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rushonrock faves Europe are on a roll right now and after last night’s successful iTunes Festival show in London the supercharged Swedes have revealed they’ll be touring the UK again next year.

Joey Tempest and the boys tackle Sonisphere later this week on a main stage bill featuring fellow Scandinavians Turisas and the mighty Alice Cooper.

And with latest album Last Look At Eden continuing to confound the critics worldwide there’s never been a better time to revisit the band which brought us The Final Countdown almost 25 years ago. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s that time of the month again as fans of melodic rock everywhere prepare for the latest raft of releases from the excellent Frontiers Records.

There’s a new record from TNT frontman Tony Harnell (pictured) and his Mercury Train plus the prog-rock tinged supergroup YOSO.

Renowned vocalist Jorn unveils his Dio tribute and Terra Nova deliver what we believe is on of the most polished albums you’ll hear all years.

And there’s the new solo record from Europe guitarist John Norum. Read the rest of this entry »

He’s revelling in Europe’s second coming after quitting the chart topping Swedes more than two decades ago but the remarkable John Norum has still found the time to pen his latest solo record.

With Play Yard Blues out on Monday and Europe hitting Sonisphere this summer we felt it was high time one of the finest guitar heroes of the 80s featured right here.

So get ready to read about the world of blues rock – and that song – from the perspective of honest John. Read the rest of this entry »

As the home of all your big rock exclusives we’re delighted to bring you Europe’s six-string star John Norum this week – ahead of the eagerly anticipated release of his brand new solo album Play Yard Blues.

There’s a look ahead to Tigertailz‘ return to Tyneside and a review of what is sure to be a sparkling show this Friday.

And we feature Uriah Heep survivor Mick Box on the latest rushonrock Rider as we start the countdown to July’s star-studded High Voltage festival. Plus there’s a treat for all fans of female-fronted hair metal as the delectable Vixen hit our vinyl throwback 12@12. But there’s more… Read the rest of this entry »

Still riding high on the success of the brilliant Last Look At Eden album, Europe guitarist John Norum has still found time to cut his latest solo record and we can’t wait for the July release of Play Yard Blues.

Look out for a full interview with the guitar hero here very soon but for now settle down and take a look at what makes one of Scandinavia’s finest musicians tick.

The rushonrock Rider appears right here every Friday – lifting the lid on the lives behind the stars. Read the rest of this entry »

This week sees the welcome return of rushonrock faves Dear Superstar - we’ve followed these Brit rock dudes for a few years now and the DR2-signed band hit the road with New Device in May.

We’ll be giving you the lowdown on frontman Micky Satiar (pictured right) and his buddies later this week and we advise you to check out one of the hottest tickets of the summer!

If you like your rock hard and classic then we’re bringing you an exclusive interview with Y&T‘s Dave Meniketti in the week the excellent Facemelter record hits stores.

And we go behind the scenes with Europe’s John Norum – the latest member of the chart-topping band to get the rushonrock Rider treatment as he prepares to release new solo album Play Yard Blues. And we take a look at the new six-CD Thunder live box set!

We check out Alkaline Trio on their current tour and hope to bring you the latest on Trigger The Bloodshed‘s UK jaunt and prog masters Pendragon. Plus we bring you news from comeback king Dan Reed as the funk rock master hits the road. And there’s more! Read the rest of this entry »

With just five days to go before we experience the Sonic Boom Over Europe tour in all of it’s pyro-fuelled glory we’ve got the second part of our exclusive chat with genial Gene Simmons.

Still going strong after all these years and boasting thigh muscles men half his age would kill for, The Demon talks Donald Trump, William Shakespeare and Family Jewels – and that’s just for starters.

We can’t wait to see the man himself on action in Newcastle on Sunday and we’ll have a review of that show right here within hours of the final curtain falling.

For now sit back and enjoy a few more words of wisdom from an individual who has truly brightened up these pages during the past fortnight. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s something which has been troubling me for some time and, call me petty, but there’s nothing worse than a chronological gaffe.

The error in question centres around one of the most popular BBC dramas of recent years – Ashes To Ashes. With the third and final series of what was formerly Life On Mars airing now, the hype and publicity machine has gone into overdrive. Read the rest of this entry »

@ Newcastle o2 Academy, February 27 2010

To the majority of music fans the world over Europe will forever be referred to as ‘that band who sang the Final Countdown’. To those of us who have followed their career closely for more than 25 years they are so much more than that but there’s something strangely satisfying about being part of this secret society.

Let’s face it, if the cat got out of the bag then these guys would be back in arenas and no longer within touching distance of the people who really care. For longstanding fans of the band, watching them roll back the years in more initimate venues is a genuine treat. At their peak Europe were distant cover stars, Top Of The Pops studio guests and a global phenomenon out of reach and out of this world. These days you can feel the emotion. Read the rest of this entry »

Europe – Halfway To Heaven (Tempest/Vallance) b/w Yesterday’s News (Tempest/Marcello/Michaeli/Haugland/Leven), Got Your Mind In The Gutter (Tempest/Hill/Marcello) & Superstitious (Tempest)

1992 4 Cut Picture Disc

The last of three tracks culled from the underrated Prisoners In Paradise record, Halfway To Heaven peaked at 42 in the UK singles charts and paired Joey Tempest with Jim Vallance as a songwriting team.

Tempest spent four days in Vancouver working with hitmaker Vallance but the alliance never enjoyed the success it surely deserved. This is a classy tune oozing sentimentality and it more than matches the band’s best late 80s output. Read the rest of this entry »