Category: 2022

Born in 1972 in Atlanta (Georgia) in the torments of racial segregation, Mother’s Finest quickly became a multicultural group juggling happily with various musical fusions. At the center of this unique group, a man and a woman: Glenn Murdock and Joyce “Baby Jane” Kennedy in a duo compared to Ike and Tina Turner.
The RCA label is going to support this group which cheerfully mixes funk, rhythm’n’blues and hard rock. With “Iron Age” in 1981, Mother’s Finest leans towards square and groovy hard rock. Better, he will be the great precursor of fusion rock of the 1990s (Living Colour, Fishbone, Extreme, Faith No More…).
If the Netherlands remain their second homeland, Mother’s Finest rarely visits Belgium and France. Don’t miss this single mother fed with good family values. Indeed, Glenn and “Baby Jean” have hired Dion Derek, their drummer of a son…

Pink Cream 69 was formed in Karlsruhe in 1987 by vocalist Andi Deris, drummer Kosta Zafiriou and guitarist Alfred Koffler. They quickly signed with a major (Sony Music) and became at the end of their first 3 cds (Pink Cream 69 in 1989, One Size Fits All in 1991 and Games People Play in 1993) the «cream» of melodic hard rock made in Germany!
Andi Deris left the band in 1994 to join the heavyweight Helloween, allowing the arrival of an English singer, David Readman. At this time PC69, took a more «modern» turn given the devastating effects of grunge on melodic bands through this era, the laps of time of 2 studio albums and a 1st live, before returning to their first love : all the components of very melodic hard rock with Electrified in 1998, until their last opus, the excellent Headstrong released in 2017, which It is said to be near perfection .
For lovers of beautiful melodies and screeching guitars, PC69, who does not often come to visit our country, will have the heavy task of
compensating for the defection of the Americans from Prophet, but it is already certain that they will win this challenge hands down

 

Band from Liege with a strong transalpine tendency, Steelover enjoyed the good reputation of Rudy Lenners as The Scorpions drummer to make a top spot in the belgian hard rock scene which fluctuated between speed metal and melodic hard rock in the mid eighties.

 

Thanks to Vince Cardillo, an exceptional “cantatore” with a very wide range, Steelover has intelligently made the choice for the second alternative, the melodic one. Their 1984 album, “Glove Me”, brings colourful music with a sharp edge, straight as a die.

 

After a very long break, Steelover reactivated the continuous casting but without Rudy who finally decided to hang back his sticks up to the wall (remember the homage for the first Golden Age Rock edition). Steelover, supported by two “grognards de la Vieille Garde” Pat Fréson and Nick Gardi, will produce themselves for our second edition.

 

With his solid gold fetish singer (Vince), as well as a strong component of youthfulness.

Missing link between The Variations (a frenchie Aerosmith, Led Zep with sinister looks and hangovers) and Trust (undisputed monarch of the all times blue white red hard rock), Océan marks his territory with “God’s Clown” in 1977, or an interesting fusion between a stallion Led Zeppelin and a scary King Crimson.

 

Océan will especially incarnate the pioneering role similar to a big brother in front of the maddening hexagonal hard rock wave from the eighties with Warning, Blasphème, H Bomb, Attentat Rock, Sortilège, Satan Jokers or Vulcain.

 

If Robert Belmonte, the magnificent screamer from the good old days, will contemplate his work from the skies, Georges Bodossian, riffer sniper, will pound up straight to make us understand Océan’s pivotal role in the french loud decibel exoplanet.

Alcatrazz therefore currently has one thing in common with Wishbone Ash, Saxon and far too many others: an entity angry to death and divided in two! It’s rock in a nutshell. We have to bow down and adapt. Even though the very essence of Alcatrazz is that of singer Graham Bonnet, we had to opt for the most modern version and the most suitable for direct operation. That of the two
founding members Jimmy Waldo and Gary Shea.

 

The keyboardist and bassist of this new Alcatrazz (but also of New England!) macqués with the guitarist prodigy Joe Stump and the Scottish singer Doogie White, an old pro who officiated in Rainbow but also with Yngwie Malmsteen and with Michael Schenker . Listening to his latest opus (“V”), this over-vitamined Alcatrazz seems in great shape. To check.

 

Listening to his latest opus (“V”), this over-vitamined Alcatrazz seems in great shape. To check.

Born in the basement in the middle of the punk revolution, Diamond Head, while practice makes perfect, is being seriously considered as one of the most serious underdogs of that famous NWOBHM (New Wave Of British heavy Metal).

 

The 1980 cult album, “Lightning to the Nations” A.K.A. “The White Album”, will put Lars Ulrich’s mind at ease (next Metallica leader), his number one fan. Since then, Diamond Head is living on the royalties earned by his benefactor (four songs covered, one of them is the amazing Am I Evil) and elaborates old school hard rock new treasures, against all odds.

 

Guitarist Brian Tatler’s band will come and play their fabulous “White Album”, the flagship of 1980, an ideal hard year !

Band on fire, speed metal band before the speed metal wave (the one with Metallica), Killer gets it about the Motorhead state of mind and the cool sketches of the NWOBHM before the 80’s Belgian wave.

 

Killer has also decided his manager Alfie Falkenbach to start the mytical Mausoleum label. “Wall of Sound” in 1982 ((not the one from Spector !) and “Shockwaves” in 1983 were his greatest trophies, next is a live album produced by Dieter Dierks (Scorpions), result of a soldout concert in Antwerpen with an heated space audience.

 

Unfading, pure, straight-forward and with no frills, Killer will blow out forty candles at our festival, with the bit between the teeth and the satisfaction of a job well done.

Robby Valentine was one of the sensations of the Golden Age Rock Festival first edition. A Queen repertoire with the (hollandaise !) sauce. The friendly androgynous batavian will appear in the 2020 edition to convince us of the truth of a top class solo career, very coloured with AOR. For the Queen and great musicality fans.

Endorsed by the whole rock community, Phil Lynott, allmighty Thin Lizzy leader, was dreaming of adventures and the result was a brand new Grand Slam circa 1984 with young coyotes with sharped teeth.

 

Victim of his “bad reputation”, Lynott couldn’t get a record deal for his new band in spite of impressive stage performances. Phil left the band in 1986, so Thin Lizzy’s future was in trouble, and much more was Grand Slam. If some “tribute bands” sparked the Lizzy flame, we had no news from Grand Slam.

 

So, Laurence Archer (ex-Stampede, UFO and…Grand Slam guitarist) revived the 1984-1985 shooting star, but became established, with an impressive band, as the only beneficiary in Thin Lizzy spirit with a fantastic album called “Hit the Ground” in November 2019 ! What a major accomplishment !

Jean-Pierre Froidebise, born and raised from Liege, is nursed with classical music through atavism, but this is the bluesy rock from the 70’s which determined his brilliant musical career.

 

Musician with a exceptional originality, our friend Jean-Pierre promised us an energetic set, full of passion and musical excellence.