Tag Archives: Red Lion

News: Thunderstick – masked drummer and his band return to Leo’s Red Lion for launch of new single

Music news, Rock music, , , , , , ,

Single: Go Sleep With The Enemy/ I Close My Eyes released 7/2/20 on Roulette Records pre-order via https://www.roulettemedia.uk/product-page/thunderstick-go-sleep-with-the-enemy-i-close-my-eyes

First live gig: Leo’s Red Lion, Gravesend, Kent – Saturday 8/2/20 8pm
Tickets via https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/leosredlion/t-amaznk

Following a series of fantastically well-received live dates last year Thunderstick, with their mesmerising singer Raven Blackwing, are back with a new single and a return to live shows. Kent’s legendary rock venue ‘Leo’s Red Lion’ will be the first to support the release on Saturday 8th February.

Barry Graham Purkis aka Thunderstick: “The band will be touring our eccentric ‘Anomaly stage show’ throughout 2020. For those about to experience us live for the first time prepare yourself for the journey. We are the ‘Dark Cabaret Theatre Hooligans’ and we will steal your Rock’n’Roll hearts.”

CD Cover - Front

Raven Blackwing: “I’m very excited about the upcoming release. It’ll be my first Thunderstick recordings. I was given so much love and support throughout my first year with the band, we thought a ‘limited edition’ reworking of a couple of tracks from the ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ album would be a cool way to say thank you. My own particular milestone. It also sets the scene for the band’s very first live album ‘Something Wicked This Way Came…Thunderstick Live in France’. I hope that our fans enjoy both. Luv Raven xx”

The single features the tracks ‘Go Sleep With The Enemy’ and ‘I Close My Eyes’ which will be familiar to fans, reworked for the unique voice of Raven Blackwing. The single is available in both CD and digital formats.

Charismatic Raven Blackwing will lead her thunderous band mates Vinny Konrad (guitar), Lee Quenby (guitar), Rex Thunderbolt (bass) and the legendary Thunderstick/Barry Graham Purkis (drums) on a series of UK and European dates throughout the year. UK festivals ‘Breaking Bands’ on 25th May and ‘Cornwall Rocks’ on 20th November have now been confirmed, with many more to be announced. A new live album ‘Something Wicked This Way Came – Thunderstick live in France’ is set for release in March on Roulette, followed by a brand new studio album currently being recorded for release in July.

Raven Blackwing

Best known for his time with Samson and an early Iron Maiden Barry Graham Purkis (AKA Thunderstick) has been the legendary icon for the NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) scene since the late 70s. His eponymously named band, renowned for its female fronted power rock and theatricality, have a considerable heritage. The band played live and recorded for six years both in the UK and in the United States throughout the 1980s until playing their last gig in October 1986. Then In 2016 former lead vocalist, Jodee Valentine, tragically died following a five-year battle with early onset Alzheimer’s. In recognition of Jodee’s memory Barry decided to record some songs that Jodee had performed live. This became the ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’ album, the first new Thunderstick product in over thirty years. It was released in July 2017 to enthusiastic reviews worldwide.

Barry: ‘It was never my intention to put a performing band together but In light of the positive encouragement I received and much deliberation a new Thunderstick was formed. Staying true to its theatrical recognition we have been gathering momentum once more amongst the rock fraternity. The next chapter in this amazing story is ready for the writing.”

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thunderstickofficial/
Roulette Records: https://www.roulettemedia.uk/thunderstick

Dave “Bucket” Colwell at Leo’s Red Lion, Gravesend 13/2/16

Live reviews, Rock music, , , , , , , , , , , ,

“It’s as rough as hell but the rock nights are good fun,” the woman in the cab office tells me as I wait to get taken to the Red Lion. Buried away in an industrial estate along Gravesend’s river frontage, it’s a traditional boozer with a large, cavernous old-fashioned function room that’s been given a makeover as a rock venue and a decent-sized stage put in.

The event is billed as 3G and features three bands. First up are young Kent-based band Salvation Jayne (an all-female line-up save the bass player) who instantly channel the vibe of early 70s Humble Pie with covers of Black Coffee and I Don’t Need No Doctor. Great stuff. Next up is modern blues band Big River, fronted by Damien Fawsett who put the whole evening together with the aim of showcasing guitar rock.

And then, finally, it’s the turn of Dave “Bucket” Colwell with fine backing from the Big River boys, who take the stage once more. Colwell spent a number of years in Bad Company and that’s very much reflected in the sound and feel of tonight’s set. This is not only due to Colwell’s excellent lead guitar-playing but also because he’s joined on vocals by the superb Adam Barron, who can normally be found doing vocal duties with another Bad Company guitar hero, Mick Ralphs. I’d seen Barron performing with the latter only two weeks ago at the Butlins Giants of Rock weekend. But tonight, not only does he get the chance to let his vocal chords loose on some Bad Company classics like Ready For Love, as well as some Colwell solo material, we also get to hear some Free classics this time, too, with brilliantly-performed versions of The Stealer, Fire & Water and All Right Now.

Not only has Barron been fortunate enough to work with some genuine guitar greats, like Colwell, he’s also got the voice to take the polished but emotive blues rock of the early 70s well into the 21st century.

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2016-02-13 22.05.16

Related reviews:
Mick Ralphs Blues Band at Minehead 2016
Mick Ralphs Blues Band at Minehead 2015