RockWich Festival

Witton Albion Club

Northwich

Sunday, August 30

Roxy N’ The Lockhearts

Sheer decadence and debauchery in sharp-clawed song form, Roxy N’ The Lockhearts are living proof last night’s stories make up for today’s hellish hangover. The boys’ loud, low down and dirty grooves fill the RockWich tent and shove in a red hot, sleazy Scouse wake-up shout to be heard and heeded far and wide.

Vazon

Uber-noisy duo Vazon set about digging up the bones of our ancestors’ ancestors with the most guttural bass and intensely terrifying beats. ‘RockWich are you ready to headbang?’ snarl the Vazon boys. It’s just gone 1pm but yes. Yes we are. This is self-professed spleen-rupturing stuff, with their trademark cover of Britney’s ‘Toxic’ thrown in, and can either wake you up from a coma or put you in one.

No Favors

Thrilling, horns-throwing heavy metal that sounds at its very best live. No Favors are playing at full throttle today. And they’re having the time of their lives doing it. With no gimmicks but much hair, their call to arms via driving British heavy metal is relentless, captivating and the type of no mercy all-encompassing, purest, pulverising music that you don’t want to end.

The Soul Revival

Busy tent, big tunes, The Soul Revival put their hearts and erm souls into this performance. As always. Giving it all they’ve got, leaving it all behind, and showing the crowd a damn good time is what these boys do. The Soul Revival’s star isn’t so much rising, more like coming through fast, hard and with zero intention of slowing down, let alone stopping. Their songs are full of fire, warmth, nostalgia and a rough around the edges pride. And their camaraderie with each other and the crowd is clear. The Soul Revival were made to be on stage.

FangSlinger

Bringing their Lost Souls Saloon right into Rockwich, mavericks of undead redneck rock n’ roll FangSlinger walk the line between making you wanna be gloriously good and so goddamn bad. None of us want to get caught breaking the law, but surey few would say no to a lil swing in Hangman’s stage set gallows. Crowd participation (‘Bare Your Teeth’, ‘Wanted Undead’) is loud, freely given and real – as are the smiles on the bands’ faces. They are loving this land they’ve created. As they should. FangSlinger’s 40 minute set is an opportunity to both lose and find yourself at the same time.

Alabama Crow

Scotland’s finest deal in joyous, good time guitar rock that’s bluesy but manages to chase your woes away. Must be that Alabama Crow magic. Lead singer Billy’s a bit poorly today, but he’s battling on regardless not just because it’s what the people want – it’s what this band do. So leave your troubles (and shirts) behind, RockWich. It’s time to sing and dance, and let the boys raise the roof and your spirits with their glittery guitars and singalong lyrics (especially ‘Alabama Crow’). There’s fun to be had every time Alabama Crow are in town, but the boys never forget the more serious side of things and encourage everyone to speak to someone. And that makes us love them even more.

We Three Kings

Electrifying and exhilarating, We Three Kings are another example of why we love a duo. Rich and Pete’s two-man-one-skeleton onslaught is some of the highest octane stuff around at the minute. It gets the crowd in, gets them going and brings the tent, which is already red hot, into folk-are-gonna-fry territory. The pit are having a grand ole time, the boys’ songs are yelled back to them, and by the time ‘Gold Digger’ drops plenty of people lose their shit. How do We Three Kings follow this rager? By having FangSlinger join them for ‘Judas Take Me Home’. That’s how. Ye Gods.

Beth Blade and the Beautiful Disasters

Queen of rock n’ roll and everything loud, proud and inclusive, Beth Blade leads the Beautiful Disasters through an explosive set tonight. Sheer class, carefree anthems ‘Never Let Go’ and ‘Tonight I’m With You’ light up the tent with Beth’s powerful, passionate voice which is further ignited by the dancing and singing of her crowd. ‘This Bitch Bites’ sees our best girl get some of that trademark venom in her vox, while ‘Jack and Coke’ is the party-bringing guitar slinging banger that BB and the BD serve so well live. It’d be a massive great big lie to say that Beth’s solo rendition of Dolly Parton’s ‘I Will Always Love You’ can be heard in Heaven by Saint Dolly herself. Because Beth’s not singing alone. She has all of RockWich belting it out with her. And it’s a beautiful moment.

This House We Built

It doesn’t matter which venue This House We Built play. It always becomes THEIR house. Full of their energy, their people, their kit smashing charisma, big voices, huge riffs, massive songs… you get the picture. This band don’t write songs – they write anthems. ‘Rain’ is an absolute hymn tonight. ‘Coming Home to You’ is such a sweet way to end the set, with the whole band at the front of the stage, and the entire crowd slowly swaying and waving. If it wasn’t for those damn fine Apriori boys, This House We Built and the RockWich family would still be singing it together now.

Apriori

Worth the price of admission alone, Apriori play to a packed tent and a stacked barrier up front. The boys rattle through their intoxicating set, letting their unique gritty yet classy rock tunes do the talking. Tony pauses the pace briefly to chuck a tambourine in the audience, so the band can have a fourth member for acerbic banger ‘Nah Nah Nah Nah’. Crowd fave jaw-dropping-guitar-solo-for-days ‘Voodoo Love’ rolls around towards the end of the set, and if you’ve not yet danced with your head back and hands high, now is the time.

Black Lakes

The Black Lakes boys always bring their best to their prey. Crowd. Sorry. Crowd. But at RockWich tonight they are giving goth metalcore that’s off the goddamn scale. They float onto the stage like ghouls - all wrapped up and cloaked in black. We know it’s you under there boys. But that’s not the point. The scene is set, the suspense is built – and it’s almost unbearable. Black Lakes are here to put on a show… And make a scene. It’s time to break those necks RockWich, cos these boys are comin’ in heavy. ‘White Cliffs’ never fails to hit hard and ‘Verity in Flames’ comes across as enchanting as ever tonight. ‘Hurricane’ is poppier and bouncier, until it breaks like thunder. There is a fuck-tonne of feeling coming from Black Lakes tonight.

South of Salem

Right, who let lead singer Joey Draper loose in the knife drawer? Cos we’re pretty sure this is a band that shouldn’t even be allowed scissors, let alone a microphone with some form of bloody dagger attachment… Horror film in rock form, South of Salem bring the spooky, the creepy and the theatrical. Crashing straight in like they’ve just escaped from Hell with splintering ‘Let Us Prey’ and giving RockWich little time to catch our breath, the boys hold court stage front with their guitars, underpinned by dazzling and demonic drumming. This is a band who are a teeny weeny bit obsessed with the macabre – and they have the songs, striking image and enticing stage craft to bewitch tonight. Slinging around a set including touching/chilling/adulation songs (‘Made to be Mine’, ‘Pretty Little Nightmare’ and ‘Jet Black Eyes’), cover of Savage Garden’s ‘To The Moon and Back’, and standing still for zero seconds, South of Salem headline with a class and an energy so ferocious it’s gonna be a job to get them back into their coffins tonight.