GLAM FEST AUSTRALIA’s second installment descended upon Sydney this Sunday with a bang that you could hear from space. To say that it went well would be the understatement of the year, and as the crowds flooded out at the end of Slaughter’s set all the talk was about who were the best of the best and who was on the wish list for next year.
15 years ago I was regularly travelling to the U.S. to see line-ups like this because there was no one in Australia bringing out bands like this. Now Silverback has delivered its second installment with real aplomb and trademark pinpoint precision. You’ll see nothing like this in Australia and no one else could deliver it this well.
When you’re having a Festival like this then it stands to reason that a large number of the punters are of the age when the music of the Sunset Strip ruled their musical landscape which make the mix here a work genius really. Not only do we get the best of that golden age with Slaughter, Lynch Mob and Janet Gardner (the voice of Vixen) we also get to see Tyketto the legendary band that got their shot at stardom just as grunge loomed on the horizon, and Jetboy the cult San Francisco outfit who once sported a member of Hanoi Rocks. But not only that! We also get the standard bearers of the inheritors of that scene – H.E.A.T. from Sweden and The Cruel Intentions from Norway. But it doesn’t stop there! We also get a selection of Australia’s finest Hard Rock bands as an entre and in Sydney that means Shotgun Mistress, Ablaze, The Black Cardinals, Crosson, Dept. of Gloom and Sisters Doll. That all adds up to a 11 hour Festival with ‘no gaps’ that has to be the highlight of any 80’s Rock fans calendar.
Openers Victoria’s Shotgun Mistress are full of fire at the inordinately early hour of 12.30 (for those in it for the long haul at least!) the band are backing up from last night’s sensational ‘Never Say Die’ show in Brisbane where they and Ablaze hit the stage with locals Catalano and others to put on a show for those that missed out when the Brisbane Edition of Glam Fest was pulled last week. They show no sign of weariness at all despite being on the same 6 a.m. flight we were, though sadly a lot of the initial crowd are still being let into the venue as they start. If you got there at the front of the queue you were treated to everything you want from an opener – get songs, great show and all the energy to let you know Glam Fest has hit the Sydney streets running. With a front man like Glenn Patrick and songs like new single ‘Jude Judas’ and ‘Collide’ these are locals of real class who capture the feel of the Sleazier end of Sunset Strip in its pomp with some good old Aussie attitude thrown into the mix.
Ablaze follow (who were also at the same Fest and on the same flight) and are damn good and underline the fact that we have so many great young Rock Bands Downunder. Prior to last night the last time I saw these guys live was a few years back supporting John Corabi (along with Sister’s Doll) and this afternoon they looked like a band ready to take a step up with new single ‘Different Kind of Nightmare’ going down a storm they put on a show that really draws in the crowd. With a fine band behind him, front man Danny has charm and presence by the bucketload and when you add some truly memorable songs into the mix and set pieces like ‘Where’s My Drink’ you pretty much have a Festival opening with what I consider to be two of the best Hard Rock bands in Australia. It’s a helluva opening salvo for a Fest with so much more to come.
I catch a little of locals ‘Department of Gloom’ in the main room, and wish I could have heard more – they have a great look and great songs to back it and get the crowd involved which is always the key early in the day. Part Goth, part Rock, part Punk and nice and edgy, it’s definitely a band I wat to see more of. Crosson that followed were one of the bands also on last years bill and they bring a theatrical element to proceedings. If you love it OTT and larger than life you’ll love these guys. Sadly this year we only caught the tail end of their set.
Back in the main rom and after a few catch ups one band I wasn’t familiar with really impressed: Black Cardinals. Throwing Blues into the mix is always going to resonate with me and when they add a little Black Crowes early on I was sold! Exceptionally tight and with some great soulful vocals they added a cool shot of Blues into teh days proceedings.
I have to say that over the years I’ve seen quite a few of the bands on the bill today with only JETBOY and THE CRUEL INTENTIONS eluding me as far as the Internationals go. I loved THE CRUEL INTENTIONS from the first time I heard ‘White Pony’ a couple of years before the release of their first record and their latest album ‘Venomous Anonymous’ is the sort of record that makes you realise that the kind of Rock and Roll we love will never die. I’d seen Lizzy a couple of times in L.A. back in 2005 and 2009 when he used to front Vains of Jenna (and it’s great to hear ‘Enemy in Me’ this afternoon) but nothing prepared me for how good this band is live – even playing at the ungodly hour of 3.00pm
If you love your Swedish Sleaze – your Hardcore Superstar, Crashdiet and the like, then you will love THE CRUEL INTENTIONS. Today I reckon they exceeded all my lofty expectations and gained a room full of fans in the process. If I had a dollar for everyone who commented on how great their set was on the way out we could have funded a small Glam Rock revolution.
In a flawless set that was crammed with a succession of gems, hearing ‘Sunrise over Sunset’ and ‘Borderline’ crazy for the first times was crazy! I honestly could have gone home happy at that point! I can only see these guys getting bigger and bigger with the perfect combination of fist-pumping songs and gang-choruses hey are only going to grow in stature and start climbing those bills. In a day of great sets this I think was my favourite and I must thank Mats and the guys for making my weekend.
Back in the main room the last of the locals took to the stage. SISTERS DOLL have been around now for 14 years now and locally have a huge following. They always put on a great show and if you love their very Glam take on Rock and Roll Kiss style then you’ll be hooked. After relocating to Melbourne from Perth a decade ago, its a shame that they only have the two albums under their belt, though a new one is on the way we hear later this year and if its anything like the singles we’ve heard so far it may well be their best. The Doll Army were in full force this year and the set runs like a well oiled machine, now this is Rock and Roll!
Back on stage two, JETBOY are perhaps the real surprise of the day for some. For me they are everything I had hoped for and more. The band which still sports original guitarists Billy Rowe (also of Buckcherry these days and sadly not here for the shows) and Fernie Rod (who also couldn’t make the trip) as well as original singer Mickey Finn is just sheer energy! And the two guitarists who made the trip do a wonderful job! Finn’s voice (“Not bad for a 60 year old” he tells me later) is just like you heard it on the records. I’m mesmerized from the off as they stomp through a set that comprises mainly tracks from their second major label outing ‘Damned Nation’.
Jetboy put out a great return album a couple of years ago in ‘Born to Fly’ and it gets a nod with the title track mid-set, though that glorious debut album ‘Feel The Shake’ with so many great songs sadly is only represented by the eponymous set-closer. In one of the very best performances of the day my only regret is that they don’t play my favourite ‘Snakebite’ a song I’ve always loved. If you think that bands that originated back in the 80’s can’t transport you right back there then you are so wrong. Man these guys were great!
TYKETTO is the band of the day for many here and despite the still early set time I’d guess that the majority of the crowd is in the house to see them. Relying heavily on those glorious first two records the set is solid gold. The anticipation before that first song is crazy and when Danny’s vocals come in you know that no one in that room is going to stop singing till the last note! In a strange way, even though I have seen them in the interim, it brings back memories of the 1991 UK Tour with White Lion where the crowd in a new territory just knew every word, it’s the same here in Sydney but with an agonizing few decades long wait! I spot the first tears of joy in the crowd glancing over my shoulder from the pit. This is what it is all about!
Danny Vaughn’s vocals are flawless tonight and the new look Tyketto line-up which features only Danny and Ged Rylands on keys from the last time I saw them back in 2015 are incredibly tight and on-point. This was a band that could have been huge had they been just a couple of years early and over teh years the songs have lost nothing. It’s easily one of the performances of the day.
JANET GARDNER who headlines the second stage tonight is billed as ‘The Voice of Vixen’ and is back after the ill-fated Melodic Rock Fest a few years back that fell apart just before covid struck. She and Justin James were one of the real highlights of that ‘adventure’ for us and tonight if anything they and their band are even more impressive. It’s great to get to say hello to them both before their set. Despite some technical difficulties at the onset, which sees Janet pulling her in ear monitors and Justin plugging in his guitar (all whilst we get the first drum solo of the Festival!) it all sounds incredible. The band which comprises Janet on Guitar and vocals and Justin on lead, along with bassist Anthony Gemignani and drummer Richie Rivera is exceptional.
The best thing about the band in my opinion is that over the last few years their new material has been incredible and whilst you might feel that most acts might lean more heavily on the better known Vixen material tonight’s set is a real balance between the past and the present. There’s even a wonderful cover of Sammy Hagar’s ‘There’s only one way to Rock’ and of course ‘Edge of a Broken Heart’ closes and sees Cassidy Paris fly in to repeat the duet she shared with Janet in Melbourne. You rarely get to see this much love in a room and Janet’s vocals are exceptional! You feel that next time around these guys could headline their own tour.
The same might be said for the next band on the main stage H.E.A.T. – anyone who caught them when Silverback brought them out eighteen months ago will know how incredible they are live. Tonight though the normally energetic show is even more intense. The anticipation in the room that has been building all day finally seems to explode for H.E.A.T. Everyone here wants to see them and everyone here can’t help buy fall in love with the most energetic front man you will ever see – Kenny Leckremo who runs around the stage like his life depends on it and instantly endears himself to the crowd. It’s a set packed with songs that would be anthems had H.E.A.T. formed in the 80’s but a that matters right here, right now is that they are anthems for everyone in this room.
As musicians H.E.A.T. are flawless tonight from the crash and burn of opener ‘Demon Eyes’ to the last strains of ‘A Shot at Redemption’. And at the end of the set all everyone wants is to see them do it again! Let’s hope we get to see them Downunder soon – in the meantime we hear that the new album is almost half way there. Honestly if you ever have anyone tell you Rock and Roll is dead – just bring them along to a H.E.A.T. show!
As a huge fan of Dokken back in the day I’ve seen the band many a time both when George Lynch was guitarist and after he left. When the band split back in 1989 the best thing for fans is that we got a wonderful solo record from Dokken and in my opinion and even greater first LYNCH MOB record ‘Wicked Sensation’. I’m not even sure how many times I’ve seen Lynch Mob over the last few decades but I have never been disappointed. Tonight LYNCH MOB saunter onto the stage rather casually with George in his board shorts (Back in 2008 when they last played Australia he had sunburn from a day at the beach) and launch into Dokken’s epic ‘Tooth and Nail’. It’s so damn good…
With a set that if I’m honest has you transfixed by the master; it’s worth mentioning that his ‘new’ band featuring the rather fine young bassist Jaron Gulino, master drummer Jimmy D’Anda (ex-Bulletboys) and young new singer Garriel Colon, who is no Oni Logan but impresses tonight, is on point. This is LYNCH MOB’s last time out – dubbed ‘The Final Ride’, in celebration of their 35th anniversary it will see Lynch finally hang up his boots at the end of the tour with the band in 2025. It’s wonderful that Silverback got them down one final time to see us. It’s also well worth checking out the latest (and final?) LYNCH MOB album ‘Babylon’.
It’s a relief to get a break and refresh before tonight’s headliner…
SLAUGHTER is a band I last saw at the Zoo Amphitheatre in Oklahoma City way back in 2010 at a Festival called Rock In America which was perhaps the best Festival I have ever seen. Lynch Mob also played that show and afterwards there was an afterparty at the hotel where George Lynch and others played for hours. It was the first time I met John Corabi, Lizzy Borden, Don Dokken and the guys from Trixter, Cinderella and Scorpions. 14 years later I get to see Slaughter and Lynch Mob again headlining Glam Fest Australia and yes it does bring back the magic for me.
SLAUGHTER are a worthy headliner and the production augmented by a great light show and multiple tracks is on point, the set which draws heavily on the classic first album might be delayed but that just builds the anticipation. It’s a huge response from the crowd as the band enter the stage which all of a sudden fees much bigger!
We all of course know Mark and Dana, and guitarist Jeff Blando and I know a few were saddened by the absence of powerhouse drummer Blas Elias, but after seeing his replacement Jordan Cannata and the show he put on! Man! I have to say it was show in itself! With a light show and visuals that set the room alight and a setlist with no let up, it’s exceptional. Of course close with a one-two punch of ‘Fly to the Angels’ and ‘Up All Night’ and no one leaves until teh house lights are up. A spectacular end to a spectacular Festival.
Here’s to 2025!
GALLERIES TO FOLLOW
