It’s a soggy start to Sunday. The sky is grey and the rain persists pretty much all day. But everyone on the mountain perseveres between staff, volunteers, bands, and perhaps most importantly, the patrons of the festival. Spirits are still high and people are raving about Those Damn Crows and Airbourne’s performances from the night before. Meanwhile, the festival crew are reacting to the wet weather by bringing out more plastic walkways for us to use around the arena but due to the footfall between the main arena and the guest area, by the time Black Stone Cherry arrive onstage, the entrance/exit is rather boggy. But mud washes away and it leaves us with something to laugh about. As well, every single band gives their kudos to the people for sticking out the rain to watch live music and not a single one of them is rained off, thankfully.
Troy Redfern kicks us off with some bluesy slide guitar. One of those names on the weekend’s bill which is familiar but never had the chance to see, it’s easy to see why he’s a popular player. He knows how to play the blues as it should be – raw, dirty and passionate. There’s oodles of slide guitar to the music and is a proper part of the identity of the music rather than just chucking it in for a song or a guitar solo. Despite the early start and less-than-ideal weather, that doesn’t deter Redfern, playing as if the arena is full at the end of the night rather than the majority of people taking cover under the shelter. It might be a thin crowd directly in front but he plays to the entire arena, his vigour likely hitting the campsite itself.
Old friends of ours, Empyre have had a hell of a glow-up since gracing our stage at Wildfire all those years ago. Having caught them last year opening for The Virginmarys, that glow-up was well under way. Now, it’s fully realised. Playing very serious rock and being very serious about it, there’s an atmospheric and cinematic quality to their muscular hard rock. And if truth be told, the rain during their set only adds to it, bringing a more ominous slant to their dark and gritty tones. There’s plenty of dry humour between songs (not dry enough to stave off the rain but we’ll forgive that), a mention of a gig at The Patriot in Crumlin and an overwhelming pathos to their performance. One of the bands that doesn’t quite fit the classic rock mould, they put on an incredibly technical and polished performance to win over the crowd.
The Cruel Knives are a band I’ve seen a few times and they’ve never quite clicked. Much preferring Sid Glover and Rob Ellershaw’s output as Heaven’s Basement, on a technical level, it’s always been as good as their previous band but it just didn’t move me the same way. Except, with this performance, it finally clicks. Their modern and alternative leanings on the rock spectrum bring more variation to the day and Tom Harris is a dynamic and captivating frontman. Running through a powerful setlist, they don’t stop to breathe and ironcially, “Shotgun to the Head” sounds like an off-cut from Heaven’s Basement. The band are well aware this isn’t their usual crowd but having caught them right at the front of the stage, they clearly won over some new fans and become one of the stand-outs of the day.
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Kira Mac are a band that’s been cropping up everywhere this past year after their appearance up the mountain last year. It’s straightforward modern hard rock played to a high technical level but the consensus seems to be that they’re not quite fully-formed yet. Mac’s vocals are solid, hitting high cleans and throwing in the odd bit of grit, too and she knows how to work the crowd. However, despite having racked up numerous plaudits and a wealth of plays on streaming, the songs aren’t quite there, just like the band themselves. That said, they show promise and are definitely a band worth keeping an eye on to see how they grow.
The Vintage Caravan play a quintessential Vintage Caravan set. Drawing heavily from their most recent album, it’s a strong showing from the Icelandic power trio. As blues, doom, psychedelic tones fuse into each other, it shows the crossroads those three sub-genres have. The wistful yet upbeat “On the Run” has a late showing and in the grey late afternoon, the mixed mood of the song is the perfect backdrop.
I’ve said it so many times this year but I’ll say it again – it’s so great to have The Answer back. They’ve become elder statesmen of 21st Century classic rock and it’s a role they shoulder happily, their Sundowners-heavy set getting the people moving with their upbeat tones. There’s not too much reliance on the old gems but we still get classics like “Under the Sky”, “Come Follow Me”,“Nowhere Freeway” and “Spectacular”. But the new, more mature material shows a band at ease with the past and intent on moving forward. It’s a riveting set which brings good vibes and “Preachin’”, complete with Cormac Neeson faithfully risking the mud and his face paying the price but it’s hard to know where his smile ends and the mud starts.
For a festival like Steelhouse, you need to have a supergroup on the bill. Elegant Weapons fill that slot, comprised of members of Rainbow, Judas Priest, Accept and Uriah Heep. This is a band that could easily just do a karaoke set and blast through the members’ respectable back catalogue but they’ve got their own album to work with. There’s some déjà vu with the intro tape of the Terminator theme but if you’re going to nick a band’s intro, nick Airbourne’s since it’s great. Elsewhere, it’s a powerful performance from them, even if Ronnie Romero’s attempt at Freddie Mercury’s vocable call and response is a pale imitation of the master’s. NWOBHM, power and thrash metal mingle together for a fast and furious set by four accomplished musicians so it’s not surprising the quality of the performance is equal to the sum of its parts.
Taking the honour of closing the day and Steelhouse 2023, it’s Black Stone Cherry. Kicking things off with “Me and Mary Jane”, the Kentucky band aren’t pulling any punches on their debut performance. As a lapsed fan, only about half of the numbers are recognisable but the ones that do, I still know all the words to, even if it’s been a good decade since I listened to them religiously. And as a live act, they play exactly the same way as I remember, leaving everything they’ve got on stage with more energy than the Duracell Bunny. There’s a couple of sneak peeks from their upcoming album, Screaming at the Sky, and across the eighteen songs, they manage to somehow make sure each and every one of their albums is represented. Plus, they manage to fit in a cover of Tracy Chapman’s “Give Me One Reason” and a drum solo.
Unsurprisingly, the big singalongs are kept for the end with “White Trash Millionaire”, “Blame it on the Boom Boom” and “Lonely Train” to end the night. But people are singing for the entirety of the set, Chris Robertson’s raspy Southern tones powered by the PA are evenly matched with the thousands in front of him. And whilst on the subject, Robertson’s voice has only gotten better with age, the drawl and grit adding another level of authenticity to their songs. Meanwhile, Ben Wells is still his usual energetic self, refusing to stay still, constantly moving from side to side or on the walk-out and Steve Jewell doesn’t subscribe to the traditional “keeping it cool in the back” style of bass players. No, instead, he’s got as much energy as the rest of the band and looks like he’s been there since day one. Their blend of Southern and hard rock has always been infectious and engaging and even those songs that are unfamiliar are captivating, mirrored in their live performance. It’s a victorious night for them and an incredible way to end the weekend, reminding me of how good they can be and that I’ve fallen in love with them all over again.
There’s so many festivals in this country and I’ve had the fortune to go to a good number of them. Steelhouse became my favourite in 2018 and for my return visit, it’s only been further cemented. That drive up the mountain adds to the appeal – because if you’re visiting a festival, why not add in a character building element? There’s a real community spirit to be found, everyone on site is just so damn nice. Whilst the rain battered the site all of Sunday, Steelhouse attendees showed once again they’re simply a different breed with so many bands acknowledging it over the weekend. They’re the people who know, as Joel O’Keeffe put it, “Rock and roll is for life!” With dates for next year already confirmed and the first 1000 tickets sold, it shows the kind of dedication the festival has itself. It’s grown gradually yet still manages to feel small and compact like a small indoor venue. It’s got an atmosphere that no other festival has managed to replicate, its chilled-out vibe never once making this weekend feeling like work and the only intensity is the live band bands giving it their all onstage.
The tent is away for another festival season, the mud has been washed off the car and the several coffees and Bunnyman’s Chow just a memory, it’s got me itching to not leave it another five years. See you next year!
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Photos by Paul Hutchings
Screaming at the *Sky is the new BSC album. Otherwise, wholeheartedly agree
Much obliged! Will fix that now. Sorry for the delayed response, didn’t spot the comment :)