All About Rock & Metal

Rubikon from Massachusetts are purveyors of Heavy Blues Rock. Their bass player threw a lot of shapes on stage and was totally passionate about everything. This boosted the energy on stage, so that the singer and guitarist follow suit. They reminded me of Lynch Mob, although they have Doom-y leanings, rather than eighties Metal ones. It’s their second time in London and their frontman said they’re here as “the best way to move things is in the UK”.

It was an instant yes from me when I received an email asking if I would like to review and take photographs of Airbourne. I had shot them for three songs at Download and thoroughly enjoyed what little I saw, so the opportunity to catch an entire set was welcomed like a stripper at a stag party.

A surge of Blues Rock adrenaline hit the room the moment The Zac Schulze Gang walked onstage, and what followed was the kind of tight, high‑voltage set that explains exactly why Samantha Fish keeps bringing them back (this their third tour with Fish).

When I received the email asking if I would like to take pictures and review Smith/Kotzen, I immediately said yes. The opportunity to watch two musicians that I highly respect performing together isn’t something I would turn down without good reason. For me, Adrian Smith is one of the most underrated British guitar players and songwriters ever.

The Brook holds up to five hundred people and is one of the top venues to go to see live music in Southampton. Tonight it is sold out, and the venue is packed solid. This is the last night of the short UK tour for Orianthi. She was headlining Planet Rock’s Winters End 2026 last night and apparently she was very well received. Today was one of the wettest days that I can remember for a long time. The rain never stopped, which made the two hour journey to Southampton interesti

An SOS show is always larger than life, but tonight was supersized. They wanted to end a difficult year on a high, and this was truly stratospheric. A show that set a new precedent in performance levels. I have absolutely no doubt that 2026 will see them reach even greater heights.

It was a sold-out show and there was an amazing atmosphere buzzing around the auditorium. The band took to the stage with the minimum amount of fuss. The crowd erupted.

This marked the fifth annual migration of the Dare Fan Club to the picturesque West Yorkshire setting of Holmfirth, home to its century-old picture theatre, perfectly positioned in the heart of the town. Tonight’s virtual sell-out crowd was largely made up of friends, family and fan club members, with a few seeing the band for the very first time – though, judging by tonight’s performance, certainly not the last.

“Once more unto the breach dear friends”, or more precisely, the O2 Forum in Kentish Town. This is one of my favourite music venues. It has a good photo pit, and the Showsec security are generally accommodating. Their policy allows photographers to shoot from the crowd after they have finished the standard three songs from the pit. This means you don’t get thrown out onto the street like a piece of trash in between the sets of each band, something that happens at venues like

Ginger traditionally has a show in London this time of year, close to his birthday, this time it’s in Islington and the Christmas spirit is well on its way!

One of the many things I like about being a music photographer is that I get to see bands I wouldn’t normally get the opportunity to. On this particular occasion, I knew of the headline act, and had heard one of their songs, but knew absolutely nothing about the first two bands on the bill, Block Of Flats, and special guests, The Funeral Portrait. So once again I make my way into central London for the privilege of watching musicians perform.

The Globe is not too far from Cardiff City Centre and can hold around 350 people. Tonight the venue is fairly well packed out. This is the last night of the UK tour for both bands. The intro music struck up and then the support act who was Parker Barrow started at 19.30.

I’ll hold my hands up, despite absolutely loving albums like ‘Reckless’ and ‘Waking Up The Neighbours’, I’d kind of lost my way with the Canadian star’s output. I remember really disliking ‘Cloud #9’ and when he duetted with Mel C, I freely admit the musical snob in me reared its head, with me muttering about him working with a bloody Spice Girl and how the guy had gone right off the boil.

Even though I had been to the O2 as a fan on countless occasions, this would be my first time there as a photographer. I had been pre-warned by some of my peers that this venue was a slightly hostile environment, but I always try to keep a sense of optimism. So, on a cold Wednesday night, I made my way to the East End of London wearing multiple layers of clothing, something that turned out to be an extremely wise decision, as I soon found out.

I will confess that I knew absolutely nothing about two of the bands on the bill, including the headliner. My review will be written from the perspective of someone who has walked in off the street, which is pretty close to the truth.

Support this evening came from Country, Rock & Blues artist Georgia Nevada. With a name like that and a sound straight out of Nashville, you would be right to be mistaken in assuming that the lady heralds from the home of the red, white and blue, instead of Littleport, Cambridge, UK.

Nocturnal Affair from Las Vegas opened proceedings. They have toured with Wednesday 13 before and so it obviously works. They are generally pretty heavy, straightforward Hard Rock with strobes and a few death growls, but behind this lies a lot of traditional skill.

Time flies, doubly so the older you get, it seems. I can remember my first ever gig, which was Saxon (on the ‘Crusader’ tour) in 1984 at this very venue, then known as the Colston Hall. A year later I saw Accept promoting their ‘Russian Roulette’ album just round the corner at the Hippodrome. I may not remember people’s names these days, but great concerts seem to be lodged forever, and that first gig was a doozy.

The Komedia is a venue situated in the very heart of the beautiful Georgian city of Bath. Recently it has hosted When Rivers Meet and King King amongst many other bands. There are two headliners sharing the bill tonight.

I’ve been a fan of Magnum for forty-five years. The first album I bought from the English Melodic Hard Rock band was ‘Magnum II’ and I’ve been following them ever since.