Alcatraz Line up: 2019

Those of you who have been keeping a weather eye on the activities of Italian record company Frontiers will know they like to give their artists the occasional nudge in a certain direction. They’ve been known to bring together individual musicians and vocalists to foster the kind of chemistry that leads to new partnerships and great albums. In 2016 the label approached singer/guitarist/producer Toby Jepson to see if he was interested in making a solo album. Jepson, who had had a productive career with the likes of Fastway, GUN, Little Angels and Dio Disciples in addition to working as a producer for Saxon, The Answer and others, politely refused. Still, Frontiers didn’t give up and eventually Jepson gave in. He teamed up with an old friend in bassist Nic Wastell (Chrome Molly) and several auditions/bar sessions later a recording line-up had formed. Wayward Sons’ debut ‘Ghosts of Yet to Come’ (2017) resurrects the heady days of 70s and 80s rock, bringing to mind such classic rock dinosaurs as Thunder, Bad Company, Thin Lizzy and Def Leppard. The Brits are one of the opening acts on Friday and we’ve no doubt they’ll get us off to a blazing start.