DesTINAtion –
Corporation, Sheffield, Saturday 15th July, 2023
Now this is the day to mark the life and passing of Tina Sherwood – Photographer Extraordinaire, a member of the Forge FM Organisation and an all round lover of bands and music. She did not want a traditional funeral like many others have but instead wanted a concert organised in her name to help bands get noticed and way of folk remembering what she stood for.
The event started later than expected due to staffing, band words and technical issues but eventually around 1:50pm with Compere, Pete K. Mally (who she loved dearly) shouting us all into the main room as the openers of the day took to the stage.
They are a known but also not well known act called 'Unknown Refuge' who immediately struck me as a rumbling, bass heavy, bawling young 4 pieced gang. They come across like a modern day sounding Metallica due to their riffs, long noted vocal style with a James Hetfield tone as well as the musical style overall.
The Bolton Boys welcomed us to a great but sad day since Tina loved them. They consist of Alex Mancini (Bass/Vocals), Liam Kelly (Rhythm Guitar), Jack Tracey (Lead Guitar) and Callum Entwistle (Drums). They entertained us with older stuff and newer material like 'Bewitched' that was tight and very together to say the least.
Jack's guitar work on the last number 'To The Light' made me think of Malmsteen's sweet picking sounds mixed in with Steve Vai. I think this should have been louder since Alex's bass guitar overshadowed his virtuosity.
The Mansfield, Nottinghamshire based Rockers, Pretty Babs opened up stage 2 immediately after Unknown Refuge had finished who have more of a traditional hard rock format with a blues underline at various points. They are almost a poppier Therapy meets a laid back Wildhearts.
With a line-up of Sam (Lead Vocals/Guitar), Craig (Rhythm Guitar), Liam (Bass) and Brad on Drums, PB prove to be a band who earnt the right to open up the day on the small stage. They will probably murder me for saying this but the sound of The Killers came coming through too. It's Nice to see they got a good cheer for Tina.
The first trio of the day hit the main stage who Pete K. Mally dearly loves called White Raven Down. Are there any bands he doesn't love though who play on every bill he comperes though??? Hahaha!
These hard 'n' heavy, noisy f*ck*rs from Essex made up of Stu Bailey (Vocals/Guitar), Luke Chappell (Bass) & Tom Mrazek (Drums) have as much balls as a 4 or 5 piece band. It's rolling testosterone filled, booming, fast well-sung hard rock. Steaming at us they filled the place with their angsty, venomous lyrical ditties.
W.R.D. gave a nice speech for Tina who they never got to meet but regardless of which said nice things about them. If I remember right dedicated a song from their E.P. to her too.
Backwoods Creek have a lovely Rock 'N' Roll melodic style with some Beatle meets E.L.O. & Eagles like harmonies not to mention the first Fender Telecaster of the day. It's even green like Francis Rossi's (of Status Quo) which pleases Steve Cooper straight away.
A 5 piece from all over the UK made up of Jamie Wood (Vocals), Yannick Van Riet (Guitar), Jonny Postlethwaite (Guitar), George Price (Bass) & Jack Daynes (Drums) with a Dixie quality that has Allman's vibes in there. Well they do have full on swamp sit on the front porch name don't they. Squeal like a you know what boy!!
The 'Creek totally got it going with full throttle old school quality songs that had fabulous arrangements with everyone singing to 'Everything Will Be Alright'. There's some nice slide guitar on the last number that goes by the name of 'On The Line' which always ticks the box. A band who got our attention immediately that we intend to check out again.
It was back to the big stage since it was time to grab some Ashen Reach (from Merseyside). High ended vocals and cookie monster bawling is what you get with these guys .. oh and a female drummer too in Jess Stanley. The rest of the group consists of Kyle Martyn Stanley taking the Lead Vocals role with Paddy Cummins and Joe O’Sullivan both on Guitar. Wot No Bassist?
I previously saw them in front of a small handful of folk upstairs in The Local Authority so it made a pleasant change to have them encapsulate quite a few more in a larger environment. Their set is jam-packed with Emo metal energy (referred to as Modern Metal) that you hear a lot of these days but they do it well so credit where due.
Later on in the proceedings they proved just how much they can physically give up there since we see bobbin bodies coupled with ferocious growls and more interstellar singing after a speech about what Tina meant to them. Touching stuff indeed!
It's back to the small stage for North Scotland's Bad Actress that I last had the joy of seeing at The Yorkshireman, Sheffield not too long ago and back there on Saturday August 12th! Put it in the diary!!
This bunch blasted it up with superb heavy edged drums high in the mix coupled with sleazy sounds and now a bearded Geezer on vocals called Toby Michaels who has replaced Vinnie Vexx. He personally reminded me of Massive Wagon's Baz Mills blended in with Rob Young of Yesterday's Gone in image and more. Albeit a Scottish version – LOL!
Mr. Michael's came across incredible. He worked the room as well as the top tier pros out there and fully succeeded in getting all the audience on his side, not to mention being very clear vocally too in the singing dept. This frontman just ticks boxes and an ideal perfect match for the 'Actress. He has the face of an angel... a Hawaiian Hell's Angel before you ask!
A band whose line-up is completed by Chick (Guitar), Tommy B (Guitar), MoRk (Bass) & Lui Q (Drums). They have flamboyance, a full-on firing on all cylinders presence and a definitive cocksure quality to them. The Bad' boys had us 'Hellbound' with them as well as partying and rocking for more!
Cock Rock is alive and well with guys like Bad Actress about. They are strewn with proper Poison and Pretty Boy Floyd like riffs even a bit of Crue in there when they meant something. Believe me when I say the 'Actress have all the musical and vocal chops to back it up too. F*ck*n' phenomenal!!!
The crowd repeatedly shouted for one more song and even Compere, Greyfox Growl said that's what rock and roll is about and they get better and better every time he sees then. Craig and Tina played and ace getting these guys onto the Forged In Fire Record Label.
I then ran to see The Hot Damn! who were on the main stage slapping out some full on female Rock 'N' Roll who are fronted by the incredibly powerful vocalist, Gill Montgomery. It's gutsy and in-ya-face with a cracking slammer of a drummer in Josie O'Toole who was giving her arms a non stop workout with those sticks in her hands, not to mention the legs going at ten a dozen!
Guitarist, Laurie Buchanan looked as striking as ever with her Fender Telecaster that's topped off with a perfectly colour coded jacket and cowboy hat with glitz and sparkles delight from Lzi Hayes on the bass. Talk about toe-tapping and unrelentless spangled up, bashing at ya sounds with strong in unison choral vocals that are well and truly the icing on the cake.
They are polished and have been ones to watch for a while now as others come and go, growing from strength to strength. Standouts included the opening 'Fuzz Buzz Crash', 'I Didn't Like You Anyway' & Jukebox On The Radio'. Loved the great parody of Janis Joplin's 'Mercedes Benz' that was note-perfect acapella singing. “Yes we're shameful”, she says. And why not indeed! That little trick completely works for them when they go over to their stand to sell the wears since it was re-written to flog their merch.
We were even treated to some hammed up with a bit of good ole disco: 'Give me some Hot Damn Baby Tonight!' A superb set which the girls totally nailed and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
The Wicked Jackals are on the small stage with their unforgiving bombastic blend of hard rock that we received from bad boys in the 80's. The band comprise of Ollie Tindall (Lead Vocals), Rex (Guitar), Carl Alsop (Guitar), Lex Gifford (Bass) & James Norkett (Drums).
A Watford based band that have the aggression of Rose Tattoo meets the epic proportion of W.A.S.P. in their heyday. I think they were a bit off-kilter as they seemed to be messing about a bit and not at the top of their game. They have a new guitarist in tow since I last witnessed them live at Rockin' The Bowl in 2021.
We get an array of original songs that are full of Blackie (Lawless) bombast such as the smashing 'Scream'; the drinking song for Ms Sherwood's memory called 'Raise A Glass' or the punky rocker get a monkey in the air corker that is 'Not For Me' as well as two or three covers like Ike & Tina Turner's 'Nutbush City Limits' with some 'Whole Lotta Rosie' thrown in for the kicks too towards the end.
A band I would like to see in their own right topping the bill and pulling out all the stops since they had to really pack those cuts in quick for the short time allocated to them.
Molly Karloff hit the big stage later than the later expected time of 19.35. - a band made up of Simon Gee (Lead Vocals/Guitars), Sam Fuller (Bass/Backing Vocals) & Jowie Adkins (Drums/Backing Vocals). They asked how we were doing after their opening song 'Dancing For Money' which got a loud positive response.
Stylewise, it's very much bawly rock with an Almighty feel to it or as they term themselves: an Alternative Hard Rock/Metal band with grooves for moves. The 'Karloff came across like an echoing volcanic eruption while filled with wholesome shots of metallic screams and a static thunderstorm to top off.... now that's a rather elemental description I know but you have to experience them to totally get where I am coming from.
There was some nice guitar posing to be seen during the soloing with flings in the air of the bass to emphasise standout points of the main riffs of one of the numbers – always a cracking touch to a song that!
The last track, 'Breaking Out that sounded like something from Queens Of The Stone Age had the bass player running out into the crowd before he climbing back onto the stage for the final few seconds of the song.
A decent enough band albeit, more on the modern side which went down well with the crowd.
Well I was sent an album by this band to review a few years ago and it totally blew my mind. A band that are something between Uriah Heep and Deep Purple is what you get from London's Vambo who have everything but the organ on stage. Jack Stiles (Vocals), Pete Lance (Guitar) James Scott (Bass) & Francesco Lucidi (Drums) who is currently depping for Dave Flitt.
Everything about them is of pristine quality musicianship from 'Hey Willy' with beauties like Paradise, ''Fast Car' and the lovely 'Christine' (not about the car before you ask). They emulate the show-stopping vocal quality of David Byron & Ian Gillan in their prime or the Guitar virtuosity of Ritchie Blackmore & Mick Box. This is top precision stuff of a high calibre and you cannot knock the fact that these guys can seriously f*ck*ng play! Hey they even top their set off with a cover of 'Burn!' which takes some pulling off.
The thing that spoiled their set for me personally was the inclusion of way too much pre-recorded lead and backing vocals to fatten it up. It left you wondering what was actually coming from the frontman at the exact moment live and what you were actually hearing as from a foreign source.. I will let them off for the keyboard backing track though. Would love to witness them without those hidden extras but that's just my nag and cannot speak for everyone.
The headliners tonight on the main stage were Tigertailz who these days only have one original member in Guitarist, Jay Pepper (which can be said about many long-standing bands now alongside Bassist, Berty Burton (also of The City Kids), a new singer in tow called Ashley Edison and Matthew Blakout on Drums.
The band are totally on form with the backing vocals sounding so incredible that you'd think they were recorded at a studio previous and simply added to the live mix on the night! They really were that good – utter crystal clarity and note perfect!
All the classic 'Bezerk!' songs are there and the folk in here seem to like it a lot – yep we got some 'Love Overload', 'Sick Sex'; 'Noise Level Critical', 'Call Of The Wild' and of course that dance-floor classic 'Love Bomb Baby' which everyone knows and digs a lot, needing no introduction at all. If I remember right, we were even spoiled with some stuff from the debut album, 'Young And Crazy' like 'Living Without You' being a perfect example.
The boys have also been busy in the studio as well with new material and premiered that both myself and one of the main Corporation guys both agreed the riff was exactly the same as Quiet Riot's 'Bang Your Head' – don't know how many others noticed that though but it punched us right in the ears regardless!
It was however lovely to hear 'Heaven' which becomes more closer to home the older you get after losing family and your best friends too like these guys did with the late Pepsi Tate (Original Bassist). A great finish to a truly fabulous tribute of a day to Tina Sherwood.
Words By Glenn Milligan
Photographs By Steve Oxley