Author Archives: andynathan

Gig review: STYX – London Palladium, 4 June 2019

Posted on June 10, 2019 by andynathan

It’s been eight long years since Styx last crossed the pond and on that occasion they opened a three way battle of the AOR behemoths with Foreigner and Journey, and for many observers stole the show. This belated return was … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged AOR, gig, James Young, Lawrence Gowan, melodic rock, pomp rock, review, Styx, Tommy Shaw | Leave a comment

Gig review: SWEDISH AOR CONVENTION – Malmo, Sweden, 30 May-2 June 2019

Posted on June 9, 2019 by andynathan

Melodic rock and AOR is an unlikely addition to the list of things- ergonomic design, environmental awareness, and dark crime dramas- where Scandinavia leads the world. The scene is particularly strong in Sweden, home of many of my favourite bands … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Age of Reflection, Anette Olzon, AOR, Bad Habit, Care of Night, Coastland Ride, Creye, festival, gig, Hank Erix, melodic rock, Osukaru, Philip Lindstrand, Pretty Wild, Sapphire Eyes, Shape of the New Sun, State of Salazar, Swedish AOR convention | Leave a comment

Gig review: BUCK & EVANS – 100 Club, London, 27 May 2019

Posted on May 29, 2019 by andynathan

Buck and Evans define the term ‘critically acclaimed’ in that anyone who has come into contact with their music has universally praised them. However, a good four years since I last saw them (at Highbury Garage) progress has been slow. … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged blues rock, Bob Richards, Buck & Evans, Chris Buck, Dominic Hill, gig, Sally Ann Evans, The Rainbreakers | Leave a comment

Album review: MICHAEL THOMPSON BAND – Love & Beyond

Posted on May 28, 2019 by andynathan

Frontiers [Release Date 26.04.19] Michael Thompson is one of the most respected session guitarists in rock – alongside Steve Lukather and Bruce Gaitsch he is probably the go-to man, particularly for the so-called West Coast sound where soft rock and … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged AOR, Guy Allison, Larry Antonino, Larry King, Mark Spiro, melodic rock, Michael Thompson, West Coast | Leave a comment

Album review: FORTUNE – II

Posted on May 28, 2019 by andynathan

Frontiers [Release Date 26.04.19] Fortune’s 1985 self-titled albums is one that always featured highly in the list of obscure but brilliant melodic/AOR classics. While singer Larry (LA) Greene and keyboard player Roger Scott Craig went on to another cult AOR … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, AOR, Fortune, Larry Greene, melodic rock, Mick Fortune, Richard Fortune | Leave a comment

Gig review: DAXX AND ROXANE/ COLLATERAL – Borderline, London, 18 May 2019

Posted on May 19, 2019 by andynathan

In the run up to this Borderline show came the sad news that this long-established venue is closing, leaving Central London with almost no rock venues. This reflects a wider trend of losing places that host live music, which is … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Angelo Tristan, Cedric Pfister, Colin Parkinson, Collateral, Daxx and Roxane, Drew Lowe, gig, review, Temple of One, The Borderline, Todd Winger | Leave a comment

Album review: BURNING RAIN – Face the Music

Posted on May 16, 2019 by andynathan

Release Date 22.03.19 Burning Rain have had a rather stop start career, this being their fourth release but only the second since 2001. In that time guitarist Doug Aldrich has raised his profile with stints with Dio, Whitesnake and latterly … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, blues rock, Burning Rain, Doug Aldrich, Face the music, Keith St John, melodic rock | Leave a comment

Gig review: MOTT THE HOOPLE 74 – Shepherds Bush Empire, London, 26 April 2019

Posted on May 10, 2019 by andynathan

A Mott the Hoople reunion, which some said would never happen, has now done so three times. A decade ago the five members of their classic early seventies line-up reformed for a series of shows at Hammersmith which were emotional … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Ariel Bender, Brian May, gig, Ian Hunter, Joe Elliott, Morgan Fisher, Mott the Hoople, Rant Band, review | Leave a comment

Gig review: JOE BONAMASSA – Royal Albert Hall, London, 25 April 2019

Posted on April 27, 2019 by andynathan

It was ten years ago to the very week that Joe Bonamassa took the biggest chance yet of a promising career and played the Royal Albert Hall. As he recounted from the stage on this evening, it proved to be … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Anton Fig, blues, blues rock, gig, Joe Bonamassa, Michael Rhodes, Reese Wynans, review, Royal Albert Hall | Leave a comment

Gig review: AIRRACE – London Borderline, 19 April 2019

Posted on April 24, 2019 by andynathan

Airrace’s stop-start career seems to have been characterised by support slots, whether with Queen back in 1984, or since they reformed a decade ago, a periodic set of shows consisting mainly of high profile support slots to the likes of … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 19 April 2019, Adam Payne, Airrace, AOR, Borderline, Dhani Mansworth, gig, Laurie Mansworth, Linda Kelsey Foster, London, melodic rock, review, Rocky Newton | Leave a comment

Album review: FM – The Italian Job (CD/DVD)

Posted on April 24, 2019 by andynathan

Frontiers [Release Date 22.02.19] FM have delivered consistently excellent live performances since the second phase of the band effectively kicked off a decade ago with guitarist Jim Kirkpatrick’s arrival. However this era of their history has gone undocumented so far, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts, DVD REVIEWS | Tagged AOR, DVD, FM, Frontiers Rock Festival, Jem Davis, Jim Kirkpatrick, melodic rock, Merv Goldsworthy, Steve Overland | Leave a comment

Album review: FIND ME- Angels In Blue

Posted on April 19, 2019 by andynathan

Release Date 22.02.19 For those in the know, Find Me has been one of the best melodic rock projects in recent years. A partnership between producer and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Flores and Blanc Faces singer Robbie Le Blanc, a stunning performance … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, AOR, Daniel Flores, Find Me, melodic rock, review, Robbie Le Blanc, Survivor | Leave a comment

Gig review: BURNING RAIN – Camden Underworld, London, 6 April 2019

Posted on April 14, 2019 by andynathan

And now for something slightly different. While many of their contemporaries seem to constantly tour, Burning Rain have a rather chequered career with a low profile in the UK. They have only released four albums over a 20 year period, … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 6 April 2019, acoustic, Burning Rain, Camden Underworld, Dead daisies, Doug Aldrich, gig, Keith St John, melodic rock, review, Whitesnake | Leave a comment

Gig review: THE RADIO SUN – Water Rats, London,19 March 2019

Posted on March 27, 2019 by andynathan

Melbourne-based melodic rockers The Radio Sun have over the past four years become regulars at the HRH AOR Festival in North Wales, winning friends both for their music and their sociable nature, entering into the spirit of the occasion. Though … Continue reading →

Posted in GIG REVIEWS | Tagged AOR, gig, Jason Old, melodic rock, review, Steve Janevski, THE RADIO SUN | Leave a comment

Gig review: CATS IN SPACE – Highbury Garage, London, 16 March 2019

Posted on March 21, 2019 by andynathan

After a relatively quiet touring 2018 as they recorded their third album in a short space of time in ‘Daytrip to Narnia’, it was great to see Cats In Space, one of my favourite ‘new’ bands back and gigging, and … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Cats In Space, Daytrip to Narnia, Dean Howard, gig, Greg Hart, Jeff Brown, Paul Manzi, pop rock, review | Leave a comment

Gig review: TYKETTO – Islington Academy, London, 12 March 2019

Posted on March 19, 2019 by andynathan

25 years ago this spring, Tyketto’s sophomore album ‘Strength In Numbers’ got a belated release after they were dropped by Geffen Records in the wake of the maelstrom that was the rise of grunge. Out of this difficult birth however … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Chris Green, Danny Vaughn, Ged Rylands, gig, Greg Smith, Kane'd, melodic rock, Michael Clayton Arbeeny, review, Strength in Numbers, Tyketto | Leave a comment

Gig review: DAVE BICKLER/Chrome Molly – Highbury Garage, London, 11 March 2019

Posted on March 15, 2019 by andynathan

Sadly Survivor never made it to UK shores, the sad death of Jimi Jamison scuppering a scheduled show in 2014. However original singer Dave Bickler, who by that stage was back and sharing vocal duties, did play Rockingham Festival 18 … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged AOR, Chrome Molly, Dave Bickler, gig, Glenn Quinn, Jim Kirkpatrick, John Footitt, Nic Wastell, review, Steve Hawkins, Survivor | Leave a comment

Gig review: BOB SEGER AND THE SILVER BULLET BAND – Tingley Coliseum, New Mexico, USA, 5 March 2019

Posted on March 14, 2019 by andynathan

Few artists embody the spirit of the American heartland quite as much as Bob Seger. While others- John Fogerty, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty- can lay equal claim to creating that distinctively American take on classic rock, only the Ann Arbor, … Continue reading →

Posted in All Posts, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Alto Reed, Bob Seger, Craig Frost, gig, heartland rock, Jim 'Moose' Brown, Rob McNeeley, SIlver Bullet Band, USA | Leave a comment

Album review: TOBY HITCHCOCK – Reckoning

Posted on February 28, 2019 by andynathan

Frontiers [Release Date 25.01.19] Best known as the man who brings Jim Peterik’s songs to life in Pride of Lions, this is Toby Hitchcock’s second solo album. His first way back in 2013 was written by the prolific Erik Martensson … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), All Posts | Tagged album, AOR, melodic rock, Pride of Lions, review, Toby Hitchcock | Leave a comment

Gig review: BLUE OYSTER CULT – Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith, 22 February 2019

Posted on February 26, 2019 by andynathan

After a lull of a decade or so, Blue Oyster Cult have resumed their love affair with the UK in a big way in the past four years. Show stealing supporting appearances at Ramblin’ Man and Stone Free were sandwiched … Continue reading →