Following the tragic murder of Dimebag Darrell, nothing will ever bring back Pantera, but the first half of 2012 saw a resonably full calendar for the other band members:

Pantera’s classic, career-defining release, ‘Vulgar Display of Power’ was given an expanded 20th anniversary reissue; Philip Anselmo has been touring with his band Down with new material is very much in the offing; as part of Kill Devil Hill, bassist Rex Brown toured Europe and shared a stage with Mike Portnoy’s Adrenalin Mob.

2012 presented an equally full calendar for ex-Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul, too.  His band Hellyeah, devoted time to recording their third album and playing live shows.  Just prior to the release of that third release, ‘Band of Brothers’, Hellyeah appeared at the Rocklahoma Festival, where they performed a forty minute set.

Professionally filmed footage of their entire performance can be seen below.

Florence + The Machine’s debut album ‘Lungs’ is wonderful. The record company promotion of it, less so – to get all of the bonus tracks required purchasing no fewer than three different releases – but the original thirteen songs represent a terrific release nonetheless. By the time ‘Lungs’ appeared in it’s third special edition, it had to be asked, was this just sheer record company greed, knowing a cash-cow when they saw one, or were the record executives genuinely worried that Florence couldn’t deliver a second time?

Although it seemed unlikely, the follow-up release, 2011’s ‘Ceremonials’ really upped the ante, taking everything that was enjoyable about ‘Lungs’ and polishing it up farther. Making “that difficult second album” seem easy, ‘Ceremonials’ had a greater focus on bigger musical arrangements, while the songs themselves offered just as many hooks. Any fears of a second album disappointment soon vanished after hearing the first tracks to appear ahead of release.

Here – as posted on YouTube – is an all too brief snapshot of everything that’s been great about Florence Welch’s first few years as one of the bright lights on an often dull UK mainstream music chart: a complete half-hour performance filmed for BBC Radio 1’s ‘Live Lounge’.

Sit back and enjoy some fabulous tunes.

In 2010, glam metal legends Ratt released ‘Infestation’ via Frontiers Records. With Stephen Pearcy in his rightful place as frontman, the album was well received by fans an critics alike. Ratt scheduled UK gigs in support of the album, with a slot at the Download Festival that year, but pulled out at the last moment after Pearcy was taken ill.

In January 2012, the band announced they were beginning work on a new album. In May 2012, Ratt appeared at the M3 Festival in the US. The show marked the first live appearance of prodigal bassist Juan Croucier, last seen in the Ratt line-up in 1991.

Professionally filmed footage of Ratt’s complete performance can be seen below.

Setlist:
Dangerous But Worth The Risk
Scene of the Crime
In Your Direction
Wanted Man
I’m Insane
Lay It Down
Lack of Communication
Way Cool Jr.
You Think You’re Tough
Nobody Rides For Free
Body Talk
Back For More
You’re In Love
Round and Round

Much like the UK’s own High Voltage Festival, the US M3 Festival is dedicated to classic and retro rock acts, and the 2012 line-up was a cracker. Over the course of two days, rock fans were treated to live sets by Bang Tango, Dokken, Ratt, Enuff Z’Nuff, XYZ and more.

A highlight of the weekend was a 65 minute set by progressive rock/metal legends Queensrÿche. Queensrÿche also performed a superb set at High Voltage in 2011, although far too short at just over 25 minutes. They really ought to have been given the headline slot instead of Dream Theater… Still, this professionally shot set from M3 may provide a small amount of consolation for those in the UK, as Geoff Tate and company play a selection of their well loved classics alongside a few lesser known cuts.

The setlist in full:
Intro
Get Started
Damaged
I Don’t Believe In Love
Hit The Black
I’m American
NM 156
Screaming In Digital
The Lady Wore Black
Walk In The Shadows
Silent Lucidity
Jet City Woman
Empire 50:58
Eyes Of A Stranger

On April 23rd, Jack White released his much anticipated solo debut ‘Blunderbuss’. Following a legacy of work with The White Stripes and hugely enjoyable releases with The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather, ‘Blunderbuss’ had much to live up to…but White managed to pull all of his previous influences together, alongside a couple of new angles and release a cracker of a disc.

Prior to his gigs in the UK, just four days after the release of the album, White performed a full show at Webster Hall in New York, a show directed by Gary Oldman and seen by millions as a webcast. For those who missed it – or for those who loved it so much it needs to be seen again – Jack White’s VEVO channel have uploaded the complete set to YouTube.

One show.
Two sets.
New material alongside reworked familiarities.
What’s not to enjoy…?