LOCAL CONCERT ALERT (Diamond Head), Sky's The Limit Fallout, And Much More!!

On this Saturday afternoon, let's largely clear out our recent news backlog with lots of assorted shorter news and notes, fallout from a recent charitable concert, and to kick things off, a huge LOCAL CONCERT ALERT for four months from now. Here's what you should know!

British heavy metal legends Diamond Head will make their local concert debut on Saturday, September 2nd when they headline at The Rockstar Bar! Pioneers of the new wave of British heavy metal, Diamond Head didn't have the mainstream success of some contemporaries, but are widely hailed as one of the most influential bands of the era, as seen with Metallica's numerous covers of theirs like "Helpless" & "The Prince", and it is awesome to see Brian Tatler and company make their way to the Soo this fall! Local openers will include punk/metal quintet Jack Spades (in their first announced show at this venue with their new lineup), and returning classic metal quartet Project 421, a perfect choice given how frequently they cover Diamond Head's "Am I Evil?" in their sets. This is the first announced concert from Project 421 since Halloween last year, and while the band promises to "be out again before September" (source here), this is a huge way for them to re-emerge!

One more opening band is to be announced, and we will let you know when they're confirmed. Promoted by Jack Spades frontman J.D. Pearce, this 19+ concert has a 10:00 PM start time, and while limited tickets apparently go on sale this weekend, prices had not been announced at press time, nor have locations. Stay tuned for updates on that front, but this should be a huge show full of familiar classics and a nice wallop of old school heavy metal! Check the official Facebook event page and the above links for more details!

Next up, here's some fallout from Thursday night's Sky's the Limit mental health fundraiser concert at The Tech's W.W. Baldwin Auditorium, so what should you know from the other night? As they did last year, Algoma Family Services posted an extensive photo album of the concert onto their Facebook page yesterday, which showcases all of the vendor and advertiser tables outside of the auditorium, and yes, the beach balls were back in full force! Compared to last year, the participating bands were smaller in rank (falling from eight to five), though whether this is due to a shorter scheduled run time, longer sets, or fewer auditioning acts isn't clear. The Din, Electric Church, and Tristan "Bold Noize" Goslow were joined by a solo singer/guitarist and a youth group (neither credited in the album), and from what I can see, the on-stage interviews after sets did return, so hopefully everyone relayed their stories and thoughts well!

There is one video now available publically to check out, and it's of Electric Church playing for a solid 16 minutes on Thursday night, with "Muddy Waters", "Carey Baby", and a brand new original named "Cross The Line" featured. This was filmed by Bradley Shingwauk and shared to their Facebook page yesterday, and it captures this fast rising blues/hard rock trio in fine form for perhaps the best video sampler yet of their live set! Give it a look below, and stay tuned for more possible fallout from The Sky's The Limit!



Finally for today, here's six assorted shorter items from the last while, and these are in alphabetical order by artist, promoter, or event name:

• We have moved Sault Michigan acoustic hard rock band The Creepy Little Coffee People to our inactive band links, as they have not issued a public update to their Facebook page since sharing a YouTube upload there in March of last year. After a lengthy breakup, The C.L.C.P. reunited in late 2015, but only issued scattered updates and played live as guests before their last posting. The guys have a promising sound and history, so hopefully we see Bob, Art, Tony, and Troy again in the future!
• Swedish metal band In Flames have enlisted Ives bassist Bryce Paul for their upcoming American tour, replacing Hakan Skoger. This is locally relevant because In Flames are opening for Alter Bridge at The Dreammaker's Theater at the Sault Ste. Marie Kewadin Casino one week from Tuesday, so it helps to know about any lineup changes! It's a shame that Peter Iwers left the band last year, but hopefully Bryce fits in with In Flames, and videos with him are floating around on YouTube if you're curious how he sounds!
• The aforementioned Jack Spades confirmed on their Facebook page on Wednesday that they will go on a "mini tour" this summer, joining their previously announced set at this year's Spiderfest in Meyersburg, though the new tour dates have yet to be announced. Sounds good, and this should be a solid way to introduce out of town fans to their new lineup, so keep that in mind! No word yet though on the identity of their new drummer.
• In a recent Musicians Wanted Facebook group posting, a woman named Tiffany Cuthbertson was referred there regarding a search for a local "rock/metal" band for an upcoming show of some type. She didn't go into specifics on the event, but she apparently has someone in mind already, and just wants additional input. The 3 Day Millionaires have already shown interest, but if you want to contact Tiffany as well just in case, message her at this link or via her group post from Tuesday!
• The second annual Rudyard Musicians Fest is looking for bands willing to donate their time to perform in nearby Rudyard, Michigan on Saturday, August 19th, with all proceeds going towards Rudyard Area Schools' band program. Last year's fest saw 12 acts playing for 12 hours, and co-organizer/Steelhead guitarist Mark Howland is hoping for this year to be even bigger and better, so message him at the above links if you're interested in playing! For reference, last year's Musicians Fest was country-centric, but did feature Project 906 & Stoned Ape Evolution.
• Southern Ontario-based Keith Urban & Blue Rodeo tribute bands Ultimate Urban & Blue Radio have quietly been announced as the headlining bands for Rotaryfest's all-covers main stage at Clergue Park on Saturday, July 15th, marking the fourth year in the last five that the closing night had two out of town bands. It's been a surprisingly long wait since the local summer festival invited out-of-town country bands to Rotaryfest, so genre fans should keep both acts in mind, especially as the groups both share two members! Stay tuned for the reveal of the local bands on their website!

That's all for today, but stay tuned for more news and updates on the site next week! Thanks everyone!