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Author Archives: andynathan
Book review: On track….VAN HALEN- every album, every song by Morgan Brown

Sonicbond Publishing (Release Date 24.02.23) The latest in the ever expanding ‘On Track’ series finds author Morgan Brown with the unenviable task of saying something fresh about Van Halen, given how much has already been written, especially after Eddie Van … Continue reading
Gig review: TED POLEY – The Black Heart, London, 29 March 2023

The irrepressible, infectious figure of singer Ted Poley has been a welcome visitor to these shores regularly over the years, both with Danger Danger and also in a variety of other projects such as Bone Machine and Melodica. However he … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged acoustic, AOR, Danger Danger, Declan McKerr, gig, melodic rock, Midnite City, Rob Wylde, Ted Poley
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Gig review: LAURENCE JONES, Boom Boom Club, Sutton – 10 March 2023

The 21st century has seen a huge number of young blues guitar prodigies emerge from the UK and then establish themselves to a greater or lesser degree- Joanne Shaw Taylor, Oli Brown, Virgil McMahon and Aynsley Lister to name but … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Ash Sheehan, Blue Nation, blues rock, Boom Boom Club, gig, Laurence Jones, Pete Feenstra
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Gig review: KING KING – Electric Ballroom, London, 9 March 2023

King King are a reliably regular touring act and this spring tour comes exactly a year after the last. If there was a sense of curiosity last year about the new line up with Alan Nimmo joined by big brother … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Alan Nimmo, blues rock, gig, Glenn Tilbrook, Jonny Dyke, King King, melodic rock, Squeeze, Stevie Nimmo
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Gig review: BRAVE RIVAL – Tropic at Ruislip, London, 5 March 2023

In an ever more crowded field of new acts, particularly in the world of blues rock, it is hard to sort out the exceptional talent from the merely good. As a shortcut through this minefield, I tend to rely on … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Billy Dedman, blues rock, Brave Rival, Chloe Josephine, Donna Peters, Ed Clarke, gig, Lindsey Bonnick, Tropic at Ruislip
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Gig review: BLACK STAR RIDERS – Shepherds Bush Empire, 26 February 2023

Prior to the pandemic Black Star Riders were one of the hardest working acts, seemingly constantly on tour or playing festivals. So it was something of a surprise that this was their first tour since Lockdown, though there have been … Continue reading
Gig review: MARTIN TURNER – Boom Boom Club, Sutton, 24 February 2023

For the last few years founder member Martin Turner has delighted his Wishbone Ash fans with a series of tours that have featured one of their classic albums in their entirety. As that particular list has progressed to the lower … Continue reading
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Tagged 24 February 2023, Boom Boom Club, Danny Willson, gig, Live Dates, Martin Turner, Misha Nikolic, review, Sonny Flint, Sutton, Wishbone Ash
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Gig review: STONE BROKEN – 100 Club, London, 23 February 2023

After a fairly conventional tour schedule in 2022 (in which I caught their London show, rearranged for the Scala, and two festival appearances) Stone Broken decided on a new approach for a second leg of dates in support of most … Continue reading
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Tagged gig, melodic rock, New Wave of Classic Rock, Rich Moss, Scarlet Rebels, Stone Broken, Wayne Doyle
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Gig review: BLACK STONE CHERRY AND THE DARKNESS – Wembley Arena, London, 4 February 2023

When this joint headline arena tour was announced, my first thoughts were that Black Stone Cherry and The Darkness were not natural bedfellows- the earnest blue collar southern rockers from Kentucky and the eccentric English band from East Anglia who … Continue reading
Gig review: DIRTY HONEY – The Garage, London, 24 January 2023

Many American bands are choosing to skip Europe and the UK with the rising cost of touring. And the cost of living crisis and the sheer volume of gigs as the industry tries to make up for the time lost … Continue reading
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Tagged classic rock, Dirty Honey, gig, Jaydon Bean, John Notto, Justin Smolian, Marc LaBelle, melodic rock
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Album review; URIAH HEEP – Chaos and Colour

Silver Lining Music [Release Date 27.01.23] Uriah Heep spent last year belatedly celebrating their 50th anniversary with some special live shows that showed their distinguished legacy to its finest. But they have also had a contemporary new lease of life. … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Bernie Shaw, classic rock, Dave Rimmer, heavy rock, Mick Box, Phil Lanzon, Russell Gilbrook, Uriah Heep
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Album review: BLACK STAR RIDERS- Wrong Side of Paradise

Earache Records (Release date 20.01.23) Black Star Riders first album in over three years marks a turning point in the life of the band. It is the first recorded without Scott Gorham, leaving only singer Ricky Warwick from the original … Continue reading
Gig review: THE DEAD DAISIES – 02 Forum, London, 6 December 2022

The constantly revolving lineups of travelling supergroup The Dead Daisies, the plaything of rhythm guitarist and businessman David Lowy, seem to have reached some belated stability, fronted by the equally mercurial Glenn Hughes. They were back in London to promote … Continue reading
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Tagged Brian Tichy, classic rock, Dead daisies, Doug Aldrich, FM, gig, Glenn Hughes, Graham Bonnet
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Gig review: THE NEW ROSES – Camden Underworld, London, 1 December 2022

It’s been a case of making up for lost time for German rockers The New Roses. I’d been highly impressed by their headline London show at this same venue in late 2018 and the following year’s ‘Nothing But Wild’ was … Continue reading
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Tagged 1 December 2022, Camden Underworld, Dizzy Daniels, gig, London, melodic rock, the New Roses, Timmy Rough
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Gig review: DANNY VAUGHN – The Grace, London, 4 December 2022

Danny Vaughn was one of those troubadours who made lockdown life more bearable for rock fans with his ‘Vaughnsday’ on line acoustic performances from his living room. The pandemic had interrupted his usual busy schedule, whether solo, with Tyketto or … Continue reading
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Tagged 4 December 2022, acoustic, Danny Vaughn, gig, London, melodic rock, The Grace, Tyketto
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Album review: JESS HAYES BAND- On My Own

Independent (Release Date 2021) Jess Hayes has a distinguished musical pedigree as the daughter of Val Cowell and Richard Hayes of long-running blues rockers Bad Influence, and has been making a name with her own band on the South and … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Bad Influence, Jess Hayes, Jess Hayes Band, pop rock, Richard Hayes, soul, Val Cowell
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Album review: PERFECT PLAN- Brace for Impact

Frontiers Records (release date 14.10.22) Of the multitude of Scandinavian melodic rock bands to emerge in recent years, Perfect Plan have been one of the best. Indeed their second album ‘Time for a Miracle’ was my album of 2020. The … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Kent Hilli, melodic rock, Perfect Plan
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Gig review: SQUEEZE- Hammersmith Apollo, London, 19 November 2022

Squeeze’s hit making days may be long behind them but the band have a remarkable longevity: as Chris Difford mentioned from the stage, he and Glenn Tilbrook have now been writing together for 50 years. However rather than being reduced … Continue reading
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Tagged 19 November 2022-, Chris Difford, gig, Glenn Tilbrook, Hammersmith Apollo, London, Melvin Duffy, New Wave, pop rock, Squeeze, Stephen Large
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Gig review: PETER FRAMPTON – Royal Albert Hall, London, 8 November 2022

In 2019 Peter Frampton broke the sad news that he had a progressive muscle weakening disorder and embarked on a farewell tour, which I was lucky enough to catch that summer at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado. Dates for his … Continue reading
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Tagged Adam Lester, Cardinal Black, Chris Buck, classic rock, gig, guitarist, Peter Frampton, Rob Arthur, Tom Hollister
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Gig review: DARE – Islington Academy, London, 27 October 2022

2022 has been Dare’s most active year in some while. Spring saw the release of their first album in six years, and their most convincing in a long time, in ‘Road To Eden’ and now came an extensive autumn tour, … Continue reading
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Tagged AOR, Dare, Darren Wharton, gig, Marc Roberts, melodic rock, Nigel Clutterbuck, Troy Redfern, Vinny Burns
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Gig review: CATS IN SPACE – Sub 89, Reading, 26 October 2022

2022 has seen the release of what for me is Cats in Space’s finest hour yet in their fifth studio release ‘Kickstart the Sun’. The double album fully justified their decision last year to curtail some tour dates to concentrate … Continue reading
Gig review: WISHBONE ASH – Islington Academy, London, 21 October 2022

Classic rock’s golden age is now giving us half century celebrations of bands and landmark albums. One such – indeed my all time favourite album – is Wishbone Ash’s ‘Argus’, which was voted album of the year by Melody Maker … Continue reading
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Tagged 21 October 2022, Andy Powell, Argus, Bob Skeat, classic rock, gig, Islington Academy, London, Mark Abrahams, Mike Truscott, twin guitars, Wishbone Ash
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Gig review: DEEP PURPLE – O2 Arena, London, 20 October 2022

Deep Purple’s distinguished career is being extended by a late period, dare I say, Purple patch. Albums seem to be coming at a swifter rate and 2020’s ‘Whoosh’ received the band’s best reviews and chart placings in years, being followed … Continue reading
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Tagged 20 October 2022, Blue Oyster Cult, classic rock, Deep Purple, Don Airey, gig, Ian Gillan, O2 Arena, review, Roger Glover, Simon McBride
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