Steelhouse Festival 2023 – Sunday. There are supergroups, and there are supergroups. Of all the signings for Steelhouse 2023, getting the UK debut of Elegant Weapons was perhaps the biggest coup.
Steelhouse Festival 2023 – Sunday
Comprising Richie Faulkner, Ronnie Romero, Dave Rimmer, and Christopher Williams (look them up if you don’t know who they are!), this was always going to be a special set.
They didn’t disappoint. Roaring into life with Do Or Die, this was a crunchingly classic Metal set. Faulkner looks strong and healthy and continues to play those riffs with incredible ease.
Whilst Rimmer and Williams lock down the low end, it’s Romero that takes most of the focus. A man whose stints with Michael Schenker and Rainbow, amongst others, have highlighted his vocal prowess, he also possesses every Heavy Metal frontman move in the book.
He’s up and down the walkway throughout as the band deliver eight songs from their debut Horns For A Halo, which includes a robust cover of Lights Out by former Steelhouse headliners UFO. It may not be as fluid as the original, but it certainly gets the soaking-wet crowd bouncing.
Throw in a storming finale with their version of War Pigs, and the booking was certainly justified. An ‘I was there’ moment for sure.
Steelhouse Festival 2023 was held over the weekend of 28-30 July 2023. MetalTalk’s Paul Hutchings reports from Ebbw Vale.
All Photography: Georgia Brittain and Paul Hutchings
Early Bird tickets are available for next year’s festival, which begins on Friday, 26 July 2024. Tickets are available from here.
All MetalTalk Steelhouse Festival 2023 coverage can be found at https://www.metaltalk.net/tag/steelhouse-festival-2023
