Christopher OwensOn the go since the mid 2000's, By Any Means are stalwarts of the Belfast hardcore scene.

In July 2016, they were offered the chance to do a UK tour with Raging Speedhorn. Vocalist Mickey Higgins and guitarist Paul BAM wrote a tour diary for Metal Ireland that went down in legend.

Here's the uncut version


Friday 15th July - Colchester Arts Centre.

Friday begins for us on Thursday evening, with us having to catch the overnight Belfast to Liverpool ferry at 10pm. After a few drinks in the lounge and a couple of hours of broken sleep with a wakeup call at 5.00am, we dock in Birkenhead at 6am and begin the run to Colchester, which is about 300 miles east!

Upon arrival we find the venue – it’s a deconsecrated church and still has many of the original inlays and plaques that were there when it was a church. Stunning venue to start off the tour! Speedhorn are running very late so we decide to check into the hotel which Micky assured us was a 5 minute drive. 25 minutes later we pull up.. Having checked in we have the first of many fruity ciders on this tour, the weather is touching thirty and my balls are stuck to my leg.

We return to the venue and Speedhorn finally make it. Frank, vocalist for Speedhorn, has had to jump out of the van early however for a slash and is now lost. He arrives just as doors open at 7.30 completely leathered!! Legend. After an impressively quick RSH setup and sound check, we get setting up at 7.30pm and manage to get a line check and half a song knocked out with 10 minutes remaining before our slot at 8.00pm. Our half hour slot comes and goes and we’re off stage, straight in, no kissing. We’ve played well. Nerves were showing as we played a little rushed but there’s a good crowd watching and even bit of a pit has got started by the end of the last song. The heat onstage was just immense!! Job done.

Stoneghost hit and I’m really impressed by these newcomers. Front man Jason really owns the stage. RSH hit the stage and the hair on my sweaty balls goes straight as they are so goddamn heavy and tight, such a difference to the last time I saw them in Belfast when you could see the fight had gone out of them. This time they strip paint with their ferocity. The crowd laps it up and a massive pit opens up which I’m seriously tempted to join but then someone hands me a cold beer and the reality that I’m an overweight middle aged guy hits home again ha-ha.

Sat 16th July - Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff.

We arrive early and have a look at the venue. The ambient heat is still in the high 20’s and the venue is tiny! This is gonna be another sweaty do!!

The rest of the guys arrive and we get set up, Gordon RSH kindly moves his kit to the back wall after their sound check giving us a bit more room. We get a line check and we’re ready to go. The set flies past and it’s undoubtedly one of the hottest shows I’ve ever played! Tonight’s performance is better though, we’re starting to settle in and feeling more confident. The crowd reaction is good, heads nodding all around the small room and loud applause after each song.

Speedhorn take to the stage to a great reception, they have a loyal following in Cardiff and the attendance has grown to almost the capacity of the venue. They rip through the set pulling out a good mix of old and new songs, Knives and Faces from the first album being a highlight for me. They have their shit well together tonight and the crowd lap it up.

Afterwards we pack the gear down and hang out for a drink in the venue bar, all the band members chatting and getting to know each other a bit more, it’s a good vibe. Lots of laughs and good ribbing commence until we head to our digs for the night provided by Paul – a guy I started talking to literally a few weeks before. Previously the singer in Shaped By Fate, he has welcomed 4 strangers into his home. The first of many unknown people who were so incredibly welcoming and gracious to us. This is what touring’s about – meeting new people and making new friends.

Sun 17th July - Arts Club, Liverpool.

I take the first shift at the wheel, and as we sail back across the Severn bridge I think to myself “We should have gone up through Wales…..”. As we head up the M5 around the edge of Bristol we’re making good time, traffic is pretty light.

As I round a corner on the motorway I see the vehicles ahead of me braking and slowing down to a stop. We do the same and spend the next hour sat in the same fucking place. A quick Google check tells us there’s an accident ahead with severe delays, marvellous.

We start to move again, but at a crawl.

At this rate we’re never making the 3pm load in time, so we let the Speedhorn guys know we’re running late. Turns out they’re running behind as well, so we’ve a bit of a let off. But as it turns 4pm we’ve only got as far as the Gloucester county border, with still 160 miles to do. We press on, by 6pm we’re still 60 miles away, the traffic on the M6 is absolutely fucking us over.


Accidents, empty roadworks and lane restrictions hinder our progress, every time we get up a bit of speed we’re slowed down again with a mile. At one point we seriously consider the fact that we’re not gonna make our stage time. But good news filters through there’s a local opener tonight and our stage time has been pushed back 45 mins. Result! Stoneghost lads come down and help us load in – top lads!!

I hate rushing just before playing, I always have. The locals finish their set, we fire into the setup and the Stoneghost guys give us a very welcome hand. Bloody nice chaps they are too.

After a one minute line check we’re off, as we start the first song I immediately feel light-headed from a mixture of tiredness and adrenaline. I catch my breath and we plough on, playing the best set we’ve done so far.

Raging into first song ‘On These Streets’ I can feel the frustration of the journey pouring out of all of us and am really energised by it. Everyone’s starting to gel and click together, nerves are gone and we know what we have to do and by fuck do we do it!!. All four of us are on point, it’s really coming together now and there’s several photographers fighting to get angles as we throw ourselves round the stage. The RSH and Stoneghost guys are watching us from front and side stage and there’s heads banging all around the fairly packed and large room. I spot a guy writing frantically in a notepad who is crouched in front of the security barrier, fuck knows what he’s writing, but seeing it gives me another boost - I’m not getting a bad review after the fucking day I’ve had! We finish off to a roar of cheers and applause, I think we’ve done alright here.

Once I’ve caught my breath and dried off backstage I head down to the merch table to see what’s happening. There’s people buying merch, wanting photographs, handshakes and just to tell us how much they enjoyed our set. It’s a good end to a manic day. We hang about till the end and say our goodbyes for the night. Our accommodation is provided by Andy ‘Agz’ from Liverpool hardcore band Skitvarld, who we’ve never met - apart from Facebook contact. He has offered us his apartment for the night and is going to stay with his girlfriend.

Giving four blokes you’ve never met, from some band you don’t know, the keys to your apartment is a genuine act of kindness, for which we will be always grateful. We settle down with a can but everyone is ready for sleep within half an hour. It’s lights out and let the snoring competition begin…

Mon 18th July - O2 ABC, Glasgow

After a whopping ‘Spoons breakfast (they really are a godsend on tour), we’re on our way north. I’ve always loved the drive up to Glasgow, the scenery is something else. We get into town just after 1pm and head straight to the venue. We’re met at the door by some friendly and helpful staff, who give us a hand in with our gear even though there’s not a lot of it. We pull the van to the other side of the road into a pay and display parking bay as we can’t leave it directly outside, to find out that it’s going to cost almost £5 per fucking hour up until 6pm. There’s no option really but to suck it up. These unexpected costs need factored into any tour nowadays and they can mount up very quickly.

We get settled in, the support bands have their own backstage area tonight with direct stage access also which is great and Speedhorn’s is on the other side of the stage. There’s a local band opening also tonight, Bacchus Baracus, they remind me a lot of Triggerman. The drummer Q-ball is an old chum and we have good yarn about the “old days”, I’ve been doing that a lot this week, we’re not getting any younger.
Speedhorn and Stoneghost are running late, so we take off for a pint in a ‘Spoons down the street to kill some time. It’s fucking warm in Glasgow today, anytime I’ve been here previously it’s been freezing cold. There’s no option but to neck a few cold fruity ciders before heading back up the street. The other two bands arrive and we help in with the gear. I watch Speedhorn sound checking, there’s something not right about the vocals and the guys aren’t happy with the monitors. After another 30 min or so they decide to make do with it as is and let us get set up as we’re getting close to doors.

As Bacchus Baracus get set up and underway, people are starting to drift into the venue. It’s a strange room, the stage is side on instead of the traditional back wall. But it’s got plenty of space even with two kits up there, meaning we have room to move. BB finish up and we get ready to go, I’ve looking forward to this show the most so far and the adrenaline is flowing. We start off and immediately Micky has no vocals in the monitor, exactly what RSH had said was happening earlier. There’s not a lot we can do at this stage so we crack on.

The sets finishes and we get great response, people are already the merch table 30 seconds after we’re done. I get dried off and catch my breath, then head out to the merch. Stoneghost’s merch man Liam has been looking after it for us and tells me we’ve already done half a dozen CD’s and a couple of shirts, result. I chat with a few people who tell me we blew them away and they want to know more about this band they’ve never heard of. We’re doing something right it appears.

The rest of the show comes and goes and we get loaded out. RSH had a great crowd tonight, I reckon it’s been the best attendance yet. We’re staying with an old friend tonight, Phil Donnelly from Stand-up Guy, and he jumps in the van to direct us to his place. We have a few drinks and yarn back and forth, but it’s soon time for sleep and everyone is shattered. Touring kids, it’s not all sex, drugs and rock n’ roll!


Tue 19th July - Key Club, Leeds.

We get up fairly early and after a great home cooked breakfast we head for my home town of Leeds. It’s the hottest day of the tour so far and we’re all feeling drained and grouchy. Chris takes the driving seat and I opt for a kip in the back of the van! Once we’ve loaded in I meet my daughter and have some lunch. Then it’s on to Spoons for more fruity ciders loaded with ice!

Stage time comes and the heat is practically unbearable but we struggle through and play a decent set. Dan from RSJ has come to see us play. Our first ever gig was supporting them way back in 2009. It ended with Dan drunk and asleep with my ball sack on his face hahaha. Friends and family come to see the show and all in all it’s a brilliant night.

Jason from Stoneghost is limping badly after their set, he says whilst on stage he slipped and felt a pinch in his back, but seems ok for it.

We load out and head to our digs for the night, a quick drive over to Huddersfield to stay with my mates Justine and Bryan. Birmingham tomorrow, I hope it’s a cooler day….

Wed 20th July - O2 Academy, Birmingham.

It’s not a cooler day, even at 9am. The sweat is lashing out of us as we get ready for the run to Birmingham, fuck this. We get some breakfast and get on the road early, even though it’s a quick enough drive in comparison to some of the route so far, we want to get there early. We luck out with a parking spot right behind the venue and as RSH arrive at the same time as us, so do they. As it’s still early, we have some time to kill, so we go for a wander. Currie is immediately off like a whippet to the nearest comic shop, Micky and myself opt for a liquid lunch. Tonight could get interesting.

It’s just after 4pm when we get word that Stoneghost may not be playing tonight. Jason is in A&E in Birmingham with his back in complete agony - it was that bad the rest of the band had to carry him from the hotel to the van and from the van into A&E. This was no easy feat as he’s quite a large gent! Then the fact strikes me that if they don’t show up, we have no drumkit for tonight. Balls. A few calls later and they have promised to deliver the kit to the venue as they’re only up the road. We’ll hang onto it in case they can’t make the rest of the shows and they can meet us in London to get it back on Saturday night. Thanks fuck, panic over.

Local beer drinkers and hell raisers Burden Of The Noose step in at the last minute and immediately drink all the rider.

Burden play first, dishing out a mix of grind and sludge to a great reception, the show goes really well for them being the local lads. We go next, giving it absolutely everything we’ve got, nothing to lose and everything to gain. It appears to have paid off, there are heads banging all around the room and bit of a mosh on the go front and centre – There are still people hiding behind the invisible ‘semi-circle of safety’ all the same. We finish to a roar of appreciation, we did alright here.

After cooling off and getting into the beer, I’m feeling a tad better. RSH still haven’t started, it appears Gordon’s in-ear monitors aren’t playing ball. It takes another 10min for them to get started, but when they do it’s really something to watch. The floor is a sea of spilt beer and the crowd has come to life. I hover by the door to the merch area watching it all unfold, trying to get a few pics and a vid. People are looking for BAM merch, so I do a bit of running back and forth from the door to the table. Not a bad complaint to have I guess.

We load out after the show and head back to Martin from Burden’s place. The lads are in a party mood, not surprisingly, so just to be polite I have a bottle of brandy and fall asleep around 5.30am.

Thur 21st July - Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth.

I wake up about 9 and am surprised the majority of last night’s attendees are up before me, even though they went to sleep after me, sitting enjoying the sun. Bloody youngsters…

After a ‘Spoons brekkie we hit the road. Burden are coming too as Stoneghost won’t be playing tonight, so they’ll be with us for at least two more shows. Apparently though Stoneghost reckon their singer will be fit enough to play the final gig in London.

The run to Portsmouth is done in a little over 4 hours, including a rest stop on the way down. We locate the venue and load in, RSH are already there and getting ready to sound check. It’s a bloody big room, biggest of the tour so far. I’m not sure how much of a following RSH have down here, but I’m not sure it will fill the space in the room. We set up after them and give it a quick blast, the sound is really good onstage.

Burden arrive just as we finish checking, perfect timing, meaning we all get a sound check tonight. I have a good feeling about what is to come over the next few hours, despite my reservations about the size of the venue. It seems there’s some upset as to the advertising of the gig and the last-minute line-up change. Nothing to be done except plug in and play like hell…

Stage time approaches and Burden knock out a fine set to the small, but increasing audience. We hit the stage and immediately give it full attack, we have decided that people are going take notice of what we are doing whether they like it or not. Maybe a tad too much, for halfway through the first song Micky steps on a monitor, it slides off the stage almost hitting a photographer in the gap between the stage and the barrier. Micky loses his balance and jumps off the stage and lands on the barrier on top of a few unlucky people - one of them being RSH guitarist Jim Palmer. Micky pulls it off like a pro, it looks almost natural! Still, Chris and I piss ourselves laughing at the big fool but carry on playing regardless. The set is tight, flows superbly and every member is feeling calm and focused. To say that Micky and Currie only joined 10 weeks previously this is a testament to their professionalism and experience.

RSH take to the stage and immediately own the audience. Frank states “I know there’s not too many of you here, but let’s have a fucking good time!” and they willingly oblige. I reckon by this point there’s only 120 in the crowd, but there’s not one of them standing still. This continues from start to finish and I reckon it’s their best performance so far.

RSH seem to have really taken to having us about I feel, there’s a sense of brotherhood between us now and it’s pretty cool. We pack up and head as soon as they’ve finished as we have an hour’s drive to our accommodation tonight, provided by the lovely Sandy Munro – a cousin of a friend. Again, someone we’ve never met or spoken to before. We set off into the night and on getting to our digs it’s a cup of tea all round and lights out. We’re all shattered. Oxford tomorrow, we’re told the venue is a lot smaller and “more old school” than tonight but that it’s almost sold out. This could get interesting...

Friday 22nd July – The Wheatsheaf, Oxford.

We head early down to Oxford and after a breakfast stop we hit the road. Temperatures are still touching 30 degrees C so upon arrival we park and hit the pub for lunch and yet more fruity cider with ice!! We meet with the promoters Elliot and Ryan from Desert Storm and decide among us that we’ll hire an apartment for the night rather than sleep in the van. We get to the place and it’s well plush.

There’s a standing fan which we put on high immediately and I grab a chair, drop trousers, bend over and give my love spuds and caramel weeto some much needed cool air...

We load in and already the temperature in the tiny upstairs venue is hitting the ‘fuck this’ marker on the heat scale. BOTN open proceedings and immediately people flood in from outside. The lads absolutely pound the crowd with high volume riffs heavy enough to shake my can of beer almost off the table. They set the bar high, it’s up to us to smash it.

As soon as we hit the opening chords people beginning filling the hot room and the temperature ramps up another few notches. We storm through the first few tracks and people are standing back in the ‘semi-circle of safety’ so we call people forward. I jump down off the stage so that I’m eye to eye with the crowd and we blast through By Any Means and Life Support before hitting straight into No Last Chance, a fast paced start to get people moving and finally people start to respond! The next track is our cover of Motorhead’s ‘The Hammer’ and that really gets the crowd surging. Headbanging and moving around we go into our last song Using Both Hands and the crowd are really feeling it, bumping me around and giving me the horns as I get right into the heart of the crowd and show em how it’s done back in Belfast. The set ends and we’ve used every last ounce of energy, my vest is literally a soaked rag on my back. Packing up has never been so hard!

I retire to the van to cool down and return as Speedhorn are a few songs into their set. As I walk from outside up the stairs to the venue the heat hits me like a searing wall and as I reach the venue I’m absolutely soaked again as Speedhorn just lay waste to the place. No-one is standing without sweat pouring from them and the crowd is just going crazy. 150+ people just smashing themselves to pieces. This is how metal, hardcore and punk is supposed to done. How the place is standing after that is beyond me. John Laughlin, Speedhorn’s second vocalist, has to rush outside as the crushing heat has him hyperventilating. Incredible show!

Saturday 23rd July – The Underworld, London.

Final date of the tour. Although we’re all pretty beat up from the shows we’re sad that it’s coming to an end. We follow the routine – load in, sound checks, pub then back for showtime. Local openers tonight and they put on a good show, bringing the crowd with them they go down well. We’re next up and we hit it as hard as we can for one last time. London crowds are notoriously stand-offish but by the end of the set there’s some headbangers up the front giving it stacks and we get a decent ovation at the end.

And with that, we’re done.

Physically and mentally.

I head up the fire escape and out the back to try and get some fresh air but I’m met with the stinking central London evening heat and bus fumes as they whizz past. Minging.

I go back downstairs and change my shirt, but I need to get out of the venue, it almost feels claustrophobic. I head up into the World’s End, it’s a damn sight cooler in here, manage to get a stool at the bar and order a pint.

As I sit with the sweat still lashing off me and trying to collect my thoughts, a guy approaches me and tells me he came from Sweden to see RSH but had to find me and tell me how much he enjoyed our set. I thank him and tell him I’m really glad he enjoyed it, which I honestly am. It’s then I realise I’m sat in the wrong bar, there could be more people like him in the Underworld below me.



Stoneghost have managed to make the final show, Jason is on crutches and in obvious discomfort but they take the Underworld and give it a hefty shake. Jason is in fine vocal form and the lads are really putting everything into their show. Great crowd response and well deserved.

Next up, the mighty Speedhorn and the show is absolutely incendiary!! From the first note a huge pit starts and with Frank and John at the helm they absolutely destroy once again. Stage diving, pits, one lad in a full face motorcycle helmet is taking no chance with his teeth tonight and quite right too. The heat, the volume and the rage of the bass and guitars, all held together by Gordon Morison on drums just makes this one of the most aggressive shows I’ve ever seen – and I’ve seen a few. Massive smiles all round though, there’s a lot of positive anger tonight. One fella jumps up on stage and goes to nick one of Gordon’s drumsticks and Gordon gives him a belting whack on the head with his stick for his troubles. I swear I could hear it even over the volume of the band. Hilarious and fitting end to our tour.




We load out and there’s hugs, smiles and promises to do it all again someday soon. With a heavy heart we leave and head straight to Birkenhead for our ferry next morning.

Thanks to Speedhorn, Stoneghost and local openers for making us feel so welcome. Thanks to Liam - Stoneghosts’ merch man - for looking after our merch and his constant smile. Finally thanks to Chris, Stephen Currie and Micky Higgins for making it so successful. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed quite so much.

⏩Christopher Owens was a reviewer for Metal Ireland and finds time to study the history and inherent contradictions of Ireland. He is currently the TPQ Friday columnist. 

BAM Tour Diary 2016

Christopher OwensOn the go since the mid 2000's, By Any Means are stalwarts of the Belfast hardcore scene.

In July 2016, they were offered the chance to do a UK tour with Raging Speedhorn. Vocalist Mickey Higgins and guitarist Paul BAM wrote a tour diary for Metal Ireland that went down in legend.

Here's the uncut version


Friday 15th July - Colchester Arts Centre.

Friday begins for us on Thursday evening, with us having to catch the overnight Belfast to Liverpool ferry at 10pm. After a few drinks in the lounge and a couple of hours of broken sleep with a wakeup call at 5.00am, we dock in Birkenhead at 6am and begin the run to Colchester, which is about 300 miles east!

Upon arrival we find the venue – it’s a deconsecrated church and still has many of the original inlays and plaques that were there when it was a church. Stunning venue to start off the tour! Speedhorn are running very late so we decide to check into the hotel which Micky assured us was a 5 minute drive. 25 minutes later we pull up.. Having checked in we have the first of many fruity ciders on this tour, the weather is touching thirty and my balls are stuck to my leg.

We return to the venue and Speedhorn finally make it. Frank, vocalist for Speedhorn, has had to jump out of the van early however for a slash and is now lost. He arrives just as doors open at 7.30 completely leathered!! Legend. After an impressively quick RSH setup and sound check, we get setting up at 7.30pm and manage to get a line check and half a song knocked out with 10 minutes remaining before our slot at 8.00pm. Our half hour slot comes and goes and we’re off stage, straight in, no kissing. We’ve played well. Nerves were showing as we played a little rushed but there’s a good crowd watching and even bit of a pit has got started by the end of the last song. The heat onstage was just immense!! Job done.

Stoneghost hit and I’m really impressed by these newcomers. Front man Jason really owns the stage. RSH hit the stage and the hair on my sweaty balls goes straight as they are so goddamn heavy and tight, such a difference to the last time I saw them in Belfast when you could see the fight had gone out of them. This time they strip paint with their ferocity. The crowd laps it up and a massive pit opens up which I’m seriously tempted to join but then someone hands me a cold beer and the reality that I’m an overweight middle aged guy hits home again ha-ha.

Sat 16th July - Fuel Rock Club, Cardiff.

We arrive early and have a look at the venue. The ambient heat is still in the high 20’s and the venue is tiny! This is gonna be another sweaty do!!

The rest of the guys arrive and we get set up, Gordon RSH kindly moves his kit to the back wall after their sound check giving us a bit more room. We get a line check and we’re ready to go. The set flies past and it’s undoubtedly one of the hottest shows I’ve ever played! Tonight’s performance is better though, we’re starting to settle in and feeling more confident. The crowd reaction is good, heads nodding all around the small room and loud applause after each song.

Speedhorn take to the stage to a great reception, they have a loyal following in Cardiff and the attendance has grown to almost the capacity of the venue. They rip through the set pulling out a good mix of old and new songs, Knives and Faces from the first album being a highlight for me. They have their shit well together tonight and the crowd lap it up.

Afterwards we pack the gear down and hang out for a drink in the venue bar, all the band members chatting and getting to know each other a bit more, it’s a good vibe. Lots of laughs and good ribbing commence until we head to our digs for the night provided by Paul – a guy I started talking to literally a few weeks before. Previously the singer in Shaped By Fate, he has welcomed 4 strangers into his home. The first of many unknown people who were so incredibly welcoming and gracious to us. This is what touring’s about – meeting new people and making new friends.

Sun 17th July - Arts Club, Liverpool.

I take the first shift at the wheel, and as we sail back across the Severn bridge I think to myself “We should have gone up through Wales…..”. As we head up the M5 around the edge of Bristol we’re making good time, traffic is pretty light.

As I round a corner on the motorway I see the vehicles ahead of me braking and slowing down to a stop. We do the same and spend the next hour sat in the same fucking place. A quick Google check tells us there’s an accident ahead with severe delays, marvellous.

We start to move again, but at a crawl.

At this rate we’re never making the 3pm load in time, so we let the Speedhorn guys know we’re running late. Turns out they’re running behind as well, so we’ve a bit of a let off. But as it turns 4pm we’ve only got as far as the Gloucester county border, with still 160 miles to do. We press on, by 6pm we’re still 60 miles away, the traffic on the M6 is absolutely fucking us over.


Accidents, empty roadworks and lane restrictions hinder our progress, every time we get up a bit of speed we’re slowed down again with a mile. At one point we seriously consider the fact that we’re not gonna make our stage time. But good news filters through there’s a local opener tonight and our stage time has been pushed back 45 mins. Result! Stoneghost lads come down and help us load in – top lads!!

I hate rushing just before playing, I always have. The locals finish their set, we fire into the setup and the Stoneghost guys give us a very welcome hand. Bloody nice chaps they are too.

After a one minute line check we’re off, as we start the first song I immediately feel light-headed from a mixture of tiredness and adrenaline. I catch my breath and we plough on, playing the best set we’ve done so far.

Raging into first song ‘On These Streets’ I can feel the frustration of the journey pouring out of all of us and am really energised by it. Everyone’s starting to gel and click together, nerves are gone and we know what we have to do and by fuck do we do it!!. All four of us are on point, it’s really coming together now and there’s several photographers fighting to get angles as we throw ourselves round the stage. The RSH and Stoneghost guys are watching us from front and side stage and there’s heads banging all around the fairly packed and large room. I spot a guy writing frantically in a notepad who is crouched in front of the security barrier, fuck knows what he’s writing, but seeing it gives me another boost - I’m not getting a bad review after the fucking day I’ve had! We finish off to a roar of cheers and applause, I think we’ve done alright here.

Once I’ve caught my breath and dried off backstage I head down to the merch table to see what’s happening. There’s people buying merch, wanting photographs, handshakes and just to tell us how much they enjoyed our set. It’s a good end to a manic day. We hang about till the end and say our goodbyes for the night. Our accommodation is provided by Andy ‘Agz’ from Liverpool hardcore band Skitvarld, who we’ve never met - apart from Facebook contact. He has offered us his apartment for the night and is going to stay with his girlfriend.

Giving four blokes you’ve never met, from some band you don’t know, the keys to your apartment is a genuine act of kindness, for which we will be always grateful. We settle down with a can but everyone is ready for sleep within half an hour. It’s lights out and let the snoring competition begin…

Mon 18th July - O2 ABC, Glasgow

After a whopping ‘Spoons breakfast (they really are a godsend on tour), we’re on our way north. I’ve always loved the drive up to Glasgow, the scenery is something else. We get into town just after 1pm and head straight to the venue. We’re met at the door by some friendly and helpful staff, who give us a hand in with our gear even though there’s not a lot of it. We pull the van to the other side of the road into a pay and display parking bay as we can’t leave it directly outside, to find out that it’s going to cost almost £5 per fucking hour up until 6pm. There’s no option really but to suck it up. These unexpected costs need factored into any tour nowadays and they can mount up very quickly.

We get settled in, the support bands have their own backstage area tonight with direct stage access also which is great and Speedhorn’s is on the other side of the stage. There’s a local band opening also tonight, Bacchus Baracus, they remind me a lot of Triggerman. The drummer Q-ball is an old chum and we have good yarn about the “old days”, I’ve been doing that a lot this week, we’re not getting any younger.
Speedhorn and Stoneghost are running late, so we take off for a pint in a ‘Spoons down the street to kill some time. It’s fucking warm in Glasgow today, anytime I’ve been here previously it’s been freezing cold. There’s no option but to neck a few cold fruity ciders before heading back up the street. The other two bands arrive and we help in with the gear. I watch Speedhorn sound checking, there’s something not right about the vocals and the guys aren’t happy with the monitors. After another 30 min or so they decide to make do with it as is and let us get set up as we’re getting close to doors.

As Bacchus Baracus get set up and underway, people are starting to drift into the venue. It’s a strange room, the stage is side on instead of the traditional back wall. But it’s got plenty of space even with two kits up there, meaning we have room to move. BB finish up and we get ready to go, I’ve looking forward to this show the most so far and the adrenaline is flowing. We start off and immediately Micky has no vocals in the monitor, exactly what RSH had said was happening earlier. There’s not a lot we can do at this stage so we crack on.

The sets finishes and we get great response, people are already the merch table 30 seconds after we’re done. I get dried off and catch my breath, then head out to the merch. Stoneghost’s merch man Liam has been looking after it for us and tells me we’ve already done half a dozen CD’s and a couple of shirts, result. I chat with a few people who tell me we blew them away and they want to know more about this band they’ve never heard of. We’re doing something right it appears.

The rest of the show comes and goes and we get loaded out. RSH had a great crowd tonight, I reckon it’s been the best attendance yet. We’re staying with an old friend tonight, Phil Donnelly from Stand-up Guy, and he jumps in the van to direct us to his place. We have a few drinks and yarn back and forth, but it’s soon time for sleep and everyone is shattered. Touring kids, it’s not all sex, drugs and rock n’ roll!


Tue 19th July - Key Club, Leeds.

We get up fairly early and after a great home cooked breakfast we head for my home town of Leeds. It’s the hottest day of the tour so far and we’re all feeling drained and grouchy. Chris takes the driving seat and I opt for a kip in the back of the van! Once we’ve loaded in I meet my daughter and have some lunch. Then it’s on to Spoons for more fruity ciders loaded with ice!

Stage time comes and the heat is practically unbearable but we struggle through and play a decent set. Dan from RSJ has come to see us play. Our first ever gig was supporting them way back in 2009. It ended with Dan drunk and asleep with my ball sack on his face hahaha. Friends and family come to see the show and all in all it’s a brilliant night.

Jason from Stoneghost is limping badly after their set, he says whilst on stage he slipped and felt a pinch in his back, but seems ok for it.

We load out and head to our digs for the night, a quick drive over to Huddersfield to stay with my mates Justine and Bryan. Birmingham tomorrow, I hope it’s a cooler day….

Wed 20th July - O2 Academy, Birmingham.

It’s not a cooler day, even at 9am. The sweat is lashing out of us as we get ready for the run to Birmingham, fuck this. We get some breakfast and get on the road early, even though it’s a quick enough drive in comparison to some of the route so far, we want to get there early. We luck out with a parking spot right behind the venue and as RSH arrive at the same time as us, so do they. As it’s still early, we have some time to kill, so we go for a wander. Currie is immediately off like a whippet to the nearest comic shop, Micky and myself opt for a liquid lunch. Tonight could get interesting.

It’s just after 4pm when we get word that Stoneghost may not be playing tonight. Jason is in A&E in Birmingham with his back in complete agony - it was that bad the rest of the band had to carry him from the hotel to the van and from the van into A&E. This was no easy feat as he’s quite a large gent! Then the fact strikes me that if they don’t show up, we have no drumkit for tonight. Balls. A few calls later and they have promised to deliver the kit to the venue as they’re only up the road. We’ll hang onto it in case they can’t make the rest of the shows and they can meet us in London to get it back on Saturday night. Thanks fuck, panic over.

Local beer drinkers and hell raisers Burden Of The Noose step in at the last minute and immediately drink all the rider.

Burden play first, dishing out a mix of grind and sludge to a great reception, the show goes really well for them being the local lads. We go next, giving it absolutely everything we’ve got, nothing to lose and everything to gain. It appears to have paid off, there are heads banging all around the room and bit of a mosh on the go front and centre – There are still people hiding behind the invisible ‘semi-circle of safety’ all the same. We finish to a roar of appreciation, we did alright here.

After cooling off and getting into the beer, I’m feeling a tad better. RSH still haven’t started, it appears Gordon’s in-ear monitors aren’t playing ball. It takes another 10min for them to get started, but when they do it’s really something to watch. The floor is a sea of spilt beer and the crowd has come to life. I hover by the door to the merch area watching it all unfold, trying to get a few pics and a vid. People are looking for BAM merch, so I do a bit of running back and forth from the door to the table. Not a bad complaint to have I guess.

We load out after the show and head back to Martin from Burden’s place. The lads are in a party mood, not surprisingly, so just to be polite I have a bottle of brandy and fall asleep around 5.30am.

Thur 21st July - Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth.

I wake up about 9 and am surprised the majority of last night’s attendees are up before me, even though they went to sleep after me, sitting enjoying the sun. Bloody youngsters…

After a ‘Spoons brekkie we hit the road. Burden are coming too as Stoneghost won’t be playing tonight, so they’ll be with us for at least two more shows. Apparently though Stoneghost reckon their singer will be fit enough to play the final gig in London.

The run to Portsmouth is done in a little over 4 hours, including a rest stop on the way down. We locate the venue and load in, RSH are already there and getting ready to sound check. It’s a bloody big room, biggest of the tour so far. I’m not sure how much of a following RSH have down here, but I’m not sure it will fill the space in the room. We set up after them and give it a quick blast, the sound is really good onstage.

Burden arrive just as we finish checking, perfect timing, meaning we all get a sound check tonight. I have a good feeling about what is to come over the next few hours, despite my reservations about the size of the venue. It seems there’s some upset as to the advertising of the gig and the last-minute line-up change. Nothing to be done except plug in and play like hell…

Stage time approaches and Burden knock out a fine set to the small, but increasing audience. We hit the stage and immediately give it full attack, we have decided that people are going take notice of what we are doing whether they like it or not. Maybe a tad too much, for halfway through the first song Micky steps on a monitor, it slides off the stage almost hitting a photographer in the gap between the stage and the barrier. Micky loses his balance and jumps off the stage and lands on the barrier on top of a few unlucky people - one of them being RSH guitarist Jim Palmer. Micky pulls it off like a pro, it looks almost natural! Still, Chris and I piss ourselves laughing at the big fool but carry on playing regardless. The set is tight, flows superbly and every member is feeling calm and focused. To say that Micky and Currie only joined 10 weeks previously this is a testament to their professionalism and experience.

RSH take to the stage and immediately own the audience. Frank states “I know there’s not too many of you here, but let’s have a fucking good time!” and they willingly oblige. I reckon by this point there’s only 120 in the crowd, but there’s not one of them standing still. This continues from start to finish and I reckon it’s their best performance so far.

RSH seem to have really taken to having us about I feel, there’s a sense of brotherhood between us now and it’s pretty cool. We pack up and head as soon as they’ve finished as we have an hour’s drive to our accommodation tonight, provided by the lovely Sandy Munro – a cousin of a friend. Again, someone we’ve never met or spoken to before. We set off into the night and on getting to our digs it’s a cup of tea all round and lights out. We’re all shattered. Oxford tomorrow, we’re told the venue is a lot smaller and “more old school” than tonight but that it’s almost sold out. This could get interesting...

Friday 22nd July – The Wheatsheaf, Oxford.

We head early down to Oxford and after a breakfast stop we hit the road. Temperatures are still touching 30 degrees C so upon arrival we park and hit the pub for lunch and yet more fruity cider with ice!! We meet with the promoters Elliot and Ryan from Desert Storm and decide among us that we’ll hire an apartment for the night rather than sleep in the van. We get to the place and it’s well plush.

There’s a standing fan which we put on high immediately and I grab a chair, drop trousers, bend over and give my love spuds and caramel weeto some much needed cool air...

We load in and already the temperature in the tiny upstairs venue is hitting the ‘fuck this’ marker on the heat scale. BOTN open proceedings and immediately people flood in from outside. The lads absolutely pound the crowd with high volume riffs heavy enough to shake my can of beer almost off the table. They set the bar high, it’s up to us to smash it.

As soon as we hit the opening chords people beginning filling the hot room and the temperature ramps up another few notches. We storm through the first few tracks and people are standing back in the ‘semi-circle of safety’ so we call people forward. I jump down off the stage so that I’m eye to eye with the crowd and we blast through By Any Means and Life Support before hitting straight into No Last Chance, a fast paced start to get people moving and finally people start to respond! The next track is our cover of Motorhead’s ‘The Hammer’ and that really gets the crowd surging. Headbanging and moving around we go into our last song Using Both Hands and the crowd are really feeling it, bumping me around and giving me the horns as I get right into the heart of the crowd and show em how it’s done back in Belfast. The set ends and we’ve used every last ounce of energy, my vest is literally a soaked rag on my back. Packing up has never been so hard!

I retire to the van to cool down and return as Speedhorn are a few songs into their set. As I walk from outside up the stairs to the venue the heat hits me like a searing wall and as I reach the venue I’m absolutely soaked again as Speedhorn just lay waste to the place. No-one is standing without sweat pouring from them and the crowd is just going crazy. 150+ people just smashing themselves to pieces. This is how metal, hardcore and punk is supposed to done. How the place is standing after that is beyond me. John Laughlin, Speedhorn’s second vocalist, has to rush outside as the crushing heat has him hyperventilating. Incredible show!

Saturday 23rd July – The Underworld, London.

Final date of the tour. Although we’re all pretty beat up from the shows we’re sad that it’s coming to an end. We follow the routine – load in, sound checks, pub then back for showtime. Local openers tonight and they put on a good show, bringing the crowd with them they go down well. We’re next up and we hit it as hard as we can for one last time. London crowds are notoriously stand-offish but by the end of the set there’s some headbangers up the front giving it stacks and we get a decent ovation at the end.

And with that, we’re done.

Physically and mentally.

I head up the fire escape and out the back to try and get some fresh air but I’m met with the stinking central London evening heat and bus fumes as they whizz past. Minging.

I go back downstairs and change my shirt, but I need to get out of the venue, it almost feels claustrophobic. I head up into the World’s End, it’s a damn sight cooler in here, manage to get a stool at the bar and order a pint.

As I sit with the sweat still lashing off me and trying to collect my thoughts, a guy approaches me and tells me he came from Sweden to see RSH but had to find me and tell me how much he enjoyed our set. I thank him and tell him I’m really glad he enjoyed it, which I honestly am. It’s then I realise I’m sat in the wrong bar, there could be more people like him in the Underworld below me.



Stoneghost have managed to make the final show, Jason is on crutches and in obvious discomfort but they take the Underworld and give it a hefty shake. Jason is in fine vocal form and the lads are really putting everything into their show. Great crowd response and well deserved.

Next up, the mighty Speedhorn and the show is absolutely incendiary!! From the first note a huge pit starts and with Frank and John at the helm they absolutely destroy once again. Stage diving, pits, one lad in a full face motorcycle helmet is taking no chance with his teeth tonight and quite right too. The heat, the volume and the rage of the bass and guitars, all held together by Gordon Morison on drums just makes this one of the most aggressive shows I’ve ever seen – and I’ve seen a few. Massive smiles all round though, there’s a lot of positive anger tonight. One fella jumps up on stage and goes to nick one of Gordon’s drumsticks and Gordon gives him a belting whack on the head with his stick for his troubles. I swear I could hear it even over the volume of the band. Hilarious and fitting end to our tour.




We load out and there’s hugs, smiles and promises to do it all again someday soon. With a heavy heart we leave and head straight to Birkenhead for our ferry next morning.

Thanks to Speedhorn, Stoneghost and local openers for making us feel so welcome. Thanks to Liam - Stoneghosts’ merch man - for looking after our merch and his constant smile. Finally thanks to Chris, Stephen Currie and Micky Higgins for making it so successful. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed quite so much.

⏩Christopher Owens was a reviewer for Metal Ireland and finds time to study the history and inherent contradictions of Ireland. He is currently the TPQ Friday columnist. 

4 comments:

  1. Chris

    Nice to see you mention Colchester Arts Centre, my local cultural emporium, mnow sadly locked down.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I enjoyed this no end - a pleasure to read

    ReplyDelete