Category Archives: GIG REVIEWS

Gig review: SLAM CARTEL – Carlisle, Hastings, 27 March 2017

“It’s quite overwhelming having all these people singing these songs back at us,” lead singer, Gary Moffat, tells the audience at the Carlisle at one point during tonight’s gig. Clearly, the Kent-based hard rock outfit, Slam Cartel, have something of … Continue reading

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Gig review: ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO – Bush Hall, London, 5 April 2017

Alejandro Escovedo

Alejandro Escovedo is playing his first European shows with a  full band in over five years and tonight’s London show sees him roughly two thirds if the way through the tour. Support comes from his back-up band for these dates, … Continue reading

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Gig review: RAY RUSSELL 70TH BIRTHDAY SHOW – 606 Club, London, 03 April 2017

RAY RUSSELL 70TH BIRTHDAY SHOW – 606 Club, London, 03 April 2017

Ray Russell’s 70th birthday bash is a reminder of a bygone era when creativity, improvisation and inspiration met musical virtuosity full on, in an unfettered fashion. Tonight might be Ray’s milestone birthday, but there’s not a slack musical moment in … Continue reading

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Gig review: HOLY HOLY – Shepherds Bush Empire, London, 30 March 2017

HOLY HOLY - Shepherds Bush Empire, London, 30 March 2017

“He’s fucking sacked us,” Spiders bass player, Trevor Bolder, was seen to mouth when David Bowie announced at the Hammersmith Odeon in October 1973 that it would be the final Ziggy show ever. Tragically, like Bowie, Bolder and his former … Continue reading

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Gig review: BLACKBERRY SMOKE – Roundhouse, London, 28 March 2017

Blackberry Smoke

I was already a fan of this band’s eclectic mix of blues, hard rock, boogie and country before seeing one of their gigs.  Afterwards, I was ready to declare them my new favourite live act.  Excellent show. That said, the … Continue reading

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Gig review: JFK BLUE – Old Finchleians, London, 26 March 2017

JFK BLUE – Old Finchleians, London, 26 March 2017

JFK Blue is a new band on the rock/blues circuit and tonight they take a step up by opening for the Stevie Nimmo Trio at the new ‘Spirit of the Torrington’ club at the Old Finchleians, Finchley. They immediately remind … Continue reading

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Gig review: ALBERT HAMMOND Album Launch Party – Regent Street Cinema, London, 29 March 2017

ALBERT HAMMOND Album Launch Party – Regent Street Cinema, London, 29 March 2017

The swish surrounding for the official launch of Albert Hammond (OBE)’s new ‘In Symphony’ orchestral album is everything you might expect for a singer songwriter who has enjoyed 30 chart-topping hits in various pop, r&b, country, adult contemporary and Latin … Continue reading

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Gig review: L.A. GUNS – The Islington Academy, London, 25 March 2017

Having recently reunited after a ten year break, L.A. Guns vocalist Phil Lewis and Tracii Guns have just finished a UK tour which found the still popular band rolling back the years and sounding as good, and fresh, as they … Continue reading

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Gig review: MIKE + THE MECHANICS Album Launch Party – The Imperial, London, 28 March 2017

MIKE + THE MECHANICS Album Launch Party – The Imperial, London, 28 March 2017

What are we to make of this Mike + The Mechanics album launch party on the back of a nearly completed UK tour and a recent high profile Royal Albert Hall date? The answer is probably that the band wish … Continue reading

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Gig review: ANDERSON RABIN AND WAKEMAN – Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, 24 March 2017

ANDERSON RABIN AND WAKEMAN – Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, 24 March 2017

For anyone who has seen my profile picture on the site it may come as something of a surprise to find that I was too young to appreciate Yes during their 70’s heyday. No, for me my interest was piqued … Continue reading

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Gig review: THUNDER – Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow, 22 March 2017

THUNDER – Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow, 22 March 2017

I have been a Thunder fan for more years than I care to remember, in fact I was a fan of the guys right back in the big trousered and big haired days of Terraplane, which is showing my age … Continue reading

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Gig review: HARD ROCK HELL AOR – Pwllheli, 9-12 March 2017

Lita Ford - HARD ROCK HELL AOR - Pwllheli, 9-12 March 2017

The HRH franchise is probably the most successful of these three day indoor events and rightly so, they found a spot in the market and have developed a fluid, tightly run operation that always delivers. The AOR weekend was slightly … Continue reading

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Gig review: WINTER’S END FESTIVAL – Poole, 24-26 February 2017

WINTER

With the resounding success of sister event Rockstock, Planet Rock seized on the idea to stage another event this time in the south of England in Poole, a somewhat neglected area for touring rock bands.   I think it is safe … Continue reading

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Gig review: ROD STEWART – 02 Arena, London, 27 February 2017

ROD STEWART- 02 Arena, London, 27 February 2017

The death of so many stars in 2016 – from Bowie and Prince to Rick Parfitt and George Michael – makes it all the more imperative that we catch the greats of rock and pop while we still can. One … Continue reading

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Gig review: MIKE + THE MECHANICS – Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, 15 March 2017

MIKE + THE MECHANICS - Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, 15 March 2017

With only two tracks from the album featured in the set, the Word Of Mouth Tour 2017 billing – to celebrate that album’s 25th anniversary last year, turned out to be something of a misnomer. But, let’s be honest, the … Continue reading

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Gig review: LITA FORD – Islington Academy, London, 12 March 2017

LITA FORD - Islington Academy, London, 12 March 2017

From lead guitarist in the pioneering all-girl The Runaways to eighties metal queen, to glamorous MTV darling, Lita Ford has truly been one of the trailblazers for the still underrepresented sisterhood of women in heavy rock. However it has been … Continue reading

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Gig review: BLACK STAR RIDERS – ABC, Glasgow, 9 March 2017

BLACK STAR RIDERS – ABC, Glasgow, 9 March 2017

The set list of tonight’s show spoke volumes about how Black Star Riders have developed over the last few years. The fact that it only contained one Thin Lizzy number shows that BSR have now thrown off the ‘band formally … Continue reading

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Gig review: MIKE TRAMP – The Black Heart, Camden, 8 March 2017

MIKE TRAMP- The Black Heart, Camden, 8 March 2017

His accent may blend his Danish roots with the twang of Brooklyn where he had his greatest professional success, but former White Lion and Freak of Nature singer Mike Tramp is very much an Anglophile. This manifests itself in his … Continue reading

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Gig review: THE DARKER MY HORIZON – The Acoustic Couch, Bracknell, 11 March 2017

The Darker My Horizon

The Acoustic Couch is a new live music venue in Bracknell, which it has to be said isn’t the easiest to find tucked away under a car park in a back street. Still once inside it is a fair sized … Continue reading

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Gig review: SABATON / ACCEPT – 117 Piraeus Academy, Athens, 8 March 2017

Twilight Force

European Power Metal has always enjoyed a healthy level of support in my home country but not even the most optimistic of music fans would expect that a venue as big as the Academy (can accommodate approximately 1600 people), of … Continue reading

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Gig review: THE ANSWER – Engine Rooms, Southampton, 2 March 2017

THE ANSWER – Engine Rooms, Southampton, 2 March 2017

This was the fourth date of the band’s short ‘In This Land’ tour, visiting most corners of the UK. The Southampton corner turned out to be a modern, exposed-pipework warehouse of a venue on the wharf road just round the … Continue reading

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Gig review: BLUE OCTOBER – Islington O2 Academy, 4 March 2017

BLUE OCTOBER - Islington O2 Academy, 4 March 2017

Shortly before the UK tour, David Randall chatted to Justin Furstenfeld for Get Ready to ROCK! Radio.  In the first hour of his weekly show, David plays tracks from the current and recent albums whilst asking Justin about the band’s … Continue reading

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Gig review: DAN REED NETWORK / Vega – Live Rooms, Chester, 4 March 2017

DAN REED NETWORK - Live Rooms, Chester, 4 March 2017

Chatting to two excellent songsmiths recently – Blue October’s Justin Furstenfeld and Dan Reed – I suggested to them that modern songcraft isn’t what it used to be and that we were unlikely to be whistling many contemporary tunes in … Continue reading

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Gig review: BLUES EXPLOSION – Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, London, 26 February 2017

Blues Explosion is the house blues/jazz/funk band at Ronnie Scott’s and has a residency on the last Sunday of every month at this intimate venue. It’s a stylish show. Each musician is highly accomplished in their own right and the … Continue reading

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Gig review: SOTO – Camden Underworld, London, 17 February 2017

SOTO - Camden Underworld, London, 17 February 2017

Prolific vocalist Jeff Scott Soto’s well-travelled career has seen him spend brief spells with big names like Yngwie Malmsteen and Journey, participate in supergroups like Soul Sirkus and W.E.T., release albums under his own name and lend his pipes to … Continue reading

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