Music and me
Just a small article about music and the reasons why I love it.Music has always been a big part of my life, from my first radio cassette tape player when I was 13 and recording the top 30 hits every Sunday morning on blank tapes and trying to hit that pause button before the DJ […]
Review: Dee Snider – For The Love Of Metal
I’ve been a big fan of Dee Snider since, as a fresh faced 17 year old in 1982, I bought Twisted Sister’s ‘Under The Blade’ album and loved it. Many years have passed since then, and my face certainly isn’t as fresh as it was, but I still felt like that 17 year old lad […]
Steve’s Top 10 Albums of 2017
It has to be a good year when the likes of Elbow, Sleaford Mods, The War on Drugs, Lorde and Kendrick didn’t make the top 10. Anyways in no particular order: 10: Baxter Dury – Prince of Tears. I don’t think you know who I am….. I would have picked this solely for the opening […]
Live Event: Neil Diamond – Manchester Arena, October 1st, 2017.
I don’t remember the first time I heard Neil Diamond sing, whether it was on the radio, a television show, and to my recollection my parents didn’t have any of his albums, but he’s always been there, I seem to have known his music forever and been able to sing along always. Seeing Neil was […]
Live Event: The Red Shoes – Our Kate Bush Story. The Tivoli, September 29th, 2017.
I think a lot of people would pick out Kate Bush as an easy artist to imitate. Yes, we all remember (well those of us who are old enough) Faith Brown flailing her arms about on BBC 1 on a Saturday night, eyes agog, wailing out Wuthering Heights. And perhaps regular readers may think I am […]
Review: The Doors – The Soft Parade & Dance on Fire
DVD: The Doors – The Soft Parade (1991) & Dance on Fire (1985) Waiting for my new boss to pick me up from LAX in 1988 out of someones car blasted ‘L.A. Woman’, and I laughed, smirking with joy and wondered if I’d ever fit that song. I kinda think I did for a while. […]
Live Event: Bernie Marsden – The Tivoli, May 5th, 2017.
There are times in everyone’s life when the stars align and everything is just perfect. Last night at our beloved Tivoli here in North Wales was one of those times. After a 2017 plagued by ill health, I hadn’t been able to visit my favourite gig venue of the past 35+ years for far too long. […]
Review: Mario Lanza – The Best Of Everything
DVD: Mario Lanza – The Best Of Everything (2017) This release from Screenbound is a 90 minute documentary about the singer Mario Lanza, and includes ‘insights’ and commentary from UK Opera singers Leslie Garrett and Russell Watson, along with Joseh Valleja, Steve Hackett and Lanza’s daughter Ellisa. And what a sad story it is. Born […]
Review: Michael Schenker Fest: Live
Blu-ray, DVD, CD, Vinyl & Digital Download: Michael Schenker Fest: Live When you’re knocking out killer riffs on your 1st album appearance at only 15 years old, you can be pretty damn sure that a guitar fuelled career lays waiting in front of you, and while Michael Schenker never truly sustained the career highs that his […]
Steve’s Top Ten Albums of 2016
In no particular order my top 10 albums 2016: David Bowie – Blackstar For some fans even listening to this album almost after a year since its release is still too painful an experience. Enough plaudits have been written regarding Bowie’s change in direction and collaboration with saxophonist Donny McCaslin to produce a sad, romantic […]