Last Saturday, it was time once again to head out to the Golden Age Rock Festival in Liège. This year marks the festival’s fifth edition, so it seems safe to say this classic rock festival is here to stay.
Once again, it took some navigating through Liège’s traffic chaos to reach our destination, but once we arrived and finally secured a parking spot, we were able to enjoy the friendly atmosphere that always surrounds this festival.
mystery
Upon arrival, the guys from Mystery were already showing off their skills on stage, and they certainly did a commendable job. A nice, professional start right off the bat. Catchy songs that were performed solidly. Unfortunately, the singer in this lineup isn’t veteran Peter de Wint, but Sammy Peleman held his own quite well—we’ll forgive him for the occasional slip-up. To close out the set, the band played their biggest hit, “She Likes Double Trouble,” from the soundtrack of the movie Koko Flanel. A successful performance.
Steelover
Next up was Steelover. This band stands out a bit when it comes to the “golden age” vibe. Although the band members’ ages certainly fit the bill, they played new music from their latest album, ‘Devils Highway’. It all sounds like classic rock, but it’s still relatively fresh material, since the band regularly releases new songs.
Steelover’s roots do lie somewhere in the ’80s, and their passion for heavy metal has never waned. These gentlemen were certainly the local heroes of the day, as the audience clearly appreciated their performance.
Demon
Next up is the British band Demon. Although I’ve known the name of this band for ages, I’d never heard them or seen them live—until last Saturday. I always thought this band leaned toward the heavier side of the genre, but Demon also delivers plenty of melody in their songs. The guys put on a great show and even kicked things off with their best-known song, “Night Of The Demon.” At least, that’s what I was told. Singer Dave Hill is the only original member of the band, but that certainly doesn’t take away from the fun, and the audience really knows how to appreciate this act.
Carl Dixon’s Coney Hatch
The first real big surprise for me came from Carl Dixon’s Coney Hatch. This Canadian band got off to a flying start in the early ’80s and toured with big names like Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, to name just a few. Their first three albums were international hits. Today, it’s nothing short of a minor miracle that singer/guitarist Carl Dixon is still performing on stage, given that he was involved in a serious car accident in Australia in 2008. He remained hospitalized in Melbourne, Australia, for five months, unable to play or sing. Fortunately, he’s made a full recovery, and we can still enjoy this great music. A first highlight of the day, as far as I’m concerned. Awesome, groovy melodic rock with an exceptional singer behind the mic. Wonderful.
FM
Next up were the guys from FM on stage. And well, you just can’t go wrong with FM. That band never disappoints. Pure craftsmanship and passion. When Steve Overland lets loose, it’s flawless, and a great time is guaranteed. It’s always been a mystery to me why this band never made it to the top. Songs like “That Girl” or “Tough It Out” never get old and still sound just as fresh and vibrant as they did when they were first written.
But even newer material like “Synchronized” or “Turn This Car Around” packs a punch with conviction. As far as I’m concerned, they were the headliner of this festival, and they could easily have kept playing for another hour. Another top-notch show.
Starz
Cult band Starz takes the stage after FM. This band hails from New Jersey, USA. To put it simply, I unfortunately couldn’t really get into it, even though I know this band has influenced artists like Nikki Sixx and Rikki Rocket. Musically, however, the band couldn’t hold my attention for much longer than three songs. Still, they played no fewer than seven songs from their debut album ‘Starz’, so it certainly wasn’t for lack of enthusiasm or effort on the band’s part.
Black ’n Blue
The grand finale of this edition of the Golden Age Rock Festival was none other than the American glam metal band Black ’n Blue, which in the 1980s also featured a certain Tommy Thayer—whom we may also know from Kiss. The band’s current lineup consists of three original members: singer Jaime St. James, bassist Patrick Young, and drummer Pete Holmes. They’re backed on guitar by Brandon Cook and Mick Caldwell.
Unfortunately, the soundcheck dragged on for an agonizingly long time, which meant the band didn’t start their show until around 10:45P.M. The sound wasn’t exactly heavenly, and although the band seemed very enthusiastic, the guys unfortunately couldn’t quite reach the quality level of bands like Coney Hatch or FM, in my opinion. To make matters worse, the second song was a cover of The Sweet’s “Action”—which I think is a great song—but unfortunately not in the Black ’n Blue version. It’s a shame because the energy was really building on this beautiful Saturday, but unfortunately, the evening fizzled out a bit for me.
I think it’s awesome that organizer Gauthier Henrie always manages to book acts for the festival that you certainly don’t see playing on every street corner. Kudos to him for that—and he’s been doing it for five editions now. Anyway, I got to see a few acts that made the day a success for me, and secretly, I’m already curious to see if there will be a 6th edition of the Golden Age Rock Festival. We’ll see.
Report & Images by Raymond Helebrand
