Hard Rock Hell AOR V - Festival Review - Hafan Y Mor 10th & 11th March 2017

HRH AOR V

Grab a beer and get ready for a long (ish) read......

So a good couple of thousand descended on the tiny Chwiliog,  aka Hafan Y Mor, for this, the fifth HRH AOR. Once shared as a fest, it's now finally gained its own independence as a stand-alone festival which shows how strong this genre has become. AOR has always been an underground scene, but the people who follow it are very passionate and dedicated about their bands. A lot of the audience are returnees, in fact most can be seen at any melodic rock gig across the country and beyond. My only gripe, there was NOT ENOUGH AOR!!!!

Credit to HRH, as this is a mighty fine festival, it's all contained, the stages are close, except the acoustic, the food is a bit 'meh' (OK if you can live off Fish n chips, and Burger King, or Starbucks) and the drink plentiful. It leads itself to a nice warm, cozy and very friendly festival. 

My day started on the Friday with a couple of stunning acoustic sets courtesy of The Radio Sun, and then the same guys being joined by Paul Laine. It's great news to have The Radio Sun returning for second year in succession. The Aussies certainly made an impact last year and gained a lot of new converts along the way. First of all, the banter is great, we got to hear about the guys travel from South to North Wales and their traffic encounters, and Jason being one of the 'Wiggles"! Don't ask! It's the quality of the songs that make the biggest impression. 'One In A Million' is just wonderful, it highlights just how strong TRS are with harmonies, in fact very few of the bands over the whole weekend can match these guys. 'Wrong Things Right' and a sterling Andy Taylor cover 'I Might Lie' (the one with the riff that’s VERY Eddie ‘Beat It’)! 'Maybe' finished off a short but very memorable set. (8.5/10)

Without any further ado Paul Laine stepped up and you knew he was going to be trouble (but in a good and very funny way!). Paul set up a high seat in front of him so he could read some of his lyrics. Bless him. Obviously a forgetful chap, he has self-declared Paulzheimers! 'Going All The Way' eventually kicked off the set. Paul's vocals would be one of the best over the whole weekend. You can tell that both TRS and Paul had spent time with Blood Red Saints as jokes and insults a-plenty were traded between Paul and Jason....'Does The Rock know you've stolen his 80s haircut?', and 'Jase, you're doing this (makes yapping sound with his hand)' and I want you to do this (shut up hand signal).  You had to be there!! There's a new double act in town folks. That said, I think it's all stemmed from love and respect. But, it's his show, so Paul is in charge. Up came 'I Still Think About You' and it was just sublime in this acoustic setting. Laine’s vocal's are undiminished from the fist time I ever witnessed him from his performance at The Gods over twenty years ago (on the telly). After 'Comin Home' we were even given an encore of 'Dont Walk Away'. TRS firmly set the bar for the weekend, and Paul Laine raised it. These two sets were to be one of the main highlights of the weekend. About 120 people witnessed something special here. (9/10)

We legged it to the main stage for a band I'd only looked at the day before....Walkway. As far as first bands go, Walkway were the best opening act I've seen at 4 AORs. This is a band that clearly tour…..a lot! I missed the first three songs, and entered for ‘Overrated’. That’s one thing that this band definitely are not.  Their set is smooth as silk and very polished. They are not exactly AOR, more classic rock, but when it's as good as this, who cares. Frontman Chris Ready obviously has Robert Plant as an influence, and this is no complaint from me. With a song armoury like ‘Best I Ever Had’, Stutter’, ‘Rise’, and the instantly memorable ‘Streetwise’, I really hope these lads get the major break they deserve. Guitarist James Ready, who was fucking outstanding I have to say, went on walkabout during the final song ‘One Touch Too Much’. Walkway were another memorable highlight of the day and weekend. Catch them live again if you can, you will not be disappointed. If you are, I will refund your money myself!!

(8.5/10)

Last year I loved Kane'd(s) brand of music. More Within Temptation, than melodic rock, but their difference stands out in sisters Steph, Stacey and Chez, and lead guitarist Harry Scott Elliott. At first glance, there’s that many of them, you would think they are a Caucasian tribute of Earth Wind & Fire. However, this time something was amiss, the spark wasn’t quite as bright this time. It wasn't all Kane'd isuue as I had doubts over the quality of the sound. The vocals were too loud and pitchy. It was eventually sorted and the songs do the talking – the highlights being ‘Beautiful But Tragic’, Guilty Of Nothing’, ‘Covered In Roses’ and the utterly infectious ‘La Di Da’. What with a guitarist like Harry Scott Elliot and the vocal assault from the girls, I fully expect greater things from this bunch moving forward. Time for a new album I think and a move up the next step of the ladder….? (7/10)

It was time to show the young whippersnappers a thing or two. Romeo’s Daughter are a class act. I’ve seen them quite a few times over the last (cough), thirty years, and they have NEVER let me or the audience down. The set was to be quite wide ranging, mixing the old and the new seamlessly, proving that the new songs are just as good, if not better than the older songs. Leigh Matty looks gorgeous as ever, and if there were awards for best hair, she would win hands down. In Craig Joiner, Romeos Daughter have one of the most underrated but finest songwriters of his generation. His playing isn’t necessarily flashy, but its honest and from the heart. ‘Heaven In The Back Seat’ - a song that should have made them household names, opened up a short but superb set. The good side of playing a 55 minute set…..all the stops are pulled out. From ‘Velvet Touch’ from the 80s, to the likes of ‘Bittersweet’ and ‘Radio’ from more recent years, Romeo’s Daughter have not lost any of their effectiveness. They finished the set 80s heavy with the upbeat ‘Inside Out’, ‘I Cry Myself To Sleep At Night’ - one of my all time favourite tracks, and finishing with a blast of the song that Heart covered, the obligatory ‘Wild Child’. Great stuff. (8.5/10)

All of a sudden, when you thought the main arena couldn’t get any busier, it suddenly became almost unbearably full. In three previous visits, I’ve never seen the arena as full as this. The reason I hear you ask……’Jizzy Pearl’s ‘Love/Hate’. Fair play to whoever built a massive cross out of Budweiser cans. They opened with ‘Wasted In America’ and the crowd went nuts. If anyone on the bill, looked like they had lived, loved and survived the 80s up until now, it was Jizzy Pearl, looking all the part a rock star. I’m going to wind a few people up here but the vocals got on my wotsits a little bit. It was like someone was kicking a bagful of Yorkshire Terriers around. I caught the first seven songs, and whilst I enjoyed the set. I wasn’t as keen as all the people around me, which is probably because Love /Hate aren’t AOR to me. Although I am sorry that I missed the rock classic ‘Blackout….’ (6.5/10)

I trundled over to the second stage to catch HRH virgins Epic. Fronted by the spectacular vocal range of Tanya Rizkala Agostine (she’s not Welsh!), this is a band (Like Bailey) that should have been performing on the main stage. If you haven’t heard of Epic, where have you been? Opening with the extremely powerful ‘Love Will Find A Way’ Tanya’s vocals were even better than the recorded version. Epic give the bigger and more established bands a run for their money. Great things come in small packages, and that’s what Tanya is. Her vocals could strip paint at 50m, and couple this with the fretwork dexterity of Mario Agostine and some Billy Sheehan-esque bass playing from Carlos Bouchabki for great effect. Throw in drummer Souheil Moukaddem, and Epic give one of the performances of the weekend. Again, its more classic rock per se than AOR, but us AOR fans know a good band when we see one. As the set went on the audience grew. My fave was the 80s rifftastic ‘Like a Phoenix’ followed by a great rendition of AC/DCs ‘Highway To Hell’. For some reason their allotted time wasn’t filled, and they finished with the sexy ‘Nah Nah Nah’ five mins earlier than expected.  I’d like to see Epic re-invited as they deserve another crack at the main stage. This was another highlight of the weekend. (8.5/10)

I scuttled back across to the main stage to view the last three songs of Bang Tango. They were a band I never got into in the 80s and the reason was in these last three songs. The vocals were whiny and just poor. The crowd around me heard a rendition of ‘Highway To Hell’ and went nuts, but Epic did it so much better ten minutes earlier. If I was harsh on Jizzy Pearl, then Joe Lesté fans should stop reading now. This sleaze (not AOR HRH!) was as fun as a root canal without the anaesthetic. And then doing it all again....and again...and again...(4/10)

  I’ve been waiting to see this next band for the best part of 30 years. I’d have killed to have seen them with their original singer, but that was not to be, so I had to settle for two originals…..Steve Lynch and Horny Horn ( I mean Randy Rand) of Autograph! Yes I was like a dog with two dicks, or as happy as pig in shit. They are now completed by Simon Daniels (Vox/guitar) and Marc Wieland (drums). If I were any closer I’d have been either in the photo pit, or as a guitar tech. Autograph exploded into life for me, and I soon forgot about the Plunkett effect. ‘Deep End’, ‘Dance All Night’, ‘Loud and Clear’ came at me faster than a bullet strapped to a greased pig. Lynch’s guitar playing was as I heard on record 30 years ago, and Rand looked like he had stepped straight out of a Marlboro advert. I’ve heard the sound was piss-poor from others, but down the front it wasn’t felt (Most had issues on the main stage – sort it out next time HRH!). ‘Blondes In Black Cars’, ‘Send Her To Me’ and ‘All I’m Gonna Take’ were sandwiched by two fairly new songs, with ‘I Lost My Mind In America’ being the best of the new. After Lynch’s stellar rendition of Lynch's solo it was time to cry like a baby and witness one of the best ever AOR songs laid down on vinyl (or cassette), ‘Turn Up The Radio’, and thanks to GTA its also a song for all ages. It was a perfect ending, and Autograph were the band of the day for me. (9/10)

Again Like Romeos Daughter, FM are as reliable and faithful as a reliable and faithful reliable thing. Its now a full ten years since they reformed and their output has been prolific and also of very high quality. Coming on 10 mins later than planned and finishing near to time, I felt a bit short changed. But what was missed in time was made up in the set list of some FM outstanding classics. Jim Kirkpatrick looked every inch the star with a trimmed look and aviator shades. He’s really added extra punch to FM since his arrival. FM is mainly about one guy, and that is the UK Michael Bolton…..Steve Overland, rightly known as THE VOICE! FM did something I’ve not witnessed in years, opening to a couple of  pyro’s for ‘Diggin Up The Dirt’. Again the first few songs were a bit ropey in the sound dept., not FMs doing. All was sorted for the best song that never appeared on an album, ‘Let Love Be The Leader’. A couple of hardly played songs made this evenings set, the song that should have set their path to stardom, ‘Someday’, and the superb ‘Tough It Out’. They went for the big finish with ‘Other Side Of Midnight’ and on the basis of the songs on offer, in my humble opinion a mistake was made with the headliner, as FM have the songs and substance to highlight this great AOR festival. Considering the type of festival this is, they were the first band to have a keyboardist on show. (8/10)

The headline act is Lita Ford. I saw her in the early 80s supporting Rainbow on the ‘BOOS’ tour. To be honest, I can hardly remember anything from that set, and the chances are, give me a month and I will be in exactly the same position after this set. I cant complain about the sound, as the songs paled into insignificance with other bands on this bill today. One thing I will say is that Lita Ford still looks fantastic. However, looks cant carry you forever, the songs have to do some talking. From where I was stood (on the upper level near the bar), the songs were bland and uninspiring. I was wondering how someone can headline a festival based on 2 solo songs in ‘Close My Eyes Forever’ where she was joined on stage by a crowd member who was dressed like a Poundland Ozzy, miming the Ozzy parts, and the encore ‘Kiss Me Deadly’, and the other well known song from The Runaways…‘Cherry Bomb’. I looked around near me and I think this is a sign

of what I’m thinking, as lots of people near me were having conversations, and at no point in time did people stop and look up and listen, which would be the reaction to have for a great performance, or song. It was not to be. Near the bar, and way before the last few songs, the area, which was packed out at the beginning of the set, was almost empty. If I judged it by colour, it would be Magnolia. (6/10)

Saturday…..

I watched the last three songs of Haxan based on their T-shirt. ‘You don’t need a cock…..to know how to rock’. My kind of band I thought. The reality was a bit different. I have to give them kudos and balls for a three piece that wants to rock out, but they were let down a bit by the quality of their songs. The feistiness is there, which is great, and I hope they develop into a great little band. Their best shout came from a Zep cover ‘Rock and Roll’. There are lots of other AOR bands in a similar position who would have killed for a slot like this. (6/10)

‘Watch Devilstars’ says Dennis, they’re great. So I did, up to a point.  Their intro tape meant they could have almost fit in an extra song. They looked the part, but the sound of the vocals was inaudible. I don’t think it was down to the sound guy, it was just piss poor projection. I lasted just four songs of the set, and was glad to get out to the main stage. Who did I see in there…..yes, Dennis, who had lasted just two songs of his own tip. (5/10)

Summers were well into their set by the time I landed. This is the third time I have seen them and the first two times they were great. The last was at the inaugural HRH AOR at Magna. What I got this time was a disjointed Summers. Whereas a lot of other bands had a theme or a ‘look’ Summers didn’t know what direction they were headed in. Yes the sound was dodgy again, but I give the band the benefit of the doubt. Crash Summers appeared to be disinterested and there had a severe lack of activity up there. Plus, his gran would have been well pissed off when she realises that he was wearing her curtain tie-backs. ‘Inseparable’ was like a Bon-Jovi country track which is now all the rage. They made up for it with decent versions of ‘Shot In The Dark’ and ‘I Came Here To Rock’. Five years ago I thought Summers had a great future, but they have been over taken by bands on this festival that are now higher up the bill. I really hope they pull something good out of the bag in the near future as I still want them to make it. If they do, it will probably be the hard way. (5.5/10)

  The next band should have the previous three I have mentioned, standing in the photo pit taking notes on how a gig should be done. Or at second best giving them all lines. The Radio Sun, making their second appearance in a row at HRH (four if you count their own, and six if you add the Paul Laine gigs), are aeons ahead of most of the bands on this whole roster. I was hoping for a bit of light hearted banter, with say the ‘Home & Away’ theme tune as an intro, but they came out with all guns blazing for ‘Tell Me What You Want’ With Steve Janevski and Jason Old, pulling out the 80s shapes and style, the only thing missing was a Scorpions pyramid. Their ace up the sleeve are Robbie Erdmanis and Ben Wignall. Why you may ask?  I will tell you why, because when these two are added to the mix with Steve’s BVs all backing up Jason, then its pure harmony heaven. ‘Wrong Things Right’ drove this fact home even more, as the final lines send me and hopefully others into a goosey frenzy! ‘One In A Million’ follows the same path. Why if it aint broke, don’t fix it. Highlights for me are ‘Worlds Crazy Now’ and their cover of an Andy Taylor classic ‘I Might Lie’. The Radio Sun are a class act, and should they make it three in a row, they fully deserve at least an hour to perform next time around. (9/10)

The spit and polish effect continued into the afternoon with Brit melodic rock starlets, Vega. I’ve previously stated that these guys get better every time I see them. Well this is the third time in less than 6 weeks, and I still stand by that statement. Vega are built for the big stage. Their songs are made for it, their vocalist Nick Workman is made for it, Bollox, all of them deserve the bigger stage and the chance to play in front of thousand(s). Should Vega stick around long enough, they are at the sharp end of being the best in their field. All the songs are anthems, end of. No expense is spared when it comes to their tunes. You can tell that every note and word has been carefully chosen and sweated over for maximum effect. Vega are the second band of the weekend to have the ‘must have’

AOR keyboards. Vega prove to be one of the best bands of the whole weekend, their time on the road currently with DRN has tightened up their repertoire even more. Its just killer after killer – 'Stereo Messiah', 'Every Little Monster,' and 'WTH' just bombarded us with quality, and 'Fade Into The Flames’ highlights just how good a singer Nick Workman is, he just doesn’t stand still and is the focal point for Vega. The pièce de résistance for me is the set closer ‘Saving Grace’, an absolute defining song for Vega that shows they are ready for the next big step. (9/10)

My final viewing of the day was for Paul Laine (I had a meeting to keep with a real Count! I’m sure it was Count!!). Backed by the lads from The Radio Sun for their third appearance of the weekend, I knew it was going to be a bit special. I caught 8 of the 100 songs of the set and was blown away by how good Laine is, even when he is well on the way to being shitfaced! Some people may find him a bit arrogant due to the drink, but I prefer to let the voice literally do the singing. What with Paul also playing guitar, they are the AOR equivalent of Iron Maiden, because with Steve and Jason also playing, there’s absolutely nothing that can be played.  There wasn’t much solo stuff to be played unfortunately. Then again, he was in D2 after all. I’d love to have heard a

Defiants track if I’m honest, but its no loss, as Paul is still fantastic. His on loan guitar from Lee Revill kept failing in the strap dept., so there’s now’t that duct tape can’t fix, even if it probably lifts the lacquer of it. ‘Under The Gun’, ‘We Are The Young’ and ‘Don’t break My Heart Again’ just tripped off the tongue. I’d love to see him, and as The Defiants invited back. I just hope his liver allows him to! (8.5/10)

One again, HRH have one of the best organised festivals in the UK. Whilst I don’t necessarily agree with their choice of bands (at the very least, Epic and Bailey should be on the main stage) as more than a few were sleaze than AOR, but it proved overall to be very good, but it could have been great. I’m already looking forward to the next one.

Pictures courtesy of Simon Dunkerley and Sean Larkin 

Dan Reed Network and Vega Live Review - The Live Rooms Chester, 4th March 2017

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Dan Reed Network + Vega – Live Rooms Chester, Sat 4^th March 2017

The two bands on stage tonight deserve/d to be huge. DNR had all the ducks lined up in the late 80s/ early 90s and were tugging on the coattails of the likes of Bon Jovi with their funk/rap/jazz/ soul infused hard rock edge with some pop overtones. They were fairly unique in their day, and is possibly....no, make that definitely why their record company did bugger all in spreading the word. So instead of tonight’s gig being at Wembley, it’s at the Chester Live Rooms. 

Vega on the other hand still deserves a shot at being huge. They’ve been around a while now (since 2009) and with every passing album and gig, there’s bigger and better performances coming from the guys.  Last night nudged my Vega viewing into double figures. One thing these lads do ever so well is, first and foremost hit you with a powerful melody. The first song ‘Stereo Messiah’ was missed due to visa issues (a Welshman travelling into England) so I entered to the anthemic ‘What The Hell’ and by this point in the place was rocking. Its also nice to see a Live Room gig attended by quite a few people for once, and Vega, whilst nowhere near the same type of band as DRN, they prove to be a perfect foil for them. When you have the Martin brothers shitting out melodies for fun, and then having this backed with the guitar prowess of Marcus Thurston, and a powerful and engaging front man like Nick Workman, it makes for a cracking nights entertainment. ‘Gonna Need Some Love Tonight’ is a prime example – infectious, and with an end line harmony that will melt the hearts of any a detractor. Apart from a minor potential electrocution, Vega was superb. New songs like 'Every Little Monster' (I cant type it without singing it) are potential future classics. All the songs are anthemic, and why set out your stall as being ‘average’ when you can write and perform songs like ‘Hands In The Air’, ‘White Flag’ and ‘Savin’ Grace’. I expect them to be one of the bands of the festival at HRH next weekend.

Dan Reed Network is a different band. They all seem relaxed; in fact I don’t think I’ve ever seen a happier looking band. Just don’t miss your cue, or set the monitors up correctly as Mr Reed, despite the smiles and political statements/and Trump jokes, is a consummate professional. After the lady jiggled some wires  (oo-er!) at the front of the sound desk, we were ready to be taken on a journey. Tonight (possibly others too) the set list is non-existent pretty much and the DRN is open up to offers….but more of that a little later.

Straight up from the debut is in force with DRN storming into ‘Ritual’. Despite being the wrong side of 50 (60+ for Brion James!), not just Dan, its all bar young Rob, they all prance about the stage just like it was 1988. The faithful were not to be disappointed, songs were played from all across the network, “seven Sisters Road” played with a frenetic ending, after which the floor was opened up by Dan, now taking requests….’Rainbow Child’ shouted a punter. The usual response for this said Dan was for every ‘Woo-hoo’, there’s a ‘fuck no!’ Thankfully the ‘fuck no’s’ were beaten down and they hammered it. ‘I’m So Sorry’ was up next. It sounded as if it hadn’t had an airing in quite some time, but this added to the whole enjoyment and spontaneity of the evening. I prefer to call it an ‘off the cuff’ performance.

‘Baby Now I’ segued into a medley of Kiss’ ‘I was Made For Lovin’ You’, ‘Enter sandman’, ‘Relax’ ‘All Right’ (sung by Melvin, followed by a bass solo) and a smidge of ‘Highway To Hell’ Fantastic stuff indeed! A couple of new songs (Infected’ and  ‘Champion’) sandwiched ‘Under My Skin’ and some Bruce Lee Kung Fu with added drum sound effects. Young pup Rob Daiker was given the chance to shine with one of his own songs, an excellent blues number ‘All For A Kiss’ first accompanied by Brion, then the rest of the Network joining in. This stripped down version with just a guitar was superb.

The last three songs were at hand with ‘Ritual’ being my fave of the evening. That much so, I still can’t stop singing it some 15 hours later. The staple ballad ‘Stronger Than Steel’ set the tone, finishing with a crescendo and ‘Tiger In A Dress’.

Dan still sounds pretty much identical as he did almost 30 years ago, and it makes for a terrific nights entertainment. Throw in James. Pred, Brannon Jr and Daiker, and the end result is one of the best gigs you’ll witness in 2017 or any other year. Most of the gigs are almost sold, so what are you waiting for….get your asses our to one of the best tickets in town. All this for a mere £9 a band and you can say hi afterward. No £50 meet n greet to be seen here folks! My only gripe…..no ‘Make It Easy’, ‘Slam’ or ‘Long Way To Go.’

That said Vega and Dan Reed Network provided one of the gigs of the year without a shadow of a doubt.

PICTURES COURTESY OF 'JEFF PRICE PHOTOGRAPHY'

You can still catch them on tour......

DRN March 2017 UK Tour with special guests VEGA

Mar 5: The Globe Cardiff
Mar 7: The Cluny Newcastle (Sold Out)
Mar 8: Òran Mór Glasgow
Mar 10: The 100 Club London (Sold Out)
Mar 11: The Local Authority Sheffield
Mar 12: The Robin 2 Bilston
Mar 14: The Ruby Lounge Manchester
Mar 15: Rescue Rooms Nottingham

Photo by Jeff Price. #DanReedNetwork

Lionville - 'A World Of Fools' Album Review

Lionville – A World Of Fools

Born as a high profile project dedicated to pure AOR with a touch of Westcoast and melodic rock, Lionville draw inspiration from acts like Toto, Richard Marx, Giant, Bad English, Survivor, and Boulevard. The project was started by Stefano Lionetti, a songwriter, singer, and guitarist based in Genova, Italy and his brother Alessandro. After years of playing the local club circuit of Genova, Stefano started LIONVILLE with the encouragement and help of Pierpaolo “Zorro” Monti (Shining Line) and Alessandro Del Vecchio (Edge Of Forever, Eden's Curse, Hardline). With the involvement of singer Lars Säfsund (Work Of Art), LIONVILLE quickly began to take shape

Its surprising how fast time passes. It’s been five years since Lionville II was released. In a time where peoples musical tastes change quickly, and more and more bands come into the scene, five years is a lifetime. Good things come to those who wait……

There’s been a bit of tinkering in the lineup since ‘II’, but thankfully the sound behind Lionville remains constant with Stefano Lionetti and Lars Såfsund the two key components. Bringing up the rest of Lionville is Michele Cusato – Guitars, Giulio Dagnino – Bass, and Martino Malacrida – Drums

If I had to describe Lionville’s sound, it would be in two simple words….’silky smooth’.  Most of that is down to Såfsund’s vocals. Since he came on the scene with Work Of Art, his vocals prove to be one of the finest in this genre. If anything, the quality of songs are what makes or breaks a band, and this is the finest Lionville album yet. Its 80s AOR with a Westcoast vibe that will have fans of Toto and the like in raptures. Its aor-candy for the 21^st Century!

‘A World Of Fools’ is consistently good, with a few songs that rise above the parapet into excellent. Their stall is well and truly set out with the pacey and riff heavy opener ‘I Will Wait’. ‘Show Me The Love’ is European pop/rock AOR at its best. ‘Bring Me Back Our Love’ ticks all the melodic rock boxes in abundance, polished sound, hugely melodic chorus, and strong riffage! ‘One More Night’ is one song that is to be played at maximum volume just to show off the infectious chorus and rip roaring solo. ‘Heaven Is Right Here’ follows the same musical path. There’s a lot of positivity in this album, very uplifting any a joy to listen to, as ‘All I Want’ proves. With a song like ‘Livin’ On The Edge’ I expected a rip-snorter of a track, whereas it’s the complete opposite. Its not bad, but its not the best on the album by a long shot. ‘Our Good Goodbye’ is so Toto-esque, I half expect to hear WIllaims/Lukather and Paich to be playing on it! ‘Paradise’ is another of those anthemic arena songs that Lionville seem able to write without and issue. Its like shelling peas for them.

I’ve enjoyed the Lionville journey so far. Their debut came out of the blue for me initially, and ‘II’ was also a joy. I think with ‘A World Of Fools’ they have surpassed themselves.  Existing fans…it’s a no-brainer. If you have not listened before, what are you waiting for. Its silky smooth, highly polished Westcoast AOR. Its exactly the type of band Toto should take on the road with them.

February is proving to be a strong month for Frontiers…

Score 85/100

Tracklisting

I Will Wait

Show Me The Love

Bring Back Our Love

Heaven Is Right Here

A World Of Fools

One More Night

All I Want

Livin’ On The Edge

Our Good Goodbye

Paradise

Image Of Your Soul

Lionville are

Stefano Lionetti – Guitars, Vocals, Keyboards

Lars Såfsund – Lead & Backing Vocals

Michele Cusato – Guitars

Giulio Dagnino – Bass

Martino Malacrida – Drums

Tokyo Motor Fist - 'ST' Album Review

Tokyo Motor Fist – TMF

Now, either Tokyo Motor Fist has come from a random name generator, or its an inspired band name. I can just imagine the conversation….Ted...‘Guys c’mon! The albums almost finished and we don’t have a band name for that Italian dude that’s given us the money to make this thing’. Chuck, ‘I know, lets come up with a name something like your porn name – you know your first pet and the street where you live!’ Ted, ‘Awesome dude! Let's put the following things in the hat….1. Your favourite place….2. A part of a car…..3. a body part’

So out of the hat comes ‘Tokyo Motor Fist’. It's a good job they didn’t go with the second random generated name….’Paris Gearbox Elbow’.

Based on this line up I am expecting great things, as these guys should know what they are doing and what fans expect. After all, it is Ted Poley (D2), Steve Brown (Trixter), Greg Smith (Rainbow, Ted Nugent) and Chuck Burgi (Rainbow, JLT, BOC). As per The Defiants debut last year, I want this to be every bit as good.  Best way I can describe the whole experience is that its like the summer feel-good sound of Y&Ts Summertime Girls crossed with D2s Naughty Naughty and a slice of Van Halen thrown in for good measure. There’s not a single duff track on this album, and its one of the most feel good, uplifting, unashamed slices of 80s classic rock AOR. They’ve gone through the elements of the 80s that made their original bands great – huge riffs…check. Even bigger harmonies….check. Widdly solos….double check!

Ted Poley sounds great. Basically, the album just flies by. The first six songs just kick you in the nuts and doesn’t back off for a single second. Its hard to pick any faves as its so consistent. If I had to pick one, it would be the all guns blazing ‘Shameless’. Its in a similar vein to DFPs ‘Gimme Your Good Lovin’. The album only draws breath for the ballad-ish ‘Don’t Let Me Go’, before that 80s influenced (and future classic I swear to God) ‘Put Me To Shame’. In fact its one of the best songs I heard in the last few years. It’s that good, I asked the mother in law to knit me a new set of legwarmers! ‘Done To Me’ is as if Poley was fronting Def Leppard. ‘Get You Off My Mind’ borders on arena rock with its instantly memorable chorus. The album is all over waaay too quickly with the brisk and pulsating ‘Fallin’ Apart’.

Signore Perugino certainly has a knack when he is putting projects together. I'm hoping (like The Defiants) that Tokyo Motor Fist tour our shores, or at the bear minimum play a festival over the coming 12 months. TMF is one of the best debuts I’ve heard since The Defiants, Blood Red Saints & Angels Or Kings in recent years. Its not just the Poley Show, in fact Steve Browns guitar work is simple awesome, and when its all backed up by the gruesome twosome of Burgi and Smith, it all makes for a superb album and listening experience!

If this isn’t at the sharp end of my (and your) top 5 albums of 2016 I’ll be very surprised

95/100 (it has to be immense to get 100)

Tokyo Motor Fist are

Ted Poley – Vocals

Steve Brown – Guitars

Greg Smith – Bass

Chuck Burgi – Drums

Tracklisting –

Picking Up The Pieces

Love Me Insane

Shameless

Love

Black And Blue

You’re My Revolution

Don’t Let Me go

Put Me To Shame

Done To Me

Get You Off My Mind

Fallin’ apart

Unruly Child - 'Can't Go Home' Album Review

Unruly Child – Cant Go Home

Grunge well and truly fucked up my music. All the bands I'd loved had packed it in. Some would say a new movement was needed as the hair metal bands of the time were getting out of hand and writing copious amounts of tripe. It wasn’t until I found a magazine called Hard Roxx in 1997 that this world opened up for me again. Not only that, there were a whole host of bands that had still been releasing albums that were so underground, it was if Jules Verne had a record label. Between 89-97 I only really listened to bands that has just about managed to survive grunge and were still releasing music.

Cracking melodic rock bands passed me by – Red Dawn, Signal, Ten, Talisman, etc., the list is huge. One voice really stood out for me once I started delving back into this world, and it was a familiar voice…..the voice of one Mark Free. The first King Kobra  album was probably one of my top 5 hair metal albums of the 80s, so much so, I re-recorded the bugger at least 3 times on cassette. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that he had still been releasing music as a part of Signal, Unruly Child, and at that current time was a solo artiste.

The original members of the legendary melodic hard rock quintet Unruly Child have reunited to release a brand new album with Frontiers Music Srl entitled “Can’t Go Home”.

Marcie Michelle Free (vocalist - King Kobra, Signal), Bruce Gowdy (guitarist – Stone Fury, World Trade), and Guy Allison (keyboardist – Lodgic, World Trade, Doobie Brothers) together with the original band members from the first record, drummer - Jay Schellen (Hurricane, World Trade, Asia), and bassist - Larry Antonino (Pablo Cruise), comprise the line-up for this recording.

Well, Marcie still has the voice to melt the hardest of rock hearts. 'The Only One' is upbeat, just screams Summer and a top down in your convertible. If you don’t have one, just wind the windows down and stick it on full blast. ‘Four Eleven’ has this choppy riff that just is a bit different and completely infectious. At this point, I don’t know if it’s the quality of production, or the fact that I’m streaming the album, as it sounds a bit weak and thin in the ‘oomph’ stakes. 'Driving Into The Future' isn’t a song about Marty McFly, initially it’s a tad music by numbers but picks up with the guitar solo and the message so far is one of a feel good album. ‘Get On Top’ is full of layered harmonies. It’s a bit of a plodder, but the vocals save the day. ‘See if She Floats’ is drowning in its own averageness. Its not really inspiring a track. ‘She Can’t Go Home’ is the closet offering we get so far to a ballad., with Free’s voice being one of the best instruments and its probably the best of the bunch so far. Transgender aside Marcie still sounds like Mark of years ago and that isn’t a bad place to be as its easy to get lost and swept away in the vocals. 'Point Of View' is again a powerful uplifting track, one that harks back to the debut album. ‘Ice Cold Sunshine’ and ‘When Love Is Here’ sees UC stepping up the harmonies and are both examples of Allison’s great keyboard playing. The latter is another that takes influence from the debut. In my eyes, you can never have enough harmonies. ABBA taught me that from an early age!

‘Sunlit Sky’ is a proggy and 70s hippyish sounding song that again features Allison’s keyboard skills. The last track ‘Someday Somehow’ is bookended by a fake audience, and is an average way to bow out unfortunately.

One thing that unites the UC albums, they never seem short of ideas for a dodgy album covers.

In the light of recent times and the now abundance of melodic rock festivals, the time is right surely for a UK appearance. It’s just a case of which one gets lucky (and pays the airfare) and becomes the one to showcase the excellent Unruly Child.

As a final comment ‘Cant Go Home’ is good, but not as good as the debut.

Score 75/100

Unruly Child –

Marcie Michelle free – Vocals

Bruce Gowdy – Guitar

Guy Allison – Keyboards

Jay Schellen – Drums

Larry Antonino – Bass

Trackslisting

The Only One

Four Eleven

Driving Into The Future

Get On Top

See If She Floats

She Can’t Go Home

Point Of View

Ice Cold Sunshine

When Love Is Here

Sunlit Sky

Someday Somehow

Michael Schenker - 'Fest Live' Review

As an ardent, dyed in the wool rock fan, I sometimes, only sometimes feel a bit aggrieved with my lot as a rock fan. The Germans have been getting this 'Rock Meets Classic' for a number of years, bands tour the US as they think there's no other life out of 'Murica, and the Japanese get bonus tracks on albums and throw a lot of money at bands which I'm guessing is the case here. Come on promoters of Great Britain, pull yer fingers out

Few live albums have excited me over the years. In fact I can count the ones that still have a special place on the fingers of one hand - Rainbow 'On Stage', UFO 'SITN', Lizzy's 'L&D', Purple's 'Made In Japan' and MSGs 'One Night In Budokan’. In fact, ‘ONIB’ was my first ever MSG purchase, aged 15!

So what do we have.....well, it's a comprehensive package of a 2 x cd, 1 x DVD (with other formats available). The lucky Japanese got to see a MSG show with, not one, not two, but three of the bands iconic vocalists (and all are still performing today so its not as if they were shipped in a crate, dusted off and given a shot of adrenaline). Top this lot off with legendary bassist Chris Glen, and Ted McKenna. The band is rounded off with Steve Mann (guitar, keys, and Lionheart). 

First of all we get 3/5 of the Budokan line up, and it makes me all nostalgic in wishing Cozy was still with us. 'Into The Arena' kicks thing off extremely well and is a fail-safe way to start proceedings. First up, in order of vocalists is 'my MSG' Gary Barden. Whilst he doesn't hit the high notes of 'Attack Of The Mad Axeman' he still sings well. I think he is just warming up, as for ‘Victim Of Illusion’, ‘Cry For The Nations’, etc., its a very similar Gary to that one of (getting on for) 40 years ago, and is only a bit squeaky on 'Armed And Ready'. Michael, as ever, has not lost a single bit of his guitar god status. His soloing is sill as emotive and flows like a raging torrent, repeating solos note for note from the originals. Scorps classics 'Coast To Coast' is, as ever a staple of Schenkers set and is faultless.

Next up, it's the return of Graham Bonnet. It's quite ironic really, as Bonnet never got the chance to sing his songs live on the ‘Assault Attack’ tour (apart from one infamous gig in Sheffield!). It's probably the most underrated of MSG albums. Not on my watch. If anyone doubts Bonnet’s vocals, he is on fire for 'Assault Attack'. Then it's straight into ‘Desert Song’, which isn't just one of the best MSG songs, it's one of my fave rock songs ever recorded. Bonnet looks as if his jaw is going to dislocate when he goes for the high notes, and as ever he lives up to his reputation of slicked back hair, shades, suit, tie and sneakers. For most of the part his performance is also excellent, just a tad pitchy on the 'poppy' 'Dancer'. 'Captain Nemo', an underrated classic Schenker instrumental is given a good ‘ol airing, before Robin McAuley is introduced. Out of the three vocalists, it's McAuley who sounds the best; his voice unchanged and is still hitting all the high notes with ease. McAuley Schenker Group not the most 'classic' of the MSG line-ups, but they did have a few really good songs, and for some strange reason, the two biggest of the McAuley Schenker Group era songs, 'Gimme Your Love' and 'Anytime' were not played. Strange. 

McAuley is given the opportunity to shine on the Mogg/U.F.O. classics 'Shoot Shoot' and 'Rock Bottom'. He is then joined for the finale by Bonnet and Barden for 'Doctor Doctor', only this time Bonnet didn't grab the guitar tech from behind the speakers and pull him to the front of stage. The crowd go nuts, but it's probably the weakest of the whole set due to the varying vocal styles. 

  

The 1 hour 38 minutes just whizzes by, and that's a testament to the great songs, and great performers coming together for a special gig. 

I'd just remove two of the UFO songs, and concentrate on the MSG. I'd love to have seen 'On and On', 'Ready To Rock' and 'Gimme Your Love' being played., because you can see the UFO at any of the 'Temple....' shows. 

Despite the cracking line up, it's essentially the Michael Schenker show. It's his name above the door so to speak, and it's he that still shines the most. 

The DVD has an annoying filter when viewed. If the blurry is similar on the Blu-ray I'd be well pissed off, as it's like someone's sprinkled dust over the lens. Either that or our telly is filthy! It's there right from the off, which I thought was a 'feature' at first, then some pillock forgot to switch it off. Not the best viewing experience! That aside, this package is worth it just for the DVD, and seeing the 80s MSG reunited.

The CD offers up the same as the DVD, and whilst enjoyable it's not quite the same as being able to see these greats performing on the same stage. Now can somebody please set up a funding page to make this happen in the U.K.

Essential if you're a fan of any of these three MSG eras. 

Score 8/10

Track listing -

Intro: Searching For Freedom

Into The Arena (Barden)

Attack Of The Mad Axeman (Barden)

Victim Of Illusion (Barden)

Cry For The Nations (Barden)

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie (Barden)

Armed And Ready (Barden)

Coast to Coast

Assault Attack (Bonnet)

Desert Song (Bonnet)

Dancer (Bonnet, with Barden & McAuley on BVs)

Captain Nemo

This Is My Heart (McAuley)

Save Yourself (McAuley)

Love Is Not A Game (McAuley)

Shoot Shoot (McAuley)

Rock Bottom (McAuley)

Doctor Doctor (Barden, Bonnet, McAuley)

Line up

Michael Schenker - Lead Guitar

Ted McKenna - Drums

Chris Glen - Bass

Steve Mann - Guitar, Keyboards

The Vocalists

Gary Barden

Graham Bonnet

Robin McAuley

Filmed and recorded at Tokyo's International Forum on August 24th, 2016

Released by inakustik on Friday 24th March 2017

MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST “LIVE” TOKYO

FEATURING THE ORIGINAL MSG VOCALISTS

GARY BARDEN, GRAHAM BONNET AND ROBIN MCAULEY

Available on 2CD, 2CD+DVD combo, LP, DVD, Blu-ray, Digital