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Upcoming Gigs & Albums
Latest Album Reviews
Latest Gig Reviews
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Gig review: CARDINAL BLACK – Sub 89, Reading, 15 November 2024
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Gig review: SUZI QUATRO – London Palladium, 13 November 2024
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Gig review: HRH XVII, Great Yarmouth, 7-9 November 2024
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Gig review: WHEN RIVERS MEET, CHANTEL MCGREGOR, XANDER AND THE PEACE PIRATES – Dingwalls, London, 7 November 2024
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Gig review: DEEP PURPLE – 02 Arena, London, 6 November 2024
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Gig review: ELLES BAILEY- Islington Assembly Hall, London, 2 November 2024
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Featured Album Reviews
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Album review: APE SHIFTER – II
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Album review: LUKE MORLEY – Songs From The Blue Room
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Album review: BLACKTHORNE – Afterlife/Don’t Kill The Thrill (Graham Bonnet, Bob Kulick)
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Album review: KINO – Radio Voltaire
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Album review: EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER – The Anthology 1970-1998 (4-LP Box set)
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Album review: EDGE OF PARADISE – The Unknown
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Features
Single & EP Reviews
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Features
Category Archives: GIG REVIEWS
Gig review: Quarantune Rocks Weekender 2023 -The Victoria Bikers Pub, Coalville, October 6 & 7 2023
Quarantune Rocks was created by friends Karen Clayton and Pamela Hinchliffe, during COVID-19 to support rock fans and live music in an online group. The not-for-profit festival is in its third year, run by music lovers and aims to support … Continue reading
Gig review: BYWATER CALL – The Grace, London, 9 October 2023
I had seen Meghan Parnell and Dave Barnes, the driving force behind Bywater Call, supporting Robert Jon and The Wreck back in February. I was mightily impressed, and particularly bowled over by Meghan’s voice. So this tour with the full, … Continue reading
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Tagged 9 October 2023, blues, Bywater Call, Dave Barnes, gig, live, London, Meghan Parnell, review, roots, soul, The Grace
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Gig review: 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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Tagged 5 October 2023, Andy Powell, Bob Skeat, gig, Islington Academy, Live Dates, London, Mark Abrahams, Mike Truscott, Wishbone Ash
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Gig review: 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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Tagged Ben Wells, Black Stone Cherry, Chris Robertson, gig, John Fred Young, southern rock, Steve Jewell
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Gig review: 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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Tagged Darren Loveday, gig, Half Moo, Katrina and the Waves, Katrina Leskanich, Nicki French, pop rock, power pop
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Gig review: 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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Tagged AOR, Craig Joiner, gig, Highbury, Leigh Matty, melodic rock, Romeo's Daughter, Sweet Crisis, The Garage
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Gig review: HOUND – Here We Aren’t, Peterborough, 27 September 2023
An enigma, wrapped up in neon-bright packaging, Cambridgeshire punk pop metal quintet Hound are all dangerous curves, big riffs and uncontrolled energy. The fact they’re playing what must rank as one of the tiniest venues in the country, the whole … Continue reading
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Tagged gig, Here We Aren’t, HOUND, melodic, Peterborough, Punk Metal, punk pop, review, Wednesday 27 September 2023
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Gig review: ROB TOGNONI – 100 Club, London, 26 September 2023
Rob Tognoni typifies the spirit of old school rock and roll. It isn’t the fact that he and his band have just driven 16 hours from the Orkney Festival in the highlands of Scotland to the heart of London, or … Continue reading
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Tagged 100 Club, AC/DC, Australian, Back To The One, BBC, blues, Gaz Rackham, gig, live, Miguel Montalban, Mike Helier, review, Rob Tognoni, rock, Steve Braithwaite, Wilko Johnson
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Gig review: 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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Tagged Adam Barron, Big River, Billy Dedman, blues rock, Brave Rival, Chloe Josephine, Damo Fawsett, Donna Peters, Ed Clarke, gig, Lindsey Bonnick, Thr3e
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Gig review: 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
Gig review: THE BLACKHEART ORCHESTRA – Talbot Hotel, Oundle, 21 September 2023
Reputed to be haunted by the ghost of Mary, Queen of Scots, the upstairs room of this Northamptonshire hotel has its own magic, the delicate lighting and warmth more welcoming than unsettling. With their ethereal and involving soundscapes, The Blackheart … Continue reading
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Tagged gig, Oundle, review, The Blackheart Orchestra, the Talbot Hotel, Thursday 21 September 2023
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Gig review: 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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Tagged 100 Club, 16 September 2023, Danny Willson, gig, Live Dates, London, Martin Turner, Misha Nikolic, review, Sonny Flint, Wishbone Ash
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Gig review: 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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Tagged 14 September 2023, About Time, blues rock, Colin Kempster, DEL BROMHAM, gig, hard rock, Karl Randall, London, Pete Dyer, review, Simon Rinaldo, Stray, the 100 Club
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Gig review: 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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Tagged Crosby Stills and Nash, folk rock, gig, Graham Nash, singer songwriter
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Gig review: 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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Tagged blues rock, Bonham Bullick, Deborah Bonham, Gerard Louis, gig, Ian Rowley, Peter Bullick
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Gig review: STONEDEAD FESTIVAL – Newark Showground, 25-26 August 2023
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
Gig review: FIREVOLT FESTIVAL- Whitebottom Farm, Stockport, 11-13 August 2023
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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Tagged Absolva, Ashen Reach, Atack, A’priori, Black Spiders, Cardinal Black, Collateral, Dare, festival, Firevolt, gig, Gin Annie, Hell's Addiction, Hollowstar, Jack J. Hutchinson, Kris Barras Band, Luna Marble, Mason Hill, Massive Wagons, New Wave of Classic Rock, Royal Republic, Scruffy Bear, Sons Of Liberty, THE ANSWER, The Golden Leaves, The Hot One Two, The Virginmarys, Thieves Of Liberty, Valhalla Awaits, Vega, When Rivers Meet, White Raven Down
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Livestream review: METALLICA, AT&T Arena, Arlington, Texas, 18 & 20 August 2023
A unique double-header even in the storied history of thrash trailblazers, Metallica: a live-to-cinemas feed of their two Arlington, Texas shows 48 hours apart, featuring two entirely different sets. The idea of beaming gigs to remote venues is not new … Continue reading
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Tagged 72Seasons, broadcast, cinema, gig, James Hetfield, Lars Ullrich, live, livestream, metal, Metallica, review, Thrash
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Gig review: HEARTS & HAND GRENADES – Six Six Bar, Cambridge, Saturday 19 August 2023
Somehow generating the same levels of heat best found on the surface of the sun, Cambridge’s Six Six Bar is a venue whose attributes echo the long gone and much missed Marquee Club when it was in Wardour Street. The … Continue reading
Gig review: THE TREATMENT/MANSWORTH – Queens Hall, Nuneaton, Saturday 5 August 2023
Dead Demons opened this triple bill, unfortunately I didn’t arrive in time to catch the majority of their set, but the vibe was good, and the crowd were definitely warmed up by the time they had finished. Next on the … Continue reading
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Tagged classic rock, gig, hard rock, Laurie Mansworth, Mansworth, Nuneaton, Piston, Queens Hall, review, rock, Saturday 5 August 2023, The Treatment
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Gig review: SIR TOM JONES – Heritage Live, Audley End House, Saffron Walden, 6 August 2023
The scene is set for the third night of Heritage Live’s Audley End. The likes of Miss Disco, Boney M, The Real Thing and Bjorn Again were followed on Saturday by adverse weather but the Britpop movement was in full … Continue reading
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Tagged Audley End House, Classic Albums, gig, Heritage Live, pop, review, rock, rock 'n' roll, Saffron Walden, Sir Tom Jones, Sunday 6 August 2023
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Gig review: HEATHEN APOSTLES – Six Six Bar, Cambridge, Monday 24 July 2023
It was the night Bloodgrass came to the dark environs of the Six Six Bar in sleepy university city, an unusually large flock of jet-black crows seen above the ever-reaching spires of Cambridge. The portents were heavy and the anticipation … Continue reading
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Tagged Americana, bloodgrass, Cambridge, gig, gothic, Heathen Apostles, Monday 24 July 2023, Old Man Boom, review, Six Six Bar
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Gig review: 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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Tagged Andy Stewart, Cats In Space, Damien Edwards, Dean Howard, gig, Greg Hart, Jeff Brown, melodic rock, pomp rock, soft rock, Steevi Bacon
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Gig review: THE DAMN TRUTH – O2 Islington Academy 2, London, 21 July 2023
Having narrowly avoided stumbling into The Exploited’s show at the slightly larger Academy1 right next door, I was pleasantly surprised to see a pretty full venue for this early kick-off. The Cold Stares, a trio based in Indiana, are led … Continue reading
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Tagged 21 July 2023, blues, blues rock, gig, Islington, live, melodic rock, review, The Cold Stares, The Damn Truth
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Gig review: THE WHO, O2 Arena, London, 12 July 2023
On the verge of their sixth decade as a band and The Who really have nothing to prove but still don’t care about what they’re being told by others. This is The Who and they’ll do exactly as they want. … Continue reading
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Tagged 12 July 2023, classic rock, gig, London, O2 Arena, orchestra, Pete Townshend, review, Roger Daltrey, THE WHO
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