Tag Archives: Robin McAuley

Gig review: FIREFEST – Manchester Academy, 11-13 October 2024

P1150948 - Copy

For a decade through to 2014, Firefest built a reputation that most festivals would kill for. It wasn’t just the stellar line ups of melodic hard rock acts, from the rising stars through to long dormant bands from the eighties … Continue reading

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Album review: RADIOACTIVE – Reset

RADIOACTIVE reset image 150

Frontiers [Release date : 11.10.24] Swedish musician/songwriter/producer, Tommy Denander has been an integral part of the AOR/Melodic Rock scene for more than 25 years now. He’s worked closely with countless musicians in the genre, most notably Bobby Kimball, Alice Cooper … Continue reading

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Gig review: MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP – Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London, 30 November 2023

Gig review: MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP – Shepherd’s Bush Empire, 30 November 2023

After various ‘Fest’ and ‘Temple of Rock’ incarnations, Schenker revived the original MSG monicker for a couple of recent albums and has been on a 50th anniversary tour for over two years now. It is something of a divine resurrection. … Continue reading

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News: Albums of the Month (January – March 2023)

Albums of the Month (January - March 2023)

URIAH HEEP Chaos & Colour (Silver Lining Music) Heep join a select bunch of veteran bands (including close contemporaries Deep Purple) who are sounding as good as ever. Indeed classic heavy rock does not come much better than this.    **** … Continue reading

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Album review: ROBIN MCAULEY – Alive

ROBIN McAULEY - Alive

Frontiers Records [Release date 17.02.23] Robin’s last album ‘Standing On The Edge’ was my top album of 2021 so this new release has a lot to live up to. However, with Robin you know that quality is assured and with … Continue reading

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Album review: ROB MORATTI – Epical

Rob Moratti Epical

Frontiers [Release date: 09.12.22] Quite a line up Rob Moratti’s put together here. Tony (Blue Murder) Franklin, Joel (Whitesnake) Hoekstra, Pete (James Christian/ Robin McAuley) Alpenborg, Fredrik (Bloodbound) Bergh, with Steve (Tyketto/ Journey) Augeri on backing vocals. Moratti has been … Continue reading

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Album review: TURKISH DELIGHT – Volume 1

TURKISH DELIGHT - Volume 1

Escape Music [Release date 21.10.22] Turkish Delight celebrates the joy that Escape Music co-owner Khalil Turk has for the kind of music he loves so much, namely AOR and melodic rock. This selection was personally chosen by Khalil, with material … Continue reading

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Album review: BLACK SWAN – Generation Mind

blackswan generation

Frontiers [Release date 08.04.22] Black Swan follow up 2020′s Shake The World with the much more confident, cohesive, Generation Mind. Robin McAuley, Reb Beach, Matt Starr and Jeff Pilson form a formidable collective. Each transforming his own success and experience … Continue reading

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Album review: RADIOACTIVE – X.X.X

RADIOACTIVE- X.X.X

Frontiers Records (Release date 11.03.22) Few people in the melodic rock world have as lengthy or prolific track record as Tommy Denander. While best known for playing on or producing records for a dizzying roster of artists and, for UK … Continue reading

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Album review: CIRCLE OF FRIENDS – The Garden

CIRCLE OF FRIENDS - The Garden

Escape Records [Release date 25.03.22] ‘The Garden’ is the album put together by Bruce Mee (of Fireworks magazine) as a tribute to his mother, who died of cancer in 2020. The studio project is called Circle of Friends because the … Continue reading

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Album review: ROBIN MCAULEY – Standing On The Edge

ROBIN McAULEY - Standing On The Edge

Frontiers [Release date 07.05.21] Robin McAuley has been very busy of late. Following on from his return stint with Michael Schenker he then went on to front the Black Swan project, joining Jeff Pilson and Reb Beach, who released the excellent ‘Shake The World’ … Continue reading

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Album review: MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP – Immortal

MSG

Nuclear Blast Records [Release date 29.01.21] You would forgive Michael Schenker if he announced he was about to step back from music for a bit and take things easy. Now 65 and celebrating not only 50 years in the business but 40 … Continue reading

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Feature: Albums that time forgot – GRAND PRIX – Samurai

Chrysalis [1983] Back in 1983 I ventured along to my first gig on my own at the tender age of 14 to see Iron Maiden at the Playhouse in Edinburgh (Friday 13th May to be exact) and what a show … Continue reading

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Album review: BLACK SWAN – Shake The World

BLACK SWAN - Shake The World

Frontiers [Release date 14.02.20] You have to say (again) that Frontiers knows how to put a band together, in this case Black Swan. Here are four musicians – Robin McAuley, Jeff Pilson, Reb Beach and Matt Starr – whose well … Continue reading

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Gig review: RAIDING THE ROCK VAULT – Subterania, London, 5 December 2019

RAIDING THE ROCK VAULT- Subterania, London, 5 December 2019

Proof of the enduring appeal of classic rock is the success over seven years of residencies in Las Vegas of the ‘Raiding the Rock Vault’ show. The concept is deceptively simple,  with live playing from a band of seasoned musicians, … Continue reading

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Album review: MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST – Revelation

Nuclear Blast [Release date 20.09.19] Mr Schenker and his motley crew are back for their second album following on from the ‘Resurrection’ album released in 2018. The premise is the same with all former MSG vocalists joining the guitar maestro for a romp … Continue reading

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Gig review: MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST– O2 Ritz, Manchester, 4 November 2017

MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST– O2 Ritz, Manchester – 4 November 2017

Around this time of year there are cries around the country of ‘Christmas gets earlier every year’ as the first decorations are spotted and every TV ad features snowy scenes and perfectly wrapped presents. Manchester took this a step further … Continue reading

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Album review: MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST – Live Tokyo International Forum Hall A

MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST - Live Tokyo International Forum Hall A

Inakustik [Release date 24.03.17] Surely, not another Michael Schenker live album and Bluray?  The propensity of live releases – including a focus on Japan where he remains popular -  is really a testament to Schenker’s great revival in recent years. … Continue reading

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Interview with MICHAEL SCHENKER – 15 November 2013

Michael Schenker

If ever there was an example of looking to the past for a catalyst for the future, then ‘Bridge The Gap’ is it. Award winning guitarist Michael Schenker is back with some familiar faces on an album that plays to … Continue reading

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