Now & Then/Frontiers Gods 2003 Festival - Friday, Saturday and Sunday, May 24-26, 2003.
Pennington's / Bradford, UK.
Feature Review
The Gods is not just about music. Well it is. But that's not everything to it. It's about a community of folks that love seeing their idols live and enjoy the chance to share a room with many other like minded people there for the same reason.
Stepping into Pennington's on the day is like stepping back into 1989, but the difference being that this weekend had plenty of new talent on offer.
Not every band had flawless sets and not every punter was there to see each and every band.
But they were there to support the scene and get the best possible value for their money that any festival anywhere in the world could offer.
If a band was on that didn't quite appeal, it was off to the bar, or off for a chat. And how cool was it to see people mixing with folk they just met and picking up a conversation like they had been friends all along.
The Gods – and the AOR community – is not just about the music – it's about sharing your passions with a great bunch of people. And each year The Gods is simply the best excuse for a family re-union I can think of.
For 2003, the show relied on showcasing new talent with a couple of big names each day for headliners. The show was well attended considering the big names of 2002 were not present. The show rated the second busiest Gods, behind the 2002 show, which shows support for these events is still strong and passionate.
Credit to organiser Mark Ashton for putting together a bill that featured a few high profile bands, padded out with a great range of new talent, which is an important part of the melodic scene.
And in a few cases, the new comers gave the 'old hats' a good run for their money!
Saturday's crowd was solid from the start – benefiting from the later start.
The sound was however, a little too loud. It was not as clean and crisp as last year, but was still above average and above that of previous God's venue Maximes.
Sunday's sound was much better – a little lower in volume and more evenly mixed. The bands on Sunday's bill benefited from this. The crowd also was a little bigger.
The venue remains a major step up from previous Gods host Maximes, but an improvement in food on offer is needed for the 2004 event.
Revisit the "Countdown To The Gods" Feature
Some odds and ends pictures!
Gods crowd.
A very drunk Vinny Burns
Myself, Bob Catley and Danny Vaughn
Myself, Ken Tamplin and kids
Guitar God Howie Simon
Some odds and ends pictures!
Gods crowd.
A very drunk Vinny Burns
Myself, Bob Catley and Danny Vaughn
Myself, Ken Tamplin and kids
Guitar God Howie Simon