Station 18 Festival 2022 - Day 1
- Rock Media UK
- May 9, 2022
- 4 min read
Updated: Jun 5, 2022
Hangar 18 Swansea, Friday 29/4/22
Live review by; DeeDee
Photos by; Rockin' Out With...
After arriving in Swansea and completing the usual reconnaissance mission to find the nearest essentials (drink, food and more drink), it was off to Hangar 18. A new venue, in the process of being transformed into something rather special. Greeted by the organisers on the door and shown around the new renovations gives us some hope for the future of our beloved music industry, when we hear of so many closing down.
Had the opening slot for the three day festival. The feisty and adorable Beth with her band, played a mix from their catalogue, but started with ‘The Other Side’ and ‘Persephone’ from the new album ‘Mythos, Confessions, Tragedies and Love’ which is due out on July 8th. Soaring vocals and boisterous guitars got the crowd clapping and Beth was soon in control on stage. From the phenomenal ‘Show Me Your Teeth’ we witnessed the catchy ‘Give It All You Got’ and the latest single ‘Sin Eater’ get its first ever live play. Finishing on the quintessential rock and roll song, (as Miss Blade described it) ‘Jack And Coke’ this was a fantastic performance getting us in full on festival mood.
‘Mythos, Confession, Tragedies and Love’ will be released on July 8th 2022. The album is now available to pre-order/pre-save on all the usual digital platforms and will be released as physical formats in partnership with Cargo Records UK. The pre-order link for the deluxe CD (two extra tracks) and vinyl (limited to 100 pieces).
The local riff masters appeared next. We are subjected to a blast of Wendell Kingpin’s rasping vocals straight away, as they pile into ‘W.O.R.Z.E.L Chuggage’ a song that lives up to it’s title and personifies Pearler’s style. Mashing up metal and groove to deliver delectable tunes like ‘Angel And The Bad Man’ and then ‘Control’ from the EP ‘Another Belter’ is one of those that allows the Hangar 18 audience to bounce along. EVS adds some supple guitar before they plunge into ‘Desert Slut’ which slithers like a lowly reptile. ‘Radical Eyes’ offers more grittiness as they wind up with ’S.S.C’. Amazing band to watch, look out for them on the road as they have some impressive gigs coming up.
Fast becoming one of the top NWOCR bands, Revival Black are also set to release their second album in August. Tonights repertoire features a few that are on ‘Under The Light’ so the excitement level is one of frenzy among the fans, who are wedged on the barrier. ‘Believe’ with Alan Rimmer’s grating guitar and Dan Byrne’s crystal vocals, is one of the new songs and already out as a single. Wow, it digs deep and stumbles into several blissful episodes before the abrupt ending. Whoa Whoa introduce ’Take You Out’ another new single and this number has a flowing melody. The band are looking good up on stage and the sound has to be mentioned, it’s 100% from the desk. ’See You Again’ rumbles in like thunder, really moody then there’s guitar from the top to the bottom of the frets, an amazing song. ‘Midnight Oil’ from the ’Step In line’ album, adds some sleaze driven moments, having a hook that drips with raunchy juice. Another from the same album ‘So Alive’ is met with applause, it’s a fan favourite and the bass of Jamie Hayward is superb. The temperature is rising as ’No Secrets, No Lies’ is thrown at us and ‘Hurricane’ another newie, comes afterwards, I think it’s the first time they’ve played it and it’s also on the new album. Stunning set from the Liverpudlians as they finish with ‘Wide Awake’ and we are left awestruck again.
‘Under The Light’ is available to pre-order on several formats, just follow the link -WEBSITE
It’s so cool to see these Cambridgeshire guys headlining the Friday night. The set is mainly made up from the debut eponymous album, but there are some interesting additions. So while ’Take It All’, ‘Down By The Water’, ‘Let You Down’ and ‘Invincible’ are firmly blasted out with all the usual charm and effortless perfection, it’s the cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s ‘Simple Man’ that captivates. Joe Bonson grabs it with so much intensity and passion, it’s a highlight of the day for me. After more from the ‘Hollowstar’ album and then the soulful ‘Feel The Burn’ there’s a new song given to us. ‘Mr Jones’ is delivered with pride on their faces and it goes down a storm. The cover of ‘Wishing Well’ is time for us to sing along to the ‘Free’ classic and then we head back to ‘Overrated’, ‘Good Man Gone’ and everyone's favourite ‘All I Gotta Say’. Despite Joe Bonson suffering with severe toothache, he’s been patched up tonight and apologises for not being at his best, but he doesn’t have to, as the show was one of the best I’ve seen them. The band can be seen at several festivals this year, Call Of The Wild, Breaking Bands, Cambridge Rock, SOS and Rockwich are on the list so far, but head over to their social pages for more info. WEBSITE
The first day and what a fantastic experience. Hangar 18 is in the middle of Swansea, with plenty of shops and food outlets nearby including a 24/7 McDonald’s, however there was a menu handed around for takeaways that would deliver to you at the venue! Hotels are close too and parking is cheap. A really friendly atmosphere around the place and great to see the bands mixing with everyone afterwards, plenty of time to chat as the security was present but in no hurry to chuck us out.
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