Well here we are again for day two or the main day of Z Rocks 2008.  As we were feeling a little under the weather following a few drinks in the hotel bar with the guys from Bombay Black into the wee small hours, it was water for the first few bands of today’s all dayer.

As always in these events the opening act is seen as a lamb to the slaughter, punters are more interested in finding friends and setting up camp for the remainder of the day.  So Redline I’m afraid went under the radar with most of the crowd.  Frontman Liam Doherty and the rest of the band delivered an old school rock set that went somewhat un-noticed, but they came, they played and hopefully they sold some merch to make the trip worthwhile. 

Next up were Stormzone who due to various line-up changes (which I won't even bother to go into) were doing the second of two sets for this years event.

This may have been the bands second set in as many days but this didn’t deter Harv and the rest of the band giving their all once more, who were just delighted to be on stage again.  The set was mainly the same as the previous nights with a few songs in different place with a few more songs not included in last nights set added, so for all intents and purpose a completely different set. 

They opened up again with ‘Spellbound’ that again went down well, then it was ‘Secret Gateway’.  At this point a little de ja vu was setting in but this was soon put aside as the band did ‘Falling Out Of Love’ and ‘Follow My Demons Down’.  Both showing again what a great showman Harv is, as he tried his utmost to whip the crowd into some sort of frenzy.

‘Tugging At My Heart Strings’ was another song not featured last night, but with only one album under their belt the remainder of the set featured songs from last nights set, which for those of the audience who weren’t there went down a veritable storm and to be honest they were all right second time around. 

Another band who like Stormzone had appeared at last years Firefest pre-show were The Steve Grimmett Band.  At Firefest Grimmett was loaded with cold and was donning a long black leather coat and looked rather menacing, but today stood before us was a much more relaxed Grimmett, who along with his fellow band mates got the day started proper, with a fine balance of power and melody that only Grimmett can produce.

They opened up the set after the intro with one of my favourite of the recent 'Personal Crisis' album ‘Karma’, and from the off it was clear Grimmett was in a better demeanour than at Firefest.  The band powered through the set with ‘Wait Forever’ and the first of the Lionsheart tracks  ‘Dejavu’, which was quickly followed by ‘Can't Believe’.  Both tracks showing Grimmett's more Melodic Rock side.

Then it was back the heady Grim Reaper stuff for the excellent ‘Rock Me Till I Die' and the equally bombastic ‘Rock You To Hell', both of which gave skinsman Mike Newdeck a real chance to thrash at his kit with all his might.

It was back to the more recent material with something off 'Personal Crisis' with ‘Global Warning’, which saw Grimmett taking a hand count of those of us that had bought the album.  Alas the hands weren’t bountiful (but hopefully this set will resolve that fact), so it was on with the song again this shows the diversity of the material Grimmett has to offer from his long a varied career.

As it was back to the debut 'Lionsheart' album for ‘Had Enough’ and ‘So Cold’, with this much improved set over Firefest almost at an end the band finished on a high with ‘Enemy’ taken from the new album before closing with the classic ‘See You In Hell’.  All in all a great set which for me really got the day started. 

Well what can I say about the next band Bombay Black?  They are another of the many bands that have featured on a pre-show at Firefest and to be honest were well worthy of a main day slot this year with their infectious Redneck Hard Rock.

The band made up of Erik Johnson, Jim Perry, Ty Sims and Rob McCawley set about lifting the roof of the venue with their own brand of no holds barred rock n' roll.  Opening up the set of the day with ‘You For Me’, instantly you’d think that someone had got a giant hypodermic filled full of adrenalin pumped directly into the venue, as the crowd suddenly amassed around the front of the stage.

The hard hitting rock n' roll just oozed out the speaker as Johnson and Co. ripped up a storm, with Perry just electrifying on the six string and McCawley and Sims just thrashing out the back beat as the set continued with ‘Last Time’.

The band brought it down a touch, I say brought it down as down as Bombay Black get, with the angst brought down to a manageable level with ‘Masochistic Love Song’.  The band were taking no prisoners as they stampeded through the set with ‘I Got A New Girl Now' and the excellent new song ‘Shag Palace SFCR’, a song the band gave us a little history about the night before and let's just say these guys sure know how to party!  Enough said.

The intense rock n' roll never ceased as the party was kept in full swing with ‘Get Mad Get Even’ and ‘Misery’ bringing out the demon in Perry as he just whipped up a storm.

The tempo was brought down a little with the excellent ‘If Only’, before it was all guns blazing as Johnson got a little HELL YEAH! out the crowd before the punishing splendour of ‘The Ride’ and the dark metal of ‘Forget About It’.

The band rounded off a great set with a little masterstroke with a stomping cover of Nightranger’s ‘Don’t Tell Me You Love Me’, which nearly brought the house down and when Johnson went into Pete Townsend mode and swung his guitar over head many thought he wouldn't go all the way, but he did and brought the six string crashing to the ground much to the joy of the crowd, but what was especially good was the look on John Kivel of Kivel Records face as he did this, it was just a picture and ended what was to be the set of the day.

There was a interval of about an hour and twenty minutes before the next band were due on, which was a god-send as by now we were starving and our feet were about to implode with pain.  This also gave the crowd a chance to get their breath back after the Bombay Black set. 

After the much needed interval it was back to music with the latest offering from Zine favourites Vince O’Regan and Nick Workman, who along with Alan Mills on bass, James Screaton on guitar and keys, and new boy Lynch Radinsky on drums, this quintet set about giving us a set of pure Melodic Hard Rock.  Opening up their account with ‘What Can You Do For Me’ with O’Regan at his flamboyant best, despite a few vocal monitor issues he carried on like the trooper he is as the tall figure of Workman delivered his trade mark vocals beside him.

We caught the band last year playing at Bradford’s Gasworks and that day I'd said that this is the most relaxed O’Regan had seemed as he was playing his own material in a style that suited his guitar style and tonight was the same.

The set continued with the superb ‘Karma Coming’ from the bands new album this top-notch rocker brought out the best in O’Regan as he just lapped up every magical moment.

The vocal monitor was still giving Vince issues but he seemed to sweep them aside and continued to rock big style as the set continued with a couple of new songs firstly ‘Higher’ as Screaton strapped on a guitar, with O’Regan just superb even if he lost a knob off his guitar he certainly didn’t miss a chord or a beat and even gave a smile, before changing guitar and getting right back to it with ‘As Good As It Gets’ and the excellent up tempo rocker ‘Heads Up’.  This is what O’Regan is all about, just ripping through the chords and burning every inch of fret board as he goes.

‘Love/Hate’ was another great song with Workman giving his all before new guy Lynch got his moment in the spotlight with a little drum solo before the band rejoined him for ‘Can't Slow Down’.  The band then finished off a great Hard Rocking set with ‘The Neon Night’.  The only gripe I have was that the band didn’t do ‘Fools Parade’, but that’s just a small gripe when the band were as charged as they were.

Next up were Shy a band that I must admit I can take or leave depending on my mood and tonight my mood I’m afraid was in the leave 'em mode.

With longstanding frontman Tony Mills leaving the band I was wondering would the band continue under the same name or change it and go in a different direction.  The band settled to go for a new singer and keep the name.

Stepping into Mills’s shoes is Lee Small, who I found out later used to be in a Stevie Wonder tribute act.  I don’t know if this is true but all the same he has mighty big shoes to fill and with Mills having such a unique vocal style, I was wondering whether Small was up to it.

Well as enthusiastic as Small was and as tight as the band were there was just something lacking, I just couldn’t put my finger on it.  Don’t get me wrong Small has a great voice but it lacks soul, but I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt as the set progressed.

The version of ‘Can't Fight The Night’ was OK not a great vocal but OK, sadly though it was the classic material that really didn’t hit the mark.  ‘Skydiving’ was the third song on the set, which I thought was a brave move.  The diehard fans down the front were just lapping it up but it was the neutrals like myself that stood back and took everything in.  I know this is a particular favourite of one of our group, who at this moment in time was looking rather pale and a bit distraught at what she was hearing.

The set continued with ‘When The Love Is Over’ by which time I was starting to warm to Small's enthusiasm and the rest of the band were equally enthused, even Roy Davies was breaking in a smile.

But again it was the classics that let Small down as ‘Breakaway’ again was lacking any soul and although ‘Emergency’ favoured a little better, the vocals were not quite there.

But the diehard fans were in their elements as the band were as tight as a drum and Small was lapping up every moment. The set continued with ‘No Other Way’ before the band left the stage to I must say rapturous applause, and returned shortly for another classic ‘Breaking Down The Wall’, which again the diehards just loved. As for me the jury is still out on Small maybe with some newer material he will win me round and a few more shows I might warm to him.  With that I went in search the missing member of our group who had ducked out after finding Small's vocals and demeanour a bit too distressing.

Now to the headliners Bonfire, who had been bumped up the bill due to Black & Blue being pulled.  I myself thought they should have been headliners from the beginning but there you go.

As Lessman and Co. hit the stage I was reminiscing out their superb set at Firefest and was wondering what the Germans had in store tonight and what it was was Vork Sprung Rocknique.

They opened up with ‘Bells Of Freedom’ from their latest album The Rauber and instantly Lessman was in full flow with cohort Hans Ziller equally pumped. The rock n' roll blitzkrieg continued with the storming 'Five Ways To Rock' it was clear the Warriors of Rock n' Roll have come home as Lessman put it.

They continued with the magnificent ‘Under Blue Skies’ before really rockin' out with ‘Hot To Rock’ and leading straight into ‘Don’t Trust The Lies’.

After this initial assault things were slowing down a touch (if only to give Lessman a chance to catch his breath) with ‘Tony’s Roulette’, then Lessman did his bit for Anglo-German relations before the anthemic ‘Proud of My Country’.

But it was the likes of ‘Who's Fooling Who’ that really got the crowd pumped up and especially to Trisha whose birthday it was as Lessman dedicated the song to her.

It was back to 'The Rauber' for ‘Refugee of Fate’ one of my personal favourites of said album and one that made me almost horse as I sang along.  The day wouldn’t have been complete if skins man Bam Bam Weihler hadn’t given us a drum solo, so guess what came next.

The rest of the band came back on stage and it was business as usual with ‘American Girl’ then something completely different as Lessman explained that Desmond Child had asked him to sing on a horror movie ‘Shocker’.  The band then ripped into ‘I Am The Sword’ before returning to the classics with ‘Sweet Obsession’ and the magnificent ‘Hard On Me’.

The band returned to a standing ovation and rounded off the night with ‘Never Mind’, well I thought they'd rounded off the night but it turned out there was more to come. 

After the euphoria of the Bonfire set we were given a little extra treat as the boys from Bombay Black once again hit the stage and gave us their version of Steel Dragon’s ‘Stand Up’, a song which they had only worked on that morning and despite a few lyric failings by Mr Johnson, it went down a storm.

But all was not over as Steve Newman and Harv joined the band on stage for another rendition of 'Don’t Tell Me You Love Me', which again rocked the place.

Finally Pat Heath and Steve McKenna of Danny Vaughn’s band took over and were joined by Harv and drummer Davy Bates for their own version of ‘Forever Young’, which rounded off what was a great day and whatever is said about the promoter was lost, as the true winners today were the bands that performed and the true fans who turned up to support the scene.