Guitars, Wigs, Lycra and HAIRFORCE 5!

HAIRFORCE 5 – photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

Hairforce 5 and The Hellfire Club – The Factory Live 11 July 2026

Hairforce 5

These guys are absolutely bonkers, but in a good way! Not only is their musicianship top class, but they know how to entertain a crowd. They absolutely rocked the Factory, safe to say an amazingly good rockin’ time was had by all.

We had male lead vocals, one guitar, bass and drums, and a sample player. Stevie Vyper – Vocals, Sticky – Drums, Rikki Thunder on bass, and the man on the axe is Deezel.

Saturday night’s show was everything an ’80s rock fan could hope for, and a whole lot funnier. From the moment the band hit the stage, they had the crowd singing, laughing, and dancing their way through a brilliant set of classic rock anthems. Stevie hit the stage looking like a cross of Roy Wood of Wizzards hair, Jon Bon Jovi on a bad hair day and a sasquatch. This wig was massive and complimented with a large pair of sunglasses! It must have been roasting underneath as it didn’t stay on for long. The ensembled band looked as if they had just escaped serving on The Black Pearl!

HAIRFORCE 5 – photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

Rather than simply recreating the songs, the band added their own tongue-in-cheek humour, witty banter, and hilarious stage antics, making every song feel fresh and entertaining. The musicianship was top-notch, with pretty faithful renditions of iconic hits from the decade, while the comedic twists kept everyone guessing what would happen next.

The backing tape played the keyboards into to Van Halen’s, Jump, it was then straight into You Give Love A Bad Name, Rebel Yell and Welcome to The Jungle. Considering the number of musicians on stage, they put down a full band sound to match the sounds of the originals they were covering.

Often imitated, never replicated!

We were told to expect a full-throttle 80s rock night packed with Bon Jovi, Guns N’ Roses, Journey, Def Leppard, Whitesnake, Van Halen, Europe, Poison and more. The band was plagued with Gremlins to start, but once ironed out, they delivered, sadly a misfire of Since You’ve Been Gone meant that was left out, never mind we were into Schools Out, the Pour Some Sugar On Me, and then a beautiful vocal for Hearts Alone. Boy, Stevie can belt it out! We went quickly into Live and Let Die introducing a true meaning to the phrase headbanging (don’t try that at home kids!), and the fiery song by Mötley Crüe, Kickstart My Heart.

Hairforce 5 are fantastic live, they have a genuine hard driving rock sound, and infused with all sorts of great humour and stage acrobatics and inter-band antics. It was brilliant to watch, and the comedic timing was spot on.

HAIRFORCE 5 – photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

Second set started with a huge cheer welcoming them back on stage, the drummer struggling with a set of huge drumsticks, seriously big. He started to hit the kit as the guys joined in for a blast of AC/DC’s Highway to Hell.

HAIRFORCE 5 – photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

This isn’t just background pub-band stuff. Oh No! This is big! It’s all the big anthems you know and love, wild costumes, lots of spandex, crowd chants, singalongs, a load of OTT nonsense. Hairforce 5 is made up of four top notch musicians, and as Stevie told us at the start, a room full of people becoming part of the show make up the 5^th member. Other songs included Here I go Again, Crazy Crazy Nights, Living on a Prayer. The night closed with some Status Quo and a working of The Final Countdown.

Hairforce 5 are infectious!

The atmosphere was electric throughout the night. Audience members of all ages were on their feet, belting out choruses, waving their arms and mobiles, and embracing the nostalgia. The band’s infectious energy and obvious love for the music shone through, creating a genuine party atmosphere that never let up.

The guys finished at 9.30 on the nose. It was an early bath for everyone due to the England Vs Norway football match being shown at The Factory.

If you’re looking for a night of superb live music that doesn’t take itself too seriously, this is a show not to be missed. Equal parts rock concert and comedy performance, it delivers big riffs, bigger laughs, and a reminder of why ’80s rock remains timeless. A fantastic evening of entertainment from start to finish and is a highly recommended show!

Comedy rock isn’t for everybody, but open your mind for a minute and just remember, it’s ok to smile sometimes. These guys nailed it and everyone was smiling! If you want real a real 80’s vibe Rock n’ Roll night and a party night to remember, you need to bring the hairspray, some lycra, some sunglasses and Hairforce 5!

A Video! Live and Let Die – live

“You. Us. It’ll be emotional”

Hairforce 5 are on Facebook here!

The Hellfire Club

The Hellfire Club: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

Guests for tonight were a local outfit from Brighton, The Hellfire Club. After tearing up a rocking slot recently supporting Iron Maidens frontman, Blaze Bayley, they were back at The Factory Live! Are these guys from The Upside Down? No, they are local, hailing from Brighton.

“Sedicious, Ballsy Rock n Roll from the heart of Brighton”

Frankie – Vocals and Bass, Dan Nin – Guitar, Andy – Drums, Chris – Guitar

The Hellfire Club hit the stage running, delivering a set packed full of punch and energy. Their style is sharp and fast, and damned enjoyable!

There’s riffing galore, hummable choruses, rock poses and overall a sense that the band are really enjoying themselves. The band gain more and more momentum and impetus as their set goes on seeing how their material is mixing in with the crowd and pulling in folk from outside the venue.

he sound was incredible with two powerful guitar players backed with bass and drums, they created some serious audio firepower! A short set gave us a real flavour of what these guys are about. Great songs played loud and fast, clearly with an innate understanding of how to get the best out of every song.

We were treated to a few songs tonight including Make Me Want it, Lonestar, Days Are Numbered and Making Ground. Included was their latest release Thunder, and it’s a cracker! No fillers tonight, all killers! They are offering up a pure unadulterated entertaining rock and metal set and they stunningly succeed at this, entertaining the audience.

A Video – it’s THUNDER

The riffs are crisp and don’t stick around long enough to get boring, the drum and bass working in perfect unison. There is a fresh breeziness and bounce to this outfit which feels strong tonight, and went down well with the crowd. Their sound stays pretty heavy yet it is all skilfully well-balanced, featuring a mash-up of hot metal riffs, powerful bass and drums, all wrapped up with some great vocals.

THUNDER

Each track seems to resonate with the crowd and the vocalist is clearly having a great time with his bandmates. That joy is a powerful thing and engages the crowd. The last song of the set Making Ground showed the synergy between Frankie and his bandmates and is a key factor in the sets success tonight. These guys were so on it!

The Hellfire Club: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

The guitar solos scream, the riffs bounce around The Factory Live, the bass vibrates and the drums pound. It’s all really well done. Hellfire, that was rocking! These guys are damn good and deserve a bigger stage, I have a feeling it won’t be long! Love this outfit! See you again soon hopefully.

The Hellfire Club: photo by Ian Bourn for Scene Sussex

The Hellfire Club is on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hellfireband

And Finally

Thanks to: Hairforce 5 and The Hellfire Club

Thanks to The Factory Live team.

Words, Videos and Photos for Scene Sussex by Ian “The Lens” Bourn.

No AI or filters used, it’s pure and straight down “the lens”!

We work hard with the artists, the venues and the crowd to bring you the best photos and reviews across the area. Keep Music LIVE! Follow us on Twitter and on Facebook.

Please note all original images / video are copyright, please do not copy. If any of the featured artists/promoters/venues want copies of the images – or more if available – please just get in touch.

All original pictures / video – copyright to IANB/MEDIA WORKS/ SCENE SUSSEX – Ian “The Lens” Bourn 2026.

Got an event coming up? Need some gig photography, promo shots, previews or reviews? – please get in touch! See you down the front – come and say “hi!”