Vale Earth Fair Weekend 2019 – 24-25/08/19

For the third year in a row the Vale Earth Fair expanded to a two day event with the main festival, this year celebrating 43 years, in its usual place at the Vale Castle on the Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend but with Sound Guernsey taking over the castle for the Saturday afternoon,...

Black Sabbath – The End (Blu-ray)

A little over two years ago, as I write this, the band that really defined what became heavy metal called it a day after a farewell world tour that wound up in their home city of Birmingham England. Dubbed The End this final Black Sabbath concert was captured on film by director Dick Carruthers and,...

Vale Earth Fair 2007 – Vale Castle – 26/08/07

As we approach the 2019 Vale Earth Fair, and I noticed some of my first review of the festival back in 2007 has dropped off the BBC website, I thought I'd revive it here. From the sounds of this it was a packed year and I can only imagine now who I missed, but here...

Havoc Events presents Byzanthian Neckbeard, Granite Wolf, Burning At Both Ends and From Darkness – The Fermain Tavern – 09/08/19

Nine months ago Havoc Events returned from a decade long break with a night of heavy metal at The Fermain Tavern. Now, after a few other shows, they are back with another night of the heavy stuff featuring Byzanthian Neckbeard, Granite Wolf, Burning At Both Ends and From Darkness. After a storming set rounding of...

King Nun, Track Not Found, The Recks, Savage Sons and Case On The Base – St James Concert Hall – 13/07/19

With the sun beating down outside it felt rather incongruous heading into St James on Saturday evening after a couple of the island’s big festival weekends, but with some upcoming visitors in King Nun, live favourites The Recks and Track Not Found, Chaos/Sound Guernsey Battle of the Bands winners Case On The Base and the...

Ministry, 3Teeth and Grave Lines – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire – 06/07/19

It's nearly four years since I attended a show at the Shepherd's Bush Empire (The Wildhearts PHUQ anniversary show) and I always seem to forget how good a venue it is — big enough to feel like an event on the scale of those at Brixton Academy or the Kentish Town Forum, but small enough...

The Devotees, Teaspoonriverneck, No Ambition and About An Hour – The Fermain Tavern – 30/01/09

The last review (in terms of date of the event at least) revived from my old blog takes us back to January 2009 again and a show at The Fermain Tavern with an impressively mixed line up of Guernsey rock bands. The Fermain Tavern tonight welcomed a charity gig mixing musical styles from the rock...

Chaos 15 – Pleinmont, Guernsey – 28-30/06/19

After seemingly settling back into a winning formula last year, Chaos returned for a 15th time to the Pleinmont headland in Guernsey over the weekend of 28th to 30th June 2019. With two stages running for the three days it was possibly the most varied Chaos event yet with musical styles ranging from early UK...

Slim Pickings and The Honest Crooks – St James Concert Hall – 22/06/19

When it was announced that St James was staging a pirate themed ska party featuring well known Guernsey based band The Honest Crooks and visiting octet Slim Pickings, 'complete with pirate ship,' I expected maybe a few Jolly Rogers and some inventive fancy dress. Upon arriving at the venue on Saturday night though, less than...