Rockgig's Favourites of 2011
It's that time of year again, the Rockgig team have come up with their favourite albums and gigs of 2011...
First up is our man in the north - Nigel (NH)
I do feel like I've missed a few key CD's this year for one reason or another, and I'm sure if I hear them they will trouble my top 5, examples being CDs by The Union, Chickenfoot, The Answer, Joe Bonamassa, JB and Beth Hart etc.
1) Black Stone Cherry - Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
2) Black Country Communion - 2
3) Saxon - Call to Arms
4) Chantel McGregor - Like No Other
5) The Answer - 412 Days of Rock n Roll (great value at 3.99 and DVD)
Live show, looking at full value for money.
1) Saxon/Wolfsbane/Fury UK Bristol o2 Academy
2) Black Country Communion/Michael Schenker Leeds o2 Academy
3) Iron Maiden/Airborne Sheffield arena
4) Black Stone Cherry/Sons of Icarus - Leeds Uni
5) The Quireboys/Liberty Slaves Tokyo's Huddersfield
Next in line is our Admin - Shazz
Albums
Gigs.
First up is our man in the north - Nigel (NH)
1) Black Stone Cherry - Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
2) Black Country Communion - 2
3) Saxon - Call to Arms
4) Chantel McGregor - Like No Other
5) The Answer - 412 Days of Rock n Roll (great value at 3.99 and DVD)
Live show, looking at full value for money.
1) Saxon/Wolfsbane/Fury UK Bristol o2 Academy
2) Black Country Communion/Michael Schenker Leeds o2 Academy
3) Iron Maiden/Airborne Sheffield arena
4) Black Stone Cherry/Sons of Icarus - Leeds Uni
5) The Quireboys/Liberty Slaves Tokyo's Huddersfield
Next in line is our Admin - Shazz
- Within Temptation - The Unforgiving
- Nickelback - Here & Now
- Whitesnake - Forever More
- Journey - Eclipse
- Iron Maiden - From Fear to Eternity
- Nightranger - Islington O2 Academy
- Within Temptation - Brixton O2 Academy
- Iron Maiden - Cardiff CIA
- Mr Big - Birmingham O2 Academy
- Europe - Oxford O2 Academy
Our next list is from Nige (NR) our techie editor type..
Frankly I'm rubbish at choosing top 5 albums, or bands as I tend to like everything I listen to (otherwise I wouldn't listen to it) .. however based on the albums from 2011 that I played the most (in no particular order)....
- Black Stone Cherry - Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea
- Within Temptation - The Unforgiving
- Joe Bonamassa/ Beth Hart - Don't Explain
- 3 Door Down - Time of my Life
- Black Country Communion - 2
..but like I said I'm rubbish at lists so you should also include in there - Chickenfoot "3", Saint Jude - "Diary of a Soul Fiend", Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band - "How I Go" and Philip Sayce "Ruby Electric"
As for gigs, that's easier...
- Nightranger - Islington O2 Academy - Waited most of my adult life to see this and was not disappointed
- Beth Hart - The Brook, Southampton - Frankly, a revelation.
- Judas Priest/Queensryche/Rival Sons - Bournemouth BIC - Rival Sons were brilliant, Queensryche were fabulous and Judas Priest (a band I never really liked before) played a blinder!
- Bowling For Soup - Oxford O2 Academy - Punk/Pop at it's finest.
Last but not least - it's Mark (ME) - the Admin's other half and our Southern Man about town
Cd's.
1 Dream Theater A Dramatic Turn Of Events (all we could hope for with the best track of the year Breaking All Illusions)
2 Chickenfoot 3 (so good they missed album 2)
3 Within Temptation The Unforgiving (wonderful vocals and what a sound)
4 Mr Big What If (as good as the debut)
5 Night Ranger Somewhere In California (Back to the old sound)
Bubbling under Toby Hitchcock ,Chris Ousey, BCC ,BSC, Megadeth, The Magnificent ,Joe Bonamassa ,JB and Beth Hart ,Red White and Blues, The Answer and Whitesnake,
Gigs.
1 Night Ranger Islington (legendary show worth the 26 year wait)
2 Vanden Plas Lydney (2 hours of musical heaven in a town hall)
3 Accept Relentless Garage (like the last 25 years had gone missing.Sweat on the walls,Flying V's)
4 Iron Maiden Cardiff (smallest arena show on the tour brilliant)
5 Within Temptation Brixton( 90 minutes of wonderful all encompassing music)
Bubbling under Journey, Saxon, Rush, Europe, Beth Hart, Jimi Jamison, Joe Bonamassa, Mr Big ,Judas Priest and Threshold.
Live dvd's /cd's.
1 AC/DC Live At River Plate
2 Rush Time Machine
3 BCC Live Over Europe
4 Europe Live at Shepherd's Bush
5 Jorn Live In Black
Reissues.
1 Survivor reissues on Rock Candy( Vital Signs,Too Hot To Sleep and When Seconds Count)
2 Rush Sector Boxsets.
3 Skin Self Titled
Book
Iron Maiden On Board Flight 666
Worst cd maybe of all time Lou Reed and Metallica Lulu.
2012
Looking forward to gigs by Chickenfoot, Dream Theater, FM, BSC and Threshold.
Hopefully by Accept, Rush, Beth Hart and Europe.
New cd's by Threshold, Accept ,Europe, Rush ,FM, Van Halen(!), Jeff Scott Soto ,H.E.A.T., Pride Of Lions and Furyon.
HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM ALL OF US AT ROCKGIG !
