The SteelCast The Steelhouse

The last time the boys met up around a microphone it was Christmas, so there’s a lot for them to talk about. There’s been the Away Day 2 (with 3 on the way soon and selling out fast), Max has discovered the delights of sambuca, the Steelhouse Festival won a coveted NWOCR award, and Grant’s been the ‘Welsh ham’ in a guitar superstar sandwich. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s been a bunch of announcements for the Steelhouse 2022 bill that must be discussed, dissected and analysed in the customary professional manner. All this and much, much less awaits you on the 26th edition of the podcast that puts the ‘rock’ in ‘rare as rocking horse sh1t’. Enjoy!

It's Chriiiiiiiistmaaaaaaas! In the last 2021 episode of the ever-more-occasional SteelCast, Mikey and Max unwrap the first set of bands for Steelhouse 2022, and we’ve got music from three of them too. The pair also look back at the brilliant Rockstock Festival in Porthcawl, the spectacular Queen Symphonic show up in That London (which left Mikey with an equally spectacular bar tab) and the fantastic performances there by four Steelhouse stars. And in 2022 – variants permitting – there’ll be those two Steelhouse Away Days with Those Damn Crows (shot!) and that unstoppable Merthyr massive, Florence Black. Take care of each other good people, stay safe in this Age Of Omicron (yes, we’re living in a bad prog album now), and have a rockin’ 2022. M,M & G

It had to be done! It’s our first episode since that amazing weekend on The Mountain, so we’re looking back at a festival like no other in living memory. Mikey and Max talk through the goings on at the 10th Steelhouse Festival – from the very first festival comers pulling up (and thankfully having all their LFT stuff in order), to the fireworks that capped it all off gloriously (despite the fact it was Mikey with both of his left hands on the detonator). There’s backstage revelations, lots of fun memories, and Grant stole a few moments with members of Mason Hill, Those Damn Crows, The Darkness, and more of the other artists who played to probably the most up-for-it crowd they’ll ever have. So listen in to our longest ever episode, and relive a wonderful weekend with us, and the stars of Steelhouse 2021…

On the eve of the tenth anniversary Steelhouse Festival, Grant's all on his tod for a quick, utterly fascinating recap of the LFT/Covid test situation, but mainly a great conversation he, Mikey and Max had recently with Friday's headliners Phil and Dane Campbell of Phil Campbell & The Bastard Sons. We talk about their band, Dane's own excellent podcast 'Drum For The Song', rock 'n' roll ailments, the art of being a musician, and Campbell boys share some Motorhead memories too. Stay Safe, have your negative LFT test handy, and - finally, friends - SEE YOU UP THE MOUNTAIN!

With Excel Goddess/Elephant In The Room Jo Goo working hard behind them, Mikey and Max discuss the amazing new headliner for this year's Saturday bill (no spoilers here). The lads have been hard at work prepping the weekend, Bob 'Macgyver' Goo has set up an eco-friendly, white-hot water system up there, and with July 23rd hoving into view, every time official Steelhouse Countdown Keeper Rachel posts an update, the organisers' bums get that bit squeakier. Our special guest this time is Henrik, frontman for brilliant Northampton prospects Empyre. They'll be opening up Sunday's proceedings this year, so tune in for a bit of background about the band, and some tunes from their debut album 'Self Aware' and its mainly-acoustic counterpart record, 'The Other Side', released today (Friday April 30th). Also, Grant name-drops the two superstar guitarists he’s been talking to for the day-job, we FINALLY announce the winner of our Thunder competition, and don't miss the moment Jo finally cracks and beats Max & Mike fiercely about the head with a fully loaded clipboard. Let's face it, they had it coming... You can find JH's Virgin Atlantic playlist here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0BFu1Qu7VIwqe1LBLThij0?si=_EsMWOSLRSWG7ul0J5AmNA

Who better to spend our 21st edition with than The Dust Coda's guitarist, Adam Mackie! With the London NWOCR band's superb second album 'Mojo Skyline' out this Friday (March 26th), Adam reveals how they made the record off their own back, and then got their deal with Earache Records. He also remembers how TDC were on, off, then back on again during The Great Flood, aka Steelhouse Festival 2018 (it's Wales, it happens...) We're also joined by the band's singer John... oh, hang on, no we aren't - he was a no-show! But you know us, we don't make a big deal out it...

With recent guests Mason Hill and Thunder doing well on the charts, Mikey and Max celebrate these ironically healthy times for rock music, and the pair revel in the sheer old-school delight of cracking on with work at Steelhouse HQ - filing paperwork never felt this good! They also give a bit of background on moving the Those Damn Crows (SHOT!) Away Day to next February, and the pair's curiosity is piqued by the mysterious new rock-related feature that Grant's got in his pipeline (nasty...)
Big thanks to The Dust Coda boys and to Earache for letting us play their excellent new anthem 'Dream Alight'. You can read about and pre-order the album here: https://tinyurl.com/y84upvfd