Old wrinkly coming back to Belfast

He's probably the smallest, most wrinkled man in metal - and now he's making a return visit to little old Norn Iron! Yep DIO is coming to the Spring and Airbrake in Belfast on October 26th. Now the age of this contributor may be gauged by the fact that he was at the concert at the Antrim Forum (I think it was '84 but at my age the memory is well fucked!).

Then the little man performed a stonker, with able understudies Queensryche turning in what looked to be an average set until they hit Queen of the Reich.

Dio that night was a hit an miss affair, with Holy Diver tracks and Sabbath songs the tracks that set the crowd alight (or maybe that was the dropped lighter...). Vivian Campbell was given an appropriate homecoming and the night was made even more fun by the fact that some reprobates had been drinking in a small bar in Antrim from opening time - all hail Mark, Fitz and, of course Rab for feats of endurance that went well above the call of metal duty - feats that I attest to being unable to repeat at my advanced age...But it was a helluva day! My liver is now recoevring 19 years later.

Now to all us old metalheads - let's see if we can sell out the Spring and Airbrake for the old wrinkled one and get them to switch to Ulster Hall where metal belongs in Belfast!

Queen and a busy June

Circumstances, cash and coaching kept me away from Queen's appearance at the Odyssey in Belfast last Friday night, but your on-the-spot reporter Baal (a.k.a. Mark) reports a stonking show, with Paul Rodgers belting out old Free and Bad Company songs as well as adding his own interpretation of Freddy's unique vocals. Highlights included Fire and Water, Wishing Well, Hammer to Fall and an emotional Love of My Life with Mr Brian May playing the song while sitting beside a symbolic empty stool.

It seems to gearing up for a heck of a June for rock and metal fans. But before we even get to June we have the BBC's belated discovery of rock. Last year they brought us some crap in the Music Live series. This year they bring us The Thrills, The Undertones and Therapy? on May 27th. Write to the BBC to get your free tickets (if there are any left!)

Also coming up are Velvet Revolver, Slayer, Funeral For a Friend (support from Bullet For My Valentine) and a host of others. Ah, the neck brace has been readied, the denim and leather readied and here we go for mayhem...