Anchor Lane @ King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow 30th August 2025

Posted on September 3, 2025 by coralmccallum

On a dreich Saturday evening, accompanied by Miss V, I headed to Glasgow on the 17:56 train, keen to end the summer musical drought.

Glasgow’s Central Station was busy as we navigated our way through to the exit before setting off away from the chaos towards St Vincent Street. Our destination for the evening was the iconic, King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut to catch the last of their Summer Nights shows.

And the headliners for the evening? The awesome homegrown talent that is Anchor Lane. This was to be no ordinary show though. It was the first of two celebrating 10 years of Anchor Lane.

But I’m getting ahead of myself here…

The rail Gods were smiling on us, and we secured a spot near the end of the rail for the evening. Happy days!

With an early 10:30pm curfew looming and three bands on the bill, no one was wasting any time.

Fifteen minutes after the doors opened, first up were a young band called Human Renegade. Clearly a little nervous at the start of their 30-minute set, the youngsters eventually sorted out their early sound issues and found their stride. I almost applied my Thumper Principle here, but a couple of songs persuaded me otherwise – Buttercup and Ash and Smoke. A bit more experience needed perhaps but a solid effort, folks.

Next up for their allotted 30-minute slot were Forgetting the Future, who announced an imminent name change to Fadea, just to confuse everyone. Another young band but one with a bit more experience under their belts. Hailing from Thurso, Forgetting the Future now Fadea, delivered a solid set. Definitely one to keep an eye on.

With only an out at their disposal, Anchor Lane arrived on stage at 9:30 to a rapturous welcome. They kicked off their 16-song set with their current single Six Foot Six Pack Sigma. Immediately the room were right on side with them. This was also Glasgow’s first chance to see new guitarist Connor Traill who joined them in 2024, in action. He didn’t disappoint.

Six Foot Six Pack Sigma (show opener) – Anchor Lane @ King Tuts Glasgow 30/08/25

The ever-popular Stutter followed. For energy levels, front man, recently married (congratulations) Conor Gaffney rivals Black Stone Cherry’s Ben Wells. He doesn’t stand still for more than a split second. Glasgow’s answer to the Duracell bunny!

I’ve seen Anchor Lane several times over the last few years, and they just keep sounding better and better. This current line-up, and I mean no disrespect to any of the past members, has the best chemistry yet on stage and it shines through in the music. The fans were lapping it all up!

Conor commented that this was their first gig of 202 but it certainly didn’t feel like it. Anchor Lane had hit the ground running.

Drummer Graeme Newbury was given the mic briefly to remind us all that this was the 10th anniversary show before instructing the crowd to clap in 3:3 time for the duration of his spectacular drum solo that certainly wasn’t in 3:3! For someone with a poor to non-existent sense of rhythm, that was cruel, sir, very cruel! LOL!

It’s nigh on impossible to pick out a highlight song of the night as they were all superb. I particularly enjoyed Nitrogylcerin early on in the set and also Choke, the penultimate song of the evening.

Choke – Anchor Lane @ King Tuts Glasgow 30/08/25

Awesome show! An hour just wasn’t long enough.

Now to impatiently await the release of a new album……

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Myles Kennedy & Co @ Elysee Montmartre, Paris 15th June 2025

Posted on June 19, 2025 by coralmccallum

In a change to my usual modes of transport to a gig, this one involved a flight to Paris and an UBER ride into the city from the airport the day before the show. The walk to the venue from my hotel on gig day took all of two minutes, depending on traffic. (I was staying in the hotel diagonally across the street)

So, who had me flying from Glasgow to Paris for one show?

Myles Kennedy & Co!

As is my want, I’d booked the VIP meet and greet experience and along with 40 others from all over the world, enjoyed hearing part of the band’s soundcheck in the afternoon. It also gave me an insight into some of the songs I could expect to hear later.

The Elysee Montmartre originally opened in 1807. After a fire in 2011, it reopened as a venue in 2016 with a capacity of circa 1300. It is a really pretty venue inside and out.

Sadly, the show wasn’t a sellout, but it is festival season and, as a friend explained, close to holiday season too.

No need to pray to the rail gods for this show. There was no rail! Instead, I found myself standing right in front of a rather high stage!

There was only one support act on the bill, Lancashire’s finest, Massive Wagons. I’ve listened to these guys on Planet Rock radio over the last few years, but this was my first opportunity to see them play live.

Massive Wagons are a lively bunch to say the least with front man Barry Mills, barely standing still for a second. Unfortunately, the lighting wasn’t being kind to those at the very front and we were getting blinded by one of the lights. This got worse when the strobe effect was brought into play. So, it’s fair to say, Massive Wagons sounded great, but I still feel as though I’ve barely seen them.

The five piece played a nine-song set that included all the songs I was familiar with from the radio. Set highlights for me were The Good Die Young, House of Noise and Bangin’ In Your Stereo.

A “bangin’” performance that got the growing crowd warmed up nicely.

At 8:45 the familiar strains of Freddie King’s Going Down signalled that the headliners were about to begin.

Myles Kennedy accompanied by Tim Tournier on bass and “pedal” duties plus drummer Zia Uddin, who was caged for the night behind his perspect screens, stepped out to a rapturous reception. Paris certainly made some noise for them!

Having seen four of the UK shows late last year, I had more than a rough idea of the musical delights that were to come over the next ninety minutes.

Myles opened the fifteen-song set with Nothing More To Gain, and The Art of Letting Go, the title track from his current album. The fabulous A Thousand Words from The Ides of March completed the opening trio of songs.

A Thousand Words – Myles Kennedy @ Elysee Montmartre 15/06/25

I’m biased. I openly admit it. I’d listen to Myles sing and play absolutely anything but, despite still shaking off the remains of a cold/respiratory infection, he was sounding fantastic.

What I love about these MK & Co shows is that these guys get to have some fun. The arrangements invariably differ slightly from the album versions, solos are longer and they have the freedom to improvise – simply put, its live music at its finest. Three skilled musicians who share a great chemistry, playing real music. You just can’t beat it!

It’s a treat to watch Myles play Behind the Veil. It’s an epic song off the current album. Watching him fully immerse himself in the solo is a beautiful sight to behold. It just keeps getting better and better. Love it!

Year of the Tiger, title track from the first solo record followed. For me, the live version of this one truly showcases what an awesome drummer Zia Uddin is. I love those thundering, jungle drums!

At the soundcheck, a fan had asked bout a particular song and Myles true to his word, slotted it in mid-set. And the song? The gorgeous Mayfield Four song, White Flag. This one has really grown on me.

White Flag – Myles Kennedy @ Elysee Montmartre 15/06/25

This show was flying by far to quickly!

Another set highlight for me was Love Can Only Heal. I love this song. It’s beautiful and oh so poignant. The heartbeats added towards the end by Zia reach into your very soul!

The last three songs of the main body of the set re-ignited the energy into the show. Miss You When You’re Gone is almost a natural follow on from Love Can Only Heal…well, it is in my head.

Miss You When You’re Gone – Myles Kennedy @ Elysee Montmartre 15/06/25

Get Along and Say What You Will followed expertly on.

What a set!

After a brief moment or two off stage Myles returned alone complete with acoustic guitar to open the two-song encore with the only Alter Bridge song of the night. As soon as the French fans heard the opening strum of the guitar, every fan in the room knew Watch Over You was to follow. Such an emotional song. With his voice tiring a tad, Myles encouraged the fans to help him out with the vocal chores. The crowd didn’t disappoint! I’ve heard this song live many times, but this was a memorable rendition.

Watch Over You – Myles Kennedy @ Elysee Montmartre 15/06/25

The evening was brough to a climax with In Stride, another of my favourites and the only song on the set to feature Myles’ resonate guitar. Even although this one was bringing the show to an end, the guys played as though we were all about to party all night.
What a night it had been!

Till next time, guys.

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Blacktop Mojo & Shaman’s Harvest @ The Cathouse, Glasgow 13th March 2025

Posted on March 16, 2025 by coralmccallum

On a bright early Spring Thursday evening, the Boy Child and I boarded the 17:56 train to Glasgow. The evening’s venue was withing spitting distance of Glasgow’s Central Station hence the later start.

So, where were we off to?

We were heading to The Cathouse to see a co-headline show with Blacktop Mojo and Shaman’s Harvest. Both band’s hail from across the pond and this is their first visit to the UK.

There was already a reasonable queue when we arrived making a rail spot for the evening unlikely. C’est la vie.

Having climbed the venue’s iconic staircase, we made into the main room without needing oxygen. As predicted a rail spot wasn’t to be but Boy Child found us a spot over to the left one row off the rail, while I made my obligatory visit to the merch stall.

Now, here’s the confession… this gig was a bit of a punt for us. We’d both only heard a few tracks from each band beforehand, but it had been enough to tempt us into buying tickets.

Being a co-headline show and a venue with an early curfew, there was no support band for the night.

At 7.30 Blacktop Mojo stepped out on stage and received a rowdy welcome for their first visit to Glasgow.

For those of you going Blacktop who? Blacktop Mojo are a five-piece hard rock/Southern rock band who hail from Palestine, Texas. Front man Matt James commented that Glasgow was the furthest from home that any of them had ever been. Blacktop Mojo are a tight outfit, and their onstage chemistry is palpable.

As I mentioned I’m not 100% familiar with all of their material. To date they have released five albums, so they had plenty of options to pick from for their hour-long set.

It’ll come as no surprise that the set highlights for me were the songs I knew.

Another show highpoint was bassist Matt “Catt” Murtis’ blue snakeskin boots. They were awesome! He seems to be quite the character on stage too.

Where the Wind Blows from their 2017 album Burn the Ships was a definite high point. Love that song.

Two thirds of the way through the set, Matt James welcomed Shaman’s Harvest’s front man Nathan Hunt, out to join them for their recent collaboration Rise. Another great song and it gave us our first glimpse of Nathan Hunt. The Glasgow crowd clearly loved this one.

Set closer was the beautiful bluesy It Won’t Last. It was great to see the guys switching roles/instruments about for this one. Front man Matt James took over on bass, while bass player Matt “Catt” Murtis joined Malcolm Booher and Ryan Kiefer on guitar. Such a soulful song to end on.

An hour simply wasn’t long enough.

Shortly before 9pm Shaman’s Harvest stepped out on stage to cheers amid the drummer’s Native American rhythms for Red Hands Black Deeds (prelude), the opening song of their allotted hour. A great atmospheric start.

Hailing from Jefferson City, Missouri, Shaman’s Harvest are a five-piece outfit fronted my Nathan Hunt. Same as with Blacktop Mojo, I’m not overly familiar with the band’s music but I had loved what I had heard and was looking forward to their set.

Right from the off, the band’s sound was just a bit off. It may have been partly due to where we were positioned but drummer Adam Zemanek was largely drowning out Nathan Hunt’s vocals., which was a dreadful pity. Even the vocal harmonies seemed off balance a tad.

Two songs in the set stood out for me. The first of those was Lilith from their 2022 album Rebelator with its stunning sultry opening lines “Tell me your dirty little secret. Tell me what you want to be.” Awesome song.

The other one was the energetic and playful Country as Fuck from 2014’s Smokin’ Hearts & Broken Guns album. Simply a fan pleasing, good fun, anthem.

Shaman’s Harvest treated the Scottish crowd to a solid set that may have fallen a few minutes short of their allotted hour ensuring that the show ended well inside the 10pm curfew.

Was their set as well-received as Blacktop Mojo’s? I feel the answer on this occasion has to be no but both bands did earn a rousing chorus of the Glasgow chant.

Personally, I’m not really a fan of co-headline shows but did I enjoy the gig? – Most definitely! Would I like to see a headline show by each band? Yes!

Hope to see both bands back in Glasgow again soon.

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Tremonti @ SWG3 Glasgow 6th February 2025

Posted on February 11, 2025 by coralmccallum

Last week the first gig of the year beckoned…

The traffic was kind to us as Boy Child drove up the M8 towards Glasgow. As usual we parked at the science centre then took a quick detour to the SEC to use the loo. As we headed towards our venue for the evening SWG3, we encountered some members of the Furries convention outside the Crowne Plaza Hotel (don’t ask! – feel free to Google that for yourself).

So, who were we braving the cold and the Furries to see?

Tremonti!

The rail gods weren’t kind to us and Boy Child could only get a spot three or four rows off the rail. I found myself in the midst of a group of 6’ plus giants and instantly began to regret my decision not to upgrade to the VIP Meet & Greet Experience. C’est la vie.

There was only one support act for the evening and that honour fell to Wales’s finest, Florence Black. The trio took to the stage at 7:30pm for their all too short seven song set. Time may have been tight, but the boys packed a punch with a powerful set which opened with Start Again. This was followed by Bed of Nails, one of my favourites, and The Deep End. This was the fourth time I’ve seen Florence Black, and these boys just keep getting better and better. This set flew in far too fast. Another of my favourites, Zulu, was the penultimate song of their set which was brought to a climax with the stunning Sun and Moon.

Short, sharp and a set that definitely warmed the crowd up ready for the headliners.

Hurry back, boys, thirty minutes wasn’t enough!

At 8:30pm, the lights dimmed…the Scottish fans cheered wildly as the four members of Tremonti took to the stage. Tremonti opened their seventeen-song set with the title track from their second album, Cauterize. You Waste Your Time from the band’s 2012 debut album All I Was, followed. The opening trio was rounded out with Tomorrow We Will Fail from the band’s current album The End Will Show Us How. The bar had been set high right from the off!

This was the fifth time that I’d seen Tremonti, and they never fail to impress. We were standing in front of guitarist Eric Friedman who has a talent to rival Mark Tremonti’s. Bassist Tanner Keegan was his inimitable skilful animate self as he bounded about the far side of the stage. At the back of the stage, drummer Ryan Bennett is a beast on the drums. As for front man, Mark Tremonti, it goes without saying how awesome he is on guitar but what has improved over the years is his voice. Despite nursing a cold, Mark was sounding fantastic!

With six albums to choose from, it must be a challenge pulling a set together. The guys chose well and treated the Scottish fans to a balanced set that spammed their thirteen-year history.

During Another Heart, another song from Cauterize, Mark was blighted by technical issues after breaking a string. It was however an impressive display of the band’s chemistry as Tanner Keegan delivered an impromptu bass solo and Eric Friedman kept things going until Mark had resolved the guitar issues. A tricky situation impressively handled.

I’ll not lie, being several rows back among the 6’ plus giants and trying to see the stage through gaps between heads and arms was detracting from my overall enjoyment slightly. I bare saw Tanner Keegan all night as he largely kept to his side of the stage, out of my line of sight. C’est la vie.

One of my personal favourites and a firm fan favourite was Flying Monkeys. Awesome hard and heavy song that Mark introduced as having been written back in the day when he was working through his own emotions. Been tempted to release those Flying Monkeys a few times myself! Love this song!

The atmospheric Duct, title track from the band’s third album, followed. Another fan favourite that the crowd were only too happy to help out with the vocal chores on.

The main body of the set was rounded out with My Last Mistake and Marching in Time, the title track from the band’s fifth album.

After a few brief moments off stage, Mark and the boys returned for a two-song encore. The first song was the ever popular A Dying Machine, title track from the fourth album (definitely a set heavy on title tracks), but the honour of bringing the night to a climax as always at a Tremonti show was Wish You Well. Awesomeness!

Till next time, guys. I wish you well.

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2024…musical review of the year

Posted on December 30, 2024 by coralmccallum

It’s that time of year again…. 2024 saw me attend 15 gigs in total. Would have loved it to be more.

It all began at Classic Grand with Florence Black way back in February and closed at the OVO Hydro with Slipknot. I was lucky enough to see Myles Kennedy five times this year – once with Slash ft Myles Kenned and the Conspirators and four times in late November when he toured his third solo album. There have been some great support acts this year but the best one has to be Mammoth WVH who supported the Slash show.

So far there are three gigs in the diary for 2025. Gig season kicks off again on 6th February 2025 with Tremonti at SWG3 and Florence Black as support. Should be a great night to kickstart another year of music

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Slipknot @ OVO Hydro, Glasgow 15th December 2024

Posted on December 16, 2024 by coralmccallum

On Sunday evening there was a bit of role reversal as Boy Child drove us up the M8 towards Glasgow. For once I was chaperoning him rather than it being the other way round. We were heading for the Hydro. Around this time last year, I had bought him two tickets for this gig for Christmas and had joked that I didn’t want to have to go to it.

And here we were!

The science centre car park was already filling up as we turned in. By the time we’d walked across to the venue we could see lengthy queues had already formed.

So, who were we off to see for my last gig of 2024?

Slipknot!

And this is where I’m going to deviate from the norm and not actually say too much about the show as it wouldn’t be fair.

Slipknot are currently touring to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their debut album. This is not an album I am familiar with. I like a handful of their songs but none of the ones on this offering.

There was one support act, Bleed From Within, who were on stage around 7.30pm. As they described themselves “five guys from Hamilton…well four from Hamilton and one from East Kilbride”, it was great to hear them living their dream. I say hear them rather than see them as we’d opted to stay at the back and I couldn’t see a damn thing.

We moved slightly further forward for Slipknot, but I still couldn’t see much.

As I said, these guys are not my band of choice but from the rapturous welcome they received there were about ten thousand others who were loving it. Two video screens at the side of the stage meant that I could see what was going on. These guys are clearly awesome at what they do and it was a lively performance but it’s just not my taste in music.

The set itself was surprisingly short at just fourteen songs and that included a three-song encore.

I suspect if I was a die hard fan, I might feel a bit short-changed on this one….

It was a great way to wrap up my 2024 gig season as its not too often that you get to see a band of that stature but to be fair, it was wasted on me. Give me Stone Sour or Corey Taylor’s solo show over that any day. Sorry.

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Myles Kennedy & Co – SWG3 Glasgow 25th November 2024, Manchester Academy, Manchester 27th November 2024, Rock City, Nottingham 29th November 2024 and O2 Academy, Birmingham 30th November 2024

Posted on December 9, 2024 by coralmccallum

Ok this will be a lengthy gig review in four parts…more like a tour review!

Unaccompanied I set off up the M8 on the Monday at lunchtime…yes, lunchtime….in search of the first of my four musical adventures for the week. The traffic was kind to me, so it was a smooth drive to the science centre car park. I crossed the footbridge and turned left away from the Hydro. No, I wasn’t heading there to see Sleep Token although plenty were. I was heading to SWG3.

And the reason for my early start? I had upgraded my outing to include the VIP Meet & Greet experience.

So, who was I off to see? (Regular readers of this blog won’t be surprised by the answer)

I was on my way to see Myles Kennedy & Co.

As ever, what happens at a Meet & Greet, stays at the Meet & Greet but I will say it was awesome to these restored to their pre-Covid format. The experience includes about twenty or thirty minutes of the sound check and Myles was sounding awesome. (OK I may be slightly biased here.)

Moving on to “doors open” around 7pm. (VIPs are meant to get in fifteen minutes early but this didn’t quite happen- no big deal) and surrounded by “AB family” I had my place on the rail for the night. Happy days indeed!

There is only one support act on this tour – Devin Townsend. He took to the stage for his 35-minute set at 7:45pm. Now, Devin Townsend isn’t an artist I know a lot about, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. His support slot is an acoustic set and is really stripped back- just him, his two acoustic guitars and a cuddly bunny with “big pants”. Sound bizarre? It was… as was the set itself! I’ll reserve judgement as this was the opening night of the tour. Devin Townsend seemed a bit erratic but there’s no denying that there’s enormous talent there. In the midst of his chaotic random set, he did surprise me with a stunning rendition of Bring Him Home from Les Mis.

Bring Him Home – Devin Townsend @ SWG3 Glasgow 25/11/24

I’m not sure if he was trying to be funny or if he really was as ill-prepared as he claimed. One thing he was clear about – he won’t be doing this in a year or so. Hmm…let’s see how his set evolves as the week goes on.

At 8:45pm the dulcet tones of Freddie King’s Going Down filled the room as the houselights went down. First out on stage to a huge cheer was drummer, Zia Uddin, followed by bassist and legend Tim Tournier and then the man himself, Myles Kennedy to open their 90-minute set with the title track from Myles’ current album The Art of Letting Go. Myles set the bar high here right off the bat.

The Art of Letting Go (show opener) – Myles Kennedy @ SWG3 Glasgow 25/11/24

This was followed with a second song from the current album, Nothing More to Gain with Devil on the Wall from Year of the Tiger after that. What an opening trio!

One of my personal favourites from The Ides of March, Myles’ second solo album, came next- the beautiful A Thousand Words. Such a heartfelt song.

Then it was back to the current album and Mr Downside, another one that comes straight from the heart.

Mr Downside – Myles Kennedy @SWG3 Glasgow 25/11/24

Around me the fans were drinking in everything, soaking up Myles’ every word. Such a great atmosphere that he was clearly feeding from.

A couple of songs further on, it was time for the acoustic interlude. As Myles settled his acoustic guitar on, someone in the crowd yelled out “Mars Hotel”, the much-loved Mayfield Four song. Myles delivered a short swift country parody of the song, then amid his giggles, he declared “Now I want to try it.”. he said he’d do “a little bit” but not to be beaten, he “busked” his way through the entire song. Was it word perfect? Of course not but it was just perfect. So good to see him just sing and plat off the cuff like that. There’s many an artist who wouldn’t have entertained a fan request mid-set. Kudos to you, Mr Kennedy.

Mars Hotel – impromptu performance- Myles Kennedy @ SWG3 Glasgow 25/11/24

The Alter Bridge song Lover had been the acoustic song he’d intended to play. It too was incredibly but for me, Mars Hotel over-shadowed it.

When I first listened to The Art of Letting Go, the one standout track that had me saying “I can’t wait to hear this one live” was Behind the Veil. Live it did not disappoint! This is a soaring epic song. I’ve said many times on here that I’m a fan not a musician but the solo from Behind the Veil is mind-blowing! Seeing a musician entirely absorbed in his sonic landscape like that is truly a wonderous sight.

Behind The Veil- Myles Kennedy @ SWG3 Glasgow 25/11/24

Another of my favourites from Year of the Tiger, Love Can Only Heal, followed. This on struck an emotional chord with me and yes, there were a few tears. Such a beautiful song.

Emotions continued to flow through Miss You When You’re Gone. Another incredible song from the current album.

Energy levels were restored to 11 with the rousing closing trio of Year of the Tiger, Get Along and finally, with that gorgeous resonator, the mighty In Stride.

In Stride – Myles Kennedy @SWG3 Glasgow 25/11/24

WOW!…that’s all…WOW!

Myles and the guys returned with just time for one more song before the 10:30pm curfew. Say What You Will brought the night to a close.

What a show!

Already looking forward to my second show of the week in Manchester on Wednesday night,

Pt 2

After a long day of travel by train on Tuesday, I found myself in Manchester for Wednesday night’s “Birthday Extravaganza” with Myles Kennedy & Co at Manchester Academy.

In the morning sunshine I headed out from my hotel to check out the venue. Found it with the help of an AB Family member who I bumped into who was out doing the same thing. Great minds and all that…

Again I was doing the  VIP Meet & Greet so I was back at the venue surrounded by AB Family before 3pm. Armed with a small gift for the birthday boy, I was glad to be in out of the cold a few minutes later. What happens at a Meet & Greet stays at the Meet & Greet but I will say it involved the VIPs (big group today) singing Happy Birthday to Myles and I did get to give him his gift personally and wish him “Happy Birthday”. Happy girl.

Then it was back outside to queue for the show. I have to say that the VIP queue is usually very orderly and courteous towards each other but by the time security opened the door there was a fair bit of pushing and shoving and queue jumping. Frustrating but no harm done and thanks to AB Family I secured a wee space on the rail just about centre front. Being on the rail surrounded by friends is special.

As we’d come into the venue we’d been encouraged to grab “party supplies” – paper hats and party hooters. The cacophony of noise from the party hooters was my idea of the kids’ birthday party from Hell! LOL

At 8pm Devin Townsend stepped out on stage to open his 35-minute set. He declared he was “solely unused to playing live shows” and described it as being “a total abstraction to be in front of a whole bunch of human beings”. He then actively encouraged the fans to blow their party hooters if the music got really quiet. I still can’t decide if he is brilliant or insane or both but what followed was an entertaining , rambling, shambolic 35-minutes of music.

Devin opened with Let It Roll…..words fail me!

Let It Roll – set opener- Devin Townsend @Manchester Academy 27/12/24

As in Glasgow, the high point of his set was Bring Him Home, complete with passionate party hooter support from the crowd.

He was running short on time so his last three songs were almost a medley – Hyperdrive, Lightworker and Life.

Hyperdrive describes it beautifully! Such a talented musician but so unpredictable. He’s growing on me!

Shortly after 9pm, much to the delight of the sell-out crowd the birthday boy himself, Myles Kennedy, took to the stage accompanied once more by bassist and “jack of all trades” Tim Tournier and enigmatic drummer Zia Uddin to open the 16-song set with The Art of Letting Go, title track from the current album. At the start of his third number, Devil On The Wall, he faltered and finally asked, “What’s that noise?” Yes- you’ve guessed it! It was the party hooters! There was also a rowdy rendition of Happy Birthday. He started the song a second time but there was a minor glitch with his mic so cue an impromptu dance and some jamming with his boys before at the third time of asking Myles delivered a blistering rendition of Devil on the Wall.

Devil On The Wall & some birthday mayhem – Myles Kennedy @ Manchester Academy 27/11/24

A few moments later the birthday mayhem continued as photographer Chuck Brueckmann, resplendent in his gold tracksuit, stepped out on stage with a birthday cake. Drummer Zia Uddin led the birthday wishes as again the crowd passionately sang Happy Birthday to Myles. There was even time for a brief kiss from his gorgeous wife Selena then it was on with the show.

Happy Birthday Myles Kennedy- Manchester Academy 27/11/24

The mid-set highlight again was Behind the Veil. What a song! What a solo! Watching Myles disappear into his own sonic landscape is an honour.

Next up was the acoustic interlude. As in Glasgow , the crowd shouted out their requests but the clear favourite being called out was The Mayfield Four’s White Flag. Myles admitted he hadn’t played it in a long time but play it he did. Beautiful song. It was followed by the only Alter Bridge song of the night All Ends Well.

White Flag & All Ends Well – Myles Kennedy @ Manchester Academy 27/11/24

The remainder of the set was the same as in Glasgow with the main body of the set concluding with In Stride.

The party atmosphere in the room was fantastic. So much energy but all good parties need to come to an end. This one came to a climax with Say What You Will.

Say What You Will – Myles Kennedy @ Manchester Academy 27/11/24

Say What You Will, Myles does not look or act his age (55) and it was one hell of a birthday extravaganza. It was a privilege to be there.

Nottingham, bring it on! ( I hope the party hooters stay in Manchester though LOL)

Pt 3

Friday…that must mean its Nottingham. I’d travelled there on Thursday with two other AB family members then we all met up for lunch along with several other members of the extended AB family before heading to Rock City for the VIP Meet & Greet.

Yes, Myles was getting the opportunity to meet us again!

Today’s VIP group was much smaller than the previous two.

There’s a 10pm curfew at Rock City so the doors open time was 6:30pm. That suited me – less time queuing in the cold on the front steps of the venue.

For this show I opted to head to a rail spot between Myles and Zia, rather than keeping to the left.

Rock City felt like an intimate venue. It also has quite a low stage which brings them closer to you. Zia’s red drumkit had been “caged” behind a Perspecta screen for this one but I’m jumping ahead here…

At around 7pm Devin Townsend stepped out on stage for a slightly longer set. He played pretty much the same set as the previous two shows, thankfully minus Manchester’s party hooters! Again, there were some Devin fans in the room and one anonymous fan got the chance to take the mic and sing along with his idol. A nice gesture but I’m sorry to say it sounded like bad karaoke. Mid-set Devin realised he was missing a teddy. Myles’ long -suffering guitar tech, Dave, got sent back to the dressing room to fetch the bunny with the “big pants”….

Ih Ah – Devin Townsend @Rock City Nottingham 29/11/24

Devin Townsend was growing on me musically. It’s so hard to even attempt to describe his acoustic set. You need to experience it to believe it. Again, the highlight moment for me was Bring Him Home but Love is also growing on me.

It’s almost a relief when his set is over though.

At 8:25pm the dulcet tones of Freddie King’s Going Down signalled the imminent arrival of Myles Kennedy and Co on stage. They opened the show with The Art of Letting Go. Time was tight on this set so this show moved along at a slightly faster pace which was a bit of a shame.  

The early curfew allowed little time for Myles to chat to the crowd and it also felt as if it curtailed the length of some of his “noodling” solos that he had been playing before the intro to most of the songs.

A Thousand Words – Myles Kennedy @ Rock City Nottingham 29/11/24

With hindsight it may have perhaps helped to steal a few minutes from Devin Townsend to allow for more time with Myles.

Time only allowed for one acoustic song but Myles mixed things up a bit and played the gorgeous Haunted By Design. (To be fair, the VIPs knew  it was coming as we’d heard it at the soundcheck.)

Haunted By Design – Myles Kennedy @ Rock City Nottingham 29/11/24

Despite the ticking clock, these guys were having fun. It’s an absolute delight to watch these buddies playing together.

Even caged behind his perspect screens, Zia Uddin is a force to be reckoned with and this was showcased by the drumming on the spinetingling Love Can Only Heal and then again on the title track from Myles’ debut solo album Year of the Tiger. Magnificent!

Love Can Only Heal – Myles Kennedy @ Rock City Nottingham 29/11/24

Year of the Tiger – Myles Kennedy @ Rock City Nottingham 29/12/24

With the curfew fast approaching, there was no time for an encore as such. Myles joked about it but still played his “encore” song, Say What You Will to round out another awesome night.

Next stop Birmingham.

Pt4

Saturday started bright and early with a train ride on an exceedingly packed train from Nottingham to Birmingham. Travelling on a show day like that always stresses me out. I had met two AB family members at the station so we travelled together. Once at New St, we went  our separate ways, agreeing to meet up for lunch before the VIP Meet & Greet…then I got lost trying to find my hotel. Uber to the rescue!

Having left my bags in the hotel’s luggage room as my room wasn’t ready (I had requested an early check in but no such luck) I set off to catch up with my extended AB family.

Today’s venue was Birmingham’s O2 Academy, a third new venue for me for the week. Queuing at this venue was made overly complicated and stressful due to a lack of clear communication from venue security and staff. The VIP group was huge for this show – over 100!

Luck and some strategic planning ensured a space near the front of the re-entry queue. Whew!

With time to spare, a friend held my space in the queue while accompanied by one of my travelling companions in case I got lost again, I nipped back to my hotel to check in. Quickest hotel check in in history!

Queuing for re-entry at this venue is confusing. There are three rooms in the venue. Only two were in use that evening but there was our VIP queue, the other band’s VIP queue, the disabled access queue, the O2 priority queue, the general access queue for standing and the general access queue for the balcony. Penned in in our queue I got a sense of how a sheep must feel about being herded.

After a further palaver of security searches and ticker scanning, the VIPs were allowed in just before 7pm. I had no challenge getting my rail spot of choice – slightly to the right again between Myles and Zia. This was a bigger stage too so Zia’s screen had been removed once more.

As I stood there waiting for Devin Townsend’s set to begin, a wave of sadness hit me. This was my final show of the week. I wasn’t ready for it all to be over!

At 8pm Devin came out on stage to open his 35-minute set in his own inimitable way. Despite having seen him four times, I am still at a loss as to how to describe his performance. There’s a fine line between genius and insanity and Devin Townsend is treading it carefully. This guy has so much talent but the chaos of his delivery makes for another manic set. After four shows, I think he has won me over but as he claims he won’t be doing this in a year perhaps this was my final chance to experience the musical mayhem that is a Devin Townsend acoustic show. Sir, its been a pleasure….I think…

Let It Roll & Love – Devin Townsend @ O2 Academy Birmingham 30/11/24

Shortly after 9pm and stop/start Going Down from Freddie King, Myles et all walked out on stage. Curfew was 11pm so with more time at hand, this show possibly felt the most laid back of the four shows.

The set itself was pretty much the same as before however the banter between songs was back. There was even time to sing Happy Birthday to Mo, one of the crew. Myles’s long noodling intros were back too.

Watching him lose himself in his music is a truly beautiful sight to behold.

Both Blind Faith from Year of the Tiger and Saving Face from the current album made a welcome return to the set. Love both of these.

For the final time  for now, I stood back and lost myself in the incredible Behind The Veil. The solo in this really has to be seen and heard live to fully appreciate it. Love love love this one!

There had been several requests at the VIP Meet & Greet for Worried Mind to be added into the set. As I watched Myles swap to his acoustic guitar, I wondered if he would play it. Sadly, he didn’t. C’est la vie (He in fact played it in Cardiff at the next show…damn!) What we did get though was a stunning rendition of White Flag from The Mayfield Four era followed by Alter Bridge’s All Ends Well.

White Flag & All Ends Well – Myles Kennedy @O2 Academy Birmingham 30/11/24

As in Glasgow at the start of the week, there were tears in my eyes as Myles played the beautifully emotional Love Can Only Heal.

The equally emotional Miss You When You’re Gone followed. We were rapidly approaching the end of another awesome show.

Year of the Tiger, Get Along and the fabulous In Stride rounded out the main body of the set.

With plenty of time left on the clock, the Birmingham fans got the encore that Nottingham were kind of denied as Myles and Co returned to close the show with Say What You Will. Eargasmic!

Some folk have said I’m crazy doing multiple shows on one tour but no two of these four shows have been the same. Each night has been incredible and its nigh on impossible to pick a favourite from the four. If I was really pushed to do so, I might have to say Manchester as it was the birthday show…or Glasgow because it was my hometown show…or Nottingham because it was the best VIP experience…or Birmingham because it was my final show. They were all awesome.

I’m just sad I wasn’t able to follow my AB family on to Cardiff and London to complete the UK run.

Next time…

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Black Stone Cherry @ OVO Hydro, Glasgow 20th November 2024

Posted on November 23, 2024 by coralmccallum

On a rather chilly evening, after a surprise brief snowfall, Boy Child and I headed up the M8 through the rush hour traffic towards Glasgow. Doors for this show were early (6.30pm) so we’d set off early. Having parked the car at the Science Centre, we completed the journey on foot across the Clyde to the OVO Hydro. We timed it well as the queues were just starting to build some 30 minutes before the doors were due to open.

So, who were we braving the freezing temperatures to see? Those boys from Kentucky – Black Stone Cherry. I’ve long since lost count of how many times we’ve seen those guys play live.

Once inside we divided and conquered. I headed to the merch stall while Boy Child headed into the arena to snag a spot for the night. Boy done good and we were one row back from the rail. Happy days!

There were two support acts lined up for the evening. The first of those, Ayron Jones, was on stage at 6:45pm. This was my first opportunity to see him play live and he didn’t disappoint. As the crowd began to grow, Ayron Jones delivered a solid six song opening set.

Personally, I suspect the stage was bit big for these guys. I’d like to give them another chance in a smaller venue where you can see them interact with each other better. When they did come together centre stage, the chemistry was there. Highlight song of the short 30-minute set was Blood in The Water. Will definitely check these guys out in future.

At 7:30pm the second support act, Skillet, took to the stage. Their set for me was somewhat marred by the drunken antics of a female fan who barged her way forwards, eventually pushing her way onto the rail and who was just inconsiderate and a menace throughout the first three quarters of the set. She “took ill” a couple of songs before the end of Skillet’s 45-minute set and got unceremoniously hauled over the rail to receive medical attention. This whole scenario only served to put me off what was actually going on up on the stage.

Skillet are one of those bands that I’ve been aware of but have never listened to. They played a lively 11 song set with front man John Cooper coming off stage to interact with the fans (pen heads?) along the rail, much to the delight of the drunken fan in front of me.

I’m going to partially adopt my Thumper Principle here and reserve judgement on these guys until I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy them properly.

A potentially controversial point- I’d ban alcohol from the arena floor in big venues. If folk want to drink to excess and ruin the night for themselves and those around them then do it at the bar out in the concourse or get a seat up in the stand.

Now, where were we?

A huge white curtain covered the front of the stage in between Skillet and Black Stone Cherry, billowing gently as the Scottish fans waited impatiently for the headliners. The crowd had swelled somewhat but numbers were down on previous visits to the Hydro which was a wee bit sad to note. I suspect the wintery weather and the fact this was a second visit to town on the one album cycle may have had an impact. Who knows!

At around 9:15pm, the houselights dimmed, and a slightly creepy voice accompanied by some theatrical music declared “Ladies and gentlemen, count to three and make a wish.” With a loud familiar count of “One Two Three” and an almighty explosion, the white curtain fell as Black Stone Cherry were already powering into set opener Me and Mary Jane. CO2 cannons shot high into the air as the band’s 18 song set got off to an energetic start.

Me and Mary Jane (set opener) – Black Stone Cherry @ Hydro Glasgow 20/11/2024

The ever popular Burnin’ followed, keeping the energy levels set high.

Neither guitarist Ben Wells nor bassist Steve Jewell Jr need much encouragement to be energetic. Ben has always bounded around the stage like the Duracell bunny on speed, but Steve is giving him a run for his money. He doesn’t match Ben’s high kicks though!

A couple of songs later, they dug deep into the vault. Front man and guitarist extraordinaire Chris Robertson had commented on the loyalty of the support from Glasgow over the years, from their early shows in The Cathouse and The Garage to Barrowlands and the Hydro itself. The boys looked back to their self-titled debut album and played a blistering version of Rain Wizard, (the first Black Stone Cherry song that Boy Child and I heard way back in 2009.) followed by another of my personal favourites, Blind Man. This was simply vintage Black Stone Cherry, and it was epic!

The fan favourites kept coming – Like I Roll, and the awesome Stay then Cheaper to Drink Alone complete with a spellbinding drum solo from the one and only John Fred Young.

This was followed by the most emotional song of the night. Clearly wrestling with his own emotions, Chris Robertson said that the next song had taken an even more poignant place in his heart since the passing of “Papa Steve” a couple of years ago. The song of course was Things My Father Said, a song I struggle to listen to. I made it halfway through before the tears were flowing freely. Such an emotional song but Glasgow poured their hearts into supporting Chris bring it home.

So, how does a Glasgow crowd dry its tears and restore the energy to the room? With the Glasgow chant of “Here We! Here We! Here We f**king go!” …only in Glasgow! LOL… as the boys powered their way into another of my favourites, In My Blood.

As I mentioned earlier, this was the boys second trip to Glasgow on the Screamin’ at The Sky tour so there weren’t many new songs included in the set. Recently Black Stone Cherry released a cover of The Cult’s American Horse. I’ll be honest its not one of my personal favourites but live, with John Cooper from Skillet and Ayron Jones coming out to join the boys, it worked well enough.

The main body of the set was rounded out with three firm fan favourites. Set stalwarts White Trash Millionaire, Lonely Train (another of my favourites) and Blame It on The Boom Boom. Bang! That’s how to round out a set but the Scottish Cherry Heads knew there was one more to come.

It wouldn’t be a Black Stone Cherry show if the night wasn’t brought to a climax by Peace is Free. This time round, Chris Robertson ventured into the crowd to sing alongside the fans. Although I did wonder at one point if they were going to let him back up on stage to finish the song! The perfect way to end another awesome Black Stone Cherry show.

Til next time, boys.

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Cardinal Black @ Classic Grand Glasgow 25th October 2024

Posted on October 29, 2024 by coralmccallum

For the second time in a week Boy Child and I boarded the train to Glasgow in search of some live music. This time it was only a short walk from the station to the venue- Classic Grand.

When we arrived about 45 minutes before the doors were due to open there was already a queue forming. After a while some of the security staff came out to advise that there were two bands playing- one was an ACDC tribute band and the other was the one we were there to see- Wales’s finest Cardinal Black. When the security staff split the queue, no one joined the ACDC tribute band queue! By the time the doors opened there were three folk in that line, Maybe we should have press ganged them into joining the rest of us upstairs…

It’s a mighty climb up the stairs in this venue but slightly out of puff, we made it and while I went to the merch stall, Boy Child secured our spot centre front for the night. Happy days!

There was one support act- Liam Cromby and he stepped out on stage just before 7:30pm. Already there was a healthy crowd in the room to hear him play a solid opening set. Leaning towards the country/Americana vibe, Liam treated the audience to songs from his debut album, What Can I Trust If I Can’t Trust Love. The title track was one of the highlight moments of his all-too-short half-hour set. The lyrical content of several of the songs told a tale of darkness, some of Liam’s facial expressions suggested he was tortured but he promised us that he’s in a good place these days. So were we- we were in Classic Grand listening to him win the hearts of many new Scottish fans. Check this guy out, please.

I always like to watch the road crew swap the stage round in preparation for the headliners. Tonight, I saw a first – a crew member adding light bulbs to a table lamp and a standard lamp that looked to come straight out of your granny’s living room!

At 8:15pm the lights dimmed and the sell out crowd waited impatiently for the arrival of Cardinal Black on stage. The intro tape played. The Scottish fans cheered wildly as Cardinal Black stepped out on stage with Tom Hollister greeting us with a reminder “It’s Friday night, motherf**kers!” It sure was!

The boys opened their fourteen-song set with Ride Home. Initially the balance of their sound was a little bit off, and Tom’s vocals were drowned out, but this was swiftly addressed.

Ride Home (set opener)- Cardinal Black @ Classic Grand, Glasgow 25/10/24

This was the fourth time I’d seen Cardinal Black and the third time I’d seen them headline in Glasgow, but it was the first time I’d seen them with Tay, their female backing singer/percussionist.

Early in the set, Tom apologised for being loaded with the cold, blaming his young daughter for being generous with her germs, but he promised to soldier on.

There’s a magical chemistry at play on stage with this band, enhanced I suspect for the evening as they were having a few days off after this gig. Each of them seemed chatty and relaxed.

Cardinal Black have one full album, an EP and a recent streaming-only offering Welcome to the Valencia to draw on for their set.

During Jump In, guitarist extraordinaire Chris Buck commented that this was better than the previous venue they’d played in town. I have to agree- yes it was!

Jump In – Cardinal Black @ Classic Grand Glasgow 25/10/24

Something I’ve made clear many times in my reviews, I’m a music fan and not a musician but that said, I could watch Chris Buck make that guitar sing all night. There is simply so much talent flowing with ease from those fingers. Incredible musician.

We were treated to a new song, Morning Light, that’s set to be on the band’s second album. Beautiful song that bodes well for that release when it comes.

All evening there had been an acoustic guitar sitting behind bassist Sam Williams suggesting that someone other than Chris was going to play. Sure enough it was vocalist Tom Hollister who picked it up and played alongside the others during Adeline, a song he’d written for his little girl.

Probably the highlight of the evening for me was the gorgeous Warm Love. It’s always been one of my personal favourites. This evening’s rendition perhaps didn’t go quite as planned thanks to the ACDC tribute band playing on the floor below. A brief interlude for some impromptu Thunderstruck, a few jokes at the expense of Tom’s brother Gregg and an “honorary” can pop in his memory made for a few memorable moments before the band rounded out the main body of their set with Where Do You Go.

Warm Love & Where Do You Go – Cardinal Black @ClassicGrandGlasgow 25/10/24

After a brief moment off stage, Tom and Chris returned to open the two-song encore with Push/Pull, a song about not always seeing eye to eye before the rest of the band returned to the stage for the epic Tied Up In Blue.  Before they could start the final song od the night though there was an important job to be done. At the merch stall, there had been raffle tickets for sale to win the last signed copy of the first/only vinyl pressing of Live at The Memo. So, in true “social club” fashion, the raffle was drawn on stage. Well done to ticket #16.  Its fair to say that by this point Tom’s voice was clearly suffering but Tay and the crowd carried the night home.

Spellbinding show that was over way too fast. Hurry back, boys. Glasgow loves you!

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Skindred @ Barrowlands Glasgow 19th October 2024

Posted on October 21, 2024 by coralmccallum

On a mild October evening Boy Child and I boarded the train to Glasgow. Weaving out way through some of the city’s football fans, we made our way to the legendary Barrowlands Ballroom for the evening’s entertainment.

So, who were we off to see?

Skindred!

Much as I’ve grown to love Barrowlands over the years, it is a bit of a fight through the tide of fans coming in when you’ve gone to the merch stall and are then trying to get up to the ballroom. While I’d queued for merch, Boy Child had headed upstairs to snag a spot. Boy done good and we were only a row or two off the rail.

There were two support acts for the evening. First out on stage just after 7.30pm were North Atlas. We’d seen these guys once before briefly in G2 a couple of years ago when their set was blighted with technical gremlins, so I was delighted to give these guys a fair second chance. Accompanied by two bizarre wicker pagan gods (?) and an extremely acrobatic masked pagan, these guys delivered a solid 30 min opening set to the growing crowd. Their latest single Dead Tree is out now. Give them a listen. They’d make a great support act for Biffy Clyro!

The second act of the night were Nottingham’s As December Falls. I’d heard of them but had never hear them before and to be honest I won’t rush to listen to them again. It’s simply not my taste – think Arctic Monkeys and Paramore meets Glee or High School Musical. The crowd seemed to enjoy them, but I’ll pass thanks.

By 9.30pm the capacity crowd were fired up and ready to welcome Skindred to the stage. Thunderstruck playing signalled the band’s imminent arrival on stage. What the crowd hadn’t expected was the Imperial March from Star Wars on the bagpipes. As guitarist Mikey Demus walked out playing pretend pipes, the fans went wild. There was a mad scramble to grab them as he tossed them into the room as the band opened their ninety-minute set with Set Fazers.

Frontman Benji Webbe resplendent in a long black mock-croc coat was greeted with thunderous cheers. He truly is one of the most charismatic frontmen around.

With a Skindred show you know what you’re going to get… a great night of reggae metal with a smattering of cheeky comments. A Skindred show is perhaps not for the faint-hearted.

Temperature on the room were rising rapidly as Skindred treated the fans to a well-balanced set from their current album Smile and their back catalogue. It was a lively crowd which always helps as the band feed off the energy. The mosh pit was open pretty much all night.

Amid wardrobe tweaks aplenty, Benji makes the crowd work for him, encouraging fists in the air for the mighty Kill the Power, singalong choruses and peace signs too. This show is all about having a good time but also about looking out for one another, with the fans in the pit being instructed from the stage to pick up anyone who fell.

Benji Webbe knows how to work a crowd, even throwing in fan pleasing 500 Miles from The Proclaimers with a “ragga metal” vibe.

There was one cover song, Eddy Grant’s Electric Avenue amidst all the fan favourites. It’s nigh on impossible to call out the high points. The set was a high energy high point from start to finish.

It wouldn’t be a Skindred show if it wasn’t brought to a climax with Warning and the obligatory “Newport helicopter”.

Smile may be the current album title but almost two thousand hot and sweaty fans made their way down the venue’s iconic stairs with smiles on their faces.

Job well done, guys. Hurry back.

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