For hotly-tipped rising UK rock outfit Empyre, it made perfect sense to give their loyal fanbase the first chance to hear the forthcoming new album ‘Relentless’ in a cinema. If ever there was a UK band that served up their music in widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio as opposed to shitty …
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When the choice of intro music is ‘Boats ‘N Hoes’ from the (robbed by the Academy Awards panel, robbed I tell you) Step Brothers movie blaring out at full volume, then you know that it’s going to be a special evening. When the third song of the evening is a …
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SWX, Bristol23rd Feb 2023Review and photos – Rob WilkinsNight three of three gigs in a row and if there was any chance of exhaustion I can think of no band better than the theatrical and exuberant Avatar to shake the synapses and provide musical Red Bull.This was my first visit …
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A few years back I was lucky enough to see and shoot Nightwish at the Birmingham Arena. The support that day, which totally owned the massive stage with a huge sound, were a band called Beast in Black. I loved their cheesy Euro style and stage presence and have been …
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Black Star Riders/Michael Monroe/Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons The Tramshed, Cardiff, 21st Feb 2023 Review and photos Rob Wilkins Changing to self-employed has given me a lot more freedom to move work around to facilitate gigs, so tonight was set up to be the first of three gigs in …
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Opening nights are important to touring bands. They help set the tone for the shows to follow, as well as give bands the knowledge of what works and what they can improve on. With all that said, it’s to the surprise of literally no one that Bullet for My Valentine …
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For Bridgend’s famous sons Those Damn Crows, it’s a case of all roads leading southwest to the last date on their ‘Inhale/Exhale’ tour: a headline appearance at the brand-new Swansea Arena. To say that the band’s first Arena headline appearance will be an emotional evening is like saying that the …
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“Do you know where you are?” Perth Concert Hall, baby. The beautiful glass-fronted building is a welcome sight on a very windy Friday night. The foyer is very busy with a mixture of people smartly dressed for an evening at the theatre, and people dressed to rock vampire style in …
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For fans of symphonic metal, the last few months must have seemed as if their lottery numbers came up and it was a triple-rollover. The tail end of 2022 saw both Within Temptation and Nightwish returning to the live arena, and 2023 shows zero sign of letting up on the …
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Given that Finnish Queen of Metal Tarja last played in Scotland as a member of Nightwish – the band that she departed in 2005 – it’s fair to say that her long-awaited (and delayed by you-know-what) appearance in Glasgow was a tad overdue. Named after 2019’s studio album ‘In The …
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