Percussion wizard Mike Dillon has seemingly done everything a musician could dream of. He's been a key member of bands like Garage A Trois, Dead Kenny Gs and Critters Buggin. He's served as a key sideman to artists like Rickie Lee Jones, Les Claypool and Ani DiFranco. He's amassed an extensive catalog of genre-defying recordings. He's taken to the road relentlessly, building one of the most loyal underground fanbases on the contemporary music scene, while being invited to share bills with bands including Clutch, Dean Ween Group and Umphrey's McGhee. For nearly three decades, Mike has been playing exclusively by his own rules. Now, the man championed as a "Punk Jazz provocateur" has just produced what perhaps may be his shining hour, 'Bonobo Bonobo'. The new album, due to be released this Friday, coincides with his upcoming Winter tour, and was recorded in New Orleans with a collective he calls The Mallet Men (today's Track Of The Day) - essentially an extended version of his core touring vehicle, The Mike Dillon Band.

Since their debut gig at The Half Moon, Putney, over four and a half years ago, The Boom Band - featuring the four guitar line-up of Jon Amor (The Hoax), Marcus Bonfanti (Jawbone/Ten Years After), Mark Butcher (former England cricket star) and Matt Taylor (Snowy White/The Motives), plus keyboard player Paddy Milner (Jawbone/Tom Jones/Jack Bruce) - have developed something of a reputation as an awesome live band. Tonight they invite you to a festive shindig featuring friends old and new to raise money for the housing and homelessness charity Shelter. You’d be hard pressed to find a better line-up of talent from the British Blues scene and beyond, includinging Big Boy Bloater, Malcolm Bruce, Jojo Burgess, Lauren Dove, Jules Fothergill, Lorna Fothergill, Moz Gamble, Matthew Gest, Peter Gordeno, Mark Howes, Jack J Hutchinson, Evan Jenkins, Rosco Levee, Darrin Mooney, Jonathan Noyce, Wayne Proctor, Greg Smith, Matt Taylor, Ash Wilson and Phil Wilson!

The UK’s finest Melodic Rock band FM will join forces with Hard Rock group The Quireboys in early April next year for seven tour dates that celebrate 35 years since both acts started out. These two venerable institutions will be joined by Bad Touch and Vega. Hot on the heels of their 10th studio album, ‘Atomic Generation’, FM began the tour cycle to promote it with an appearance at the Frontiers Rock Festival in Milan in April 2018. Performing a set that included new songs, fan favourites, plus some surprise song choices, the band’s showmanship was faultless and mind-blowing. The rhythm section of Pete Jupp and Merv Goldsworthy didn’t miss a beat, guitarist Jim Kirkpatrick and keyboardist Jem Davis produced rich sonic tapestries with their instruments, while singer Steve Overland was simply breathtaking, demonstrating why he is one of the truly legendary voices in Melodic Rock. ‘The Italian Job’, due to be released next year on Friday 22nd February documents this show. An absolute gem of an album, it is unmissable not only for FM followers, but for all fans of the genre.

"The second set proved to be extra special with a 'S.F. Sorrow' band reunion and guest guitarist David Gilmour! Joining May, Taylor and current band was Jon Povey on keyboards, Wally Waller on bass and Skip Alan on drums. Kicking of the set in style with 'Scene One' from the 1970 'Parachute' album, before diving headlong into five tracks from the 1968 album 'S.F. Sorrow'. Starting with the eminent and vibrant 'S.F. Sorrow Is Born', moving onto the delectable and illustrious 'She Says Good Morning', with David Gilmour entering the stage for the remainder of the set to embellish the tracks with his trademark guitar licks. The glorious 'Baron Saturday' sees Taylor step up to the mic to bark out the lyrics. A bit croaky, but delivered with enthusiasm and zeal! 'Trust' gels nicely with all the band locking in. The breathtaking and beguiling 'I See You' shifted everything up a notch, with some fine jamming and guitar noodling from Taylor and Gilmour! The second set concluded with the astounding epic 'Cries From the Midnight Circus' from the 1970 album 'Parachute'. Gilmour raised the bar and lifted the song into the stratosphere with some magisterial fretwork!" Read the whole of Steven C. Gilbert's The Pretty Things, The IndigO2, London, gig review from last Thursday here plus check out our Video Of The Day.

Today's Rock On The Ridge Podcast Track Of The Day pays homage to the recent Wrinklystock VII at The Mick Jagger Centre, Dartford, with music that was played on the night by support band The Replicants (pictured) plus headline act The Kast Off Kinks. There's also a review of some of the best music of 2018!

Ginger Wildheart’s Birthday Bash is at The Garage in London tonight, and with an impressive supporting cast, it promises to be a special night. Originally formed in late 1989 in the depths of Newcastle, The Wildhearts recently completed a three date UK tour performing their debut album, 'Earth vs the Wildhearts', in its entirety.

"At the end of the set Ben tells of how he and the band spent weeks and weeks holed up in the studio to produce the new album and how proud they were of it. They should be proud, it’s a corker and the songs sound fantastic live. Wayne produced the album too, which makes you wonder where he gets the time for King King. The band don’t spend too long off stage before being coaxed back for one more - a lovely cover of Don Henley’s 'Dirty Laundry' which made everyone smile and cheer one last time. This really was one one of those gigs that you were sorry to see end and for me both Matt Pearce and Ben Poole have firmly joined that breed of new British guitarists who are carrying forward the legacy of Clapton, Beck and Page. Good luck guys! No pressure…." Read the whole of Pete Elphick's Ben Poole/Matt Pearce & The Mutiny, Half Moon, Putney, London, gig review from last Wednesday here (pictures courtesy of Bruce Biege) plus check out our Video Of The Day.

Today's Blues On The Radio Podcast Track Of The Day is an hour of new music from Mike Ross, The Riotous Brothers, JP Williams, Rob Heron & The Tea Pad Orchestra, Half Deaf Clatch, Andy Lindquist, Eric Bibb, Sean Chambers and The Ragtime Rumours, Steve Bailey & Mississippi MacDonald, Slide Tracked Blues, Split Whiskers, ElectroBluesSociety and Kevin "B.F." Burt.

Following a very busy year of touring, writing, recording and also a change in lineup, The Raven Age have now announced some very exciting news! Their upcoming album 'Conspiracy' will be released on Friday 8th March next year, via their own record label Corvid Records, and to support the release they will be heading off on their biggest UK/European headline tour to date throughout March and April, including London's The Underworld in Camden on Thursday 28th March. With this news, the band have also shared their new track ‘Fleur De Lis’ - today's Video Of The Day - a guitar heavy belter, with big vocal melodies! This is the third song featuring new vocalist Matt James, who joined George Harris (guitar), Tony Maue (guitar), Matt Cox (bass) and Jai Patel (drums) earlier this year. They've really progressed since their 2017 debut, sonically and also on the live stages, with the upcoming album showing more diversity in their sound and songwriting.

The WRC couldn't resist sharing a recent Facebook posting by proud Dad David Strange! "Feeling qualified as a Wrinkly Rocker, being in my sixties, and having been weaned on Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Free etc.. etc Great feeling when my boy took up guitar, playing in covers bands, Original bands and now a band that he is fronting... Voodoo Lake....." Suffice to say that David will be even prouder today as Voodoo Lake's 'On The Run' is today's Track Of The Day!

Our thanks to Bob - one half of the Rock On The Ridge team - for his additional photos here of both The Kast Off Kinks and The Replicants taken at Wrinklystock VII at The Mick Jagger Centre, Dartford, last Friday week. Also watch out for a special Rock On The Ridge show to be broadcast at 8pm this coming Saturday - with more details to come!

Other gigs tonight include John Verity's annual Christmas-flavoured show at the Village Hall, Cardington, Bedfordshire, at 8pm with special guests Max Milligan and Cherry Lee Mewis. Meanwhile, Power-Pop rockers Last Great Dreamers continue to promote their acclaimed album '13th Floor Renegades' with a clutch of December dates. Tonight they stop off at London's The Black Heart in Camden with very special guests Anita Chellamah and Pete K Mally (pictured).