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In the highly competitive summer festival market any new event must be right on the money. And while High Voltage experienced its problems we’re pretty confident this is one rock and metal gathering which will grow and grow.

As Sonisphere booms into life at Knebworth and the memories of Download are still so vivid it’s clear that we’re slap bang in the middle of a golden era for outdoor rock. With Bloodstock and the Leeds/Reading festivals still to come there’s never been as much choice for the discerning fan of guitar-driven music and the only question is: will it last? Read the rest of this entry »

Thirty years ago this week rock and roll received the massive kick in the arse it so desperately needed. It came from the steel toed boots of Brian Johnson and was called Back In Black.

Back In Business would have been more apt.

Never has one band been under so much pressure to deliver the album that proved there was life after death. In this case the death of Bon Scott.

But thanks to a cocksure Geordie, an up and coming producer and the wily old ways of the Young brothers there was never going to be any doubt that AC/DC would return as all-conquering heroes.

Through the mists of time the iconic Back In Black may well have morphed into an even better record than it really is.

And the word hype was made for an album which continues to be discussed in glowing terms by fans and critics alike.

But is there a bad song on the thing?

Four of the 10 are good, rather than great. Let Me Put My Love Into You is a Whitesnake song is disguise and Johnson’s shriek is no substitute for Coverdale’s crooning.

Then there’s Shake A Leg, Have A Drink On Me and What Do You Do For Money Honey. All three tracks are OK but alongside the tunes which populate the remainder of Back In Black they often sound distinctly average.

And that’s because the remaining six tunes on what might be the best rock and roll album ever are stone cold classics. Not simply AC/DC classics – classics of the genre.

Hells Bells and Shoot To Thrill are back-to-back killers and Given The Dog A Bone is Aussie rock songwriting at its simple and effective best.

But the best is yet to come as Side Two (we prefer to judge the original in all of its vinyl glory) kicks off with the globally recognised title track before letting rip with You Shook Me All Night Long.

And then there’s the ultimate set closer in the shape of the raucous Rock And Roll Ain’t Noise Pollution.

AC/DC have never managed to pack so many cast iron winners into one album since. And they never managed to be quite as prolific in the Bon Scott era. Three decades on and Back In Black deserves every plaudit it continues to receive – and more.

Like fine wines, good records get better with age. But is there an album you’ve heard lately which will be the Back In Black of its generation? We’d like to hear from you if there is such a fine body of work but we’ll reserve our judgement for now – and give one of the greatest albums of all time one more nostalgic twirl.

Once upon a time an album was an album.

Eight to 12 songs split down the middle with the best track first (or at least that was the idea) and the quality gradually diminishing from start to finish.

If fast forwarding a cassette changed the playing field a little, then CDs allowed fans to flick from one track to the next with such ease that the old order was swiftly shattered. Read the rest of this entry »

When the best selling daily tabloid in Britain announced The Darkness was reforming mixed emotions doesn’t do justice to how I felt.

Having been in on the band from the start – when they drove a battered little van across the motorways of Britain and conducted interviews on mobile phones with anyone who would listen – the rushonrock staff have always retained a special place in our hearts for the band which made the music we love mainstream listening once more. Read the rest of this entry »

There was a time when MTV was the place to go for your daily fix of the best rock videos around.

Bands like Whitesnake, Def Leppard and Bon Jovi sold millions of records on the back of heavy rotation 24/7.

And then there was the outstanding Headbanger’s Ball with its heady mix of video clips, live footage and interviews. Read the rest of this entry »

Summer is traditionally a time for sun-soaked festivals, sweaty club nights and evenings in the garden listening to classic rock with a beer in one hand and an air guitar in the other.

At least it is three out of every four years.

But what on earth is a rock fan who loves his football supposed to do when the World Cup takes centre stage for six weeks? Read the rest of this entry »

However hard certain sections of the rock and metal world may try there’s simply no stopping the Lycra and hairspray daubed juggernaut that is Steel Panther.

Twelve months ago they blew away the opposition with a short but sickly sweet set in a sweaty tent at Download. Back then they were still relative unknowns but such obscurity was never going to last. Read the rest of this entry »

If Download has become a wild celebration of all things wonderful in the rock and metal worlds then this year’s festival, more than most, could become one, long wake. In a good way.

Every year there are certain bands and their fans bound to have been touched by the loss of those they love or respect. And suitable tributes are paid.

But Download 2010, more than any of the previous events, will find the time and the means to honour six very special individuals – all of whom have died since Def Leppard brought down the curtain on last June’s event.

In Ronnie James Dio there are fewer more important vocalists in terms of the music he created and the musicians he inspired.   Read the rest of this entry »

If, like me, you love the sound of bar room rock and roll then you might have woken up to the news that The Faces were reforming and felt a little tingle of excitement.

Then came the bad news.

Actually, bad isn’t the word. Catastrophic. Calamitous. Crazy. Read the rest of this entry »

So suspected serial killer Stephen Griffiths has been exposed…as a fan of rock music.

In an attempt to make the man arrested on suspicion of three murders in the Bradford area appear even more sinister (if that were possible), certain national newspapers chose to reveal his taste in music.

And after glossing over the fact that he likes reggae, hip-hop, house music and drum n bass it was reported his three favourite bands are none other than…Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Stone Temple Pilots. Read the rest of this entry »