Flashing lights, buzzing bumpers, flippers firing, the streaking silver ball ricocheting across the brightly coloured surface – yes, the game of pinball is a particular favourite of mine. Not that I’m any good at it, mind you – I just like to play. There’s something wonderfully hypnotic about those clanging and banging machines that’s otherworldly and magnetic.
Pinball is undeniably cool. It’s rock’n’roll. I mean, The Who didn’t sing a classic rock tune called Playstation Wizard, did they?
The tables are also undeniably a thing from the past, of course. I quite often visit Rhyl, once the arcade capital of North Wales, but sadly the pinball machines in that resort have disappeared over the last several years. Now replaced by modern shoot ’em up video games – or worse, grabber machines – it seems pinball has long since been relegated to history.
Pubs were also a source of pinball fun. Back in the early 90s, The Addams Family machine graced by local boozer. In my student days, we often spent a few quid we couldn’t afford on a pint and some games of Fishy Tales.
Imagine my joy, when on our recent trip to Whitby, a stroll along the harbour front revealed a retro arcade in residence over one of the regular arcades. Up there were numerous old school arcade games from years gone by: Space Invaders, Donkey Kong, Ms Pac Man. And over there, across the room, a row of pinball machines…
There were four: the classic Addams Family and Terminator 2, plus a couple I assume are much more recent, Avengers and Ghostbusters. Over joyed to see them, I happily plugged a few pound coins into each and played some games.
My first attempts at Addams Family and Ghostbusters were pretty enjoyable, successful games. That may have been luck rather than skill though. I fared much worse at Avengers Infinity Quest and Terminator. Repeat games didn’t improve my scores, for the most part!
The skill with pinball always seemed to be learning all about a particular table, studying it’s unique features over several games to increase the players ability. Luck was always a factor, but just a couple of games without exploring the idiosyncrasies of a machine never seemed to deliver much reward.
Playing those pinball tables was fun, though. And ridiculously satisfying when I was able to shoot the ball up a ramp or runner, setting off the lights and unleashing a torrent of noise. Contrasted with the desolation of a ball sinking dead, between the flippers and escaping into oblivion when I hadn’t hit it once.
Whitby is a long trek from home. There must be other pinball tables near…
The last time I was at Wales Comic Con in Wrexham was back in August 2022, and a lot has changed since then. That last event I called “a triumphant return”, though it seems that everything moved back to the substitute venue in Telford. Now the convention appears to be back in North Wales for good, which I’m very happy about.
I mean, I don’t even know where Telford is. Somewhere near Birmingham, I think, so a couple of hours away. Whereas Wrexham is fifteen minutes away from home. It’s easier for me to get to Liverpool, so why would I go to Telford?!
Wales Comic Con was certainly more modest this year. I could tell right away, as I was able to park on the University grounds. The event was reduced to just one sports hall, rather than sprawling over the campus. There were less people milling about, which was actually a bonus, as in previous years the halls could get very crowded.
As always, there were plenty of vendors selling all manner of wierd and wonderful merchandise. My family and I had a right old time adding paraphernalia to our respective collections, and were well satisfied by the wonders on offer.
Our only issue with the event was that some of the celebrity guests had cancelled. In particular, Christopher Lambert of Highlander and Greystoke fame was a temptation we couldn’t resist. I’ve given up on the celeb autograph hunting game as an expensive disappointment, but I was ready to come out of retirement for Connor McLeod.
Unfortunately, M. Lambert had cancelled his appearance (possibly some time earlier), though there had been no warning from the event organisers. In fact, event staff on the day were somewhat vague as to whether he’d cancelled or not. Refunds will be provided, but the Highlanders absence was quite a blow. This was not a kind of magic.
The cosplayers saved the day, as always, with some great displays of imagination and creativity. There were fewer than previous years, obviously, but were still very impressive. Thanks to everyone who posed for photos!
A reminder re the photos on this blog: I am not a professional photographer. I have a nice (but old) camera, and I’ve recently been beset with technical difficulties. My trusty PC has died and I’m cobbling this together on an old laptop running Windows 7 and no photo editing software. So I hope the pics are OK – feel free to share etc as you please, cosplayers.
In conclusion, it was great to have Wales Comic Con back in it’s proper home, and despite a few issues, we all had a great day. Let’s hope the move back to Wrexham will herald a return to form and this convention can get back on its feet.
Pentre Fest is a big deal to me. And I’ll bet it means a lot to plenty of other people too, who are just as keen to enjoy this festival of underground – but not unloved – metal bands. I look forward to this event every year. I mean, after the Christmas festivities, how else are you gonna survive the misery of January?
Yours truly was the lone representative for Ever Metal at Pentre this year, so all the reviews were my responsibility. I tried to see as many acts as I could, but it wasn’t always possible. And so I can cover as much ground as poss, the summaries will be short and sweet this year. But trust me, I’ll keep you on the straight and narrow.
The festival began on Friday evening, Edd Case and his acoustic set on the new outdoor Keymo stage being my introduction. It’s a proper stage this year, with steps and everything. Edd played a great set of acoustic tracks, including some Maiden, Neil Young (nice Soundgarden segue/tribute) and plenty more. Most impressive.
Heading inside, Omega Throne was on next. Their set was an exciting blend of Death/Black Metal, with some intriguingly dark, gothic elements peppered through the songs. A great set that combined power and fury with a little mystique.
That was followed by the lunatic genius of Mad Spanner. Now a one-man band of crazed thrash metal with a backing track, Mike aka Mad Spanner offers brilliant musicianship, wry humour and furious energy. I’m still recovering from this set, God know how he does it.
Back inside and Bloodmores were up next. This was a great set of pounding, heavy Thrash/Death metal, excellently played and with a surprising amount of foot stomping groove.
Tonight’s original headliners, I Saw The World Burn, were sadly unable to play. We sincerely hope all is well in that camp. At the final hour, however, Cadence Noir were able to fill the headline spot with their gothic tinged folk punk’n’roll. Cadence can always be counted on to get everyone jumping and jigging around, and they did a fine job of finishing Day the First of Pentre Fest.
Saturday’s wake-up call was DAM.G, alias Rob from Thrashatouille’s “grown up band” (not my observation, but one overheard on the day!). A melting pot of progressive metal with Rob’s growl augmented by phenomenal female co-lead vocals, it was certainly a powerful and memorable set.
Outside was a pleasant surprise: the disco funk of Mrs Gizlo. Who’d have expected that? Not me, but it was great fun to hear something different and it certainly got the crowd moving.
In Which It Burns took to the indoor stage next, and gave as a relentless set of thrash metal. It was only mid-afternoon and these Pembrokeshire ragers delivered the goods with super-fast, aggressive tracks. Nice work.
Liverpool’s Ogun were on the main stage next, with some meaty thrash metal of their own. Fast and brutal, I really enjoyed these guys and their total take-no-prisoners approach. Wish I’d bought a t-shirt.
It was freezing outside, so deep apologies from me to the various artists I missed outside, whilst huddled inside with a pint. North Wales Deathcore deviants Dystopian Sun kept the fires burning with some intense yet bouncy metal that roared by like a Sasquatch driving a stolen pick-up truck.
Rule of Six had an early start on Saturday morning. Whilst most of us were still hiding from encroaching hangovers, these lads set off at 4am to get from Northern Ireland to North East Wales for this gig. I’ve never seen so many guitars on stage (four plus a bass!) but all Rule of Six’s instruments were well employed, with their melodic metal proving an uplifting and thrilling experience. Maiden comparisons are a bit obvious, but apt. Great show and nice contrast to much of the bands so far.
From one band who crowded out the main stage, to another band who spent little time on it: Broken Jaw refused to be restrained and preferred to wander around the room! Their blend of punk energy and attitude with metal riffery made sure no-one in the audience was allowed to put their feet up.
Afterward, I dared to make a rare venture outside to witness Skinflick, who I’d heard very good things about. This two-piece outfit gave us some filthy Industrial EDM dripping with sleazy beats – another very cool divergence from the expected.
Beyond Salvation made their way to Pentre from Manchester, and pretty much laid waste to all with a blistering set of thrash metal. The band were both brutal and energetic, with superb playing, that kept the gig going on full steam. There was no chance for the audience to flag here!
I’m actually gutted that I missed SOOTO out on the Keymo Stage. Blame the cold, blame the drink, blame me for being useless: I should’ve been there, sorry. Can we get SOOTO back please? I promise I’ll pay attention this time.
Every year at Pentre Fest, there’s at least one band that I go full-on Fan Boy for. This year’s recipients of the accolade were the amazing Struck/Down, who played huge sounding groove metal riffs that immediately had me hooked like a fish. For me, Struck/Down were the best band of the weekend by a distance. T-shirt purchase? Tick. CD purchase? Tick.
Finally, our last band of a fantastic event were Extreme Metal leviathans Krysthla. The foot was down on the pedal as Krysthla hurtled us through the last set of the weekend with a rapid fire, unrelenting batch of songs.
And that was it, Pentre Fest was over for another year. I’ve been downhearted ever since, missing the camaraderie and fell-good vibes of the event – not to mention the out of this world music. Thanks and huge respect to Fozzy and Beany, North East Wales Metal Productions, McClean’s, and all the bands and crew who made this happen.
It’s Christmas time, there’s no need to be afraid… Certainly not when North East Wales Metal Productions are having their Christmas party! Yes, it’s Chrismosh, an annual celebration featuring awesome metal bands, playing live in McClean’spub in Pentre, North East Wales. Also the site of Pentre Fest, an event I regularly go crackers for – not to mention other gigs aplenty – this evening was a special seasonal gathering.
First up were Divinitas, from over in Manchester, who stepped in to fill the bill at the last minute, saving the day like Prince Charming on a steed of steel. These lads are loud and ferocious, unleashing chunky riffs that made the room bounce. The songs (particularly the closer, ‘Mirror Fiction’ – if I recall the name correctly) feature harsh vocals wrapped in torment and frustration. Divinitas played a devastating set that was energetic and performed with admirable conviction.
Next up were Liverpudlian metal titans Devil’s Henchmen, who not only have some of the best t-shirt designs I’ve seen in ages, they can also utterly destroy. These guys play music that reminds me why I loved thrash so much back in the eighties. Reminiscent of old school Slayer, Devil’s Henchmen are fast and utterly brutal. They even play a Misfits cover (‘Where Eagles Dare’, YEAH!!!) in a set that had usjumping around like the Krampus with his hooves on fire. Absolutely bloody marvellous.
Our final band of the night, the mighty, magnificent King Kraken, had travelled up from South Wales (a fair old trek, believe me) to deliver a sleigh full of Christmas cheer. Since they played at Pentre Fest back in February, I’ve waited impatiently for the return of this band and their groove metal machine. The boys don’t disappoint, with monsters like ‘Green Terror’ and ‘Devil’s Night’ as exciting and powerful as ever. We’re even treated to a couple of new tracks, never performed live before – truly, Christmas has arrived early! With a superb set, King Kraken are simply unstoppable, a perfect way to end the night.
Three great bands, a welcoming venue, organised by the ever-reliable NEW Metal Productions. Thank you. Merry Chrismosh to all, and to all, a good night.
Yet another massive coup for the good ol’ Tiv! The Tivoli Venue in Buckley, North Wales is a legendary spot and has attracted some amazing, big names over the years. The latest to pay a visit and astonish us with their prowess were alt-rock icons Living Colour. This was, indeed, a big deal. I bought my ticket as soon as it was announced.
No surprise, the Tiv was packed to the rafters on this Saturday evening. It was a good atmosphere from the start, a feeling of warm anticipation in the air. I caught up with several friends old and new, but that meant I didn’t get much experience of support band Red Zephyr. What I did hear, they seemed to be a supremely capable and enjoyable hard rock band – one to investigate further in the future.
Now me and Living Colour go back some way. I still have an old 7 inch vinyl Sounds EP featuring the band that a friend gave me in 1988, which is where my fandom began. I’ve never seen them live though (ah, if only I’d been able to go to Lollapalooza 1991!), so this gig was really something to look forward to.
Opening with their infectious track “Middle Man” before launching into playing their “Stain” album in full, it was immediately obvious that Living Colour were still at the top of their game and playing exceptionally well. It was also nice to be reminded just how many great songs – and of varying styles and grooves – this band have in their repertoire. Crunchy metal provided by guitar maestro Vernon Reid on “Go Away” nestles up comfortably with the sublime pop of “Nothingness”. On all tracks, the Haribo fuelled voice of Corey Glover roared majestically and crooned sweetly.
Post “Stain” run-through saw a jigsaw of originals and covers, the highlight being a 50 years of Hip-Hop medley featuring “White Lines” and “The Message”. Doug Wimbish, the king of bass, shone here, although his skills dazzled all night. And drum master Will Calhoun gets a well deserved solo spot: he ably showed both relentless power and effortless grace throughout.
Of course, two of the big crowd pleasers are “Love Rears It’s Ugly Head” – which is uncannily well played – and the crushing, monster riff of “Cult of Personality”. All the songs sound great, with Corey’s vocals in particular sounding like they came direct off the vinyl.
Well done to all at the Tiv for making this happen, and huge thanks to Living Colour for turning up and playing their hearts out. They had the musical skills, they were vibrant and entertaining on stage – Living Colour absolutely ruled one of the best Tiv nights in a long, long time.
All hail the return of the forgotten kings! Yes, it’s another instalment of long lost and forgotten classics with the second “Scrap Metal” collection from RidingEasy Records! Much like their Brown Acid series, which compiles obscure late 60’s/early 70’s psych hard rock, here we’re delving into the murky depths of early 80’s metal. This is the realm of studded belts, band patch covered denim jackets and of course, mullets: prepare to ROCK!
We begin with ‘Running for the Line’ by JJ’s Powerhouse – a lightning-fast ripper that reminded me of Judas Priest playing a cover of Budgie’s ‘Breadfan’. It’s a great, energetic start to the proceedings. Next is Storm Queen, with another fast-paced attack in ‘Raising the Roof’. Furious fun from this Welsh power house.
‘It’s a Crime’ declare Jameson Raid, and it is indeed a crime that these Brummie bruisers didn’t achieve more in rock’n’roll. A.R.C. have a punk’n’roll edge that makes their song ‘Homemade Wine’ something to savour, it’s the rawest track here so far. Metropolis hail from San Jose, and their track ‘The Raven’ has a dark, mid eighties thrash sound and killer intro riff.
Staying with the USA, Prowler from San Diego offer up ‘Temporary Insanity’ – more mid-eighties thrash infused metal that recalls early Anthrax. Following that, Christian Steel deliver ‘Need Your Love’ – a fairly cliched, but still fun, banger. If these guys are Christians, I’ll bet their church group won’t be impressed with what they’d like to do to a lady (outside of matrimony too, I suspect). ‘Sidewinder’ is one of the best tracks gathered here, a punchy rocker from Black Rose.
‘Star Trippin’’ is by Dark Age. Dark Age are apparently a band of youngsters: the guitarist was jut 12, and his brother on vocals two years younger when this song was written. It’s fun, but very strange listening to the helium high-pitched voices. It’s like Alvin & The Chipmunks playing Crue covers. Finally, we have Sorcery with their mystical Zep-a-thon ‘Whales’. Crazy title for a crazy tune. There’s a mellow hippyish intro, which is obliterated by the crushing mega riff which powers the song along. Over the top magnificence.
From NWOBHM inspired tracks, to proto thrash and full-on goof ball metal ragers, Scrap Metal Vol 2 has plenty of variety. Maybe not so much depth, but it’s not for want of trying with some of these bands. At the end of the day, all of these songs are fun and it’s great to know they’ve been rescued from oblivion. Now, raise those horns and roar!
The highlight of my family holiday to Anglesey, North Wales this year was my visit to the ancient burial chamber, Bryn Celli Ddu.
The island of Anglesey (Ynys Môn in Welsh) is famously associated with the druids and ancient Celtic society. Many prehistoric sites can be found dotted around the whole of the island, from standing stones to burial chambers such as this. These sites blend myth and legend with actual history.
Bryn Celli Ddu dates back to around 3,000 BC, where originally it comprised of a henge – consisting of a bank, ditch and circle of standing stones. This was replaced around a thousand years later by a mound concealing a tomb, with a passageway leading to the centre. On the summer solstice, light shines directly down the passage to illuminate the central chamber.
We were able to park nearby and took a winding path which eventually opened up into a field. There in the middle of the field was the unmistakable mound of Bryn Celli Ddu. We were able to explore the site, and enter the small passageway to the tomb in the centre of the mound, crouching somewhat to negotiate the low height.
Light seeped in through the entrance, and through a gap in the opposite side. Inside the confined space, previous visitors had left various mementoes of religious or magickal importance, such as feathers, coins and flowers.
There was definitely a feeling that we were somewhere special, somewhere that although we may not understand why, held great significance. We were stood right in the heart of history itself, surrounded by questions and mysteries.
Bryn Celli Ddu is a fascinating place to visit. It made a huge impression on me, and I intend to visit similar sites in the future. If you’re in the area, make sure you turn off the main road and follow your way to this ancient and magical site.
What a fantastic, sunny summer day it was! Beautiful weather, ideal for a laid back community event at the local park. This year’s Hawarden Classic Car Show, again organised by Deeside Round Table, showcased numerous classic cars from different times and places. There was also a bar, barbecue, music, numerous stalls and rides for the kids.
I turned up primarily to see the motors, photos of some you can see here. But the event itself was a lot of fun, and benefitted from the glorious sunshine.
This year I arrived earlier, and managed to take a photo of the gold Trans Am that eluded me last year. BOOM! Although as I arrived, an amazing yellow Mercury Cougar was rolling away. Never mind – if you scroll to my very first Motors post on Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub, you’ll see the very same car.
There were some favourite cars from last year making another appearance – like the Chevy Impala – and lots of new surprises.
A great mix of vehicles of various types, plus a relaxed afternoon – all good. I finished things off with a couple of ciders (don’t worry, I wasn’t driving). Here’s to more days like this in the future.
You can see last year’s Hawarden Classic Car Show blog here.
What could be better: playing vinyl records in good company, with some beers in a great local pub? Sounds pretty good to me. Yes, Bring Your Own Vinyl Night was back again, in the traditional home of The Queen’s Head in Mold, North Wales.
Following both Record Store Day, and a record fair – both of which VOD Music in Mold were involved with, it has been a wax packed day anyway. So it was good to finish the day’s events off with a chance to spin some records.
So what exactly is involved with Bring Your Own Vinyl Night? It’s simple: everyone gets 15 minutes to play whatever songs they like, on quality record decks with a mixer. But it can only be vinyl format.
Here’s my playlist:
Jimmy McGriff and Groove Holmes – The Squirrel
You know those funky jazz instrumentals that the Beastie Boys did on “Check Your Head” and “Ill Communication”? I was immediately infatuated with those songs (see also their compilation “The In Sounds From Way Out!”). Research revealed that the main influences on those songs were Jimmy McGriff and Richard “Groove” Holmes, two soul jazz organ players and band leaders. I tracked down some records of each, and they are amazing. This track is from their joint album, “Giants of the Organ Come Together”. “The Squirrel” is a groovy number indeed, but you should check out the full album (and their individual recordings). Nice!
Queens of the Stone Age – Make It Wit Chu
A slinky, sexy number from the “Era Vulgaris” album by Queens of the Stone Age. This track quickly became one of my favourite QOTSA songs, though it’s from what’s probably my least favourite of their albums. Originally appearing on “Desert Sessions Volumes 9 & 10”, where it featured backing vocals by the wonderful PJ Harvey, “Make It Wit Chu” is pure class.
Clutch – The Regulator
More Clutch, ‘cos I just can’t get enough. This song, “The Regulator”, starts with a folky, bluegrass feel before it erupts into a pounding blues rocker. You can find it on the album “Blast Tyrant” and I suggest you go and track it down right now.
Devo – Gut Feeling
Ah, Devo. What can I say about Devo? We go way back, I heard their first album when I was a kid and it baffled me at first. Took a while to get it, but it was worth it. “Gut Feeling” is of course from the “Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!” classic debut. It’s a sunny, dreamy song with a surf rock feel.
And that wraps it up for my set. Four great songs which I enjoyed playing, I hope others liked them too. Either way, it was a great evening catching up and talking music with a few beers.
Thanks to Halcyon Dreams and VOD for organising a superb event.
And thanks to The Queens Head – a great pub, I really enjoyed my food too!
The crowds were thin at first at The Tivoli in Buckley, North Wales, for this evening’s entertainment – but that changed soon enough. Happily, the situation started to develop during the opening set, meaning that support band Red or Dead were able to play to fair sized crowd.
I say happily, ‘cos Red or Dead deserved to play to a decent size audience. Hailing from a bit further up the road in Conwy, the fourpiece are an accomplished group of musicians who are obviously inspired by classic 70’s punk, such as The Clash. Very impressive, with catchy tunes and a message, Red or Dead easily grabbed my attention and refused to hand it back. Definitely a band to keep an eye on, there’s a variety in sound and musicianship that hinted at an even wider repertoire – some research reveals they often play acoustic sets, which sounds very tempting.
Anti Nowhere League shouldn’t really require any introduction. I became aware of these deviants thanks to their association with The Damned many years ago, tales of debauchery spreading ahead of them like a bushfire. Now with just head lunatic Animal remaining in the band, he’s backed by a great, well tenured group of musicians who can really deliver on the band’s legacy, performing it with the respect – and ferocity – it deserves.
Hit singles aren’t really the order here, but of course ANL give us their wonderfully raucous treatment of “Streets of London” (yes, that one) in a set riddled with classics. That songs infamous B-side, the still unbelievably filthy “So What” makes an appearance too, earlier than I’d expected, complete with a concise history lesson from Animal, covering police raids and the later Metallica renaissance. The song still raises a smile and rocks like a nun on a washing machine.
The whole band play brilliantly, the result being a set that was even better than expected. For the uninitiated, Anti Nowhere League live in the corner of punk that’s largely UK Subs with a big, fat dollop of Motorhead. From “I Hate People”, “Let’s Break the Law”, a cover of Del Shannon’s “Runaway” (my Mother-in-Law wouldn’t dig it) and through to “We Are The League”, song after song is fast and furious with never a dud.
As anticipated, the audience loved it and the atmosphere in the Tiv was one not to be missed. Classic punk rock from Anti Nowhere League, who gave us quality tunes performed with the zeal and attitude it deserved. So glad I was there.
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