Music / Previews
Metal & Prog Picks: December 2022
Remember the sold out Lamb of God show at the Academy that we were so looking forward to this month? Well, it’s been postponed, yet again, to March 2023, surely making this Bristol’s most-postponed covid-era show. Also off is the gig by Portuguese goth-metallers Moonspell, which was due to take place at the Thekla on Dec 8. The official reason for the cancellation of their entire UK tour is “the huge financial crisis UK and Europe are living through that affects entertainment sales”. Still there are plenty of other great shows coming up, and at the time of writing only Magnum was sold out.
Bath Forum, Dec 3
is needed now More than ever
Prog titan and friend of Bristol’s splendid Slapstick Festival, Rick Wakeman CBE is undertaking another of his idiosyncratic Grumpy Christmas Stocking tours. He’ll be playing a career-spanning set on grand piano and electric keyboards, reaching back to the Yes years (presumably with a tribute to the late Alan White) and taking in his solo career and session work (fingers crossed for that great instrumental version of Life on Mars), plus all the usual anecdotage, jokes and silly stories that we’ve come to expect. Let’s hope he remembers to pack the cape. Incidentally, fans of all things Wakeman may wish to know that Rick’s son Adam, who joined the family trade and is best known for playing keyboards with Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne, is back on tour with Damian Wilson next year. This reaches Bath’s Chapel Arts Centre on March 1.
Thekla, Dec 3
Loud and cathartic metal? These raging, Scouse self-styled ‘caveman battle doomsters’ have got it in spades. Regular visitors to Bristol, they’re back in town on a short tour in support of new album Evidence of Immortality (out now on Napalm).
Fleece, Dec 5
There’s no getting away from the fact that 74-year-old Bob Catley struggles to hit those notes on stage these days, even with the whole audience willing him on. In the studio, however, it’s a different matter. Brummie veterans Magnum’s impressive second wind has given us two excellent albums since they were last able to tour. 2020’s The Serpent Rings brought in lush orchestrations and even a brass section to take on those whippersnapper orchestral/symphonic metallers at their own game. Catley’s prolific creative partner, writer/guitarist Tony Clarkin, hasn’t let the standards slip on this year’s The Monster Roars, which earned a rave review from Classic Rock. Their reviewer noted that this ” . . .delivers one tuneful stormer after another, with the opening title track, Remember (which includes one of the biggest earworms, come the chorus), All You Believe In and lead single I Won’t Let You Down all perfect examples of elder statesmen showing off their craft.” In case you’re wondering, this is indeed the show that was due to take place back in September but was postponed at the last minute because of the death of Her Maj, though it remains unclear how many Magnum fans are also ardent Royalists.
O2 Academy, Dec 13
Last seen at the Academy four years ago, defiantly independent Maryland rockers Clutch have always been a big draw in Bristol, so grab those tickets while you can. Thirteenth album, Sunrise on Slaughter Beach, is out now on their own Weathermaker label. It’s Clutch’s best yet, enthused Classic Rock, whose reviewer hailed “the sophistication and breadth of their songwriting . . . Sunrise on Slaughter Beach saunters out of the gate like a book of notable American fiction orchestrated by Motorhead, Mastodon and John Lee Hooker.”
The Dead Daisies/FM/Graham Bonnet Band
SWX, Dec 15
A welcome return to Bristol for the Dead Daisies, who really upped their game with the recruitment of the great Glenn Hughes on bass and vocals. Mind you, Glenn fell ill during their recent US tour, several dates of which had to be cancelled. Hopefully they’ll be back to full strength for this year-ending run of UK gigs, which climaxes at SWX. New single Born To Fly celebrates founding guitarist David Lowy’s aeronautical enthusiasms, which he can well afford to indulge as one of Australia’s richest businessmen. Support comes from the revived FM, who played a brilliant show at the Thekla earlier this year, plus Graham Bonnet, whose short back and sides always enraged Ritchie Blackmore when he fronted Rainbow.
Exchange, Dec 21
Bristol Rock Centre‘s Christmas bash is headlined by impressive West Midlands old-skool metallers Fury (occasionally billed as Fury UK to distinguish them from foreign Furies) whose line-up now features Bristol’s very own journeywoman bassist (and BRC tutor) Becky Baldwin, who somehow manages to fit them in among her other many other commitments (punkers Hands Off Gretel, etc). Support comes from the Luke Appleton Power Trio (Luke used to be a member of Iced Earth, but probably doesn’t like to talk about it now, given Jon Schaffer’s Trumpy antics) and Neuromatic (“Kate Bush meets the Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” apparently).
COMING SOON
Here’s our essential diary of upcoming gigs that should be of interest to anyone of a rockin’ disposition.
Shadow of Intent, Fleece, Jan 10
Sleep Token, O2 Academy, Jan 21
Epica/Apocalyptica, O2 Academy, Jan 30
Karnivool, O2 Academy, Feb 3
Kris Barras Band, Thekla, Feb 4
Dying Fetus, SWX, Feb 5
Tubular Bells 50th Anniversary, Bristol Hippodrome, Feb 8
Leprous, SWX, Feb 11
Katatonia/Solstafir, Marble Factory, Feb 12
Revocation, Fleece, Feb 16
Black Star Riders/Michael Monroe/Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, O2 Academy, Feb 22
Beast In Black, Fleece, Feb 22
Avatar, SWX, Feb 23
Damian Wilson and Adam Wakeman, Chapel Arts Centre Bath, March 1
Napalm Death, O2 Academy, March 7
Lamb of God/Kreator, O2 Academy, March 8
Boss Keloid, Exchange, March 9
Ville Valo, O2 Academy, March 10
The Answer, Thekla, March 19
Sons of Liberty, Thekla, March 22
WASP, O2 Academy, March 23
Haken, SWX, March 23
Devin Townsend, O2 Academy, March 29
Bloodywood, Fleece, March 29
Steve Hillage, O2 Academy, March 30
Tubular Bells 50th Anniversary, Bath Forum, March 31
The Zombies, Fleece, April 13
Goat, SWX, April 15
Massive Wagons, Fleece, April 15
Cannibal Corpse, O2 Academy, April 18
Graveyard/Kadavar, SWX, May 3
The Quireboys, Exchange, May 20
The Aristocrats, Fleece, June 15
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