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As a huge (maybe even bigger than that) Def Leppard fan I’m more than just a little concerned right now.

It only seems like yesterday that I was basking in the glory of the band’s best record for 20 years and a triumphant headline show at Download 2009.

Leppard were back and back in a big, big way. Songs From The Sparkle Lounge proved to be a triumphant return to the band’s 80s heyday and a co-headline UK arena tour alongside Whitesnake wowed audiences the length and breadth of Britain. Read the rest of this entry »

Legendary rockers Thin Lizzy are looking forward to one of their biggest years yet with a revamped line-up featuring some of the world’s hottest talent and a raft of deluxe reissues on the cards.

Driving force Scott Gorham has put together a Who’s Who of rock talent heading into 2011 when the band will kick off a full UK headline tour.

Joining the guitarist will be Lizzy alumni Brian Downey and Darren Wharton plus Def Leppard’s Vivian Campbell, former Whitesnake man Marco Mendoza and ex-Almighty frontman turned solo star Ricky Warwick. Read the rest of this entry »

Multi-million selling melodic rock masters Europe kick off their UK tour in Leeds tomorrow riding high on the back of Swedish chart topper Last Look At Eden.

rushonrock will be checking out Joey and co. when they stop off in Newcastle towards the end of what promises to be another sensational show.

But for now you can feast your eyes on a feature written by editor Simon Rushworth for the North East’s Journal newspaper. And thanks to Tina Korhonen for the sparkling new band shot. Read the rest of this entry »

Perhaps the ultimate Hair Metal Hero, expert crooner Joey Tempest combined pretty boy looks with a pretty special set of pipes to take the late 80s rock scene by storm.

As frontman with Europe he toured the world belting out The Final Countdown and countless other pop rock classics – setting the standards for a new breed of metal band.

Latest record Last look At Eden is every bit s good as anything Joey has done before and we can’t wait to catch Europe on tour in the UK in the next few weeks. For now let’s look at the music behind the man.

Read the rest of this entry »

This week sees the latest night dedicated to that institution of North East rock – The Mayfair – a decade after its famous doors were closed for the very last time.

And despite the fact that we’re once again pretty well off for club size venues in Newcastle there’s no doubt that none boast the same electric atmosphere which underpinned Europe’s biggest and longest-running rock club. Read the rest of this entry »

Daniel Steadlur is one quarter of US sleaze rock sensations Steadlur and as we celebrate a week dedicated to the dirtiest, most raw form of metal on the planet who better to tap up about drink, drugs and rock chicks? 

With a powerful Download debut under their belts and sales of their new album rising fast, the boys are keen to head back to Britain before Christmas – if only to mop up Steel Panther’s sloppy seconds. Stay posted to rushonrock for all the latest Steadlur news and enjoy one of the top interviews of 2009. Read the rest of this entry »

Long hair, like loud rock, has never been in fashion. Then again, Aussie sportsmen aren’t renowned for their good taste. Which is just as well because, in former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash, rock and metal boasts one of its most vocal supporters and an individual never afraid to nail his true colours to the mast.

A talented guitar player, the one-time darling of centre court’s female fans never fails to do his bit for the music we love by mentioning his other passion everywhere he goes. Always keen to combine his BBC-funded visit to the All England Club with a gig or two, Cash has really come up trumps in 2009. Read the rest of this entry »

Dare – We Don’t Need A Reason (Wharton) 1991

Darren Wharton might have risen to fame as a member of Thin Lizzy but his artistic talents reached new heights with melodic rock outfit Dare. Perfect for the hair metal era with their pretty boy looks and MTV-styled clobber, the five-piece were, nevertheless, capable of delivering some damn fine music.

Debut Out Of The Silence drew critical acclaim across the board in 1989 and two years later the equally impressive Blood From Stone demonstrated a clear progression from this band on the brink of the big league. Sadly on the brink is where they stayed and as tastes changed Dare drifted into oblivion – but not before We Don’t Need A Reason offered further proof that these guys oozed quality. Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome to the backstage area of rushonrock where we horde all those little secrets our heroes don’t always want us to hear and dish them up in a delicious little list we call the Rider.

Each week we’ll be getting up close and personal with some of rock and metal’s biggest names and discovering everything from their favourite destination, choice of wheels and the nickname they were labelled with as kids. First up it’s Thin Lizzy survivor Scott Gorham… Read the rest of this entry »

Gary Moore (Featuring Albert King) – Oh Pretty Woman (Williams) b/w King Of The Blues (Moore) 1990

At a time when hair metal was at its over-produced and outrageous peak this classic track bucked the trend as one of rock’s greatest guitarists openly displayed his love of the blues.

After the hard rock beast that was previous album After The War, this was Moore mellowing out and Oh Pretty Woman was the lead single from his acclaimed solo album Still Got the Blues. The partnership with legendary blues man Albert King made for an atmospheric sleeve and a spine tingling version of a classic tune. Read the rest of this entry »