ROGUE MALE, I.C.O.N @ Birmingham Roadhouse 6/10/11

Blimey.

That’s the only word for this.

Blimey.

When openers I.C.O.N hit the stage there are a grand total of three – that’s right three – people watching.

There is a brief Spinal Tap moment when they ask for “a big round of applause” for the headliners, but still they are worth watching. Mini album “New Born Day” is a decent effort at muscular British hard rock and most of it gets an airing.

Line-up changes have dogged the band throughout their brief history but now with a settled roster and some more gigs in the remainder of 2011 they might see their profile increase.

Belfast’s Rogue Male have been around long enough to see this kind of night before. Eight paying punters (the crowd has been more than doubled at least), however probably wasn’t they had in mind when they reformed in 2009 but they take it in good humour. “We’ll get your names at the end,” says guitarist John Fraser Binnie.

To their credit they play the 75 minute set they planned and vocalist/ lead guitarist Jim Lyttle is in good form, dedicating the track “Unemployment” to David Cameron.

In truth their brand of hard-rock-as-social-commentary is as relevant today as it was in the 1980s and new tracks like “Cold Blooded Man” mix well with stuff from their 80s heyday. It is the Motorhead-esque growl of “Crazy Motorcycle” that really gets the crowd going – well two blokes jump up and down, but you get the picture.

A slightly uncomfortable night is completed by Lyttle jumping off stage to thank the crowd for coming. He shakes hands with everyone as they leave. A decent and noble gesture. But it didn’t take him long.

SYLOSIS, Malefice, Anterior, Chapters @ HMV Institute Temple 30 Sept 2011

There are many problems with the gig tonight.

First it’s in the hottest place on the planet, the upstairs room The Temple. Second the mighty Evile are just up the road playing the opening night of the UK tour – a fact that Sylosis frontman Josh Middleton acknowledges in his bands set. And last but not least, there is a ridiculously early curfew time.

Which makes it even more baffling therefore that come 6.30 (the scheduled start time) opening act Chapters still haven’t appeared. When they are finally allowed on the young Berkshire band show some promise. They are very much a work in progress and their attempted Prog/Thrash epics don’t quite work yet, but if they had the confidence to pull off their vision they might have something to offer.

Confidence is something Welsh metallers Anterior don’t lack. New album “Echoes of the Fallen” has finally seen them at the top of their game and they seem to be on the verge of a breakthrough of sorts. Singer Luke Davies is a charismatic presence, and drummer James Cook looks to settled their problems behind the kit. The only way – at last – is up.

Malefice aren’t hanging around either. Singer Dale Butler explains that the last time they were here their van was broken into and, after apologising for being late (a fact blames on some unexplained “issues tonight”) they race through a 25 minute set as if eager not to be parted form their valuables again. New album “Awaken the Tides” is a masterclass in modern thrash and its title track is rapturously received.

Yet more delays – the soundmen are clearly arguing – mean Sylosis are half an hour late on stage, which is a tremendous shame. This is their second headlining trek of 2011, having been the star turn on the Metal Hammer Razor tour, and with second album “Edge of the Earth” attracting rave reviews they know this is very much their time. Gargantuan riffs abound, with the unexpectedly catchy “Sands of Time” an obvious highlight, but just 40 minutes in and it’s all over. The plug is pulled and its time for the ravers waiting for the club downstairs to come in.

We have free tickets for that, so we are informed. We don’t take them up on the offer. Reflecting instead that what could have been an almost perfect night was flawed through no fault of the bands themselves.

I’ll bet Evile didn’t have this problem.