Author Archives: andynathan

Gig review: KIP WINGER – The Black Heart, Camden, London, 27 November 2021

Posted on December 1, 2021 by andynathan

Kip Winger’s acoustic shows in London at the much missed Borderline became the stuff of legend with their mixture of intimate songs and storytelling and fan participation. They even achieved the ultimate accolade of being a numbered series, so this … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged 27 November 2021, acoustic, Camden, gig, review Kip Winger, Robby Rothschild, The Black Heart, Winger | Leave a comment

Gig review: THE DARKNESS – Reading Hexagon, 26 November 2021

Posted on November 30, 2021 by andynathan

Never mind the hysteria that surrounded them in the early 2000’s, proof of how quickly time marches lies in the fact that it now a full ten years since the Darkness triumphantly reformed at Download. Since then they have surprised … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Dan Hawkins, Frankie Poullain, gig, Justin Hawkins, Massive Wagons, Rufus Taylor, The Darkness | Leave a comment

Album review: JIM PETERIK & WORLD STAGE – Tigress – Women Who Rock the World

Posted on November 23, 2021 by andynathan

Frontiers Records (Release date 05.11.21) Jim Peterik’s World Stage project, whether live or in the studio, is characterised by the Survivor founder using the widest array of musical chums to sing his songs. ‘Tigress’ (what is it with his obsession … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, Cathy Richardson, Chez Kane, Chloe Lowery, Janet Gardner, Jim Peterik, melodic rock, Survivor, World Stage | Leave a comment

Album review: GROUNDBREAKER – Soul to Soul

Posted on November 23, 2021 by andynathan

Frontiers Records (Release date 12.11.21) Groundbreaker’s debut album was a Frontiers Records project to reunite Steve Overland with the pure AOR sound of early FM. That was a collaboration with Work of Art’s Robert Sall, but the latter is not … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Alessandro Del Vecchio, AOR, FM, Groundbreaker, melodic rock, Steve Overland, Sven Larsson | Leave a comment

Gig review: WISHBONE ASH – Islington Academy, London, 18 November 2021

Posted on November 21, 2021 by andynathan

Sitting out live action during the pandemic must have been particularly galling for Wishbone Ash who always keep up a punishing live schedule. So there was a relief for both band and audience seeing them back in their familiar habitat … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Andy Powell, Bob Skeat, classic rock, gig, Mark Abrahams, Mike Sturgis, Wishbone Ash | Leave a comment

Gig review: THE DEAD DAISIES – Shepherds Bush Empire, 10 November 2021

Posted on November 14, 2021 by andynathan

To quote the title of one of their songs, in many ways the Dead Daisies are ‘like no other’, even to the extent that they have been described as a collective rather than a band. Line ups have regularly changed, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged David Lowy, Dead daisies, Doug Aldrich, gig, Glenn Hughes, Grand Slam, Guy Griffin, Quireboys, Spike, Tommy Clufetos | Leave a comment

Gig review: MARTIN TURNER- Boom Boom Club, Sutton, 5 November 2021

Posted on November 8, 2021 by andynathan

I must admit that the longer the pandemic went on, the more I began to fear that many of the acts from rock’s original golden era who we are lucky enough to still see performing might not resume touring, Wishbone … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Boom Boom Club, Danny Willson, gig, Martin Turner, Misha Nikolic, Tim Brown, Wishbone Ash | Leave a comment

Gig review: MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP – Shepherds Bush Empire, London, 31 October 2021

Posted on November 3, 2021 by andynathan

For many years it seems I was fated never to experience one of my teenage guitar heroes Michael Schenker, at his finest. My only experiences of him in the last millennium were the McAuley Schenker Group’s short support slot to … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Doro, gig, Michael Schenker, Michael Schenker Group, MSG, Ronnie Romero, Steve Mann, UFO, Warlock | Leave a comment

Gig review: REBECCA DOWNES – 100 Club, London, 19 October 2021

Posted on October 26, 2021 by andynathan

Just before the pandemic struck, one of the artists I was looking forward to seeing more of was Rebecca Downes, a very enjoyable support slot to Brian Downey’s Live and Dangerous at the Underworld proof that she was successfully diversifying … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged blues, blues rock, gig, Nigel Darvill, Rebecca Downes, Steve Birkett, The 251's, The Mojo Preachers | Leave a comment

Album review: HEARTLAND – Into The Future

Posted on October 25, 2021 by andynathan

Escape Music [Release date 15.10.21] I assumed Chris Ousey had kicked the long career of Heartland on the head with their last album of new material coming back in 2007. However, after his time with Snakecharmer and also fronting Kingdom … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Chris Ousey, Heartland, Into The Future, melodic rock, Mike Slamer, review | Leave a comment

Book review: ERUPTION – CONVERSATIONS WITH EDDIE VAN HALEN by Brad Tolinski and Chris Gill

Posted on October 25, 2021 by andynathan

Hachette Publishing [Publication date 28.10.21] When Eddie Van Halen lost his prolonged struggles with cancer last autumn the rock world mourned – the number of Facebook friends who put his ‘Frankenstein’ guitar patterned design as their cover photo in memoriam … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, BOOK REVIEWS | Tagged book, Brad Tolinski, Chris Gill, Eddie Van Halen, review, Van Halen | Leave a comment

Album review: ECLIPSE – Wired

Posted on October 25, 2021 by andynathan

Frontiers Records [Release date 08.10.21] Eclipse have been on one the hottest streaks in melodic rock of recent years- even last year’s stop-gap live album ‘Viva la Victouria’ being a reminder of quite how many anthems they have written. And … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, INTERVIEWS, Interviews/Rock Stars | Tagged album, Eclipse, Erik Martensson, interview, Magnus Henriksson, melodic rock, review, Wired | Leave a comment

Gig review: ROBERT HART AND DAVE ‘BUCKET’ COLWELL – The Cavern, Raynes Park, London, 14 October 2021

Posted on October 17, 2021 by andynathan

There have been some enjoyable ‘evening with’ nights of songs and stories at the Cavern this year – including Spike, who opened his show in July bantering with Dave ‘Bucket’ Colwell who was seated near him. In a neat piece … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Bad Company, Dave 'Bucket' Colwell, gig, Humble Pie, Robert Hart, the Jones Gang | Leave a comment

Gig review: VEGA – Camden Underworld, London, 9 October 2021

Posted on October 14, 2021 by andynathan

Vega are one of those bands with a lot of lost time to make up as live music resumes. Since the beginning of the pandemic one of the UK’s premier melodic rockers have recorded not one but two albums, with … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Billy Taylor, Dan Byrne, gig, Hazel Jade Rogers, James Martin, Joanovarc, melodic rock, Nick Workman, Pete Newdeck, Revival Black, Shelley Walker, Tom Martin, Vega | Leave a comment

Gig review: MUSIC FOR THE MIND- Hammersmith Club, London, 8 October 2021

Posted on October 12, 2021 by andynathan

As the old BT advert once said, it’s good to talk. Of mental health in particular. Despite growing awareness of its importance, not least with the struggles nearly all of us have faced in some way or other during the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Adam Norsworthy, blues, blues rock, charity fundraiser, Derek Kingaby, Emma Wilson, gig, Hammersmith Club, Jamie Smy, Music for the Mind, The Milk Men, The Mustangs | Leave a comment

Gig review: CATS IN SPACE – The Garage, Highbury, London, 2 October 2021

Posted on October 7, 2021 by andynathan

I will freely admit that Cats in Space are one of my very favourite bands to have emerged in the past few years. Their sound is unashamedly inspired by the second half of the seventies but the combination of lush … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Andy Stewart, Cats In Space, Damien Edwards, Dean Howard, gig, Greg Hart, Jack Stiles, Jeff Brown, melodic rock, Pete Lance, soft rock, Vambo | Leave a comment

Gig review: THE QUIREBOYS- Boileroom, Guildford, 1 October 2021

Posted on October 5, 2021 by andynathan

Quireboys gigs come in all shapes and sizes- including those rescheduled orchestral shows next year- but some of my most enjoyable have been their acoustic shows. Lead singer Spike also made the format work when I saw him on his … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged acoustic, gig, Keith Weir, Matt Mitchell, Quireboys, Spike | Leave a comment

Album review: VEGA – Anarchy and Unity

Posted on October 3, 2021 by andynathan

Frontiers Records (Release date 17.09.21) Vega’s seventh album ‘Anarchy and Unity’ breaks their cycle of a new release every two years, coming less than 18 months after ‘Grit Your Teeth’. That not entirely successful predecessor took the UK melodic rockers … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Billy Taylor, Marcus Thurston, melodic rock, Nick Workman, Pete Newdeck, Vega | Leave a comment

Gig review: BLACK STONE CHERRY – Royal Albert Hall, London, 29 September 2021

Posted on October 1, 2021 by andynathan

Black Stone Cherry have a unique relationship with the UK. The Kentucky rockers broke big over here while still young and their home country to this day has struggled to catch up. Their popularity has continued through hard work and … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Ben Wells, Black Stone Cherry, Chris Robertson, gig, hard rock, John Fred Young, Kris Barras, Kris Barras Band, southern rock | Leave a comment

Gig review: MASON HILL- Camden Underworld, London, 24 September 2021

Posted on September 29, 2021 by andynathan

Mason Hill have been making up for lost time in more ways than one. The young Scots full-length album seemed to have been ages in the making not least with record company politics, and then just as they were building … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Empyre, gig, Hollowstar, Jack Bonson, James Bird, Joe Bonson, Mason Hill, New Wave of Classic Rock, NWOCR, Phil Haines, Scott Taylor | Leave a comment

Gig review: THE CINELLI BROTHERS- Cabbage Patch, Twickenham, 16 September 2021

Posted on September 20, 2021 by andynathan

One of the advantages of being an active gig goer is picking up recommendations from like minded ‘gig buddies’ of new acts to discover. One such that were being raved about prior to the pandemic were blues band The Cinelli … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged Alessandro Cinelli, blues, blues rock, Cabbage Patch, Cinelli Brothers, Eel Pie Club, gig, Marco Cinelli, Tom Julian-Jones | Leave a comment

Gig review: LEAFHOUND- Cabbage Patch, Twickenham, 9 September 2021

Posted on September 16, 2021 by andynathan

The long and intriguing history of Leafhound is now entering a new chapter. Their sole 1971 album, released after the band had already split, has subsequently become a cult classic especially among the stoner rock community, with original vinyl copies … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged classic rock, Dominic French, gig, Leafhound, Peter French, Peter Herbert, Tom Smith | Leave a comment

Album review: INGLORIOUS- Heroine

Posted on September 14, 2021 by andynathan

Frontiers Records (Release Date 10.09.21) In the seventies it was not uncommon for bands to release two albums a year but it is virtually unheard of these days. So I was surprised when I learned that a little over six … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, Covers, Inglorious, melodic rock, Nathan James | Leave a comment

Album review: NEWMAN – Into The Monsters’ Playground

Posted on September 11, 2021 by andynathan

AOR Heaven (Release date 10.09.21) For a remarkable near quarter of a century Steve Newman has turned out a series of finely crafted albums. He never remotely hinted at the big time, but as compensation his name enjoys almost universal … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged album, AOR, melodic rock, NEWMAN, Steve Newman | Leave a comment

Gig review: CONNOR SELBY BAND- Cabbage Patch, Twickenham, 26 August 2021

Posted on September 9, 2021 by andynathan

Essex-based Connor Selby is a name to watch in the blues world: he was awarded young artist of the year two years running in the UK blues awards, and even came to the attention of the Who’s management and opened … Continue reading →