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@ Newcastle o2 Academy, March 13 2010

In the late 1990s pop punk was all the rage.  Bands like Blink 182, New Found Glory and, hell, even Green Day were setting an example to bands all around the world that punk could be accessible for the mainstream as well as the underground.

Fast forward to 2010 and we’re still left with their legacy – albeit the watered down version.  You Me At Six are prime examples of a genre hitting saturation at lightning pace.  The Surrey five-piece entered the O2 Academy in the midst of a sold-out UK tour. Fans had even camped out in anticipation of catching a glimpse of the class of 2010 pop punk darlings. So was their wait worthwhile? Read the rest of this entry »

@ Newcastle o2 Academy, February 3 2010

Security at the former Carling Academy has taken on a whole new meaning since becoming the O2 Academy.

Tonight I had to squeeze past groups of teenagers having their ID scrutinised for an over 14s only performance. After missing My Passion’s performance, next up were Young Guns who launched into a generic set with bland songs where one tune was indistinguishable from the next. Read the rest of this entry »

He landed an 8/10 rushonrock album review last August and now Hot Water Music’s Chuck Ragan is heading back out on the road in support of the excellent Gold Country.

The punk rock troubadour kicks off his latest UK jaunt in Newcastle at the city’s Northumbria University on March 15 before racking up a further eight dates nationwide.

And it just so happens Ragan reckons his new material is some of the best he’s ever written. “The record is just another page in the book and another chapter in life,” he said. Read the rest of this entry »

@ Newcastle o2 Academy, November 30 2009

On this evidence the Taste Of Chaos tour can run and run. A capacity crowd, passionate pits, brilliant bands and music to make you head melt. If you missed this you missed out.

And talking of missing out it was probably a mistake to arrive late but the acts which followed Mylene & The Sons Of Disaster were clearly worth the admission money alone. Read the rest of this entry »

@ Northumbria University, November 21 2009

Pop rock buzz band Elliot Minor took to the stage in Newcastle to perform the last of their English tour dates in front of a surprisingly small audience at Northumbria University’s modest student union venue.

With their self titled debut album reaching the dizzying heights of six in the UK charts in 2008, one might have expected larger numbers. However it seems the change in venue from the city’s Academy was made to suit a more intimate crowd. Read the rest of this entry »

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts – I Love Rock N Roll (Hooker/Merrill) b/w Love Is Pain (Jett) 1982

Originally released in 1982, the re-release of Jett’s number one US single followed a decade later and opened up the former Runaway to a whole new audience of hair metal devotees.

Tracks like 1988’s I Hate Myself For Lovin You and 1990’s Dirty Deeds had ensured the original rock chick was already a favourite on MTV.

But the clamour for more of her best known tune was too much and in 1992 she remixed I Love Rock N Roll on a self-released four-track Japanese EP of the same name – sparking a resurgence in all things Jett. Read the rest of this entry »

Now this isn’t one for the faint hearted or even those of you with the constitution of an ox. In fact it’s one of the scariest, nastiest, craziest pieces of music we’ve heard for some time and it’s coming straight out of the North East in time for Christmas!

Cult Of Whores And Dogs combine a clear punk ethos with an industrial vibe to create one of the most unpleasant sounds you’ll hear all year. But if you’re disaffected, deeply disturbed or simply yearning to hear something demonically different then this is the band for you. Read the rest of this entry »

Steve Vai might have had the good sense to delay the release of his new album for seven days (we’ll rate it right here next Sunday) but we’re still bringing you the rushonrock verdict on a whopping eight albums this week – including the debut from Wednesday 13’s (pictured) new project Gunfire 76.

There’s the story so far from Funeral For A Friend, a triumph though adversity from Paramore and a punk rock double via Bullets And Octane. Heavyweight Best Of releases by Rainbow and Mott The Hoople slug it out for the heritage vote and we’ve got Germany’s Toja and Italy’s Fab Box flying the flag for Euro rock. Read the rest of this entry »

Pearl Jam – Backspacer Gatefold Vinyl Edition (Universal)

We’ve had a week to judge whether this might well be the best Pearl Jam record we’ve ever heard and the verdict? It is.

Incredibly it sounds like the record Eddie Vedder and co. might have been expected to deliver at a time when hair metal dominated and grunge was in its infancy.

Influenced more by classic rock than the Seattle scene, it’s polished, often upbeat and always challenging. In fact, if you’ve always been put off Pearl Jam because of their roots then it’s time to give the band their due – and your time – in 2009. Read the rest of this entry »

Spawned from the industrial wastelands of late 70s North East England, Venom pooled their collective frustration with the NWOBHM and life in general to create a lasting legacy for metal fans the world over.

As Black Metal – the album and the genre – is celebrated in September we caught up with founder member Cronos and if you’re an easily unsettled reader then look away now. (Even his phone number included the numbers 666 in sequence…). Read the rest of this entry »