Author Archives: GRTR! HQ

Book review: STEVE HOGARTH – The Invisible Man – Diaries 1998-2014 (Volume 2)

Steve Hogarth - The Invisible Man - Diaries 1998-2014

The Songwriters – Steve Hogarth (Marillion) – Interview and Feature (8 July 2014) by Get Ready To Rock! Radio on Mixcloud Miwk Publishing [Publication Date 09.11.14] www.miwk.com Part two of Steve Hogarth’s diaries takes up the story in 1998 and … Continue reading

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Album review: ANTHONY PHILLIPS – Harvest Of The Heart An Anthology

ANTHONY PHILLIPS - Harvest Of The Heart An Anthology

Esoteric [Release date: 17.11.14] 5-CD box set For those Genesis fans still smarting from that TV documentary, here is the real deal.  A 90 track compilation of original guitarist Anthony Phillips’ best bits.  If Phillips and Hackett are the most … Continue reading

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Album review: SKY – Reissues (Sky, Sky 2)

Sky

Esoteric [Release date 01.12.14] CD/DVD These two reissues give us a welcome opportunity to re-evaluate that fusion of classical and prog that the band Sky purveyed back in 1979.  A “supergroup” of sorts bringing together the unlikely presence of classical … Continue reading

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Gig review: RIVAL SONS – The Ritz, Manchester, 11 December 2014

RIVAL SONS - The Ritz, Manchester, 11 December 2014

Rival Sons: are these guys the new Kings of Cool?  They certainly put an essence of style back into rock music and show that it’s not all battered denim and leather as they stroll onto the stage suited and booted … Continue reading

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Gig review: THEA GILMORE – Telford’s Warehouse, Chester, 9 December 2014

Thea Gilmore - Telford

Thea Gilmore’s Office Christmas bash was a somewhat conservative affair this year.  As always, Thea was on sparkling form and buoyed with festive cheer, office manager Nigel Stonier orchestrated with his usual aplomb, and secretary Fluff and temp Liz Hanks … Continue reading

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Gig review: PLANET ROCKSTOCK – Porthcawl, 7 December 2014 (Day 3: Magnum, The Answer)

Magnum - Planet Rockstock, Porthcawl, 7 December 2014

Jagermeister Second Stage Fireroad have the task of opening the Jagermeister stage on the Sunday, and having just come back from America where they played with Lynyrd Skynyrd on the Simpleman Cruise, getting this crowd going should be no problem. … Continue reading

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Gig review: PLANET ROCKSTOCK – Porthcawl, 6 December 2014 (Day 2: Michael Schenker, Joe Elliott)

Michael Schenker - Planet Rockstock, Porthcawl, 6 December 2014

Jagermeister Stage Day 2 at Rockstock and the first day on the Jagermeister second stage and opening up are local band Serpentine.  The band have recently had line-up changes and it is certainly nice to see them back in action … Continue reading

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Gig review: PLANET ROCKSTOCK – Porthcawl, 5 December 2014 (Day 1: California Breed, Joanne Shaw Taylor)

PLANET ROCKSTOCK - Porthcawl, 5 December 2014

Planet Rockstock is one of a number of festivals springing up all over the country during off seasons in the holiday parks and I think it is safe to say that these will continue to grow in the future. Porthcawl … Continue reading

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Album review: MARTIN TURNER AND FRIENDS – The Garden Party

Martin Turner and Friends - The Garden Party

Dirty Dog Discs [Release date 27.10.14] This 2-CD album is like an almighty two-finger salute to Andy Powell.  Back in 2012 Martin Turner assembled a stellar cast of one-time Wishbone Ash alumni and in front of a specially invited audience, … Continue reading

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Album review: SWUNG – Vol.1 & 2 (feat. members of FOCUS)

Swung - Vol.1 & 2

In And Out Of Focus Records [Release date 03.11.14] ‘Swung’ was evidently conceived and recorded during downtime from the “day job” – for Bobby Jacobs and Pierre van der Linden this means the current incarnation of Focus. Although that band … Continue reading

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News: THE BEST of 2014 – Vote for your favourites! Best rock albums and live acts!

The Best Of 2014

Every year the GRTR! Reviewers choose their favourite albums and live acts. We reduce this selection to a list of ten in each category. The Best of 2014: Reviewers’ Choice We’ll publish the popular vote results on Tuesday 23 December. … Continue reading

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Gig review: THE TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT – The Ritz, Manchester, 17 November 2014

The Temperance Movement - The Ritz, Manchester, 17 November 2014

Having followed The Temperance Movement since the early days we have seen them sell out pretty much every venue they play; ranging from the 250 capacity Bodega in Nottingham to the 550 capacity Club Academy so tonight at the 1500 … Continue reading

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Album review: HARMONY – Theatre Of Redemption

Harmony - Theatre Of Redemption

Ulterium Records [Release date 28.11.14] It’s probably not a good idea to release albums a month or so before Christmas: they tend to get lost in the festivities and almost certainly miss out in best of year selections.  Which is … Continue reading

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Album review: DREW HOLCOMB & THE NEIGHBORS – Medicine

DREW HOLCOMB & THE NEIGHBORS - Medicine

Magnolia Music [Release date 26.01.15] With a Divinity Masters degree from St Andrews, and a dissertation on ‘Springsteen and American Redemptive Imagination’ under his belt, it’s clear where Southern singer songwriter Drew Holcomb’s heart lies. His 2005 debut Washed In … Continue reading

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Album review: SUZI QUATRO – The Girl From Detroit City (Box set)

SUZI QUATRO - The Girl From Detroit City (Box set)

Cherry Red Records [Release date 27.10.14] It would be all too easy to dismiss the girl from Detroit City as a Mickie Most, Chinn/ Chapman puppet, but this beautifully packaged 4-CD, 82 track career retrospective attempts to but the record … Continue reading

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THE BEST of 2014 – top rock albums, top live acts – the reviewers’ choice

The Best of 2014 - Top Albums - Popular Poll

The Best of 2014 with David Randall by Get Ready To Rock! Radio on Mixcloud Every year we ask the GRTR! Team to list their favourite albums and gigs of the year. Typically, it’s a diverse selection that may not … Continue reading

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News: BIFF BYFORD (Saxon) interview and special features on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio

Biff Byford of Saxon

Sunday 30 November 2014, 17:00 Thursday 4 December, 22:00 repeat Saxon frontman Biff Byford chooses the music in Get Ready to ROCK! Radio’s  ‘Favourite Tracks from Favourite Artists’ sequence.  He chats to GRTR!’s David Randall about the band’s progress and … Continue reading

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Gig review: HARD ROCK HELL 8 – Pwllheli, 15 November 2014

HARD ROCK HELL 8 - Pwllheli, 15 November 2014

Simon Dunkerley writes: I hadn’t seen opening act MORE play for 33 years.  In fact the last time was at Monster Of Rock – the original Download before all the hype took over and turned it into the money making … Continue reading

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Gig review: HARD ROCK HELL 8 – Pwllheli, 13-14 November 2014

HARD ROCK HELL - Pwllheli, 13-14 November 2014

Simon Dunkerley writes: The time has come to rally the HRH tribe for the last time this year to yet another sold out celebration of all things rock with a lineup that has so many great names both old and … Continue reading

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

Mixcloud

December 2014 Highlights More information at the dedicated website Check back here as we add new features throughout the month. All times, GMT We are posting selected shows to our Mixcloud page. Photo: Simon Dunkerley Special features this month Christmas … Continue reading

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Gig review: FM – The Globe, Cardiff, 22 November 2014

FM - The Globe, Cardiff, 22 November 2014

A packed house in the Globe for this much loved band and huge respect should be given to the promoter at Major Minor Productions for delivering a sold out show with a fantastic sound quality in a city that is … Continue reading

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Gig review: THE TEXAS FLOOD, Hard Rock Hell, Pwllheli, 14 November 2014

THE TEXAS FLOOD, Hard Rock Hell, Pwllheli, 14 November 2014

The opening slot on any of the stages can be daunting but for The Texas Flood it’s even more so as these young guys take on their biggest gig yet. After going to Glasgow and winning the top slot at … Continue reading

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Gig review: VARDIS – Hard Rock Hell, Pwllheli, 15 November 2014

Vardis - Hard Rock Hell, Pwllheli, 15 November 2014

Band reformations always form differences of opinions but the few thousand people watching Vardis on the main stage at Hard Rock Hell delivered their overwhelmingly positive verdict. After being apart for almost 30 years, drummer Gary Pearson, after a lot … Continue reading

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Gig review: SOiL, American Head Charge – Rock City, Nottingham, 1 November 2014

SOIL - Rock City, Nottingham, 1 November 2014

Another early start due to the trend of running club nights after the gig – but that didn’t seem to bother the crowd already queued up the road for tonight’s gig. Headliners SOiL had toured earlier in the year supporting … Continue reading

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Gig review: HARD ROCK HELL 8 – Pwllheli, November 2014 (Overview)

HARD ROCK HELL, Pwllheli, 15 November 2014

Photo: David Randall Seeing Grifter on the second stage made me reflect on the current state of the rock scene.  There are many similar bands plying their trade, in this case inspired by the heavy rock first purveyed widely by … Continue reading

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