Drums that crackle with life and bristle with energy

Most if not all drummers will customize their kit to some extent, there is no reason to have a plain vanilla when you can get creative. Metal flake shells, printed faces, even glowing sticks(watch out for our Xmas Suggestions) all make a statement about the owner and help generate extra interest with the audience. When you get to lighting well I have yet to see anything as eyecatching as this kit from Chequerplate Drums. Starting with the Lightening Snare the plasma effect is just incredible, 2.2 million volts from an electron beam accelerator generate plasma lightning through the transparent shell of the snare, colour changing leds accent the crackling energy pulses - do not worry though this is not going to crisp up your percussionist the system is very safe.

If that does not get some attention, then the house lights need dimming,now your other drums need something to make them stand out so more LEDs in the focused Lug units to make the shells glow obviously this works with transparent acrylic shells where the whole shell and the heads glow in a changing array of green purple blue and red or maybe just a single colour with the added option of strobe fade or flash effects.

Not to leave out the cymbals a smart collar on the stand reflects the LEDs giving a pool of light further enhancing the drum area and the underside of the metal becomes a glowing saucer.


So now you have an island of light but that is not the final word the connecting bars and stands can be given the same treatment as the snare so the whole kit appears to crackle with energy. Time to start saving your cash, who knows what other enhancements the Drum Wizards can be mixing up in their lighting cauldron, whatever it is you are bound to get noticed sat in a castle of power glowing like a Demon.


Chequerplate Drums website

Hard Rockers 'Driller' Far From Boring.

Driller are well known heavy rock band in the pubs and clubs around Edinburgh and have released music before but this is something a little different. Having listened to the recording a lot in the last few weeks I can say it works well, with the connectivity between the tracks you do get that feel of well thought out concepts.

In my day to day work I cover a lot of driving miles,so a playlist is important to me and new albums get priority placing to get "the road test".It is not uncommon to listen back to back to an album but to do that it needs to have a vibe which makes the miles fly by. Bands like Motorhead, Metallica, Quo can eat motorway miles and the new boys on the highway Driller have that quality. This is not a simple 12 bar rock and metal outing, it is a riff packed adventure which is laid on heavy, you really have to get the volume cranked up to get the full picture and you will hear a track differently each time, as you concentrate on different aspects. I found myself tapping along with the drummer then following the bass line and trying to catch the lead in turn. It took a lot of run throughs to get the full benefit of a very complicated album. Getting out of the motor and back into the studio it seems to have changed character again . There is a common theme running through of the individual against the machine which will strike home to working men(and women). I confess I was a little confused as I have had a few concept albums running through the audio players recently and I was trying to follow a "concept" style storyline which of course I found was not the case. Getting away from that idea there is a lot of variation in the track list on the first hearing I would probably skip the first track "Heavens Far" this was released as a single and stands alone quite well or maybe listen to it several times in isolation. Starting at the second track Mad Science is more classic metal you are driven onto the title track "The Final Deal" which is a stand out song and leads nicely into the subsequent tracks, you get 'Raise The Cape' a superhero story like 'Arrow' there is undoubtedly a flow running through as the music pulls you along. There is not a great deal of soloing in the songs and one or two intros are a little short other than we have a very engaging collection of songs. The guitar work is impressive the drumming the icing on the cake. There is enough content in the album to fill a second disc, showing the band have made great efforts to showpiece an array of techniques and abilities. They can take this on to future recordings and not try too hard to impress, the benchmarks have been set, they have all the package they need to move an audience. More important with "The Final Deal" a sampler they can take to a publisher and say this is what we can do! and a work that in future years fans and smart arse reviewers can say "yeah that song reminds me of that one off "The Final Deal" awesome!"

Kk you guys come from and play in Edinburgh but I understand you weren't from the Empress of the North originally?
You are right Derek! Alex and I are originally from Brazil! Tom Silk, our bassist, is a Londoner that grew up in Scotland. I’ve been in the UK for more than 8 years now and Driller is a Brazilian-British that was formed here in the UK in 2009.

So with that background what were your early musical influences?
Kk: Alex and I grew up with all sorts of music playing in the house, Heavy Metal and Hard Rock were, of course, part of it. I still remember spending my days listening to the classics: Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Black Sabbath etc.
Alex: My musical influences have always been heavy metal and hard rock. I casually listen to other types of music like Blues, Jazz and Pop which influences me more as a guitarist. I like to think that I am an open minded musician.
Tom: My early musical influences were The Who, Rolling Stones, Kinks, Shadows and main influence Dire Straits (Mark Knopfler).

Was it you or your brother Alex that first thought of forming a band?
Kk: It all happened very naturally. We were playing Alex’s solo material (which had been originally recorded in Portuguese in Brazil) for around 2 years in Edinburgh and when we decided to get in the studio to write new music we realised we were coming up with heavier stuff than his solo music actually was. We were all contributing so much for the overall sound and arrangements of the songs that we thought would be best to start a band together.
Did you decide right away that you wanted to play heavy metal or was it the lure of rock n roll that got you fired up?
Alex: My big music passion in life has always been Heavy Metal. As a musician, I’ve also learnt other genres of music as well but Heavy Rock is what really stuck with me.
Tom: At an early age (because of my dad) I got heavily into Punk Rock primarily the Offspring. At that point (10years old) I knew I loved heavier music than all my friends. When I was about 13 my mate from swimming gave me a mix cd of Def Lep, Guns and Roses, Rob Halford, Alice Cooper and Monster Magnet. That’s how I got into it!
Kk: This is the way it’s gotta be! I mean, our early music was not as heavy as The Final Deal. I’d say it was more hard rock, people usually say it sounded a bit 80’s, but with The Final Deal we have found our sound: Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Classic Rock, still Melodic and Technical: this is Driller’s powerful music!


When did you do your first professional gig?
Alex: Our first gig as Driller was in Edinburgh at a place that doesn’t exist anymore - The Ark - and it was in Dec/2009.
Kk: I’m glad Alex remembers it,hahaha!

You have spent a lot of time on "The Final Deal"  was it  February when you started recording?
Alex: We actually started recording The Final Deal at the end of 2012 and because the production of the album is 100% independent and DIY, it actually took us a little while to get it done to the standards that we set it out to be.
Kk: We rented a studio and recorded the drums in 3 days. All of the other instruments (including vocals), mixing and mastering were done at Alex’s studio (Drilling Hard Studio).

Am I right in thinking "The Final Deal" will be your third release?
Alex: Yes, It is our third release. We put out our first EP - Alchemy of Love- in 2010 and a single - Live On - in 2011. The Final Deal is our first full length album.

Would you describe The Final Deal as a concept album? what was the inspiration behind it?
Alex: It is not a concept album although we wanted the songs to have a close connection with each other in terms of lyrics and sound. It’s a very upbeat album with lyric subjects as politics, war, loss, hope and love and the sole inspiration to make it was to write and record a Heavy Rock album that had the best music we could possibly write for Rock fans out there.

It is a very complicated work will you be able to perform the whole thing live or are you more likely to weave it into your regular playlist on stage?
Alex: We will be performing the album in its entirety because we consider this release to be the best music we have written so far. We might include a couple of songs from our previous releases if that is what the fans want, but we want to concentrate on our new stuff right now. We believe we have great tunes and that coupled with our musicianship, motivates us to bring every single bit of what we recorded in the studio onto the stage to our fans!
Kk: We believe that The Final Deal is Driller so we want to play the new tunes live, possibly all of them! The only song from The Final Deal that we have played live is Heaven’s Far. I still remember being behind the drum kit and thinking: “look at those faces in the audience! They seem to be really digging this new tune!” so I think our new songs will have a massive impact on old fans, but also on folk that have never heard Driller before.

Thank you Driller for taking the time to chat.

Driller Facebook page
at You can preview and download the album

HUMBLE PIE

PERFORMANCE

ROCKIN’ THE FILLMORE

THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS

4 CD Deluxe set/Digital

11^TH NOVEMBER 2013

When Steve Marriott left the Small Faces to launch a new band in 1968, expectations were high.  Marriott teamed with 18-year-old guitarist Peter Frampton, already a U.K. star through his work with The Herd, along with bassist Greg Ridley from Spooky Tooth, and 17-year-old drummer Jerry Shirley, who Steve Marriott had used as a session player for Andrew Loog Oldham’s Immediate Record Label.  Humble Pie recorded four albums and several singles before achieving its U.S. breakthrough with 1971’s double-live set Performance: Rockin’ the Fillmore.

Drawn from four shows played over two consecutive nights at Bill Graham’s legendary Fillmore East, Performance captured a red-hot band firing on all cylinders, distilling the crowd-pleasing heavy blues-rock style that had come to dominate the Brit foursome’s repertoire, and which would help to lay the foundation for the sound that would soon become known as heavy metal.  Performance caught on in a big way with American listeners, hitting #21 on the U.S. album chart and becoming the Pie’s first Gold album.

Now for the first time, Omnivore Recordings, in conjunction with Universal Music, have gathered all four shows from Humble Pie’s historic Fillmore East stand in this lovingly packaged four-CD box set.  No editing or resequencing took place — just the four sets exactly as they were played on May 28 and 29, 1971.  The seven tracks that comprised the original album are joined here by 15 previously unissued performances — including the never-before-heard complete first set from May 28.

As a personal comment from Classic Rock radio's Jon Kirkman 

"This is one of the all time great Classic Live Albums  and as such set the trend for other live albums through the seventies including  Humble Pie Member Peter Frampton's World conquering Frampton Comes Alive  in the mid seventies"

Jon Kirkman will be interviewing Peter Frampton and Jerry Shirley about the Performance boxed set for a Classic Rock radio feature coming soon to a browser near you

The Quireboys go Unplugged & Upfront In 2014

 

After an incredible UK leg of their Beautiful Curse European Epic adventure, The Quireboys are pleased to announce a very intimate string of evenings early 2014.

 

This is a great chance for all Quireboys fans nationwide to experience an audience with Spike,Paul,Keith & Guy in a very unique and laid back surrounding. The night will involve all the classics, rarities, surprises as well as a selection of new material ,played in unplugged arrangements as well as the all to famous QB banter n stories to create a very unique evening .

 

Tickets are on sale now and all dates and details are on The Quireboys website

 

www.quireboys.com

 

It may be only Rock n Roll, but even good old R'n'R has it's special moments and this is certainly one not to miss

 

Dates are as follows

 

28 January: Cardiff, Club Ifor Bach

29 January: Swansea, Sin City

30 January: Nottingham, Rescue Rooms

31 January: Grimsby, Yardbirds

1 Feb: Bolton, The Railway

2 Feb: Bilson. Robin2

4 Feb: Bristol, Thekla

5 Feb: Southampton, Joiners

6 Feb: Chester, Live Rooms

7 Feb: Northampton, The Attic

8 Feb: Sheffield, Corporation

9 Feb: London, Borderline

12 Feb: Leamington Spa, Zephyr Lounge  www.leamingtonassembly.com

13 Feb: Workington, Vine Bar

14 Feb: Aberdeen, The Moorings

15 Feb: Ballymena, The Diamond

16 Feb: Edinburgh, Voodoo Rooms    www.triplegmusic.com

18 Feb: Newcastle, The Cluny

 

Quireboys Online 

www.quireboys.com

www.offyerrocka.com

www.chictalent.com

Album: “The Dead Daisies”

Release date: 11^th November 2013

Single: “Lock ‘N’ Load” featuring Slash

Release date: 28^th October 2013

UK Dates – November / December 2013

Special Guests of Black Star Riders & Debut UK Headline Show

The Dead Daisies are set to release their self-titled debut album ‘The Dead Daisies’ on the 11^th November 2013 and will be touring the UK supporting it through November & December 2013.

Off the back of a killer summer tour through the US & Canada (which saw The Dead Daisies form part of the massive 25-date Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival tour, alongside Alice In Chains and Jane’s Addiction among others), The Dead Daisies will be hitting the UK as the Special Guests of Black Star Riders. The band will also play their first ever UK headline show on the 20^th November at Underworld in Camden. Earlier in the year The Dead Daisies were invited to open for ZZ Top in Australia and, after word of their dynamic live show spread, the band soon joined legendary American rockers Aerosmith on their first Australasian tour in 23 years.

Formed around the nucleus of Australians Jon Stevens (Noiseworks/INXS) and David Lowy (Red Phoenix/Mink), the powerful musical collective is completed by a line-up that speaks volumes. They include, Charley Drayton (The X-pensive Winos/The Cult), Richard Fortus (Guns ‘N’ Roses/Thin Lizzy), Darryl Jones (The Rolling Stones) and Dizzy Reed (Guns ‘N’ Roses).

The 12-track self-titled debut album features their first single “Lock ‘N’ Load” feat. Slash. The song was co-written with Slash and showcases the inimitable guitar tone of the legendary guitarist. The single is storming the UK radio airwaves and has been placed on a number of key playlists including Planet Rock and Kerrang Radio. In the US, Rolling Stone magazine have already highlighted the track on their Daily Downloads list and it has received high praise on US rock radio – being featured on Alice Cooper’s and Nikki Sixx’s extremely popular nationally syndicated radio programs.

The album picks up where the single leaves off. From the opener and forthcoming second single “It’s Gonna Take Time,” to the uplifting “Writing On the Wall”, the dirty groove of “Tomorrow”, and the soulful ballad “Yesterday”, ‘The Dead Daisies’ is a rock album infused with big choruses, strong hooks, powerful melodies and groove with a sound influenced by classic late ‘70s rock, early ‘80s hard rock in a soulful ‘Bad Company’ meets ‘Foreigner’ via ‘The Faces’ kind of vibe. 

The album was recorded with LA-based engineer, producer and multi-instrumentalist John Fields who, together with Jon Stevens, also wrote and produced the feature track ‘Fly’ for the latest Disney hit movie ‘Planes’ (which recently topped box offices around the world).

The Dead Daisies as Special Guests of Black Star Riders are playing the dates below (unless otherwise stated):

Monday 20^th Nov                   Underworld, London HEADLINE

Friday 22^nd Nov                       O2 Academy, Bournemouth

Saturday 23^rd Nov                  O2 Shepherds Bush Empire, London

Monday 25^th Nov                   O2 Academy, Bristol

Tuesday 26^th Nov                   Junction, Cambridge

Wednesday 27^th Nov            UEA, Norwich

Saturday 30^th Nov                  Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton

Sunday 1^st Dec                        Solus/University, Cardiff

Monday 2^nd Dec                     O2 Academy, Oxford

Tuesday 3^rd Dec                      O2 Academy, Liverpool

Thursday 5^th Dec                    Ironworks, Inverness 


Friday 6^th Dec                           Picturehouse, Edinburgh

Saturday 7^th Dec                     O2 Academy, Newcastle

Sunday 8^th Dec                        O2 Academy, Leeds

Tuesday 10^th Dec                    The Assembly Rooms, Leamington Spa

Thursday 12^th Dec                  Rock City, Nottingham

Friday 13^th Dec                        Ritz, Manchester

Saturday 14^th Dec                   Academy, Dublin, EIRE

Sunday 15^th Dec                      Limelight, Belfast

Tickets for the Underworld headline show are priced £7.50 (subject to booking fee). Doors £18.30 and support from Leogun and The Graveltones

Tickets for Black Star Riders shows are priced 22.50GBP / 25.00 GBP London (subject to booking fees) – Dublin is E25. Tickets are available through all normal outlets…

R.I.P. Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed 

(March 2, 1942 – October 27, 2013)

Over the coming days and weeks I guess there will be many people putting pen to paper about the loss of Lou Reed who died today. For me personally I just feel I would like to put down what Lou Reed meant to me . I was lucky to meet him once in the 90's in Liverpool I found him to be talkative witty polite and a real gentleman although like many I felt wary approaching him. I was glad I did and it is a memory that I cherish. 

His music first appeared on my radar as a 14 year old. I was a teenager who was into David Bowie and David Bowie had left enough hints for me to follow them to the Velvet Underground Lou's band of the sixties. It seemed to me that whilst the Velvet Underground belonged to the sixties by the time the 1970's rolled round Lou Reed was looking for something else and  while I missed out on his first solo self titled album (Even though members of Yes played on it) I was primed and ready for Transformer and in 1972 it seemed he was everywhere not just with that album but Mott The Hoople were singing his praises and also the aforementioned David Bowie. Of course Lou was never a one trick pony or a one album artist and his follow up Berlin also featured on the Kirkman Dansette regularly through 1973. From there it was Rock n Roll Animal which I know drove my nan and my grandfather round the bend like many parents round the world I suspect but this was really what it was all about for a 15 year old in 1973/74. 

Throughout the seventies Lou would release albums regularly and some I got some I didn't sorry Lou I still don't get Metal Machine Music but then as an impatient teenager  maybe that was too big a jump from Transformer, Berlin etc. 

I really loved however that Lou made music that he wanted to make and didn't ever make any concession to critics,  many of whom felt the barb of his tongue and for evidence of that check out Lou's live album Take No Prisoners which is an amazingly funny recording of a Lou Reed show where the inbetween patter  was as important and as entertaining as the songs Lou played unless you were one of the targets Lou was taking shots at.

There was the re connection with former Velvets' bandmate John Cale on the tribute to Andy Warhol, Songs For Drella. Shortly after that The Velvet Underground announced they were re forming and played a European tour. I personally thought they were amazing although I know some did criticise and say they were beyond their best/Bollocks to that these people were legends and I am sure many wish they had seen the band.

So that brings us to today's sad news, I was surprised and shocked because despite Lou undergoing a liver transplant in May things did seem to be going well and both Lou and his wife Lori Anderson were incredibly positive. Sadly that all came to an end today with the announcement that Lou had passed away at the age of 71. I was suddenly taken back to that day in 1972 when I bought Transformer., Walk On The Wild Side, Vicious, Perfect Day; that album had a profound effect and also a positive effect on a 14 year old who was opening up to all kinds of music. Lou, your music stayed with me longer than many others and for that I thank you.

In closing, Lou I never pretended to understand or even like every album you released  but I understood and liked many of your albums enough  to say that I was a huge admirer of your work. May many more people discover your music and pass it on to the next generation enjoying it as they go along and may many enjoy their own "Perfect Day"

Jon Kirkman  Sunday 27th October 2013

Classic Rock Radio Dot EU – Future Classic Rock Stars New CDs

Spotlight: Steve Costello – Vol. 1 (Independent Music Artist – Steve Costello Music 2013)

Nothing better than being turned onto a new musician(s) that you feel is worth the time and interest. The music we are familiar with we instinctively hold so dear and is a pleasure to listen to day in and day out, but getting over-exposed can cause burn out. Besides, in the nineteen seventies it was said that, variety was the spice of life. Regarding back then if I remember right to pertain to either human beings eating or sex habits. Maybe I just missed the music option? Certainly applies. New music keeps us alert, and all the time while searching for some good, we actually come come along someone who is not only good, but more towards the scale of exceptional; Steve Costello.

Steve Costello is a musician that I learned of from CRR Dot EU's official Facebook page. Just out of nowhere I saw this post by fellow CRR Dot EU colleague, Derek Watts. Was a usual as cool write-up from DW, that motivated me to check out the web-link that was included to Costello's official YouTube station. I found Steve to be a guitar player who could rock the balls off a charging rhino, fifty paces away. The video to “Strat-o-matic” simply blew me away. Still does when I heard it today. A rocking, view speed ahead rock instrumental with in your face playing from all three musicians involved. Seriously had my attention, so much so I did one of my daily columns on him. From there it was to his EP that's a three-song instrumental extravaganza and the best thing you can buy on the Internet for three bucks. I dare you to find something that can find of equal entertainment, and especially for that price. Please know and understand, Steve's an INDEPENDENT musician. So much for the middle man. I'll say a word or two more about that before I'm finished. Time to move on to what's most important; the music.

The Steve Costello Band ( Steve and his other two band mates) is Steve Costello (guitar, vocals), Kevin Barbe (bass), and Robert Sibony (drums). In my ears these guys are tight. Every track on Steve Costello's Vol. 1 are performed brilliantly. The songs are all well written. The album is produced by Steve Costello and co-produced by Robert Sibony, who also co-wrote with Steve three songs on the disc. All the rest are Costello compositions. I went old school and actually purchased the physical CD. Same old school route when playing it...REAL LOUD on the home stereo. People walking past I'm sure could hear it as well. Has a proper rock and roll CD sound to it.

Track three entitled Lady Libra is the hook. The first two songs, 'Too Late' & 'Risk', reeled you in. Made you interested. Opened your mind as to what's next. This is what followed; Lady Libra. The first song on Costello's Vol. 1 that I stopped the CD, and pressed repeat. I just had to hear it again. Sometimes the mind can play tricks. Is it as good of a song as I was thinking it was? So I give it another spin. Most times I turn the volume up when going through this procedure. A great rock song with all the right riffs and attitude. Before it finishes I could hear a tad of Aerosmith influence. Towards the end of the song and before the chorus, it gets for a few seconds anyway sounding early Aerosmith like. A high-lite of the tune, I'd recommend riding that moment out some when playing the song live.

Balls to the wall, 'Lie To Me' takes it up a notch. Solid rocker !! Continuing in it's footsteps is track five's; Insane. Deserves radio play.

A song with a great drum intro and then a crunching rock riff leads off Prodigal Son. Like the songs previous, an infectious melody. Lyrics compliment to the point where they can easily stick the listens mind. Prodigal Song is a power rock song that like track five's Insane, easily deserves radio play. Steve's vocal performance stands out as does the music involved. Nice playing guys !!

Track Seven is another favorite of mind; Evil. In the groove of a could be Led Zeppelin song. Someone should keep the vibe going. Costello's guitar playing is good enough to be considered in the same ballpark of Jimmy Page. Another fine vocal delivery that just adds to the brilliance of the performance.

The last track is called, Took It All. A great closing song, that rocks throughout showing yet again what outstanding player and song writers we got here.

ALERT ----->HIDDEN TRACK ALERT

At around the four minute mark should you let the disc play after what you believed was the last track, you'll start hearing this gritty instrumental filled with sound bits and done so superbly. Reminds me of Kevin Moore's (ex-Dream Theater / OSI) work. When done correctly the audio sample’s and instrumental track combine and compliment each other making for a cool listening experience. It's just what happened here.

Uncle G's Rating: Using the one to five star rating system, I give Steve Costello – Vol. 1 – FIVE STARS!! Some of the BEST new up and rising talent I have heard in a LONG time. From here on out, I'm paying very close attention. Steve has the chops, along with his band, to be one of the best new rock bands to come out of Canada, since Nickelback (who I'm a casual fan of). Not as much pop rock, in which I think will promote longevity.

ALERT ---> INDEPENDENT ARTIST

Steve's official website gives all kinds of information; lyrics, bio, contact info...the whole nine yards. That's where you find information on how to BUY the following CD that I am now STRONGLY recommending you getting. Especially if you're one of those folks who always complain about today's music scene. Supporting Steve and his band mates sends a message. Mine is positive. Has a classic rock Led Zeppelin / The Kinks vibe, yet sounding very 2013. Shows LOTS of promise. If you climb on board the Steve Costello fan band wagon, you'll have bragging rights about how Uncle G turned you on to Steve, all the way back in '13.

Official Steve Costello Web Links
Official Website: www.stevecostello.ca

Official YouTube Page
http://www.facebook.com/l/_AQFW8o9bAQEeavBMDDbAONDGBNjPtePJ5PbblzaKx1rnHg/www.youtube.com/user/SteveAlCostello


Official Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/stevecostellomusic

Gary Brown
American Corespondent for Classic Rock Radio Dot EU

Humble Pie's double live album Performance: Rockin' The Fillmore – The Complete Recordings will be reissued in an expanded, re-mastered edition on October 28 via Omnivore Recordings/Universal Music.  The release features all four of the concerts the band recorded at the Fillmore East on May 28-29, 1971, with the re-mastering overseen by band members Peter Frampton and Jerry Shirley.

The news coincides with Frampton’s upcoming concert at London Roundhouse on Tuesday 5th November 2013.  

Tickets are available from: 

kililive.com, 

0844 871 8803 and 0844 482 8008.

Peter Frampton Online 
Official Website

http://www.frampton.com/

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/PeterFrampton

Twitter

https://twitter.com/PETERFRAMPTON

Classic Rock radio's Jon Kirkman will be interviewing Peter Frampton along with Jerry Shirley about the Humble Pie Fillmore release

Uncle G's Yes / YesRelated Music Collection

Spotlight: Yes – Life Me Up (CD & Cassette Single)

I always had a love / hate relationship with Yes' 13^th studio album; Union. I supported it when it was new. Brother Kevin and I saw the band when they played The Woodlands (just outside Houston) promoting the release. Was a magical night for now Yes consisted of eight members, all regarded by this time as being some of the best players / musicians in prog rock, alone or especially together.

The Yes album Union (Arista Records) from 1991, is said to include a cast of thousands. Lots of rumors. Wakeman was reported to have thrown the recording he received from the record company, out the window of a rather fast moving motor car. Nevertheless, in my opinion some good songs came out of all that. One being called; Lift Me Up.

Written by Trevor Rabin and Chris Squire, Life Me Up was released as Unions first single, and did a super job charting. Was performed nightly on the Yes Union Tour. It's lyrical content to be about homelessness, but also containing random words found in the dictionary. Is nowadays regarded in the Yes fan base with high esteem and often placed on lists of fans favorite YesSongs. Mr. Rabin has since it's release been quoted as saying when heard, the song makes him cringe. Not the actual music, but it's mix. Trevor said the original in which he did, was much better. Ends up Clive Davis (Arista Records) didn't like that, nor another Trevor done. So they hired out, and according to Rabin, no fault to the man who did the final work. It's just that no one (from or at Arista Records) ever gave him an idea of what was wanted. As a co-writer and musician on the song, Mr Rabin is certainly worthy of giving an opinion. Uncle G can't comment since I only heard the one studio version that is on the officially released Union album.

Gary Brown
American Corespondent for Classic Rock Radio Dot EU

You can read about Trevor Rabin's version of events surrounding the Union album along with Bill Bruford's illuminating account of the Union period in the book Time And A Word: The Yes Interviews by Jon Kirkman. Available only on line here
www.rslimitededitions.com

You can also watch a short film about the book here:

Big Vision Publishing Launches Kickstarter Campaign for the Art of Big ‘O’ Coffee Table Book

Big Vision Publishing Launches Kickstarter Campaign for the Art of Big ‘O’ Coffee Table Book

#The BIG 'O' publishing company first burst upon the swinging London art and music scene during those wild and wonderful psychedelic 1960s and published throughout the 70s up until 1980 a fine collection of posters, calendars, art cards and books.  The company truly was THE one and only cutting edge fantasy and fantastic art publisher of that age.

On Monday, 7 October 2013, Big Vision Publishing launched a campaign using the popular crowd-funding site Kickstarter to raise money to publish a book called The Art of Big ‘O’.  It will be an unprecedented artwork collection of the artists of Big O Posters published during the 60s and 70s, along with their stories.  It will be a true fantasy and fantastic art fan’s delight.  With a goal of $24,000 (approx. £15,000) the funds will be used to pay for the printing and mailing of the full-colour coffee-table book as well as a reward catalogue and companion DVD.

Michael Fishel, one of Big O Poster’s artists, and the driving force behind this book project, is hopeful that fans of artists such as Roger Dean, Rodney Matthews, H.R. Giger, Jim Burns, Martin Sharp, Heinz Edelman, and more will support the campaign and help it reach its goal.  The campaign is running for 36 days, with the target funding to be reached by 11 November 2013.  On current timelines, and assuming the target is reached, the book is due to be published around May 2014.

Fishel has been working with Nigel Suckling, himself a Big O artist, on the writing and layout of the book, the majority of which is complete. The funds raised will be used to print and ship the book along with the many wonderful rewards offered to those that pledge, including original Big O art cards signed by the artist, original sketches, the calendar, DVD and more.

The book will be a lavish 8.5 x 11 inch full-colour glossy 184 page hardcover volume featuring some of the finest artwork from the Big O artists, along with their personal stories and the history of Big O Publishing.  It will not available through other retail outlets and only offered exclusively on Kickstarter.  There will also be a limited edition book on offer which will be hand signed by the participating Big O artists.

This project will only continue if at least $24,000 is pledged by Monday Nov 11, 8:18am EST.  Michael and those who have already pledged money really do need your help to see this fantastic project succeed.  Please take some time out to review the following sites, and consider making a pledge:

For more information on the Kickstarter campaign click here: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1537729205/the-art-of-big-o

For a preview of the book layout click here: http://issuu.com/michaelfishel/docs/the_art_of_big_o_pages-1-59-lower-r

SONDURA - 'We're Here Now' / new single out now + London show 29.10.13

Photo Credit Paul Harries

SONDURA - 'We're Here Now' / new single out now 

 + London show 29.10.13

SONDURA will be playing a London date at The Underworld on 29th October (as the main support to Focus)

They will be on-stage around 8pm.

The band have just released their ‘We’re Here Now’ single, which has been getting plenty of airplay from rock and metal radio shows around the UK, while the promo clip for the song is currently on the playlists of both Kerrang! TV and Scuzz TV.

VANGELIS: RCA & ARISTA ALBUMS

Cherry Red Records and their imprint Esoteric Recordings are extremely proud to announce the release of newly re-mastered and sonically enhanced editions of the albums recorded for the RCA and ARISTA labels by the legendary composer and electronic music visionary VANGELIS.

All of these reissues come in deluxe digi-pack designs, with new masters personally supervised by VANGELIS. 

The albums “Heaven & Hell”,

 “Albedo 0.39”, 

“Spiral” 

“Beaubourg” 

were all ground-breaking works created between 1975 and 1978 (released on the RCA label) which saw Vangelis explore expansive electronic, choral and ambient music on a breath-taking aural canvas.  In the late 1980s, VANGELIS pushed boundaries still further with the album “Direct”, 

(released in 1987 by Arista Records), on which he devised a unique method of composing and recording, relying on spontaneity, with the compositional and recording

process occurring simultaneously in the studio with few (if any) overdubs taking place.

In 1991 he released the final collaborative album to date with vocalist JON ANDERSON, the highly acclaimed “Page of Life”. 

These Esoteric Recordings releases have been newly re-mastered and sonically enhanced under the supervision and full approval of VANGELIS himself and are the definitive statement on key moments in the career of a true master of his art. The reissue of “Spiral” includes the rare bonus track “To the Unknown Man (II)” (previously unreleased on CD) and “Page of Life” includes the rare bonus track “Sing With Your Eyes”.

All titles are released on Monday 25^th November 2013 in Deluxe Digi-pack editions.

AN  AFTERSHOCK  IS COMING!

UK Release: 25^th November 2013

Fanpack Release: 21^st October 2013

Silence, silence

Silence when you speak to me! - Lemmy Kilmister

Like the juggernaut you prayed would keep on crushing you, like the friend that still royally pisses off your parents and like a loyal standard of crunchy, greasy, punky, bluesy, gutsy screw-you rock’n’roll, Motörhead stride out through their 38^th year brandishing more swagger and attitude then your ears could begin to comprehend.

On Oct 21^st, 2013 Motörhead will deliver their 21^st studio album, an enormous and prophetic Aftershock. Recorded at NRG Studios in North Hollywood,it is a true leveler, a crushing confirmation of everything Motörhead stands for, marching from the dust storm to deliver 14 belting statements which see Motörhead in perhaps their best writing form for years. There’s swagger, there’s punch, there’s speed and there’s dirty filthy grooves, Lemmy Kilmister, Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee showing clearly that Motörhead is not simply a band, it’s a genre!

That genre, more than ever, resonates with hearty independence and swashbuckle. Whether it’s “Heartbreaker” throwing hooks and riffs into your head, the double-kick concussiveness of “Paralyzed” with Campbell’s fuelled attack, or the thunderous ride-off-the-Rickenbacker Motörcharge of  “Going To Mexico”, Aftershock takes gleeful twists and turns which re-announce the Motörlegend. There’s the smokey biker bar blues in the shape of “Dust And Glass”, Lemmy’s late-night vocals evoking last-call and melancholy, the pogo-powered punk-spiked stab of  “Queen Of The Damned” and the deliciously steamy, humid mournful “Lost Woman Blues” which midway through decides to kick over the stool and stomp out the saloon door.

“Steal it if you must, buy it if you can!” says Lemmy, who’s pride in the album is so immense that guests to his home and dressing room in the last couple of months have been treated to extremely loud airings of the rough mixes, while Phil Campbell adds, “I really think the variation on the album shows that we’ve dug deep and produced some of our best work for a long time.”

“It is,” says Mikkey Dee, “a really, really strong Motörhead album, one that really does define everything this band stands for.”

He’s not wrong.

Because Motörhead are Motörhead are Motörhead…and their Aftershock will be felt worldwide…

Attention:

Classic Rock, UK presents Motörhead’s ‘Aftershock’ as a limited edition fanpack which features the new album in full plus a 132 page magazine that forms the ‘ultimate sleevenotes’ to the new album, with extensive and exclusive interviews with Lemmy Kilmister, Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee.

Inside is everything you need to know about ‘Aftershock’ and the world of Motorhead in 2013: the making of the album, new features covering all eras of the band’s career from 1975-2013, and tons of unseen pics. Plus a giant Motorhead poster and exclusive car sticker. The fanpack edition will be on sale 21 October 2013 and is available to pre-order now from

www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk/motorhead

  

www.imotorhead.com

www.udr-music.com

Aftershock tracklisting:

Heartbreaker

Coup de Grace

Lost Woman Blues

End Of Time

Do You Believe

Death Machine

Dust And Glass

Going To Mexico

Silence When You Speak To Me

Crying Shame

Queen Of The Damned

Knife

Keep Your Powder Dry

Paralyzed

Availability

21^st Oct                 in the UK “CLASSIC ROCK FAN PACKAGE” magazine edition exclusive for UK

25^th Nov               in the UK official RETAIL VERSION

Formats
CD album Digipack  / CD album Jewel case / Double LP // Gatefold sleeve  /DIGITAL album /D2C version (exclusive Direct to Consumer package) via www.udr-music.com / USA Best Buy exclusive version, CD album plus bonus DVD / USA Transworld CD album plus bonus content / Digital iTunes version       

Tour

11/07/2013         CH          Zurich                                Club Hallenstadion

11/09/2013         FR           Paris                                  Zenith

11/11/2013         BE           Deinze                               Brielpoort

11/13/2013         UK          Nottingham                       Royal Concert Hall

11/14/2013         UK          Newcastle                        City Hall

11/16/2013         UK          London                              Brixton Academy

11/17/2013         UK          London                              Brixton Academy

11/19/2013         UK          Wolverhampton                Civic Hall

11/20/2013         UK          Manchester                       Apollo

11/22/2013         UK          Glasgow                            Academy

11/26/2013         DE           Berlin                                Velodrom

11/27/2013         DE           Frankfurt                           Jahrhunderthalle

11/29/2013         DE           Stuttgart                            Schleyerhalle

11/30/2013         DE           Munich                              Zenith

12/02/2013         DE           Dusseldorf                        MEH

12/03/2013         DE           Hamburg                           Sporthalle

12/06/2013         DK          Horsens                              Forum Horsens

12/08/2013         NO         Oslo                                    Sentrum Scene

12/10/2013         FI            Helsinki                              Hartwall Arena

12/12/2013         SE           Linkoping                            Cloetta Center