Punk rock and funk rock, not the most obvious of bedfellows to be sharing a stage. But The Spangles and Electric Boys have more in common than you might immediately think. Both bands although musically at different ends of the rock spectrum, do things firmly their own way, defiantly and fiercely standing proud against the vagaries of time, fashion and convention.
Read MoreWho are the most influential rock guitarists in the world? Well there’s a number of contenders, but not all of them are still out there plying their trade. Van Halen died, Page is retired, Blackmore is fol-de-rol-ing in the forest. One man who is definitely up there amidst the greats and still regularly bothering our ears though is Michael Schenker. Once the wunderkind who revived the fortunes of a somewhat flagging little prog band from London before returning briefly to his brother’s band and then embarking on a solo career that’s kept him busy ever since, today’s Michael Schenker is something of a living legend. Last year he revisited his youth, releasing “My Years With UFO”; a double album of his best UFO songs re-imagined with a plethora of fantastic vocalists, and now it’s time to bring the nostalgia fest to his still-adoring public. First though, the support….
Read MoreIt’s quite incredible to think that Blaze Bayley has been a presence on the UK rock scene (and by extension in many of our lives) for over four decades. From Wolfsbane to Iron Maiden to his solo material, Blaze has always been a performer of passion and fire, and tonight’s show, centred around the anniversary of his first solo album “Silicon Messiah” - itself now a staggering quarter of a century old – shows just why he’s still held in such high regard by so many after all these years.
Read MoreThree performances, three very different styles, the one thing bonding them all, regardless of genre or approach, is uniqueness. Often a scarce commodity, tonight’s bill is a celebration of that uniqueness, of bold originality and distinctive creativity that is so vital in a too often identikit and anodyne world. It also means that this is a night quite unlike any other…
Read MoreIt's a midweek gig at Preston's Ferret, as this time round it throws open its doors to three very different bands. And for those who have ventured out on a school night, the weekend comes early, showing that a Wednesday night of rock n’ roll in Preston is the perfect way to usher in the end of the week...
Read MoreMadhouse Promotions seem to be on a mission to single-handedly resurrect and revitalise the live rock scene in Preston. With gigs over the last year from everyone from These Wicked Rivers to Nashville Pussy, and with shows lined up in 2025 from the likes of The Virginmarys, Wednesday 13, The Karma Effect and The Imperial Age to name but a few, Preston’s gig goers are enjoying a true rock n’ roll renaissance that is at once hugely welcomed and also long overdue. The variety and breadth of sounds being brought to the city is once again on show with tonight’s bill delivering three powerful and unique performances from three very different bands.
Read MoreSunday is supposed to be a day of the rest, but there’s surely no rest for the wicked, as, with the echoes of Ricky Warwick and the Fighting Hearts Saturday night show still ringing in our ears, ROCKFLESH are back at the Waterloo less than twenty-four hours later. Likewise, many of the same faces are present in the crowd for a second consecutive night of full-force rock n roll. This time round, though, we’re worshipping at the altar of electric, life-affirming sleaze and punk (or a combination of the two), both old and new, with Jizzy Pearl’s Love/Hate and New Generation Superstars.
Read MoreTonight, we witness ROCKFLESH regulars A’priori for the first time since their album launch show for “Voodoo Love” back in September of last year. And as such it is our first chance to see their revamped set that includes new material from that most recent release. It’s clear that in those intervening months the Blackpool trio have put much time into rehearsing and honing the newer songs so that they sit effortlessly alongside the familiar and road-perfected tracks from their back catalogue. ‘Turn It Up’ leads the charge, a never more appropriate song for a Saturday night of good time rock music, and already hands are in the air, voices raised in unison, as A’priori do what they do best, never missing an opportunity to impress.
Read MoreUp until now, those who have been ordained to persevere in preserving Queensrÿche’s legacy have opted to avoid the trappings of retrospection. They have left this to their erstwhile frontman and one-person publicity magnet Geoff Tate, who has mined the nostalgia gravy train for all it is worth. Instead of looking back, the post-Tate incarnation of the band (now fronted by the equally golden larynx Todd La Torre) have chosen to surge forward with a flurry of decent releases, culminating in 2023’s rather spiffing “Digital Noise Alliance”.
Read MoreToday’s a day of celebration, to raise a glass and salute the launch of Juliet’s Not Dead new album “This World is Ours”, and to get the party started the headliners have brought along two very different support bands.
First to take to the stage are a young five-piece To Nowhere, who deliver a short sharp shock of a set for a Sunday afternoon, albeit in a good way. Their modern alt-rock sound pulls in a myriad of influences; there’s chainsaw riffing, a huge bass sound, a bit of grunge here, but they pull it all together in a way that works well.
Read MoreThere can surely be few things more exhilarating, more primal, more life-affirming than a night of pure, unadulterated metal. Regardless of whichever is your personal favourite of the kaleidoscope of genres (or sub-genres) that make up modern metal in all its wondrous guises, it remains an ever-changing form that continues to inspire devotion and obsession even now in the 21st Century.
Both bands on tonight’s bill draw from the same well, having their roots firmly in the metal of the eighties, whilst stamping their own personalities on that template, giving the gathered masses a powerful reminder (if one were needed) of just how vital an art form metal truly is.
Read More“I think my eyeliner’s running…”
There are not many bands that can reduce a hardened rocker to tears.
But when The Damn Truth last played the Waterloo, twelve months ago, that’s precisely what happened. Stood in the crowd with tears in his eyes, he wasn’t the only one to be caught up in the emotion of this incendiary, emotionally charged and supremely talented band. For many, that night was their first time seeing the band, although everyone left a convert, utterly blown away by what they’d witnessed. This time around, the crowd is bigger, no doubt driven by the evangelical fervour that The Damn Truth foster in their fans, a fervour that means you’re going to tell absolutely anyone who’ll listen about just how utterly wonderful they truly are. That so many are gathered in the intimate surroundings of the Waterloo’s Backstage Bar, over ninety minutes before the doors even open is proof of that, if indeed any proof was needed.
Read MoreIt’s a cold damp evening in between Halloween and Bonfire night. the generals are gathering in their masses at the Waterloo Music Bar in Blackpool. This unlikely foothold in an otherwise sequined obsessed town has quite rightly become a real stronghold on the north-west gig scene. We are here to bear witness to an evening of no frills, uncompromising filthy rock n roll courtesy of the Black Spiders.
Read MoreNostalgia is a potent force. It’s your own personal Time Machine, allowing us to revisit the sounds and the essence of our past exploits. It also has highly redemptive and restorative powers. It allows the whitewashing of career indiscretions and focuses on the highs, while simultaneously burying the lows. Queensryche are case in point, as the 80’s morphed into the 90’s they seemed poised to join Maiden and Metallica in the really big league of metallic heavy weights. “Operation Mindcrime “had position them as the thinking person’s metal band and follow-up “Empire” increased tenfold their commercial clout, thrusting them into arena status. For a short smidgen of time they had the Midas touch and could do no wrong. Then grunge happened.
Read MoreBlackpool’s favourite rock n roll rabble-rousers Takeaway Thieves return to their spiritual home, to celebrate the launch of their long-awaited second album “Diamond Point”. The Waterloo’s Sunday Service feels like an apt way to kick off this next stage of the Takeaway Thieves career as we all come together to worship at the altar of good-time rock n’ roll in the company of some of its greatest disciples…
Read MoreIt’s a Thursday night in Blackpool, the weekend is almost within touching distance and what better way to bring a busy week to a close than to spend an evening in a great venue with an equally fantastic band providing some delicious rock n soul goodness. And no, that’s no typo, I did mean to type rock and soul; for that’s what Xander and the Peace Pirates deliver; music to provide a balm to the heart and mind and all points in between.
Read MoreIf ever there was a band made of teflon, you would probably call it Tyketto. For over 30 years the lineup changes have come and gone, the fashion for their kind of music has circled around, and the great and good have risen past them only to fall by the wayside. Yet through it all this band remains solid, powerful, uplifting and entertaining. If there have been Issues they just slide away like a freshly-fried egg in a well-seasoned pan. Tonight they are back in Manchester for the umpteenth time, bringing both a local(ish) lad and a not-often-seen band as support.
Read MoreThe Ferret is making a very welcome habit of putting on the highest quality rock and metal gigs of late, bringing in a fascinating and eclectic mix of bands to their stage and invigorating the Preston scene at the same time. And tonight, is no exception, pulling off something of a coup hosting An Evening with These Wicked Rivers, for their first ever visit to the city.
Read MoreDeath metal was envisaged as a repugnant knee-jerk reaction to the excess and blatant commerciality of eighties hair metal. It was meant to burn bright and leave a grizzled corpse. However, something caught and nearly 40 years later Death Metal is in rude health. Tonight is an interesting and potent mix of obnoxious upstarts, cult heroes and venerated legends of the genre. Rebellion is heaving and the generational mix is both fascinating and varied.
Read MoreAs Blackpool basks in what is probably the last gasp of summer, it definitely feels like change is in the air. And if it’s hot outside, in the confines of the Waterloo the sell-out crowd are pushing the temperatures up to the level of a day trip to fifth circle of Hell.
To say there is a level of excitement and anticipation ahead of tonight’s show, would be a colossal understatement. Such is the loyalty and passion that A’Priori inspire, that many have travelled big distances to be here, from the furthest reaches of the country and even internationally to witness the launch of A’Priori’s new album “Voodoo Love”.
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