I recently picked up Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights 2010 album ‘Pardon Me’ for a bargain 99p in a local charity shop. I can’t find anywhere that he is related to Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler, yet he has a little of that man’s vocal in his. An album full of classy blues/southern rock with a nice curveball in the a capella on Ladybird, simply magnificent.
Since this album’s release Jonathan Tyler has gone solo and in a more country/Americana direction.
Go seek out a copy now!
Thought I’d ramble on a bit about music I have picked up in CD format (I am very lucky to get new music/releases as part of the Get Ready To Rock! team). I picked up a copy of Massive Wagons’ ‘Full Nelson’ album (which won the GRTR! Readers Album of the Year poll). Having seen them live (go see them live they are excellent) and heard a few songs via Spotify the album is barnstormer. Plenty of no frills hard rock and as GRTR! Live Ed Dave Wilson wiselyt noted they could be the new Slade, not so much in their sound but their appeal to wide audience and love of a good melodic riff.
A recent charity shop bargain was Bastille’s ‘Bad Blood’, bit slow on catching-up on this one as it came out six years ago but hey we get there. Bastille have a knack, like Imagine Dragons, of mixing catchy melodies backed by varied percussion and backing vocal arrangements. Pop prog anyone?! One my children like as well, so a win win.
Last one for now is 100 Hits – The Best Soft Rock Album. Now if you frequent your local Sainsburys you will see a never ending array of 100 Hits, Now and various eras compilations. Despite CD sales falling overall, the rise of compilation CD sales seems to march onwards. Many music fans regard these as they would tribute bands, ones to be avoided, however this soft rock one has a good selection with the usual staples of REO Speedwagon, Survivor, Air Supply plus some more modern choices from the Calling, Train and the Script. It does lose a point for Jennifer Rush though! Shame you can’t scrub a song of an CD. All in all not bad for under a fiver for five CDs.
Tour will benefit The Trussell Trust foodbank network
Squeeze frontman and co-founder Glenn Tilbrook will join Wilko Johnson on the UK leg of Wilko’s upcoming tour dates, starting on February 28th 2019. The special guest dates with Wilko will run either side of Glenn’s own headline shows.
At both his solo shows and on the Wilko Johnson tour Glenn will be promoting awareness of, and donations for, The Trussell Trust, the charity that supports a network of foodbanks around the UK. At most venues there will be food drop points and collection boxes, and Glenn will also be donating all profits from his merchandise, including an exclusive 4 track EP, to the organisation.
Glenn says “it is shameful that in the 21st century there are people that can’t afford to put food on the table.. Anyone, from any walk of life, can fall upon dire times, and I hope that by doing this tour it will remind people that there is a very real need. Most of us can do something to help – be it giving some food or a little money – and I hope people coming to the shows are inspired to donate. On the 3rd September 1975 – Squeeze opened for Dr Feelgood at St Albans Civic Hall. They were the only band I’d ever seen besides us, who were doing short concise songs and hitting you between the eyes. They blew my mind. I’m so happy to be doing this tour with Wilko and his extremely talented band and am pleased he has accommodated support for The Trussell Trust on this tour”
Wilko says “It is good to be on the same bill as Glenn again – we both come from the same milieu and I’m sure that it will be a great show. I’m happy to be supporting the Trussell Trust on this tour and to help raise awareness about the important work that they do.”
Food donated at the venues will be collected and distributed to the nearest Trussell Trust foodbank.
Foodbanks provide a minimum of three-days’ nutritionally balanced, non-perishable tinned and dried foods that have been donated by the local community. A list of items in a typical food parcel are: cereal, soup, pasta, rice, tinned tomatoes/pasta sauce, lentils, beans and pulses, tinned meat, tinned vegetables, tea/coffee, tinned fruit, biscuits, UHT milk and fruit juice. If possible audience members are asked to check with local foodbanks to see what supplies are currently needed.
Tour dates
Special Guests with Wilko Johnson
28/02/2019 Opera House, Buxton
01/03/2019 Parr Hall, Warrington
02/03/2019 De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill
08/03/2019 Cliffs Pavilion, Southend
09/03/2019 Engine Rooms, Southampton
10/03/2019 Alban Arena, St Albans
13/03/2019 The Robin, Wolverhampton
14/03/2019 Picturedrome, Holmfirth
15/03/2019 Opera House, Newcastle
11/04/2019 Yarm Princess Alexandra Auditorium, Stockton
12/04/2019 Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh
13/04/2019 Fibbers, York
25/04/2019 Junction, Cambridge
26/04/2019 Tramshed, Cardiff
27/04/2019 Town Hall, Cheltenham
Glenn Tilbrook Solo Tour
16/03/2019 The Grand, Clitheroe
21/03/2019 St Mary Magdalene Church, Cobham
22/03/2019 Revelation, Ashford
23/03/2019 The Pavilion, Hailsham
28/03/2019 Komedia, Bath
29/03/2019 Acapela, Cardiff
31/03/2019 St Mary’s Parish Church, Kingskerswell
02/04/2019 The Wharf, Tavistock
03/04/2019 Lighthouse, Poole
05/04/2019 St John The Evangelist Church, Oxford
Melodic rock giants FM are kindly taking part in this year’s Fifty Gigs In A Day. They play at the Guild Hall, Preston on the 8 February and have created a QR code linking to the Just Giving page which they will place on the merch stand at the show. What a fantastic gesture by the band.
They will playing songs from last year’s ‘Atomic Generation’ album along with classics from their long career.
08.02.19 PRESTON Guild Hall
16.02.19 HOLMFIRTH Picturedrome
01.03.19 READING Sub 89
02.03.19 LEAMINGTON SPA The Assembly
01.04.19 NOTTINGHAM Rock City *
02.04.19 CARDIFF The Tramshed *
04.04.19 WAKEFIELD Warehouse 23 *
06.04.19 SHEFFIELD Corporation *
07.04.19 MANCHESTER O2 Ritz *
08.04.19 GLASGOW Garage *
09.04.19 WOLVERHAMPTON Steel Mill *
* with The Quireboys and Vega
‘Breathless’ is one of the tracks that was specially recorded for the album . We wrote it while we were touring in the US.
The video came about while we were shooting a live set. The cameras and lights were all there, the room was full of dry ice, and Dan had the idea to get something different done. I think we did it in two takes, it turned out really well!” explains bassist Luke Davis
Check out the new video here Www.brokenwittrebels.com
This is the exclusive video for the track, one of the Broken Witt Rebels gems from their self-titled debut album. “As Luke mentions it was shot on the spur of the moment utilising the equipment and set that was in place for a live performance the band had been filming all day. I think we’d been there about twelve hours by the time we went for this. The room was boiling hot and full of dry ice. I was happy to try something different and I got to be sat down for some of it to” adds vocalist Danny Core
A live performance video for “Breathless” will also be made available non exclusively across all platforms next week.
Broken Witt Rebels are: Danny Core (vocals), James Tranter (guitar), Luke Davis (bass) and James Dudley (drums). Hailing from Birmingham in the UK (a metropolis with a long, rich musical pedigree), the four are noted for brewing up a heady blend of blues, soulful Americana and wailing rock guitar, all of it served up with deeply emotive vocals.
The award-winning Rebels rounded off 2018 supporting Reef on 21 dates across the UK and the band are looking forward to a busy 2019.
Looking forward to hearing more from this band – a neat mix of progressive rock and melodic rock. Plenty of keys too – nice 🙂
A track to give a flavour of the debut album from The Apostles of Chaos due on Progressive Gears Records 14th February 2019.
Pre-order Gold, Silver or Bronze editions now at: http://www.progressivegears.bigcartel.com/category/apostles-of-chaos
Great cause and great bands/artists appearing including Voodoo Vegas, Ryan Roxie, the Jokers, Ash Wilson, Boneyard Dog, Jupiter Falls, Sons of Liberty & more.
Sat 23rd & Sun 24th Feb at the Railway Hotel, Nantwich, Cheshire
https://www.facebook.com/COTR2019/
**************STOP PRESS*******************
We have some rather fantastic news for you out there. As of today we have dropped the ticket price to £30.00 for a full weekend pass and £16.00 per day. This is true value for money when you look at the fabulous talent available for your listening pleasure over the course of the weekend.
At COTR we realise money is tight after Christmas with the bills so we have come up with a compromise that will ensure you get a weekend you will never forget and Macmillan generate some much needed funds to enable them to do the incredible work they do.
Never has a line up like this been seen in Cheshire and if we don’t get the support it is unlikely to ever again. Cheshire has suffered with a lot of its best known music venues disappearing over the years. We are not only doing this to raise money for the Macmillan cause but also to give back Cheshire back what it so desperately needs, Proper live music by original artists.
So I am calling on the local rock community to get behind this event and discover some of the best live talent on the planet!
