Joe Bonamassa announces UK October tour

Award-winning blues rock star, guitar hero, singer-songwriter, Rockgig favourite and all round bloody good bloke Joe Bonamassa  will undertake a UK tour in October 2011 with his ace touring band to promote his 9th studio album Dust Bowl.  The album will be released in the UK by Provogue Records on Monday 21st March 2011.

Tickets for Bonamassa’s “Dust Bowl” UK tour will go on sale to the general public at 9am on Wednesday March 2nd from 0871 230 1101,www.seetickets.com and www.thegigcartel.com.  Fans who can’t wait for the general on-sale date, can take advantage of Planet Rock radio’s 48-hour pre-sale, which starts at 9am on Monday February 28th on www.planetrock.com.

UK tour dates include - Blackpool Opera House (Saturday 15th October), Capital FM Arena, Nottingham (Sunday 16th October), Cardiff International Arena (Tuesday 18th October), Plymouth Pavilions (Wednesday 19th October), HMV Hammersmith Apollo, London (Friday 21st October) and HMV Hammersmith Apollo, London (Saturday 22nd October).

Europe Oxford Academy 21st February 2011

Well here we are exactly a year to the day we are back to see Europe in Oxford this time on the Balls n'Banners tour would tonite live up to last years stunning show.

First up hotly tipped UK rockers Voodoo Johnson  from Birmingham. Touring in support of last years excellent debut cd "10,000 Horses". Since then they have replaced singer Kev Bayliss with ex Vallenbrosa frontman Nik Taylor-Stoakes would this line up change stop their rise.
The answer has to be an emphatic no. Stoakes fits in superbly and their 30 minute set went past in a flash. Starting with 3 off the cd  "Headstone","Feel Karma" and "Sin" all with
crushing riffs and superb vocal melodies they can only be heading one way.

The Brian Tatler co-penned "Black Skies Mist"from their forthcoming ep again hit the heights with some excellent soloing. Finishing with "Seven Years" off the "Into The Red" ep left everyone in no doubt this is a band to watch.

Europe are riding the crest of a wave after the success of last cd "Last Look At Eden" and last years "itunes" and "Sonisphere" Festival appearances. Tonite's gig only showed what consummate professional's they are. Looking like their having a ball they had the sizeable crowd eating out of their hand from the intro "Prelude".

The setlist was as follows:

Prelude
Last Look At Eden
The Beast
Rock The Night
Scream Of Anger
No Stone Unturned
Carrie
Getaway Plan
The Loner(Gary Moore tribute)
7th Sign
New Love In Town
Love Is Not The Enemy
More Than Meets The Eye
Drum solo
Gonna Get Ready
Start From The Dark
Superstitious
Encores of
Doghouse(new song)
Final Countdown.

I went overboard at last years show and will have to do the same again. Superb lighting and sound just made the whole evening fantastic. Joey posed his way through the first 3 songs for the photographers and having "The Beast" at track 2 really showed business.

They are always remembered for only "Countdown" and the ballads but tonite showed what a heavy band they are. The riffs for "The Beast","Getaway Plan","Enemy" and "Start From The Dark" could stop elephants at 5 paces. Moving "Rock The Night" to track 3 showed how confident they are that they can keep the level of performance for the whole night so high.
No changes to the "Eden" songs played but all are greeted like old favourites. A welcome return to "More Than Meets The Eye" and a truly stunning tribute to Gary Moore with the instrumental "The Loner"played with such feeling from rock god geetarist John Norum had the hairs on the back of my neck standing up.

All the band played a blinder.The backline of Mic Michaeli(keys), John Leven(bass) and Ian Haugland(drums) let the 2 frontmen to do their bit. Joey was in terrific form playing like it was Wembley Stadium and sounding superb and John Norum riffs and solos hit all the notes. His solos tell a story and again seeing him at such close quarters was inspirational.

New song "Doghouse" shows the band are looking to the future in a heavier direction again with a stunning solo. Last song "The Final Countdown"never ceases to amaze me. Is there another song that brings such a response from the crowd? Total pandemonium breaks out and everyone leaves with an enormous grin and surely that is what music is supposed to do!!

So as you can read in the interview we held with Joey recently they shortly release a Balls n'Banners Earbook and then we get the Shepherds Bush shot live cd/dvd with a new album to be released in 2012. Their star continues to rise and I for one believe the sky is the limit for
them.

Brilliant.
12/10 ME

(all photos (c) Justine Sutton)

Thunder To Reunite For High Voltage 2011

According to Classic Rock Magazine.....

Thunder To Reunite For High Voltage 2011

gbarton / News, Top Posts / 15/02/2011 09:45am

Thunder are re-forming to make a surprise return to the live stage at this summer’s High Voltage festival, having split up in 2009. Read on for more additions to the 2011 High Voltage bill.
Following the launch of the UK’s new prestige rock festival last year, High Voltage returns in 2011 with exclusive performances from headliners Judas Priest and Dream Theater, UK festival exclusives from Black Country Communion, Jethro Tull and Spock’s Beard, and performances from the Michael Schenker Group, Caravan, The Enid, Pallas and Mostly Autumn.
Further acts announced today are:


THUNDER (Main Stage) – UK festival exclusive
QUEENSRYCHE (Main Stage) – UK festival exclusive
NEAL MORSE (Prog Stage)
SAINT JUDE (Main Stage)
ANATHEMA (Prog Stage)
CURVED AIR (Prog Stage)
High Voltage takes place in London’s Victoria Park, July 23 and 24.
Tickets are priced at £99 (for weekend tickets) and £56.50 (for day tickets) – subject to booking fee. VIP tickets will be available at £105.00 for the day, £199.00 for the weekend – subject to booking fee. There will also be various VIP and hotel packages available, at varying price levels to suit.
High Voltage is also pleased to announce its new deposit scheme. This applies to any weekend ticket (i.e. VIP weekend or standard weekend) and allows customers to spread the cost of the ticket over two payments. General admission and VIP weekend tickets can be purchased with an initial £50 deposit plus booking fee, with the final payment due on June 1. More info can be found at: www.highvoltagefestival.com/tickets/deposit-scheme
Tickets are available from www.highvoltagefestival.com
Ticketmaster (24 hour): 0844 847 1708
HMV tickets: 0844 822 2602 (opening times: 8am-10pm Monday to Friday 9am-9pm weekends)

Exclusive Interview with Joey Tempest of Europe

RockGig

Since the 5 shows in South America in November what have you been up to?

Joey Tempest

Started working on new material. We've done around 100 shows on the LLAE album. We will tour this summer as well but will go into the studio in October.

RockGig

From the press release this week about the live dvd shoot at Shepherds Bush next weekend was that always the plan when the shows were announced in July?

Joey Tempest

We have been looking for a good opportunity to shoot a dvd for quite some time. When that tour was confirmed we thought Shepherds Bush would be a great choice.

RockGig

What songs can we expect from the Balls'n Banners tour? Any more songs off "Last Look At Eden" or more older songs? "Heart Of Stone" maybe?

Joey Tempest

Hopefully a brand new track and some songs from earlier albums we haven't played in the UK for a while.  Otherwise the big ones of course.

RockGig

After the 9 UK shows and a show in Belgium in April what are your plans for 2011?

Joey Tempest

About 10 - 15 Festivals around Europe then into the studio.

RockGig

Have you many ideas for the new CD?  Will it continue in Eden's footsteps with that classic rock feel?

Any idea on the producer yet?

Joey Tempest

Too early to confirm a producer. We touched upon some great stuff on LLAE and we will bring that with us. Its early to tell but we all like a straight forward rock feel with some blues undertones on the next one.

RockGig

I see you are releasing a Balls' n Banners Earbook in March. What does this contain and where was the CD/DVD shot?

Joey Tempest

The book will include exclusive photos from festivals around Europe and the UK, on and off stage. Live recordings mainly from the UK festivals but also from a few other European dates. DVD material we are still deciding upon.

Rock Gig

What do you see as success now? Sales figures, critical acclaim or more on a personal level?

Joey Tempest

I think we are finally learning to "let go" as a band. We want to take it up a notch. An even more spontaneous, contagious rock album next time. Just keep the circus going really. It would be great to cement the band even more in the UK.

RockGig

You had a 10 year gap between 1992-2002 do you think that's helped the bands longevity?  Would you still be together without that gap?  When you reformed what changed and were you looking for the long haul or just a comeback CD?

Joey Tempest

We said we would only do this again if it was for the long run, to properly re-establish the band. We knew it would take time. Now after 3 new albums we are finally getting there.

RockGig

I still can't believe its 28 years since your first album.  Did you ever think Europe would have such a long and successful career?

Joey Tempest

Well I knew that I had some like-minded and stubborn friends in the band and giving up the music was never an option.

RockGig

Something I've always wondered is about the song "Yesterday's News".  Probably the best B side ever but why didn't it make the album?

Joey Tempest

We didn't want too many songs on that album and Yesterdaze and Break free just didn't make the cut.  I seem to remember there were some disagreements with the record company as well......don’t quite remember...too long ago now.

RockGig

Do you ever get annoyed that people only seem to think of "The Final Countdown" when they think of Europe?

Joey Tempest

Not really. For us it''s still an interesting album track that we like to play live. I think a people around the world have different ideas what that song means to them.

The Final Countdown also invites a new audience to the shows, where they get to learn about our other material.

RockGig

Lastly congratulations on your Planet Rock radio show how did that come about?

Joey Tempest

Through my press-agent here in the UK.  I was honoured to join the other guest DJ’s Joe Elliot, Alice Cooper and Joe Bonamassa.

We'd like to thank Joey for his time, and wish him all the best for the UK tour.
(Photo credits: Fredrik Etoall)
ME.

De Staat - Machinery

We posted a news story earlier this year: De Staat - The Best Band You've Never Heard Of?  As I said in that story, De Staat are not the type of band that normally comes onto the Rockgig Radar - but I'm pleased they did as I really enjoyed this CD!   If you're in the mood for a bit of Saxon, Slayer or Slash then don't put this  on, but if you're in the mood for something a bit more alternative then fully embrace this album.  For some reason they remind me of Sparks meets Queens of the Stone Age with a chunk of Talking Heads thrown in - which isn't a good comparison to be honest but it's the best I can come up with!  It has guitar riffs, synths, vocal harmonies, industrial stuff.. everything you can think of really. I'm really struggling to put into words what this album is like... it's good- it's VERY good which frankly surprised the hell out of me.

NR

New York Dolls - Dancing Backwards in High Heels

The New York Dolls made a brave move reforming 28 or so years after they originally split. Times change, music evolves, new influences arrive on the scene. Now with two albums in the can since the reformation - how would a band that influenced bands as varied as Kiss and The Clash fare in 2011?   Despite the fact that only Johansen and Sylvain remain from the original lineup, their original influences of 60's girl bands, 50's rock n' roll and early Stones are still evident on this album.  It is a more polished affair than their garage punk roots as they have Killers producer Jason Hill at the helm, but it is also very eclectic moving from funk, to Motown, to rock n' roll and all points in between. Don't get me wrong that's not a bad thing. I have to admit here and now that I've never been a die-hard Dolls fan - but I do like this album, it's eclectic nature is part of it's appeal. It's also a grower - it does get better each time you play it -  which is a blessing as clocking in at only 37 minutes does means that if  (as I did) you put it on in the car for a 2.5 hour journey you get to hear the album 4 times!

Maybe they felt a bit guilty about the length of the album as it's packaged with a bonus DVD that was filmed during the recording of the album, incorporating unseen footage and live audio tracks from the bands performances at The Cluny in Newcastle in September 2010.

NR

WHITESNAKE’S NEW VIDEO “LOVE WILL SET YOU FREE”

NEW ALBUM “FOREVERMORE” DUE OUT MARCH 29TH 

Just in time for Valentine’s Day…the perfect blend of rock and romance... Whitesnake has partnered with VEVO for the world premiere of the brand new video “Love Will Set You Free.” As of today, Monday, February 14th, the video can be viewed here. Directed by Devin DeHaven/Fortress Entertainment (Papa Roach, Method Man, Talib Kweli), the video was shot in Lake Tahoe, NV. “Love Will Set You Free” is the first single from the forthcoming Whitesnake album, FOREVERMORE, and is available for purchase from February 21st at all digital stores.

FOREVERMORE is due out on March 29th in North America and March 25th in Europe and finds founder/singer/songwriter David Coverdale and company returning to their no-holds-barred, bluesiest, sexiest rock n’ roll roots. This will be Whitesnake’s 11th album and the first release via the Italian-based Frontiers Records label. FOREVERMORE was recorded, produced and mixed by Los Bros Brutalos (Coverdale, Doug Aldrich and Michael McIntyre) at Snakebyte Studios and Grumblenott Studios & Villas in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, with additional work at Casa Dala, Sherman Oaks, CA.

About Whitesnake 
Formed in 1977, and steered by the legendary David Coverdale, Whitesnake carry a rightful reputation as one of the world’s leading rock n’ roll bands. Coverdale’s blues roots, combined with a feral sense of rockin’ and rollin’, have consistently shaped the ‘Snake’s sound along with Coverdale’s love and appreciation of impeccable musicianship. Whitesnake’s ascent to the very top of the rock n’ roll heap was confirmed with 1987’s self-titled mega-platinum album, which saw two massive Top 10 hits, two #1 singles with “Here I Go Again” and “Is This Love” and a virtual 24-hour domination of MTV around the world. Whitesnake is David Coverdale (vocals), Doug Aldrich (guitars), Reb Beach (guitars), Michael Devin (bass) and Briian Tichy (drums).

About VEVO
VEVO is the leading premium music video and entertainment service with 1.7 billion worldwide streams and over 60 million unique visitors in the U.S. and Canada each month. VEVO's programming is made available across the VEVO platform, which includes VEVO.com (the service's marquee destination site), VEVO Mobile (iPhone, iPod touch), VEVO connected devices (Google TV, Boxee) and a VEVO-branded embedded player. VEVO also syndicates its programming to additional internet destination sites, including AOL, BET, CBS Interactive Music Group (including Last.fm), Univision and, through a special partnership, VEVO on YouTube, expanding the platform's reach across the worldwide web.

For more information please visit:
www.whitesnake.com
www.frontiers.it

Fury UK - Snooty Fox Wakefield - 10 February 2011

This was the first date of Fury UK 2011 tour. The high energy set was made up in a large part from their latest CD “A Way of life” opening up with I See Red the sound was good and great atmosphere soon developed. Also from this great CD we had Fall From Grace, Saviour, Run Away From No One, Nemesis, and Show of Force The set also included a couple from the Salvation EP, the title track and Manslaughter. Brotherhood was played in the memory of recently depart Ronnie James Dio, Phil Kennemore and Gary Moore. Through out the band where driven on by the power house rhythm section of Martin Mcnee on drums and Luke Appleton on bass. The evening was brought to an end with The Remainder, which featured a great solo from Chris Appleton, guitar/vocals.

The band have some headline dates planned and then go out on the road with Saxon. I’d urge you to go and check this band out and give them the support they deserve. NH

Gary Moore dies aged 58

We were shocked to hear that Gary Moore has died, aged just 58.

The Belfast born guitarist was found dead in his hotel room in the Costa Del Sol earlier today, it is thought that he died in his sleep in the early hours of this morning.

Whether playing with Skid Row as a teenager, through to Thin Lizzy and his solo rock and blues albums, his playing was magnificent. He turned his hand to various styles; rock, metal, jazz, blues - and mastered all of them.  Personally speaking, his  solo albums "Back on the Streets", "Gary Moore" and especially "Corridors of Power" were reasons I picked up an electric guitar as a kid.

R.I.P.
NR