Rock Radio photos from the AC/DC live performance and stage set up

Posted on June 11th, 2010 GuitarSavvy No comments

AC/DC Bell Arrives at Download 2010 - Image by Rock Radio

AC/DC PHOTOS ARE ONLINE AT ROCK RADIO NOW!

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Countdown to Download 2010 BFMV and ACDC – Download Radio 87.7FM

Posted on June 10th, 2010 GuitarSavvy No comments

So some of you will be there already and I hope you’re as excited as I am to see the stages in all their glory. Rock Radio will be running the official Download Radio station on 87.7FM or listen on Rock Radio.

Anyway, Bullet for My Valentine are from Bridgend in Wales (UK) and have been around since 1998. Singer and rhythm guitarists is Matt Tuck and lead guitarist is Michael Paget, (both frequent visitors in the pages of Total Guitar Magazine). Jason James (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Michael Thomas (drums) complete this metal band lineup.

BFMV are playing the Ronnie James Dio stage TOMORROW NIGHT(!!!) (Friday) at 6:55pm. Here’s the band playing the 2009 Big Day Out Festival in Sydney, Australia. Matt has a bit of a potty mouth so if you’re offended don’t watch.

So the final band we’re going to feature in the run up to Download 2010 is one that needs no introduction. AC/DC are Aussie hard rockers featuring two of Glasgow’s favourite sons, the Young brothers (Malcolm and Angus – who moved to Australia from Cranhill in Glasgow when they were, er, young). AC/DC are headlining the Maurice Jones Stage tomorrow night 29 years on from the legendary Monsters of Rock Festival appearance at Castle Donington in 1981 during the time of Back in Black, the band’s bestselling album and the first to feature Brian Johnson. Johnson replaced Bon Scott who died in February 1980.

So that’s about it. Download Festival 2010 is here. The stages are built, the tents are pitched and already contain some drunken metalheads, the bands are arriving (hopefully they all have their equipment – Slayer once had to reshuffle their appearance afer their gear failed to materialise until after their scheduled show time – Damageplan (Dimebag Darrell Abbott’s band) stepped in and saved the day) and the Rock Radio Download station (Download FM) is on air now!

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Rage Against the Machine are tonight’s Countdown to Download 2010 Band

Posted on June 8th, 2010 GuitarSavvy No comments

We’ve talked about Rage Against the Machine before – the huge deal that was the 2009 UK Christmas number 1 where an excellent Facebook group dedicated themselves to getting RATM’s Killing in the Name to the top spot ahead of the X-Factor. They succeded – for those who care, the X-Factor single made it to number 1 the following week but for many in the UK, the battle for the Christmas Number 1 slot was good fun until the X-Factor came along and spoiled it all. As a thankyou RATM promised a free gig to UK fans and that free gig happened last night in London. Were you there? How was it? Check out this fan vid – not rubbing it in about X-Factor at all are they? Listen to the crowd when the needle rips at 01:12!!

Anyway RATM will headline the Maurice Jones Stage at Download 2010 on Saturday from 9pm.

If you read my earlier post where I mentioned the Stone Temple Pilots you’ll maybe remember my mention of the Crow Soundtrack album – RATM also had an awesome song on there called Darkness (of Greed). Check it out:

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Countdown to Download 2010 – the Download Lineup preview continues with…

Posted on June 7th, 2010 GuitarSavvy No comments

… Killswitch Engage, Hellyeah and Billy Idol!

So Killswitch Engage. What’s a killswitch I hear you ask?

A switch that is designed to turn off a circuit when the button is released.

You get em on some guitars or can even add them yourself if you’re brave/foolhardy enough. You can ask TGMs and Fix Your Own Damn Guitar’s Ed Mitchell (Ed’s Shed). They momentarily cut the signal from the guitar to the amp and are used to great effect by the likes of RATM’s Tom Morello. But that’s not why Killswitch Engage are called Killswitch engage – according to Wiki. they’re named after an X-Files Episode (“Kill Switch“) about a computer virus of the same name. Anyhoo – KE are from Massachusetts and have been on the go since 1999 with 5 studio albums under their belt. They put on a great live set as you can see here and will be on the Maurice Jones stage on Friday at 5:10pm.

Hellyeah… another interesting metal band forged from members of Mudvayne (Chad Gray – vocals and Greg Tribbet – guitar), Nothingface (Tom Maxwell – guitar), Damageplan (Bob Zilla – bass) and Pantera (Vinnie Paul – drums). Vinnie is the brother of the late great Dimebag Darrell Abbott). Hellyeah are hitting Download 2010 on the Saturday at 11:45am.

Now Billy Idol… Billy was for me, one of the best things to come out of the 80′s punk/rock/metal scene (going “solo” after his time with Generation-X). He has a long term collaboration with guitarist Steve Stevens, one of those DIRECTLY reponsible for me first picking up a guitar. For which, I’m eternally grateful – I intend to write a Guitar Influences Fact File for Steve Stevens when I get a chance. And yet I’ve never managed to get to see Billy Idol and Steve Stevens live so I can’t judge how good they’ll be. If I were to hazard a guess, I’d say they will probably blow you away. At least to the extent where you can almost forgive Billy for releasing a Christmas album. Almost, but not quite. Billy Idol takes to the Maurice Jones Stage on Sunday at 4pm. Watch Billy Idol and Steve Stevens let rip with this acoustic version of Rebel Yell.

So if you’re heading to Download later this week I hope you have a bonzer trip! I’ll be back tomorrow with some more stuff on Download lineup acts.

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Countdown to Download 2010 – Deftones play Donington

Posted on June 5th, 2010 GuitarSavvy No comments

So in case you haven’t heard the news, the Download Festival 2010 is within range of a piss-filled beer glass (plastic, of course). And to celebrate we’re nabbing a few Youtube videos (of some of the rockingest acts who will be there) from the interweb and passing them off as our own. This vid features Californian band known as Deftones. These guys have been around since 1988 and have 6 studio albums out there with the latest, Diamond Eyes being released in May 2010. The band are touring USA this Autumn but before they do, they’re hitting Donington Park and the Download 2010 Festival with everything they have. Which is a lot. They’ll be on the Maurice Jones Stage on Saturday at 7pm, immediately before Download Saturday headliners Rage Against the Machine. Check out the video for the first single from Diamond Eyes – Rocket Skates:

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Countdown to Download 2010 – Megadeth

Posted on June 4th, 2010 GuitarSavvy No comments

Shameless video number 2 to celebrate the countdown to Download 2010 is a cracking track by Megadeth. À Tout le Monde was featured on the Megadeth’s Youthanasia album all the way back in 1994/5. I saw Megadeth in Glasgow last year during the Priest Feast tour just after guitarist Chris Broderick joined the band and they were, for me, the highlight. When they played this song the reception was incredible. Judas Priest were pretty damned awesome as well of course.

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Countdown to Download 2010 – Them Crooked Vultures

Posted on June 4th, 2010 GuitarSavvy No comments

The Download Festival 2010 is just around the corner and it’s going to be a belter.

To celebrate we’re shamelessly putting up Youtube vids of some of the bands we think are going to blow your socks off.

So without further ado, here’s Them Crooked Vultures:

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