Late, early, on time! Not usually an issue for press given that access is given by the bands/promoter. Not so tonight though. We were told 19:30 doors, support starts at 20:00. Steve Hill was well under way when we arrived at 19:45. The Epstein Theatre is a weird and magical auditorium, a venue designed for dance, plays and Vaudeville. The stage is deep and wide, it lends itself to that very specific kind of stage ownership you don’t see often enough.
Read MoreI tend towards social media sound bites when compiling a review at the actual venue. I email myself two and three-word descriptions unless my thought process absolutely warrants more. So it was with some amusement on Saturday morning when I read the opening gambit from last nights flurry of emails.
Old school sweeps. Esoteric winged horse imagery.
Read MoreIt’s Wednesday and hopefully, with the first balmy day of the year we turn our back on one of the longest winters for a generation. Manchester streets are trying hard, shorts, hot pants and sunglasses are out. We aren’t quite there yet, but we northerners don’t know when we might get a consecutive day without rain. It’s a well-travelled route to the academy, I’m starting to recognise the yellow jacketed security staff. Rockflesh founder and all round photographic wizard, Johann, the brobdingnagian European has left his phone in the car. This is a problem, we aren’t down on the press list and the staff aren’t volunteering options. Back to the car. After a few calls we get in touch with the tour manager, Bill. Problem solved.
The Academy 3 is a rectangle, bar, mixing desk & stage, all in line. The sound has no where to escape, a wind tunnel of rock and roll. The stage is small, a four piece fills the stage and there is an absurdly large gap for pro photogs (take note Hangar 34). In a venue this small, there isn’t the sense of anticipation, people lean awkwardly at the sides of the hall, or meander around waiting for focus.
Read MoreAn injection of Heavy Metal was on the cards this past Saturday at the Academy 3 in Manchester with the London based metal newcomers Savage Messiah on their UK tour supported by The Raven Age.
Fresh from a recent Japanese tour, currently on their UK tour and with an appearance in the pipeline at the Download Festival later on in June, they seem unstoppable. I did say 'newcomers', and maybe they aren't exactly as they formed in 2007 and are now promoting their 4th release, the excellent 'Hands Of Fate'.
Read MoreThis Thursday led me to the glitzy ballroom of the O2 Ritz for an evening of symphonic metal, courtesy of the Dutch band Epica currently on their UK tour.
As I got to the ticket office to pick up my photo pass, I found out progressive Oceans Of Slumber and Myrkur were the support acts for the evening. I am one of those who do my research post-gig, it allows me to take new bands at face value with no misconception, whatever they may be. Considering that Epica musical genre is far from being mainstream, unbeknown to me, they have acquired a decent following in the UK as the venue is nicely packed early.
Read MoreQuireboys were at the Manchester Academy 3 last Friday but unfortunately no guest pass for me. Not one to miss out on Rock or Metal for the lack of a plan B, I headed to the small basement of a Manchester pub where foreign beers are served, The Peer Hat.
Read MoreBad Touch, the Norwich born rockers clad in paisley shirts and leather waistcoats, swagger comfortably between that very British brand of classic rock and country blues. They have previously toured with the likes of The Quireboys and Tyketto. Bad Touch are a rockier outfit than either of these bands and it is no surprise to learn that they have undertaken their own tours on the back of their 2015 release Half Way Home.
Read MoreIn my previous post, I mentioned how I felt the rock scene was well and truly happening in the Northwest with an endless list of local bands performing for anyone who took the time to rock out between snow storms. Last Friday night, Massive Wagons at Rebellion with the support from Manchester's KYNGS and Welsh Henry's Funeral Shoe only reinforced that feeling.
Read MoreWhile currently recording their 3rd album, the Manchester based progrock band, Twisted Illusion find the time to perform over the UK in support of last year's double album "Insight To The Mind Of A Million Faces".
With the support of Liverpool's classic Metallers Midnight Prophecy and Manchester's Voodoo Blood, this gig could only be a gem of an evening.
Read MoreAnvil is Anvil, a band which came out of Toronto back in the early 80's influencing today's most popular metal acts. The release of the rockumentary "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" in 2008 certainly helped them gaining a renewed interest. But could a gig on a subfreezing Sunday night in the rather small town of WIgan attract the most diehard metalheads?
Read MoreLast night, We SIgnal Fire were on the second date of their UK mini tour at the Manchester Academy Club to support the recent release of their new album "Still Sick // Still Human". Not only they were supported by the punky grungy Lowlives, but 3 other relatively local bands.
After a slight delay due to a missing bass player, Soldato kicked in with their brand of classic hard rock.
Considered the pioneers of the Symphonic Metal genre and led by the composer and founder Christofer Johnsson, Therion were performing at Rebellion in Manchester last night.
Supported by the girl fronted German metal band with the dynamic Elli Berlin, Null Positiv started the proceedings. Next was Imperial Age, the Symphonic Metal Russian act.
Read MoreWho can argue that Operation: Mindcrime is one of the greatest metal concept albums of all time? - and arguably one of the finest that rock & roll in general ever produced. I’d pretty much worn the tape threadbare back in the late ’80’s on my blag Walkman, in the days were teenagers used to walk everywhere with a bag full of ferric tapes. The album struck a chord with me at a time when Rock and Metal music was to me in its transcendence; it became my life, as did this album.
30 years on (where the hell did that go?) and NOW my phone has unlimited access to millions of songs covering all that man has created. I’m regularly drawn back to Mindcrime. It sounds better than ever after the remastered job of 2003 and it’s part of my rock DNA, spiraling through my soul.
I don't know anything about Death or Black Metal and I have never pretended to. The heaviest gig I have attended might possibly be Opeth, on their "Ghost of Perdition" UK tour, 10 years ago. But I guess in these kind of pentagram circles, they could be considered pop.
I arrived in good time only to realise that the gig was sold out and the venue packed, we had to queue for a good 15 minutes. I had no idea who the opening acts were and neither did the staff, or maybe didn't dare to spell or pronounce their names.
Read MoreLast week, at short notice, I managed to get the authorisation to shoot Santa Cruz, you've read that right, not Santa Claus, but Santa Cruz, the hard rock Scandinavian quartet from Helsinki, Finland.
Read MoreI was informed that I might possibly get a photo pass for Marilyn Manson at the Manchester Apollo on December 4th. As I had no replies by Sunday afternoon with confirmation, I decided to focus on plan B, just in case they may be other options in the area. To my surprise, I found out Tyler Bryant & and The Shakedown were at The Ruby Lounge on that same Monday night. I had previously checked them out earlier in the year and definitely settled on them as a viable option.
Read MoreOn 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.
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.
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Is it getting harder to commute to Manchester or am I getting slower? After my last experience on Tuesday, I decided to set off from Liverpool in good time to ensure I would arrive well before the support act Blackfoot Gypsies were due on stage.
The opening act was not publicised on any of the UK dates, was this meant to create an element of surprise or a last minute decision?
Read MoreOn a classic Mancunian night of rain and football, Faster Pussycat, were too fast for writer and photographer to make it to witness one of Hollywood’s finest sleaze rock merchants strut and swagger across the academy stage. We arrived in time for the opening track of second support The Answer. A Northern Irish classic rock outfit in the tradition of Rival Sons, a mixture of blues, country and folk blended together with a rocking pentatonic swagger and groove. Cormac Neeson on vocals is a charismatic frontman, affable and talented.
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