Category Archives: FEATURES

A selection of interviews and longer articles including updated archive material

Feature: The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness – WALTER TROUT (May 2023)

Posted on May 1, 2023 by GRTR! HQ

Photo: John Bull/Rockrpix Walter Trout has consolidated his solo career, overcome major health issues, and remained relevant at the forefront of blues rock… Damn right Walter’s got the blues! But he’s thrown out the clichés, blown away the cobwebs, and … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, GRTR!@20, The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness | Tagged anniversary, blues, blues rock, feature, GRTR!@20, guitar, guitarist, history, overview, summary, Walter Trout | Leave a comment

Feature: GRTR!@20 Anniversary – Blues and Blues Rock – Primer

Posted on April 23, 2023 by GRTR! HQ

They say “popular” music goes in cycles and fifteen years after the latest blues/rock revival spearheaded by the likes of Jeff Healey and Gary Moore, the genre received a boost from the arrival of Joe Bonamassa, especially in Europe which … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, GRTR!@20, The Primer | Tagged blues, blues rock, Joe Bonamassa, Pete Feenstra, primer, summary, survey, Walter Trout | Leave a comment

Feature: GRTR!@20 – Top Albums, Top Live Acts – reviewer choices 2003-2023

Posted on April 5, 2023 by GRTR! HQ

Get Ready to ROCK! celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2023. Since 2003 it has been at the forefront of online rock music review and is one of the most visible and enduring rock websites. The review team is one of … Continue reading →

Posted in FEATURES, GRTR!@20 | Tagged 2003-2023, albums, best of, blues rock, classic rock, live acts, melodic rock, Progressive Rock, review, singer songwriter | Leave a comment

Feature: The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness – JOE BONAMASSA (April 2023)

Posted on April 1, 2023 by GRTR! HQ

Photo: Simon Dunkerley Bonamassa brings the blues to a new generation, at least until 2039… “Let’s start by doctoring the immortal phrase, ‘He came, he saw, (he blinked twice, took a deep breath), and conquered”! Joe Bonamassa and his gifted … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, GRTR!@20, The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness | Tagged blues, blues rock, feature, guitar, guitarist, Joe Bonamassa | Leave a comment

Feature: The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness – ELEANOR McEVOY (March 2023)

Posted on March 1, 2023 by GRTR! HQ

As Irish and iconic as Guinness and also dark and lively in equal measures… Singer songwriter Eleanor McEvoy first came to wider attention in 1992 when she was part of “A Woman’s Heart” compilation with Mary Black and other female … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, GRTR!@20, The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness | Tagged acoustic, classic rock, Eleanor McEvoy, folk, interview, March 2023, roots, singer, songwriter, The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness | Leave a comment

Feature: The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness – CHANTEL McGREGOR (February 2023)

Posted on February 1, 2023 by GRTR! HQ

Chantel’s down to earth Yorkshire lass delivery has endeared her to fans as much as her musicianship… Photo: David Randall Yorkshire singer/songwriter/guitarist Chantel McGregor first came to our attention in May 2010 when Pete Feenstra reviewed her debut London gig … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GRTR!@20, The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness | Tagged album, blues rock, Chantel McGregor, classic rock, feature, guitar, guitarist, interview, review | Leave a comment

Feature: GRTR!@20 Anniversary – Waking The Witch

Posted on January 17, 2023 by jason

Jason Ritchie charts the rise and demise of a favourite band… Waking The Witch initially consisted of Rachel Goodwin, Patsy Matheson, Jools Parker, and Michelle Plum, with Becky Mills replacing Plum in 2005, all of whom also worked as solo … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, GRTR!@20, The Rising Stars Revisited | Tagged Becky Mills, feature, folk, GRTR!@20, indie, interview, Patsy Matheson, Rising Stars, roots, singer songwriter, Waking the Witch | Leave a comment

Feature: GRTR!@20 Anniversary – Progressive Rock – Primer

Posted on November 29, 2022 by GRTR! HQ

There has been a resurgence of interest in prog in the millennium. Alan Jones chronicles some of the artists and bands who continue to fly the flag for the genre. Warning: Steven Wilson looms large … Back in the day, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, GRTR!@20, The Primer | Tagged Marillion, prog, Progressive Rock, review, RIVERSIDE, Steve Hackett, Steven Wilson, summary | Leave a comment

Feature: Box sets for life, not just for Christmas – LOVE, EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER, MARILLION (2022)

Posted on November 23, 2022 by GRTR! HQ

Love - Expressions Tell Everything (Box set)

We had it first with CDs in the 1980s and 90s, more recently with resurgent vinyl. The big record labels want us to rebuy our past! And in many cases there are re-releases of re-releases. Why, oh why, can’t they … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALL POSTS, Collectible Collections, FEATURES, Reissues | Tagged album, Arthur Lee, box sets, Emerson, Harry Chapin, Lake & Palmer, Love, Marillion, Progressive Rock, review, singer songwriter, singles | Leave a comment

Feature: GRTR!@20 Anniversary – Metal – Primer

Posted on November 21, 2022 by GRTR! HQ

During the period 2003-2023 metal had morphed into various guises. Brian McGowan tries to keep up with it and surveys the period… Heavy Metal is a musical phenomenon that continues to gain in strength and popularity, worldwide. It has the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, GRTR!@20, The Primer | Tagged 2003-2023, Avenged Sevenfold, Blind Guardian, Edguy, Helloween, history, metal, power metal, Rammstein | Leave a comment

Feature: GRTR!@20 – The Rising Stars Revisited – The Album

Posted on November 9, 2022 by GRTR! HQ

In 2007 Get Ready to ROCK! produced a CD showcasing 16 upcoming artists who had featured in early album and gig reviews. The album was sold at the fledgling Cambridge Rock Festival that summer when we promoted a “Rising Stars” … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, GRTR!@20, The Rising Stars Revisited | Tagged 25 Yard Screamer, Anna Phoebe, Cambridge Rock Festival, Chasing The Monsoon, Chris Singleton, Delta, feature, Glyder, GRTR!, GRTR!@20, Lewis Clay, Mermaid Kiss, NATASCHA SOHL, Public Symphony, Puck, Rieser, Sacred Heart, Stormzone, the Heal, The Rising Stars Revisited - The Album, UXL, where are they now? | Leave a comment

Feature: IT’S CHRISTMAS! (2022 Style)

Posted on November 6, 2022 by jason

Here we round-up the Christmas offerings for this year, be they singles, EPs or albums. Get your favourite tipple and mince pies at the ready as we delve into 2022′s Christmas offerings… Pylon Poets give us ‘Say That You’ll Stay, a … Continue reading →

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, FEATURES, Single and EP reviews | Tagged album, blues, Bryan Adams, Christmas, EP, folk, metal, music, pop, Pylon Poets, review, rock, single, The Albion Band, the Albion Christmas Band, Tony Mitchell | Leave a comment

Feature: GRTR!@20 Anniversary – Eclectic – Primer

Posted on October 31, 2022 by GRTR! HQ

Over two decades Get Ready to ROCK! has demonstrated that it is a broad church and not just featuring the usual classic rock and metal. The website content reflects the very wide tastes of the review team and so folk, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, GRTR!@20, The Primer | Tagged 2003-2023, anniversary, Bellowhead, Eclectic, folk, indie, Josh Taerk, Ninebarrow, pop, primer, SPARKS, summary, THE DOWLING POOLE | Leave a comment

Feature: GRTR!@20 Anniversary – Singer Songwriter – Primer

Posted on October 31, 2022 by GRTR! HQ

Singer-songwriter editor Pete Whalley gives his considered view on 20 years of the genre with the emphasis on female performers … Long considered a ‘folk’ rooted domain, the boundaries of the singer songwriter genre have blurred over the GRTR! decades, … Continue reading →

Posted in FEATURES, GRTR!@20, The Primer | Tagged 2003-2023, anniversary, classic rock, Eleanor McEvoy, Hannah Aldridge, Judie Tzuke, Missy Higgins, primer, singer, songwriter, summary, Thea Gilmore, Tina Dico | Leave a comment

Feature: GRTR!@20 Anniversary – Melodic Rock – Primer

Posted on October 31, 2022 by GRTR! HQ

Melodic Rock Editor Andy Nathan witnesses the melodic revival… When GRTR! started in late-2002 traditional melodic rock and AOR was still in something of a prolonged hangover from the years of grunge which swept away the genre, and indeed much … Continue reading →

Posted in FEATURES, GRTR!@20, The Primer | Tagged anniversary, AOR, Def Leppard, Europe, Firefest, FM, Foreigner, H.E.A.T., Journey, melodic hard rock, melodic rock, primer, summary, Whitesnake | Leave a comment

Feature: GRTR!@20 Anniversary – Still Rocking – Primer

Posted on October 31, 2022 by GRTR! HQ

Who remembers MySpace? By 2010 social media had taken over as the main online marketing tool for bands. Managing Editor David Randall surveys two decades of rock which brought great opportunity but also riven by world recession and pandemic… By … Continue reading →

Posted in FEATURES, GRTR!@20, The Primer | Tagged 2003-2023, anniversary, history, rock music, summary, survey | Leave a comment

Feature: Magnum Month @GRTR! – What Magnum Means To Me

Posted on March 21, 2022 by GRTR! HQ

Introduction The Studio Albums The Live Albums Singles Reissues Collections Memorabilia What Magnum Means To Me… As part of our month long promotion “Magnum Month @GRTR!” in March 2022 we invited fan recollections and stories. Some have followed the band … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, Magnum Month @GRTR! (March 2022), What a Band/Artist means to me... | Tagged classic rock, fans, Magnum, melodic rock, recollections | Leave a comment

Feature: MAGNUM Month @GRTR! – Singles

Posted on March 18, 2022 by GRTR! HQ

Introduction The Studio Albums The Live Albums Singles Reissues Collections Memorabilia What Magnum Means To Me… Magnum in the Millennium Since the late 1990s the number of physical singles released by Magnum – and indeed many artists – has diminished, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, Magnum Month @GRTR! (March 2022) | Tagged Magnum, melodic rock, singles | Leave a comment

Feature: MAGNUM Month @GRTR! – Memorabilia

Posted on March 1, 2022 by GRTR! HQ

Magnum in the Millennium Introduction The Studio Albums The Live Albums Singles Reissues Collections Memorabilia What Magnum Means To Me… Magnum are a highly collectible band, as you might expect with their ascendancy in the 1980s coinciding with a burgeoning … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, Magnum Month @GRTR! (March 2022) | Tagged classic rock, Magnum, melodic rock, memorabilia, merchandise, pomp rock | Leave a comment

Feature: MAGNUM Month @GRTR! – Collections

Posted on March 1, 2022 by GRTR! HQ

Magnum in the Millennium Introduction The Studio Albums The Live Albums Singles Reissues Collections Memorabilia What Magnum Means To Me… WHAT MAGNUM MEANS TO ME … Sweep away almost 40 blurry years of rock/metal memories and I see a picture … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, Magnum Month @GRTR! (March 2022) | Tagged album, anthology, Bob Catley, classic rock, collection, compilation, Magnum, melodic rock, pomp rock, review, Tony Clarkin | Leave a comment

Feature: MAGNUM Month @GRTR! – Reissues

Posted on March 1, 2022 by GRTR! HQ

Magnum in the Millennium Introduction The Studio Albums The Live Albums Singles Reissues Collections Memorabilia What Magnum Means To Me… WHAT MAGNUM MEANS TO ME … When I was a teenager, probably about 13 or 14, and getting into rock … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, Magnum Month @GRTR! (March 2022) | Tagged album, Bob Catley, classic rock, Magnum, melodic rock, pomp rock, reissue, review, Tony Clarkin | Leave a comment

Feature: MAGNUM Month @GRTR! – Live

Posted on March 1, 2022 by GRTR! HQ

Magnum in the Millennium Introduction The Studio Albums The Live Albums Singles Reissues Collections Memorabilia What Magnum Means To Me… WHAT MAGNUM MEANS TO ME … My own history with Magnum begins in the spring of 1985. I’d been getting … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, Magnum Month @GRTR! (March 2022) | Tagged album, Bob Catley, classic rock, live, Magnum, melodic rock, pomp rock, review, Tony Clarkin | Leave a comment

Feature: MAGNUM Month @GRTR! – The Studio Albums

Posted on March 1, 2022 by GRTR! HQ

Magnum in the Millennium Introduction The Studio Albums The Live Albums Singles Reissues Collections Memorabilia What Magnum Means To Me… WHAT MAGNUM MEANS TO ME… I first came across Magnum by chance as they opened the Monsters Of Rock bill … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, FEATURES, Magnum Month @GRTR! (March 2022) | Tagged album, Bob Catley, classic rock, Magnum, melodic rock, pomp rock, review, Tony Clarkin | Leave a comment

Feature: Call Collect – An introduction to Christmas (rock) Music

Posted on December 4, 2021 by GRTR! HQ

Christmas comes but once a year, and with it the usual mixed bag of toons. But not for us the familiar stylings of ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas’ or ‘Merry Xmas Everybody’. We like to dig deep, a bit like … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, Call Collect, FEATURES | Tagged Alan Davey, album, carols, Christmas, feature, Hawkestrel, Hawkwind, instrumental, Jethro Tull, playlist, review, Rick Wakeman, Thea Gilmore, Thijs van Leer, Xmas | Leave a comment

Feature: Call Collect – An introduction to GIANT

Posted on November 20, 2021 by GRTR! HQ

Giant are rightly revered in melodic rock circles, another of those bands who for a short period at the turn of the 1980s delivered two of the finest albums in the genre. The band formed in 1987 after the two … Continue reading →