Back for day two and another eight bands to look forward to, and despite getting a parking ticket, we were still on a high from an excellent first day where the bar was set very high!
There’s no better way to blow away the cobwebs and stupor from the previous day than to open up with a band that’s gonna blow your socks off, and so it was that local lads White Tyger (8) exploded onto stage to drag us all out of our Sunday morning bleariness. Their no holds barred, heavy metal assault probably stunned a few early punters if they had never seen these guys before. Unashamedly pure ‘80s testosterone fuelled rock that might seem dated to some, but it’s good to have a mix of stuff and a few of us oldies appreciate the old school stuff!
The first of two bands next up that were new to us was Leadfeather (7) who kept the pace high. A last minute addition to this weekend, they proved that they were worthy of the spot with an excellent set of high octane heavy rock, and following them were Gone Savage (7) with a set of heavy rock that was subtle, verging on the more melodic AOR style of rock. There were some occasional heavy riffs, but on the whole a more middle of the road performance.
A band that nearly didn’t make it today was the Ashley Sherlock Band (8). A bug had hit the band, but they got up to perform regardless, and apart from a bit of huskiness in Ashley’s voice, you couldn’t tell. The band belt out some classic Americana tinged roots rock that is perfect for this afternoon as everyone seems a little subdued! Ashley’s bluesy guitar playing is full of soul and soothes our souls and once again highlights the diverse range of musicians that are gathered under this NWOCR umbrella this weekend.
And you couldn’t get much more diverse than German (and a bit Australian) troubadours Sweet Electric (9). This genre busting outfit soon got everyone's attention with their eye popping stage presence and high energy performance. Front man Brad Marr is resplendent in his golden bomber jacket and baseball cap, the only way I can describe it is if you crossed Massive Wagons with Electric Six! Completely bonkers but highly entertaining and infectious.
The most theatrical performance of the weekend was courtesy of Ward XVI (9) who brought their shock rock train into town (literally!). The band are currently riding high with great reviews for their album Id3ntity and will be taking their show out on the road later this month so we were lucky to get to see a preview of that show this evening. The stage is set up to represent an asylum in some dystopian world where the lunatics really have taken over. There’s plenty of faux blood and shock horror straight from the Alice Cooper school of shock but the music is more oppressive and darker. It’ll be interesting to see a whole headline show, tonight was just a bloody taster.
As we hurtle towards the climax of the weekend we switch back to a more classic rock vibe with the outstanding The Karma Effect (10). Currently in the middle of a tour which has seen them packing out venues across the country and in Europe, the band are confident and slick on stage with a well honed show. New boy on bass, Nathan Keevil, has slotted in well and front man Henry, seems to get better every time we see them. His soulful vocals have just the right amount of rawness to them to give an edge to the bluesy tones, another top quality set from a band that just gets better and better.
So, onto the final act of the weekend and it’s powerful set of classic melodic rock from Cats In Space (8). Although only a decade in the making, the bands pedigree is much longer with band members having long careers in various other projects. This is rock born in the ‘70s, with stunning guitar solos and glorious vocal harmonies. Throw some classic keyboard melodies and blistering bass lines into the mix and you have all the ingredients for a set of stand out rock that is a perfect end to a top weekend.
A great two days of multi genre rock that showcases some of the incredible talent we have and we look forward to seeing what the team can come up with for next year as NWOCR 5 will return to KK’s on the 26th and 27th September 2026
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