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Zodiac :  Metal Reputation : 1
Join date : 2014-02-25
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 | |  The Rock Train on Siren 107.3FM Presents..... (LIVE REVIEW) | |
The Rock Train on Siren 107.3FM Presents.....
Iron Knights, Lock Up Laura, JD & The FDCs and Agent
Rock Haven Rock Bar, Lincoln, UK 31st May 2014
It's always a pleasure to visit, as a punter, or play a gig at 'Rock Haven' in the centre of Lincoln, UK and I've done both, it's a great little venue with knowledgeable and friendly hosts and crowd, open till 2am and it's always free entry! What more could you ask for? With that in mind, it was a no brainer that I visited, to cover, the debut gig evening put on by my good mates Mark 'Tosh' Davies and Kev Pasco who host 'The Rock Train' radio show on local Lincoln Station 'Siren 107.3FM'. Over the last 18 months or so they have done a superb job in making the show bigger and better, introducing people to some wonderful music and promoting great up and coming Rock & Metal bands in the Lincolnshire area as well as further afield. It was a natural extension that they decided to put on showcase gigs for some of these bands and 'Rock Haven' is a perfect fit for their venture! With four great and diverse acts on the bill did the first evening go without a hitch?
First up were London based Progressive Alt Rock/Metal band Agent. Originally from New Zealand, they relocated to the UK in 2008 and it was obviously a wise move as they are really starting to get noticed. Having already recorded an acoustic session for radio earlier in the day they hit the 'stage' running. You know I'm not always a big fan of 'Alternative Rock' bands but Agent mix up their Tool/Muse influences with some really heavy riffing and choruses, great lead and harmony vocals and thunderous bass and drums! Sometimes it really is best to experience a band for the first time in a live setting. and Agent certainly deliver in that department as the assembled crowd would happily testify. Even though I was unfamiliar with the material the songs really stuck and I now have a copy of their latest album to review. Look out for this lot because they are doing a great job of merging musical styles with a heap of talent!
Up next were a band I'm more familiar with, JD & The FDCs from my neck of the woods 'The East Midlands'. Playing good old Punk style Rock N Roll, they blasted through a great set full of dirty riffs and sweat all washed down with some Jack Daniels and plenty of fun. Vocalist JD (Jamie Delerict), who you might have seen with the Marky Ramone Band or occasionally The Misfits, is an energetic ball of activity with a wicked sense of humour and the rest of the band 'Dazmondo' (guitar), 'Joey Strange' (bass) and 'Danny Gunn' (drums), who are always decked out in matching black shirts, jeans and armbands made the most of the small amount of space available and put on a hugely enjoyable show and they've got the tunes to back it up. This is the sort of music venues like 'Rock Haven' were built for!
Even though there was a good crowd in, at about 11pm Rock Haven always starts to get busier as some of the other pubs close for the evening and it was perfect timing for local favourites Lock Up Laura to continue the music. Based in Lincoln, this young band already have a well received debut album out and there is some serious buzz regarding their sophomore release due later this year. 'Tosh' and Kev have really taken this lot under their wing and watching them live for the first time it's clear to understand why. Another band with a US, Alternative sound they are way beyond their years when it comes to both maturity and talent and are a lovely bunch of guys as well. Personally not every song hits the mark with me, but that's down to my musical preferences and there is no doubt a huge audience for this type of music! With the right people behind them they are going to go a very long way!
With the crowd more than happy with the evening so far, at midnight, it was the turn of final band, the revamped Iron Knights, to hit Rock Haven and hit it they did BIG TIME. I wouldn't be surprised to revisit soon and see a few cracks in the walls due to this performance. Any small, nagging doubts I had after reviewing their latest, self titled, album earlier in the year, were completely blown out of the water. This was Heavy Metal Heaven. These guys have been through a lot of ups and downs over the last couple of years and it's testament to their determination that they now seem settled and are forging ahead. Playing tracks, mostly from the new album, they take on a completely fresh feel in a live setting. New guitarist Wayne Mann scythed his way through the material and new vocalist/guitarist Jamie Gibson is a much more talented individual than I gave him credit for in my previous review. Performances of the whole night though have to go to the rhythm partnership of bassist Paul 'Beam' Robbie and my old mate and drum king Larry Paterson. These two have played together for a long while and Zeus himself couldn't have made a louder, more intimidating sound. Absolutely fantastic stuff, and with an unexpected but mind blowing cover of Drowning Poll's 'Bodies' to end the set, it left me with a huge smile on my face!
So there you have it! There were no hitches. Change over's were quick and tidy, the sound man did an awesome job, the crowd thoroughly enjoyed themselves and last, but certainly not least, all four bands put on great performances. 'Tosh' and Kev, I applaud you, most sincerely, for putting on a fabulous evening and continuing to bring the music to an ever growing audience. Lincoln thoroughly deserves two guys with your passion and drive. Roll on 'The Rock Train Presents....II' in November. I'll be there with bells on!
https://www.facebook.com/IronKnightsBand
https://www.facebook.com/LockUpLauraMusic
https://www.facebook.com/jdandthefdcs
https://www.facebook.com/agentbandhq
https://www.facebook.com/rockhaven.rockbar
https://www.facebook.com/therocktrain
Review written exclusively for Brutiful Entertainment by Rick Tilley
www.facebook.com/richard.tilley.351
Photos: A couple of my feeble attempts but mostly supplied courtesy of the lovely Debbi Ruskin. Thanks Debbi!
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