aaamusic | On 18, Dec 2013

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November 28th-December 1st, Hafan y Môr Holiday Park, North Wales

Saturday

The Treatment ★★★★★ The pretty boys of Rock come on with a new boy in their line-up who looks very much like Ronnie Wood. There seems to be a lot of women up the front for their performance, which is more impressive than a Heaven’s Basement concert. They have a little bit of flair but ooze inexperience and the music is a little generic, although they have a formula which will probably take them to new heights in the future.

Black Spiders ★★★★★ for me have never really reached their full potential; they have good musicians in the band, but the music has always been a bit generic. I have to say though I am starting to warm a little to them and Hard Rock Hell is the perfect venue for them to play. I used to like singers Pete Spiby’s old band Groop Dogdrill – they were a favourite of mine when I was growing up – so it was really hard to accept Black Spiders straight away. Black Spiders have a more Cock Rock / Classic Rock vibe going onto Stoner Rock, while Groop Dogdrill were more Punk with a slight Hardcore vibe. So this is something quite different for me, but you should take every new band as something different and as the years go on I think Black Spiders have gotten better and better. I really enjoyed their set at Hard Rock Hell and even went out and bought their new album This Savage Land, which is really worth a purchase, so check out Black Spiders on a support slot near you soon. There was a time that every gig I went to they were the supporting band, so I am sure you won’t have to wait long.

Desert Storm ★★★★★ are from Oxford, where I am from, and are a household name, but here at the HRH festival in Wales not many people seem to know them, so the turn-out to watch their set is a little poor. This is sad because if you are into Stoner music, Desert Storm are ones to watch. They have a slow paced groove that picks up from time to time and if you like a joint or two this is a band you cannot ignore, they give you a smoky buzz. Desert Storm really know how to produce good Stoner music in a very accessible way. See the band at a venue in Oxford soon! I enjoyed their set at Hard Rock Hell and I think you will enjoy them when you see them too.

Blaze Bayley ★★★★★ looks a lot different from his Iron Maiden days but he still has a great stage presence as he goes crazy-running around the stage like a fourteen year old. These Iron Maiden sets today are a must for any Iron Maiden fans and Blaze’s set is a rare chance to hear him singing songs like ‘Man On The Edge’ and ‘Lord Of The Flies’,  along with classics like ‘The Clansman’. The sad thing about both Blaze’s set and Paul Di’Anno’s set is that they share this truly awful backing band, that should be playing in pubs rather than on the mainstage of this year’s Hard Rock Hell.

Paul Di’Anno ★★★★★ starts off his set in good voice, blasting through classic Maiden songs from ‘Wraithchild’ to ‘Running Free’ and sounds  amazing, so it doesn’t matter that he doesn’t move much. Near the end of the set, though, his vocals do turn into more screams than singing, so it doesn’t really impress much but when he ends with ‘Holiday In The Sun’,  which is famous for being done by the Sex Pistols, you realise this is the last time you will get to see him on these shores. Because, like Ronnie Briggs, he is fleeing the country to avoid going to prison. He is going to Brazil so if you’re in Brazil you need to watch out because he will be singing ‘Killers’ at a pub near you soon.

Michael Monroe ★★★★★ is let down by the sound today, which is a real shame. He is a great showman like always and even without Dregen in his line-up, who is replaced by Rich Jones (Black Haloes / Amen), there doesn’t seem to be any change in the quality of the performance, which is first-rate. He runs through a set of songs from old Hanoi Rock classics to songs of his new album Horns And Halos and Demolition 23 classic ‘Hammersmith Palais’. If you like classic 80s Rock then this is a singer that really can’t be ignored and the crowd go crazy for every move he does.

Airbourne ★★★★★ I have seen Airbourne quite a few times before and their set today is very similar. They are a chaotic Rock ‘n’ Roll band from Australia that play a ballzy type of AC/DC-esque Rock, which grabs at the desires of so many Rock fans around the world. Today they are headlining the Saturday and final night of this year’s Hard Rock Hell in Wales and they have the room packed to the rafters, with rockers from all corners of the UK. After the amazing Michael Monroe (Hanoi Rocks) had exited the stage they started preparing for the Airbourne extravaganza by wheeling on the biggest selection of guitar Marshall amps I have ever seen in my life. I think this is like the magic Spinal Tap bring to their stage show, we know they’re not all real but we don’t really care because they look cool as F**K! OK, this band are nothing new but I am really impressed about how much heart and soul and energy they put into each performance. I would not personally pay to see this but it’s not my genre; if you like AC/DC, Dead City Ruins and other forms of Australian Rock you will love Airbourne – so what are you waiting for,  go and see their frantic Rock show.

The Answer ★★★★★ have the hard job of going on after Airbourne and a few years ago they probably could have headlined this festival themselves; in some ways they are headlining it today because they are last on. So is the last on the headliner or is it the band with the prime time spot? Well that is for you to make up your own mind. Northern Ireland’s attempt to take over Hard Rock Hell goes about as well tonight as their chances in the World Cup! They start off with a desire to impress, but they just seem a little laid back with the performance and new material is a little lacklustre. They run through songs from ‘Preachin’, which shows off Cormac’s great vocal range, to one of their best tracks in ‘Waste Your Tears’ – so if you’re a fan you get all that you want.

Sunday

Tracer ★★★★★ should have been on the main stage today and because of the lateness of their set, they seem to have a smaller crowd that they should have had. They have so much experience and, like The Treatment, seem to have attracted the only few young ladies at the festival. By now, the room is very sticky and a lot of girls in the audience seem to faint when singer Michael Brown arrives. They really do grab the audience but the sound is not that great and they don’t work the stage as much as they should do, with a lot of the stage not even being used.

Lawnmower Deth ★★★★★ are a really fun addition to the bill as they end the festival off on the Jagermeister stage. Blasting through songs from ‘Spook Perv, Drink to be Sick, Sheepus Dipus’ to the brilliant ‘Sumo Rabbit’ – where they bring on a giant rabbit, which is a bit much for this time of night, considering the fact we have all had a pint or two. They blast through their Kim Wilde cover of ‘Kids Of America’ to the shock of a lot of the people in crowd, which makes a good end to a great weekend of Rock music.

Words and Photos: Dan Devour and Ays Kura