Review: Robot Wars 2015, Newport Centre

New episodes of Robot Wars may have been off our TV screens for 14 years but as the audiences gathered at Newport Centre for the beginning of the 2015 tour there was evidence that the live show inspired by the series has a life of its own.

The Robot Wars 2015 tour commenced here in Newport with two live shows on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon and there was much to enjoy for all the family. Home-constructed featherweight and heavyweight robots doing battle not just with each other but also the arena dome that not only fires flames at the remote controlled participants but is also liable to spring them into the air. To add to the drama house robots including the hammer-wielding Major Damage and Matilda (a frightening female with a chainsaw for a backside) then wade in and start throwing their heavy-metal about.

Live show presenters Chris and Trevor do much in the way to encourage audience participation from foot stomping and yelling to splitting half the audience into rival teams. Among this year’s  highlights were both presenters build robots to do battle in the team featherweight round, which saw the debut appearance of new House Robot Olly who fired paint-balls at the robots.

Of course, the audience, young and old lapped up every thrill and spill with an adrenaline rush enthusiasm that no-one wanted to end, proving that Robot Wars still rules in the field of Family Entertainment.

Check out robotwars.tv for updates on further live shows and how to get in on the action of building your own robot.

• A version of this review by Andy Howells appeared in The South Wales Argus on March 24, 2015
• Andy Howells Interviews Major Damage's creator John Findlay

Bringing Major Damage To Robot Wars Live Show - John Findlay Interview

This weekend the thrills and spills of Robot Wars return to Newport as this years tour launches at Newport Centre. Earlier this week technical director John Findlay spoke to Andy Howells about this years live show.

John’s association with Robot Wars goes back some 16 years when he began building and competing robots in the popular television series. He progressed to become the driver of TV house robot Ripper before building Major Damage for the live shows.

How did you get involved with Robot Wars TV Series?
It’s my Dad's fault! Actually I was at university training to be a car designer and he watched the show. He phoned me up one Sunday morning and said “Have you seen Robot Wars? You could do that!” That’s how it evolved. I had a go at building my first robot which to be honest wasn't very good. You’re under the illusion when you go there for the first time that the robots aren't very powerful .So I took my remote control car apart, the wheels off my mums wheelie bin and went down to the filming. Obviously when I came back my robot was all destroyed and burned and I had to explain to my mother why her wheelie bin wheels were molten rubber.

When you do it once, meet (the TV presenters) Craig Charles and Philippa Forester and get the adrenaline rush been in the arena with your creation I left there with my bin bag going “you know what? I’m going to go back and get my revenge on those nasty house robots!” I've been all over the world with it; it’s the best job in the world.

And you got involved in making it a live show?
I was on the TV show with a robot called Ripper for the last four series and it was 12 years ago when the show was last on. When the TV show finished I started a company to keep it going as a live show. We've been doing it for 12 to 13 years now.

Has Robot Wars popularity endured?
It had peaked off a little bit and then they showed the repeats on Dave and now there’s a whole new generation of kids that have grown up watching the repeats. We do a lot of work in schools using the robots to promote engineering, so at the moment we’re getting busier and busier and also on course to getting a new TV series commissioned, then hopefully it will be the next phenomenon again.

The current star of the shows is the house robot Major Damage; can you tell us a bit more about it?
Damage is signed to Robot Wars so when the new TV series comes along it will be the new robot in the show. It was built in 2007 and is now known as the 'Big Daddy of the Arena' because it’s the star of the show. It’s got its cushion jaw, a flame thrower and everything you need to defeat the opponent. Many have had a go to try and kill it but haven’t succeeded yet.

Can you tell Robot Wars fans anything about this weekends show in Newport?
We've got the molds from the BBC to replicate a brand new Matilda which launches at this show. Another new feature for this year is we are going to try and get the presenters to build a robot during the show and put them in with the featherweights. We've also got a new house robot called Ollie who s going to fire paintball at the other robots and that’s going to splat the hell out of them and just destroy them.

How much are robots part of your life now?
It’s taken over; I get told off for having robot parts all over the house! We've actually got the R2D2 who’s in the show in the dining room sat at the dinner table at the moment. We had it for Christmas dinner as a bit of a giggle when the family came and we decorated him with tinsel but we have to get him ready for Newport. R2D2 has proved a big hit with the kids and adds an extra element.

And you’re remaining hopeful to get Robot Wars back on television?
It just takes the right production company with the right budget and hopefully we’ll be away and getting it back on TV. It keeps coming back and then phases out again. Dave showed a series just before Christmas which has helped our lives considerably, I was in a school today and we showed the children a video of Robot Wars and I asked them “Who remembers Robot Wars?” You’ve got 5 and 6 year olds who’ve seen it over Christmas and they are like “this is great, we want our parents to take us to see it!” It’s funny because there hasn’t been a series in 12 years and it can still entertain the kids and they can still get hooked on it. And they still love it.

• Robot Wars takes place at Newport Centre on Saturday at 5pm and Sunday at 1pm. For ticket information visit seetickets.com 
• For more on Robot Wars 2015 Tour visit the official website
• A version of this interview by Andy Howells appeared in The South Wales Argus entertainment supplement The Guide on March 20, 2015

In Concert: Royal Blood, Newport Centre

No egos, no frills just pure rock is what greeted fans who turned out at Newport Centre on Tuesday evening (March 3, 2015) to see the recently crowned Brit Awards Best British Group winners, Brighton’s Royal Blood.

The concert kicked off with a half hour plus set from Los Angeles’ Mini Mansions featuring Queens of the Stone Age bassist Michael Shuman , keyboardist Tyler Parkford and drummer Zach Dawes.

The trio took to the stage adorned in a wardrobe of eye-catching suits ranging from pure white to floral. Their lyrical content was just as surreal. One particular line “I wanna live in a world with a zombie all day” raised a smile when placed alongside such musical gems as Creeps and Vertigo, fusing psychedelia with Beach Boy style harmonies from their forthcoming album The Great Pretenders.

Newport were undoubtedly ready to step up a gear when Royal Blood appeared on stage. Both guitarist and vocalist Mike Kerr and drummer Ben Thatcher have a dynamic stage presence that goes beyond their artillery thumping baseline.

As the duo performed favourites Hole and Come on Over, a sea of fans formed around the stage to carefully focus their phone cameras on their music heroes amidst a flurry of bouncing mosh-pit heads.

Of course, the band encouraged as much participation as possible, Kerr yelling into the crowd “Newport – Are You Ready?” before grinding the chords of his guitar Hendrix-style into fan favourite Little Monster from their album Out Of The Black.

The rock didn't stop for over an hour, the band only breaking away once from original material to pay homage to Marc Bolan with a raucous rendition of 20th Century Boy.

Royal Blood more than proved that they were a force to be taken seriously with killer tracks Better Strangers and Blood Hands and played with flair devoid of gimmicks or bad attitude. Hats off to them, they deserve all the success they are getting and Newport was evidently very pleased to receive them for an evening, long may they reign!

• A version of this review by Andy Howells was published in The South Wales Argus on March 5, 2015.

Review: Robot Wars 2014, Newport Centre

10 months after their last visit, Robot Wars was back at Newport Centre over the weekend for further demonstrations in robotic style, aggression and total damage.

Fun was certainly the order of the day as Sunday afternoon’s show commenced featuring audience participation from the offset as a series of contests ensued in the Robot Wars Arena testing the agility and strength of heavyweight and lightweight contestants.

The audience roared with delight as robots such as Saint, Rattler, Ripper, Megamouse, Cherub and DTK   attacked each other with spikes, flippers and flames. Long standing favourites Major Damage and Matilda (a fierce weapon with a chainsaw for a bottom), were on hand to deliver their own style of Robot Wars carnage.

The audience  witnessed  contestants  getting thrown into the pit, been smashed to smithereens and even been set on fire, of course  no-one got hurt, except maybe the robot operator’s pride and even they took it all in good part as its all intrinsic to the fun of the show!

There was also a special appearance from Star Wars' R2D2 who offered his own opinion as to which robot team would win in the ultimate face off between Ripper and Megamouse. R2D2 even delighted fans by posing for photographs with fans in the shows interval.

All in all, Robot Wars remains great fun for all the family retaining the essence of energy and adrenaline that made the original TV series so much fun, be sure to see it live if you get the opportunity!

• A version of this review by Andy Howells appeared in The South Wales Argus during May 2014.
• Bringing Major Damage To Robot Wars - Andy Howells Interviews John Findlay