US metallers Machine Head returned to the UK in the summer of 2012 to perform a headline set at the Bloodstock metal festival. Sharing a bill with Alice Cooper, Sepultura, Paradise Lost, Nile and Corrosion of Conformity, Machine Head found themselves as one of the headline acts on one of the strongest ever Bloodstock bills to date, and so, had to deliver.

Although there was no danger of Machine Head disappointing their fans, the final setlist was given an extra strength: fans were allowed to vote for the five ‘Burn My Eyes’ era songs they would most like to hear, thus celebrating twenty five years since Machine Head’s much lauded debut was released.

You can watch all of Machine Head’s set below:

In 2010, Parisian punks The Black Stout released their debut EP. The self-financed release was one of that year’s best DIY punk releases, really capturing the spirit of the band’s influences while mixing it with a hefty dose of talent. Their second release – the eight song vinyl ‘A Pint of Riot’ – branched out a little farther, incorporating a few more punk ‘n’ roll elements. While not as instant, that second release proved this band on the rise still weren’t short of attitude.

Since those outside France have not had the opportunity to catch The Black Stout live (yet), below are two full length shows for you to enjoy. While the band may not appear as visually energetic as some, these clips more than capture the musical spirit of their two releases to date.

Enjoy. [Please note: the second clip features strobey lighting]

[Both EPs can be purchased from The Black Stout’s Bandcamp page.]

July 2012

During the weekend of June 23rd/24th 2012, Metallica headlined their own festival,  ‘Orion: Music + More’.  In keeping with all of their other festival appearances throughout the year, the second night of the festival featured the metal titans performing the whole of their 1991 self-titled release.

The first night, however, featured something rather more special.  On June 23rd 2012, Metallica performed the whole of their 1984 release ‘Ride The Lightning’ as the centrepiece for their two hour set.  Some of the ‘Ride’ songs had not had a regular slot in the band’s set list for some time, while ‘Escape’ had never been performed live previous to this occasion.

The rest of the set appeared as strong, and equally steeped in nostalgia. Being almost entirely constructed of tunes from between 1983-1991, it was left to ‘Hell and Back’ (from 2012’s ‘Beyond Magnetic’ EP) to solely fly the flag for Metallica’s more recent output.

[You can also watch another complete Metallica show from 2012 by clicking here]

For a quarter of a century, Revelation Records have released a string of fantastic punk/hardcore records.  The label was the first home to hardcore legends Sick Of It All, and throughout the late eighties and nineties released unmissable records by Youth of Today, Sense Field, Orange 9mm, Into Another and far more besides.

Between June 7th-10th at The Glasshouse in Pomona, California, four gigs were staged to mark their anniversary, featuring key bands associated with the label’s past and present.  Sets were played by Gameface and the ever-reliable Sick Of It All, with three of the four shows headlined by the reformed Gorilla Buscuits, and the fourth headed by the reformed Youth Of Today.

While the shows featured some great punk/hardcore talents, there was also a surprise in store.  One of the best cult bands in Revelation’s history, Quicksand, reunited for a one-off performance on June 10th.  A side-project headed by Walter Shreifiels, their 1993 full-length debut is a genre classic.

Below, you can view quality fan filmed footage of the Quicksand reunion (June 10th), Gameface (June 7th) the June 6th set by Into Another and Gorilla Biscuits (June 8th). Also provided are links to some of the great moments from the Revelation catalogue.

Whether long or short, Def Leppard’s live sets are often spot on. Their last London show in 2011 was no exception, as armed only with a video screen, great songs and no gimmicks, the Leps had the near impossible task of following Motley Crue’s larger than life show, which came complete with pyros, a revolving drum kit and a truck-load of attitude.

For those at that particular show, it seemed the attitude which fuelled the Motley Crue set was not just confined to the the stage. From REAL GONE’s position, we’d witnessed a drunk man making a nuisance of himself throughout the Crue set, which actually led to another audience member grabbing him around the throat and then punching him square in the face, leading to bloodloss! The Def Leppard fans were, in contrast, as genial as the band themselves.

On Wednesday June 6th, 2012, Def Leppard took a step back from the large venues and played a short set in front of an intimate crowd at Hollywood’s House of Blues. The seven song, 25 minute set was followed with a half-hour Q&A session, which can also be seen below.

As a bonus, the bottom embedded link contains 90 minutes from Def Leppard’s huge homecoming show at Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield, 1992.

Read a review of Def Leppard’s often overlooked debut ‘On Through The Night’ here.