KABOOM! ZAP! POW! If you thought that was exciting, just wait till you read this latest Singles Night vinyl playlist! Yes indeed, Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub is ready to blow the roof off with another evening of 7 inch singles.
Wait, you have questions? I can explain. Singles Night involves playing through a stack of as yet unplayed 45 rpm discs, of any genre, and just going along with whatever happens. There can be anything in here, good or bad, so just go with the flow.
Pour yourself a drink and let’s get started:
Nirvana – “Smells Like Teen Spirit” / “Drain You”
Simon & Garfunkel – “Bridge Over Troubled Water” / “Keep the Customer Satisfied”
Dave Rose & His Orchestra – “The Stripper” / “Ebb Tide”
The Sweet – “Blockbuster!” / “Need a Lot of Lovin'”
Squeeze – “Up the Junction” / “It’s So Dirty”
Debbie Harry – “Backfired” / “Military Rap”
Twisted Sister – “You Can’t Stop Rock’n’Roll” / “Let The Good Times Roll” / “Feel So Fine”
Rose Tattoo – “Rock’n’Roll Outlaw” / “Remedy”
Doug E Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew – “The Show (Edit)” / “La Di Da Di”
Kerbdog – “Dummy Crusher” / “Too Much Too Young”
Reef – “Weird” / “Acoustic One”
Skids – “The Saints Are Coming” / “Of One Skin” / “Night and Day” / “Confusion”
U2 – “The Fly” / “Alex Descends Into Hell for a Bottle of Milk/Korova”
Generation X – “Valley of the Dolls” / “Shakin’ All Over”
Joan Jett Interview Disc
And what a mighty fine playlist that is! A really fun night with some top quality tunes from various genres and decades. Quite a few punk rock/new wave classics throughout that list, with a generous helping of rock’n’roll and more too. Sixties classics, glam rock, Hip Hop, 90’s alternative rock – one of the best nights yet.
More Singles Nights coming soon, stay tuned!
Notes:
Two Nirvana singles were recent finds (at a very good price) – unfortunately, I didn’t pick these up back n the day. Best of all, the “Come As You Are” B-side, “Endless Nameless”, was a hidden track on some random CD versions of ‘Nevermind’ only. My original vinyl copy of that album didn’t have it, obviously, though the CD I bought later did. Now I have it on vinyl at last.
Yes, that Dave Rose track is the classic “Stripper” theme, so that makes an interesting addition to the collection…
The Reef and Generation X singles are both coloured vinyl. Meanwhile, the 21st record is an interview picture disc with Joan Jett, no music. Gotta love Joan.
You can run, but you can’t hide! It’s January 1st, 1984, and there’s a psycho killer on the loose in this small-town University campus. Can Rita and Christine expose the killer? More importantly – can they SURVIVE?
Are you ready for another blood-soaked album of Grindhouse Garage Metal from Torso? Of course you are. Released by those gallant gents at APF Records, “Annihilation Day” has been created as a soundtrack for a (sadly) imaginary, low budget VHS horror flick. The kind of movie we used to rent out and watch in the summer hols – curtains drawn in daylight. The sort of flick that was so scary, you’d shit your shoes off.
Press play, let’s get things started. First track ‘The Halls Run Red’ begins with an eerie, electronic pulse, and provides some exposition for this gritty video nasty. Soon enough the guitars burst in, like a pub punch up between Fudge Tunnel and Carcass. The resulting splatter fest has a relentless pace as it incorporates three movements, the refrain ‘Dorm of the Dead’ doing more narrative work. Throwing in some brutal Thrash and spacey keys, it effectively conjures the right mood for a 1980’s murderthon.
‘Satanic Nirvana’ begins with some tribal, Killing Joke style drums, followed by a chainsaw guitar summoning the ghost of Hillbilly Death Grunge titans Tad. There’s melody here too, in both the vocals and lead, not dissimilar to early Nirvana (nicely coincidental). It’s powerful and more infectious than a radioactive zombie plague.
After a brief intermission, the audience reaches part two of the presentation with an atmospheric keyboard intro. Then ‘Blast Furnace’ explodes with an unstoppable, lo-fi Murder Thrash riff. Torso do a great job here of melding that ferocity with the symphony-like keyboard.
Finally, ‘Show Your Face’ has a thundering rhythm part that oozes with an almost Industrial groove. It’s a bludgeoning track that seems to have some Revolting Cocks inspiration in there, that again deftly slips some melody in the back door. Eventually, the track boils over into a cacophony of glorious noise, but by then it’s too late – the story is over. Or is it?
With the four tracks on “Annihilation Day” each comprising three mini movements, the soundtrack feel of the whole endeavour is apparent. Well produced but beautifully abrasive, the songs may be long, but each retains its own vibe and the listener’s interest. It would be nice to see this approach explored further in later Torso recordings with greater musical contrast, but for now there’s enough blood, guts and mayhem to make this an unmissable release. Torso have provided another highlight for 2025.
Don’t hide behind the sofa – you cannot afford to miss this!
Pentre Fest – it’s no secret that I’m a fan of this two day Metal festival held in a pub/club down the road from me. Organised by the hard working and hard rocking people at North East Wales Metal Productions, it’s a non-stop feast of fine tunes, the very best of underground Metal from around the UK.
Here’s my write up my experiences from this years event. You can read a full account from Team Ever Metal over at their site.
Day 1
Hiraeth
My excitement had been steadily rising for weeks ahead of Pentre Fest. You just can’t beat this mini two-day festival in North Wales, it really is the gig highlight of the year for me. I arrived just in time to catch Hiraeth, a great Black Metal band who originate from not too far away in Wrexham. Taking the Black Metal template and weaving tales of ancient Welsh folklore and history, these sword wielding warriors bring a positive, inclusive vibe with their increasingly accomplished musicality. A great band and a real high point to start with.
Attic Theory
Liverpool’s Attic Theory were up next on the main stage, and though they were new to me, they really made a good impression. Full on, hard hitting alternative rock, Attic Theory ploughed through the room with a big riffs and anthemic vocals. I love me some Grunge and these guys had the power and a magnetic groove. Unfortunately they buggered off home before I could buy their delightful album on sexy vinyl!
Battalions
The band I was most excited to see at this year’s gathering was Battalions, who I’ve developed a bit of a fanboy adoration for. They’re on APF Records so that’s a mark of quality right there. Thankfully, Battalions’ monstrous, doomy, fuzzed out riffs were even more satisfying than their quite brilliant album ‘King of a Dead World’. They warmed my ancient, jaded soul with a sludgy set that really was a Pentre Fest highlight.
Miserable Sinner
Outside, the cold drizzle made viewing the Keymo stage a bit of a challenge – never mind actually playing on it! I did catch Geordie of Bad Earth performing his Miserable Sinner solo acoustic set in defiance of all the mighty Thor could unleash upon him, with AC/DC’s “Whole Lotta Rosie” being a particular favourite!
Basement Torture Killings
A brutal, Death Metal Grindcore band of lunatics who’ve watched too may serial killer documentaries, Basement Torture Killings certainly know how to entertain. It was a case of “Netflix and kill”, as they tore through a visceral set and eviscerated a huge cuddly teddy bear. Not my usual type of O Positive, but BTK served up a memorable, blood soaked show. Time for bed.
Day 2
Firefly
Running late as per usual, I actually wasn’t punished too badly this time as apparently Edd Case had declined his opening slot! Instead I arrived just in time to see Firefly, who had only just started their set. An amazing start to the festivities, Firefly brought their own brand of Industrial Goth Metal to give everyone a big wake up call. Like a mix of Rammstein, NIN, Gary Numan and Sisters of Mercy with the smoky vocals of Marianne Faithful (like what Mare said), this was pretty damn unmissable. Check ‘em out!
Victim of Damp
Opening proceedings on the outdoor stage was Victim of Damp, alias Pentre Fest die hard Frank Williams. His amalgamation of gentle covers and humorous originals improves with confidence every time. A free shot of the old alcohol helped warm us all up too!
Losing Light
This band sounded like an interesting premise, and indeed they were. Four guys from fairly close by, they have plenty of experience but are a relatively new proposition as Losing Light. Usually, their set would include a couple of covers, but these were dropped for this first Pentre appearance. Very confident and excellent musicians, their own self written songs were more than capable – Losing Light gave us an electric performance. Let’s hope they return soon.
Oliver Carins
Quick, no time to put your feet up – get out to the Keymo stage! Oliver Carins, usually part of Scarfoot (who are a hell of a band anyway) gave us a superb acoustic set with fine vocals and masterful guitar skills. Folky and warm, the songs still had that signature epic Scarfoot edge.
The Raging Mabels
Sadly, Any Given Reason were unable to play this afternoon, so the daring Raging Mabels parachuted in to save the day. And boy did they rage! A set of powerful yet tuneful rockers, the Mabels played an energetic non-stop set that rattled by like a rocket riding coyote chasing a roadrunner. Equally at home playing for fans of Motorhead or the Ramones, it’s no secret that this pretend rock journo is a mega fanboy – the Mabels are pure joy! And they (finally) brought some merch!!!
Chain of Survival
Theigns and Thrawls did a brilliant acoustic set oustide next, but more about them later. Let’s skip forward a little to Chain of Survival. Another Liverpool based band, this time we have a Hardocre Thrash Punk four piece who are utterly uncompromising. If you ever played DRI or Sick of It All casettes from a boombox while skateboarding in a local supermarket carpark (as I still do) then you’ll love COS too.
Fallen North
These guys have played McLeans gigs before, but they showed up in full force – this was not a dress rehearsal! Full on, no apologies modern metal with crunchy riffs and soaring vocals, Fallen North soon had the crowd won over. They stepped down from the stage to join a fan on the dancefloor, still playing, and giving one of the most heartwarming moments of the weekend. Well played all round.
Kevin Plant (Cry For Mercy)
Blues rock royalty Cry For Mercy weren’t playing this weekend, but vocalist/bass maestro Kev Plant braved the elements outside on the acoustic stage for a solo performance. Great playing augmented with Kev’s trademark soulful, Paul Rogers like voice was an oasis of calm. It takes some cojones to tackle Chris Cornell’s vocals, but Kev’s version of Audioslaves ‘I Am The Highway’ was respectful and stirring.
Ogun
The world needs more authentic Thrash Metal. Thankfully Liverpool’s Ogun delivered a rousing set of the genuine article at Pentre Fest. Not dated or old fashioned in anyway, just modern thrash in the spirit of Testament, Exodus and even Slayer. Speed but without compromising on songcraft or melody, there’s plenty to enjoy in Ogun’s set. Not their first time here and hopefully not their last either.
Bad Earth
OK, so I’ve seen Bad Earth before – but they’re always exciting. And loud! Playing their own, patented Rockcore (TM), this three piece always seem to be ready to decimate wherever they play. It’s dirty biker rock dialled to eleven and kept up way past it’s bedtime, as Geordie, Karl and Ben assault their instruments like they’ve insulted their mothers. Always a pleasure to be in the crowd for a Bad Earth gig!
Edd Case
Closing the Keymo stage outside, this wasn’t the first I’d seen of Edd this Fest. He’d already played a blinder the day before, and this time gave us a very welcome rendition of ‘Mother’ (note to bands everywhere: play more Danzig) amongst some select covers. Original material also got an airing, including the magnificent ‘Letters Back Home’, a moving and sadly still relevant masterpiece. Edd, you truly are a poet.
Theigns and Thralls
Earlier in the day, I witnessed an eye opening and refreshing performance by Theigns and Thralls on the outside acoustic stage. I always enjoy a trip into different genres at Pentre Fest and this folk set was a definite highlight. In the evening, they plugged in fully to give us a real taste of Folk Metal, the energy of which had the audience jumping and dancing around. Glorious fun for all!
Fury
This year’s esteemed headline act, there was a fair buzz around the venue for Fury’s set. And to be fair, they were worth waiting for. Specialising in the unrecycled, sheer joy of Heavy Metal in all its Iron Maiden/Judas Priest glory, these guys were undoubtedly on top form. The dual female/male lead vocals of Nyah and Julian help the band transcend any Hard Rock cliches with an outstanding, individual sound. Fury are undoubtedly excellent musicians, and have the performance and songcraft to back up their reputation. I can’t really think of a bone to pick with them. Other than if they don’t make a return visit one day, we’ll all be very upset.
And that’s it: the end of another Pentre Fest. A wonderful weekend of fine music and great company, I’m already counting down to next year. I’ve definitely got post Pentre Fest blues.
Bouncing Souls + The Aquabats + Bar Stool Preachers
Wednesday 4th March 2026
The Rockin’ Chair, Wrexham
I’ve been stacked out with gigs recently (Pentre Fest review incoming), though I can’t ever get to see everything. And I don’t get time to write up a review of every gig I go to. But there was one I simply couldn’t miss: The Aquabats, playing not far from me in The Rockin’ Chair, Wrexham. Even though it was a Wednesday night, I was driving, and not sure if anyone i knew was actually going…
But this was a dream come true! The Aquabats have been on my bucket list for years, ever since I became a huge fan of their hilarious, surreal kids TV show. Now they were second on the bill for this event. Luckily I’ve also long been aware of Bouncing Souls, so everything was in place for a fantastic night.
Unfortunately, I missed the first band, Bar Stool Preachers – though I was reliably informed they were really good. I’ll check ’em out later based on that recommendation.
The Aquabats were a spectacle unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed. The full band were in attendance, all eight of them, dressed in their cool superhero outfits. Of course they were. It was an unbelievable sight, seeing them all in this smallish club.
Starting with a rousing rendition of “Shark Fighter”, The Aquabats launched into their set, accompanied by three huge inflatable sharks flying around the room. Energetic pop punk and joyous ska formed their sound, with their TV show theme tune as another highlight of a fun, crazy set.
You’ve never seen anything if you’ve never seen an audience member crowd surfing on a giant inflatable slice of pizza. Or an eight foot tall Mummy Man attacking the band on stage. Or a yeti dancing with the crowd. I was grinning from ear to ear for the full set: The Aquabats were RAD!
Headliners Bouncing Souls have been on my radar since the late 90s, their fast, melodic skate punk fitting right in with my Descendents loving musical tastes. Though The Aquabats were always going to be my reason for attending, Bouncing Souls played an incredible, crowd pleasing set: lightning paced, huge choruses, barely a break between songs.
Third song in, they played “Hopeless Romantic” which was the highlight I was waiting for. I would’ve been happy with just that one track!
I’m glad I made an effort to get to this gig. It really was an event unlike any other, worth every penny. It’s not every day that a band of punk rock superheroes save the earth whilst playing in Wrexham.
Running time: Well it’s 3 CDs of Rock’n’Roll goodness, so it’s good vfm
Review by: Alun Jones
9/10
Hey all you Rock’n’Rollers, you are in for a well deserved treat! Cherry Red records have compiled all of the output from legendary Bad Girls of Rock, The Donnas, into one neat and sweet boxed set. Between 2002 and 2005, The Donnas were signed to major label Atlantic, and their star was on the rise like a comet – the label marketing the band in movies, games ad infinitum. Surely The Donnas would conquer the world?
The first disc in the set covers the absolute must-have “Spend the Night” album. Take it from me, “Spend the Night” is a total Rock’n’Roll classic – one of the greatest guitar Rock albums of the 21st century. The perfect collision of supersonic, Ramones and Runaways pop punk power with AC/DC riffology – this is a 10 out of 10 timeless wonder that anyone who loves Rock’n’Roll should treasure.
I mean. ‘It’s on the Rocks’, ‘Take it off’, ‘Who Inviited You’ – the rockin’ starts and it just doesn’t stop. And when you’re invited to a Donnas shindig, you’d better be prepared – these girls know how to party. With songs about drinking, partying, staying up all night and peer group alienation, The Donnas are total, unfiltered ROCK STARS. There’s not a bad song here, it’s diamond class all the way, cheekily witty lyrics included. Two bonus tracks add to the fun, and with songs like “Too Bad About Your Girl” you’re gonna annoy the hell out of the neighbours till ‘5 O’clock in the Morning’!
Hopes were high for the follow up album, “Gold Medal”, but sadly this doesn’t quite hit the same heights. The sound was augmented with acoustic guitars and a wider ranging approach to songwriting, which is to be applauded. For the most part this works well, and nothing has changed that much really. Overall, the thrill isn’t quite the same, however.
With songs like ‘I Don’t Want to Know (If You Don’t Want Me)’ and ‘Don’t Break Me Down’ we’re in familiar Donnas territory, and the lyrics are sharpened up and more mature. ‘Fall Behind Me’ is the justifiable stand out song here, rolling along as The Donnas snarl defiantly in what is one of the best songs in the entire compilation. With a bonus track tagged on, it’s a solid collection – but it’s a house-trained version of its predecessor.
Disc 3 cobbles together everything else that was left in the Atlantic catacombs. There’s a handful of great but not excellent unreleased tracks, some acoustic versions of songs from “Gold Medal”, a batch of pretty bloody electrifying live tracks and a fun cover of Billy Idol’s ‘Dancing With Myself’. Nothing completely indispensable, but a fine way to complete the collection for the die hards.
And that’s about it for The Donnas. They released one more album – “Bitchin’” – on their own label, and called it a day. The Donnas will never reform. They’ve all moved on to other things. But for a short while in the early part of this century, they were perfection. This release testifies to that. If nothing else, you need “Spend the Night” – you’ll never party the same without it. You’ll love it, like I do, and you’ll want as much other music by The Donnas as you can find. Start here.
As is now tradition here at Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub, our first post of the New Year will recap the most popular blog posts of the last twelve months. This Top Ten covers all of the articles posted during 2025 – from day one to the very last – to give an idea of what you, the reader, has enjoyed most:
A school trip in 1990 brought this item into my possession. But is it a genuine piece of European history, or some concrete with paint on it? Read and decide for yourself…
Another skate post, this one a look at my then-new deck and set up. Documented to preserve the memory of how it once looked! This Devil Woman graphic is a bit saucy and very cool.
The only album review to make the Top Ten, this mighty Hard Rock/Metal album by British band Black Project made some fine noise. Also featured on the Ever Metal website.
A two day festival celebrating the joys of Doom Metal, North West Doom Fest was a fantastic event. This review of the second day, featuring bands from all over, made a healthy showing in the end of year figures.
Our family trip to Disneyland Paris in August 2024 made a big splash at number 4. A magical experience, not to be repeated – Star Tours was, of course, the highlight.
The first day of this amazing Doom Metal festival in Chester certainly pulled in the punters. Loads of awesome bands, great music – I’m looking forward to this years event already!
Well, whaddya know?! Storming in at number 2 on this prestigious list, my review of this local band has proved popular, much like their excellent set. Hope to catch them again soon.
Which leaves us with our top performing blog post of 2025. The one with the most visits since publishing, the one that’s fired up the internet and brought the world wide web to the Virtual Hot tub. But what could it be?
Well I said Comic Cons always do well, didn’t I?! What else could it be than Day one of my visit to Liverpool Comic Con, which included a whole bunch of Cosplay photos too. A great day out, highly recommended!
2025 was an incredibly successful year for the Virtual Hot Tub. We saw the highest number of visitors for years (2016, to be precise). Sometimes I wonder why I bother writing this trove of random nonsense, but last year showed me that it’s worthwhile. We have an audience, and you guys love it just as much as we do.
Thanks for reading Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub. There’s no place else like it!
Have you been good all year? Have you eaten your greens, minded your Ps and Qs, and got your Ever Metal reviews in on time? If yes, then good news: the final North East WalesMetal Productions shindig of the year is here – the annual Christmosh party! A fabulous six bands appearing at Mcleans Pub in Pentre, Deeside, covering a wide variety of Rock/Metal music and all gathered together to celebrate a festive end to 2025.
Warming us up like a welcome open log fire was Victim of Damp, alias N.E.W. Metal Prods ally Frank Williams, here given a seasonal makeover as Christmas of Damp. With Christmas jumper and trusty guitar in hand, COD gave us some choice cuts including new additions such as Therapy?’s ‘Screamager’ along with free shots and a melancholy Pink Floyd cover. The promise of Crimbo tunes wasn’t forgotten, with a rousing version of Slade’s evergreen ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’ – event guru Fozzy (in Santa suit) on vocals.
‘Agro’ by The Raging Mabels is one of the Greatest Songs Ever. Their entire set of high speed, thundering yet melodic Zeke-like Punk Rock was an absolute, total joy from start to finish. I cannot praise this band highly enough, even though they forgot to bring merch (again). There should be a new Raging Mabels album out in the New Year, so be prepared for a cultural explosion of Nirvana ‘Nevermind’ levels. And if that doesn’t happen, every single one of you can suck balls.
Sadly, last time SOOTO (Something Out Of The Ordinary) played Pentre a couple of months back, I failed to write up my review. That cruel oversight is about to be reversed. SOOTO deal in classic Hard Rock/Metal, and with the female vocals they’re like Stevie Nicks singing for Thin Lizzy. Professional but not superficial, SOOTO have a raw energy and love of the riff, combined with dynamic songcraft and expert playing. A fantastic set that was over too soon.
The only band I’d never seen before, Heroes of the Gauntlet were a pleasant surprise indeed. Billed as “Symphonic Power Metal”, I was concerned these guys would be a full-on cheese fest. They have two singers (male and female) with fantastic voices, and a microphone that turns into a sword. Add in some serious Power Metal riffage and super confident stage personas, and you’ve actually got one hell of a show. Heroes of the Gauntlet were gloriously over the top and it’s impossible not to love them! All they need is a live drummer and these Heroes cannot fail.
Bad Earth we have met before, and yes – hands up, I am a bit of a fanboy. But when a band deliver this much power and presence on stage, how can anyone not be? A “Rockcore” trio from the North Wales area, what that genre entails is dishing out filthy Punk/Metal riffs and pummelling, killer rhythms that you can feel as well as hear. They get better and bolder all the time – though the silly buggers are very humble about it – and this night was no exception. New recorded material is due soon, so beware: Bad Earth have never shied away from delivering crushing, groove infused Rock and I don’t think they will.
To say I was excited about the return of the fuzzed out, sludgy sound of Master Charger to Mcleans would be an understatement. Their album “Posthumous Resurrection” was one of the never ending delights of 2025, plus last time they were here, these boys absolutely killed it. Make no mistake, Master Charger can and will deal out a mighty, megalithic slab of Stoner/Doom that will make the earth tremble. And that’s exactly what they did, with every asteroid-heavy riff and mammoth beat ploughing through the audience mercilessly. Another off-the-charts performance and a great finale.
What a night. Quite possibly the strongest line-up at Mcleans that I’ve ever witnessed, featuring many of my personal favourites.
But now it’s down to you. Christmosh was the last North East Wales Metal Productions event of the year, till the return of Pentre Fest in February 2026. These events, these bands need your support. If you’ve ever considered a trip to Mcleans, then you need to be there on 27th and 28th Feb 26. No excuses!
My daughter, Eloise, is nearly 14 years old. I like to feature some of her writing on my blog whenever I can, because I think she’s a very talented writer. And others seem to agree: when I post something she’s written, it’s far more popular than one of my own compostions.
Recently, Eloise was given homework to write a poem about racism. You can read the result below. Yet again, I think she’s done a fine job.
Anti-racism poem
As the praying people look up, the moon looks down. Nothing said but a silent frown.
Companies advertising equality encouraging people constantly.
Genuine people keep the smile alight – while unfortunately others feel the need to cause spite.
Souls with such impacting power, sometimes kept quiet to the size of a flower.
What everyone should learn after all, is that nobody should feel so small.
No matter religion or race, our thoughts shouldn’t be kept apart.
Welcome to 2024! And welcome back to Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub – your number one blog for all things groove and hip.
As has become tradition, my first post of the year is always a look back at the previous year’s successes. What posts in 2023 were the most popular, in terms of views? What would you, loyal readers, like to see more of?
Here’s a countdown of the Top 10 blog posts. A few surprises this time around, I assure you…
Every October, I launch my Halloween Horror Fest. This involves watching lots of horror movies, and writing brief reviews of them. They rarely generate much traffic, but this years blog featuring Brides of Dracula and House of Usher has scraped into the Top 10.
In April, we said a sad goodbye to our family pet cat, Jenna. This blog was a short memorial piece actually written by my daughter, which quite a few readers appreciated.
Another post contributed by my daughter (I need to get her writing more), this piece declared her hatred of bugs. Some readers agreed, others didn’t – but plenty read it all the same.
I was surprised that this blog post performed so well! Focussing on details of my latest skateboard set-up, it was a bit niche – but the crowds flocked to it regardless.
Another skate related post, I was less surprised that this one did well. A revisit to my first ever skateboard, a plastic 1970s relic, that was brought back from extinction.
Comic Cons and similar events usually feature highly in these annual stats, though I attended few in 2023. This horror themed, Manchester based fest was memorable and provided some horrific photos.
I had to request a recount when I saw these results, just to be sure – but this blog about a small, local vintage car show stole top honours for this year. I was surprised, but happy that something different was so successful.
And there, faithful readers, you have it. A total of 48 posts were published in 2023, with these ten being the most successful. Some surprises indeed, but these are the the cold hard facts – and they can’t be denied!
Thank you to all who have participated in the success of Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub, by reading, sharing and liking the posts. I really appreciate your support.
As we stride on into the New Year, I’d like to wish you all the very best in health and happiness.
And don’t forget to keep visiting the Virtual Hot Tub – you wouldn’t want us to get lonely, would you?!
That title seems like a bit of misnomer, doesn’t it? “The Best of 2021“. Following the unprecedented nonsense of 2020, last year we were all anticipating returning to normal, or as close as possible. Small victories were made during that time, but here we are again: a pandemic that seems to loom ever worse; the threat of lockdown and restrictions still a possibility; working from home if you can; vaccination after vaccination; and the same bumbling charlatans in charge of it all.
Hopefully it will all get better. It can’t get much worse (at least in terms of the virus, the post apocalyptic hell of Brexit is still to be reckoned with).
During 2021, Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub still aimed to entertain and inform. Sometimes we made it, sometimes we ballsed it up. But much of the blog content shone through regardless.
In the spirit of sharing success – and smiling in the face of adversity – here are the blog posts from 2021 that were most successful, in terms of views.
Published back in January 2021, this interview with alt rock band Ryuko at last years Pentre Fest originally appeared on Ever Metal, before it graced the Virtual Hot Tub.
Photos and memories of my vintage Star Wars Millennium Falcon toy, I think this blog is a justified winner! A fantastic toy and something I’m very proud of.
With a lack of events again in 2021, it’s no surprise that other blog subjects rose to prominence. Maybe the escapism of movie and toy reviews appealed to our audience this troublesome year.
We don’t know what will happen in 2022. Fingers crossed, the future looks brighter. But rest assured, Platinum Al’s Virtual Hot Tub will be here for you. If you need a friend, or just some heavy metal reviews and photos of old toys, we’re never far away.
Platinum Al's Virtual Hot Tub 