Tag Archives: festival

Gig review: FIREFEST – Manchester Academy, 11-13 October 2024

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For a decade through to 2014, Firefest built a reputation that most festivals would kill for. It wasn’t just the stellar line ups of melodic hard rock acts, from the rising stars through to long dormant bands from the eighties … Continue reading

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Gig review: STONEDEAD FESTIVAL – Newark Showground – 23,24 August 2024

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Since the first Stonedead (or Stonedeaf as it was back then) the festival has gone from strength to strength driven by word of mouth and a very active Facebook group. Each year has sold out that bit sooner than the … Continue reading

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Gig review: FIREVOLT FESTIVAL – Whitebottom Farm, Stockport, 9-11 August 2024

FIREVOLT FESTIVAL- Whitebottom Farm, Stockport, 9-11 August 2024

I will freely tell anyone who will listen that Firevolt has, within a very short space of time, become my favourite festival in the UK. The festival is in beautiful surroundings, on a farm at the end of a delightful … Continue reading

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Gig review: MAID OF STONE FESTIVAL – Mote Park, Maidstone, Kent, 20 July 2024

MAID OF STONE FESTIVAL- Mote Park, Maidstone, Kent, 20 July 2024

Over its five years Ramblin’ Man Festival in Kent established itself as one of the festivals of choice for us middle-aged rockers with a relaxed atmosphere and selection of bands from variety of classic rock genres, both old and new. … Continue reading

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Gig review: MALMO MELODIC – Plan B, Malmo, Sweden, 27-29 July 2024

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Scandinavia, and Sweden in particular, is the undisputed epicentre of the melodic rock community with a seemingly endless stream of bands emerging. There have been festivals in Malmo pre-pandemic (Melodic Rock Fest and the Swedish AOR Convention) so when last … Continue reading

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Gig review: TOWER OF FIRE FESTIVAL – Rebellion, Manchester, 29 June 2024

TOWER OF FIRE FESTIVAL- Rebellion, Manchester, 29 June 2024

Although the UK live scene is thriving, thanks largely to the efforts of the New Wave of Classic Rock movement, those of us with a specific interest in the melodic rock and AOR scene, weaned on the glory years of … Continue reading

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Gig review: CALL OF THE WILD FESTIVAL – Lincolnshire Showground, Lincoln – 24th to 26th May 2024

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Upon arrival at the showground I was taken to get checked in and get my press pass. After a short wait I was greeted by “Tosh” who was one of the friendliest guys I’ve ever met and he introduced me … Continue reading

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Gig review: JANUARY BLUES FESTIVAL (Laurence Jones, Ben Poole) – The Forge, Camden, London, 23 and 24 January 2024

January Blues Festival, blues rock, Laurence Jones, Ben Poole, Guy Smeets, gig, festival

For many years now the January Blues Festival has given the traditionally quiet gig calendar a welcome boost in that most depressing of months and showcased a variety of artists old and new. The 100 Club was its traditional habitat … Continue reading

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Gig review: HRH XVI – Great Yarmouth, November 2-4 2023

HRH XVI

So if Storm Ciaran had plans to disrupt HRH, they failed dismally, whilst the storm hit and disrupted lots of travel plans, impacting arrivals on Thursday, the HRH faithful turned up in their masses ready to rock out and party. … Continue reading

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Gig review: STONEDEAD FESTIVAL – Newark Showground, 25-26 August 2023

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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

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Gig review: FIREVOLT FESTIVAL- Whitebottom Farm, Stockport, 11-13 August 2023

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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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Gig review: BILLY JOEL- British Summer Time, Hyde Park, London, 7 July 2023

BILLY JOEL- British Summer Time, Hyde Park, London, 7 July 2023

Sandwiched between Bruce Springsteen’s two British Summer Time dates at Hyde Park came another American legend from the East Coast and of a similar vintage in Billy Joel. Just like my two previous sightings of the New Yorker at Wembley … Continue reading

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Gig review: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND – British Summer Time Hyde Park, 6 July 2023

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND- British Summer Time Hyde Park, 6 July 2023

A regular visitor to these shores in recent years, Bruce Springsteen had not been in the UK since ‘The River’ tour seven years ago. So when a pair of dates were announced at Hyde Park- his first there since the … Continue reading

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Gig review: GUNS N’ ROSES – British Summer Time, Hyde Park, 30 June 2023

GUNS N' ROSES- British Summer Time, Hyde Park, 30 June 2023

The self proclaimed most dangerous band in the world are now comfortable enough elder statesmen to play the most mainstream of festivals, that back in the day they would either never have played, or the organisers probably wouldn’t have had … Continue reading

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Album review: THE PAT McMANUS BAND – Live In France

THE PAT McMANUS BAND - Live In France

The Store For Music [Release date 21.07.23] It’s about time we had a new live album from Pat McManus.  In August 2022 he recorded his gig as part of the Tribal Rock festival nestling above the Cote d’Azur in south-east … Continue reading

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Feature: GRTR!@20 – The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness – THE DARKNESS (January 2023)

The GRTR! Grotto of Greatness

The band that put the fun back into rock… Photo: Darren Griffiths Launching our anniversary series in January 2023, a band whose rise we followed from 2003 when they released their debut album ‘Permission To Land’.  A year later the … Continue reading

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News: JOURNEY, REVOLUTION SAINTS, STONEDEAD, (November 2022)

The original line-up of Biohazard has reformed and play a series of summer festival dates including Bloodstock next year. The band are also planning to record new music. Buckcherry have completed work on their tenth studio album due for release … Continue reading

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Gig review: QUARANTUNE ROCKS 2022, The Victoria Bikers Pub, Coalville 21 & 22 October 2022

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A group of rock music fans who supported each other during Lockdown gathered at the Victoria Bikers Pub, Coalville on 21-22 October, for Quarantune Rocks 2022, a weekend of live music supporting new rock bands and small music venues. “For … Continue reading

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Gig review: A NEW DAY FESTIVAL- Mount Ephraim Gardens, Faversham, Kent, 19-21 August 2022

A NEW DAY FESTIVAL- Mount Ephraim Gardens, Faversham, Kent, 19-21 August 2022

In the beautiful setting of the grounds of Mount Ephraim House deep in the ‘Garden of England’, A New Day Festival has always intrigued me with some impressive line ups, mainly, though not exclusively, featuring classic bands from the seventies, … Continue reading

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Gig review: FIRESTORM MCR – Whitebottom Farm, Stockport, 12-14 August 2022

FIRESTORM MCR- Whitebottom Farm, Stockport, 12-14 August 2022

One of the consequences of the current wretched state of our world in 2022 is that, even though live music has returned from its Covid hiatus, travelling abroad for both fans and bands has become logistically more difficult, and we … Continue reading

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Album review: SLADE – All The World Is A Stage

SLADE - All The World Is A Stage

BMG [Release date 09.09.22] British glam hard rock legends Slade ruled the world in the early to mid 70s, and quickly built up a fearsome live reputation. With Noddy Holder’s trademark vocals, the Holder/Jim Lea penned songs, Don Powell’s driving … Continue reading

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Gig review: CORNBURY Music Festival – The Great Tew Park, Oxfordshire, 8-10 July 2022

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Friday 8 July So good to be back at Cornbury as it has been three long years since the last one. Sadly this year’s is billed as the Last Hurrah, although the organiser Hugh has said that before… Tears in … Continue reading

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Gig review: EAGLES – British Summer Time, Hyde Park, 26 June 2022

EAGLES- British Summer Time, Hyde Park, 26 June 2022

In a week that saw performances from the most legendary names in British rock history- Paul McCartney at Glastonbury, Queen’s residency at the O2 and Elton John and the Stones on the preceding two nights in Hyde Park – it … Continue reading

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Gig Review: BEARDED THEORY’S SPRING GATHERING – Catton Park, 26-29 May 2022

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When asked “How was Bearded Theory?”, the short answer is “Awesome! Brilliant! I had the best weekend!”. The long answer that I want to give is this… THURSDAY 26TH MAY We were really lucky and arrived on Wednesday, so Thursday … Continue reading

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Gig review: DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL, Donington Park, Leicestershire, 10-12 June 2022

DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL, Donington Park, Leicestershire, 10-12 June 2022

A year ago a special pilot event at Download pointed the way for live music to return:  now in 2022 the UK’s biggest rock and metal festival was back in a recognisable format. It was the biggest sign yet that … Continue reading

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