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Yorkshire black metallers Severed Heaven added to Valk-Fest 2013 line-up

Posted in Featured, News with tags , , , , , on 2nd April 2013 by Nico Davidson

Yorkshire-based black metallers Severed Heaven are the latest additions to the line-up for this year’s Valkyrian Festival – And without a doubt, they’re also the heaviest band on the bill so far.

Formed in 2007, the five piece black metal band expertly combine the finest elements of black and death metal to create a powerful and passionate sound which is lacking in today’s male-dominated metal scene. Having shared the stage with the likes of Gorgoroth, Gallhammer, Hecate Enthroned and more in the past, Severed Heaven are more than capable of bringing terror supreme at each show they play. With the follow-up to Incessant Darkness currently in the works, Severed Heaven will no doubt leave a trail of blood, guts and destruction at this year’s Valkyrian Festival.

Valkyrian Festival 2013 is in aid of RapeCrisis and will take place at Shades Nightclub in Bridlington, East Yorkshire between 29th November – 1st December. Weekend tickets are available online at this location for the low price of £5 and anyone who orders tickets before 31st August will be entered into an exclusive raffle draw. Further details for this year’s Valk-Fest can be found here.

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XIII, Spekulus, Innersylum and more confirmed for Valk-Fest 2013

Posted in Featured, News with tags , , , , , , on 15th March 2013 by Nico Davidson

Following last month’s announcement, today’s Valk-Fest announcements confirm the addition of several more bands to the three day charity festival, which this year is in aid of RapeCrisis.

Confirmed to join bands like Narcotic Death and Old Corpse Road, as well as Aonia and Nya, Hull’s premier alternative thrash unit XIII (13 for those not familiar with Roman numerals) have been added to the second day of the festival (Saturday 30th November). Whilst joining Dakesis on the final day of the festival, Innersylum from Hull have been confirmed to play, along with Gothic metal band Terra Omnia and the atmospheric gothic outfit Edenfall. Bridlington’s classic thrash band Alice In Thunderland have also been announced to play the final day of the festival, as well as industrial trio Spekulus and symphonic metallers Powercake – Yes, really, that’s their name!

Valkyrian Festival will take place at Shades Nightclub in Bridlington from 29th November to 1st December. Weekend tickets are available for pre-order from this location at the low price of £5.  All proceeds will be donated to RapeCrisis. The event is all ages. Stage times are still to be announced and additional line-up announcements will commence on 13th May. Further Valk-Fest updates can be found at the official Valkyrian Festival Facebook page.

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First bands announced for Valkyrian Festival 2013

Posted in News with tags , , , , , , , on 23rd January 2013 by Nico Davidson

Once again, Shades Nightclub in Bridlington will play host to Valkyrian Festival on Friday 29th and Saturday 30th November and Sunday 1st December. The event, organised by Valkyrian Music editor Nick Taylor – who is better known by his pen name Nico Davidson, aims to raise money, this year, for RapeCrisis.

Confirmed already for the three day event are British melodic metallers Nya who have been making a lot of noise down south. With two EPs already under their belt, as well as a headline performance on the Doghouse Stage at Download 2011 and an appearance coming up at this year’s Metal Days Festival in Slovenia, the band are ready to raise hell for charity. Nya frontwoman Anezka commented, saying: “It’s a privilege to be playing this years Valk-Fest, joining a line-up of great bands to support RapeCrisis, a truly great cause. So prepare yourself for a hard hitting wall of metal and don’t forget to buckle in for the ride! See you there! Nya.”

Joining Nya on the second day of the event, will be Yorkshire doom-death outfit Narcotic Death. Having formed in 2007, the band have gone onto gain infamy in the Yorkshire area for their unique blending of Yorkshire-styled doom and death metal, which has led to their music being described as “the soundtrack to Paranormal Activity”. Narcotic Death’s vocalist Alex commented: “We look forward to bringing our brand of terror to such a worthy cause and what will be an exceptional festival.”

Also, confirmed alongside Nya and Narcotic Death is the UK’s finest folklore-orientated black metal overlords Old Corpse Road. The five-piece outfit have written a dark and brooding legacy over the years they’ve been on the scene and have taken their heathen anthems to some of the UK’s premier festivals such as Bloodstock, Warhorns and Metieval. With a vast collection of mystifying compositions, it will be witching hour at Valkyrian Festival when Old Corpse Road take to the stage.

And for fans of bands such as Nightwish, Sarah Jezebel Deva and Delain, Worksop-based operatic metallers Aonia will also be returning to the Valkyrian Festival stage. Described as “England’s answer to Finland’s Nightwish and Sweden’s Therion”, Aonia are excited to be bring their own unique style to Valkyrian Festival.

Valkyrian Music have also organised a Battle of the Bands where the winning band earns themselves a slot at the festival. The single round BOTB will take place on Saturday 27th April at Shades Nightclub, Bridlington. Confirmed to compete so far are Lipstick Sunbeam, Seconds Apart and Fallen Angel. The winning band will determined by the audience and tickets will be available on the door for £2.

Weekend tickets are available for pre-order via Valkyrian Music’s BigCartel store and are priced at only £5 each (excluding postage and packaging) and for those who like to keep the party going, there will be an after party each night at Shades Nightclub which will be free for all ticket holders (£1 for non-ticket holders). The after parties will be DJ’ed by resident DJ Steve Hall, who plays only the best in rock and metal and to sweeten the deal, there will also be give aways and raffles at the event.

There is also an active JustGiving page set up to help raise money before and after the festival. The JustGiving page can be found at this location.

Updates and further information can be found at the following locations:
http://facebook.com/ValkFest
http://twitter.com/ValkFest

Nya’s latest EP, Drivin’ The Nails In, was released 5th November and is available from their BigCartel store.

Narcotic Death are also taking pre-orders for their upcoming album Dies Irae, which can be pre-ordered from their BigCartel store along side their new line of t-shirts.

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Alice In Thunderland w/Support @ Shades Nightclub, Bridlington

Posted in Gig, Live with tags , , , , , , , , on 2nd January 2013 by Nico Davidson

Alice In Thunderland, Filth Wizard, Abbie Lammas, Liam White
Shades Nightclub, Bridlington
22nd December 2012

With Christmas just around the corner, the Christmas gig at Shades in Bridlington was just the event to help get one into the festive spirit. Originally, five acts were meant to have played but one of them dropped off last minute due to car troubles. Despite this set back, the event was ready to begin as a young Liam White took to the stage.

Combining an eclectic mix of acoustic renditions of songs such as Snuff (originally by Slipknot) and Run To The Hills (originally by Iron Maiden), Liam White played a nearly flawless set which did more than warm-up the crowd. The only downside to his performance was the lack of original material but saying that, there’s not many musicians out there who can pull off covering Iron Maiden on acoustic guitar like Liam did. Up next was Abbie Lammas and her band who played a superb set, which is no surprise when it comes to Abbie. Mixing a staunch use of riffs and rhythmic, almost hypnotic drums with angelic vocals, Abbie and her band put on one hell of a show which was greatly appreciated by all in attendance.

After Abbie’s set, Filth Wizard were pretty much ready to play. Coming onto the stage to Jingle Bell Rocks, came the frontman Adam Towse and bassist Jason Diprose – both of which adorned in outfits that left very little to the imagination. It had been many years since I’d last seen Filth Wizard perform and fortunately, they’re still on top form. Blasting out their singalongs like Spank Me, Show Us Yer Panties and Accidental Anal, they really did steal the show. Everything from the fierce, almost thrash-like riffs and the hard-hitting rhythm sections to the harsh, guttural vocals and lyrics dripping with sleaze went down a charm – Even their bluesy number which I forgot the name of was a real crowd pleaser.

And then Alice In Thunderland, who were fresh from their Metieval performance a week earlier where they supported Power Quest, hit the stage with their classic rock and old-school thrash stylings. With their thundering use of bass and charismatic vocals, topped with the more modern styled riffs of the guitars, Thunderland soon got continued rolling the momentum from Filth Wizard’s performance. The tracks from their latest album Hellfire seemed to go down better with the crowd, as did the few covers they threw into their set.

Well, it was one way to bring out the festive spirit and all the bands performed at the top of their game but for me, Filth Wizard were the best act of the night.

Nico Davidson

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Valk-Fest venue change plus final line-up details

Posted in News with tags , , , , , on 4th October 2012 by Nico Davidson

Shades Nightclub in Bridlington will be the host for this year’s Valkyrian Festival, following the closure of The Lamp in Hull earlier this year. The annual event, organised by Bridlington-based webzine Valkyrian Music, is in aid of UK charity Autism Plus.

Valkyrian Festival will take place on Friday 23rd and Saturday 24th November, with doors on the Friday night opening at 6pm and at 2:30 pm on the Saturday. Bridlington’s own deathcore titans in the making Sea Of Giants will headline the Friday night, with support from Riff-X, Illflower, Dead Pools and Gloomlurker, whom supported ex-Cradle of Filth backing vocalist Sarah Jezebel Deva, earlier this year in Grimsby.

Saturday will be headlined by Birmingham prop-power metallers Dakesis, who supported Edguy earlier this year and played an exclusive acoustic set at Bloodstock back in August. Joining them, as main support will be Ziyos and fresh from Bloodstock’s New Blood Stage, will be Hull’s premier misanthropic black metal outfit Infernal Creation, who blasted their way through Bloodstock this year on the New Blood Stage, along with special guests Sanguine,whom rocked Download back in June. North-west metal bands Nitronein and Shades of Avalon will also be joining Dakesis as supports, along with female fronted operatic metal outfit Aonia who will be playing a rare and exclusive acoustic set. Engraved in Blood and Organized K-Hos will be completing the line-up for Saturday, as well Apparition, who will be playing with their new frontwoman, following the break after their tour with ex-CoF backing vocalist Sarah Jezebel Deva.

Weekend tickets are priced at the low, low, low price of £4 and are available here. Day tickets will be available on the door. All proceeds will go to Autism Plus (Register charity no. 518591). The event is all ages, with alcohol available from the pub above the venue.

Poster designed by Dark Creative 32.

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Brid Rocks 2012: Day Two

Posted in Festival, Live with tags , , , , , on 24th August 2012 by Nico Davidson

Ravenage, Edge of 13, Whiskey Dogs and More
Bridlington Sports & Community Centre
Sunday 19th August

BEN PARCELLUp bright and early, I was ready was day two of Brid Rocks which was featuring a mix of cover acts and original bands. The first act of the day was Bridlington-based acoustic pop punk act Ben Parcell and it all honesty, I was confused to as why he was on so early in the day. His strong vocals, which was amplified by the crisp, clean sound of the PA, carried out well over the small number that were in attendance at the beginning, as he performed the laid back song The Only One and a soulful version of Driftwood by Travis. The acoustic folky styled songs such as Painted By Numbers and Love Song went down well with the crowd, virtually keeping them in a trance with his unique, harmonious sound.

https://www.facebook.com/benparcellmusic

Remix followed after, summoning up a slight country orientated old fashioned rock ‘n’ roll sound. The vocals weren’t particular impressive, especially when they attempted to harmonise. I’m not sure if I didn’t appreciate their performance because I wasn’t brought up on that style of music or because I was expecting something different. The staunch-voiced Frank Martin brought some life to the festival once he ascended upon stage, moving almost hypnotically to the music as he performed songs by the likes of Frank Sinatra and Van Morrison.

Loose Covers also did their part to zest up Brid Rocks with raw, callous versions of songs such as Sex on Fire, Rocking All Over The World and Human. The vocals were strained at the beginning of their set but soon became more solid sounding later on in the set. Rebecca Arundel brought something new to Brid Rocks this year with a mix of covers, such as a mystifying performance of The A Team and a unique sounding rendition of ET which really exhibited her voice. However, it was Rebecca’s own song Photograph that really won me over with its creative blend of acoustic guitar, percussion and electric bass. In all honesty, I thought it was a shame that most of her set was dominated by covers.

Substitute by The Who was the opening to Pandemonium’s set. For a while, the band’s frontman showed some form of vocal talent, though it soon waned further on in the set. The sharply dressed band presented some noticeable talent though overall their set sounded dull. Generator-3 brought a punk edge to each of their covers, including an enthralling portrayal of Teenage Kicks.

No one really knew what to think when Whiskey Dogs appeared on stage with their banjo, mandolin and double bass but they soon put on a foot tapping good performance of what could easily be described as “hillbilly” songs, though the frontman Pete did tell a little history about some of the songs, talking about how they would be played in the brothels and bars of 1920s America. Voodoo Stripe proved to the real deal a combination of Hexdrixesque solos and funky riffs, as well as catchy vocal melodies. Their song I Don’t Wanna Miss You Anymore proved to be a crowd pleaser with its emotive chorus.

WHISKEY DOGSVOODOO STRIPE

There was somewhat of a mishap with Dylanesque which led to them leaving the stage for whatever reason which I never found out, so to keep the gathered masses entertained, Ben Parcell took to the stage once more, performing a few select covers such as Wonderwall and Driftwood. Bridlington’s own indie-rockers Edge of 13, who have had the privilege of playing venues like The Cavern in Liverpool, paraded a blend of clean, memorable riffs and poignant vocals topped with a strong indie sound.

https://www.facebook.com/edgeof13

EDGE OF 13

When Ravenage marched on stage, it seemed like it was going to be the raid on Lindisfarne all over again, only with less casualties. With a slightly different line-up, with session keyboardist Articus, who had joined them to support Tyr earlier this year, at the keys and Windrider on guitar and new bassist Ragnar II were clearly ready to send the horde at Brid Rocks to Valhalla. Opening up with the catchy yet heavy as hell Viking Dream, the Heathen warband ploughed on through to Northbound and the more archaic sounding Shieldwalls Collide. Nearing the end of an energetic, aggressive and somewhat heathenlicious set, Ravenage performed an aggressive, Viking-themed version of Drunken Sailor, which went down well with the kids, and More Beer which got the crowd singing and dancing along.

https://www.facebook.com/officialravenage

RAVENAGE

If the Valhalla-residing gods were watching Brid Rocks that night, even they would have approved of such a fitting end to a brilliant festival. With rumours flying around that it won’t be happening next year, one can only hope that they are just rumours.

Nico Davidson

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID FERRET TAYLOR – http://facebook.com/DFTPhotography

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Abbie Lammas w/Ben Parcell @ Shades Nightclub, Bridlington

Posted in Live, Gig with tags , , , , , , on 23rd August 2012 by Nico Davidson

Abbie Lammas & Ben Parcell
Shades Nightclub, Bridlington
Saturday 18th August

Shortly after leaving Brid Rocks, I headed down to Shades to see Abbie Lammas with her new (currently unnamed) band as well Bridlington’s own Ben Parcell. It had been some years since I last saw Abbie performed, so I was rather excited to see her perform in Brid again.

IMG_0122A calm, friendly atmosphere hovered in Shades as Ben hypnotised the crowd with a soothing, gentle sound that softly echoed across like a whisper in the wind. Ben performed a couple of tracks from his latest EP such as the folky title track Painted By Numbers which still retained a subtle, discreetly heard pop punk vibe and the catchy number Love Song, both of which Ben performed flawlessly. Of course Ben threw in a few covers as well such as Driftwood and Remembering Sunday, the latter of which came across powerfully. Ben ended his set on with an entertaining encore of Baby One More Time.

Shortly after Ben’s set, Abbie’s band had a quick jam on stage which IIMG_0135 unfortunately missed due to fulfilling my carnal cravings for nicotine. Once I placed myself back firmly in my seat, Abbie began her set, beginning with a song entitled Twinkle, which was like her own rendition of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star only with some new parts thrown in to make it more suited to her style of playing. The second song she performed, which I never caught the name of, really demonstrated the strength and versatility of her voice as it left people watching and listening in both awe and appreciation of her talent.

When her band began playing along with her later in her set, new musical dimensions were opened up with Abbie’s music as thunderous riffs and solemn bass work boomed throughout the venue, enhancing Abbie’s vocals grandly. Later in her set, Abbie swapped from acoustic to electric and to say it was her first time playing electric guitar live, she did superb, especially during in the performance of the mesmerizing, alt. rock sounding song Save Me.

IMG_0181

In a vast landscape of female fronted acts, Abbie and her band have got a lot of potential and really do stick out, both musically and vocally, from the other female fronted acts.

Nico Davidson

Photography by DAVID FERRET TAYLOR – http://facebook.com/DFTPhotography

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Brid Rocks 2012: Day One

Posted in Festival, Live with tags , , , , , , , on 23rd August 2012 by Nico Davidson

First Principle, Cryptic Age, Alice In Thunder and More
Bridlington Sports & Community Centre
Saturday 18th August

And once again, it was that time of year for Brid Rocks Open Air, the low-key, family-friendly and more diverse answer to bigger festivals like Download and Bloodstock. The line-up for this year boasted some of the acts from last year such as Cryptic Age, Alice in Thunderland and Ravenage along with some new, different acts such as Rebecca Arundell and Pandemonium.

Opening up the proceedings were Bridlington’s own young hard rocking upstarts First Principle. This was the first time I’d seen them with new bassist, Patrick Hogg. The young trio bombarded the crowd with an arsenal of clean sounding riffs mixed with punchy basslines and acute drum work. The trio show a lot of potential for such a young band, displaying some well written pieces such as the catchy song Astronaut and the more 50s sounding Into The Blue. Frontman Martin Secker’s vocal stylings went down a treat with the crowd, especially when First Principle paid a powerful, hard rockin’ tribute to Led Zepplin with The Immigrant Song.

https://www.facebook.com/FirstPrinciple

FIRST PRINCIPLE

Bringing a new sound to the stage were covers band Renegade, who despite being an entertaining live act, lacked in the vocal department though their performance of Bye Bye Baby (originally by The Basic Rollers) had a very raw sound that was near-beautifully performed. The frontman beamed with charisma through the entire, almost flawless set.

It was the hour of twilight by the time York’s power-folk metallers Cryptic Age descended down on the stage at Brid Rocks, which added to the haunting and ethereal atmosphere of their set as they conjured forth the dark, symphonic stylings of Perpetually Blind and Eternity Beckons. The sea of lights that illuminated the band added to the haunting feel that radiated from their set. The folk-orientated Horsemen of the Vale encouraged a few members of the crowd to dance as Cryptic Age wrought folkin’ havoc down upon the crowd with a blend of a clean sound, angelic vocals and masterful musicianship.

https://www.facebook.com/crypticage

CRYPTIC AGE

Night had fully fallen as Bridlington’s own classic rockers Alice In Thunderland called forth an enhanced sound. This was their second performance with new guitarist Chris I’Anson, who sounded as if he’d been in the band since they first formed. AIT blasted through tracks such as Hey Hey, which they dedicated to everyone who had bought a ticket, and a thrashy, face-melting version of Crazy Train, while new guitarist Chris incorporated some new exotic sounds in the set such as Arabic-styled solos and some new, fresher modern influence.

https://www.facebook.com/AliceInThunderlandUK

ALICE IN THUNDERLAND

Sadly, I had left before Isengard (Not to be confused with Fenriz’s Isengard) had set up as I due elsewhere for another gig though I had been informed the next day that they had performed well.

Nico Davidson

PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID FERRET TAYLOR – http://facebook.com/DFTPhotography

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Brid Rocks 2012 confirmed

Posted in News with tags , , on 7th July 2012 by Nico Davidson

Following the success of last year’s weekender Brid Rocks, the event’s organisers Boogie Woogies have announced that the weekend charity event is happening again this year.

The line-up features the likes of classic rockers Alice In Thunderland, Hull-based warband Ravenage, Cryptic Age, Ben Parcell and many more. The event will take place on 18th and 19th August at the Bridlington Sports and Community Centre in Moorfield Carpark, Bridlington. There will also be full catering, face painting for the kids and loads more including a classic car show and craft fairs.

Tickets are available from the Boogie Woogies shop on Hildathorpe Road in Bridlington at the low price of £5 for a day ticket or £10 for the full weekend.

For more details, click here.

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Cyb3rnator – Line Of Fire EP

Posted in CD, Dubstep with tags , , , , , , on 21st April 2012 by Nico Davidson

Band: Cyb3rnator
Album: Line of Fire EP
Release Date: 7th April 2012
Label: Unsigned/Self-Released
Genre: Dubstep

Cyb3rnator was originally thought up by gameboy fanatic Tyla-Joe back in 2008. It wasn’t until 2011 that vocalist Katie joined, adding catchy melodic hooks to the 8-bit and gameboy dominated dubstep soundings of Cyb3rnator. Earlier this month, Cyb3rnator released their Line Of Fire EP via their BandCamp page. Before I carry on with this review, I’d like to state I know nothing about dubstep.

The EP starts off with Hello Roy Ritcher. The percussion sections of the track certainly do get the feet tapping away rhythmically, while the vocals have a slight Ayria sound to them. The gameboy sounds give the sound a bit of a funky Mario sound. The synth sounds have a very industrial feel to them, almost like a mash up of Zombiegirl and VNV Nation. The title track, Line Of Fire, follows next, beginning with a hypnotic piano medley before the first wave of danceable synth riffs march on the ear drums. The changes between synths and piano makes for an interesting combination, especially with the use of vocals and percussion.

The halfway point of the EP, Sunsets To No Regrets, starts with a well composed use of synths and 8-bit sounds, creating a very retro gaming atmosphere. The vocals sound stronger than the last two tracks, which is really saying something considering how powerful they are on the previous tracks. Sunsets To No Regrets would definitely have to be my favourite track. Nearing the end of the EP comes Lungs which begins with a semi-epic sound before the mesmerising 8-bit sounds come in topped with the catchy, melodic and staunch vocals. The final track, Burn, which features Robbie Burton, comes to choppy start but the track redeems itself later on when everything flows almost perfectly. Overall, the track feels like an 8-bit version of an industrial track. The vocals need some tweaking though as they feel like the most lacking part of the track, which is a shame considering how great they sound on the rest of the EP.

Considering the bad rep that dubstep, as a genre, has got and the way dubstep acts are dismissed as being “awful music” and “not real musicians”, I do believe that Cyb3rnator have got a bright future as a band. The EP is a near-masterpiece that fuses 8-bit with electro influences and very strong vocal work, and to be honest, I’m quite surprised I never discovered the band sooner. Hopefully, we’ll be hearing more from these guys soon.

4/5

Nico Davidson

Don’t forget, Cyb3rnator, are opening up Severed Heaven on 29th April at Shades Nightclub in Bridlington.

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Alice In Thunderland w/Support @ Shades Nightclub

Posted in Gig, Live with tags , , , on 25th March 2012 by Nico Davidson

Bands: Alice In Thunderland, Lipstick Sunbeam
Location: Shades Nightclub, Bridlington
Date: 23rd March 2012

After two years in the making at Powerstage Studio, Alice In Thunderland’s fourth album Hellfire was ready to be launched and so it was at Shades Nightclub in Bridlington. Opening the night were Driffield-based alternative rock trio Lipstick Sunbeam. This was the second time I had seen them perform – the first time was in Hull at Denim and Leather’s Rock The Ringside. They had improved vastly since I last saw them, mixing up their set with a combination of hard rocking riffs and funky basslines, topped off with some raw, powerful vocals. The early part of their set had a certain flair of early Black Sabbath while the last few songs had a touch of doom metal meets alt. rock to the sound. Lipstick Sunbeam was certainly well received by the crowd and no wonder. They played a very staunch set that masterfully showed the band’s musicianship.

After a short interval, local heroes Alice In Thunderland made their way to the stage. Alice In Thunderland are one of those rare and unique bands that are like a fine wine – they get better with age. Like previous shows I’ve seen them at, their set was dominated with a strong barrage of classic rock styled-riffs and melodic vocals. Their sound has been enhanced with the addition of guitarist Tony Dixon who’s guitar work blends in well with Tony Dean’s riffs and Kevin Truelove’s bass work. It was difficult to see the band play due to a mixture of smoke and the crowd. Hush Now went down a treat with the crowd, as did their blistering cover of Crazy Train.

One of my favourite parts of AIT’s set was the performance of Something Is Coming, a song that contained untamed guitar work and truly showed frontwoman Kayla’s vocal talents. Hey Hey had a very thundering use of bass, provided by Kev, and the intelligent yet destructive drum stylings of Stu Millington. As always, AIT provided a brilliant and charismatic performance and were supported by one hell of a band.

Nico Davidson

Photography by David Ferret Taylor.

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Massacre On Broadway w/Support [Live Review]

Posted in Gig, Live with tags , , , , , , on 15th January 2012 by Nico Davidson

Bands: Massacre On Broadway, For Love And Hate, The Colour Line
Location: Shades Nightclub, Bridlington
Date: 14th January 2012

For the second time, Massacre On Broadway hit the seaside resort of East Yorkshire that is Bridlington. This time bringing with them female fronted post-hardcore quintet For Love And Hate and The Colour Line, who opened up the show. From where I was stood at the bar, it was near enough impossible to see The Colour Line – aside from the occasional glimpse of frontman Chris’ head – due to the vast gathering of people in front of the stage. They performed a strong sounding set and undoubtedly put on an energetic performance. There was a powerful hint of technical metal influences in their songs. The only issue I really had with TCL’s set was the use of clean vocals during in the first song as they sounded flat and strained.

For Love And Hate took everyone by surprise – including myself. The thought of a female fronted band generally makes people assume that they’ll be either a Nightwish or Paramore sounding band but that wasn’t the case with FL&H. The female dominated band performed a powerful, in your face mixture of songs with a masterful combination of post-hardcore screams (provided by frontwoman Mya) and clean vocals (provided by Jodie). There was a slight technical issue during in one of their songs (I believe it was “I’ve Met The Ocean”) but it was soon sorted out by the pint-sized sound technician. Massacre On Broadway finished the show, with half the crowd left. While their songs are brilliantly composed in terms of the music and have potential to go far, the vocals sounded in dire need of being tweaked. The band lacked stage presence and they didn’t seem to keep the crowd that entertained. In all honesty, they were as bland as they were the last time they played in Bridlington.

In the immortal words of Meatloaf, “two out of three ain’t bad” and that was the case with this show though The Colour Line or For Love And Hate should really have been the ones headlining the show – And in terms of the mini-tour, FL&H should be headlining that as well. Hopefully, MOB will work on their stage presence for the next time they hit Bridlington.

Nico Davidson

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The Ocean Between Us W/Support @ Shades Nightclub, Bridlington [Live Review]

Posted in Gig, Live with tags , , , , , on 9th November 2011 by Nico Davidson

Bands: The Ocean Between Us, Sworn To Oath, Sea Of Giants
Location: Shades Nightclub, Bridlington
Date: 7th November 2011

The Ocean Between Us made their return to Bridlington’s music scene as the headlining for one of many shows put on by the East Coast Collective. The first act of the night were Bridlington’s own Sea Of Giants, who recently released their EP “To The Deepest Depths”. A large but lifeless crowd were gathered at the front of the venue for SOG’s performance. As their set went on the crowd became active and noisy, giving appreciative responses at the end of each song that the band played with energy, adding to their established yet violent sound that could be heard clearly both inside and outside of the venue. Sea Of Giants finished their set off with a brutalising rendition of their own song “Bloodshot Eyes”.

The main support of the night, as part of their UK tour were Midlands-based metal outfit Sworn To Oath. For their first time in Bridlington, they went down well with the crowd. The vocals sounded like a strong mix of classic metal and hard rock with a hint of 36 Crazy Fists. The band utilised heavy riffs, strong drum sections and great interaction with the crowd. Sworn To Oath are definitely a band worth checking out. The Ocean Between Us were the headlining act though they failed to impress the crowd that almost packed out Shades. While they possessed great stage presence mixed with powerful melodic riffs, powerful drums and destructive vocal sections, they did little to whip the crowd into a frenzy – Which might have been due to the technical difficulties they were having with the sound. It definitely wasn’t one of their best performances. The crowd enjoyed most of the night judging by their reactions to Sea Of Giants and Sworn To Oath.

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Massacre On Broadway w/Support @ Shades Night Club [Live Review]

Posted in Gig, Live with tags , , , , , , , on 24th September 2011 by Nico Davidson

Bands: Massacre On Broadway, Unlimited, The Colour Line
Location: Shades Night Club, Bridlington
Date: 22nd September

Massacre On Broadway’s UK tour brought them to Shades Night Club, the venue which has become the heart of Bridlington’s alternative music scene. Starting off the night were Hull-based hardcore outfit The Colour Line. This was their second show in Bridlington, the first being at Home From Home Fest. They played an energetic set for the packed out crowd, which was to be expected. The highlight of their set was a song called ‘Lads’, which had a slight Abigail Williams sound to it. The Colour Line received a massively positive reaction from the crowd.


The main support for the night were Canadian hardcore band Unlimited. Unfortunately, their guitarist couldn’t get to the UK for the show due to visa troubles, so the guitar sections were played back – the only downside to Unlimited’s set. Their set was still a brutalising and immense set, despite the generic sounding clean vocals. The highlights of Unlimited’s performance were ‘Shut Up And Smile’ and ‘Breeding New Machines’.


The headlining act Massacre On Broadway weren’t overly impressive. Their set was composed of aggressive and mellow parts and the band interacted well with the crowd, that had thinned out quite a bit since the interval. They played well enough but they didn’t seem to be very entertaining. The night was enjoyable for the most part though it is surprising that the supporting acts were better than the headliner.

Nico Davidson

Photos by Cardinal Photography.

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Home From Home Festival [Live Review]

Posted in Festival, Live with tags , , , , , on 21st August 2011 by Nico Davidson

Bands: Shadows Chasing Ghosts, Tides Of Virtue, The Demoraliser, The Colour Line, Sea Of Giants, The Departed, Forever And A Day, Hey! Alaska, Not Another Code Red
Location: Shades Night Club, Bridlington
Dates: 20th August 2011

Home From Home Fest, the second annual DIY festival, hosted by the East Coast Collective, was already off to a bumpy start as Swedish hardcore outfit Saving Joshua had dropped off the bill last minute – Not that this prevented all those in attendance from having a good time. The first band on stage were Bridlington’s own “Sea Of Giants”. They performed a good, solid set and were very active on stage. They received a good reaction from the crowd. Towards the end of the set, they performed an immense cover of “Pure F**king Hate” by Annotations Of An Autopsy. Sea Of Giants were a great choice to open the festival with, it was just a shame about the small numbers in attendance for their set.

The second band to perform were Hull-based “The Colour Line”. The entire band had brilliant showmanship and clearly a lot of energy to have remain active through out their entire set, especially their front man who moved in and around the crowd. Their set was tight and brilliantly played. The highlight of their set had to be “Glitter, Spandex And Egos”. Forever And A Day took the stage afterwards. Their set was energetic and tight and the frontman demonstrated great showmanship and crowd interaction. They played brilliant songs such as “If It Pleases You Darling (Pretend I’m Saying It)” and “We See Everything, So Play Nice” [Which can be found on their album “Last Orders”]. Forever and a Day’s set was great though lacking as their bassist was absent.

Hey! Alaska put on a good show, with the frontman interacting with the crowd between songs. Like the other bands, they played a good, heavy set which beamed with energy. Not Another Code Red had a heavy start to their set. They performed a brilliant hardcore rendition of Black And Yellow as well as some of their own songs such as All Or Nothing and Foundations. The Departed brought a great stage presence and positive attitude with them to the stage as they performed a very hyper set in which the crowd began a mosh pit to it. The Demoraliser performed an amazing, brutalising set which sounded raw and violent. they were one of the best bands of the night, which says a lot due to the immense quality of all the bands who played.

Tides Of Virtue performed a very active set, virtually bouncing all around the stage. They received positive feedback from the crowd for their violent and skull-crushing set. The headliners “Shadows Chasing Ghosts” finally took the stage, only to be greeted by a small crowd, which must have been upsetting for the band members though they still performed an awesome set which was very heavy, very tight and pleased the crowd.

Home From Home Fest was clearly an enjoyable experience for all those who performed and those who attended. Fans of hardcore and metalcore missed on a truly great festival. Hopefully, the next Home From Home Festival will be just as great, if not better.

Nico Davidson

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