International metal summit...

Fins are ok...oops sorry bad pun -an International Metal Summit of crushing tunes takes place at the Rosetta Bar this Saturday when Finnish stars For Selena and Sin take to the stage with one of the Republic of Ireland's finest noise crews, Psyatica. Representing Northern Ireland will be Arcance.

Doors open at 8pm...

Thank you

Belfastmetalheadsreunited.blogspot.com today celebrated our first full week of more than 1,500 visitors to this site! Thanks to all of you who dropped by for up-to-date rock and metal news, reviews and gossip....but who are you and why don't you leave messages?
As punishment you'll all have to go out and buy Sorrowfall, Residual Effect, A Little Bitter and Answer CDs...wait! That's not a punishment! Well if you haven't bought them already do so immediately!

26th November Zep tickets? No chance

For those wanting to see Led Zeppelin at the o2 arena on 26th November....good luck! BBC are saying that millions are trying. Read the BBC story here.

Busy days ahead...

Lotsa rock and metal happening in next few months…here’s a quick blast through (some) of the dates. Let me know who I’ve left out!

14th September – A Little Bitter / Tapasia / Darwy – The Rosetta
14th September – Sorrowfall / 43 Seconds/ Ahriman / Rabid Bitch of the North/ Redustruct – Pavillion Bar
15th September – Interrogate / PetrochemicalAccelerator – Katy Daly’s
21st September – Limehouse Lizzy – The Rosetta
22nd September - For Selena & Sin / Arcane / Psyatica - The Rosetta
29th September – Deft Leppard – The Empire
6th October – Grey Daturas / Bad Boat – Katy Daly’s
12th October – Spitknot / Libidoswitch / Devil Makes 3 / Master’s Memorial / Lesshelp – Nerve Centre, Derry
13th October – Raging Speedhorn / Residual Effect – Spring & Airbrake
25th October – Ratt – Spring & Airbrake
27th October – No Fake ID Required gig – line-up TBC – Oh Yeah, Belfast
30th October – Tyketto – The Rosetta
9th November – Wishbone Ash – Spring & Airbrake
18th November – Machine ‘Fucking’ Head – Ambassador, Dublin
30th November – Jeff Scott Soto – The Rosetta
15th December – Apocalyptica – Ambassador, Dublin
16th December – Thin Lizzy – Waterfront Hall
8th February (08) – Nazareth – Spring & Airbrake
2nd April (08) – Nightwish – Mandella Hall

November Zep?

An announcement is imminent on the much-hyped Led Zeppelin reunion, with November 13th and 16th touted as dates for a London gig (coincidentally Zep's latest 'Greatest Hits' package CD is due out on 12th November...)

Whether they make it to any part of this island is, of course, doubtful (but hey, as Stairway to Heaven was debuted at the Ulster Hall I'm bidding to promote a Led Zeppelin gig at the Rosetta, gizza call Jimmy!).

Zep, together with Sabbath, set the tone for everything that followed in hard rock and heavy metal. And, the mainstream media always forgets that Zep outsold the Stones and Beatles on many, many occassions.

On the official Zep website the date 13th November is being displayed...pity is that touts and ebay sluts will snp up tickets before the genuine fans can get their mitts on them...Only scary thought is that Page will 'hit' the stage as one of the few metal stars older the Dio...Page is 63.

JESUS GUYS! CALM DOWN!

Tommy Lee and Kid Rock have been involved in a fracas at some MTV bash where Miss Tits, sorry Pamela Anderson was presenting some award...guys, is she worth it!
Lee was thrown out, Rock was nabbed by the police...the BBC put together a report which says witnesses disagree (read it here) and no doubt the Youtube clip is already available...which all goes to show that when your career is about to take the turn towards the 'Pension Tour' any publicity is good publicity.
But Pamela, if you need someone to comfort you after this undignified incident...

Jeff Scot Soto for Rosie

Vocal stints for Yngwie Malmsteen, Journey and Talisman have brought plaudits aplenty for Jeff Scott Soto - with a stint in The Empire last year adding to his local fans.

Now the voice is coming back to Belfast for a November 30th date at the Rosetta.

Cello Metal

Those Finnish Eurovision botherers Apocalyptica are set to bring their unique brand of hard rockin' cello metal, replete with circle headbanging (how that is done while bowing a cello...) to Dublin's Ambassador on December 15th...

Mickey vs Machine Head

Humourless chaps that they are, Disney have slapped a ban on Machine Head playing at the House of Blues in Anaheim, which is on the Disney Corporation's land (that's the Disney Corporation that is a multi-billion corporation).

Total Rock offers the explanation that Rob Flynn and his mighty Machine Head team are 'metal' but the decision seems strange given that when Belfastmetalheadsreunited noticed on a recent trip to Florida several damn heavy metal acts were listed for the Florida House of Blues - which is on the Downtown Disney plot.

Now what has Rob done to annoy Mickey Mouse and his millionaire board members...hope that nasty business about Minnie Mouse on the tour bus hasn't come light again!

...makes us stronger

WHEN a certain magazine reviewed Panic Cell’s new album ‘What Doesn’t Kill Us’ the reviewer declared that had Luke Bell and his cohorts been from the Good Ol’ USA they would be huge by now.

He missed the point. Panic Cell will be huge. Whether that is stadia huge or with a huge cult following remains to be seen, but on the evidence of their sheer hard work and good natured but professional attitude they deserve it.

Panic Cell have been loyal to Belfast – never ducking their slot on supporting Soil and Drowning Pool/Ill Nino sets when lesser English acts would have stayed at home.

That loyalty may even lead to a headlining slot in Belfast in the near future – the band are about to launch their first ever headlining tour across the UK in October and November. With Cork and Dublin gigs looking likely a Belfast date could also be on the cards.

When Belfastmetaheadsreunited caught up with Luke he was certainly in optimistic mood when it came to the touring and the new album.

“It’s been going brilliant,” he said. “The sound and production on What Doesn’t Kill Us is what we wanted on our first album but weren’t able to achieve.”

Help from high profile producers and engineers (Andy Sneap and Don Turner among other luminaries) has helped evolve the Panic Cell sound.

“It has been an evolution,” agreed Luke. “We were able to spend the time working with top people on how the sound should grow, cutting away the dead bits and taking good advice when we needed it.

“But then again it’s been two and a half years since the last album and we’d like to think we had the songs nailed by now – we’re glad we’ve had such a positive response – it’s been brilliant.”

Live Panic Cell have been always an exciting proposition (and have benefitted from being on the road for the guts of 30 months with few breaks). Now they have the album to back up that energy – get out there and buy it, and should Luke bring his Panic Cell colleagues to Belfast…well who could refuse toasting them with a shot or six of Jager?

Maiden Dublin

Odds are increasing that Iron Maiden will make a Dublin appearance this summer. Plans are afoot for a UK tour bringing their Somewhere in Time/Powerslave era faves back out into the blinking sunlight - all replete with the Powerslave stage set.

Exact dates are expected to be announced early in the new year, if not before.

Wishing on an spring night

Nightwish will play Belfast's Mandella Hall on April 2nd, 2008...operatic metal anyone?

Hardest rockin' part of the planet

There is more hard rock and metal talent in Northern Ireland than on any other part of the planet! Bold statement? Well if you really disbelieve me check out the myspace sites of a (small) selection of the local talent...there really is no other part of the planet that rocks as hard...and if I've missed you out..let me know!

www.myspace.com/sorrowfall
http://www.myspace.com/residualeffect
www.myspace.com/standup_guy
www.myspace.com/runecastermetal
www.myspace.com/darkestera
www.myspace.com/devilmakesthree666
www.myspace.com/interrogate
www.myspace.com/tamingtheinsane
www.myspace.com/novemberdeadlist
www.myspace.com/littlenightmaremusic
www.myspace.com/alittlebittermusic
www.myspace.com/escapefails
www.myspace.com/sinocence
http://www.myspace.com/payolarock

http://www.myspace.com/badboat

http://www.myspace.com/honeyforchrist

http://www.myspace.com/triggermanrocks

http://www.myspace.com/hungersmother

http://www.myspace.com/milliondollarreload

http://www.myspace.com/arcaneni

Ratt, Tyketto, Machine Head, Nightwish, Raging Speedhorn and much more

Was going to list the forthcoming dates of hard rock and metal in Belfast and Ireland in the coming months but fer feck's sake there are so many! Machine Head, Tyketto, Ratt, Raging Speedhorn, Nazareth, Wishbone Ash, to name but a few (and that's not even mentioning top tribute acts like Deft Leppard, Limehouse Lizzy and Metallitia).

How to list them all? Suggestions?

It's the reformation...

Times must be bad amongst ageing rock stars as reformation fever has kicked in....First Van Halen put aside the fact that the original line-up hates each other to get back for a US tour...then the long-awaited Led Zeppelin reunion nears completion for this autumn (even the BBC have gotten in on the speculation act!)...and now it appears that Ozzy, Iommi, Butler and Ward will undertake a final Sabbath tour in 2008...
All these wrinkly rockers forgot to invest wisely and are now forced into pension plan tours...or at least that's what a cynical eye would see....

Where to start...

Hell! It’s been a while (ok just over a week!) since I sat down to try and analyse a wild night that showcased the best of hard rock and metal that masqueraded as MM2:Summer Slaughter. Good hearts lurk beneath the metal soul, hence all the money that was raised for Clic Sargent!

But rather than whine on about it, suffice to say that ALL the bands rose to the occasion, Stevie did his usual stage management magnificence, Laura presided over it all as only a metal queen should. Hop along to Metal Ireland to see the impression it made on bands and audience alike. Alternatively visit http://www.in.tv/news211.php to see why it all took place!

Suffice to say that between the ‘No Fake ID Required’ gig and MM2 there is ample proof that the NI hard rock and metal scene is healthier than ever.