All About Rock & Metal

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.

It was a sold-out show and there was an amazing atmosphere buzzing around the auditorium. The band took to the stage with the minimum amount of fuss. The crowd erupted.

This marked the fifth annual migration of the Dare Fan Club to the picturesque West Yorkshire setting of Holmfirth, home to its century-old picture theatre, perfectly positioned in the heart of the town. Tonight’s virtual sell-out crowd was largely made up of friends, family and fan club members, with a few seeing the band for the very first time – though, judging by tonight’s performance, certainly not the last.

“Once more unto the breach dear friends”, or more precisely, the O2 Forum in Kentish Town. This is one of my favourite music venues. It has a good photo pit, and the Showsec security are generally accommodating. Their policy allows photographers to shoot from the crowd after they have finished the standard three songs from the pit. This means you don’t get thrown out onto the street like a piece of trash in between the sets of each band, something that happens at venues like

Ginger traditionally has a show in London this time of year, close to his birthday, this time it’s in Islington and the Christmas spirit is well on its way!

One of the many things I like about being a music photographer is that I get to see bands I wouldn’t normally get the opportunity to. On this particular occasion, I knew of the headline act, and had heard one of their songs, but knew absolutely nothing about the first two bands on the bill, Block Of Flats, and special guests, The Funeral Portrait. So once again I make my way into central London for the privilege of watching musicians perform.

The Globe is not too far from Cardiff City Centre and can hold around 350 people. Tonight the venue is fairly well packed out. This is the last night of the UK tour for both bands. The intro music struck up and then the support act who was Parker Barrow started at 19.30.

I’ll hold my hands up, despite absolutely loving albums like ‘Reckless’ and ‘Waking Up The Neighbours’, I’d kind of lost my way with the Canadian star’s output. I remember really disliking ‘Cloud #9’ and when he duetted with Mel C, I freely admit the musical snob in me reared its head, with me muttering about him working with a bloody Spice Girl and how the guy had gone right off the boil.

Even though I had been to the O2 as a fan on countless occasions, this would be my first time there as a photographer. I had been pre-warned by some of my peers that this venue was a slightly hostile environment, but I always try to keep a sense of optimism. So, on a cold Wednesday night, I made my way to the East End of London wearing multiple layers of clothing, something that turned out to be an extremely wise decision, as I soon found out.

I will confess that I knew absolutely nothing about two of the bands on the bill, including the headliner. My review will be written from the perspective of someone who has walked in off the street, which is pretty close to the truth.

Support this evening came from Country, Rock & Blues artist Georgia Nevada. With a name like that and a sound straight out of Nashville, you would be right to be mistaken in assuming that the lady heralds from the home of the red, white and blue, instead of Littleport, Cambridge, UK.

Nocturnal Affair from Las Vegas opened proceedings. They have toured with Wednesday 13 before and so it obviously works. They are generally pretty heavy, straightforward Hard Rock with strobes and a few death growls, but behind this lies a lot of traditional skill.

Time flies, doubly so the older you get, it seems. I can remember my first ever gig, which was Saxon (on the ‘Crusader’ tour) in 1984 at this very venue, then known as the Colston Hall. A year later I saw Accept promoting their ‘Russian Roulette’ album just round the corner at the Hippodrome. I may not remember people’s names these days, but great concerts seem to be lodged forever, and that first gig was a doozy.

The Komedia is a venue situated in the very heart of the beautiful Georgian city of Bath. Recently it has hosted When Rivers Meet and King King amongst many other bands. There are two headliners sharing the bill tonight.

I’ve been a fan of Magnum for forty-five years. The first album I bought from the English Melodic Hard Rock band was ‘Magnum II’ and I’ve been following them ever since.

Last year, I volunteered to review Joanne Shaw Taylor’s show at the Royal College of Music in Manchester. I went along as a casual follower but since that night I’ve become a huge fan, with her ‘Black & Gold’ release becoming my most played, and favourite album of 2024.

I thought my days of outdoor gigs were largely behind me – hey, I was there for every freezing cold, sopping wet minute of the Deep Purple reunion show at Knebworth in June 1985! – but when the opportunity to see one of the hottest “new” Melodic Rock acts currently doing the rounds play their final gig of the summer arose, it was too good a chance to miss.

It’s been a few years since I saw FM in Bristol, and they’ve shifted sideways from playing on a boat (Thekla) to one of the most loved smallish venues in the UK, which is never a bad thing. The Fleece & Firkin may have a few poles that get in your way but also hold up the roof, but it’s usually a great place to watch a band, so I’m looking forward to this one.

The second edition of the festival organized by Wind Up Productions and Planet AOR took place in late July in Malmö, Sweden, reaffirming the city as the true Capital of AOR. Over three days, the event gathered devoted Melodic Rock and AOR fans from 29 different countries, establishing itself as a truly international convention of remarkable stature.

Having missed this gig last year, I was curious to see if anything had changed. I suspected not as, well, why change something that already works successfully, as once again the festival had sold out.