Paul Kossoff (FREE/BACKSTREET CRAWLER) remembered…

Interviewed by his daughter Besty, Mike Green on his time working with Paul Kossoff in his Back Street Crawler days…

http://www.getreadytorock.com/rock_stars/paul_kossoff.htm

Some new albums worth a listen…

Blistering Records have released a couple of gems…the new Lion’s Share album ‘Dark Hours’ is one for lovers of bands like Dio and well played power metal. Vocalist Patrick Johansson has an impressive vocal range! Covered Call are a superb melodic rock band also on Blistering Records. A nice mix of genres from pop rock to modern rock  with a couple of very tasty ballads thrown into the mix as well.

Aynsley Lister’s new album ‘Equilibrium’ highlights not only his top notch blues rock guitar playing but has some real bona fide radio friendly hits. Very impressive release. 

TXS ‘Transmission X’ on Escape Music are a new band although they have been around before as Hush releasing a couple of albums in the 90’s. If you like Stage Dolls, Von Groove etc well worth checking out.

Shadow’s Mignon ‘Midnight Masquerade’ on ProgRock Records is not a prog rock record but actually a damn fine set of metal songs not disimilar at times to the mighty Manowar. Forget HammerFall this band slay them musically with ease!

The Trews return with a new album, ‘No Time For Later’. Again a strong set of tunes from a band who deserve wider recognition over here in the UK.

Frontiers have a few good albums out including the new Great White, which is quite mellow overall and the new Hardline is finallt out in April. This keeps the band’s hard rock base but does have a few ventures into prog here and there to good effect. However, caution is needed for the new Balance album as sadly vocalist Peppi Castro has lost his power and this isn’t a very good album. The new Wetton/Downes Icon ‘III’ is also their weakest to date but if you have the other two albums this will still hit the spot.

Finally, it was due to be released in 1992 but grunge put paid to that, it is the long delayed second album by Alias (formed by ex-Sheriff and Heart members) ‘Never Say Never’ Angel Milk Records. Classic 80’s sounding AOR meets melodic hard rock and certainly worth waiting for.

Help save live music in the UK

Join Feargal Sharkey in fighting the good fight!

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/how-form-696-could-pull-the-plug-on-the-capitals-music-scene-1028240.html

 There’s more below and you can sign the petition here… http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Scrapthe696

THE PETITION TO 10 DOWNING STREET…..

The 696 Form compels licensees who wish to hold live music events in 21 London Boroughs to report to the police the names, addresses, aliases and telephone numbers of performers, and most worryingly, the likely ethnicity of their audience. Failure to comply could result in fines or imprisonment.

The 696 form can only serve to deter the staging of live musical events – a positive form of activity in London and all cities – stifle free expression and quite possible penalise certain genres of music and ethnic audiences. It is an intrusion too far.

Add you mix tapes selections…

http://stokieboy.wordpress.com/my-ideal-mix-tapes/

GRTR! radio show Thursday-Sunday

Lots of good music from tonight and my selection of tunes are featured this Sunday evening between 6pm & 7pm including classics from JOURNEY, WHITE SISTER, GIUFFRIA & CHEAP TRICK along with newer tunes from BROTHER FIRETRIBE, KHYMERA, H.E.A.T., ASIA & RAIN. Air keyboards to the fore!

Mind you tonight at 8pm is good for blues rock fans with tunes from JOE BONAMASSA, GARY MOORE, NAZARETH, RORY GALLAGHER, SAHB & many more. Not so sure about jazz/fusion though

Cheers,

Jason R

www.getreadytorock.com/radio

THURSDAY June 5

19.00-20.00 Unsigned/indie
20.00-21.00 Blues Rock (selected by Stuart Hamilton)
21.00-22.00 The Songwriters
David Randall interviews Eleanor McEvoy and talks about her career and new album, ‘Love Must Be Tough’.
22.00-00.00 Thursday Rock
00.00-01.00 In the Early Hours (Jazz rock/fusion)

FRIDAY June 6

19.00-20.00 Unsigned/indie
20.00-21.00 Metal (selected by The Fluffmeister)
21.00-22.00 Progressive/eclectic (selected by Peter Muir)
22.00-00.00 Friday Rock
00.00-01.00 Blues Rock (repeat)

SATURDAY June 7

12.00-00.00 Continuous Music

SUNDAY June 8

12.00-15.00 Continuous
15.00-17.00 Assume The Position
David Randall signposts new additions to the website, new releases and upcoming tours.
17.00-18.00 Hydrogyn
David Randall talks to Hydrogyn’s Julie Westlake including tracks from their new album ‘Deadly Passions’.
(This is the full version of the interview first broadcast on June 1).
18.00-19.00 Melodic Rock (selected by Jason Ritchie)
19.00-20.00 The Songwriters
David Randall interviews Eleanor McEvoy and talks about her career and new album, ‘Love Must Be Tough’.
(First broadcast June 5)
20.00-22.00 Continuous Music
22.00-00.00 Assume The Position (repeat)

Robin George helps raise money for the Donna Louise Trust

Thanks to Robin George for donating a selection of his solo CD’s and the Byron Band CD featuring the late David Byron (ex-Uriah Heep). He donated two of each and the second set will be online shortly to raise funds for the Nordoff-Robbins charity.

They are online now at EBay and waiting for your bids

Damn fine music blogs!

The Ripple Effect reviews everything from metal to funk via jazz and more! Great review of Buckcherry’s ‘15′ plus they review many of the new bands on MySpace. Well worth a look.

As is Rock Of Ages which reviews classic and new albums, has some great interviews and you download GFTM’s Rock Show. Last week featured the shy and retiring David Coverdale!

Guilfest – more bands announced

A fantastic festival and one I have attended each year since 2003. A great way to induct yourslef into the festival scene or if you want to take your family along. The Kid Zone comes highly recommended by my daughter!

Reviews 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007

Bowling For Soup, Dodgy, Richie Havens, The Aliens, The Damned & Dreadzone have all been added to the 17th annual GuilFest, alongside the previously announced line-up of headliners Blondie, Levellers, The Australian Pink Floyd Show, plus Kula Shaker, Cerys Matthews, From The Jam, and Freak Power.

Texan punk rockers Bowling For Soup will headline the Ents24 Stage on Saturday night.  Following the release of their UK hit singles, “Girl All The Bad Guys Want”, in 2002, and ‘1985′ in 2004, they have built a huge live following and enjoyed massive chart success, selling well over a million albums in the course of their career.

Recently re-formed, following a fantastic early tour of 2008, the incredible power-pop rock trio Dodgy will perform on Saturday evening on the main stage sponsored by Commercial Radio.  With 12 top 40 singles and 3 top tens including the catchy “Staying out for the Summer” and “Good Enough” – the latter still a staple of radio playlists – GuilFest are delighted to welcome them back to the 2008 festival.

Legendary American folk singer Richie Havens will also perform on Saturday, bringing his internationally renowned intensely rhythmic guitar style to the festival for the first time.  The man who opened Woodstock in 1969 to continuous ovations, Richie’s unconventional style has inspired generations of musicians the world-over.

Mad psychedelic rockers The Aliens – formed from three ex members of The Beta Band – hit the Ents24 stage on Saturday, while taking to the Main Stage (sponsored by Commercial Radio) on Sunday, original goth-punks The Damned make a more than welcome return to GuilFest. Dreadzone also return to perform their unique blend of roots influenced dance music on Sunday on the Ents24 stage.

The vibrant and eclectic bill for Guilfest, held in Guildford’s idyllic Stoke Park on July 4th, 5th and 6th 2008 which boasts seven music stages, will continue to grow over the next few weeks, with top performers due to be announced for both the comedy and theatre tents. Further great onsite facilities include the Kidzone, (which helped win GuilFest the ‘Best Family Festival Of The Year’ Award in 2006), a mammoth real ale bar, various funky cocktail bars, a fantastic range of food stalls, let alone a huge variety of stalls selling everything you could ever hope to find at a festival.

Jeff Healey tribute concert

 

Details have been released about a pair of Toronto tribute concerts to honor Canadian guitar great Jeff Healey, who died March 2 of cancer.

Guitarists Randy Bachman (BTO, The Guess Who) and Colin James and singers David Wilcox and Alannah Myles (“Black Velvet”) are among the artists who will participate, Healey’s wife, Cristie, announced.
Healey’s backup band The Jazz Wizards will open the first tribute concert May 3.

Cream vocalist and bass player Jack Bruce and Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan also will appear during an evening that will focus on Healey’s contribution to rock.

The second event, to be held May 4, will be for lovers of Healey’s jazz career and include artists such as Marty Grosz, Brad Kay and Vince Giordano.

Proceeds from the shows will go to the Healey Family Trust and to Daisy’s Eye Cancer Fund, a charity that assists the families ofchildren with retinoblastoma, the rare cancer that claimed Healey’s sight when he was one year old.

“The shows will provide a great way for his friends and fans to pay tribute to his memory, and support a cause that was so very important to Jeff,” Cristie Healey said in a statement.

“This has been a great reminder for Jeff’s family and close circle of friends of how many people were touched by Jeff and his music,” she added. “I think we have assembled an incredible collection of talent, and created two shows that Jeff would love.”

Healey played guitar, trombone, trumpet and keyboard. He began his career as a blues-rock artist and later returned to his early love, jazz. He was 41 when he died.

Tickets for both events go on sale Friday in Toronto.