Ah, you just can't beat the English Summer! Well, don't be so sure - this is 2007 and the worst summer I can ever remember. However, the awful weather leading up to this year's 24th annual Rock and Blues Custom Show didn't stop things going ahead. Excellent planning and a complete re-organisation of the site meant that no-one was going to miss out on a weekend of bikes, beer, burgers and some quality rock music.

I arrived at the site on Friday afternoon, amid (would you believe it) blazing sunshine, just in time to catch young METALLICA tribute, MENTALLICA - who played a decent set of classics to keep the crowd happy on the smaller of the two stages, the Cross Piston Marquee. The first real band of the day though were the battle of the bands winners SWEET SEDUCTION ,who play their very own brand sleazy of classic rock. Songs like 'One Helluva Night' were lapped up by the rock & Blues faithful, and with a good on stage presence, it was easy to see why SWEET SEDUCTION had been the competition winners. Certainly a band to keep an eye on.

Next up on the Main Stage were 3-piece UNITING THE ELEMENTS. Other than the singers pretty looks, there wasn't much to write home about. The punk infused metal was a slightly unique sound, but the songs themselves were bland, with very little difference between them.

Later, the PAT SAVAGE BAND (blues rock) and THE ANIMALS (60's rock 'n' roll) both played well received sets - but crowd had now gathered with one band in mind, the mighty LEVELLERS - and they weren't to be disappointed. The atmosphere was great with everyone bouncing around, but then how can anyone stay still to the music of the LEVELLERS? The highlights of the set were undoubtedly the classics such as 'Hope Street', 'Carry Me', 'Beautiful Day', and of course, 'One Way of Life'. Overall, this was a great perormance and a fantastic climax to Friday's entertainment.

After a nice cup of tea and bacon bap, I was up and away on Saturday morning, once again in sunshine, starting the day off with a stroll round the site. There is an excellent array of stalls, mainly selling biker clothing, along with one or two other bits and bobs. There's also two marquees full of custom bikes, and although I'm no expert myself, there were some fantastic machines on display, a great exhibition indeed.

Now then, could you believe that the winner of the Bikini Babe contest and the Beer Gut contest was the same person. Yes, over in the Cross Piston Marquee, 'Rat Man' fought off competition from an array of gorgeous babes to pick up the 'Bikini Babe' gold medal, before going on to win the 'Beer Gut' competition, handing his £100 prize to charity. All this mayhem was followed by a terrific show by LED ZEPPELIN tribute, WHOLE LOTTA LED - a band you should definitely check out if they're ever local.

Later it was back to the main stage for GUY MCCOY TORME, lead by former GILLAN (and briefly OZZY OSBOURNE) guitarist Bernie Torme. As expected, Torme gave a professional display on guitar, and as a cover of 'Smoke on the Water' closed the set, the band was given a well deserved applause. A decent band.

Next up came the biggest disappointment of the weekend, in fact, an embarrassment. MICHAEL SCHENKER was one of the greatest guitarists of his generation, but what is left of him now is nothing more than a shambles. His riffs were out of time, his solos were terrible, and he could hardly stand up. It wasn't long into the set that the bottles were flying at Schenker, with boos at the end of each attempt at a song. After leaving the stage on numerous occasions and at one stage, vomiting behind his amps, the pathetic SCHENKER somehow managed to complete his set. As for the rest of his band, well they soldiered on and deserved a medal for doing so - all they need now is a new guitarist!

After MSG's shocking display, thank goodness it was time for one of the most professional, and reliable bands on the planet. SCORPIONS are still one of the greatest live rock bands around and for two hours tonight, they proved why they have such a great reputation. The chunky, heavy riffs of Rudolph Schenker and Matthias Jabs on the likes of 'Coast to Coast', 'The Zoo' and 'Dynamite' sounded awesome, while the vocals of Klaus Meine are still as clear as ever, with absolutely no deterioration with age.

The guest appearance of ULI JON ROTH was also a positive, even though he arrived on stage late due to technical difficulties. The sliver lining of his late arrival though was that SCORPIONS fitted in another two tunes while the crowd was waiting with 'I'm Leaving You' and 'Make It Real' given a rare airing. The 70's material with Roth sounded awesome with 'Speedys Coming' and 'Pictured Life' being particularly enjoyable, along with the all time classic, 'We'll Burn The Sky'.

The only rain of the whole weekend fell during the SCORPIONS set, but this didn't dampen the spirits of the crowd as they sang along to 'Holiday' and 'Big City Nights'. They may have been dissapointed that 'Wind of Change' wasn't included in the set, but with such classics as 'Still Loving You' and 'Rock You Like a Hurricane' in the encore, who needs 'Wind of Change'? This was a brilliant set by bonafide legends. A fitting close to a thoroughly enjoyable festival. A big thanks to the organisers and see you next year for the 25th anniversary!

Headline Band Ratings:

THE LEVELLERS 4.5/5.0

MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP 0.3/5.0

SCORPIONS 5.0/5.0

Festival Rating: 4.8/5.0

James Allman

Check Out: http://www.rockandblues.uk.com/