HEAVY FECKIN’ BELFAST

LET’S face it, with all this unseasonal sunshine and the thermometer sitting at stupid hot degrees centigrade, we rock and metal fans are left to glower at the showers of summer frocks and pink-skinned spides stalking Northern Ireland’s streets.

Well, you know what? They can piss away off because the only fashion sense you need is a black t-shirt and jeans of cammos. And if it really is too warm, get the scissors out. Instant cropped top tour shirt and trim those trous to shorts.

Because when you step inside the hallowed halls of metal, the temperature already is at boiling point and the bands just crank it that wee bit further, because when it comes down to it metal is stoked from the fieriest pits of hell.

Tonight, things get even hotter that any of Danté’s imagined circles of hell when Machine Fucking Head descend on to unsuspecting mortals in their pre-Download attempt to rip the Ulster Hall a new arsehole.

Hard to imagine it, but Rob Flynn and his merry band of metal monsters have been crushing like the proverbial two ton hammer for almost 20 years, but over the last three albums they have become a real force – like the plague of locusts that

And the allegory of locusts now stands as not only the band’s new(ish) album title track, but also like the fans who are becoming more ready to devour any output from the band.

And as far as Roby Flynn goes, playing metal, for as long as he has done now, ripping it up for fans is the only course he knows. He told one interviews:

“I’ve been playing in bands since I was 15 years old. I’ve been on tour since I was 18. I don’t really know anything else, so I’ve never had a Plan B — this kind of had to work.

“I think when you try and tackle something with that much tenacity you make it work. A lot of people told me how I should get a Plan B, but I don’t want a Plan B, this is what I want to do.”

If you want to see why Mr Flynn and his Machine Head compatriots do not need a Plan B then get down tonight to the Ulster Hall to see Machine Fucking Head, with retro-thrashers Evile and and Dead Label…

And  if that isn’t enough, think on fellow madmen and madwomen of the metal flock. Post-Download we have the mighty Lamb of God to come…Heavy Feckin’ Belfast indeed!

Machine Fuckin' Head...no excuses now

RIGHT arseholes,  no excuses now. The two winners of the Machine Head ticket competition have been drawn. If you haven't received your email by now then deepest regrets, but you've no excuses left, get your fingers out of your rear end and buy your own tickets for the May 28th, Ulster Hall show.

Why? Well Machine Head are one of the most important bands leading the charge to make sure metal is remembered amidst a world of mediocrity; where the mainstream has waved goodbye to credibility; they're a band who have been through more ups and downs than a roller coaster in an earthquake zone, and have emerged stronger, harder and tighter than a shark's sphincter.

When they hit Belfast it will be a warm-up for an hour-long second headline slot at Download: acclaim from the metal world that Machine Head are climbing yet further towards the upper echelons, and are near the very top.

They are touring the new album 'Unto the Locust', an album which shows a band confident in ability and songwriting. From the ascent back that began with 'Ashes...' to the battle cry of 'Blackened' Machine Head are now in a place where they can release black paeons to the power of music in the 'Darkness Within' to threat of the title track - right through a worthy addition to the Machine Head catalogue.

More later on Machine Fucking Head, but right now remember to head along to your usual outlet or Ticketmaster and make sure you're there!