South Of Salem
- Rock Metal Machine
- Jan 2
- 6 min read
Artists: South Of Salem, Juliet’s Not Dead
Venue: The Old Fire Station (Bournemouth)
Date: 20th December 2025
"An SOS show is always larger than life, but tonight was supersized. They wanted to end a difficult year on a high, and this was truly stratospheric. A show that set a new precedent in performance levels."
It’s fast approaching the end of the year, a time when a lot of bands perform one off Christmas specials. These are often hometown shows, and can be a little more emotional than regular gigs because their fans have been invested for longer. For me to drive a couple of hours to see a band, there certainly needs to be an emotional attachment. On this particular occasion, I travelled from west London to the south coast, to review and photograph two bands at The Old Fire Station in Bournemouth. The headliners were South Of Salem, and special guests, Juliet’s Not Dead. There was a third band on the bill, but unfortunately I didn’t get to see their show.
I had encountered Juliet’s Not Dead once before at NozFest. At that event, I was there purely as a photographer, and possibly wasn’t listening as intently as I could’ve been. But I made sure my ears were fully engaged for tonight’s performance. The first thing I notice are the video screens built into the band’s backline. Throughout their entire set, the audience were presented with an endless stream of computer graphics that complimented the music. I’d never seen anything like this on a small stage before, and it sent a clear message that these guys are planning for bigger things, something that I admire greatly.
Singer and guitarist Stevie Stoker is an imposing figure. He’s a big lad with big hair. He also plays a Les Paul fited with a Bigsby Tremolo, and three pick-ups. This is a pretty rare combination, and instantly caught my attention. Their line-up is completed by Danny King (guitar), Josh Fodden (bass), and Jack Corbett (drums). I’d spoken to all of them earlier in the day at soundcheck, and found them to be friendly and engaging, which is always nice, it was unquestionably the thing that convinced me to take photographs and write this review. They’d driven 6hrs to get to this gig, it will be a twelve-hour round trip in total, all for a forty-five-minute set. That’s commitment right there.
Despite having limited space, and very few lights, they played like their lives depended on it. Big guitar riffs, thunderous drums, powerful vocals, and face melting guitar solos. What’s there not to like? I didn’t know any of their songs, so when I’m experiencing a new band, the real test is whether I’m impressed enough to check them out after the event. I’m happy to say that I was. ‘Battle Scarred’ is a song that stood out to me. This is quality writing. There is a high level of musicianship, and obvious chemistry, between the four of them, but most importantly, they are believable. For me, this is a key factor in whether a band will go on to be successful, or not, as the case may be. Whether it’s Lynyrd Skynryd, Kiss, or the Sex Pistols, one look is enough to know whether you believe in what they are selling. These guys look like they believe in every note.
For forty-five minutes, they poured out their heart and soul, making a lot of new friends in the process. I watched them pack down their equipment, as they had no road crew, then dash to the merch desk to meet fans. This is the life of most touring musicians. I thoroughly enjoyed their set, and hope our paths cross again in the future.
© Myke Gray Photography
I think I have seen South Of Salem more than any other band. I don’t know the exact figure, but an educated guess would be somewhere around the twenty show mark. Tonight’s performance was special for two reasons. One, it was a hometown gig, and two, the production was based upon Tim Burton’s The Night Before Christmas.
The stage had been meticulously prepared. Black Christmas trees, gift wrapped presents, boxes of candy, and pumpkins of all sizes, adorned the stage. The drum kit was covered in cobwebs, with strategically placed spiders. Two coffins, one either side of the stage, are a staple at every SOS show, but tonight they looked more ominous than ever. Looking around at the audience, I could see that a lot of people had dressed up for the occasion. It would’ve been easy to think you were attending a Halloween party. The excitement levels were at fever pitch before the show had even begun. Finally, the moment that everyone was waiting for had arrived. The house lights went down, and the cheer was deafening. The intro tape, perfectly in synch with the lighting rig, steadily built the tension. At a climactic moment, the two coffins lit up, sending the coven into a feeding frenzy. Joey Draper, the band’s charismatic, and cinematic singer, made his grand entrance. On stilts, and dressed as Jack Skellington, he strode onto the stage. An unforgettable image. He’s unquestionably, one of the nation’s finest frontmen.
They opened with the SOS classic ‘Let Us Prey’, giving the partisan crowd exactly what they came for. The line-up is completed by Denis Sheriff (guitar), Darren Aldwell (bass), James Clarke (drums), and new kid on the block, Ed Van Egan (guitar). The band are joined onstage by dancers, Lolly and Lisa, dressed as Sally, a character from The Night Before Christmas. A lot of planning had gone into tonight’s performance, they say that God is in the detail. ‘Jet Black Eyes’ followed the barnstorming opener, and then came my personal favourite ‘Vultures’. SOS are known for putting on a phenomenal stage show, but great songs are the foundation that everything is built upon. The proof in the pudding, is hearing the entire audience sing along with every line.
Draper, stilt free, is now able to move freely around the stage. Like all great frontmen, he emotionally connects with everyone in the room. From front to back, no one escapes his reach. Next on the list are ‘The Hate In Me’ and ‘Made To Be Mine’, the latter welcomes three dancers to the stage, dressed in appropriately devilish costumes. ‘Demons Are Forever’ sees the relentless pace drop for a moment. This is their big power balled. Upon command, the audience light up the room by holding their phones in the air. The intensity doesn’t drop for long, and in the blink of an eye, ‘Bad Habits’ and ‘Static’ are belted out in quick secession. I will take this moment to mention Sheriff’s very fluid soloing. He has really upped his game in the last few months, taking a more commanding role within the band. A cover of Savage Garden’s ‘To The Moon And Back’ has everyone singing again. This song should’ve been a hit for SOS, but in the eleventh hour, they were thwarted by some unforeseen circumstances.
In a change of dynamic, Joey and Denis perform an acoustic version of ‘Villain’. It’s a powerful moment, showing the depth of their songwriting, as well as their ability to control the ebb and flow of a live performance. ‘Pretty Little Nightmare’, one of their biggest songs, once again has the audience singing alone with every word. For me, their talent for writing instantly catchy songs, is what separates them from the rest of the pack. The reason that Kiss, Alice Copper, and W.A.S.P. were globally successful bands, wasn’t just because of their over the top theatrics, they were also genius songwriters. They were joined onstage by Stevie Stoker, from Juliet’s Not Dead, to share vocal duties on ‘Left For Dead’. There were a lot of smiling faces, and you could see the friendship between the two bands was genuine. They were building towards the big climatic finish, and the big guns were being lined up. ‘Hellhound Heart’, with its additional keyboard parts, sounded huge. One of the unsung heroes of SOS is drummer James Clarke. An absolute beast of a player, whose technical ability is matched by his power and precision. On top of this, he’s also a great singer. Not a band member you’d ever want to lose, as it would leave gigantic shoes to fill.
They closed their main set with a supercharged version of ‘A Life Worth Dying For’. They left the stage, but their return was a foregone conclusion. I sensed the audience would’ve torn the building apart, brick by brick, if they weren’t given an encore. The full entourage returned to the stage to perform ‘Death Of The Party’. There is so much going on that it’s visually overwhelming. You can barely see for looking. The entire band are great stage performers, and the additional dancers add fuel to an already blazing fire. They closed a truly spectacular show with ‘Cold Day In Hell’, complete with snow machine, to spread a little Christmas joy into the proceedings.
An SOS show is always larger than life, but tonight was supersized. They wanted to end a difficult year on a high, and this was truly stratospheric. A show that set a new precedent in performance levels. I have absolutely no doubt that 2026 will see them reach even greater heights.
© Myke Gray Photography
Review: Myke Gray
Photos: Myke Gray
Location:
Disclaimer:
All photographs in this review are given for free for us to use (either in the magazine or website). We will not give them to a third party without the express permission of the rights owners. If payment is required between the rights owner and the third party, that will be decided between them, not Fireworks Rock & Metal Music Magazine.
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