Well it certainly has been an incident packed two months in the AOR world since last we found ourselves here. Mere days after the last issue hit the street, the news of Firefest 3 became official, and the line-up of bands assembled for this year’s show looks set to be one of the best ever UK gigs for melodic hard rock. Personally speaking, I can’t wait to see every single band on the line-up, with special fascination for Wig Wam and Treat; two wonderful bands that I’ve never seen live before. Check out www.thefirefest.com

And then, of course, we had the Journey fiasco. Only weeks after I had witnessed a superlative show in Manchester came the news that Augeri was largely miming during this tour, and indignation was rife – although denials strangely not forth-coming. Then shockingly Augeri leaves, and is replaced by everyone’s favourite rock n’ roll frontman, Jeff Scott Soto. The official Journey statement was that Augeri needed to rest due to a throat infection. I have absolutely no comment to make about that, other than it must have been a really serious condition to last three years! But still, it’s great to see Jeff up there, where he belongs – in front of thousands!

News on the Magnum front is also personally heartening. Having willed Tony Clarkin to return to the days of ‘Chase the Dragon’ and ‘Storyteller’s Night’, the announcement that Rodney Matthews will once again be supplying the artwork for the new album, and song titles including ‘Like Brothers We Stand’ and ‘Dragons are Real’, fills me with an excitement and anticipation I haven’t felt in years. I’ve been promised a trip down the studio from Al Barrow, and hope to report back very soon.

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Okay … see you all at Firefest 3!! It’s only rock and roll, but I LIKE IT!!! -- Bruce Mee