V23 Rockfest
- Rock Metal Machine
- 7 days ago
- 8 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Artists: Eclipse, Dare, Chez Kane, Collateral, Spin, This House We Built
Venue:Â Wakefield - Venue 23
Date:Â 10 May 2025
"We all knew it was coming, but when the opening strains of ‘Viva La Victoria’ started, the occupants went crazy all over again and at the end of it, the near capacity crowd left knowing that they had seen six quality bands give their all."
I arrived at Venue 23 in Wakefield, not knowing anything about it, but left ten hours later having gained a lot of respect for both it and the owner, Karl Johnson, who made sure that things ran smoothly on and off stage, whilst also performing with his band, Spin - more on that later! For those who don’t know about Venue 23, it doesn’t look much from the outside, but don’t be deceived by this for a second, for inside it is a great music venue that deserves to be sold out show after show. The acoustics are first-rate with a superb audio and visual system, and praise was all I could hear from my fellow attendees for the V23 Rock Festival.
First up on a blisteringly hot day was This House We Built, and let’s be fair, it’s never an easy job to open these types of festivals, but the Scarborough quartet managed it with style. From the opening chords of ‘Addiction’, the audience’s attention was grabbed, and although people were still coming through the doors, there was a healthy crowd to cheer the group on, especially when they powered into their version of ‘You’re The Voice’ (yes, that one!).
Scott Wardell then led them into ‘Nobody’s Fool’, and you could tell they were having fun, especially Wayne Dowkes-White, who was giving his bass guitar a great workout! His energy was added to by Andy Jackson, who was wringing out some tantalising riffs from his guitar, and Chris Mayes on the skins. Even the slower-paced ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ sounded great, but it was noticeable that the crowd’s energy levels soared when ‘Walk The Line’ thundered from the stacks of speakers.
Six songs from their debut album were performed, with ‘Addiction’, ‘You’re The Voice’, and the superb ‘Coming Home To You’ also added. The eager audience appreciated the set list, and I noticed quite a few arms raised and people singing along by the end of their set. That’s always a good sign!
Setlist (contains spoilers)
Following a re-organisation of the furniture onstage, it was time for Spin to have their shot in the spotlight - and they did not disappoint. You may not have heard of these guys but watch out for them! I believe that this was their debut, and it was superb. Halfway through their set, lead singer Karl Johnson took to the mike, to not only introduce the band, but also ask the audience if they belonged on stage as they felt frauds to be standing alongside the other five bands - well if I may be so bold, yes you do deserve to be there. Their act was full of great harmonies and noticeable riffs. In Johnson, they have a frontman who can sing and engage with the audience; in my book, that’s most of the battle won!
Opening with a good old-fashioned rocker in ‘Spin’, the band looked comfortable on stage, growing into the moment. This was reflected in their performance, and their collective confidence increased as the audience responded to their energy. Like This House We Built, Spin played nine songs, and as they were all new to the crowd, it was great to hear variation in all of them. The audience seemed to respond to ‘Freakshow’, which featured superb guitar from Andy Lindsay and pumping bass from Lincoln J. Roth, one of the coolest-looking dudes I have seen in a long time!
Ending their set with two anthemic songs was a great touch, as ‘Rise’ and ‘Unite’ hammered some much-needed truths, all wrapped up in a Hard Rock shell. Both tracks featured some lovely layers of keys from Brendan Greaves and kick-arse drums from Stuart Turner! If it was their debut, then all I can say is they "got the ball, turned and buried it in the top corner!"
Setlist (contains spoilers)
Collateral was next up, and it’s fair to say that a fair few of the ever-increasing crowd were fans of the lads from Kent. Kicking things off with the superb ‘Glass Sky’, frontman Angelo Tristan owned the stage from the first chord. Now I must admit that my recording device decided to go on the fritz, and I lost my notes to their complete set list, so reliance on my terrible memory will have to suffice!
One thing that always impresses me about Collateral is how effortlessly they flow from song to song. Be it a ballad or a full-throttle Rock song, they handle it well and always sound excellent. As you would expect, certain songs always get more of a reaction, and ‘Original Criminal’, ‘On The Long Road’, and ‘Just One Of Those Days’ from their latest album got the crowd going, especially the latter, which gave the perfect platform for audience participation!
Alongside Tristan’s boundless energy, Louis Malagodi threw killer riffs around for fun and got a massive cheer from the ladies when he removed his top! Jack Bentley-Smith kept his clothes on and produced a masterclass of bass throughout, and some powerful drumming from Ben Atkinson kept things moving upwards, but would you expect anything else from such a group?
You knew it was coming as their final song, and as ‘Mr Big Shot’ reverberated around the venue, practically all of the audience sang along with the chorus. I have a sneaking feeling that the lads from Ramsgate had won over a few more new fans, so they should!
Setlist (contains spoilers)
The Welsh whirlwind that is Chez Kane hit the stage at high velocity, and the opener ‘Too Late For Love’ bounced around Venue 23 and got the feet stomping and the arms pumping the air. ‘All Of It’ and ‘I Just Want You’ followed, with some superb ribbing of her guitarist who was having an issue with what he was hearing through his in-ear monitors.
One thing is true: Chez has a very dedicated following, and so she should; she has a superb voice and owns the stage. This gig was the first time I had seen her live, and I was very impressed. If anyone says that women can’t sing or perform, I challenge you to watch Chez and still have that outdated opinion by the end!
One issue I do have is as a photographer! She doesn’t stay still!! She is a ball of energy and brings that dynamism to her performance, especially in the songs ‘Rock You Up’ and ‘Rocket On The Radio’. The crowd responded positively, bouncing up and down along with her. As any good artist does, they leave the best until last and ‘Powerzone’ went down a treat with plenty of people joining in. If you can see Chez, do so - you won’t be sorry!
Setlist (contains spoilers)
The legends that are Dare were the penultimate group in this festival, and it dawned on me that despite being to countless gigs over countless years, I had never seen these guys live, and I’m glad that I put that right. There is a reassuring calmness about Dare; nothing phases them as they power through their set. Starting with the ever-popular duo of ‘Born In The Storm’ and ‘Cradle To The Grave’, Darren Wharton’s voice is superb, and boy, can Vinny Burns make that guitar sing!
Songs such as ‘Road To Eden’, ‘We Don’t Need A Reason’ and ‘Abandon’ go down a treat with the enthusiastic crowd, and the lads are so comfortable with each other that they rib Wharton when he gets his intros to songs mixed up and misses his cue to start singing. It doesn’t faze the singer: his smile widens, and he shrugs his shoulders and nails it the second time. The audience doesn’t care either; they love it, and the cheers get even louder!
With their superb set coming to an end with their tribute to Phil Lynott in the shape of ‘King Of Spades’ and closer ‘Return The Heart’, you see the sweat pouring off bassist Nigel Clutterbuck, and realise that you have witnessed a band give it their all for the audience in front of them, and that is the sign of a band that care!
Setlist (contains spoilers)
The men from Sweden took to the stage at just past ten pm, and in a nice comedic touch, bowed together and left the stage again! Running straight back on, lead singer Erik Mårtensson got the crowd pumping as ‘Roses On Your Grave’ blasted out. The atmosphere increased as they performed ‘Got It’, ‘Run For Cover’ and one of my favourites ‘Runaways’. In between, Erik amused the audience with his charm and banter, including praising our pubs (good move!).
Another favourite in ‘Saturday Night (Hallelujah)’ increased the positive vibes even more. Then, in a surprising twist, they slowed it down with a partial acoustic rendition of ‘Bleed And Scream’, which a member of the audience requested. They followed this with another acoustic version of ‘Battlegrounds’, and audience participation rose to another level!
It’s always a privilege to watch a band like Eclipse play. In Erik, they have a frontman who is talented and charismatic, able to pump an audience up without effort. Of course, being backed up by quality musicians also helps, and Magnus Henriksson provided energy and talent on the guitar throughout. Between him and Mårtensson, they threw out riffs like it was nothing, and I noticed quite a few air guitars played by the audience at several points throughout their set! They have a strong bass player in Victor Crusner, who also has a presence, meaning no matter where you look, there is always something worth looking at on the stage. His brother Philip would usually be on the drums, but had to step away from Eclipse, so Adde Moon (ex-Hardcore Superstar) took his place behind the skins, much to the delight of a gentleman in the audience who had travelled from Texas to see the band, who took constant (and not at all annoying) delight in bellowing down the microphone about how GREAT he was doing!
Songs make a concert memorable, and Eclipse has its fair share of great ones. ‘The Downfall Of Eden’, ‘Black Rain’, and ‘Never Look Back’ kept the high level of engagement from the crowd going. We all knew it was coming, but when the opening strains of ‘Viva La Victoria’ started, the occupants went crazy all over again and at the end of it, the near capacity crowd left knowing that they had seen six quality bands give their all.
Setlist (contains spoilers)
I have to say that I was very impressed at how well it had gone. Yes, the set changes had been a little overlong, but Venue 23 is a superb venue run by people who care greatly about live music. The day seemed to run smoothly, and it was nice to hear the owner praise the audience for being well-behaved. Long may these venues thrive and bands of the calibre of these six continue to do what they do so well!
Review: Pete Arnett
Photos: Pete Arnett
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