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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
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Gig review: BLACK EYED SONS- The Lexington, London, 16 December 2024
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Gig review: BRAVE RIVAL- Thames Side Brewery, Staines, 8 December 2024
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Gig review: STRAY- The Cavern, Raynes Park, London, 7 December 2024
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Gig review: THE SHEEPDOGS, THE COMMONERS- Islington Assembly Hall, London, 5 December 2024
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Gig review: GUN – Barrowlands, Glasgow, 14 December 2024
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Gig review: THE DAMN TRUTH – The Grace, London, 26 November 2024
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Monthly Archives: January 2023
Album review: ARCTIC RAIN – Unity
Frontiers [Release date: 27.01.23] Arctic Rain’s declamatory melodic rock will remind you of several expert practitioners of the genre. From the Bon Jovi-esque ‘One World’, intense, in your face, with a fleeting sense of melody, and the title track, ‘Unity’, … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged AOR, Arctic Rain, Bon Jovi, Frontiers, Graham Bonnet, Harem Scarem, melodic rock, Mr Big, review, Tobias Jonson, Unity
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News: GLEN MATLOCK, SAXON, GRAND DESIGN (February 2023)
Angel release their new album ‘Once Upon A Time’, via Cleopatra Records on April 21. Babylon A.D. release ‘Live Lightning’ via Perris Records on March 17. Elles Bailey releases an expanded version of her ‘Shining in The Half Light’ album on 17 March. The expanded version includes … Continue reading
Posted in 20th Anniversary 2003-2023, Album News, ALL POSTS, Band Entrees & Exits, Books, Festivals & Large Events, Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Gigs and Tour News, NEWS, PledgeMusic/Kickstarter Campaigns, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/News, Re-issues/special editions, RIP
Tagged classic rock, folk, gigs, Glen Matlock, Grand Design, metal, New releases, news, punk, rock, Saxon, Skindred, tours
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Gig review: DIRTY HONEY – The Garage, London, 24 January 2023
Many American bands are choosing to skip Europe and the UK with the rising cost of touring. And the cost of living crisis and the sheer volume of gigs as the industry tries to make up for the time lost … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS
Tagged classic rock, Dirty Honey, gig, Jaydon Bean, John Notto, Justin Smolian, Marc LaBelle, melodic rock
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Album review: MILTON HIDE – The Holloway
Website [Release date 31.03.23] Milton Hide (AKA husband and wife Jim and Josie Tipler) release their second album, ‘The Holloway’, following on from 2o21′s most enjoyable ‘Temperature’s Rising’. Since then they have played many a show up and down the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged acoustic, album, folk, folk rock, Jim Tipler, Milton Hide, progressive, review, Rosie Tipler, The Holloway
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News: CHANTEL McGREGOR enters “The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness” (February 2023)
Rock website Get Ready to ROCK! has announced the second artist to be inducted in its “GRTR! Grotto of Greatness”. The website’s version of the “Hall of Fame” is part of its 20th anniversary celebrations in 2023. A different artist/band … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, NEWS, Special features
Tagged award, Chantel McGregor, classic rock, Get Ready to ROCK!, guitarist, promotion
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Album review; URIAH HEEP – Chaos and Colour
Silver Lining Music [Release Date 27.01.23] Uriah Heep spent last year belatedly celebrating their 50th anniversary with some special live shows that showed their distinguished legacy to its finest. But they have also had a contemporary new lease of life. … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Bernie Shaw, classic rock, Dave Rimmer, heavy rock, Mick Box, Phil Lanzon, Russell Gilbrook, Uriah Heep
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Album review: LIV KRISTINE – River Of Diamonds
Metalville [Release date 21.04.23] Since 1998, and during an acrimonius split from her band Leaves’ Eyes and partner, Liv Kristine has released a series of excellent pop rock albums. We chronicled these in our radio special in 2022 when we … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, Leaves' Eyes, Liv Krisitne, pop rock, review, River Of Diamonds, Theatre Of Tragedy
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Album review: THE NEVERLAND EXPRESS + CALEB JOHNSON – Paradise Found: Bat Out Of Hell Reignited
Deko Entertainment [Release date 27.01.23] A reworking of the classic Meat Loaf album ‘Bat Out Of Hell’, based on the live version Meat Loaf’s band the Neverland Express performed with the much missed frontman. Band leader and former Anthrax guitarist … Continue reading
Album review: GIRLSCHOOL – The School Report 1976-2008
Cherry Red/HNE [Release date: 27.01.23] Girlschool experienced their share of heartache… label let downs, revolving door membership issues, conflicting views on musical direction and the struggles to sustain their ambitions in the face of all of the above. But they soldiered … Continue reading
Album review: TOM ADAMSON BAND – Old View Of The New World
Blue Build Records - [Release date: 20.12.22] Tom Adamson is a Scottish-born multi-instrumentalist who has played alongside and supported a diverse number of top-line acts including Sister Sledge, Supergrass, Toploader, Johnny Dankworth & Cleo Laine and er, John Barrowman. This … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged blues, folk, Old View Of A New World, review, rock, Tom Adamson Band
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Album review: THE FIRST CLASS – Beach Baby – The Complete Recordings (3 CD set)
Cherry Red [release date: 27.01.23] 1974, and the first pop single to be written by Shakespeare, ‘Beach Baby’, breaks into the US and UK charts. John Carter (not that one) was born John Shakespeare. A singer, songwriter and producer who … Continue reading
Album review : HOLOCAUST – Heavy Metal Mania – The Complete Recordings, Vol 1 1980-1984 (6 CDs)
Cherry Red [Release date 27.01.23] Carrying the NWOBHM torch in Scotland since 1977, Edinburgh’s Holocaust are the genre’s archetypal survivors. They are almost literally the definition of “Metal bands who’ve flown under the radar their whole career”. Arguably, it was … Continue reading
Album review: CHRIS ROSANDER – The Monster Inside
Pride & Joy Music [Release date 17.02.23] Chris Rosander released his debut album ‘King Of Hearts’ in 2020 on the now defunct AOR Heaven. As the pandemic put paid to any live plans, Chris Rosander started work on making more … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, AOR, Chris Rosander, hard rock, melodic rock, Perfect Plan, review, rock, The Monster Inside, Toto
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Single review: FEENSTRA & SIMPSON – Your Eyes Gave You Away
YouTube A new songwriter outlet for GRTR! writer, radio presenter and promoter Pete Feenstra as he he teams up with John Simpson. No not the TV news reporter but the John Simpson who helped found the Feelgoods, a Dr Feelgood … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews
Tagged AOR, Feenstra & Simpson, John Simspon, Pete Feenstra, pop, pop rock, review, single, the Feelgoods, Tom Petty, Your Eyes Gave You Away
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Album review : TRAPEZE – Don’t Stop The Music – Complete Recordings Vol 1 1970-1992 (6 CD Boxset)
Cherry Red [Release date: 24.02.23] A cool, 6-CD boxset of high calibre Trapeze material. Three CDs of studio albums plus 3 CDs of live recordings, one as recent as 1992. CD1 : Trapeze (originally released 1970) The debut tends to … Continue reading
Album review: CASEY MAUNDER – Until Your Heart Stops Beating
Website Once again the musical hand of fate plays a blinder as Casey Maunder sent his debut album in for possible review and boy is it a good one! Casey plays all the guitars, vocals, bass, keys and wrote all … Continue reading
Album review: ISSA – Lights Of Japan
Frontiers [Release date: 20.01.23] Issa Oversveen is married to James Martin, ex of Vega. With his brother Tom, he’s written the bulk of the material here. And you can tell. Even with the best efforts of guitarist Simone Mularoni and … Continue reading
Album review: BLACK STAR RIDERS- Wrong Side of Paradise
Earache Records (Release date 20.01.23) Black Star Riders first album in over three years marks a turning point in the life of the band. It is the first recorded without Scott Gorham, leaving only singer Ricky Warwick from the original … Continue reading
Album review: TEN – Something Wicked This Way Comes
Frontiers [Release date: 20.01.23] Here’s another Ten album title that will again appeal to the literati or the cinephiles among the band’s fans. It’s their sixteenth studio release since 1996. Ever present founder/ writer/ singer, Gary Hughes has gathered a … Continue reading
Feature: GRTR!@20 Anniversary – Waking The Witch
Jason Ritchie charts the rise and demise of a favourite band… Waking The Witch initially consisted of Rachel Goodwin, Patsy Matheson, Jools Parker, and Michelle Plum, with Becky Mills replacing Plum in 2005, all of whom also worked as solo … Continue reading
Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, GRTR!@20, The Rising Stars Revisited
Tagged Becky Mills, feature, folk, GRTR!@20, indie, interview, Patsy Matheson, Rising Stars, roots, singer songwriter, Waking the Witch
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Album review: JOHN BLEK – Until The Rivers Run Dry
Bandcamp [Release date 17.02.23] This is John Blek’s eighth album and an artist that had not crossed my musical radar until now. The album was recorded over ten days and features Cathy Davy (vocals) – who has appeared on albums … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, folk, indie, John Blek, review, singer songwriter, Until The Rivers Run Dry
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Album review: RAIN – Radio Silence
Giant Electric Pea [Release date: 27.01.23] Another release on the Giant Electric Pea label – they’re getting quite prolific… For those not in the know, GEP is the label founded by IQ stalwarts Mike Holmes and Martin Orford in … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged Andy Edwards, Frost*, IQ, John Jowitt, Progressive Rock, Radio Silence, Rain, review
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Album review: JD SIMO TRIO – Songs From The House Of Grease
Crows Feet Records [release date: 13.01.23] An album of cover versions is always a risk. But the concept is no stranger to JD Simo. This is the guitarist chosen by renowned Film Director, Baz Luhrman to play all the guitar … Continue reading
Album title: BEYOND THE BLACK – Beyond The Black
Nuclear Blast [Release date 13.01.23] Fifth album from Beyond The Black and the third since the 2014 revamped line-up which left vocalist Jenifer Haben as the sole original member. Beyond The Black is completed by lead guitarist Chris Hermsdörfer, rhythm … Continue reading
Album review: JOANNE SHAW TAYLOR – Nobody’s Fool
Keeping The Blues Alive (KTBA Records) [Release date 28.10.22] Joanne Shaw Taylor has come on in leaps and bounds in recent years, establishing herself as one of the most formidable blues/rock performers. We’ve followed her rise and rise in the … Continue reading
Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS
Tagged album, blues, blues rock, classic rock, guitar, guitarist, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Joe Bonamassa, Nobody's Fool, R&B, review
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