Bad Touch / Jettblack / Bonafide - Yardbirds, Grimsby 29/06/2013

Nestled away in a side street of Grimsby is an unassuming little rock venue. Surrounded by boarded-up shops, second-hand car sales yards and unmistakably 60's concrete slab buildings, the Yardbirds is a breath of fresh air and completely unexpected.

The stage is positioned in the far left corner of the room, allowing for perfect acoustics, and the bar runs the full length of the right hand wall – meaning there's plenty of space in between to enjoy the music – and what a show it was this Saturday as Bad Touch, Jettblack and Bonafide well and truly rocked this dockside town to its very foundations.

As the lights dimmed in the venue all eyes were on the stage in anticipation and expectation. The sound of guitar engulfed the room as Bad Touch started the party – with Stevie – dressed in a smart waistcoat and jacket introducing the band's first single 'Set the night on fire'.

It was good to see the boys back on stage after a month off, and it looks to have done them the world of good – there was so much energy pouring out of every band member, and their instruments were feeling the full force – George's bass drum almost left the mini drum stage on more than one occasion.

'Dr Heartbreak' followed, allowing Bailey to really excel on the bass guitar, assuming his trademark head-banging stance before Stevie introduced 'New Day' and Seeks took centre stage for the up-tempo party track 'Morning Light'. Their last single 'Too Late' came next – on the same day the boys approved the final cut of the video to accompany the song – now available on YouTube on the badtouchrockstv channel.

Rob G showed us what we'd been missing as he came into his own during 'Preacher', and 'Mirror Man' duly followed; the next single to be released through Animal Farm records, available on iTunes now. 'One Last Chance' and 'Rock & Roll' started to wrap things up for Bad Touch before the boys finished with what can now only be described as an anthem adored by fans old and new – and former Number 1 of the Tourdates unsigned music chart -'Down'.

Having well and truly warmed up the large crowd packed into the Yardbirds, Bad Touch left the stage to the brilliant Jettblack who carried on the party and showed why they're so successful serving up a power punch of true rock & roll.

Armed with a catalogue of catchy classic tracks from albums 'Get your hands dirty' and 'Raining rock', the four-piece needed no introduction, instead stamping their musical authority belting out favourites including 'Prison of love' and 'Two hot girls'. Inspired by late 80's and early 90's rock, AC/DC meets Metallica with a mix of original melodies and unmistakable guitar solos which without doubt left the Yardbirds crowd wanting more .

Frontman Will Stapleton owned the stage and made it look so easy – commanding the attention and respect of the appreciative crowd before him. With heavy riffs and a powerful set list, it's no surprise they're a rock band in high demand – travelling up to Scotland straight after the Yardbirds gig to perform at Lesfest.

As if that wasn't enough pure rock energy for one night, Sweedish favourites Bonafide claimed the final set and didn't disappoint with a thoroughly professional stage show. Pontus Snibb and his bandmates mesmerised with their traditional rhythm & blues tones for over an hour.

The Quintessential rock & roll band, Bonafide performed tracks from their self-titled album released back in 2007, right up to new anthems including 'Doing the Pretty', 'The Mess' and 'Too Fired Up'. Having toured Europe supporting the likes of Deep Purple and Status Quo, these guys have no problem whatsoever captivating an audience, and joined Jettblack performing at Lesfest the following night.

Bad Touch will be linking up with Bonafide again on the Quireboys UK Tour in October, performing in 10 major cities in England and Scotland. Tickets for the tour are available via Ticketweb.

While Bonafide and Jettblack continue to tour the UK, next up for Bad Touch is a hometown gig at the Cherry Tree, Dereham, next Saturday 6^th July, with support from brilliant guitarist Tim Frost.

Check out the video to 'Too Late' here

Download 'Mirror Man' from iTunes here

Charity Event - The Crypt, Norwich - 30/05/2013

The spooky, atmospheric 'Crypt' in Norwich played host to a charity event organised by local band The Upgrade to raise as much money as possible for Link Community Development. Established to help build schools and provide education for communities in Africa, the event was for a very good cause, and local talented musicians showed their support by performing on the night.

Alison MacKinnon started proceedings with a beautiful acoustic set, performing a good selection of self-written pieces, which showed off her soulful voice to perfection. With a sound similar to Jewel when she hits the high notes, Alison did a couple of covers to encourage audience participation, including a Maroon 5 classic.

As if organising the event wasn't enough hard work, the Upgrade performed a set themselves, and as more people arrived down the stairs into the Crypt, the sound of drums filled the tiny room. The acoustics were excellent for a rock gig, I just wonder whether the original builders of the unique underground vault knew it would be a music venue thousands of years later. A blend of influences is clear in The Upgrade's music, but the hints of Green Day and Muse are tangible.

With exciting news to announce, Wicked Faith were up next. Delighted to promote the release of their new album 'Under No Illusion', the band have surely made some new fans based on their performance at the Crypt. Uniquely different, the four-piece band is fronted by Jade Murray, who has plenty of stage presence and charisma, which makes it hard not to watch them. With a multitude of influences, it's difficult to compare them to anyone, but they have a love for heavy bass-lines and skillful riffs which will be sure to make them one to watch.

For Bad Touch, the event was the last gig for a month as the boys are set to take a well-earned rest in preparation for their tour with the Quireboys in October and a packed out diary well into the new year. Stevie took every opportunity to get the crowd to donate more money to the worthy cause, and remind everyone of the purpose of the evening. The boys had spent the whole day filming a new video for latest single 'Too Late', but the song still adorned the set list, and was the highlight. 'One last chance' was squeezed in at last minute, and the band brought the night to a close with the classic 'Down'. Which is certainly how their fans felt knowing it would be a month before the next show.

Check out Facebook for the latest news on Alison MacKinnon, The Upgrade, Wicked Faith and Bad Touch for the latest gig listings and new releases. For more information on the charity, or to make a donation, simply visit www.lcdinternational.org.

 

 

Charity Event - The Crypt, St Andrews, Norwich 30/05/2013 - Preview

 

This Thursday will see the The Crypt in Norwich play host to a charity event in aid of Link Community Development, with performances from Alison MacKinnon, The Upgrade, Wicked Faith and Bad Touch.

Solay Elibol, lead singer and guitarist for The Upgrade and co-organiser of this evening of live music explains: "The band have helped with many charity gigs in the past. Link Community Development is our chosen charity this time. It's the first charity show we have organised and we hope to make it a great night.

"Set up in 1989, the charity aims to help building schools and communities in sub-Saharan countries with a vision to provide free education to all. As a token to the fantastic cause, we will be putting on this show to raise awareness and cash to help them on their mission."

Alison MacKinnon will start things off on the night with an acoustic set. A young singer/songwriter, Alison has built up an impressive portfolio of both original and cover tracks while completing a music-related college course. Currently based in Norfolk, she has ambitions of studying a degree in a bigger city and continuing to express herself through her music. With a unique soul feel to her voice, she’s sure to be successful.

 

 

Having helped arrange this event, The Upgrade are due on stage next. Formed in August 2010, the local alternative rock band recently welcomed a new member to the group to complete their current line-up, and with catchy tracks like ‘Host’ and ‘Leave it behind’ as part of their catalogue, they will bring plenty of energy to proceedings. Recent gigs have included support of Bad Touch at the KE7 and kicking off The Brew's Waterfront show in March.

 

 With Wicked Faith next on stage, the quality music is set to continue. With a female lead singer and bass guitarist, this band brings something a bit different to rock & roll, and with their very own sound, it’s no surprise that EP launch in Norwich last year was such a success. It'll be my first time seeing these guys live and I'm really looking forward to it. 

Bad Touch will complete the line-up fresh from their appearance at the Live & Loud Mind Festival in Birkenhead. With a busy start to the year which included studio time and performances across the country - supporting the likes of Dressed to Kill and Heaven's Basement, as well as headlining their own shows, the boys will be taking a month off performing after this gig, so make sure you don’t miss it!

Entry for the event is only £2 and proceeds from the door will go to the charity, so please come along and show your support!

Bad Touch - Live & Loud Mind Festival, Revolver, Birkenhead 24/05/2013

The Live & Loud Mind Festival welcomed a wide array of rock bands to the Revolver Venue Birkenhead this Bank Holiday Weekend, kicking off on Friday night with Incubros, Lazarus Syndrome, Whiskey & Lace, and our very own Bad Touch.

Having travelled from Norfolk that morning, three of the band members took in the sights and sounds of Liverpool before heading back across the River Mersey to set up.

By 9 o’clock, The Revolver was heaving with rock & roll fans ready and waiting to be entertained – and having been bumped up to the main stage, Bad Touch certainly didn’t disappoint on that front.

Darkness descended on the room and a few coloured spotlights twinkled above the stage as Stevie greeted the crowd and introduced the band’s first single ‘Set the night on fire’.

The large stage suited Bad Touch perfectly and they really looked like they belonged up there, and the Northern crowd lapped up their energy as they moved straight on to ‘Dr Heartbreak’.

From front to back, all heads in the venue were turned towards the boys, and the cover of AC/DC’s ‘Whole lotta Rosie’ went down a treat.

Latest single ‘Too late’ came next and saw George show off his skills on the drums, spinning his sticks between beats, before Seeks took charge on rhythm guitar to kick off ‘Morning light’.

Bailey was brilliant on the Bass Guitar during ‘Lying and losing’, and was the only guitarist not to break a string in a set which saw all five band members give everything they had.

‘New day’ and ‘Call for me’ followed in an up-tempo set, before Rob G came into his own in ‘Preacher’.

With their hour on stage coming to an end, Bad Touch brought out crowd favourite ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ before completing the set with the amazing ‘Down’, the beginning of which saw Stevie leave the stage to embrace the audience.

For Bad Touch, the party was over, but the festival continued all weekend with performances from Alice in Chains, Pearl Scam and Korn Again among many others.

The boys return to Norwich on Thursday 30^th May for a charity gig alongside The Upgrade and Wicked Faith, before taking a month’s break in preparation for a busy schedule from July onwards.

Bad Touch - Lady of the Lake, Oulton Broad 17/05/2013

The Bad Touch faithful descended on the Lady of the Lake, Oulton Broad on Friday and were treated to a jam-packed 2 hour show headed up by lead singer and birthday boy Stevie.

Support came from ‘Gift’, a Lowestoft-based four piece rock band who brought plenty of their own fans to the party, and got the ball rolling with a solid set, including new track ‘This Town’. Considering the band is only a few months old, it’s clear to see that they’re determined to succeed and put a lot of effort into their performance.

As seasoned veterans in comparison, Bad Touch took to the stage next and George and Bailey combined to kick off with ‘Set the night on fire’, the first single released with Animal Farm Records; a real party track that set the tone for the evening.

‘Dr Heartbreak’ and ‘Lying and Losing’ sandwiched AC/DC’s ‘Whole Lotta Rosie’, the first of six covers in a 21-song set, which switched perfectly between the old and new original material including the classic favourite ‘Lock & Load’; which saw Stevie and the guitarists leave the stage so the audience could appreciate George’s genius drum solo intermission – complete with cowbell.

Rob G mesmerised with his lead guitar contribution in rock ballad ‘Time Rolls On’ from the Born to Please EP released last year, and a highlight of the night was another pitch-perfect rendition of funk track ‘Preacher’.

Led Zeppelin’s ‘Rock & Roll’ saw Seeks own the stage on the rhythm guitar, and ensured the crowd would be left wanting more. Finishing with ‘Down’, Stevie and the boys were still in high demand, which will ensure they will be back at the Lady of the Lake in the near future.

Saturday saw Bad Touch perform at the Peacock Music Festival in Peterborough, and although the Great British weather did it’s best to put a dampener on proceedings, the afternoon performance by the boys didn’t let the rain ruin the party.

Next up is the ‘Live & Loud Mind Festival’ at the Revolver Venue, Birkenhead this coming Friday 24^th May 2013, before the band take a much needed spring break ready for the busy summer gig schedule.

Insane Rock Festival - The Railway, Ipswich 06/05/2013

The Insane Rock Festival Tour came to the Railway Venue Ipswich this week, and if Bank Holiday Monday’s line-up was anything to go by, the rest of the event will be a massive success. With the prize of supporting Lord Bishop on tour in Germany up for grabs, the standard was very high.

Local band The Handsome Dead started the evening with their subtle take on rock music with an unmistakeable indie twist. Packing the stage with band members including a keyboard player, the band’s influences include Blur and David Bowie, and this was audible. ‘I am a Pinball’ is one of their more memorable songs, with a catchy tag line and more of a raw Nirvana-style feel to it. A polished set by a professional-sounding band.

When A Free Mama took to the stage, with their Italian accents, saxophones and high buns in their hair, no-one quite knew what to expect; but their take on rock and roll was truly something to behold. An epic set followed by this six-piece band from Florence. Everyone in the venue was on their feet thanks to the perfect harmony between the sax and the traditional modern rock instruments. Rock & Roll went right back to its original funky blues roots in Ipswich on this bank holiday evening. Fantastic crowd-pleasers, A Free Mama got the audience involved with ‘Mother’s song’ to finish an impressive performance.

Bad Touch came next, and had big shoes to fill. As ever, they didn’t disappoint, bringing their own version of Rock & Roll funk to the stage and upping the tempo with ‘Set the night on Fire’. The Railway Venue is made for live music, with the stage tucked into a corner, allowing ‘Waiting on the morning light’ and ‘Too late’ to reverb around the whole room perfectly. A mid-set rhythm guitar change didn’t hamper the set in any way; in fact, it merely went to show off Stevie’s ad-libbing skills. ‘New Day’ and funky favourite ‘Preacher’ followed, before the boys lifted the roof with ‘Rock and Roll’ and ‘Down’. Not to be outshone, Bad Touch played a tight, professional set with a good mix of classic rock riffs and modern basslines, brought together with catchy lyrics and a fun, feel good approach to performing which has earned them many fans and will continue to do so.

The main event was an immense performance by Lord Bishop, his bass guitarist and drummer. Lord Bishop himself was mesmerising - a larger than life character in size and personality, with a double jack in hand; he commands (and gets) the attention of his audience. His voice is full of soul and is a throwback to the beginnings of this genre of music that we all love. There’s a pain and sadness in his lyrics that speaks volumes and leave you in awe. Then, in the very same set,  he throws his hat off and belts out Black Sabbath classic ‘Paranoid’ to bring the performance bang up to date. An epic journey of Rock & Roll from its humble beginnings in South America to its global audience today, Lord Bishop takes you on a rollercoaster ride you’re not expecting when you walk through the doors.

Tasked with choosing a band to support him on tour, Lord Bishop will be at the Railway Venue, Ipswich all week; and with plenty of talent on display, his task won’t be an easy one.

For Bad Touch, the busy schedule continues on Thursday at The Hole In The Wall, Colchester, before Friday’s support performance with ‘Dressed to Kill’ in Wolverhampton.

Home Grown Rock - Fiddler's Elbow, Camden 26/04/2013

Last Friday saw the monthly ‘Home Grown Rock’ event at the Fiddler’s Elbow, Camden, and a chance for Bad Touch, Hell’s Addiction and Evacuees to attract a host of new fans.

Evacuees kicked things off while the sun still shone outside, and despite a few feedback issues on stage, the indie-rock style four-piece from Bristol set things off with a mix of emotional ballads and high-tempo original beats.

Then the Bad Touch boys took over the stage and the party atmosphere continued. ‘Set the night on fire’ was followed by ‘Dr Heartbreak’ and new single ‘Too Late’ – released on 8^th May.

A host of Bad Touch fans had travelled down to the capital, and filled the floor for ‘Waiting on the morning light’ and ‘Call for me’. Funky blues track ‘Preacher’ and crowd favourite and sing-along classic ‘Mirror Man’ came next, before Stevie slowed things down with ‘One last chance’

In an evening celebrating home-grown rock talent, Bad Touch showed their song writing and performance skills to the highest level, performing a range of their own tracks, but a bit of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Rock & Roll’ fitted in perfectly, before the boys completed the set with ‘Down’.

Hell’s Addiction completed the line-up with a heavy rock/metal set. With a raw rock energy and distinctive sound, the Leicester-based four-piece performed a really powerful show.

The drummer, affectionately known as ‘Headache’ played barefoot and held the pace throughout, and the performance of original track ‘Let the good times roll’ was the highlight of their hour on stage.

A busy few weeks lie ahead for Bad Touch, who next perform at Club Evolution, Southend on Friday 3^rd May, before visiting North Elmham, Ipswich, Colchester and Wolverhampton in the following week.