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@ Newcastle o2 Academy, March 10 2010

With all good metal bands there is no higher accolade than being mentioned in the same breath as Metallica.  However, with this comes the added pressure of living up to that reputation and this is where Trivium enter.

Touted for a long time as a band that could take Metallica’s mantle after Hetfield and co. decide to call it a day, Trivium have big shoes to fill.  They rolled into Newcastle Academy with a point to prove, fans queued for hours expecting to see raucous scenes and Trivium didn’t disappoint. Read the rest of this entry »

@ Newcastle University, March 9 2010

A Day to Remember at Newcastle University was a good venue choice after the show sold out quicker than expected at the O2 Academy and had to be upgraded to a larger room.

The band’s headlining tour is mostly sold out and tonight fans seemed to turn out for the two support acts just as much as for the headliners.

Your Demise took to the stage first and although the whole room wasn’t buzzing, a handful of people set about ‘moshing’ before the band had even played a note. Read the rest of this entry »

@ Newcastle o2 Academy, March 8 2010

Heavily regarded as one of the pioneering bands of Death Metal, Florida based rockers Obituary left Newcastle in their wake on their current European tour.

Warming up for a night of guttural carnage, Furnaze were an apt starter with their pile-driving chorus’ and dark breakdowns.

Andorran band Persephone were marred by some early sound problems but really came into their own later in the gig, breaking into a healthy variety of sounds. Read the rest of this entry »

@ Newcastle o2 Academy, March 7 2010

Whenever Emilie Autumn is in town, you can be sure the circus has arrived.  Emanating the atmosphere of a Victorian burlesque show, her provocative dramatics are set to explode across Europe and Australia in her Asylum tour.   Ready or not, the bizarre performance unfolded before the eyes of the Newcastle crowd. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s a magical mixed bag of rock and metal hitting stores this week and we’ve handpicked the best of tomorrow’s new releases – so read this before you blow that hard-earned cash!

Canadian metal titans Priestess (pictured) return to the fray and there’s a welcome back to Aussie pub rock and rollers Airbourne. Massive US pop punksters We The Kings aim to break the UK and SOAD frontman Serj Tankian impresses on a symphonic sideshow.

Throw in punk rock crew The Smoking Hearts and the choice is yours. We’re here to make that choice a little easier. Read the rest of this entry »

@ Newcastle o2 Academy, March 2 2010

Beards, banjos and Brown Ale. Not exactly your average Tuesday night, but when Hayseed Dixie rolls into town it’s never going to be a conventional.

A decent crowd turned up to witness one of the most unique bands ever to grace the o2 academy stage. And once again the bluegrass band put on an outstanding display. Read the rest of this entry »

@ Islington o2 Academy, March 2 2010

Catching Paul and Gene in a club venue four decades after the band first set out to recruit the Kiss Army is a surreal experience.

Everything about the band for the past 30 years has been big. Big arenas, big anthems, big heels and big money. But here they were, back to their rock and roll roots and, quite emphatically, back to their best.

Paul Stanley’s fixation with the Appleton sisters (yes, of All Saints fame) proved there’s life in the old dog yet and Love Doctor was aimed almost entirely at his newest fans. They lapped it up.

And the most obvious blonde bombshells in a venue bursting with beautiful people, frenzied fans and The Mighty Boosh (!) weren’t alone. This was a spectacular show from a rock beast you would imagine had nothing left to prove. On this evidence they clearly do. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s that time of the week again when we sort the rock wheat from the metal chaff and give you the definitive verdict on what to spend your cash on tomorrow morning.

And after a couple of weeks of pretty meaty metal there’s melodic rock aplenty in the shape of Giant (pictured), Stage Dolls, Foreigner, Brian Howe and Rick Springfield.

It’s enough to make grown men weep and young ladies swoon. Or at least most of it is. Read the rest of this entry »

@ Newcastle o2 Academy, February 27 2010

To the majority of music fans the world over Europe will forever be referred to as ‘that band who sang the Final Countdown’. To those of us who have followed their career closely for more than 25 years they are so much more than that but there’s something strangely satisfying about being part of this secret society.

Let’s face it, if the cat got out of the bag then these guys would be back in arenas and no longer within touching distance of the people who really care. For longstanding fans of the band, watching them roll back the years in more initimate venues is a genuine treat. At their peak Europe were distant cover stars, Top Of The Pops studio guests and a global phenomenon out of reach and out of this world. These days you can feel the emotion. Read the rest of this entry »

@ Newcastle o2 Academy, February 25 2010

To so many North East rock fans Machine Head were, until last night, a damn fine support band made for whipping arena-size crowds into a frenzy prior to the main event.

They’ve already proved the perfect fit for Slipknot, Metallica and their ilk but this was their chance to own the stage – in their own right. And 350-plus shows into the never-ending Blackening tour it was never going to be anything else than a monumental night of no-holds-barred metal. Read the rest of this entry »