2020 is a year which has been so God awful it is as if it tumbled from the blackened soul of Lucifer himself, with most of us literally locked inside our own homes for months, the country, scratch that THE WORLD, on its collective knees, and no live music to soothe our pain and misery. So although Download 2021 is yet 10-long months away it is no surprise, following their recent announcement, that excitement is already creeping towards fever pitch at the mere thought of seeing the bands we love thrill us from the festival's stages next year.

We were strolling through Glasgow when we spotted a poster in a club venue advertising an acoustic set by Art Alexakis. We had no idea Art, who is the frontman of Everclear, was touring a brand new solo record. Naturally we sourced tickets and we were all over this show like a doberman on fresh meat. After all, Everclear were one of the gateway bands which took our hand and led us skipping merrily through rock, punk and into metal. Whilst at the show we took the opportunity to catch up with the man himself, to reminisce, discuss his solo venture and more.

Great Danes Volbeat brought their ass-kicking, hip-swinging, mud hole stomping brand of distinctive, melodic and thoroughly unique metal-billy to Glasgow recently. They are the band Elvis Presley would have fronted had he hooked up with metal guitarists on a three-day bender with a pair of punk rockers. On their recent run of UK headline shows, Bring The Noise UK sat down with Volbeat bassist Kaspar Boye Larsen on the band’s lush tour bus – their home from home during their tour.

All too often modern rock and metal bands can become enslaved to a type and style of music which is more cookie cutter than innovative. It is at times like these when Volbeat smack you dead in the teeth with a welcome wall of distinctive, melodic and thoroughly unique metal-billy. The band are touring venues in the UK on a headline run, and Bring The Noise UK were there in the front two, horns in the sky, for their sold-out Glasgow show.