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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 : JIMI JAMISON – 1998 Live Hits
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Album review: DEWOLFF – Fuego!
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Album review : KEITH WEST – Cross That Bridge, The Anthology 1965-99 (2 CDs)
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Album review : COUSINS & WILLOUGHBY – The Bridge
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Album review : WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS – Covers of The Beatles 1967-70
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Feature: All Boxed Up for Christmas (December 2025)
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Latest Gig Reviews
GRTR! Greats
Featured Album Reviews
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Category Archives: GIG REVIEWS
Gig review: GHOST – ABC, Glasgow, 29 March 2017
I often ponder if, years in the future, people will look back at images of gigs and festivals and interpret them as some form of religious gatherings. A huge crowd drawn together to worship at the altar of whichever rock … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 29th March 2017, ABC, Ghost, Glasgow, He Is, Hellfest, metal, nameless ghouls, Papa Emeritus, Popestar, rock, Spinefarm, Square hammer, Year Zero, Zombi
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Gig review: BROKEN WITT REBELS/BAD TOUCH – The Borderline, London, 8 April 2017
While the ‘Roadstars’ strapline may be a tad presumptuous for two bands who are still learning their craft, there’s no denying the capacity crowd’s enthusiasm for a double bill aimed at two related, but slightly different markets. Norwich’s Bad Touch … Continue reading
Gig review: SLAM CARTEL – Carlisle, Hastings, 27 March 2017
“It’s quite overwhelming having all these people singing these songs back at us,” lead singer, Gary Moffat, tells the audience at the Carlisle at one point during tonight’s gig. Clearly, the Kent-based hard rock outfit, Slam Cartel, have something of … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 27 March 2017, Carlisle, gig, Hastings, live, melodic, review, rock, Slam Cartel
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Gig review: ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO – Bush Hall, London, 5 April 2017
Alejandro Escovedo is playing his first European shows with a full band in over five years and tonight’s London show sees him roughly two thirds if the way through the tour. Support comes from his back-up band for these dates, … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 5 April 2017, Alejandro Escovedo, Americana, blues, Bush Hall, Don Antonio, gig, London, punk, review, rock
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Gig review: RAY RUSSELL 70TH BIRTHDAY SHOW – 606 Club, London, 03 April 2017
Ray Russell’s 70th birthday bash is a reminder of a bygone era when creativity, improvisation and inspiration met musical virtuosity full on, in an unfettered fashion. Tonight might be Ray’s milestone birthday, but there’s not a slack musical moment in … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Billy Cobham, Bonnie Rait, Chris Biscoe, Denny McCaffrey, fusion, Geoff Castle, George Russell, gig, Gill Evans, jazz, Jazz rock, Jeff Beck, Linda Hayes, Mark Mondesir, Miles Davis, Mo Foster, Phil Hilborne, Ralph Salmins, Ray Russell, review, RMS, rock
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Gig review: HOLY HOLY – Shepherds Bush Empire, London, 30 March 2017
“He’s fucking sacked us,” Spiders bass player, Trevor Bolder, was seen to mouth when David Bowie announced at the Hammersmith Odeon in October 1973 that it would be the final Ziggy show ever. Tragically, like Bowie, Bolder and his former … Continue reading
Gig review: BLACKBERRY SMOKE – Roundhouse, London, 28 March 2017
I was already a fan of this band’s eclectic mix of blues, hard rock, boogie and country before seeing one of their gigs. Afterwards, I was ready to declare them my new favourite live act. Excellent show. That said, the … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, The Best of 2017
Tagged 28 March 2017, Blackberry Smoke, Charlie Starr, gig, Like An Arrow, live, review, Roundhouse, Whippoorwill
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Gig review: JFK BLUE – Old Finchleians, London, 26 March 2017
JFK Blue is a new band on the rock/blues circuit and tonight they take a step up by opening for the Stevie Nimmo Trio at the new ‘Spirit of the Torrington’ club at the Old Finchleians, Finchley. They immediately remind … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged blues, Chris Elliott, gig, Iago Banet, JFK Blue, Les Victor, Paul Blount, Paul Kossoff, review, Robert Cray, rock, Rough Round The Edges, Sol Ezra, Stevie Nimmo, The Allman Brothers, Warren Haynes
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Gig review: ALBERT HAMMOND Album Launch Party – Regent Street Cinema, London, 29 March 2017
The swish surrounding for the official launch of Albert Hammond (OBE)’s new ‘In Symphony’ orchestral album is everything you might expect for a singer songwriter who has enjoyed 30 chart-topping hits in various pop, r&b, country, adult contemporary and Latin … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Albert Hammond, Album Launch, Aswad, Celine Dion, Diana Ross, gig, In Symphony, interview, Johnnie Walker, Julio Iglesias, Leapy Lea, Leo Sayer, Mike Hazelwood, Pipkins, review, Rob Mathes, songwriter, Starship, The Hollies, Willie Nelson
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Gig review: L.A. GUNS – The Islington Academy, London, 25 March 2017
Having recently reunited after a ten year break, L.A. Guns vocalist Phil Lewis and Tracii Guns have just finished a UK tour which found the still popular band rolling back the years and sounding as good, and fresh, as they … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged gig, glam, Islington Academy, L.A. Guns, Phil Lewis, review, rock, sleaze, Tracii Gunns
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Gig review: MIKE + THE MECHANICS Album Launch Party – The Imperial, London, 28 March 2017
What are we to make of this Mike + The Mechanics album launch party on the back of a nearly completed UK tour and a recent high profile Royal Albert Hall date? The answer is probably that the band wish … Continue reading
Gig review: ANDERSON RABIN AND WAKEMAN – Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, 24 March 2017
For anyone who has seen my profile picture on the site it may come as something of a surprise to find that I was too young to appreciate Yes during their 70’s heyday. No, for me my interest was piqued … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 24th March 2017, 90125, Anderson Rabin and Wakeman, ARW, Chris Squire, Closer To The Edge, gig, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Jon Anderson, Lee Pomeroy, live, Louis Molino, Owner Of A Lonely Heart, review, Rick Wakeman, Trevor Horn, Trevor Rabin, Yes
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Gig review: THUNDER – Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow, 22 March 2017
I have been a Thunder fan for more years than I care to remember, in fact I was a fan of the guys right back in the big trousered and big haired days of Terraplane, which is showing my age … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, The Best of 2017
Tagged 22 March 2017, blues, Cats In Space, Clyde Auditorium, Danny Bowes, gig, Glasgow, live, Luke Morley, Paul Manzi, pop, review, Rip It Up, rock, Terraplane, Thunder
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Gig review: HARD ROCK HELL AOR – Pwllheli, 9-12 March 2017
The HRH franchise is probably the most successful of these three day indoor events and rightly so, they found a spot in the market and have developed a fluid, tightly run operation that always delivers. The AOR weekend was slightly … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 9-12 March 2017, AOR, Bonafide, FM, gig, Hard Rock Hell AOR, Lita Ford, melodic rock, Michael Monroe, Mike Tramp, Paul Laine, Pwllheli, review, Romeo's Daughter, Slaughter, Vega
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Gig review: WINTER’S END FESTIVAL – Poole, 24-26 February 2017
With the resounding success of sister event Rockstock, Planet Rock seized on the idea to stage another event this time in the south of England in Poole, a somewhat neglected area for touring rock bands. I think it is safe … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 24-26 February 2017, Bernie Marsden, Chantel McGregor, gig, Gun, Inglorious, Planet Rock, Poole, review, rock, Stone Broken, THE ANSWER, Toseland, Winter's End Festival
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Gig review: ROD STEWART – 02 Arena, London, 27 February 2017
The death of so many stars in 2016 – from Bowie and Prince to Rick Parfitt and George Michael – makes it all the more imperative that we catch the greats of rock and pop while we still can. One … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 27 February 2017, gig, Jimmy Roberts, London, MOR, O2 Arena, pop, review, rock, Rod Stewart, The Faces
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Gig review: MIKE + THE MECHANICS – Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, 15 March 2017
With only two tracks from the album featured in the set, the Word Of Mouth Tour 2017 billing – to celebrate that album’s 25th anniversary last year, turned out to be something of a misnomer. But, let’s be honest, the … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 15 March 2017, Andrew Roachford, AOR, Bridgewater Hall, Genesis, gig, Manchester, Mike & the Mechanics, Mike And The Mechanics, Mike Rutherford, pop rock, review, rock, soft rock
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Gig review: LITA FORD – Islington Academy, London, 12 March 2017
From lead guitarist in the pioneering all-girl The Runaways to eighties metal queen, to glamorous MTV darling, Lita Ford has truly been one of the trailblazers for the still underrepresented sisterhood of women in heavy rock. However it has been … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Bobby Rock, gig, Jody Turner, Lita Ford, Patrick Kennison, review, Rock Goddess, The Runaways
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Gig review: BLACK STAR RIDERS – ABC, Glasgow, 9 March 2017
The set list of tonight’s show spoke volumes about how Black Star Riders have developed over the last few years. The fact that it only contained one Thin Lizzy number shows that BSR have now thrown off the ‘band formally … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, The Best of 2017
Tagged 9th March 2017, ABC Glasgow, Black Star Riders, Damon Johnson, Dante Gizzi, Frantic, gig, Gun, Heavy Fire, Jimmy DeGrasso, Jools Gizzi, Nuclear Blast, review, Ricky Warwick, Robbie Crane, rock, Scott Gorham, Testify Or Say Goodbye, Thin Lizzy, Word Up
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Gig review: MIKE TRAMP – The Black Heart, Camden, 8 March 2017
His accent may blend his Danish roots with the twang of Brooklyn where he had his greatest professional success, but former White Lion and Freak of Nature singer Mike Tramp is very much an Anglophile. This manifests itself in his … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged Freak Of Nature, gig, melodic rock, Mike Tramp, review, Soren Andersen, White Lion
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Gig review: THE DARKER MY HORIZON – The Acoustic Couch, Bracknell, 11 March 2017
The Acoustic Couch is a new live music venue in Bracknell, which it has to be said isn’t the easiest to find tucked away under a car park in a back street. Still once inside it is a fair sized … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, The Best of 2017
Tagged Acoustic Couch, Bracknell, gig review, live music, Mark Stephenson, melodic, Paul Stead, rock, the Darker My Horizon
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Gig review: SABATON / ACCEPT – 117 Piraeus Academy, Athens, 8 March 2017
European Power Metal has always enjoyed a healthy level of support in my home country but not even the most optimistic of music fans would expect that a venue as big as the Academy (can accommodate approximately 1600 people), of … Continue reading
Posted in GIG REVIEWS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Gig reviews
Tagged 117 Piraeus Academy, 8 March 2017, Accept, Athens, gig, Greece, power metal, review, Sabaton, Twilight Force
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Gig review: THE ANSWER – Engine Rooms, Southampton, 2 March 2017
This was the fourth date of the band’s short ‘In This Land’ tour, visiting most corners of the UK. The Southampton corner turned out to be a modern, exposed-pipework warehouse of a venue on the wharf road just round the … Continue reading
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Tagged 2 March 2017, Celtic rock, classic rock, gig, In This Land, live, review, Solas, THE ANSWER, The Engine Rooms
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Gig review: BLUE OCTOBER – Islington O2 Academy, 4 March 2017
Shortly before the UK tour, David Randall chatted to Justin Furstenfeld for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio. In the first hour of his weekly show, David plays tracks from the current and recent albums whilst asking Justin about the band’s … Continue reading
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Tagged 4 March 2017, alt rock, alternative rock, BLUE OCTOBER, gig, interview, JUSTIN FURSTENFELD, O2 Islington Academy, review
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Gig review: DAN REED NETWORK / Vega – Live Rooms, Chester, 4 March 2017
Chatting to two excellent songsmiths recently – Blue October’s Justin Furstenfeld and Dan Reed – I suggested to them that modern songcraft isn’t what it used to be and that we were unlikely to be whistling many contemporary tunes in … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged 4 March 2017, Chester, Dan Reed Network, funk metal, funk rock, gig, Live Rooms, review melodic rock, Vega
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