Also
write for www.roomthirteen.com
And
about to start writing for Midland Rocks!!
Position
in your website/magazine/radio: Reviewer / Interviewer
/ and pesterer of many a PR company
Online
since (year when your website went online): Chesy Rock Reviews – Feb 2011
Introduce
you as editor and your website/radio with a little bio (year and how you
started to write reviews, possible previous versions and/or name of the
website, more you want do add):
Well it
all started about by accident when my good friend was writing for Roomthirteen.
He knew I was (and still am) a lover of Classic Rock, and he had a Whitesnake
album to review. I loved it and it was so easy to write about a band I’ve loved
for 30-odd years so I asked to be considered. It’s been great writing for R13
but some of the albums in the past have been out of my musical depth. That’s
what you get when it’s mainly run by young whippersnappers! (I’m 46! So there’s
a bit of an age divide).
I got
the idea for my own blog when bands, PR etc were starting to write back
thanking me for my reviews. I’ve always loved Classic/AOR and some Technical
Metal/Prog, and I thought that there’s nowhere near enough coverage for some of
the bands I’ve loved for years, and just wanted to assist and get the good word
of the bands out there.
With R13
it’s sometimes a chore as they specify a min number of words for an album
review (400). When it’s a struggle I can tell you I’m counting every single
word. With my own blog (as long as I am not taking too much of the piss etc, I
have a bit more freedom and time to do a better job of the reviews – more pics,
links to FB, where to buy the album etc.) Plus I want to support the music and
bands I love, as I hate to see Simon Cowell’s faceless and talentless bastards
taking over the World.
Favorite
rock styles (AOR, Melodic Rock, Hard-Rock, Westcoast, Glam, Sleaze or so on): Most of the aforementioned list to be honest. But
more of the Melodic/AOR banner. My first love was Rainbow/Purple/Lizzy/Rush
etc, and loved a lot of Hair Metal bands (Autograph, Joshua, Crue, Stryper,
Dokken) which is still Melodic Rock as far as I’m concerned. I’m definitely a
sucker for 3, 4 and 5 part harmonies. The current oldies of British AOR, FM,
Romeo’s Daughter, and Moritz who are still showing the new wave of youngsters
how to do it!! I have more than a soft spot for female fronted Melodic Rock
bands.
Other
music styles you like: I like a lot of modern Prog – bands like
Porcupine Tree, Dream Theater, Symphony X. I cannot stand growling/grunting, I
just don’t get it. Although for some strange reason I do quite like Opeth. I
was brought up in a musical household. My parents couldn’t play a note, but we
used to listen to music all the time. I was brought up on Rock n Roll, so 70s
Classic Rock and beyond was a very natural step.
I do have
a couple of guilty pleasures - Sarah McLachlan, a bit of Country Rock
(shudders) and the gorgeous and extremely talented Grace Potter.
"THE"
band / artist that fully embraces your tastes in music: Only
one definitive answer here – anything Dio related – Rainbow / Sabbath / Dio. He
is one of the few artistes that have written/performed on at least 4 ‘World
Class’ albums – Rising / LLRNR / Heaven & Hell and Holy Diver. Not exactly
AOR but the bloke was a genius!
Your
personal TOP 5 of all times: Top Five! Not Enough. I’ve
just named 4 Dio albums FFS. I have to give you a minimum of 10!!!! Trying to
mix it up a bit…….(not in any particular order)
Rainbow – Rising
Dio – Holy Diver
Dokken – Under Lock & Key
Romeo’s Daughter - ST
Rush – Moving Pictures
Deep Purple – Burn
Queensryche – Operation Mindcrime
Coheed & Cambria – Good Apollo I’m Burning Star
IV (etc)
Icon – Night Of The Crime
FM – Indiscreet
I haven’t even mentioned Lizzy, Priest, Whitesnake,
Maiden, Shinedown, ‘DC etc. I need a top 50!
Your
personal FLOP 5 of all times:
Bon Jovi – Anything in the last
10-15 years. That should cover 5!
Your
biggest delusion in music (a crap album, a missed interview, a bad concert
you've attended, etc): Thankfully it is very rare to have bad memories.
There’s not that many in 30-odd years which is a testament to the music I love.
There’s been a couple of shite albums, one by a band called SEKS seems to jump
to the head of the queue, but I always try to look at the positives in anything
I review.
Gigs
have their moments. I tend to go to about 40 gigs a year with my son, 95% of
which are paid for. If my wife found out how much it cost me I’d be living on
my own! I prefer to buy gig tickets – mainly to support the artists/bands, but
also to secure the fact of seeing bands I totally adore.
I’ve
had a few mishaps from PR, turning up at a gig when you’ve travelled 50 miles
and your name isn’t on the door??
My
disappointing gigs have come in recent years. Firstly was the
Thunder/Whitesnake/Leppard gig at Liverpool Echo arena about 5 or 6 yrs ago.
David Coverdale was very poor. More recently the Thunder/Whitesnake/Journey gig
a few weeks ago. Thankfully Coverdale was on much better form, but Journey were
as exciting as watching shit harden. Very corporate, and apart from Arnel
Pineda, the others looked as if they were counting the money and awaiting for
the whole thing to finish.
Your
highest point reached in music (a long awaited interview, a meeting with one of
your idols, results reached with your website, etc): I love
doing what I’m doing, but it’s a bit difficult as a one man band and I’m trying
to get thru 20-30 reviews at a time, so there’s some cherry-picking that needs
to be done. Or if anyone would like to help out, I have more than a few albums
to share the load with!!
CRR is
only a small site (about 4000 people a month) and I’m happy for it not to get
much bigger to be honest with you. Otherwise my main employers may have
something to say about it
My real
day job is as a Sales Manager so I have no issue corresponding with Bands, PR
etc. If you don’t ask, you never get. I’ve not wanted to interview too many people
as there’s a lot of work involved. So over the last 18 months I have ditched
the voice recorder and drafted in my son, and we record interviews.
The
definite highlight was meeting Satchel and Michael Starr of Steel Panther last
year. We really fell lucky as the interview was comedy gold. It wasn’t exactly
an interview, more like stand up. Funny as anything, but also really nice
blokes.
One of
the really nicest people I’ve ever met in any walk of life, and was lucky to
interview, was Lawrence Gowan not long after he joined Styx. He even valued my
opinion which is rather nice. Daniel Gildenlow of Pain Of Salvation was really
interesting, and a 20 min interview lasted nearly an hour! I’d have loved to
have interviewed Ronnie James Dio, but I think I’d have needed 10 minutes to
compose myself. Ritchie Blackmore would be great as would Coverdale, but I’m
nowhere near that level of site/organisation to get anywhere near them. Hell, if
Joe Lynn Turner and the like cant even get to speak to Ritchie, I’ve got no
chance.
I’ve
met some great people (not interviewed) who were just happy to chat – JLT, FM,
Romeos Daughter, Moritz, and many others, and I think me and Harry are unique
in being the only people to poke Jimi Jamison awake when he was resting in a
golf cart and didn’t even mind when asked for his autograph and picture taken,
now that’s a star of a bloke.
The
only ones I’m desperate to interview and I’ve been stalking them for over a
year, is my beloved FM (So if you are reading this Steve…..!). I do have a long
list of bands I’ve loved for years – Romeo’s Daughter, Stryper, Rush, Coheed,
Foreigner that I’d love to get into a conversation. Hopefully I have
Queensryche lined up for October. What with the recent history it should make
for a very interesting interview with the guys
The
great thing is, everyone I’ve met have been genuinely nice, with no heirs and
graces, which says a lot for the industry.
Your
most successful / favorite review/interview: I don’t know if any
have been unsuccessful, unless you count interviewing Ben Wells of Black Stone
Cherry whilst their fecking drum tech kicked off in the background.
Apart from that annoyance I’ve loved chatting with Gowan, Steel Panther, Barry
Kerch of Shinedown, Daniel Gildenlow of Pain Of Salvation, and Brian Marshall
of Alter Bridge, and all of Symphony X. All concerned have all been interesting
and engaging in their own way. I’m not
sure what has been my most successful review, but quite a few thousand have
seen my Steel Panther interview, and it’s definitely my fave of all completed
so far. I know its going well when a 10 minute slot expands to 45-50 mins, and
in the case of Panther, they told their road manager to get lost. That’s the
benefit of buying them gifts for the interview!
Your
bitter regret about one of your reviews / interviews: I’ve only ever really laid into one band (SEKS) and
it was just a poor album. I always look for the positives but in this instance
there was nothing to like for me personally. That said I almost wrote a whole
review about a Venom album that made no reference to the actual album, I’m
surprised I didn’t get my ass kicked by the site and the PR. I don’t wish to
upset anyone, and honestly try to help than be a hindrance.
Your 5
most promising acts / artists of the "new" generation:
Serpentine, Vega, Summers, The
Treatment (not exactly Melodic Rock, but brilliant in their own way), and Gene
The Werewolf! Again, I can name even more that deserve a mention…..but definitely
watch out for Three Lions later in the year.
Your vision for the next years about the music biz of our music styles
(possible death of the cd format, thoughts about digital releases, evolution of
rock labels, etc.): Whilst it’s on its last
legs, I’m not sure it will die out completely. Just as vinyl has hung on and
seems to be making a bit of a resurgence. I’m from the old school; I used to love saving
up my pennies for the new vinyl from whoever, and then spending days treating
it like Gollums ‘precious’ dwelling over the lyrics, pictures, credits, and
more importantly the cover! I can’t think of the number of I albums bought in
the 80s just because I like the album cover. CDs diminished this a bit as all
the info is condensed, but still an enjoyable experience as the booklets can be
very fancy indeed. The younger download generation don’t get this enjoyable
experience like we did.
The
itunes generation has taken over, which isn’t the best reproduction of bands
blood, sweat and tears, but it is a godsend when you’re constantly on the road
like me and I can just stick my ipod on ‘random’ and enjoy the eclecticness of
my collection.
The
record labels have set themselves up for their own failure with regards to
illegal downloads. Its not that long ago when cd’s in the UK were costing a
standard €20-25, so their greed has kicked them in the nuts and then some. No
doubt there’s lots of people who do it as a matter of cost in these difficult
financial times. It’s not a negative against the bands I’m sure, as I know lots
of people who download and still buy the albums. Real fans will still buy the
music. I think it’s a nightmare for a lot of bands to make a living in the 21st
Century, and they need all the help in getting the word out there as possible.
That’s where we come in!
Gigging
costs a fortune, for the fans and the bands themselves. There are some
incredibly greedy bastards out there in the industry. I don’t begrudge anyone
trying to make money, but bands need to reflect on what they and the promoters
are doing. Whats the point in selling tickets for £65 (nearly £90 by the time
the robbing ticketing agencies have had their way), when the venue is nowhere
near full. Rush tickets for their recent tour went on sale a year ago and the
Manchester Arena still wasn’t full. Why not charge 40 quid, and get more people
into the venue who will spend more on merchandise.
Bands
themselves also need to get a grip. I like the idea of Pledge Music where the
fans can pay for all or part of the costs for a future album. But at the same
time they need to realize who is paying for this. Too many bands now charge
extras like meet and greet, signed albums, VIP passes, when it’s already
expensive enough. Last year I saw a band that were charging £15 I think for a
VIP meet and greet. 20 mins later they were in the bar signing stuff for free
for those who were hanging around. Having loyal fans is a privilege not a right
and its wrong for bands to exploit them in this way
The
positive sign is that bands are now taking more control of their destiny. It’s
not hugely expensive to make albums with many computer programs more than
adequate to record your own music. Bands don’t even need to be in the same
country due to the digital age. More money goes to the bands and not just a
small percentage as in the past, which can only be a good thing.
Your
personal suggestions for today's labels and artists: If Im
talking purely AOR/Melodic here its great that there are people out there with
enough vision and balls to support the genre. Avenue Of Allies, Frontiers, AOR
Heaven, (and the numerous specialist PR companies) all do a great, great job,
along with the dedicated websites and magazines. Plus the yearly festival
gatherings of Firefest, HRH AOR, and now Skyfest amongst other European ‘gems’.
Some
bands have a great gift for self promotion which sets them apart, but some
smaller/newer bands need a chance to get on the road. It can’t just be all
about 4 or 5 festivals a year. But it is great that a newly organized event
like HRH AOR can set up a festival and sell it out at the first attempt. AOR
whilst never the most popular genre, has a great and very loyal fan base.
Probably
90% of the current crop of AOR have day jobs, I wish it were the other way
around! The genre is over saturated but the good bands will always get a fair
crack of the whip, but more needs to be done to get them out on the road. It
could get like football where some clubs are run by the fans, where similar to
Pledge, I can see bands and fans getting more involved with the touring costs
also.
Basically
– DON’T GIVE UP! If you are committed, then the websites, mags, etc are all
there to help in getting the word out. I’ve never met a more dedicated bunch of
people than fans of all genres of rock music. We all want you to do well
Anything
you want to add: Thank you to everyone that reads the reviews and enjoys them. I don’t
think I’m your normal professional journo. I write exactly how I would talk in
the pub and that can lead to some strange reviews. Whilst its still fun, I
intend to carry on while people still and to read them.
YOUR LIFE IN ROCK SONGS! (name
one song for a particular moment of your life)
The one
that changed your life: Rainbow - Stargazer
The one for your birthday: Dio – Stand Up and Shout
The one for the love of your life: Romeo’s Daughter – Hymn (our wedding song)
The one for your beloved ones: Alter Bridge – Watch Over You
The one for the best moment in your life: Same as above, Romeos Daughter
The one for the love of your life: Romeo’s Daughter – Hymn (our wedding song)
The one for your beloved ones: Alter Bridge – Watch Over You
The one for the best moment in your life: Same as above, Romeos Daughter
The one for your worst enemy: Anything Death Metal. If it
annoys me, Id hope it would destroy the fuck out of them if played on constant
repeat!
The one which represents you and your vision of life: Romeos Daughter – Alive (available now at all good record shops, and some bad ones!)
The one which represents you and your vision of life: Romeos Daughter – Alive (available now at all good record shops, and some bad ones!)
The one which helped you in your saddest moments: Anything
I can crank up and sing along to, to cheer me up. In my own head I sound like
Dio! Most of FMs anthems hit the spot nicely
The "Rock Music Manifesto": Rainbow – Long Live Rock N Roll
The "Rock Music Manifesto": Rainbow – Long Live Rock N Roll
The one to say goodbye: Night Ranger – Goodbye!!!
The one for your funeral: It was going to be an Alter Bridge
sad song, but I want to be cremated, so it has to be Deep Purple – Burn!!
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