Pure maple Canadians (they come from Ontario), Teaze is influenced by the nearby US Detroit scene.
Fed up with Ted Nugent’s Amboy Dukes, Grand Funk Railroad, MC5, Iggy’s Stooges, Alice Cooper and Mitch Ryder, Teaze just straps on and achieves a perfect balance with power rock (a lot), with rhythm ‘n’ blues (a little) and with a touch of glam (especially in the attitude!).
Teaze have hopping melodies that are sometimes light, often evident, as demonstrated by their first two bubbly albums: “Teaze” (1976) and “On The Loose” (1978).
Finally signed with Capitol (the holy grail), Teaze released a successful “One Night Stands” (1979). A signature work that contains jewels like “Heartless World” or “Young & Reckless”.
If Teaze didn’t enjoy the recognition he deserved, it’s because he wasn’t able to calibrate a hit single.
No matter, Teaze is great and is looking forward to finally visiting our lands. With three original members: Mark Bradac (guitar), Brian Danter (bass/vocals) and Mike Kozak (drums). It’s really a blessing!
Coming back miles from anywhere! This is the perfect expression that fits the White Spirit case.
Absent from any radar screen since 1982, this shooting star band of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal is reborn from its ashes more than 40 years (!) later.
Great happiness in the end when we remember this eponymous first album from 1980 and their breathtaking performance at the famous Reading Rock Festival, the same year. At the time, Janick Gers (future Iron Maiden guitarist) and Mel Pearson (keyboards) were the bosses of a quintet who was inspired by Deep Purple and Uriah Heep, the freshness in addition.
1982 is the swansong when Janick Gers (leaving initially to join Ian Gillan solo band) is replaced by Mick Tucker (well known later in Tank) and Brian Howe (later singer for Ted Nugent and Bad Company) replaces Bruce Ruff.
Forty years later, Mel Pearson and Mick Tucker return to us with an excellent “Right Or Wrong” (a leftover from the 2nd album who was unreleased except recently) and with a new shouter: Alexx Stahl (ex-Bonfire). This situates the appeal of an improbable exclusivity of which we are proud and which will be, for many, an obscure object of desire.
Last detail! WHITE SPIRIT has NEVER set foot on the continent in 43 years (only gigs in England, Scotland and Wales)! The band has the excellent idea to reserve this exclusivity for our festival!
The comparison with Deep Purple should have delighted them. But this didn’t all worked out to their advantage: “Rick Sanford sounded more like Robert Plant. My guitar playing is more in the mold of Clapton/Beck” smiles Roger Romeo, Legs Diamond’s architect, exuberant and brilliant band from Los Angeles.
Their trademark for eternity is this worked and intelligent hard rock made of panache, eloquence (thank you Rick Sanford), polished riffs and dosed keyboards.
A constant of these US bands from the mid-seventies. Legs Diamond then crossed swords with the Aerosmith, Ted Nugent, Blue Öyster Cult and other Montrose without achieving their enticing status.
Legs Diamond belongs to the breed of pures and outsiders. It enhances its appeal. “Legs Diamond” (1977), “A Diamond Is A Hard Rock” (1977, yes same year) and “Fire Power” (1978) are brilliant successes but they never see Olympus ! Somewhat swept away by the Van Halen cataclysm and new (bastardized!) forms of hard rock. Very rare in Europe: “two appearances in festivals in England and Germany”.
According to Romeo, Legs Diamond will create a sensation during our 3rd GARF. Aren’t diamonds forever?
Two bands under one banner! Pretty original in a world where bands usually split and share their members into two rival bands! Comical and finally clever for the setlist and in terms of marketing.
Flashback: the 80s are coming and the European hard (continental!) shows its enormous progress and its appetence for the English speaking world (ultradominant). The greedy Batavians (totaalvoetbal!) don’t want to make wallflowers.
Vengeance and Picture will be from the same cloth as Priest. Vandenberg glances at melodies and the USA.
Highway Chile, brave Rotterdammers, will not suffer from comparisons with Def Leppard after a first opus in 1983: Storybook Heroes. But Ben Blaauw (the guitar hero) and Ernst van Ee (the drumsbanger) frustrated by too many things (a limited singer for example) quickly choose the Helloïse adventure with the great singer Stan Verbraak.
After Cosmogony (1985) and Polarity (1986), any doubt is no longer permitted: Helloïse becomes a jewel in the crown of melodic hard rock with a US trends but with a very European sound.
The presence of this/these too underestimated group(s) is a godsend. This Highway Chile / Helloïse could be the huge surprise of our 3rd GARF.
Proud Limburgers (Maasmechelen) attached to their land, the Lions Pride were formed in 1983 just after Ostrogoth and a few years after Killer. Breaking Out, vintage from 1984, is a remarkable hard rock album that ranked well on the Melody Maker Heavy Charts. Unfortunately, this opus did not enjoy the status it deserved in Belgium. Lions Pride therefore remained a bit on the side of the road. Amusing detail: Lions Pride provided the first part of SteeLover in 1986 in this same Palais des Congrès. Memories memories…
Warning: legend incoming! Russ Ballard raises from the caste of the greatest rock composers. His setlist will only contain hits, more hits and tons of hits!!! This distinguished Englishman from the greater London suburbs joined The Roulettes in 1963 at the age of 18. The beat group is a school. But, the serious things start with Argent, a band formed with Rod Argent of the Zombies (“she’s Not There”…). This prog/rock-looking Argent invented hard FM in 1971 and Russ distinguished himself with a first hit: God Gave Rock and Roll To You. A refrain that will put Kiss back in the Charts 30 years later. In 1974, Ballard began a high-quality solo career (with “Russ Ballard” known as “the black album” in 1984 as an unsurpassable model). Our prestigious guest then writes for almost everyone: Rainbow (“Since You Been Gone”, “I Surrender”), Frida from ABBA (“I Know There’s Something Going On”) but also Roger Daltrey, Santana, America, Uriah Heep, Night Ranger, Bad English… Difficult to remain unmoved in front of such a list!
The No. 1 Walloon classic rock festivals (don’t worry, it’s the only one!) which welcomes the No. 1 French-speaking classic rock band! Logical isn’t it? In our dream version of 2020, Machiavel was intend to play on Saturdays (the magical seventies) before Sweet. After many surprises, Machaviel will finally be our headliner on Sunday in a performance that will have a taste of new and surprise.
Flashback. This sword of eurock (non-British European prog) from the seventies can be proud of its most fruitful period. “Cheerlessness” (from the eponymous 1976 album), the impeccable “Mechanical Moonbeans” with the heartbreaking “Rope Dancer” and the very successful “Urban Games” add up to evoke a rich past. The one that will still be served during this concert event. After having reinvented himself with “New Lines” and his Rome Award “Fly”, Machiavel gently stopped before being reborn in 1996. The disappearance of the sparkling singer Mario Guccio (both from Liège and Sicilian!) in 2018 could have meant the end of the great adventure. But Marc Ysaye and Roland de Greef did not hear it that way. The attraction of this final GARF 2022 concert will be their new singer, whose identity will be revealed in a few weeks.
Vacation from Charleroi is an old Belgian hard band that has seen many changes but has always believed in it and been able to move mountains. Back from the devil on several occasions, Vacation seems to be in a prosperous period as evidenced by his latest album “Stay Online”. A good surprise.
Originally from Hanover, city of the German hardcore Medicis (the Schenkers!), Fargo was quickly dubbed by Scorpions. Bassist/leader Peter Knorn then decides on Victory and the management of the Scorps finds them the incredible lead singer Charlie Huhn (ex-Ted Nugent, Gary Moore…). Victory forces the paths of glory with albums as well packaged as Victory (1985-the year of his presence at the Texas Jam in front of 60,000 spectators), Don’t Get Mad Get Even (1986) or Hungry Hearts (1987). While Olympus is in sight, the band disperses before a far too long drop in speed. It is with the legatee Herman Frank (already present in 1986) and a new Swiss singer (Gianni Pontillo) that Victory will come to defend within our walls the very dense Gods Of Tomorrow, its 2021 news.
