Review: NWOCR Livefest 3

KK’s Steel Mill (September 28^th – 29^th, 2024)

Reviewer: Dan Mann

Photographers: Dan Mann & Stephen Brophy

After unfortunately missing the first two Livefests, I finally got chance to enjoy this year’s one. And enjoy I certainly did. With the exception of a couple of bands, the line-up was right up my street, be it seeing chums play or a chance to see a couple of bands I’d not managed to see live before.

Plus of course the chance to catch up with friends both in the pit and in the crowd.

This was my first visit to KK’s Steel Mill, it’s just that bit too far to travel to for the occasional gig, and I have to say it lived up to what I’d been told, great lighting (bad lighting is a photographer’s constant grumble) no Jack the Ripper type fog (take note O2 Leicester) decent sound and remarkably cheap drinks and grub! Grub that was pretty decent too.

Both days ran pretty smoothly, generally no obvious signs of any issues, it was a shame that Oli Brown & the Dead Collective had to pull out due to illness, they just get better every time I see them, but there were certainly no complaints about their last minute replacements, Jayler.

I have to give a shout out to one of the best comperes around, the leg-end…errr legend that is Peter K. Mally, who did a sterling job over the weekend introducing the bands and entertaining the crowd (no he’s not paying me)

I’m not going to break down each band’s performance, just that every band put on a top notch effort, all of them unable to hide just how much they enjoyed playing in front of an appreciative crowd. It’s always great to see kids at gigs & festivals, the next generation of rock & blues fans already getting immerged in this thing called music. I call that good parenting.

Is NWOCR Livefest something I’d go to again? The fact I snapped up Earlybird tickets for next year kind of answers that. An absolute bargain price. Grab yourselves tickets for Livefest 4 here, you won’t regret it one little bit!

Hat’s off to the whole of the NWOCR team for such a sterling effort. It’s a case of a festival for music fans, by music fans.

click on photos to enlarge

SATURDAY:

Ransom

Unknown Refuge

Jack J Hutchinson

Sons Of Liberty

Ashen Reach

Doomsday Outlaw

Collateral

The Virginmarys

SUNDAY:

Kinstrife

Tom Killner

Jayler

The Hot One Two

Black Lakes

The Karma Effect

Dead Man’s Whiskey

Gin Annie

© All photographs are copyright of Dan Mann/RPR Photography except Gin Annie © Stephen Brophy & Tears Of Fire Photography. They may not be altered or used without express permission.