Juliet’s Not Dead

Full-throttle, molten-hot, modern rock from the Juliet’s Not Dead boys gets thrown around a treasured historical site that’s almost a thousand years old. Now there’s a sentence you don’t read/write, erm, ever. Filling every second of their over-too-soon set with massive amounts of energy and confidence – and the tunes to back it up, the lads open proceedings with ease. The crowd become the fifth member of JND during ‘Open Fire’ and ‘Feeding Frenzy’, but despite the fact it’s early doors (early portcullis????) there’s plenty of people singing ALL the words back to the band throughout their six-song onslaught.

Marisa and the Moths

Bringing in the emotional lows after JND’s adrenalin-fuelled highs, is queen of viscerally unsettling songs that cut like a razor and a voice as sharp as one, Marisa Rodriguez. Facing anxiety, zero self-worth and death by suicide square in the face through songs, dedications and heartfelt between-track-chat, Marisa and the Moths’ post-grunge sadcore set tonight is a source of both solace and hope. Backed by a band including a bassist intent on clambering onto every available surface, it’s polished and pitch-perfect. The emotions are painfully raw but this performance does those who sadly lost the fight with their feelings very proud indeed.

The Virginmarys

There’s a reason The Virginmarys have never played a castle before. Destruction of a drum kit is frowned upon, despite it being standard behaviour from Danny Dolan. But the Grade I listed Chepstow Castle…  the remaining ruins don’t quite crumble, but it’s a close call. Blending all-out punk rock aggy assaults (‘You’re a Killer’ and ‘Trippin’ New York City’) with prickly little power love song ‘My Nettle’, gut-wrenching ‘White Knuckle Riding’ and gut-punching ‘Where Are You Now?’, closer ‘There Ain’t No Future’ comes around far too fast. But Ally Dickaty is still yelling on full fire power. The castle and crowd are rocked and rattled to their core.

Kris Barras’ Hollow Souls

Just in case we’re not quite ready for our headliners, here come Kris Barras’ Hollow Souls to finish the job off. Lighting the touch paper with hefty blues banger ‘Borderline’ before throwing in some Led Zep (‘Rock and Roll’), anyone not losing their shit at these colossal guitars and bewitching vocals is gonna get dragged kicking and screaming into the Hollow Souls’ world. Because this glory days of good ole fashioned pure rock n fkn roll band are not here just to look pretty. They’re loud, proud and goddamn fierce enough to take lives.

Scarlet Rebels

Absolute credit to Scarlet Rebels. For a bazillion reasons. But cos we’re all busy lil bees these days, let’s just list the biggest one… Not only did the boys headline a castle – a muthafkn castle - they stacked the undercard too. With bands that smashed the stage before them. So not only did Wayne and his finest men put on a proper full power, fan-centred rock show, they did so after four big name bands whose live shows are tried, tested and could’ve easily topped the bill. So the crowd had already been shown a good time before the Rebels reached the stage. But these guys are loved, their call to arms is loud and the atmosphere in Chepstow Castle is pulsing with excitement as the pit packs and the countdown to the boys is on. Anticipation in the air? Nah. The Rebel Club already know what to expect. Ready with voices, flags and a fuck-tonne of love for their band, this feels more like a gathering of good friends. No. Wait. Family. Scarlet Rebels are one of those bands with a feral fanbase (as are all tonight’s acts to be fair), and they are out in force tonight. Opening the set with ‘This is Happening Now’ – the first release from their new album, Scarlet Rebels have a knack of making happy-sounding songs that sting in their own individual ways. Tonight all the tracks the fans wanna hear are there. The new ones (‘Don’t Look Down’ and the aforementioned ‘This is Happening Now’) which sound so damn fresh and good live, but also like they’ve been part of the set forever at the same time. The sad (‘Declining’), the happy (‘Grace’) and pretty much everything in between. Finishing on ‘It Was Beautiful’ veers into tears-pricking-the-back-of-yer-eyes-territory. It’s a touching song in its own right, but tonight it’s the soundtrack to what the band have just achieved with the help of their fan-fam. Well played Scarlet Rebels. In every sense of the word.