Summer is festival season, and with a ridiculous amount going on this year I don’t think I’m going to be spending much time at home, merely roaming the country complete with tent, sleeping bag and 6 tons of tinned fruit.
I must admit though, I am hugely looking forward to taking a break from the whole ‘where can I pitch my tent without lying on rocks or rolling down a hill’ saga with SOS Fest in Radcliffe, near Manchester.
Every so often rockers find a niche in the market and do great things for those in need-hello SOS Fest! It’s a two day indoor festival on the 9th and 10th of July put on by the wonderful Rocksector Records, and it’s already looking to be one of the must-attend festivals of the year! For a city with such an amazing rock scene there has been a distinct lack of rock festivals around Manchester, but SOS Fest changes everything! This is going to be the 3rd year of SOS fest and it has absolutely everything you could want; if you haven’t been to the last 2 make sure you get yourselves down to this one!

It’s an all-age event and it’s running from 4pm to 11:30 each day, so for those very brave people with children (Children terrify me. Honestly, I just have to see a small child and I run screaming in the opposite direction, much to the amusement of those around me) SOS Fest is a wonderful way to listen to some awesome bands without having to fork out a fortune for babysitters, and yes, of course there’s a licensed bar for the adults! It’s also very near a load of major transport routes with a lot of free parking available, and if you decide it’s better just to stay in the area there are some great deals on local hotels.

Even though it’s a way off yet, the line-up is looking absolutely awesome.

Friday is classic rock day, and the headliner is yet to be confirmed, but if the rest of the bands are anything to go by then it’s going to be ace!

Falling Red, who are touring with Dave Evans later this year, have been confirmed, and these guys put on an absolutely stunning live show.
Citizen Charlie, originally from Norway is going to be putting in an appearance, and if the reviews of her live shows ring true then this is one show not to be missed.

4Bitten are the third band confirmed for Friday at SOS Fest; a band that claim to have been born in the wrong decade-their influences are the likes of Led Zep and Whitesnake, so if you’re after some proper 80’s cock rock these guys are for you!

Exit State, who are due to be releasing their debut album at the end of May, have also just been confirmed for the Friday; the line-up gets better and better!

Saturday is a day for the heavy metal fans among us, with the one and only Blaze Bayley headlining! After leaving Iron Maiden, Blaze Bayley has astounded and delighted fans with his exceptional stage presence and rocking tunes, and after seeing him at Hark 2 Towler in Bury I cannot wait to see him again! (Review here).

 Fury UK, (pictured below) a truly incredible metal band from Manchester will be playing, and even though I have seen these guys many, many times they never fail to disappoint. It’s impossible to believe that there are only 3 of them in the band; the sound they produce is just immense and their live shows-well-after seeing them for yourselves you will understand when I say I just can’t describe how good they are! They have also got a new album coming out soon, so check back for reviews of that!

Nightvision are billed as “Metallica with a hard rock twist”-having not seen them live yet I can’t comment from personal experience, but they recently made their foreign debut at Wizzfest in Belgium and were ridiculously well-received!

Moth Circus are controversial, edgy, and about to release their debut album ‘Sideshow Sweetheart’ in the UK, and after their tour last year SOS fest is welcoming them with open arms.

Babylon Fire played SOS last year to a storming reception, and if last year’s performance is anything to go on then they will have whipped up the crowd into a frenzy in no time!

Last but not least of the announced acts so far are Skull Branded Pirates- the name says it all! Think Alestorm but heavier, and you’re pretty much there with what these guys are all about. I must admit I have a huge weakness for pirate metal, so look out for me at the front of this set complete with parrot…

All in all SOS Fest is going to be totally unmissable, and the next announcement is due soon-don’t worry, I will be keeping you posted! With the quality of the bands playing it this year tickets are going to be going very fast indeed, so make sure you don’t miss out. More information about everything to do with SOS Fest can be found on their website here, and updates will be posted regularly here on GigJunkie.