07 February 2014 (gig)
10 February 2014
The Howling opened proceedings tonight, ferociously; this was high octane rock splicing punk, Guns ‘n’ Roses - at their rawest - and electronica, creating a sound that’s familiar but also a bit left field. The sheer force of the band tonight may have overwhelmed some of their subtler elements but what matters is they left a whacking great mark on the audience.
Headliners The Treatment were in the zone tonight, with a live wire performance of pure rock. Their distilled sound of classic 70’s and 80’s hard rock will not win any awards for originality but there’s a refreshing attitude about them. That was reflected in the performance which was at times bulldozing.
Cage the Gods had to follow a tempest and lead into a hurricane, and with lead singer Peter Comerford not feeling to good, an unenviable task. Nevertheless they rose to the challenge and delivered a set that suggests a natural talent for combining riffs, rhythms and melodies to create nifty hooks. It was early Def Leppard that came to mind with opener Badlands with its big chorus and guitar work. This was followed by A Thousand Times, a more straightforward rocker though with another big chorus.
The intriguingly titled Bruce Willis’s bluesier direction changes the drift and set up the new single Favourite Sin; a tour de force of driving riffs and piling rhythms, and good fun, if lyrically Jurassic. The set closed on a high with the Southern tinged Sacrifice, the open top, Aviators, motorway groove of From the Start and then finally the intricate Promises. A total band performance it would be invidious to pick any one member for a special mention (ok, the singer, as he was ill), as they had a natural rapport on stage.
So, we had three bands that basically draw from the same well, diverging but complementing each other almost perfectly. Despite what some may be saying Rock music is in fine fettle.
