Watermelon Live Promotions All Day Show - Ivory Blacks, Glasgow 1st June 2024

It's great to see so many people turning up at three o'clock on a Saturday afternoon for the opening band ToxxiK Touch. ToxxiK Touch are a newly formed band, they describe themselves as a small time hard rock band heavily inspired by 80s - modern Hair Metal/Stadium Rock/sleaze rock such as Bon Jovi, Poison, Skid Row, Mötley Crüe, Ratt, Hardcore Superstar etc. The band is made up with Greg Roxx on vocals, Kev Krüz on guitar/backing vocals, Dr Watson on guitar/backing vocals, Mr Bass Man on bass/backing vocals and mask wearing Kyber on drums. I have known frontman Greg for many years, he is a very likable guy, even if you have never met him, you get the impression that he is the singer in a band, his personality just oozes rock n roll! The band only started out a month or so ago and to date they have only played a couple of gigs. Today, the band start their set with a touch of nervousness, however, that fades away with the encouragement from the crowd! 

Next up are The Guns For Hire, Guns are quite a bit heavier than today’s openers, a lot more thrashier too, the band are Jack Kennedy, rhythm guitar & vocals, Greg MacLeod, bass, Ethan Miller, guitar, Aaron McLaughlin, guitar and Martin Marshall, drums. A relatively new band formed back in 2021, are getting stronger and stronger with every performance. They describe themselves as having soaring harmonies with aggressive hard-hitting riffs, the band has created a sound that is powerful, which I cannot argue with.

Third band to take to the stage are Crusaders (UK), formed from the ashes of Glasgow band Nocturne Wulf, who called it a day when front man Bob sadly passed way too early. Guitarist Jamie took up the vocalist roll with this new band, which are a thrash metal band that blends speed, heaviness but with songs you can sing along to, so a lot heavier than their previous band. Crusaders are heavily influenced by the legends that were Motorhead! The band are Jamie Paterson vocals/guitar, Neil Fordyce guitar, Steven Scott bass and John Gibbons on drums. Like The Guns For Hire, Crusaders are releasing singles in the up and coming months.

Fourth band to hit the stage are JeaniceLee, who not surprisingly, got their name from front woman Jeanice Lee! The band play a blend of modern melodic, guitar-fuelled heavy rock/metal with progressive & symphonic elements. Jeanice’s deep emotive vocals and supported by a neoclassical style lead guitar, driving bass and impactful drumming, tell stories with powerful melodies. The band are Jeanice Lee vocals and rhythm guitar, Marco Morelli lead guitar, Jamie Hunter, bass and Tony Hodge, at the rear on drums. I was really surprised with this band, especially the powerful vocals from such a petite singer.  

Fifth band are another that I capture regularly, Edinburgh band Holyrude Vault, to be honest there is little I can add about the band other than Josh is beginning to be a lot more comfortable as a frontman, he's beginning to show some of the flamboyance he had when he was a guitarist when the band started out. The only other news I can add is that second guitarist slot was filled by Jimmy Paget. If this is the first time you are reading about Holyrude Vault, their influences, Guns N Roses and AC/DC are worn on their sleeves shamelessly.  

Sixth band to take to the stage are Bad Actress, now if you like old school Glam Rock N Roll, and just want to be entertained, you can't do better than Bad Actress. The band are made up from Toby Michaels vocals, Tommy B guitar, Chick guitar, Lui Q drums and Ranjit Fernandez filling in (for now) on bass. With Bad Actress, shenanigans are afoot and flamboyance off the scale, guitarist Chick’s hair is an entity in it's own right. These guys are non stop, from the very first note to the last, there is not a millimetre of the stage that doesn't get pounded! If you know Ivory's, there are three steps up towards the stage area, which has a flat top rail along this raised section, Chick climbed up onto this narrow rail, the only thing missing was a huge fan blowing in his direction. This is the finest, and possibly be the ultimate Scottish Hair Metal band! Honestly, I am not exaggerating, they really are OTT! Just to prove the point, they had the whole crowd in Ivory Blacks singing along to ABBAs "Does Your Mother Know". This is where I would say "go check them out on that video streaming platform, but you just don't get the intensity that you get when they are in front of you. They really are THE RnR party band!

When this evenings headliners came onto the stage, frontman Ollie exclaimed "how can you follow that?" The Wicked Jackals hail from the Watford area of London, Ollie on vocals, Lex bass, Carl AKA 'Ace', Harris AKA 'Rex' both on guitar and Matt on drums. However, they played as a four piece at this gig. The Jackals, like Holyrude Vault and Toxxik Touch are more like the sleazy glam American bands like GnR. Poison, Pretty Boy Floyd etc. The Jackals do an amazing cover of The Cults "Firewoman". Having seen Death Cult last year, I can honestly say that The Wicked Jackals do a better version! Not to be outdone by Bad Actress's Chick, Jackals guitarist Rex came down from the stage and climbed up onto to bar, surrounded by a sea of mobile phones capturing the moment, strutted and shredded to a group of new fans, footage has already been sent to Rex. As the bands set heads towards the encore, they invite Bad Actress back onto the stage where both bands belt out the anthem "Born to be wild" and once again the crowd were singing along.

Throughout the whole show the bands posed for photos and had full interaction with every person that was in attendance, which was the way it should be!

As always, if you don't know any of the bands above, please go check them out on the various social media platforms, or even go see them if they are appearing near you.

See you at the barrier!