Music / Previews
Metal & Prog Picks: July 2024
Yes, it’s Skindred again. Seemingly determined to play every summer festival, the Newport terrors are back to headline Steelhouse, having played Bristol Sounds and Glastonbury last month. Otherwise there’s not a lot of choice in festival season, but plenty of diversity – from grindcore to southern rock and Australian psych.
SWX, July 3
is needed now More than ever
Part of the Australian psychedelia explosion that gave the world King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard and Tame Impala, Perth’s pleasingly surreal Psychedelic Porn Crumpets take musical influences from The Beatles, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin alongside electronic experimental jazz. Their latest album, Fronzoli, came out late last year. This gig has been rescheduled from February. Original tickets are still valid.
Louisiana, July 13
Last seen here last March with our very own Sons of Liberty, North Carolina’s Preacher Stone are authentic southern rockers whose music you may have heard in Sons of Anarchy. Their new album, V, is out now. This time they’re touring with Tom Killner, who specialises in ‘soul-drenched Americana’ but actually comes from South Yorkshire.
Hafod-y-Dafal farm, Ebbw Vale, July 26-28
Back for its twelfth year, our only local-ish classic rock fest takes place in a working mountaintop farm on the edge of the Brecon Beacons. Friday’s headliners are the Berniefest Allstars in tribute to the late, great guitarist and friend of Steelhouse, Bernie Marsden. Taking part are a bunch of Bernie’s chums, including Neil Murray, Luke Morley, Toby Jepson, Nev MacDonald and Hand of Dimes and FM’s Steve Overland and Jim Kirkpatrick. Saturday brings the ubiquitous Skindred, plus German veterans Accept and Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons. Sunday’s headliners are the recently reformed The Almighty, with Mr. Big and the great Living Colour. It takes less than an hour to get there from Bristol, and there’s a shuttle bus service from Ebbw Vale Parkway Station if you’re not travelling by car.
Fleece, July 31
Veteran US grindcore band who’ve been through multiple line-up changes but currently feature Morbid Angel’s Pete Sandoval and David Vincent, Sandoval being the only constant member of Terrorizer. They’re touring to mark the 35th anniversary of their hugely influential World Downfall album.
COMING SOON
Here’s our essential diary of upcoming gigs that should be of interest to anyone of a rockin’ disposition.
Love with Johnny Echols, Fleece, Aug 1
ArcTanGent Festival: Meshuggah, Animals As Leaders, Baroness, Ihsahn, etc., Fernhill Farm, Aug 14-17
Hawkwind, Bath Forum, Aug 16
Soulfly, Marble Factory, Sept 1
Nile, Fleece, Sept 5
The Dead Daisies, O2 Academy, Sept 20
Cannibal Corpse/Municipal Waste/Immolation/Schizophrenia, Bristol Beacon, Sept 25
Battle Beast, Marble Factory, Oct 3
Steve Hackett, Bristol Beacon, Oct 5
Visions of Atlantis, Exchange, Oct 7
Orange Goblin, Fleece, Oct 10
Eivør, Thekla, Oct 12
Blues Pills, Thekla, Oct 15
Starset, O2 Academy, Oct 17
Fu Manchu, Marble Factory, Oct 22
Lacuna Coil, O2 Academy, Oct 26
Cradle of Filth, O2 Academy, Oct 27
Gatecreeper, Fleece, Oct 31
Focus, Fleece, Nov 13
Therapy?, O2 Academy, Nov 15
Baroness/Graveyard/Pallbearer, Marble Factory, Nov 21
Delain, SWX, Nov 22
Massive Wagons, SWX, Nov 23
VOLA/Charlotte Wessels, SWX, Nov 26
Pitchshifter, Thekla, Nov 26
The Sheepdogs, Strange Brew, Nov 30
Gun, SWX, Dec 7
Jethro Tull, Bristol Cathedral, Dec 11
The Rick Wakeman Yuletide Christmas Show, Bath Forum, Dec 18
Eyehategod/Goatwhore, Marble Factory, Dec 19
The Halo Effect/Pain, Fleece, Jan 21
Fish, Bristol Beacon, Feb 26
Wardruna, Bristol Beacon, March 21
Dewolff, Fleece, April 16
Steven Wilson, Bristol Beacon, May 10
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