COMIN' ATCHA: Nothing to do? Bored? Well you won't be this week!

HOW many keyboard warriors does it take to change a lightbulb? Answer: None, they'd rather stay in the dark. By the same measurement we always hear from the key clicking bunch about there being nothing to do, no gigs etc etc etc.


How wrong they are. Take the next five days as an example...


Tonight NOLA stalwarts and stoner maestros EyeHateGod play Limelight2 with support from the mighty War Iron and Burden  of the Noose.


Come on! It's hump day so you can get a break from the drudge of the office with some righteous noise.


Thursday, however, is when the weekend unofficially starts...who works that hard on Friday anyway? So on Thursday night you can wend your way to Paradise City's 30th Birthday show in the Voodoo. Helping Paradise City blow out the candles will be Sinocence, St Hellfire and the last ever gig from Worldsend.


Last chance to see 'em folks so get along and raise a glass to them!


Friday....ahh the joy of walking out the door of the office/factory/coal mine (apologies to weekend workers...call in sick say you're suffering from metal deficiency!).


Not normally the preserve of rock venues, McHugh's Bar is hosting Pat 'The Professor' McManus. If you have ever seen Pat play you know he is an entertainer and the real deal when it comes to guitar heroes.


Speaking of heroes, 'Tallica always hailed NWOBHM act Diamond Head as their heroes. The question of whether we can ask 'Am I Evil' remains moot, but Diamond Head play Limelight2 on Saturday, with support from Rabid Bitch of the North and Conjuring Fate. Tasty!


When it comes to taste, your delicate taste buds should be wet with drooling saliva at the prospect of Mastodon playing in the Ulster Hall. Anyone who saw them last time knows just how good - no great they are live.


And, the fact that they were all 'killed' by White Walkers in Game of Thrones adds ever more to their kudos score.


Support from Bad Breeding.


And, if the prospect of Mastodon seems too much (get thee behind me!) there's always Lo Mejor at the Hudson.


Tickets for all these shows are available at the various doors.


Nothing to do? Bored? No shows in town? No gigs? These are five days when you can experience the varied delights of rock and metal in Belfast, where, as Mr Daly of CJ might say the eagles fly.


See y'all there!

Storming Helfast débuts with awesome intensity

BACK when Helfast '13 was announced there was an immediate sense of anticipation - a plethora of hot bands and headliners Stormzone on a high after supporting Saxon.

But could the promise be delivered?

Thanks to the efforts of The Distortion Project, Blink Music Management, and Paradise City the line-up itself was enough to draw a sound crowd into Limelight2 on a bright Saturday evening.

The vagaries of traffic jams and public transport weekend service meant we missed openers Altus, Rabid Bitch of the North and War Crux, but by all accounts they all delivered sound sets with War Crux noted by many as showing a definite step-up in terms of their performance.

But settled down after the journey and refreshed we were ready for Triggerman...

It is a tribute to any band when you gain new fans on the strength of your performance alone, and on Saturday several people had smiles across their chops and were asking how to get hold of more information and more of Triggerman's sound.

As usual Bap's Preacher Metal laid it down - truly the Riff Holds Sway. Valhalla, I Got the Lurgy, Thon Strange Brew and Hail to The River Gods were an awesome tribute to what stripped down metal can achieve: no fancy shit, no ballsing about - just laying it down like it has to be laid down.

Charisma comes from the soul, where metal beats dark and hard; Triggerman are the epitome of that dark but beautiful heart.

And, Stormzone know that when it comes to laying it down it takes a special attitude and a special delivery.

Opening with Where We Belong was a statement of intent: they belong in front of a metal crowd and this is where the crowd belong, heads banging, fists pumping, and five people who know that this is what is needed.

With a back catalogue many bands would envy Stormzone played it straight down the willing throats of all in attendance.

By the time Fear Hotel was playing the 130+ fans were helping Harv tell that the exit was indeed "on the right".

Headbanging ensued throughout the set, and Night of the Storm, segued into Greatest Sacrifice and it was then a headlong charge...pounding rhythm section and searing solos and as usual Harv the manic metal jester holding it all together.

Stormzone have evolved throughout the years getting tighter and punching their way to the premier league. Simply we can't wait to hear new album, Three Kings.

Helfast may have been a slight gamble for all involved, but it paid off. Heavy metal and hard rock has a unique, etheral quality that brings people together; and the ability to leave fans gasping for more.

Raise a glass and throw the horns in tribute to all involved - Helfast was simply a blast!

Storm front set to hit Helfast

WITH less than two days to go before the Helfast mini-festival opens its doors for an afternoon and evening of noise, we caught up with Stevie Moore, guitarist with headliners Stormzone – a band with rightly justified high sights for the future.

For Stormzone it has been a year of touring as they prepare for the imminent release of the new album Three Kings.

And with a recent support slot with Saxon safely tucked under their belts, Helfast festival at Belfast’s Limelight2 looks set to the opening chapter for another book of successes.

After their apparent unjust treatment at the hands of a certain American singer, Saxon proved a much more enjoyable and professional slot for Stormzone.

“It really was ‘a dream come true’ for us,” said Moore. “We have toured with a lot of bands over the years and this pairing with Saxon, being at the forefront of the NWOBHM, was just the absolute perfect match for us.

“The audience was geared up for the kind of music and performance we deliver, and the whole thing couldn't have gone better for us.”

And for the band it was a cert that they were looking forward to being on the bill with the English metal legends.

“We're all big fans of the band so it's hard not to feel a little starstruck when you're hanging out with Biff, swapping tales from the road!”

And their treatment...”Saxon and their crew were extremely professional and courteous throughout the tour, and we were lucky enough to enjoy a few beers with them after the shows. “

With these support slots safely notched up to experience Moore reflected on the positive road experiences they have had hitting the festival stages across Europe, which has bonded them ever tighter together as a band and as friends.

 “Stormzone is definitely five brothers united in a common goal, and we also have our team around us that give just as much as we do,” he said. “If you see some of the backstage footage of us available on YouTube etc, there are no separate dressing rooms and back-biting, it's a bunch of guys who are genuinely excited to be doing what we do and it shows!”

Moore continued: “The tours and festivals we've done have been a cross between work and a holiday, from my own personal point of view.

“There's a job to be done but everyone is pulling in the same direction, so there's always time for cutting loose and having some fun. I try to keep Facebook and twitter up to the date with the more light-hearted side of things, as people may have noticed from the pictures of our recent trip to the Metal Assault festival in Wurzburg...”

On the road the last Stormzone album, Zero to Rage (review here) has been nestling down nicely with previous releases as Moore explained.

“There are a few of the songs that have become "standards" in our set and will probably always be that way. Now that we have a bigger pool of material to choose from, you can't play as many songs from each album as you'd like to, so we like to make sure the fan favourites are in there with a little surprise every now and then.

 “It's quite a feeling to look out and see fans from Spain, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, all over Europe, singing every word to songs like Fear Hotel and Where We Belong,” said the axeman.

 “And when you find out that some of the fans have literally driven across Europe to come to a festival to see Stormzone, it's hard to express to them what it means to you that they would do that. You find yourself scrabbling for things to give them - picks and drumsticks don't quite cut it in those scenarios!”

With Helfast knocking on the doors, and appearances at Dundalk’s NSX Festival and Hillsborough’s Sunflowerfest, the band are gearing up for the release of Three Kings.

“We've just finished recording and mixing the album, which will be available in July on Metal Nation Records,” said Moore.

“We are beyond delighted at how it has turned out. It'll show another step up for the band in terms of song-writing, sounds and overall production.

“I can't wait to have people hear it, I'm so proud of what we have achieved with this album, and going by the reaction to a sneak preview played on the radio last weekend, I know the fans will be as pleased as we are.”

No matter the weather there’s a major Storm Front moving in, and from what Moore explained – you have a choice, stand in the Stormzone and relish the metal – or get out of the way.

 
Helfast takes place on June 1^st at Belfast’s Limelight2. Joining Stormzone on the stage will be Altus, Warcrux, and Triggerman. Helfast is a joint promotion between The Distortion Project, Paradise City and Blink Management. Tickets, priced £10 will be available on the door.