Aw come on

   I'm an avid reader and subscriber to Classic Rock Magazine and it's easily the best music magazine out there that covers our genre. The new edition just landed on my lap and it's that time of year to vote on what rocked your world in 2013 with the recipients receiving their awards at the Classic Rock Roll of Honour in November. All well and good you'd say.

   Not quite. What caught my eye was the list for band of the year: Black Sabbath, David Bowie, Iron Maiden, The Rolling Stones and Status Quo. Yes I know that Bowie is not a band as such but he's not the real issue here. He along with Sabbath are the only 2 that had new product out this year. So Maiden, the Stones and Status Quo are band of the year for this reason:. rehearsing in a room for a bit and doing some dates for a sackload of money. Fucking hell that must have been tough creatively, thank god for separate buses/planes and the like. Oh and they played all the really old stuff too.

   Whether they are great live anymore is not my issue here, it's the criteria used to put the bands on the list in the first place. Surely a band who actually bothers their collective arses to get in the studio and create something new and tour should be on the list ahead of a band that does some dates. Why the fuck aren't Deep Purple up for band of the year after releasing the excellent Now What album, same with Saxon, same with Megadeth. In an era where fewer and fewer bands are releasing new product for whatever reason their blood, sweat and tears should be rewarded especially if the stuff is shit kicking good. Getting some old farts on stage to play some songs often reminds you of how great they used to be and not how great they are now. I thought the staff at Classic Rock Magazine would hold bands to a higher standard.

Richie.