Ontaw Tour

Danny Gruff, Dave Giles, Lizzie Jane and Nick Kent

Manchester Sound Control and Wrexham Rewind

July 30th and 31st, 2015

Earlier this year I had the pleasure of meeting singer Danny Gruff.  

Danny is a lovely guy and when he announced his first ever headline tour we decided that we had to go.  The 'Ontaw Tour' consisted of five dates in Portsmouth, London, Birmingham, Manchester and finally a hometown show in Wrexham.  Initially we should only have been attending the Manchester show but later booked for the Wrexham show too.

Supporting Danny on his tour were Dave Giles, Nick Kent and, (for the two final shows), Lizzie Jane.

Opening each night was Nick Kent.  Nick is a singer, musician and photographer from London.  Nick has a good stage presence and a lovely voice and although I didn't know any of his songs until now, I found that I really enjoyed his performance. 

For me 'Primrose' and 'Serenade' were stand out songs and I was really happy to find that they were on his EP, 'Overdose On Fahrenheit'. 

Nick has a great talent and I really enjoyed both of his performances.

Next up was Lizzie Jane, a singer/songwriter from Manchester. 

I know I have said on my blog before that I have a dislike for female singers as I find they are too high pitched for my taste.  Lizzie Jane however, has managed to become one of the few female singers that I could listen to.  Her voice has a lovely lower pitched smoothness which at times is bluesy and at other times reminded me a little of Lily Allen, but overall I found her really easy to listen to.

Lizzie sang songs from her EP 'Monster', and cover versions of Candi Staton's 'Young Hearts Run Free' and Bruce Springsteen's 'I'm On Fire'.  However, for me my favourite song had to be 'I Don't Think So' which was a poke at today's music industry and 'talent' programmes like the X Factor. Lizzie gave an excellent performance both nights and I was so impressed that I even purchased her EP.

Dave Giles followed Lizzie with a very upbeat set.  Dave is a singer/songwriter who loves a good story, which was evident in his Manchester set as he explained the stories behind some of the songs. Personally I am always intrigued as to the background to songs so for me this was great!

Dave has quite a large back catalogue of songs and treated us to a good range of songs, from 'I Am What I Am', 'Whiskey and Wings' to 'Movies Suck'. 

For me the standout song of his set was 'Bangarang', as I have always been told that I have my head in the clouds and don't act my age.  At the Manchester show he performed this from the middle of the crowd and really got the crowd immersed in his performance.

Dave has a fantastic stage presence and I thoroughly enjoyed his performances.

Tonight's headliner is 25 year old Danny Gruff from London.  Danny has fantastic stage presence and his songs are brilliantly written and extremely catchy. 

Danny tried to keep the set slightly different each night but there were some of his songs that really stood out and got a great response from the audience such as 'The Hangover Song', 'Nine Hours', 'Pearly Whites' and my favourite 'Whiskey Legs'.  The set also included 'Smile' which had its own 'dance' and had the audience flapping their hands along to the chorus. 

On both of the evenings we attended, Danny played '62 Years', a beautiful ballad, which he explains is a tribute to his Grandmother and late Grandfather.

During his set he was joined on stage by Lizzie Jane who sang a beautiful song called 'Where My Heart Lies'.  He also had Nick Kent join him on stage for 'The Drinking Song' in Manchester (one of his friends joined him for this song in Wrexham), and the whole audience was encouraged to join in the drinking game. Basically when you hear the word drink, you take a drink of your pint.

During the last two songs of the set Danny was joined on stage by both Nick and Dave, and you really got the chance to see the friendship between these guys. 

The whole show was completely acoustic and it showed the absolute talent that they have as they had no band or loud guitars to hide behind.  I will definitely be going to see them again.

My only complaint from the shows I attended was the audience at the Wrexham show showed very little respect for the artists and insisted on talking loudly throughout the show. I've been to many shows and you usually expect a bit of talking during the show but not to this extent.  The atmosphere of this show was the complete opposite of the Manchester show which was                                                                                             really  intimate and enjoyable.

Danny set himself a challenge for 2015 when he announced that he planned to write and release one song every week for a whole year.  He has admitted it is easier said than done but Danny isn't the kind of guy to quit so we still have loads more new songs to look forward to.  Check him out on his YouTube page here: https://www.youtube.com/user/Dannygruff

Download Festival 2015

Download 2015

Donington Park, Leicestershire

June 10th to 15th, 2015

As the skies have turned bluer and the weather has warmed up it means that it is the time of the year for rock fans from all over the world to make their annual pilgrimage to Donnington Park for Download Festival.  It also means something else too...........  rain!  And lots of it!

Rather than concentrate on just the music aspect of the festival I have decided to try a different direction and try and review the experience as a whole.

This year we decided that we would do the whole festival weekend as opposed to only going after work on the Thursday and leaving after the final set on Sunday.  It turned out that in doing so, not only did we catch the part of the festival that had nice weather, we also had the time to explore more of the stuff that happens in the camping village that we would never normally check out.

As soon as you hit the Download site, which is situated either side of the race track you are hit with the spirit of the festival.  Everyone you encounter between the car park and the gates to the camping village has a smile on their face, a rucksack on their backs and a crate of some form of alcohol under their arm.  Some want to get the party started early and have wheel barrows piled high with food and beer.  Spirits are high and people make new friends as they wait for entry to the camping village which will be their home for the next few days.

This year Download decided to try a new initiative at the festival and make the festival completely 'cashless'.  Whether you are a camper, artist or press, when you arrive at the festival you receive a wristband, which is colour coded so that the stewards who work there can easily see which areas you have access to.  This year all Downloaders where asked to register their ticket before they went to the festival which meant that when you produced your ticket at the gates they could supply you with the correct access wristband and your 'Dog Tag', which is the chip you need to pay for anything you purchase within the camping village and the arena. 

The Dog Tags could be pre-loaded with your festival spends or you could load them once you got to the festival, using either cash or credit/debit card.  As I had loaded mine when I registered my ticket the guy at the gate scanned my barcode and asked for my name to check who I was before giving me my tag and telling me how much was on it.

To make a purchase at the festival you simply scanned the tag across the pay point screen and it deducted the price from the funds on your tag and told you your new balance.

Although I was wary of the trial when I first read about it on the Download Facebook page, I found it was a great idea as the tag was constantly around your wrist and therefore there was less chance of being lost or stolen. (And if you have ever tried to get a festival wristband off your wrist in one piece before returning to work you will know that it is damn near impossible!).  It also cuts down on queues at the stalls and bars.

The only place/service on site that accepted cash was another new trial for the year and was the Sherpa service that was situated by the main gate.  The Sherpa service was a basically a muscle for hire service, meaning that you could negotiate a price with the Sherpa's who would then very kindly lug all your camping stuff to your chosen campsite for you.  Considering the first couple of days at Download saw the biggest entries to the site and had the highest temperatures, these guys certainly earned any cash they made. I spotted quite a few around the site not only carrying peoples baggage but also helping people with directions to the various coloured campsites.  They were always happy and cheerful and were a real asset to the Download staff.

Although the music doesn't start in the arena until Friday, there is plenty to do around the village for the two days before.  There are many stalls offering pretty much any kind of food you can imagine from fish and chips, wraps, jacket spuds, pizza, pasta, Chinese to even Argentinean food, to name a few.  There are also plenty of opportunities to spend your hard earned cash.  The village is littered with market stalls which sell a range of products from camping essentials to clothing to novelty hats, socks and gadgets.

There is also a well stocked supermarket, welfare tent, Samaritans and Police Station which houses the Download Cops (Leicestershire Police), who have a strong presence on site.  The Download Cops have a zero tolerance policy and the right to search for drugs and weaponry.  They have the power to take away arena privileges and even eject anyone who abuses the rules.

This year they also had facial recognition cameras to try and deter known trouble makers.  I have been to Download many times and have never seen any trouble during my stay.

If you don't break the rules you will find that the Download Cops are a really friendly bunch who are always happy to help, chat and take selfies.  These guys were also giving out free phone bungees to help people ensure that their smart phones were safe.  The bungees have a rubber loop which you slide over one end of your phone and then you clip the other end to your belt loop or button holes. These are a great idea as they alert you if anyone tries to remove the phone from your pocket but also as it means your phone doesn't hit the ground if it accidentally falls out of your pocket.  Mine will definitely be used whenever I go to any concert in future!

If you keep your eyes peeled you may also get the chance to meet this guy.  Andy Copping is the man behind Download festival and is often spotted wandering around the site and checking that everything is okay.  I was lucky enough to bump into him and he is the nicest guy you could meet.

If shopping isn't your thing, there is a funfair, comedy tent and various activates going on around the village.  There was an inflatable laser tag, an outdoor cinema which shows a wide range of films, a pub with its own pub quiz and the inflatable wedding chapel!  This was new this year and had a massive appeal as when my sister went to inquire about it we found it was completely booked out! 

The wedding chapel stated that you could marry anyone or anything (Not legally obviously) and was a great excuse to have the glitter make over and don a wedding dress for the 'ceremony' (and that was just the guys!).  Passersby were encouraged to witness the ceremony, which I believe was a lot of fun.  At night the chapel then turned into a disco for the wedding receptions.

On Thursday as we wandered around the village we stumbled across a target practice game comprising of a giant catapult, target and water balloons by the wrestling ring. This had a huge appeal and had gathered a very large crowd to join in the fun.

If by evening you still had any energy you could indulge in a little bit of late night wrestling in the custom built wrestling ring or even dance the night away in the Dog House which had daily events including speed dating, boardie take over and club nights (such as Uprawr).  One night they even had the novelty Black Sabbath Tribute band 'Mac Sabbath' playing a set.  For those who have never experience 'Mac Sabbath' they play Sabbath songs while dressed as the characters from the old McDonald adverts (check them out on YouTube if you don't believe me).

By Friday morning we were tired out and looking forward to lying on the grass and listening to some fabulous music.  We weren't disappointed!

We started the music with the Fearless Vampire Killers. The FVK guys have been upgraded to the Zippo (Second) stage this instead of the fourth stage that they have played for the last few years, and they deserved every bit of that stage time.  It was a great start to the music seeing how these guys have progressed and watching them put in a performance that would have not been out of place on the main stage.

During Clutch's set on the main stage mid afternoon the clouds came over and the rain decided to put in an appearance, but it didn't dampen their set.

By the time Five Finger Death Punch graced the main stage the rain had well and truly set up its camping gear and was here for the duration.  It didn't stop them putting in a very high energy performance and belting out hits such as 'Hard To See', 'Never Enough' and 'Bad Company'.  During the last song of the set lead singer Ivan Moody asked all the children in the pit to join him on stage to allow the adults to take full advantage of the mosh pits without the kids being in any danger.  I get the feeling those kids will be telling everyone at school that they were on the main stage at Download this weekend.  Five Finger Death Punch always put in a great performance when we see them and today was no different.  

Other bands we watched today included Blue Pills, Thunder, Judas Priest and we caught some of the Young Guns performance, who were one of the surprise sets that was announced at the 11th hour.

Headlining tonight was Slipknot who brought all the dazzle of their current 'Prepare For Hell' Tour (see my last post).  Slipknot always look and sound like they are at home when they play Download and tonight was no different.  They played a very crowd pleasing set which comprised of a good mix of old favourites and new songs from their latest album; '5-The Gray Chapter'. 

On Saturday we had the chance to hear a good variety of bands over the course of the day including Mallory Knox, Hollywood Undead, Parkway Drive, Carcass, Motionless In White, A Day To Remember and Black Star Riders, all of whom put in excellent performances, despite the dampened weather.

My favourite sets from Saturday came from Apocalyptica and Black Veil Brides.  Apocalyptica first caught my eye/ear at Sonisphere a few years ago when I couldn't believe  that I was hearing Metallica songs played on the cello.  Today's set didn't have any cover songs but it did feature my favourite; 'I'm Not Jesus' from their 'Worlds Collide' album.  I thoroughly enjoyed the upbeat set and Apocalyptica attracted a crowd worthy of main stage status.  I would recommend seeing these guys if you ever get the chance.

Another favourite for today came in the shape of Black Veil Brides.  It has been two years since they last played Download and it is easy to see that they have really found their place in the last two years.  This year they looked completely at ease on the stage and didn't get any hecklers or haters in the crowd, just people who appreciated their style of rock.  These guys played a great set and kept a very high energy level throughout.  Whether they are your cup of tea or not there is no denying that they put on an excellent show.

As I had seen Muse previously when they played Leeds Festival a few years ago and didn't particularly enjoy them I decided to check out Second Stage headliner Marilyn Manson as I had never had the pleasure of seeing him before.  Unfortunately, his set was not a pleasure and I left the arena early and quite disappointed.

Although he played all his crowd pleasers his performance lacked something and he did not have the stage presence that I thought he would have. His performance was as well received as the rain!  Luckily we had seen plenty of other great sets over the course of the day so the disappointment did not spoil the day.

Although the rain had settled to a light drizzle on Sunday it still didn't dampen our spirits.  We managed to take in sets from In Flames and The Darkness (another of the secret bands).  I've never been a fan of The Darkness and seeing them live proved to me that I probably never will be, but that's just my personal preference.

Billy Idol put in an excellent performance and had the entire crowd singing 'White Wedding' at the tops of their voices.

Slash also took to the main stage on Sunday along with Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators.  Slash showed his skills and proved to the audience why he is still one of the greatest guitarists, however, in my mind it sounds wrong to hear Myles Kennedy singing the old Guns and Roses and Velvet Revolver songs instead of Axl Rose and Scott Wieland.  That said the opening notes of 'Sweet Child O' Mine' still gave me severe goose bumps.

My favourite set of the weekend came in the form of the last ever Download appearance from Motley Crue.  Crue are currently in the process of their last ever tour which is set to end at the Hard Rock in Vegas on New Year's Eve 2015.  Crue brought all the sparkle and magic of a headlining set and had the crowd in the palm of their hands.

Their set included old favourites such as 'Smoking in the Boys Room', 'Dr Feelgood', 'Girls Girls Girls' and 'Kick Start My Heart'.  At the end of the set they set off enough pyrotechnics to level the main stage (maybe that's why there was a big gap between them and headliners Kiss) and left the audience begging for more............  which they gave them when they came on for one last song; 'Home Sweet Home'. 

I was unsure how Kiss were ever going to top that performance!

By the time Kiss took to the stage the temperature had dropped dramatically but  Kiss was about to turn up the heat.  Like Crue they brought the whole shebang! On the grounds of pyrotechnics they beat professional arsonists, Ramstein, hands down.  Throw into the mix zip wires that allowed the band to fly above the crowd and a whole host of crowd pleasing songs and you have one of the most explosive Download headliners in history

. 

Roll on Download 2016!

The Prepare for Hell Tour

Slipknot, Korn and King 810

January 20th, 2015

Manchester Arena

Today we made the road trip to Manchester to see two bands, who have joined forces to take the UK by storm with their Prepare for Hell Tour.  Even more exciting than seeing both Korn and Slipknot on the same bill was the chance to attend the meet and greet beforehand. 

We have done meet and greets with other bands in the past, however we have never paid this much for the privilege.  At approx £250 per person it was a lot more than we would usually pay for this sort of thing as the most we have paid so far has been about £50, but it's Slipknot right?!  So it will be worth it?

At the other meet and greets we have done we have had the pleasure of exclusive acoustic sets, professional photos and they chance to hang out with the bands and get stuff signed, so I was intrigued to see what would be different about this one to justify paying the extra £200.

A couple of days before the show we received an email confirming that you could take one item to be signed, that any photos had to be taken on your own camera or phone and that you would meet at least two members of the band but they could not confirm or guarantee which members would be available until the day. 

When we got to the venue we were given an envelope containing an exclusive tour poster and laminate pass and were ushered into a room to wait for their meet and greet.

 

After the pep talk by the tour manager we were arranged into a big circle around the edge of the room and left to await the arrival of the band members. 

First in were Chris Fehn and Jim Root who made their way around the circle in opposite directions.  Chris was quite quiet and reserved but he took his time to speak to everyone and pose for photos with everyone in the group.  Jim on the other hand was very chatty and a was happy to spend as much time as he could with each individual.

Next out was Sid who like Jim was happy to sign anything he was asked to sign and was happy to chat to everyone.

Then the moment I had been waiting years for (and after several unsuccessful attempts to meet Corey at signings).  The man himself came out and started to make his way around the room. 

They always say that you should never meet your idols as it will only lead to disappointment but I have to say that Corey definitely wasn't a disappointment.  He spent as much time as he could with every person in the room before the organisers ushered him to the next person, and was happy to have a laugh, answer questions and sign pretty much everything that was presented to him.  He even sat on the lap of one girl to sing happy birthday to her.

A few years ago the company I worked for was sold and we were all made redundant. As we all left at the same time we decided to do a 'secret santa' so everyone got a leaving present.  Part of my present was a pair of specially embroidered knickers which bears the wording 'Belongs to Corey Taylor' as it was around the time that the 'future Mrs. .....' t-shirts were in fashion.  On receiving the gift I promised the girl who had made them that I would get Corey to sign them if I ever got the chance to meet him.  So as a huge Corey Taylor fan I got my hopes up that I would get to meet the man himself, and took the underwear with me in the hope of getting them signed, even though I knew that the chances would not be high.

When Corey got to where I was in the queue, I asked him to sign the under wear, which he found  highly amusing and was more than happy to sign them and my poster. He chatted for a little while before security moved him onto the next person but he was a genuinely nice and down to earth guy.  I'm so glad that I finally got the chance to meet him.

I still think that the price was a little steep for the meet and greet in comparison to the others that I have attended, but all in all it was a fabulous experience and I can say that I've now met one of my heroes.  (Corey Taylor and Jaret Reddick ticked off just Nikki Sixx and Dj Ashba to go!)

Now onto the actual show.........

The show kicked off with King 810 who should have appeared at Download last year, but we were unable to see perform as they were pulled at the last minute due to being arrested. 

King 810 are not a band I will be rushing to see again! The only lyrics I could make out from the songs tended to be swear words.  All songs sounded the same and their questionable dance moves left my sister and I looking at each other in puzzlement.

I have never wanted a band to leave the stage so badly (with the exception of British Sea Power).

Next up were Korn who played the best set I have ever seen them play.  I have seen Korn many times before in both festival and concert hall settings and have never been disappointed with their performance but today they were a whole other level.

Playing a lot of the older well known songs such as 'Freak On A Leash', 'Here To Stay', 'Good God', 'Got The Life' and 'Blind', Korn had the audience joining in and their set flew by in a heartbeat.

We even got treated to Jonathan's bagpipe playing during 'Shoots And Ladders'.

Korn looked as though they enjoyed the set as much as the audience did and their on stage chemistry was visible throughout the performance.  They were so good I even feared that they would over shadow Slipknot.

Slipknot, however, were not to be outdone.  Again, Slipknot is a band that have seen previously on many occasions and they have never disappointed.  Tonight was no different.

They had brought a very elaborate set with them which consisted of the two front drum risers, tons of lights, ramps, a DJ riser and enough pyrotechnics to wipe Manchester off the planet!

Their set contained 16 songs and where a good mix of songs from their new album '5 - The grey Chapter' and their older material including, 'The Devil And I', 'Custer', 'The Negative One', 'Left Behind', 'Psychosocial' , 'Pulse Of The Maggots' and 'Surfacing', to name but a few.

The stage was filled with utter chaos during the show and at times there was so much going on it was hard to take it all in.  However, like Korn their set flew by and was over far too soon. 

It may have been the most expensive concert I have ever been to but as far as I was concerned it was well worth paying a bit more for.  Maybe the price was a little high for what you actually got with the meet and greet but the ordinary ticket price for the actual show was worth every penny.     

The Moon Landing Tour

James Blunt and Lacey

The Capital FM Arena, Nottingham

November 22nd, 2014

Regular visitors to this blog will know that I am a big fan of Nottingham band Lacey, so when they announced that they had been chosen to support James Blunt for the Nottingham date of the UK leg of his World Tour we had to go..... no matter what the cost.

Tonight's show was Lacey's first ever arena show and even though they are more used to playing smaller venues they had no problem fitting themselves and their sound to the size of the arena.

Lacey's usual line up is Graham Turner, Joshua Lewin, David Pearson and Peter Maksymiw, however tonight they have also been joined by Pete Mugleston, who is a former member of the band and is supporting with backing vocals and guitar.

Starting their set with 'Burning Out' from their EP 'Outlaws', Lacey got the show off to a great start and immediately grabbed the audience's attention. 

The rest of their set consisted of 'Change the Story' and 'Find A Way', which are songs from their upcoming album 'Under The Brightest Lights', which is set for general release in the new year following a successful pledgemusic campaign. 

 'Change the Story' is an upbeat song which got some of the audience dancing in their seats, whereas 'Find A Way' is a big sounding anthem which fit into the arena setting perfectly.  (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjRaAPz3JAQ )

Half way through the set they slowed things down a little when Graham took to the stage alone to perform 'Wait Till Tomorrow'.  This song is also featured on the forthcoming album and is a pure ballad which really showcases the range and strength of Graham's voice.   Having followed Lacey for quite a while now I knew that Graham had a great voice but hearing him sing a purely acoustic song with just the one guitar gave me goose bumps from the opening note right through to the last.  (Check it out on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHKouBACaUg )

Next on the set list was 'Contender', a song which features on both the 'Outlaws' EP and the 'Under The Brightest Lights' album.  It is also the song  which included the lyric that the album took its title from.  Contender is another powerful ballad which is sung from the heart and really allows you to become engrossed in the music.

Finishing with 'Tonight', which Lacey have just recorded as a single at the Steel City Studios, they  finished their set in style and left the stage to rapturous applause, proving to everyone that they have everything it takes to make their mark on the world.

Although this is the most I have ever paid for a ticket to see Lacey they have proved that they are worth every penny.  This may have been their first arena show but something tells me that it definitely won't be their last one!

I will be honest and admit that I only bought the ticket to see Lacey, as although I didn't mind James Blunt's music when I have heard it played on the radio I have never been an avid fan, however I have to admit that  I enjoyed his set.

Starting the night with 'Face the Sun' James Blunt launched into his epic set which lasted for around an hour and three quarters.

In keeping with the moon landing theme Blunt and his band were kitted out in space style jumpsuits, which led him to quip that they had come as astronauts and not the Ghostbusters!

There were a lot of James' songs that I had never heard before as I had only ever heard his songs on the radio.  However, songs in his set that I did recognise were 'Wisemen', 'High', 'Carry You Home', 'Goodbye My Lover'  and 'You're Beautiful'.

I also found that I really enjoyed songs called 'Smoke Signals', 'Bonfire Heart' and 'When I Find Love Again'.

Between songs James spent time talking to the audience which allowed his personality to show through.  He seemed to have quite a dry sense of humour and he made quite a few digs at his own expense regarding his height and his 'miserable songs'.

Although the popular songs seem to be quite downbeat not all of the songs that they played were miserable or down beat.  There were quite a few upbeat songs and they also treated us to a cover version of Slade's 'Coz I luv you', which had the already up and dancing crowd partying even more. 

Blunt sent the crowd into a frenzy when he leapt off the stage and ran through the crowd around the arena high fiving everyone he encountered.  He also attempted something that I have seen many bands do before, where they get the crowd to crouch down and all jump up in unison, however was not as effective as the show was an all seated event and jumping up from sitting on a chair did not really have the same effect.

One effect he did manage was to get the whole audience to turn in the torch app on their mobile phones and then asking the lighting techs to turn off the house lights effectively creating a starry sky for his rendition of 'Satellites', which looked absolutely stunning.

The show was ended by the brilliant number '1973' and a virtual firework display on the large screen at the back of the stage that also featured photographs of the crowds from various shows of the tour. 

It was obvious that a lot of money had been invested into this tour as the laser light show was remarkable and the projections on the screen at the back really fitted the theme and mood of the show. 

Although I went to the show solely to see Lacey I really did enjoy James Blunt and would go see him again.  Both Lacey and James Blunt gave us a cracking show last night and although we usually begrudge paying arena prices I do think that it was worth every penny.

Brighter Tour 2014

Patent Pending , The Suburban Legends and The Hype Theory

Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham and Leeds

October 13th, 16th,17th,18th and 22nd, 2014

It's that time of the year again when Patent Pending pay their bi-annual visit to the UK, only this time around they are not just being content with the UK, they are finishing the tour with four debut dates across Germany. 

The UK part of the  tour took them to 14 cities from Glasgow to Southampton and even with a change of venue due to the closure of the Cockpit in Leeds, the tour pretty much sold out every night.

I would have loved to have attended every night of the tour but this time I could only get to Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham and Leeds because of work commitments.

Starting each night were Essex band The Hype Theory.  I had seen these guys before at Nottingham's McMillan Fest earlier in the year when they performed an acoustic set.

Made up of Katie on vocals, Sean and Tom on guitar, Jack on bass and Josh on drums, they  pumped out some powerful music. 

Their set included songs such as 'If You're Going Down (I'm Going With You)', 'Satellite', 'Reverie' and 'War Cry'.

Finishing their set with 'Heartsick'  they launched beach balls into the audience and had the crowd singing along.

I have expressed my dislike for female fronted bands before as I find they are usually too high pitched and screechy but I have to admit that Katie sings at a lower more pleasing pitch. However, although they grew on me over the course of the tour, they didn't grow on me enough for me to become a diehard fan.

The next band on the bill changed each night so depending which venue you were at you could be  expecting anyone from Mumford and Sons to Whitesnake!  However, this was just a ploy to throw the audience off the scent of the 'real' band making their appearance during this 10 minute slot!

In July this year Patent Pending released an EP and mockumentary under the name 'Mario and the Brick Breakers'.  After drawing inspiration from the single 'Hey Mario' which is featured on their 2013 album 'Brighter', they came up with the concept of giving Mario a back story.  The mockumentary shows how Mario and his brother Luigi formed a band, met his Princess Peach and how the pressure of fame led to his addiction to mushrooms and the demise of his band.  The accompanying EP is the sound track to the mockumentary.  (Check it out for yourself here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAWabuN6L_0)

The ten minute set saw the Patent Pending guys dressed and fully in character of their respective characters from the movie (Mario, Luigi, Toad, Yoshi and Donkey Kong).  The set consisted of two of the songs from the EP.  The set always started with 'My Princess Peach' and finished with 'Boom Boom Pass the Mushroom'. 

It seems that Mario and the Brick Breakers are every bit as popular and successful as their creators Patent Pending and it wouldn't surprise me if we see more performances from these guys at future shows.

Next up were the Suburban Legends.  I last saw these guys supporting Bowling for Soup on the 2011 'Fishing for Woos Tour', and absolutely loved them, so I was eager to see them again.

The Suburban Legends hail from Orange County California and have numerous members, however on this tour they were represented by Vince Walker, Brian Klemm, Brian Lee Robertson, Chris  Graue, Brad Polidori and Edward Larsen.

It is very difficult to describe the Suburban Legends to someone who hasn't seen them as they are a ska band, very much like Madness or Reel Big Fish, but faster and more chaotic!  Over the shows that we saw, the Suburban Legends treated us to 'Arigato', 'Whoa' and 'High Fives' from their original material as well as cover versions of Disney classics such as 'Just Can't Wait to Be King', 'You've Got  A Friend In Me', 'Kiss The Girl' and 'Under The Sea'.

Each night, charismatic guitarist Brian Klemm also treated us to a rendition of Neil Diamond's 'Sweet Caroline'.

Add synchronised dancing, stage diving and jazz hands to the mix and you have a recipe for fun!  The Suburban Legends have an energy and enthusiasm that completely absorbs you and you can't help but get engrossed in their performance. 

Anyone who is a regular visitor to this blog will know that I have seen and reviewed Patent Pending previously and have always had great things to say about this band.  This tour has been no different!

I was lucky enough to be able to attend the VIP session a couple of times on this tour, which take place before the show.  These sessions include a photograph with the band, a signed poster, an exclusive acoustic set and the chance to hang out with the guys before the show starts, and unlike some bands the VIP ticket is not extortionate.

Like the main show, the acoustic session varied every night as the often took requests to decide what they would play.  In Sheffield we were treated to the acoustic version of 'Psycho In Love', while we all danced in a circle 'Italian wedding style', around a couple who had got engaged at one of the shows on the Spring Break Tour.  Other songs included were 'Let Go', 'Brighter' and 'Therefore I Party'.

The full band set also included the above songs as well as other favourites such as 'All Star Hipster', 'Classic You', 'We're Freaking Out (Map To Tahiti)', 'Dance Till We Die' and 'Little Miss Impossible'.

As always Joe did a solo performance of 'Spin Me Around',  the song he wrote for his wife Dana.

It wouldn't be a Patent Pending show without a cover song, or two! This tour we have been treated to a Patent Pending take on the Friends theme tune by The Rembrandts, 'Every time We Touch' by Cascada and an alternative punk version of 'Build Me Up Buttercup', originally by the Foundations.

The boys also have an amazing rapport and the onstage banter flows easily between songs. Whether it is Joe three cardinal rules; 'Stay hydrated, team work and safety first' before he leaps onto the audience to 'crowd swim' his way back to the stage or the 'how our generation will dance when they are old' demonstration from the Birmingham show which  saw Joe, Rob and Marc using the mic stands as walking sticks while twerking!

As much as Patent Pending like to perform they don't hog all of the limelight and are happy to share it with the Second Family.  During the shows that I attended they had Karl on stage to sing in Manchester, Brad playing guitar with them in Birmingham and they invited harpist Sacha along to finish out the tour and play every night with them as they loved her rendition of Brighter at the Glasgow show.

When Brad played on stage with them at the Birmingham show there was a little role swapping going on as Rob took to the drums, Anthony the vocals and Joe jumped into the pit and bounced and partied with the crowd. 

Patent Pending sure know how to rock hard and it was proved during that last show in Leeds  when the whipped the crowd into such a frenzy that the ceiling was dripping and the crowd bounced so hard that they left a hole in the floor of the Key Club!

I have now seen Patent Pending perform 24 times since I first encountered them in October 2012 and I can honestly say that I have never seen the same set twice!  They have so many songs in their back catalogue that they can play a different show every night and alter their banter and set list to suit the audience and always leave the crowd wanting more! 

Patent Pending still take my breath away and get better every time I see them.  Their sets fly by in a whirlwind of crowd swimming, jazz hands and bouncing! 

I have got to know the guys over the past couple of years and I can honestly say that I have never met a band that care about their fans in the way that Patent Pending do.  Even though their popularity has grown and quadrupled since they first set foot in the UK two years ago, they still make the time to spend with their second family.  It's no wonder these guys have a group of diehard fans who go to every date of the tour whether they are in the UK or abroad.

You only had to look around at any of the shows to see that the Second Family community has grown immensely over the last two years and I am proud to be a part of that family.  Roll on the 2015 tour!