GRTR! Greats

Photo: Andy Nathan (Malmo Melodic, July 2026)

For every artist who makes it big, there are several equally talented musicians who for whatever reason are destined to enjoy more modest success to a narrower audience. New Yorker Danny Vaughn is one such.

After receiving his rock and roll education in Waysted, joining them for 1986’s Save Your Prayers album, the big time beckoned as lead singer of Tyketto, whose debut album ‘Don’t Come Easy’ was a straight out of the gate classic.

Unfortunately by the time it came out on Geffen in 1991, the rock music industry was dramatically pivoting towards more alternative sounds and they never stood a chance.

They had made quite an impact supporting White Lion that year, to the extent that the UK and the rest of Europe became a stronghold, but on a smaller scale. With songs like the lead off anthem ‘Forever Young’ and the ballad of desperation ‘Standing Alone’, the album has been a recognised classic among the more underground melodic rock scene ever since.

Danny was one of our very first interviewees in the 10 Questions series in 2002 when he told Jason Ritchie about career highs and the lows “The highlight is that I can still get out there and sing and people will come to hear it. It’s extremely gratifying to have longevity at any level. The lowlight? Having to go back to working in a factory after I left Tyketto. It damn near crushed my spirit entirely.’

GRTR!’s first live review was at The Gods event in Bradford (May 2003) when Jason commented “Danny Vaughn is a very talented vocalist and songwriter and it beats me how he isn’t more widely known. I liked the acoustic set but it was more fun when fully electric!”

A few days later, supporting Magnum’s Bob Catley, Vaughn was reviewed by Ian Pollard who noted “the air conditioning was off during his set and the conditions were not far from tropical. He carried on regardless and played his full set, but must have come off a few pounds lighter.”

Photo: Ian Pollard (Firefest, 2005)

Danny appeared with his band Vaughn at the second Firefest in 2005 when Andy Nathan noted the varied setlist taking in his time with Waysted and his solo albums.

Danny (with Tom Marshall) opened up for Journey on tour in March 2007 and so impressed the punters he sold out of Traveller CDs. Jason Ritchie was again impressed but also looked forward to Tyketto’s appearance at the forthcoming ‘Firefest’.

In the 2000s Danny Vaughn was still playing with old band members, notably stalwart drummer Michael Clayton Arbeeny, but under his own name, having said only the original four band members would carry the Tyketto name. They did just that for a memorable reunion tour in 2004 and consecutive years at Firefest in 2007/2008. (Firefest in 2007 was billed as the band’s last ever performance in the UK).

Photo: Ian Pollard (Sweden Rock, 2009)

They played Sweden Rock in 2009 and Download in 2010, finally recording a new album in Dig In Deep in 2012, albeit a mature offering that disappointed fans craving a return to the sound of the first two albums.

Reviewing the band at their third Firefest appearance in 2012, with the original line-up, Andy Nathan wrote “Inevitably the encore was ‘Forever Young’, which is the nearest melodic rock has to a national anthem, with Danny begging the crowd to jump up and down as much as they could, which was a perfect end to a set of pure quality and an excellent start to the weekend.”

The years in between saw Danny recording and touring regularly, under his own name, or continuing Tyketto as members came and went, not to mention singing on other projects such as From The Inside.

Among many tours Andy remembers, Vaughn’s 2010 solo show ‘Aspirations and Inspirations’ was very instructive as he played songs that had influenced him and the breadth of his selections- from Blackfoot and Dio all the way to Stevie Wonder and The Eagles – showed why he has avoided some of melodic rock’s lyrical and musical cliches.

Photo: Andy Nathan (Camden Underworld, 2015)

In 2013 Andy wrote “Few songwriters … can match Tyketto’s Danny Vaughn, whose talents really should have been more recognised by the wider world.“ By 2014 Danny was touring as Tyketto but minus original guitarist Brooke St.James. Whatever, Sharon Cooke reported “the boys came in, rocked out and blew the roof off the place!”

Reviewing Tyketto in 2015 Andy Nathan commented “the divide between a Tyketto show and a solo one from lead singer Danny Vaughn is gradually being blurred.’ At Steelhouse Festival in July 2015 according to Darren Griffiths “Danny is as charismatic as I remember and his voice is still capable of sending shivers down your spine.”

Photo: Andy Nathan (Camden Underworld, 2015)

It was while touring with Tyketto that he met another cult hero and contemporary in Dan Reed, and under the ‘Snake Oil and Harmony’ banner the two proved a perfect match, recording an album as well as several shows of harmonising, playing each others songs and regaling audiences with a stream of anecdotes. They were listed as a GRTR! Breakthrough Act in 2020. In between times 2016’s Reach was a return to form with the title track vintage Tyketto.

Also in 2016 David Randall saw the band perform in Manchester (with Dan Reed Network) celebrating their debut’s 25th anniversary.

“Vaughn’s comment that they were going to play the album in reverse order “otherwise you’ll all b…r off after the first track’ merely underlined that ‘Don’t Come Easy’ although a solid offering is best known for the anthemic ‘Forever Young’. If anything, songs such as ‘Sail Away’ and ‘Burning Down Inside’ sounded much better live – infused with Vaughn’s engaging delivery and a band really rocking. Vaughn comes over as a cross between Joey Tempest and Iggy Pop, a fine showman as much as a vocalist/songwriter.’

The touring in 2016 was encapsulated on the release Live From Milan 2017.

Photo: Simon Dunkerley (Manchester Academy, 2016)

Reviewing in January 2017 Andy Nathan’s opined: “Tyketto’s one shot of glory may have passed 25 years ago but this superb show with a near perfect setlist proved that the current line-up is without doubt the finest of their career. Criminally overlooked for too long, I still live in hope that they gain the wider recognition their talents deserve.”

As a host of house concerts, a very articulate frontman on matters both musical and wider concerns, and as someone whose trademark sound was always how acoustic guitar worked in tandem with electric instruments, it was hardly surprising that he was one of the stars who kept spirits up during Lockdown with weekly concerts from his living room. When restrictions lifted, he kept up the theme with acoustic shows where he took requests from fans spanning his whole career.

Before Lockdown, and after a gap of some eleven years, Vaughn released a new solo album (promoted on tour in summer of 2019) whilst Tyketto celebrated their sophomore release (and oft-overlooked) ‘Strength In Numbers’ touring (and reviewed) in March.

The last three years have seen a revival of Tyketto’s fortunes. A revised line up now features three Brits as well as his old Waysted drummer Johnny Dee, and have broadened their reach beyond the melodic rock faithful to play general rock festivals including Call Of The Wild, Maid of Stone, and Stonedead, as well as a support slot with Uriah Heep.

Photo: Andy Nathan (229 Club, London, April 2026)

Long term supporter Andy Nathan concludes: I’ve been delighted and frustrated at the same time quite how many people claim to be unfamiliar with Tyketto but are now converts. Nearly a decade after ‘Reach’, the new line up’s Closer To The Sun album is very diverse but in my view the best thing to bear the Tyketto name this century, and the tour was equally good with a second leg to follow in the winter.

Now 65, but in great physical shape and singing as powerfully as ever, Danny Vaughn’s stock is as high as it has been during GRTR!’s near quarter century of existence.

Main story: Andy Nathan
Additional material: David Randall
Contributors: Sharon Cooke, Darren Griffiths, Andy Nathan, Ian Pollard, David Randall, Jason Ritchie

GRTR! Greats

TYKETTO TOUR DATES

Wed November 25th BUCKLEY Tivoli
Fri November 27th BELFAST Empire
Sat November 28th TROON Winterstorm
Sun November 29th HOLMFIRTH Picturedrome
Tue December 1st HASTINGS Black Box
Wed December 2nd BLACKPOOL Waterloo
Thu December 3rd NUNEATON Queens Hall

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions,

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

Josh now hosts “Taerk’s Tracks” as part of the Singer Songwriter Sunday sequence on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio.

This is the second show broadcast on 25 October Josh presents some of his inspirational artists and tracks.

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast 18 October 2026.

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Power Plays w/c 26 October 2026

BLACK RIVER DELTA Shame On You (Despotz Records)
DAYTONA Listen To The Silence (Escape Music)
SUCKERTRAP Sacred Lies (indie)
WOOD BURNT RED Count My Blessings (indie)
BLACKLIST UNION Heavy Is The Crown (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 26 October 2026

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Singer Songwriter)

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