Voting Closes Midnight Tonight! 31/12/16
Yes today we finally squeeze in and showcase two remaining categories in our 2016 WRC Awards before voting closes tonight at midnight! Best Acoustic nominees include Russ Ballard, Peter Hammerton and Amor & Fisk whilst in our in our Best Prog Performance the nominees are Steven Wilson, Focus and Procol Harum (pictured). Remember this is your last chance to cast your vote for all eleven categories by simply going here! The winners of our first category will be announced tomorrow!
Kaz Clinches IBBA Album Of 2016! 31/12/16
And on the subject of awards - we first introduced you to Kaz Hawkins in April 2015. Last month the Kaz Hawkins Band won the 3rd UK Blues Challenge and will represent the UK at the 7th European Blues Challenge which takes place in Housens, Denmark on 6th, 7th & 8th April 2017 and the 33rd International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee, which runs from 31st January to 4th February 2017! Not only that but Kaz and the guys have now added 2016 IBBA Album Of The Year for 'Feelin Good' to their trophy cabinet - thus making it an unforgettable year! For the, ahem, record - in second place was Joe Bonamassa's 'Blues Of Desperation', joint third was Aynsley Lister's 'Eyes Wide Open' and eighth was Stevie Nimmo's 'Sky Won't Fall'.
No Rhyme No Reason 31/12/16
Founded in 2008, the Austrian rock trio Mother’s Cake (Yves Krismer - vocals and guitar, Benedikt Trenkwalder - bass and Jan Haussels - drums) are set to unleash their third studio album, ‘No Rhyme No Reason’, on Friday 27th January on the Membran label. Those new to the band will be blown away by its quality. Songs such as first single ‘The Killer’ (Vid Of The Day), ‘The Sun’ and album opener ‘No Rhyme Or Reason’ create an immediate impact via an explosive alliance of Indie, Psych and Blues Rock, while lengthier sonic excursions such as ‘Streetja Man’, ‘Enemy’ and ‘H8’ delve deeper with elements of Psychedelic, Progressive and Space Rock mixed into compelling sound palettes.
Two Days Left To Vote In Our 2016 WRC Awards 30/12/16
It's New Year's Eve Eve so time is running out to vote in our One's To Watch category in our 2016 WRC Awards! Nominees include Broken Witt Rebels who we first introduced you to last year and subsequently played Camden's Proud in October this year. The next two nominees are bands that we saw, appropriately, on the Rising Stage at Ramblin' Man Fair in July this year - namely Wicked Stone and Will Wilde! So there you have it - if you want to cast your vote for any one of these 'One's To Watch' then simply go here!
The Bottom Line 30/12/16
If you like energy, fun and plenty of Punk riffs then you will enjoy new Pop-Punk band The Bottom Line. You can check out today's Vid Of The Day for ‘Pull Me Out’ a montage of footage from their 7-week UK & European tour with Simple Plan earlier this year. It has everything you need, crowd surfing on inflatables, naked wrestlers, stage invasions, backstage antics, and the Simple Plan guys also making an appearance! 'Pull Me Out' is taken from their upcoming EP 'I Still Hate You' which is due to be released on Thursday 12th January and follows the previously released ‘Insecure’. The guys have been touring relentlessly across the UK, Europe and beyond and have made quite a name for themselves on the live circuit, building a very loyal fanbase. They have supported the likes of Gerard Way, Don Broco, Bowling For Soup, Mallory Knox and Zebrahead to name a few and are back on a UK headline tour in January including their EP launch show at Camden Assembly on Thursday 12th January.
Blues Club Says Goodbye To 2016! 30/12/16
Today's Blues Club Podcast Track Of The Day returns with another two hours of non-stop Best in Blues with More Music and Less Chat, featuring New Releases, Classic Tracks, UK Independent Blues Broadcasters Association Presenters' Picks and much more. Music this week Includes tracks from King King, Altered Five Blues Band, Catfish, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Kelly's Lot, Shemekia Copeland, Keb' Mo', Cry Baby and The Hoochie Coochie Boys, Richard Townend & The Mighty Bosscats, The Smoke Wagon Blues Band, The BluesBones, Jack J Hutchinson (pictured), Isaiah B Brunt, Rag’n’Bone Man, Rhythm Zoo, Ana Popovic, Stevie Nimmo, JW Jones, Mississippi MacDonald, Beth Hart, Starlite Campbell Band, Tommy Castro, Sammy Eubanks, Jon Gindick, Royal Southern Brotherhood, Colin James, Albany Down, B. B. & The Blues Shacks and more.
Three Days Left To Vote In Our 2016 WRC Awards 29/12/16
With just 2% of votes separating the top two bands - today we focus on the Best Blues Rock Performance in our 2016 WRC Awards. In May we caught Big Boy Bloater & The Limits (pictured) awesome gig at London's iconic 100 Club. Fast forward four months later and we were at the Half Moon, Putney, to see Sari Schorr & The Engine Room lift its roof off! Finally, Born Healer had the honour of kicking off BluesRockFest at the end of September - their memorable set the perfect start on a brilliant day! So there you have it - if you want to cast your vote for one of these awesome bands then simply go here!
Introducing .... Nik Barrell 29/12/16
Nik Barrell (Vid Of The Day) grew up in West London with Blues, Rock ’n’ Roll and R&B, and is now a Blues artist based in Brighton working in the Blues/Country genre and although Nik does perform Classic Blues, he also writes original music. Indeed his education manifests itself in his latest album 'Growing Peaches In Oxfordshire' with clear strains of Buddy Holly, the Beach Boys, and the chirpy New Orleans Blues tradition. The band uses a simple, stripped-back instrument combination, without drums or amplification, along with smooth melodies and sprightly rhythms. Barrell’s sincere, troubadour-like crooning and guitar are accompanied by James Fiddes Smith’s chiming mandolin and backing vocals. Mark Strains provides the spine on double bass, Alan Grice plays wondrous piano and Tim Cotterell adds a touch of melancholy on violin. It’s all finished off with the beautiful tones of Sharon Lewis, Anjuli Hararah and Vanessa Thomas on backing vocals. Nik is also planning to play festivals over the Summer.
ROTR Christmas Special 29/12/16
Today's Track Of The Day is a very special Rock On The Ridge Christmas show with The Darkness, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, E.L.O., Queen, The Stone Roses, Wizzard, The Mentulls (pictured), Will Wilde, Deep Purple, Oasis, Status Quo, Paul McCartney, Greg Lake, The Who, Genesis, Black Label Society, Iron Maiden, Black Stone Cherry, Black Country Communion, Big Train, Micki Free and Sean Taylor.
Four Days Left To Vote In Our 2016 WRC Awards 28/12/16
With the two top bands currently in a percentage dead-heat - our Best Rock Performance category is still up for grabs in our 2016 WRC Awards. Nominees are Jeff Lynne's ELO who we caught over two night's at London's O2 Arena in April, plus Pottsville's very own Crobot who we saw headlining Islington's O2 Academy in June, with the final nominees being Inglorious (pictured) who we saw rock the Ramblin' Man Fair main stage in late July! So there you have it - if you want to cast your vote for one of these outstanding Rock bands then simply go here!
Re-Introducing ....... Swampgrass! 28/12/16
We first introduced you to Swampgrass (Vid Of The Day) in March 2015 - so we were delighted to get an update recently from guitarist Brad Lister. Reviews of their debut CD 'One Eye Open' released in March this year were very favourable and they have now slimmed down to a four piece, losing the harmonica to focus on a broader space and raw sound. The guys are also touring at least twice next year (late March/early April and late August/early September) as well as a few shorter long weekend style jaunts around the country!
Bob's Christmas Show 28/12/16
Today's Black On Blues Track Of The Day is their Christmas Special featuring tracks from Val Starr & The Blues Rocket, Katie Webster, Koko Taylor, Lil Ed & The Blues Imperials, Little Charlie & The Nightcats, Marcia Ball, A Roomful Of Blues, Shemekia Copeland, The Holmes Brothers, Tinsley Ellis, Sonny Boy Williamson, Clifton Chewier and Laura Beadle.
George Michael 27/12/16
Just when you thought that things could not got get any worse re: music icons we have loved and lost during 2016 - wrong! Firstly, we hold our hands up and admit that Wham! have not featured a lot on our WRC website over the years but there is no doubt that the duo's '80's success followed by George Michael's outstanding solo career - particularly his stand-out album 'Faith' - made George a musical legend - as testified by everyone's utter devastation to the news of his death aged just 53 on Christmas Day. Today's Vid Of The Day is therefore dedicated to George - concrete evidence of his versatility, star quality plus an amazing voice. RIP George Michael.
Five Days Left To Vote In Our 2016 WRC Awards 27/12/16
It was a new venue for the WRC - but what a great night we had at the beginning of December at The Dome in Tufnell Park - principally for Bad Touch's album launch of 'Truth Be Told'. Supporting headliners Whiskey Myers they completed a storming 45 minute set which included all but one track from the new album namely: 'Heartbreaker Soulshaker', 'My Mother Told Me', 'Waiting For This', 'Under My Skin', 'Wise Water' (from debut album 'Half Way Home'), '99%' and 'The Mountain'. Indeed Bad Touch are one of three bands nominated in our Best Support category in our 2016 WRC Awards. The others being Dirty Thrills who we saw supporting Crobot at Islington's O2 Academy in June and Monster Truck who we saw support Nickelback at London's O2 Arena in October. So there you have it - if you want to cast your vote for one of these awesome support bands then simply go here!
Erase You 27/12/16
Canadian Alt-Rock outfit Bleeker, have announced their brand new album, 'Erase You' (Track Of The Day), is due for UK release on Friday 10th February via Five Seven Music. 'Erase You' is Rock ‘n Roll to its core, highlighted by catchy lyrics and hip-quaking beats. The album captures the same fun-spirited attitude as Bleeker’s acclaimed self-titled EP, released earlier this year, which includes the tracks ‘Highway’, 'Free' and ‘Where’s Your Money’. Based just outside of Toronto, Bleeker – comprised of brothers Taylor Perkins (vocals) and Cole Perkins (guitars), with childhood friend Mike Van Dyk (bass) – have been captivating their native country with high-profile TV and radio appearances. The band are now planning to leave their imprint on the rest of the world with relentless touring and future singles to be released!
SIMO Interview 26/12/16
The last time we interviewed Nashville's SIMO was at Camden's Barfly eight month's ago - shortly after JD dislocated his knee at a gig in Paris! So we were delighted to catch up once again with JD, Adam and Elad recently before their Planet Rock Roadstars tour gig with Federal Charm and Aaron Keylock at Islington's O2 Academy. Rest assured there were no chairs in sight this time as SIMO grasped the venue by the throat and treated us to virtually a fresh set of new songs from their forthcoming album. Anyway check out our brand new Wrinklycast here which is also today's Track Of The Day!
Six Days Left To Vote In Our 2016 WRC Awards 26/12/16
Today in our 2016 WRC Awards, we turn our attention back to the nominees in our Best Tribute category. Firstly, we go back to late October and 'An Evening For Jack' at the newly reopened Shepherd's Bush Empire, which marked the two year anniversary of the late Cream bassist Jack Bruce's passing in 2014, aged 71. Created and produced by Queen’s Roger Taylor, we saw the Queen Extravaganza (pictured) at the Hammersmith Apollo towards the end of November, ending a special UK tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of Queen’s iconic album, ‘A Night At The Opera’. Six days later at Wrinklystock V at Dartford's Mick Jagger Centre we saw headliners Limehouse Lizzy well and truly keeping the spirit of Thin Lizzy alive. So there you have it - if you want to cast your vote for one of these outstanding Tribute's then simply go here!
Introducing .... Zoe Green Band 26/12/16
Today we introduce the Zoe Green Band (Vid Of The Day) who stormed the Blues Rock scene in 2014 and quickly became known for their explosive performances and creative covers. Since then, the band has grown and become an originals outfit, currently writing their first EP due to be launched in early January 2017 - just in time for their performance at The Great British Blues and Rock Festival. Zoe has a super tight band behind her punching out their Blues-Funk songs such as 'Rise Up', 'Going To The Grave', 'Catch A Fall' and 'Double Truth Woman'. The members are a formidable mix of musicians: Drums - Ian Haughton (Steel Pulse, Ruby Turner, Bitty McLean, B'spoke) Bass - Derek Lawrence (B'spoke) and Guitar - James Stanley (DC Fontana, Little Boy Blue, B'spoke). And with Zoe delivering her own unique blend of powerful yet sultry vocal, her energetic and expressive performance is guaranteed to leave you wanting more....
A Merry Christmas From The WRC! 25/12/16
Well the big day has finally arrived and all of us at the WRC would like to wish you a very Merry Christmas 2016. Today's Track Of The Day - although having the same sentiment as the much missed Greg Lake's 'I Believe In Father Christmas' - it's also about battling against adversity. Musician and new WRC member Paul Needs returned to making music in 2013 after months in hospital recovering from paralysis which led to him having to learn to walk again. Since then, he has been working from his home using a computer-based studio recording software and instruments to continue making music - hence today's TOTD 'It's Christmas?'
Rick Parfitt 25/12/16
At the junction of Westmount Road, Eltham, South East London - was the Welcome Inn, where, as I teenager in the '70's I attended the infamous Sunday night disco's doing that silly dance to Status Quo! The Inn burnt down in 2006 and is now a block of flats - but it was also the place where a certain Status Quo first performed with Rick Parfitt in 1967. Consequently a Music Heritage Plaque from the Performing Rights Society was unveiled at the former venue in 2010. Both Francis Rossi and Parfitt attended the ceremony (pictured) with Rossi revealing that at that gig they supported the band which eventually became Deep Purple! I suppose it goes with the territory being a Wrinkly Rocker - but 2016 has been a real shocker for those in music we have loved and lost - the latest addition yesterday being Rick. We therefore dedicate today's Vid Of The Day to Parfitt - the very last time we saw them five year's ago - strangely enough just up the road at London's North Greenwich O2 Arena. R.I.P. Rick.
AJ.
Seven Days Left To Vote In Our 2016 WRC Awards 25/12/16
With just 7% currently separating the votes for the top band from the bottom band - today in our 2016 WRC Awards, we focus on our nominees in the Best International category. So we go back to one amazing Summer's weekend in early June where we not only saw the first gig ever at London's Olympic Park with AC/DC featuring Axl Rose on vocals, but also the next day where we took in the amazing Bruce Springsteen at Wembley Stadium. Throw in for good measure Black Stone Cherry's recent London Shepherd's Bush gig (pictured), and understandably the voting is very tight at the moment. So if you want to cast your vote for one of these awesome bands then simply go here!
Aaron Keylock Interview 24/12/16
Today's Track Of The Day is our recent interview with teenage guitar sensation Aaron Keylock who we caught at Islington's O2 Academy recently, as part of the Planet Rock Roadstars tour. Aaron's 'Cut Against The Grain' album is due to be released on 20th January next year and in a storming set sandwiched in between Federal Charm and SIMO - Keylock dipped in to old and new. For the record his setlist was: Falling Again, Sun's Gonna Shine, Medicine Man, Spin The Bottle, That's Not Me, All The Right Moves, Down and Against The Grain.
With a SIMO interview also waiting in the wings - as well as our latest Wrinklycast here, please also check out our photo gallery here with WRC thanks to Laurence Harvey!
Eight Days Left To Vote In Our 2016 WRC Awards 24/12/16
Bob & Jules are back on parade tonight on Rock On The Ridge here between 8pm and 10pm - but will they win again this year our WRC Award for Best Radio Show? So step forward their respected challengers: Kevin Beale's Blues On The Marsh, Rory Auskerry's Route 66 (pictured) and Jim McNeill's Blues Club Podcast! So if you want to vote for one of these excellent radio shows then simply go here!
Locket Picture 24/12/16
Today's Vid Of The Day is Blank Parody's latest single ‘Locket Picture’, which premiered over at Kerrang recently. The track was produced by Jim Pinder who has worked with the likes of Fightstar and Bullet For My Valentine and mastered by Geoff Pesche (Pulp) at Abbey Road. The West Midlands 4-piece consist of Joby Fitzgerald (vocals) previously from the band Cytota, Freddie Shaw (bass) and stepbrothers Liam Howard (guitars) and Connor Hodgkiss (drums). ‘Locket Picture’ showcases exactly what they’re all about: plenty of hard hitting riffs and really strong choruses. The track was written by Joby and Liam during a difficult time where both of them were dealing with various personal issues surrounding loss and suffering. Their debut single ‘Dark Pretenders’ came out earlier this year and reached #1 in the Unsigned Top Charts and was played by Kerrang! Radio’s Johnny Doom after they featured on his TV show Amp’d.
The Long Road Home 23/12/16
Danny Worsnop, has signed a worldwide record deal with U.K. based independent label Earache Records for his upcoming debut solo album ‘The Long Road Home’. It's Danny's first solo release and sees a musical departure from his previous work and is due to be released on 17th February 2017, with the album's first single, 'Mexico' (Vid Of The Day) already at number 10 on the iTunes Hot Songs list. The album forges a deeper and often darker path through the British-born, Nashville-based musician's mind. Longtime fans will see a much more personal and reflective side to Worsnop, with brutally honest lyrical themes ranging from loss and heartache to his (often public) struggles with drugs and alcohol. Worsnop has also just announced a one-off special album launch show on Tuesday 14th February 2017 at London’s Lexington.
Nine Days Left To Vote In 2016 WRC Awards 23/12/16
Next in our 2016 WRC Awards countdown, we again focus on our nominees in the Best Festival category. Firstly, we look back to a wonderful sunny weekend at the end of July when we took in Maidstone's Ramblin' Man Fair (pictured). The weather was also kind for our BluesRockFest at the end of September (later than usual) which was headlined this year by Stevie Nimmo. However, the weather had changed by the time Hard Rock Hell X came around at the beginning of November - but the music was still red hot! So there you have it - if you want to cast your vote for one of these awesome festival's then simply go here!
Blues Club Returns On A Friday 23/12/16
Today's Blues Club Podcast Track Of The Day has another two hours of non-stop Best in Blues with More Music and Less Chat, featuring New Releases, Classic Tracks, UK Independent Blues Broadcasters Association Presenters' Picks and much more. Music this week Includes tracks from The Rolling Stones, Kat Kings, Wily Bo Walker, Buddy Guy, RootBone, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Bill Wyman's Rhythm Kings, John Doe Trio, Frankie Miller, Kathleen Pearson, Richard Townend & The Mighty Bosscats, Muddy Waters, Melissa Etheridge, The James Hunter Six, Sugar Ray and the Bluetones, Fats Domino, Kaz Hawkins, Jon Gindick, William Bell, Little Steve & the Big Beat, The Joey Gilmore Band, Tom Walker, Sari Schorr (pictured), Haymarket Riot, Martin Harley & Daniel Kimbro, R.D. Olson, Howlin' Wolf, Rebecca Downes, Mike Zito, Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado, B. B. & The Blues Shacks and more.
The Rebirth Of Eric Gales 22/12/16
Blues master and 'one of the best, if not the best guitar player in the world' (said Joe Bonamassa), the amazing Mr. Eric Gales (Vid Of The Day) returns to Provogue/Mascot Label Group with a new album! 'Middle of the Road' is set to be released on 24th February 2017 in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan, and on 24th March 2017 in the USA and Canada. 'Middle of the Road' is Eric Gales' fourth album on Provogue/Mascot Label Group and his most expressive album yet. The deeply personal and reflective record echoes where Eric is in his life right now, allowing him to open himself up and to really flourish.
Ten Days Left To Vote In 2016 WRC Awards 22/12/16
With Tuesday's Special e-mail bulletin creating a surge in voting in our 2016 WRC Awards - today we turn our attention back to our nominees in the Best Guitar Solo category. We saw Robin Trower at Islington Assembly Halls in October whilst we caught Innes Sibun (pictured) at Sari Schorr & The Engine Room's album launch at The Half Moon in Putney in September. Finally, we caught JD Simo at Islington's O2 Academy recently - watch our for an audio interview with SIMO coming soon. In the meantime if you want to vote for one of these brilliant guitarists then simply go here!
Route 66 Is A Cracker 22/12/16
Today's Route 66 Track Of The Day was their last live show before Christmas so they've pulled a cracker out of the hat for you. Host Rory Auskerry has new tracks from Deep Purple, Scotty Bratcher and Robert Jon & The Wreck. Rory also takes a look at a busy week for music news and drop some classic rock hits from AC/DC (pictured), The Black Crowes, Queen, T. Rex and Jerry Lee Lewis plus a few classy Christmas tunes as well!
Bad Touch Interview 21/12/16
As promised - today we have a brand new Wrinklycast featuring an interview with 2016 WRC Award Best Support nominees Bad Touch. It was a new venue for the WRC - but what a great night we had at the beginning of December at The Dome in Tufnell Park - principally for Bad Touch's album launch of 'Truth Be Told'. Despite being a freezing cold evening - the guys kindly agreed to a last minute outside interview with the WRC before they went on stage for an explosive 45 minute set before headliners Whiskey Myers rounded off a brilliant gig. So check out our Track Of The Day here plus take a gander here at our photo gallery from the night plus our CD review here.
Get Well Soon Ginger! 21/12/16
Apparently Ginger wasn't at all well during his Wildheart's birthday bash at London's Forum last Saturday and in
Manchester the following night, Ginger played on most of Hey! Hello!'s very impressive set - but again finished unwell. Fifteen minutes later he came back on stage (pictured) to apologise for not being up to the Wildhearts set, which has now been re-arranged for Thursday 26th January 2017.
Camden Rocks - First Announcement! 21/12/16
Camden Rocks Festival have announced the first wave of bands for the 2017 lineup on Saturday 3rd June, including punk legends The Damned, Stoner Rock giants Orange Goblin, Ruts/Ruts DC and many more. The first 40 out of 250 bands are up, with the legendary Camden venue KOKO London on board this year, a total of a whopping 25 venues involved for 2017! The first announcement also features: Hey!Hello!., The Urban Voodoo Machine, Young Kato, Stone Broken, Moses, Big Boy Bloater And The Limits, Screaming Eagles, Imperial Leisure, Habitats, The Main Grains, Courage My Love, MassMatiks, Black Orchid Empire (Vid of The Day), Hands Off Gretel, Aaron Buchanan & The Cult Classics, Fizzy Blood, Broken Witt Rebels, Forte, Stereo Juggernaut, Black Sixteen, The Au Revoirs, The Franklys, Halflives, Weirds, Frauds, Oxygen Thief, HVMM, Cute Cute Death, Heel, The Kut, Secret Cameras and Alana Bondi with over 200 more acts to come!
2016 WRC Awards Bulletin Out Today! 20/12/16
With just under 1,000 votes already cast in our 2016 WRC Awards here - we are upping the ante today with a special Awards e-mail bulletin that is going out to all our WRC friends who are currently on our circulation list. And if you are not currently on our e-mail circulation list then please send us your details in the contact box below!
Homage To Scott Weiland 20/12/16
Aaron Buchanan And The Cult Classics recently toured with InMe and released their debut single 'All The Things You've Said And Done', taken from their forthcoming debut album 'The Man With Stars On His Knees'. After leaving Heaven’s Basement, Aaron formed The Cult Classics with his sister Laurie Buchanan on guitar, Tom McCarthy (guitar) Chris Guyatt (bass) and Kev Hickman (drums). With huge influences on the record coming from '90's Rock such as Alice In Chains, The Foo Fighters, Soundgarden, The Smashing Pumpkins and Pearl Jam amongst others - they all played their part in influencing this record alongside another band that had killer grooves and some top-class songs; namely Stone Temple Pilots. Today's Vid Of The Day is a tip of the hat in their direction also remembering the legacy of Scott Weilland (1967 - 2015). Recorded at Plus 11 Recording Studio - it's 'Creep' from the 1992 'Core' album.
ROTR Review Of The Year 20/12/16
Today's Rock On The Ridge Track Of The Day was originally broadcast on Saturday night and is a review of all the great music the 2015 WRC Award winning team have played this year. Music includes The Treatment, Monster Magnet, Birds of the Sun, Scorpion Child, The Black Jackals, The Broken Ravens, Desert Dragon, Zodiac, Monster Truck, I Kept The Wolves Away, The Temperance Movement, Order Of The Emperor, Valley of the Sun, Tax The Heat, Mason Hill, Palace Of The King, The Irontown Diehards, Mindriotmt, Mount Holly, Stone Broken, Ulysses, Whoopee Cat and one of Bob's fav's GT's Boos Band!
Rival Sons European Headline Tour 19/12/16
Long Beach, California's Rival Sons have announced dates for a European headline tour which is due to kick off in January 2017. After spending much of this year supporting the legendary Black Sabbath on "The End" tour, Rival Sons will once again be joining the retiring rockers across Europe and the UK as they play their final ever shows. The band will also be playing a few headlining gigs in between their shows with Black Sabbath, before kicking their headlining tour into full swing in February. The band will also be releasing the single ‘Thundering Voices’ (Vid Of The Day) to coincide with the tour.
Broken Teeth Announce January Tour 19/12/16
Manchester based hardcore youngbloods Broken Teeth have announced a European Tour, kicking off in Cologne on 5th January. The tour will also include two UK dates: Plymouth and Cheltenham. The band also have one last show scheduled for 2016 in Leeds, so for everyone seeking to see in the New Year in the pit, tickets to Leed's Snugglefest can still be purchased. Broken Teeth released their debut album 'At Peace Amongst Chaos' via Nuclear Blast earlier this year to great praise.
A Peach Of A Show 19/12/16
Today's Black On Blues Track Of The Day includes tracks from Kat and Co, Peach, Ally Venable Band, Rinel van Venrooij, Shaun Murphy, Liz Mandeville, Annee 2Cu Blues Band and Jo Harman.
British Lion Added To Ramblin' Man! 18/12/16
Ramblin' Man Fair have announced that the inestimable Steve Harris' British Lion will be playing the Main Stage next year. The official side project of the legendary Iron Maiden bassist, British Lion introduces much more of a melodic Hard Rock dynamism to this most enduring of the icon’s musical repertoire and showcases the sublime vocal talents of Richard Taylor to the rocking masses. Other new additions to the bill include Blues Pills and The Vintage Caravan who join 2016 WRC Award nominees Big Boy Bloater and Monster Truck plus Magnum (Vid Of The Day) who we last saw at London's O2 Academy, Islington, four years ago, as our picture with lead singer Bob Catley testifies!
Happy Birthday Ginger! 18/12/16
Tonight at The Manchester Ritz, The Wildhearts complete a run of shows which included Ginger’s Birthday Bash at London's O2 Forum last night. Ginger Wildheart has also released a single for Suicide Prevention at Christmas to promote Mental Health Awareness and the proceeds will go to The Samaritans. The Wildhearts, with the line up of Ginger and CJ on guitars and vocals, bassist Jon Poole and Ritch Battersby on drums, continuing to hold firm, are supported by Danny McCormack’s band The Main Grains and Hey! Hello!
Christmas On The Marsh 18/12/16
Today's Track Of The Day is Kevin Beale's Blues On The Marsh show originally broadcast on Friday night!
Vote Now - One's To Watch 17/12/16
The final category in our 2016 WRC Awards is One's To Watch. Nominees include Broken Witt Rebels (pictured) who we first introduced you to last year and subsequently played Camden's Proud in October this year. The next two nominees are bands that we saw, appropriately, on the Rising Stage at Ramblin' Man Fair in July this year - namely Wicked Stone and Will Wilde! So there you have it - if you want to cast your vote for any one of these 'One's To Watch' then simply go here!
He's Behind You! 17/12/16
Following last Saturday's Celebration Theatrical Group ABBA Christmas party - funded by Wrinklystock V - our other nominated charity also benefiitted yesterday from our fundraising exploits! A large group from Carlton Road, Sidcup, Kent, went to see Jack & The Beanstalk at the Woodville Halls, Gravesend and we duly paid for all the ice creams! Don't forget next year's Wrinklystock VI featuring Magic and the music of Queen and ELO at the Mick Jagger Centre, Dartford on Saturday 18th November!
Saturday's Blues Club 17/12/16
The Blues Club Podcast Track Of The Day returns today with another two hours of non-stop Best in Blues with More Music and Less Chat, featuring New Releases, Classic Tracks, UK Independent Blues Broadcasters Association Presenters' Picks and much more. Music this week Includes tracks from The Rolling Stones, Frankie Miller, Doyle Bramhall II, The Jimmys, Kat & Co., Frank Bang and The Cook County Kings, Elles Bailey, Bonnie Raitt, Glenn Hughes (pictured), Steve Summers Band, Haymarket Riot, Deb Ryder, Martin Harley & Daniel Kimbro, Mississippi Heat, David Bromberg Quintet & Band, Tony Vega Band, Kenny Neal, Josh Hoyer & Soul Colossal, Fiona Boyes, Colin James, Richard Townend & The Mighty Bosscats, James 'Buddy' Rogers, Rebecca Downes, Jon Gindick, Mike Zito, Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado, Billy T Band, B. B. & The Blues Shacks and more.
Crobot Interview In The Can! 16/12/16
Camden's Electric Ballroom crowd were well and truly warmed up for Airbourne recently, following an awesome set from Pottsville's very own Crobot - who we had the pleasure of interviewing before the gig - which is today's Track Of The Day! Our thanks to Brandon, Jake and Paul for our brand new Wrinklycast here which not only gives you insights into life on the road but also Yuengling beer, chilli sauce and the World Series!
Vote Now - Best Acoustic 16/12/16
The penultimate category in our 2016 WRC Awards is Best Acoustic. Nominees include Russ Ballard who we saw perform with Brian May, no less, at London's Leicester Square Theatre in January. Next nominee is Peter Hammerton (pictured) who we caught supporting former 2014 Acoustic winners Slim Chance at The Eel Pie Club in August. Amor & Fisk are our final nominees - following their gig at the Inamo in Covent Garden at the end of October. So there you have it - if you want to cast your vote for any one of these three great acoustic performances then simply go here!
Avenged Sevenfold Surprise Album Release 16/12/16
Avenged Sevenfold are set to return to the UK for their biggest tour yet. Their previously announced 10 date UK tour in January 2017 includes 2 nights at London’s 02 Arena. The band’s last visit was in 2013 for a sold out arena tour plus an awe inspiring headline slot at Download Festival in June 2014 which cemented their unshakable reputation for breath-taking live performances. They recently played a groundbreaking live 360 Virtual Reality gig on the roof of Capitol Records in LA after which they surprised fans with the announcement that their new album ‘The Stage’ – their first for Capitol Records - would be available that night. Previously they had made headlines with the release of the title track, co-produced by the band and Joe Barresi (Queens of the Stone Age, Tool) and a companion video directed by Chris Hopewell ( Radiohead, The Killers).
Vote Now - Best Prog Performance 15/12/16
Just three categories to go now as we turn our attention to the nominees in our Best Prog Performance in our 2016 WRC Awards. In January we saw Steven Wilson perform at the Hammersmith Apollo, closely followed by Focus (Vid Of The Day) towards the end of March at Camden's Underword. Finally, on a beautiful Summer's Sunday evening we watched Procol Harum (pictured) at the Ramblin' Man Fair at the end of July! So there you have it - if you want to cast your vote for one of these three superb Prog bands then simply go here!
I Believe In Father Christmas 15/12/16
Today's Route 66 Track Of The Day - originally broadcast on Sunday night - pays tribute to Greg Lake who died last week aged 69. Host Rory Auskerry also has new music from Thunder (pictured) and Status Quo. The show also features tracks from Motley Crue, Guitar Shorty, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band and of course Emerson Lake And Palmer plus there are the birthdays in rock and other music news.
HRH NWOBHM II - Xmas Rocks! 15/12/16
HRH have announced further great acts added to the line-up of HRH NWOBHM II - The Xmas Rocka at the O2 Academy Sheffield over the weekend of 2nd and 3rd December 2017. HRH smash open The Vault to bring in another tranche of NWOBHM Legends including Satan, Rogue Male, White Lightning, Jameson Raid and more. Remember, 2017’s HRH NWOBHM's Xmas Rocka has almost sold out! Day passes have been released, but be warned: as this goes to press, they are down to the last 28 rooms. To reserve one of these precious few remaining tickets, either book online here or ring Harri on 0203 287 4994.
Vote Now - Best Blues Rock Performance 14/12/16
Today we focus on the Best Blues Rock Performance in our 2016 WRC Awards. In May we caught Big Boy Bloater & The Limits (vid Of The Day) awesome gig at London's iconic 100 Club. Fast forward four months later and we were at the Half Moon, Putney, to see Sari Schorr & The Engine Room lift its roof off! Finally, Born Healer (pictured) had the honour of kicking off BluesRockFest at the end of September - their memorable set the perfect start on a brilliant day! So there you have it - if you want to cast your vote for one of these awesome bands then simply go here!
Its Back Because We Can! 14/12/16
And on the subject of WRC Awards - 2015 winners and 2016 nominees Rock On The Ridge aired their latest offering on Saturday night. Today's Track Of The Day therefore includes great music from Disciples of Babylon, Devilskin, Asphalt Horsemen, Wicked Stone (pictured), Voodoo Circle, Black Star Riders, Black Rose Cadillac, Rival Sons, The Blue Horizon, The Pretty Reckless, Elbow, King Crimson, Def Leppard, Jettblack, Motor Sister, The Electric Alley, Blindstone, Blacktop Mojo, Tax The Heat, Massive Wagons and Lonely Avenue.
Let Battle Commence! 14/12/16
HRH have announced even more acts which will perform at HRH Doom Vs HRH Stoner Chapter II at Sheffield's O2 Academy between Saturday 30th September and Sunday 1st October 2017. Swedish rockers Truckfighters are famed for their Desert Rock and Heavy Stoner sound, to which they've recently added more atmospheric elements, something that the HRH Horde is looking forward to. Also from Sweden come Malmö-based rockers Deville. Experts in brutal melody, for over a decade, Deville have built a career out of tight, hard-hitting Rock and Roll flavoured with Stoner Metal and Hard Fuzz. As with all HRH events, tickets are selling like rocket-powered hotcakes, so book early to avoid the disappointment of missing out on this awesome celebration of Doom and Stoner Rock. Let battle commence!
Vote Now - Best Support 13/12/16
With just five categories to go now in our 2016 WRC Awards - today we turn our attention to Best Support. First up are are Dirty Thrills who we saw supporting Crobot at Islington's O2 Academy in June and also at Ramblin' Man Fair in July. Next it's Monster Truck (pictured and Vid Of The Day) who we saw support Nickelback at London's O2 Arena in October and finally Bad Touch who supported Whiskey Myers at The Dome in London's Tufnell Park at the beginning of December. So there you have it - if you want to cast your vote for one of these awesome support bands then simply go here!
Marshman Is Back! 13/12/16
After a two week absence - The Marshman finally returned to the airwaves last Friday night. Today's Blues On The Marsh Track Of The Day has a real mixed bag for you including Dona Oxford, Kat and Co, The Commisionaires, Ali Maas and Micky Moody, Adam Bailie, Boneyard Dog, Big Dave McClean, Fran McGillivray Band, Gwyn Ashton, Phil Gammage, Eli Paperboy Reed, Starlite Campbell Band, Dr John, Leaky Roof, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, Eddie Boyd, Eddie J Wolfe and His Rhythm Pack, Elles Bailey, Richard Townend and The Mighty Bosscats, Fiona Boyes, The Bob Lanza Blues Band and Johnny Mars!
Christmas Party At TNMC Tonight 13/12/16
When you have a party with both Salvation Jayne and Troy Redfern (pictured) playing - there's a chance it's going to be busy - particularly when it's at The Tuesday Night Music Club, Hooley Village Club, St Margaret's Road, Coulsdon, Surrey, CR5 3RB! So tonight get to The Club early to grab a seat. The poster says doors at 8pm but the bar's in fact open from 3.45pm! So, with real ale at £2.50 a pint and the rest of the bar as stupidly cheap, settle in and prepare yourself for a great night!
Vote Now - Best Rock Performance 12/12/16
Today we are now more than halfway through our 2016 WRC Awards nominees and we turn our attention to Best Rock Performance. Up first are Jeff Lynne's ELO (Vid Of The Day) who we caught over two night's at London's O2 Arena in April. Next up are Pottsville's very own Crobot who we saw headlining Islington's O2 Academy in June plus supporting Airbourne at the Electric Ballroom in November. The final nominees are Inglorious (pictured) who we saw rock the Ramblin' Man Fair main stage in late July! So there you have it - if you want to cast your vote for one of these outstanding Rock bands then simply go here!
Black Stone Cherry Bring Kentucky To Shepherd’s Bush 12/12/16
"Starter over, it was time for the main course: Black Stone Cherry at their loud, bright and electric best. The homely feel was ripped out of the stage, which was laid bare, leaving ample space for Ben’s leaping acrobatics as he bounced and strode from one side of the stage to the other. The band hit the stage as they meant to continue, in full Rock and Roll mode, firing up the crowd and raising the temperature in the auditorium."
Read the whole of Big Ian's recent Black Stone Cherry Shepherd's Bush Empire gig review here plus check out our updated photo gallery here.
The Blues Of Two Halves 12/12/16
Today's Black On Blues Track Of The Day not only includes music from 55 Rose Street, Ritchie Dave Porter, John Richard and Pilote-BoxKart (featuring Charlie Parr) - but it also features tracks from the 45th anniversary collection from Alligator Records namely: Charlie Mussel White, Colins Cray Copeland, Curtis Salgado, Lil Ed & The Blues Imperials, Luther Dickinson & The Rising Star Fife Band and Tommy Castro & The Painkillers (pictured).
Vote Now - Best Tribute 11/12/16
Today we showcase our fifth category in our 2016 WRC Awards, nominees in our Best Tribute category. Firstly, we go back to late October and 'An Evening For Jack' at the newly reopened Shepherd's Bush Empire, which marked the two year anniversary of the late Cream bassist Jack Bruce's passing in 2014, aged 71. Created and produced by Queen’s Roger Taylor, we saw the Queen Extravaganza (pictured) at the Hammersmith Apollo towards the end of November, ending a special UK tour celebrating the 40th anniversary of Queen’s iconic album, ‘A Night At The Opera’. Six days later at Wrinklystock V at Dartford's Mick Jagger Centre we saw headliners Limehouse Lizzy (Vid Of The Day) well and truly keeping the spirit of Thin Lizzy alive. So there you have it - if you want to cast your vote for one of these outstanding Tribute's then simply go here!
Christmas Cracker! 11/12/16
And talking of Wrinklystock V - yesterday afternoon saw the Celebrations Theatrical Group Christmas Party - one of our nominated charities who benefitted from our Limehouse Lizzy/U2 Tribe gig at the end of November. Anyway part of the money raised from Wrinklystock V paid for yesterday's entertainment - none other than the Abba Girls (pictured) who certainly made the party go with a bang!
200 Up For Route 66 11/12/16
Today's Track Of The Day is Route 66's 200th show! Host Rory Auskerry celebrates with new music from The Rolling Stones plus an interview with Danish Blues rocker Thorbjorn Risager who has a new album out in January with his band 'The Black Tornado'. There's also the birthday's in Rock and Blues, this week's music news and some celebrity messages... so Happy Birthday!
Vote Now - Best Festival 10/12/16
Next in our 2016 WRC Awards, we focus on our nominees in the Best Festival category. Firstly, we look back to a wonderful sunny weekend at the end of July when we took in Maidstone's Ramblin' Man Fair (check out our Frost Vid Of The Day with John Mitchell's awesome guitar solo). The weather was also kind for our BluesRockFest at the end of September (later than usual) which was headlined this year by Stevie Nimmo. However, the weather had changed by the time Hard Rock Hell X came around at the beginning of November - but the music was still red hot! So there you have it - if you want to cast your vote for one of these awesome festival's then simply go here!
Tartan Army 10/12/16
"Looking like a baby faced Geoff Capes, with his tartan kilt, work boots, and fat Strat held in hand like some medieval axe, he could have been a terrifying vision from the battle of Bannockburn. Instead, he merely slayed the Sassenach with his killer licks. Ably supported by Lindsay Coulson on bass, Wayne Proctor on drums and the amazing Dutchman Bob Fridzema on Hammond Organ and keyboards, Mr Nimmo and crew showed why they are no strangers to awards in the world of Blues."
Read the whole of Mother's King King Islington Assembly Hall gig review (pictures courtesy of Laurence Harvey) here.
Saturday's Blues Club 10/12/16
Our Blues Club Podcast Track Of The Day returns this week with another two hours of non-stop Best in Blues with More Music and Less Chat. Music this week Includes tracks from Chris Bevington, Jack Mack and the Heart Attack Horns, The Smoke Wagon Blues Band, Melissa Etheridge, Roxy Perry, Husky Tones, Donald Ray Johnson, Southbound (pictured), Mississippi Heat, Hamish Stuart, Molly Duncan and Steve Ferrone, Bobby Rush, Chris Rea, The Jimmys, Aynsley Lister, Lisa Lystam Family Band, Liz Mandeville & The Blue Points, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Starlite Campbell Band, Fabulous Thunderbirds, Fran McGillivray Band, Carolyn Fe Blues Collective, Thorbjørn Risager & The Black Tornado, Fiona Boyes, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Mike Zito, Richard Townend & The Mighty Bosscats and B. B. & The Blues Shacks.
Greg Lake 9/12/16
Just nine month's after band-mate Keith Emerson commited suicide - Emerson, Lake and Palmer and former King Crimson guitarist Greg Lake passed away on Wednesday following a long battle with cancer. We last saw the sixty nine year old headline with ELP at High Voltage in 2010 and his death is sadly another addition to a year where we have lost so many musical icons. As we approach Christmas - the irony of today's Vid Of The Day is not lost on us all - RIP Greg Lake.
Vote Now - Best International 9/12/16
With a Black Stone Cherry review from last Monday night's Shepherd's Bush gig waiting in the wings, today in our 2016 WRC Awards, we focus on our nominees in the Best International category. So we go back to one amazing Summer's weekend in early June where we not only saw the first gig ever at London's Olympic Park with AC/DC featuring Axl Rose on vocals, but also the next day where we took in the amazing Bruce Springsteen at Wembley Stadium. Throw in Black Stone Cherry for good measure and understandably the voting is very tight at the moment. So if you want to cast your vote for one of these awesome bands then simply go here!
All The Right Moves 9/12/16
Today's Track Of The Day was released on Monday and is teenage guitar sensation Aaron Keylock's 'All The Right Moves' video taken from his 'Cut Against The Grain' album due to be released on 20th January next year. We caught Aaron, SIMO and Federal Charm at Islington's O2 Academy on Wednesday night as part of the Planet Rock Roadstars tour - and with a review and interviews to come - please check out today's photo gallery here courtesy of Laurence Harvey!
It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas!! .... 9/12/16
The silly season is with us once again as 2016 draws to a close with the 'John Verity Xmas Bash' at Cardington Village Hall in Bedfordshire. Doors open at 7.30pm and there might still be a few tickets remaining if you e-mail carole@johnverity.com Max Milligan will be opening the evening at 8pm with some acoustic brilliantness joined by JV for a few 'unplugged' tunes. The Band will start at 9ish - lineup with JV for this show is Bob Henrit and Liam Gray on drums, and Bob Skeat on bass. There will be a short break during which you might like to nip to the Kings Arms over the road for 'refreshments!'
Vote Now - Best Radio Show 8/12/16
Bob & Jules at Rock On The Ridge (pictured) won it last year - but will they win it again this year? Yes, today in our 2016 WRC Awards, we turn our attention to our nominees in the Best Radio Show category. So step forward Kevin Beale's Blues On The Marsh, Rory Auskerry's Route 66, Jim McNeill's Blues Club Podcast and of course Rock On The Ridge. So if you want to vote for one of these excellent radio shows then simply go here!
Roadstars Rock The Planet! 8/12/16
Given the mouthwatering line-up of Planet Rock's Roadstars tour at Islington's O2 Academy last night - it was somewhat surprising to find SIMO, Aaron Keylock and Federal Charm playing the smaller of their two venues. In the end this only added to the intimacy of an absolutely enthralling evening with three top bands plus we also managed two quick audio interviews with Aaron and SIMO to boot! Anyway, with a review, more pics and interviews to come - check out today's Vid Of The Day!
Rock On With The Ridge! 8/12/16
Today's Track Of The Day is the Rock On The Ridge show originally broadcast on Saturday night. On the playlist are Doomsday, Outlaw, 3 Wheeler Band, Palace Of The King, Sons of Icarus, Soundgarden, Hand Of Dimes, Sonic State Capital, Blindstone, Black Rose Cadillac, The Love Taps, Iron Butterfly and Whoopie Cat. On their introducing stage they also have 2016 WRC Award nominees Wicked Stone (One's To Watch) plus Monster Truck (Best Support), Crobot (Best Rock), Dirty Thrills (pictured and Best Support) and the guys also look back on an awesome Wrinklystock 5 with some Thin Lizzy.
Vote Now - Best Guitar Solo 7/12/16
With well over 300 votes being cast on the first day of our 2016 WRC Awards countdown - today we turn our attention to our nominees in the Best Guitar Solo category. Today's Vid Of The Day is Robin Trower (pictured) who we saw at Islington Assembly Halls in October whilst our Track Of The Day is Innes Sibun who we caught at Sari Schorr & The Engine Room's album launch at The Half Moon in Putney in September. Meanwhile we are off to see SIMO again tonight (and of course JD) at Islington's O2 Academy - so if you want to vote for one of these brilliant guitarists then simply go here!
Roadstars At O2 Islington Academy Tonight 7/12/16
And taking of great guitarists - not only are SIMO headlining at the O2 Academy Islington at 9.55pm tonight but teenage guitar sensation Aaron Keylock will also be on at as part of the Planet Rock Roadstars tour. On Monday Aaron released his 'All The Right Moves' video taken from his 'Cut Against The Grain' album due to be released on 20th January next year. We first saw Aaron at Ramblin' Man Fair last year and another superb band we first saw last year supporting Joanne Shaw Taylor at London's Jazz Cafe - was Federal Charm (pictured) - who are also on the bill tonight at 7.45pm. It's going to be a cracking night!
No Bull Down The Bush 7/12/16
Black Stone Cherry promised an intimate show without support bands or gimmicks on Monday night at a packed out Shepherd's Bush Empire - and they duly delivered. The fiery American Southern rockers first of two consecutive gigs at the London venue - supporting their latest album, 'Kentucky', saw them play an excellent acoustic set in the first half - followed by an awesome electric set after the break. Anyway, check out our photo gallery here with a review to come.
Cherry On The Cake 6/12/16
The WRC first caught the impressive Black Stone Cherry supporting Alter Bridge at Wembley Arena five years ago. So we were delighted to learn earlier this year that the fiery American Southern rockers were headlining this year's Ramblin' Man Fair on the Sunday. Consequently we snapped up tickets for the first of two nights last night at London's Shepherd's Bush Empire as they returned to the UK for a new tour. Supporting their latest album, Kentucky, the band promised intimate shows without support bands or gimmicks – just the group’s hardcore fans! Anyway, check out today's Vid Of The Day with a review and more photo's to come.
No Way But The Highway! 6/12/16
"Then, after revisiting their first album with ‘Girls in Black’, and Joel deciding to spend some time in the crowd - which as always went down very well – we were treated to new song ‘It’s All For Rock and Roll’. The band explained that without the late Motorhead front-man Lemmy they might not be where they are now, so this one was for him. “Cheers Lem” was answered by an almighty cheer, and there was something about the lines, “all around the world he left his mark, and his ghost still haunts the stage” that makes you think Airbourne certainly aren’t wrong, and that Lemmy would be proud of them. The song itself certainly does sound similar to Motorhead in places again it’s another song that gets the crowd going."
Read the whole of Wrinkly The Silver's Airbourne/Crobot recent Electric Ballroom gig review here plus check out our updated photo gallery here.
’Tis Almost The Bluesy Holidays 6/12/16
This week's Black On Blues Track Of The Day features another popular Blues women special including Fran McGillvray Band, Slinky Williams, Thornetta Davis, Anne 2Cu Blues Band, Liz Mandeville, Marcia Ball and Robin Rogers.
2016 WRC Awards Voting Open! 5/12/16
With all the great music we have witnessed during 2016 - it wasn't easy - but yes we have finally come up with our nominees here in this year's WRC Awards. Simply choose your favourite from each of the eleven categories provided here and hit the vote button. You have until midnight 31st December to make your choice and only one vote per category per e-mail address is allowed - so there. So what are you waiting for? Spread the good news and make sure your favourite band gets the votes it deserves! In the meantime, today's Track Of The Day is last year's Best Tribute band Purple Zeppelin!
Alter Bridge Rapture 5/12/16
"But Alter Bridge are about the power and the technical brilliance of tracks like ‘Addicted To Pain’ and ‘Isolation’ that required a couple of local power stations to up their game. One of those nights when you truly get lost in the music. At least the sore pain in my constantly banging head was relieved, but at the expense of my vocal chords, when anthemic song ‘Blackbird’ moistened every eye in the house. Album of the year, 2007 for me. Rapture. And the already moist eyes were further moved when the bountiful Tremonti presented his gorgeous guitar to one lucky punter in the front row. That will be one treasured memento of what was a treasure trove of a gig. It was a truly religious experience. Mr Tremonti, I worship you."
Read the whole of Mother's Alter Bridge recent London O2 Arena gig review here plus check out our Vid Of The Day.
Black Stone Empire 5/12/16
"Tonight though they are the headline act on the Main Stage and it's obvious the meaning this has to the band. Unfortunately they suffer from some bad luck and a lot of their gear hasn't arrived in time for the show including their backdrop, meaning it's a pretty bare stage that they are performing on. This doesn't mean much however because for both the band and their passionate fans it's all about the music. The main set is closed with crowd favourites 'In My Dreams', 'White Trash Millionaire' and 'Blame It On The Boom Boom' smashed out in bombastic fashion, before the band return and close out Ramblin' Man Fair 2016 with appropriately 'The Rambler', 'Lonely Train' and a quick run through of 'Ace Of Spades' in honour of Lemmy which was a stroke of genius."
That was our take on Black Stone Cherry at Ramblin' Man Fair earlier this year (pictured) - but how will they fair tonight at Shepherds Bush Empire? Watch this space!
Don't Believe A Word 4/12/16
"The hits of Lizzy were a treat to any Lizzy fan in fact I was enjoying the music so much that I nearly forgot that I was meant to be taking pictures of the whole thing. Wayne Ellis (bass), Tim Read (guitar), Greg Alcock (guitar) and Lee Morris (drums) were on top form the whole evening and did Phil and the boys proud with a great show of Thin Lizzy music and I must say I, like the crowds that were there, really appreciated the evening. Wayne then asked if there was anyone in the audience with a little Irish in them. The crowd whooped then asked if there was anyone out there would like a little more? The house lights bathed the stage in a green glow 'Emerald' one of my favourites and after that straight into 'Don’t believe a Word'."
Read the whole of Bob & Jules' Wrinklystock V review here plus check out our updated photo gallery here.
ZZ Top To Headline Ramblin' Man! 4/12/16
Last Friday saw the long-awaited announcement that headlining the Ramblin' Main Fair main stage next year (and a UK festival exclusive) - and bringing that Texas boogie to Mote Park - are none other than ZZ Top (Vid Of The Day)! Joining them will be Canada's very own favourite sons and award winning Rock n' Rollers Monster Truck plus the much admired young guitar slinger Jared James Nichols. The Prog In The Park headliners are none other than Topeka's multi-platinum album selling wayward sons Kansas and joining them will be Britain's Melodic Rock icons Magnum. Probably the finest female Blues Rock singer and guitarist of our time Joanne Shaw Taylor will be headlining the Blues Stage, where JST will be joined by The Quireboys and WRC favourite Big Boy Bloater! More announcements coming soon!
Sunday's Blues Club 4/12/16
The Blues Club Podcast Track Of The Day returns this week on a Sunday with another two hours of non-stop Best in Blues with More Music and Less Chat, featuring New Releases, Classic Tracks, UK Independent Blues Broadcasters Association Presenters' Picks and much more. Music this week Includes tracks from The Rolling Stones, Hamish Stuart, Molly Duncan and Steve Ferrone, Beth Hart (pictured), Richard Ray Farrel, Tape Five, Doña Oxford, John Weeks, Lisa Lystam Family Band, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Tas Cru, Jools Holland, Misty Blues, Malaya Blue, Bruce Katz, David Bromberg Quintet & Band, Trudy Lynn, Rebecca Downes, Donald Ray Johnson, Mike Zito, Colin James, Fiona Boyes, Starlite Campbell Band, Richard Townend & The Mighty Bosscats, Kaz Hawkins, Nine Below Zero, The Alabama 3, Red Butler, King King, Enrico Jerimiah Marques, B. B. & The Blues Shacks and more.
Garden Of Eden 3/12/16
"Right from the start, Eden’s Curse successfully engage with the crowd, and vocalist Nikola Mijic does a great job at keeping it that way. His smooth, versatile voice maintains the audience’s admiration, handling power metal equally as well as mainstream melodic rock. The instrumental support is equally versatile, Thorsten Koehe on guitar and Paul Logue on bass provide trademark Eden’s Curse melodies, hooks and riffs. Newcomers John Clelland (drums) and Christian Pulkkinen (keys) have fitted in perfectly: you’d think they’d been with the band since its inception."
Read the rest of Big Ian's Eden's Curse review here from last Sunday's gig at London's The Underworld plus check out our Vid Of The Day and photo gallery here.
Waiting For This 3/12/16
It was a new venue for the WRC - but what a great night we had on Thursday at The Dome in Tufnell Park - principally for Bad Touch's album launch of 'Truth Be Told'. Despite being a freezing cold evening - the guys kindly agreed to a last minute outside interview with the WRC before they went on stage for an explosive 45 minute set before headliners Whiskey Myers rounded off a brilliant gig. So with an interview and review to come - in the meantime take a gander here at our photo gallery from the night. plus our CD review here.
Voodoo Night Tonight! 3/12/16
Formed in November 2013, Sugarman Sam and the Voodoo Men (Track Of The Day) combine classic elements of Blues and combine them with the raucous power of Rock. Sugarman Sam is a Bluesman through-and-through; being brought up on a diet of high-profile names like B.B. King, Led Zeppelin and Gary Moore to name a few. As well as taking influences from contemporary acts such as Matt Schofield, Joe Bonamassa and Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Sam is backed by the outfit known as The Voodoo Men, a trio of musicians who create the perfect backdrop for his guitar pyrotechnics. See them headline Leo's Red Lion in Gravesend tonight when they are supported by The Voodoo Sheiks.
Truth Be Told 2/12/16
"And if you thought half way through the album that Bad Touch could not possibly take you in another musical direction - wrong. From its opening "1, 2, 3, 4!" the fresh and groovy 'Let The Sun Shine' (written unsurprisingly at Download) takes you down a path that smacks of the Stones! And taking of '70's intro's - Quo certainly springs to mind on 'My Mother Told Me' which is all about family support - but this stand-out track's metamorphosis gives me the sneaking suspicion that they have been keeping 'Bad Company'! So step forward 'Outlaw' with it's blistering guitar intro/outro plus Westwood's superb delivery of its Western lyrics - this is definitely Bad Touch's very own 'Wanted Dead Or Alive' - excellent."
Check out today's Bad Touch Vid Of The Day taken at last night's album launch plus read AJ's 'Truth Be Told' CD review here.
Pushing Up The Daisies 2/12/16
"Co-headliners for the night were the Dead Daisies. A supergroup of international proportions, these boys are good, old school loud rock. If Steel Panther are the humorous parody of 80’s hair metal grown up, these boys are the serious contenders. Everything you wanted those now decrepit acts to be but can sadly no longer do. But the Dead Daisies have aged well - really well. Who wants to see reformed acts who can’t quite do what they used to do when the Dead Daisies do it better now?"
Read the rest of Mother's The Dead Daisies and The Answer review here from last Wednesday's gig at London's Electric Ballroom.
The Ghost Road 2/12/16
Wretched Soul (Track Of The Day) is a modern sounding British Blackened Heavy Metal outfit formed in the
historic city of Canterbury, with its current line up assembled in 2011. The follow-up to ‘Veronica’, their acclaimed debut released in 2013, is ‘The Ghost Road’ released today and produced by Chris Tsangarides (Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Exodus, King Diamond etc) and mastered by Dan Swanö (Opeth, Dissection, Katatonia etc). The result is an old-school vibe with modern power!
Bad Whiskey 1/12/16
British Southern Blues Rock group Bad Touch are supporting Whiskey Myers (today's Vid Of The Day) at London's Dome in Tufnell Park tonight. Their new studio album 'Truth Be Told' is also due to be released tomorrow when we hope to bring you a CD review. The new album sees the 5-piece rock band from Norfolk celebrating Classic Rock with Southern boogie influences, supported with heavy guitar riffs and an iron-clad, tight rhythm section, in the great tradition of Black Crowes, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Led Zeppelin.
December WRC Bulletin Out Today 1/12/16
Today's December 2016 WRC e-mail Bulletin not only looks back at our awesome Wrinklystock V, but also the November gigs we went to including Terry Reid, Blues Pills, Queen Extravaganza, JoanovArc, Hard Rock Hell X, Beth Hart, Dorje, Eden's Curse and Airbourne plus new CD reviews of Glenn Hughes and Blackberry Smoke. We also look forward to, believe it or not, Wrinklystock VI, our 2016 WRC Awards, plus all our December gigs including Bad Touch (including a CD review), Sugarman Sam, Black Stone Cherry and SIMO. Remember just go here to sign up for FREE membership where you can get discounts on selected gigs and merchandise! And if you are not currently on our e-mail circulation list then please send us your details in the contact box below!
Moshing In The Ballroom! 1/12/16
The mosh pit was in overdrive on Tuesday night at Camden's Electric Ballroom - as our attempts to video Aussie Hard Rockers Airbourne testify (see today's Track Of The Day). To be fair the crowd were already warmed up following an awesome set from Pottsville's very own Crobot who we had the pleasure of interviewing before the gig - thanks to Brandon, Jake and Paul. Watch out for a brand new Wrinklycast soon plus a review from Wrinkly The Silver - but in the meantime check out our photo gallery here - please excuse the shaky pics!