This was a gig of discovery for me as Monument were a band I had heard good things about but beyond that and viewing a couple of videos on You Tube I was fairly clueless, no change there then! The bill tonight also featured another band I knew little about in the shape of Outloud and pre gig I didn’t even have time to call them up on Google so it was a blind tasting if you will.

Before the main courses though we had an appetiser in the shape of 2 Cards Of 25. The London quartet play a mean, melodic heavy rock with leanings towards the likes of Guns ‘n’ Roses and Motley Crue. Playing a mix of original material from their ‘Lone Ranger’ EP released in 2014 and a few choice covers the band went down well.

For me the stars of the set were the backline of Ash Milburn on bass and Pete Buckmaster on drums who were very tight. A bit of a downside though were the vocal efforts of frontman Diego Guttierez who on occasion struggled, perhaps it was just an off night. The guys played an entertaining set which set things up nicely for the main support Outloud.

Only it wasn’t Outloud who appeared next, instead we got an earlier than planned set from Monument as Outloud were still en route to the venue following a band health scare. Monument frontman and band founder Peter Ellis originates from the East End of London and has the confidence and vocal quality to carry off the band’s mix of classic and power metal with ease.

Taking their cues from the likes of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest you can’t really go wrong and with a group of musicians this talented the guys make it look easy. Playing tracks from their two albums, ‘Renegade’ and ‘Rock The Night’, they put on a great show. Pulling every rock move in the book the guys looked the part but that would mean nothing if they couldn’t play, but luckily they can and bloody well too!

Highlights of the set were ‘Runaway’, a great cover of Deep Purple’s ‘Black Night’ and the pumping ‘Crusader’. Before finishing off at breakneck speed with ‘Rock The Night’ Ellis joked that due to the change in tonight’s programme the evening was now a co-headline show, but Outloud would have to be something special to match the Monument onslaught.

Just as Monument left the stage Outloud appeared at the door, talk about cutting it fine. So from door to stage the band had roughly 10 minutes to get in, set up and strike the first chord. The fact they managed this feat and played a blinder is testament to the guys being seasoned pros.

How I have managed to miss Outloud up to this point I have no idea as they are now on album number three and feature Bob Katsionis from Firewind on guitar. The guys play a more melodic rock than the full on metal of Monument but they have the same intensity in the delivery and musically they never put a foot wrong despite the rushed start.

Frontman Chandler Mogal has a great voice and knows how to work a crowd, he also never stands still bouncing around and interacting with the crowd all through the set. The crowd had thinned a bit before Outloud appeared, which was a shame, but those left made up for the shortfall with their enthusiasm.

As well as a selection of numbers from the band’s back catalogue they threw in a couple of covers including a great version of OMD’s ‘Enola Gay’ given the full rock treatment. They also played Deep Purple’s ‘Perfect Strangers’ which saw Peter Ellis return to the stage to share vocals with Mogal. The show was brought to a close with ‘We Run’ which rounded off a great set and a great night.

This was an excellent show from bands who should be playing to larger audiences in much bigger venues. Perhaps like me though it is taking a while for people to discover both Monument and Outloud but I can guarantee once they do they will be hooked, I know I am. Spread the word…

Review and photos by David Wilson

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

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David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 1 December 2024.

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)