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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
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Upcoming: New releases (CD/DVD/Bluray) 2025
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Upcoming: New releases (CD/DVD/Bluray) 2026
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Upcoming: UK & Ireland Tour Dates and Gig Listing (2025)
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Upcoming: UK & Ireland Tour Dates and Gig Listing (2026)
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Upcoming: Festivals UK & Europe (2026)
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Upcoming: European, USA & World Tour Dates and Gig Listing (2025)
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Upcoming: European, USA & World Tour Dates and Gig Listing (2026)
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Latest Album Reviews
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Album review: MIDNITE CITY- Bite the Bullet
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Album review: CHARLOTTE SMITH & DAVID CLIFTON – The Tree in the Wood
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Album review: JUDIE TZUKE – Now Or Never
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Album review: SPOCK’S BEARD – The Archaeoptimist
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Album review: ROSS HARDING – The Blood and the Blues
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Album review: PETE KOSANOVICH – Beauty Within You
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Latest Gig Reviews
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Gig review: STEVE OVERLAND AND JIM KIRKPATRICK- The Weir, Brentford, Middlesex, 9 December 2025
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Gig review: JOHN OTWAY – Face Bar, Reading, Thursday 11 December 2025
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Gig review: CURVED AIR – The Sub Rooms, Stroud, 20 November 2025
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Gig review: MARTIN BARRE & FRIENDS – Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury, 18 November 2025
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GRTR! Greats
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Category Archives: ALBUM REVIEWS
Quick plays: MICHAEL MCDERMOTT, COLD TONE HARVEST, LUCKY BONES
MICHAEL McDERMOTT Out From Under Pauper Sky Records [Release date 18.05.18] On the cover of his last album (Willow Springs (2016)) Illinois-based singer songwriter Michael McDermott looked like a shaven headed ex-con. Two years on, he looks like Jimmy Carr’s … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays
Tagged After You, album, Americana, Annie Keating, Cold Tone Harvest, country, Ghost Of The Untraveled Road, Lucky Bones, Matchstick Men, Michael McDermott, Out From Under, review, rock, roots, singer, songwriter
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Album review: MARILLION – All One Tonight – Live at the Royal Albert Hall (CD/DVD/Bluray)
Racket Records [Release date: 06.04.18] The 64th release (count ‘em) on Marillion’s own Racket Records label is a live recording of their Royal Albert Hall gig last October. Despite the prolific rate at which they produce concert material, the band … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, DVD REVIEWS
Tagged All One Tonight, CD, DVD, FEAR, gig, live, Marillion, prog rock, review, Royal Albert Hall, Steve Hogarth, Steve Rothery
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Album review: EVERTHRONE
In 2015 the band Everthrone released easily one of the best albums that year (The Dawning, which in fact topped my Top 5 of the year without much competition). They decided to crowd fund the follow-up and without much fanfare … Continue reading
Album review: KNIGHTMARE – Walk Through Fire
Bandcamp [Release date 16.03.18] Knightmare, out of the Raleigh, NC area have been around for a bit, and are a phenomenal live band to witness. A hybrid mix of USPM and NWOBHM, these young guys show the utmost respect, and … Continue reading
Quick plays: SCOTT MATTHEWS, SHIRAZ LANE, MIKE LEPOND’S SILENT ASSASSINS
SCOTT MATTHEWS The Great Untold Sheido [27.04.18] Album number six from the Wolverhampton singer songwriter Scott Matthews, who has gone for a sparse sound and production on this album. His guitar playing is simply superb, which coupled with his haunting … Continue reading
Album review: JESUS JONES – Passages
Absolute Label Services [Release date 20.04.18] Jesus Jones made a big splash in the music world between 1989 and 1991 with a series of hit singles, including ‘Right Here, Right Now’ and ‘International Bright Young Thing’, plus a number one album … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged 90's music, album, dance rock, Fat Harry White, indie, Jesus Jones, Mark and Lard, Mike Edwards, Passages, pop, review, rock
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Album review: CATTAIL BREW – It’s A Bit Difficult Really
Capital City Music Factory/Cargo Records [Release date: 30.03.18] Welcome back Fin, all is forgiven. Those excruciating Rod Stewart tribute videos on You Tube can now safely be forgotten. Waysted’s gravel-throated front man returns with half of redneck metallers American Dog … Continue reading
Album review: DEAN WEEN GROUP – Rock2
Schnitzel Records [Release date 16.03.18] Dean Ween, aka Mickey Melchiondo, is one half of the duo behind US band Ween, who split in 2012 and then returned in 2015 with live shows and a live album. This is the second … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, alternative, Dean Ween Group, funk, lounge, metal, Mickey Melchiondo, review, rock, Rock 2, soul, soundtrack, Ween
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Album review: AYREON UNIVERSE – The Best of Ayreon Live
Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group [30.03.18] Ayreon are masterminded by Arjen Anthony Lucassen, who prefers to create music in the studio rather than appear live and the announcement that Ayreon would play two shows in September 2017 (their first official … Continue reading
Album review: ANGRA – Ømni
earMUSIC [Release date: 16.02.18] Despite releasing eight albums since 1991, Brazilian band Angra’s symphonic/prog metal is a new sonic experience for me. Ninth album ‘Ømni’ is for the most part a pretty impressive outing within the genre. The album holds … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, ANGRA, Brazilian metal, power metal, prog metal, review, symphonic metal, Ømni
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Album review: GREYBEARDS – For The Wilder Minds
Attitude Recordings [Release date 04.05.18] Sweden seems to export rock bands these days like China exports plastic shit – at least for now until Trump’s trade war kicks in – but is every one a Volvo? On the evidence of these … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Attitude Records, Bonafide, For The Wilder Minds, Greybeards, hard rock, review, rock, rock 'n' roll, Sweden, The Cult
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Album review: BULLET – Dust To Gold
SPV/Steamhammer [Release date 20.04.18] This is the sixth album from Swedish rockers Bullet and it really depends on your bag….if you’re into Accept-cloned, dandruff-shifting riff and roll, then “Dust To Gold” (and probably the other five) are for you. Not a … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Bullet, Dust To Gold, hard rock, review, rock
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Album review: ROSS THE BOSS – By Blood Sworn
AFM Records [Release date 20.04.18] Ross the Boss has already laid out a pretty legendary career. From his time with The Dictators to Manowar to Dick Manitoba’s Wild Kingdom to his most recent group DeathDealer, Ross has recorded some pretty significant … Continue reading
Album review: UNIVERSE INFINITY – Rock Is Alive
Pride & Joy Music [Release date 13.04.18] Universe Infinity started out as Universe and released one album back in the 80′s before splitting-up. Fast forward to today, they added Infinity to their name and recruited former House Of Shakira vocalist … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Andreas Eklund, House Of Shakira, melodic rock, review, rock, Rock Is Alive, Universe Infinity
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Album review: AMERICAN TEARS – Hard Core
Escape Music [Release date 23.04.18] American Tears first surfaced in 1974 and were a power trio focussed around the keyboards of Mark Mangold,who is the sole remaining original member on this album, and indeed the only musician playing all the … Continue reading
Album review: ATOMIC ROOSTER – Sleeping For Years (The Studio Recordings 1970-1974)
Esoteric [Release date: 01.12.17] Now that pretty much every noteworthy heritage release has been reissued individually on CD, labels have turned to a secondary repackaging concept: the box set (or clamshell), that conventionally takes in a selection of albums from … Continue reading
Album review: SAXON – 10 Years Of Denim And Leather Live 1990/The CD Hoard (reissues)
Edsel [Release date 27.10.17*, 16.03.18**] Saxon seem to be enjoying a resurgence even more impressive than their 2007-2010 revival. With a remarkably relevant new album ‘Thunderbolt’ and a raft of reissues and box sets, we can at least luxuriate in … Continue reading
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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Album review: RITCHIE BLACKMORE’S RAINBOW – Memories In Rock II
Minstrel Hall [Release date 06.04.18] 2-CD/DVD In 2017 Ritchie Blackmore returned with his harder rock hat on to a series of arena shows in the UK. Evidently buoyed up by the successful summer sojourn a year before and no doubt … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Deep Purple, DVD, hard rock, interview, live, Memories In Rock II, review, Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow, Ronnie Romero, uk
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Quick plays: ESP 2.0, ROAMER, UNRULY CHILD
ESP 2.0 22 Layers Of Sunlight [Release date 20.04.18] www.suncreative.com ESP released a very enjoyable prog rock album in 2016′s ‘Invisible Din’ and now they are back with a revamped line-up. Composer/producer/guitarist Tony Lowe and Big Country drummer Mark Brzezicki … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Quick Plays
Tagged album, alt rock, alternative, Big Country, Esp 2.0, Layers Of Sunlight, Marcie Free, melodic, prog, Progressive Rock, review, Roamer, rock, Tony Lowe, Unhinged: Live From Milan, Unruly Child, What The Hell
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Album review: BETH HART – Live From New York: Front And Center (CD/DVD)
Provogue [Release date 13.04.18] Beth Hart’s ‘Live From New York: Front And Center’ (sic) is her first live album for 13 years, and it’s essentially an update of a career that has taken off like a rocket in the last … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, DVD REVIEWS
Tagged ballads, beth Hart, blues, CD, DVD, Jon Nichols, live album, Live From New York - Front And Centre, piano, review, rock, Sonny Landreth, vocals
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Album review: DUKES OF THE ORIENT
Frontiers [Release date 23.02.18] Dukes Of The Orient is centred around vocalist/bassist John Payne and keyboards player Erik Norlander, however they have their origins in Asia featuring John Payne. In that guise John Payne has worked with guitarists Guthrie Govan, … Continue reading
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Tagged album, Asia, Dukes of the Orient, Erik Norlander, GPS, John Payne, melodic, prog, review, rock
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Quick plays: BIRDS OF CHICAGO, IAN SHERWOOD
BIRDS OF CHICAGO Love In Wartime JT Nero (JT & The Clouds frontman Jeremy Lindsay) and Allison Russell (Po’ Girl) first combined their talents on the 2011 JT Nero-branded Mountains/Forests album – an album of Americana that lacked a commercial … Continue reading
Album review: THUNDER – Stage (CD/DVD/Bluray)
earMUSIC [Release date 23.03.18] At Thunder rapidly approach their 30th anniversary, Stage – a live set from the band’s 2017 Rip It Up tour (available in 2CD + Bluray, 3 LP, 2 CD +DVD, Bluray, DVD, and various signed Limited … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, DVD REVIEWS
Tagged album, Bluray, Cardiff, Chris Childs, Danny Bowes, DVD, Harry James, live, Luke Morley, Lynn Jackamann, review, rock, Stage, Thunder
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Album review: MARILLION – Unplugged At The Walls/Tumbling Down The Years
earMUSIC [Release date 23.03.18] Live albums three and four in this set of bi-monthly releases find our intrepid heroes in a restaurant in Oswestry in 1988, and once again at the 2009 Marillion Weekend convention in Port Zelande, Holland. Unplugged … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, Reissues
Tagged 1988, 2009, album, Holland, live, Marillion, Netherlands, Oswestry, Port Zelande, review, rock, Tumbling Down The Years, Unplugged At The Walls
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