Niall Doherty

When the Royal Ulster Constabulary decided to go after Thin Lizzy for suspected drug abuse it resulted in road blocks, surprise backstage busts and strip searches – but not an ounce of cocaine to be found

When former AC/DC singer Bon Scott ran into Daryl Braithwaite backstage in 1975, the Sherbet singer thought he was being offered some poultry-flavoured champagne. He was wrong.

When Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards found out the Sex Pistols had been calling for the band to retire and "get out of the way", his reaction was like "a volcano erupting"

After AC/DC and Deep Purple went head-to-head in 1975, no-one ever messed with Angus & co.’s gear again

As well as being mistaken for paramilitaries, The Clash's slated 1977 Belfast gig ended up in a kerfuffle that saw punks rioting and the band banned from performing

Never mind the bollocks: When Pink Floyd went to war, guitarist David Gilmour found a loophole in Roger Waters' spiralling demands

Having weathered early days of huge commercial success but critical flak, these days Gavin Rossdale is happy for Bush just to “make interesting music”

Jake Smith a.k.a. The White Buffalo picks his records, artists and gigs of lasting significance, and reveals the greatest album to listen to when you'e on mushrooms

Some people still won’t give Bush the credit they deserve, but it's their loss and these 10 tracks prove it

There’s no such thing as retirement when you’re The Godfather Of Shock Rock, but, as he tells Classic Rock, he’s never had any intention of stopping anyway

For one night only, David Bowie celebrated his 50th birthday with an all-star show at Madison Square Garden. Here’s how the stardust was sprinkled, told by those who were there

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss's Raise The Roof, the follow-up to their hugely successful Raising Sand album, was more than worth the wait

Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell’s first solo album in almost 20 years highlights his acoustic side. A lockdown project, he says it turned into “a pretty cool record”

Thirty years in, Pearl Jam’s story is one of destiny and integrity, and of having to suffer more than their fair share of tragedy

There was far more to grunge than Nirvana, as these lost treasures prove

Soundgarden defied barriers and boundaries to become one of the most influential bands of a generation – here, a guide to the band that never stayed in one place for long

Your guide to Pearl Jam's best and most important forays into the unknown

Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness was the last truly great US rock album of the 90s – and of the Smashing Pumpkins' career. We look back at the groundbreaking record, 25 years on