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@ Newcastle o2 Academy II, March 30 2010

If Steel Panther are the parody then Winger are the real thing. And in the same month hair metal’s spoof heroes treated Tyneside to a set so close to the bone it made grown men cry, this was a rare chance to get up close and personal with a true great of the genre.

There was a time when watching Kip Winger tear through the hits inside the cramped but atmospheric Academy II would have been unimaginable. Unfairly targeted by cult MTV cartoon Beavis and Butthead then, like so many of their pretty boy peers, crushed by the onslaught that was grunge, this was one band which never seemed capable of mounting a comeback. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s that time of the week again when we sort the rock wheat from the metal chaff and give you the definitive verdict on what to spend your cash on tomorrow morning.

And after a couple of weeks of pretty meaty metal there’s melodic rock aplenty in the shape of Giant (pictured), Stage Dolls, Foreigner, Brian Howe and Rick Springfield.

It’s enough to make grown men weep and young ladies swoon. Or at least most of it is. Read the rest of this entry »

This time next week my four-year-old daughter’s anticipation will be reaching fever pitch. All her dreams will be on the verge of coming true.

Her dad will finally be talking to someone who really matters.

She thinks it’s all very well conversing with Alice Cooper. She takes a passing interest in the ‘Cherry Black Stones’ and is keen to meet any deaf leopard or white snake given the chance. Read the rest of this entry »

With an exclusive interview lined up for March – to coincide with the release of new album Promise Land – we’re going to go Giant crazy in 2010.

And we’re pretty confident the rest of the rock world will follow suit given the strength of the band’s fantastic follow-up to 2001′s III.

Our promo copy continues to beat the competition in the race to make the rushonrock turntable and now we’ve laid our hands on the new video for Promise Land‘s first single and the album’s title track. Read the rest of this entry »

We’re always excited when we hear the words Swedish and melodic rock in the same sentence and teenage sensations Titan look set to become rushonrock faves in 2010.

Boasting an average age of 18 and wearing their 80s hair metal influences on their sleeves, they liken themselves to Toto, Journey and Giant.

But we’re wondering whether mini album Steps might have more than a passing resemblance to the early work of fellow countrymen Europe. Now that would be cool… Read the rest of this entry »

Released in the UK on March 1 and knocking spots off the new Bon Jovi record, we can’t get enough of the new Giant record Promise Land.

Once again Italian melodic rock label Frontiers Records have served up a treat in the shape of a thrilling 13-track return to form.

Ballad Our Love might belong in an 80s rock club crammed full with lighter-waving fans but it’s an absolute belter of a track.

And it’s followed by the fantastic, Europe-esque Prisoner Of Love with its anthemic chorus and blistering axe work. Read the rest of this entry »

We’re still compiling our leading contenders for rushonrock‘s 2009 album of the year but there’s already a tip for the top in 2010 emerging in the shape of the new record from Giant.

The US stars will release Promise Land via Frontiers (who else?) in February.

And from the samples of several tracks we’ve heard this week it looks like the Italian label has backed another melodic rock winner.

Former mainman turned uber producer Dann Huff may no longer be a part of the gigging Giant but his songwriting skills still underpin an album set to make some serious waves in the New Year. Read the rest of this entry »

Winger produced some of the greatest songs ever to emerge from the hair metal era two decades ago and despite constant ridicule on MTV survived to fight another day.

That day has arrived with the release of the sensational Karma – one of the contenders for rushonrock‘s albums of the year – and a full UK headline tour next March.

Founder member Kip Winger took time out to look back on the hair metal glory days, the bittersweet taste of commercial success and why it’s obvious he’s in a band crammed full with his best buddies. Oh, and he even gives his verdict on grunge… Read the rest of this entry »

Giant – Stay (Remix) (Huff/Pasqua/Stephenson) b/w Get Used To It (Huff/Stephenson/Naish) 1992

Two cracking hair metal albums and one massive hit single ensured Giant etched their name into MTV-friendly rock history at a time when the genre outperformed every other kind of rock.

If you can imagine a US band boasting perfectly styled hair, superbly chiselled features, glorous guitar solos and cringetastic choruses then this is that act. When 1990 single I’ll See You In My Dreams cracked the Billboard top 20 it seemed Dan Huff and his vehicle for soft metal superstardom were set for take off but Giant’s time at the top was all  too brief. Read the rest of this entry »