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Shame of Classic Rock
Most of us already hate it and don't buy this pathetic excuse for a publication anymore, but for those select few who do still read it, maybe this will convince them not to bother. I've taken it straight from MelodicRock.com but I don't think Andrew will mind if it helps spread the word. Please bear in mind the sheer quality of Stan Bush, Talisman, Bob Catley and others as you read....
"CLASSIC ROCK MAGAZINE GODS 2003 REVIEW - WHAT A CROCK!:
UK based Classic Rock magazine have once again upset the melodic community with their poor coverage of the premiere melodic festival The Gods.
The magazine failed to even send a representative to last year's 10th Anniversary of Now & Then show, then followed that up by printing only a few of the many letters of complaint they received - naturally only the ones that supported their agenda.
So this year a reporter was sent, but naturally, the whole event was covered with a notable grudge.
It's a sad day when the UK's major rock magazine actually prints a review as poorly written as the one below. I thought it was worth printing and pointing out the errors.
But don't bother to complain to the magazine for this. It really wasn't unexpected. Although they claim to cater for all forms of rock n roll, they don't give two ****s about melodic rock or the AOR scene. Just bypass buying the next issue.
Here is the review - with my corrections added in these brackets "[...]":
Classic Rock Magazine Gods 2003 Review by Paul Henderson
"Contrary to popular belief, melodic rock is not dead. Yes the coffin is lined and waiting, the grave has been dug, the flowers ordered and the lighters primed ready to be held aloft and waved slowly in unison one last time, but while there's still hope, a flicker of life still in it, its dwindling number of followers will continue to keep a lonely vigil.
[Incorrect - Traffic to this site has only risen since I began and continues to rise this year. And growth is not confined to the Internet. Only last week I heard that Australia's biggest metal store Utopia Records in Sydney has expressed a desire to expand it's melodic range due to building demand for titles.]
But even the faithful few hundred [between 700-800 - which is better than many other gigs in the UK for established metal and prog acts] who attended what is Britain's biggest (only?)[Only Festival in the UK, but why then were there folks there from all over Europe, where there are other festivals?] annual melodic rock " festival " to put a few quid into it's life-support machine surely have to admit that the sub-genre is breathing with extreme difficulty.
[Says who? Harem Scarem just sold more units of their last album in the UK and Europe than Warner Bros were able to for any previous albums - including the first two, which are deemed classics!]
As a "festival" (held in a chrome and formica club)[Say what??? Since when does the venue have a baring on the scene as a whole? And from the fans there, the venue is well liked and is also good enough for the likes of .......] it didn't have much to crow about.
With a line up headlined by Dare on the Saturday [Incorrect - I wonder if this reporter was actually there. It was Dare followed by Stan Bush] and Talisman on Sunday that also included Bob Catley, Danny Vaughn, Urban Tale, Royal Hunt, Grand Illusion and the aptly named Lost Weekend [Why send a reporter that doesn't want to be there?], the music was mostly not so much bad as remarkably bad and uninspiring. [This confirmed that the reported definitely wasn't there. Talisman were nothing short of world-class, Catley his usual pompous best; then there was Royal Hunt, Stan Bush, Dare and Ken Tamplin that put in great sets. Not to mention the superb line-up of new latent that shows there is plenty of life left in the scène yet]
MC Hayley from Total Rock shouted from the stage that last years Gods was the bollocks, this years is the bollocks and passionately implored people to support this music. When the response was half a dozen or so " faithful" applauding her half-heartedly, melodic rock's prognosis of imminent death by indifference was surely clear. [Incorrect again. While Hayley clearly didn't impress the crowd - she was not MC and only intro'd boyfriend Danny Vaughn.]
For the record, the best band award goes to Spain's female vocal hurricane-fronted Nexx [First sensible thing he has said], the crassest comment award goes to Talon's American frontman for loudly and dumbly thanking everyone (ie Britain) for helping us kick Iraq's ass! A Gods next year? Don't hold your breath. [Well, mine's held and my bags are already packed. Can't wait]"
'Nuff said.
JG
"How can you lose, when you're destined to be a winner?"
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