed in the town in recent months. At the forefront of the charge is The Ferret, long a bastion for live music and until recently under threat of being lost, but now fighting back with a vengeance. And tonight, it plays host to a three-band bill encapsulating three very different branches of the rock family tree.
Read MoreThe weather this weekend is pants. It’s cold and windy, there’s still snow on the ground and I am still full of the lurgy kindly donated to me by Gun the other week. But. There’s a party to go to so I pull on the dancing trousers and head up the M6. First of all, things aren’t looking good – the show was due to be at the Alhambra but due to the aforementioned weather there was a burst pipe and a LOT of water there, so the lovely ladies from RPM made some frantic phone calls and managed to source and prepare Johnny’s shed at literally the last minute.
Read MoreWe start the evening with Bastette and the first thing I notice is that there's yet another new guitarist. This time it's Laurie Buchanon, also a member of The Hot Damn and previously working with her brother Aaron Buchanon. This isn't a bad thing though because Laurie is a cracking guitarist and she brings a little bit of extra magic to the band.
Read MoreThe start of Bad Touch’s Better Late than Never tour has apparently been postponed some 5 times over the past 18 months or so, and tonight, it finally gets underway. There’s an added bonus too with local band Shape of Water added to the bill opening the show.
Read MoreLive music on a Saturday night? On my birthday? In Manchester? Yes please. I might be gigging alone but as I enter the venue I remember what a great little space Academy 3 is.
I go back through the files in my brain and as usual (obviously my age) I draw a blank as to the last band I saw in here but I’m thinking maybe Clutch but that was a LONG time ago (before they were well-known and after I saw them originally with one of my favourite bands Corrosion of Conformity). Even further back in the annals of time I saw Jerry Cantrell in this room and what an absolutely mind-blowing experience that was…
Read MoreIt’s always nice when you see bands that are starting to do well for themselves give a hand up to those coming up behind them, and that’s exactly what Gin Annie have done on this tour. Although White Raven Down have been their support on most of the dates, they have also opened up a third slot at some venues, which has gone to a local band.
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