Category Archives: ALL POSTS

Album review: MOCKINGBIRD – Live Cuts! Wizzfest, Belgium 2013

      Self Release (Release date – 20th July 2013) All too often new bands try too hard to conform to the latest trends and jump on whatever bandwagon is doing the rounds at that point. It’s refreshing then … Continue reading

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Album review: OLIVA – Raise the Curtain

AFM Records Oliva is of course Jon Oliva of Jon Oliva’s Pain, Savatage and Trans Siberian-Orchestra (TSO) fame and this is his solo album. It differs from his JO Pain albums in that he handles most of the instruments himself, … Continue reading

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Album review: MAT SINNER – Back To The Bullet

Re-issue AFM Records Mat Sinner released this long lost solo album back in 1990 in between releases from his own band Sinner and long before the formation of his current band, Primal Fear. AFM have seen fit to re-release Back … Continue reading

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Gig review: STEVE WINWOOD, The Lowry, Salford, 24 June 2013

STEVE WINWOOD, The Lowry, Salford, 24 June 2013

If Steve Winwood’s only banter tonight included playful reference to both the ‘vintage’ crowd and the vintage music,  we didn’t need to worry.  The sheer historical potency – and nostalgia – was what the vintage crowd expected and what Winwood … Continue reading

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Gig Review : STATUS QUO – Falkirk Stadium, Falkirk, 23 June 2013

This gig was part of a weekend billed as ‘Rockin’ The Stadium’ which saw the home ground of the mighty Falkirk FC being taken over for a musical extravaganza. Days one and two were of little interest and didn’t exactly … Continue reading

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Album review: EMILY MAGUIRE – Bird Inside A Cage

Emily Maguire - Bird Inside A Cage

GRTR! only ‘discovered’ British born singer songwriter Emily Maguire with the release of her third album – ‘Believer’ – in 2009.  As a calling card it was a sufficiently strong hand to make me browse her back catalogue and the … Continue reading

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Gig review: TRACER, The Plug, Sheffield, 8 June 2013

Tracer - Sheffield, The Plug, 8 June 2013

As normal with gigs at The Plug they are preceded with an afternoon session at Nelsons Rock bar which also usually hosts any aftershow meet and greets that are happening. This works very well as the bar is just round … Continue reading

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Album review: THE DOOBIE BROTHERS – Live At Wolf Trap

Eagle Records/ Eagle Vision [Release date 25.05. 12] Somebody once said that despite having sold over 40 million records The Doobie Brothers could probably walk into your local pub and nobody would recognise them. And while that is stretching a point … Continue reading

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News: ASIA announce new studio album and August festival appearance

ASIA Begins recording album tomorrow, new line-up live shows ‘amazing’ John Wetton, Geoff Downes and Carl Palmer and new recruit guitarist Sam Coulson have certainly hit the ground running.  Following Sam’s debut at a fully sold-out warm up show at … Continue reading

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Album Review: MILLENIUM – Ego

Millenium - Ego

Lynx Music  [Release date 25 May 2013] Despite the wave of fabulous progressive rock emanating from Eastern Europe at the moment, don’t get the idea that Millenium are just another new Polish band riding on the coat-tails of the likes … Continue reading

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Gig review: THE MOODY BLUES, London O2 Arena, 21 June 2013

The Moody Blues, London O2 Arena, 21 June 2013

First time seeing a rock concert at the O2 (my previous trip was to see my daughter performing as part of the massed choirs in Voice In A Million) and it’s an impressive venue, with a sound better than Wembley … Continue reading

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DVD review: FRANK ZAPPA – A Token Of His Extreme

Eagle Vision [Release date 04.06.13] What’s not to like about a TV special featuring Zappa in an intimate concert setting with one of the very best fusion line-ups of his career? It doesn’t get much better than this, though the fact … Continue reading

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Gig Review: DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL – DAY 3 – Donington Park, 16 June 2013

When the alarm went off on Sunday morning it was a struggle to drag myself out of bed. After two days of rocking I was suffering from a bad case of metal fatigue (sorry!) but soon rallied at the thought … Continue reading

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Quick plays: UGLY GUYS, JOEL SARAKULA, NOEGA, MAD CHICKENS

The Ugly Guys - Lost In the Badlands

UGLY GUYS – Lost in the Badlands Angel Air www.angelair.co.uk The Ugly Guys feature Paul Shuttleworth and Vic Collins from the legendary 70’s pub rock band the Kursaal Flyers and the band take their name from a Kursaal Flyers song. … Continue reading

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Interview: 10Q’s with ROBERT ORTIZ (ESCAPE THE FATE)

Jasmine Ritchie pops a few questions to drummer Robert Ortiz of Escape The Fate following their recent appearance at Download. They are back in the UK for the Vans Warped date at Alexandra Palace on 16th November and are set … Continue reading

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News: HAKEN release their new album ‘The Mountain’ in September

London-based progressive metal band Haken have been working hard on their third album and follow-up to 2011’s brilliantly received ‘Visions’. Now the band is extremely pleased to announce that the record will be titled ‘The Mountain’ and is set for … Continue reading

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Album review: X CONTRACT – Territory:Hours

X CONTRACT - Territory:Hours

Phillipa Records [Release date 19.08.13] Given the Brits love affair with all things Danish after the great success of ‘The Killing’ TV crime series, X Contract should clean up.  We really liked their debut in 2012  – ‘Dearest Dream’ – … Continue reading

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Gig Review : DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL – DAY 2 – Donington Park,15 June 2013

Saturday dawned bright, sunny and cold!  It was an early start to ensure we were in prime position for the opening band of the day, rock legends UFO.  My fellow scribe, Andy Nathan, was another early riser, keen to see … Continue reading

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Album review: TARJA – Colours In The Dark

Ear Music [Release date 02.09.13] Tarja Turunen is back with her eagerly anticipated new solo album, her first album of new material since 2010’s ‘What Lies Beneath’. The musicians featured on the album include some notable names – Doug Wimbish … Continue reading

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10Q’s with THE QUILL

The Quill’s bassist bassist Roger Nilsson answers the questions as the band release their new album ‘Tiger Blood’ and tour the UK in November… ‘Freak Parade’ official video What are you currently up to?  Right now we’re on a short … Continue reading

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Gig Review: DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL – DAY 1 – Donington Park,14 June 2013

First a quick recap of last year’s Download festival, mud, mud and more mud, oh and some cracking rock music. After the mudfest of last year even the hardiest of rock fans must have thought twice before shelling out for … Continue reading

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DVD Review: MOSTLY AUTUMN – Live At the Boerderij

Self Release [Release Date - Out Now] This is the long awaited first live Mostly Autumn DVD release with Olivia Sparnenn at the helm on lead vocals and is a double disc set also available on CD (without the three … Continue reading

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Album review: PLANET GRAFFITI – Bad News

 Planet Graffiti [Release date 01.05.13] Planet Graffiti is a Portsmouth based blues-rock power trio who have recently enjoyed 2 nationwide tours with New Jersey’s Billy Walton Band. ‘Bad News’ is their second album and despite the pessimistic title, it’s a sprightly, … Continue reading

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Album review: HAMILTON LOOMIS – Give It Back

Ham-bone Records [Release date 06.13] Some artists spend their whole careers trying to nail their sound to label and package it. Hamilton Loomis is a fiercely independent musician who stridently walks away from all that. He even left his blues … Continue reading

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Album review: ISAAK – The Longer The Beard, The Harder The Sound

Small Stone Records www.smallstone.com Italy is not the first country you would associate with stoner rock, yet Isaak hail from there and have previously released a couple of albums under Ghandi’s Gunn, but changed their name to Isaak last year. … Continue reading

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