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On the 3rd May Beach Riot Fest will be taking over 16 Toneladas in Valencia. With perofmances from the legendary UK punk act 999 , PPM (who are celebrating 30 years), Discipulos De Dionisos and Los Polipos . This is going to be a capacity event and limited tickets are still available. If you fancy a night of punk mayhem, get your tickets now! For more information and tickets: 16 Toneladas

Tomavistas 2025 is shaping up to be one of the best editions yet! And not only is half of the line up starring bands led by women, but it has no less than five headliners such as Romy, Amaia, Mala Rodríguez, Judeline and María José Llergo. Thus, on Thursday, May 29, Amaia, Mala Rodríguez (with the 25th anniversary of "Lujo Ibérico"), Judeline, María José Llergo, Barry B, Jimena Amarillo, Pablopablo, Trashi, Ganges and Xenia open the festival. The next day, Friday 30, the soundtrack will be with the live performances of Caribou, Bombay Biclycle Club, Love of Lesbian, Doves, Carlos Ares, Maika Makovski, Karavana, Carlangas, Parquesvr, Viva Belgrado and Las Dianas. And the finishing touch will be put on Saturday, May 31 by Romy, Mogwai, Kiasmos, Kelly Lee Owens, Yard Act, Depresión Sonora, Biznaga, La Élite, Camellos, Frente Abierto and La Milagrosa. Day tickets, two-day subscriptions and full subscriptions are on sale at www.tomavistasfestival.com .

1977 was a special year. It was the year that punk was truly born and simultaneously took over the UK and USA. Bands including The Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Damned shaped the UK punk scene. Over in America the Ramones were the pioneers of the punk movement.   Stiv Bators, Johnny Blitz, Jeff Magnum and Cheetah Chrome formed Dead Boys in 1975. Joey Ramone saw them perform in Ohio, convinced them to move to New York and helped them get on stage at the legendary CBGB club.   Before long this unknown band from Ohio gained notoriety for their outrageous live performances, lewd behaviour and soon became known as one of the most violent live acts in America.   In 1977 they released their debut album – Young, Loud and Snotty. The Track “Sonic Reducer” is regarded as one of the classics of punk genre and it often referred to as one of punk’s greatest anthems.   There second album, released in 1979 – We Have Come For Children – was met with mixed reviews. Sire Records pressured the group to change their look and become more mainstream, which lead to the band breaking up in 1979.   Bator and Chrome both had successful careers after the break-up of the band and the Dead Boys reformed for several gigs until Stiv Bators death in 1990. in 2017 “Still Snotty: Young, Loud and Snotty at 40” was released - a re-recording of the original album and the first studio album by the band in 39 years. Since then the band have toured and performed with various line ups. The current band members – Cheetah Chrome, Mark Thron, Monk Burris, Sam Hariss and Scott Churilla are keeping the legacy alive and filling music rooms worldwide.   They released an archive album “Live in San Francisco” in 2024 and have a new album in the works for 2025.   The band recently played at 16 Toneladas, Valenica as part of their current European tour. Having previously hosted bands including The Ramones and The Undertones, it was the perfect music room for the Dead Boys to perform in. The club was sold out and a packed room eagerly awaited for the band to appear on stage – when they did the crowd erupted! Even a fifteen minute delay (due to a blown amp) did not dampen the mood.   Launching straight into “Sonic Reducer” the band took control of the stage. New vocalist Mark Thorn (previously of  “Neon Animal”) energetically tore through the Bands most famous songs, Cheetah Chrome snarling and smiling at his side with Sam Hariss on bass throwing himself around in true punk style.   I hung out with Cheetah Chrome after the concert, this is what he had to say:     Welcome to Valencia, it’s the fourth day of the tour – how is it going so far?   Yeah, you know, it’s good – up and down – we didn’t have a whole lot of rehearsal time, we are all tired and jetlagged still but it’s going good.  we are all getting older – I am 70 now!   Tonight, you had a little problem with the guitar amp on stage and it held things up a little, you guys held it together and got things sorted. Has there been any other dramas so far on the tour?   Well, its day four and we want to beat the shit out of each other! Seriously though it’s all going well, we get along ok, and the gigs have been good so far. Yeah, the amp, shit happens - but it got sorted and we kept the crowd amused whilst it was changed!   How does it feel to still be touring after 49 years?   It fucking hurts! I’ve got old man problems, I broke my back last year, I broke my pelvis 2 years ago. It’s time to stop fucking breaking things! Touring is one of the few things I still enjoy, it’s important to me.   So many bands have sold out and when they tour you can see they are just playing for the money. With you guys it’s obvious the passion and desire is still there.   Yeah man, it’s what we fucking do, we are the real deal. We do it for the fans and because we love it!   1977 was the halcyon years for punk, how do you compare the scene now to back then?   All the bands from that era were cool. Now days it’s not even fucking close. It’s all bullshit corporate bands who look very well fed. Punk now is more of fashion. For example, in 1996 I moved to Nashville and remember trying to find a pair of black jeans to buy – I couldn’t find a pair anywhere and ended up having to go to New Year to buy some.  Today you try and fucking blue jeans!!!! You know, back then it was a bigger movement than the 60’s. 60’s music hasn’t lasted 60 years, but punk has. Punk was the biggest cultural revolution of the 20th Century.  Look at the Uk bands, the USA bands – The Ramones, Sex Pistols, Clash, Dead Boys, Damned – it was fucking big. I am quite closed musically, because a lot of bands fucking suck – but I look back now at bands I hated in 1975, 1976 with their synthesizers and now I am like – yeah, those guys were cool.   What is punk to you?   Its what’s in your heart, it’s an energy, its political, it’s taking your dream and making it happen and having the balls to do that. It’s about a way of life and I am still fucking broke because of it!   It’s hard to believe next year is 50 years of the Dead Boys – what’s next?   Yeah, its fucking impossible to get your head around that! I don’t know, you know we recently changed vocalist, so we have been working around that. We will keep playing and touring and doing our thing. I see no reason to quit until it stops being fun. Tonight was fun, I live for that.   If you could go back to 1976 and give yourself a piece of advice, what would it be?   Be a fucking lawyer and make good money man! Interview & photo: Rhyan Paul This article originally appeared in the Spanish publication: RockBottom Magazine

“Deaf Devils are a Death punk - Action rock band led by a 'She-Devil' that arrived from Spain to prove that new blood is here and that Punk is not dead.”   It’s always great to catch up with Pipe, Eric, Cuba and Lucyfer – AKA the Deaf Devils, a band who’s insane 30 minute full on sensory assault performances leave their fans in a state of dizzying delirium and begging for more.     Having taken their hometown of Valencia by storm, they are in regular demand in UK venues and across Europe. From humble beginnings at 16 Toneladas, the Deaf Devils are on the verge of making it big time and yet they remain grounded, relaxed and always up for a few beers and a chat.      It has been an amazing start to 2024 for you, touring the UK and Spain, playing here in your hometown of Valencia and you have been back in the studio recording new material. Is there a release due this year?   We are hoping to release an EP on vinyl – we have re-recorded it 3 times and it’s hard to say when it’s coming out. We have been saying this for two years now but now feels like the right time. So, before the summer, maybe in May we will release 3 songs. It’s going to include a song that will only be released on vinyl, not for digital. It’s a cover version of a song, we are keeping it secret – you will have to wait and see when we release it!     Where did the name “Deaf Devils” come from?   We really like all the Satanic stuff and all the symbols associated with it. We love playing loud music and as a result we are kind of deaf! So, we may not be demons yet, but we are halfway there. Sorry, what did you say?     Who are your biggest influences?   We all have our individual influences which we bring together, all of them from Rock & Roll of course.  Eric and Lucyfer were bought up around the punk rock scene, Pipe was more into the 90’s Scandinavian punk bands and Cuba is more of metal guy.     You have the chance to perform with anyone (dead or alive) – who is it going to be?   What a question – that’s so difficult. We don’t want to shoot ourselves in the foot with this! Defiantly the opening band for the Dead Boys at CBGB’s in 1997 – that would be incredible or the Sex Pistols last show at the Winterland Ballroom. There are so many, it’s an impossible question! It’s like saying do you prefer your Mom or dad!     If I say the word “Rebellion” to you – does it have any meaning?   Of course – We cannot believe it! We are playing at Rebellion Festival in the UK – its incredible! We were talking about playing here in the future and suddenly its happening this year.  It will not seem real until we are actually there!     I discovered “Deaf Devils” on YouTube and them came to photograph you at 16 Toneladas, here in Valencia. For the people out there who haven’t heard you play, how would you describe your sound?    Loud music, Satanic with an attitude. It’s like taking a blender and adding some Dead Boys, Sex Pistols, Damned, Pantera, Kiss, mix it up and this is what comes out! We are about danger, we fucking love danger! When you see us play, you don’t know what is going to happen – then it fucking happens.     You have teased us with news on the vinyl release, any plans to get back in the studio again this year?   Yeah, we will try and get back in there as fast as possible. We have some new ideas and are writing new material. You will have to wait and see.     What are your favourite venues to play?   16 Toneladas, it’s our home! Outside of Spain Don’t Panic in Germany and The Dev in Camden - that place is incredible! But 16 Toneladas is special, nowhere is like it.     A few words for your fans.   We perform at 666% for you, non-stop, jumping, screaming, bleeding, we play like we are fucking possessed.  Please buy our merchandise and fucking support us. We love you and are here for you, but we have an album to pay for. So many bands are struggling right now and without fans support bands cannot go on.     Words and Photos: Rhyan Paul

I managed to catch up with the Poison Boys in Valencia and we hung out before their gig at 16 Toneladas.  After sound check (which defiantly set the vibe for their unique Rock & Roll vibe set to come later that evening) we chatted over beers and tapas.   Welcome to Valencia! Diving straight in, 2014 – 2024 marks ten years of the Poison Boys – is this a ten-year anniversary tour and how’s the tour going for you guys so far?   Yeah – I guess it is ten years! We hadn’t really thought of it that way – but I suppose it is. The tour is going awesome – we are having a lot of fun. It’s our second year back touring Spain and we love it here. We kicked off on the 23rd of Feb in Porto. Porto is fucking cool and now we are here in Spain, which we love!   What sets Spain apart from America as far as touring, gigs and fans goes?   The food is much better! Generally, the culture and hospitality is much better, the people are cool and they like Rock & Roll. It feels like in the States they only like Rock & Roll if its ACDC. Here people come out and they are genuinely interested in music and there is mutual respect between the band and the crowd.   Do you think that Spain is a little like the “Pre-Digital / internet” days? Remember when someone would tell you there is a great band playing and you must go and see them to find out or buy some vinyl, rather than diving into YouTube or listening on Spotify?   Yeah definitely! The experience we have of that is here in Spain people come out to the gigs and buy merchandise and vinyl at the end. There is more old school promotion as well with physical flyers, poster and real paper ticket tickets from record stores, rather than just a Facebook invite.  We walk around town we are performing in and see flyers and posters for the gig – people see them and then recognise us! Like “Hey, you are the Poisons Boys! We’ve got tickets for the show tonight!”   How did the name “Poison Boys” come about?   So the “The Riffs” are really awesome late 90’s Rock & Roll punk band had a track called “Poison Boys”.  I’d been listening to them for years and when we formed the band it felt like a fitting name for the sub-genre, we kind of play. It’s also a tribute to them, because they rule!   2024 has kicked off with a 16 date Spanish tour, which you are half was through – what are the plans for the rest of the year?   We got load happening – we are going back in the studio to finish our next album. A France tour in June and loads of USA gigs booked in.   A new album? Is it all new material or any remastered old tracks on there?   Yeah, it’s all new except one song – which has been previously released. But we are going to keep that a secret! We have been playing some of them live for a while, and they have been getting excellent feedback.   When are you not touring or in the studio - how you like to relax?   Matt D - I watch a lot of Hammer Horror movies from the 1960's and 1970's   Matt C – I have a collection of nearly 1000 old movies on VHS Cassette   Nico - I have a dog and I like to stay home with him and chill while these two freaks out over old movies!   There are so many cool bands out there that have never made it out of their parents’ garage. What advice would you give them to take things to the next level?   Find out what you want to sound like and really get down into the nitty-gritty of how you make yourselves sound that way. You must know your art, know the history of your music and really know where it all came from. Once, you know everything repeat all time. You must know you are committed to it 24/7. It’s not a hobby it’s a lifestyle. The Horror movies, VHS tapes and dogs don’t come until you’ve made it!   You are stranded on a desert Island with a record deck (it could happen!) and you all have one record. What are those going be?   Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed T Rex – Electric Warrior Flamin’ Groovies – Teenage Head   You’ve recently had a new EP come out – can you tell me about that?   The new EP “Split” we have just put out, which came out on the first day of our tour – 23rd February. Its released-on Ghost Highway Records.    A couple of months ago we also released a compilation of stuff from our early days, so I guess that could be our ten-year anniversary release in some way. It’s got stuff from our first demo in 2014, tracks from 2016 and 2018 – so yeah it covers the ten years of Poison Boys!   And finally, its ten years now – where do you see yourselves in 2034?   Hopefully we will be a lot bigger! Regardless we will still be kicking it with gigs and releases. We want to release an Album a year, tour to loads of places we have been yet – Japan, the UK and Scandinavia, Germany, we just want to keep it Rock & Roll!     You can follow the Poison Boys here:  https://www.facebook.com/poisonboys/   And check out 16 Toneladas club here:  https://www.16toneladas.com   Words & photos: Rhyan Paul

Kate Clover is one of a special breed of musician, talented, driven, performs incredible live shows and is still humble, friendly and super cool.  I caught up with her at Loco Club in Valencia, had a sneak listen to sound check and then had a chat over a couple of cold Spanish cervezas.   Kate, it’s great to finally catch up with you. How is the tour going?   It’s been fun – this is like the second month of touring; it’s been great and we love playing in Spain. I think the whole band would move to Spain if we could because it’s a total rock and roll country. When we play it feels good to be appreciate.  Here we are in Valencia tonight and then a long drive tomorrow – we have to wake up at 8am and get straight on the road to Bordeaux, it’s like a 9-hour drive, but that’s rock n roll!     You have a new album out now “The Apocalypse Dream” – tell me about it, the inspiration behind it and where it all started.   Well, it started during the pandemic when there was nothing else to do except write. So basically, I would wake up every day and go for a long walk, listen to music and then go home and write. Which now looking back it feels like what an ideal way to spend that time. I feel like I got to get back in my head a little bit – which was good!   I wrote 30 songs, and they got whittled down to 10. Then last year after the European tour, I was back for 2 days and we went straight into the studio with a producer named Jonah Falco (The Drummer from “Fucked Up”) and he has worked with a lot of bands, he is very punk but at the same time he is also very musical. I wanted to work with him because I knew he had a good ear and it was a great experience to work with him.     The album is out now on digital download, but also on pre-order as a vinyl release. Why was it important for you to release on vinyl?   I DJ a lot and if I wasn’t a musician, I am and still would be a big music fan. Because I DJ I think it’s nice to have something tangible and I like the culture of vinyl and I feel it’s a visual representation of an artist’s statement to their music. I feel a visual component is very important to any piece of music. Now with social media everything is digitized, but when you have a physical product, it makes you appreciate the music more, well for me at least!     I snook into your soundcheck – which was awesome and I am really looking forward to tonight. Have you guys played Valencia before?   We played the outskirts, but I don’t exactly know where. We love Spain! We just lover being here and playing – so I guess tonight is our first gig in downtown Valencia.   (To all the fans out there we are going to start as petition to get Kate and the band to move to Spain)      Your tour schedule is insane! When you are not touring, writing, recording, performing and generally being a rock star, how do you kick back?   I still very regimented. I like to wake up, have coffee and go for a run. Running is my vice. I get to listen to a lot of music when I run and I guess I’m addicted to the endorphins. That is how I relax.  I also record shop a lot. I’m trying to learn to relax!     For new fans out there and people who haven’t discovered you yet – how would you describe your sound?   Punk! Its punk but it touches on a lot of moments in Rock and Roll and I think that’s important to me because from a young age I connect to Rock and Roll, then as I grew up, I found different scenes.  The foundations are Rock and Roll, but when you say that to people it turns them off a bit. I don’t want to label it as just punk, but it kind of fetishizes all the fun, artistic scenes of Rock and Rock.  It’s not just balls to the wall Punk Rock, its musical and fun.     Who are your biggest influences?   I love “The Pretenders” for sure. Oh and Ray Davies – I’m really inspired by the Kinks song writing, I feel like they couldn’t write a bad song, they are leading the charge right now!     So, what Next?   Well after this tour we go back to the USA and are playing “Punk Rock Bowling” in May and in fact I need to announce we have a second European tour in June. We are playing the UK, France, Germany and Italy.  Then go back and write in July, a festival in Mexico city and then we have a support tour - which I can’s announce just yet!     Possibly the most important question – Pizza, pineapple, or no pineapple?   Ok! Our tour manager is from Italy and he cannot understand how people put pineapple on Pizza! But you know, I’m going say “Why not!”  put it on there! Live your life, eat the pizza that you want! Live the pizza dream!     Do you have a message for all you fans out there – Pineapple pizza lovers and haters.   Come to a show, buy the music, have fun and buy some merchandise. You guys are what keeps musicians going.     And finally….. “Rick Perez” (Founder of Reckless Magazine)   I met Rick because we did the same thing – he came to my residency in Los Angeles, and he came early and we went to go eat dinner together and immediately we just clicked. He is from San Diego; my husband is from San Diego - his energy is contagious and he has become a really close friend. He is so driven and really talented. The older I get I collect people like Rick and he is one of the best. I was on the cover of the first edition of Reckless magazine, because Ricks amazing!   Interview and Photo: Rhyan Paul Article originally published in Reckless Magazine: https://www.recklessmagazine.com/home/The%20apocalypse%20dream

On Wednesday 29th May, Valencia received a musical gift in the form on the Hellcopters. The much awaited and anticipated gig took place at the legendary Sala Canal venue, which is situated on the famous Ruta Destroy. Organised to perfection by Hey Tonight promotions the event was a sell-out success with the Hellacopters taking the crowd on a journey through both classics and newer material. The stripped back venue, devoid of lasers, pyrotechnics and LED lighting was the perfect backdrop for the purists. Nothing to distract from the bands on stage.   The capacity crowd was warmed up by veteran Italian band – The Peawees – a classic Rock & Rock quartet whom have been together for 25 years and were a perfect complement to the Hellacopters.   By the time the Swedes took control, the room was already close to a meltdown!   The Hellacopters exploded onto stage the classic sound of incoming helicopters before launching into “Action De Grace” With barely time to take a breath they followed on with “The Devil Stole The Beat From The Lord.”   Nicke Anderson owned the room from start to finish with his trademark hat, guitar riffs and Rock & Roll strut – at times almost melting into the crowd, teasing those at the front who were desperate to be even closer!   The lighting was dark and moody, but the energy was the opposite – the fans moving and singing in unison and becoming one with the music.    Anthems including “So Sorry”, “Rainy Days” and “Soulseller” were stand out tracks, but the entire setlist was delivered with such energy and perfection, It would be hard to choose any that were better or worse than the rest.   Finishing on “By The Grace Of God” the band left the stage to screams of oncore! And One More!!!   The didn’t disappoint and retuned with a encore of four tracks, finally ending what can only be described as an epic night with “(Gotta Get Some Action) Now!”   As always, it was over too soon, the stage empty but fans still sipping on beers and reminiscing on what had just been moments before.     Words and photos: Rhyan Paul

Def Con Dos recently  touched down in Valencia to perform at the 16 Toneladas. A band more commonly known for headline festival slots and large venues - a night of music intensity was guaranteed in the snug surroundings of one of the best clubs in Valencia.   I might be a little biased, because the band have become friends of mine over the last couple of years - but you cannot ignore the fact that they are still one of Spains best Hip Hop / Rap Metal bands. Formed in 1988 by Cesar Strawberry (frontman of the band) they are Spains answer to the Beastie Boys - hard guitar riffs (Alberto Marin), looped samples, deep baselines (J. Al Andalusia) and funky hard drums (Kiki Tornado), fused with the voices of Cesar Strawberry, Sagan Ummo and Samuel Barranco make for an unforgettable sound.    Their songs focus on Spanish folklaw, Pop culture, Politics, news and current affairs - often offensive, always complex with plenty of humour thrown in. Cesar spent two year in jail because of his views and words, a band which stands by its beliefs.    So, back to the concert - tickets sold out months ago, 16 Toneladas was a heaving mass of partygoers, eagerly awaiting for the band to take the stage. When they did, the club erupted!    The next 90 minutes flew by in a blur of back to back Def Con Dos classics with crowd surfing, beer spraying and hardcore partying at its finest! Mara Gilbert from Strawberry Hardcore made a guest appearance for “A.M.V” and “Ellas Denunciaron) “El Did De La Bestia” from the movie of the same title is always a crowd pleaser - in fact every song that the band played pleased the crowd!    I hung out with band afterwards and what makes them special for me is that they are super nice, down to earth and genuinely cool people. There are no offstage ego’s in Def Con Dos - just a mutual respect for each other and a band I am proud to not only have photographed a lot, but one who have become friends. words & photos: Rhyan Paul

“Thin Lizzy” and “Grand Slam” are bands that everyone knows. The man behind both was Phil Lynott, who died far too young. I recently sat down with Laurence Archer - who not only played guitar in both bands but also co-wrote many of the songs with Phil Lynott.   Born in the UK in 1961, one of Archers first bands was “Lautrec” with his stepfather, before moving on to perform in and write for “Wild Horses”, “Stampede”, UFO and later X-UFO. He has lived with Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden), toured with “Saxon” on the original “Wheels Of Steel” tour, worked worldwide in the film industry and is now back with the second coming of “Grand Slam”     Laurence, you have been associated with many bands over the years – Wild Horses, Stampede, UFO, Grand Slam and probably most notably – Thin Lizzy.   Yes, “Think Lizzy” and “Grand Slam” is who most people associate me, but also UFO and now the new “Grand Slam”. Over the years I have been in many bands and back in the early days we supported “Saxon” on the “Wheels Of Steel” tour. That band never had a proper record deal, but we had great management and put out independent releases -  that was back in 1979 / 1980. That was my starting block for the future.     How did you meet Phil Lynott and become part of “Thin Lizzy”   I met Phil because just before the “Stampede” era I played with a band called “Wild Horses”.  Jimmy Bain, who was the bass player from “The Wild Horses” and “Rainbow” asked me cover for Brian Robinson who had left the band, which was also managed by the same management company as Thin Lizzy.  Phil came to see three of shows that we did with “Wild Horses” one gig at the old marquee Phil got up on stage with and that’s really where I got to know him. He immediately asked me to come down to the studio where they were recording “China Town”.   I spent time in the studio with him, just playing and that's when Lizzie management approached me and said Phil wanted me to be the next “Thin Lizzy” guitarist.  Every project I have ever been involved in, I have been a major part of the writing, production and arrangement.   From an early age I have loved being in the studio – so it wasn’t long before I was writing and getting involved in the production with Phil as well.   The first time I played with “Thin Lizzy” was in Ireland, being a young man – everything blew me away! I was in awe of Phil and the whole entourage as well.  For me it was a new thing, it was almost an out of body experience! It was great fun, and we had a great connection because he saw my vision as a writer, rather than just a guitar player. That come through even more as I wrote a lot of the material for “Grand Slam”   We would spend days in the studio he had in his back garden, sitting there for hours writing, re-writing until we were happy with it, we would rehearse it and then go out and play it live. Out of all of it, my best memory of that time is my writing connection with Phil.     Then came “Grand Slam” – tell me about that.   There was a gap between “Thin Lizzy” ending and “Grand Slam” starting. At the time Phil had a solo project he was working on, when John Sykes went off to join “Whitesnake” Phil called me and said let’s do this new project (Grand Slam) together. We immediately went into the studio and start writing and rehearsing, then came lots of recording and I moved to Dublin for 6 months and I lived in Phils house with Phil and his mum in Hove. We were using the village hall in this tiny fishing village to rehearse and hone the set.   After that we did 6 or 7 shows around Ireland as “Grand Slam” We didn’t know what to expect when we got to the venues, but when we got there it was crazy! We couldn’t get into the venue ourselves because there would be 2 or 3 thousand people outside trying to get in!  This is when I first realised “Grand Slam” could be a really big thing, the response was incredible. I will never forget those days of because of it, Ireland will always be a very special place for me.   I still find it very emotional to think about Phils death. Just before he died, I went to America to record some songs for the “Grand Slam” project and Huey Lewis was going to produce it so. I ended up in America with “Huey Lewis and The News” doing the arrangements. Phil at that time didn't have a current passport and because of the convictions he had with being caught with drugs he couldn't get a visa to come over. I ended up spending some time playing with Huey and then Phil eventually did come over on an out of date an Irish passport. I still don’t know to this day how it did it!   This is the first time I really realised that Phil was not in a good way – he was smoking heavily, his voice wasn’t in good shape, he was coughing and overweight, still using drugs. We tried to record a track, but it didn’t really work out. Phil wasn’t in great shape and his voice just wasn’t working.   We came back to England and I went to the management company and I said “I really don’t want these tracks to be released” and I discussed having another project whilst we assessed how Phil was progressing. However, the management company used the songs to get a solo artist recording deal for Phil and recorded the track “19” which I co-wrote. I wasn’t very happy with that.   Then I am getting a telephone call from Jimmy Baine saying he cannot get into Phils house - he had gone there for Christmas, along with Phils ex-wife and children. This is when Phil was found unconscious in his bed. That was late December 1986. Then shortly afterwards he died in hospital – he had overdosed, and his body just started shutting down.   At that age, I wasn’t used to losing friends, it was a really hard to comprehend.     Jumping forwards 30 years to 2016 – you and Mark announced you were reforming “Grand Slam”   The story behind that is that the promoter of “Sweden Rock” is a massive “Grand Slam” and “Thin Lizzy” Fan, so he phoned me and Mark up and asked if we would play the festival in 2016.  So we put a band together and it was a fun thing to do, we didn’t really have any plans for it to be a long term thing.  However, it did get me thinking about re-recording the songs I had written with Phil, so that the fans could hear them as we had planned for them to sound. Various people along the way have released bootlegs of our material and labels have released Boxsets, of unfinished material tracks - all of varying quality and not how they should sound.   In 2017 I did a 3G guitar show where I performed with two other guitarists and in my set, I played songs I had written with UFO, Stampede and Grand Slam – and the band I put together to perform it essentially became “Grand Slam”. I had Benji Reid on drums, David Boyce on Bass (the original “Grand Slam” bassist) and Mike Dyer singing. The band sounded good, and the “Grand Slam” material sounded great, so Mike and I went through all the old material new stuff I had written, the band went into the studio, and we recorded the “Hit The Ground” album!   We had no idea what where it is was going as a project and we didn’t have a record deal or management. It was a big investment for us and quite an emotional thing to do – we were all apprehensive that people might accuse us of trying to jump on the “Phil Lynott” bandwagon. Then we got management interest, and a record deal came along – we released the album and things started to progress. In many ways I wished I had called the band something else! We have people wondering is this a retrospective band or is this a new band? This is a new band, and the new album “Wheel of Fortune” has only one track that we wrote when Phil was alive.   The “Wheel of Fortune” Album has been a fantastic project so far.  Rocky Newton has replaced David Boyce on Bass – me and Rocky have crossed paths in many bands and worked together in X-UFO.  We wrote the songs here in Spain and have produced and most of the music videos for the individual tracks here as well.   As a band we have a great relationship and strong friendship - we all get on really well, there are no egos in “Grand Slam” One thing that was really important for me from the start was that I wanted all the band members to be on the same wavelength, to get along and be happy with what we are doing together.  We all have out strange quirks, but the most important thing for us is the music and when we play live it comes across that we are passionate about it, and we all get along together. We recently did a Spain and Portugal tour and the reception was just fantastic, it really cemented us together as a band.   We are all looking forward to 2025, with a concert in Dublin in January then in February we are off on a 25 date European tour, supporting “Saxon” - which we are really looking forwards to. It’s taking us into new territories, so we are hoping it expands the fanbase of the band and introduces us in countries we have not played before.  For me personally its quite special – I toured with them on the original “Wheels Of Steel” tour and to be doing again is really something special.   We are writing new tracks for the new album, recording new videos to support the tracks. We have just released our version of “Whiskey In The Jar” - I never thought I would ever be recording it myself. We did it as a special release to celebrate Phils birthday.  We were worried we were going to get criticized for doing it, but we have had nothing but positive feedback from it, it’s already got 250k views on YouTube!  The record label is going to release it as a limited edition with some special artwork on it – which will be amazing for the hardcore fans.   We will be releasing the new album; we have a charity concert coming up to raise money for victims of the DANA.  2025 is going to be a really busy year, because we still feel we are catching up from the two years everyone lost because of the Covid pandemic.   Aside from “Grand Slam” My solo album from 1986 is being re-released with some bonus tracks and new material. That’s being released on a record label in Japan, because in 1986 it went to number one in Japan and number five on the import charts in the UK.   Yeah - the music industry is “do or Die” and that’s what we are doing, putting our heart and soul into it and giving it our everything!!  I’m not into star signs, but I am hoping 2025 is the “Year of the Archer”! Interview & photo: Rhyan Paul

Supergeroup OFF! recently played at Primavera in Benidorm and did not disappoint! Photos by: Rhyan Paul

On Monday 7th April, The Horrors will play at Sala Moon in Valenica. A long awaited gig and part of the ir sellout tour of Spain- this is one not to be missed! It's almost a nice inside joke that The Horrors, a band that has made darkness their natural habitat, decide to title Night Life's new album. At this point, after almost two decades touring the darkest corners of rock, punk and synth-pop, that Faris Badwan and company have chosen that title is practically as if they were releasing an album of the same name. And it is that The Horrors have done nothing but flee the daylight at the same time that they escaped comparisons with illustrious darm like The Birthday Party, Bauhaus or The Cure. Disc by disc, they have been able to devise their own dark color palette. The Horrors will feature both Night Life and their new line-up (key player Amelia Kidd and drummer Jordan Cook have joined Rhys Webb, Joshua Hayward and Badwan himself). For tickets and more information: 16 Toneladas

Lady Gaga, 14 times winner of the Grammy Award, announces her tour "The MAYHEM Ball", with dates in North America, Europe and the United Kingdom this year, in which she will present her new album, MAYHEM, which received great recognition from critics and fans after its release and debuted at number 1 on Billboard 200. Seven years after her last visit to our country, Lady Gaga will return to the Palau Sant Jordi in Barcelona on October 28 and 29. After her headliner concerts at Coachella 2025, her stadium residencys in Mexico City and Singapore, and her historic free concert at Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Gaga will start The MAYHEM Ball tour on July 16 in Las Vegas, at the T-Mobile Arena. With multiple nights in Seattle, New York, Miami, Toronto, Chicago, London, Stockholm, Milan, Barcelona or Berlin among others, this tour marks its first series of concerts in North America and Europe/United Kingdom since its iconic Chromatica Ball Tour in 2022. "This is my first arena tour since 2018," Gaga said. "There's something electric in a stadium, and I love every moment of those shows. But with The MAYHEM Ball, I wanted to create a different experience: something more intimate, closer, more connected, that lends itself to the live theatrical art that I love to create." TICKETS Tickets on sale: on 3/04/25 at 12h on www.livenation.es Prices: from 55€ (+ distribution costs)