RUSHONROCK.COM

It’s Halloween and here to scare our younger readers is that true rock monster Self Made Man! This week he harks back to teenage crushes and a woman called Pat…

…and if he thinks his latest blog is short he probably reckons Tony Iommi doesn’t have long hair.

Check out SMM’s words of wisdom by clicking on the page link above and leave your comments right here.

Pennsylvanian beat masters Innerpartysystem will be back in the UK next year and Newcastle will host one of rock’s hottest crossover acts in February.

The groundbreaking quintet will re-release cult smash Don’t Stop in time to whip old fans and new into a party rock frenzy ahead of a potentially thrilling headline tour.

And rushonrock will be there to see just how the band which comfortably outperforms Pendulum copes with a Carling Academy crowd going mad for a slice of the dance rock action.

Tickets for Innerpartysystem’s February 3 show went on sale today – check out the full list of UK dates below.

Mon      26/01/2009         Cambridge          Soul Tree

Tue        27/01/2009         Brighton              Audio

Wed      28/01/2009         Cardiff                  Barfly

Fri           30/01/2009         Exeter                   Cavern

Sat          31/01/2009         Birmingham       Academy 2

Sun        01/02/2009         Glasgow              King Tuts

Mon      02/02/2009         Leeds                    Cockpit

Tue        03/02/2009         Newcastle          Academy 2

Wed      04/02/2009         Manchester       Academy 3

Thu        05/02/2009         London                 Underworld

When was the last time you saw AC/DC adorning the front page of a quality newspaper…

…yeah, well I don’t think it had happened in my lifetime until Monday.

But to see BJ and the boys splashed all over the Guardian (or at least down the right hand column) did make me feel proud to love rock.

Of course those cheeky broadsheet scribes had tried to fabricate some link between AC/DC and deep recessions.

They pointed to the fact that the band only sell bucketloads of records when times are hard.

And insisted that when the public at large had plenty of money in their pockets there was no call for rock ‘n’ roll.

Of course we know that rock is recession proof. Luke Morley of Thunder said so right here on these pages long before the Guardian jumped on the bandwagon.

Biff Byford agreed when we caught up with him last week – citing Saxon’s early 80s heyday and the correlation with a Margaret Thatcher run Britain dogged by strikes.

But I’m beginning to drift away from the point.

And that is who cares why AC/DC are on the front of one our leading high brow dailies?

Isn’t it just great to see their name in big bold headline type alongside the ‘real’ news stories of the day.

Isn’t it comforting to know that selling hundreds of thousands of albums (and that’s albums not downloads) still makes the media’s powers that be sit up and take notice.

And isn’t it great that in a year when Led Zeppelin demanded mainstream press coverage on an unprecedented scale, the previously unfashionable AC/DC can match them column inch for column inch.

So the Guardian chose to put a slightly negative spin on the Aussie superstars’ selling power.

Well they always say that all publicity is good publicity.

And that was never truer than Monday morning when the world at large was reminded that many of us do still rock.
For the record we rock through the good times and the bad, through prosperity and economic depression.

The story is not that AC/DC have topped the charts during another recession. The story is that four old blokes – one in a cloth cap and another in a school uniform – can still sell any records at all after eight years kicking their heels.

The sooner our friends in the so-called real world understand rock’s enduring popularity the better. Although the day when Motorhead make the Guardian’s front page is probably still some way off… 

Simon Rushworth

Sunday sees the start of the eagerly anticipated Eastpak Antidote tour and us Toon-based folk are fortunate enough to boast the opening night at Newcastle’s super cool Carling Academy!

And eclectic bill featuring Flogging Molly (left), Street Dogs, Skindred and Time Again is sure to keep everyone happy on what promises to be one of the rock nights of the year.

And FM are so excited to be hitting Tyneside in 2008 that the band has taken time out to deliver a video message to all their fans! How cool is that? If you don’t have tix yet then snap them up now. FM have just seen their latest record Float hit a top four spot in the US and this is what the guys have to say ahead of what promises to be a pretty crazy night on Sunday…

There may still be two months until we usher in 2009 but here at rushonrock we believe we’ve unearthed the record of the year. Yes, there may have been mighty releases by Def Leppard, Whitesnake, AC/DC and Metallica during the past 10 months but none quite comes up to scratch when set against Tesla’s Forever More.

A top 40 smash in the US it’s not released here for another 10 days. But when it is make sure you don’t miss out. This is the record Bon Jovi have been trying to make for the past two decades but it’s heavy enough to keep the harder rockers perfectly happy. The anthemic So What! is one of the tunes of the year and the trademark ballads are typically glossy.

We’ll save the details until a full review the night before release (November 9 on Frontiers) but if you hear a better album than this before Christmas we want to know about it!

Here at rushonrock we have a habit of coming over all nostalgic and this time we just can’t get those Hollywood heroes Motley Crue out of our heads. So sit back and enjoy the post which celebrates the new sounds of old favourites and recalls their 1980s classics.

Now 2008: Saints Of Los Angeles (Motley) is supposed to be a return to form by Vince and the boys but the jury’s out on one of the most cliched and cringeworthy records of the year.

Of course it boasts Motley Crue’s trademark sleaze grinder sound and the vocals are actually 20 times better than you could possibly expect from a frontman who has surely seen better days. But titles like Motherfucker Of The Year and Chicks = Trouble simply serve to make your toes curl and your stomach churn.

Now it’s not as if tunes like Dr Feelgood or Girls, Girls, Girls were designed to get you thinking but the Crue’s latest record is mind-numbingly blatant even by their simplistic standards. Worst of all, on Saints Of Los Angeles it just doesn’t sound like the boys are having fun or, after a tumultuous history and too many reality TV checks, they will ever do.

Like Kiss before them it seems Motley Crue have become a multi-million pound business at the expense of being a good-time rock and roll band. At least they’re releasing new material but if this is the best they can do then maybe they just shouldn’t bother.

rushonrock rated: 4/10 Rock Saints Become Sinners

…And Then 1987: Girls, Girls, Girls (Elektra) sat right at the heart of the hair metal revolution and it’s finer moments ranked alongside anything that new releases by Def Leppard, Whitesnake or Guns ‘N’ Roses could offer.

This party album was released in a vintage year for MTV-friendly rock when big hair and big videos were just as vital as big chords and even bigger choruses. Those who predicted the one-domensional Crue would already have imploded by 1987 were rocked back on their heels as Vince Neil, Tommy Lee and co. produced their most outstanding record to date.

Anthemic songs like the title track and Wild Side are wonderful examples of how, at their creative best, this band could really kick ass. And in the case of uber-ballad You’re All I Need it’s even possible to argue a case for the Crue crafting the odd tune with true emotional depth.

Follow-up Dr Feelgood might have been Girls, Girls, Girls with added polish but the latter is the perfect Motley Crue record. Raw enough to get the adrenaline pumping but packed full of radio-friendly hooks it’s impossible to imagine the four piece ever bettering this heroic effort.

rushonrock rated: 9/10 Boys Like Girls

Here at rushonrock we like to remember Justin Hawkins as a fresh-faced hair metal God in his pomp rock prime, playing to a sell-out crowd at Newcastle University’s sweaty underbelly of a live venue. And it seems the old boy hasn’t really changed. With new band Hot Leg ready to give Extreme a run for their money at Newcastle City Hall next month we caught up with Mr Darkness himself.

rushonrock: When did you decide to put Hot Leg together and was there ever any doubt about the type of band it would be?

Justin Hawkins: The decision about what kind of band we were going to be was never an issue. We’ve been working on the album for a while now and it was always going to be a straight rock record. It’s always been my thing and I won’t change. Finding the right guys to do my thing with has been a challenge. I found our drummer Darby in January. He’s inhumanly good and he recommended Sam and he, in turn, recommended Pete. Everybody’s got the same sense of humour, everybody’s into the same kind of thing and it’s been really lovely.

rushonrock: Has there been obvious scepticism in the wake of your comeback?

JH: I think even if I’d stayed in The Darkness the scepticism would have been there. It’s not something that I worry about. It just becomes your duty to silence it. You show people how good you really are and do the biggest and best shows you possibly can. Hot Leg is sweatier and more fun and I’m loving it. But for a band like The Darkness to get to arena level – that was the natural conclusion. Along the way the best work we did was in the smaller venues where we could really connect with the audiences. The big stuff is a lot harder to pull off and we never really nailed the big arena shows. If you went to see Bon Jovi they would deliver the perfect arena concert. In The Darkness we couldn’t quite do that.   

rushonrock: The scepticism apart has the rock world otherwise welcomed you back with open arms?

JH: Overall it’s been really positive. I’ve been quite surprised in fact. Everybody told me I’d get a real slating when I returned with Hot Leg and that would have been totally expected. So absolutely everything positive that I see or read is a total bonus. There’s no bitterness. The new material is the strongest that I’ve ever written and everyone is excited to be playing the songs live. We can’t afford to get bogged down in what people might think of me or my past. That would really deflect from the Hot Leg experience – four men rocking as hard as possible. We’ll be doing proper rock shows. There are bands in the world who seem to be having fun to amuse themselves – we’re having fun to entertain our fans.

rushonrock: How excited are you to have the chance to tour with Extreme?

JH: Pete our guitar player is having kittens. They’re one of his favourite bands of all time. Before we nabbed the support slot we saw that they’d reformed and they were going to tour the UK. We said just imagine if we got that gig? And we did! We’re totally over the moon about it. Nuno is one of the best guitarists in the world and I’m really keen to see how he works and lives his life. He’s such a talented guy and a great role model.

rushonrock: Is there any way The Darkness could have continued?

JH: Creativity, or a lack of it, is the main reason I quit. Everyone just assumes I took lots of drugs and jacked it in. In fact I knew the second record wasn’t as creative as the first. The Darkness had run its course and I had run my course with The Darkness. Had my brother not been in the band I would have quit sooner.

rushonrock: Talking of Dan are you still close and what do you think of Stone Gods?

JH: I love my brother dearly and I think the Stone Gods’ record is an awesome album. My brother co-produced it and I’m really proud of what he’s done. He’s a very talented musician and I’m glad those talents have been acknowledged.

rushonrock: So do you see Hot Leg outlasting The Darkness?

JH: Lasting a little bit longer than The Darkness is inevitably what will happen. The problem with my old band was that a lot of people were pulling in too many different directions and the whole thing just snapped. Hot Leg won’t suffer from the same thing at all. It’s not about me and a cat suit – it’s a much more focused unit. In terms of longevity I don’t think there’s an end in sight. It’s a very exciting time for me.

News reaches us that those fine young me from Funeral For A Friend have joined forces with our favourite Wii game to pull together a series of special club nights next month.

Yes, FFAF and Guitar Hero are taking over Middlesbrough’s Metropolis @ The Empire on Saturday November 8 to give rock fans the chance to become Darran Smith and/or Kris Coombs-Roberts for one night only.

With game giveaways and the chance to hear the band’s latest album (which we still haven’t!) this promises to be one mighty night of metal mayhem on Teesside. Just remember that Darran and Kris are professionals. And you’re not.

It’s the day of rest and the clocks have gone back but here at rushonrock we’re working harder than ever and there’s no time to waste -as we count down three of tomorrow’s hottest new releases.

Cradle Of Filth – Godspeed On The Devil’s Thunder (Roadrunner)

Let’s not beat about the proverbial bush here. This is some heavy shit. Heavy in terms of ear-bleedingly intense, heavy in terms of lyrically challenging and heavy in terms of coming to terms with a concept based around a French serial killer. Yep, it’s heavy, heavy, heavy stuff.

But then again we like a bit of heavy from time to time. And once we’d fought our way past In Grandeur And Frankincense Devilment Stirs and Shat Out Of Hell (!) this frankly weird and wonderful record began to possess a certain appeal. You can’t beat voiceovers straight from the depths of a religious cult’s dungeon and classical bursts bound to impress the most demanding of musos. Throw in Dani Filth’s famous penchant for a ridiculous song title and there’s enough here to keep you busy for weeks.

We haven’t got weeks. And we’re always busy. But get your teeth into standout track Honey And Sulphur and you’ll be ready for anything 2008′s winter of discontent can throw at you.

rushonrock rated: 7/10 Filthy Dirty Fun

Axel Rudi Pell – Tales Of The Crown (SPV/Steamhammer)

No this isn’t Axl. It’s Axel. And frankly the former Steeler axeman is a far cooler guy than the bloke about to release his first album in 500 years.

Herr Pell has been flying solo for almost 20 years now and like a fine Bavarian beerkeller you just can’t help going back for more. Widely recognised as one of Europe’s finest guitarists he is at the very top of his game with the hugely enjoyable Tales Of The Crown.

In complete contrast to Dani Filth’s desire to make every song title more complicated than the last it’s refreshing to listen to the likes of Higher, Crossfire and Buried Alive knowing that it’s the music doing the talking. But don’t be fooled by the simple song names – within this latest collection of Pell classics lies some truly magical musicianship.

Vocalist Johnny Gioeli is the perfect foil for his gaffer’s guitar playing and there doesn’t appear to be any pecking order spoiling the flow of a fabulous record. In fact what we have here is a terrific slab of classic rock for 2008 and an album that demands to be heard.

rushonrock rated: 8/10 In Rudi Health.

Gamma Ray – Hell Yeah! The Awesome Foursome Live In Montreal (SPV/Steamhammer)

This live album looks, on the surface at least, like one for the die-hard Gamma Ray fan and no-one else. In fact it’s a fascinating record of a band who coined the phrase ‘feelgood factor’ with their high-energy, low-maintenence approach to good old fashioned rock. As the nights draw in and the cold bites this could warm the cockles better than a hot water bottle and fleece blanket combined.

Ex-Helloween hero Kai Hansen has given his best years as a muso to the ‘Ray and the people of Montreal really appear to appreciate his hard work on a night which restores your faith in the power of rock. New World Order is the pick of the early tracks but once the second half of the set is underway the sparks begin to fly.

We’re no fans of the live album genre but this is as good as one of these records gets. Spread over two CDs and encoring with the superb I Want Out and Send Me A Sign even Gamma virgins might enjoy this 22-track showcase for testosterone-fuelled Teutonic rock.

rushonrock rated: 6/10 Ray Of Light

In less than 48 hours you can get your sticky mits on former Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins’ return to form. And you’d be foolish to miss out on the first single from his new band Hot Leg.

Trojan Guitar clocks in at a mighty five minutes-plus and features all the multi-layered vocals, convoluted lyrics and guitar hooks you’d expect from the man who made classic pomp rock cool again. It’s not exactly catchy – and you’d probably call it a grower – but there’s definitely something special about Hot Leg’s preamble to 2009′s debut album.

Those of us counting down to Extreme’s Newcastle City Hall gig are well aware that Hawkins and co. are providing the support that night. And he told rushonrock: ”I think the last time I played there was when The Darkness supported Def Leppard and it’s a venue I just love. As soon as we wrap up our set I’ll be in the crowd picking the best spot to check out the mighty Extreme so seek me out and chew the rock fat.”

Justin, we’ll do just that! Trojan Guitar is released on Monday via Barbecue Rock Records and a full interview with Hot Leg’s Hawkins will appear here soon.