Author Archives: GRTR! HQ

Gig review: THE DEFILED, AVATAR – The Sugarmill, Stoke, 28 November 2014

The Defiled - The Sugarmill, Stoke, 28 November 2014

Classed as a double header tour, The Defiled and Avatar hit the UK and mainland Europe for an extensive tour with The Defiled headlining the UK dates and Avatar in Europe. Inscriptions describe themselves as metalcore and have a great … Continue reading

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DVD review: PAUL RODGERS, RORY GALLAGHER, THE DOOBIE BROTHERS (Special Editions)

Paul Rodgers - Live In Glasgow, Live At Montreux 1994, Live At Wembley

Eagle Rock [Release date 13.10.14] This series of special editions from Eagle Rock bring together a bundle of three DVDs by an artist and at a special price.  A great way of catching up if you missed them first time … Continue reading

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News: Christmas highlights on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio including Best of 2014

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio - Happy Christmas!

Christmas week on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio gets all nostalgic as we look back on some of our favourites and features in 2014. On Tuesday 23 December we announce the results of our Popular Poll to select the Top … Continue reading

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Album review: DEVIL’S TRAIN – II

Devil

earMUSIC [Release date 02.02.15] I reviewed the Devil’s Train debut album in 2012 and was very impressed describing it as “a wonderful gut-churning, ball-grabbing, riff-fest”.   All credit, then, that this is more than just a one-off project for ex-members of … Continue reading

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Album review: THE VAL – Heading For The Surface

THE VAL - Heading For The Surface

Soundarella Records [Release date 21.11.14] www.theval.es Here’s  a band who are genuinely thankful for the promotion of their debut album, judging by the massive list of media credits in this package.  It is quite heart-warming when you receive a second … Continue reading

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Gig review: VARDIS – Unity Works, Wakefield, 13 December 2014

VARDIS - Unity Works, Wakefield, 13 December 2014

So if you happened to be around in the late 70′s early 80′s you would have experienced the whole NWOBHM movement and if you were lucky enough you would have gone to some amazingly memorable gigs, some memorable for the … Continue reading

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Album review: DAVE KILMINSTER – …And The Truth Will Set You Free

DAVE KILMINSTER - ...And The Truth Will Set You Free

Killer Guitar Records [Release date 22.09.14] The common denominator in Dave Kilminster’s recent albums may be that they seem to appear at GRTR! Towers towards the end of the year and therefore are easy to overlook in the Christmas fug. … Continue reading

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Book review: STEVE HOGARTH – The Invisible Man – Diaries 1998-2014 (Volume 2)

Steve Hogarth - The Invisible Man - Diaries 1998-2014

The Songwriters – Steve Hogarth (Marillion) – Interview and Feature (8 July 2014) by Get Ready To Rock! Radio on Mixcloud Miwk Publishing [Publication Date 09.11.14] www.miwk.com Part two of Steve Hogarth’s diaries takes up the story in 1998 and … Continue reading

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Album review: ANTHONY PHILLIPS – Harvest Of The Heart An Anthology

ANTHONY PHILLIPS - Harvest Of The Heart An Anthology

Esoteric [Release date: 17.11.14] 5-CD box set For those Genesis fans still smarting from that TV documentary, here is the real deal.  A 90 track compilation of original guitarist Anthony Phillips’ best bits.  If Phillips and Hackett are the most … Continue reading

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Album review: SKY – Reissues (Sky, Sky 2)

Sky

Esoteric [Release date 01.12.14] CD/DVD These two reissues give us a welcome opportunity to re-evaluate that fusion of classical and prog that the band Sky purveyed back in 1979.  A “supergroup” of sorts bringing together the unlikely presence of classical … Continue reading

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Gig review: RIVAL SONS – The Ritz, Manchester, 11 December 2014

RIVAL SONS - The Ritz, Manchester, 11 December 2014

Rival Sons: are these guys the new Kings of Cool?  They certainly put an essence of style back into rock music and show that it’s not all battered denim and leather as they stroll onto the stage suited and booted … Continue reading

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Gig review: THEA GILMORE – Telford’s Warehouse, Chester, 9 December 2014

Thea Gilmore - Telford

Thea Gilmore’s Office Christmas bash was a somewhat conservative affair this year.  As always, Thea was on sparkling form and buoyed with festive cheer, office manager Nigel Stonier orchestrated with his usual aplomb, and secretary Fluff and temp Liz Hanks … Continue reading

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Gig review: PLANET ROCKSTOCK – Porthcawl, 7 December 2014 (Day 3: Magnum, The Answer)

Magnum - Planet Rockstock, Porthcawl, 7 December 2014

Jagermeister Second Stage Fireroad have the task of opening the Jagermeister stage on the Sunday, and having just come back from America where they played with Lynyrd Skynyrd on the Simpleman Cruise, getting this crowd going should be no problem. … Continue reading

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Gig review: PLANET ROCKSTOCK – Porthcawl, 6 December 2014 (Day 2: Michael Schenker, Joe Elliott)

Michael Schenker - Planet Rockstock, Porthcawl, 6 December 2014

Jagermeister Stage Day 2 at Rockstock and the first day on the Jagermeister second stage and opening up are local band Serpentine.  The band have recently had line-up changes and it is certainly nice to see them back in action … Continue reading

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Gig review: PLANET ROCKSTOCK – Porthcawl, 5 December 2014 (Day 1: California Breed, Joanne Shaw Taylor)

PLANET ROCKSTOCK - Porthcawl, 5 December 2014

Planet Rockstock is one of a number of festivals springing up all over the country during off seasons in the holiday parks and I think it is safe to say that these will continue to grow in the future. Porthcawl … Continue reading

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Album review: MARTIN TURNER AND FRIENDS – The Garden Party

Martin Turner and Friends - The Garden Party

Dirty Dog Discs [Release date 27.10.14] This 2-CD album is like an almighty two-finger salute to Andy Powell.  Back in 2012 Martin Turner assembled a stellar cast of one-time Wishbone Ash alumni and in front of a specially invited audience, … Continue reading

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Album review: SWUNG – Vol.1 & 2 (feat. members of FOCUS)

Swung - Vol.1 & 2

In And Out Of Focus Records [Release date 03.11.14] ‘Swung’ was evidently conceived and recorded during downtime from the “day job” – for Bobby Jacobs and Pierre van der Linden this means the current incarnation of Focus. Although that band … Continue reading

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News: THE BEST of 2014 – Vote for your favourites! Best rock albums and live acts!

The Best Of 2014

Every year the GRTR! Reviewers choose their favourite albums and live acts. We reduce this selection to a list of ten in each category. The Best of 2014: Reviewers’ Choice We’ll publish the popular vote results on Tuesday 23 December. … Continue reading

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Gig review: THE TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT – The Ritz, Manchester, 17 November 2014

The Temperance Movement - The Ritz, Manchester, 17 November 2014

Having followed The Temperance Movement since the early days we have seen them sell out pretty much every venue they play; ranging from the 250 capacity Bodega in Nottingham to the 550 capacity Club Academy so tonight at the 1500 … Continue reading

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Album review: HARMONY – Theatre Of Redemption

Harmony - Theatre Of Redemption

Ulterium Records [Release date 28.11.14] It’s probably not a good idea to release albums a month or so before Christmas: they tend to get lost in the festivities and almost certainly miss out in best of year selections.  Which is … Continue reading

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Album review: DREW HOLCOMB & THE NEIGHBORS – Medicine

DREW HOLCOMB & THE NEIGHBORS - Medicine

Magnolia Music [Release date 26.01.15] With a Divinity Masters degree from St Andrews, and a dissertation on ‘Springsteen and American Redemptive Imagination’ under his belt, it’s clear where Southern singer songwriter Drew Holcomb’s heart lies. His 2005 debut Washed In … Continue reading

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Album review: SUZI QUATRO – The Girl From Detroit City (Box set)

SUZI QUATRO - The Girl From Detroit City (Box set)

Cherry Red Records [Release date 27.10.14] It would be all too easy to dismiss the girl from Detroit City as a Mickie Most, Chinn/ Chapman puppet, but this beautifully packaged 4-CD, 82 track career retrospective attempts to but the record … Continue reading

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THE BEST of 2014 – top rock albums, top live acts – the reviewers’ choice

The Best of 2014 - Top Albums - Popular Poll

The Best of 2014 with David Randall by Get Ready To Rock! Radio on Mixcloud Every year we ask the GRTR! Team to list their favourite albums and gigs of the year. Typically, it’s a diverse selection that may not … Continue reading

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News: BIFF BYFORD (Saxon) interview and special features on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio

Biff Byford of Saxon

Sunday 30 November 2014, 17:00 Thursday 4 December, 22:00 repeat Saxon frontman Biff Byford chooses the music in Get Ready to ROCK! Radio’s  ‘Favourite Tracks from Favourite Artists’ sequence.  He chats to GRTR!’s David Randall about the band’s progress and … Continue reading

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Gig review: HARD ROCK HELL 8 – Pwllheli, 15 November 2014

HARD ROCK HELL 8 - Pwllheli, 15 November 2014

Simon Dunkerley writes: I hadn’t seen opening act MORE play for 33 years.  In fact the last time was at Monster Of Rock – the original Download before all the hype took over and turned it into the money making … Continue reading

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