Review: Steelhouse Festival 2023 - Saturday

Hafod-y-Dalal Farm
Ebbw Vale

Saturday July 29th

Friday review, here.

Review and Photos – Danni Wilkins/Rob Wilkins/Celtography

I wake after a sound sleep, woken occasionally by the sound of passing showers on the motorhome roof, and somewhat nervously open the skylight blind. To my surprise I am dazzled by the sun rather than depressed by cloudy gloom and, with light flooding the cab, get to work on a fortifying fry-up before meeting the other half who is driving up to join me. After a slight delay due to a lack of wristbands, we dump her gear and head straight to the queue and into the arena.

The running order for the day has changed due to the much anticipated Blues Pills having to pull out and being replaced last minute by Black Spiders to give a decidedly monotone look to the agenda with no less than three out of the eight bands featuring the word “Black”!

First to the stage was the mightily impressive Dead Man’s Whiskey led by the captivating vocals of Nico Rogers. Opening with “Masquerade” I am immediately hooked on their powerful yet melodic tunes but the highlight of their set is a moment of pure emotion as Rogers introduces “Make You Proud” with the story of how it is about his mother and the effect on her memory of an operation for a brain tumour. I have a tear in my eye when he tells the story and it falls as the song itself unfolds. First band of the day and a real moment to remember already!

Austin Gold follows and it is clear that David James Smith was born to be a frontman, ripping out glorious riffs, hitting every note vocally, and covering every inch of the stage and ego ramp as his flowing locks catch the breeze. The material is simple but effective. You don’t have to spend an age acclimatising, just join those around you in appreciating something that’s a bit classic, a bit Southern, and a lot enjoyable.

So to the re-jig of the agenda and the return of Black Spiders. Now. I struggled to enjoy their set last year. I didn’t know why! They pulled all the poses, had a well-rounded heavy sound, got the crowd on their side, and clearly appealed to more people than they didn’t, but it just didn’t work for me! So, I left space in my mind to give them another go and see if last time was due to my tiredness when they played, or some other external factor. Unfortunately, I found myself feeling the same way and drifted off the explore the stalls halfway through their set. As is so often the case in a relationship that doesn’t work, I would say it’s not them, it’s me! They drew a good crowd that clearly loved them and other reviewers enjoyed their set immensely.

Talking to the pool of photographers before the next band, Black Mirrors, there seemed to be a distinct lack of anyone that knew what to expect, so I headed to the pit not really knowing what I might encounter. Marcella Di Troia appears on stage, throws a shape, opens her mouth, and ohhhhh yes! THIS I like! In fact, I like it a lot! I have no idea how to define their sound. It seems to vary from song to song. Compare the fuzzy, dark “Snake Oil” with the brooding “Tears to Share” and the breadth of their offering is clear and sandwiches a whole gamut of styles. It’s Di Troia’s vocals and stage presence that captivate me though and as soon as we leave the pit I join my other half who has a beaming smile and just mouths “wow”!

Another female-fronted band making waves are Canadians The Damn Truth and the sun returns to illuminate their gloriously stylish stage wear. I have seen Lee-la Baum and the guys a number of times now and they just keep getting better and better. Starting with the voice and stage presence of the lady herself. Then the sexual chemistry with the band members. Finally, some great musicianship and showmanship delivering a series of great songs. From “This is Who We Are Now”, a perfect introduction if ever there was one, through “Only Love” to “Tomorrow”, their set flies by in a blur of paisley and patchouli and is over FAR too quickly, leaving behind a lot of new admirers.

The next two bands are certainly not strangers to the crowd or the mountain.

First up are Florence Black. Following on from a stunning album release in “Weight of the World” I am excited to see them back on a big stage. Today however left me feeling that an opportunity was somehow missed. The songs are immense. “Bird on a Chain” has the audience moving. “Zulu” is a bludgeoning broadsword of a song. The cover of “Breadfan”, generates a good mosh pit and the simply immense modern classic “Sun and Moon” stands against anything else played over the weekend. For me though something was missing. Frontman Tristan Thomas seemed restrained, remaining on the main stage for most of the set. Jordan Evan’s bass didn’t sound right in the mix at all (a comment from a fellow photographer that several in the arena noticed too) and somehow it left me feeling that the trio somehow had an “off day” instead of a triumphant homecoming.

Those Damn Crows on the other hand seize the opportunity as they have done so often before. Every time they take to a stage they seem to have matured, grown, developed, and stepped up. The recent sell-out Swansea arena gig has clearly honed their stagecraft on a bigger stage even more and I would say that this is the best, most polished, and simply professional performance that I have seen from them.

It all revolves around frontman Shane Greenhall and his personality. Sometimes appearing overwhelmed with emotion at the reception the band gets, then his infectious humour takes over and he has the ability to make you feel the bond is with YOU personally rather than the crowd. Behind him, the various personalities of the band complement each other perfectly. I would bet each person in the “Crow family” has a different favourite crow! The set never loses energy or direction, but for me, the sign of just how big this band can be is best seen with the evolution of “Blink of an Eye”. It is now an anthem that deserves the biggest of auditoria. It grows and swells and takes you on an emotional journey in a way that is truly special. As you look around every person is going on that journey in their own way, with personal memories of loss. Truly triumphant – the challenge now is to keep the momentum going outside Wales, where they are fast becoming almost Godlike, and appear as high up the bill or higher in other festivals. Then, my money is on a Steelhouse headline set on a Saturday or Sunday a couple of years down the road.

So to our headliners, Airbourne. The lights blaze and Joel O’Keeffe leaps over the monitors as he blitzes on stage and we are off! Broken foot or not, the man is not held back at all. Running, leaping, screaming out the lyrics in a blur of manic activity. It doesn’t take long before he is launching beers into the crowd. I see one arc into the air and realise it is heading straight for me. I try to track it but it is like a heat-seeking beer missile and follows me. I dodge last minute and it splashes my legs rather than my camera and as I look up, I see a cheeky antipodean grin looking back at me.

You don’t get subtle sophistication with Airbourne. You get simple, loud, energetic rock and what better way is there to find those last reserves of energy after a long day? The music sometimes takes second place to the theatrics. Beer is constantly being lobbed into the audience, Lemmy’s bar makes an appearance, and an entire bottle of JD is poured into just four glasses, gently blessed with a topping of coke, and then handed out to the audience who, sensibly, take a sip and pass the lethal brew around. There is a moment of genuine connection when Joel talks about the fact that steel for Sydney Harbour Bridge was made locally, then the band plays the rarely heard “Steel Town”. The pace doesn’t stop until the last chords echo across the valleys, the band takes a bow to a huge ovation and the lights finally dim, leaving us to make our way back to our vans or enjoy the rock disco in the “sun shade” at the end of a typically Steelhouse day of variety and some triumphant sets.