Last lap. Something of a 'stoner' day today at LA BELLE ANGELE, featuring young upstarts, legendary veterans and a fair bit of stuff in between. And something at the end to blow the cobwebs away.
VENUE: LA BELLE ANGELE:
Line-up:
FULL MONTIES: The aforementioned young upstarts, playing mostly covers and a few originals. A different selection of covers, though, including the likes of DOORS and CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL. Originals showing a fondness for QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, too. An unexpected offering from a bunch of kids. They need to change their name, though. FULL MONTIES brings to mind a bunch of middle-aged men doing terrible pub-rock covers at a bowling club Christmas party.
VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/Pou81QSB_r8 https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100091680182158
CULT OF SOBEK: Grinding doom from local worshippers of the Crocodile God. Very dark.
VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/VQt2T45ULYg https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088422994440
DUSKWOOD: Sturdy stoner rock from the deep south...well, Yeovil, actually. Back in Edinburgh for the first time in a few years.
VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/c9j2IsQN-sA https://www.facebook.com/duskwoodmusic
BIG IRON: Oliver Wardell's newest hard rockin' project, in which he does singing and not guitaring, for a change. Big fun.
VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/MwIIW_pNFVM https://www.facebook.com/bigironisbig
SAINT KARLOFF: Heavy duty stoner trio from the deserts of Norway.
VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/SjS3R_PPoMc https://www.facebook.com/SaintKarloff
RITUAL KING: Sticking with the hefty stoner theme, here we have Manchester's RITUAL KING.
VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/MscrN7_B4qo https://www.facebook.com/ritualking
ALAIN JOHANNES/EARLOF HELL: A legendary figure in the desert rock/grunge scene. At times, with our eyes closed, we could be listening to MARK LANEGAN or QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, but it's all ALAIN JOHANNES. Backed on this tour by local scamps EARL OF HELL, whose own set I missed earlier.
VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/NgJOtUWEQyE https://www.facebook.com/alainjohannesmusic
ELEPHANT TREE: Headlining the main stage, bluesy, progressive stoner/doom sort of thing from London. If they've ever played Edinburgh before, it was a long time ago. It would be nice to see them back soon.
VIDEO:
https://youtu.be/aL5R4vALSAo https://www.facebook.com/elephanttreeband
That's Sunday at La Belle over and done, and I am very nearly dead. But there is still something to see to before I actually die, so it's a quick dash round the corner to...
VENUE: LEGENDS
COFFIN MULCH: Something completely different from Glaswegian death metallers getting all shouty and aggressive in our faces. Which is nice.
VIDEO: https://youtu.be/olYY_zCFMbc https://www.facebook.com/coffinmulch
Right, that's it. Four days of metal, and I'm totally done. I can barely stand up and I've still got to drive home. I've got a few days off, and then it's STRANGEFORMS time. But that's for later. In the meantime, thanks to DUNCAN MOUNTAIN and everybody at RED CRUST for having me, and for putting on a remarkable weekend of metal in all (or most, anyway) of its forms. I'm assured that plans are already brewing for next time, when the Fest will be back, bigger and, arguably, better. Hopefully, I'll have recovered by then.
