Tops and Flops: The Classic Rock Show, John Sykes and Liverpool
Pete Thorn rocks!
4,9 / 5,0 | 
In this week’s Tops and Flops, we go and see The Classic Rock Show in Liverpool, and face the depressing realities of trying to get to gigs in adverse weather conditions.
This Week’s Tops and Flops:
Tops and Flops!
Welcome back to another edition of our weekly highlights series. Taking in the highs and lows of your editorial team here at gearnews.com. We’re only three weeks into 2025, and so much has happened. In the life of a musician, there’s always something going on!
The Classic Rock Show
To kick us off, I’m itching to talk about having been to see The Classic Rock Show in Liverpool, UK. As far as Tops and Flops are concerned, this was a big hit!
Formed in 2013, this band are keeping proper music alive. Showcasing artists such as Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Pat Benetar and so many more, these shows are now a structural part of my musical diary.
Featuring renowned guitarist, Pete Thorn, we’re also treated to the vocal talents of Jess Harwood, Jesse Smith and others. The backbeat is provided by Tim Brown, along with Wayne Banks on bass who has also played for Saxon among others.
I have followed these guys on YouTube since 2019, having used a lot of their versions of songs for my own musical projects. Having seen them twice on their 2024 UK tour and met the band, I just had to see them again at the Liverpool Royal Philharmonic Hall.
For gear enthusiasts like us, The Classic Rock Show is a dream to watch. They use proper Marshall stacks unless you’re Pete Thorn with his bespoke Suhr gear. Although, Pete did use a tasty looking Gibson Explorer for any tracks in Eb such as You Really Got Me and Welcome To The Jungle.
Moreover, each track in the setlist is a loving tribute to the original recording. And it’s all live with multiple guitar changes for the appropriate songs. They tour in the UK, Europe and America. If you haven’t seen them yet, I’d strongly advise you do!
Snow Cancelling Gigs
Back down to reality now, the flops part of tops and flops. As a writer, guitar teacher and musician, performing at gigs is a vital part of my career. However, the weather had other ideas.
Whilst the tragic fires blazed over in Los Angeles, here in the North of England, we were treated to several inches of snow followed by several days of freezing conditions. This resulted in chaos in terms of getting out and about.
Although very pretty, snowy weather is less than ideal for getting to gigs. Sadly, I had to cancel a handful of Pub and Club gigs this week as a result of the weather. As any musician knows, January is bad enough for work.
I much prefer gigging in summer, as outdoor venues always attract larger crowds and its generally more enjoyable as a performer. Fingers crossed that this cold snap disappears soon!
John Sykes
In all seriousness, this week, we lost British guitarist John Sykes. After a battle with cancer, the Thin Lizzy and Whitesnake guitarist was just 65.
From his bluesy and calculated solo in Is This Love to his high-octane hook in Still Of The Night, Sykes was one of the greats.
Liverpool Visit
To conclude this week’s tops and flops, we’re looking at a trip to Liverpool. Having been an avid Beatles fan for as long as I can remember, this place is always a real treat.
Erected in 2015, this larger-than-life statue of The Beatles is a wonderful reminder of where the Fab Four came from. If you’ve never been, Liverpool is a wonderful, musical and historical place. You can still visit the famed Cavern Club to watch acts perform all these years later.
Each street corner has reminders of the likes of Gerry Marsden, Cilla Black and others. The city has such a rich history of family names in the music business. What I like most about the place is how friendly it is. If you can overlook the shocking amount of homelessness, it really is a cracking place to visit. Beatles fan or not.
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