Steelhouse Festival 2024 – Friday. It’s been a year in the building, but we arrive at the Bernie Marsden tribute with excitement bristling around the arena. Bernie was a huge favourite in these parts, and plenty has been written about his affinity and legendary performances at the festival in the past. Sadly missed, this was the opportunity the Steelhouse family wanted.
Steelhouse Festival 2024
Hafod-Y-Dafal Farm, Ebbw Vale – Friday 26 July 2024
Words: Paul Hutchings
Photography: Manuela Langotsch
With the special tribute shirts (all proceeds going to charity) having sold out within an hour, it is clear that the man’s legacy will be protected for years to come.
We were promised a special show, and boy, did we get it. Fronted by Hand Of Dimes / Skin legend Nev McDonald, who is simply astounding all evening, we had the body of the majestic Hand Of Dimes as the backing band.
Anchoring the low-end, though, is the majestic and totally unassuming Neil Murray. Clad in leather jacket and sunglasses, he spent the entire set semi-hidden at the rear of the stage but did not miss a note. With two Welsh backing singers anchoring the harmonies, it was a masterclass that we didn’t want to stop.
Classic after classic appeared, Lovehunter, Sweet Talker, Ready And Willing, Fool For Your Loving, all rolled out with full audience participation.
Stopping to look around mid-set, there were beaming smiles and a look of love and joy across the crowd. It was an amazing feeling.
We were promised guests, and we got them. Cardinal Black’s Chris Buck stepped up to add some of his beautiful playing to a couple of tracks, including a delightful version of Walking By Myself, the track Bernie wrote with Joe Bonamassa. This added to the beautiful work that main guitarist Jim Kirkpatrick, co-organiser with McDonald and Mikey Evans, playing Bernie’s guitars, The Beast and the Whitesnake twin neck, added to the event throughout the evening.
Toby Jepson popped back for a couple of tracks, surviving a microphone mishap during Don’t Break My Heart Again before handing the mic back to McDonald.
As we moved to the conclusion, it was time for Dan Byrne to return for Walking In The Shadow Of The Blues, which he carried off with a swagger and panache that is now his style.
Thunder’s Luke Morley stepped up from the finale of Here I Go Again, which unsurprisingly got full audience approval.
It was totes emotional, and as Nev lead the band through We Wish You Well, you would have to be a truly heartless bastard not to have a tear in your eye.
A fitting tribute to a true legend. RIP Bernie Marsden. You are missed.
You can read all of MetalTalk’s Steelhouse Festival 2024 coverage at MetalTalk.net/steelhouse.
For the Steelhouse Festival 2023 edition, click here.
