Yearly Archives: 2014

Gig review: THE ROBERT CRAY BAND – Barbican Hall, London, 6 May 2014

THE ROBERT CRAY BAND – Barbican Hall, London, 6 May 2014

Plush, refined surroundings for this gig and it was a big step up for support act Azadeh. This was a home town gig for the singer/songwriter and she looked and sounded genuinely pleased to be there. She held the stage … Continue reading

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Gig review: AN EVENING FOR WALTER TROUT – Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London, 4 May 2014

An Evening For Walter Trout - London, 4 April 2014

‘An Evening For Walter Trout’ was an unforgettable event with 65 musicians – including a posse of guitarists with borrowed amps – plus Walter Trout’s road and sound crew, all coming together to share their love for the blues-rock icon … Continue reading

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News: CELEBR8.3 Prog Festival 31 May and 1 June 2014

It Bites, photo by Noel Buckley

Now in its 3rd year and this time being held in Central London, the final line up for Celebr8.3 can confirm many exclusives: A one off London performance by Anathema Acoustic. The last performance from Twelfth Night, the first ever … Continue reading

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Album Review: THE BERMONDSEY JOYRIDERS – Flamboyant Thugs

THE BERMONDSEY JOYRIDERS – Flamboyant Thugs

Fuel Injection Records The Joyrider’s third album is at first blush a continuation of their previous outings: a high octane mix of power punk and dirty blues. With its instant appeal of fat hook and big riffs, it certainly fits … Continue reading

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Quick plays: KJETIL BY featuring ROBIN BECK,LEXIE GREEN, JON ALLEN

Kjetil By -feat. ROBIN BECK - Better Days

KJETIL BY featuring ROBIN BECK – Better Days www.kjetilby.com This is the fourth solo album from Norwegian guitarist Kjetil and the songs on this album are all co-written with Claudia Scott. His biggest coup is enlisting the help of Robin … Continue reading

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Album review: YUKA & CHRONOSHIP – Dino Rocket Oxygen

YUKA & CHRONOSHIP - Dino Rocket Oxygen

Musea Records – [Release Date 2013] Great progressive rock music is appearing from all corners of the world at the moment – especially from eastern Europe, Scandinavia and South America. But now Japan are muscling in on the scene in … Continue reading

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Album review: ADMIRAL SIR CLOUDESLEY SHOVELL – Check ‘Em Before You Wreck ‘Em

ADMIRAL SIR CLOUDESLEY SHOVELL  – Check

Rise Above – Out Now. The first time I came across an article featuring the name of the Psychedelic/Hard Rock/Heavy Metal trio…Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovell, I have to admit I was probably put off by it – the name, I … Continue reading

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Album review: BIGELF – Into The Maelstrom

BIGELF – Into The Maelstrom

Inside Out – Out Now. Back in 2010, Prog Metal’s finest band Dream Theater went on the road in support of their then latest album “Black Clouds & Silver Linings” and with them brought us as an opening act the … Continue reading

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Album review: EARTH CRISIS – Salvation Of Innocents

EARTH CRISIS – Salvation Of Innocents

Candlelight Records – Out Now. Earth Crisis is a band whose name always aroused my curiosity but whose music, for reasons I truly cannot comprehend, I have never felt too motivated to listen to. Is it the fact that people … Continue reading

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Gig review: MAGNUM – Islington Town Hall, 4 May 2014

Magnum - Islington Academy, London, 4 May 2014

Turning to item 5.1 on the agenda…oh wait, sorry thought I was in a council meeting given tonight’s venue. The hall features a rather grand stage with stalls (complete with springing floor) and a small circle. A new venue to … Continue reading

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Gig review: YES – Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow, 2 May 2014

YES – Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow, 2 May 2014

I am not the biggest Yes fan in the world. This may seem a strange statement to open a Yes gig review, but as they said on the X Files ‘the truth is out there’. That is not to say … Continue reading

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Album review: COCO MONTOYA – Songs From The Road

Coco Montoya - Songs From The Road

Ruf [Release date 17.05.14] Coco Montoya’s ‘Songs From The Road’ stands or falls by his record company’s claim that it transports you to the front of the crowd at his two appearances at The Triple Door in Seattle. Happily this … Continue reading

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Gig review: IAN ANDERSON – Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool, 2 May 2014

Ian Anderson, photo by Martin Webb

It amazes me how, generally, the reaction to Ian Anderson’s latest opus is warm, and welcoming.  There seems to be a lack of critical faculty in some quarters.  Perhaps,  in my case, I’m just too old to rock ‘n’ roll.  … Continue reading

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Album review: DORNENREICH – Freiheit

Prophecy Productions – Out Now. Even though they began life as a Melodic Black Metal act back in 1996, it was not long before Austrian trio Dornenreich started to follow a similar route to the majority of their Norwegian contemporaries … Continue reading

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Gig review: HARD ROCK HELL BLUES – Pwllheli, 21-22 March 2014

Pontus Snibb - Hard Rock Hell Blues, Pwllheli, 21-22 March 2013

Friday 21 March Kicking off the blues stage properly for the festival was Crowsaw, a hard hitting 3 piece blues outfit from South Wales whose riff driven blues rock sparks a glimmer of life in the bleary eyed yet enthusiastic … Continue reading

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Gig review: HARD ROCK HELL PROG – Pwllheli, 21-22 March 2014

The Flower Kings - Hard Rock Hell Prog, Pwllheli, 21-22 March 2014

Thursday 20 March Amongst the highlights on the first night Synaesthesia only had a few gigs under their belts but gave us a great keyboard driven modern prog rock set. With most of their music being written by 20 year … Continue reading

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Gig review: HARD ROCK HELL AOR – Pwllheli, 21-22 March 2014

Bonafide - Hard Rock Hell AOR, 21 March 2014

Friday 21 March Hailing from Stoke on Trent, I was eager to see how Lawless were to be received by the HRH family, playing live on the Friday as part of their Mad March Tour, which already had seen a … Continue reading

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Gig review: MAGNUM – The Garage, Glasgow, 29 April 2014

Magnum - The Garage, Glasgow, 29 April 2014

Magnum over the years have become a British institution. Like Motorhead, Saxon, Status Quo and several others they annually tour the highways and byways of the nation and no matter where they turn up they are guaranteed a good crowd. … Continue reading

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Gig review: HEAVEN’S BASEMENT – The Fleece, Bristol – 25 March 2014

Heaven

This tour package contains some of the best up and coming bands currently doing the rounds across the UK.  With a large crowd present for tonight’s gig it would appear that the word is spreading that there are some first … Continue reading

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Gig review: CARAVAN – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, 13 April 2014

Caravan - Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, 13 April 2014

Tonight the Rescue Rooms are playing host to Caravan, a name synonymous with the early British Prog/Canterbury music scene, I’m sure one of the founding members Pye Hastings won’t mind me reminding him that this is their 46th year and … Continue reading

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Album review: NAZARETH – Rock ‘N’ Roll Telephone

Nazareth - Rock

In this interview extract, Dan McCafferty talks about stopping touring and the new album (3:21) The feature version of the interview will be broadcast on Sunday 22 June at 13:00 GMT on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio Union Square Music … Continue reading

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Album review: HELSTAR – This Wicked Nest

AFM Records www.afmrecords.de [Released 28.04.14] I believe the cover of Helstar’s latest release This Wicked Nest says it all really…a suit wearing skeleton complete with devil horns and a pentagram worked into the band logo. After listening…well yeah I was … Continue reading

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Album review: IAN ANDERSON – Homo Erraticus

Ian Anderson - Homo Erraticus

Calliandra/KScope [Release date: 18.04.14] Ian Anderson has certainly been getting around in recent times.  A Prog God in award ceremonies and of course we now know why he reserves his firmest handshakes for trusted members.  Of his inner circle that … Continue reading

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News: Get Ready to ROCK! Radio – May 2014 highlights

Judie Tzuke - photo by Noel Buckley

May 2014 Highlights More information at the dedicated website All times, BST (GMT+1) Tuesdays 19:00 Pete Feenstra Rock & Blues In the first hour of our Tuesday blues rock marathon, Pete signposts upcoming and established artists who need your attention … Continue reading

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Gig Review: VANDENBERG’S MOONKINGS – Islington Academy, London 24 April 2014

Vandenberg

For a man with such a pedigree, both with his own band and spending longer as David Coverdale’s right hand man in Whitesnake than anyone else, Adrian Vandenberg’s profile has been surprisingly low for a number of years. However the … Continue reading

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