Courier Country headbangers are counting down to the start of this year’s Dundee Metal Fest.
The all-day event kicks off at Beat Generator next Saturday lunchtime (April 22) and features a host of heavy-duty noiseniks including Edinburgh riffers Dog Tired, Catalysis, Volcano, Solar Sons, Extort, Bed Of Wasps, Earl Of Hell, Hyperstasis and more.
With tickets just £12, DMF’s a golden opportunity to catch some of Scotland’s best under-the-radar talents in one go.
Who’s the organiser?
It’s been organised by Drew Cochrane, guitarist with Dundee-based Catalysis, who previously ran the city’s Upload noisefest.
“This is the first year of Dundee Metal Festival in its current form,” he says.
“Upload had a good following and a bit of a buzz about it, so I’m trying to re-inject a bit of that enthusiasm into the metal scene and add something to look forward to on the events calendar for people who favour heavier music.”
Top-notch line up
Drew’s assembled a line-up on April 22 boasting 13 top-notch Scottish bands.
Headliners Dog Tired are poised to release their fifth album, while Catalysis scooped top prize in the metal section at last year’s Scottish Alternative Music Awards.
“We’ve got a good number of bands returning to Dundee after not having played for a while, and also Glasgow band Sixth Wonder making their Dundee debut – they recently received airplay on BBC introducing,” Drew adds.
“There’s a whole variety of sub-genres on display, including hardcore, djent, thrash, prog and more traditional heavy metal, so there’s a kind of ‘something for everyone’ vibe.”
Following next Saturday’s closing set, there’s an official after-party hosted by Distorted at Church from 11pm-2.30am.
What else is on?
Before then, Beat G has an all-seated show tomorrow (April 15), with County Durham folk-rocker Martin Stephenson and ex-Only Ones guitarist John Perry teaming up.
The pair are touring with Highland bassist Dave Cowan and his drummer son Sam under the name New Wave Connection, with a debut album featuring a host of reimagined classics penned by Daintees leader Stephenson recently unveiled via Bandcamp.
It’s a Jam tribute show at the North Lindsay Street venue next Friday (April 21) courtesy of A Band Called Malice, with Church hosting a homage to country legends Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers the same night.
Elsewhere, a batch of big gigs at the Green Hotel kicks off with a completely sold-out doubleheader from progsters Pink Floydian tonight and tomorrow (April 15).
That’s followed by the return on Sunday (April 16) of a regular Kinross visitor down the years in the shape of blues bandleader Paul Lamb.
The harmonica exponent and British Blues Awards Hall of Fame inductee will be joined by regular cohort Chad Strentz, his King Snakes frontman.
Another full house likely
Another full house’s in prospect when blue-eyed soul legend Kiki Dee hits the Green next Friday (April 21) for the first time since late 2018.
The Yorkshire-born star, who famously duetted with Elton John on the 1976 chart-topper Don’t Go Breaking My Heart, will be joined by longtime collaborator Carmelo Luggeri – with whom she released the latest in a series of albums, The Long Ride Home, last year.
Separately, there’s a return to Perth Concert Hall on Sunday for MOR behemoth Mike And The Mechanics, who are pledging to perform a set based on their stack of hits plus material from founder Mike Rutherford’s old band Genesis.
The lofty guitarist’s joined in his current line-up by twin singers Andrew Roachford and Canada-born Tim Howar, and despite most tickets costing £55 only three seats for the show were left unsold yesterday.
Fat Sams has a couple of big gigs in the coming days, with Australian 90s throwbacks DMA’s on Sunday (April 16) then Libertines enfant terrible Peter Doherty at Ward Road on Monday, while this month’s Dundee Punk Festival at Conroy’s Basement is due to pick up again after a few days off with a set from Glasgow hardcore outfit Divide next Friday.
The following night it’s Make-That-A-Take Records signings Goodbye Blue Monday at the Meadowside venue, with East Anglia-based Portuguese exports We Bless This Mess supporting the Scots misery-punks.
In Dunfermline, upcoming combos Brògeal and Panhead Sharps are at PJ Molloys tonight (April 14) and it’s Nashville-influenced songbird Kirsten Adamson tomorrow (April 15).
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