Category Archives: Special Events

Gig review: BLUES FEST 2014 – Royal Albert Hall, London, 28 October 2014

Posted on October 29, 2014 by petefeenstra

Georgie Fame - Blues Fest 2014, Royal Albert Hall, London, 28 October 2014

An afternoon session at the Albert Hall for the 2014 Blues Fest was a pleasant surprise, as the old building opened its doors to some of smaller rooms to house a wide array of exciting blues talent. Perhaps it was … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged Andy Fairweather Lowe, Blues Fest 2014, Bob Dylan, Carl Hudson, Floyd Dixon, Georgie Fame, gig, Horace Silver, Ian Jennings, Jimmy Copley, Jimmy McGriff, Jo Harman, London Blues Fest, Marcus Bonfanti, Mick Rogers, Micky Moody, Mike Sanchez, Mose Allison, Ray Charles, review, Robert Hart, Sonny Boy Williamson, The Bad Apples | Leave a comment

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

Posted on October 22, 2014 by andynathan

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 →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged 7th Heaven, Adriangale, AOR, Bombay Black, Chicago, Eighty Six Happiness, festival, Gary Moon, gig, Grand Design, Guardian, H.E.A.T., Heaven's Edge, House Of Shakira, Jim Peterik, Johnny Lima, Madman's Lullaby, Maxx Explosion, melodic rock, Melodic Rock Fest 4, Mitch Malloy, Paul Laine, Radio Sun, STAN BUSH, Talon, Tango Down, USA, Work Of Art | Comments Off

Gig review: JEFF LYNNE’S ELO – Hyde Park, London, 14 September 2014

Posted on September 14, 2014 by jason

A crowd of 50,000 in Hyde Park eagerly anticipating the first full live show from Jeff Lynne (billed as Jeff Lynne’s ELO) since 1986 in the UK and the last full live shows were a couple of US TV concert … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged BBC Concert Orchestra, classic pop, classic rock, ELO, gig review, Hyde Park, Jeff Lynne, Jeff Lynne's ELO, Richard Tandy, Traveling Wilburys | 1 Comment

Gig review: HIGHWAY TO HELL – Classic Grand, Glasgow, 7 September 2014

Posted on September 8, 2014 by david.wilson

I am sure that everyone is aware of the Hard Rock Hell franchise which includes the Hard Rock Hell festival, Hammerfest and Hard Rock Hell AOR/ Prog/ Blues weekends. On top of these events for the last five years Chic, … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged 7th September 2014, Afterlife, Alice Cooper, Bad Behaviour, Chic, Classic Grand, gig, Glasgow, Hammerfest, Hard Rock Hell, Highway To Hell, metal glam, Off Yer Rocka recordings, Preston, review, rock, Simon Cowell, Steve Reilly, The Texas Flood, Tom Sawyer, Wales, X Factor | Leave a comment

Gig review: CROPREDY, 7-9 August 2014 featuring STEVE HACKETT, MARILLION & FAIRPORT CONVENTION

Posted on September 8, 2014 by GRTR! HQ

It’s that time of year again when the time village of Cropredy opens its fields in preparation for the little party that Fairport Convention throws every year. Some 38 years ago they decided to have a shindig with 750 people … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged 7-9 August 2014, acoustic, Blackbeards Tea Party, Cara Dillon, Chas & Dave, Cropredy, Deborah Rose, Edwina Hayes, Fairport Convention, festival, folk, gig, Marillion, Mischa Macpherson Band, Oxfordsgire, prog, progressive, review, Steve Hackett, The Australian Pink Floyd, The Churchfitters, The Waterboys, THE WONDERSTUFF | Leave a comment

Gig review: WEYFEST, Rural Life Centre, Tilford, Surrey – 29-31 August 2014

Posted on September 3, 2014 by andynathan

Now firmly established as one of the late fixtures on the summer gig calendar, Weyfest is a festival with a very distinct vibe. The wooded setting, in an olde worlde museum of rural life with reconstructions of old buildings, could best … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged 10CC, August 2014, Big Country, blues, Deborah Bonham, Eddie & The Hot Rods, festival, gig, Jackie Lynton, Jo Harman, pop, review, rock, Sons of Icarus, Squeeze, Weyfest | Comments Off

Gig review: SOS FESTIVAL, Manchester – 19-20 July 2014

Posted on September 2, 2014 by GRTR! HQ

So here we are at the 7th SOS festival and looking at the line up it’s going to be another great year which is down to the tireless hard work and determination by all involved to bring 27 great bands … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Leave a comment

Gig review: CAMBRIDGE FOLK FESTIVAL – 31 July-3 August 2014

Posted on August 24, 2014 by GRTR! HQ

So I cast my mind back to 1994 and the very first Cambridge Folk Festival that I attended and remember the feeling of walking on-site and just thinking this is going to be very special, that was the 30th and … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged 1 August, 2 August, 3 August 2014, 31 July, Afro celt Sound System, Americana, Cambridge Folk Festival, Cara Dillon, folk, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Richard Thompson, rock, roots, Rosanne Cash, Seth Lakeman, Sinead O'Connor | Leave a comment

Gig review: CAMBRIDGE ROCK FESTIVAL – 8-10 August 2014

Posted on August 14, 2014 by GRTR! HQ

Photo: Darran Scott Arriving early afternoon on Saturday, and focusing on the main stage, I was blown away by the confidence and vitality of my first band, Walkway. Somehow the young Suffolk band had slipped under my radar as their … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged 8-10 August 2014, Cambridge Rock Festival, Cloud Atlas, Fireroad, FM, gig, Jorn Lande, Mostly Autumn, Pearl Handled Revolver, review, Walkway, Wishbone Ash | Leave a comment

Gig review: MOONDANCE JAM – Walker, Minnesota, 17-19 July 2014

Posted on August 5, 2014 by andynathan

There cannot be many places that match the ambience of Moondance Jam as a rock festival, set in beautiful countryside of woods and lakes in northern Minnesota and with the friendliest atmosphere that can be imagined. Surely the Mid-West of … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged ALTER BRIDGE, AOR, Autograph, Badfinger, classic rock, Don Felder, festival, Foreigner, George Thorogood, gig, melodic rock, Moondance Jam, REO Speedwagon, Styx, USA, Wallflowers | Comments Off

Gig review – DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL, Donington Park, Leicestershire, 13-15 June 2014

Posted on July 6, 2014 by andynathan

When it comes to UK festivals that specialise in rock, no one does it bigger than Download and its sheer size offers real choice for a variety of tastes. While not specifically a classic rock festival, there is still enough … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged 13-15 June 2014, Aerosmith, ALTER BRIDGE, Dan Reed Network, Donington Park, Download, Download Festival, gig, Joe Bonamassa, Leicestershire, review, Status Quo, THE ANSWER, The Temperance Movement, Twisted Sister, Winger | Comments Off

Gig Review: FRONTIERS ROCK FESTIVAL, Italy, 1-3 May 2014

Posted on May 14, 2014 by andynathan

Frontiers Rock Festival, Italy, May 2014

Famous Italian bands can be counted on the fingers of one hand, yet it is an Italian label, Frontiers Records, who have emerged as the world force in melodic rock. Starting with the underground acts, they have accumulated a huge … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged Adrenaline Rush, AOR, Crazy Lixx, Danger Danger, Eclipse, festival, Frontiers, gig, Hardline, Issa, Italy, Jake E Lee, Jeff Scott Soto, John Waite, LRS, May 2014, melodic rock, Moonland, Night Ranger, Pretty Maids, Red Dragon Cartel, review, Snakecharmer, Stryper, Tesla, Three Lions, W.E.T., Winger | Comments Off

Gig review: HARD ROCK HELL BLUES – Pwllheli, 21-22 March 2014

Posted on May 2, 2014 by GRTR! HQ

Pontus Snibb - Hard Rock Hell Blues, Pwllheli, 21-22 March 2013

Friday 21 March Kicking off the blues stage properly for the festival was Crowsaw, a hard hitting 3 piece blues outfit from South Wales whose riff driven blues rock sparks a glimmer of life in the bleary eyed yet enthusiastic … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged Band Of Friends, blues, Graine Duffy, Hard Rock Hell Blues, March 2014, Pontus Snibb, Pwllheli, rock, Simon McBride, Vargas Blues Band | Leave a comment

Gig review: HARD ROCK HELL PROG – Pwllheli, 21-22 March 2014

Posted on May 2, 2014 by GRTR! HQ

The Flower Kings - Hard Rock Hell Prog, Pwllheli, 21-22 March 2014

Thursday 20 March Amongst the highlights on the first night Synaesthesia only had a few gigs under their belts but gave us a great keyboard driven modern prog rock set. With most of their music being written by 20 year … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged Fish, Flower Kings, Focus, gig, Hard Rock Hell Prog, Hawklords, March 2014, progressive, review, rock, The Enid | Leave a comment

Gig review: HARD ROCK HELL AOR – Pwllheli, 21-22 March 2014

Posted on May 2, 2014 by GRTR! HQ

Bonafide - Hard Rock Hell AOR, 21 March 2014

Friday 21 March Hailing from Stoke on Trent, I was eager to see how Lawless were to be received by the HRH family, playing live on the Friday as part of their Mad March Tour, which already had seen a … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Leave a comment

Gig review: HAMMERFEST – Pwllheli, Wales, 13-15 March 2014

Posted on April 20, 2014 by GRTR! HQ

It’s been a long cold wet winter but now is the time for the Hammer Horde to rise up and make their way to the first of the HRH festivals of the year, Hammerfest VI Book Of The Dead. Now … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged 13-15 March 2014, Book Of The Dead, COC, Death, Enthroned, Extreme, Grand Magus, Hafan Y Mor, Hammerfest VI, Kreator, metal, Monster Truck, Overkill, Pwllheli, Thrash, Unleashed, Vintage Caravan, Wales | Leave a comment

Gig review: MAGNUM Album Launch, Robin 2, Bilston, 25 March 2014

Posted on March 26, 2014 by GRTR! HQ

Interview with Tony Clarkin of Magnum, first broadcast on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, 2 March 2014 (3:23) There is a longer extract of this interview together with the album review here 250+ eager fans awaited the launch and their … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged 25 March 2014, Al Atkins, album, Bilston, Bob Catley, Escape From The Shadow Garden, gig, Harry James, launch, Magnum, Mark Stanway, review, Robin 2, Rodney Matthews, Tony Clarkin | Leave a comment

Gig review: HARD ROCK HELL 7 – Pwllheli, Wales, 28-30 November 2013

Posted on December 10, 2013 by GRTR! HQ

Roll Up, Roll Up, Roll Up (Rizlas? ed.) for the greatest show on earth, this certainly encompasses the feeling around the HRH community as “Hard Rock Hell 7 – Cirque De Rock” rolls into its now well established new home … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged 28-30 November 2013, AIRBOURNE, Alunah, Arthur Brown, Attica Rage, Bernie Torme, Black Spiders, Black Star Riders, Blaze Bayley, Cage The Gods, festival, Hard Rock Hell 7, heavy rock, Kyrbgriner, metal, Michael Monroe, Pat McManus, Paul Di'Anno, Phil Campbell, Pwllheli, Skindred, THE ANSWER, THE JOKERS, The Screaming Eagles, The Treatment, Wales | Leave a comment

Gig review: FIREFEST X, Nottingham Rock City, 18-20 October 2013

Posted on October 26, 2013 by GRTR! HQ

Firefest’s status as almost a world convention for melodic hard rock seems to grow with each passing year. This year’s Festival was virtually sold out months in advance, reflecting the strongest line up to date and a festival that has … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged 18-20 October 2013, AOR, Bobby Kimball, Brighton Rock, Dare, Eclipse, Eden's Curse, festival, Firefest, gig, Graham Bonnet, Hardline, Harem Scarem, HEAT, Heaven's Edge, melodic rock, Nottingham Rock City, Prophet, review, Shooting Star, Treat, Vixen, Von Groove, WET, Work Of Art, X | Leave a comment

Gig review: MELODIC ROCK FEST – Arlington Heights, Chicago, USA, 27-29 September 2013

Posted on October 15, 2013 by andynathan

For nearly two decades, Australian Andrew McNiece has been the ringmaster and champion of the worldwide melodic rock community through his website www.melodicrock.com , which brought many of us together at a time when this type of music had been … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged Adriangale, AOR, Brett Walker, Coldspell, Eclipse, Eric Martin, festivals, Glen Burtnik, Harem Scarem, Heaven and Earth, House of Lords, Jeff Paris, Jimi Jamison, Kelly Keeling, Mecca, melodic rock, NEWMAN, No love Lost, Robert Tepper, Steve Augeri, Tango Down, Ted Poley, WET | Leave a comment

Gig review: CROPREDY, 8-10 August 2013

Posted on September 8, 2013 by GRTR! HQ

34 years ago, an English electric folk band played what was intended to be there final show in a field in Cropredy village, Oxfordshire. However, as the saying goes, ‘best laid plans’, a reunion tour was announced shortly after and … Continue reading →

Posted in GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged 10CC, Alice Cooper, Ciara Algar, Cropredy, Dunwells, Fairport Convention, festival, folk, gig, Gregg Russell, Levellers, Martin Barre, Medieval Babes, review, rock | Leave a comment

Gig review: CAMBRIDGE ROCK FESTIVAL, 1-4 August 2013

Posted on September 4, 2013 by GRTR! HQ

Haggis Farm Polo Club, Cambridgeshire Back in 2004 the first Rockingbeerfest three day festival took place under the blackened skies and torrential rain, quite contrastingly here we are today celebrating the 10th anniversary in 31degree bright sunshine. Under the leadership … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged 1-4 August 2013, Bonafide, Cambridge Rock Festival, Caravan, Deborah Bonham, festival, gig, Hazel O'Connor, Magnum, Praying Mantis, Quireboys, review, rock, The Animals | Leave a comment

Gig review: SOLFEST, Cumbria, 23-25 August 2013

Posted on September 1, 2013 by GRTR! HQ

Solfest is a small festival with a big heart. It’s a celebration of music and community. Solfest feels like an enormous family reunion and perhaps even more so this year as it was Solfests 10th Anniversary. To celebrate the occasion … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged 23-25 August 2013, Cumbria, festival, Flogging Molly, folk, Maximo Park, New Model Army, rock, Solfest, The Joy Formidable, The Undertones | Leave a comment

Gig review: SOS Festival, Manchester, 20-21 July 2013

Posted on August 21, 2013 by GRTR! HQ

Now in it’s sixth year, SOS festival is a chance for Rocksector Records to showcase it’s impressive repertoire of rock and metal acts alongside other established and emerging artists. Tucked in a pocket of Radcliffe, within ten miles of the … Continue reading →

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS, Special Events | Tagged 21-22 July 2013, Babylon Fire, Dave Evans, Eocene, festival, gig, Manchester, Massive Wagons, Radcliffe Centre, review, Rocksector Records, SOS Festival, Wizz Wizzard | Leave a comment

Gig review: STEELHOUSE FESTIVAL – Ebbw Vale, 27 July 2013

Posted on August 3, 2013 by GRTR! HQ

High up in the hills, at Hafod-Y-Dafal farm in South Wales, the third annual Steelhouse Festival is now an established Rock and Metal weekender. Tickets were modestly priced at £65 all weekend or £40 a day, including adult and family … Continue reading →