Man of Metal 2010: December 2010

And so with the final posting we come to the end of the Man of Metal 2010 blog. This month is traditionally quieter on the gig front but with two visits to the west midlands inside two days to see Danny Vaughn @ JB's Dudley (see pic) and a triple bill of tribute bands at the cool new venue The Slade Rooms in Wolverhampton along with the last ever Skin gig @ Rock City Nottingham it's been an entertaining way to round off the year. Next year will see GD man of metal with an entirely new blog and regular postings every weekend! So stay tuned for more of the same in 2011... GD.

Danny Vaughn… JB’s… Dudley… 10/12/10…
Inspirations and aspirations is the name of the tour ex Waysted & Tyketto front man Danny Vaughn is undertaking this December, a six date whistle stop jaunt around the UK. Playing a set comprising of ‘inspirational’ covers and ‘aspirational’ original material from his first two solo albums and from his new album, Reprise, I caught up with Danny and his band at JB’s in Dudley.
Opening the show with footstompin music a song by Grand Funk Railroad and quickly following this with original song bad water the scene is set for a cracking good gig. Danny brings his unique vocal talents to many covers in the show such as The Beatles’ magical mystery tour and The Who’s behind blue eyes giving Danny plenty of scope with his acoustic guitar. Before each song Danny fills us in with the reasoning behind that particular song’s inclusion in the set which is both amusing and informative, other covers include daddy, brother, lover, little boy (Mr. Big) gallows pole (Led Zeppelin) train, train (Blackfoot) which allows Danny to showcase his harmonica playing skills. Unbelievably the Stevie Wonder song you haven’t done nothing which allows Danny and his band to get funky is included in tonight’s performance along with a brilliant version of Dio’s don’t talk to strangers ‘I’ll give it my best shot’ was how the Dio classic was introduce, bang on target Mr. Vaughn, bang on target!
The first Vaughn album soldiers and sailors on riverside contributes greatly to the set, the aforementioned bad water along with is that all there is, shadowland, stone monkey and the voice all hail from that disc. Where as Vaughn’s second solo album fearless lends carry me home, haunted and the title track fearless to the set. With all of Danny Vaughn’s contributions to many bands and solo projects over the last twenty odd years I think I’m correct in saying it’s his work with the band Tyketto that is most memorable. So it’s apt that tonight’s encore comprises of the seminal Tyketto songs forever young and an ‘unplugged’ version of one of my favourite Tyketto songs the end of the summer days from the brilliant album Strength in Numbers.
With a knowledgeable crowd at JB’s tonight contributing greatly to the atmosphere and with Mr. Danny Vaughn being the sort of guy who will just come and hang out before and after he’s played, posing for photo’s and signing stuff I’m not ‘standing alone’ in saying tonight’s been a wonderful gig, one I’ll remember for a very long time to come… GD.

Dawn Trader… Jessop Arms… Codnor… 28/11/10…
Back in the early eighties NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) was massive and in the small sleepy hamlet of Nottingham in the east midlands there was a band called Dawn Trader who rode the wave of this phenomenon. They were pretty much the resident band at the hearty good fellow pub in the centre of Nottingham and supported bands such as Def Leppard, Magnum, Krokus and Diamond Head over a period of about six or seven years but like many of their luminaries at that time they vanished into the ether during the mid to late 80’s. Well now for all you nostalgia freaks like me and indeed for all you next generation rock music fans Dawn Trader are back, with a brand new album ‘Castle’ to be released early in 2011 and with many live dates being lined up for next year Dawn Trader look like they’re opening up their store to ply their trade once again after all these years.
With a final live date of 2010 at the Jessop arms pub in Codnor acting like a rehearsal for the Trader boys of Mick Preston (lead vocals) Wayne Vizard (lead guitar) Steve Humphries (lead guitar) Ric Evans (bass) and Pete Limb (drums) next year promises to be an exciting one for all concerned. Earlier this year in July I caught up with Dawn Trader when they played the Rock & Bike festival at Dreycot and boy did they get a reaction from a crowd who were mostly unfamiliar with the band. On that occasion I had a chat with front man Mick Preston and reminisced about the ‘good old days’ of the early eighties, I saw them play on a bill at Rock City with Diamond Head and Saracen, that was my first time in Rock City Nottingham and twenty eight years on I’m still seeing bands there.
The Jessop arms gig is a bit of a curio with the roads covered in snow and ice it’s with relief that I get into the warm, snug venue on the back streets of Codnor. Squeezing their performance in between the bingo being held in the room next door Dawn Trader play a set full of original numbers that haven’t aged one bit, songs like flash in the sky, roller, bad loser, whiskey and coke and running for your life being prime examples of what this band are about. Far from being heavy metal Dawn Trader play hard rock along the lines of UFO, Thin Lizzy with a smattering of early Iron Maiden and with backing vocal harmonies a trademark of Trader I defy anyone not to like them. With lots of comic banter on stage and charismatic front man Mick Preston ‘jollying’ things along Dawn Trader’s show tonight is not the polished performance you’d expect them to give on a big stage but it was most pleasing to see them improvise and tweak things as they played. Like most rock bands Dawn Trader pretend to finish their show with obviously an encore to follow, however the locals at the Jessop arms seem keener to finish their bingo so we are denied the brilliant Angel and have to settle for a premature ending, eyes down… Next year sees the dawn of another chapter in the Dawn Trader story so keep an eye on their web site for updates… http://www.dawntrader.net/… GD.

Above: Skin Live @ Rock City Nottingham.

Above: Motorkill Live @ The Slade Rooms Wolverhampton.

Above: Danny Vaughn Live @ JB's Dudley.

Dec… [4]
04th: NG26 + Blood Orange + Grand Ultra + Crazy Diamond [John Warren Ilkeston]
10th: Danny Vaughn + Vega [JB’s Dudley]
11th: Whole Lotta DC + Sack Sabbath + Motorkill [The Slade Rooms Wolverhampton]
18th: Skin + Toby Jepson + Matti Alphonzetti [Rock City Nottingham]

Paula...
I got skintight jeans and high-heel shoes. A leather jacket and nothin' to lose!
I run the podium dancers " Wildside Girls" for thee best Rock n' Roll night ever here in Nottingham.......
WILDSIDE!
Be sure to check it out!

Clare Lepard...
Uses more hairspray than Motley Crue on a world tour & apparently has the excalibur of asses ;)
I'm 5'4" i may be small, but i'm fiesty.
I'm a wild child.
But i'm also really shy & down to earth most of the time.
I'm as sweet as cherry pie.

Diamond DeVille...
23... loves glam... loves mates.....loves partying...scare's easily...will only buy bra's from La Senza...D.I.L.L.I.G.A.F
80's throwback

Julie Foxx..
I am half of Hell on High Heelz. It's all about the rock & pole baby - check out the fan page & click like for more information.
' I'm here to kick ass and chew bubblegum, and i'm all out of gum'
I'm me :)

Jenny Silver...

Jenny is half of 'Hell on High Heelz'.