 |
| ACTS / TICKETS / CONTACT / VENUE / TERMS & CONDITIONS / HOME |
 Way back in the halcyon days of rock, there came a trio of 'superheroes' known as the Groundhogs, riding the blues boom into unchartered territory, they gained a reputation as one of the most dynamic live acts around, and are influential and inspirational to this day. The classic line-up of Tony McPhee, Ken Pustelnik and Pete Cruickshank toured the world for 6 years straight, including seminal shows with the Rolling Stones, John Lee Hooker, John Mayall and Canned Heat, and at the legendary 1970 Isle of Wight festival along with Jimi Hendrix. In this time they produced 4 renowned albums: 'Blues Obituary', 'Thank Christ for the Bomb', 'Split' and 'Who Will Save the World'... Now Ken Pustelnik brings you a new and exciting line-up - Groundhogs, playing that classic material with verve and power, and giving performances of energy and excitement that are as fresh and relevant to the modern audience as the originals were back in the day...  MASSIVE
WAGONSIf ever there was a band that personified the phrase “good things come to those who wait,” it’s Massive Wagons. Whilst the Lancaster hard rock quintet have been active for a decade now, 2018 was the year the band truly made their mark on the music industry, touring with the likes of Status Quo, Dead Daisies and The Wildhearts, and landing at No. 16 in the UK Top 20 with their fourth LP, ‘Full Nelson’. “We’ve always been a band that wanted to be on some kind of upwards trajectory, and if it wasn’t going places, we’d probably knock it on the head,” begins vocalist Barry Mills. “The other years have all been brilliant, but this one’s been much more productive and professional. We’re really hitting our stride at the moment, it feels great.” Massive Wagons have come a long way since their humble beginnings as a pub band. Whilst they’ve maintained a keen work ethic and steady release schedule since day one (chalking up an impressive discography with 2011 debut ‘Fire It Up’, 2014’s ‘Fight The System’ and 2016’s ‘Welcome To the World’), the thought that they’d one day be sitting pretty in the charts alongside their childhood heroes seemed like a far-off pipe dream, even just 12 months ago. “Our goal when we started was to get a gig in the local rock pub we all drank in,” Barry beams with his trademark humility. “We used to go and watch cover bands in there every week and stand there, drinking beer and getting starry eyed and thinking ‘imagine playing in here! This would be amazing, wouldn’t it? Imagine writing some songs and playing to some people in the place we drink, wouldn’t that be incredible?’ It wasn’t even in the realms of imagination.” Fast forward to 2019, and not only have Massive Wagons managed to get numerous gigs in said local rock pub, but their ‘Full Nelson’ artwork has also been immortalised in mural form on the side of the building - much to the local council’s chagrin, who demanded it was taken down. As testament to the band’s loyal and growing fan base however, a petition to keep the mural garnered 10,000 signatures in a matter of hours. “The people round here have really got behind us, it’s absolutely amazing,” says Barry, clearly humbled by the huge amounts of support. “It’s really fantastic, the same faces from round here have been watching us for ten years. The difference now, is when we do play a home gig, there’s people coming from Scotland, London, the Shetland Islands or wherever, they turn up in Lancaster to watch us.” Whilst enjoying huge success with singles like ‘Under No Illusion’ and ‘China Plates’, an anthemic but biting critique of social media, the band’s initial breakthrough hit came in the form of single ‘Back To The Stack’, a triumphant but heartfelt tribute to Status Quo guitarist Rick Parfitt, who passed away in 2017. Having toured with Quo and after growing up on their music, the band felt a certain kinship with Parfitt, identifying with his no-nonsense, working class approach to hard rock. “The amount of high-profile deaths that year, they were dropping like flies; Lemmy, George Michael, Prince,” Barry sighs. “Rick was a massive shock. Prince and all these people were megastars, and they were so cool and just awesome, but Rick, you felt like you could relate to him. Whenever you saw them on TV with all the other megastars, they never looked like they quite fit in with them, and I liked that. They looked like they were the jokers that had gatecrashed the party, they never looked like they should really be there. They were fish out of water, they had their own little gang going on, and they just looked like normal guys, writing honest music and sticking to what they love. They got shunned by people left, right and centre - I think in the early days they got the respect they deserve, but then it became uncool to like Status Quo, and I kinda like them for that. They weren’t really bothered, they just carried on.” It wouldn’t be a stretch to suggest Massive Wagons have picked up the torch Quo left behind. Unconcerned with being fashionable or jumping on the latest trend, the band share a similarly unpretentious outlook, and are eager to bypass any extraneous bullshit that gets in the way of what ultimately matters; the riffs. “This is the only band we’ve all ever been in. None of us came from other bands or already had any experience of the industry or what bands do. We were completely green from the word go, we didn’t know what a promoter was or how you got a gig, or anything, so the whole thing’s been exciting, we’ve discovered this all from nothing. We didn’t expect to get anywhere to be honest,’ Barry admits with a booming laugh. Unsurprisingly all their hard work has paid off, and the band have accomplished more than they’ve ever dreamed of in 2018 alone. And the key to their success? As far as Barry is concerned, it’s simple; good old fashioned hard work. “Things that are worth doing don’t happen overnight, they take time – and it’s taken a long time, but here we are,” he grins. “That, and write good songs. We’ve always just written what we liked, we’ve never tried to be anything we’re not, and we’ve landed on our feet. We’ve always stuck to our guns, and luckily, it’s worked for us.” And with a full German tour with Thunder in March, a UK headline tour in April, plus headline slots at major UK festivals like Steelhouse and Winter’s End, and a brand new album already close to completion, 2019 looks set to be an even bigger year for Massive Wagons. “When it’s going well, you’ve got to keep going, you can’t have a break from it. Especially when you’re working, you’ve got to be disciplined and keep going. If you stop for too long, you just sort of seize up,” says Barry. “You just gotta keep going, keep practicing, and keep gigging.  THE
QUIREBOYSMEET THE QUIREBOYS: Following the band’s inception in London, UK in 1984 – originally as The Choirboys, then The Queerboys, before settling on the less controversial name of The Quireboys – there followed 6 years of hard graft and personnel changes before the inevitable happened – a UK number 2 album. Despite supporting a certain Guns N’ Roses at the legendary Hammersmith Odeon in London it was 1990’s A Bit of What You Fancy that brought the band to the attention of the public at large, and featured founder member Spike on vocals and new recruit Guy Griffin on guitar. The record showcased no fewer than 5 hit singles – including “Hey You” which peaked at number 5 in the US Billboard Rock Chart and number 14 in the UK Singles chart. Spike and Guy have been the backbone of THE quintessential British rock’n’roll band ever since – a journey that has seen them play to 72,000 at 1990’s Monsters of Rock at Donington with the likes of Whitesnake, Aerosmith and Poison – supporting The Rolling Stones that same year, and joining Guns N’ Roses again a couple of years later on their “Use Your Illusion” tour. Following their second studio album, 1993’s Bitter Sweet & Twisted, the band found the new mainstream rock landscape a difficult one – and it wasn’t until 2001 and the release of This is Rock’n’Roll that they found a new lease of life. The public’s appetite for The Quireboys had returned and hasn’t waned since – 3 further studio releases (Well Oiled, Homewreckers & Heartbreakers, Halfpenny Dancer) were released on various labels from 2004 to 2009 before the band found their new – and permanent – home on Off Yer Rocka – the label of the renowned festival brand Hard Rock Hell. The first 4 albums on Off Yer Rocka – Beautiful Curse (2013), Black Eyed Sons (2014), St Cecilia and the Gypsy Soul (2015), and Twisted Love (2016) – have not only grown the legacy of The Quireboys but have brought new fans to the fold. 2017’s White Trash Blues saw the band take a bold move – recording a collection of iconic blues numbers but with the signature Quireboys approach – a move that paid off with glowing reviews. Covering legends such as Muddy Waters, Chuck Berry, Freddie King and John Lee Hooker the album is a triumph of substance over style. The album produced a stunning single release – “Leaving Trunk” – a track written by Sleepy John Estes and made famous by the legendary Taj Mahal. The Quireboys are certainly enjoying a revival – selling out venues around the world – with 2018 also taking in The Monsters of Rock Cruise, HRH AOR VI, Sweden Rock and Stonedeaf festivals. 2019 will see a brand new studio album – their 12th – as part of a pledge campaign… so be a part of the never ending Quireboys party – as there’s no sign of Spike, Guy, Keith and Paul slowing down any time soon!  VEGANick Workman, Tom Martin, James Martin, Marcus Thurston, Hutch and Mikey Kew - have a rich history; including stints with Kick, Sugartown and Wildkard, but it was their meeting of musical minds back in 2009 that gave the rock-genre one of the finest releases of that year in the form of their debut album, “Kiss Of Life”. Its eclectic, off-kilter style of rock made them stand out from the crowd and the band were keen to be more than just another “AOR” band. Bassist Tom Martin was keen to play down their AOR credentials by stating in Classic Rock Magazine, “We don’t want to be an eighties throwback.” It’s not that they don’t like AOR, far from it; it’s just that they wanted to add new flavours and it’s a manifesto that they live for to this very day. Having originally signed to Frontiers, the lure of Ninetone Records and Spinefarm Records, a division of Universal, was too big a draw for them to ignore and they promptly signed on the dotted line for their sophomore release, “What the Hell”. Whilst the resulting album was warmly received, things were different behind the scenes which resulted in them cutting their losses and severing all ties with Universal. With the band licking their wounds, a simple email saw them back on the Frontiers roster, with their third album, “Stereo Messiah”, released in 2014. Recorded at the home studio of John Mitchell, the It Bites frontman managed to get the best out of a band whose past product was far from shabby. With the band staying at the studio, it gave them a cohesive, living and breathing aspect to the recording and production. With Mitchell’s all-time favourite album being Def Leppards “Hysteria” it comes as no surprise that it came with a production that Mutt Lange would be proud of. Stereo Messiah was also graced by the vocal presence of Def Leppards, Joe Elliott, who also gave the band a song for the album. They’ve toured over the years with FM, Magnum, Joe Elliott’s Down and Outz, Dan Reed Network and had festival appearances at Steelhouse, Firefest, HRH, Rockingham and the Frontiers Festival in Milan that have all gone into shaping them into one of this country’s finest bands. The fact that they are not more widely recognised is more down to bad luck than anything else, as anyone that has witnessed them recently will testify. The fourth instalment in the Vega saga saw them releasing an album that was reckoned to be the best of their recording career. Produced and mixed by Harry Hess, "Who We Are" saw them in fine form. It was like they’d drawn together all the pieces of the puzzle, coming up with an album of such magnitude that it was hard to put into words. Lyrically compelling, it traversed the genres with ease, hitting a note with pop and rock fans alike. Songs like "Saving Grace", "White Flag" and "Every Little Monster" are sublime moments on an album that was stuffed full of outstanding songs. The subsequent tour with the Dan Reed Network was one of last year’s finest pairings, whilst their HRH AOR performance was the stuff of legend. Having been ensconced in the studio and self producing, the resulting album, “Only Human”, sees them releasing a collection of songs that focus on their core strengths; strong harmonies, big choruses and a compelling lyrical content. They are all pulling in the same direction, with new drummer, Hutch, adding fresh impetus and style to songs that are set to become Vega standards. From the irresistible “All Over Now” through to the poignant “Mess You Made” and stopping off at the riff laden “Last Man Standing”, “Only Human” is set to raise the bar as far as this band are concerned. They’ve pulled out all the stops, disconnected the brakes and are hurtling skywards, smashing beyond the glass ceiling that holds back so many bands. Theirs is a brand of music that is as rewarding as it is challenging. This is not the end; it’s the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the history of Vega.  DEPARTEDBen... The former lead guitarist for the young UK rock band The Treatment has become one of the most respected and exciting young players on the scene in years. He has recorded two hit albums with The Treatment and toured the world supporting such rock legends as Slash, KISS , Motley Crüe , Status Quo ,Thin Lizzy, Steel Panther and many more! Also Ben became a Marshall amps endorsee and is constantly flying the flag for young British rock talent. Mark... Has been working hard on the music scene for years and has gained vast experience whilst supporting the likes of Reef, The Darkness, The Answer and having played at prestigious venues such as the CIA as well as many of the countries top festivals. Mark has been featured among Classic Rock Magazines "Track of the week" and has had numerous worldwide airplay including stations such as Planet Rock Radio and the BBC.  SKAMFormed by Steve Hill (guitar), Matt Gilmore (bass), SKAM are a three piece, hard rock band from Leicester, UK. With the latest addition of Neal Hill on drums, SKAM are the strongest they have ever been. They have a reputation for delivering no nonsense, gutsy, classic sounding British rock music, played with passion and conviction the band have steadily built a strong following. Seasoned road dogs, they have toured up and down the UK as well as gracing the stages of HRH, Wildfire, Steelhouse & Ramblin Man Festivals. Discography: Its Come To This – Album 2011 Peacemaker – Album 2013 SKAM: LIVE – Album 2017 The Amazing Memoirs of Geoffrey Goddard.Sold out shows in London, Bristol, Leicester, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Norwich, Cardiff and many more. “Fading Before The Sun - UK hard rock trio SKAM return with this machine gun dose of heavy-hitting gusto. Lyrically it’s all guns, horses, vultures and other Southern cowboy/deserty images, but sonically it’s no-nonsense, chord-crunching rock meat.” – Classic Rock Magazine  COLLATERALWhat sets Collateral apart from the rest of the new bands is their combination of electric and acoustic guitar set against a big drum sound and throbbing bass guitar. They are loud, rockin’ and melodic. You can’t take your eyes off them. Ever since Collateral burst on to the music scene earlier this year, they have attracted attention from venues, festivals, press, and of course, rock music lovers everywhere. Collateral fit neatly into the current New Wave Of Classic Rock (NWOCR) with their rock anthems reminiscent of early Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, Little Angels, Thunder, Skid Row and Tyketto. Ripped jeans, cowboy boots, long hair and plenty of eye-liner, Collateral are a new generation stadium-driven rock and roll. When they first started out, they were known as the Angelo Tristan Band, with frontman Angelo and bass player Jack Bentley-Smith forming the nucleus of the band. Over the past five years they have worked tirelessly to grow their music, fanbase and their profile. It’s been a long ride, but their sheer grit and determination have seen them overcome obstacles and go from strength to strength. With the recent addition of new members Todd Winger (guitar) and Ben Atkinson (drums) and with the radio success of the radio remix of their “Midnight Queen” single and forthcoming single “Lullaby”, the boys have stepped up their game and are now attracting the attention they finally deserve.  SONS
OF LIBERTYSons of Liberty are a high energy southern rock style band from Bristol. Formed in 2014 as a project aimed at playing some of the great southern rock by bands such as Blackfoot, Molly Hatchet, The Allman Brothers and Skynyrd, this turned out to be just as some of the of the newer southern bands were breaking through – yeah, our timing was damn good! Since then then things have really taken off, and feedback on our original songs and our live shows has been amazing. With a couple of low slung Les Paul’s and more hats than you can shake a stick at we’re ready to bring the bourbon fuelled southern-style party to the stage – see ya there. Hell Yeah!  HOLLOWSTARGet ready for some serious noise! Since forming in the town of St Ives, Cambridgeshire back in 2015, Hollowstar have been hard at work perfecting their craft, delighting audiences across the country with their heavy-hitting dirty rock sound in the process. June of 2017 saw the launch of the band’s debut EP - Some Things Matter - to much critical acclaim, reaching 13th on the iTunes Rock Chart and helping to facilitate their first major steps onto the national and international scenes. Boasting regular radio airplay on some of the UK’s most prominent radio stations including the BBC, the lads have also seen their music gracing the airwaves in various countries throughout Europe and the wider world. Comprised of four accomplished musicians in the form of singer/bassist Joe Bonson, guitarists Phil Haines and Tom Collett, and drummer Jack Bonson, Hollowstar came together with one simple mission in mind; to make some of the finest rock and roll ever heard on this side of the Atlantic. Drawing upon influences including Black Stone Cherry, Thunder, and Slash, the lads quickly set about achieving their goal, and were soon found sharing stages with the likes of The Treatment, Toseland, Chantel McGregor and Stone Broken, among others. Rock is once again rightfully on the rise, and Hollowstar look set to lead the charge throughout 2018 with riffs fit to grace arenas one day and a truly entertaining live show to match.  VOODOO VEGASVoodoo Vegas are a 5 piece rock band, hailing from the south coast of the UK. Playing all over the UK and regularly touring and playing festivals across Europe. VoodooVegas regularly receive high praise and great reviews for their high energy, live performances. Voodoo Vegas have recorded two critically acclaimed albums and one EP and are now working towards their 3rd album with Producer Will Maya for release in 2018. Voodoo Vegas are Lawrence Case - Lead Vocals & Harmonica, Ash Moulton - Bass, Meryl Hamilton - Lead Guitar, Jon Dawson - Lead Guitar & Mike Rigler - Drums. HIGHLIGHTS TO DATE Played to tens of thousands of music fans, playing concerts and festivals across Europe in 13 different countries and all over the UK. Supporting notable acts such as Joe Satriani, Status Quo, Y&T, Uriah Heep, Phil Campbell, Glenn Hughes, Fozzy, The Answer and many more. Featured on UK TV channel Scuzz, Planet Rock Radio, MTV Serbia & National German TV Channel SWR. Released two albums via Pledge Music reaching over 500% of Pledge Music set targets.  KiLLiTThe members of London based KilliT have extensive experience of touring the live circuit as they do rocking hard in studios. They've spent time in such bands as rockers King Lizard and Ace Mafia, which also featured current members of Judas Priest and We Are Harlot. KilliT have proved their worth in the capital playing sold out London shows at venues like The Monarch, 12 Bar and Cargo.  V0iD
(SCARLET REBELS)‘Five lads who hail from the South Wales coast, following in fine traditions of Welsh rock such as The Manic Street Preachers, the Stereophonics and Feeder, playing songs written from the heart and delivered from the gut.  ETHYRFIELDEthyrfield formed in July 2014 and consists of Zach Cornish, Ben Cornish and Dan Aston. They write and perform their own music with a couple of covers into the mix from Black Sabbath and Diamond Head. In February 2015, they entered the national Rock The House under 19s and won the competition. Later in 2015 Ben was selected to take part in Sky Arts Guitar Star episode 1 getting through to the final 16. This led to him performing at the 100 Club, London. They recently entered a Battle of the Bands in Exeter winning themselves £500.  LUKE
DOHERTY BANDThe award winning Blues Rock Guitarist, Luke Doherty, started playing Festivals when he was twelve years old, and 10 years later, he hasn’t looked back. After achieving a Rock School first, 2 grade 8’s by the age of 11, it lead to many Newspaper and Radio interviews. While Luke was Ploughing his was through his grades, he was encouraged to record his version of Parisian Walkways of which Gary Moore had a copy. Luke has gone on to play numerous Festivals, Blues Clubs and Music Venues up and down the Country, including the Legendary Cambridge Rock Festival, 100 club London and Upton Blues Festival, to name a few. Luke is never happier than when he is playing Blues. It all started when he was 7 years old and he found an old music VHS in a cupboard featuring several Blues players. He was enthralled with the playing of Eric Clapton and B.B King, both of which he was extremely honoured to meet a few years later. Over time he also met the great Peter Green, Jeff Healey and Andy Fairweather-Low, and John Mayell which enlightened his passion for Blues even more.  WESTERN
SANDSince 2012, Western Sand has been rapidly building a reputation as one of the best and brightest young Hard Rock bands in the UK. Through persistent touring; the band have played over 400 shows during this time, and started to build up a loyal nationwide following. This relentless attitude, commitment and work ethic has led them to support high profile acts such as: Black Star Riders, Michael Schenker, Nazareth, GUN and Inglorious to name but a few. Western Sand’s distinct sound combines classic Southern Rock influences with a fresh and contemporary edge. This potent musical blend combined with their energetic and powerful live performances and two critically acclaimed EPs; is proving to be a hit with British rock fans across the country.  BLACK
WHISKEY“The more things change, the more they stay the same...” Over the years the members of Black Whiskey have been involved in genres as diverse as NWOBHM, Thrash Metal, Blues, Alt Rock and Prog Rock. But when Simon Gordon (Vocals, ex- Xentrix, Hellfighter), Kev Ingles (Guitar, ex- 3 State Blues, Swampsnake), Craig Nabbs (Bass, ex –Slaughtered) and Rich Bannister (Drums, ex -Nakedium) spoke about putting a band together the common ground was Classic Rock. Bands like Zeppelin, Free, Purple, UFO, Schenker, Scorpions, Lizzy and Rainbow were all huge influences on the members of Black Whiskey when they were growing up and this is hugely evident in the music they make: The songs really are songs, delivered with heart and authenticity, from the powerful, soulful vocals of Gordon to the singing, blues-soaked guitar of Ingles, all underpinned by the solid groove of the powerhouse rhythm section. And yet this is not some rose-tinted tribute. The roots may be entrenched firmly in those classic sounds of the seventies and early eighties but these guys have been involved in diverse styles over the years. The music sounds fresh and modern but stays true to the blueprint. Black Whiskey’s first album, “Heavy Train,” was released in 2015 and received glowing reviews. A video was released for the sing “Devil Rides.” Various shows followed the release of the album including the Hard Rock Hell and Giants of Rock festivals as well as a UK headline tour. The band entered the studio in May 2018 to record the follow up to “Heavy Train.” The album is due for release in February 2019 with a number of video singles being released in the run up to release. Fan reaction to the new material at the band’s live shows has been extremely positive. |
| SOLID ENTERTAINMENTS Presents... CORNWALL ROCKS |