Review: Gravity Festival 2019

by Rockposer Dot Com! on October 23, 2019October 23, 2019

Review: Gravity Festival 2019

The Station, Cannock – October 19th 2019

Reviewer / photos: Dan Mann

Last Saturday was the inaugural Gravity Festival, held at the Station, Cannock. Unfortunately due to other commitments I missed the first two bands, so first off the bat for me was the excellent Trident Waters. First chance to see them live and they certainly didn’t disappoint.

Next on the line up was False Hearts, a female fronted outfit very much in the Halestorm school of rock. It’s great to see young bands showing their worth, however not my cup of tea personally.

Next up were 4th Labyrinth, something a little different genre wise, offering hints of Uriah Heep, and supplying a thoroughly entertaining set.

It was great to finally get a chance to see Fugitive, a band offering a fine style of NWOBHM inspired rock. A band who deserved a bigger audience in my humble opinion.

Next was my first chance to see a firm favourite of mine, Kent rockers Wicked Stone with their new line up.

Did they deliver? Damn right they did, they delivered in spades, the crowd pressed up to the barrier rocking out to an enthusiastic performance.

Then we were onto another firm favourite of mine, another Kent band who I’ve in fact seen four times this year!

Collateral continue to go from strength to strength and they certainly had plenty of fans in the audience.

This was my first time seeing the Burning Crows, although I’m familiar with their material. Again a band who entertained the crowd with an energetic set.

Next up was Dead Man’s Whiskey, a band who if I’m honest I prefer recorded rather than live and this occasion didn’t do anything to change that view. The crowd seemed to be enjoying them so what do I know?

The headliners Mason Hill were delayed coming onstage which meant that unfortunately I had to miss their set for personal reasons.

I cannot end the review without mentioning the loudest compère and indeed the most enthusiastic in the business, Pete K Mally (He’s also an author you know) for his superb job.

A couple of small grumbles regarding the venue, I think they’ve inherited the floor from the old Marquee as it was somewhat sticky underfoot and the stage lighting wasn’t great from a photographer’s point of view but these are things easily sorted long before Gravity Festival 2020.

I must congratulate Shaun and his team for putting together a thoroughly enjoyable event. Roll on the next one!

Review: Collateral / Piston – Nottingham Rock City B, September 21st 2019

by Rockposer Dot Com! on September 22, 2019September 26, 2019

Review: Collateral / Piston

Nottingham Rock City B (September 21st 2019)

Review / Photos: Dan Mann

There was a half decent crowd at last night’s Collateral / Piston gig at Rock City B, which isn’t too bad a venue imho. Personal observations of last night’s gig. Piston sounded a lot better than their album, however still not seeing the appeal if I’m honest, to me they came across as a glorified bar band.

Collateral hit the stage with a swagger, their new material sounding great live. After their stint on Jon Bon Jov’s Mediterranean Cruise there’s a noticeable difference, the guys seem more confident, more relaxed in who they are as a band. A shame their album is delayed until next year, they need to get it out while their on this upward trajection.

Great reactions from the crowd to both bands, an entertaining evening for sure.

All photographs copyright Dan Mann / RPR Media UK

A Joker’s Rage Announce Debut Album ‘The Rain Dance’ Will Be Released In October

by Rockposer Dot Com! on September 13, 2019September 13, 2019

It has been a long time coming for fans for Northern rock powerhouses A Joker’s Rage, but the news fans have been waiting for is finally here! Their debut album, ‘The Rain Dance‘, will be released this Autumn, specifically on the 25th of October 2019. The news of the release for ‘The Rain Dance‘ follows on from the huge success of the album’s first full single ‘Shylock‘, which is currently doing the rounds at UK rock radio. You can check out the fantastic music video for ‘Shylock‘ below:

‘The Rain Dance‘ is available for pre-order right now, along with a limited edition tee bundle, check out the deals by clicking here.
The single, ‘Shylock‘ is available at all good outlets, check it out on:
Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, & Google Play.

‘The Rain Dance‘ is an album that will keep listeners guessing from track-to-track as A Joker’s Rage take them on a full blown musical journey. There are nods to classic rock’s mighty heyday, full blown modern rock anthems, songs that have pop sensibilities and everything in-between. All the while, A Joker’s Rage have managed to create an album that flows brilliantly from start to finish and never once loses the sense of enjoyment and love from those who have assembled it.

‘The Rain Dance‘ follows on from the band’s two previous EP’s and the 2018 single ‘Ballet To The Masses‘ – A Joker’s Rage‘s tribute to one of their heroes, Freddie Mercury.

Anyone who sees A Joker’s Rage‘s photos will quickly notice the face paint – aka the #GAMEFACE. It’s something that may seem small to some, but those little things can sometimes make a big difference. To lead vocalist Zakk Taylor, guitarist Adam Gauton, bassist Geordie Ginface and drummer / keyboardist Matt Collinge, #GAMEFACE is the mode in which the band choose to escape reality, channel their alter egos and deliver their message.

“It’s our war paint. When the chips are down, life gets tough or you’re simply bored out of your skull, put your #GAMEFACE on and handle it with a stronger attitude”.

Having most recently donned the #GAMEFACE for a show stealing performance in headlining SOS Festival 2019, as well as lighting up the stage at the inaugural Call Of The Wild Festival, A Joker’s Rage have cemented their reputation as one of the UK’s best live unsigned bands. They will be announcing live shows in support of The Rain Dance in the coming weeks – so stay tuned.