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Now in its third year, Rock Sector Records' SOS Festival has returned to Radcliffe in a new and extended two day format, taking in both a classic rock day (Friday) and a heavier metal day (Saturday).
After briefly getting lost in Radcliffe (bloody Metrolink, sending me the wrong way…), I arrive on the Friday just in time for The Jokers to come on, who lay down some neat AC/DC-esque hard rock riffs, and try their hardest to get the currently rather small crowd going. Afterwards, Exit State significantly up both the tempo and the heaviness with their grunge-inspired set.
Next up is The Crave, who've been busy boys over the last 18 months, having recently toured with Deep Purple, Shinedown and Buckcherry, to name but a few. It's easy to see why they've supported bands such as this, as they're a solid rock band and would no doubt appeal to a great deal of the aforementioned groups' fans, however, it all seems a bit safe and predictable. The same can also be said for the next band, Citizen Charlie. That's not to say that their Pretenders-meets-Hole take on pop rock is bad; it just seems to lack that edge to get you truly excited.
Greece's 4Bitten, however, definitely have a lot more about them. Lead singer Fofi belts out each song with real intent and passion, while the rest of the band prove themselves to be extremely able musicians, blasting out a sound that spans the 40-odd year history of rock and metal. Meanwhile, Falling Red also impress with their punk-infused take on 80s rock, offering up a set so sleazy it would make Vince Neill proud.
Friday's headliners are Black Spiders (pictured), who seem to be one of the hottest properties in the underground rock scene at the moment, having been hand-picked by Ozzy Osbourne to support him at the iTunes fest last week, and having secured a place on the line-up on not one, not two, but three of the UK's biggest rock festivals this summer. Or four, if you count SOS too…
They've already become known for their livewire performances, and tonight is no exception, as the whole band (especially the gurning drummer) throw themselves into the show. It's a real shame that there isn't that many people here to witness it, as they really deserve to be playing to a bigger crowd. However, if they continue their current career trajectory then they won't be playing to so few people for much longer, so in a way, to see them in such an intimate venue may well be something worth bragging about in a few years' time.
Opening Saturday is local boys Afterdown, who, due to the vocalist's quasi-Hetfield singing voice and the guitarist mirroring Kirk Hammet's guitar tone in his solos to a tee, have an air of Metallica about them, albeit with a slightly more radio-friendly edge (so think Load/Reload era Metallica, NOT Ride The Lightning).
Up next is Leeds-based land lubbers Skull Branded Pirates, who, as you may have already gathered from the name, tend to focus their attention on maritime villainy, from their on-stage get up through to the songs themselves (e.g. 'Seadogging', 'Blackbeard's Last Stand' and not forgetting 'The Legend of Salty Jim', an ode to the titular 'Lobstrosity'). Admittedly, the theme may make the band a bit harder to take seriously than most, but one listen to the quality Maiden-esque riffage should win over even the most hardened of doubters out there. Next up is Collibus, who sadly, are somewhat of a disappointment. Having given them a listen before the fest, I was looking forward to checking this lot out, but something didn't quite translate between their recorded sound, which is rather rich and layered, and their live performance, which comes across as rather flat.
After a brief but enjoyable acoustic set from Leon Gill, local three-piece Fantasist head out onto the main stage. Their bass-heavy jazz-funk-metal-fusion sound isn't a million miles away from the likes of Primus, and for the most part, it's an entertaining set. There were a number of instances where they seemed to play things a bit safe, such as the odd bland chorus or predictable riff, but that shouldn't detract from what was an otherwise interesting listen.
The next two bands – Extreme OD and Spires – are both absolute revelations. The former features a female vocalist with a death growl so deep and intense that she would put most male metal singers to shame. Not only that, the rest of the band isn't half bad too, and offer up a brutally heavy 30 minute set. Spires are equally as impressive, but for different reasons. whereas Extreme OD were all about short bursts of pure aggression, Spires, as if to emphasise their prog rock credentials, squeeze in just three expansive and sprawling tracks into their set. You can certainly pick out the band's main influences in their sound, most notably Opeth and Cynic; in some areas this is a little too obvious, but, as a fan of both bands, Spires' overt hero-worship was fine by me.
Up next is old school thrash band The More I See, with one Gizz Butt (former Prodigy guitarist) leading the charge. Conjuring up images of Bay Area legends like Exodus and Testament, the band get the increasing crowd going with some sweet guitar licks and some rather theatrical vocals, courtesy of singer Peter Ellis.
Following the carnival that is Norwegian nut-jobs Moth Circus's set is Lincoln's Nightvision, who, with their more melodic sound, may well have been better suited to playing on 'classic rock' Friday. As with most other bands plying their trade in this genre, they're solid musicians and highly competent showmen, but there's just nothing that really sets them apart from the rest.
The Manchester-based duo of Babylon Fire and Fury UK, on the other hand, both seem to have that certain special something. With their fans only just outnumbered by Blaze Bayley supporters here tonight, both bands really seem like the complete package. Babylon Fire have got the sound and the stage presence to justify their high positioning on today's line-up, while Fury UK, with their remarkably tight set of no-nonsense metal, show why they've quite rightly been making a name for themselves in the UK metal scene over the last few years. The two bands even join forces with members of 4Bitten and headliner Blaze Bayley to pay their respects to the late, great Ronnie James Dio, by performing the Dio-era Sabbath classic 'Heaven and Hell'. It's an extremely well executed cover, and serves as a fitting tribute to one of rock's finest.
Finally, closing the festival is the aforementioned Blaze Bayley, the former Wolfsbane and Iron Maiden vocalist who, since departing from the Irons, has carved out a successful solo career, most recently producing the excellent 'Promise and Terror'. And what a great way it is to end the weekend, too; Bayley's a consummate performer, who has the crowd in the palm of his hand from start to finish. His hour long set, which consists of a large chunk of the new album, along with a number of older tracks and even a couple from his time in Maiden, flies by, and with that, sadly, the festival's over.
Overall, it was a great weekend, its just a real shame that, considering the size of the rock and metal crowd in Manchester, more people didn't turn out for the whole festival (things only started getting busier mid-afternoon on the Saturday). However, once word gets around about SOS, I'm in no doubt that next year, things may be that little bit busier.
Black Spiders picture by Gemma Louise Harris TAGS: Black Spiders, The Crave, Extreme OD, Spires, Fury UK, The More I See, Babylon Fire, Blaze Bayley Words by: Mike Perry |
