Words and Photos By: NICK ASHTON
On the long list of things that are designed to raise the blood pressure of a festival organiser, the enforced closure of your chosen venue on the day of the event must rate pretty highly on the stress-o-meter. That was the situation facing King Voodoo’s Ian Johnson on the morning of VoodooFest 2 after an incident which resulted in EBGBS being closed by the police. Fortunately, with just a couple hours to go before the doors were due to open, the venue was allowed to go ahead and the bands which had been stalled at various motorway service stations started to arrive and load in. By the time that the early punters began to appear opening band Wild Affair had already hit the stage to get the day started. This was the first time that the young Liverpool based 4 piece had played the venue, but they exuded a cool leather-clad 80s rock star confidence during a short set that mixed up some originals with a few of the classics including a run through UFO’s Rock Bottom. It’s still early days yet for the band, but they clearly have a love for the music and the look to match. At the opposite end of their careers, Twisted Illusion are in the process of winding down the band and calling it a day. If you read Matt’s brutally honest post on Facebook at the beginning of October you’ll know that the pressures of trying to ‘make it’ in the music industry have sucked the life out of the band. On stage today they still give it their all, weaving proggy guitar licks around complex time signatures and impassioned vocals. This is certainly not ‘easy’ background music: it demands that the listener pays full attention and immerses themself into the TI universe. While it might not be for everyone, there is no denying Matt’s singular vision for Twisted Illusion over the past 12 years. The band have committed to playing the remaining dates booked in for this year before bringing their journey to a close.
Swansea’s YAKI DAH lighten the mood and raise the energy levels with their mix of alt rock, blues and punk bundled up into some seriously catchy tunes. Vocalist Christian is part lounge lizard and part serial killer, enticing the audience to come closer to the stage if they dare while threatening to explode at any moment. The set is built around their debut EP 16 Miles To Merthyr which is well worth picking up if you enjoy spiky energy coupled with shouty earworm choruses. Definitely ones to watch out for in the future. Next up we have some heavy, sludgy, stoner doom blues in the same vein as early Sabbath courtesy of Red Spektor. The likes of Heavy Reign and Pagan Queen come with enough distorted bottom end to get you high without the aid of a Rizla. There is a monolithic quality to the music, which advances with the slow but inevitable certainty of continental drift and bulldozes you into submission. Upping the pace, hard rocking 4-piece Tattoo Molly are just what the doctor ordered: no nonsense riffing coupled with catchy hooks that make you want to shout along with vocalist Sam. New single Nail In The Coffin (released on 31 October) typifies their raucous, feel good sound while Blue Collar Blues sets outs out their everyman agenda. This is dirty, no-frills rock n’ roll delivered with conviction and a total commitment to the cause. It’s not going to save the planet, but it is going to make you feel damn good and put a smile on your face.
Vocalist Gary from Sheffield grunge overlords Dead Blonde Stars is suffering from a cold today, but you’d never know it because his voice can still pin you to the back of the venue when he lets rip. Once it does so, the intense wall of sound created by the rest of the band ensures that you are fully immersed in the moment. Indeed, on the previous occasions that I have seen DBS the live sound mix hasn’t always been able to do them justice, but all due credit to the EBGBS soundman who allows the power of the band to come through while still retaining clarity. As a result the introspective Shill has a mellow dream-like quality that insinuates itself into your psyche rather than relying on brute force. Of course they still pack a punch with the rumbling Alaska and the rifftastic Mexican Radio, but the guitar solos cut through more clearly adding light to the shade. Next up we have Wild Road Rollers who have travelled all the way from Barcelona to be here. Having given King Voodoo the chance to play in Spain, the favour is returned today as the biker-friendly rockers dish up some oil-soaked, dirty blues. The emphasis is very much on the power of the riff, with the spirit of early Sabbath being invoked once again on I Should Be In Hell. Lyrically the likes of Road Bastards and No Brother Left Behind sum up the biker spirit and camaraderie of the road. If Motörhead were too clean living for your tastes, then WRR are the band for you.
Today was always going to be about King Voodoo and, as the venue fills up to capacity, there is a sense of joy as well as sadness in the air when the band hit the stage for one last time. Having decided to call it a day following the announcement that bassist Joshua was going to leave, the band are determined to go out with a bang and the audience are up for a party. The set list reminds us why we fell in love with the band in the first place: Whiskey Drive kicks things off with Ian’s hooky riffing, Sleep is all about Jamie’s vocal melody, Fever is driven by Joshua’s sleazy bassline while Graham pummels his kit into submission on Drag Me To The Water. Collectively, they throw everything that they’ve got at this final show, creating a celebratory atmosphere that spills over into the crowd who just don’t want the night to end. But sadly it must, and that last song could only really be Time To Party which sums up the Voodoo experience perfectly. Will we hear more from the Voodoos, either individually or collectively? Only time will tell, but in the meantime we should all #bemorevoodoo.
