EARL OF HELL, BANSHEE LABYRINTH, EDINBURGH, JULY 17 2026

 A FORGED IS SCOTLAND gig from SCOTLAND ROCKS RADIO

Line-up:

FUZ CALDRIN: You should know these lads, it's only been a few weeks since they last played here. It's unlikely that they've changed much. And, indeed, they haven't.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/__BP0oPnXhY    https://www.facebook.com/fuzcaldrinband

BUZZARDS OF BABYLON: Stoners - with a hefty NWOBHM flavour - from Kirkcaldy, fond of a beer or two. First gig of the year, and their first time in the Banshee.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/rHFnEEbjGVE   https://www.facebook.com/buzzardsbabylonuk

EARL OF HELL: Lean and sinewy supercharged local heavy rockers. Very popular. The crowd demands two encores, but they have nothing prepared. We get an old song that they've not played for more than two years - 'Hang 'Em High' - and an impromptu cover of T-Rex's 'Children of the Revolution'  which they have NEVER played before.

VIDEO HERE:   https://youtu.be/2rbUYs0b8wU  https://www.facebook.com/earlofhell

ALAIN JOHANNES, CATHOUSE, GLASGOW, MAY 17 2025

I haven't been in the Cathouse since 2015, but here I am to see a pioneer of grunge back in Scotland, courtesy of those nice people at Red Crust.

Line-up:

VOLCANOVA: Icelandic turbo-stoners. A VERY sharp start means that they're playing to a nearly empty Cathouse at first. Doesn't seem to bother them too much.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/ZhfBxYurdro  https://www.facebook.com/volcanova

EARL OF HELL: Edinburgh rock'n'rollers doing a double shift tonight - on their own, playing their new album in full, and as ALAIN JOHANNES' backing band.

VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/MvXjhbvTHPI  https://www.facebook.com/earlofhell

ALAIN JOHANNES: The aforementioned pioneer of grunge. He has worked with Mark Lanegan, Queens of the Stone Age, Pearl Jam, Desert Sessions, amongst others, had his own band Eleven, and released solo stuff. And now he's here in Glasgow with Earl of Hell. Who don't do grunge.

Last time I saw him, he had a hat. He doesn't have a hat tonight.

VIDEO 1: https://youtu.be/PbBt4SewEM4

VIDEO 2:  https://youtu.be/23J_-f45Trk

https://www.facebook.com/alainjohannesmusic

RED CRUST FEST, PART 4, VARIOUS VENUES, EDINBURGH MARCH 31 2024

 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.