ROCK HARD FESTIVAL 2018 – Full Circle Celebration

Tags

Andy Brings, Armored saint, Attic, Axel Rudi Pell, Backyard Babies, Cirith Ungol, Coroner, Dawn Of Disease, Diamond Head, Dool, Doro Pesch, Double Crush Syndrome, Full Circle – Last Exit Rock’n’Roll, Get What You Deserve, Judas Priest, Leatherwolf, Marduk, Memoriam, Monsterpics, Night Demon, Nocturnal Rites, Onkel Tom, Overkill, Painkiller, Queen Of Spades Photography, Rock Hard Festival, Running Order, Saxon, Sodom, The New Roses, Thundermother, Tiamat, Tom Angelripper, Traitor, Uli Jon Roth, Yorck Segatz

2018 marks a special year for me and thus for Psychorizon as I am celebrating ten consecutive years as one of those cheap folks that hang around the VIP area, hardly ever watch all the bands and get a hotel room to stay at – or in my case sleep at home instead of enjoying the annual campout offered by any festival. And yes, it’s the enemy, the Rock’n’Roll writer, some might even call them members of the press. Back in 2009 I took part in the karaoke and ended up performing Judas Priest’s Painkiller in front of over 6000 people. 2010 I met former Sodom guitarist Andy Brings when none other than the Metal Queen Doro had her birthday party at Helvete Metal Club. 2011 we celebrated with Andy at RHF and of course it was a total blast. But nothing could compare to last years’ bday-bash, which saw me and my partner in crime Queen Of Spades Photography on the first ever DCS-Cruise. Currently Andy is working on his first ever rockumentary “Full Circle – Last Exit Rock’n’Roll“- and just in time for my personal party, it just so happened that my best friend and occasional writer for Psychorizon – Yorck Segatz – is on of the new guys in Sodom, being in the same spot our former neighbour Mr. Brings was way back in the days with the first ever Thrash Metal record I would listen to “Get What You Deserve” from 1994. I guess we all get what we deserve sooner or later and everything really ends up as a full circle. Hence I couldn’t be any more exited to see the first Sodom show with the new line up at Rock Hard Festival! Need I say more?

Sodom 2018 – picture courtesy of Monsterpics Fotografien

Yes, of course I need to say more. But enough of the personal flabbergasting. Although it was the nicest coincidence that the Running Order for this years’ event was published yesterday which just so happens to be Yorck’s birthday!

Without further ado here it is now.

See you in there, rain or shine! Celebrating the full circle!

Friday, May 18th

15:00 – 15:40 Dawn Of Disease
16:00 – 16:40 Attic
17:05 – 17:50 Dool
18:15 – 19:15 Diamond Head
19:45 – 21:00 Tiamat
21:30 – 23:00 Sodom

Saturday, May 19th

12:30 – 13:10 Traitor
13:30 – 14:10 Nocturnal Rites
14:30 – 15:15 The New Roses
15:40 – 16:35 Leatherwolf
17:00 – 17:55 Cirith Ungol
18:20 – 19:15 Marduk
19:45 – 21:00 Axel Rudi Pell
21:30 – 23:00 Overkill

Sunday, May 20th

12:00 – 12:40 Thundermother
13:00 – 13:45 Memoriam
14:10 – 14:55 Night Demon
15:20 – 16:20 Uli Jon Roth
16:45 – 17:45 Coroner
18:10 – 19:15 Backyard Babies
19:45 – 21:00 Armored Saint
21:30 – 23:00 Saxon

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Rock Hard Festival Homepage

Rock Hard Festival Facebook Page

ELECTRIC WIZARD – On Tour In Europe With ANGEL WITCH

Tags

Alan French, Angel Witch, Barry Clements, Bill Steer, Black Sabbath, Clayton Burgess, Debut Album, Deep Purple, Demon Lung, Diamond Head, Electric Wizard, Enforcer, Europan Tourdates, Grand Magus, Hunting Across Europe, Iron Maiden, Jimmy Martin, Judas Priest, Justin Oborn, Kevin Heybourne, Lee Dorrian, Legend, Liz Buckingham, Lords of Putrefaction, Lucifer, Mark Greening, Metal Blade Records, NWOBHM, Occult Rock Magazine, Orange Goblin, Our Haunted Kingdom, Pagan Altar, Pink Faries, Quartz, Queen Of Spades Photography, Rise Above Records, Rob Downing, Robin Trower, Sadio Witch, Satan, Satyr IX Productions / Witchfinder Records, Saxon, Simon Poole, Spinefarm Records, Steve Jones, Thy Grief Eternal, Tim Bagshaw, Time To Die, Will Palmer, Wishbone Ash, Witchfinder General, Witchfynde

Jus & Liz…and they call it puffy love!

Hailing from the coastal Southwest of the United Kingdom, Electric Wizard have consistently redefined the preconceived thresholds of a detuned guitar chord with their peerless doom metal achievements. Formed by vocalist/guitarist Justin Oborn (previously with Lords of Putrefaction), bassist Tim Bagshaw, and drummer Mark Greening, and initially known as Thy Grief Eternal (briefer still, simply Eternal), the band made their debut with 1993’s; “Demon Lung” single – a split release with Our Haunted Kingdom (who later evolved into Orange Goblin). Released by Lee Dorrian’s very own Rise Above Records, the single paved the way for Electric Wizard’s eponymous first full-length a year later. Almost a quarter of a century later, Electric Wizard has seen numerous lineup changes and released seven more studio albums, the most recent, “Time To Die”, in September of 2014.

Please insert name of band, album & song here!

Kicking off today, Electric Wizard will return to European soil and “there is a constant Electric Wizard line-up. Me and Liz, ” to quote the master himself and just to clarify this upfront. Joining in the Dorset Doomsters for all dates except for the Stockholm show tonight, will be fellow legends Angel Witch. Formed, originally under the name of Lucifer, and was initially composed of guitarist and vocalist Kevin Heybourne, guitarist Rob Downing, drummer Steve Jones, and bassist Barry Clements. The band has regrouped and split up several times and has been going strong ever since getting back together at the dawn of the 2000s. Besides fronter Heybourne, the current incarnation features sticksman Andrew Prestidge and lowrider Will Palmer. With their self-titled debut, Angel Witch is considered as one of the most important bands from the NWOBHM-era. After missing their performance at the “Hunting Across Europe” tour in 2013, I will finally be catching up with them twice this month!

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ELECTRIC WIZARD Homepage

ANGEL WITCH Homepage

ROCK GODDESS – Heavy Metal Rock’n’Roll

Tags

Aki Shibahara, Becky Axten, Braindance, Chris Tsangarides, Dee O’Malley, Def Leppard, Denise Dufort, Donnica Colman, Fastway, Gary Glitter, Gavin Taylor, Girlschool, Hard Rock Hell, Hell Hath No Fury, I Didn’t Know I Loved You Till I Saw You Rock And Roll, Ice Age, Iron Maidon, Izabella Fronzoni, Jackie Apperley, JID, Jody Turner, John Turner, Judas Priest, Julia Longman, Julie Turner, Kat Burbella, Kelly Johnson, Love Has Passed Me By, Mammoth, Mick Tukker, Nicola Shaw, No More, Paul Samson, PDQ, Phil Manley-Reeve, Reading Festival, Rock Goddess, Samurai, Saxon, Seen It All Before, She, Sisterhood, Spider, Tank, The Jody Turner Band, The Runaways, This Means War, Thomas O’Becket, Tracey Lamb, Turner, White Spirit, Y&T.A&M, Young And Free

As much as previous generations of musicians are an inspiration to current young bands, this has been the case at a time where many of todays’ Rockers haven’t even been born yet. When in the late 70s a British girl by the name of Jody Turner took her admiration of the very successful The Runaways, it took but a day to start a band of her own, recruiting her sister Julie as member number two. This was the Birth of Rock Goddess.

As another addition school friend Tracey Lamb joined in on bass guitar, Donnica Colman on keyboards and Jackie Apperley on rhythm guitar to complete the first line-up. The girls rehearsed intensively and, through a friend, managed to place a track on a sampler album, which circulated in the London music underground. Meanwhile, John Turner, Jody and Julie’s father, who ran a record store and was managing the band used his connections to get the band their first gigs. Finally, after the production of a four tracks demo tape and an appearance at the Reading Festival in 1982, the band obtained a record deal with A&M.

However, after the release of the album, Julie’s finally allowed to go on tour and the band tours as support act of Def Leppard. Another black page in their history is the departure of Tracey Lamb. But before Tracey quits the band, they decide to hire a fourth member to fill up the sound a bit. Her name’s Kat Burbella and she’s the second guitar player. After the tour with Def Leppard, Rock Goddess gets the chance to do a tour with Fastaway. Tracey decides to stay until the tour is over, but the Turner sisters have to find a replacement soon, because they’re planning a second album. However, Tracey Lamb doesn’t disappear from the scene long. Her departure was forced due to musical differences, so the story goes. Colman’s substitute Tracey Lamb (along with second guitarist Kat Burbella, with whom she formed the band She) finally leaves the band on ending up on the Girlschool roster.

The band shows up with ‘stand in’ bassplayer Kelly Johnson of Girlschool during a German TV appearance. In ’83 tho’, Rock Goddess present Dee O’Malley as Tracy’s replacement. It’s also Dee, who handles the bass on their second album, called ‘Hell Hath No Fury’, produced by Chris Tsangarides (Judas Priest). The LP was released with two different covers. One with a band photo and another one with a drawing on the cover sleeve. Also the songs are slightly different. ‘Hell Hath No Fury’ and the Gary Glitter cover ‘I Didn’t Know I Loved You Till I Saw You Rock And Roll’ are on the American version, whereas on the European pressing (with the drawing) these songs are being replaced by ‘No More’ and ‘Seen It All Before’. The Gary Glitter cover is the first single taken off the album c/w ‘Hell Hath No Fury’.

The promotional tour for ‘Hell Hath No Fury’ brings the girls on the road along side Y&T and IRON MAIDEN. The same year, Jody Turner is to be heard as a background vocalist on the Tank LP ‘This Means War’, together with Mick Tukker (White Spirit) and Denise Dufort (Girlschool). In ’84 and ’85, they recorded some songs; first with Chris Tsangarides (who also played keyboards on ‘Hell Hath No Fury’) and next with Paul Samson. Unfortunately, none of these recordings have ever been released on vinyl. In France however, the band is still very popular and they support Spider and Saxon in ’84. Dark clouds pack together for the Turner sisters in ’86. Their deal with A&M expires. Also, bass player Dee O’Malley gets pregnant and she leaves the band to become a full-time mother. Then in ’87, the French label JID brings out the ’85 sessions the band did with Paul Samson. The album’s called ‘Young And Free’ and it’s released in France only. The only single from the album, ‘Love Has Passed Me By’ c/w ‘Just In’ was already released in ’86. It shows us a very commercial sounding Rock Goddess.

As die-hard fans grave to own the album, it is but a glimpse of a once successful band. With the release of ‘Young And Free’, Rock Goddess support Samurai in the UK, but they get almost yelled away for the commercial songs they’re playing from their new album. After the departure of Dee O’Malley, the band finds a new bassplayer in Julia Longman (ex-PDQ) and keyboard player Becky Axten is added to the band as well. After a tour of nearly half a year, in the fall of ’87, the story of Rock Goddess ends abruptly, when the band gets disbanded.

In ’88, Jody Turner returns with sister Julie under the name of The Jody Tunrer Band. However, this time it’s not an all-female outfit. The band is completed with Phil Manley-Reeve on bass and Ex-Mammoth bassplayer Gavin Taylor. Live, they play songs like ‘Kiss Yourself Goodbye’, ‘The Game Is Up’, ‘I’m No Angel’ and ‘The Blonde Is Dead’ (a tribute to Marylin Monroe) and the only Rock Goddess song, ‘Will You Take Me Home Tonight?’. They change their name into Turner, but the band disappears very quickly. Until somewhere in ’94, when we see Rock Goddess in a comeback line-up. Of course Jody Turner sings and plays guitar, but Julie is the missing link. The band is completed by Aki Shibahara (bass), Nicola Shaw (drums; formerly Sisterhood) and Izabella Fronzoni (guitar; formerly Ice Age). The last thing, we can track down, is this line-up changed their name in ’95 into Braindance (UK). After a name change, the group disbanded again in 1995, after playing their last gig at the Thomas O’Becket public house. They reformed in 2009 to play the Hard Rock Hell music festival in Prestatyn, Wales, but split before they had a chance to perform.

Inspired by Metal Maidens, Metaladies and Decibel Magazine.