Rock Lives Here

Deep Purple have just recently released their 21st studio album ‘Whoosh’ and I’ve got to say, definitely one of the best rock albums released so far in 2020. Have you heard it yet?I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with keyboard legend Don Airey about the album, his role in the band since joining 18 years ago, memories of working with guitar great Gary Moore, as well as his couple of gigs playing with the loudest singer on earth, Aussie legend Jimmy Barnes.Be sure to check out Whoosh, which sees the band putting the Deep back into Deep Purple and enjoy my chat with Don Airey.

One of the best hard rock albums you'll hear in 2020 is Heat Wave from Sweden rockers Thundermother! An album that has it all, balls to the wall rock 'n' roll, bluesy jams, soaring ballads and hard rock anthems that will have you cranking them loud and proud all the way to 11!I recently chatted to guitarist and founding member FILIPPA NÄSSIL, check it out below.

In the early 2000’s, Melbourne’s RED CIRCLE seemed poised to bring anthemic and epic rock back from the shadows in which it had been lurking. Riding the wave out of Nu-Metal, in an era when discovering new music via Myspace was becoming a thing, bands such as Marvelous 3, Waltham and American Hi-Fi were bringing back the guitar solo, anthemic choruses and a touch of that 80’s hard rock attitude. Locally, Motor Ace were delivering monster riffs, Jet were just about to take off and Electric Mary were just kicking off. In the midst of this was RED CIRCLE.I catch up with lead vocalist and guitarist Zakk Zedras to get the lowdown on the upcoming digital release for their album All We Are, as well as dive into the history of the band and what might be on the horizon in 2020 / 2021.

Mixing country music with the hard-hitting stomp of rock & roll, Cory Marks makes his debut on Better Noise Music with his debut album, WHO I AM, out now.Guests on WHO I AM were inspired to work with Marks by his amazing spirit, in addition to his talent. Lzzy Hale, frontwoman of the band HALESTORM, who features on stand out duet track, Out In The Rain, offered her thoughts on Marks. “What inspired me to be featured on “Out In The Rain” was really Cory’s heart, you could really hear that he was speaking from his truth and you could just feel the pain and the purgatory of whatever was happening to him at the time that inspired him to write that song,” says Hale. “And my favourite part of the whole song is this conversation that Cory and I are having. It’s such a realistic look at love and a couple’s journey together. My favourite part is that you can’t really tell no matter how many times you listen to it. Are they breaking up? Are they getting back together? Are they just weathering the storm? I think you should decide.”The album was produced by award winning Kevin Churko (Five Finger Death Punch, Shania Twain, Ozzy Osbourne) and his son, Juno Award-winning producer, songwriter and engineer Kane Churko (Papa Roach, Skillet). All together the album consists of 13 songs, including smash hit, Outlaws & Outsiders and other fan-friendly tracks like Blame It On The Double, Devil’s Grin, Better Off, and the latest single Drive – telling stories of heartbreak, hell-raising, and everything in between.“I’m really excited to finally have this record out! WHO I AM tells stories of the last 5 years of my life,” says Marks. “The good, the bad and the ugly. The highs and lows of life and I think everyone is going to relate to at least one song on this album. It’s a mix of rock, country and a bit of metal. I like to think of it as if Ozzy Osborne, Merle Haggard and Eric Church created an album it would sound like this. There’s nothing out there both in country or rock like this and I’m really proud of that. I hope to steer country music in a whole new direction with this project, turn it up and enjoy!”The global hit Outlaws & Outsiders, is the song that Billboard Magazine called “the 2019 hit that couldn’t be confined” and Country and Rock fans agree. It hit the top 10 at Rock radio in US, top 12 in Canada, and is currently #5 at Rock radio in Germany, trending globally on the Shazam discovery charts ranking among the greatest songs of all genres - including songs by Black Eyed Peas, Billy Joe Armstrong and G-Easy - illustrating the appeal of Country Rock music that transcends beyond genre lines. It has over 12 million streams and over 20 million video views, globally, and was also included in the SNO BABIES movie soundtrack, a powerful film that deals with the topic of substance use disorder in the places you would least expect – middle class suburbia. Cory’s song Blame It On The Double, will appear on the soundtrack of another Better Noise Films release, horror spectacular - THE RETALIATORS.FOLLOW CORY MARKS Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

It was awesome to chat with legendary guitarist Phil X this morning about the latest single and video from The Drills ‘Right On The Money’.Another ball tearing rock song from The Drills, with a new album Stupid Good Lookings Vol 2 potentially being released later this year.Whilst 2020 hasn’t quite been the year for Phil X and Bon Jovi it was planned to be. For fans of Phil X & The Drills , there’s new music to check out, the Phil X App which I encourage you all to download, with lots of great video content being uploaded weekly.Particularly if you want to find out more around Phil’s work with the likes of Daughtry, Chris Cornell, Gavin DeGraw, Avril, Tommy Lee, Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper there's some great stories that Phil shares…yep, the man’s a legend!Enjoy this chat and I hope Phil and I kick your ass with this interview in 17 minutes…

One of the great things I enjoy about Rock Lives Here is discovering new bands and AshenMoon are easily one of the most exciting new bands I've heard in the last couple of years.New band by name, however with some familiar band members.... Gary Beers, bass player of INXS, Toby Rand, the voice of Juke Kartel and Jimmy Khoury, the secret weapon guitarist from Beth Hart's band amongst others.AshenMoon have just released the double A-side single Dustbowl/Mosquito and I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Toby Rand about all things AshenMoon, current life in lockdown over in Los Angeles where Toby is based.AshenMoon: Website | Facebook | Instagram

THE DEAD DAISIES have unleashed their latest track and video “UNSPOKEN” off the forthcoming newstudio album, Holy Ground. With tours and releases around the world being postponed due to currentglobal issues, the band felt that with such an amazing album waiting in the wings, they needed to getsome new music out.With Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee Glenn Hughes joining the band, it’s now a leaner four-piece outfit that has brought a new urgency and vigour to their overall sound and vibe. Glenn's primal rhythms, Deen Castronovo's equal parts rage and prowess on the drums, the powerful and complimentary fretwork of guitar virtuoso Doug Aldrich and the solid rhythm guitar foundation of David Lowy has elevated the band up there alongside the pantheon of legendary rock bands.I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with legendary drummer Deen Castronovo about the upcoming new album, having Glenn Hughes join the band last year and of course about Deen's last few years in the band.Follow The Dead Daisies: Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

Melbourne classic rock champions, Riff Raiders have just released their second album Rock N Roll Daydream.The album features eleven rock anthem tracks that successfully showcase and match the vocal range of powerhouse frontwoman Jenni Powell with Marty Powell’s song-crafting, guitar and production talents. Music to definitely flatten the curve to!Rock N Roll Daydream comes hot on the heels of their recent Double-A side single Best Day Ever / Loaded Gun which was released with accompanying twin videos.New single, Samantha Jones, tells the true story of a fan who left a vinyl copy of Riff Raiders first album on a train, and the awesome efforts Sammy J went to to get it back to him. Yeah, she's doin' it right!

Over a decade ago, Rev Theory were one of the rulers of modern rock, with Hell Yeah & Voices being songs you couldn't escape, even down here in Australia.2017 saw the band call it quits after a fast and furious decade, however in 2020, that has all changed, with the return of Rev Theory and an exciting new era of the band having commenced. Just as the band embraced technology and social media back in the mid 2000's to propel their fame, expect the same in 2020 and beyond.I recently caught up with Julian Jorgensen to talk past, present & future of Rev Theory and find out who exactly is involved in the band in 2020.Be sure to check out the band's latest single, a remix version of One which was released a few months back - available on all the usual streaming platforms from 13th March.Follow Rev Theory: Website| Facebook |Instagram

"Music fans are in for a real treat this March as WANSTOCK returns to suburban Victoria with an enviable glam-rock line-up. The third year for the mini-festival, WANSTOCK launched as organiser Geoff Wansbrough’s ode to the days of Woodstock and bringing back 70s hey day of festival fun.A long-time Ted Mulry Gang fan, his vision for the 2020 event is around the great glam-rockers, including Get Rocked, Kings of Oz, City Sharps, The Day Dreamers and Stonetrip. Geoff cut his teeth in the great days of the pub rock era working as a roadie, and that passion for the music industry has never wavered. When it came to putting together the line-up for this year’s event, he wanted to ensure there was something to please everyone.“There is the glam rock of TMG (Ted Mulry Gang) and Get Rocked / Hush,” he says. “Some covers with Kings of Oz, high energy rock from the Day Dreamers to the rock and roll of the City Sharps and Stonetrip. The basic premise is let’s have some fun! We should all have fun while we still can, and recreate some magnificent pub rock, as well as experiencing some great up-and-coming bands!”TMG were a cornerstone of the 70s rock scene. Label mates with AC/DC on Alberts, TMG helped shape the guitar-driven sound of Aussie rock. Their 1975 smash hit Jump In My Car catapulted them to superstardom and they followed with a swag of crowd pleasers such as Darktown Strutters Ball, Crazy, My Little Girl, Heart of Stone, and (You’ve Got) The Devil In You to name a few. The respect the industry had for Ted Mulry was evident by the massive support shown by fellow musicians who put on a series of concerts to raise money for him after he was diagnosed with cancer in 2001. Steve stepped up to perform for Ted at a benefit in his honour Gimme Ted and received the thumbs up from his big brother, so it was only fitting that when TMG got back together that Steve performed for Ted. Now, TMG are back being a hot commodity on the touring circuit, widely renowned for their great live shows."(Podcast Opening Song Credit: Thanks to Melbourne legends The Radio Sun for supplying the intro music, lifted from their track Switch Off The World Tonight)

If you love your rock with a classic vibe and elements of prog, AOR and chock full of melodies, then I'm assuming you're already all over The Night Flight Orchestra, right? If not, then this could very well be your new favourite band.The guys have just dropped their most glorious and cinematic album yet. It's titled Aeromantic and released 28th February 2020.Check out my chat with frontman Bjorn Strid as we try and unlock why air, time & space has inspired so much amazing music over the years. We talk how he has evolved as a singer and songwriter since starting The Night Flight Orchestra over 10 years ago and I also can't help but ask whether the track Divinyls is in fact a nod to the legendary Aussie rockers, The Divinyls.Follow The Night Flight Orchestra: Website| Facebook |Instagram(Podcast Opening Song Credit: Thanks to Melbourne legends The Radio Sun for supplying the intro music, lifted from their track Switch Off The World Tonight)

Continuing on from their action packed 2019, 2020 has seen The Wolfe Brothers kick off the year in the same fashion, touring! This leg of the tour being No Sad Songs and sees them hitting Victoria in March. I recently caught up with frontman Nick Wolfe to reflect on Country Heart, the album that won them Golden Guitars for Group Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Album Of The Year. We also talk new music to be released in 2020, share a mutual love for 80's hard rock band Warrant and we start out chat with Nick's recent appearance at Fire Fight Australia, with Lee Kernaghan.Follow The Wolfe Brothers: Website| Facebook |Instagram(Podcast Opening Song Credit: Thanks to Melbourne legends The Radio Sun for supplying the intro music, lifted from their track Switch Off The World Tonight)

Midnite City are one band definitely not to be missed at MelodicRock Fest in Melbourne in March.With the UK rockers bringing an infectious mix of hair metal vibes with a touch of melodic hard rock, all I have to say about their upcoming visit down under is "Here Comes The Party....!!"I recently caught up with their lead singer Rob Wydle to chat about his expectations of their first visit to Australia, being big in Japan and a love of Neighbours, Roxus and The Veronicas!Follow Midnite City: Website| Facebook |Instagram (Podcast Opening Song Credit: Thanks to Melbourne legends The Radio Sun for supplying the intro music, lifted from their track Switch Off The World Tonight)

March 3rd is a date to mark in your calendars if you are a fan of Rose Tattoo for the release of new album ‘Outlaws’.An album that sees the current lineup of Rose Tattoo getting to leave their recorded imprint in the Rose Tattoo legacy by re-recording that iconic debut album Rock N Roll Outlaw. With the addition of three tracks that were originally demoed, but never making the final cut – Rosetta, Snow Queen & Sweet Love Rock and Roll.If you’ve seen Rose Tattoo recently, then you are already well aware that Angry has assembled a lineup that includes some of the best in the business. Legendary bass player, Mark Evans of AC/DC fame, iconic guitarist Bob Spencer from Finch, Skyhooks & The Angels, the Pete Wells endorsed “unbelievably talented maestro of rock mayhem”, Dai Pritchard on slide and Jackie Barnes, son of Jimmy keeping time on drums.My chat with Angry is one you don’t want to miss, with Angry digging deep into the memory bank to talk all things that first album,working with the legendary George Young and Harry Vanda, as well as a raw, candid and honest insight into those volatile early days of one of the most influential rock bands to have existed on the planet.

Paul Laine is no stranger to Melbourne Rock City, with the Canadian melodic rock legend having played here almost every year in recent years. So it's an understatement to say it's great to see him returning again to Australia in March for Melodicrock Fest, as well getting the chance to visit Sydney and Brisbane for a bunch of shows with FM, Tony Harnell, The Radio Sun and Cassidy Paris...check those details below.With 2020 being the 30 anniversary of Paul's debut solo album Stick It In Your Ear, in this chat we talk the memories of recording that album with Bruce Fairbairn, as well as touch on that brilliant album Zokusho from The Defiants released in September 2019.Follow Paul Laine: Website| Facebook |Instagram (Podcast Opening Song Credit: Thanks to Melbourne legends The Radio Sun for supplying the intro music, lifted from their track Switch Off The World Tonight)

With MelodicRock Fest in Melbourne fast approaching in March, one artist I'm especially looking forward to seeing perform for the first time, is Tony Harnell. Tony will be performing acoustically and with a vast catalogue of material to call upon from TNT, Starbreaker, Morning Wood, Westworld, The Mercury Train, LoveKillers, these will be special sets from Tony showcasing that immense rock vocal power for which he is renowned.In my chat with Tony, we talk about expectations of his first Aussie visits, adapting his songs to the acoustic format, as well as delving into his formative years finding his voice as a singer. Check out Tony's full suite of Aussie dates below...Follow Tony Harnell: Website| Facebook |Instagram (Podcast Opening Song Credit: Thanks to Melbourne legends The Radio Sun for supplying the intro music, lifted from their track Switch Off The World Tonight)

Well one band I never thought I'd ever see performing live in Australia, is UK's melodic rock legends FM... Let alone performing at Melodic Rock Fest in March in Melbourne, with the line-up that it is delivering. In addition to their appearance at Melodic Rock Fest, FM will also be playing another show in Melbourne, as well as Sydney and Brisbane. All those details appearing below...I had a lovely chat with Merv about his expectations of visiting Australia for the first time, we delve into some of the history of the band, as well as some of the key learnings the band have applied since their reformation over a decade ago. With new album Synchronized due out in April, we also chat about what fans can expect from that album.Follow FM: Website| Facebook |Instagram (Podcast Opening Song Credit: Thanks to Melbourne legends The Radio Sun for supplying the intro music, lifted from their track Switch Off The World Tonight)

Every now and again, a band comes along that you've never heard before and instantly you're hooked. Well for me, such a band is the Sydney based Molly & The Krells. Whilst not a new band by any stretch, having released two past EP's in recent years, my ears first caught an advance listen of their cracking new single What Went Wrong released on Friday 7th February.If you love your rock with a dose of punk attitude, bare bones honest lyrics and a hard rock edge, then this could be your new favourite band. New single What Went Wrong to these ears a cross between Backyard Babies and Jimmy Eat World....with hooks and lyrical lines that will stick in your head like crazy glue.I caught up with their bass playing frontman Blake Cateris to chat new single, the influence of Butch Walker and Frank Turner on his songwriting, as well as what we can expect from their upcoming East Coast shows (details below....)Follow Molly & The Krells: Website| Facebook |Instagram(Podcast Opening Song Credit: Thanks to Melbourne legends The Radio Sun for supplying the intro music, lifted from their track Switch Off The World Tonight)

Finally, after 30 years USA hard rock legends FireHouse make their way to Australia for their first ever shows, headlining MelodicRock Fest in Melbourne, in March.Best known for charting in the USA Top 20 with power ballads such as Love Of A Lifetime, When I Look Into Your Eyes and I Live My Life For You, you've got to hand it to them, that they achieved this in the face of grunge and even as deep as 1995, when grunge had firmly taken a foothold.Delivering an acoustic and plugged in set - we get the best of both worlds over the festival weekend. I had the pleasure of chatting with guitarist Bill Leverty delving into the bands history, expectations of their first visit to Australia and whether we can expect new FireHouse music in 2020, the year of their 30th anniversary.Follow FireHouse: Website| Facebook |Instagram

Making his first appearances in Australia for MelodicRock Fest, is the legendary Ron Keel. With a killer catalogue of material to call upon, Australian fans can expect to be hit with some songs from where it all began, the Steeler days, of course there'll be all the Keel classic's such as The Right To Rock and expect some newer material from last years brilliant Ron Keel Band album Fight Like A Band.It was awesome to get the opportunity to chat with Ron about his upcoming Australian visit. Be sure to follow Ron via the links below, including his Patreon page, where all the cool stuff is happening...Follow Ron Keel: Website| Facebook |Instagram | Patreon (Podcast Opening Song Credit: Thanks to Melbourne legends The Radio Sun for supplying the intro music, lifted from their track Switch Off The World Tonight)

When MelodicRock Fest was announcing their lineup for 2020, one band I was hoping would make a return was Melbourne rockers Teargas. A band who reformed for the 2016 MelodicRock Fest and who hold special memories for me over the past 16 odd years. It was in 2004 when I first caught Teargas, supporting Jeff Scott Soto at a time when melodic rock was far from the in thing. Well, I guess it's still not really the "in-thing", but there's far more bands playing melodic rock in 2020, than there were in 2004!!Teargas built up a cult following amongst the local melodic & hard rock scenes during their existence, whilst the guys have remained active in other musical endeavours over the years since Teargas disbanded.Here in 2020 we get the best of both worlds, a cracking new song "Make Up Your Mind" (listen to that on Spotify, or via the links below) and we also get another set of their powerful melodic hard rock at MelodicRock Fest 2020.I recently caught up with frontman Al Gammie to talk the past, present and future of Teargas.Follow Teargas:Website| Facebook |Instagram(Podcast Opening Song Credit: Thanks to Melbourne legends The Radio Sun for supplying the intro music, lifted from their track Switch Off The World Tonight)

As we head into 2020 and a new decade, one of the major players in the rock world is becoming Golden Robot Global Entertainment. In existence now for around 5 years, the growth has been huge, from humble beginnings as an Aussie independent label, to now being an ever growing international juggernaut, with 8 labels under the Golden Robot Global Entertainment banner.It was awesome to get the opportunity to chat with Golden Robot Global Entertainment founder & CEO Mark Alexander-Erber about his passion for rock music that lead to the evolution of Golden Robot Global Entertainment and some of the key plans for Golden Robot Global Entertainment in 2020 and beyond.For more info on Golden Robot Global Entertainment check out: Website | Instagram | Facebook

Summer in Australia and immediately my mind thinks of songs such as Great Southern Land from Icehouse, Down Under from Men At Work and GANGgajang's Sounds Of Then (This Is Australia).I had the pleasure of talking with Mark about their current tour, which hit's Melbourne's Memo Music Hall on January 11th. With a few more shows to follow before the trusty Kombi Van is put in for a service and tuneup during 2020 after 35 years touring this great nation of Australia.Follow GANGgajang: Website| Facebook |InstagramSaturday January 11 – The Memo Club St KildaFriday January 17 – Narrabeen RSL Club screening Mad WaxSaturday January 18 Heritage Hotel BulliSunday January 19 Brass Monkey Cronulla screening Mad WaxSaturday January 25 Hamilton Hotel Brisbane screening Mad Wax

The legendary Lime Spiders make a long awaited and much anticipated returnto the stage in December to celebrate their 40th anniversary with a selectedrun of live shows.After a forced hiatus due to a double whammy of life - threatening issues(including a serious assault!), founding member Mick Blood has assembled akiller new line up which is guaranteed to cement the Spiders reputation as anawesome live act!Once described as “the Sex Pistols on acid” by American Rolling Stone, theband’s compelling high energy sound will provide a sonic tonic to kick startyour summer with a memorable dose of rock ‘n’ roll! The Lime Spiders are sureto blow your mind and set the tone for an uplifting festive season.I recently caught up with founding member Mick Blood to talk about his story of survival, 40 legendary years in the music industry and the upcoming shows which are listed below....Friday December 13 Crowbar BrisbaneSaturday December 14 Sound Lounge CurrumbinFriday December 20 Crowbar SydneySaturday 21 The Croxton Bandroom Melbournehttps://www.facebook.com/LimeSpiders/https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/thelimespiders/

One of my favourite listens at the moment is the brand new EP from Josh Setterfield Till Dawn.The Aussie artist brings a twist to the country rock sound, with his formative music years spent in a pop-punk, combined with a love of country rock and 80's hair metal band bringing a blend of infectious and energetic rock to songs such as Weird Ones and Broke, whilst The Way God Made Me is one of the best things hitting my ears at the moment.Check out my recent chat with Josh below to find out more about his latest release...Follow Josh Setterfield: Website| Facebook |Instagram

The beauty of rock n' roll is every so often something completely unexpected comes your way which becomes one of your new favourite things.For me in 2019 that new favourite thing has been Clayton Bellamy & The Congregation, quite simply one of the best damn rock n' roll records I've heard in a while. Not only one of the best, but easily one of the most enjoyable by far.Known to many as guitarist of Canadian country superstars The Road Hammers, Welcome To The Congregation sees Clayton find his true musical calling, preaching the gospel of peace, love, understanding & rock n' roll.

Laura Cox is a name you'll no doubt be hearing more of in the years to come as one of the world's rising female rock stars! A blazing guitarist with a collection of awesome bluesy, classic, hard rock songs on her brand new album Burning Bright.I had a really interesting chat with Laura about her musical upbringing in France , delve into new album Burning Bright and what we can expect on the horizon in 2020.Be sure to crank Bad Luck Blues in the video below, one of my fav rock songs this year!

Swedish rockers H.E.A.T are one of the most exciting rock bands on the planet today. On February 21st they will be releasing their brand new album II, which based on the first two singles One By One and Rise will be a definite album of the year contender in 2020.I recently chatted with Jona Tee about what we can expect from the new album.Be sure to follow H.E.A.T in the links below and check out those killer two new singles!

Cormac Neeson is a name some of you will be familiar with as the lead singer of Irish hard rockers The Answer. Well Cormac has just recently released a couple of amazing singles as a solo artist. The very touching Broken Wing and the title track from his forthcoming album White Feather which will be released in Australia in Q2 2020 through Social Family Records.I recently had a chat with Cormac about his transition as a solo artist, writing in Nashville and the very personal nature of this new album White Feather.Be sure to follow Cormac on his social channels and I highly recommend you watch the YouTube documentary giving a touching insight into the personal story behind the meaning of Broken Wing.

If you grew up on Aussie ROCK in the 90's then Horsehead will need no introduction. Songs like Oil & Water and She Fell To Earth were never far from my ears in that decade and in the years since. Fast forward to 2019 and Horsehead have just released all their albums digitally, as well as their Legacy Boxset, which has all albums on Vinyl, an awesome booklet, as well as a slew of bonus tracks and live tracks.I had the pleasure of chatting with guitarist Cameron McKenzie about the Legacy Boxset, the bands upcoming gig at Corner Hotel, Melbourne on 1st February 2020 and his stand out memories from the history of this iconic Aussie rock band.

Cory Marks has just released his latest single Outlaws & Outsiders, from his forthcoming album due out in 2020 through Better Noise Music. An exciting crossover of rock, country rock and hard rock, Outlaws & Outsiders features country legend Travis Tritt, Mick Mars from Motley Crue and Five Finger Death Punch vocalist Ivan Moody.It was great to chat with Cory about his 10 years in the music industry it's taken to get to this point. His musical influences which range from Rush, Ozzy Osbourne to Merle Haggard and also the story behind the Cory Marks logo, which gives a great insight into Cory's passions outside of the music industry.

Interview with Robin Ericsson from Swedish rockers degreed

Aussie Brook Chivell has recently released his latest album Fearless Rider which is my style of country rock with some fist pumping rock anthems, blazing guitars and even some 90's rock influences on songs such as first single Fingerprints.I had caught up with Brook earlier in the year, so was great to touch base again on the back of the album release and latest single Fearless Rider. Check out my chat below and be sure to give Brook a follow on the links below...Follow Brook Chivell: Website| Facebook |Instagram