It is time for the Primordial Radio’s annual General Mayhem festival and this year it it is being hosted at one of the UK’s best (and my personal favourite) venues, KK’s Steelmill in Wolverhampton.
For someone who has done my fair share of festivals over the years I was a little unsure what to expect with a smaller indoor festival. Would it have the same feel as a traditional festival? Would it offer a good variety of merch, stalls and food? And most importantly will the music be able to offer something for everyone? Well within 5 minutes the answer was clearly yes!
Between Primordial and KK’s they had managed to pull it off with 2 stages full of some of the best bands on the touring circuit, plenty to see and do between the music and that important festival feel good factor with the bonus being we didn’t need our wellies!
As for the bands we had the always bloody brilliant headliner Those Damn Crows who once again blew the roof off with some of their classics and awesome new material. Every time I see these guys they get better and better and the crowd gets bigger and bigger.
On the 2nd stage in the packed out lounge we were treated to sets by the fantastic Raised By Wolves as well as another one of my personal favourites Fury, with Insurgent, Straight for the Sun and Crowley getting the day started.
Over on the main stage Marisa & The Moths got the day of to the perfect start with a lively energetic set much to the audience’s approval. Shows like this are a perfect opportunity to get up close with the artists. When they finish their set they can normally be found at the merch store or just wondering around the venue like everyone else, having selfies and such.
Led By Lanterns came next. Not a band I have seen before but one I will be looking out for in future. South Of Salem followed but I will talk about them in a bit more detail in a minute.
Rews hit the stage to a roar from the swelling crowd. 2nd time I have seen Rews and again I would really recommend you go see them if you get the chance.
If you like what we do, consider joining us on Patreon for as little as £1 per month!
A band I have been trying to catch for a while now, Mason Hill, did not disappoint. These guys know how to put a song together which is shown on the epic “Against the Wall”. They are a clear fan favourite as there was not a spare space in the room. Absolutely fantastic set by the boys!
Those Damn Crows can be considered veterans now. They treated us to a few tracks from the recently released album, “Inhale/Exhale” as well as some of our favourites from over the years. You can tell how good a band is when you can’t predict the setlist because they have so many epic tunes to choose from and no matter what they play you know you will not be dissapointed. They really are on top of their game right now and still rising.
Festivals like this are an opportunity for bands who wouldn’t normally play to crowds like this to show what they have to offer and maybe gain a few extra fans in the process. Well for me one band stood out tonight and seized that opportunity, South Of Salem.
These guys didn’t just turn up to play a few songs and make up the numbers, they came to show the 1500 strong crowd what they were made off and what they had to offer, and that is exactly what they did. This wasn’t just a set among some of the top bands on the circuit, no, they put on a show to stand out. Before they even stepped foot on stage they set the scene with a foreboding dark atmosphere and two cheerleaders wearing horror masks before they came crashing out and tearing the stage up. This is a band that reminds me why I got into rock music many years ago. They are not afraid to sing about woman, drink on stage and just in general be proper rock stars and they have quality songs to back it all up such as “Let Us Prey”, “Pretty Little Nightmare” and “Cold Day In Hell”. You can tell they have been influenced by the heights of 80’s rock but they do it all with a up to date rock feel.
I can not praise them enough, not just because they are clearly a fantastic band with a great sound but because they really left it all out there on that stage and seized their opportunity. Other bands take note, that is how you do it!
Once again, a fantastic festival from start to finish. Take a bow Primordial and KK’s Steelmill!
Don’t fancy Patreon? Buy us a one-off beverage!
Photos by Shaun Hulme
