Bad Tattoo Awards – 2024
Rising from the ashes of Velvet Sheep online, it’s amazing to think that Bad Tattoo is less than one year old. And what a first year it’s been. In 2023 we featured our heroes, legends and some of the freshest new rock acts.
Bad Tattoo also expanded to feature movie reviews and were joined by a host of great new writers. So as we head towards our 1st birthday, the New Year is the perfect time to celebrate and present our Bad Tattoo Awards – 2024.
Album of the year – Minatore – Content
Minatore are a band who’ve strived against the odds to create a classic debut. Here at Bad Tatoo we were genuinely blown away by this album. We’ve always loved Minatore but ‘Content’ exceeded our expectations. This is Courtney Love Hole at its finest, laced with the brilliance of Cobain and the energy and passion of Rage Against The Machine. When deciding on our album of the year there was no contest. Congrats guys!
Live Band of the Year – Extreme
Politically we may disagree with some of the band members views but as a live act Extreme are still second to none. Their new album SIX was a return to form but despite a lacklustre VIP Experience, their live tour proved to be their best yet. The perfect setlist, incredible musicianship, the ultimate shredder and one of the best front men in rock. With a sellout 2023 tour, it’s great to see the band back on top where they belong.
Film of the Year – The Flash
Despite the poor box office, The Flash is pure geek superhero heaven. And with the return of Michael Keaton’s Batman and CGI cameos as Superman by Christopher Reeve and Nicholas Cage, this couldn’t not be our film of the year.
Guitar Solo of the Year – Extreme ‘Rise’
Nuno Bettencourt’s solo for ‘Rise’ is the one that made lead guitar cool again. Extreme’s long awaited release SIX may be filled to the brim with Brian May inspired goodness but this is pure Van Halen influenced Nuno at his best. It’s inventive, melodic and ear meltingly fast. You only have to see the amount of YouTube videos pouring over the ‘Rise’ solo to know it’s an incredible piece of music in its own right.
Bad Tattoo MVP of the Year – Gary Stringer
We spoke to Reef legend Gary Stringer in what became one of our most fun and insightful interviews. It was also one of our most viewed – Thanks Reef fans! We spoke to Gary about the history of Reef, the enduring popularity of ‘Place Your Hands’, members old and new and what’s next for Gary and the band.
Gary also went on a solo tour in 2023, in what was a cracking night of top songs played in more intimate venues than you’d normally see him. At the end of the show Gary even stuck around to meet the audience and have a Guinness. At a time where VIP experiences are popular money grabs, this was a proper meet and greet with none of the bullshit. Just a good bloke enjoying his gig and making time for his fans, ensuring Gary Stringer is our Bad Tattoo MVP of the year.
UK Band of the Year – Tie: The Struts and The Darkness
This was a tough one to call and it could have been any number of bands. But in the end we called it a tie between two of Britain’s best rock acts. It’s probably no coincidence these two Queen influenced bands made the cut.
Both had sellout UK tours and both proved British rock is not only still alive and well but thriving. They also offered excellent VIP Experiences that showed true appreciation for their fans. From gymnastic guitars to awesome front men, with a touch of 70s glam and a lot of fun, The Stuts and The Darkness are our UK bands of the year.
Special Thanks…
Thank you to all our contributors, with a special mention to Darren Woolf whose support both in front and behind the scenes has been invaluable. Thanks Darren!
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