Graham’s Heart Full of Greatness

Russ Ballard releases a double album entitled ‘Songs From The Warehouse/The Hits Rewired’, out on April 18 via Frontiers. The first CD contains new songs, while the second CD includes brand new recordings of famous hits he either penned or performed in the past.

Bloodbound have signed with Napalm Records after being previously been with AFM Records. The first single of the album is entitled ‘Keep On Running’.

Bon Jovi are planning to release a duets version of last year’s ‘Forever’ album later this year.

Cardinal Black will release their new album, ‘Midnight At Valencia’, on May 23 via Thirty Tigers.

Tracy Chapman’s self-titled debut album will be reissued on vinyl on 4 April via Rhino/Elektra to mark the album’s 35th anniversary.

Danko Jones have Perception, a division of Reigning Phoenix Music, and plan to release their latest album in the autumn.

Dire Straits will release a 3-CD expanded edition of their 1985 album ‘Brothers In Arms’ on May 16. Two of the three CDs are dedicated to a previously unreleased live recording from San Antonio in August 1985.

Don Felder has signed with Frontiers who plan to release his new album later this year.

Lindsey Buckingham will appear on Mick Fleetwood’s upcoming solo album.

The Flower Kings will release their seventeenth studio album, ‘LOVE’, through InsideOut Music on May 2.

Garbage release their new album ‘Let All That We Imagine Be The Light’ on May 30.

Ghost release their new album, ‘Skeletá’, on April 25 via Loma Vista, with ‘Satanized’ released as the album’s first single.

Green Diesel release their latest album ‘Onward The Sun!’ on 25 April.

The Haunted release their new album ‘Songs Of Last Resort’ on May 30 via Century Media Records.

Richard Hawley releases a 20th anniversary, 2CD edition of his ‘Coles Corner’ album on July 4.

Horslips have a 5CD set ‘At The BBC’ set released through Madfish records on May 30.

Glenn Hughes plans to release his new studio album in August.

Billy Idol has announced the release of ‘Dream Into It’, his first album in a decade. The new album arrives via Dark Horse Records on April 25 and includes guest appearances from Avril Lavigne and Joan Jett.

Liv Kristine releases her new studio album, ‘Amor Vincit Omnia’, on April 25 via Metalville Records.

Leaves’ Eyes have signed with Reigning Phoenix Music and the band plan to release an EP later in the year.

Little Feat release their new album ‘Strike Up The Band’ on May 9 via Hot Tomato, with the first single ‘Too High To Cut My Hair’ released on March 13.

Lynyrd Skynyrd (pictured) have signed with Frontiers who will release ’Celebrating 50 Years – Live At The Ryman’. This special release features the final performance of founding member Gary Rossington.

Bernie Marsden’s ‘Icons’ album is being released on May 9 via Conquest Music.

Chantel McGregor releases her latest album ‘The Healing’ on 23 May. ‘Broken Heartless Liar’ is the first single released from the album.

Megadeth has announced an agreement for founder and frontman Dave Mustaine’s Tradecraft imprint with the Frontiers new imprint BLKIIBLK, who will release the band’s next album.

Provogue will release ‘Gary Moore Live – From Baloise Session’ on May 23. The concert was recorded in 2008.

Francis Rossi releases ‘The Way We Were Vol. 1′ on May 2 via earMUSIC.

Escape Music release the self-titled album from Sign of The Wolf on 24 April. The album features Doug Aldrich, Vinny Appice, Tony Carey, Andrew Freeman, Mark Mangold and more.

Sleep Token’s new album ’Even In Arcadia’ will arrive on May 9 through RCA Records.

Status Quo re-issue their 1976 album ‘Status Quo -Live’ as an eight-CD set through Edsel Records on May 16.

Styx’s new album ‘Circling From Above’ is tentatively due at the end of May.

Sweet release a rarities & demos collection ‘Platinum Rare 1′ on May 23 via Metalville Records.

LynNad Sylvan releases his new solo album ‘Monumentata’ June 20 via InsideOutMusic.

Tarja releases her live greatest hits show ‘Circus Life’ on 16 May via earMUSIC.

Pat Travers releases ‘Statesboro Blues (Live In Baltimore 1982)’ on April 4.

Suzanne Vega releases her tenth album ‘Flying With Angels’ on May 2.

Volbeat release their latest album ‘God of Angels Trust’ on June 6 via Vertigo/Universal.

Rick Wakeman has announced he will release a 15-disc set ‘The Official Broadcast Collection’ on March 23. The ten-CD and five-DVD set is a collection of a series of radio and television broadcasts that feature concerts from Sweden in 1980, London in 1987, Swansea in 1989, Nottingham in 1990 and Argentina in 2014.

Rhino Records will release Whitesnake’s ‘Access All Areas: Live’ on April 25. The set consists of six live shows across eight CDs.

Zebra aim to release some new music in May.

Newly announced UK tours (2025 unless stated):

A Thousand Horses + These Wicked Rivers (Jul, Aug), Architects (Oct), Babylon A.D. (Sep), Cast (Oct-Dec), Jarrod Dickenson (Feb 2026), Florence Black (Sep), The Flower Kings + Neal Morse And The Resonance (Jun), FM (Sep), Glenn Hughes (Oct), Idlewild (Oct, Dec), Katatonia (Dec), Lightning Seeds (Oct), Madness + Squeeze (Dec), Melvins (Aug), Men Without Hats (Aug), Luke Morley + Willie Dowling (Sep), Powerwolf + HammerFall (OVO Arena Wembley, March 7 2026), Rival Sons (Jun, Jul), the Sheepdogs (May), Slayer (Jul), Steel Panther (Jun), Volbeat (Nov), Stevie Wonder (Jul), Y&T (Oct), Neil Young + Van Morrison + Yusuf/Cat Stevens (Hyde Park, Fri 11 Jul),

Upcoming (Gigs – UK)

Newly announced US & European tours (2025 unless stated):

BabyMetal + Black Veil Brides + Jinjer + Bloodywood (US), Blue October (US), Bring Me The Horizon + Motionless In White (US), Eric Clapton (US), Clutch (US), Def Leppard (US), Bruce Dickinson (US), Everclear (US), Flotsam and Jetsam (EU),  The Flower Kings + Neal Morse And The Resonance (EU), Foreigner (CA with Geordie Brown on vocals), Heart (US), the Jayhawks (US), Katatonia (EU), Tom Keifer + L.A. Guns (US), Kings of Thrash (US), Korn + Gojira (CA), Live + Collective Soul (US), Steve Miller Band (US), the New Roses (EU), the Offspring + Jimmy Eat World + New Found Glory (US), Robert Plant and Saving Grace (EU), Michael Schenker (US), Sleep Token (US), Switchfoot (US), the Sword (EU), Volbeat (EU), the Warning (US), Steve Winwood (US), Y&T (EU), Zebra (US),

Upcoming (USA/ROW)

Dirty Honey and Joanne Shaw Taylor replace Richie Kotzen as Friday night’s headliner at this year’s Maid of Stone festival.

Kiss have announced they will perform an unmasked show in November as part of the Kiss Army fan club’s 50th anniversary celebrations at the Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, November 14-16. The weekend will also feature a performance by former Kiss member Bruce Kulick.

The Searchers will play their final gig on the Acoustic Stage at Glastonbury on 27 June.

You Me At Six plan to livestream their final concert at OVO Arena, Wembley on April 4.

Postponed/cancelled gigs & tours:

Bad Touch and The Dust Coda have postponed their March UK tour to early October.

Jarrod Dickenson is undergoing treatment for cancer and has had to postpone his upcoming May UK tour.

Billy Joel has postponed his upcoming US tour for four months while he handles an unspecified medical condition. His two UK gigs in Edinburgh and Liverpool have been moved to June 2026.

Motley Crue have postponed their run of ten Las Vegas shows until September/October as Vince Neil undergoes medical treatment.

Gene Simmons has postponed a number of his upcoming US tour dates to next year.

ZZ Top drummer Frank Beard has “temporarily stepped away” from the band’s current tour due to an unspecified “health issue”. John Douglas is stepping in for him.

Pink Floyd At Pompeii – MCMLXXII is being released to cinemas worldwide on April 24 through Sony Music Vision and Trafalgar Releasing and IMAX® Worldwide.

Paul McCartney publishes his latest book ‘Wings: The Story Of A Band on the Run’ on November 4 through Liveright/W. W. Norton and Allen Lane/Penguin Press.

A documentary celebrating fifty years of Iron Maiden is due in cinemas later this year through Universal Pictures Content Group.

Spinal Tap II: The End Continues is released in US cinemas on September 12.

Bassist Chris Beattie has left Hatebreed.

Drummer Sarah Tomek replaces Tommy Clufetos in The Dead Daisies.

Guitarist Brett Hands has left Mastodon after twenty five years with the band.

Founding Katatonia guitarist Anders Nyström has confirmed his departure from the band.

Drummer Frank Ferrer has left Guns ‘n’ Roses who he joined back in 2006. He has been replaced by Isaac Carpenter.

Spotify announced they had paid out a record 7.7bn in royalties in 2024.  However a new book questions the company’s operation, including the payment model and seeding of “muzak” in their playlists for which they do not pay royalties.   The author claims this leads to a musical inertia amongst subscribers (Mood Machine The Rise Of Spotify And The Costs Of The Perfect Playlist by Liz Pelly)

David Johansen, frontman with The New York Dolls.

Joey Molland who was the last surviving member of the classic Badfinger line-up.

Founding guitarist of The Damned, Brian James.

Former Prong and Ministry drummer Aaron Rossi.

Former Radio 1 and Piccadilly Radio DJ Andy Peebles.

Musician and publicist Ant-Bee Billy James.

David Randall writes:

We are very sorry to hear of the passing of U.S. publicist Billy James at the age of 64. I first came into contact with Billy some 20 years ago when we both experienced difficulties concerning royalties from a book publisher. But our enduring liaison was with the steady supply of the really interesting stuff he was promoting and he also fixed several interviews. He also contributed to Get Ready to Rock! Radio in its early days.

Billy was passionate about certain artists, not least Todd Rundgren and Frank Zappa, and we were reminded recently that he contributed articles to us about 10cc off-shoot GG06 (Graham Gouldman and Kevin Godley).

My last email exchange was to enquire about his well being after the terrible storms in North Carolina last October. “Just finally got water back but still no electricity and internet access for the most part.” This time, only the power outages kept him from his passion. R.I.P. Billy and our thoughts are with family and friends.