Following on from recent Prog all-dayers Progtoberfest and Prog For Peace, Masquerade 2 is a one day musical event in aid of MacMillan Cancer Support starting today at 12.30pm at London's Boston Music Room at 178 Junction Road, London N19 5QQ - opposite Tufnell Park underground station. It features the best in contemporary Progressive and Hard Rock. - namely Magic Pie, Tiger Moth Tales, Preacher, Big Hogg, I Am The Manic Whale. A fully festive celebration, it will be an exuberant, fancy dress affair. Go in your wildest glad rags!

Next year's Ramblin' Man Fair at Mote Park, Maidstone, Kent, over the weekend of 30th June - 1st July features one of the most exciting Rock acts of recent times, Halestorm, as special guests on the Sunday. Meanwhile, other acts recently announced include Outlaw Country Stage headliners Steve Earle & The Dukes playing the iconic 'Copperhead Road' in its entirety, 2014 WRC Award winners Blackberry Smoke from Atlanta, Georgia, bringing a heavy slice of Southern Rock to the Fair plus the super group of super groups, Sons Of Apollo, featuring Mike Portnoy, Billy Sheehan Derek Sherinian, Jeff Scott Soto and Ron 'Bumblefoot' Thal.

Italian Rock powerhouse label Frontiers Music srl recently announced the re-signing of Airrace (pictured) for a new album to be released in 2018. One of the UK’s pioneering AOR bands, the group have hit the road with kindred spirits Lionheart (Video Of The Day) for a pre-Xmas co-headlining tour which stops off at London's Underworld in Camden tonight. In fact the last time we saw Lionheart's ex-Iron Maiden guitarist Dennis Stratton was drinking Trooper with an army of Maiden fans at The Pilot Inn before their gig at London's O2 Arena at the end of May. We're sure that we are in for another quality night tonight!

"The tantalizing 'Run With The Hounds', taken from Mollie's debut album, opens the set and is executed with sublime precision and enthusiasm. This song has a delightful and satisfying melodic groove, a great set opener. Next up was the title track of the new album, the beguiling and classy 'Truth Is A Wolf', an irresistible groove with spellbinding vocals. 'Nobody To Love' is a new song which is not on the debut album and is a first for me. A riveting and rousing heavy Funk Soul track with exhilarating vocals." Read the whole of Steven C. Gilbert's' Mollie Marriott/Bad Touch O2 Islington Academy gig review here from last Sunday (photo courtesy of Laurence Harvey) plus check out today's Track Of The Day.

Better late than never as they say, as we finally get around to 'introducing ...' you to Dirty Blues power trio, The Robert J Hunter Band (Video Of The Day). This road worn young band have been making waves in the Blues scene as of late following a busy 2017 festival season, including; The Great British Rhythm & Blues Festival, Colne and participation in this years UK Blues Challenge at Liverpool’s legendary Cavern Club. This is a hard working energetic live act who’s roots are in Blues with raw original material paired with gruff powerful vocals, raucous guitar work and a super tight rhythm section.

Today's December 2017 WRC e-mail Bulletin looks back at November and Wrinklystock VI featuring Magic - a kind of Queen & ELO (pictured) supported by Wrinklystock legends The Replicants and our November gigs including Michael Schenker, L. A. Guns, Hard Rock Hell 11, Joanne Shaw Taylor, Alice Cooper, Deep Purple, Live & Dangerous plus our Kie Von Hertzen interview and Travelin Jack CD review. We also look forward to December and the announcement of our 2017 WRC Award nominees plus our December gigs including Airrace, Diamond Head, IQ, Queen, Departed and Dan Reed Network. And if you are not currently on our e-mail circulation list then please send us your details in the contact box below!

The Blues Club Podcast Track Of The Day returns on the first of the month with another two hours of non-stop Best in Blues with More Music and Less Chat, featuring New Releases, Classic Tracks, UK Independent Blues Broadcasters Association Presenters' Picks and much more. Music this week Includes tracks from Joe Bonamassa, Dave Keyes, Benny Turner, Luther Allison, Beth Hart, Ronnie Earl, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Dan Patlansky, Sean Webster Band, The Snyders, Jack J Hutchinson, Val Starr and the Blues Rocket, Starlite Campbell Band, Robert J Hunter, The Marcus King Band, The Bad Day Blues Band, Jo Harman, Miss Freddye, Rocky Athas, Michael McDonald, Walter Trout (pictured), Donald Fagen, Albert Cummings, Imelda May, Tape Five, Jesse Davey, Larkin Poe, B. B. & The Blues Shacks and more.

The Stone Free Festival returns next year on Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th June at The O2, London. Now in its third year, Stone Free has become a firm fixture on the live calendar and next year’s exciting event is set to be the biggest and best yet. Headlining the arena on the Saturday night in a UK live exclusive for 2018 are legendary German rockers Scorpions and Joining them will be thrash titans Megadeth, led by Dave Mustaine, who will also be playing their only UK show of 2018. Headlining the Sunday night will be Prog-Rock royalty Yes (today's Track Of The Day) featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakeman. The fourth legend to join the bill is former Supertramp frontman Roger Hodgson, composer and singer of many of the band’s biggest hits including ‘Dreamer’, ‘It’s Raining Again’, ‘Breakfast In America’ and ‘The Logical Song’, among many others. Also playing on Sunday will be the UK’s number one star of the Blues Rock world, Joanne Shaw Taylor who has released critically acclaimed albums and gained a global fan base.

Dan Reed Network, today's Video Of The Day, are special guests on Extreme’s December 2017 UK tour which kicks at Newcastle O2 Academy on Wednesday 13th December and ends at London’s O2 Academy Brixton on Wednesday 20th December. All cylinders are furiously firing, Dan Reed Network are back all guns blazing. With the recent release of their critically acclaimed album 'Fight Another Day' safely in their pockets, the band have indulged Europe and the States in a fiery return to the touring circuit.

Geno Washington & The Yo Yos, featuring members of the super tight Ram Jam Band, playing a blistering set of pared down street Soul, RnB and house rockin' Blues, are at The Eel Pie Club, The Patch, 67 London Road, Twickenham TW1 3SZ tonight. Geno is still the ultimate 60's Soul man, enjoying cult status in Soul, Blues and RnB scenes, mainly due to his unsurpassable reputation as a live performer. A contemporary of Georgie Fame, The Small Faces and Jimi Hendrix (all of whom were his support acts back in the day), Geno is as electrifying today as ever, a force of nature and a genuine joy to behold. Doors open at 8.30pm with music from 9-11pm. WRC members are reminded that they can use their cards to get discounted admission.

On today's 2016 WRC Award winning Rock On The Ridge Track Of The Day, you can listen again to Saturday night's show which includes a review of WrinklyStock Vl (pictured) and loads of great music featuring Stone Temple Pilots, Electric Light Orchestra, Monster Truck, Queen and Little Brother Eli. You can also check out Bob's brilliant Wrinklystock VI photos here.

Award-winning Blues Rock band King King special guests for their January 2018 UK Tour will be Rhino’s Revenge (featuring Rhino from Status Quo) at the London Shepherd’s Bush Empire on Wednesday 17th January, the Birmingham Town Hall on Thursday 18th January and the Bath Forum on Saturday 20th January, Gerry Jablonski And The Electric Band at the Edinburgh Queen’s Hall on Friday 26th January and Xander And The Peace Pirates (pictured) at the Sheffield Leadmill on Saturday 27th January. King King released their fourth studio album “'Exile & Grace”' this October featuring singles '(She Don’'t) Gimme No Lovin’' and 'Long Time Running', which have been big hits on Planet Rock Radio in the UK.