RockReceiver Issue 2

SUNSET STRIP A Rock ‘N’ Roll History

Inside Leo Fender’s Guitar Factory,

G&L

ALSO:

ELECTRIC SISTER THE DOORS LONDON ACOUSTIC GUITAR SHOW

H S I B M I W G U DO ur' o l o C g n Livi

welcome

e m o c l e W Spring has sprung and the festival season will soon be upon us! Welcome to the latest issue of Rock Receiver. Our resident rock chick interviewer has tour bus talk with Doug Wimbish from ‘Living Colour’ and ‘Electric Sister’. We head to LA to Leo Fender’s Guitar Factory and get a rock n roll history of Sunset Strip.

Don’t miss our regular articles including Delores Pehalligon Shoebury who is still ‘rocking all over the world’ in her quest to meet Status Quo; Forever Brilliant, which is a nod to the talents of Nik Kershaw, and for all those unanswered questions and dilemma’s, WWLD? We are here to share all the best and most exciting music around.

Dive in, indulge, enjoy....

And let the good times rock and roll!

Record companies, agents and artists wishing to send promotional material for consideration can contact our team at editor@rockreceiver.co.uk Editor: Suki Beaumont Rock Chick Presenter:

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04-07 Nik Kershaw, Forever Brilliant 28 Gear & Gizmos - Alvarez RC16HCE 19 - Smoking Guitar Pot 22 Launch Pad 30 Tuition Edition - Guitar 32 Ready To Rock!

- Bass - Drums Blast from the past Quo Chasing with Delores Penhaligon Shoebury Album Reviews Rockoscopes WWLD? - What Would Lemmy Do? Merchandise

36 37 38 41 40 42

Clive Burr 1957-2013 The Doors Review Doug Wimbish Sunset Strip - A Rock ‘N’ Roll History Inside G&L London Acoustic Guitar Show Namm 2013 Burns Marvin Re-issue Electric Sister

08 09 10 12 16 18 20 24 26

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! k c o R o t y d a e R REGULAR - news

GREEN DAY

ing will be featur the Forgotten Breaking m fil t gh ili on the new Tw Dawn Part 2. pressed been very im The band have s have ck ra dt un their so with the way ther. been put toge

JAKE E LEE

Former Ozzy guitarist Jake E Lee is working on a new solo albu m after several years of relative qu ietness.

He has severa l guest vocalis ts including Paul Di’Anno originally of co urse from Iron Maiden.

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STONE SOUR

ted a ...have recrui ree th e ac pl er to re aki. new Bass play om on ed Shawn Ec cently depart friend of is a long term The new guy u Chow. hn Jo d is calle the band and on a ently working They are curr new album.

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nd the ba d that n a break e m r nfi to has co nd are jus Grohl pa ry. u a r g t n Dave in splitt he co t t o o an t n s are our d he c e rum life an is h is despit and t the b ws . id tha a o d ne s o e G v . p Da u it give never

IRON MAIDEN

Steve Harr is of Iron Maiden h revealed as recentl that he ha y s not playe solo albu d his new m British L ion to the has just p band. He layed it to drummer McBrain a Nicko s he asked to hear it.

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BEATLES

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2 # K C O R O READY T REGULAR - NEWS #2

MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE

Gerard Way himself has now confirmed via an extended tweet that the black parade is Over,My Chemical Romance are no more. His whole letter is printed below, finishing with the line “My Chemical Romance is done. But it can never die. It is alive in me, in the guys, and it is alive inside all of you. I always knew that, and I think idea.”We hope they change their mind after a break.

“A Vigil, On Birds and Glass.

I woke up this morning still dreaming, or not fully aware of myself just yet. The sun poked through the windows, touching my face, and then a deep sadness overcame me, immediately, bringing me to life and realization- My Chemical Romance had ended.

I walked downstairs to do the only thing I could think of to regain composureI made coffee.

As the drip began, in that kind of silence that only happens in the morning, and being the only one awake, I stepped outside my home, leaving the door open behind me. I looked around and began to breathe. Things looked to be about the same- a beautiful day.

As I turned to step back into the house I heard sound from within, a chirp and a rustle. And I noticed a small brown bird had flown into the library. Naturally, I panicked. I knew I had to see the bird to safety and I knew I had to retain the order of things in our home, and he very well couldn’t take up residency with us. I chased him (still assuming he was a he) into my office, where I have these very large windows.

Just then, and luckily, I heard Lindsey’s footsteps coming down the stairs, and naturally being composed as she is, she grabbed a blanket and stepped into the office. He was impossible to catch, and I began to open the windows, via Lindsey’s direction, only to find out they were screened.

The bird began to fly into the glass, over and over and in all different directions. Smack. Smack. Smack!

I heard another set of footsteps, Bandit’s, running down the stairs in anticipation of the new day. Her entrance into the situation caused just the right amount of chaos (she was very excited to meet the bird) and we found ourselves chasing the bird into the living room. Knowing that this where it could potentially get sticky, being the high ceilings and the beams to perch on, I opened the front door as Lindsey did her best to encourage our new friend out the door. After some coaxing, flying, chirping, a wrong turn back into the library and a short goodbye to Bandit, he simply hopped out the front door- taking off on the fifth leap. We cheered. I was no longer sad.

I didn’t realize it, but I stopped being sad the minute that bird had come into my life, because there was something that needed doing, a small vessel to aid and an order to keep. I closed the door. I decided to write the letter I always knew I would.

It is often my nature to be abstract, hidden in plain sight, or nowhere at all. I have always felt that the art I have made (alone or with friends) contains all of my intent when executed properly, and thus, no explanation required. It is simply not in my nature to excuse, explain, or justify any action I have taken as a result of thinking it through with a clear head, and in my truth.

I had always felt this situation involving the end of this band would be different, in the eventuality it happened. I would be cryptic in its existence, and open upon its death.

The clearest actions come from truth, not obligation. And the truth of the matter is that I love every one of you.

So, if this finds you well, and sheds some light on anything, or my personal account and feelings on the matter, then it is out of this love, mutual and shared, not duty.

Love. This was always my intent.

My Chemical Romance: 2001-2013 We were spectacular.

Every show I knew this, every show I felt it with or without external confirmation.

There were some clunkers, sometimes our secondhand gear broke, sometimes I had no voice- we were still great. It is this belief that made us who we were, but also many other things, all of them vitalAnd all of the things that made us great were the very things that were going to end usFiction. Friction. Creation. Destruction. Opposition.

Aggression. Ambition. Heart. Hate. Courage. Spite. Beauty.

Desperation. LOVE. Fear. Glamour. Weakness. Hope.

Fatalism.

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That last one is very important. My Chemical Romance had, built within its core, a fail-safe. A doomsday device, should certain events occur or cease occurring, would detonate. I shared knowledge of this “flaw” within weeks of its inception.

Personally, I embraced it because, again, it made us perfect. A perfect machine, beautiful, yet self aware of it’s system. Under directive to terminate before it becomes compromised. To protect the idea- at all costs. This probably sounds like something ripped from the pages of a four-color comic book, and that’s the point.

No compromise. No surrender. No fucking shit.

To me that’s rock and roll. And I believe in rock and roll.

I wasn’t shy about who I said this to, not the press, or a fan, or a relative. It’s in the lyrics, it’s in the banter. I often watched the journalists snicker at mention of it, assuming I was being sensational or melodramatic (in their defense I was most likely dressed as an apocalyptic marching-band leader with a tear-away hospital gown and a face covered in expressionist paint, so fair enough).

I’m still not sure if the mechanism worked correctly, because it wasn’t a bang but a much slower process. But still the same result, and still for the same reasonWhen it’s time, we stop.

It is important to understand that for us, the opinion on whether or not it is in fact time does not transmit from the audience. Again, this is to protect the idea for the benefit of the audience. Many a band have waited for external confirmation that it is time to hang it up, via ticket sales, chart positioning, boos and bottles of urine- input that holds no sway for us, and often too late when it comes anyway.

You should know it in your being, if you listen to the truth inside you. And voice inside became louder than the music.

Now- There are many reasons My Chemical Romance ended. The triggerman is unimportant, as was always the messengers- but the message, again as always, is the important thing. But to reiterate, this is my account, my reasons and my feelings. And I can assure you there was no divorce, argument, failure, accident, villain, or knife in the back that caused this, again this was no one’s fault, and it had been quietly in the works, whether we knew it or not, long before any sensationalism, scandal, or rumor.

There wasn’t even a blaze of glory in a hail of bullets...

I am backstage in Asbury Park, New Jersey. It is Saturday, May 19th, 2012 and I am pacing behind a massive black curtain that leads to the stage. I feel the breeze from the ocean find its way around me and I look down at my arms, which are covered in fresh gauze due to a losing battle with a heat rash, which had been a mysterious problem in recent months. I am normally not nervous before a show but I am certainly filled with angry butterflies most of the time. This is different- a strange anxiety jetting through me that I can only imagine is the sixth sense one feels before their last moments alive. My pupils have zeroed-out and I have ceased blinking. My body temperature is icy.

We get the cue to hit the stage.

The show is... good. Not great, not bad, just good. The first thing I notice take me by surprise is not the enormous amount of people in front of us but off to my left- the shore and the vastness of the ocean. Much more blue than I remembered as a boy. The sky is just as vibrant. I perform, semi-automatically, and something is wrong.

I am acting. I never act on stage, even when it appears that I am, even when I’m hamming it up or delivering a soliloquy.

Suddenly, I have become highly self-aware, almost as if waking from a dream. I began to move faster, more frantic, reckless- trying to shake it off- but all it began to create was silence. The amps, the cheers, all began to fade.

All that what left was the voice inside, and I could hear it clearly. It didn’t have to yell- it whispered, and said to me briefly, plainly, and kindly- what it had to say.

What it said is between me and the voice.

I ignored it, and the following months were full of suffering for me- I hollowed out, stopped listening to music, never picked up a pencil, started slipping into old habits. All of the vibrancy I used to see became de-saturated. Lost. I used to see art or magic in everything, especially the mundane- the ability was buried under wreckage.

Slowly, once I had done enough damage to myself, I began to climb out of the hole. Clean. When I made it out, the only thing left inside was the voice, and for the second time in my life, I no longer ignored it- because it was my own.

There are many roles for all of us to play in this ending.

We can be well-wishers, ill-wishers, sympathizers, vilifiers, comedians, rain clouds, victims-

That last one, again, is important. I have never thought myself a victim, nor my comrades, nor the fans- especially not the fans. For us to adopt that role right now would legitimize everything the tabloids have tried to name us.

More importantly, it completely misses the point of the band. And then what have we learned?

With honor, integrity, closure, and on no one’s terms but our own- the door closes.

And another opensThis morning I awoke early. I quickly brushed my teeth, threw on some baggy jeans, and hopped in my car. I gently sped down the 405 through the morning fog to a random parking lot in Palo Verde, where I was to meet a nice gentleman named Norm. He was older, and a selfproclaimed “hippie” but he also had the energy of Sixteen year old in a garage-rock band. The purpose of the meeting was the delivery of an amplifier into my possession. I had recently purchased the amp from him and we both agreed that shipping would jostle the tubes- so he was kind enough to meet me in the middle.

A Fender Princeton Amp from 1965, non reverb. A beautiful little device.

He showed me the finer points, the speaker, the nongrounded plug, the original label and the chalk mark of the man or woman who built it“This amp talks.” he said. I smiled.

We got coffee, talked about gold-foil pickups and life. We sat in the car and played each other music we had made. We parted ways, promising to stay in touch, I drove home.

When I wanted to start My Chemical Romance, I began by sitting in my parent’s basement, picking up an instrument I had long abandoned for the brush- a guitar. It was a 90’s Fender Mexican Stratocaster, Lake Placid Blue, but in my youth I had decided it was too clean and pretty so I beat it up, exposing some of the red paint underneath the blue- the color it was meant to be. Adding a piece of duct tape on the pick guard, it felt acceptable. I plugged this into a baby Crate Amp with built in distortion and began the first chords of Skylines and Turnstiles.

I still have that guitar, and it’s sitting next to The Princeton.

He has a voice, and I would like to hear what it has to say.

In closing, I want to thank every single fan. I have learned from you, maybe more than you think you’ve learned from me. My only regret is that I am awful with names and bad with goodbyes. But I never forget a face, or a feeling- and that is what I have left from all of you.

I feel Love.

I feel love for you, for our crew, our team, and for every single human being I have shared the band and stage withRay. Mikey. Frank. Matt. Bob. James. Todd. Cortez.

Tucker. Pete. Michael. Jarrod.

Since I am bad with goodbyes. I refuse to let this be one. But I will leave you with one last thingMy Chemical Romance is done. But it can never die.

It is alive in me, in the guys, and it is alive inside all of you.

I always knew that, and I think you did too.

Because it is not a bandit is an idea.

Love, Gerard”

We’re truly gutted and would like to wish all of the guys the best of luck with everything in the future. Make sure to leave your reactions and check out the top 10 video moments of a truly brilliant band.

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Rock RecEIver Magazine

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CLIVE BURR 1957 - 2013

FEATURE - CLIVE BURR

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Rock Receiver Magazine

Now we pay tribute to former Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr who has sadly recently passed away. Clive was born in East Ham, London on March 8th 1957 and during his early drumming days he played in a number of bands including Samson, he would leave them before the recording of their debut album. Ironically being replaced by Thunderstick who had a short stint in an early incarnation of Maiden.

Clive then bumped into friend Dennis Stratton who had recently joined Iron Maiden. they were in a crisis, just days away from recording their debut album the drummer had quit. Clive was very keen for Dennis to put his name forward for the now vacant position.

Clive auditioned on Boxing Day 1979 but had to leave early as he had a pub gig that night. The whole band and manager Rod Smallwood turned up that night to tell him he had got the job.

Iron Maidens first album charted at number 4 and they were on their way.

Clive left in December 1982 leaving us with legendary tracks such as Run to the Hills and Wrathchild.

Clive died at the age of 56 from Multiple Sclerosis, he passed away in his sleep and will be sadly missed. At his funeral old friend Dennis Stratton was one of the Pall Bearers.

Rest in Peace Clive Burr.

THE DOORS

FEATURE - THE DOORS REVIEW

Is was with astonishment that I saw the billboard announcing that The Doors were playing at The House of Blues. At first I thought it was attribute act but after further research I found out that it was really them minus Jim of course.

Who would be singing, I was soon to find out. I got a ticket arranged and I was on my way to what was going to be a truly one off event, WOW. The whole evening started with a film of various milestones of their career and boy there has been a few. The band then accepted an award for their achievements before performing a set. They had various guest vocalist including Emily Perez and Mark McGrath, other guests included Matt Sorum from Guns and Roses..

During Break on Through the grin on Kriegers face was a joy to behold, he was loving every moment and who could blame him, the crowd were lapping up his enthusiasm. They were finishing lyrics and joining in with everything that the band played, this was a truly magical evening and another sunset strip success.

The Boys were back in Town albeit for one night only.

Rock Receiver Magazine

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feature - DOUG WIMBISH

G U O D H S I B WIM

up catching her c t e l F e r with Cla

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I had the pleasure of catching up with Doug Wimbish; the highly talented and sought after musician, who is more than just a bassist and known as a sound system.

His diverse career spans decades and he has worked with The Rolling Stones, Depeche Mode and Jeff Beck, to name but a few. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s, ‘The Message’ was voted number one greatest Hip Hop song of all time in Rolling Stone Magazine.

It is hard to believe that with his youthful energy and appearance, he is a Grandfather! The music must be keeping him young.

So, let’s talk about the 80’s first before we talk about what you playing with Living Colour. You did loads of stuff, you played with Jeff Beck, Mick Jagger. What was all that like?

It was a lot of late nights!

It was a lot of fun actually. I was in an interesting transition period coming from working at Sugar Hill records doing hip hop.

And then my connection for all of this was Arthur Baker. He was remixing records at planet rock and a DJ in NY and he was a producing a remix for Jagger in the studio. It had a mainstream rock vibe.

How did that compare?

It was rewarding because the stuff I was doing at Sugar Hill records was very gangster fuelled, so I didn’t have to wear my bullet proof underwear anymore. It was an organised mad exciting world. Jeff Back was my first rock gig. I was very fortunate to be able to get my frequencies out to those guys.

Moving onto living colour, how did you get that gig?

Very interesting scenario...I got the cattle call to audition for Mick Jagger’s soul project.

Myself and Vernon (Vernon Reid, guitarist in Living Colour) both auditioned on the same day in New York City. This was 1984 or 85. I got the gig, Vernon didn’t get the gig. After I got the gig with Mick, he was aware of Vernon. He asked me what I thought of him, so we checked him out at CBGB’s. We ended up taking him to the studios. Next thing you know Mick starts doing some stuff with him.

If we fast forward, Will called and said he was looking for a bass player and he flew to London to give me a personal invitation.

Then I got a call from seal. Then a few days later I call from Debbie Gold from Bruce Springsteen What a popular chap! How in demand you were. You must’ve felt fantastic!

15 hours of fame! But it can happen like that.

It was very interesting. Mick was pushing me to do the Living Colour stuff. I still had to audition.

That’s the procedure.

Then I got a call when Bill Wyman left to say they were looking for a bassist and are looking to audition bass players.

But living colour was your thing...

I already had started with them.

They flew me out and I recorded a few tracks. Mick said, ‘We would like to put you on a record’. Problem was, I had a tour to Australia. It’s one of these things! The schedule didn’t work out for that.

You can’t do everything!

I believe it is always key to be honest to yourself and the people who you work with. if an opportunity comes, it has to come in a natural state as opposed to a state where you start cutting throats. My heart doesn’t do that. I am happy to have worked the Stones and Jeff Beck and Mick Jagger. It is family.

I’m happy to be here doing what I’m doing with the band.

Soon after you left Living Colour, you were nominated for a Grammy for, ‘Leave it Alone’ The record industry is a trip. The thrill of victory in the agony of defeat. I sleep comfortably at night with the decisions that I have made.

From Hip Hop to Rock and Pop,

Wimbish is the

master of them all

Did you train formally?

I’m more self taught for the first few years of my musical experience, then I went to the Havard Conservatory in an artist’s collective. The new community facility that was available to everybody. It was free. I learned a lot there and that is how I met Skip McDonald; ‘Little Axe’, who was the key for my professional career.

Connecticut. We were doing a Tackhead tour and he hadn’t been to America for quite some time.

I said, let’s have a party for Skip. If I have a party I will call it Wimbash, as it is the most misspelled name - If I ever have a party I will call it Wimbash for the abuse of my name!

I have my friends from Rock House attend the party and it blew them away, and then they asked me to do a Wimbash at the NAMM show. It was a very simple process.

The other side of that coin was there was so much competition. You can see the companies that have the wealth, but you can’t get in. I was horrified. I was watching Nigel Mansell race and he has got sponsored stuff all over him! A Ferrari can’t do anything without tyres.

If I have a party, I want to make sure the little guys can get it. I wanted to have a party for all the other folks who don’t have big stands, it worked out good because it’s a DVD company, Rock House. All the competitors are all running through the channels of the Rock House DVD. They are one of the sponsors. It is funny. Seeing is believing! The room held about 500 people and we gave around 3000 (passes) and I turned the whole thing upside down. Now we have dancers.

But the thing is, these shows are for one week like a huge class reunion. We give away really good gear. All the key companies that can contribute do contribute.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?

Staying alive! There are so many great memories and great moments. It’s like going through a few different lives. The layers of things that have taken place. The most important thing is the support from my family, my children, I have four grandchildren now!

The idea of knowing that I am still engaged in this music business. And for that alone I am good. I am more than happy to live out my days with this frequency.

I am fortunate to play with friends. Life is good. Peace and love y’all.

Did you always know you wanted to be a bass player?

I started on a mandolin found in my neighbours garbage! My next door neighbours brother was in Vietnam and he sent him back a little guitar amp and we would sit up and make noise.

Tell me about rotorsound strings The strings are fantastic for the different sounds I use, I smack the strings around and they are abused by the end of the gig, the band is great, the sound quality works as well. There are only a few companies that make strings. I have British amps, British strings, American guitar.

One big happy family.

Wimbash sounds fab; your annual event at the NAMM show. It didn’t start there did it?

It started off as a birthday party that I threw for Skip McDonald in my home town of Rock RecEIver Magazine

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feature - SUNSET STRIP - A ROCK ‘N’ ROLL HISTORY

Reporter Kylie Macfarlane Location Los Angeles, USA

Sunset strip is the name given to the mile and a half section of Sunset Boulevard that passes through West Hollywood to the border of Beverly Hills. This section has spawned many bands from The Doors to Mötley Crüe and is the home to many iconic rock n’ roll landmarks and venues. In the 60’s and 70’s the Strip became a haven for bands just as it had been a haven for movie stars a few decades earlier. Glamour and Glitz had defined the Strip in the 30’s and 40’s and its renowned restaurants and nightclubs became a playground for the rich and famous. Since the Strip was outside the LA city limits, it didn’t come under the jurisdiction of LAPD so had a more relaxed attitude to law enforcement which certainly helped the area develop how it did.

In the early seventies a popular hangout was Rodney Bingenheimers’ English Disco, and Donna Summer wrote a song about the nightlife on the strip called ‘Sunset People’, from the album Bad Girls. Although Disco was massive , it was really through Rock that this area is best known and it became the epicentre of 80’s metal through bands such as Ratt, Poison, Guns and Roses and of course Mötley Crüe.

On the edge of the strip is the world famous Hyatt Hotel (now called The Andaz) better known as The Riot house. In was in this hotel that Led Zeppelin used to reside when they were in town, often taking up several floors at a time and riding motorbikes up the corridors. The hotel were very used to this and charged them huge deposits. It was from the balcony of room 1015 that Keith Richards of The Stones famously threw a television set down onto the strip below. Little Richard used to live, yes live, in room 319. Lemmy wrote the song Motörhead, whilst in Hawkwind, on the balcony of his room and Jim Morrison hung by his fingertips from another balcony ,so the staff moved him to a safer room. Jim spent a lot of time at the hotel often alternating between The Riot and a small motel just around the corner.

There is a famous picture of Robert Plant looking out of a balcony onto the Strip with his arms outstretched like Jesus, claiming that he was a “Golden God”. The final scenes in Spinal Tap were also filmed here, around the rooftop swimming pool, a true Rock n’ Roll Hotel if ever there was one. It is situated almost opposite The House of Blues which has seen many a famous face grace her stage from The Doors ( they played everywhere in this area) to Steel Panther who have a residency there nowadays.

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As you move further along the strip there are lots of areas of interest , The Comedy Store used to be called Ciro’s and was another venue that The Doors played at. The whole district is dripping with music history that you can touch and almost smell!

Rock RecEIver Magazine

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feature -INSIDE G&L

INSIDE

G&L

I got to tour the G&L Guitar Factory and have a chat to Steve Gromm, the Director of Manufacturing in sunny California. The company title stands for George Fullerton and Leo Fender guitars. I was honoured to be able to go into the office of Leo Fender and sit in his chair! The office is left untouched since Leo Fender sadly passed away in March 1991, so the building is steeped in history. The office is strewn with sketches, boxes and guitar parts; I even got to try on Leo’s Magnifying goggles! It was a wonderful experience to be there, and to know that he was the man responsible for designing the Fender Stratocaster and Telecaster among other iconic guitars. ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

So here we are on Fender Avenue, tell me about Leo Fender and the history behind G&L. Even the buildings have some history. The fact that it’s Fender Avenue; there is a little piece of land along here; going back to the days of Fender, Leo and his partner Don Randall sold Fender to CBS in 1965. Leo’s cut was 6.5 million dollars in 1965! So Leo stayed on at CBS and in 1970 Leo had had enough and decided to leave but in his contract as a consultant, he had to stay out of the guitar business for 5 years; pretty standard. So he had a million ideas and lot of time and a lot of money, so he started investing in real estate. Leo started looking around for some properties to invest in. He didn’t want to drive too far anywhere so he looked for real estate opportunities here in Orange County. He ended up buying a piece of land here. In 1972 they decided to change the name of the street to Fender Avenue.

Fenders were major guitars and amps but back in the 50’s they never said, ‘made in the USA’. All the amplifiers had to go through a safety agency. They required that the location of manufacturing was on the unit. So that was the thing that helped put Fullerton, California on the map!

IN 1975 he hooked up with some guys and they started ‘Music Man’ guitar factory. Leo had this operation here called CLF (Clarence Leo Fender) and their relationship lasted about 5 years. The guys at ‘Music Man’ had their own philosophy of how they wanted to do stuff and they wanted to have one or two products a year and Leo wanted one or two a month! So finally in 1980 he decided to do his own thing. He reunited with his old friend George Fullerton, which is the G in G&L. He had a lot of ideas that he couldn’t do at Fender.

What is your role in the company?

Director of manufacturing so I’m responsible for everything from product development to scheduling and anything to do with the factory itself is my responsibility. I am involved in marketing also. We might need to play with finishes. Maybe experiment with different types of wood.

Where do you source your wood?

It comes from all over the world but most of it comes from America where it can be replenished. Bodies are primarily ash or elder that is primarily from parts of the United States. Necks are maple that comes more from the south east part of Canada. Rosewood comes from India and is grown and harvested mainly for export. They have rosewood plantations where guitars are the main sources.

Where are your non American Guitars made?

The tribute series is made at a factory in Indonesia.

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The tribute series are the less expensive models aren’t they?

That’s right. All tribute models are based on the American series.

How do you achieve the quality still?

We put American made pickups and I’ll show you some of the differences (on our factory tour) that make a G&L pickup. We have to keep the price so low.

What about other models?

We offer custom configuration where you can basically order any model, a selection of 52 different colours, 6 different neck finishes and 7 different pickguard colours you can choose from; just from that configuration, 95% of our production is all specifically for an order.

Sometimes its consumers and sometimes it’s the retailer’s stores.

You have a lot of artists such as Peter Frampton, The Farris Brothers from INXS. Tell me about your artist relation programme.

We have a lot of country artists and a lot of Rock players use the G&L basses. Right now we have Tom Hamilton form Aerosmith; he’s out using a couple of custom made basses.

G&L seems attractive to all musical genres...

Yes, we have country, pop, rock artists. The sound of the bass is really interesting; we have jazz sounding basses, we do a lot in the studio and arrange everything from country to swing, to a beautiful ballad and can use the same bass by tweaking the EQ which can give it the right sound.

Is the look of the instrument as important as the sound?

The new Aerosmith record that is going to be on the movie, GI Jane, was being debuted on American Idol, so they asked if we could make a bass with a military theme. They send a picture with military boxes on and we worked with a company to develop the design. We sourced the Army green paint. We have a great network of suppliers to work on a project.

How do you see the company developing over the next 5 years?

We want to grow as much as we possibly can, whether it be the bass market or the heavy metal side. So many companies are pigeon holed, but we think we have got a lot of great opportunities as we can splash out a little more. We have a relatively conservative market place, so let’s come up with products and ideas that push the boundaries. And working real closely with our international distributors, to get the word out to the consumer. The great thing about this industry is that one guitar is never enough.

It’s like a woman with a pair of shoes!

ffice o s ' r de n e F Leo

Reporter Clare Fletcher Location California

Rock Receiver Magazine

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feature - LONDON ACOUSTIC GUITAR SHOW

ACOUSTIC GUITAR SHOW

- Olympia London On another wet and rainy day in London I ventured down to Olympia for The London Acoustic Guitar Show. After finding a parking place in the much overpriced car park I went inside.

The venue was packed for this event, which was great as the organisers had gone to a lot of effort to ensure that there was a lot to do and see.

All the major brands were present and a lot of smaller ones too and they were all situated in a separate hall. The hall was resonating with the sweet sound of acoustic guitars being tested out by eager punters, a pleasant change from the Bass Show earlier in the year.

The great thing about these shows is the clinics and intimate performances that take place. This time we were treated to acts such as Newton Faulkner and Finley Quaye amongst others; the master classes are fantastic and the chance to meet and chat with the performers really adds to the day.

Roll on the next one!

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REGULAR - GEAR & GIZMOS - Alvarez RC16HCE

z e r a v Al E C H 6 1 RC

Product review of the Alvarez RC16HCE Hybrid Acoustic-Electric Classical Guitar

Alvarez is a well established and leading guitar brand in the USA. Since 1965, Alvarez has been making both quality and value instruments with great tones and feel to them. You may not have heard of them before as the retail market for Alvarez within the UK has been very limited and almost non existence until now, this is about to change with the availability of the all new 2012/13 line.

Alvarez built top of the range instruments played by the likes of Johnny Cash, Crosby Stills and Nash, Carlos Santana and even Paul McCartney. They also manufacture quality value instruments too which is where the RC16HCE classical hybrid sits within today’s guitar market. It is one of Alvarez`s Regent series guitars.

It has a spruce top, mahogany back and sides with a rosewood fingerboard. And even though it is under the heading of an ‘entry-level instrument’ (budget guitar) it has in no way compromised on quality. If anything, it has more to offer a beginner guitarist looking for a classical nylon strung guitar than any other I have seen on the market. This value budget electro-classical guitar is ideal for both novice and accomplished players. Not only does it offer good quality at an affordable price, but it also has a built in chromatic tuner and EQ. Designed

by B-Band, the SYS250 integrated pick up system with chromatic backlit tuner and 4-Band EQ delivers superb performance and quality acoustic reproduction.

Another super feature on this guitar is that the neck is 7mm narrower than a standard classical guitar, so it not only plays and has the feel of a regular acoustic guitar but also reduces the need to stretch fingers quite so far to achieve some chord shapes, a big bonus for beginners or those with dainty hands I would say.

In conclusion, the Alvarez RC16HCE delivers an awful lot for an entry-level classical guitar. In comparison I will admit that the sound colour when played un-amplified was a little darker in tone than a regular classical guitar, but once I plugged the jack lead in, the integrated SYS250 within the RC16HCE really made up for it. Amplified, the guitar sounded bright and clear and was instantly adjustable for that perfect extra middle or bass when needed. Students would benefit from just having a built in back lit tuner and narrower neck as it could cut out hours of frustration for the beginner.

Furthermore, having the ability to amplify and EQ a classical guitar with direct jack input would bring joy to any intermediate or accomplished guitarist.

The RC16HCE classical hybrid acoustic electric guitar retails for well under £300 and I would be say it would be money well spent as I have yet to find a better quality or stylish acoustic electric classical guitar within that budget range. For more information or to view the Alvarez guitar range including the ‘All New’ 2012/13 line visit www.alvarezguitars.com

By Jiff Godfrey

Rock RecEIver Magazine

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feature - NAMM SHOW 2013

3 1 0 2 W O SH It was that time of year again, yes, it’s The NAMM Show!

The massive trade only Fair held annually in Anaheim California. It is always amazing and 2013 proved to be no different, one of the great things about this show is that everyone is here from Artists to designers, reps to repair guys, everything that you need to know and see is here. The latest gear is usually unveiled at NAMM and of course sometimes long before we see it in the UK. The venue is the gargantuan Anaheim Convention centre, to give you an idea of size compared to UK shows is hard but big brands for example don’t just have a stand, they have a room/hall. It is so vast and takes a while to find your bearings and longer to find where you want to go, thankfully he show is over several days.

Reporter Ollie Samson Location Anaheim, USA

The main draw on the Marshall stand was the fantastic new fridge shaped like a cab and head. Jim Marshall RIP would have been very proud of his team.

The show continued in this vein with Yamaha displaying amongst their new products , some Drum kits of famous endorsees such as Tommy Aldridge (see pic). Korg showing their new update to the Kaos pad and the King Korg synth. Black star with their new Artic White range of Amps.

Another great show with plenty to see and watch as so many stands have demos throughout the day such as Axis Percussion who had many of their main endorsees on the stand talking and demonstrating.

Lots of business is done here at breakfast meetings and in various Roll on next year is all I can say, or if you can’t wait there is also breakout rooms, the place is awash with activity. There are lots of Summer NAMM and Russian NAMM to keep you going. very interesting seminars to attend throughout the show as well as amazing demonstrations. This year I was privileged to watch Victor Wooten in action with Steve Smith , Frank Gambale and Tom Coster, a real treat for Jazz Fusion fans, also in attendance were rock gods such as Geezer Butler from Black Sabbath, Kerry King from Slayer and many , many more. I had a great chat with the boys from Anvil and also a personal favourite bass player of mine Lee Sklar.

The gear, what about the gear I hear you ask. Well, it was quite something. The stands were very impressive and the staff were all so helpful. I started at thr Rickenbacker stand and had a look at some of the new models of The Cheyenne 4004 Bass, in various new colour schemes( See Pics), along with the classic 4003 model in a stunning red. The Marshall stand was several stacks high, and as Marshall have now bought David Eden Bass Amplication and Natal Drums, was even bigger than usual. Thankfully Marshall have kept these new acquisitions separate and retained their own identity.

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Rickenbacker st NAMM

Kerry King at NAMM

Tommy Aldridge Drum Kit

Guitars at NAMM

Rickenbacker Cheyenne 4004

Marshall Stand at NAMM

Rock RecEIver Magazine

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REGULAR - GEAR & GIZMOS - Smoking guitar POT

! t o P r a t i u G g Smokin What’s the difference between a pot for volume, and a pot used for tone?

Well, they’re the same, except if used for tone you insert a capacitor between whichever tag you’re using for earth and the body of the pot so that it grounds via the capacitor.

When looking at replacing any pots (short for potentiometers) in your guitar, you will find that some are Linear and some are referred to as Log (logarithmic), audio or audio log.

Linear pots work evenly – that is to say the increase in signal is even across the sweep, which may make you think is the logical type to use. Problem is that because of the way the human ear works, we don’t hear the increase evenly. We hear it as being somewhat ‘bunched’ towards one end. Strange but true – which is why log pots exist. These were made so that we do hear the increase in volume evenly.

You will find that expensive guitars will normally use log pots, whereas cheaper end guitars are usually fitted with linear pots - often of the ‘mini’ variety and same value irrespective of what pickups are used, just for cheapness. Having said that, good quality pots such as CTS cost the same for linear or log. And you can buy better quality mini pots (small body) as well.

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“Mini pots are handy if space is an issue”

Mini pots are handy if space is an issue, but I always prefer to use standard body size pots where possible.

One thing with linear pots is that as long as you’re not bothered about any bunching, you can wire them the opposite way round for left hand, and it will have the same amount of bunching either way.

If you want to fit log pots for left hand use, then you need a left hand pot - sometimes also called reverse log or anti-log, which are a little more expensive.

Bear in mind when wiring a pot for left hand the two outer connections need to be reversed compared to right hand (linear or log), and that most wiring diagrams show a right hand set up.

The normal three connections for a right hand volume pot – looking from underneath and working clockwise is 1 ground (earth) to the back of the pot, 2 (middle tag) is output, 3 input.

As far as the value of the pot goes (250k, 500k etc.) – as a rule of thumb, single coil pickups normally use 250k and humbucker pickups normally 500k. Some folk like to fit higher values than the norm ( up to 1meg.) and this has the effect of making the pickups sound brighter.

Hopefully a few mysteries about pots have been cleared up! Chas DeLacey

Rock RecEIver Magazine

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n i v r a M s n r Bu re-issue feature - BURNS MARVIN RE-ISSUE

The Burns Marvin was originally introduced in 1964 and the production model was the last incarnation of many prototypes made for Shadows lead guitarist Hank Marvin

by Burns London. Many of the prototypes would have been refinements on the original, getting everything just right.

As The Shadows had been using a Strats, the new Burns followed a similar thought process in many respects – three single coil pickups (Rez-o-Matik in this instance), tremolo and a comfortable contoured body with double cutaways – but the new Burns took things on a bit, including an opportunity to incorporate a five-way pickup selector switch to enable pairs of pickups to be used (it was a good 12 years later before Fender took up the idea). The current re-issue has gone one further by fitting a push-pull switch to the furthest tone control to enable all seven possible pickup selection permutations – so you can now have neck and bridge together, or all three on.

Another significant difference is the tremolo. Although Fender had patents in force on their system at the time, it’s more likely that Jim Burns, being the innovative engineer that he was, would have not wanted to copy anything else, and he designed a new system which also found its way onto later versions of other Burns models such as the Bison. This new system used a knife edge pivot (and you thought that was a modern idea?) with solid saddles and a Res-o-Tube arrangement that the strings pass through. The net effect of these ideas is that resonance and sustain is greatly improved. The Trem unit looks very different to other units – but works well and seems to suit the interestingly busy look of the guitar. From an operating point of view, it’s not better than a Strat, just a bit different having the arm mounted in a different place relative to the pivot point – but with the advantages already mentioned.

The maple neck has a slightly flatter radius compared to the Strat of the time, but which has become normal on modern guitars. The scroll headstock was apparently Hank’s idea, and again the distinctive shape found its way on to other Burns models, though when Baldwin took over the company, they altered it to a slightly less sculptured shape to cut production time & costs. The re-issue stays faithful to the original. Van Gent machine heads were used on the original, and though I’m fairly certain they are no longer in production, the current models tuners look just the same, and work very well.

Owners of the modern re-issues (including me) speak highly of the tuning stability. It seems however long you leave the guitar, the next time you take it out of it’s case – it’s in tune. The neck also features an adjustable truss rod which adjusts via a gearbox, so by removing the neck plate (which is simply a cover for the neck screws) the adjustment is there, at right angles to the rod, (and you thought that was a modern idea too? As I said earlier Jim Burns was an innovative engineer) so unlike the Fenders of the time you didn’t have to remove the neck to effect adjustment. The fretboard also features a zero fret, which is effectively the nut – is like having metal nut, so good sustain on the open string compared to a plastic nut. It has a conventional nut just behind the zero fret, but that’s just there as a string guide/spacer. The Marvin has 22 frets, which again was a one up on the Strat of the time, and has also become more common on later guitars.

The three part scratchplate, which was certainly as different at the time as was the scroll headstock again went on to be used on other Burns models and has since become part of a Burns family look.

These guitars play really well and the build quality is great and if you’re looking for an instrument that is Strat-like but with a difference, and a heritage (and with 60’s originals fetching big money), this one is well worth the price, and worth checking out.

Chas DeLacey

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feature - ELECTRIC SISTER

Sponsored by 107.7 KSAN (The Bone) in San Francisco, the first part of the Bone Bash contest was fan-based voting, which propelled the band into the Top 5, from which Motley Crue and KISS personally picked the winner.

“I Want It All” was released earlier this year as the second single from the critically-acclaimed THE LOST ART OF ROCK & ROLL. The band is also to be featured on all-start tributes to Van Halen and Iron Maiden, and is working on new material.

In addition to several shows on the Sunset Strip (House of Blues, The Whisky) in Los Angeles, Electric Sister has supported Steel Panther, Black Label Society, Danko Jones, Zeke, has played Sylvia Massy’s 4 & 20 Blackbird Festival, and contributed to fundraising shows. The next Electric Sister date is at the West Hollywood House of Blues on Saturday, August 18.

THE LOST ART OF ROCK & ROLL is available online at iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, 7digital, Spotify and at the band’s website. electricsistermusic.com facebook.com/electricsister “The failed attempts at reaching the mountaintop are too numerous to count, yet ELECTRIC SISTER is one of the few bands around today that reaches those heights with ease and enthusiasm. · Blabbermouth “Electric Sister has come storming out of the gate with screaming vocals, big guitar riffs, and songs that demand massive replays...It has been a while since I have heard a debut from a band as strong as this one. · Hard Rock Hideout “...Electric Sister” manage to pull many aces from their sleeves mixing the Hard Rock vintage sound with many modern elements creating quite an interesting and powerful album.” · Metal Kaoz Electric Sister are: Thadeus Gonzalez (vocals), Jason Lucero (guitars and vocals), Nicholas Hernandez (guitars and vocals), Scott Reategui Richards (bass), and Eddie Colmenares (drums)

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Reporter Clare Fletcher Location Los Angeles

I met up with ‘Electric Sister’ guys at the ‘Steel Panther’ pre-party as part of the Sunset Strip Music Festival. They played an energetic set before I gathered them in a darkened lounge in the atmoshpheric, House of Blues.

How did you feel at that stage?

We didn’t slow down, the second we found out we were in the semi-final we kept going with the promos.

How did you all meet and how long have you all been together?

Electric Sister has been going for two and a half years. We were all doing different things and I heard Thad sing and got talking to him and it fell into place like that.

What is next for Electric Sister?

We want management; somebody big. We are ready for our next step.

We want to play Europe.

How do you go about writing songs?

Everyone comes to the table with ideas and it takes a while to find what we like because we all have different tastes.

What was the venue size?

30,000!

You would like to come to England wouldn’t you?

Yeah! Will you have us over?

Who writes the lyrics?

We all do!

Do you all get on?

Sometimes!

Lets talk about the album, ‘The Lost Art of Rock and Roll’. Where does the name come from?

We spend a lot of time playing shows in LA and in doing that it grows on you, as we are from Northern Californian so coming down here was a tonne of fun.

Who are your influences?

The title means that rock n roll is dying; the kind on mystery of rock and roll that we grew up on has gone and we want to be a darker and more interesting band. A bit more ominous.

I want one from each band member!

Nicholas (Guitar)

Zeppelin

We want people to have imaginations and think more deep about bands like we did when we were younger.

Thadeus (Vocals)

Depeche Mode

Jason (Guitar)

Queens of the Stone Age

How did the Kiss gig come about?

A long process, we sent in a video that we made called ‘I want it All’.

Out of 60 bands they narrowed it down to 20 and from 20 it went down to 5.

Scott (Bass) The Cult Eddie (Drums)

Fear Factor

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REGULAR - Nik Kershaw - Forever brilliant

w a h s r e K Nirkever Brilliant - Fo

Some NK lyrics...

Name that song: The first person to email in the correct answers will win a RR t-shirt.

“You must be joking; you don’t know a thing about it” “I take each breath as if it is my last” “You’re funny and you’re shiny”

Photo courtesy of www.nikkershaw.net/

Nik Kershaw completed a UK tour last November...

which ended at Shepherds Bush Empire. The first half of the gig was his new material from recently launched album, ‘Eight’, and the second half was a rare treat with him playing the entire ‘Human Racing’ album. Not in the album order, but the entire album was played no less.

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“You could be inspiring or beguiling or notorious” “These tears are all I have, all I have to remind me”

Did you know NK....... »»

Played in a band called ‘Half Pint Hog’ when he was in school

»»

He doesn’t like celery

»»

The Albion band do NK cover, ‘Faces’ on their recent album entitled, ‘The Vice of the People’, and they played it at last years Towersey Festival finale

»»

Placebo covered ‘Wouldn’t it be Good’ on their EP, ‘For What It’s Worth’

»»

Wouldn’t it be Good, features in the game Grand Theft Auto : Vice city stories on the radio station Flash FM

»»

NK played an exclusive extra gig of an acoustic set for half an hour, to follow the Shepherds bush final tour date

WIN A RR T-SHIRT! 28

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h c n Lau pad

REGULAR - LAUNCHPAD

Where unsigned bands get recognised

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t s n i a Ag n i a r G the ////

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Reporter r Clare Fletche Location shire Northampton More info: ok.com/ www.facebo aintrio gr againstthe

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d play mptonshire an e from Northa ar folk songs. ys al gu on e iti es ad Th ngements of tr ra ar ry ra po contem e the ainly challeng and they cert n toned, old tio l ac sa in na r, em th ger in the ea fin I went to see a g in be ic folk mus e. stereotype of the band nam enario: hence sc an m d de bear eon, multi d plays melod lead vocals an s guitar and ke ic ta st ie ou m ac Ja e Mohawked tween bass, be s ap sw cals to enhanc vo dy t An ing backing om as bo instrumentalis io ep tr e de th completes he also adds some Robert double bass; nes further. Hand the tradition tu ds to un so ck y ki ss a s ve ies gi the ba on ho w rm , ha er d drumm sings cool style; he also the self assure ck ro lkfo a d an with funky fills . on the chorus ersons, uding The Wat yesteryear incl m e fro Th s n. ng io so rs ted to odern ve We were trea upbeat and m d acapella which was an ’ t swapping an fe Li en m ry ru nt st ou in ‘C e th sh. ith fre w d g an es; alon vibrant variety of styl ots of the band ro ad tr e th e moments mad will ink this band e set and I th th d e th ye jo sh en pu d nced an ene as they The crowd da mer festival sc m ! su n’ e ai th gr e on st th start to appear eptions ‘again folk music perc boundaries of

CHALLENGE THE STEREOTYPE OF FOLK MUSIC BEING FINGER IN THE EAR 30

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REGULAR - TUITION

DRUM TUITION

with Henry Wallace

This Issue we shall be looking at a fill. This fill can be found most prominently within a lot of drum solos, but to name a song with one is tough. Luckily, there is such a song; Assassin by Muse. This is a very handy little riff that will boost your playing ability. Not only sounding great but it will improve your technique. By using the bass drum and two drums it will give the impression that you are playing faster and better.

The first example in the video demonstrates the basic idea. Instead of going a hundred miles an hour, try doing the pattern slowly. This will ensure that you have got the riff down. The sticking goes as follows –

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Kick, Right, Left, Kick, Right, Left.

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DO REMEMBER THAT YOU CAN REVERSE THE RIGHT AND LEFT IF THAT’S MORE COMFORTABLE

That’s basically it. There isn’t much to it; it’s just practice, like with anything. The second example is just the fill sped up to make it sound more impressive.

The final example is a variation of the drums. The same pattern is there, but sounds rather good if you experiment around the kit. This sticking is as follows –

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Kick, Floor (Right), Tom (Left), Kick, Hi-Hat (Right), Tom (Left), Kick, Snare (Right), Tom (Left),

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Kick, Hi-Hat (Right), Tom (Left)

This pattern then goes back to the beginning. It’s sure to impress your friends, but again, practice this slowly to get the feel of it.

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REGULAR - TUITION

WHO WOULD BE A DRUMMER? After reading this you will change your mind about getting behind a kit and annoying the neighbours.

According to recent figures published by The Celebrity Net Worth, Site Beatles Drummer Ringo Starr’s fortune is estimated to be

300 million dollars

or around ÂŁ190 million pounds, that is far in excess of second placed Phil Collins who comes in at 250 million dollars.

The nicest man in rock, Dave Grohl is third with

$225 million $175 million

and Lars Ulrich comes in fifth with a whopping

People tend to steer their kids away from the drums but they may want to reconsider after finding out how rich a bit of tub thumping can make you.

FIND OUT HOW RICH A BIT OF TUB THUMPING CAN MAKE YOU! Rock RecEIver Magazine

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REGULAR - TUITION

BASS TUITION

with Tim Atkinson

Welcome to issue 2 of Rock Receiver and by no small coincidence the second edition of tuition. In the last issue we looked at a couple of warm up exercises to get you started and without wanting to repeat myself, you cannot underestimate the power of the warm up for all levels.

Let’s take a look at the traditional role of the Bass Player, this obviously applies to both traditional upright and electric bass.

1. Rhythmic Foundation 2. Harmonic Foundation.

The bassist will lock in with the drummer and then provide the link from the rhythm to the melody , a completely unique role within a group.

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Rock RecEIver Magazine

This is something that really needs to be grasped as a beginner as it is so important to master both elements. Common mistakes made by beginners are to go too fast and this means that they are generally only focussing on one element and neglecting the other. When working on a track I find it invaluable to really listen to it before jumping in, many things can be overlooked if not enough time is taken.

Learning the Bass is a lot of work and takes a lot of time and dedication but it is exceptionally rewarding and the student needs to arrange practice time properly. It is this area that we will look at in detail next issue , so until then keep on Rocking.

Rock RecEIver Magazine

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REGULAR - BLAST FROM THE PAST

Queen The magic Tour ‘86 KNEBWORTH PARK After being lucky enough to see Queen at Wembley a few weeks before, I was thrilled to see they were playing at Knebworth Park,who was to know then that this would be the last Queen gig with their ringmaster Freddie at the helm.

Me and a friend Owen Vincent (where are you now Owen?), planned to go and got dropped off at Knebworth by his parents, my dad was to pick us up at the end, but more about that later.

We bought a ticket from the kiosk, how times have changed, and queued and queued and queued, then as if by magic just as the gates opened, a new gate was opened and we switched lanes and got in. We were in the first group allowed in and we ran straight down the field to the front row.

After watching support bands Beloius Some ( who got pelted with bottles during a song called Target Practice, wrong choice of tracks methinks, Big Country and Status Quo ( Delores would have loved it), we got ready for the masters. Their helicopter had landed and the place was awash with eager anticipation. The screens sprung into life and showed Freddie limbering up in the wings as The intro for One Vision blasted out the PA, dry ice swirled around the stage and down into my face. Brian May roared onto the stage with his homemade guitar slung around his neck followed by Freddie. The place went nuts, it was a roar that 36

Rock RecEIver Magazine

I will never forget as long as I live. It was estimated that the crowd could have been up to 250,000 people , all I can say is that I couldn’t see the end of the throng.

The band were on scintillating form blasting their way through all the hits from recent ones such as Kind of Magic to old favourites like Bohemian Rhapsody. During Radio Ga Ga I turned around during the crowd participation clap and witnessed the sight of a quarter of a million people in total unison and what a sight it was. As the show drew to a triumphant close with Freddie dress ed in his crown and robe we started to make our plans to leave,the crowd filed out and followed the road back to the A1 junction. This was before mobile phones and there were people everywhere, would I ever see my Dad again, I was beginning to think that we would be there til morning and would be the last people to leave then suddenly out of the mist my Father appeared . It was a miracle , he was a vision in black. This just capped a fantastic, wonderful day of dreams and who would have thought it would never happen again. RIP Freddie Mercury.

Reporter Tim Atkinson Location Knebworth, UK

REGULAR - quo chasing

Quo Chasing with Delores Penhaligon Shoebury Hello all Quo fans, Delores here. I am delighted and excited to know that my favou rite rockers, Frank Rossini and Ricky Parf are now also movie stars!!! Have you heard about their latest venture of treading the film boards of Hollywood whilst still being their wonderful selves? I think it is going to be amazing! The film is called ‘Bula Quo’ and will have its first ever screening in London on July 1st. Guess who is going to be there? Me, of course! I can’t not make it to see my idols on the big screen. I keep having dreams about it!

As ever, I have bought tickets for every date of the tour and in a few days I head out to Mexico to catch them, and this time I won’t be driving in my Escort. I am really hoping that nothing goes wrong this time because I can’t wait to meet Ricky and Frank. I have even been practicing some Mexican, so I can get along with all the fans there.

They will of course be playing in Blighty in December but I can’t wait that long to go and see them. The tickets are on sale now though, Quo lovers, so get them while you can! I have got mine, of course. If you want to know when and where then I have listed the dates below; Fri 6th Dec Sat 7th Dec Sun 8th Dec Tues 10th Dec Wed 11th Dec

Fri 13th Dec Sat 14th Dec Sun 15th Dec Tue 17th Dec

Liverpool, Echo Arena Birmingham, LG Arena Cardiff Motorpoint Arena Plymouth Pavilions Bournemouth BIC Brighton Centre Nottingham Arena London O2 Leeds Arena Wd 18th Dec Glasgow Hydro Thu 19th Dec Newcastle Metro Arena

Box Office: 0844 800 0410 Box Office: 0844 576 3000

Box Office: 02920 224488

Box Office: 0845 146 1460

Box Office: 0844 576 3000

Box Office: 0844 847 1515

Box Office: 0843 373 3000

Box Office: 0844 856 0202

Box Office: 0844 248 1585

Box Office: 0141 248 3000

Box Office: 0844 493 6666

You can get them too if you go to their website, www.statusquo.co.uk Join me next time for some more Delores Quo chasing adventures Delores x Rock Receiver Magazine

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ALbum S w e i v e r REGULAR - ALBUM REVIEWS

reviews OF NEW AND CLASSIC ALBUMS

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ZZ TOP

La Futura Refusing to move from their American style rock and roll, ZZ Top has decided to release their new album ‘La Futura’. Perfect for any aspiring Easy Rider who wants to sit back on his chopper, light up a smoke and cruise down Route 66.

However, it does get a bit repetitive after a while. Just like with the new ‘Linkin Park’ album, the songs usually keep to the same format. But what do I know, people still love it, and they’ll still buy it!

RATING

TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB Beacon

The newest release from the Irish indie band has left a lot of people pleasantly surprised. What with the predictability of this genre, the vocal harmonies actually remind me of the solo album by The Killers’ front man (Brandon Flowers – Flamingo).

RATING

The first track ‘New Year’ is a very clear indication that these happy go lucky lot are not just a pretty face, but instead extremely competent musicians.

TOM McRAE

From The Lowlands For those seeking a calmer evening, can turn to Tom McRae. With a very typical American folk style, this album can seek out the emotions we never even thought we had. Simple yet powerful lyrics really set Tom McRae from the other mainstream artists out there.

Being able to hit both the nice low tones, to the higher pitched; he has really demonstrated that not all music is trying to blow your ears off. Gentle harmonies really make this piece a true work of art, and show exactly how to produce a genuinely lovely album.

RATING

HOOBASTANK

Fight or Flight

I suppose you could describe this album as “samey”. There seems to be a real lack of truly good rock music.

Unfortunately this is something I’m not so hot on.

RATING

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Rock RecEIver Magazine

I mean the album I guess is something people I know would like, but for me it is a little empty in emotion, and seems to just be chasing an audience that doesn’t really exist anymore. This would fit perfectly when ‘Alien Ant Farm’, ‘Panic! At the Disco’ and ‘Fall Out Boy’ were popular, but I don’t think it’s up to scratch anymore.

BIFFY CLYRO Opposites

It’s okay. Really, I suppose that’s really all I have to say about it. Like ‘Hoobastank’, this band still keeps to that genre of rock that has seemed to have disappeared. However, this is ever so slightly different.

The album mixes a lot of different and unexpected instruments e.g. Trumpets. But does this make it THE NEW SENSATIONAL ALBUM? No. What does it make it then? Not a lot. Worth a listen, but it certainly won’t be making my favourite albums list

RATING

NO DOUBT

Push and Shove This album is certainly different to say the least. Lots of interesting layers. The female vocals will always set it apart from a lot of bands nowadays, as does their rather unique sound. It’s nice to hear a relatively well known group in the rock circle that is more Ska/ Reggae than anything.

RATING

A short review because there’s not a lot to say! Just give it a go. You won’t regret it!

THE XX CO-EXIST

This breakthrough band managed to pick up several awards when their debut album was released, and for good reason. Although drastically different to what one would expect to hear in the charts nowadays, they were able to leave an everlasting impact on the music world.

This new album really shows how far “The xx” have come. A minimalistic sound with plenty of bite, this band has still a lot to give!

RATING

GREEN DAY UNO!

Ahh yes, that punk band that won’t go away! Not being a huge ‘Green Day’ fan myself, I find it tough to appreciate the group in historical terms. However, as a musician, I can definitely hear the years of experience that this band has within the new album.

RATING

I can’t really say much more. Just get it!

WANDERLUST Record time

One can definitely hear influences from the Britpop era with this album. With vocals almost identical to that of Liam Gallagher, chord progressions that the Undertones would be proud of and strong drum sections that could be mistaken to that of Blur.

If you like simple, strong and powerful music, go to these guys. The single ‘Lou Reed’ doesn’t mimic the 80’s legend, but it’s simply homage to music of yesteryear. An excellent album.

RATING

Rock RecEIver Magazine

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REGULAR - WWLD?

?

D L WW d l u o W t a h W Lemmy Do?

The rock godfather has the best advice and guidance on planet rock.

Check out the merch page for a WWLD? wristband to show your love for the legend!

WOMEN......

RAP......

A GOOD YEAR......

I just try to have fun, it’s about having a good time.

Why should I do that when it’s not music.

1971 was a good year, I can’t remember it

but I will never forget it.

Earliest memories......

I remember shouting at something, I don’t know what at; probably a tantrum or I may have been rehearsing. I was always an early starter.

Written on the front of one of his Basses......

Born to Lose out to Lunch

(Photo by Robert John)

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Rock RecEIver Magazine

REGULAR - ROCKOSCOPE

s e p o c s o k c Ro

Mystic Greg gives you his low down on the planetary movements

LeO

SAGITTARIUS

ARIES

24 July – 23 August

23 November – 21 December

21 March – 21 April

There is more to a loved one than meets the eye. Try to steer them in the right direction without coming across as controlling. You have their best interest at heart and they will ultimately realise that.

Someone special is in need of a thoughtful gift. Try to use your natural instinct and you will be rewarded for your kindness and generosity. The time is now!

SONG – FAKE PLASTIC TREES, Radiohead

SONG – WILD HORSES, The Rolling Stones

It is time to stop feeling sorry for yourself and to buck up your ideas. Stop fishing for compliments and start to realise that your actions could have an impact upon others. Work hard and be kind.

SONG – SULTANS OF SWING, Dire Straights

VIRGO

CAPRICORN

TAURUS

24 August – 23 September

22 December – 20 January

21 April – 21 May

You are fabulous and must realise that fact!

The only thing that stops you from doing what you want is you, so don’t hold back.

Reach for the stars Virgo!

SONG - LET IT BE, The Beatles

You will find out some information this month that you can use to your advantage. That is, if you use it wisely. Wisdom is your thing if you take care to be mindful of others.

You are likely to go through a rebirth now, as you are feeling very positive. Do not take advice from know-it-all’s but do what you feel is right inside your heart.

SONG – GOOD RIDDANCE, Green Day

SONG – ALL I WANT IS YOU, U2

LIBRA

AQUARIUS

GEMINI

24 September – 23 October

21 January – 19 February

21 May - 20 June

You have much to celebrate this month.

Dust off your dancing shoes and go out there and let your hair down. Hard work must be rewarded with fun, fun, fun. Enjoy yourself!

If you are feeling the pinch, then lead by example and save rather than spend. A windfall is predicted for the future. All will come right in love and good fortune.

Give yourself a pat on the back for your recent good deeds.

It is time to be thrifty but this will lead to good fortune, both monetary and spiritually. The energy is all positive for you.

SONG- PARADISE CITY, Guns N Roses

SONG – BORN TO RUN, Bruce Springsteen

SONG – PEARL JAM, Alive

SCORPIO 24 October – 22 November Try not to let your boss dictate your life. Now is the time to make a stand about something that you strongly believe in. The people that really matter will be there to support you.

PISCES 20 February – 20 March You will have little to moan about this month.

The stars are singing you a song of belief, and you need to sit back and enjoy the peaceful moments. Savour the joy Piscean!

SONG – WALK THIS WAY, Aerosmith

CANCER 21 June - 22 July This month brings blessings for you and your family. You are a strong person, and you work hard to maintain an honest living. This is your time to reap the benefits!

SONG – IS THIS LOVE, Whitesnake

SONG – LONDON CALLING, The Clash

Rock Receiver Magazine

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M ERCHANDIS E

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Rock Receiver Magazine