News: SPINAL TAP, PROG FOR PEART, MARTYN JOSEPH (December 2023)

SONS OF APOLLO - Manchester Academy, 1 October 2018

News - Album News

Big Big Train will release their 15th studio album ‘The Likes Of Us’ on March 1 via InsideOut Music.

Founding Crimson Glory members Ben Jackson (guitar), Jeff Lords (bass) and Dana Burnell (drums) are being joined by new vocalist Travis Wills and guitarist Mark “Borgy” Borgmeyer. Two new singles, ‘Triskaideka’ and ‘Indelible Ashes’, are due in early 2024.

Doro releases a five song digital EP ‘Conqueress – Extended’ on March 1 via Nuclear Blast. The songs have previously only been available on physical products.

Ferocious Dog release their latest album ‘Kleptocracy’ on 17 May through Graphite Records.

Ace Frehley will release his new solo album ’10,000 Volts’ on February 23 via MNRK Music Group.

David Gilmour is currently working on new music with a possible release sometime in 2024. Musicians involved so far include Guy Pratt (long-time touring bassist with Pink Floyd) and Roger Eno.

Head East release their first album in over forty years, ‘Full Circle’, on December 29 CD and digitally, with a vinyl edition to follow on January 12.

Honeymoon Suite release their new album ‘Alive’ on February 24 through Frontiers.

It Bites FD (Francis Dunnery version) release their new album ‘Return to Natural’ on January 6, with a vinyl edition to follow in March.

Martyn Joseph releases his latest album ‘This Is What I Want To Say’ on January 12 through Pipe Records.

Korpiklaani will release their new studio album, ‘Rankarumpu’, on April 5 via Nuclear Blast.

Kula Shaker have announced a new album, ‘Natural Magick’, which reunites their original line-up for the first time in 25 years. It will be released on January 26 on Strange Folk Records via Absolute.

Magnum release their second single ‘The Seventh Darkness’ on January 3 of their new album ‘Here Comes The Rain’, which is due on January 12.

A 50th anniversary edition of Paul McArtney and Wing’s ‘Band On The Run’ album is released on February 2.

Metal Church aim to enter the studio and record their next album in late 2024.

Pearl Jam have completed their latest album for release next year.

The Pineapple Thief will release their latest album ‘It Leads To This’ through the Kscope on February 9.

Rage have announced their latest studio album ‘Afterlifelines’ which is released on March 29. The new double album includes classical orchestral arrangements.

Revolution Saints release their latest album ‘Against the Winds’ on Frontiers on 9 February.

ABKCO Records will release ‘The Rolling Stones Singles 1966-1971′ on February 2. The limited edition set includes reproductions of 7” vinyl singles and EPs as originally released by Decca, London Records and ABKCO Records.

Rod Stewart will release a new album, ’Swing Fever’,  recorded with Jools Holland, on February 23.

Sum 41 release their final full-length album (a double) as a band, ‘Heaven :x: Hell’, will arrive on March 29 through Rise Records.

Tigertailz have released a new single ‘A Little Bit of Christmas’ that features Verden Allen (Mott the Hoople) guesting on piano.

Walter Trout releases his latest album ‘Broken’ on March 1 and it features a guest appearance from Beth Hart.

Whom Gods Destroy is a new band featuring Dino Jelusick, Bumblefoot and Derek Sherinian (pictured). They are currently working on their debut album.

XYZ‘s classic line-up of lead vocalist Terry Ilous, bassist Pat Fontaine, guitarist Mark Diglio and drummer Paul Monroe are back together working on new song ideas.

News - Tours and Gigs

Newly announced UK tours (2024 unless stated):

Bryan Adams, the Almighty (2024 + 2025), Creeper, Sheryl Crow, Five Finger Death Punch (May 23 Wembley Arena), Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Simon Godfrey, Avril Lavigne, Jane’s Addiction, the Jesus and the Mary Chain, Leave’s Eyes, Limp Bizkit, Lindisfarne, Lordi, New Order, Nickelback, Quiet Riot (Mar 10 London), Scorpions + Extreme (Jun 8 Wembley Arena), Slipknot, Ten, Ugly Kid Joe, ZZ Top (Jul 11 Wembley Arena),

Upcoming (Gigs – UK)

Newly announced US & European tours (2024 unless stated):

Amon Amarth (US), Armord Saint (EU), Avenged Sevenfold (US), Battle Beast (US), Big Big Train (US), Black Stone Cherry + Saint Asonia (US), Black Veil Brides (US), Blind Guardian (US), Boom Crash Opera (AU), the Damned (farewell tour AU), Danko Jones (EU), Def Leppard + Journey (US), Samantha Fish & Jesse Dayton (AU), Five Finger Death Punch (EU), Peter Frampton (US), Girlschool + Alcatrazz + Lillian Axe (US), GWAR (US), Kissin’ Dynamite (EU), KK’s Priest + LA Guns (US), Korn (EU), Lacuna Coil (US), Limp Bizkit (US), Mammoth VH (US), Manowar (US), Metal Church (US), Nickelback (EU), Steel Panther (US), the Jesus and the Mary Chain (EU), Red Hot Chilli Peppers (US), Saxon + Uriah Heep (US), Scorpions (EU), the 69 Eyes (US),  Slipknot (EU), Styx + Foreigner + John Waite (US), Corey Taylor (US), James Taylor (AU), Tesla (US), The The (AU, NZ), Voivod + Prong (US), ZZ Top (EU),

Upcoming (USA/ROW)

Tom Jones, Bryan Adams, Madness and Sting have been announced as headliners for the inaugural Plymouth Summer Sessions festival between June 13-16 at The Plymouth Hoe. The Lightning Seeds and Blondie will also appear as support at the shows.

Galahad and IO Earth have been announced as headliners for 2024′s Prog For Peart on July 12 and 13 at The Northcourt in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. The charity event will raise money to help combat Glioblastoma Multiforme, the rare form of brain cancer that Rush drummer Neil Peart died from. Also confirmed are Comedy Of Errors, Rain, League Of Lights, Hats Off Gentlemen It’s Adequate, IT and Drifting Sun.

Hellfest have announced their line-up for next year which includes Metallica, Machine Head, Avenged Sevenfold, Foo Fighters, Heart, The Prodigy, Saxon, Black Stone Cherry, Extreme, Tom Morello, Fear Factory, Mammoth WVH, The Dead Daisies, Steel Panther, Rival Sons, Cradle of Filth, Emperor, Dimmu Bogir, Satyricon and Sodom. It takes place in Clisson, France 27-30 June 2024.

Rick Wakeman, Trevor Horn, Big Big Train, Focus, DeWolff, Kathryn Tickell and The Darkening, Eddi Reader, Baskery, Black Water County, Elles Bailey, Richard Digance, Feast of Fiddles, Ranagri, Spooky Mens Chorale and SilverBlues are all set to appear at next year’s Cropredy Festival between Thursday 8 to Saturday 10 August 2024.

Sheryl Crow, Deacon Blue and Nile Rodgers & Chic are amongst the headliners at next June’s series of concerts at Hampton Court.

Ugly Kid Joe will support Scorpions at their Las Vegas residency next year.

Connor Selby will support Joanne Shaw Taylor on her UK dates in February.

Postponed/cancelled gigs & tours

Voyager have postponed their Australian tour from February to June 2024

Skid Row have postponed recent gigs due to illness within the band.

Motley Crue have cancelled their “Crüe Year’s Eve” concert on December 31 in Palm Springs due to “issues beyond [the band's] control.”

Magnum have cancelled all their planned 2024 tour dates as Tony Clarkin has been diagnosed with a rare spinal condition. As Tony states, “Over the past year or so I’ve been
bothered by increasingly bad pains in my neck and head. For a long time the
docs couldn’t work out why, but now they’ve found out and it’s gonna mean
some changes.

This is not gonna be the end of Magnum, but the future might have to be a bit
different, so please bear with us while we try and figure out what I can and can’t
do moving forward.”

Other Stuff

A sequel to ‘This Is Spinal Tap’ starts filming in February and will once again be directed by Rob Reiner, with the original cast set to return and cameos from Elton John and Paul McCartney.

‘Queen Rock Montreal’ will be released in over 450 IMAX locations globally for four days beginning January 18. The concert was originally recorded back in 1981.

KISS may have stopped touring, however, on their final show at New York’s Maddison Square Gardens they unveiled KISS avatars. Created by the same company as the Abba Voyage, the band plan for these to be used in shows worldwide, starting in 2027.

Tidal have laid off 40 members of staff across multiple departments, amounting to 10 per cent of its total workforce. Spotify announced they were laying off 17% of their staff worldwide in order to save costs.

Funeral For A Friend have announced that vocalist Matthew Davies-Kreye has decided to leave the band, whilst keyboards player Jordan Fish has left Bring Me The Horizon.

Moles in Bath has closed with immediate effect. Artists who have appeared there include Blur, Supergrass, Oasis, Radiohead and many more during the course of the venue’s 45 year existence. Petition to save the venue can be found here.

News - RIP

Mars Williams, sax player with the Psychedelic Furs

Shane McGowan of the Pogues and the Popes

Myles Goodwyn, singer, guitarist and main songwriter for April Wine

Chad Allan, founding member and original lead singer of the Guess Who and a founding member of Bachman Turner-Overdrive

Denny Laine, a co-founder of both the Moody Blues and Wings

Former guitarist and singer with Steeleye Span, Bob Johnson

Original AC/DC drummer Colin Burgess


Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.

In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Josh Taerk Sunday Sessions 2024

Latest session: Sunday 14 April

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio



David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 14 April 2024.


UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 9 April 2024.

How to Listen Live?

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Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com


Power Plays w/c 29 April 2024

BRIGITTE PURDY Sugar Fried Candy (Dirtshack Records)
ATTIC THEORY The Legacy (indie)
THE HOWLERS I Need Your Love (indie)
VELVETEEN QUEEN Bad Reputation (indie)
WILLS AND THE WILLING Scuffed Knees (Smash & Grab Music Ltd)
READY THE PRINCE Still Believe (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 29 April 2024

09:00-12:00 PRAYING MANTIS Defiance (Frontiers)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023


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