Opinion

It’s not every day that you see history made, but tonight it happened.  While it may not have been a record-breaking number of appearances at the venue, The Dead Daisies bassist Marco Mendoza became the first artist to take to this hallowed stage on four separate occasions with four different …

Things have changed a lot on the Northern Ireland heavy metal scene over the last 15 years or so.  At the tail end of the 1990s, the musical landscape was a lot different than it is today.  Local metallians often had to wait for the occasional big name touring band …

Ask someone to think of Norwich and most people will picture canal boat holidays, a distinct lack of hills and football teams in canary yellow shirts. Oh, and mustard. Few though will think exemplary Rock Blues music, despite some pretty notable names hailing from the idyllic county of Norfolk.  Roger …

Hard rock super group The Dead Daisies are preparing to release their third album, ‘Make Some Noise’.  Before that, they return to the UK and Ireland for some live action, starting in Dublin tomorrow (Wednesday 20 July) with a combination of four headline shows and three festival appearances over the …

It’s what every parent must dread: you save up for years to send your kids to university, only for them to turn their backs on their careers and pursue a life in Rock music. After all, who knows what the world of dentistry has lost with Queen’s Roger Taylor foregoing …

Day three of Tuska Open Air Metal Festival 2016 is about to begin: today’s big three are Gojira, Katatonia and headliners Children of Bodom. There’s been ominous rain all morning and as we head up to the arena we get a nice respite as the sun glistens over the harbour. Block Buster: …

They say ‘write what you know’ and with his latest album, Song for a Friend, former Stiltskin and Genesis front man Ray Wilson has certainly taken that advice to heart. This is the Scotsman’s fifth solo studio album and has been warmly received with some critics citing that the mostly acoustic songs it …

It’s day two of Tuska Open Air Metal Festival 2016 already and it is the hottest day of the weekend so far. I cannot wait to see some more top quality bands throughout the day at this fantastic site. Looking forward to Primordial, Obscura, Anthrax, Havok and Ghost in particular. Brymir: …

Dennis from PlanetMosh talked to NWOBHM legends Vardis after their set at Wildfire Festival.  It was their first show in Scotland for over thirty five years and their first UK gig with new bassist Martin Connolly.  

This weekend is going to be a bit exciting to say the least. Finland’s premier metal event, Tuska Open Air Metal Festival, starts tomorrow and we have just reached our comfortable apartment in Helsinki, a fifteen minute walk from the arena. Friday’s schedule has an incredible line up and I am …

Sunday:- The third and unfortunately the last day of Wildfire Festival 2016 but there are bands to be watched all day as Canterbury based Wretched Soul proceed to try and darken the blue skies at 11.30am with a visceral six song set. Opener ‘Bury The Heretic’ was nothing less than face melting …

Joanne Shaw Taylor: Special Guest of Joe Bonamassa, The Preston Guild Hall. July 2nd, 2016 She may be quite diminutive in stature, but what Joanne Shaw Taylor lacks in physique she certainly makes up for in musical and vocal strength, tearing The Preston Guild Hall apart with her sultry smooth …

Saturday :-  Day two of Wildfire Festival and after a bleary eyed walk to Wiston Lodge for a handful of bacon baps, it was time to head off for a full day of bands. A major improvement this year was having the two stages side by side with literally a few yards …

 Friday :- So here I am again, third year running for me at the fantastic Wildfire festival, run by the ever smiling Dave Ritchie. Situated in the rolling hills in the grounds of Wiston Lodge, the views are nothing short of stunning. Due to finishing work at 6.15am, catching an 8.00am …

The night after Tarja headlined the Rock on Green festival at the Forum, she played a very different show at a recording studio in West London.  In front of a tiny audience of maybe 30-40 people she played material from both her new albums – the newly released “The Brightest …

I spoke to Tarja while she was in London having performed at a one-day festival and then at a special intimate show that was being filmed. We talked about her new album “The Brightest void” and the album due out soon, “The shadow self” as well as touring and other …

Dennis Jarman from PlanetMosh talked to UK thrashers Solitary before their set at Wildfire Festival.

Dennis Jarman from PlanetMosh talked to NWOBHM legends Spartan Warrior after their set at Wildfire Festival.  

Dennis Jarman from PlanetMosh talked to Sky Valley Mistress after their electrifying set at Wildfire Festival.  

History was made over the past week as millions of people took to the polls to decide whether the United Kingdom would remain in the European Union.  With the votes counted and the results in it had been decided that we were to leave. Those who voted to remain were …