Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons – also known as PC&TBS – hit Newport Corn Exchange on the last of three nights playing the length and breadth of Wales, which they named the ‘Kings of Wales Weekend’ in a cheeky nod to their latest album ‘Kings of the Asylum’. Having grown up loving the high-energy, raw and unapologetically chunky sound of Motörhead, I had high hopes of their legendary guitarist Phil Campbell’s latest adventure.

 

The quintet is also composed of Phil’s actual sons Todd (guitar/harmonica), Dane (drums) and Tyla Campbell (bass) with vocalist Joel Peters. With two previous studio albums and a self-titled EP already under their belts since their launch in 2016, the guys have also kept up a near-relentless tour schedule which has seen them criss-crossing Europe and the UK.

In fact, they are hitting the road with legends like Judas Priest and Scorpions this summer which is why they are only playing a handful of UK festivals and dates after this weekend.

Each night of the mini-tour has had a different opener. In Newport, that was Rhymney- based 5-piece Valhalla Awaits who came out and gave a brilliant set, with tracks for all three of their EPs. The stand-outs for me were Is There Anybody Out There? and Skin And Bone.

Following them came Birmingham-based Fury, who were main support for all three nights. With vocal duties split between JJ and the outstanding Nyah, their tight 8-track set included crowd-pleasers such as Prince of Darkness, Embrace The Demons and in a nod to the weekend, the epic Dragon’s Song. They closed with Road Warrior, inspired by the three weeks they spent on the road with PC&TBS, which got the crowd even more pumped up ready for the main attraction. It’s worth noting that Fury will be coming back this way in July to headline Fuel in Cardiff which based on last night’s performance, I’m absolutely planning on seeing.

Then, to an immense roar from the near-capacity crowd, PC&TBS came out to a storming rendition of the Welsh national anthem and went straight into the title track of their first album, We Are The Bastards. They didn’t let up on the gas through the whole set which included two Motorhead covers – Ace Of Spades and Killed By Death – and closed with the last track of the latest album, the explosive, expletive-laden rage anthem Maniac.

Trust me – if you love your metal loud and live, you definitely need to get out and see all three of these fantastic acts for yourself. More details on their future tour dates are available at the band’s website: