Live Review : Bad Touch + The Karma Effect + Electric Black @ The Live Rooms, Chester on March 15th 2024

There’s an old joke that goes “what’s the best thing to come out of Norfolk? The A11!” Tonight though I am here to witness the re-emergence of something else good coming out of Norfolk, the country-tinged blues rock of Bad Touch. They have been around on the circuit for a while, I think I first encountered them well over 10 years ago, and with at least 5 albums under their collective belts their popularity has ebbed and flowed like the tides that erode their home county’s coastline over those years. I don’t think I’ve seen them yet post-covid, so tonight I’m looking forward to getting re-acquainted with them. Enough poetic imagery though, we have bands to watch!

Live Review : The Damn Truth + Scarlet @ The Live Rooms, Chester on October 23rd 2022

Ever had a moment when you hear something on the radio and instantly love it? Well that happened to me with tonight’s headliners. Canadians The Damn Truth recently released a song called ‘This Is Who We Are Now’ (taken from their latest Bob-Rock-produced album “Now Or Nowhere”) and the instant I heard it I was hooked. So when I heard they were coming to Chester, despite not really knowing anything else about them, I had to go along.

Live Review : Mason Hill + South Of Salem + Mad Haven @ The Live Rooms, Chester on October 21st 2022

It’s funny how this job/hobby/whatever goes. Sometimes you get to see bands you love, sometimes ones you’re not so keen on. Sometimes you are in a crowd of thousands, sometimes you watch a great act give their all to two men and a dog. The dreaded coof knocked us all for six and that, coupled with the current cost of living crisis, has apparently been having a devastating effect on ticket sales for live events with many gigs and small festivals having to cancel due to low sales.

Live Review : Walter Trout + Elles Bayley @ The Live Rooms, Chester on June 13th 2022

"But I'm not a reviewer", I kept nervously saying to myself whilst queueing amongst a good humoured and well-seasoned crowd (myself included) waiting to gain entry to Chester's Live Rooms. You see due to a technicality we have no official reviewer for the evening so I am off the sub bench and into action. I can barely string two words together in written form, and definitely struggle to go beyond "this is epic" or "naa, I’m not keen" when talking music. I tend to like what I like, and in more recent times find that I prefer tracks to bands.

Live Review : Collateral + Before The Storm + Cry For Mercy @ The Live Rooms, Chester on May 13th 2022

Tonight’s main support should have been Empyre, but unfortunately they have been hit by the dreaded ‘rona (get well soon guys) so local band Cry For Mercy were drafted in to open the show instead. They are a 3-piece outfit from Wrexham, and they open with just a guitar and vocals, which I quite like. Unfortunately though this is due to a technical issue rather than by design, and once someone works out how to plug the bass in the sound gets a lot better! The style is bluesy, but in a commercial and catchy way, and it’s OK. My first thought on hearing them is that they sound a bit like Thunder.

Live Review : Dub War + Bad Earth + Fly-52 @ The Live Rooms, Chester on April 28th 2022

“You’re not on the list. There is no list. Oh you might be on the list. Wait here” is never a good start to the night, but a bit of negotiating and flashing of screen shots later, we’re in on this pleasant spring evening.

First up tonight is Melodic Alt Punk Welsh rockers Fly- 52. A reasonably new project riding the waves of the recent pop punk revival, Fly-52 play like a band who have been at it for years, as opposed to forming in 2021. Whilst crediting the likes of Blink 182, New Found Glory, and Sum41 as their influences, it’s an entirely different band I pick out whilst listening.

Live Review : Pupil Slicer + In Depths + Lure In @ the Live Rooms, Chester on February 20th 2022

Let it be known that the warriors of Rockflesh Towers will not be put off by a bit of wind! I am of course referring to the storms battering the nation at time of writing rather than anything more constitutional. Fortunately, the bands and a hardy few punters are also willing to brave the stormy weather for a bit of Sunday night experimental metal. I say experimental because much of what is on display tonight may be called challenging by some…and joyously unique by others. And, yep you guessed it, I’m in the latter camp.

Live Review : Dirty Sound Magnet + Daxx & Roxane + Cosmic Mother @ The Live Rooms, Chester on December 11th 2021

This is a co-headline tour, but it seems that although they get similar set times Dirty Sound Magnet are scheduled to go on last tonight which surprises me a little as I thought Daxx & Roxane were the more well-known of the two. However, that might just be because they are the ones I’ve heard of and seen before.

I also got it wrong about the support. Cosmic Mother – hippies right? Dreads and paisley and beads? Nope. They are actually a 90s indie-type band. Very Manchest-or. The sound is in the vein of the Stone Roses, and they are good at it.

Live Review : Aleya + Oaths + The Perfect Escape @ G21 (The Saddle Inn), Chester on December 11th 2021

The Saddle Inn in Chester has reinvented itself as The Saddle Rock Bar, and is trying its hand at a few ways to generate the appropriate vibe (including band themed bedrooms in the hotel section!). One of these ventures is to use the renovated outhouse as a tiny gig venue called G21. It probably only holds 35ish people but is free to hire and is perfect for young aspiring bands putting on intimate gigs. Ryan and I make our way through the already busy pub (there’s a Foo Fighters tribute band on in the main pub later that night) and across the beer garden. Having had a chat with some of headliners Aleya (awesome chats I should add) we make our way into G21.

Gig ReviewAuthor : Matt Fraser14 December 2021Aleya, Oaths, The Perfect Escape, G21, The Saddle Inn, Chester, 2021, Live, Matt Fraser, Ryan HicksonComment

Live Review : FM + Mad Haven @ The Live Rooms, Chester on November 11th 2021

British AOR and melodic rock giants FM are in town with their first UK dates in nearly two years. It’s been a long time to wait since they last graced the stage on their Big 3-0 tour with Dan Reed Network and Gun, and tonight the tour that was postponed in support of their twelfth studio album 2020’s “Synchronized” finally gets underway.

Gig ReviewAuthor : Phil Beswick15 November 2021The Live roomsFM, Mad Haven, The Live Rooms, Chester, 2021, Live Review, Phil Beswick, Gregg HowarthComment

Live Review : Blood Youth + Death Blooms + Leatherback @ The Live Rooms, Chester on September 19th 2021

It’s been a while since I’ve been along to The Live Rooms in Chester. Yes, yes I know there’s been a pandemic or something going on, but even factoring that into the equation the churn of heavy or alternative metal bands going through Chester remains limited. The schedule leading up to the turn of the year seems to be putting a change to that. This is a Sunday night gig though, and it’s been moved to the front bar rather than the main room. A small stage houses the bands to an attentive and decently sized crowd and atmosphere.

Gig ReviewAuthor : Matt Fraser23 September 2021Blood Youth, Death Blooms, Leatherback, The Live Rooms, Chester, 2021, Live Review, Matt Fraser, Ryan HicksonComment

Live Review : Evil Scarecrow + Lullaby For A Unicorn + Thrashatouille @ the Live Rooms, Chester on December 7th 2019

Comedy-infused metal wouldn’t normally be my thing, but with a few friends across from Yorkshire and a couple of pints in my belly I head to my local venue in Chester, The Live Rooms, to see how much fun I can have.

Live Review : Heart Of A Coward + Unprocessed + Severenth @ The Live Rooms, Chester on November 26th 2019

It’s exciting to get a tour with excellent metal bands coming through Chester – it simply doesn’t happen that often – so with Heart Of A Coward and Unprocessed choosing to stop off at The Live Rooms, ROCKFLESH jumped on the chance to get along for the fun.

First up are local lads Severenth. They’ve only just reformed this year after disbanding back around 2013, and are looking to hit the ground running with a new album in the works.

Live Review : The Wildhearts + The Professionals + Janus Stark @ The Live Rooms, Chester on October 7th 2019

Why is it I’ve never seen The Wildhearts before?, I think to myself as I’m driving across the M56 heading for Chester. For a band of some 30 year standing and myself, a rock fan of some 40 years, I have to say that I’m slightly perplexed at the fact that our paths haven’t yet crossed before. Perhaps it’s because I’m lazy in my musical choices at times, or maybe that when the Geordie superstars first burst onto the scene I was still shaking my poodle mullet to the likes of Whitesnake and Kiss, with my heavier musical tastes grinding right to a halt no heavier than Judas Priest or Motorhead. Either way, tonight we’re putting it right and leaping at the opportunity to review one of the hardest working class, self- imploded bands that have ever graced the UK’s music scene, and who are currently busy on part 2 of their tour supporting their first album in 10 years, “Renaissance Men”. As well as re-education on what I've been missing out on, I’m also hoping that they will rip me a new one in the process by ways of a suitable punishment.

Live Review : Stand Silent + Recall The Remains + Leatherback @ The Live Rooms, Chester on May 24th 2019

I think it’s fair to say that metal bands, local to Chester, that play originals are a rare and unique breed. It’s a real treat then to have one of these young, up-and-coming bands playing a headline set at The Live Rooms in Chester. It’s a shame that more original metal bands, both local and from further afield, don’t get a chance to play this venue more often. As I’ve noted previously, this venue is a little gem of a venue and I’d like the excuse to get down to it more often, especially to see local rock and metal bands starting off on their journeys.

Live Review : Mike Tramp + C.F. Boneslum + Junior Dayvis @ The Live Rooms, Chester on April 17th 2019

Sadly (for me at least) Mike’s current touring support Rob Wylde was unable to make tonight’s show, so we had two local acoustic musicians I wasn’t aware of to open up for us.

First up was Junior Dayvies. He turned out to be a tall man with a twinkly smile, and he played laid-back summery music. Occasionally the lyrics became slightly edgy and there was a [Ben Elton Mode] touch of politics [/Ben Elton Mode} involved, but mostly it was polite, slightly melancholy and very much in tune. He was a nice way to start the evening.

Live Review : Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs + Mésange @ The Live Rooms, Chester on April 14th 2019

I’m still trying to get over the jetlag from my trip to New York, but I can’t pass up the opportunity to take in a rock gig by an original band at my local venue. The Live Rooms in Chester has tended to move away from original rock and metal gigs in recent times, spending more time with tribute, cover and dance/funk acts, so when the chance to see something relevant to ROCKFLESH comes around it has to be jumped on.

Live : Electric Boys + Beth Blade and The Beautiful Disaster @ The Live Rooms, Chester on November 30th

On November 30th, I returned to the Live Rooms for the swedish Electric Boys who were touring the UK for the 25th anniversary of their release "Groovus Maximus".
Beth Blade and The Beautiful Disaster were the only support act on the night and the Cardiff quartet wasted no time in introducing their highly energetic set of melodic hard rock. Beth had great vocals and great stage presence whilst assuring the crowd that she does not bite.

Live : Warrior Soul + 40Days + Mad Haven @ the Live Rooms, Chester on November 29th 2017

In the last couple of weeks, I have been quite busy with my photography work. While one may think that the glamourous life of being a rock photographer allows me to lounge around the rest of the week and write at my own leisure. But with a full time day job, I am not fortunate enough to have this luxury. So here is a weekly roundup of recent gigs.