Gig review: Glamfest at the Metro, Sydney

Live review: Glamfest 2024 at the Metro Theatre, Sydney, Sunday, February 18 2024

By PAUL SOUTHWELL

FOR those of a certain vintage, overseas metal mags – and this trusty publication back in the days of print – were the best source of information on the glam metal scene. Sadly, many of the bands in that heyday didn’t make the trek to our fine land, even after venturing as far as Japan. Through sheer tenacity and a certain level of ambition, we now have the reputable promoter for a second iteration of Glam Fest to thank for bringing some decades-overdue acts and some return visits from artists who toured here on previous occasions. For many punters, it was the chance to see a slew of great acts for the first time ever, without dusting off their passport, alongside a generally solid selection of local bands – some on the rise – who are clearly indebted to some of the acts on the tour.

Queuing in the line to get in, the realisation dawned thankfully that this was not going to be subject to the stinking heat and scorching sunlight avoidance tasks of yesteryear. Yet sadly it was devoid of any sustenance within the venue, the only gripe as many a food and coffee cart would be tripping over themselves to service this festival. Anyway, once in, it was a case of alternating between the main room of the venue,and a side venue, until the big hitters on the bill pretty much took over the ‘good room’. 

First cab off the rank today, were recent Crusader Records signees, Melbournians SHOTGUN MISTRESS, formed by established death metal lead guitarist Matt Wilcock. Live, they were channelling more of Aerosmith combined with Velvet Revolver than anything from the Cannibal Corpse realm. “Save Me from Myself” had a nice use of wah pedal for Wilcock’s sound and subsequent tracks even employed a dash of cow bell from drummer David ‘Diamond’ Lee and some falsetto from shirtless scarf enthusiast and front man Glenn Patrick. A decent opening act and worth catching live.

Trundling over to the side stage, fuelling on water for the long haul, ABLAZE, also from Melbourne, took to the stage with a raucous level of attitude, rumbling through the fast-paced “Gasoline”.  And soon enough they set the tone with the standard shuffling pub rock tune of “Where’s My Drink?”, which included vocalist Danny Slaviero sharing some forced imbibing with the other band members. Blue haired bassist Paris Rowe jumped around like she’d consumed a litre of red cordial, whilst the dual guitar harmonies from guitarist Ben Anderson and Matt Dynon made their latest single “Different Kind of Nightmare” work. “Long Way Home” from the No Chaser album delivered the big riffs, ending the set with the affirmation-based rock boogie of “Just A Taste”, complete with the first of the day’s many call-and-response audience participation efforts.

Back to the main room and heavy blues rockers THE BLACK CARDINALS really delivered an Australian version of The Black Crowes crossed with Rival Sons. “Gravity” had tasty slide work from co-guitarist Jonny Goldrick, while next track “Broken Man” allowed Les Paul-wielding co-guitarist Eric Wong to employ his wah pedal to great effect. The riff-heavy “Switch Me Off” and cool “Give Me Something” melded nicely into the grooving “Come a Little Closer”. To close their short but effective set, the slow rolling boogie of “Demons Call My Name” cemented The Black Cardinals as a local band highlight.

Sadly, the pantomime-meets-glam absurdity and Rock Eisteddfod-inspired antics of CROSSON – led by wig-adorned front man Jason Crosson – required a level of detached humour to appreciate. While they do have a well-rehearsed show and the performers involved are most certainly skilled, the reliance on costume changes and female dancers (perhaps to distract from somewhat derivative songs) becomes distracting in itself, as do the jarring musical interludes of virtuosity from lead guitarist Marco Rado (who, to be fair, is a skilled guitarist). While some tracks are musically solid, with a capable backing band carrying new material from recent album Ready, Aim,..Rock!, Crosson’s flying V adorned with tacky LED lights along the bindings of the guitar, operated by a switch on the guitar’s back, was barely visible to most in attendance due to the low stage. “Fallen from Grace” contained gothic vampire styled costumes and Crosson in a red cape. Dancers Libby Thirsk and Olivia Scanlan returned in pink cabaret dresses with feather boas to embellish a tolerable cover of Abba’s “Money, Money, Money”, after which the set concluded with “Everyone’s a Star” from Rock’n’Roll Love Affair.

DEPT OF GLOOM were next up on the main stage, as it were, and the searing guitars of “Kill Someone” from co-guitarists Phil Bowley and former Genitorturers guitarist Bizz Tronix complemented frontman and bassist Leeno Dee perfectly. The slow groove of “Lonely Highway” from the Department of Gloom album followed, with “Precious Love” seeing Bowley deliver howling guitar notes, strong vocals and an expressive solo. The new wave feel of “I Dare You” offered that catchy eighties vibe the festival crowd wanted, as did the twin guitar, pop vibe of “Break the Silence”. The Candy Harlots’ classic “Danger” also got an airing, chock full of melody guitar lines. Dept. of Gloom closed the set with a tight, energetic but efficient rendition of Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell”.

The side stage was now able to redeem itself from the Crosson experience with Sweden’s snarling rock from THE CRUEL INTENTIONS. It was a sensational set that mainly delved into highlights from both the Venomous Anonymous and No Sign of Relief albums. Several songs in, and with rock attitude to burn, “Chaos in a Bombshell” had frontman Lizzy DeVine pushing a call and response with the audience, whilst lead guitarist Kristian Solhaug played with enthusiasm. Devine then quipped, “I’m having so much fun, I forgot to drink alcohol”. The following track “Go Fuck Yourself” was very reminiscent of aggressive, vintage Skid Row while the energy of “Venomous Anonymous” got the hearty singalongs going. An apt Vains of Jenna cover with “Enemy in Me” was followed by the harmony guitars of “Jawbreaker” and the grooving bounce of “Borderline Crazy” but it was the closing track of “Sick Adrenaline” that pushed the energy level. Thanking the audience, the PA pumped out “Heartbreak Boulevard” by Shotgun Messiah. A perfect set from The Cruel Intentions.

Back into the main room, Melbourne based act SISTERS DOLL let rip, ushering in the part of the festival with slightly longer sets. Appearing as a three-piece without bass, since Austin Mileto has switched from bass to lead guitar, and front man Brennan Mileto, was diving into his blue burst Les Paul with a sense of purpose, as was drummer Bryce Mileto, whose uncanny resemblance to Tommy Lee’s signature style is noticeable. All contribute backing vocals but as no bassist was evident; presumably some sonic trickery was employed to fill that gap. But it was a solid live sound regardless with Austin, also working as George Lynch’s guitar tech for the evening, peeling off lead lines that were very Nuno Bettencourt styled- which was perfect for the festival audience. 

Sisters Doll opened with the bombastic “Black Mirror”, followed by the partially Led Zeppelin reminiscent “Prisoner”, before launching into the mid-paced new album track “Change”. The nod to Extreme continued with “Strutt”, complete with the first of this evening’s rendition of The Who’s “Won’t get Fooled Again”, more similar to the way Van Halen covered it. Similarly, a cover of Argent’s “God Gave Rock and Roll to You” had all the hallmarks of the KISS version, including Paul Stanley’s indulgent monologue before reprising the chorus. “Welcome to the Dollhouse” took the band to a slightly sinister angle, ending the set with the big chords and vocal harmonies filled track “Good Day to Be Alive”, from their second album.

Those who recall loud pub rock shows were given a jolt when JETBOY took over the side stage with a volume that was, oddly enough, on par with a jumbo jet taking off. After the eardrum pummelling, brash, punk rock of opening track “No Limit”, on dealing with monitor issues, enduring front man Mickey Finn commented “yeah I am old, but it is still fucking loud.” The vast majority of the set comprised of songs from their defiant second album, Damned Nation and some masterful slide guitar work from rhythm guitarist Keith Warcholak, made the boogie of “Rock ‘n’ Roller” and the herbal remedies ode, “Bullfrog Pond” truly memorable. Drummer Conor Nevins kicked in hard for “Moonlight” while “Born to Fly” let lead guitarist Jimmie B. Romero off the chain. Finn’s self-referential “Trouble Comes” welcomed in the very early AC/DC stomp feel of “Fire in My Heart” from Feel the Shake. Plentiful backing vocals from all band members bolstered the choruses and the set closer, album title track “Feel the Shake”, allowed for an expressive set ending. Jetboy were loud but also a ferocious detour from the slicker sensibilities of glam metal. 

Heading back the main stage, the contrast in styles could not be more stark with the polished hard rock of TYKETTO pending as the PA played Journey tracks. As the stage lights dimmed, and the band walked on, the PA track of a secretary taking a phone call played, with the character saying, “Mr. Jones, Tyketto is here to see you” with the typically American delivery that we knew to expect, but it was all good natured and fun. Starting their set with a couple of tracks from debut album, Don’t Come Easy, both “Wings” and “Burning Down Inside” offered up bright and well-rehearsed hard rock with spark, sass and presence from the band, led by superb front man Danny Vaughn. The lead guitar work from new recruit Harry Scott Elliott was precise, whilst former Waysted/Vaughn co-conspirator and drummer Johnny Dee delivered a strong groove and backing vocals, syncing in with heavily tattooed touring bassist Wayne Dowkes White from band This House We Built, as Chris Childs was not able to make the tour. 

Keyboardist Ged Rylands added depth to the full live sound as several tracks from Strength in Numbers were soon delivered brilliantly. In that batch, the commercial pop feel of “Rescue Me” included legato guitar work, “Meet Me in the Night” and “Catch My Fall” saw Vaughn add acoustic guitar parts with powerful, clear and melodic vocals, as the audience sang along. The inclusion of heartfelt ballad “Standing Alone” worked wonders to win over any doubting audience members, as did the call-and-response crowd participation skills introducing “Lay Your Body Down” from Don’t Come Easy followed by Dee walking to the front with a mobile cow bell to push the “The Last Sunset”, complete with Finding Nemo and Bon Jovi cowboy references. Of course, to close the set, the rerun to rock mode was achieved with the fantastic “Forever Young” track, moved by interval chords and a perfect execution of the original, very George Lynch-sounding guitar solo.

Tyketto’s friend JANET GARDNER was next at the side stage, and these days, she is partnered both literally and musically with guitarist and fellow songwriter Justin James. They’ve dusted themselves off from what can be diplomatically termed as ‘previous festival visits’, to deliver a belting set full of both their own material, and works from Vixen, the band that catapulted Gardner and associates to international stardom in the late eighties. “Flamethrower” from her second duo album Your Place in the Sun was a sonic barn burner, with drummer Richie Rivera and bassist Anthony Gemignani supplying a powering rhythm section, against howling guitar lines from Justin James.

Gardner’s vocal vibrato was evident on the Vixen track “Rev It Up” but some technical sound dramas led to an impromptu drum solo from Rivera before the set resumed with the nostalgic ’85’ from No Strings, and the suitable level of rhythmic aggression heard in “If You Want Me”. 

A set highlight was the Jeff Paris-penned “Cryin'” power ballad single from Vixen’s debut album, during which Gardner wandered into crowd whilst singing. But things got musically heavier with “Wounded” from the more recent album Synergy. It was the great song structures of “A Way to Your Heart” and Sammy Hagar’s “There’s Only One Way to Rock” from Standing Hampton that set the bombast necessary for the Vixen, MTV hit of “Edge of a Broken Heart”. This was a single full of power chords partially penned by Richard Marx and on this occasion it included an alternating duet of sorts with Cassidy Paris, who Gardner described as “Australia’s number one cool rock chick”. It was a great set and one that overcame sonic hurdles to win over the audience.

Back to the main stage area for the final three bands, all of which could be considered headliners in their own right. And Sweden’s melodic rock powerhouse H.E.A.T were back in Australia to deliver their high energy set. Fronted by Sweden’s version of Bruce Dickinson, the hyperactive Kenny Leckremo was in full flight this evening, geeing up the audience and the band with an infectious enthusiasm. Back in the fold since 2020 after Erik Grönwall joined Skid Row, Leckremo is a superb fit for the song craft of keyboardist Jona Tee and the interspersed guitar skills of black hat-wearing Dave Dalone. The gallop of “Demon Eyes” from Force Majeure, sing along of “Rock Your Body” and vocal harmonies of “Hollywood” reinforced the intense stage energy. 

Bassist Jimmy Jay and drummer Don Crash hold down the rhythm section, and add backing vocals, allowing Leckremo to scream in falsetto, such as heard in “Address the Nation”, whilst Dalone covered the expanses of the fretboard. The boogie shuffle of “One by One” allowed Leckremo to say that H.E.A.T. are, “not going to stop coming back to your beautiful country”, and during “Beg, Beg, Beg” a vocals and keys trade-off ensued, with plentiful backing vocals during the pace building “Living on the Run”, before the pop metal of “Back to the Rhythm” segued into the call-and-response work during the driving “Dangerous Ground”. Hand claps, singalongs and fingerpicked guitar work closed out the set with older track, “A Shot at Redemption” as the H.E.A.T method of repeating the chorus took hold. Superb work and one of the day’s highlights, alongside the mastery of Tyketto.

The last time Australia had guitar virtuoso GEORGE LYNCH and previous cohorts  in town, under the guise of Lynch Mob, was in 2008. He has also visited here for promotional work and guitar clinics  but never with Dokken. So the possibility of it being the last Lynch Mob tour was indeed a selling point for guitar heads. Aside from ex BulletBoys drummer, Jimmy D’Anda, the other members are comparative youngsters in bassist Jaron Gulino and shirtless, white leather jacket wearing new vocalist Gabriel Colon. 

Probably sensing what the fanbase in attendance wanted, Lynch Mob’s set was largely material from Wicked Sensation and a smattering of Dokken classics. So, once the band strolled on stage, including a casual but fit looking Lynch in boardshorts and singlet, sporting an ESP Stratocaster style guitar, plugged into Marshall amplifier heads, it was straight into the Dokken classic “Tooth and Nail”. Lynch, moving effortlessly between held and arpeggiated chordal parts, mixed with exotic sounding soloing guitar runs, and had an understated but smooth, slightly distorted guitar tone that used the amplifier’s tubes when the volume swelled for solo sections. The rendition was not exact to the recorded version, but it was Lynch playing it, sliding into various sections with ease, even when the guitar sound cut out briefly. 

The biting chords of “River of Love” had a loose feel to it, as did the AC/DC based blue rock of “No Good” from the Lynch Mob album. But the first set highlight was “The Hunter” from Dokken’s Under Lock and Key which demonstrated Lynch’s mastery of song craft, judicious use of guitar tones, and a sense of taste in playing. His humility in playing epic solos shone with a mere smile, as various audience members were transfixed at every note he played. “Time After Time” from latest album Babylon was a soulful departure from the usual hard rock style track, after which Lynch had some amusing anecdotal digs at his new singer, on announcing their roadie had quit the tour. It was back into hard rock territory with the dynamic classic track “Street Fightin’ Man”. Lynch choked and let notes scream out during a solo that also included a reference to his layered guitar masterclass of “Mr. Scary” from Back for the Attack. His scalar runs, sliding vibrato patterns and signature adjacent scale note trills were unmistakably Lynch.

A smoother, resonant, more open track was delivered with “Rain”, allowed Colon to show his vocal skills, but soon enough, the classic Lynch material was back with Dokken’s “Into the Fire”, as soloing bursts delved into tremolo picking and tapping slides, completed with a outro legato phrased solo section over some heavier double kick drumming from D’Anda. The final song for Lynch Mob was of course “Wicked Sensation” with Lynch getting straight into the pedalled chordal riff. Some technical sound issues were tackled during the verses but Lynch ploughed through, picking up where he left off without missing a beat. Lynch’s solo was exceptional yet tasteful, followed by some Hendrix styled playing over a section of the chorus funk of Sly & The Family Stone’s “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” then elements of Elmore James’s blues before reprising the chorus before the outro. As the crowd applauded, Lynch thanked people for indulging his “experiment of music for [the last] two years” saying Glam Fest has “got something here” and that he would like to return to Australia. 

The final band for the day promised to be a huge display of American arena style hard rock. The stage being set up during the changeover included amplifier baffles, a drum riser being decked out with a thumping drum kit and artwork backdrops, of band name and sultry looking seductress in hat, coat and tails, backlit for a rock show using every inch of available stage space. Sure enough, as the PA cranked up “Highway to Hell”, the crowd knew this was the last ditch burst of energy to end proceedings and being SLAUGHTER’s first visit here, it was going to be loud. 

As spotlights spun around, air raid sirens over the PA filled the air, and so the band walked on, and choreographed to the hilt, key songwriters, bassist Dana Strum and front man Mark Slaughter launched into “Mad About You”. Session drummer Jordan Cannata was a monster of the kit, hammering the life out of his drums from the start. Lead guitarist Jeff Blando was as subtle as Zakk Wylde [as in, not at all], peeling off pinch harmonics and heavily distorted guitar riffs that coincided with a textbook of rock poses and facial expressions. A couple of tracks from debut album Stick It to Ya let rip with the chorus filled “Burnin’ Bridges” and the melodic “Spend My Life”, the latter introduced by a flashy, partially bluesy, guitar solo from Slaughter. 

Cannata’s sense of groove was evident in a decent cover to Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song”, whilst Blando utilised a wah pedal, and Slaughter, perhaps ambitiously took on Robert Plant vocals, tried for call-and-response to an audience that was getting a wee bit tuckered out at this point in the day. “Eye to Eye” brought in some cow bell and saw Bland soloing alongside Strum, with wide vibrato and descending trills, before Cannata launched into a visually entertaining drum solo, straddling the kit and kicking cymbals with his feet. Then the band returned to the chorus.

Material from The Wild Life followed, starting with the title track, fading in guitar volumes and with big drum accents, hit with power, as many more plectrums were launched into the audience, mostly Glam Fest specific ones from Slaughter. Sporting a 12-string electric guitar, Slaughter played the ballad “Days Gone By” solo and was then joined by the band as the chorus and delay drenched “Real Love” progressed, with sliding octave runs from Blando. Slaughter’s emotive vocal skills were on show during their hit, “Fly to the Angels” with sustaining lead guitar lines underneath the vocal line and chorus chords, before the stretched outro as many illuminated smart phones were held aloft. Drums with PA added reverse reverb into skin hits were used for their performance of hit “Up All Night”, with the thick, loud guitar sound, backing vocals and audience interplay taking the set to a climactic end.

As the drum intensity increased over a slow, fingerpicked guitar line, a portion of The Who’s “Won’t Get Fooled Again” was covered to close their set, with Slaughter and band singing the ending lyric line “meet the new boss, same as the old boss” before loud, hugely accented, band-driven chord hits rounded things out. Slaughter delivered in spades and ended with huge screams, mirrored by bellowing guitars, and quickening chords. Glam Fest was a wrap for 2024 as a sea of elated and tired faces poured out of the venue and back out into the night.