Celtic Connections opens its doors for 2026
Now in its 33rd year, the festival is the world’s largest winter celebration of traditional and roots music. Delivered by Glasgow Life in partnership with Innis & Gunn, the 2026 edition features more than 300 events across 25 venues, with over 1,200 performers from Europe, the Americas and Africa. New economic figures underline the festival’s […]
Spencer Mackenzie pushes the pace with Rory Gallagher cover ahead of new album
JUNO-nominated and Maple Blues Award winner Spencer Mackenzie has released his fourth single, Don’t Know Where I’m Going, taken from his upcoming studio album Empty Chairs. The track is out on Friday 16 January and is available across all streaming platforms and on YouTube. Mackenzie turns up the heat with a fast, driven take on […]
Tickets moving fast as Orianthi’s January 2026 UK tour takes shape
Following the release of her latest album Some Kind of Feeling, Orianthi will return to the UK for a run of headline dates in January 2026. With Leeds already sold out and demand rising elsewhere, fans are being urged to move quickly. The tour begins at Manchester’s Band on the Wall on January 24, followed […]
Bywater Call return with new single “Only”
Canadian roots, rock and soul collective Bywater Call open 2026 with the release of their brand-new studio single “Only”, out Friday 9 January 2026. Available now on all streaming platforms, “Only” marks the band’s first new studio release of the year and continues a remarkable run of momentum that has seen Bywater Call firmly establish […]
Arran Rock ‘n’ Blues Fest confirms 2026 return with full line-up announced
Arran Rock ‘n’ Blues Fest has confirmed its return for 1 to 3 May 2026, with Ormidale Park in Brodick once again set to host the three-day live music event. An additional acoustic stage will also run at Brodick Golf Club across the weekend. The 2026 line-up brings together a broad mix of blues, rock, […]
A new generation carrying the blues forward
Nashville-based guitarist Danny Garwood is already carving out a place for himself as one of the most promising young players to emerge from the modern blues scene. Inspired by the fire and feel of artists such as Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Eric Gales, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Garwood’s focus is firmly rooted in keeping the blues […]
LIVE REVIEW: Robert Plant’s Saving Grace featuring Suzi Dian
Royal Festival Hall, London11 December 2025 – words: Paul Davies / images: 00liadon Music Channel For a lionised golden god rock star who bestrode all the world’s largest stages when imperiously fronting up the singular and unsurpassed blues/hard rock behemoths Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant has since taken to the lesser travelled road of personal musical […]
Tinsley Ellis announces new acoustic album Labor Of Love
Atlanta blues titan Tinsley Ellis returns with a powerful new chapter. His new album Labor Of Love arrives on Friday 30 January 2026 via Alligator Records, marking his second acoustic release and the first to feature an entire set of original material. It will be available on CD, Georgia peach coloured vinyl, and all major […]
Remembering Steve “The Colonel” Cropper: 21st October 1941- 3rd December 2025
Born in Dora, Missouri in 1941, Steve Cropper went on to become one of the most influential musicians of the last century. A singer, songwriter, guitarist, and producer, he helped create some of the most enduring and familiar songs ever recorded. As a founding member of the Stax house band Booker T & The MGs, […]
Danny Bryant Opens a Powerful New Chapter with Nothing Left Behind
With the release of his new album Nothing Left Behind on 6 February 2026 via Jazzhaus Records, British guitarist and singer-songwriter Danny Bryant steps into the most personal phase of his two-decade career. Long recognised as one of the leading figures in European blues rock, Bryant now presents a record shaped by honesty, renewal and […]