Author Archives: andynathan

Gig review: WISHBONE ASH – Islington Academy, London, 5 October 2023

WISHBONE ASH- Islington Academy London, 5 October 2023

Wishbone Ash’s autumn tour with its London date at the Islington Academy has been a fixture on the gig calendar for many years, and more often than not these days seems to mark a significant milestone. I was one of … Continue reading

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Gig review: BLACK STONE CHERRY – Islington Assembly Hall, 29 September 2023

BLACK STONE CHERRY- Islington Assembly Hall, 29 September 2023

Black Stone Cherry have for the last decade been big enough to headline arenas in the UK- in contrast to their still middle ranking status back home. The Kentucky foursome are constantly on tour here and must be up there … Continue reading

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Gig review: KATRINA LESKANICH- Half Moon, Putney, London, 28 September 2023

KATRINA LESKANICH- Half Moon, Putney, London, 28 September 2023

Now only really remembered for two major singles, in the second half of the eighties Katrina and the Waves were one of my guilty pleasures. Their sixties inspired guitar based sound stood out among the then dominant synthesisers in the … Continue reading

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Album review: SKAGARACK- Heart and Soul

SKAGARACK- Heart and Soul

Thunderstruck Records (Release date 25.08.23) Skagarack were, alongside Fate, the Danish standard bearers in the original Scandinavian melodic rock explosion of the late eighties.  I was a big fan, seeing them at the old Marquee and even picking up albums … Continue reading

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Gig review: ROMEO’S DAUGHTER – The Garage, Highbury, London, 23 September 2023

ROMEO'S DAUGHTER- The Garage, Highbury, London, 23 September 2023

With good timing, as their new album ‘Slipstream’ has just been released, Romeo’s Daughter played their first show in London since the pandemic. Indeed much of the pre show talk evolved around who had retained their tickets from an original … Continue reading

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Gig review: BRAVE RIVAL – 100 Club, London, 19 September 2023

BRAVE RIVAL- 100 Club, London, 19 September 2023

In the fast rising career of Brave Rival this was a significant milestone for the South Coast-based band. As part of their heavy touring schedule they had played support slots at the 100 Club before, but this was their first … Continue reading

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Gig review: ROBERT JON AND THE WRECK – The Junction, Cambridge, 22 September 2023

ROBERT JON AND THE WRECK- The Junction, Cambridge, 22 September 2023

Their sound may be the most American imaginable, but it seems Robert Jon and the Wreck have made Europe and the UK in particular their second home. At a time when many US acts are pulling out of European tours … Continue reading

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Gig review: MARTIN TURNER – 100 Club, London, 16 September 2023

MARTIN TURNER- 100 Club, London, 16 September 2023

After a number of tours celebrating classic Wishbone Ash albums, founder member Martin Turner and band have now spent most of 2023 marking the 50th anniversary of ‘Live Dates’-  their first live album and the swansong for the first era … Continue reading

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Gig review: STRAY – 100 Club, London, 14 September 2023

STRAY- 100 Club, London, 14 September 2023

He may be – according to the title of his own memoirs –  a rock’n’roll survivor but Stray founder member Del Bromham has not lost his musical  creativity. The band have just released a very welcome first studio album in … Continue reading

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Gig review: GRAHAM NASH – Theatre Royal, London, 11 September 2023

GRAHAM NASH- Theatre Royal, London, 11 September 2023

The sad loss of David Crosby earlier this year was a reminder that the number of stars from the first wave of classic rock still alive, or at least active, diminishes by the year. That in part was my motivation … Continue reading

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Gig review: DEBORAH BONHAM – Pizza Express Live, Holborn, London, 6 September 2023

DEBORAH BONHAM- Pizza Express Live, Holborn, London, 6 September 2023

Photo: Michele Kostiner Part of a rock dynasty, Deborah Bonham has quietly over the years become a force in her own right. I’d only really vaguely followed her career, though seen support slots for the likes of Paul Rodgers and … Continue reading

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Gig review: STONEDEAD FESTIVAL – Newark Showground, 25-26 August 2023

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Festivals come and go but Stonedead, initially started by some fans reminiscing on social media about the original one day one stage Monsters of Rock at Donington, looks to have staying power. This was a celebration of its fifth year … Continue reading

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Gig review: FIREVOLT FESTIVAL- Whitebottom Farm, Stockport, 11-13 August 2023

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Last year’s inaugural Firestorm festival defied the naysayers to be a roaring success. Indeed the combination of the friendly atmosphere, beautiful setting on a farm at the end of a country park and wall to wall music made it instantly … Continue reading

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Album review: MITCH MALLOY – The Last Song

MITCH MALLOY- The Last Song

Godsend Records [Release date 07.07.23] After his stint fronting Great White, Mitch Malloy resumes his solo career with his first album since ‘Making Noise’ some seven years ago. Indeed, like its predecessor, this is a solo effort in every sense … Continue reading

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Gig review: CATS IN SPACE – Wilde Theatre, South Hill Park, Bracknell, 20 July 2023

CATS IN SPACE- Wilde Theatre, South Hill Park, Bracknell, 20 July 2023

Despite latest album ‘Kickstart the Sun’ being for me their finest achievement, Cats in Space’s autumn tour in 2022 was still bedevilled by audiences a fraction of what they deserved. It therefore represented a bold gamble when, post-tour, the band … Continue reading

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Gig review: BILLY JOEL- British Summer Time, Hyde Park, London, 7 July 2023

BILLY JOEL- British Summer Time, Hyde Park, London, 7 July 2023

Sandwiched between Bruce Springsteen’s two British Summer Time dates at Hyde Park came another American legend from the East Coast and of a similar vintage in Billy Joel. Just like my two previous sightings of the New Yorker at Wembley … Continue reading

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Gig review: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND – British Summer Time Hyde Park, 6 July 2023

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND- British Summer Time Hyde Park, 6 July 2023

A regular visitor to these shores in recent years, Bruce Springsteen had not been in the UK since ‘The River’ tour seven years ago. So when a pair of dates were announced at Hyde Park- his first there since the … Continue reading

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Book review: ON TRACK… REO Speedwagon- every album, every song by James Romag

ON TRACK... REO Speedwagon- every album, every song by James Romag

Sonic Bond Publishing (Release Date 28.04.23) The ever growing On Track series is now spreading its wings to bands with at best cult status in the UK, in this case REO Speedwagon who, despite three big power ballad hits in … Continue reading

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Gig review: GUNS N’ ROSES – British Summer Time, Hyde Park, 30 June 2023

GUNS N' ROSES- British Summer Time, Hyde Park, 30 June 2023

The self proclaimed most dangerous band in the world are now comfortable enough elder statesmen to play the most mainstream of festivals, that back in the day they would either never have played, or the organisers probably wouldn’t have had … Continue reading

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Book Review: DEFINITELY: THE OFFICIAL STORY OF DEF LEPPARD

DEFINITELY: THE OFFICIAL STORY OF DEF LEPPARD

Genesis Publishing [Release Date 09.05.23] Def Leppard’s profile is as high now as at any time since their eighties heyday. The Stadium tour travelled America and has hit the UK this summer, ‘Diamond Star Halos’ was released  to general acclaim … Continue reading

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Album review: LUKE MORLEY – Songs From The Blue Room

LUKE MORLEY- Songs From the Blue Room

Conquest Records [Release date 23.06.23] With new Thunder activity on hold for a while as Danny Bowes continues his long road to recovery, the time is right for the band’s lead guitarist and chief songwriter Luke Morley to release his … Continue reading

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Gig review: MIDNITE CITY – The Black Heart, Camden, London, 17 June 2023

MIDNITE CITY- The Black Heart, Camden, London, 17 June 2023

Touring their freshly released fourth album ‘In at the Deep End’, I was delighted that Midnite City’s schedule included a relatively rare London date at the Black Heart. Perhaps as a result of long running festivals at places like Wigan … Continue reading

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Album review: MIDNITE CITY – In At The Deep End

MIDNITE CITY- In At The Deep End

Pride and Joy Music [Releaae date 23.06.23] This is an impressive fourth release in under six years from Midnite City, confirming them as one of the most enduring of the select band of UK melodic rock acts.  It doesn’t mess … Continue reading

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Gig review: KIRA MAC – The Garage, Highbury, London, 4 June 2023

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Kira Mac are a band on a rapid rise. They only started gigging a year ago but a buzz quickly started building, to the extent that this UK tour included what I thought was an ambitious London booking at The … Continue reading

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Gig review: IAN MOSS – 100 Club, London, 3 June 2023

IAN MOSS- 100 Club, London, 3 June 2023

Cold Chisel are the musical equivalent of Victoria Bitter or TimTams – a legendary part of Australian life and culture, but rarely seen outside the mother country. While singer Jimmy Barnes, of whom I am a confirmed fan, has toured … Continue reading

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