Merry Christmas and Peace to all

Not really that much of a Christmas fan or indeed winter in general, but can I wish all my blog followers a very Happy and Healthy Christmas, and I hope that you have a peaceful, respectful and prosperous 2011.

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I'm not expecting to watch any live Boxing Day rugby, so I'll post up as soon as I get to see something worth commenting on. At least, there's pots of cricket on!

The best albums of 2010

As I've done for a few years now, here's my top 5 albums of the year.
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1. Black Country Communion
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Absolutely no contest, streets ahead of the competition. Yes, it could have been made at any time since 1974, but it wasn't. Joe Bonamassa, Derek Sherinian, Jason Bonham and, of course, Glenn Hughes join together to make the best supergroup of the moment.
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Smothered in influences from Purple to Sabbath, from Free to AC/DC, it is the record of the year. I just hope to get to see them in 2011.
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2. Iron Maiden "The Final Frontier"
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1980 is a long time ago, and it feels that way on this, Maiden's fifteenth studio album.
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If the short, sharp, punchy tracks of their early years is your forte, then this isn't for you. If Genesis did heavy metal, this is what it would sound like. Sectioned, thoughtful and challenging, it isn't for all, but, if you have the patience, you'll recognise a band at the peak of their genre, still filling football stadiums the world over.....and they come to our capital city (Cardiff) on 1st August next year. Bring it on!

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3. Deep Purple "Come Taste The Band" (reissued 2010, original 1975)
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I'm not sure that reissues count in such rundowns, but it's my blog so I'll make the rules.

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Superbly remastered and repackaged, the unloved mark 4 version of Deep Purple finally get their moment in the sun, posthumously of course for Tommy Bolin.

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Funky in parts, heavy in others, it is the forgotten illegitimate product of Purple's many complex relationships, and merits a 2nd Top 5 entry this year for Glenn Hughes (bass / vocals shared with David Coverdale), for whom 2010 surely stands out as much a creative high as it has for many years, if not ever.

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4. Ratt "Infestation"

A great seventh album from the American rockers. Such a shame that their future is so uncertain as tensions within the outfit seem to have resurfaced, and are officially on hiatus.
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5. Airbourne "No Guts No Glory"

If my top 4 are a little backward looking, then who's going to take hard rock forward. Debateably, Airbourne can help. AC/DC tribute outfit? Maybe. 3 chord wonders? Possibly. Loud, proud and entertaining? Certainly.

I always like to throw an unexpected one into my top 5 and this is it. Yes it's unsophisticated, but the no nonsense, balls to the wall rock of the Aussie energymeisters just begs to be noticed on this, their 2nd album. And I just can't help but love the anthemic Steel Town, which should be the background music for this blog.

There were other worthy contenders of course: Slash and his many vocalists, Manic Street Preachers returning to form, the excellent (final?) Scorpions album, and a solid Halford solo product.

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There you go.

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Hard Rock Hell 4, Prestatyn, Saturday 4th December 2010

And so it was on to the Saturday of this year's HRH, and after a relaxing Saturday morning, midday was the time to get the gear back on, and go watch some bands.
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Stage 2 - Glam, Sleaze 'n' Trash
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First up on Stage 2 were the excellent Marseille, with some great melodic rock.
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With a fire breather!

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Marseille...
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...rock Stage 2 ...
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...not easy on Day 3 of the festival
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Unfortunately, Stage 2 slid downhill after this, with a succession of 2nd division Motley Crue type acts such as Pretty Boy Floyd (below),

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and also Enuff 'Z' Enuff (it was enough for me), and LA Guns.

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Stage 3 - NWOBHM

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Far better, for those of us who like our rock with more balls, was the short trip over to Stage 3 in the Queen Vic for an afternoon of NWOBHM influenced acts.

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Headrush provided us with a harder edge altogether.

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A solid metal sound
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Next up were Jaguar, whose singer joined us in the crowd.

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Oozing with NWOBHM riffage were the fine Elixir, with their Saxonesque brand of hard rock.

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Elixir

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Highlight of the afternoon were veterans Saracen who really should be playing a bigger stage than this. Marvellous.

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Saracen rock the Queen Vic....
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...on the Saturday afternoon
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Saturday night

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After some respite, it was back over to the main stage for the evening's entertainment.

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Paul Di' Anno attracted a large crowd, as you would expect for the original Iron Maiden singer performing for the first time in 10 years in the UK. So no surprise then to hear Wrathchild, Charlotte The Harlot, Prowler, Killers and Phnatom Of The Opera (my you tube video). What a shame he ruined the set by coming across like an arrogant, xenophobic, homophobic football hooligan.

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Next up were Helloween. Not that it's their fault, but they were the band to whom I lost my denim jacket and home brew in a crush when they opened at Monsters Of Rock in 1988. Not that I bear a grudge, I just found their power metal a bit over the top.

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And then...

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Michael Schenker Group
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Ten o'clock on the main stage and it was what some of us had waited all day for.

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After a slight delay it was straight into the likes of Armed and Ready, Cry For The Nations, Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, On And On, Into The Arena (my you tube video), and the UFO staples Lights Out and Rock Bottom.

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Disappointingly, MSG got a bit of a slating on the HRH forum. True it is that Gary's voice is not what it was, but can any one else sing these tracks for MSG? I just think that a lot of the younger punters didn't know the material.

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I loved it.

The Mad Axeman
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Wayne Findlay and Gary Barden
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Gary
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...and with Schenker himself
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Brilliant as ever
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Saxon

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You just can't go wrong with Saxon can you?

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30 years plus of heavy rocking pleasure crammed into a one hour set gives you the likes of Heavy Metal Thunder, Strong Arm Of The Law, 747 Strangers In The Night, Denim And Leather, Demon Sweeney Todd, Dallas 1pm (my you tube video), And The Bands Played On, Battalions Of Steel and Wheels Of Steel.
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Biff and Quinny
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Doug and Biff
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One of the most underrated frontmen in rock
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After rocking out to Saxon, I must admit that my energy levels were falling fast as the midnight hour passed.
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The final act on the main stage was another former Maiden frontman, Blaze Bailey. With a very heavy, loud sound it seemed a good show, but I gave it 15 minutes before popping over to Stage 2 to catch Viking Skull and their doom laden Black Sabbath style rhythms.

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At 2am, that was it for another year, apart from the 4 hour drive home on Sunday morning. Here and gone in a flash, and another excellent weekend. At around £150 for entry and accomodation, Hard Rock Hell is surely the best value festival on the calendar.

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Roll on HRH5. Y&T please?????????????

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All pics (c) the webmaster.

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Hard Rock Hell 4, Prestatyn, Friday 3rd December 2010

And so it was THAT time of year again. You know, the manic weekend of Hard Rock at the 'Spinal Tap' village - (c) BP - that Pontins Prestatyn becomes on the first weekend of December.
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Leaving home at 7.45 on a Friday morning, and encountering temperatures touching -13C driving through the Welsh Marches, I was questioning my sanity and maturity, but after another outstanding weekend of rock, I have to say I can't wait for next year to come around.
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Friday afternoon in the Queen Vic
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It's one of the few times of the year I get to check out new bands these days, and three were worthy of note.
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Liberty Lies from the West Midlands were excellent (below).
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I only saw the end of the quirky Scutty Neighbours (below with punter), whose singer was standing on the bar when I walked in.
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Best band in the pub were Glasgow's 15 x Dead (below) and they won through on a fans' forum Dark Circle vote, and it wasn't difficult to see why, despite the fact that they looked like the long lost cousins of the Eastenders' Mitchell Brothers. It seems that Black Sabbath riffs are never too far away at a rock festival.

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Friday Night - Main Stage
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Diamond Head
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There isn't much that hasn't been said about these NWOBHM veterans, therefore I'll just repeat the cliches: How on earth weren't they massive? How are they just a support band (at 5 o'clock in the afternoon)? And, good God, I never knew that was their track?
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They were awesome, and of course they played Am I Evil? as well as other great stuff including Pray For Me (my you tube video).
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FM

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Never really got into FM before (below), but I have to say they delivered a great set of professional, melodic rock.

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UFO

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Regular visitors to this blog will know how I feel about the magnificence of UFO's music. Tonight was no different.

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Two new ones, Saving Me to open, and Helldriver (my you tube video), and then a stack of old classics to rock the Friday night crowd: Mother Mary, Only You Can Rock Me, Doctor Doctor, Too Hot To Handle, Shoot Shoot, Love To Love.
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More details and better pics on the unofficial UFO site (here).

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Phil Mogg

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UFO - 2010 style
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Paul Raymond
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Phil and Barry Sparks
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Paul Raymond, Vinnie Moore + fan

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Uriah Heep
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I actually feared for Uriah Heep. Sandwiched between UFO and latter day AC/DC reincarnation, Airbourne, the 70s veterans could have got blown away.

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They had no need for my sympathy. Mick Box conducted the throng like the maestro he is, and they won over many sceptics with a thoroughly professional display, earning the first encore of the weekend. Check out Stealin' (my you tube video).
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Mick Box

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Airbourne
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And so to the Friday night headliners. Brash, unsophisticated, three chord wonders they may be, but by God they can put a show on. (Haven't we heard that before about a long haired, stripped to the waist, Australian outfit?)

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AC/DC rip off or not, you can't doubt their energy, volume or ability to work the crowd - I do wonder if they last as long as the previous two bands?

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Anyway check out Girls in Black (my you tube video) to see how I got up close and personal!

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Skid Row
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My final band of the day was Skid Row. I never really bought into them in the Seb Bach era, but I thought they did a fine job here, following the raw energy of Airbourne. They have some great hooks in their back catalogue. Rock radio staples, 'Youth Gone Wild" and "Eighteen and Life (my you tube video) were present of course.

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And so that was Friday done by about 1.30 in the morning, absolutely knackered but ready to do it all again on the Saturday.

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All pics (c) the webmaster.