They say that good things come to those who wait. A little over a year after their launch, you could say that Cardinal Black are testament to the power of patience, thought and persistence.

A debut #1 single and E.P.; a first gig to a hometown capacity crowd at Cardiff Castle; back-to-back sold out Academy tours with Myles Kennedy, then The Struts; a highly-anticipated debut album, heralded by a live set recording in the Beatles’ legendary Studio Two at Abbey Road in London. An eventful 12 months for any band. It takes years, so the saying goes, to become an overnight success…

Rewind to 2010 and the Welsh-born trio of Tom Hollister, Chris Buck and Adam Roberts were riding a wave of hype, hotly-tipped by some of the biggest names in rock - most notably Steve Winwood who invited the band to record at his storied Wincraft Studios. A triumphant live set at Sonisphere was followed by a flight across the Atlantic to begin work on their first record, with veteran manager Alan Niven (Guns N’ Roses) at the helm. The lure of the U.S. proved irresistible to the nascent trio but, as is often the case, expectation rarely mirrors reality and the band struggled to adapt to the new country, culminating in singer Tom Hollister unexpectedly calling time on the band before returning to the U.K.

“We tried to do the acrimonious split; creative differences and all that. We then quickly realised we were fairly reliant on one another,” says Buck.

In the decade that followed, the lifelong friends cut their own individual paths whilst remaining close. Most notable has been the well-earned rise of guitarist Chris Buck, named in 2019 as ‘Best New Guitarist in the World’, who has forged a reputation as one of the most inventive and recognisable guitar players in music; winning plaudits from peers and the industry’s most iconic players alike. Drummer Adam Roberts found work as a first-call session player, whilst vocalist Tom Hollister moved into tour management - the three maintaining their musical connection by sporadically meeting up to perform together.

It was just a matter of time then, before they were ready to make new music again. The writing and recording of new material began in 2020, under the name Cardinal Black, bolstered by the arrival of bassist Sam Williams.

After announcing themselves with debut single ‘Tell Me How It Feels’ in May 2021, it was less than 24 hours before the track toppled Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds to take the #1 spot in the iTunes Rock Single Chart. Their 4-track eponymous E.P. quickly followed, also claiming the #1 spot on both the iTunes Rock Album Chart and Amazon Rock Best Sellers Chart. The debut album ‘January Came Close’ was released on October 28th 2022 and within 24 hours had also reached #1, this time on UK’s Amazon Album Chart - besting Taylor Swift’s new album in the process.

In November, the band were tapped by guitar icon Peter Frampton, joining him on his Farewell UK tour and playing to capacity crowds including London’s prized Royal Albert Hall. In 2023, the band will once again embark on a nationwide tour including European dates and festival appearances.

They may have taken the scenic route but Cardinal Black are finally here, and they've got plenty of stories to tell.

Brave Rival are the South East’s brand-new rip-roaring rock and blues Machine. Hailing from Portsmouth, the UK Blues Award Nominated band features the powerful and beautiful twin vocals of Chloe Josephine and Lindsey Bonnick. On lead guitar, providing dramatic guitar solos and crunching rock riffs is Ed “The Shred” Clarke. And holding it all together is the rhythmic backbone, the self-proclaimed engine room of Billy Dedman (bass) and Donna Peters (drums).

Drawing influence from the likes of John Mayer, Aretha Franklin, Heart, Fleetwood Mac, Led Zeppelin and Tedeschi Trucks, Brave Rival offer a style and sound that you’ve always known, and yet never heard before.

Since their inception in the summer of 2019, Brave Rival have gone from strength to strength, featuring in Raw Ramp Magazine as one of the 'Top 20 Bands To Watch In 2020' and nominated for 'Breakthrough Act 2019' by Get Ready To Rock Radio.

At the turn of the decade, hot off the heels from supporting blues rock giants such as Stevie Nimmo and The Billy Walton Band, Brave Rival captured their raw energy live by recording their headline set to a gracious sold-out audience at Hook’s famous Echo Hotel Music Club. This fabulous set of early material was quickly released to critical acclaim as their first Live Album ‘Brave Rival Live at the Echo Hotel Music Club’. Keeping the momentum going, a Kickstarter was launched for their first studio album with the target easily reached by their loyal fanbase with time to spare. It was then time to repay that loyalty with a studio album. Little did they know however, that the world was about to change forever.

With the pandemic putting the brakes on recording plans, Brave Rival spent much of the UK Lockdowns writing new material via the power of Zoom calls and Google drive. The abundance of material produced served them well for the eventual recording of their debut album in the summer of 2021. Recorded at The Mayfair Studio in the picturesque Surrey countryside with producer/seducer Tarrant Shepherd at their side, Brave Rival’s highly anticipated debut album “Life’s Machine” arrived on May 6th 2022 to critical acclaim. Emerging Rocks Bands Magazine said it best when they described the album as “Boss blues energy from start to finish”. Similarly, Powerplay Magazine finished their ten out of ten review by saying that “Brave Rival have unleashed one lean, mean and well oiled machine!”

Tipped as one of Joe Bonamassa’s “favourite discoveries this year” the future is looking incredibly bright for this young up and coming band. A successful set on the introducing stage at the 2022 Great British Rhythm and Blues Festival in Skegness saw them win the competition, securing a deserved place on the main stage in 2023. The relentless gigging and hard work in 2021 has also paid off for the band with a UK Blues Award Nomination for Best Emerging Blues Band.

Brave Rival are a band on a meteoric rise, firing on all cylinders and are about to take the world by storm. Their unique combination of beautifully harmonic, soulful vocals, epic guitar solos, pounding drums and powerful bass serves up an infectious sound that is not to be missed.

An International touring band with a 10 year portfolio of festival, theatre and club gigs throughout Europe, Scandinavia and the UK.

Gerry Jablonski & the Electric Band are a standout act with an energetic, no-holds-barred stageshow. They have a unique, trademark Heavy Blues Rock sound and style producing gutsy music with hooks, melodies and an intense presence that wins over any audience, anywhere, anytime. Guaranteed.

Three words that capture just what this Birmingham (UK) band is all about. If you've seen them on the road, you'll know exactly what this means. If not, you'll figure it out really quickly once you do. Vincent Flatts is a southern infused blues 'n' boogie band, with a set that takes audiences from swampy delta blues, to fast and exciting boogie rock 'n' roll. But throughout, one thing is constant: Steve 'Bertie' Burton's killer voice.

In the past, Bertie toured the world fronting Starfighters (support to AC/DC, Ozzy Osbourne, and many more. But Vincent Flatts has been his baby for 20+ years. Now, in 2018, featuring an all-new lineup, he and the band have been busy performing at venues and festivals across the UK and Scandinavia, as well as gradually working on a new album. Look out for that in spring 2019.

Until then, see you on the dance floor for some blues, booze and boogie. 

The Ryk Mead Band, are indeed a blues band but by definition a lot more. A Stunning Power Blues, Jazz, Rock Trio. 
 
Through playing many different styles of music it has always been the case that the blues has had a deep influence on whatever type of material I’ve played. As time progressed, so did the inclination to select the more obscure and less trodden path of song and material I wanted to play.

It's hard to say whether this is my influence on the other members of the band or if the others have joined because they feel the same about the way music has influenced them. Whatever the case my band has developed a style of its own.

When i play live the set may change from night to night. We might suddenly change an arrangement or change direction at any moment within a song. The basis of the song stays the same but things change, imagination and feel for the moment take over; something new is created. Not even the guy’s in the band know when it's coming. This creates a tension and excitement that means things evolve and develop night by night.  With hard work it becomes possible. This makes every gig potentially electrifying and new.

Independent blues rock guitarist and singer-songwriter Adam Sweet released his second studio album ‘Sink or Swim’ in September 2020. It marks Adam’s evolution into a fully-fledged blues rock artist, cementing his own unique blend of blue-eyed blues and soulful southern rock. With honest tales of loss, longing, hope and strength in the face of adversity ‘Sink or Swim’ reflects the struggles we all face in these most uncertain and fragile times. 
 
Adam first picked up a guitar aged seven but until his early teens his interest was barely smouldering as a brief foray into classical guitar failed to provide the spark of inspiration he needed. Things began to change when at thirteen he started private tuition with Adrian John Loveridge, a veteran of the 1980’s Californian music scene who had just moved back to his hometown of Lyme Regis, Dorset. Guitar lessons suddenly got a lot cooler with tales of ‘life on the road’ in a far-off land, told in an American accent and Adrian’s gold record gleaming on the wall. The breakthrough came when Adam’s new mentor took him to see blues rock band The Hamsters at Lyme’s Marine Theatre. Adam left his first ever gig with Jimi Hendrix riffs ringing in his ears and by age fifteen he was gigging regularly on the local circuit recreating the music of his newfound guitar heroes. 
 
Since those early days of playing in numerous bands he has honed his craft and found his voice, and with well over 1,500 gigs under his belt is successfully carving out a solo career. 

His acclaimed debut album ‘Small Town Thinking’, recorded both in Devon and Nashville, was released at the start of 2014. The album steadily gathered praise with Adam’s “timeless” gift earning him rave reviews including a full 5-star rating and ‘Album of the Month’ award in Guitar Techniques Magazine, praising the album for offering a “whole new perspective on the (blues) genre”.

Adam’s 2017 follow up ‘Take Your Time’ was a stripped back acoustic offering that perfectly captured the essence of his renowned one-man shows. The 5-track EP was produced and performed solely by Adam and featured a track written with founder member of Level 42 Boon Gould. Tracks from this release featured heavily on BBC Introducing and received several accolades - “Wonderful rock, blues and roots guitar and very classy arrangements” (Album of the Week, Laurel Canyon Music). 
 
‘Sink or Swim’ showcases a fresh take on Adam's sound that has developed from working closely with new band members Ian Jennings on bass (Jeff Beck, Robert Plant, Ronnie Wood, Mick Fleetwood) and Garry Kroll on drums (Mark Ronson, Joss Stone, Sandi Thom). Recorded with producer Josiah J Manning (Kris Barras Band) at Momentum Studios, Plymouth, the album captures the raw energy and excitement of the band whilst always serving the richly detailed songwriting. With brooding ballads and rollicking rootsy rock ‘Sink or Swim’ will see him continue to carve out his own territory between classic rock, blues and Americana. 
 
The new album has received extensive radio play spending two months in the Independent Blues Broadcasters Association Top 40 chart and was listed in the Top 3 Breakthrough Albums of 2020 by ‘Get Ready To ROCK’ and included in the Best Americana Albums of 2020 by Dutch music blogger ‘Slim Chance’.