The Riff Report Blog

Right then you riff-hungry reprobates… gather round. Because this one’s for the proper UK thrash heads. The denim. The patches. The neck ache.
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Right then, Riff Report massive… brace yourselves. Saturday 28th March 2026 is shaping up to be a proper heavy metal riot down in Swansea, and we are absolutely here for it.
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Alright… gather round the virtual bar for a sec.
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Right then you glorious inked-up riff warriors — ever heard someone mutter “UKTTA” at a tattoo show and thought, “Is that a new thrash band from Birmingham?” 😅

Not quite, butt.
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Right then you glorious North East riff merchants… this one’s for the synth sorcerers and Hammond hammerers among you.
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Principles, Politics & Proper Punk Chaos

Well then… this wasn’t on the bingo card, was it?
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Desert sorcery. Symphonic metal. Absolute continental carnage, mun. 🤘🌍

Right then, Riff Report family… brace yourselves.

Because Myrath are loading up the tour bus in 2026 and they’re not popping out for a polite stroll around Europe.
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Forget boring breakfasts.
Forget awkward Zoom calls.
Forget pretending you like decaf.

This Wednesday at 10AM (UK time) the speakers are getting a proper workout because Hard Rock Hell Radio is firing up another edition of Andy Sayers Rocks It!
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Well this is a proper kick in the distortion pedal, mun.

The Offspring have officially cancelled their scheduled show at the Scotiabank Center due to severe weather conditions — and yeah, it’s as brutal as it sounds.
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Right then rock family… dust off the old tour shirts and prepare the vocal cords, because Little Angels are officially BIG, BAD & BACK — and they’re kicking the whole glorious circus off in Ireland.
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Up the Irons, butt – this one’s for the history books.

The mighty Iron Maiden are heading to the cinema with Burning Ambition, a film that charts their absolutely ridiculous five-decade rampage across the planet 🌍🔥

Five decades.

That’s not a band.
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Right then, rock family… this one’s got a bit of sting in the tail.

Legendary drum powerhouse Tommy Aldridge has revealed he wasn’t invited to take part in Ozzy Osbourne’s final concert.

And his response?

“I’m not gonna crash someone else’s party.”

Calm.
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Richly deserved? Too right, butt.

There are guitarists… and then there’s Ritchie Blackmore.

The man who made Stratocasters scream.
The bloke who turned classical scales into hard rock sorcery.
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Right then, riff lovers… this one’s a gut punch.

Kris has officially pulled out of the remainder of the Smith/Kotzen tour after suffering a complete loss of voice during the UK leg.
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There are bad encores.

There are broken guitar strings mid-solo.

And then there’s being locked out of your own LinkedIn account for over two months while Support ghosts you harder than a dodgy promoter.

Yes. Two. Months.
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Right. Deep breath, butt.

Because this one’s got Donington-sized implications.

Dave Grohl has casually lobbed a grenade into the UK rock scene by hinting that Foo Fighters might finally headline Download Festival.

And the quote?
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14 MORE BANDS ADDED AND DONINGTON IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE

Right. Deep breath.

Just when you thought Download Festival 2026 couldn’t possibly squeeze in another ounce of chaos… they’ve gone and added FOURTEEN more bands to the bill.

Fourteen.

That’s not a sprinkle.
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Prog nerds. Arena veterans. Air-drummers of Britain.

This is not a drill.

After announcing their monster March 2027 UK arena dates, Rush have revealed the final missing piece of their Fifty Something Tour puzzle — and it’s a proper heavyweight signing.
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Right, gather round the metaphorical campfire, butt, because we’re about to dust off one of the most criminally overlooked chapters in British rock history… and crank it up to eleven.
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Right. Gather round the virtual bar, because this is not a drill.

The USA’s No.1 tribute to soft rock royalty Bread are finally docking on our shores this September 2026 — and they’re bringing ALL the smooth harmonies with them.
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Cardiff… tidy yourself up, because this one’s about to get gloriously messy.
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Right. Deep breath.

Because this one’s got history written all over it in massive neon prog letters.
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Right then, brace yourself, because the band that basically detonated polite British society in 1976 are celebrating 50 YEARS OF PUNK CHAOS this December 2026 with a UK & Ireland tour. 🤯🔥

Yes. The Sex Pistols.
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Right then, butt.

25 November 1984. Britain’s biggest pop stars pile into SARM West Studios to record the most famous Christmas charity single of all time — Do They Know It’s Christmas? — under the banner of Band Aid.
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Right then, rock family — grab a pint, tune that Strat, and crank the Marshall until the neighbours start twitching… because today we’re celebrating our very own guitar legend — Mr John Norum! 🤘🎸

Yes butt, the man. The myth. The melodic shred machine.
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Yes, butt. It’s real.

Captain. James. T. Kirk.

The man who boldly went where no one had gone before is now boldly going… straight into the mosh pit.
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Right. Deep breath.

Because Foo Fighters have just pulled the most gloriously chaotic rock ’n’ roll move of 2026 — three surprise club shows announced days before they happen… and you can’t buy tickets online.

None.Zero.Not a sniff of a presale link.
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Right then butt… let’s talk about Hard Rock Hell — or HRH as the faithful call it — the festival brand that decided muddy fields were overrated and instead locked thousands of rock fans inside a holiday park with amps, beer and absolutely zero adult supervision.
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Right then. Strap in.

Because Hard Rock Hell Spring Break 2026 — the seaside metal riot set for Camp HRH, Great Yarmouth (11th–15th March) — has officially been cancelled… and the reaction from fans? Absolute carnage in the comments section. 🤘😬

And honestly?
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Right then, Riff Report family… brace yourselves.

Jimmy Eat World are bringing the Bleed American 25th Anniversary Tour to Cardiff Castle, and tickets are absolutely flying. We’re talking “refresh the page and pray” levels of urgency here.
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