Author Archives: andynathan

Gig review: BOB SEGER AND THE SILVER BULLET BAND- Gila River Arena, Phoenix, Arizona, 19 February 2015

Bob Seger arguably ranks alongside Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty in the pantheon of all-American rock legends. He shares with them the craft of forging a melting pot of influences from the last 60 years of popular music and combining … Continue reading

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Album review: ECLIPSE – Armageddonize

ECLIPSE - Armageddonize

Frontiers Records [Release Date 20.02.15] In the crowded field of Scandinavian melodic rock hopefuls, Eclipse took a massive step forward with their fourth album in 2012, ‘Bleed And Scream’ which topped many end year best ofs. It was another triumph … Continue reading

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Album review: H.E.A.T. – Live In London

H.E.A.T. - Live in London

earMUSIC [Release Date 20.2.15] 2014 saw young Swedish melodic rockers H.E.A.T. gain significant traction with their fourth album ‘Tearing Down The Walls’ (GRTR! critics’ best of 2014). They really seem to have a special relationship with the UK audiences, so it … Continue reading

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Album review: URIAH HEEP- Live at Koko (CD/DVD)

URIAH HEEP- Live at Koko

Frontiers Records [Release date 20.02.15] Uriah Heep’s long career has been punctuated by regular live albums – 1973’s ‘Live’ with original singer David Byron, the Live In Moscow opus which opened up what was to become their longest-running line up … Continue reading

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Album review: SWEET AND LYNCH – Only to Rise

Sweet & Lynch - Only To Rise

Frontiers Records [Release Date 23.01.15] Sweet and Lynch may sound like a firm of corporate lawyers, an image accentuated by the album cover of the pair suited and booted in front of a cityscape of skyscrapers, but it is the … Continue reading

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Gig review: QUEEN & ADAM LAMBERT – 02 Arena, London, 18 January 2015

The benchmark for live rock performance was surely set by Queen in their heyday, the way they stole the show at Live Aid perhaps being conclusive proof. While there were many aspects to Queen’s success, the larger than life routine … Continue reading

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Gig review: PAUL RAYMOND PROJECT, The Borderline, London, 9 January 2015

PAUL RAYMOND PROJECT, The Borderline, London, 9 January 2015

‘Dry January’ is a fashionable concept beloved of health professionals and those who may have overindulged over the festive season, but it might equally apply to the gig calendar. Sandwiched between the Christmas rush and spring tours, there are noticeably … Continue reading

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Gig review: STATUS QUO – 02 Arena, London, 19 December 2014

This gallery contains 25 photos.

STATUS QUO - 02 Arena, London, 19 December 2014

For Status Quo’s Francis Rossi and Rick Parfitt, 2014 has been one of the busiest of their 65 years. The ‘Frantic Four’ reassembled for a second round of well received tour dates, the band returned to a Donington stage after … Continue reading

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Gig review: RECKLESS LOVE – The Garage, Highbury, London, 11 December 2014

RECKLESS LOVE - The Garage, Highbury, London, 11 December 2014

Colourful Finnish glam metal revivalists Reckless Love have built quite a following in England despite a paucity of mainstream rock media coverage, and indeed the house full signs were up as I arrived at the Garage for the last stop of … Continue reading

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Gig review: H.E.A.T., Islington Academy London, 10 December 2014

H.E.A.T., Islington Academy London, 10 December 2014

Photo: Jim Templeton-Cross 2014 will go down for H.E.A.T. as the year when the young Swedes made their most significant breakthrough yet since exploding onto the scene with their debut album in 2008. For proof, look no further than GRTR! … Continue reading

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Album review: HAREM SCAREM -Thirteen

Harem Scarem - Thirteen

Frontiers Records [Release Date 05.12.14] While never quite crossing over into mainstream success, few bands are talked of in such hushed tones in melodic rock circles as Harem Scarem. Having split in 2008 but reformed last year and included three … Continue reading

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Gig review: JOE ELLIOTT’s DOWN ‘N’ OUTZ/VEGA – The Garage, Highbury, London, 8 December 2014

JOE ELLIOTT

Fan worship is the bedrock of music industry economics, but it is rare to see it coming from the other side of the monitors. However Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott has for many years openly sung the praises of the … Continue reading

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Gig review: GRAHAM BONNET – 02 Islington Academy 2, 1 December 2014

GRAHAM BONNET, 02 Islington Academy 2, 1 December 2014

For someone whose live appearances have been sporadic in his home country over the years, it was a surprise to see Graham Bonnet doing a second tour of 2014. Unfortunately allied to timing it in the busiest period of the … Continue reading

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Gig review: BIG COUNTRY – Clapham Grand, 28 November 2014

BIG COUNTRY - Clapham Grand, 28 November 2014

Big Country’s sophomore album Steeltown has had the full treatment to mark its 30th anniversary, first a deluxe reissue and then a tour in which the album is played in its entirety. The band did a similar thing with their … Continue reading

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Gig review: BRYAN ADAMS – Wembley Arena, London, 26 November 2014

BRYAN ADAMS - Wembley Arena, London, 26 November 2014

A recent discussion thread on social media was to list 15 albums that in some way had changed your musical life over the years. Bryan Adams’ Reckless would have been one such for me. I well remember as a headbanging … Continue reading

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Gig review: FM – The Brook, Southampton, 21 November 2014

FM - The Brook, Southampton, 21 November 2014

Can it really be 30 years since the Overland brothers from Wildlife and former members of Samson and Diamond Head formed a new band, inspired by the then fashionable radio-friendly AOR sounds of the likes of Journey, Foreigner and Survivor, … Continue reading

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Gig review: SANTA CRUZ – The Barfly, Camden, London, 17 November 2014

SANTA CRUZ - The Barfly, Camden, London, 17 November 2014

A whole generation after grunge was supposed to have killed it, the sleaze and glam scene continues to thrive with younger Scandinavian bands leading a revival. The likes of Hardcore Superstar and Crash Diet have already made a mark and … Continue reading

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Album review: VEGA – Stereo Messiah

Vega - Stereo Messiah

Frontiers Records [Release date 17.10.14] As one of the great hopes of British melodic rock Vega have not left the grass grow under their feet, this being their third album in under four years. It sees only minor tweaks to … Continue reading

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Album Review: NEWMAN – S/T

Newman

[Release Date 22.10.14] After over 15 years of hard graft and a series of quality albums, Steve Newman has established himself as a respected name among the AOR cognoscenti, now happily getting the message out through more regular gigging. A lot of … Continue reading

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Gig review: ASIA, Shepherds Bush Empire, London, 2 November 2014

ASIA, Shepherds Bush Empire, London, 2 November 2014

For a so-called supergroup Asia have shown remarkable longevity, but their profile is now much lower than it was in the heady days when their 1982 debut went multi-platinum, judging by a disappointing turnout at their first headline London show … Continue reading

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Gig review: MELODIC ROCK FEST 4, H.O.M.E.Bar, Arlington Heights,Chicago, USA, 3-5 October 2014

The Radio Sun - Melodic Rock Fest 4, Chicago, October 2014

After the success of the third Melodic Rock Fest last September, the attempt to bring to the Americans the cult melodic rock bands that are seen at Firefest and other places, melodicrock.com supremo Andrew McNeice swiftly moved forward with plans … Continue reading

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Gig review: MR. BIG – Koko, Camden, London, 17 October 2014

MR. BIG - Koko, Camden, London, 17 October 2014

Mr Big’s European tour to capitalise on their back-to-form new album ‘Stories We Could Tell’ squeezed in just a solitary UK show, their first in three years. It was unsurprising that the opulent surroundings of Koko were sold out, perhaps … Continue reading

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Gig review: HOUSTON, The Barfly, Camden, London, 16 October 2014

HOUSTON, The Barfly, Camden, London, 16 October 2014

When an AOR revival suddenly became flavour of the month late in 2010, the debut album by Swedes Houston was seen as the standard bearer of the new revolution. Even if live performances were a mixed bag, the quality of … Continue reading

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Gig review: DAUGHTRY, The Roundhouse, Camden, London, 12 October 2014

Daughtry - London Roundhouse, 12 October 2014

Chris Daughtry spoke to Get Ready to ROCK! Radio from deepest Virginia in August 2014.  In this edit he chats about American Idol and his album releases. (6:07) Six months on from a pair of shows at Shepherds Bush Empire, … Continue reading

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Album review: MR BIG – The Stories We Could Tell

Mr Big - The Stories We Could Tell

Frontiers Records [Release Date 29.09.14] Mr Big appear to be back to stay, despite the unfortunate news of drummer Pat Torpey’s progressive illness. Three years after returning with the somewhat dry sounding ‘What If’, this latest release sees them back … Continue reading

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