HRH XIV - Great Yarmouth
Awards Night Wed 3/11/21 & Thurs 4/11/21
Live review by; DeeDee
My first trip to the HRH camp in Great Yarmouth and after all the signing in and getting passes sorted, it was soon time to head down to the main room for the 4th Annual HRH Awards ceremony. I can be so naive at times, I wasn’t expecting so much glitz and glamour and certainly not a bottle of Jagermeister on the table, or the Fireball shots! After photos on the red carpet, bumping into friends and wishing some of the nominees the best of luck, I sat down and started with a Fireball or two and large vodka.
The show started with a Rammstein dance routine, then HRH CEO Jonni Davis took to the stage. Assisted by the adorable Charlotte Simpkin, Aka Glam Rat, he began to announce the winners and hand out awards. So in no particular order, as the shots have taken effect by now, The tension did start to dig as we waited for the Rising Stars award, deservedly it went to South Of Salem, what they have achieved in the last year has been incredible. It was amazing to see Arthur Brown, the God of Hellfire, win a lifetime achievement award and legendary Bernie Marsden took Lord Of The Blues. In between, Highway to Hell winners Bastette, performed as did White Raven Down and Twister. Rob Weir took the award for Tygers Of Pan Tang being heralded top NWOBHM band and Ginger Wildheart gave us a few laughs when he received Best British Singer. A best Goth category went to Lord Of The Lost and it was superb to see The Howling Tides win the Young Blood title. Fleur Elliott was also credited, as she does so much to keep the HRH team running.
So now I’m quite tipsy, the bottles are empty and I start to wander around and congratulate people. I’m my highest heels, it’s a wonder I don’t fall flat on my face! From what I can recall I said to Bernie you are the biggest rock star here. Ginger, I remember watching the Wildhearts from the start well done. Rob, I saw Tygers at the Reading Festival in the 70s you’re amazing. SOS you smashed it guys! I think it was time to stumble back to the caravan before I did anything untoward.
Thursday morning, I’ve a bit of a headache, so good to hear I don’t have any interviews to do until later. Tonight sees the opening ceremony followed by an exciting line up of bands, unfortunately we do hear of more pulling out due to illness, however the HRH team work behind the scenes to ensure any gaps in the running order are soon filled.
The Gypsy Pistoleros - Having the honour of being first on stage, Lee Mark Jones and ensemble demonstrate why The Gypsy Pistoleros are one of the bands ‘to see’ at the moment. With a set containing a stack from the new album ‘ The Mescalito Vampires’ It’s so enlivening to watch their brand of latin, sleaze and flamenco orientated rock. Day of the Dead makeup and large sombreros are the order and although down a man, as the Double Bass player was given his marching orders last night, the performance is just the tonic. I have so much respect for Lee, the man works practically nonstop to ensure his band is always coming up with something new. The latest project is to get a Christmas number one with the Pistols version of ‘Livin La Vida Loca’ , with some serious backing and all proceeds going to the Shelter charity, I think they stand a chance.
Happy Freuds - Surprise band on the bill and one you’ve probably not heard of before are Happy Freuds. Four young guys from Javea in Spain who are Teo (Guitar) and Victor (Drums) Holsmtrom with Jack Hunter on bass and vocals and Sergio Cañadas on rhythm guitar. They formed in 2013, not long after the Holsmtrom brothers arrived in Spain from their native Sweden. They brand themselves as being alternative / classic rock and having a mix of styles from the 70s all through to the 90s. Playing at HRH tonight is a massive step up, although they have gigged quite a lot around Spain. Jack certainly knows how to hold the audience and although they take a couple of songs to look co-ordinated, the response is a good one. I liked the simplistic flow and the odd switch from hardened rock to more funk based material. Their album ‘Echo Of Sounds’ came out in 2019 and is well worth a listen.
South Of Salem - The winners of the HRH Rising Stars Award have recovered from last night's celebrations and look phenomenal. I have seen them a few times now and every gig has been outstanding. It’s no wonder they are becoming so popular, they have a new take on rock, combining goth, thrash and the darker elements to produce something unique. If you haven’t seen them yet, be warned as the live show is relentless, punishing and altogether addictive, as they also have the ability to create melodic and singalong masterpieces. The debut ‘The Sinner Takes It All’ is brandished in near completion. Flaunting and standing proud, SOS don’t hold back and it’s another breath taking experience here in Great Yarmouth. Even the uninitiated were clapping to ‘Pretty Little Nightmare’ and joining in with the chorus to ‘Cold Day In Hell’ as frontman Joey Draper instructed them, standing aloft on the barrier. Already an award winning band, they’ve only been in existence since 2018 and their number of shows have only just reached double figures, astonishing and so deserved.
The New Roses - One band I’ve been waiting to see for quite a while now. These rockers from the Rheingau region in Germany, have made a few impacts, for instance, their song ‘Without A Trace’ was featured on the soundtrack for the Sons Of Anarchy TV Series. They have also played at an UEFA Champions League Festival and supported such legends as The Dead Daisies, Molly Hatchet, Saxon and Y&T, they’ve even played for troops in Afghanistan. At HRH right now the four piece soon get the crowd clapping and it’s a delightful set from the kick off. I sit back and take in the ethos of this stylish outfit. Many on the set list are new, as this event is part of the ‘Nothing But Wild’ tour, the title of the latest album and first track they play. Lively and high spirited melody and high squawking vocals from Timmy Rough. ‘Unknown Territory’ slows the pace but remains a crunch of a number, before they delve into the past with the gutter crawling duo ’It’s A Long Way’ and ‘Whiskey Nightmare’ both from 2016. ‘Glory Road’ and the new ‘Down By The River’ offer a chance to sing along before they leave with the pulsating ‘Thirsty’. Yes, cool set hope to see them again.
Black Spiders - I am so glad these reprobates have regrouped and come back to the fold. I was gutted when they disbanded a few years ago, it left a huge gap in my music loving life and I’m guessing it wasn’t just me. So they have spun another web of heavy riffing and acquired a new drummer, who is only Wyatt Wendels, from Planet Rock. ‘Death Comes Creepin’ has a Sabbath like intro and does creep along like a tenacious Spider, holding firm. Vocalist Pete ’Spider’ Spilby leads us into more woven darkness with the amazing ’St Peter’ can you believe it’s ten years old. Watching the new recruit, who must be under mass scrutiny, I am impressed with the adeptness of the man, spinning his sticks with expert skill. A collection from the new self titled album follow, ‘Fly In The Soup’ is more subdued, although there is a riot going on now among the punters, especially after we are requested to stick out fingers in the air for a general ‘F**k You’ aimed at those in control of the country. ’Stabbed In The Back’ is a race on the highway, kicking the throttle and sweeping low over the tarmac. ‘Good Times’ is a Jimmy Barnes cover, the Spiders play a decent version and it’s cool to throw this in, it’s also off the latest album. We get two from the ‘This Savage Land’ from 2013, with ’Stick It To The Man’ and the insurmountable ‘Balls’. The slices of Motorhead, AC/DC and Sabbath are part and parcel of how the Black Spiders incorporate and deliver their brand, no more so than on this year's release. The room is totally destroyed by the time we reach the last numbers, the new ‘Wizard Shall Not Kill Wizard’ which reminds me of ‘Fairies Wear Boots’ in part. Then finally loads of "whoa's" from everyone in the vicinity as ‘Crooked Black Wings’ gets aired, oh yes, what a set. I have missed you guys so much.
The Wildhearts - Ginger and crew headline and nothing could be more fitting on this Thursday night. Having spoken to Danny McCormack earlier, I was reminded of the personal battles these guys have endured and over the years, how the wounds have healed, reopened and then left scars. Watching them tonight I think back to the early days in 1989/90 and standing at sparsely filled gigs, knowing these were so different from the rest, that they had to succeed, it would be a crime otherwise. Now over 30 years later, they are bigger than ever and have been rewarded with so much success and the recognition they always deserved. We are subjected to the usual unstoppable rally of hits, the audience carry on from where they left off after The Black Spiders and it’s a totally manic party here at HRH. Such delights as ‘Vanilla Radio’, and ‘Sick Of Drugs’ are heralded before a crash of many, including ’Schizophonic’, 'If Life Is Like A Love Bank …’ and ‘Splattermania’. A Favourite of mine ‘Caffine Bomb’, precedes ‘Anthem’, ‘Everlone’, the beautifully disturbing ‘Dislocated’ and then ‘Mazel Tov Cocktail’ adds some refinement and we all chant along to this ever popular song. After ‘Caprice’ they eventually return for an encore of their most resilient tracks ‘My Baby Is Headf**k’, ‘Suckerpunch’ and ‘I Wanna Go….’ Total annihilation and I am in heaven.
The first two nights are complete and I feel more relaxed and happy in the surroundings than I thought I would. The caravan has all we need, the town isn’t far away and you see everyone in the nearby Asda. The beach and seafront is perfect for a walk and the shops have a wide range of Great Yarmouth souvenirs on offer!
It’s a pleasure to meet up with gig buddies and friends, also to meet new friends and chatting randomly to whoever is always part of the custom.
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