Every Record Tells A Story
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First Gig – Dio and Denzil the Dragon at The Hammersmith Odeon: May 1986
I’m sure we all have memories of our first time…the butterflies in your stomach, the nervous feeling as you wondered what it would be like, would it go well, would it be fun? Would you be “safe”… First gigs are A Big Thing in your life after all. My first gig was to see Dio…
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Shades Records – The Greatest Record Store There Ever Was: A Tribute for Record Store Day
As record store day approaches, I would like to pay tribute to just one record store that is sadly no longer with us. The Greatest Record Store There Ever Was… In the years before Napster, Songkick, Spotify and other Internet stuff spoon-fed the heavy metal-loving youth of Britain, there were just two ways to find…
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Record Store Day 2012 – Support Your Local Record Store!
It’s Record Store Day again! Coming just a few days after Rolling Stone magazine forecast the demise of the CD in as little as three years, Record Store Day is something worth celebrating. Designed to give exclusive product to independent record stores it gives me a decent excuse to go record shopping and support my…
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And Iron Maiden’s Best Live album is…..
Which is Iron Maiden’s best live album? (After all – with the release of En Vivo – they have released no less than ten…!) Back in December 1985 Kerrang! had given me two new ways to discover new music: their end of year critics poll (best album: Bryan Adams’ Reckless) and a 20 track K!…
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Kerrang! Magazine – Heavy Metal Bible
Kerrang! Magazine is what distunguishes a heavy metal fan from the casual observer. Investing the not insignificant sum of 85p on Kerrang! was the moment I turned to the dark side- and entered the world of being a “proper” heavy metal fan. It wasn’t that I suddenly started wearing a cowboy boots, a denim jacket…
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A new use for all those old vinyl albums…
I stumbled upon an interesting idea this evening on Q Magazine’s pinterest site: entire portraits and worlds made out gatefold vinyl artwork.. A childishly simple idea that makes you wonder why no-one thought of it before. It transpires that the people at The Design Inspiration are rather good at it – you can see their…
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Ziggy Stardust Plaque Unveiled! Spiders from Mars Reunited! Gary Kemp Interview! Exclusive Photos!
A tribute to David Bowie’s alter-ego Ziggy Stardust was unveiled in Heddon St, just off Regent St in London’s West End today. It was a fine ceremony, attended by two of the original Spiders from Mars, Mick “Woody” Woodmansey and Trevor Bolder. It took a while for Bowie to enter my life. For many he…
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So Farewell then…Jocky Wilson
A quick word for darts legend Jocky Wilson who died today aged 62. Jocky, as many of you will know, made the often difficult leap from World of Sport ’80’s darts icon to trivia and pop culture legend after having his face plastered twenty feet high as the backdrop to Dexy’s Midnight Runner’s Top of…
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UFO – Strangers In The Night
When UFO played Knebworth in 1985 I was blown away by their hard rock sound. UFO were named after the famed psychedelic club that spawned Pink Floyd and even in 1985 they had been going longer than Sharon Osbourne’s Botox treatments. Their set at Knebworth displayed their back catalogue to the full. It was a set loaded…
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Paul Weller Live at The Camden Roundhouse 2012
It’s been a Mod sort of March. First was the premiere of Dean Chalkley‘s short film “The New Faces“, (see my previous Dean Chalkley post) then Paul Weller plays five sold-out nights at the lovely Camden Roundhouse. Dressed, er, modishly in suit and tie au knot grande, Weller played the whole of his new album…
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Mamas Boys – Ireland’s greatest band (with apologies to Thin Lizzy and U2)
Mama’s Boys are a good band to be talking about on St Patrick’s day. Surely Ireland’s finest heavy rock band of the ’80s. Mama’s Boys consisted of three McManus brothers from deepest darkest Ireland. Tommy played drums, John played bass, and Pat played guitar. Pat also played an electric violin, which was an interesting twist on…
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Are you a music snob?
Are you a music snob? Do you know a music snob? On Last week’s episode of Room 101 Lauren Laverne made a bid to banish Music Snobs. “You wouldn’t want to prevent other people from eating pistachio ice cream just because you don’t like the taste, do why should music be any different?” she said.…
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How to get a front row seat at a gig…
Deep Purple played Wembley Arena and the Birmingham N.E.C. on their House of Blue Light Tour – and this was my first chance to see Ritchie Blackmore. After just the one UK show in ’85, Deep Purple‘s 1987 tour to support their second comeback album “The House of Blue Light“, attracted a huge clamour for…
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Why Deep Purple have not been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame…
To know why Deep Purple matter, you just have to listen to the blistering, gonzoid opening of Speed King. If you can, do it now. This was 1970 – when people still thought Roger Whittaker was edgy. Nearly 42 years later, it’s still as joyful an explosion of noise as you will ever hear. Released…
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NME Awards 2012 – Noel Gallagher receives much-needed boost to his modest ego
The NME awards 2012 made for an entertaining spectacle. It’s like a cooler and more foul-mouthed older brother of the Brits, and with a better record collection to boot. It was also notable for making some good choices for the awards ( i.e. I found myself agreeing with the decisions – something that is rare…
Every record tells a story 