Live Review: Steelhouse Festival 2023 - Sunday
Words: Richard Oliver
Photos: Darren Griffiths
Having kept a close eye on the weather forecasts, we knew the rain was coming but we still were not prepared for the absolute deluge that descended upon the mountain and turned the walkways into an absolute mud bath. Still the soaking conditions didn’t stop a crowd still hungry for a final day of rocking.
When opener Troy Redfern hit the stage I was hiding in the shelter of the campsite due to a particularly heavy shower but his blues rock and slide guitar style sounded suitably impressive from the tent. Realising that this rain was not going to subside I braved the elements and made my way to the arena for Empyre. This was a band that had been recommended to me by my friends as they know I love my music with a more sombre and atmospheric feel. Empyre was exactly this and then some with their dark and atmospheric rock ensuring that my hairs were standing on end underneath all my waterproofs. The miserable weather was the perfect accompaniment to Empyre’s sombre performance and despite this being a rather different band to what there had been at the festival to this point, there was a very decent crowd watching and giving the band loud cheers and plenty of applause. Empyre were very much my thing and one of my best discoveries of the weekend.
Following on from all that atmospheric goodness was some dependable melodic rock from The Cruel Knives. The music from this four piece was standard Steelhouse fare being anthemic melodic rock which borrowed elements from contemporary and classic hard rock music. It was a solid enough and enjoyable performance but the band didn’t really have much that stood out and the songs didn’t do much to wow me.
A much needed lunch break meant that I missed the performance from Kira Mac but I was back down in the arena for one of my most anticipated bands of the weekend - The Vintage Caravan. Hailing from Iceland, rain and mountains must be second nature to them so they must have felt quite at home performing in Wales in the pouring rain. As well as being a fantastic band with a killer groovy vintage sound the band also have a very dry sense of humour apologising for being Icelandic whilst bassist Alexander Örn Númason got the biggest laugh when he asked the crowd “Who here likes guitar solos?” before following with “I don’t care for them”. The band’s sense of humour aside, the music was absolutely killer and for the duration of their set I was completely lost in a world of killer riffs and groove completely oblivious to the fact that I was getting completely soaked by rain.
The band make one fair amount of noise for a three piece and apart from drummer Guðjón Reynisson, who was contained behind his kit, both Óskar Logi Ágústsson and Alexander Örn Númason threw themselves around the stage with startling amounts of energy. This energy was also released in the bands furious performances with crackling renditions of ‘Crystallized’ (a song about freezing to death in Iceland according to the band that day), ‘Expand Your Mind’, ‘On The Run’ and ‘Midnight Mediation’. The Vintage Caravan are a band that never fail to impress and this Steelhouse performance was no exception.
The Answer were another band I knew of by name but did not know any of their music but it is safe to say they have a new fan now as they played one of the best sets of the festival. It had been seven years since the Northern Ireland band had last played the festival and they were determined to make this a memorable return with a blinding set of blues laced hard rock which packed bags of groove and plenty of soul. A set which mixed their new material with some select choices from the bands discography, this was a passionate performance which got the crowd moving on the rain soaked field. The band weren’t afraid to get into the thick of it as frontman Cormac Neeson proved disappearing into the crowd during the band's final song and re-emerging on the stage with mud smeared on his face. Also hats off to bassist Micky Waters who performed not only with a broken finger but with a broken foot as well!
After a whole weekend of hard rock and blues rock, it was high time for some heavy fucking metal and this was provided by supergroup Elegant Weapons who performed their debut UK show as the festival. Made up of RIchie Faulkner (Judas Priest) on guitars, Dave Rimmer (Uriah Heep) on bass, Christopher Williams (Accept) on drums and Ronnie Romero (Rainbow) on vocals, this was a masterclass in old school heavy metal and hard rock. Songs were taken from the bands sole album “Horns For A Halo” and the band were a slick and polished unit despite only having been playing shows since June this year. Ronnie Romero is like several classic rock and metal vocalists all poured into one and whilst his vocals were a bit shaky for the first couple of songs he soon got into his groove and showed why he is such an in demand singer whilst Richie Faulkner seriously impressed with his blinding guitar playing. Finishing with a cover of the Black Sabbath classic ‘War Pigs’ the band had certainly earned themselves some new fans by the time they left the stage.
All good things must come to an end and closing off the festival were Kentucky rockers Black Stone Cherry who had flown in especially to do this show. I’m not the biggest fan of the band but I cannot deny that they put on a hell of a show and sounded absolutely phenomenal. Frontman Chris Robertson has an incredible voice and sounded absolutely spot on for the whole show whilst guitarist Ben Wells and bassist Steve Jewell Jr darted around the stage with incredible amounts of energy leaving drummer John Fred Young to hyperactively hit shit out of his drumkit. Plenty of BSC favourites were played including ‘Me And Mary Jane’, ‘Hell Or High Water’, ‘White Trash Millionaire’ and ‘Lonely Train’ as well as a handful of cover songs and a bunch of new songs off their upcoming album “Screamin’ At The Sky”. There is always the risk of losing the crowd when playing new and unreleased material but the reception was loud and positive from the Steelhouse crowd. As the band finished the final song the festival closed with a bang as fireworks exploded their booms echoing down the mountain and into the valleys below.
As a first timer to the festival I have to say that Steelhouse Festival is a fantastic event. I know it has grown from its beginnings and is bigger than ever but it is still a nicely compact and intimate festival with an incredible setting and wonderful atmosphere. The fact that there is only one stage means no clashes between bands ensuring that everyone gets to see their favourites. The weather conditions can be challenging and by the time the festival came to a close the arena was 90% mud but thankfully I had been warned of the Steelhouse microclimate so I had come prepared. If you are a fan of classic rock and hard rock and have never made the journey up the mountain then this is one festival that should definitely be on your radar. With more and more international acts gracing the stage, the profile of the festival will continue to grow and grow and the future for Steelhouse should be very exciting indeed.
Photo credits: Darren Griffiths
