Tonight I headed out to The Picturedrome in Holmfirth as The Dead Daisies brought their Summer Tour 2018 to Yorkshire. The Dead Daisies aren’t actually a group, as such, but a collective of musicians assembled, only five years ago, by David Lowy and Jon Stevens. The Antipodean Simon Cowell and Simon Fuller? As …
Read More »Takeaway Thieves – Waterloo Music Bar, Blackpool, June 16th 2018 (acoustic set)
You know when you see a band for the first time and you know they have the X factor? Well the Takeaway Thieves have the whole alphabet and enough letters left for the Countdown conundrum! This Saturday lunchtime acoustic set recorded for a future CD release at the Waterloo Music …
Read More »Monster Magnet – Gorilla, Manchester: 31st May 2018
A very hot, very close day in Manchester led into a very hot and close evening at the sold out Gorilla when Monster Magnet came to play! Bang on time opening act iPendej0 took to the stage, they’re from Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands, but their lyrics are Urban Spanish hence …
Read More »Speaker First – The Ruby Lounge, Manchester: 8th May 2018
If you said Indonesian music to me my first thought would have been the Gamelan, it’s not a country I really associate with rock music. A fortnight ago I had never even heard of the band Speaker First, that was until I got a press release through announcing their debut …
Read More »Aussie Wrecking Crew Tour, The Eagle Inn, Salford – 13th October 2016
The Aussie Wrecking Crew Tour saw Massive, Tequila Mockingbyrd and Black Aces, three bands from the new wave of Australian rock ‘n’ roll heading out on a Eurpoean Tour starting in Berlin, Germany in September and travelling through Denmark, Sweden, Norway, The Netherlands and today, the last day of this UK …
Read More »StOp, sToP – The Slade Rooms, Wolverhampton: 1st October 2016
As the season saunters into autumn I found myself at The Slade Rooms in Wolverhampton for the second time in my life this time to see StOp, sToP a flamboyant three piece originally from Barcelona and Bulgaria and now based, not too far from Wolverhampton, in sunny (sometimes) Birmingham. Opening …
Read More »Warrior Soul – The Barfly, Camden: 3rd June 2016
On the eve of Camden Rocks Festival 2016, Warrior Soul played a show at The Barfly, Camden with support from The Black Bullets and The Main Grains. Warrior Soul and The Main Grains also played Camden Rocks Festival but with 200 bands to see I decided it would make more …
Read More »The Vintage Caravan – Ruby Lounge, Manchester: 27th October 2015
The Vintage Caravan were founded in Iceland in 2006 by singer Óskar Logi and former drummer Guðjón Reynisson, who were only 12 years old at the time. In 2012 they were joined by Alexander Örn on bass and released their second studio album Voyage in their home country, before it …
Read More »Michael Monroe/Hardcore Superstar – Club Academy, Manchester, 12th October 2015
A veritable Smörgåsbord came to Manchester Club Academy last Monday. With Michael Monroe from Finland and his band, which brings together celebrated musicians who have played with such greats as Hanoi Rocks, New York Dolls, Dogs D’Amour and Danzig, to name but a few. I was anticipating some top notch …
Read More »The Quireboys Acoustic – Sheffield Corporation, 8th February 2014
I first saw The Quireboys at Manchester International II in the early nineties. I’ve seen them a couple of times since then, make that around twenty times! Manchester International II has now been demolished and a block of flats stand in it’s place. Since my first gig The Quireboys have …
Read More »Volbeat – Manchester Academy, 18th October 2013
I caught Danish Rock Band Volbeat at Manchester Academy during their ‘Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies’ tour. With American metal band Iced Earth as the main support act and London based Punk Rockers The Howling being opening act on the UK leg of the tour I was expecting a spectacular show …
Read More »The Quireboys – Club Academy, Manchester, 15th October 2013
Having seen The Quireboys many times over the past twenty years, or so, I was looking forward to a night of good old Rock ‘n’ Roll when I headed down the stairs to Club Academy, Manchester. A venue which reminds me of a school dining hall, although there wasn’t a …
Read More »Zico Chain – Sound Control, Manchester, 10th October 2013
For the penultimate night of their sixteen date UK tour Zico Chain came to Sound Control, Manchester. The venue has different rooms and today’s gig was taking place on the ground floor. A smallish venue with, on the minus side, pesky pillars but on the plus side, a bit of …
Read More »Reckless Love – Academy 3, Manchester, 1st October 2013
Just one month after the release of their third album – Spirit, Finnish Glam Rock band Reckless Love came over to the UK for a 9 date UK tour. The opening night conveniently (for me) being at Manchester Academy 3. Support came in the form of Australian born Laura Wilde …
Read More »Paradise Lost, Insomnium, Vreid at King Tut’s, Glasgow – 23/4/12
I was looking forward to the tonight’s gig at King Tut’s with Paradise Lost, Insomnium and Vreid gracing the stage. Paradise Lost had just released their 13th studio album ‘Tragic Idol‘ that day so was really looking forward to hearing some more of the new tracks live and as well …
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