Page 50 - Black Velvet Issue 89

BV89 pg50_BV89 pg50 29/06/2016 22:27 Page 1

BlackVelvetMagazine.Com - 50
YYYYY Excellent YYYY Very Good YYY Good
YY Listenable, Just Y Poor

THE QUIREBOYS / HARDCORE SUPERSTAR / BONAFIDE / THE TEXAS FLOOD – BIRMINGHAM O2 ACADEMY
2, 26.03.16
HRH AOR is a festival featuring an array of AOR, glam and sleaze rock
bands. This year, the organisers branched out and HRH AOR On The Road,
a UK tour, was born. The Texas Flood open the show with some Southern
rock. If you didn’t know the band, you might think they had flown over from the
US, but no, they’re a three-piece from Neath/Port Talbot in Wales. They have
some quality songs that come in the form of the rocking ‘Let The Wind Blow’,
‘Honey’, ‘Cards’ and ‘Rock And Roll Queen’. They tell us how they broke down
on the motorway the day before, so are borrowing some of the other bands’
equipment. A part of the drumkit falls over much to their embarrassment. It’s
all good fun though and besides that little mishap they show that they’ve got
some quality songs under their belts and know how to deliver the goods. If
these guys play their cards right (and their van can keep on delivering them to
venues), they could well become future rock and roll kings.
Bonafide are from Sweden and are equally as rocking. Songs such as
‘One Kiss’ are feel-good, let-your-hair-down anthems. ‘50/50’ is full of riffs and
a funky classic rock feel while ‘No Doubt About It’ has a definite AC/DC vibe.
Another solid band worth seeing – there’s no doubt about that.
Hardcore Superstar tell the crowd
it’s the ten year anniversary of their
self-titled album. They play songs such
as ‘My Good Reputation’ and ‘Cry Your
Eyes Out’ from the album before a
song from their current ‘HCSS’ re-
lease, ‘Touch The Sky’. ‘Into Debauch-
ery’ is twisted perfection, while ‘We
Don’t Celebrate Sundays’ is punk rock
party time. As always, Hardcore Su-
perstar inject heaps of energy into their
set with vocalist Jocke Berg running
riot. They only have a 50-minute set
but manage to excite and impress
everyone in that time. Definitely the
most uplifting set of the night.
There are guitar technical difficul-
ties for Paul Guerin at the start of The
Quireboys’ set but it’s soon forgotten
and the band hit their stride with ‘Gra-
cie B’, ‘There She Goes Again’ and
‘This Is Rock ‘N’ Roll’. Spike talks
about the new album, ‘St. Cecilia And
The Gypsy Soul’, being on vinyl before
playing ‘St. Cecilia’. The band have
been around now since the 80s and
obviously their professionalism and
skill shows. Although the line-up has
changed over the years, the core of
the band has remained the same. The
rock ‘n’ roll ideal runs through their
songs. Whether it’s the heartfelt ‘I
Don’t Love You Anymore’, which is
kept for the encore, the catchy ‘Hey
You’, or the country and western intro-
ed ‘Sweet Mary Ann’, The Quireboys
have always had a vintage rock ‘n’ roll
pulse beating through them – and
Spike’s raspy vocals to coincide. We’re
told that guitarist Guy Griffin is ill but
you wouldn’t have known it if Spike
hadn’t revealed it. ‘Sex Party’ is kept
for the finale with the support bands
joining the band on stage. The Quire-
boys don’t quite match Hardcore Su-
perstar in terms of dynamism and
exhilaration but are decent headliners
in their own right.
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SBV

Jocke Berg (Hardcore Superstar) Photo
By Shari Black Velvet
CONCERTS