Stuff by Woody
Skyfest? What the hell’s Skyfest!?
Well grab a beer, tea, coke or some liquid refreshment of your choice and read on and hopefully I’ll enlighten you to what the hell Skyfest is!
Skyfest is a brand new melodic rock festival which will be held right here in the Midlands. The Festival is been organised by the good peep’s at Firebrand Radio and Skyfire Media, the two day festivities will feature over twenty bands from the world of melodic rock and metal. It will take place at The Intake Club in Mansfield just a few miles north of Nottingham on 21st/22nd September. The venue boasts multiple rooms and free onsite parking so should be a comfortable venue for those wishing to take a breather from the music room throughout the day.
The full line-up’s are as follows –
Saturday 21st September
Pretty Maids
Redrum
VEGA
I Am I
Teazer
Code Of Silence
X-UFO
Summers
Daylight Robbery
Cornerstone
Last Breath
Sunday 22nd September
Rage Of Angels
Coldspell
Moritz
Tainted Nation
Doris Brendel
Rob Mancini
Knockout Kaine
The Room
Hangfire
If that sounds like your idea of a fun weekend of music you can grab tickets now from the link below, the tickets cost £40 per day or £70 for a weekend pass.
You want to know more!!? Well OK you best go empty your bladder and grab another cup/glass/mug/hollowed out skull/drip tray of your favourite beverage, slip on your slippers and read on.
Headlining on the Saturday night are Danish Melodic Metallers Pretty Maids. They came to fame during the ‘80’s with classic albums Future World and Lethal Heroes. The band has been going through a resurgence of popularity in recent years due to the critically acclaimed Pandemonium album which was released in 2010. They have just released their latest effort Motherland. Also, for a metal band these guys are not afraid to crank the keyboard’s up… which is nice…
Greece’s Redrum also play on the Saturday, they are fronted by German vocalist Michael Bormann (Jaded Heart). I saw these guys at last year’s Z Rock @ The Robin in Bilston and really enjoyed their set, I’m sure they’ll continue to make new fans at Skyfest. They have just released their second album Victim of Circumstances and are hot on the promotion trail!
Do I need to introduce VEGA? I love this band; they are quite possibly the greatest band in the world! If there was one band that should tempt you to this Festival it’s these guys! They are a great British melodic rock band pushing the boundaries of the genre and having a ball along the way. The band features vocalist Nick Workman and twin song writing geniuses Tom & James Martin. Expect anthemic rockers and big ass choruses to bounce and sing along too!
Melodic Metal outfit I AM I are fronted by ex-Dragonforce vocalist ZP Theart. They released their debut album ‘Event Horizon’ last year to much critical acclaim. These guys will definitely offer something a little different over the weekend, heavier but still highly melodic!
Can’t say I know much about Teazer. Having done some research it seems this American band have recently reformed after a lengthy hiatus, the band became popular during their brief active life between 1979 and 1983! The rejuvenated band is keen to get back at it and really looking forward to touching down in the UK for a live show!
Code Of Silence are a melodic power metal band from the UK although they feature a Brazilian singer! Their debut album Dark Skies over Babylon was written with Paul Logue of multinational melodic metal act Eden’s Curse. They are another band that will bring a heavier edge to the weekend’s musical festivities!
X-UFO features musicians that have played with UFO over the years including guitarist Laurence Archer and drummer Clive Edwards. The band initially took life as a sort of tribute band with them playing songs from their stints with the legendary British Classic Rock band. As the band gelled they decided to make some new original music too!
Summers are a young British band who embraces old school stadium rock like Def Leppard and spin a little bit of a modern twist on the sound. They are quickly building a strong fan base and after the release of their debut album 364 they are keen to hit the road! This exciting and fun loving band should definitely add some fun to the party!
A band I know well Daylight Robbery from Birmingham are also playing on the Saturday. Their brand of hard edged melodic rock has seen them win new fans on numerous support slots and a successful appearance at the first ever HRH AOR Festival. The band are still pushing their debut album Cross Your Heart but are hard at work on new songs for their follow up, including a song that has become a firm set-list regular ‘Samarah Never Sleeps’. Daylight Robbery are a band who come to life on stage and are keen to play whenever, wherever!
No one can say Scottish melodic rockers Estrella don’t work hard getting their music out to the masses! They have toured the UK extensively at any and all small venues that would have them! They also did well winning fans amongst the Hard Rock Hell community which has lead them to playing not only Hard Rock Hell but also HRH AOR earlier this year! They have a unique sound are definitely ones to watch!
Female fronted Austrian melodic rockers Cornerstone have a unique style and are another hard working band that are constantly on the road around Europe, playing small venues and Festivals in the UK frequently. I saw the band a few years ago opening up Z Rock @ JB’s in Dudley and really liked what I heard, they’ll be bringing something a little bit more alternative to the festival.
Last Breath are a UK band who have a modern take on Melodic Rock, and although I don’t know much about these guys I really like what they are doing. Another hard working and very active live band I’m sure they will put on a strong performance.
Rage Of Angels are the brainchild of principal songwriter Ged Rylands and they headline the Sunday Night at Skyfest. The recently released album Dreamworld has garnered widespread critical acclaim and has had melodic rock fan boy’s (and girls!) salivating! The live line-up features Danny Vaughn (Tyketto) on lead vocals, Al Barrow (Magnum) on bass, Neil Fraser (Ten) on Guitars and a welcome return the melodic rock scene of Paul Hodson on keyboards!
Scandinavian melodic hard rockers Coldspell return to the UK for only their second live appearance on our shores. Hailed as one of the bands of the Festival at Z Rock @ The Asylum a couple of years ago, I’m sure many will be keen to witness them again!
The return of cult British AOR’sters Moritz in recent times has seen them release two new albums and a return to the live scene with an appearance at the first HRH AOR earlier this year. The band has a loyal following whom I’m sure will be front row centre when these guys hit the stage in Mansfield. Their traditional AOR sound is sure to prove popular with fans of old school melodic rock at the Festival.
Tainted Nation will definitely be one of the curveball bands at the Festival. The band fronted by popular drummer Pete Newdeck have a more alternative sound to their brand of heavy edged rock and will definitely be a very different band for people to enjoy but given the popularity of the band I’m sure they’ll gather a strong crowd down the front!
Who is Doris Brendel? Good bloody question! I have to hold my hands up and say I haven’t got a clue even though she has released seven albums. YES you read that right she has seven albums to her name. On the bit of research I’ve done on her expect something a little bit different! She’s been compared to Janis Joplin so might be one to watch out for classic rock fans!
Irish solo artist Rob Mancini caused a bit of a stir in melodic rock circles with his wonderful traditional AOR album Rock N Roll Circus a few years ago. I’m sure the cult following Rob has built up will see him greeted by a warm welcome at SkyFest.
Brash whiskey soaked rockers Knockout Kaine should provide a great wakeup call early on during the Sunday line-up. The guys are still pushing their critically acclaimed album House of Sins and are hitting the live circuit hard to promote it. They played this year’s HRH AOR festival and I know many are keen to see them again, especially at an intimate venue like the Intake!
Let it not be said that Skyfest isn’t a diverse music festival as playing on the Sunday are Prog rockers The Room. I don’t know a lot about this band but I’m sure these guys lean more towards the melodic end of the Proggy spectrum, so for those looking for something a little different I’m sure these guys will provide it!
Hangfire are gaining fans and critical acclaim with every live show and it’s no surprise to see them upon the Skyfest bill. A dirty biker rock band with melodic rock tendencies that will definitely kick start Skyfest’s second day with an almighty bang!
Well that’s a rundown of all the bands playing the first ever Skyfest! Did you make it this far? Well done I almost didn’t make it, finding and adding links is hard work you know!
It’s great to see so many melodic rock shows happening in the Midlands this year, so make the most of them and get out and support the ones you can!
