The Reinforcements/Volcano X/Medusa Touch/Blackfyre Rising/Wild Fire Scotland - The Banshee Labyrinth 29th December 2023

I am in Scotland's Capital at what is acclaimed to be Edinburgh's most haunted pub, The Banshee Labyrinth. Tonight we are at the final Scotland Rocks Radio Live And Loud Session of the year, and as it is the last one of the year, it is a little different. Instead of the usual three bands, tonight there are five, plus a bonus after show party.

Once again a 'Live And Loud Session' was completely SOLD OUT!

To open the festivities, it was to fall to Dundee heavy metal band and Metal 2 the Masses Scotland finalists, Volcano X. However, most of the band picked up a virus over Christmas, but fear not, the one remaining fit member J.P was able to come along and play a solo set. Now I don't care who you are, if you are not the front man/woman of a band, it cannot be easy to stand in front of a sold out venue and not feel nervous, but not to worry, after the encouragement from the crowd, J.P nailed it!

The second band tonight were another of this years Metal 2 the Masses Scotland finalists, Edinburgh based Blackfyre Rising. I can proudly say that I was one of the judges that helped Blackfyre Rising get to the final. They are a great hard rocking band, and like every other band tonight, put everything they have into their performance.  

I would love to name songs that each of the bands played tonight, but with what was happening later 

(we'll get to that later) I completely forgot what songs which band was playing, and for once, I never picked up setlists! I will recommend you give each of the bands a look on your favoured social media platform.

Next up, we have another band that has taken part in the Metal 2 the Masses Scotland heats, no I'm not sponsored by them, however a "Photo Pass" would greatly be appreciated. Meanwhile back on stage, are our third band of the evening, all the way from Dumfriesshire, we have Wild Fire (Scotland). Recently Wild Fire have gone from a five piece, to a four piece, they have also

adopted a new, more darker, doomier route, which I have to admit, I really enjoy this new version of the band.

Our fourth band tonight, would be fair to say, they are the elders of the evening. When the NWOBHM was kicking in back in the early 1980s, these guys were there representing Scotland. They are of course, Medusa Touch! If you have not seen them before, even if you are old enough and just can't remember them don't worry. They formed in Edinburgh back in 1983, and like many bands, they broke up a decade or so later, but now as the kids have all grown up etc, they got back together in 2019 just before that virus hit. Since we have got back to some sort of normality, I've had the pleasure to have seen the lads four times. I swear, the more I hear them, the more singer "Goggsy" sounds like Saxons Biff Byford! If like me, you grew up with, or you just love the NWOBHM please go check these guys out! 

Our headliners tonight are a band who are not only playing their first gig for Scotland Rocks Radio, but also their last gig. They have decided to call it a day for now because of other commitments. I hope they take a leaf out of the Medusa Touch book and get back together at a later date, but maybe not as much as thirty years. As with the previous acts tonight, The Reinforcements were on fire, and the sound was perfect! Which it really should be, as frontman Ritchie is the sound tech in The Banshee Labyrinth! The band didn't play like it was their last ever gig, they played like they were riding a crest of a wave. So good luck to the lads in whatever they are going to do, and I do hope, at some point, they get back together because they really are a band worth seeing.

During the evening the Radio Station were giving away free merch in a raffle type draw, with T-Shirts and Hoodies, and one lucky person won "The Golden Ticket" which was two free tickets to every Live And Loud Session gig in 2024!  As I mentioned earlier, the reason I forgot some bits and pieces was because what was about to kick off, as tonight's show wasn't over. For the first time, Scotland Rocks Radio had an after show party! Now it was time for me to put the camera away, because next up it was my turn! Before I got involved in concert photography, I was a DJ, so not it was my turn to entertain the crowd with my own blend

of classic and modern hard rock and heavy metal into the wee small hours of the 30th December.

As you are reading this in the first weeks of 2024, I hope you all have a great year of gigs, and you never know, I might even bump into a few of you on the road, or preferably, at the barrier of a gig! 

Jai Dee