LIVE REVIEW: Storming set of hard rockin' blues as Raveneye, Tric and Red Eye tear up the Limelight

WHEN Blue Pills pulled their Belfast date, it left Milton Keynes rockers RavenEye at a bit of a loose end; which meant they booked a gig in Limelight2 with James of the Distortion Project. Add in Red Eye and Tric then you have a night of excellence hard rock on Saturday 25th April.

The last time we saw Red Eye Garth's vocals were not on top form, and the band performance suffered. But on Saturday night they tore it up.

Bringing their agit-rock politically charged songs they grabbed the opportunity to return to the Limelight stage.  Colum was as smooth as ever on guitar and Steve and Badger were locked in as a rhythm section, but it was Garth who rose on the night. Passion was evident in each note of the performance. On Saturday Red Eye rose to show the potential. With a little more polish the potential can be realised.

Improving from critiques is one aspect of growth of a band: another is how to handle problems when they afflict a performance.

When Dale broke a string midway through a track he improvised to the end, then hurriedly left the stage with the instruction to the rest of the band to "jam".

For the minutes required to get the string replaced the remaining members on stage laid down impressive blues rock vibes, with Tyrell tearing up soulful solos and engaging riffs.

While the band were not able to play their full set, they nevertheless managed to impress. There is a real panache to the band these days - the only problem seems to be their not Australian...given the style and grit in their tunes labels that have signed the likes of Airbourne and Jet would have had their A&R men hunting Tric had they grown up in a Sydney suburb...

RavenEye also demonstrated how to play blues edged heavy rock - and they brought an energy and verve to the stage that deserved a larger audience.

While new to most they are all experienced musicians. Oli Brown is a formidable guitarist with 10+ years experience and four solo albums under his belt, Kev Hickman is an experienced drummer and Arron Spiers (bass) has his own solo albums as well as written orchestral scores.

All that is irrelevant when RavenEye hit the stage. There is a palpable sense of 'an event' when they rip into 'Get It Started'.

At first the sense of there being a void between Oli and Aaron with them being so separated on either side of the stage, but by the time the closing chords of 'Come With Me' it was clear that they used the void as a performance space.

Interaction between all three members is as infectious as the music, with Oli an example to physicists as to why perpetual motion may yet be achieved.

From ripping up solos on 'Hey Yeah' through to standing atop the bass drum and riffing, through to facing off to Aaron's bass playing excellence.

Throughout the set the trio exuded the type of enthusiasm and sense of occasion. By the time they concluded with 'Breaking Out' and 'You Got It' it was clear that RavenEye are one of the best English hard rock acts to grace a Northern Ireland stage.

That is if we can keep Oli on stage...

The main sense among those leaving was that they would welcome RavenEye back to Northern Ireland in a hearbeat.

Review and photographs by Jonny

 

 

Low down and lovely dirty hard rockin' from Bonafide at the Diamond

WHEN it comes to hard rock you have to put all into it to gain the maximum pleasure - and that applies to whether you're a member of a band, or a member of the audience. And, Bonafide brought it in abundance for a night of sheer hard rockin' pleasure on March 29th at the Diamond Rock Club.

The Swedish band were making a return visit to the Diamond in Ahoghill (Rock City) and they produced a relaxed performance that also managed to maintain maximum commitment to rock at its finest.

Opening for Bonafide were local act Tric, making a return to live performances after a year in hiatus.

Now a four-piece Tric laid down a solid set, with the emphasis on blues tinged hard rock. The influences of DC and even Quo on their songs were neither slavish nor where they simply going through a 12-bar homage. Tric were back to plant a flag for rock.

Bonafide are a mystery band. They should be much more widely known given their songwriting, live performances and set of excellent recorded material. However, most present on March 29th knew the songs well.

Opening with the storming Bombo, Pontus Snibb is an engaging front man, obviously comfortable as the focal point of the band, his vocals and guitar playing a masterclass for those who want to follow the rock path.

While Pontus was the focus it would be a mistake to ignore the tight-knit unit of Bonafide. Bassist Martin Ekelund is the joker in the pack, climbing around the side of the stage and egging the audience on during the likes of Peg Legged Pete.

Niklas Masston's drums stay consistent and add flurries that give the edge to Suburb Baby Blues, which is a tune the audience apparently relate to judging by the number of people singing along.

As aide de camp Mikael Fassberg's guitar playing fills out the sound with solid rhythm, and when the opportunity arises playing some tight and entertaining lead solos.

Bonafide wrapped up with a duo of songs that reflect their ethos and the ethos of fans who are prepared to travel to see low down and lovely dirty hard rockin'.

Fill Yer Head With Rock and Hard Livin' Man were perfect closers, with the band rising up to meet the audience's enthusiasm.

Well-rehearsed and confident on stage Bonafide played it hard and played it well at the Diamond Rock Club - a well spent Saturday night for all present.