Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson Invites You To A Unique Spoken Word Event

January 16, 2022January 22, 2022 Keith Sharp

By Keith Sharp If one were to look at this guy’s CV, one would wonder what Bruce Dickinson can’t achieve. Frontman for the world’s biggest rock band, Iron Maiden, commercial airline pilot, Olympic status fencer, brewmaster, published author, solo recording artist, and oh, yes throat cancer survivor, Dickinson has now established himself as a top-notch motivational speaker. Based on the... Read More

That Was The Year That Was “It’s Over Let It Go” – Music Express Wrap-Up

December 31, 2021March 1, 2022 Keith Sharp

By Keith Sharp The above title is a spin on a catchphrase from a popular David Frost English television show (That Was The Week That Was) which executed a weekly round-up of the dire straits of life in Britain during the 1960s. But as we head into 2022, the globe continues to be ravaged by a new variant of COVID-19,... Read More

HARKNESS Stirs Up A Creative Concoction

December 17, 2021December 20, 2021 Keith Sharp

HARKNESS By Keith Sharp Take a scan at the bio shot of HARKNESS and what springs to mind is one of those costumed assassins from The Squid Game. Now maybe this Toronto musician does not kill people for playing a game of marbles but his ubiquitous 11-track debut album, `The Occasion’ is certainly designed to create a stir with anyone... Read More

Many A Mile Tour/Album Presses Blue Rodeo’s Reset Button

December 5, 2021December 7, 2021 Keith Sharp

Photo by Dustin Rabin Photography By Keith Sharp Recent announcements suggest that Blue Rodeo have put their pandemic break to good use by utilizing their downtime to produce a new album `Many A Mile’ (Warner Music) and are set to head back on the road for a leisurely 27-date national tour which launches December 10th and 11th at Kitchener’s Centre... Read More

Aussie Acceptance Has Created Tea Party Long-Distance Relationship

November 29, 2021November 30, 2021 Keith Sharp

The Tea Party – Photo by Francesca LudikarBy Keith Sharp Literally from day one, the country of Australia has embraced the music of Canada’s Tea Party. Their 1993 major label release, Splendor Solis was equally embraced by the Aussies and through numerous tours of the country (Wikipedia says 12 tours but lead vocalist Jeff Martin swears it has been many... Read More

EXTC Rekindles Classic Band’s Legacy

November 22, 2021November 23, 2021 Keith Sharp

By Keith Sharp The advent of social media allows music fans to rediscover bands and artists which may have been ignored during their prime yet have been totally revived as new audiences discover the depth of their musical catalogue. England’s XTC is one such band. North American audiences may be familiar with key singles like “Making Plans For Nigel and... Read More

Arrive, Raise A Little Hell, Retire – Trooper Original Duo Call It A Day.

November 20, 2021November 23, 2021 Keith Sharp

Trooper’s Lead Singer Ra McGuire and Bassist Doni Underhill – Photo by Hope Photography By Keith Sharp The announcement on Trooper’s November 8th Facebook post that original band members; vocalist Ra McGuire and lead guitarist Brian Smith have chosen to retire from the band, may have caught many fans by surprise, but the reality is that the ongoing COVID19 pandemic... Read More

Adams ‘Happy’ To Release New Album Despite COVID Setback

November 15, 2021November 20, 2021 Keith Sharp

By Keith Sharp Bryan Adams was all set to fly down to Cleveland to assist in the induction of Tina Turner into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’s Class of 2021 on October 30th at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse when he took the mandatory COVID-19 test before boarding his flight. The test showed he was positive! “The officials there... Read More

Johnny Reid Lifts Doom And Gloom With Positive Lyrical Messages

November 10, 2021November 27, 2021 Keith Sharp

By Keith Sharp As Johnny Reid sat in his Nashville recording studio pondering how to address the enforced pandemic lay-off, he decided to delve into material he had previously written and decided he had enough to record a new album. Yes, he could have written lyrics that reflected the doom and gloom of current global affairs but that’s not Reid’s... Read More

Styx’s New Concept Opus Reflects Current Global Turmoil – From A Personal Perspective

November 1, 2021November 4, 2021 Keith Sharp

Styx – (left to right: James “JY” Young, Chuck Panozzo, Lawrence Gowan, Tommy Shaw, Todd Sucherman, Ricky Phillips) – Photo Courtesy of Todd Gallopo and Styx By Keith Sharp Chicago’s Styx are famous for their thematic concept albums, so it’s hardly surprising that their latest opus, Crash Of The Crown would reflect the current state of global affairs with the COVID-19 pandemic, political unrest... Read More

The Spoons Present New Versions of Old Songs at El Mo Charity Anniversary Concert Nov 13th, 2021

October 20, 2021November 13, 2021 Keith Sharp

Spoons at the El Mocambo November 13th, 8PM, 2021 By Keith Sharp The promotion photo features The Spoons, four fresh-faced Burlington Ontario youngsters, in the process of plugging their debut album Stick Figure Neighbourhood, by posing outside Toronto’s El Mocambo prior to appearing at this venerable landmark in early October 1981. Forty-one years later, Saturday, November 13th, lead vocalist Gord... Read More

Bruce Cockburn’s Second Attempt At 50th Anniversary – Releases Greatest Hits Package

October 18, 2021October 20, 2021 Keith Sharp

By Keith Sharp Bruce Cockburn’s upcoming 28-date tour of North West, Eastern United States and Ontario is cheekily titled “Bruce Cockburn 50th Anniversary Concert Tour – Second Attempt! In reference to the one-year delay of his planned list of festivities due to everything being put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Yeah and it could be re-titled Third Attempt... Read More

Midge Ure – Live Aid Legend Set For One-Off Appearance

October 5, 2021October 16, 2021 Keith Sharp

By Keith Sharp James (Midge Ure) has fond memories of Canada. When his band Ultravox toured this country for the first time in 1979, he discovered that because his band contained a Canadian drummer, Vancouverite Warren Cann, they qualified as Canadian content due to CRTC radio regulations, which meant they received strong domestic airplay. “Compared to the United States, which seemed to be... Read More

Montreal’s The Box Rocks The El Mocambo

September 29, 2021October 1, 2021 Keith Sharp

Photo By Andrew Clowater Friday, September 24th, 2021 El Mocambo, Toronto, Ontario By Keith Sharp Two anniversaries converged on Friday, September 24th and 25th when Michael Wekerle’s sparkling renovated El Mocambo Tavern celebrated its 50th year as Toronto’s prime music venue by inviting Montreal’s The BOX for a two-night engagement. The band is celebrating their 40th anniversary as a unit.... Read More

Music Express Celebrates 45th Anniversary With Special October Features

September 17, 2021March 1, 2022 Keith Sharp

It’s hard to believe it, but October 2021 will mark the 45th anniversary of Music Express and how some snot-nosed British kid working at the sports department of the Calgary Herald, got pissed off because that paper’s entertainment department rejected his feature story on The Stampeders. The reason being; because they had trashed the band’s concert in a mean-spirited review the... Read More

George Street Festival Gets The All Clear For 2021

August 23, 2021August 25, 2021 Keith Sharp

George Street Festival, St. John’s, NL By Keith Sharp Known as ‘The Biggest Little Street In North America’ located in the centre of St John’s Newfoundland, the George Street Festival is set to execute its 36th annual festival on Friday, August 27th, 2021 with six nights of concert activities on a stage setting located directly on the street which is comprised of... Read More

Jesus Jones New Addition To 5th Annual McBowl Lineup

August 13, 2021August 14, 2021 Keith Sharp

Classic Bowl Promotions chief Ed Sousa claims the constant reorganization of his McBowl Charity Concerts for Ronald McDonald House is akin to undergoing root canal surgery. But the 5th Annual Event has been rescheduled over two nights with the Rock Night set for Friday, May 13th, 2022 and an Alternative Techno Pop night scheduled for Saturday, May 14th, 2022. Due to the... Read More

Emerging Vancouver Pop Star Uses Jim Beam Win To Draw Attention

August 9, 2021 Keith Sharp

By Keith Sharp The raging pandemic that has affected the entire global music industry has forced virtually every musician to adapt accordingly. In the case of White Rock B.C native Richard Tichelman it has simply meant recording and releasing a series of singles which have attracted over 560 thousand youtube followers to his initial three singles; “Proud”, “The One” and... Read More

Iron Maiden Launch State of the Art Video in preparation for New Double Album Release

July 20, 2021July 20, 2021 Keith Sharp

By Keith Sharp England’s Iron Maiden may have been passed over for inclusion into The U.S Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame earlier this year by a group of stuffed shirts who clearly cannot comprehend a real legendary band in their midst. Yet their response has been the release of a new single “Writing On The Wall” (based on a... Read More

So What Is In A Name? When In Rome UK – Plans A Relaunch.

July 16, 2021July 19, 2021 Keith Sharp

Left to Right – Ed Sousa, Andrew Mann, Former Leaf goalie Curtis Joseph and his wife Stephanie, and Clive Farrington Photo by Andrew Clowater By Keith Sharp You may not be familiar with the song title and I am sure you can’t identify the band who recorded that track but when you hear “The Promise” by Manchester England group, When In Rome... Read More

Author: Keith Sharp