Articles by Dave Ling

Dave Ling was a co-founder of Classic Rock magazine. His words have appeared in a variety of music publications, including RAW, Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, Prog, Rock Candy, Fireworks and Sounds. Dave’s life was shaped in 1974 through the purchase of a copy of Sweet’s album ‘Sweet Fanny Adams’, along with early gig experiences from Status Quo, Rush, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Yes and Queen. As a lifelong season ticket holder of Crystal Palace FC, he is completely incapable of uttering the word ‘Br***ton’.

Articles by: Dave Ling

“When I heard the synth intro to The Final Countdown, my reaction was: ‘This is nuts, we can’t use this.’ Thank God they didn’t listen to me”: The epic story of Europe, the band who were more than just a one hit wonder

By Dave Ling published 31 August 24

From partying with Guns N’ Roses to pushing back against those poodle perms, this is the story of Swedish hard rock heroes Europe

"We went ahead and did it, and it exploded in everybody's faces. It was embarrassing": How UFO fell apart then found themselves again

By Dave Ling published 28 August 24

After debacles with former guitarist Michael Schenker, UFO returned with a new lineup in 2004 for another shot at the big time

Gene Simmons posing for a photograph in 2004

“I am in the Gene Simmons business. I am the biggest fan of Gene Simmons”: Happy 75th birthday to Gene Simmons, Kiss bassist and unrepentant asshole

By Dave Ling published 25 August 24

Self-confessed “asshole”, politically incorrect philanderer, money-obsessed businessman, rock superstar – god bless Gene Simmons

Guitarist Bernie Marsden from the band Whitesnake posed with guitar and Marshall amplifiers in Acton, London in October 1983.

"There has been no better ambassador for the electric guitar": Bernie Marsden, remembered

By Dave Ling published 24 August 24

Best known for co-founding Whitesnake and as a writer of some of their classic songs, Bernie Marsden spent a lifetime walking in the shadow of the blues

Blackberry Smoke's lead singer Charlie Starr performs during the first day of Toender Festival 2023, in Toender, on August 24, 2023

"Nobody wants a reggae or a hip-hop record from us": How Blackberry Smoke keep moving forwards

By Dave Ling published 21 August 24

Still dealing with the sad loss of their drummer, southern rockers Blackberry Smoke are gearing up for a European tour

Phil Lynott lying on the floor next to a rose

"He'd cook you a breakfast like your mother, then go out trawling through the markets buying second-hand clothes": A tribute to Phil Lynott, by the guitarists who played alongside him

By Dave Ling published 20 August 24

Phil Lynott's bandmates share their memories of their late, lamented, but inimitable frontman Philip Lynott

"It's blossomed into something that's effortless": Roots rockers Brave Rival spend most of their lives in a van, but it's been worth it

By Dave Ling published 19 August 24

Always-on-the-road Brits Brave Rival launch new album Fight Or Flight with a London show next month

10cc crouched in front of a castle window

"It's too safe. It needs a kick up the arse": How 10cc transformed I'm Mandy Fly Me into an epic via "two whacking great guitar solos" and a plane crash

By Dave Ling published 8 August 24

The band members may argue about the origins of the title, but there's no denying that the multi-part I'm Mandy Fly Me is a true pop classic

"I was left standing alone in the dark, trying to match up to these iconic singers that had gone before": The chaotic tale of Black Sabbath's Tony Martin era

By Dave Ling published 24 July 24

Dio was out, Gillan was gone, Geezer had given up, and Ozzy had declared war. Light came in the shape of Tony Martin, and the next chapter in Black Sabbath's story

"Emails were exchanged with Ian Anderson, containing something that could be described as music": Opeth's Mikael Åkerfeldt is unable to tell you what he'd like to tell you

By Dave Ling published 22 July 24

Swedish proggers Opeth have European festival dates throughout the summer before heading to the US, and have a new album in the can

"I have stood on stage during some difficult situations": Journey's Jonathan Cain on band animosity, the long life of Don't Stop Believin', and why they don't play Germany

By Dave Ling published 21 July 24

AOR giants Journey are currently on tour, and will bring the show to the UK for the first time in over a decade later this year

"Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong": Praying Mantis once vied with Iron Maiden for attention, but setbacks and bad decisions took them on a very different journey

By Dave Ling published 17 July 24

Praying Mantis ran alongside Iron Maiden in the early days of the NWOBHM race, but only Maiden shot to fame

“Bon Scott chose to hang out with us more than AC/DC. He thought they were boring”: the rollercoaster story of Y&T, the greatest hard rock band never to become huge

By Dave Ling published 13 July 24

Headlining over Van Halen, hanging with Bon Scott, out-partying Mötley Crüe – Y&T deserve way more love than they get

“So many bands came through and ripped us off”: how death metal icons Obituary came in from the cold with comeback album Frozen In Time – and a little help from Andrew WK

By Dave Ling published 12 July 24

Obituary released their raging comeback album Frozen In Time on this day in 2005

“It’s almost like we’re so preposterously uncool that somehow we became cool”: the turbulent story of Dream Theater’s Images And Words, the album that changed the face of prog metal

By Dave Ling published 11 July 24

The turbulent story of Dream Theater’s Images And Words, the album that changed the face of prog metal

“We were on the right track at the start, but drugs and booze made us lose our way”: the explosive story of Wild Horses, the supergroup who had it all and threw it away

By Dave Ling published 6 July 24

Featuring former members of Thin Lizzy and Rainbow, Wild Horses should have been huge – but chemicals, egos and bitterness got in the way

“I didn't tell the band, but I went to the gig and sat at the back. It was strange to see this other guy singing my lines… I really felt for him”: Michael Sadler was always going to rejoin Saga, and they knew it

By Dave Ling published 5 July 24

Canadian singer’s five-year absence was long enough for his bandmates to fail the challenge of reinventing themselves

"Tony Iommi should have dropped the name and called the band something else": Black Sabbath's least-loved album re-examined, four decades on

By Classic Rock Magazine published 1 July 24

What happened when Tony Iommi brought two familiar faces back on board for Forbidden, an album produced by an extremely unexpected choice

The rock musicians battling against AI: "If they can do it to Steve and they can do it to me, what's next? How far will they go?"

By Dave Ling published 28 June 24

Exclusive: Peter Frampton and Jerry Shirley on the attempts by the owners of the Steve Marriott estate to replicate the singer's voice with AI – and why they're determined to fight it

“If it was up to me, I’d make it the Big Five”: why Testament deserve to be at thrash’s top table

By Dave Ling published 23 June 24

Testament’s 2012 album Dark Roots Of Earth was another classic from thrash’s most dependable band

"We do an incredible version of Forever Changes, close your eyes and you’re listening to the record": Arthur Lee may be gone, but Love have found a way forward

By Dave Ling published 23 June 24

Love's Forever Changes is coming to the UK in full, and if you're lucky it'll be orchestrated

"I'm just racked with self-loathing and criticism": Manic Street Preachers' bassist Nicky Wire once wanted to lacerate the world - now he's doing it to himself

By Dave Ling published 23 June 24

Nicky Wire talks about the upcoming Manics tour, Richey Edwards, Rush and the band’s next album

Taylor Momsen of The Pretty Reckless opens for AC/DC at RCF Arena on May 25, 2024 in Reggio nell'Emilia, Italy

"Rock'n'roll is alive, and I need it to stay that way": The Pretty Reckless are on the road with AC/DC, and Taylor Momsen is more than ready to rock

By Dave Ling published 23 June 24

Supporting the Rolling Stones and AC/DC in the same week? Sounds like a pretty good few days

“There was alcohol, plenty of fighting, sometimes guns. That was just the women”: the wild career of Cold Chisel, the Aussie hellraisers who should have been as big as AC/DC

By Dave Ling published 22 June 24

Cold Chisel are huge stars in their native Australia, but the rest of the world barely knows who they are

Fancy a bit of heads-down, legs-apart, no-nonsense, mindless boogie? The Status Quo albums you should definitely listen to

By Dave Ling published 20 June 24

With the likes of Marguerita Time and In The Army Now lurking, you need to tread carefully while searching out Status Quo's best albums

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Dave Ling

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