How About Another Round Tour 2016

How About Another Round Tour

Bowling For Soup, The Dollyrots, Lacey and MC Lars

February  2016

In 2013 Bowling For Soup announced their farewell UK Tour and left thousands of fans across the UK devastated..........  but now, two and a half years later,  THEY ARE BACK and even better than before!

At last summer's Download festival BFS fans were surprised with the announcement of a reunion tour which immediately sparked a buzz across the internet and various fan pages.

The anticipation grew even further following Bowling For Soup's announcement that they would be bringing  long time pals The Dollyrots and completing the line up with Nottingham based band Lacey and rapper MC Lars.

If you look at the various fan pages and internet sites, this tour has generated a huge buzz and although it has been greeted with speculation as to why the Bowling For Soup boys have made a return to the UK, it has only added to the hype for those eager to be re-united with their heroes and spend an evening in the company of their favourite Texas quartet.

The tour spreads across 15 consecutive nights in 15 different cities, starting in Glasgow on the 1st of February and ending in Bristol on the 15th. Being a fan of BFS for quite a few years I immediately purchased tickets for the three closest shows and following the announcement of Lacey for the support, I made sure I attended a few more!  I have been lucky enough to see 7 shows in total on this run.

Warming up the crowd each night has been 'post pop punk lap top rap' artist MC Lars, who spends the first few minutes of his first set doing just that by leading the crowd in a series of gentle stretching exercises before launching into the  very energetic 'Hurricane Fresh'.

Unlike most gigs I have been to, MC Lars lives up to his name as master of ceremonies on this tour, as rather than doing one set he actually does three short sets,  introducing each of the other bands.

Across his sets he is consistently upbeat and full of energy and (with the exception of a rather narrow minded crowd at Manchester), he really does get the energy flowing, the vibe at a high level and his set includes many crowd pleasers such as 'This Gigantic Robot' and 'Signing Emo'. 

Many of his songs call for crowd participation and whether you are chanting to along to 'Mr Raven' or bobbing your rock hand dragon in the air to 'Dragon Blood' you are guaranteed to have a smile on your face.

I have never been a fan of rap music but after finding myself singing 'Download This Song'  the morning after each show, I found myself searching ITunes for his back catalogue and I think it is now safe to say that he has won me over and has gained a new fan! (check him out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1ZSdYxdLO8 )

Next up is one of my favourite bands, Lacey!  Anyone who has read my blog before will know that I have seen these guys on quite a few occasions and they have never failed to impress me but this time they have excelled themselves.

Following the release of their debut album 'Under The Brightest Lights' last year, Lacey have continued to make a name for themselves in the music industry and on the 5th of February they released their new EP 'I Don't Owe The World A Thing', with their set including three songs from the EP.

Lacey's subtle multi part harmonies, striking guitar hooks  and catchy chorus lines have always been present in their music but it is clear when listening to the new songs that their sound has matured and grown along with them.  The new songs included in the set;  'Hoax', 'Shadow' and 'Ghost while I'm Alive' highlight this perfectly.  

Also included in the set are fan favourite 'Contender' and 'Tonight' from their debut album,  as well as a cheeky cover of Blink 182's 'Dammit'.

Lead singer Graham Turner has a unique and powerful voice and can hit notes some singers only dream of, and the intricate guitar lines add a uniqueness to their sound . Take a listen to Shadow here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=09uWFZTR3d8

This is the longest and most prestigious tour of Lacey's career to date, and they have proved that they deserved to be there. 

Lacey received a fantastic reception from the crowd on each night that I saw them and given that they have just announced that they will be embarking on a headline tour in June, this can only mean even bigger things for them. 

Next up are Los Angeles pop punk band The Dollyrots.  I first discovered The Dollyrots on the 'One Big Happy Tour' that they did with Bowling For Soup back in 2012, and although I have always stated that I do not generally like female fronted bands, I have always enjoyed the Dollyrots and found them really listenable.

Made up of Kelly and Luis and joined on this tour by drummer Rikki Stixx, The Dollyrots play a very highly charged set. 

The relationship between Kelly and Luis is very clear to see and adds to the dynamic of the band.  Add to that the appearance of River the 'Dollytot', each night and it is clear to see that why the fans love this little pop punk family, and not just for their awesome music. 

The Dollyrots set was packed full of old favourites including 'Jackie Chan', 'Twist Me To The Left', 'Satellites' and 'Because I'm Awesome', as well as some newer songs such as 'Get Weird' and 'Come And Get It', from their last album 'Barefoot And Pregnant'.   (check them out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZnfIrY2tGg )

The Dollyrots have recently completed a successful pledge campaign for their new EP 'Mommas Gonna Knock You Out' and their tour DVD.  Included in their set is 'Save Me' from their new EP.

The Dollyrots are pure pop punk and never fail to impress me.  I would highly recommend seeing these guys live as they always produce a fun and exciting set.

Topping the bill are the founders of pop punk.......  Bowling for soup!

Any Bowling For Soup fan will try to explain the excitement they feel and the goose bumps they get as they hear the opening chords of Bowling for Soups play on song, but until you see them live you will never fully understand the anticipation and thrill of hearing that song.

As the curtain drops a full pub scene is revealed complete with beer barrels, dart board, onstage bar and walls adorned with photographs of the bands (which looked to be personal photos rather than posed especially for the set).  On Valentine's Day the walls of the set were also adorned with hearts,  and valentine message boards had been added to the drum riser.

Starting with the song that launched their career, Bowling For Soup are greeted with cheers and screams from the crowd as they kick off the show with 'The Bitch Song'. 

Then, without giving the audience time to get their breath back,  they head right into 'Emily' and lift the roof off the venue. 

And that's just the start!  More high energy fun ensues with raucous choruses in the form of crowd pleasers 'Ohio', 'Last Rock Show' and 'Punk Rock 101'.  They even throw in the theme tune to cartoon 'Phineas And Ferb'.

At this point Jaret takes a moment to bring the energy level back down a notch and is honest and upfront with the audience as he tells them that it is his fault that they took a hiatus as he had been experiencing personal problems and that he didn't know where he was headed personally.  Jaret's speech is open and honest and is a stark reminder that the rock stars we idolise and look up to in today's society  are still human and prone to a wobble, just like anyone else.  Personally I think it takes guts to hold your hand up and admit something as personal as that to thousands of people, but it is this kind of honesty that earns Jaret the respect that he has among his fans. 

Following his speech with a beautiful rendition of  'Turbulence', Jaret lifts the room again by announcing that he loves nothing more than to play songs with his best friends every night, but as his friends weren't there we would have to make do with Bowling For Soup, before launching into 'Friends O' Mine'.

Anyone who has seen BFS before will know that you don't just get a night of music with these guys but you also get a lot of onstage banter, which can (and has been known to)  go off at a tangent at any moment.  Whether it is Jaret's observation that when English men cheer it sounds as though they are about to go into battle, at which points he encourages the cheering as he yells 'Storm The Castle' or a nicely improvised song called 'Swampy Balls' after Chris' statement that he was too sweaty in the room at Liverpool, there is never a dull moment and no two shows are the same.

Following a recent statement that 'Pop Punk is dead', the Bowling For Soup boys set out to prove otherwise by playing  a medley of songs by prominent pop punk bands including Blink 182, Greenday, New Found Glory, Jimmy Eat World and Good Charlotte before launching into their cover version of 'Stacy's mom' (originally by Fountains Of Wayne).   All of these covers are met with raucous applause and crowd participation to which Jaret  cheekily comments about how they get a better response for the songs they didn't write.

It doesn't deter them though as they go on to perform 'I Don't Know' and 'Almost', before inviting the Dollyrots to join them on stage for 'Love Ya, Love Ya, Love Ya' from the 'One Big Happy' collaboration album.

Ending the set on 'High School Never Ends' the guys go off to the on stage bar to await their encore!  As they come back on they explain that they no longer go and wait in the wings for a few minutes as they now have an onstage bar with beer and the side stage doesn't have beer!

The encore consists of very high energy performances of 'Shut Up And Smile' and 'Girls All The Bad Guys Want' before they take their final bow and actually leave the stage. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGRxmYXi4Io)

The guys have spared no expense with this show.  During the show we find that the beer barrels hide steam and fire cannons (which they couldn't use at all the shows due to fire regulations, but looked fantastic when we saw them in action at the Birmingham show).

Throughout the Bowling For Soup set the onstage bar is populated by Lacey, The Dollyrots, MC Lars and the rest of the stage crew, leading you thinking that you are actually watching a pub band at your local with your mates. Even with the smoke/fire cannons, fantastic lighting and couple of thousand strong crowd each night you still get the feel of an intimate show.

Bowling For Soup have always been a firm favourite of mine since I first discovered them back in 2002, and no matter how many times I see them live, I will never get tired of seeing them.

If you love music and a good time, I would recommend that you see all of the acts on this tour as I can guarantee you will not be disappointed!   

  

Mӧtley Crϋe The Final Tour

Mӧtley Crϋe, Alice Cooper and The 100

Manchester Arena

November 3rd, 2015

On the 28th January 2014, Mӧtley Crϋe shocked the rock world by announcing their final tour and were the first band in history to sign a 'cessation of touring' contract confirming that Mӧtley Crϋe would not be undertaking any more tours after 2015. 

Although this does not mean the end of Mӧtley Crϋe as the contract allows them to make studio albums, it did mean that fans worldwide only had a few more chances to see them play live.

The band decided that if they were to cease touring (attributed to Mick Mars ongoing health problems), it was only fair to give the fans that have supported them throughout their 34 year long career one last chance to see them, and so they have embarked on an 18 month long world tour, playing shows in all of the cities that mean something to them.

The tour started in Michigan on July 2nd 2014 and will end at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles on December 31st, 2015.

This week they are in the UK playing Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham and London, and last night (thanks to an early Christmas present from our friend) we got the chance to go to the Manchester show.

When we entered the arena the first thing we saw was the huge track for Tommy Lee's famous drum coaster. The track stretched right across the front section of the standing area to a platform about two thirds of the way across the standing area. Just the sight if this structure alone told you that it was going to be a very special night. 

Opening the night were London band The 100, who played a very energetic set of original songs.  Their style reminded me of Enter Shikari with undertones of metal.  Unfortunately as people had come to see the other two bands on tonight's bill the lead vocalists attempts to get the crowd jumping fell flat.

They did however play a song called 'Downfall' that I really enjoyed and had they been supporting a lesser know tour they would probably have gone down a storm.

Alice Cooper however, had no problem getting the crowd going!  Cooper hit the stage amongst a shower of sparks and continued to dazzle his audience throughout his set. 

He played a fabulous set of crowd pleasers including 'No More Mr Nice Guy',' Billion Dollar Babies', 'Poison', 'Feed My Frankenstein' and 'I love the Dead'. 

Anyone who has seen Cooper before will know that he has his own personal style and doesn't just sing songs, he tells a story with them. From the incarnation of Frankenstein to his spiral into madness and final beheading the songs never stop and neither does the pace. 

I have never seen a support act bring a full headline set before and Cooper does not travel lightly. From the macabre doll heads that decorate the set to the 7 foot Frankenstein, the electric chair, guillotine and even a live snake, Cooper really pulls out all the stops. He also brings enough pyrotechnics to raze the arena to the ground and that's before we get on to his impressive collection of swords.

Alice Cooper also likes to get the crowd involved, whether he is throwing dollar bills, fake pearls or giant balloons into the pit there is always a reason not to take your eyes off him.

Alice Cooper finished his set with one of his most famous songs, 'Schools Out',  which had the whole arena joining in and bouncing, whilst being showered with bubbles.

I've enjoyed watching and listening to Alice Cooper for years and have seen him live quite a few times. The thing I always forget is his age.  Last night, at 67 years young,  Alice Cooper proved that he can give any of the younger bands and performers a run for their money as his endless energy and charisma shone through throughout his performance. 

There are many elements of his performance that people find bizarre when you describe them as you wouldn't expect swords, snakes, a guillotine, bubbles and balloons to fit together but somehow he has managed to make it work, and it obviously does as Alice Cooper has been entertaining people for over forty years.  It is easy to see how he has managed to sustain his career in such a fickle industry.   Each time I see him he manages to amaze me and tonight was no different.

Headliners Mӧtley Crϋe have also earned their crown at the top of their game and after 34 years of entertaining rock fans all over the world we knew that tonight's show was going to be something very special.

Not ones to be understated Mӧtley Crϋe kicked their set off with 'Girls Girls Girls' and enough pyrotechnics to wipe out half of Manchester, before driving on with a fully packed set of crowd pleasers,  old favourites and a crafty cover song.

Their set included 'Wild Side',' Same Ol' Situation', 'Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)', Smokin' In the Boys Room', 'Shout At The Devil' and 'Dr Feelgood'. 

Every song was delivered with full power and full on showmanship and really got the crowd going. 

Not to be outdone by their touring Buddy Alice Cooper, Mӧtley Crϋe also brought their A game and whether it was Nikki Sixx's flame throwing bass guitar or the colour changing light show on Tommy Lee's drum kit, there was always something going on.

Nikki Sixx took the time to have a little heart to heart and pep talk with the audience telling us to work hard and never give up on our dreams. He also made a personal thanks to the audience for believing in them, being loyal to them  and allowing them to live their dream.

Tommy Lee's spot light time came in the form of a drum solo, which was no ordinary solo. It had the usual aspects of a drum solo such as the backing music and stick twirling, however this one was performed on his drum coaster. Tommy's kit was set up on a platform which moved along the suspended track while he played.  However, it also rotated while it was moving meaning that he was in constant motion while he played and quite often upside down.  (Click here to watch the video footage:  https://youtu.be/XX5Dj0eNxf4  )

Mick Mars also got his moment in the spot light for his guitar solo and really show cased his skills.

During the set Crϋe also managed to sneak in a cover version of the Sex Pistols 'Anarchy In The UK' which had men dressed in orange boiler suits squirting the front rows of the crowd with water pistols.

Ending with my personal favourite 'Kick Start My Heart', Mӧtley Crϋe really ended their show with a bang.....  quite literally! 

During the song suspended platforms dropped down from the ceiling of the arena and took Vince Neil and Nikki Sixx out over the audience where they finished the song.  By this point the atmosphere in the arena was electric and everyone was on their feet and singing along.  The song was brought to an explosive conclusion with more pyrotechnics, flame cannons and streamers which dropped from the ceiling, before Sixx and Neil were taken back t the stage where they took their final bows and the lights went out. (You can watch it here:   https://youtu.be/pBXVrEb9Iec )

It didn't end there though.  Torch lights were seen at the back of the arena and when the lights went up the foursome appeared on the platform in the middle of the crowd for one last song.  Their last song was, quite aptly, 'Home Sweet Home'.  This is a beautiful song at the best of times and with the knowledge that this was one of their final shows it had a bittersweet edge to it, which brought a lump to this fan girls throat and gave me severe goose bumps. 

The whole show blew me away and I found myself completely transfixed on the stage to the point where I was completely unaware of anything but what was happening in front of me.

I'm so glad that I got to experience Mӧtley Crϋe one last time before they bow out of touring. It is a night that I will never forget and even though I will never have the chance to see them again, their songs will always be their legacy and will continue to be played for generations. 

Mӧtley Crϋe certainly know how to start the party and go out with a bang! 

Ryan Hamilton House Party Tour

Ryan Hamilton House Party Tour

Hull, Ilkeston and Malvern

September 5th, 6th and 11th, 2015

On August 25th 2015, Ryan Hamilton released his first solo album and embarked on a tour of the UK to promote it.  However, this was no ordinary tour!

A little while ago Ryan took a brave decision to rebel from the music industry standards, start his own record label (Fanny Pack Records) and try and break down the barriers between the artist and fans.  So rather than booking small venues and leaving the decisions to a tour manager, Ryan took a different approach and posted a message on his Facebook page asking for volunteers to offer their lounges and kitchens, as he wanted to do an entire tour of house parties, as this would allow him to get to know the people who support him and give him the opportunity to pursue the career that he loves. As Ryan says, after all, it is the fans who pay for the tickets to go to shows and buy albums and merch that help him afford to do what he does! 

To add even more to the tour Ryan took along People On Vacation band mate Micky Richards to accompany him on drums.  Ryan also later announced guest supports for some of the shows including People On Vacation band mate Rob Lane, Lacey, Dave Kerr, Danny Gruff (Stafford), Scarlet (Liverpool and Leeds) and Fisti Kuffs(Great Yarmouth). Other venues included Newcastle, and Knaresborough.

House party shows usually play host to between 30 and 50 people depending on the size of the host's home. I have been to a few house party shows in the past couple of years and they usually consist of a set from the band (usually acoustic due to noise regulations in residential areas) and then everyone mingles and gets to spend time with the band.  I have always enjoyed them as they are pretty unique and different to a normal concert or expensive VIP experience.

Initially the tour was to be 7 dates but ended up as 9, due to popular demand, and I was lucky enough to attend three of the parties; Hull, Ilkeston and Malvern.  I was also supposed to go to the Stafford party but was unable to get there, and ended up spending the night sat in a traffic jam due to a motorway closure, which meant I missed that show and seeing Danny Gruff.

The first party I attended on the tour was the Hull party.  This party was a very intimate party which Ryan performed as an acoustic set.  The show was performed in low light and was lit with fairy lights and candles, which gave the party a really good atmosphere. Only Ryan performed at this show and it was a really well hosted party.  Ryan took plenty of time to mingle and spend time with people after the show.

Due to demand, the Ilkeston party was moved to the room above 'The Brewery Tap' and was hosted by Dave Tonge the host of the Noize Level Critical Radio Show, which is an internet radio show. Although the room was larger than the average living room it was only the size of your average bedsit, so it still allowed for an intimate show.

Joining  Ryan and Micky as support at this show were Dave Kerr and local band Lacey. 

Dave Kerr played a three song set including 'The Devil Wears Perfume' and 'Don't You Know Who We Think We Are'.  It was the first time I had heard Dave play and I really enjoyed his performance.  His songs were catchy and fitted perfectly with his fellow performers.

Also supporting tonight were Lacey.  I've seen Lacey play many times before both full band sets and acoustic sets.  I have always enjoyed their acoustic sets and tonight's was no different.  

The acoustic set they played fit well with the other performers on the bill, however, tonight's performance was something I had never seen Lacey do before. Tonight Lacey got a fit of the giggles during the first song, 'Burning Out', and the giggles and silliness continued right the way through their three song set, which also included 'Hometown' and 'Tonight'. 

Lacey are usually very serious when it comes to their music but the giggling fit tonight made them relax and let down their guard so what we got was a snap shot of who the guys actually are and not just the usual image we get of them on stage.  Even with the giggles the boys played a brilliant and thoroughly enjoyable set, but I think tonight's set is one of my favourite sets of theirs that I've seen to date!

Ryan and Micky's set was also very laid back at this show as they too indulged in a bit of silliness and also let the audience see the real Ryan and Micky and not just the professional musicians they normally see on the stage. 

Whether the silliness was in the form of Ryan telling Micky not to show off when he spun his drumsticks in the air or whether it came from the banter that was going on between the performers it made for a really enjoyable night.

Mid way through the set Ryan and Micky were joined by Rob Lane, as they 'just happened to have his bass guitar' there!  The three of them belted out some People on Vacation favourites and treated the audience to an alternative version of 'Lonely Fish' as you have never heard it before....

During the introduction to 'Lonely Fish', Ryan announced that it had come to his attention that the song 'Lonely Fish' could be played in any musical genre, and so they proceeded to take suggestions of genres to prove that theory, meaning that we heard a heavy metal version, a reggae version and a version in the style of R Kelly! 

However, the funniest part of the night was when Ryan played his cover of the REO Speedwagon classic 'Take It On The Run', which Ryan performs as though it is his own and is a great song, until he changes the words to 'Take It Up The Bum' and then it hits a whole other level!  There was not a dry eye in the house after this song as everyone ended up in fits of giggles!

The Ilkeston show was one of the most enjoyable shows I have been to in a long time.  I have not laughed so much in ages.  My cheeks and ribs were aching from laughing at the end of the night.  

All of the artists stuck around after the show and hung out with anyone that wanted their time.  It was so refreshing to see musicians that didn't take themselves too seriously and who were happy to ignore the music industry rules that state they shouldn't get too close to their fans.

The Ilkeston show was recorded for the Noize Level Critical show and will air on the 15th September (rockstarsglued.com).

The last night of the tour was in Malvern and again, this venue was upgraded due to popular demand ad was held at the Malvern Town Football Club.  Although this room was larger it still only held about 100 capacity and although the tickets had sold out again it was not oversubscribed to allow for a more casual show.

As it was the last night of the tour, Ryan's Facebook post confirming times and details, confirmed that they would be being joined by Rob so they could end the tour with a People On Vacation set and the we should bring our 'party pants'!

Ryan and Micky kicked the night off with songs from Ryan's debut solo album 'Hell of A Day', and consisted of songs from his new album including, his new single, '4 Letter Verb', 'Be Kind Rewind', 'Freak Flag', 'Records and Needles' and 'Respond To My Email (You Bitch)'.

We also got another rendition of Ryan's alternative cover of 'Take It On The Run', which now had additional sound effects from Micky, just to make us laugh even more!

Half way through the set Rob joined them on stage and they performed all the People On Vacation hits including 'Because of The Sun', 'Punk Rock World' and 'Rainy Day', along with another rendition of 'Lonely Fish', which they again took genre requests from the audience. Tonight's genre requests included opera, rap, metal, reggae and grunge (You can check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdV4yaICTqA )

 Although all of the shows stuck to pretty much the same set list each night (they were open to requests), all three shows were unique and thoroughly enjoyable. I found that although the parties lasted much longer than billed they were over way too fast!

If you ever get the chance to go to a house party on a band's tour, I would recommend that you do so.  The tickets aren't over priced like many VIP/meet and greet tickets you can get for other shows and you get a much better experience for your money.  I have been to quite a few meet and greet/VIP  shows which have cost the earth and for most you get to spend about 2 minutes with the band, where as Ryan would probably have spent all night talking and hanging out had you let him.

I think Ryan's approach to his fans and relationship with them is amazing and really refreshing.  I agree with Ryan, why shouldn't we, the fans, be able to get to know the people we support?!  I spend the majority of my income on bands and music so why shouldn't I be able to meet or get to know the people I spend my hard earned cash supporting?

My only regret with this tour is that I didn't go to all the dates.  It was an amazing tour and a unique way of engaging the fans. 

Ryan will be back in the UK for a full Ryan Hamilton band tour (consisting of Ryan, Micky and Rob), covering 9 dates, with support from Danny Gruff.  After this tour I don't think Ryan will have any problems getting his second solo tour a sell out!

Room 94, The Bottom Line and Dave Giles

Room 94, The Bottom Line and Dave Giles

Sound Control, Manchester

August 25th, 2015

Room 94 are a band that have never been on my radar and I've always associated them with teenage girls, but when I heard that The Bottom Line and Dave Giles would be supporting I decided that it would be worth checking them out to see two fantastic support bands.

I know that I shouldn't stereotype a band based on their sound and what I see about them on social media sites, but from what I've read they are a slightly heavier sounding One Direction that attracts hoards of screaming teenage girls........  and I was almost right!

 When we got there the queue was the longest that I had ever seen at Sound Control and it was populated by lots of teenage girls, eagerly arguing over which member was the 'fittest' and which member the 'just have to get a selfie with'. 

Kicking the night off was Dave Giles, a lovely Londoner who I saw a few weeks ago in this very same venue.  Dave's performance is just him and an acoustic guitar, giving him no loud guitars to hide behind, not that he needs to.  His set included the wonderfully quirky 'I Am What I Am', ' The Tree Song' and one of my favourites 'Bangarang', which he performed at floor level amidst the crowd rather than from the stage, giving us a more personal show.

Dave also treated us to a rendition of his current single 'Movies Suck', which you can check out the video for here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOx735sJT_s

I really felt for Dave as the audience showed no respect and insisted on talking all the way through his set, even though Dave gave a great performance and was thoroughly enjoyable. 

If you love acoustic guitar music and relatable lyrics you definitely need to check this guy out.  I can't wait to see more of him when he returns to Manchester in October.

Next up where The Bottom Line, who were previously a threesome, but are now a foursome!

Consisting of Callum on vocals and guitar, Max on Bass and Vocals, Matt on drums and now with Tom on guitar. 

Tonight's set was pure pop punk and included old favourites 'Drive Thru Night' and 'Record Player' as well as a brilliant cover of Wheatus' 'Teenage Dirt Bag', which had the audience jumping and singing along.

The Bottom Line also included a couple of new songs in their set and treated us to their new single 'Insecure'.

I've seen the Bottom Line perform quite a few times now, but I have to say that tonight they seemed more relaxed and at ease with their performance.  Their new material has given them their own sound and more confidence.  The extra member is working well for them and if the new songs are anything to go by their next album is going to be a necessity for any pop punk fan.

The Bottom Line never fail to bring the party and tonight was no different.  That said, even these guys had to put up with the constant chattering that was going on while they were on stage. 

I've been going to gigs for a long time and I've never really got the 'screaming fan girl' thing, you know the ones......  the girls who scream, flap their hands and hyperventilate when a band member blinks.  Or the ones that scream when the lights go down (are they scared of the dark?)  Well tonight I was in fan girl hell. 

At least if they are screaming at the band they will stop the constant chatting right? Wrong!

Room 94 hit the stage to an ear piercing round of screams.

As I mentioned earlier I had never actually heard any of their music and had a very pre-conceived idea of what they would be like.  I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised.

Room 94 are from Hertfordshire and are made up of three brothers, Kieran, Dean and Sean with friend Kit on the drums. 

Their music is rock but verging on pop but it has good melodies and catchy lyrics.  Unfortunately, I missed all of the song titles that were mentioned during the show due to the chattering from the audience, but the songs sounded great. 

I can understand how they have created such a buzz for themselves and why the young girls find them so appealing.  They have a perfect image and sound for their target demographic but are also endearing to us older fans.

However for an old fan girl like myself I found the constant screaming a little overbearing and the constant chattering downright rude and disrespectful, but that said, it didn't stop me from enjoying all three performances.  I would happily watch all three sets again.

(Sorry there are no photos for this one as none of them came out good enough to post)

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!