Pentre Fest 2025
Pentre Fest 2025
Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd February 2025
McLeans Pentre
Review by Beth Morait, Mare Grills, and Alun Jones
Photography by Beth Morait
Well, first and foremost, I want to say it was my absolute pleasure to be back at McLeans for this year’s installment of Pentre Fest. It’s been a while, as the last couple of years of life have prevented me from getting here. But seeing familiar faces and sharing excited greetings with old friends was wonderful. And thankfully, nothing had really changed with McLean’s. Expect the burger stand outside. It was also great to have 2 other members of Team Ever Metal there too – like a mini family reunion!
Now, sadly we’ve lost a couple of legends to our local scene recently. Firstly, Duncan Black, ex Muscus guitarist, and then our beloved Keymo, everyone’s festival dad, and Mare’s husband. Both of these wonderful men lived and breathed music, and are very missed. So, as a token of the love this area has for these fallen brothers, This year’s Pentre Fest stages were named after them. The main stage being the ‘Duncan Black Stage’ and the second/ acoustic stage being the ‘Keymo Stage’. The latter was graced with Keymo’s battle jacket, to remind us all that he was still there with us. A lovely tribute to a wonderful human.
Mare’s View: I love Pentrefest. It’s the first proper Festival of the year and a chance to catch up with so many of our (now my) Festival Children. The music is always amazing, the people, welcoming and friendly, and the organisers, Fozzy and Beanie, work tirelessly to make sure everyone has a great time. Xavier was the Sound Man on the Main Stage, and Sean on the Acoustic Stage, and they played blinders, all adding to the enjoyment of the weekend. These wonderful humans named the acoustic stage after my late husband, the ‘Keymo Stage’. The main stage, ‘The Duncan Black Stage’, is named for an artist and young man who too, was stolen from his loved ones by cancer at only 34.
First things first though – travelling from Swindon, I picked up my gig buddy (and niece) Shannon, from Long Eaton and then headed for North Wales (I told you it’s a brilliant festival and well worth the mileage). We arrived around 3.30 and headed into McLean’s Bar, the venue, and ordered our Sunday Roast dinner because it sold out last year before I managed to book it.
Friday 21st February
So, to the music. Our first act of the evening, Edd Case, was already taking to the Keymo Stage when I arrived… Edd Case Edd is a stalwart of this place, and always, traditionally, opens up the festival with his acoustic set, playing a variety of originals, and covers that have been given the Edd treatment! And as always, he was on form for this performance, and sounded great on this year’s upgraded acoustic stage!
Mare’s View: Opening the festival on the Keymo Stage, this stalwart of Pentre Fest delivered everything you would want. He’s a guitarist of exceptional talent and a wonderful songsmith. He’s been the backbone of the Pentre Fest acoustic stage for years and I never tire of listening to him. For his first set of the weekend, he gave us a great cover’s set, but in his own unique raw and heartfelt style. Beginning with The Almightys, ‘Free and Easy’ and then his cover of ‘Billie Jean’ which is, in my opinion, much better than Mr Jackson ever did it, and a cornucopia of fantastic songs delivered with panache and originality.
My particular favourite was an inspired ‘re-mix’ of ‘Knocking on Heaven’s Door’, ‘No Woman no Cry’ and ‘Here I Go Again’ – clever, brilliantly executed and a testament to his imagination and skill.
I’ll give you more of his exploits later, this trooper delighted us with four sets over the weekend and it would be unfair to him to tell you about it all at once.
Mother Thunder
I’d never seen Mother Thunder before, but I can safely say they were a great start to the Duncan Black Stage proceedings. They’re a 5-piece Heavy Rock band that aren’t afraid to pack a punch. Their set was full of catchy choruses, foot-tapping beats, and energetic, crowd-pleasing Rock! At this point in the night, everyone was still pretty sober and socially anxious, but they kept the crowd bopping throughout their set, which I think is a mark of a decent band. Lead singer Jess Needham has quite a set of pipes, which cut through brilliantly on top of the mix of instruments, all of which could be heard perfectly! The rest of the band were also superb players, and showmen, taking us through a great set of pure ROCK!
Mare’s View: What a great opening band on the main stage. A five-piece with an amazing female vocalist, the band is tight, the timing really good and some lovely riffs. I really enjoyed the interaction with the crowd, and not all of it verbally. When the snare broke, it was dealt with professionally, with humour and kept us all involved so it wasn’t an issue. Really good, a very well received set; it was a really polished performance and a great taste of things to come – I think that their Metal2TheMasses entry will be one to watch – so go see them
Al’s Thoughts:
I saw Mother Thunder play in Pentre a few months back, they were superb. This time around, they were even better. MT play a hard-hitting, groove-laden take on classic Rock/Metal – think Thin Lizzy twin guitars with a bit of Maiden chug – and sublime female vocals. Heavy Rock with irresistible riffs, Mother Thunder lit up the room and could’ve (should’ve) been higher up the bill.
https://www.facebook.com/MotherThunderRockBand
After another quick set from Edd on the acoustic stage, (which included an interesting mash-up of a variety of songs that started at ‘Here I Go Again’, went through ‘No Woman No Cry’, and then finished up with ‘Knocking on Heaven’s Door’) it was time for the next band on the main stage!
Apollyon Rising In a late change to the bill, most of Apollyon Rising took to the stage! I say ‘most of’, as until a few hours previous, they weren’t scheduled to play. But sadly 40,000 leagues had to pull out due to illness in the band, and 3 members of Apollyon Rising managed to fill in the slot. However, it didn’t feel like they were a man down! With punishing guitars, thunderous drums, and vicious growls, they powered through a furious set of blistering Thrash Metal, that was like getting beaten up by an automated tennis ball launcher set to insanity speed! Great show, and a fabulous way to fill a surprise hole!
Mare’s View: Well – they’re loud. I didn’t make many notes as I was so enthralled by the performance. A reduced set as they kindly stepped in since 40000 Leagues were unable to attend due to illness – it still made one hell of an impact.
The bass drum hits you in the lungs, frenetic drumming, skilled musicianship. The band also came to us – none of this ‘please move forward’ malarkey – with the lead singer actually in the crowd. They are hard, heavy, brutal, and intense. If you like growly and fast, this band is for you – enjoy
Al’s Thoughts: Apollyon Rising were a man down as their bass player was on holiday in Morocco!! The selfish git! But with a bit of soundboard wizardry, the remainder of the band confidently gave us a set of prime Thrash Metal that didn’t shame their reputation one iota. I knew they could pull it off. As a wise man once said, never doubt a band with a killer logo (and the talent to match).
https://www.facebook.com/apollyonrisinghq
Edd Case
Mare’s View:
Edd started with an original song called ‘Choking on the Ashes’ about the Catholic Church, it’s thought-provoking, gritty and a banging tune.
The Underdog is all about growing up – whatever age you are, growing into your skin and growing confident, it’s an inspiring listen – these are just a couple of many of his amazing songs, but the one that gets me every time is called ‘Letters back home’; as he introduces it, about good people fighting dirty wars. It’s a piece of poetry, a heartrending story of the feelings of soldiers away from their families, fighting/’peacekeeping’ for us. I really need to buy shares in Kleenex.
Judgement Next up was Judgement. They also had a member off sick but had managed to get their friend to stand in on guitar, and it was seamless. But they were too heavy for me. It was blast beats aplenty, and lots of crazy riffs. The lead guitarist was excellent at complex solos, but the volume of everything else drowned them out a little, which was a shame. If you like your Thrash on the absolutely fucking furious side, this is definitely a band you should look up.
https://www.facebook.com/JudgementBand
Miserable Sinner Back to the Keymo Stage next, and a set from ⅓ of local ‘Rockcore’ band, Bad Earth – frontman Steve ‘Geordie’ Coxon, in his solo show guise, Miserable Sinner. Fair play he’s the only Geordie I’ve met who can pull off Southern Blues like he grew up in Nashville, chewing tobacco and jamming out on Gramma’s porch! His rustic, gravelly tone, but powerful delivery, cut through the night sky, warming everyone up, and making them smile. He’s got a way of delivering his set that makes it feel effortless, and always a pleasure to watch.
Mare’s View: The first time we saw Miserable Sinner was in Wrexham supporting Ryan McCoombs on his acoustic tour – we loved him then and I love him now. Geordie is a wonderful guitarist, great singer with a gritty nuance, and far too humble. He gave us a wonderful set of some brilliantly executed covers to which he added some lovely personal twists. He engages with the audience and relates little anecdotes which really added to this intimate set. I particularly enjoyed the story about paleantology and his first personal link with Keymo, both of them keen fossil hunters …. heading into ‘Let there be Rock’ – Alun, one of my Ever Metal colleagues was hoping for more fossil stories but that was not to be, I’m sure you can swap some over a beer.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089767142065
Dystopian Sun Our headliners for the evening were North Wales M2TM 2023 winners, Dystopian Sun. They play Technical Deathcore which packs a real punch. Very, very heavy, and very, very technical, with a lot of samples backing up the spiky metallic guitar sounds, and metronomic drumming. While they are clearly very good at what they do, they’re just too heavy for me. But the room had filled for their set, and the crowd was loving it! I left slightly before the end of their set, but the room was still buzzing to the sound of their guttural growls, and battering ram instrumentation.
https://www.facebook.com/DystopianSun
Saturday 22nd February
After hitting the mele of Tesco on a Saturday morning, I was well and truly ready for some musical healing! So I headed back over to Pentre for Day 2 of Pentre Fest. The music started again at 1.45pm, with Edd Case’s Hangover Session on the Keymo Stage…
Edd Case – The Hangover Session Or, really what should have been called the “Ridiculous Fever Dream During The Throws of a Hangover” Session. Imagine if you will, Widow Twanky getting bored of panto and deciding to play an acoustic set to a bunch of zombies with eyes like pissholes in the snow, all mainlining coffee and bacon, with Thatcher’s Cider chasers, and you’ve got a pretty good visual idea of the scene. But despite the dress and pink wig, Edd, as always, delivered a fantastic set. He has a great mournful voice and a powerful guitar strike that keeps the sound constant despite being the only instrument on the stage. There’s something very raw and real about a man with just a guitar, no technical wizardry needed. Just talent. Another great set.
Mare’s View: Edd treated us to another great covers set only this time as pretty as a picture dressed in pink and white frilly dress although the Misfits socks maybe didn’t compliment the ensemble as much as white lacy ones might, but what the hell do I know? This time there was enthusiastic crowd participation for the Billie Jean cover, mainly sticking in Michael Jackson’esque’ accents to the song, much to everyone’s amusement, including Edd’s.
Did I mention the pink wig and tiara?
He played ‘The Evil that Men Do’ (Iron Maiden), ‘Zombie’, ‘This Space between Us’ (Life of Agony) and a lovely version of ‘Love Song’ by The Cure.
There was something for everyone, exceptionally well delivered, and all in his own style – I’ve found a packet of tissues for his next set – yay…
DXRK Winter Now, anyone who’s been around these parts for the last few years will likely have come across Chef Metallers, Thrashatouille. And if you know them, you’ll also likely know their long-time friend, and Merch guy, Timmis. He’s a quiet, reserved, unassuming chap who you wouldn’t expect to front a band… Until you see him on stage with his band, DXRK Winter! Holy hell!!!! I was literally speechless (and if you know me that’s not something that happens often!). Timmis… WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN HIDING THAT ALL THESE YEARS?! Absolutely punishing Melodic Death/ Blackened Thrash Metal, that was technical, and on point, and created an instant buzz in the room. And Timmis worked the crowd brilliantly, like he’d been doing it for years in front of arenas of fans! This was seriously, seriously good shit! This isn’t usually my bag, musically, but the melodic nature of the songs turned it into something I really enjoyed. What a start to the day!!!!
Mare’s View: OMG – A Clark Kent to Superman transformation from our lovely Timmis! Who knew that the mild-mannered merch man for Thrashatouille would leap into being the amazing front man of this band that only formed last year? He absolutely nailed it – he owned the stage, and the floor in front of the stage and held us, the audience in thrall. He was having a ball and it showed.
The band gave an enthusiastic, solid and professional performance, there were some interesting changes of pace to keep us on our toes – their timing is great and they are really tight as a band.
Songs including ‘Know your Enemy’, ‘Vampyric’ – Timmis gave a really touching nod to Keymo in his introduction to ‘Perspective’ which again, began beautifully and then drove into full on heavy. There are some great headbanging tunes, and had it been later in the day when these guys played, I’m certain that there would have been circle pits.
Their final song, ‘Time to Go’, was a great ending to a really entertaining, skilled and fun set – and the audience loved it.
Al’s Thoughts:
Thankfully, I managed to catch the latter half of DXRK Winter’s set and I’m glad I did. They were on first on the main stage in the afternoon, their brutal metal attack was brilliantly performed and went down really well with a crowd that could’ve been chilling, but didn’t. A worthy act to play higher up the bill.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558356365880
Victim Of Damp Victim of Damp, AKA Pentre Fest’s own, Frank Williams, continued the fever dream theme on the Keymo Stage with his set of serious songs, funny originals, such as “Greg Wallace”, and re-written covers, including the Macarena rework, “Hey Diabetes”! Absolutely hilarious, but pull away the comedy, and you’re left with a decent musician under it. Whether it was his calming ballads, or comedic covers, this set was a gentle reminder that we really shouldn’t take life too seriously – it’s not a rehearsal, so enjoy it now. And that feeling of living in the moment transferred to the audience. They caught sweets being thrown from the stage like kids at a panto, the cares of the world were washed away for a while, and everyone was smiling and full of joy.
Mare’s View: A complete change of pace on the acoustic stage; Frank’s solo performances are always a pleasure, he gently began with a Pink Floyd cover, so well done – with only a slight hiccup in what is an extremely complex and difficult song to play – especially when singing too! Not to be flustered, he continued with a great set, launching into a brilliant parody of the Macarena, ‘Hey Diabetes’ and pelting (carefully) the audience with sweeties.
The ‘Triple Sex Pest’ song was really well received, humorous but a salutary tale, and the Vodka jellies distributed during the song ‘Just Say No’ were very nice thank you.
He finished with two of his songs about a van, and a door, and Fozzy, which are always crowd pleasers, we all joined in, had fun, and can’t wait to see him again.
Al’s Thoughts: Frank Williams, aka Victim of Damp, is becoming a popular mainstay of Pentre gigs. His bipolar set comprises one-half of mellow, hangover-curing melodies, followed by a series of playful, Pythonesque parodies. And he gets more confident every time.
https://www.facebook.com/victimofdamp
Cry For Mercy It was time for some Bluesy Rock n Roll over on the main stage next, with Chester’s finest, Cry For Mercy. It’s been a while since they’ve played this festival, so it was great to see them back. They sounded as good as ever though, with their high octane Rock, complete with face-melting solos, and audience participation, as they invited the gathered crowd to clap along. This is what the afternoon of a festival should always be about. Having fun, and damn fine music.
Mare’s View: A banging Bluesy rock trio with lovely guitar work, intricate and interesting. They were clearly enjoying themselves and the audience was enjoying them too. I could listen to this band all day and all night (I had to buy a couple of CD’s, I can’t wait until the next time I see them to listen again). With tasty riffs and bags of energy in the music, I was sold.
The lead singer has a fantastic voice, rich and clear and strong. The interaction with the audience was great, understated and intelligent. They have a new album coming out soon, I’m definitely buying it.
Al’s Thoughts: You can’t go wrong with the Blues-based Classic Rock swagger of Cry For Mercy. Great tunes, all built around the majesty of the riff and a persuasive groove. I loved every second, and to be honest it’s a shame they were on so early. Never miss a chance to see Cry For Mercy if you get it. Their new songs were just as good as old, and they have a new album out soon!
https://www.facebook.com/cryformercyofficial
Bad Earth After another quick set from Edd on the acoustic stage, it was time for Bad Earth to hit the main stage. The originators of ‘Rockcore’, Bad Earth deliver a unique sound that’s too heavy to be classed purely as Rock, too melodic to be classed as Thrash, even though the punishing drums suggest it, too raw to be classed as Heavy Metal, but not quite Metallic enough to be classed as Metalcore. And this 3 piece share vocal duties like a glorious Metal choir, with Geordie delivering the 40 Marlboro a day leads, bassist Karl the growls, and drummer Ben taking the cleans. This was another classic performance from them, which was thunderous and on point, despite Geordie not being able to hear himself in the monitors for the first few songs! I actually think they’re getting heavier as they progress as a band. Kind of maturing with age, like a fine fortified wine! Definitely not cooking sherry!
Al’s Thoughts: It just wouldn’t be Pentre Fest without these guys! Bad Earth delivered a reliably ferocious set of raucous Biker Rock and despite sound hiccups on the first couple of songs, soldiered on admirably. This was take-no-prisoners Rock ‘n’ Roll to make Lemmy proud. (Their acoustic set was also a blinder, cooking up some awesome sing-a-long responses from the crowd outside.)
https://www.facebook.com/BADEARTH
Mike West and the Missing Links Back on the Keymo Stage it was time for some Heavy Blues/Country, courtesy of Mike West and his band, made up of a drummer and violinist. It was an interesting sound, and a nice teatime treat for us! Mike has been a mainstay here for some years as a solo acoustic act, so it was great to see him with a band. And this was their first gig, so they really did a great job. While it wasn’t polished, it was pleasantly raw, and the addition of the fiddle really gave it a country authenticity. Like weary travellers, dusty from the arid desert roads, pulling out their instruments and playing some tunes for the other weary travellers at the only truck stop for 100 miles.
Mare’s View: I was looking forward to seeing this band from when I first spotted the violinist – I love a bit of fiddle playing, it can bring a joyfulness to things, or add emotion and depth. I wasn’t disappointed.
They play rock with a Bluegrass feel to it but the sound is distinctly British. With solid, well balanced drums, the really skilled Rob Wakefield on violin and Mike’s lovely guitar and vocals, it all adds up to a great listen. In addition to the well crafted original songs, which I loved, was a cover of Dio’s ‘Rainbow in the Dark’, probably unlike you’ve heard it before – it worked beautifully. Do look out for Mike, be it when he’s playing solo, or with the band.
Al’s Thoughts: It’s been a good few years since I saw Mike West play a solo acoustic show at Pentre. Mike’s brand of dark country and bluegrass is now augmented by a band of drums and fiddle, adding a certain folky, Levellers feel to the tracks. A brilliant diversion under the surprisingly blue skies of the late afternoon, this set was further proof that a metal festival can experiment with genres.
https://www.facebook.com/mike333west
Deliberate Miscarriage Now, before I write anything about this band, I’m going to say that I vehemently hate their name. I’m not usually one to moan about stuff like that. But for me, it’s a step too far. It’s not big, and it’s not clever, and to be honest it made me not want to watch them before they’d even played a single note. When it came round to their playing though, it was very good, very tight, and very polished Death Metal. I’m not a Death Metal person, but there’s no denying they are good at it. I’m not going to stop being a grumpy old woman about the name ever though. I spoke to the band afterwards, and they completely got where I was coming from with the name. It was nice having a chat with them because they are definitely up there in the genre, and if you like Death Metal you should check them out if you haven’t already. But please think about changing the name chaps. It’s really off-putting.
https://www.facebook.com/DeliberateMiscarriage
The Raging Mabels Back on the Keymo Stage next, for something that was far from acoustic. The Raging Mabels!!!! Proper in-your-face Punk Rock that had everything. Hi energy, cracking pace, distortion, a fuck ton of snare, steam train bass lines, and great vocals! It was like early Green Day, but British. So much fun, and a real crowd-pleaser. The fact that the outside area was packed spoke volumes about their class! At this point, they were my favourite band of the weekend so far.
Al’s Thoughts: Now I was really looking forward to seeing this band. I’d enjoyed viewing their Pentre Fest pre-event interview with Beany, plus they have one of the best band names ever. No arguments. The Raging Mabels were like the Ramones playing ZZ Top, a 200mph Zeke-like melodic explosion of Punk ‘n’ Roll. One of the most perfect bands ever.
https://www.facebook.com/theragingmabels
Toranaga Now, Thrash doesn’t usually float my boat. But Toranaga aren’t your usual run-of-the-mill Thrash band. They’ve got something different that I can’t actually put my finger on, but makes me really, REALLY like them. It’s almost a dirty Punk edge that makes them more interesting. Maybe it’s the mix of rhythms rather than just unrelenting blast beats, or the melodic nature of the songs, rather than just fast guitar for speed’s sake, but there’s definitely something that makes them buzz! And trust me, I’m the last person who ever thought I’d hear me saying that! It’s still got the fury and power of Thrash, but it’s got a Judas Priest-style catchiness about it. It’s old-school Bay-Area Thrash. It’s Megadeth with Rob Halfords on vocals! These guys are all seasoned professionals, and that was clear to see by the way they commanded the stage. The room was now much fuller, as we were getting towards the business end of the day, and it stayed full for their performance. Every performer in the band gave it their all, but I have to say the drummer was the star for me! Excellent, and very talented on the sticks!
Al’s Thoughts: Back to some welcome Thrash Metal, it was indeed a huge bonus to witness the power of Toranaga at Pentre. These guys are exceptional musicians, their shredding guitars creating a sound akin to classic Bay-Area Thrash from the likes of Exodus and Testament. And that is very, very good. Their cover of ‘Mad House’ by Anthrax warmed my ancient heart, too.
https://www.facebook.com/ToranagaUK
Bad Earth – Acoustic Because Geordie clearly hadn’t done enough work this weekend already, him and the rest of the Bad Earth lads were back, but this time acoustically. And they were again great, taking us through a range of cover songs, including some Foo Fighters, which was a real crowd-pleaser! And by this point, everyone was well-oiled enough to have forgotten this morning’s hangover and join in raucously with the choruses! The party atmosphere was well and truly brought with this set. We had banter, laughs, and even an outburst of “Happy Birthday” for a lady in the crowd celebrating her 60th! What better way to warm up a chilly February evening than with some Bad Earth eh?! And this performance was the epitome of the Rock and Metal family just having a right old laugh together!
Things were running a little over schedule by now, but there was still just about time to fit in a quick round of ‘The Jager Game’ – which is basically like Boule, but the jack is a bottle of Jager, and the balls are pound coins. The closest coin to the bottle at the end of the game wins the Jager, and all the pound coins tossed during the game are collected and donated to charity! Great little game, and all for a good cause!
Mare’s View: I love these guys – I can’t work out why I missed their set on the Duncan Black Stage, but their acoustic set was just so much fun. Geordie (Miserable Sinner) ‘comparing’ their set, all three of the guys individually sang a collection of banging covers. I’d like to take exception to Geordie saying that they were massacring great songs – they were great and the addition of the drummers ‘notes’, held aloft at the back was hilarious.
Tripping through ‘Holy Water’, ‘Everlong’ (one of our Wedding songs), ‘Rebel Yell’, ‘Radar Love’ and ‘Never Surrender’, among others – but doing them in their own style was just immense. I loved it so much I missed the Jaeger game. (come next year and find out). Interestingly, Bad Earth are appearing in the same first round heat as both Mother Thunder, and DXRK Winter at this year’s North Wales Metal 2 The Masses, on 8th March. That’s a horrendous clash, as all three of these bands absolutely deserve the chance to play the hallowed Bloodstock New Blood Stage! I would not like to be judging that heat, that’s for sure!
Stuntface
Hold on to your hats folks – shit is about to be fucked up!!!! Because next on the main stage was the originators of North East Wales Punk, Wrexham’s own Stuntface! Again, this is a band who’ve been kicking the shit out of the scene with their spikes and cherry reds for bloody years, and that shows in their performance. Frontman Wayne is a hilarious little Welsh pocket rocket who literally wrote the banter book, and kept the audience howling with his witty repartee between songs. Not that there was much gap between the songs – if the rest of the day was standard road cars, this set was an F1 Ferrari with a big ‘I Give Zero Fucks’ sign on it, steamrollering through the traffic! Every single member of the band gave it their all. Fucking fab, I loved it, and that’s all I have to say!
Al’s Thoughts: Stuntface hail from just up the road in Wrexham, and it was great to see them finally bring their brand of flat-out, relentless Hardcore Punk to Pentre Fest. Their songs are furious yet melodic, played super-fast and with a huge grin on bass player/vocalist Wayne’s face. An absolute treat – Stuntface must play here again!
https://www.facebook.com/stuntface
Collateral And so we reached the final band, our headlines, Collateral. If the white, fixed mic stand wasn’t enough to give it away, their first song signalled that we were in for a show of 80s Classic Melodic Rock, complete with denim and leather, and enough pantenned hair to keep a wig shop in stock for months. And, in true 80s style, the area in front of the stage quickly filled with groupies – great to see, pain in the arse to take photos in! Collateral certainly know how to command an audience, and their sound was crystal clear and on point! After the rip-roaring last few hours, it was a fitting way to bring the party to a close, although I was half expecting Rocky to jog through the room wearing sweatbands and a grey tracksuit, followed by a camera crew filming a cutaway montage scene!
Sadly I couldn’t manage the whole set. My broken body couldn’t stand up anymore, and I had to retreat home for pain meds and a brew! But when I left there was a definite air of pure joy in the room, under the commanding air-grabs of Collateral frontman Angelo Tristan.
Mare’s View: Time for the headliners – this band just goes from strength to strength. Solid harmonious, good old-fashioned Rock, but modern. They opened Stonedead Festival a couple of years ago as voted for by the fans, supported HEAT on tour, and are headlining their own tour, selling out the Tiv earlier this week.
Angelo, the lead singer, has bags of energy, great interaction with the crowd and fronts this, in my opinion, amazing band with confidence, aplomb and a great voice. Solid, professional and skilled musicians, they own the stage and frankly I never tire of seeing them perform. They had this old bird headbanging (luckily Shannon was on it – I do tend to overbalance sometimes).
Yet another great performance finishing with ‘Big Shot’ – loved it.
https://www.facebook.com/collateralrocks
And that, as they say in the business, was a wrap! Another great weekend at Pentre, seeing old friends, and meeting new ones. And I think it’s safe to say that all of us from team Ever Metal had an absolute blast! And it’s safe to say that Keymo and Duncan would have been proud.
Although all the bands were great, a few really stood out to me. Firstly, DXRK Winter. Seeing shy little Timmis devour the whole venue like he did just made me so happy! Toranaga were also spectacular. But equal top of my ‘Fuck YEAH’ list were The Raging Mabels and Stuntface. I think I might suddenly have become Punk!… Until next year, thank you Pentre Fest.
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Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Beth Morait, Mare Grills, Alun Jones, and Ever Metal. Photography the property of PhotograBee (Beth Morait). It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
