This week marks the 8th anniversary of the first Friday NI Rocks Show on 27th August 2010 and also the 400th Show. I’ve missed a few weeks over the years, normally for technical reasons, otherwise it would have been 416 shows! The NI Rocks A-Z Show started a few months earlier and is on show number 428.
As I keep a record of the playlists for all the shows, I thought I’d have a look at what has been played on the Friday NI Rocks Show over the past 400 shows. I’ve featured 2,793 different tracks by 1,024 different artists and in total have played 5,760 tracks. There have also been 87 guest interviews that I’ve recorded and broadcast and quite a few promo features.
Looking in detail at the artists and tracks featured on the Show, the emphasis on local music is very clear.
Great news today from The Dead Daisies as they announce a return to Belfast on Thursday 22nd November to play Limelight 1 as part of the “Welcome to Daisyland” Tour. More details in the press release below.
Read more: NEWS UPDATE - THE DEAD DAISIES Announce Belfast Show in November
“The Day I Lost My Head” is the latest album from Greek trio Beggars and it was released on 10th August via Rock of Angels Records (ROAR!). The band formed in Athens in 2009 and was originally known as Beggar’s Blues Diary. I hadn’t actually heard of the band until we received the press releases from Rock n Growl Promotions but liked what I heard when I checked out the album. The track “Book of Days” was included on the Friday NI Rocks Show on 17th August.
Read more: NI ROCKS Recommends "The Day I Lost My Head" by BEGGARS
German symphonic metal band Beyond The Black release their third album, “Heart of the Hurricane”, through Napalm Records on 31st August 2018. I only discovered the band myself last year but became an instant fan and ordered their first two CDs online. The band have gone through a big line-up change since the release of the first two albums, but singer Jennifer Haben remains at the heart of the band and “Heart of the Hurricane” is a great album that shows that Beyond The Black are back with a renewed focus and drive. I was fortunate enough to speak to Jennifer via Skype on 15th August and we chatted about the new album, the band and future plans. You can hear that interview on the 400th episode of the Friday NI Rocks Show for 24th August. The Show is now available from our MixCloud page - https://www.mixcloud.com/NIRocks/interview-with-jennifer-haben-from-beyond-the-black-on-the-friday-ni-rocks-show-24th-august-2018/
Read more: NI ROCKS Interview with JENNIFER HABEN from BEYOND THE BLACK