Don't forget...

Don't forget Deft Leppard at The Empire on Saturday night and The Darkness on Sunday night, and Coheed and Cambria on Monday night! How much rock can Belfast take?

Oh, and a special request to mention that Thin Lizzy are playing in the Olympia Theatre, Dublin on Wednesday April 12th.

Forgot to mention...

Forgot to mention that Fall Out Boy played in Belfast on Friday, 20th Jan at Spring and Airbrake. Apparently it was a sell-out show, apparently nobody else gave two sweet flying fucks...according to reports that is...

Rosetta Pix - at last!

Hey - at last the pix from the Rosetta! Thanx to Colin (as always) and remember if you want copies and prints from Colin's extensive library of recent gigs -let us know!

Soulfly

Trying to keep up with gigs...too many, too few beer tokens... this week Soulfly play (June 30th at Spring and Airbrake), Adler's Appetite on next week at Rosetta, then The Darkness on 5th and Coheed and Cambria the next night, not to mention Trivium and Dragonforce....Will miss Soulfly and Adlers Appetite, but any reviews welcome!

BTW - Pix of Rosetta gig to be online within 24 hours of this post!

Cracker for Croke

Word reaches us todayy that Nickleback are lined up to support Bon Jovi in May at Croke Park...mmm middle of the road madness reins - see ya there!

Widdly 80s metal...

Belfast Metalheads Reunited Junior Reporter (a.k.a Editor's daughter...) brought the new DragonForce CD (Inhuman Rampage) into the Belfast Metalheads Reunited Hallowed Halls. And what an album it is. Widdly guitars, mad drumming and harmonies. These blokes are playing at the Spring and Airbrake (again) on the final date of their European Tour, and atfer not bothering last time, from the evidence on this CD it will not be a mistake we intend to make again.

Now, all logic says that old school Power Metal shouldn't work. All logic says that this should be an aberration. Logic can piss off and die. This is a good album; an album filled with surprises, from opener 'Through the Fire and Flames' until closing in a rampage going by the name Trail of Broken Hearts.

Truly this band are the bastard sons of an unholy wedlock between Iron Maiden, Manowar, Yngwie Malmsteen and Rainbow. It shouldn't work in the 21st Century, but it does.

March 19th, Spring and Airbrake

Cancellations

After the cancellation of Him's Dublin date owing to a band injury, rumours that Coheed and Cambria's Belfast date may have been at risk appeared in a number of magazines. It now appears that the UK dates and importantly the Belfast date on February 6th is to go ahead...wait a minute that's the night after The Darkness...shit, NEED MONEY URGENTLY!

Rosetta Thursday

Thursday night at the Rosetta sees Destruction by Design and Speed Demon take the stage; as the profoiots go to charity if you are going your well earned cash will be going to a good cause: a cause inspired by the tragic death of someone I knew at Queen's, Nick Douglas. I can't be there on Thursday, but everyone who is going to the gig should know all cash is going to a good case

Destruction by Design and Speed Demon are leading the charge at the Rosie- maybe if you are very lucky Belfast Metal Heads Reunited's star photographer might even have a few pix later this week...

In Flames for metal

Just keeping you up to date with the gig news In Flames are playing in the Ambassador on 28th March, 10 days after Dragonforce play the same venue before concluding their European tour in the Spring and Airbrake on the 19th March.

And this Thursday three local bands are hitting the stage at the Rosetta to demo some 'stuff' and kick some new vibes about - proceeds going to charity, more details soon.

Gigging time is here again

2006 is set to be a corker year for gigs! Already you know about The Darkness (February 5th), Trivium (March 5th) and Fighstar (who gives a fuck what date), but now word reaches the hallowed Belfast Metal Reunited Mansion of more to come...

• Dragonforce play the Spring & Airbrake on 19th March;
• Coheed & Cambria play the Limelight on 6th February;
• Avenged Sevenfold play in Dublin (not giving out a date until they agree to a Belfast gig!);
• Plus more to be confirmed when I get a moment to calm down with a pint of Murphys and a wee Jack D...

Strokes new date

I was going to put a post here about the new date for The Strokes, but decided that nobody would care...instead of wasting your money go out and buy the new Coheed and Cambria album. Go on! You know you should. If you don't, grab a listen to hear what happens when Rush meet Simon and Garfunkel in a dark alleyway, do some good drugs and go all prog metal on us!

Happy New Metal Year to one and all

Well 2006 has dawned and a Happy New Metal Year to one and all. Good luck to M&S as they head down to the Lizzy vibe to start proceedings off!

Here's hoping 2006 turns into a fine example of moshing fun for all. Of course this is a time when predictions run rife for the next 'big' thing, so here are mine (of course plagiarised from the pages of Kerrang, Classic Rock and Metal Hammer):

• Metallica will return with a storming new album including solos!;
• Iron Maiden will be re-confirmed as the 'Daddy's' of metal with their new platter;
• Power Metal will return in loin clothes and bad hair thanks to Dragonforce;
• There'll be a resugence of interest in classics such as Lizzy, UFO amongst many others;
• I'll finally finish off a novel and be offered exclusive columns in Kerrang, Classic Rock and Metal Hammer;
• Beer will be drunk;
• Trivium will get ever bigger;
• Mastodon and Bullet for My Valentine will produce boy band style singles with multiple part harmonies....

Ok, that's enough - suffice to say, keep the metal flag flying, the mosh pit swirling and in the words of Lord Het - Bang that Head that Doesn't Bang!