tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22940340Sun, 29 Jan 2012 21:52:03 +0000Live musicmemeRestaurantFilmTelevisionHotel/hostelMusic newsInterviewBlogInterviewsMusicBooksAlbum reviews, books I'm reading, films I've been watching. A randomly updated way of keeping track.http://www.gracefuldegradation.co.uk/noreply@blogger.com (Graceful Degradation)Blogger318125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22940340.post-7044239934892590542Sun, 04 Dec 2011 08:18:00 +00002011-12-04T10:04:27.105ZLive musicSaturday afternoon was glam/sleaze on stage 2, so from midday until around 7pm (with a couple of breaks for food and cigarettes) that's where I stayed. First up, and seeming surprised at the numbers of hungover people who had made it to the stage for midday, were Dan Baird and Homemade Sin.  They may have had it even worse than those who partied at HRH into the early hours since the night http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~3/LFccEb_eU64/hard-rock-hell-v-saturday.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Graceful Degradation)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~4/LFccEb_eU64" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.gracefuldegradation.co.uk/2011/12/hard-rock-hell-v-saturday.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22940340.post-7889174181764217407Sat, 03 Dec 2011 08:55:00 +00002011-12-03T10:07:19.577ZLive musicYesterday morning I spent battling a headache, today I'm waiting for the hearing in my right ear to return.  I'm blaming Ginger Wildheart and Therapy? entirely for the latter, but no worries, experience tells me it will be back to normal in a day or so. The headache meant I didn't venture out until mid-afternoon which did at least have the advantage of allowing me a late lunch so I didn't have http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~3/wxt6IZuUvDc/hard-rock-hell-v-friday.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Graceful Degradation)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~4/wxt6IZuUvDc" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.gracefuldegradation.co.uk/2011/12/hard-rock-hell-v-friday.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22940340.post-4414288737187299366Fri, 02 Dec 2011 08:42:00 +00002011-12-02T09:46:13.723ZLive musicNo snow this year which made the drive up and across to Prestatyn a lot easier and walking around the site here at Hard Rock Hell V a lot less hazardous.  Made it up here around 3pm yesterday and my roommate for the weekend and I settled into our chalet before making preparations for the opening.  I don't know why it is when I usually avoid fancy dress like the plague, but for HRH I'll go with ithttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~3/FMd-pjcZ18k/hard-rock-hell-v-thursday-night-pre.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Graceful Degradation)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~4/FMd-pjcZ18k" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.gracefuldegradation.co.uk/2011/12/hard-rock-hell-v-thursday-night-pre.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22940340.post-4091168152712151126Mon, 21 Nov 2011 20:28:00 +00002011-11-21T20:53:18.354ZMusic It can be quite interesting at times to see how a tribute band fares when they decide to try out their own material.  I revisited Trick or Treat's Tin Soldiers recently for example.  Still a damn fine album from the guys who started out as a Helloween tribute act.  I got to thinking about them again today since I've pulled out (from the pile of CDs that has really got quite ridiculous now) an http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~3/q9bTO68HKLQ/ballbreaker-daddly-long-legs.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Graceful Degradation)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~4/q9bTO68HKLQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.gracefuldegradation.co.uk/2011/11/ballbreaker-daddly-long-legs.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22940340.post-632961178348482820Sun, 20 Nov 2011 19:40:00 +00002011-11-20T19:56:24.101ZMusic Five Norwegians, frustrated by the lack of live rock in their neck of the woods, got together a few years ago to play classic rocks songs.  After a while they found they were enjoying themselves so much they started writing their own material. This EP is the first of release by Electric Woodland, and it's quite promising.  It's very much in the vein of classic 70s rock and being a bit rough http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~3/OgpMx06iNK0/electric-woodland-electric-woodland-ep.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Graceful Degradation)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~4/OgpMx06iNK0" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.gracefuldegradation.co.uk/2011/11/electric-woodland-electric-woodland-ep.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22940340.post-1091230632413669201Fri, 18 Nov 2011 21:52:00 +00002011-11-18T22:09:40.612ZMusic news   Lookie - my boys with MD of Heavy Metal Records Paul Birch!  Gypsy Pistoleros have signed a deal with HMR! Not only that, they've announced the release in March 2012 of new album Forever Wild, Beautiful and Damned! Greatest Hits Volume 1!  This one is going to collate some of their biggest hits so far alongside some new material, so I can't wait for that.  It's going to be mixed and http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~3/Fz6WhRIvVkk/gypsy-pistoleros-sign-to-heavy-metal.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Graceful Degradation)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~4/Fz6WhRIvVkk" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.gracefuldegradation.co.uk/2011/11/gypsy-pistoleros-sign-to-heavy-metal.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22940340.post-33948152399123445Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:48:00 +00002011-11-14T21:14:25.328ZMusic In the mood for something a bit mellow this evening after a fairly draining day, I had a search through the pile of CDs still awaiting my attention (sorry Nicky!) and decided to give Blueville a spin. Formed in 2006, this is the debut album from the Italian blues band.  At its heart are the vocals of Mario Percudani and his guitar alongside that of Marco Tansini who plays lead.  Paolo "Apollo"http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~3/UB7GVQ2NMDc/blueville-butterfly-blues.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Graceful Degradation)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~4/UB7GVQ2NMDc" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.gracefuldegradation.co.uk/2011/11/blueville-butterfly-blues.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22940340.post-5045698911144272815Sun, 13 Nov 2011 19:40:00 +00002011-11-13T20:05:33.012ZMusic Before Motley Crue there was ... Wrathchild.  Okay, so they didn't have the same level of success as Vince, Nikki, Tommy and Mick, but they were one of the early bands of 80s glam metal as opposed to the glam rock of the 70s.  Formed in Evesham in 1980, they only put out four albums (contractual problems in the mid-80s didn't help matters) then split in 1990 when singer Rocky Shades went punk http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~3/nkHR6DQ0sGw/wrathchild-stakkattakktwo.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Graceful Degradation)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~4/nkHR6DQ0sGw" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.gracefuldegradation.co.uk/2011/11/wrathchild-stakkattakktwo.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22940340.post-4741723533180349711Thu, 10 Nov 2011 21:33:00 +00002011-11-10T21:40:26.344ZMusic news Back last June I reviewed the first self-described bear metal album by Norway's very own Svölk.  Loved it.  Go and remind yourselves what I said.  It's okay, I'll wait. Anyway, news of the fivesome has popped into my inbox.  Their debut has been retitled Svölk 'Em All and is being re-released globally by Napalm Records, complete with new artwork.  So if you didn't catch it first time round http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~3/KXRb6MthD50/news-from-svolk.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Graceful Degradation)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~4/KXRb6MthD50" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.gracefuldegradation.co.uk/2011/11/news-from-svolk.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22940340.post-1988571179027228664Mon, 10 Oct 2011 21:20:00 +00002011-10-10T21:20:03.020ZMusic news Roman veteran metallers T.I.R. (Temple Infernal Rock) will be releasing their debut album through Jolly Roger Records in November.  Most of the tracks date from 1980 and it's very much in the NWOBHM style - influenced by the likes of Iron Maiden, Saxon and Judas Priest. Pure and genuine metal, but at the same time passionate, powerful, melodic, vibrant and incredibly emotional. The album http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~3/PA2yQGRp0S4/tir-heavy-metal-to-be-released-on-jolly.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Graceful Degradation)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~4/PA2yQGRp0S4" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.gracefuldegradation.co.uk/2011/10/tir-heavy-metal-to-be-released-on-jolly.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22940340.post-8816017953340146596Tue, 27 Sep 2011 19:59:00 +00002011-09-27T19:59:17.230ZMusic Houston! formed in 2006 and hail from Piacenza, Italy.  In the beginning they were specifically a straight hard rock act, recording a demo Never Alcoholized in their first year then releasing their first album Fast In Elegance on Sliptrick Records in 2008.  Now, I've not heard either of those, but I would hazard a guess that in the intervening three years their style has evolved.  Having moved http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~3/Hws8zlsmpdg/houston-mechanical-sunshine.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Graceful Degradation)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~4/Hws8zlsmpdg" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.gracefuldegradation.co.uk/2011/09/houston-mechanical-sunshine.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22940340.post-8526494395440032209Mon, 26 Sep 2011 20:25:00 +00002011-09-26T20:25:09.295ZMusic newsTraditional Metal act DRAGONSCLAW have uploaded three tracks to their official facebook page streaming audio player as a preview from their forthcoming debut release 'Prophecy", which features guest vocals from Blaze Bayley (of Iron Maiden / Wolfsbane fame) and Alessandro Del Vecchio (Edge Of Forever, Edens Curse, and who has also worked with Ian Paice, Roger Glover & James Labrie). The http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~3/Qx5oDqBlZJ0/dragonsclaw-streaming-three-tracks-from.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Graceful Degradation)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~4/Qx5oDqBlZJ0" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.gracefuldegradation.co.uk/2011/09/dragonsclaw-streaming-three-tracks-from.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22940340.post-4687753923029589593Mon, 26 Sep 2011 20:14:00 +00002011-09-26T20:14:14.353ZMusic newsI recently reviewed the new album by the ridiculously youthful Down & Dirty for Black Velvet.  The next issue will be out in November if you're interested in finding out what I thought, but in the meantime here's their video for Taste of Rock & Roll.  Oh, and while you're waiting, issue 69 of Black Velvet is currently on sale through their website! http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~3/XatUquJgTtU/down-dirty-taste-of-rock-roll-video.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Graceful Degradation)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~4/XatUquJgTtU" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.gracefuldegradation.co.uk/2011/09/down-dirty-taste-of-rock-roll-video.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22940340.post-6416246146386298697Mon, 19 Sep 2011 19:57:00 +00002011-09-19T19:57:18.518ZMusicA bit of East German metal for you for a change.  Hercules Propaganda formed in 2010 in Jena and recorded this, their first EP, in January this year.  While the production is fairly low key, the sound is as weirdly twisted and compelling as the album artwork.  It's not that I would necessarily describe is as experimental, it's not quite as off the wall as that might suggest, but there is an odd http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~3/Af2J8qC7wsg/hercules-propaganda-o-mother-of-mighty.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Graceful Degradation)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~4/Af2J8qC7wsg" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.gracefuldegradation.co.uk/2011/09/hercules-propaganda-o-mother-of-mighty.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22940340.post-6246978486913473429Mon, 19 Sep 2011 18:51:00 +00002011-09-19T18:51:05.196ZMusic newsHollywood, CA…Having gained a loyal following for their raw, electrified monster rock and roll, hard rockers SNEW recently visited Redondo Beach, CA’s Total Access Recording to track songs for their upcoming release, accompanied by producer Bobby Owsinski and engineer Ken Scott. Owsinski, a pioneer in the art of surround sound music mixing, is a respected author, speaker and music industry http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~3/8IS9O_1kEMk/snew-record-new-album-with-music.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Graceful Degradation)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~4/8IS9O_1kEMk" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.gracefuldegradation.co.uk/2011/09/snew-record-new-album-with-music.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22940340.post-7922531470558371259Mon, 11 Jul 2011 20:09:00 +00002011-07-11T20:09:30.703ZMusicSomeone at Eönian Records has a good ear for some great music.  Those guys have a real talent for rediscovering bands and albums that will have passed the majority by on their first release, if indeed they were actually released in the first place, and unleashing them on an unsuspecting but hopefully appreciative audience. TNA hailed from Memphis, Tennessee.  They were sleaze-metallers with a http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~3/0zstx-Z14a4/tna-tna.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Graceful Degradation)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~4/0zstx-Z14a4" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.gracefuldegradation.co.uk/2011/07/tna-tna.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22940340.post-3430636551436713151Mon, 04 Jul 2011 19:25:00 +00002011-07-04T19:25:40.427ZMusicWell hello again.  It has been a hectic fews months in GD Towers, but I've had another look at my priorities and realise that there has been a severe lacking in rock, so it's time to readjust and get back in the saddle.  And where better to start than with a trip back to the early 90s courtesy of Eönian Records and their June 2011 release of Visions Of Pain from Chicago's own Sandra Dee.  Optinghttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~3/_litfBi2fgE/sandra-dee-visions-of-pain.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Graceful Degradation)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~4/_litfBi2fgE" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.gracefuldegradation.co.uk/2011/07/sandra-dee-visions-of-pain.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22940340.post-7358957631129316643Wed, 27 Apr 2011 20:25:00 +00002011-04-27T20:25:23.456ZMusicItalians Right To Silence go for a thrash/numetal/metalcore combination with a social conscience in their debut album Bad Dreams.  It's a reasonable enough listen, not exactly ground-breaking but interesting enough in terms of its themes. Opener FFC (Fucking Financial Crisis) is a diatribe against the decisions of world political leaders when the man in the street is struggling - questioning http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~3/QQBx6I4xyS4/right-to-silence-bad-dreams.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Graceful Degradation)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~4/QQBx6I4xyS4" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.gracefuldegradation.co.uk/2011/04/right-to-silence-bad-dreams.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22940340.post-146509002349002242Fri, 22 Apr 2011 20:47:00 +00002011-04-22T20:47:18.711ZMusicLavellion are old-school rockers - four-piece band, strong bluesy element in the songs.  The band comprises Luke Lavelle's high qaulity vocals, Tom Hewson's flying fingers on the guitar strings, to Nick Tyldsley's solid bass rhythms, to the pounding drums of Danny Barrick.  Interestingly, the three tracks showcased here seem to develop in complexity as they progress.  Opener Believe In Me is http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~3/719hnB9-T5Q/lavellion-singles.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Graceful Degradation)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~4/719hnB9-T5Q" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.gracefuldegradation.co.uk/2011/04/lavellion-singles.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22940340.post-6643706847087559853Wed, 20 Apr 2011 20:03:00 +00002011-04-20T20:03:10.630ZMusicI seem to have slipped through a wormhole somewhere along the line.  Somehow I appear to have gone back to 1989.  Or perhaps it's just that Julian Angel never left it... Adult Oriented Candy is unashamedly 80s glam, sleaze, AOR, power ballads - just think big hair, skin-tight jeans (preferably with strategic rips), and power chords and you've pretty much got the idea.  This isn't hair metal withhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~3/KBuM4H-ha_E/beautiful-beast-adult-oriented-candy.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Graceful Degradation)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~4/KBuM4H-ha_E" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.gracefuldegradation.co.uk/2011/04/beautiful-beast-adult-oriented-candy.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22940340.post-8821637184815929595Sat, 16 Apr 2011 20:08:00 +00002011-04-16T20:08:05.044ZMusicWhen you've been a hard rock/top 40 cover band for eight years, deciding to write and release your own original music is a bold step.  One More Addiction, a four-piece from Canada, decided to make their move in 2008, and two years later their self-produced debut Bad Habits appeared. I have no idea what these guys were like as a covers band, but from their own press blurb I would guess they were http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~3/IppxHbx7pd0/one-more-addiction-bad-habits.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Graceful Degradation)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~4/IppxHbx7pd0" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.gracefuldegradation.co.uk/2011/04/one-more-addiction-bad-habits.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22940340.post-3569802062752592089Mon, 28 Mar 2011 09:43:00 +00002011-03-28T09:43:38.485ZMusicIt has always been a bit tricky to keep up with what the Pistoleros are up to, with a multitude of band members over the years, near-signings with big names, some impressive festival appearances (mainly in the US unfortunately where they have taken the wild gypsies to their hearts more than the UK has), but with last year's departure of Iggie to form a new band Wildside Riot Lee has continued hishttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~3/2YVM6A294YU/gypsy-pistolero-duende-last-of.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Graceful Degradation)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~4/2YVM6A294YU" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.gracefuldegradation.co.uk/2011/03/gypsy-pistolero-duende-last-of.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22940340.post-7046033270115412847Mon, 31 Jan 2011 20:56:00 +00002011-01-31T20:56:36.741ZMusic newsFlamenco-Sleaze-Glam rock band Gypsy Pistolero featuring front man Lee Pistolero has signed with Jamsync Music for the release of DUENDE - Last Of The Pistoleros.  Lee is now solo and goes by the name GYPSY PISTOLERO.   Track Listing: Welcome To The Hotel De La Muertos They Call Me De Django Rubi's Got A Gun Jezebel Sangra De Las Rosas Stand & Deliver Los Suenos Del Los Muertos Johnnyhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~3/ws3MF842RNQ/gypsy-pistolero-signs-with-us-and.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Graceful Degradation)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~4/ws3MF842RNQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.gracefuldegradation.co.uk/2011/01/gypsy-pistolero-signs-with-us-and.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22940340.post-9085449362526743058Mon, 31 Jan 2011 20:47:00 +00002011-01-31T20:47:13.714ZMusicBlack Sunday Dream are classic rockers in every sense of the term - these guys as individuals have been playing in bands for a long time.  Bass player Terence Allen started out in 1969.  They've taken the influences of the greats of the seventies and eighties, and together have turned out a stormer of a rock album, complete with excellent cover of Rockin' In A Free World. Brian George is http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~3/W4h985L-RrU/black-sunday-dream-light-of-night.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Graceful Degradation)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~4/W4h985L-RrU" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.gracefuldegradation.co.uk/2011/01/black-sunday-dream-light-of-night.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22940340.post-1418641792053935974Wed, 26 Jan 2011 20:23:00 +00002011-01-26T20:23:10.368ZMusicThese guys certainly take their time!  Vocalist Kim Sanvik and guitarist Øystein Wiik got together with Asbjørn Wiik on bass back in 2002, then took another year and a half to find a drummer - Petter Lein.  Fast forward to 2006, and Asbjørn decides to call it quits, to be replaced by Magnus Liseter.  It wasn't until two years later when the line-up was finally complete, with the addition of http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~3/-N0VswQJ7aU/ghost-engraving.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Graceful Degradation)0<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/GracefulDegradation/~4/-N0VswQJ7aU" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.gracefuldegradation.co.uk/2011/01/ghost-engraving.html