Category Archives: ALL POSTS

Gig review: SAXON – Hammersmith (Eventim) Apollo, 15 November 2025

SAXON – Hammersmith Apollo, 15 November 2025

A wonderful evening of classic rock at Eventim Apollo (that’s the Hammersmith Odeon in English), and well attended it was too, having the aura of a sellout. And after Saxon vocalist Biff Byford’s recent health scare (now clear of cancer), … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review : SPIRIT – Sea Dream (4CD Expanded and Remastered boxset)

SPIRIT - Sea Dream

Cherry Red [Release date : 28.11.25] Californian band, Spirit, blossomed in the fertile fields of psychedelic rock. They came together in 1967, the year of “The Summer Of Love”, a year later they released their self titled debut. Its febrile … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review : CHEAP TRICK – All Washed Up

CHEAP TRICK All Washed cover

BMG [Release date 14.11.25] Cheap Trick’s best since Rockford. Some people thought it was all over, thus the tongue-in-cheek title. It’s no exaggeration to call this 40 minute album’s worth of expertly crafted songs a heavy hitting tour de force. … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gig review: KINGDOM OF MADNESS – The Carlisle, Hastings, 7 November 2025

KINGDOM OF MADNESS- The Carlisle, Hastings, 7 November 2025

Kingdom of Madness, formed by one-time Magnum keyboardist Mark Stanway and boasting four past band members or contributors, have even doing a great job recreating the classic Magnum years before the original band split up in the mid-nineties. Their touring … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review : TOKYO BLADE – Beware The Blade – Classic, Rare and Unreleased, 4 CD Boxset

TOKYO BLADE 150 Beware image

Cherry Red [Release date : 21.11.25] A 4CD boxset of the best of Tokyo Blade’s 14 albums (and more). It’s not called a “Best Of”, but that’s what it is. CD1 : selections from Midnight Rendezvous (1984) and Night Of … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS, PURE METAL (All posts), Pure Metal/Album reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gig review: MIKE TRAMP’S WHITE LION – Camden Underworld, London, 5 November 2025

MIKE TRAMP'S WHITE LION- Camden Underworld, London, 5 November 2025

The White Lion itch is one that singer Mike Tramp feels the need to scratch every so often, despite the quality of his work with Freak of Nature and more recent stripped down and more personal material. On some of … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: MEN WITHOUT HATS – On The Moon

MEN WITHOUT HATS - On The Moon

Website [Release date 14.11.25] Men Without Hats, perhaps best known by many for their 1982 hit ‘The Safety Dance’, first formed back in 1977, split in 1993, before returning briefly in 2002-03 and returned full time in 2010. Since then, … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gig review: SAXON – 02 Academy, Glasgow, 9 November 2025

SAXON – 02 Academy, Glasgow, 9 November 2025

Mention Saxon to anyone and they will probably reply with ‘Ah, Wheels Of Steel!’. This song and album have become fixtures in any self-respecting rock fans collection and one of the defining albums from the NWOBHM period. The album has … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

EP review: PARKER BARROW – Hold The Mash

PARKER BARROW - Hold the Mash

Streaming [Release date 05.11.25] Oh my goodness what have we here – with a vocalist who makes Janis Joplin sound like Mary Poppins, a pair of duelling, weaving guitars, a bass player walking in John Entwistle’s footsteps, a Hammond organ player … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: JAN AKKERMAN – My Focus Live Under The Rainbow

JAN AKKERMAN - My Focus Live Under The Rainbow

Music Theories Recordings [Release date: 12.12.25] Possibly missed by some, Jan Akkerman played a short series of dates in the UK in February 2025. Fortunately this rare excursion has been captured on a new live album. It seems that Akkerman … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: D’ERCOLE – Reactance Theory

D’ERCOLE - Reactance Theory

Rock Company [Release date 05.11.25] It’s album number eleven from D’Ercole and lost count of the number of albums featuring the talented & never seemingly out of the studio Phil Vincent! Joining him are the D’Ercole stalwarts – drummer B.F. D’Ercole, … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gig review: ROMEO’S DAUGHTER – Pizza Express, Holborn, London, 2 November 2025

P1220773 - Copy

2025 has seen Romeo’s Daughter explore a side to themselves that they have never previously pursued in their career with shows in an acoustic format. At the start of the year they recorded a live album in Barnoldswick, Yorkshire and … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gig review: GONG – Esquires, Bedford, 8 November 2025

GONG - Esquires, Bedford, 8 November 2025

There are gigs you enjoy—and then there are gigs that leave you floating somewhere between dimensions. Gong’s performance at Bedford Esquires last night was firmly in the latter category. The support act Snorkel took the stage first, the evening promised … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Single review: LAURENCE JONES – One Life

LAURENCE JONES - One Life (single)

Website  [Release date 07.11.25] Laurence Jones’ accolades and achievements are too long to write on the neck of a Stratocaster, which is just as well, as he is playing acoustic guitar on the single One Life, taken form forthcoming acoustic … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gig review: SANANDA MAITREYA – Shepherds Bush Empire, London, 5 November 2025

Sananda Maitreya

Sananda Maitreya, formerly known as Terence Trent D’Arby, returned to the UK stage after a long hiatus, bringing his eclectic blend of soul, funk, rock, and psychedelia to a devoted London crowd. With a career spanning over three decades, this … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gig review: THOSE DAMN CROWS – Shepherds Bush Empire, London, 31 October 2025

THOSE DAMN CROWS- Shepherds Bush Empire, London, 31 October 2025

Of all the many bands in the thriving New Wave of Classic Rock movement, it is Those Damn Crows who, along with Massive Wagons, have made the biggest commercial breakthrough. Indeed earlier this year their new album ‘God Shaped Hole’ … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Single review: ROSS HARDING – Me and Lucifer

ROSS HARDING – Me and Lucifer

Facebook [Release date 31.10.25] Pass me that bottle of Jack Daniels and a full on red Marlboro smoke, Ross Harding is back in town, corrupting people again, as he peddles his bluesifer devil music. He even pleads guilty m’lord, he … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gig review: GREGORY ALAN ISAKOV – 3Olympia Theatre, Dublin, 20th October 2025

GREGORY ALAN ISAKOV – 3Olympia Theatre, Dublin, 20th October 2025

I have my son to thank for turning me on to Gregory Alan Isakov’s music. As an artist, he hadn’t been on my radar, and four years ago I don’t think he was on many other radars in the UK … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: DRINK THE SEA – S/t

Drink The Sea

Website [Release date 03.10.25] It may seem an alien concept for some people, but being in a globally huge band can be tough going at times, the machine utterly taking over your life. Former R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck has always … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: SMITH & LIDDLE – Songs For The Desert

SMITH & LIDDLE - Songs For The Desert

Legere Recordings [Release date 31.10.25] There must be something in the air at the moment, or at least this year. We’ve had excellent albums from Morganway, First Time Flyers, and now Smith & Liddle. The connecting theme is melodic classic pop … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review : HELL IN THE CLUB – The Joker In The Pack

HELL IN THE CLUB - Joker In The Pack

Frontiers Music [Release date 7.11.25] The Hell In The Club line up comprised originally of ex-members of better named bands, like Elvenking (Dave Moras), Secret Sphere (Andrea Buratto) and Wrathchild (Andrea Piccardi). Of course the HITC band name is old … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: ASH WING – s/t

ASH WING

White Knight Records [Release date 07.11.25] This album is one of several that arrived at GRTR! Towers without an accompanying press release. Perhaps this is a new trend: get the journos to do the work. Again, from the Rob Reed … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Gig review: SUZANNE VEGA – Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool, 25 October 2025

SUZANNE VEGA - Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, 25 October 2025

Suzanne Vega is one of those artists whose standards have never dropped. The native New Yorker’s tours of the UK have been rather infrequent and, somehow or other, I always managed to miss out – until her performance at Liverpool’s … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, GIG REVIEWS | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Single review: KAY IRIS – The Other Side

KAY IRIS - The Other Side

Facebook [Release date 31.10.25] On an upward trajectory, Kay Iris, UK Americana band from Hastings hit the listener with a new single – The Other Side, a tale of poor man versus rich man. With an intro not dissimilar to … Continue reading

Posted in ALL POSTS, Single and EP reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Album review: CHIMPAN A – Music Is Art Vol.1

CHIMPAN A - Music Is Art Vol.1

Tigermoth Records [Release date 29.08.25] Chimpan A’s debut album was quite a revelation and one of the best low key releases of 2006. (We only got to hear of it some time later).  This off-on project is essentially Mike Oldfield … Continue reading

Posted in ALBUM REVIEWS, ALBUM REVIEWS (Mobile), ALL POSTS | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment