Glenn interviewed rising guitar ace Quinn Sullivan and he turned out to be an individual who is extremely grateful for the opportunities he has been given and the friendships he has made with cool cats such as producer and musician Tom Hambridge and the legend that is Buddy Guy. His new album ‘Midnight Highway’ is a record filled with technique, well structured songs and most importantly passion.

And now a show that should have been a highlight of the year. Lazarus had been much lauded as a vehicle for Bowie material and we just had to go and see it. However the physical length of the venue at King’s Cross left us feeling detached. No screens for the facial expressions and deliberately obtuse script piled on the mystery but left us puzzled more than anything else. How were the acting performances? Better ask someone in the front three rows, from the back rows it just hadn’t travelled.

Popa Chubby produced a cool set at the Boom Boom and even made Over The Rainbow sound fresh. A very skilled performer.

We went to see Glenn Hughes out at Reading as it was the only viable night for us. It must have been the wettest night that town has ever seen. As usual, parking in the town is abysmal so we got soaked and half expected to run in to Noah. An Ask Italian saved our souls. But all worth it for a rocking but very warm show from Hughes, dedicated to his late mother and all of us there. His new album Resonance was featured along with many other hits and some of his subterranean bass playing gurgling away.  His singing is celestial.

Busted played a comeback show at the Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith as part of their sell-out ‘Night Driver’ UK Tour. They rocked the foundations with the 80s electronic ‘On What You’re On’ and then they took us to the ‘Year 3000’ and ‘Crashed The Wedding’. They have so many songs that they could’ve played another couple of hours if curfew had permitted them to.

My friend and original Grateful Dead member in that era Tom Constanten brought his Live Dead show to Under The Bridge and the music flowed all night, taking in rock, country, blues, folk, fusion and much more. The audience lapped it all up and they are returning..

Dave Mason and his American touring band lit up G Live with solo and Traffic hits, the two guitars ringing out across the venue with a real West Coast – meets – English Countryside vibe that brings the best out of this craftsman. The show did not lack excitement and Mason did justice to all the numbers.

Harriet played an excellent show at the lovely Bush Hall, giving us all her album highlights plus various versions of favourite songs. Judie Tzuke, one of her co-writers was in the audience. A perfect venue for this performer.

Meeting some of the proud Collabro Mums after their spirited show at The Hippodrome was fun. Each of the four singing pals have their own character and even the corniest song choices benefit from their zest and skills. The Q and A session was very funny indeed…

Stewart Lee played two sold out shows down at G Live, slyly leading his audience along and then wrongfooting them to make them squirm at their own foibles and inadequacies. In any civilised society he would be hung from the nearest lamppost of course but public gullibility gives him a living, of sorts. Just kidding, he is an old friend and like all curmudgeons should be feted.

In many ways the star of this year’s Country 2 Country weekend at the 02 was PR guru Richard Wootton who organised some star chats with many acts including Zac Brown Band, Maren Morris, Marty Stuart, Dan & Shay, Seth Ennis, Cassadee Pope and Brad Paisley (who fielded a leftfield question from me with fine humour) and others, sometimes it turned out to be their first such session. A lot of female radio folk and reviewers were there which added to the range of questions. Brad Paisley was brilliant, answering directly and displaying his dry humour.

On the stage….Reba McEntire and her warm but regal handling of the audience was a treat and her guitarist played in a similar vein to the late Glenn Campbell. A film about the original recording of country music was illuminating and Stuart fielded more questions. Unfortunately a dope in the audience sapped the chat time with daft questions about trinkets.

Paul Young along with China Crisis and US star Martika lit up G Live with a purportedly 80s session that proved as vibrant as any contemporary performance. A curious three acter that worked and a great audience, too.

Meeting and taking in the reminiscences of Matt Monro Jnr at his show in Epsom was a pleasure. He does have something of his old man’s vocal timbre but moreover his way with words and warm link to his audience. I learned a lot and enjoyed the songs.

Southern Halo were a delight, a bunch of country-rockin’ sisters plus a lone male with a Les Paul, all supervised by Mama. Friendly, skilled, versatile and fun. The upstairs Garage crowd loved them.

Stranglers & Ruts DC made a good pairing at G Live. The current lead singer of the former did at one point decide to deride the Surrey locals who had paid good money to attend the show, which did not go down well, especially with us. However Ruts DC were in magnificent form, flinging out popular hits along with brilliant new numbers like Vox Teardrop. They have agility, imagination, breadth and fire and Segs’ vocals get better and better whilst he loses none of his Everyman personality. Lord Ruffy is king of the sticks notwithstanding a recent op and that Heggarty bloke on the guitar is a cauldron of sparks infused with melody….

Declan McKenna brought his male and female band to The Garage and held nothing back as he spun up a sophisticated but exciting set of original songs. There is no current act like this chap’s and the crowd response is fantastic. If I was eighteen again THIS is the artist who would be inspiring me to sing write and play, that’s for certain.

Post Modern Jukebox returned to the UK with a battalion of make and female singing stars who rocked the Apollo. I say stars because they could all front an act and many do. That Savalas daughter is utterly wicked and Aubrey Logan’s talent astounds. Meanwhile the band take care of 40s/50s style business and Scott Bradlee can still come up with a medley of shouted crowd requests on the spot at the piano.

Carousel is not in my humble opinion the very best of Rodgers & Hammersein’s works  BUT we weren’t going to miss The Colliseum edition in London with Alfie Boe and Katherine Jenkins, semi-staged and exhilarating. It is hard in the story to fully empathise with the lead male role – he is such a jerk ! – but Boe had every female melting in their seats. It all made for a quality evening out in this genre.

Dua Lipa has charm, talent, looks and some decent dance-pop material. It’s quite sickening, really..but seriously her show at the Empire was absorbing and crowd-friendly. She has an assured future in the business.

Under The Bridge presented US superband Magpie Salute and they proved astounding, musical and wide-ranging. For my money this ensemble brings the very best out of Rich Robinson and the lineup is packed with fine singers and dazzling players. The lengthy show was over too soon for us. Fabulous electric music.

We went to Water Rats to see Curse of Lono not just to take in the pointed alt country music but to catch up with valued pal Felix B, now leading a colourful and talented outfit doing justice to their material. A spellbinding show, with the odd technical hitch laughed away and terrific soloing

Joe Bonamassa and his band took over the Royal Albert Hall for two nights to showcase tracks from the ‘Blues Of Desperation’ plus more. Looking dapper in a blue suit and yellow tie (which I later found out you can purchase from his ever-growing webstore which begs the question ‘What will they think of next?), Bonamassa took us through John Mayall, BB. King as well as his own guitar-soaked back catalogue. His recorded work is always slick but it is in a live atmosphere that you really understand what the man is all about.

The Marcus King Band played Dingwalls and luckily with their own sound guy doing the mix. Hence we heard a set that ran from funk to country to blues to fusion to out-and-out rock’n’roll from a band packed with fiery players. The set has stayed in the memory for us. Highly recommended. Very early on we did a Q&A with Marcus, just use our ‘Search’ button, to locate.

Danny Bryant and his Big Band appeared at The Borderline to promote his new Big Band album release which is something that Danny has wanted to do for a long time. Even with some sound issues, Danny’s charming manner alongside that rich full sound of a horn section, keys, drums and guitar provided London with a classy night of blues.

Robert Cray gave easily the best performance we have ever seen him do at Guildford. The setlist was satisfying and the sound of the band top-notch. Even after all these years he has little to say to his audience, which is curious maybe – but musically this ticked every box and Johnny Too Bad was a real treat.

Imelda May brought her revised and very versatile crew to G Live and her music matched her stunning looks, quite an achievement… playing most of her ace new album but adding in some older hits, May floored the crowd and rightly so.

Devon Allman played at The Boom Boom and promoter Pete Feenstra once again gave us a professional show of the highest quality, well-appreciated by the area’s renowned cognoscenti fans.

Naturally 7 played or rather sang to a rapt Shepherds Bush Empire audience with just their voices. Having shared stages with Michael Buble, this a capella group stay current by blending in Coldplay numbers with classics such Bridge Over Troubled Water and they do it with such ease.

Sheryl Crow brought her terrific lineup to the Empire for a rare UK show. The set started with four back-to-back rock hits before she said a word. Her new album is one of her best and reviewed on this site.

The Walled Garden Festival down in deepest Kent had sterling sets from The Illegal Eagles, The King’s Parade (who we have interviewed), and the versatile Jennifer Paige (who travelled all the way from the States for the show). But the majestic closing set by ABC on the night we attended was quite glorious, our pal Matt Backer whipping up torrents of notes on the guitar. Martin Fry has lost none of his urbane charm and sings as if 20 years old.   

The Borderline showcased US star Brent Cobb for the release of the new record ‘Shine On Rainy Day’ which is produced by sought after producer (and Brent’s brother) David Cobb. Tracks like ‘Down In The Gulley’ were influenced by his family and personal stories which gave this show real heart.

Mike Zito is a dazzling talent, well-grounded in roots music and skilled enough to keep his shows lively. I got the chance to play harp with this Ruf label star at the Boom Boom at the end of his set whilst he spun out slide guitar runs. Thanks Mike and your band!

Doyle Bramhall II appeared at Under The Bridge, his curious flipped guitar style and stringing intriguing the axe fiends in the crowd. Our pal Jon Allen opened and promises a new record. Bramhall gave us a rousing take on the Isleys’ Work To Do and his voice remains unique.

Lol Goodman Band could be seen at The 100 Club and showcasing their excellent current album. The songs and the playing of this ensemble outclass most of their contemporaries and their interplay is stunning. This music lives and breathes and they alchemise roots styles into something fresh.

Mollie Marriott rocked The Borderline in a typically fetching outfit and fronting a band whose funk edge and thrilling bv’s made for a satisfying show. The real deal, this lass. Our chat with Mollie is on the site.

The Sandown Races music nights always feature a mixed bag of acts. On a rainy night we went to the Clean Bandit one..later to find up in the stands watching the horses run that Clean Bandit were right behind us. In a brief chat I made a case for me depping for the absent…… and the look of horror on Grace Chatto’s face was a picture. I was just joking, babe..  The show was dynamic and well-thought-out with guest singers… icing the cake.

Sons of Pitches at G Live took on a TV theme, going for laughs and getting them easily

A chance to see Kings X at Islington Assembly Hall was too tempting to miss. They are the People’s thinking rock-funk group and connect straight away. Every guitar break was an exercise in impact and melodic inventiveness.

The 02 put on the annual Stone Free Festival with Rainbow Blue Oyster Cult (Dad met Buck Dharma just before their set) playing the whole of their first album plus other hits.  Arthur Brown had a shortened set but proved why he has been in the music business for so long. 70s rockers Sweet created a ‘Ballroom Blitz’ in the O2 arena to the joy of thousands but it was the rendition of ‘Love Is Like Oxygen’ that stole the show for me personally.

The Hallows were part of a Tony Moore-helmed night at The Bedford and more than held their own on a bill of mostly gospel and soul acts. Their songs, arrangements and dynamic approach frames the clear vocals of Sarah to perfection. Try their Q&A on this site.

Kiefer Sutherland brought his own Country Rock crew to Islington Assembly Hall and performed creditable versions of his mostly original material. He seemed pleased at the crowd reception.

Tove Lo and her three supple musical cohorts torched the Concorde 2 down at Brighton. Far more edgy and controversial than most of her contemporaries, she sang up a storm and the band had no fear of hitting Milesian passages during the set which switched from keyboard pop-dance to out and out guitar rock.

Cheap Trick packed the O2 Forum Kentish Town and had rising stars Stone Broken support. This solid pairing created an interesting vibe as we heard memorable numbers like ‘Surrender’ and I Want You To Want Me’ alongside new material which fit into the set like a glove.

Steve Winwood playing the Apollo was one we couldn’t miss. His band are pros and help craft a setlist of Blind Faith, Spencer Davis Group, Traffic and solo material. It is amazing how many songs you recognize from the radio!

Winwood’s keys and guitar were seamless especially on the euphoric ‘Higher Love’ which featured his daughter Lilly Winwood on vocals. A value for money show which saw the hits keep coming!

Cornbury Festival was a treat, as usual. No need to rough it, at his one. We had the chance to speak to some great artists. Dennis from Nine Below Zero walked across after his set to thank our site for doing complete track-by-track reviews wherever possible. A nice gesture. A laughing Midge Ure gatecrashed our chat with the affable

Right Said Fred lads. Black Dylan were a laugh and a half. The enchanting …made time to speak with us while her son played in one of the hospitality tents  The Ward Thomas girls were fresh as a daisy. Sarah Munro and her sister were resolutely charming. The Kaiser Chiefs’ Ricky Wilson was a delight to meet. Ward Thomas brought their fresh-air country sound to the stage. Scouting For Girls met the press. The Stax band were incendiary as usual.

The Buddy Guy show found us in the front row of the Apollo for a genial and explosive set from the veteran blues star as he spilled out sharp humour and Stratocaster fireworks, fronting a surefooted group of players who solo’d with aplomb when nodded.  So very entertaining!

Declan McKenna launched his album down in Kingston by Banquet Records (also known as Beggars) with a signing session for the hundreds of fans who queued around the block.

Then we were all across the road at The Kingston Hippodrome (formerly the Works) for a pulverising record showcase.

Playing a Telecaste, McKenna actually stopped show to make sure a fainting fan was given water and revived. Then a spontaneous Corbyn singalong from the fans had Declan nodding to the band who swiftly launched into a Zappa styled backing jam….no playback or prerecorded tripe from this chap…

HitMan returned to the Eel Pie Club with his NYC horn section. Dry humour and sharp original songs kept the audience engaged. I got to use my ‘Bad Boy’ baritone guitar backing Pete French for his spot. Russ is a born entertainer and versatile axe stylist, especially fine on the slide.

Ramblin’ Man Festival brought us the chance to catch up and chat with many of our favourites – Eric Gales and his wife, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Noah Hunt, Martin Turner, Dirty Thrills, Glenn Hughes after his exciting set. ZZ Top were on ace form, even playing a Hendrix tune and having their guitar tech lay steel on Act Naturally

Kandace Springs lit up Ronnie Scott’s with a homegrown rhythm section. Adept at acoustic and electric piano, jazz standards, a War gem and many originals she kept the room spellbound. Beautiful, charming, versatile and chatty. It could hardly have been a better show.

Dirty Thrills held an album launch at The Crowndale in Camden, London for their debut ‘Heavy Living’. The powerful ‘Law Man was a highlight as lead vocalist Louis James’ (who has some great music stories btw) really projected for the capacity crowd. With a series of headline shows for 2018, expect to hear more from the Dirty Thrills camp.

Seeing UFO at Dorking was a real treat. They had rocked Ramblin’ Man with their hotwired guitar-soaked set of their hits and here they were at full throttle. I love the Peter Cook style comments of lead singer…..

Erja Lyytinen played The Borderline and it was probably the best ever set we have seen her present, from the eerie opening song onwards. The group is so good that every song comes to life. Her slide playing is airborne and fluid..much to admire

Simo filled The Borderline…with a new album to promote entitled ‘Rise And Shine’. This band are always generating groovy riffs and beats whether they are headlining an intimate club or performing to a festival crowd. ‘People Say’ saw JD Simo take us on a galactic music adventure as one of the tightest rhythm sections in the world consisting of Adam Abrashoff  (drums) and Elad Shapiro (bass) keep it fluid. Also, I was able to give a Miles Davis boxset to JD and that gave him a beaming smile. So pleased to be able to call them our friends.

Meantime over at the Royal Albert Hall, Wilko Johnson was celebrating some anniversaries. I was there with Leigh Heggarty and it was rather curious bill embracing the band of Wilko’s son, stickthin poet John Cooper Clarke and a Dutch busker pal, so the WJ trio came on rather late but still played with edge and style.

The Zombies were at The Palladium for the anniversary of the great Odyssey and Oracle album,played in its entirety in the second half by an expanded lineup including surviving original members and a Brian Wilson style every-element-reproduced mode. A fantastic and vibrant evening. They even played Bo’s RoadRunner!

Meanwhile across town at Wembley the I Love The 90s tour was allowing people to relive their youth as Tone Loc showed us that he was a ‘Wild Thing’ whilst being surrounded by a group of ladies, Colour Me Badd proclaimed ‘I Wanna Sex You Up’ before vanishing into the night in their colourful attire, Coolio received a rapturous applause as he performed a moving ‘See You When You Get There’ and the famous ‘Gangster’s Paradise’ with a funky saxophone player andSalt N’ Pepa with Spindarella went into ‘Whatta Man’ and ‘Let’s Talk About’ complete with backing dancers. Closing the show was Vanilla Ice who shared his love of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Blockbuster with everyone. With a drummer and DJ Chopstick (yes the gentleman in question was Asian) providing the beats everyone left this musical time machine filled with happy faces and memories.

Kid Creole & The Coconuts were staggeringly good at The Barbican after a misfire of a set by Airto Lindsay. The Coconuts are ever young and lithe and August’s son on guitar really rocked out. The horns sound as crisp as ever and the hits shine anew.

Midge Ure, The Christians and Claire Grogan made up a triple bill at G Live and the tour tagline of ‘Absolute Hits That Made The Decade’ was absolutely correct. Grogan wished us a ‘Happy Birthday’ and spoke about being a mum and The Christians were in fine humour as they played a classic Isley Brothers tune with their own thought-provoking tracks. Midge Ure closed the evening with the impactful ‘Dancing With Tears In My Eyes’, the popular ‘Fade To Grey’ and the eerie ‘Vienna’. A well-thought out bill.

Squeeze and Nine Below Zero is a good pairing, that Guildford enjoyed seeing. NBZ were showcasing their current rather New Orleans tinged album, Greaves punched out the guitar lines and Mark’s harp forays drew keen applause. The horns blew up a storm and gave fine solo’s. Squeeze played much from their excellent new album and their hits including an Eastern Take Me I’m Yours. Also they cameo’d NBZ  members during their set. A live album of the night could be purchased post-show.

Alan Clayson and the Argonauts presented their This Cannot Go On.. album up at the Dublin Castle. The skill of the players and unique approach to performance of Alan Clayson cast a heady spell. A full album review is available on this site and his Q&A with us remains a classic, just use ‘Search’

Zara Larsson and her full live group played the Apollo. In her style of pop-dance the sound guys usually wodge all instrumentation together into one pulsing slab. They did this here. The players looked to be more than proficient but the enveloping synth slew means I can say no more than that. On the plus side, the lovely Zara puts everything into her show, working the songs and rousing the audience with ease. The hits secure a roar of approval as they start and All Summer raised the roof.

Dan Owen played London so as fans we went along. The venue – O’Mearas in Southwark – resembles an Isis interrogation room. Nowhere to sit, overpriced drinks, oversold..at least the sound quality was quite good. Owen goes from strength to strength and with a pal on keys and guitar he lays out a set of original songs that are both memorable and different enough from his peers to have place in the musical firmament. A rousing harp blues ends the show.

We were able to take a dear Scandinavian friend along to see My Baby at Dingwalls. Thankfully the sound was OK and the three members of My Baby created a maelstrom of vocals, percussion, reverbed guitars, stomping drums, energetic singing and swooping slide. Well worth catching.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd and crew, with dep drummer pal in place of Chris Layton who had family business to sort rocked the Indigo at 02 as part of BluesFest 2017. A magnificent set with many cuts from his current studio album. A sturdy Blue On Black was a highlight.

Doobie Brothers / ……..Steely Dan are of course now without the late Walter Becker. Nevertheless their set was a fabulous blend of hits across the ages, heavenly backing vocalists featured and instrumental excitement galore. Fagen’s laconic remarks explained certain choices. It can’t have been easy for him.

Eric Gales took the stage at the Boom Boom with a wicked grin, his flipped guitar, his three-piece  band including Mrs Gales and a bagful of tricks, banter and supercharged riffs. Afterwards he took time to meet fans and sign items. A victorious show, indeed.

Hue & Cry are an outfit with style, imagination and a social conscience. Their set at Islington included all the hits, brand new material and a duet with a talented daughter that filled the room with warmth. The touring band are an awesome crew.

Jonny Lang played the Empire, highlighting his new album ‘Signs’ which was the follow-up to 2013 ‘Fight For My Soul’. He met with fans, had photos taken and signed merchandise before hitting the stage with his fantastic band. New tracks ‘Snakes’ and ‘Last Man Standing’ told everyone ‘Here’s Jonny!’ Zane Carney (Lang’s guitarist and opening act) had a jazzy feel not dissimilar to Larry Carlton especially on ‘Rack Em’ Up’. Lang is a true gentleman who really cares about putting on a great live set for his fans.

Cadillac Three filled the Forum in Kentish Town and after a set by Brothers Osborne the trio had no problem in thrilling the crowd with their downhome-but-crisp rootsy songs.

Alice Cooper, The Tubes and The Mission made for a good-value night out at Wembley. Fee Waybill was sharp as a tack as usual and the blend of rock and melody remains one of music’s great treasures. The Mission tried to mix live with backing tracks and rather came unstuck, for this reviewer. A Neil Young song sounded flat and the banter works much better in smaller venues, it must be said. Of course, there’s no stopping Alice. The band work hard slamming out the hits like Poison and this performance featured surviving original AC members, churning out I’m Eighteen and more.

The Eel Pie Quiz and FundRaiser night over at Twickenham was fun. Pete Hammerton played a rousing set, joined by me on mandolin and harp for several selections. The music and anagram questions saved my team from shame, thank you, amigos. The Club that cares. .

The Magic Band played their final London show at The Garage and rang the changes with material, including a slew of songs not performed for ages PLUS  a nod to Willie Dixon with Little Red Rooster and a foray into The Clouds Are Full Of Wine in a new Miles Davis styled setting. I shall miss their shows and sense if adventure, still evident in their attack and humour.

Chris Rea filled the Apollo with his fabulous band and an inspired set that highlighted his excellent new album but also pulled in the magical Stainsby Girls and On The Beach plus a lively Xmas finale. Days later he had collapsed on stage at Oxford and is now recovering at home. Best wishes, brother.  Our latest chat is on the site now.

Scouting For Girls are pure pop, however when they rolled into Guildford for a gig at G Live frontman Roy Stride relished in the fact that he was performing a hometown show. Chart hits ‘Elvis Ain’t Dead’, ‘Heartbeat’ and ‘She’s So Lovely’ rained down as Stride ran around the entire venue with a spring in his step. Scouting For Girls are funny, cheeky, personal and form a real bond with their live audiences. After this storming show I think that they should make G Live in Guildford a permanent fixture for any future UK tours.

Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown played several dates here including Dingwalls. A gruesomely poor mix threatened to kill their show but they won through. Their new album has a stack of new songs that show their feel and skill and with more than a touch of vintage Alice Cooper in the delivery.

Zoot Money soaked the Bulls Head in Barnes with his Mose Allison-style r&b, featuring Ronnie Johnson from Van’s band on guitar, sax and harp from the wonderful Nick Payn and a fat tuneful bass from Scot Kenny Wilson, something I discussed with him in the break. I have interviewed Zoot for a new two-part chat. Watch this space…

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As usual, we proffer our respect and thanks to all the labels, PRs, promoters, venue operators and above all artists who help us cover the range that we do. Onwards to 2018!  

Pete Sargeant & Glenn Sargeant