FESTIVAL REVIEW: HRH AOR VI

These days, it’s usually possible to find a music festival that can cater to just about any kind of music you like, be it thrash metal, blues, punk or hair metal. Perhaps one of the best promoters at recognising this are HRH, who put on multiple events across the UK each year dedicated to bringing music fans together to enjoy the bands they love from across the spectrum of rock and metal music. This year, 2018, marked the sixth incarnation of their HRH AOR Festival, a two-and-a-half day event in North Wales dedicated to all things melodic rock, this time headlined by JOE LYNN TURNER, NIGHT RANGER and SKID ROW, and we sent Jack Fermor-Worrell there to catch it all.

Thursday

DANTE FOX – Stage 2

With the site opening at around midday, and a solid afternoon of drinking for most of its punters, the hefty task of opening the festival properly this year falls to Shropshire-based five piece DANTE FOX, who get things off to a strong start with a powerful stage presence and strong set of keyboard-heavy melodic rock. In Sue Willetts, the band have an incredibly strong focal point – her powerful voice leading the band through a performance encompassing both soaring riff-laden rock (Young Hearts) and heartfelt balladry (I Can’t Stop Tonight) with ease, and quickly garnering them appreciation from the assembled crowd.

Rating: 7/10

NEWMAN – Stage 2

They’re followed up quickly by NEWMAN, a band who celebrated their 20th anniversary last year, and are continuing to put on strong shows celebrating that milestone in 2018.  Despite hitting that considerable milestone, their appearance this evening apparently marks drummer Harry Younger’s first proper show with band – a fact which leads to much ribbing from all sides throughout their set. From the moment they open with Life to Remember, to the final notes of closer One Step Closer though, this is yet another fun performance from a greatly likeable group of musicians as the band run through an impactful set of catchy tunes that ramp up the party atmosphere considerably.

Rating: 7/10

ECLIPSE – Stage 2

Swedish rockers ECLIPSE are next to take the stage, and bring a distinctly BON JOVI-esque feel to the room, with their show of anthemic up-tempo tracks quickly bringing to mind some of the very best classic rock acts as they blast through tracks from across their catalogue, including a large chunk from their album Momentum. Much like Jon Bon Jovi and co. too, the band also dedicate a lengthy portion in the middle of their show to airing more acoustic-based material, that provides some nice variance to the all out pomp of their usual sound and helps them deliver a winning formula to great adulation.

Rating: 8/10

JOE LYNN TURNER – Stage 2

Easily the main draw of this first half-day of music though is its headliner – legendary former RAINBOW and DEEP PURPLE front man JOE LYNN TURNER. As you’d expect, the vocalist proceeds to pull not only from those bands, but from his own equally great solo material for his set on this occasion – airing everything from stone cold classics like I Surrender and Spotlight Kid, to sometimes lesser-appreciated gems like Dark Days and Blood Red Sky. Throughout it all though, the overriding fact is that Turner’s iconic voice sounds near enough note-perfect throughout, his soaring vocals turning the entire room into what feels like the best rock jukebox ever thanks to a stellar catalogue of hits. Closing things off with a cover of Rising Force from YNGWIE MALMSTEEN’S album of the same name proves a masterstroke too, but easily the set highlight comes with his encore of RAINBOW classic Long Live Rock n’ Roll, which Turner prefaces with a speech in tribute of the late great Ronnie James Dio. All in all, a near-perfect way to finish an incredibly strong opening day for HRH AOR VI, and as the audience head off either to bed or to continue drinking and partying long into the early hours, the excitement in the air for what’s still to come over the next couple of days is palpable.

Rating: 9/10

Friday

THE KING LOT – Stage 1

As the sun rises on the first full day of the festival, and mildly hungover-looking punters begin to file into the Main Stage once more, Scottish three-piece THE KING LOT get to kick things off. Garnering an impressively strong response from those who make it in time to see them, the three-piece of frontman/bassist Jason Sweeney, guitarist Jay Moir and drummer Chris Gillon quickly set about firmly reminding everyone what great hard rock is all about with a punchy-yet melodic sound that seems to take slight cues from the playbook of DEF LEPPARD and GUNS N’ ROSES at times, albeit with a modern twist and slightly cleaner tone.

Rating: 8/10

CRUZH – Stage 1

Swedish glam outfit CRUZH are up next, and bring a truckload of catchy hooks with them – to the point where it begins to feel borderline like pop music, but in the best possible way. Settling very much into that niche of sounding almost exactly like POISON, RATT and other titans of the genre means that it takes a little while for the audience watching them to get on-side, but when it all finally clicks, the show becomes great fun to watch, as the band set about having what looks like the most fun of any band performing all weekend.

Rating: 6/10

DAYLIGHT ROBBERY – Stage 1

DAYLIGHT ROBBERY, on the other hand, prove to be one of the most underwhelming bands of the whole weekend. The Birmingham-based band for whatever reason emerge to what can only be described as a near-empty room, and fail to really put on much in the way of an engaging performance thanks to a bland, uninspiring sound that does nothing to differentiate them from hundreds of other rock bands on the scene who arguably do exactly the same as them, only far better. By the time their 11 song set reaches the mid-point, it’s long since become a slog, and the band undoubtedly haven’t done themselves any favours with this performance.

Rating: 3/10

JAC DALTON – Stage 1

After that, Aussie JAC DALTON and his band follow with something infinitely more enjoyable. Throwing in a distinctly bluesy hard-rock tone to the day, the crowd seem to suddenly reappear in droves for DALTON and his smooth David Coverdale-esque vocals quickly revitalise the room. Couple this with seemingly more great songs than you’d find in some bands’ entire catalogues and it’s a recipe for one hell of a fun showing from one of the furthest travelling acts on the entire bill.

Rating: 8/10

THE RADIO SUN – Stage 1

Fellow Australians THE RADIO SUN are the ones up next, making their third HRH appearance in a row, and it’s not difficult to see why. From the second the band step out onto the main stage, their chemistry is electric and the crowd lap up their big rock anthems with glee. Consistently funny inter-song banter keeps things rolling really well throughout their performance, and even leads to an impromptu partial rendition of STEEL PANTHER ballad Community Property, much to the apparent delight of virtually everyone.

Rating: 7/10

AARON BUCHANAN & THE CULT CLASSICS – Stage 1

Somewhat of a last-minute booking to account for ELECTRIC BOYS cancelling their set, you’d be forgiven for thinking that might seem like a bit of an odd choice to replace that band, given their inherently more abrasive punk rock sound. It comes as a great delight then that the band not only defy expectations, but put on an absolute masterclass in both great rock songwriting and showmanship. Opening with the scuzzy Left For Dead gives an immediate taste of Buchanan’s considerable vocal talents and it takes just a few songs before he’s not only off-stage and in the faces of the fans on the barrier, but performing a handstand atop the crowd itself. Throwing in four tracks from his time fronting HEAVEN’S BASEMENT only ramps up the excitement in the room even more, and by the time the band conclude with Morals, there’s little doubt that AARON BUCHANAN & THE CULT CLASSICS may have just become the surprise hit of the entire weekend.

Rating: 8/10

BULLETBOYS – Stage 1

It’s been somewhere in the region of a decade since BULLETBOYS last played a UK show, so naturally there’s great expectations of their set tonight. And whilst Marq Torien and his LA crew certainly have many strong moments in their performance, it unfortunately falls just short of the phenomenal set that’s just preceded them. As you’d expect from a man with stints in both RATT and KING KOBRA to his name, Torien and his band’s sound very much falls into that of rather typical glam rock, albeit with slightly more edge than a lot of their contemporaries. Opening with Hard as a Rock starts things off relatively well, but the crowd doesn’t seem fully into it for the duration of their performance – a problem only exacerbated when they choose to throw a lengthy drum solo right into the middle of their set. 

Rating: 6/10

NIGHT RANGER – Stage 1

San Francisco AOR titans NIGHT RANGER then arrive to cap off the day, and deliver a set that manages to exceed even the loftiest of expectations. Packing a mammoth 18 song setlist spanning most of their now nearly 40-year-long career, Jack Blades and co. arrive with the clear goal of making sure everyone in attendance has the best time it’s possible to have at a show. Striking an excellent balance between hard rocking numbers (Somehow Someway, High Road) and slower melodic ballads (Sentimental Street, Goodbye), the band are on incredible form throughout. As is customary by now, both Blades and drummer Kelly Keagy get turns at lead vocal performances too, with the latter getting to belt out several numbers, including the band’s signature tune Sister Christian towards the end of their set, before Blades closes the evening out with a rendition of (You Can Still) Rock In America so uplifting that it threatens to take the venue roof off. They might be on the verge of hitting their fourth decade as a band, but NIGHT RANGER are clearly showing no signs of slowing down any time soon, and quite frankly, why would they need to?

Rating: 9/10

Saturday

BLOOD RED SAINTS – Stage 1

As the final day of this year’s festival begins, it’s quickly apparent that the so far dismal weather has managed to somehow take a turn for the worse. Despite both stages being indoors, this sudden downturn in weather mean that BLOOD RED SAINTS for some reason begin their set playing to what feels like a criminally-underfilled room. Seemingly undeterred though, the Manchester five-piece go on to play arguably the best opening set of the whole weekend, with their melodic hard rock going down a storm with those who make it in to see them. Packing a wicked sense of humour to go with their soaring FM-esque sound, the band manage to balance hard rock and joking around perfectly across their far-too-brief set – with front man Pete Godfrey even randomly breaking into a quick cover of TAKE THAT’s pop chart-topper Back For Good at one point whilst his bandmates look on with bemusement.

Rating: 7/10

JOANOVARC – Stage 1

Ramping things up further are JOANOVARC, whose brilliantly enjoyable set manages to call to mind GIRLSCHOOL at their absolute peak within moments of their first song starting. Led by the charismatic Sam Walker, this London-based four piece might only have a relatively short set in which to make an impact, but they more than do so with apparent ease – churning out anthem after anthem of biting hard rock. Perhaps the highlight though, comes from watching drummer Debbie Wildish have what can only be described as having what seems to be the best time of any musician on the bill, such is the level of intensity and joy evident in her performance. This enthusiasm quickly helps endear the band to their audience, to the point where they can end a set with a cover of LYNYRD SKYNYRD classic Free Bird and it goes down with rapturous approval from just about everyone. Definitely a band worth keeping track of, based on their performance on this occasion.

Rating: 8/10

HAND OF DIMES – Stage 1

Welsh five-piece HAND OF DIMES are given the unenviable task of having to follow on from this though, and sadly fall quite short of the mark in that regard. Fronted by former SKIN vocalist Neville MacDonald and also featuring that band’s keyboard player Neil Garland, the band are today also joined by ex-SKIN bassist Andy Robbins for what quickly begins to feel like a mini-reunion of sorts. Despite MacDonald’s strong vocal performance on the likes of Moonlight Mile and Guilty, however, the whole affair for whatever reason ends up feeling a tad muted and plodding, and it isn’t until they close off with a cover of SKIN favourite House Of Love that things really seem to be making much of an impact with the majority of their audience.

Rating: 6/10

LITTLE CAESAR – Stage 1

Plodding is hardly a word you could apply to LA rockers LITTLE CAESAR though, luckily. Despite having just come off of a cancelled show in Chester just days prior thanks to a bout of food poisoning, the flat-cap wearing LA rockers emerge today firing on all cylinders and reignite the party atmosphere that encompassed much of the previous day incredibly, with a fiery set of high octane rock & roll anthems that prove instantly catchy and consistently great for the hour-long set they’re given on this occasion. Front man Ron Young strikes an excellent balance between entertaining and talented, and he and the band dig deep into their catalogue to pull out a powerful performance. Some slight technical difficulties between covers of THE FOUR HORSEMEN’s Nobody Said It Was Easy and MERLE HAGGARD’s Mama Tried do affect the flow of their show a slight amount, but on the whole, the band play it all off incredibly well and end their set on an overall high.

Rating: 8/10

ENUFF Z’NUFF – Stage 1

Illinois glam rockers ENUFF Z’NUFF follow, and launch into one of the most fun sets of the weekend, with a set of crude, over-the-top rock and roll that even STEEL PANTHER would be envious of. Frontman/bassist Chip Z’Nuff quickly establishes himself as a Spinal Tap-like comedy figure with daft quips like “Who’s got the cocaine?”, but he and his band more than have the musical chops to back it up, with the likes of Kiss The Clown, Wheels and Fly High Michelle all going down incredibly well. They even go as far as throwing in a DAVID BOWIE cover too in a move that works far better than you’d assume it might on paper, adding a distinctly more sleazy feel to The Jean Genie that turns the room into a karaoke bar for a good few minutes, as punters yell the iconic chorus back at Chip with vigour. In general then, it’s impossible to argue that ENUFF Z’NUFF have been anything other than a rousing success, and deservedly so.

Rating: 8/10

DARE – Stage 1

As the band leave the stage, there follows a rare moment of solemn quiet, as festival organisers and patrons alike pause to pay tribute to ESTRELLA bass player Nathan Gunn, who passed away at the age of 30 in a tragic accident just a few weeks prior to the festival. A short video package showing pictures of Gunn and his bandmates plays, before an eruption of applause brings the mood back up to a more celebratory feeling. It’s a classy touch from the organisers behind HRH AOR, and a moment that really hammers home the tight-knit community feel of the fans present for this weekend.

Following on from this, DARE are the next act up, and unfortunately things don’t go too well for the five-piece. Fronted by former THIN LIZZY keyboard player Darren Wharton, the band’s set seems to be received politely enough, but quickly becomes a bit of a bland, plodding mess as time goes on. What also doesn’t help is that they end up the victim of some fairly glaring technical problems for the entirety of their performance too – with the large video screens behind them alternating between flickering and simply not working at all, leading to much distraction as they are constantly rebooted to try and fix things. This unfortunately detracts most of the impact from DARE’s set however, and not even throwing in THIN LIZZY track Emerald mid-set can save this from feeling like a bit of a disappointment.

Rating: 5/10

THE QUIREBOYS – Stage 1

Last-minute lineup changes ahead of the festival, this time due to JACK RUSSELL’S GREAT WHITE pulling out, mean that THE QUIREBOYS have been drafted in as the next act making a last-minute appearance on the main stage, but what a booking that turns out to be. Despite having apparently flown in after being right in the middle of touring in Spain not even a week prior to HRH AOR VI, the band go on to have arguably the best reception of the weekend – being greeted virtually as returning heroes. It’s such a loving reaction that not even the glaringly obvious presence of a leg brace on frontman Spike affects things, as he and the band power through a hit-laden set that ends up being mostly culled from their stellar 1990 debut A Bit of What You Fancy, much to the delight of everyone.

Rating: 8/10

SKID ROW – Stage 1

With the bar set incredibly high once again, it then falls to hard rock titans SKID ROW to cap off the evening with their headline set. Now fronted by former DRAGONFORCE singer ZP Theart, who follows in the footsteps of predecessor Tony Harnell, as well as longtime vocalist Johnny Solinger and most well-known Sebastian Bach, the band have long been regarded as one of the best to emerge from their scene and prove exactly this within moments of taking to the HRH main stage. Opening strong with Slave To The Grind and Sweet Little Sister, it quickly becomes clear that Theart is easily the most capable vocalist the band have had since Bach’s days, as he and his bandmates power through what’s essentially an extended greatest hits set that could put most of their peers to shame. Classics like Piece Of Me and Livin’ On A Chain Gang sound more vital and dangerous than they have in years, but it’s the appearance of uber-ballad 18 and Life that really cements the effectiveness of this incarnation of SKID ROW, with Theart delivering a heartbreakingly great take on the song’s emotive lyricism, as the entire room raises lighters and phone flashlights in unison. Later, bassist Rachel Bolan even gets a moment in the spotlight, taking lead vocals on a punchy cover of the RAMONES anthem Psycho Therapy in the middle of the set. By the time the band reach their encore, the band are still firing on all cylinders though, and close things off with a frankly ludicrous run of I Remember You, We Are The Damned and arguably their signature song – the anthemic Youth Gone Wild. They might technically be into their 32^nd year as a band at this point, but based on the absolute triumph of performances like this, it seems that SKID ROW will be lighting up stages across the world of rock for a long time to come yet.

Rating: 10/10