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Author Archives: andynathan
Album review: AIRRACE- Untold Stories

Frontiers [Release date 10.08.18] A third Airrace album in their off-and-on 35 year existence looked unlikely when guitarist and band leader Laurie Mansworth put the band on ice a few years back to concentrate on managing The Treatment, and even … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Adam Payne, Airrace, album, AOR, Laurie Mansworth, Linda Kelsey Foster, melodic rock
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Gig review: THE QUIREBOYS – 02 Forum, London, 14 September 2018

Playing a classic album in its entirety is now such a well established concert concept that bands are having to approach it a little differently. The Quireboys already did this many years ago to mark 20 years of ‘A Bit … Continue reading
Gig review: Q5 – Camden Underworld, London, 25 August 2018

Q5 were one of the names those of us who read ‘Kerrang!’ cover to cover or visited Shades Records raved about in the mid-eighties, their debut ‘Steel The Light’ an outstanding piece of powerful yet melodic metal. But whereas their … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 25 August 2018, Camden Underworld, Dennis Turner, Evan Sheely, gig, hard rock, James Nelson, Jonathan K, New World Order, Q5, review, Steel the Light
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Album review: GIOELI CASTRONOVO- Set the World on Fire

Release Date 13.07.18 Frontiers latest all-star combination reunites two members of Hardline- singer Johnny Gioeli, the one constant in their line up to the present day, and drummer Deen Castronovo who played on their debut, in between his service with … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Alessandro Delvecchio, AOR, Deen Castronovo, Hardline, Johnny Gioeli, melodic rock
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Album review: CLIF MAGNESS- Lucky Dog

Release Date 13.07.18 Clif (short for Clifton) Magness may not be a household name, but is one of those respected songwriters essential to the music business. His collaborations have covered artists as diverse as Steve Perry and Avril Lavigne, co-writing … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Clif Magness, melodic rock, Robin Beck
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Gig review: GREAT BRITISH BEER FESTIVAL (Planet Rock Stage) – Olympia, London, 9 August 2018

While musical entertainment has been supplied for many years at the Great British Beer Festival, it has tended to be a bit ‘end of the pier’, whether it be oompah bands or covers acts. However this year the penny finally … Continue reading
Album review: SUNSTORM- The Road to Hell

(Release Date 08.06.18) The Sunstorm studio projects, now over a decade old, can be viewed in two distinct phases. A vehicle for legendary singer Joe Lynn Turner, the first three records were a showcase for his more AOR side with … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Alessandro Del Vecchio, Joe Lynn Turner, melodic rock, Sunstorm
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Gig review: DEL AMITRI – Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith, London, 26 July 2018

Back in the nineties Del Amitri were chart regulars, the Scots’ wryly bittersweet but cleverly structured, melodic songs making them one of the few bright spots in a bleak musical climate, at least for me. But the new millennium has … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Andy Alston, classic rock, Del Amitri, gig, Iain Harvie, Justin Currie, Kris Dollimore, review, Trashcan Sinatras
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Gig review: VEGA – Camden Underworld, London, 7 July 2018

Vega are certainly putting in the hard yards to capitalise on their excellent new album ‘Only Human’ with arguably the UK’s leading contemporary melodic rock band playing an extensive tour, culminating in this London date. While they have yet to … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 7 July 2018, AOR, Camden Underworld, gig, London, Marcus Thurston, melodic rock, Midnite City, Mikey Kew, Nick Workman, Rob Wylde, Vega
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Gig review: STONE FREE FESTIVAL – Day 2 – 02 Arena, London, 17 June 2018

If day one of Stone Free exhibited classic rock at its heaviest and loudest, the Sunday – at least in the main O2 Arena- had a more progressive and thoughtful bent to it. However the Orange Amps stage was still … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 17 June, Anathema, Anderson Rabin Wakeman, Bad Flowers, festival, gig, Ginger Wildheart, Jared James Nichols, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Jon Anderson, London, O2 Arena, prog, Progressive Rock, Richie Kotzen, Rick Wakeman, Roger Hodgson, Stone Free, Stone Wire, Supertramp, Trevor Rabin, Tyketto, Yes
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Gig review: BRYAN ADAMS – SSE Arena, Wembley, London, 30 May 2018

When Bryan Adams released his ‘Ultimate’ album last year, I wondered wearily whether the world really needed yet another compilation to add to his catalogue, as there surely can be few potential fans left unaware of the best known elements … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 30 May 2018, AOR, Bryan Adams, Canada, gig, Keith Scott, London, pop rock, review, SSE Arena, Wembley
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Album review: PERFECT PLAN – All Rise

Frontiers Records [Release Date 20.04.18] The melodic rock world capital of Scandinavia is giving birth to an endless stream of bands- alongside now established names like H.E.A.T. and Eclipse, hardly a month goes by without a promising new band emerging … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, All Rise, AOR, Kent Hilli, melodic rock, Perfect Plan
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Album review: VEGA – Only Human

Release Date 11.05.18 British melodic rock standard bearers Vega are not ones to let the grass grow under their feet, this being their fifth album since 2010. Its predecessor ‘Who We Are’ was their most consistently convincing yet and indeed … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Marcus Thurston, melodic rock, Nick Workman, Only Human, Vega
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Album review: NO HOT ASHES – s/t

Frontiers [Release date 23.03.18] They never made it back in the eighties, despite a big reputation in their native Northern Ireland, but No Hot Ashes have been festival favourites for the last few years and finally make it to an … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Eamon Nancarrow, melodic rock, No Hot Ashes, review
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Album review: W.E.T.- Earthrage

Frontiers [Release date 23.03.18] In the extensive world of melodic rock collaborations, W.E.T. can be seen as the nearest to a supergroup, bringing together the talents of prolific vocalist Jeff Scott Soto, Eclipse’s main man Erik Martensson and Work of … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Eclipse, Erik Martensson, Jeff Scott Soto, Magnus Henriksen, melodic rock, review, Robert Sall, W.E.T.
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Gig review: PAT MCMANUS BAND – Half Moon, Putney, London, 18 April 2018

One of the most welcome developments of recent years has been the return of Pat McManus to the rock environment. The brothers in Mama’s Boys were one of the great bands that nearly made it big before drummer Tommy’s sad … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged blues rock, Celtic rock, gig, Mama's Boys, Marty McDermott, Pat McManus, Paul Faloon
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Album review: AMMUNITION- S/T

Release Date 26.01.18 Ammunition are something of a supergroup among the thriving Scandinavian melodic rock scene, with their members having pedigree with various bands, notably main songwriters Age Sten Nielsen, former singer with WigWam who were early standard bearers for … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Age Sten Nielsen, album, Eclipse, Erik Martensson, melodic rock, Wig Wam
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Gig review: DEF LEPPARD – Royal Albert Hall, London, 25 March 2018

For well over a decade now, the charity shows in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust at the Royal Albert Hall, curated by Roger Daltrey, have been a landmark in the Spring gig calendar. As well as raising awareness of … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Def Leppard, gig, Joe Elliott, Phil Collen, review, Rick Allen, Rick Savage, Teenage Cancer Trust, Vivian Campbell
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Album review: RICK SPRINGFIELD- The Snake King

Release Date 26.01.18 You have to admire Rick Springfield’s determination to keep pushing himself explore new musical avenues. A year away from 70, and over 35 years since his commercial heyday, he has followed the country influenced ‘Rocket Science’, with … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, blues, melodic rock, Rick Springfield, The Snake King, Tim Pierce
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Gig review: SKID ROW/NIGHT RANGER – Shepherds Bush Empire, London, 12 March 2018

Co-headline tours make business sense, especially when the bands concerned have flown over from the USA: in Skid Row’s case this double header was part of an extensive UK tour, with Night Ranger’s briefer stop over focused around a headline … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 12 March 2018, Bad Touch, gig, glam rock, hard rock, London, melodic rock, Night Ranger, review, Shepherd's Bush Empire, Skid Row, Toseland
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Album review: FM – Atomic Generation

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio’s David Randall chatted to Steve Overland about FM and the new album for his weekly show, first broadcast 4 March 2018. This hour special includes tracks from ‘Atomic Generation’. There is a non-broadcast interview edit … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Radio interview
Tagged album, AOR, Atomic Generation, FM, melodic rock, review, Steve Overland
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Gig review: DAN REED AND DANNY VAUGHN – Borderline, London, 3 March 2018

Dan Reed and Danny Vaughn have hit on a winning formula with their ‘Snake Oil and Harmony’ shows, this being a third tour since 2015. The premise is simple – just these two talented singers perched on stools with their … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Dan Reed, Dan Reed Network, Danny Vaughn, gig, melodic rock, review, singer songwriter, Snake Oil and Harmony, Tyketto
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Gig review: KEN HENSLEY – The Hospital Club, London, 26 February 2018

Prior to this showcase gig, Get Ready to ROCK!’s Pete Feenstra caught up with Ken Hensley to chat about his music and play tracks from the new album. The special feature was first broadcast on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 26 February 2018, acoustic, gig, Ken Hensley, London, Rare and Timeless, review, The Hospital Club, Uriah Heep
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Gig review: STONE BROKEN – Islington Assembly Hall, London, 24 February 2018

One of the healthiest factors in the current music scene is that, alongside long-established and recently reformed names, a whole new generation of classic rock bands are coming through and growing in popularity. Indeed one of the fastest-growing Facebook groups … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Bad Flowers, blues rock, Chris Davis, gig, hard rock, Jared James Nichols, Kieron Conroy, review, Rich Moss, Robin Haycock, Stone Broken
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