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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 »

We’ve been backing the Black Stone Cherry boys for some time now and it’s safe to say there can’t be many bands who’ve entertained us so often and so brilliantly throughout 2009.

With a new record in the pipeline for the second half of 2010 and no doubt yet another round of quality shows and festival slots to come we can only see the Edmonton, Kentucky quartet getting bigger. And bigger. And bigger.

But before they do we caught up with frontman Chris Robertson for a final bite of the ‘Cherry this year. Read the rest of this entry »

We’ve only just recovered from one festival when, would you believe it, word reaches rushonrock about what could well be our summer gig fest of choice. Backed by our favourite monthly music mag and promising in excess of 40 bands over two days, High Voltage is billing itself as the prestige festival for classic rockers.

Headliners ELP and ZZ Top don’t quite do it for us but there’s bound to be a raft of hard rocking talent on the undercard – with acts like The Answer, Stone Gods and Quireboys hotly tipped to bag sought after support slots. Read the rest of this entry »

@ Newcastle o2 Academy II, September 2 2009

Every so often an incredibly charismatic frontman comes and goes in the fickle world of rock without ever really making the mark his talent deserves.

Jizzy Pearl, akin to Perry Farrell in terms of his on-stage energy and quirky delivery, was always that man. But 20 years on from writing the first chapter of the Love/Hate story, the vibrant vocalist could yet fulfil his immense potential and complete a classic fairytale comeback. Read the rest of this entry »

Those of us who believed Iron Maiden’s Brit Award would herald a new era of recognition for rock have been brought crashing back down to earth with an almighty bang this week.

And the blast which heralded an uncomfortable reacquaintance with reality? That complete joke of a nominations list called the Mercury Music Awards.

According to the blurb which prefaced the latest raft of nominees in the race for the 2009 prize, ‘The Barclaycard Mercury Prize for ‘Albums of the Year’ celebrates and promotes the best of British and Irish music. All genres of music are eligible for entry and all are treated equally, the music on the album is the only thing taken into account.’ All genres apart from rock and metal, apparently. Read the rest of this entry »

@ Castle Donington, Main Stage, June 14 2009

A few months ago rushonrock was enjoying the company of Stone Gods in a tiny dressing room when the subject of Download came up. At that point the band had yet to be confirmed for the festival but none of the four members needed any encouragement in making a pitch for a main stage spot.

The craic was that, given the chance, they’d tear up Castle Donington regardless of what time they played or how many people they played to. For them it would be an honour to follow in the footsteps of the Monsters of Rock and they would do all in their power to bring Download alive. It goes without saying that the Gods stayed true to their word. Read the rest of this entry »

More than 70,000 expectant punters always hoped it would be something special. First came the news that the final day had a Classic Rock flavour, then the big name headliners were confirmed and finally the baking hot sun arrived right on cue. If ever Download was going to deliver a day to remember then this day would surely be it.

In fact it was better than that. Way, way better. This is what watching live rock music is all about and while I admire those who packed in all three days without barely breaking into a sweat, it’s just as well I decided to forgo Faith No More and sidestep Slipknot. Read the rest of this entry »

Metal heroes Dragonforce may have slayed Download this year but Herman Li and his mates aren’t about to slow the pace anytime soon. Still touring the brilliant Ultra Beatdown across the world, one of the craziest bands on the planet plan to bring a full UK headline tour our way again this winter.

Fresh from more awards glory at the 2009 Metal Hammer Golden Gods gig this week, the Grammy-nominated shredsters roll out their Hearts & Minds Tour from November through to mid-December with axe maestro Li promising the usual fret-burning fireworks. Read the rest of this entry »

What an event as the spirit of Monsters Of Rock lived on at Download’s Classic Rock Sunday – and rushonrock was there to see it all (or some of it)!

This week we deliver the definitive view of a mesmerising day with reviews of Leppard, Whitesnake, Journey, Dream Theater, Black Stone Cherry, Stone Gods, Tesla, Shinedown and the fabulous Steel Panther! There’s all the backstage gossip, some cheeky pics and a list of our highs and lows. Enjoy.

But that’s not all this week. Tesla play Newcastle’s o2 Academy tonight with rising rockers People In Planes at Whitley Bay’s Trojan Rooms. And Self Made Man delivers his verdict on UFO at the o2. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the brightest new bands to emerge on the Britrock scene in the past two years, the super-cool Stone Gods are the perfect choice to open Download 2009′s main stage.

Risen from the ashes of The Darkness, the vibrant four-piece play classic rock with a twist – reminiscent of Thunder, Little Angels and Terrorvision at their peak almost 20 years ago.

Like those bands before them hopes are high that the Gods will live up to their name and lead a new generation of UK acts into Europe, America and beyond. Donington next month is a great place to start that bid for global domination and here’s all you need to know about the rushonrock faves. Read the rest of this entry »