Review by; Jo
Photos by; Rockin' Out With...
They may say that the rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain, but in South Yorkshire the Saturday before last, it definitely fell on the hills – the seven hills of Sheffield that is. But even the torrential downpours couldn’t detract from what was a truly special day: desTINAtion 2023 – a chance to remember the Fairy Rockmother of the emerging rock scene, the late, great Tina Sherwood.
Tina was a huge presence in the life of so many bands, their champion and advocate, their encouragement and support, and it was joy to see so many from those bands at the Corporation to celebrate her life, and not just those on the bill. For those, and especially her family and those of us privileged enough to be her friend, it was at the same time a joyous and emotional affair. For those bands who played, you did Tina proud; thank you. For those who didn’t play but were there anyway, you’re amazing. For those who wanted to be there but couldn’t be, she’d know, and she’d understand. She was like that.
And what a day it was! To be fair, it didn’t get off to the best start. The doors were about half an hour late opening which was really not fun in that rain, but those of outside waiting complained good naturedly to each other and refused to let it spoil the day. Anyway, with steaming hot music like we had, you didn’t stay wet and cold for long! And none of this was the fault of the organisers, who pulled off an absolute blinder of a day. You know who you are guys: thank you.
So what about this music that made this day so amazing? First up to play were Unknown Refuge. This four-piece hard rock band were among the first cohort of new young bands that Tina mentored through the Forge Ahead initiative, and a look back through all their past gigs tells you how successful she – and they – were. They’ve supported some of the big names on the circuit, played a few festivals, and headlined shows in their own area and as far afield as Dumfries and Galloway.
I first saw these guys last year at SavFest and couldn’t believe their sound; their music belies their youth (they’re still only in their early 20s). And they’ve only got better since then. They played a great set, including my favourite track of theirs, Drop a Gear, and, from their first album, the incredible Battle Hymn and the poignant To the Light. This last one they dedicated to Tina - as they said, the only song it could have been. “So ride to the light / my noble son, you won your fight. ”Tissues out…
Kicking off the second stage were Pretty Babs, a band many hadn’t heard live (if at all) before, but were close to Tina’s heart. Not only are they from literally just down the road from Tina in Market Warsop, Notts, but she taught two of them in her previous life as an English teacher. She’s championed these guys forever, and seeing them for the first time last week, I can see exactly why. They are, in their own words, a “four piece Hairy Rock band incorporating elements of southern, classic and riff-based rock” and they are so easy to listen to. I was blown away by their big sound, their easy banter, and the consummate professionalism. In my opinion, these guys should be on the line-up of many more festivals.
Up next were White Raven Down, a three-piece from Gravesend who delivered another first class performance. They were quick to point out that though they’d never had the privilege to meet Tina in person, they had benefitted from her support and encouragement through their socials. They said that she was one of those rare people of whom they’d never heard a bad word. Despite struggles with his voice, lead singer Stu Bailey delivered an incredible rendition of their song Salvation, dedicated to Tina: the gathered crowd singing along, “Looking for the dawn of another day”. More tissues….
I had to pop back to my car before the next act and sadly missed a fair chunk of Backwoods Creek’s set. That was an immense shame! I’ve not seen the guys before but I loved their quieter, mellower sound, the atmospheric guitar, and their lovely harmonies. I need to seek them out and see them live again soon!
Next up were Ashen Reach. Apparently well known for taking some setting up, their set was worth the wait, as it always is. Tina was a huge fan of their heavy rock, and given that they had the biggest cheer of the event so were most of those assembled. Tina introduced me to drummer Jess at a gig last year; she was so proud of her for being a giant in the cause of more women in the rock scene. I think the admiration was mutual; the guys shouted from the rooftops that Tina was, “a f***ing legend.” Too true, guys, too true.
Bad Actress. What can I say about this five-some?! Tina mentored these guys through Forge Ahead and she never stopped talking about their talent, their drive and their guaranteed future success. Having seen them a few times before, I couldn’t argue with any of that! The original line-up has seen a couple of changes since their days with Tina; lead singer Vinnie and bassist 80-R both having left recently to pursue their own musical careers, and have been replaced by Toby Michaels on vocals and Mork on bass. I’d seen Toby when he depped for the band at the Yorkshire man back in March, and I hope they’ll all forgive me for saying that I wasn’t entirely sure if they’d made the best choice taking him on, but wow, that all changed today. Both he and Mork have ingratiated themselves firmly in the mix, they were a tight unit, and I mean absolutely no disservice to those they replaced when I say this was the best I’ve ever seen the band. It seems Tina’s prophecy is destined to be true – going from strength to strength, the future is bright for these guys.
The next band I saw was The Wicked Jackals. Another band who were new to me, but I loved their energy. Their pounding drums and bass were electric and their guitar solos on fire. Just as well bassist Lex brought his water pistol along then! (Yeah, cheers for that mate; as if we hadn’t been wet enough waiting in the rain…!) Another band to give a tribute to Tina, they made us all laugh by playing Nutbush City Limits! Erm, wrong Tina, boys! They made up for it with a proper tribute. The Jackals are a heavier sound than I normally go for but I was surprised by how much I enjoyed their music and their performance. I’m definitely listening to more of them!
The next hard rock band to play was Molly Karloff, a band that was a particular favourite of Tina’s – so much so that she named her van after them! Their sound is perhaps heavier than I go for, but there’s no denying the standard of their musicianship and the stellar performance they gave. So. Much. Sound! A pleasure to watch live, even if it’s not what you’d usually go for.
Another first time see for me was Vambo. Wow, what a breath of fresh air! Absolutely loved the set; they blew me away with their catchy riffs, melodic vocal lines and a unique sound that was perfect. As one reviewer** said, “Vambo are churning out crowd belters while making guitar music sexy again.” Couldn’t have put it better myself. If you’ve not heard them before – make it your mission.
All told, this was for me one of those gigs that was the perfect mix of favourite bands, new bands you really want to check out more, and bands that you wouldn’t normally listen to that make you look twice. Huge thanks to the organisers for pulling off a banger and celebrating the life of a rather remarkable woman. With sincere apologies to The Hot Damn and Tigertailz, whose sets I missed, but Tina will have been rocking out to you all.
**Live Music - Live Is Life on Facebook
