Friday night in Littlehampton. Stage set up? Check, Bands warmed up and ready? Check. Guitars, Bass and Drums, time for the action. 1st of June 2018 and The Hard Rock Horror is shaping up to be another amazing evening, full of awesome acts. I'm taking over from Squirrel for this months show report as she was sunning herself on a well earned break.
The first band to hit our stage was Idle Bones. This band hail from Brighton and promised to bring 'the horror' to the event, and they definitely sent chills down more than a couple of spines. These guys brand themselves as 'Dark, Dancey Punk and Twisted Story-Telling Rock'.
Their vocals do definitely give the dark eerie Gothic sound to their songs, with powerful, well controlled verses juxtaposed with the interspersed deep throaty growls. The instant comparison that came to my mind was a mix of Iron Maidens Bruce Dickenson, mixed with Fields of the Nephillm's song From the Fire performed with a punk twist. A particular favourite of their tracks is a song called Eleven. This up paced song really demonstrates their punk influences while still keeping with the feel of the rest of the set.
Next up we had Raze. Due to technical difficulties with their transport, two members were unable to make it to the event. Minutes before their soundcheck it was not looking good as the band were missing two key members, the vocalist being one.
The minutes ticked by waiting in hope of a message from their missing compadres. but to no avail. It was looking more and more likely that they would be unable to perform. Then at the last minute one of their fans volunteered to perform vocals. Set saved. Although the sound wasn't as the band would have liked, after all the lyrics were written for a male part, they did brilliantly performing their improvised set.
They fought through, keeping the crowd entertained with the songs they could play, and a couple of covers that the crowd were more than happy to help perform the vocals too. As an apology for not being on full form, the band proceeded to hand out free copies of their EP, and if you didn't get a chance to get yourself one, head over to Spotify now to check them out.
Our final act for the evening was Stone Angels. What can we say? They Really rocked! The band bring the style of the greats, while combining it with their modern lyrics. The crowd definitely had a blast rocking out to the likes of Falling Down and Devils Grip.
The band really know how to get the crowd going with their catchy riffs and hard rock vocals. The Stone Angels guys are always determined to put their all into their shows, and the passion for their craft really shines through. This Brighton based band have fought to achieve the success they now enjoy, and we think every bit is definitely earned.
So after the bands were finished, it was time to clear the stage and settle down for a well earned drink. A Massive thank you to Stone Angels, Raze, Danielle, and Idle Bones for their fantastic performances, to Metal Meyhem radio for their help in running another successful event, to Crimson Craft Audio for the equipment hire, and of course to all of you who came along to support the original music. We will see you all on Friday the 6th of July for Killatrix, Reawaken, and Cyanide Sundae.
James