Blacktop Deluxe and Loose Moorings rode into Chalk Farm on Valentine's night with only one thing in mind and it wasn't romance!! This was their chance to show the Capital what they are all about and boy did they do that. Loose Moorings were using this gig to launch their new album Loose Moorings II and they were in no mood to ease in gently. Ironically they opened with my favourite track off their first album - the classic 'Think I'd Be Blue' and that set the tone for their set which included all but two tracks off the new album. I could wax lyrical about so many of the songs in their set because they were all quality but I have a soft spot for the first track they sent me - namely 'Ride' which made the decision to book them very easy. Other highlights for me were 'Magpie' and a trip to the dark side with 'A Crazy Sane'. Guys we took a punt on you - you said you wouldn't let us down and you didn't - love the album and looking forward to you supporting Virgil and the Accelerators on Saturday 1st May. Next up were Blacktop Deluxe who had made the 'short' trip from Cornwall after a gig last night!! Jet Lag didn't show however as they launched into their set which is full of road driven Blues Rock. Don't imagine though that the band are one dimensional - far from it. Mixing their own material from the superb 'Turn Up Be Nice Play Hard' album (which sums them up perfectly by the way) with classic tracks such as 'Hoochie Coochie Man', 'Crossroads' and the brilliant Led Zep classic 'When the Levee Breaks' - the set never left you with the feeling they are just filling in with certain numbers. Add in the heart wrenching tribute to guitarists who are no longer with us in 'Another Man Down' and you have the perfect mix - a quality set from a band that are very much on the up and deservedly so!! Next time these guys are in town do yourself a favour and go and see them. Last but not least AJ and myself would like to thank both bands for all the work they put in to the evening, not only on the night, but in their efforts to promote the gig. It's a pity that, considering how far the bands had travelled, that the locals couldn't be bothered to turn out :( Wrinkly

Yes with just one award to go, we're pleased to announce that 'Best Support' in our 2014 WRC Awards goes to Brighton trio Stark ('Track Of The Day') following their gig supporting Grainne Duffy and Laurence Jones at the 100 Club in June last year. Stark return to the 100 Club next Tuesday with WRC 'One's To Watch' winners Little Devils. Question is will headliner Aynsley Lister make it a clean sweep when our Best Blues Performance award is released tomorrow?

Their name belies the fact that the odds were actually stacked in their favour. Yes - Slim Chance are the worthy winners of our Best Acoustic performance in our 2014 WRC Awards. Well done guys!

Today's Blues Club Podcast Track Of The Day has 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 tracks from some artists and bands appearing at the Chelmsford Blues in the City Festival this weekend including King King, Red Butler, Kaz Hawkins Band, RootBone, Catfish (pictured), Eric Clapton, Sari Schorr, Trev Turley & Friends, Deb Ryder, The Ken Tucker Band, Jason Elmore and Hoodoo Witch, Southern Culture on the Skids, Lew Jetton, Northsyde, New Orleans Suspects, Enrico Jerimiah Marques, Vaneese Thomas, Jamie Williams & the Roots Collective, Bobby Rush, Elles Bailey, Tommy Castro, Dove and Boweevil, Bruce Katz, Mark Harrison, Fabulous Thunderbirds, GT's Boos Band, Kat Kings, Pete Harris Blues Band & Jon Vaughan, B. B. & The Blues Shacks and more.

Metallica will release their eleventh studio album, 'Hardwired…To Self-Destruct' on Friday November 18th, via Blackened Recordings. The 2 CD/2 Vinyl set is the Grammy® Award winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee’s first studio album since 2008’s multi-platinum 'Death Magnetic'. 'Hardwired', the first track to be released from the forthcoming album, was played for the first time during a live remote broadcast from Metallica’s HQ in the Bay Area. During an interview with Minneapolis rock station 93X discussing the band’s performance at U.S. Bank Stadium on August 20th, Lars Ulrich stunned 93X’s Pablo by unleashing the incendiary song for the first time, much to the surprise (and delight) of the station, as well as fans around the world. 'Hardwired' (today's Vid Of The Day) will also be delivered as an instant download to fans who preorder the album.

Our BluesRockFest countdown continues with just twelve day's to go now till Leo's Red Lion, Gravesend, on Saturday 24th September - and again we thank WRC member Stuart Broderick who has kindly sponsored Jack J Hutchinson (our Vid Of The Day). And again just a reminder that if you become a WRC member here for FREE - you not only get all the associated privileges of being a member - but you can also still buy your BluesRockFest ticket for £15 instead of £20!

Yes the big day has finally arrived! All roads lead to Mote Park, Maidstone, Kent for Ramblin' Man Fair weekend. Watch out for our coverage this weekend on Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and of course - here on our website. As well as enjoying the music and the booze , we have a dedicated team of: Big Ian reviewing Saturday, Wrinkly The Silver reviewing Sunday and of course Mr. Rockrpix John Bull taking some awesome photos all over the weekend. Throw in a couple of planned back stage interviews with Inglorious (Vid Of The Day) and Illustr8ors - and it's going to be a rockin' weekend - even with good weather forecast!

Yesterdays tweet from one of our many WRC followers Suezan said it all "@WRINKLYCLUB @TRextasyBand congratulations on your sell out event tonight, a storming success @mickjaggercentr" Well it took a year to plan - but after last night's amazing Wrinklystock IV featuring T. Rextasy and The Replicants - we think it was our best one yet? Not only did we raise £1,000 for our nominated charities but the gig itself was awesome. A massive thank you to all of you that supported the evening and here's to Wrinklysock V! Watch out for a review and some pics over the coming days - but in the meantime check out our Vid Of The Day!

"Often when bands announce they’re about to play songs from their new album, you can almost hear the audience groaning. This definitely wasn’t the case last night: King King’s ‘Reaching for the Light’ has already won awards and is not only faster, louder and more energetic, it is also their most acclaimed and most exciting album to date. All the songs from the album were well received: the bustling riffs and tough vocals in ‘Hurricane’, the ballad ‘Lay with Me’, Lindsay’s pulsating bass on ‘Crazy’ and the slower, powerful Blues of ‘Stranger to Love’, well suited to Alan’s vocal range." Read the rest of Big Ian's excellent review here plus see our Vid Of The Day.

That's right! Our thanks to all of you that pre-ordered the official 2015 BluesRockFest DVD/CD here featuring both two video and two audio tracks from each of the six artists that appeared at the The Red Lion, Gravesend, Kent, on Saturday 4th July 2015. Anyway, they have now been shipped and just as a reminder, today's Vid Of The Day is taken from that fantastic day. And it's still not too late to order your copy for a bargain £10 + p&p to see what all the fuss is about! Don't forget that WRC Members can also get 10% off by simply entering their coupon code!

Join Richard Dunning here live in the Croydon Radio studio at 5pm tonight for his Blues On The Radio Show! Rich will be joined by Nick Hyde and David Raphael prior to the Sepia Swing Show Twins gig at The Tuesday Night Music Club, at the Hooley Village Club, St. Margaret's Road, Hooley Village, Coulsdon, Surrey, CR5 3RB. They'll be playing some of their favourite music and may even get out their guitar and harp! Along with that Mr. Dunning will be previewing the Women In Blues Show happening in Sevenoaks next weekend and slotting in some of the choicest new music around. As usual two hours of great music and news of what's happening in Blues.

It's Friday so that must mean The Blues Club Podcast Track Of The Day - bringing you another two hours of non-stop Best In Blues with "More Music and Less Chat". This week the show includes music from Albert Cummings, Andy T - Nick Nixon Band, Angela Lewis Brown, The Royal Southern Brotherhood, Robert Cray, Dave Alvin, Robbie McIntosh, Crooked Eye Tommy, Bruce "Mississippi" Johnson, John Ginty, Jo Harman, Fran McGillivray Burke, Slinky & P'tit Loup, Jon Cleary, Joe Moss Band, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, The Chris O'Leary Band, Christian Collin Band, John Mayall Blues, Dove and Boweevil, Shemekia Copeland, Wily Bo Walker, Long Tall Deb featuring Colin John, Zac Harmon, Chris James and Patrick Rynn, Freedonia and the Gerry Jablonski Band!