Friday 29th December 2006 - Meltdown - Meltdown the fairly new band from Sheffield stormed the Bellhouse Road Club in Shire Green on Friday night in front of a very enthusiastic audience. Taking their cues from the likes of Jagged Edge, Rock Legacy and Alkcatraz, the band played an astoundingly good set.We watched the band in the company of Mr Chief's Marcus and manager Julie, Drummer Dave from Van Hooligan and Paul and Steve from Blitz. We were all in agreement that the band were excellent considering the amount of time they had been together. The band also made the most of their wireless sets and used influences of their peers to wander around the club at will, to the delight of the audience. Red 13 's Mike Smith provided light and sound using Meltdown's PA and desk and made the band look and sound good. During guitarist Jack Rowe's sweeping technique the strobe made Jack's fingers look like a machine and was very impressive to see. Local hero Carl Wragg ,also on guitar, was excellent too and combined with the superb rhythm section the band sounded very powerful. The band played some rock staples to keep the crowd satisfied but numbers from Don Henley, Chuck Berry and then a totally out of the blue, George Thorogood "Bad to the Bone" chimed up and knocked us all sideways. What a fantastic rendition suiting Liam's vocal range perfectly! So to promoters out there...get 'em booked, they're already as good as many bands now, what will they be like in 6 months? During the last set where the audience wouldn't let the band off stage, I was also very impressed with a drum solo that really hit the mark. Well done lads and well done concert sec Eddie Cooper for giving the lads a chance on the bigger stage. Boy did they use their opportunity well! << Courtesy of Steve Lally (www.rockofthenorth.com)
Friday 15th December 2006 - Mr Chief - Bellhouse were treated to the delights of Mr Chief on Friday night. The band had previously played the club on a Saturday when it was realized that they fit more to the bill of the Friday rock nights – and so they were booked back to bring their great repertoire to the rock loving crowd, who certainly seemed to think highly of their performance. Kicking off the first set with the Deep Purple classic ‘Burn’ and Thin Lizzy’s ‘Don’t Believe A Word’, it was evident that they were on the same wavelength as the crowd and that we were in for a great night. A rather special performance of Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ came next which is unusual for a rock night but was certainly well received by the audience, gaining marvelous applause and a good chorus of singing. So far so good, but what the band did next really blew me away – the Eagles anthem ‘Hotel California’ complete with full solo and three-guitar-part harmonies – simply brilliant! How any song can follow such a performance I’ll never know! However these guys managed to follow it perfectly with their rendition of Creed’s ‘Freedom Fighter’, sung brilliantly by guitarist Stevie. Back to Marcus on vocals who fronted a well thought out ‘Fool For Your Loving’ with similar intro and trademarks from Whitesnake’s own live performance of the track. The next track was really surprising, coming from a band playing songs by the likes of Deep Purple, Radiohead and Whitesnake. However, Hootie & The Blowfish’s ‘Let Her Cry’ made an excellent run into the end of the first set which finished with Bon Jovi’s cowboy classic ‘Wanted Dead or Alive’ and Lynyrd Skynard’s ‘Freebird’, which too featured some stunning guitar work between the lads with the highlight being the twin guitar solo at the end – a splendid performance. A pleasing first half from the band, their best qualities lying in the sound mix and overall tightness – it’s evident that they knew exactly what they were doing with the songs, and it paid off with the audience being rather impressed and showing their appreciation with singing along and cheering between the songs. The half time bingo came and went and the band wasted no time starting the second set in a great mood with Ozzy Osbourne’s ‘Crazy Train’ before bringing us their rendition of a more ‘modern classic’ – Green Day’s ‘American Idiot’. A song by Etta James, called ‘I Just Wanna Make Love To You’ came next. Although people probably won’t recognize the song by name, everyone seemed to know it as the Diet Coke song. A strange inclusion in the set, but effective nevertheless. Songs by Golden Earring and a quality version of Ozzy’s ‘No More Tears’ came next before the band played the crowd pleasing ‘Sweet Child o’ Mine’ to a roar of applause. Good performances of ‘Word Up’ and ‘Highway to Hell’ were belted out before a personal favorite, Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman’ was given the Mr Chief treatment and played out in excellent style with a great rhythm section complementing the excellent guitar and vocal work. The band chose to end the second set with U2’s ‘Vertigo’ and Led Zeppelin’s ‘Rock and Roll’ before exiting the stage to a roar of appreciation from the crowd and in true rock and roll fashion, the band took up their instruments for an encore comprising of the Whitesnake ballad ‘Aint No Love In The Heart Of The City’ and in true Bellhouse fashion, our ‘club anthem’, AC/DC’s ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’, which definitely would’ve gone down as a contender in the website poll for best rendition of the song, had they been on at the club before the poll ended! Overall, a really enjoyable night from a group of fine musicians. We’re already looking forward to their return to the club in 2007!
Friday 13th October 2006 - Metalworks - Metalworks picked the Bellhouse as the chosen venue to film their forthcoming live DVD and what a night it turned out to be! I entered the concert room to see a brilliant looking stage setup, plenty of speakers, lights and of course, the cameras used for the filming. The club quickly filled up with the Bellhouse faithful rock fans as well as many travelling supporters of Metalworks which is always a good sign that you are in for a cracking night. They kicked the gig off with good renditions of the Scorpion’s ‘Rock You like a Hurricane’, Judas Priest’s ‘Living after Midnight’ and Iron Maiden’s ‘Bring Your Daughter… To The Slaughter’. It’s very rare that club’s get to hear much Iron Maiden but it’s fair to say these guys did them justice and it proved just how accomplished they are as musicians. Next came the band’s version of Thin Lizzy’s classic ‘Emerald’ which featured a quality double solo between guitarists Chris Shaw and Mick Hawarth, followed by Ozzy’s ‘Mr Crowley’ and AC/DC’s ‘Hell Aint A Bad Place’. It has to be said that the crowd during the bands performance were really enjoying themselves and were singing and cheering them on throughout the songs. The end of the first set approached and the band decided to finish on another Maiden hit – ‘Number of the Beast’, complete with the famous “Woe to you, oh Earth and Sea” intro, before finishing on their highlight of the first half – a superb rendition of the Black Sabbath classic ‘War Pigs’. Everyone had clearly enjoyed the first half - I definitely had! With such a great mix of classic tunes amongst one or two rarely played songs, they could not go far wrong. Gremlins had hit the band during the first set with a couple of lighting and sound problems however they were sorted out during the break and when they took the stage to start the second set, opening with Black Sabbath’s ‘Heaven and Hell’, the changes were marvellous and had made a huge impact, making the sound more rich and full. They recreated the awesome Metallica tones in their rendition of ‘Master of Puppets’ and ‘Am I Evil’, both of which featured some great vocal work from lead singer Gary Agar, before moving on to play AC/DC’s ‘Highway to Hell’ and Bad Company’s ‘Feel Like Makin Love’ which went down great and had the audience down the front singing and dancing and helping to create a brilliant atmosphere. The band brought us more songs from Gun, The Cult and Black Sabbath as well as Led Zeppelin’s ‘Rock n Roll’ which saw some really good work in the rhythm section by Carl Stretton and Chris Reynolds (bassist and drummer respectively). They made a great choice by ending the second on two awesome songs – Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman’ and Billy Idol’s infamous ‘Rebel Yell’. After the last chord had been struck, the audience were roaring for more and the band returned to the stage for a thoroughly well deserved encore of songs from The Undertones, Motorhead, Megadeth and the Bellhouse anthem – AC/DC’s ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’ which saw the room shouting out for ‘Angus’. After such a tremendous second half display plus some fantastic encores, the band returned to the stage to huge applause for one last song – Van Halen’s version of the classic ‘You Really Got Me’. Overall, a mega night from Metalworks! Not only did they entertain the whole club in one hell of a good gig, but they proved just how well so called ‘pub bands’ can shine in the club atmosphere. Well done guys!
Sunday 23rd July 2006 - Alcatraz 'Noon & Night' - South Yorkshire superstars Alcatraz showed just why they are at the top of the league of supreme clubland rockers. Led by the talents of Mr Tony Duke, the band shook Bellhouse Road Club to it's foundations on Sunday evening. Guitarist John Oxley was on top form, he's a no-bullshit experienced axeman who is also at the top of his game, playing some incredible licks and loving every minute of it. The band's repertoire is superb, playing classics from Whitesnake to AC/DC, and with the obligatory Journey songs for this very appreciative crowd. Paul Flanaghan's Warwick bass thundered through the concert room, complementing Christian Hayes super animated percussion, they really are a premium quality rhythm section. The quiet man of the band, Shaun Gill always impresses. His keyboards, rhythm guitar and backing vocals add greatly to this brilliant band due to his great musicianship and his high investment in quality instruments. For all Tony Duke puts 110% into his vocal performances, another impressive aspect of the band is the backing vocals. Every member of the band has a microphone and they make excellent use of this facility.Tony certainly was making an effort at Bellhouse Road, as we watched closely we could see him giving his all and this was obvious by his facial expressions. Every song was spot on with no mistakes and I take my hat off to this fantastic band. In the face of some stiff competition on the clubland scene the band seemed to lift their game higher than ever, without the use of their scanners and fancy lighting equipment, they simply played high quality rock to a great audience in a great club. A highlight of the night was when Bellhouse regular Carl Wragg guested with the band. Still only sixteen, Carl played his own Les Paul on Enter Sandman whilst John Oxley retired from the stage so Carl got all the glory! Carl played superbly well and there was no lapse in musical quality, Carl just got up and did it, and he did it right. Well Done Carl! Well done to Alcatraz too, you were fantastic! << Courtesy of Steve Lally (www.rockofthenorth.com)
Click here to see our photo collection and reviews from this awseome gig!
Friday 23rd June 2006 - Headlong - The Bellhouse' faithful rock fans were met with a great mixture of tunes from the mighty Headlong on Friday night. Despite the World Cup and rare English summer weather having a knock on effect with the crowd turn-out, this band managed to put together an awesome night and showed some excellent talent and all round entertainment in their performances. Kicking off the night with the Black Crowe’s ‘Hard to Handle’ Headlong had the crowd hooked straight away and it has to be said that the sound had been nailed spot on. A great start was continued with a superb rendition of the Georgia Satellite’s classic ‘Battleship Chains’ which featured some unbelievably accurate vocal harmonies during the chorus, created well between lead singer Rik and guitarist Dale. Songs from David Bowie and T-Rex came next before they started a string of more modern hits starting with the classic ‘Breakfast at Tiffany’s’, the Dandy Warhol’s ‘Bohemian Like You’ and Blink 182’s ‘All the Small Things’. The band were working well together and had created a unique show which the crowd seemed to be really enjoying. Sticking with a modern feel to the music, they ended the first set with songs from Puddle of Mud, Nickelback and finally Green Day’s ‘Basket Case’. Headlong’s opening set had been one which featured some quality songs, most of which are rarely heard at the club and so provided a refreshing change. Also, the entertainment and overall efforts in the performance really helped the crowd to enjoy them. The second set kicked off to a great start with a good rendition of ‘I Love Rock n Roll’ which got the audience singing well on the chorus. This was followed by covers of Alice Cooper’s ‘Poison’ and Gary Moore’s ‘Walkin By Myself’ during which the tones and effects had been cleverly created to match Gary’s unique blues-rock sound. Green Day’s ‘American Idiot’ and Metallica’s infamous ‘Enter Sandman’ came next before the band belted out an awesome version of Thin Lizzy’s ‘Boys are Back in Town’ with some excellent twin guitar work. They brought us more hits from Rainbow, The Rolling Stones, The Darkness and a fantastic rendition of Cockney Rebel’s ‘Come Up and See Me’ before ending the second set on an ultimate crowd pleaser – AC/DC’s ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’ which got the audience’s vocal chords warmed up some more. They left the stage to great applause and cheering from everyone, it seems the Bellhouse audience really appreciated this band for their efforts, talent and brilliant show and so they came back out for an encore featuring ‘Breaking the Law’ and a cracking ‘I Hate Everything About You’. Due to packing away the gear and work next morning, it isn’t very often that bands can take to the stage again but nevertheless, Headlong listened to the audience’s chants for more and took their place for the last time to bring us what was for me the highlight of the night – Ten Pole Tudor’s ‘Swords of a Thousand Men’. This got the whole room singing out and joining in and even had some fans at the back giving it the Angus Young air guitar impression (a few songs too late but never mind). Despite the overall turn-out of the night, Headlong delivered what turned out to be a cracking night and to all those who missed them – don’t miss next time!
Friday 2nd June 2006 - Giantz - Bellhouse rock nights were taken to another level yesterday as Stoke trio GIANTZ made their debut at the club to a very appreciative audience. Comprising of Darren Collings on lead vocals and bass guitar, Tim Bedson on the drums and Andy Trevelyan (Trev) on lead guitar, this band had a wealth of talent which brought together an immaculate performance. They kicked off the cracker of a first set with Judas Priest’s ‘Heavy Metal God’ before playing their unique, rocked up version of the Lynyrd Skynyrd classic ‘Sweet Home Alabama’. The audience were really enjoying the band and applauded well in between songs. Next came Cinderella’s ‘Gypsy Road’ which was followed by songs from Van Halen and the Scorpions before the band played an amazing rendition of Whitesnake’s ‘Deeper the Love’ which featured a brilliant guitar solo from Trev. They followed this with another great performance of ‘All Your Love’ which again got the audience’s appreciation. The band picked an excellent song to finish the first set on a high as they belted out my request of Ozzy Osborne’s infamous ‘Crazy Train’. It goes without saying that this band features some amazing talent in all musicians. Darren’s vocals were outstanding and Trev really showed us some skill on the guitar whilst Tim’s efforts on drums came close to matching the incredible talents of Tony Martin Band’s Danny Needham as both an entertaining and talented drummer. Opening the second set with Ozzy’s ‘I Don’t Know’, the band were still on form and were really giving it 110% effort as they blazed their way through David Lee Roth’s ‘Yankee Rose’ and ‘Living in Paradise’. They brought us more crowd pleasers from the Scorpions and Skid Rowe before Trev came forward to play an impressive guitar solo (which included a snippet of Eddie Van Halen’s ‘Eruption’) as an introduction to the great ‘Runnin With the Devil’ which proved to be yet another excellent performance from everyone in the band. They ended the second set of the night with Saxon’s mightiest hit ‘747 (Stangers in the Night)’ and Ozzy’s ‘Bark at the Moon’ which for a song hardly heard in clubland, went down brilliantly with the crowd. The Bellhouse faithful cheered and whistled to bring the band back on stage for an impressive rendition of the club’s anthem ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’. I think if we’d have run the ‘Rosie poll’ after the Giantz gig, they would definitely be up there as one of the best. They left the stage once again to thunderous applause and glass-banging and so came back to leave us with one last song – Bon Jovi’s ‘Raise Your Hands’ which saw the audience with their hands in the air, clapping and waving. A spectacular end to what proved to be a very entertaining night. Giantz are a band who definitely live up to their name playing only the best that rock has to offer in an incredible live performance.
Sunday 28th May 2006 - Tony Liddle Band - A Rock of the North deputation, including Pete Goodfellow of Black Rising, witnessed a fantastic show in Bellhouse Road Club on Whitsuntide Sunday evening. Tony's voice was as good as ever as he put on a showcase of adult orientated rock which included songs from Anastacia, Rainbow , Led Zeppelin, Jefferson Starship, Boston, Foreigner, and of course Journey - and not to forget the incredible Bellhouse anthem, Whole Lotta Rosie. Tony is surrounded by some great musicians and his light show is simple but highly effective with 16 Par Cans. With 8 cans sequenced especially around the very spectacular drummer, and intelligent use of the smoke machine, this is an impressive show. Top marks to the sound engineer, the balance was excellent with Tony's dynamic and incredible vocals flavoured with a healthy amount of delay/reverb. Great venue, great artist, great show, and one that was greatly appreciated by both Shire Green's music lovers and travelling fans from around the area! Another amiable feature of Tony is that he never stays in the dressing room, he's out in the crowd talking to his friends and fans, making time for you. Tony is a humble man and is a refreshing change from some of the artists who think they are celestial beings. << Courtesy of Steve Lally (www.rockofthenorth.com)
Friday 19th May 2006 - Van Hooligan - We were treated to an excellent all round display from clubland’s loudest rockers, Van Hooligan, on Friday night! I walked into the club to find a magnificent stage set up comprising of a wall of Marshall stacks as well as a huge drum riser also based upon on Marshall’s! Their classic rock look was unbeatable. They cracked open the first set with an awesome rendition of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Rock and Roll’ and I instantly knew that they would deliver… and what an amazing first set it turned out to be! Wasting no time between the songs they burst into ACDC’s ‘Hell Ain’t A Bad Place To Be’ before moving onto Judas Priest’s ‘Living After Midnight’ and Steppenwolf’s ‘Born To Be Wild’. Right from the off each member of the band was entertaining the crowd in their own way, especially Carl Morley, the band’s guitarist, who was particularly impressive on the fret-board at the same time as downing several pints! Van Halen’s cover of ‘You Really Got Me’ came next and saw a whole pint downed during one sustained note on the guitar. This ‘party piece’ really impressed the crowd and got a huge cheer from us all. Following this the band kicked into an electric performance of ‘Ain’t Talking About Love’ before ending the set with two AC/DC tracks – ‘You Shook Me All Night Long’ and the Bellhouse anthem ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’ both of which rocked and made a perfect end to an outstanding first set! Comments were all positive during the break and everyone looked forward to the bands second appearance which started with a clever, heavier rendition of Queen's 'Tie Your Mother Down'. Next came songs from Thunder and The Troggs before they invited the excellent Sony recording guitarist "Pixie Lee" up onto the stage to join in with the band's performance of Black Sabbath's classic - 'Paranoid'. This track saw both Pixie Lee and Carl Morley duelling on the solo, both showing some incredible skills on the guitar and both impressing the appreciative crowd. Songs from Michael Jackson and T-Rex followed before the band ended the second set on an ultimate high with Motorhead's 'Ace of Spades' - a song rarely seen live in the clubs but one which the Bellhouse audience really enjoyed. After this amazing display of talent, the band were cheered back on stage for an encore comprising of 'You Aint Seen Nothing Yet' and two more crowd pleasers from earlier in the night - Led Zep's 'Rock and Roll' and finally 'Whole Lotta Rosie'. I left the club feeling really impressed with this band... they had opened with an awesome display of hits and continued the entertainment and overall quality performance throughout the night. Long live rock - long live Van Hooligan!
Friday 12th May 2006 - Let There Be Rock - Friday night is rock night at Bellhouse , and a decent turn out were treated to some classic, memorable rock songs played by another debut band “Let There Be Rock”. This superb four piece band kicked off the night with AC/DC’s 'Riff Raff', swiftly moving into 'Cold Sweat' by Thin Lizzy. Whitesnakes 'Cryin in the Rain' came next followed by another AC/DC track - 'Sin City'. Few bands rarely get people dancing in the first spot but these guys were really rockin and the dance floor came alive. Further tracks by Aerosmith, Queen, Led Zep and AC/DC finished the first spot and the guys were off for a well earned rest. Set 2 of the show began with a superb version of Ted Nugent’s 'Cat Scratch Fever', more Angus with 'Back in Black' and Lizzy's classic 'Whisky in the Jar' were next . The Cult's 'Little Devil' was followed by what is now known as the Bellhouse “anthem” 'Whole Lotta Rosie', brilliantly pulled off too. More dancing erupted as the band went in to 'Slither' by Velvet Revolver and finishing with the bands anthem, 'Let There Be Rock'. The guys showed so much energy throughout the show and did not disappoint when the crowd were banging on the tables and shouting for more. They came back to do Led Zepplin's 'Rock n Roll' which contained a fantasic drum solo by Mr Micky Gibson! Motorhead's 'Ace of Spades' rocked the room before the final song that’s not seen played that often in clubland, 'War Pigs' by Black Sabbath, again superbly pulled off. Although these guys are well known around clubland anyway, having been seen with various other acts before, I believe they have something special here with a great energetic act and hope to see them back real soon. Cheers lads! Review by Dave Wragg
Saturday 6th May 2006 - Steeler - Great to see Steeler in action again. This band are good musicians all, and once again Shaun provided some great entertainment as well as proving he is a top vocalist. The set list was varied and all songs performed well. The first set opening with Van Halen's ‘Jump’ ably sung by the talented bass player, and included a nice mix of classic rock including a couple from Whitesnake, enabling the lead guitar to demonstrate his skills. I especially enjoyed the version of the Eagles ‘Desperado’, performed simply with just keys and vocal. I have to say the sound mix was good throughout too, the guy on the desk always does a good job. The second set was tight and entertaining, and once again Shaun provided a great mix of entertainment as well as continuing to lead the band from the front. Maybe not the rock music produced by the heavyweights of the club scene, but Steeler are very good all rounder’s and well worth seeing. Thanks to Steeler for a great nights entertainment! Review by Steve Murray.
Sunday 30th April 2006 - World Famous Gutterband - What an amazing night we had on Sunday! We knew we were in for a treat when we entered the club at 7.30pm and found it difficult to get a seat. The concert room was full and had to close its doors leaving several people disappointed. The atmosphere from the beginning was “Party Time” and it was like Christmas and New Year’s Eve rolled into one. Several people had even come complete with wigs, wacky glasses etc and the audience was certainly in the mood for a good time - they were not disappointed! The first half of the evening was the Space Cadet’s. What a treat for the ladies - nude men flashing their bits in the dance routines! I liked the old favourites including YMCA. Not what I expected but certainly a treat. I was a bit scared when the monsters came into the audience though... glad they didn’t pick on me! This slot was to warm the audience up ready for the World Famous Gutterband’s appearance and they certainly did just that. Hysterical laughter throughout this set and a good time was had by all. The Space Cadet’s left the stage to loud cheers and the audience wanting more. Bingo came and went quickly and The Gutterband took to the stage with Elvis Press-stud the vocalist entering via the draw-bridge. Great songs in this set including T-Rex ‘20th Century Boy’ and ‘Easy Action' etc along with Sweet’s ‘Blockbuster', Elton’s ‘Rocketman’, Suzi Q’s ‘Devil Gate Drive’ and Bowie’s ‘Life on Mars’. There were too many fantastic songs to name on here but we and the whole club enjoyed every one of them. The band brought us some excellent stage-effects throughout the night including the appearance of the old chopper bike as well as a classic motorbike revving onto the stage. The guitarist, Roy Wouldn’t, strapped himself into a wheel and even managed to carry on playing whilst being rotated. Not one ‘bum-note’ even though he was upside down - how many people can do that! One of the excellent features of this band is the drum duels. They produce an excellent sound and look fantastic at either side of the stage. The portable drum kit was fabulous too, allowing the drummers to come into the audience which was incredibly unusual but fantastic and the crowd loved it. The end of the evening approached and the band played their last song of the second set – the whole of Bellhouse club was singing the old favourite Jeff Beck’s ‘Silver Lining’ and you couldn’t fail to hear the sing-off between the Sheffield Wednesday and Sheffield United fans! It was decided that Sheffield Wednesday won on this night but only just - it was a tough decision! The band left the stage to huge applause and glass banging etc but returned to do one final song – ‘We Will Rock You’ by Queen. The crowd were dancing at the front, in the aisles and on the seats but the night had to end at some point and the band left the stage for the last time to the loudest cheers I have ever heard! The Gutterband have played at Bellhouse twice this year and each time they have delivered. A fantastic night was had by all and I am sure they will be back! Review by Carol Wragg. (Please note - all references to The Gutterband in this review are referring to Russ Francis' 'World Famous Gutterband')
Friday 28th April 2006 - Alcatraz - Legendary rock band Alcatraz were back at the Bellhouse on Friday to give yet another outstanding performance which was superbly appreciated by the whole club. In terms of music ability, entertainment and the rock/metal night as a package this band have easily got to be the best out there! They put 110% effort into every aspect of the gig and it showed as everyone still stayed up dancing down the front at gone half eleven. They opened the first half with Dokken's 'Unchain the Night'. This song is perfectly suited to the band who pull it off superbly every time. A great start to the evening as they followed it up with two Whitesnake tracks - 'Crying in the Rain' and 'Looking for Love' both of which showing the best of Tony Duke's unbeatable vocal talents. Winger's 'Miles Away' came next - a fairly new song for the band and another great choice. Following this, we were treated to two more Whitesnake hits before they kicked into a fantastic track by George Lynch called 'I Want It'. The crowd were loving it, the atmosphere was awesome and the band were on top form when they belted out the Scorpions' classic 'Rock You Like A Hurricane' before ending the first set with Rainbow's 'Long Live Rock and Roll'. You can tell the band were loving what they were doing on stage, they obviously click and pull off a fine show together. The break came and went quickly and the band returned on stage to open their second set with an outstanding performance of Hardline's 'Dr Love' - another new song in their ever-growing repertoire. By the end of Shaun's keyboard intro to 'Seperate Ways' the front of stage was full with people dancing and enjoying a stunning performance of the Journey classic followed by Bon Jovi's 'Living On A Prayer'. We enjoyed more great songs with Thunder's 'Gimme Some Lovin' and Def Leppard's 'Animal', the dancefloor still heaving with an electric atmosphere before the band invited me up to jam on Metallica's 'Enter Sandman' making it a triple guitar assault which gave the song a whole new depth. The feeling on stage was incredible and the view made me see exactly why they make so much effort in their performance. The crowd seemed to appreciate it and I certainly did - cheers for an awesome experience lads! Next came their great 'Sweet Child o' Mine' rendition, John Oxley opening with the infamous guitar intro before gradually building up with some excellent bass work from Paul. Alcatraz recently came top in the club's poll to find out which band give the best rendition of Bellhouse anthem 'Whole Lotta Rosie', so we were delighted to hear this come next. The usual 'Angus' came shouting from the crowd but with more passion than usual which was great to hear. They played their way through an awesome version of the song before kicking off 'Highway to Hell' to end their second set. This track gave the band a chance to properly introduce themselves and brought some stunning drum work from Chris as he beat his way through a cracking 'Dance With The Devil'. The room was buzzing and I doubt the comittee would've been happy with the amount of glass banging going on but it brought the band back for an encore of Whitesnake's 'Here I Go Again' and Bon Jovi's 'In These Arms'. They left the stage to huge applause and cheering from the really appreciative audience. Overall an awesome band and a spectacular gig! Credit to the rest of the 'Alcatraz family' too who made sure the sound was spot on and the lighting was great. I can't wait for the noon & night gig in July... judging on Fridays gig, it looks set to be an amazing day!
Friday 21st April 2006 - Vamp - We had a fabulous evening's entertainment at Bellhouse Road Club, Shire Green on Friday night, the 21st April. Why? Because the ace South Yorkshire band Vamp were performing a superb set at this brilliant Sheffield Club. What a refreshing change to hear the repertoire Vamp have to offer. As much as we love Black Sabbath, Metallica, Van Halen and the like, it was great to hear songs by The Rolling Stones, Free, and a busked version of Crossroads especially for Concert Sec, Fast Eddie Cooper! It was an amazing finale to this very enjoyable concert which included a breathtaking version of Sympathy for The Devil , The Hunter, and the perennial anthem, All Right Now. The musicianship was outstanding and the crowd certainly knew about it! << Courtesy of Steve Lally (www.rockofthenorth.com)
I’ve never put any thing on the review page before, I usually leave it to Carl, our more than able web site wizard. When you read his review for Friday night, you may think he has gone over the top a bit, but I can assure you he hasn't. To any one who missed Vamp on Friday, you missed a master class in musical entertainment, why its took 15 months to get these guys on, I’ll never know, but you can guarantee, the Bellhouse will be seeing a lot more of these 4 guys, so before the review goes on, I’d just like to thank Steve, Ian, Hutch, and the heartbeat of the band Dave, for an awesome night. I don’t want to take the credit for these guys, because once again it was Steve Lally who pushed me to put the band on, and as usual he was completely right, this guy can do no wrong with his recommendations, and I just hope all the bands he speaks to me about appreciate this. So finally, if you missed them this time, don’t miss them next time! << Eddie {Concert Sec.}
Vamp's debut at The Bellhouse can only be summed up as the best to date! With a unique blend of rock and blues bringing together an awesome night of hits played at a very high standard, this band are definately going to be seen a lot more at the club. Opening with The Faces 'Stay With Me', Steve Firth's brilliant, raw, classic rock voice hits you and the band sounded perfect right from the off. Next they brought us Free's 'Wishing Well' which once again was played in the bands own unbeatable style with a brilliant original guitar solo. Sticking with the excellent guitar work, a fantastic blues intro kicked off Muddy Water's 'Hoochie Coochie Man' which the band delivered well. To say it is an old blues song never heard at a Bellhouse rock night, this band has the unique ability to make songs their own which shows in the performance which everyone clearly enjoyed. Next came a fantastic, and once again unexpected, rendition of Neil Young's 'Like A Hurricane'. The overall sound of this band is spot on and Ian's brilliant guitar solo was complemented well with Steve's rhythm playing. Being a club, we don't get to hear much original material however this band threw in a song of their own called 'Screwed' and it went down fabulously! The riff is catchier than a lot of classic tunes we normally hear and the whole song panned out as an amazing performance which showed great talent from everyone in the band including some neat slide guitar work from Steve. Rod Stewart's 'Maggie May' came next before they ended the first set with Hendrix's 'All Along The Watchtower' which was was superb and played excellently by everyone with exceptional solos from Ian on the guitar. This band recieved some great feedback and comments were all positive during the break which is rare from all us critics in the audience! Opening the second set with Status Quo's 'Caroline' and Swedish band Diamond Dogs 'Every Little Crack', the band were back and were yet again on top form. Two Free numbers came next - 'The Hunter' and ultimate classic rock anthem 'Alright Now' before they kicked into 'You Can't Always Get What You Want' by the Rolling Stones - a band who Vamp take on really well and clearly get a lot of influence from. The sound was still perfect with the guitars driving the basis of it along with a brilliant rhythm section from Hutch and Dave (bass and drums respectively). A quick 'Teenage Kicks' came next before they belted out a superb version of one of my favorite songs - Neil Young's 'Rockin In The Free World' which featured some quality harmonies. They ended the second set on an ultimate high as all the band really got involved for the Stone's 'Sympathy For The Devil'. A magical drums intro from Dave which was followed with great style from Hutch on bass and the twin guitars continued to power away whilst Steve opened with those infamous lyrics 'Please allow me to introduce myself...'. This song brought out the best in the band as they all showed their talent well, bringing out a quality performance. A thunderous cheer brought them back on stage to an encore of 'Honky Tonk Woman' before ending the night on a special request of Cream's 'Crossroads' dedicated to our concert secretary and main man behind Bellhouse's success - 'Fast Eddie'. We all had the privilege of witnessing an outstanding gig from a fantastic band who work extremely well together and evidently love what they are doing. Thanks Vamp for a brilliant night and I'm sure it won't belong before we see you again at the Bellhouse!
Sunday 16th April 2006 - Rock Legacy 'Noon & Night' (Review is of the night gig) - Rock Legacy returned to the Bellhouse and once again made it their own personal showcase of magical rock tunes and stunning classic anthems. The band as ever was tight and professional, and the stage presence of all four was simply awesome. Mick Racket led from the front with a fine vocal performance and some breathtaking guitar breaks, Mr Christian was equally superb on guitar and vocal ability, Joe Pastrami again proved how talented he his on bass whilst demonstrating his unique brand of showmanship, and the Geezer held things together (at times the only person on stage!!) with another polished and powerful performance on drums. The first set provided a heady mix of classic rock, each in turn an opportunity for the talented musicians to display their skills and entertain us. Tunes from Thin Lizzy, and Judas Priest opened the set, Christian then taking the lead vocals for the Metallica ballad ‘Nothing else matters’. Guns ‘N’ Roses ‘You could be mine’ Kiss ‘Welcome to the show’ and UFO ‘Lights out in London’ followed, before a superb rendition of REO Speedwagon’s ‘Take it on the run’. The set finished on a real high, with a version of Pink Floyd’s ‘Comfortably Numb’ with the now customary venture from stage and in amongst the Bellhouse faithful, all three guitarists interacting with the audience. It is a pleasure to witness the bands talents at such close quarters. The second set kicked off with ‘Mr. Crowley, followed by a simply stunning version of the Thin Lizzy classic ‘Emerald’ where once again the band wandered amongst the audience to perform some amazing guitar work. Songs from Black Sabbath, Gary Moore, Saxon, and an awesome performance of Guns ‘N’ Roses ‘Sweet Child’ powered the set onwards. As a climax to the second set the band offered up their version of a Bellhouse favourite, Journey’s ‘Don’t stop believing’, leaving the stage to an absolute crescendo of applause. The encore saw the band change around the musical duties, and were joined on stage by the ‘fifth’ band member, our very own Carl Wragg. Carl joined Christian on lead guitar, Mick took the bass, Joe took the drums, and the Geezer entertained us with his vocal talents for a rocking version of ‘You gotta fight for the right to party’. A big ‘well done’ to Carl and a great thank you to the band, a nice touch. The encore continued with another Bellhouse anthem, ‘Whole lotta Rosie’ then ‘Summer of 69’ finishing with ‘Sin City’, during which Christian had to leave the stage, having suffered a back strain whilst carrying Joe on his shoulders in an earlier venture amongst the audience. The Bellhouse faithful applauded, cheered, banged on tables and gave the band a great send off, Christian was not to be defeated though, and despite being in some pain, returned to the stage to perform again as the band played yet another encore, finally leaving the stage close to midnight. All in all Rock Legacy delivered a powerful, professional and thoroughly impressive performance. Beware ye kings of clubland rock, the Legacy is coming to steal thy crown……and they are not far away. Review by Steve Murray.
Friday 14th April 2006 - Band of Oz - Band Of Oz are a five piece rock band from Huddersfield, featuring Oz on lead vocal and guitar, Keith on Lead Guitar, Munsi on Bass, Dave on Keys and last but not least, Neil on drums. The first set opened with the Queen anthem ‘We Will Rock You’ and continued with a version of the 70’s band Sweet ‘Fox On The Run’. Oz provides some decent vocals and the band are musically sound, and the set grew in stature with Whitesnake and Bryan Adams tunes. Pink Floyd’s ‘Brick In The Wall’ provided ample opportunity for Keith and Munsi to display some neat guitar work, and Bon Jovi’s ‘Lay Your Hands On Me’ kicked the first set into overdrive. The highlight for me in this set was a personal favourite, the classic Gary Moore tune ‘Over The Hills’, allowing Dave on keys to display his skills and Neil to prove his able percussion ability. The band really played this one well, and Oz’s vocal talents complimented the musicians. The first set ended with a song from the master, George Harrison’s ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ another chance for the band to prove their musical ability, and a rockin’ version of Alice Cooper’s ‘Schools Out’. All in all an impressive first set. The second set opened with two Van Halen numbers, firstly ‘Jump’, always a good way to start, followed by a rendition of ‘Livin In Paradise’. A unique version of ‘Friday On My Mind’ based around Gary Moore’s influence, and another 70’s track ‘Cum On Feel The Noise’ from Slade bounced the set up a gear. Further songs from Queen and a very good version of the Spencer Davies Group’s ‘Gimme Some Lovin’ and Steppenwolf’s ‘Born To Be Wild’ kept up the increasing momentum. The band proved their versatility with a couple of fine old rockers from Status Quo, followed by a demonstration of ‘Gob Organ’ from Oz throughout a procession of tunes, including the Deep Purple anthem ‘Black Knight’, and the set finally finished on a high with the Bryan Adams song ‘Summer of 69’. As always when the band are appreciated, the Bellhouse audience demanded more, and Band of Oz came back on stage for a well deserved encore. In my opinion, this is a band well worth watching. Band of Oz provided a night of quality music and a professional performance and we look forward to their next appearance on the Bellhouse 'Rock Night' gig list. Review by Steve Murray.
Sunday April 9th 2006 - Fritenite - I've never seen as many people still in the club at half eleven as what I saw with Fritenite on Sunday! Everything about the show was exceptional and well thought out - the stage set up, the costumes, the set list, the lights and the sound were all spot on and above all the entertainment was second to none. Band members were introduced one by one onto the stage before Lee, the singer, came wheeling through the door in a cage to open the first set with ‘Hellraiser’ and ‘I Want To Break Free’. Already, the stage presence was electric and the band were on form working well with each other. A quick costume change and Lee reappeared on stage as Alice Cooper to perform ‘Elected’ and ‘No More Mr Nice Guy’. Another costume change brought us Freddie Mercury in his famous Wembley stadium outfit, along side Freddie was ‘Brian Gay’ on the guitar. After the bands fantastic renditions of ‘We Will Rock You’, ‘We Are The Champions’ and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, Ozzy’s instantly recognisable brummy accent filled the room and the man himself entered the stage, well Lee again in yet another costume. After playing a couple of Ozzy’s hits to great applause the band ended the first set with more songs from Gilbert o’ Sullivan and the Charlie Daniels Band before closing with a hilarious ‘Sweet Transvestite’ from the Rock Horror show. Throughout the first set, the audience were gripped and on the edge of their seat the whole while. An outstanding performance was enjoyed by all. The second set, although losing the characters, was musically just as good and stage presence and overall entertainment quality was still there. They opened with Green Day's 'American Idiot' followed by The Beatles 'All My Lovin'' then 'Saw Her Standin There'. The band were still on form, dancing round the stage giving it their all. Next they brought us their rendition of 'I Predict A Riot' by the Kaiser Chiefs which amusingly saw their 5th member 'Michael Fatley' appear on stage to the chorus of 'I Predict A Diet'. Lots more songs came by AC/DC, Bryan Adams, Bon Jovi and Rainbow before they ended the second set on Kiss's 'Crazy Nights' and the Darkness hit 'I Believe In A Thing Called Love'. The band left the stage to tremendous applause - everywhere I looked round the room there were people banging on the tables, whistling, cheering louder than i'd ever heard before at this point of the night. They reappeared on stage for an encore of Whitesnake's 'Fool For Your Lovin' which went down brilliantly. Overall this band are the most entertaining i've ever seen with a fantastic show keeping you laughing all night. Although you'd imagine that with all the effort in the comedy side of things the musical quality would be let down, its not like that with this band at all! Vocals are spot on, the guitar work is fantastic, the bass player is a true natural and the drummer smashes his way round the kit all night. Michael Fatley's occasional appearences add an extra touch to the comedy too and without him the show wouldn't be half as funny. Recommended to absolutely everyone for an excellent night!
Friday April 7th 2006 - Storm Bringer - Friday night brought us a refreshing change with a band giving it their all to provide a really enjoyable set list played at a good standard. As suggested with their name, Storm Bringer based their set around Deep Purple and gave a good selection of their hits with lots more thrown in besides. Most bands take a couple of songs to get warmed up and into the gig, Storm Bringer being no exception - opening their first spot with 'Black Night', Van Halen's 'Jump' and then 'Woman from Tokyo'. The sound levels were a little varied but, after these problems were overcome they settled into the gig and belted out some good tunes, starting with Pink Floyd's finest hit 'Comfortably Numb'. The band played it perfectly note after note. I was surprised at the accuracy these guys nailed the tones of the song - it was like listening to the original and for me was the highlight of the night. Following this was the best guitar-duelling song seen on the clubs - Thin Lizzy's 'Emerald' which again was played well with the sound nailed perfectly. The band brought us more songs from Thin Lizzy and Pat Travis before ending on Deep Purple's 'Lazy' which saw some excellent keyboard work. I was pleased with their performance so far, the sound recreation was brilliant and the song choice was great. They came back out for their second set opening with Thin Lizzy's 'Jailbreak' followed by 'Wishing Well', a song which they seemed to be most confident in which boosted the overall performance of it. Songs from The Cult, Gun and UFO came next before the band played a good version of Gary Moore's 'Parisienne Walkways' in which Dave (lead guitar) sustained that famous note well (don't think there were any pedals involved either!). They ended the second set with a good rendition of ZZ Top's 'Gimme All Your Lovin'. As usual, the appreciative audience cheered the band back on stage who played an impressive 'Cryin in the Rain' followed by Bellhouse anthem 'Whole Lotta Rosie'. Surprisingly, there were no Deep Purple hits during the second set but we weren't to be disappointed when the band came back out once more to end the night with their massive hit 'Smoke On The Water'. A fine group of musicians who know what they're doing and put a lot of effort into their show. Well done Storm Bringer! >> Storm Bringer have reviewed the gig themselves too on their website. Their review can be found by clicking the following link: http://www.storm-bringer.co.uk/gig_review.asp?id=Bellhouse_Shiregreen_Sheffield_07042006
Sunday April 2nd 2006 - Bitter Suite - For those of us who were privileged to witness the awesome Bitter Suite in their heyday, this was a magical journey back through time. From the opening riff of the first Thin Lizzy cover ‘The Boys Are Back’, the band provided us with a joyous return to yesteryear. For those who have not seen Bitter Suite before, the mix of classic rock and time defying anthems must surely leave a lasting memory. The sound mix was crisp, Phil Brodie’s vocals as good as ever, and the band displayed a wealth of experience and musical ability, providing us with mesmerising guitar work, pounding bass, and powerful percussion. The first set offered us legendary songs from Thin Lizzy, a superb rendition of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Stairway to Heaven’, and an amazing cover of Gary Moore’s ‘Parisienne Walkways’ throughout which Phil Brodie further demonstrated his six-string ability. We were even treated to a Bitter Suite classic, Mick Ronson’s ‘Billy Porter’. The final song of the first set, another Lizzy anthem ‘Emerald’, left us spellbound and applauding wildly, and eagerly awaiting the second half. The second set provided us with some awesome tunes from Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake and Golden Earring, and a kick-ass version of Steppenwolf’s ‘Born to be Wild’. The set finished with a version of Judas Priest’s ‘Livin after Midnight’ on which bass player Gerry Scanlon’s son James, provided a guest appearance on lead vocal, leaving the audience bellowing for more. The encore was greeted with tremendous applause and Bitter Suite sent us all home with the Bellhouse anthem ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’, with James again providing the lead vocals, leaving us all with memories of yet another polished performance from the band who defy time. To all you up and coming rock bands seeking inspiration, I say look to the gods, look to Bitter Suite. Thank you for entertaining us. Review by Steve Murray.
Friday March 31st 2006 - Heavy Load - Another successful debut at Bellhouse from 'Heavy Load' - a band who lived up to their name, providing a great selection of heavy metal classics as well as a good set of softer numbers which were brilliantly given the Heavy Load treatment. Comprising of two guitars, bass, drums and vocals, the band had a consistant tight sound right from the start. The first set featured a few songs which I, and a lot more people in the club, hadn't heard before. I'm not complaining though - they were really good and provided a refreshing change to the usual songs and for me is what Friday rock nights are all about. As well as the new tracks, we were treated to a rarely seen performance of 'Times Like These', a unique heavier version of Free's 'Wishing Well' and Thin Lizzy's classic - 'Emerald' which saw some fantastic twin-guitar work in the solos. The band closed the first set with extremely well presented versions of Metallica's 'Unforgiven' and lastly Iron Maiden's 'Phantom of the Opera', both of which were played in style and with good confidence which shone in the overall performance. At the start of the night, I was suprised at the following the band had brought with them, there were loads of Heavy Load t-shirts seen around the club. By the break, I could see why - they gave a splendid performance with a mega set list which evidently everyone was enjoying. I couldn't wait for their reappearance and was thrilled when the band opened with the fantastic riff in Metallica's 'For Whom the Bell Tolls'. Next came another Thin Lizzy classic - 'Waiting for an Alibi' and the Foo's latest hit - 'Best of Me'. The dancefloor had quickly filled up by now and the atmosphere increased as the band went into 'Paranoid' - every headbanger's anthem and another song which was really well recieved by everyone in the club. 'Rebel Yell' followed which got a lot of people singing along. The whole club was really into the gig as they ended the second set with 3 consecutive Lizzy hits concluding with 'Whiskey in the Jar'. As expected from such a sound display of songs, the band were cheered back on stage for an encore featuring 'Enter Sandman', 'Rosalie' and '20th Century Boy' all of which were played brilliantly and in the bands own unique style. Not surprisingly, the crowd loved the encore and wanted one more for the road and what a choice the band made to end on the Sex Pistols classic 'Anarchy in the U.K'. Overall, this band brought us 5 fine musicians (especially Simon the bass player who's particular musical ability impressed many), a quality set list and an excellent night out. Already looking forward to the return of Heavy Load!
Friday March 24th 2006 - Cafe - Cafe provided an enjoyable set on Friday showing some great talent in many fields of the industry. The first set provided us with some questionable 'rock' songs which nevertheless were performed well and to a good standard. They opened with Bon Jovi's 'Its My Life' followed by U2's 'With Or Without You'. Both songs sounded great and I think the audience enjoyed these very much. Next came 'You Really Got Me' - a classic, revived by Van Halen to be a fantastic rock song which I think is the standard that Cafe gave the track. The band performed well, the guitaring was excellent, the drums were powering away helped along by the bass and Ryan, the singer, had a unique voice with a good range. The only fault of the first set was lying in the sound levels which although easily noticed, didn't let the overall performance down at all. More songs followed from the Kinks and the Police before the band kicked into my highlight of the night - an unforgettable performance of Mr Big's 'Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy' or 'The Drill Song' as it's mainly known as due to the fact that Rich and Dean (guitar and bass) both play the song with - an electric drill! Unusual but great and one of most memorable things i've seen at the club. They ended the first set with two Bad Company songs followed by Free's classic 'Alright Now'. Despite the sound problems, I enjoyed the first set. The song choice's, although different and not what the club normally see's on a Friday rock night, were complimented by the talent involved in playing them. Back they came for the second set which was opened with U2's 'Vertigo'. Next came two tracks by Wheatus - 'Teenage Dirtbag' and 'A Little Respect'. I know these aren't prime choices to play on a rock night but the band really suited the songs and played them fantasticaly bringing out the main qualities of Ryan's voice. Songs followed by Bon Jovi and Guns n Roses before the band went into the Bellhouse anthem 'Whole Lotta Rosie' which was played really well and got a few more singing and cheering. Queen's 'We Will Rock You' came next before they ended the second spot with Bryan Adams classic 'Summer of 69' which saw people singing and dancing - stood on the chairs and tables which amusingly didn't impress the commitee. The band were welcomed back on stage for an encore featuring some fab guitar work in Hendix's 'Foxy Lady' and finaly 'Whole Lotta Love'. Overall, a good band with a lot to give. Sound wasn't spot on however, the lights were fantastic and complimented great musicianship. Some great talent in all areas of the band. Recommended to anyone up for a good night!
Sunday March 19th 2006 - 2 Out Of 3 - Another fantastic, high-energy performance from 2 out of 3 on Sunday night. Although only a 3-piece, these guys can definately rock and easily compare to all the established 5-piece bands on the circuit. The first set conisting of Meatloaf hits performed uniquely with huge dramatics, brilliant sound, excellent lights and a great look. They opened with 'Bat Out Of Hell' - an unforgettable performance! Neil Duty on guitar taking to the stage with a theme of The Crow. This man sure can entertain and proved it right from the start of the song. Next came the ballads 'Not A Dry Eye In The House' and 'Anything For Love'. Toward the end of 'Anything for Love' came a spectactular instrumental between Neil Duty on guitar and Neil Leeming on the keys. Both showing great talent with Duty ending on Steve Vai's 'Liberty' - a fantastic guitar solo played to perfection! After that came 'Dead Ringer', their title track '2 Out Of 3', a short joke version of YMCA and finally Meatloaf's recent chart topper - 'Couldn't Have Said It Better'. The whole of the first set was excellent - really entertaining to watch, the sound was spot on and the guitaring was outstandingly original. After the theatrics and seriousness of the first half, the second spot featured a great choice of classic rock songs starting with Bon Jovi's 'Bad Name' followed by 'Since You've Been Gone' and Bad Company's 'Can't Get Enough'. The lads were back on form and belted out the hits. Next, Paul picked up his guitar and made way for Duty to give his rendition of the Rasmus' 'In The Shadows'. They're the only group i've heard do this song and they do it fabulously! The singing is spot on, the atmosphere increases and it acts as a great build up to Journey's 'Don't Stop Believing' where there was a short stage invasion of a couple of people wanting more than just a dance! Once again, Duty took the vocals for the Darkness' 'I Believe In A Thing Called Love' which got the whole room singing - even the high parts which surprisingly sounded really good! Next came songs by ZZ Top, Magnum, the Rolling Stones and finally 'Jump' by Van Halen. Half the room were up dancing and the atmosphere was the best i've ever seen from a trio! A minute or so of the usual cheering and whistling etc. they returned for an encore of 'Alright Now' and 'Summer of '69' throughout both songs, the crowd created a good 'third singer' - everyone joining in and having a great time. After they left the stage for what was supposed to be the last time that night, the crowd were really into the gig and wanted one more. They weren't going to stop cheering till the band returned for the last time ending with Bon Jovi's 'Bed of Roses' which saw loads of couples up dancing round the room. Overall another fantastic gig from the most entertaining and original trio on the circuit!
Friday March 17th 2006 - Touch 2 Much - Bellhouse seems to always be full of fans wearing their AC/DC shirts and shouting out for Angus. After the spectacular performance Touch 2 Much gave on Friday, I think we'll be seeing quite a few more! A whole night of no-nonsense AC/DC hits from a great band recreating their unique sound perfectly. They opened the first spot with 'Livewire' followed by 'Shot Down In Flames' and 'If You Want Blood'. The lead singer's volume was a little quiet during these tracks but nevertheless the band sounded really good and played great. Audience participation kicked in when they played 'The Jack'. The whole club were singing out 'She's got the Jack, Jack, Jack' and the atmosphere became greater. By now, the band were warmed up and the crowd were getting into the singing. Next came 'Sin City' followed by 'Problem Child' both of which were played spot on - emulating AC/DC's sound perfectly. The last song of the set, 'You Shook Me All Night Long', saw a few up front rockin'. This pumped up the atmosphere immensly. Judging on various comments during the break, I'd say people really liked this band. They clearly put the effort in and it certainly paid off. I definately loved the band... they created the sound, the look and the high energy of AC/DC and belted out their hits with great confidence. Everyone was eagerly awaiting the second set - and what a set it turned out to be! Opening with 'Thunderstruck', 'Shoot To Thrill' and 'Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be' the room was buzzing. The singer's volume had been pumped up, Angus was running round the stage and everyone was getting in to it. Next came 'Back In Black' and 'High Voltage'. Again the songs were played to a great standard and being classic 'DC tracks everyone knew the lyrics and the whole room was shouting them out. Now, the song the whole club had been waiting for - Bellhouse anthem 'Whole Lotta Rosie'. Everyone was singing, there were people headbanging round the room, the band (Angus in particular) were really performing and everyone loved it. The atmosphere now was really hotting up as the band ended the last spot with 'Let There Be Rock'. The room went wild, they weren't going to let the band finish there... so back they came. One of rocks finest riffs opened 'Highway To Hell' followed by 'For Those About To Rock'. It's hard to describe what it was like during these tracks other than 'awesome'! The band had no choice but to return to the stage for their title hit 'Touch 2 Much'. Overall, this band created the sound of AC/DC perfectly and got the image and routine to a very high standard. They sounded tight and chose a fantastic set to play. Another band that are sure to be returning!
Friday March 10th 2006 - Alexanders Palace - Friday 10th March saw the well-established and extremely professional Alexanders Palace take to the stage at Bellhouse. This band are probably the most established band to play in the area and attract hundreds of fans - its easy to see why! I've seen Palace a few times now and each time the set rarely differs but to be fair the set is fantastic and played at a very high standard fronted by the powerful and instantly recognisable voice of Alexander Edwards. The first spot opened with Bon Jovi's hit 'It's My Life' followed by Toto's classic 'Hold The Line'. The atmosphere was overwhelming, the club packed with people stood round the edges, everyone singing along and generally having a great time... and so early in the night too! Alex's unique voice is easily most suited to songs by Journey and the whole band brought the classic 'Dont Stop Believing' to a new level! Another Journey track followed from the Trial By Fire album - 'Message of Love' this song is fantastic and Palace really made a good job of it. Next up was Santana'a 'Shes Not There' followed by the Eagles all time favorite 'Hotel California'. These two songs saw more of the band taking active roles playing some fantastic solos on the guitar as well as good bass and keys work with great beats from the bands new drummer. Filling the seat of the amazing Danny Needham must have been a difficult thing to do but this guy sure is making a good job of it! They ended the first set with Meat Loaf's 'Bat out of Hell' - I love seeing this played live especially the intro and outro. It takes real musical ability to pull it off and although tuning seemed to be slightly out, they did it perfectly. Although they weren't on for as long as normal bands, the whole of the first half was a no-nonsense professional performance. The second set was just as good, opening with 'Summer of 69', 'Walk This Way' and Free's clubland classic 'Alright Now'. By now, Alex had the audience eating out of his hand - they were really getting into it and clearly everyone was having a great time. More tracks came from Robert Palmer and Bryan Adams before the audience singing kicked in mega for 'Born To Be Wild' and 'Livin On A Prayer' to end the last spot. As always, the band were welcomed back on stage for an encore of U2's recent hit 'Vertigo'. A shorter than preferred encore but you know what they say about leaving people wanting more! The club was really buzzing from such a spectacular performance - predictable every time and yet they still have the ability to keep you gripped. Overall, a superb night from an extremely professional, no-nonsense band!
Friday March 3rd 2006 - Rock Legacy - Well, what can I say! Unique entertainment and first class musicianship, a top bunch of lads who clearly enjoy what they're doing. A fine show on Friday 3rd March from Rock Legacy. I could tell from the effort in the sound check that this band would deliver and what a performance they gave. They opened the first spot with AC/DC's 'Are You Ready' and straight away the room was buzzing. Judas Priest's 'Breaking the Law' and 'Green Manalishi' followed, both played with 100% confidence. A really good and somewhat original cover of Sweet's 'Fox On The Run' came next - a song I'd never heard until this gig but what will now stick in my head for a long time. Then the band played their way through a note-perfect rendition of 'You Could Be Mine', easily the highlight of the first set as it takes some doing to pull off this fine song. They ended the first set with songs from Neil Young, Kiss, Gary Moore and finally Pink Floyd's 'Comfortably Numb' - a splendid performance with great dramatics as 'Mr Christian' and Mick Rackett stunned the audience with some fabulous fret-work in the solos. There was an atmosphere in the club during the break which only this band can give - everyone waiting eagerly for the band's second appearence. Well, it was definately worth the wait! Guitar based music always has a great edge to it when harmonies are played and Rock Legacy definately know how to use these! Thin Lizzy's 'Emerald' was a brilliant perfomance from the band, the solo sounded spot on note after note which is a difficult thing to achieve between two guitarists! More mega songs played to perfection included Saxon's 'Band Played On', Whitesnake's 'Here I Go Again' and Ozzy Osbourne's 'Crazy Train'. Another Ozzy track followed called 'Mr Crowley' - for me this was a stunning performance - a fine song which really shines when played live. Now the entertainment really kicked in... the band making full use of their wireless systems came out to really involve the crowd for the remainder of the set. They played their way through the clubland classic 'Sweet Child o' Mine' a song which for me was brought back to life after being 'killed' by so many bands i've seen before. Throughout the second set, Sheffield's own Ozzy Osbourne, who had been headbanging down the front, was joined by more for the finale of AC/DC's 'Sin City'. A huge cheer and some of the loudest glass-banging brought the band back to the stage. For the band's encore, I was invited up to the stage to jam with them on the Beastie Boys hit 'Fight For Your Right (To Party). Something not every band are willing to do. The band's drummer 'Gezzer' took to the mic to sing whilst Joe Pastrami took his place on the drums leaving the bass to Mick. I took hold of Mick's guitar to play rhythm whilst Mr Christian kept his for lead. Together, we belted our way through the track and really got the room rockin'. Thanks for a fantastic experience guys! After I left the stage, they asked the club for any requests - almost everyone shouted out for Metallica or AC/DC... so that's what we got! Unforgettable performances of 'Enter Sandman' and 'Whole Lotta Rosie' ended the night leaving the club still on a high! Overall, a magnificent night and one which everybody there will remember... until next time the Rock Legacy boys are back to give an even more spectacular performance!
Click the following link for all our details from this fantastic gig - reviews and photos included. http://www.freewebs.com/bellhousewmc/rocklegacy.htm Also, see the article publishes in the Mercury newspaper by clicking here
Friday February 24th 2006 - Blitz - What a fantastic debut gig at Bellhouse! Blitz usually play pubs and commented that they were going to enjoy making use of the much bigger venue and huge stage, and they did! Saxon's 'Wheels of Steel' was the opening track, followed by 'Breaking The Law' by Judas Priest. A couple of less common tunes which everyone loved. More tracks followed by Thin Lizzy, T-Rex, Bad Company and Bryan Adams. After these the band were clearly getting into the gig and a top performance of UFO's Doctor Doctor followed. Then completely unexpected, Paul, the singer, did a quick voice warm up and the band belted out Slade's 'All Crazy Now' - shut your eyes and it was just like listening to Noddy! Everyone loved it and it went down superb. Now everyone was really into it and the band finished the first spot with Bon Jovi's 'Bad Name', Van Halen's rendition of 'You Really Got Me', an up-tempo version of Elvis's 'All Shook Up' and finally the Bellhouse anthem - 'Whole Lotta Rosie' by AC/DC. During the break, everyone was saying how impressed they were the the band - a good sound, 100% effort and overall class musicianship. The second set sounded spot on after a few tweeks during the break. The band swapped leads for wireless systems and increased audience interaction levels. They opened with 'Living After Midnight' and Saxons classic '747 (Strangers in the Night)' both of which sounded perfect. Next was a faster, rocked up cover of the Beatles 'Day Tripper' and an unusual rock version of Del Shannon's 'Runaway' both of which sounded unique - brilliant! After a couple more songs by Bon Jovi and Queen, the band came out and got a few 'volunteers' up air-guitaring to Status Quo's 'Down Down'. Blitz's cover of the bikers classic 'Born to be Wild' was amazing with a fantastic bass solo which impressed many. After the brilliant quality of the second set, the audience were cheering, whistling and banging glasses on tables till the band came on for their encore finishing with AC/DC's 'Hell Aint A Bad Place To Be'. After such a brilliant debut gig, Blitz are sure to be back and after a couple more dates at Bellhouse, this band look set to become very popular and well established here!
Friday February 10th 2006 - Tony Liddle Band - Although the night started off with a few technical faults, they were soon overcome and the band played a magnificent set to a great audience. Right from the opening track (a unique version of Anastacia's 'Left Outside Alone') the atmosphere was great. The band played through some classic songs with Tony's spectacular voice being the driving force behind it all. A couple of less-common Journey tracks in the first spot - always good to see. Also, Led Zep's 'Black Dog' stood out as an excellent performance. Tony picked up his accoustic for a rendition of Boston's classic 'More Than A Feeling'. There were evidently effect problems at the start but quick adjustments got over this and once again the band delivered. The second set was amazing! It started with the best version of Rainbow's 'Stargazer' I have ever heard, followed by 'Sweet Child o' Mine' and 'Since You've Been Gone'. A couple of less-played tracks followed - Foreigner's 'Juke Box Hero' and Fleetwood Mac's 'Go Your Own Way' both of which were stunning. The second spot ended with Journey's finest - 'Don't Stop Believing'. After a good couple of minutes of clapping, cheering, whistling etc. the band came back on stage for an encore of Journey's 'Faithfully', which saw a few couples dancing in the aisles, followed by AC/DC's 'Whole Lotta Rosie' a song which always gets Bellhouse rocking and shouting 'Angus'. After this brilliant performance, the crowd (and chairman) weren't going to let the band finish there... back they came to finish with Deep Purple's 'Smoke On The Water'. Overall a fantastic night from a truly professional band!
Sunday January 29th 2006 - The Gutterband + Support from Space Cadets - "We always thought New Year's Eve was but once a year, but we all had to double check our calenders on Sunday night when the audience at Bell House Road WMC, Sheffield, raised the roof off the building, giving the club one of its most successful, if not the most successful night in the clubs history. The club was packed to the rafters from the very beginning and our support show from The Space Cadets went down a storm with lots of people seeing that show for the first time despite the Cadets appearing at Bell House Road several times before. However by the time our first band member, Roy Wouldn't strode on stage the crowd were at fever pitch and an ovation greeted each member in turn. The first part of the show was outstanding but The Space Medley, with the spinning man, the glam ramp, costume changes and explosions was absolutley phenomenal - performed to absolute perfection by each band member. The dance floor then rapidly filled and remained stretched to capacity until after the many encores had been performed and the band were long off stage. The highlight for the band though was the wildly supportive crowd who just couldn't get enough and joined in whenever and wherever possible. A particular moment of enjoyment was when the rival fans of Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday were pitted against each other in a sing - off to 'Hi Ho Silver Lining' which after many close calls, was finally won by the Wednesday fans. It was great to see our Manager Alan Wood and his wife attend the performance and having a fabulous time as did everyone who turned up, with many stating it was the best night out they had had in a long time. The club management, committee and bar staff were all astounded by the success of the night and said they had never experienced anything like it. Normally, the club employ just one glass collector, but that night they had two and then had to send out bar staff as well, when they completely ran out of clean glasses. It was a great night enjoyed by all - the band would like to say thanks to everyone at the club for their support and we hope it won't be too long before we're back there again." << Review taken from the Gutterband's website at http://www.gutterband.co.uk Following this fantastic night, the Gutterband + Space Cadets have been booked again to play on Sunday 30th April. Be early to ensure a seat!
Friday January 27th 2006 - Rock Legacy - "After such a good gig at The Crimea Tavern, we thought it might be hard to keep up the momentum and have another great gig but when we went to Bellhouse Road Club in Sheffield the momentum got even quicker. We'd like to thank "Fast Eddie" Cooper for bringing us back to this club, because we really had a ball. Friday night is "Rock Night" at Bellhouse Road and we really got a great welcome from our friends there. The crowd there were loving it and wouldn't go home till we did a second encore! By this time it was almost midnight but the chairman didn't care, he just kept asking for one more whilst the crowd stood up and cheered, whistled, and clapped! Geezer was back and left the percussion to Joe Pastrami, who in turn left the bass to Mick, leaving Mr Christian as sole guitarist on the Beastie Boys "classic", whilst Geezer rapped his way through, dancing about, still full of rhythm and it really got the place rockin!" << Review from Rock Legacy's website at http://www.rocklegacy.com