Category Archives: Interviews/Rock Stars

Interviews with established rock artists.

Interview: DEATH COURIER

Posted on September 2, 2024 by jason

Thirty seven years ago, a trip into the world of extreme Metal started for the author of this Interview which you are about to read. One of the bands whose music was responsible for shaping the musical taste of my … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rock Stars, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Interviews | Tagged Bill, Death Courier, Death Metal, Demise, interview, metal, Perimortem | Leave a comment

Album review: SCARLET REBELS – Where The Colours Meet

Posted on August 4, 2024 by jason

Earache Records [Release date: 16.08.24] I was excited to get to review the latest offering from Scarlet Rebels, I have long been a fan of their music and even better I got the opportunity to discuss ‘Where The Colours Meet’ … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rock Stars | Tagged album, classic rock, Elles Bailey, hard rock, interview, NWOCR, review, Ricky Warwick, rock, Scarlet Rebels, Wayne Doyle, Where the Colours Meet | Leave a comment

Feature: DANNY VAUGHN at Fairycroft House, Saffron Walden, May 24 2024

Posted on March 27, 2024 by jason

A new venture at a smaller venue is the focus of our feature and emphasising the continuing importance of grass roots music promotion… Feature by Jason Ritchie Not content with photographing rock and roll artists under his Mart’s Arts Photography … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/10 Questions, Interviews/Backstage Heroes, Interviews/Rock Stars | Tagged acoustic, AOR, Dan Reed, Danny Vaughn, Fairycroft House, Friday May 24 2024, gig, interviews, Martin David Porter, melodic rock, Motorhead, rock, singer songwriter, Tim Atkinson, Tyketto, Wurzel | Leave a comment

Interview: JOHN McCOY & DAVE QUINCY

Posted on March 22, 2024 by jason

ZZEBRA - Hungry Horse (Live In Germany 1975)

Fusion/prog rock band Zzebra recorded two studio albums in the mid 70s (and a 3rd in 1975 that remained unreleased for 35 years), and some wonderful music that should have been much more in the public eye. Joe Geesin recently interviewed … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/10 Questions, Interviews/Rock Stars | Tagged bassist, Bernie Torme, David Quincy, fusion, Gillan, Hungry Horse, interview, Jazz rock, John McCoy, live album, prog rock, saxophonist/flutist, Zzebra | Leave a comment

Interview: MARK MANGOLD

Posted on July 11, 2022 by jason

KEYS is a collaboration between keyboardist Mark Mangold (Touch, Drive, She Said, Michael Bolton, Cher, Paul Rogers and others) and singer Jake E (Cyhra, Amaranthe, and others). Featuring live performances with three keyboardists and a huge battery of keyboards, this … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rock Stars | Tagged AOR, Cyha, House of Lords, interview, Jake E, keyboards, keys, Mark Mangold, melodic rock, pomp rock, porg rock, Touch | Leave a comment

News: CORNBURY FESTIVAL 8-10 July, 2022

Posted on May 25, 2022 by jason

To celebrate, the majority of acts on the 2022 bill are returning festival favourites. Joining the heavy weight line up of headliners James Blunt & The Darkness (Friday), Bryan Adams & The Waterboys (Saturday), Ronan Keating & Jools Holland (Sunday) … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Festivals & Large Events, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rock Stars, NEWS | Tagged 8-10 July 2022, Altered Images, Bryan Adams, Cornbury Festival, Great Tew Park, Hugh Phillimore, interview, James Blunt, Jools Holland, Mica Paris, near Chipping Norton, news, Ronan Keating, Steve Winwood, the Christians, The Darkness, The Magic Numbers, The Waterboys | Leave a comment

Interview: Mark Kelly (Marillion) – In Conversation with my Uncle

Posted on May 13, 2022 by jason

MARILLION - Manchester Academy, 8 November 2017

You all know him as the keyboardist of Marillion, his solo project Mark Kelly’s Marathon, and as of this year, published author of his autobiography Marillion, Misadventures and Marathons: The Life and Times of Mad Jack. I knew him, before … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rock Stars | Tagged book, Caitlin Kelly, Classic Albums, classic rock, interview, keyboards, Marathon, Marillion, Mark Kelly, melodic, prog rock, progressive, rock | Leave a comment

Five Quick Q’s: SUZI QUATRO

Posted on April 14, 2022 by jason

Suzi Quatro is celebrating her 58-year career with a show at the Royal Albert Hall on April 20th. Get Ready to ROCK! caught up with the trailblazing Queen of Rock’ n’ Roll for a quick pre-show chat… You have a … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rock Stars | Tagged bass, Cherry Red Records, Five Quick Q's, gig, glam rock, live music, pop, rock, rock 'n' roll, Royal Albert Hall, Suzi Quatro | Leave a comment

Interview: RONNI LE TEKRO

Posted on February 15, 2022 by jason

thumbnail_Ronni Le Tekrø 2 - photo credits Carl Eek

Ronni Le Tekrø is considered one of the world’s most influential metal guitarists, first and foremost with his band TNT, but also as a solo artist and studio musician. Tekrø has sold over 4 Million albums with TNT and was … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/10 Questions, Interviews/Rock Stars | Tagged album, Bigfoot TV, classic rock, interview, psychadelic, rock, Solo, TNT. guitarist. Ronni Le Tekro | Leave a comment

Album review: ECLIPSE – Wired

Posted on October 25, 2021 by andynathan

Frontiers Records [Release date 08.10.21] Eclipse have been on one the hottest streaks in melodic rock of recent years- even last year’s stop-gap live album ‘Viva la Victouria’ being a reminder of quite how many anthems they have written. And … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rock Stars | Tagged album, Eclipse, Erik Martensson, interview, Magnus Henriksson, melodic rock, review, Wired | Leave a comment

Album review: THE VAPORS – Waiting For The Weekend (The United Artists & Liberty Records Recordings)

Posted on August 20, 2021 by jason

Cherry Red Records The original recordings by The Vapors have been largely unavailable on CD for many years. Cherry Red / RT Industries address this perfectly with a comprehensive 4CD set, which not only rounds up both albums and all … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rock Stars, Reissues | Tagged box set, Bruce Foxton, Cherry Red Records, Howard Smith, New Wave, pop, pop rock, review, The Jam, The United Artists & Liberty Records Recordings, The Vapors, Waiting For The Weekend | Leave a comment

Album review: DAVE BURN – Nothing Is As It Seems

Posted on May 16, 2021 by jason

www.daveburn.net [Release date 01.06.21] ‘Nothing Is As It Seems‘ is the 17th solo album from guitarist Dave Burn and first to feature vocals, a departure from previous solo albums which were all instrumentals. Dave Burn has toured and recorded as … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rock Stars | Tagged album, classic rock, Dave Burn, guitarist, hard rock, Lee Small, Lionheart, melodic rock, Nothing Is At Seems, Paul Raymond, Phenomena, review, Shy, Sweet, UFO | Leave a comment

Interview: Dolf de Borst of the Datsuns

Posted on March 25, 2021 by jason

The Datsuns new album, ‘Eye To Eye’ – their first since 2014 – is released on May 28 and the band’s new single, ‘Suspicion’ is out now. GRTR! recently caught up with vocalist/bassist Dolf de Borst to discuss the upcoming … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/10 Questions, Interviews/Rock Stars | Tagged Dolf de Borst, Eye To Eye, garage rock, interview, rock, rock 'n' roll, the Datsuns | Leave a comment

Album review: RAVEN – Metal City

Posted on August 15, 2020 by jason

SPV/Steamhammer [Release date 18.09.20] Athletic Rock legends Raven, long associated with the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, issue their new album (their fourteenth) and what a blistering revelation it is too. While 2015’s Extermination was universally well received, a … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rock Stars | Tagged album, athletic rock, interview, John Gallagher, Mark Gallagher, metal, Metal City, Metallica, NWOBHM, RAVEN, review, speed metal, thrash metal | Leave a comment

Album review: THUNDERSTICK – Something Wicked This Way Came, Live In France

Posted on May 21, 2020 by jason

Indie [Release date 20.03.20] Thunderstick the man is a drummer who, having already played with Iron Maiden in their early daze, made his name replacing Clive Burr in Samson. As the masked and caged mad man, and a bloody good … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/10 Questions, Interviews/Rock Stars | Tagged album, drummer, interview, Iron Maiden, Live In France, metal, NWOBHM, review, rock, Samson, Something Wicked This Way Came, Thunderstick | Leave a comment

Album review: PATTERN SEEKING ANIMALS – Prehensile Tales

Posted on April 19, 2020 by jason

PATTERN-SEEKING ANIMALS - Prehensile Tails

Inside Out [Release date 15.05.20] Pattern-Seeking Animals were formed by producer and writer John Boegehold (synths, keyboards) teaming up with current members of Spock’s Beard – Ted Leonard (vocals, guitar) and Dave Meros (bass) – plus former Spock’s Beard member … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rock Stars | Tagged album, epic, Inside Out, Kansas, melodic, Pattern-Seeking Animals, pomp rock, pop, Prehensile Tales, progressive, review, rock, Spock's Beard | Leave a comment

Feature: Call Collect: An introduction to FOCUS

Posted on April 1, 2020 by GRTR! HQ

Focus - Hard Rock Hell Prog, Pwllheli, 21-22 March 2014

In their own words, Thijs van Leer and Jan Akkerman discuss the early days of Focus and their wider success…and demise in the late 1970s. This feature is based on interviews in 1990 for a ‘Record Collector’ article published in … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Call Collect, FEATURES, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rock Stars | Tagged Bert Ruiter, Dutch, feature, Focus, Holland, introduction, Jan Akkerman, Pierre van der Linden, prog, Progressive Rock, Thijs van Leer | Leave a comment

Album review: INTENSE – Songs Of A Broken Future

Posted on March 21, 2020 by jason

Pure Steel Records [Release date 27.03.20] It has been nearly nine years since we last saw an album from Intense, during which time they have been busy inside and outside of the music scene (see interview below). The album was … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/10 Questions, Interviews/Rock Stars, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews, Pure Metal/Gig reviews, Pure Metal/Interviews | Tagged album, Intense, Karl Groom, melodic metal, metal, power metal, prog metal, review, Songs Of A Broken Future, Threshold | Leave a comment

Album review: BIFF BYFORD – School Of Hard Knocks

Posted on February 9, 2020 by jason

Silver Lining Music [Release date 21.02.20] One of British heavy metal’s finest icons, vocalist (and occasional bassist) Biff Byford has fronted Saxon since the mid 70s, when they were called Son Of A Bitch. And after talk of a solo … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rock Stars | Tagged album, Biff Byford, classic rock, interview, metal, NWOBHM, OPETH, review, rock, Saxon, School Of Hard Knocks | Leave a comment

Interview: JEFF GAUTIER

Posted on January 9, 2020 by petefeenstra

This is the audio version of Pete Feenstra’s interview with French drumming legend Jeff Gautier including music from his band Bars On Fire and other examples from a 40 year career. The English translation is below. (58:26) Interview: JEFF GAUTIER … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rock Stars, Radio interview | Tagged Alain Souchon, Allan Willems, Arnaud Maillard, Bars, blues, Bonnie Tyler, Brian Auger, Bus Stop, Calvin Russell, Carole Fredericks, Cathy Gautier, Claude Langlois, country, Cyrille De la Hammaide, En Passant, Fred Laborie, Fred Payonne, Free, Gonzales, Ian Paice, interview, Jean-Jacques Goldman, Jeff Gautier, Jeremy Lacoste Laurent Voulzy, JMM Blues, JOE COCKER, Johnny Hallyday, Josie Hack, Ken Barrett, Lance Dixon, Le Bistrot Gourmand, Michael Jones, Paris Palace Hotel, Pascal Evrard, Patrice Quentin, Patrick Hernandez, Paul Maradian, Paul Mouradian, Paul Personne, Perigord, pop, rock, Rolando Giordani, Rory Gallagher, soul, Soulification, Stefan Eichler, Texas Line, The Bluebirds, Weekend Millionaire | Leave a comment

Album review: STORM FORCE – Age Of Fear

Posted on December 28, 2019 by jason

Escape Music [Release date 25.01.20] Storm Force hail from Canada and although a new band they have a familiar name in their ranks, Brighton Rock founder and guitarist Greg Fraser. Joining him are vocalist Patrick Gagliardi, drummer Brian Hamilton and … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/10 Questions, Interviews/Rock Stars | Tagged Age Of Fear, album, Brighton Rock, Firefest, Greg Fraser, hard rock, interview, melodic rock, review, Storm Force | 1 Comment

Album review: RODNEY MATTHEWS & JEFF SCHEETZ – Trinity

Posted on November 17, 2019 by jason

Rodney Matthews Studios [Release date 13.12.19] Renowned fantasy artist Rodney Matthews, illustrator of over140 album covers, is also a jazz/rock/prog drummer of note, and has previously recorded solo and with guitarist Jeff Scheetz. Here he teams up again with Scheetz … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rock Stars | Tagged album, album covers, artwork, Asia, classic rock, Eloy, instrumental, jazz, Jeff Scheetz, Magnum, melodic, Nazareth, Oliver Wakeman, prog, review, Rick Wakeman, rock, Rodney Matthews, Tony Clarkin, Trinity | Leave a comment

Album review: FOREST FIELD – Seasons

Posted on October 20, 2019 by jason

Rock Company [Release date 18.09.19] Forest Field are the brainchild of Peter Cox, who plays all the instruments, songwriting and production, with Phil Vincent on vocals and guitarist Vince O’Regan guests on two songs. ‘Seasons’ is a concept piece, based … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rock Stars | Tagged album, D'Ercole, Forest Field, interview, melodic, Peter Cox, Phil Vincent, prog rock, progressive, review, rock | 1 Comment

Interview: GARY MOAT (Burnt Out Wreck)

Posted on October 13, 2019 by jason

On the day Burnt Out Wreck’s new album ‘This Is Hell’ is released Darren Johnson caught up with the band’s front-man and former Heavy Pettin’ drummer, Gary Moat. So the new Burnt Out Wreck album is released today. Tell us … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rock Stars | Tagged Burnt Out Wreck, classic rock, Gary Moat, Heavy Pettin', interview, Pete Way, rock | Leave a comment

Interview: PETE WAY

Posted on October 5, 2019 by jason

Ahead of his UK tour Darren Johnson talks to the former UFO bass supremo Pete Way. It wasn’t that long ago that the only news we’d be reading about Pete Way was in connection with his various ongoing health battles. … Continue reading →