Dave Ling

Dave Ling

News/Lives Editor, Classic Rock

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

Joe Bonamassa onstage taking a bow

"I'm not Rory; I don't want to be a tribute act": Joe Bonamassa on paying homage to Rory Gallagher in Ireland

By Dave Ling published

Next year, Joe Bonamassa plays the music of the late, great Irish guitarist Rory Gallagher at three special shows in Cork.

Big Big Train

“It could have gone either way… I figured that if this was going to be my last hurrah, we should really go for it and make something that would be astonishing to listen to”: How Big Big Train broke through with The Underfall Yard

By Dave Ling published

Their sixth album, released in 2009, was their first with singer David Longdon and drummer Nick D'Virgilio – and it nearly broke the band

The best 50 albums of 2024 montage

The 50 Best Rock Albums of 2024

By Classic Rock Magazine published

A-listers, established artists, up-and-comers, previously unknowns and more

Danny Bowes sitting on a stool in a suit

"I told Thunder that if they wanted to replace me, I was fine with that": Danny Bowes on the long road to recovery and his return to the stage

By Dave Ling published

Back from the brink: Thunder vocalist Danny Bowes returns after major medical trauma

Greg Hart and Willie Dowling

"I had never heard of Cats In Space because I no longer listen to music": Cats In Space and Willie Dowling are on tour and cannot get enough of each other

By Dave Ling published

Pop-leaning rock band Cats In Space and multi-instrumentalist, singer, composer and producer Willie Dowling have four dates together this month

Those Damn Crows publicity still

"We played to more than 350,000 fans in stadiums": Those Damn Crows are used to big crowds, but their next show is another step up

By Dave Ling published

Welsh rockers Those Damn Crows are going from strength to strength – we check in ahead of the biggest show of their lives

Mountain singer and guitarist Leslie West posing for a photograph with a guitar in 2009

“I’m told that I introduced Ozzy to cocaine when Black Sabbath opened for Mountain on their first American tour”: Leslie West’s wild tales of Ozzy Osbourne, Mick Jagger, Jimi Hendrix and Tom Hanks

By Dave Ling published

Playing with The Who, jamming with Hendrix, partying with Bowie, Jagger and Lennon - late Mountain man Leslie West did it all and more

Neal Morse & The Resonance – No Hill For A Climber

“Two huge centrepieces are guaranteed to delight prog’s stopwatch brigade”: Neal Morse breaks out more sumptuous melodies on No Hill For A Climber

By Dave Ling published

Transatlantic leader’s latest album sees him working with younger musicians and letting them work their own magic – while adding plenty of his own

Judas Priest posing for a photograph in leather and studs in 1984

“The world had gone mad. The PMRC were trying to use all these great songs for their own agenda, which in the long run counted for nothing”: The story of Judas Priest’s Defenders Of The Faith, the album that Tipper Gore couldn’t silence

By Dave Ling published

Controversy, chaos and “the heavy metal horn” – the story of Judas Priest’s 1984 album Defenders Of The Faith

Dream Theater posing for a photograph in front of a stormy sky in 2009

“It worries the hell out of me. We’ve been outcasts for our whole career. If what we do becomes some sort of trend, will we die with it?”: How Dream Theater became the kings of progressive metal – and stayed there

By Dave Ling published

In 2009, Dream Theater released Black Clouds & Silver Linings – an album the prog metal giants claimed could give Slipknot and Trivium a run for its money in heaviness

Steve Howe

"We weren’t fiddling around and wondering what to do, we were going to nail this sucker": Steve Howe names the best record he's ever made

By Dave Ling published

Yes guitarist Steve Howe picks his records, artists and gigs of lasting significance

Cherrie Curry onstage

"I've changed it all around. I now meet each fan privately, instead of all in a room together": Cherie Currie on meet & greets, fan camaraderie, and the global cabal behind a worldwide takeover

By Dave Ling published

Former Runaway Cherie Currie plans to play "the songs I know people love" on what will likely be her final UK tour

Love/Hate posing for a photograph on flight cases in 1990

“I’d indulge in all-night orgies of sex, violence, fighting, drinking and driving. Sometimes I even bit people on the street”: The chaotic story of Love/Hate, the greatest Sunset Strip band nobody cared about

By Dave Ling published

Love/Hate blazed out of late 80s LA with killer debut Blackout In The Red Room – only to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory

Balaam & The Angel studio portrait

"I can’t see us knocking Taylor Swift off the top of the charts": Balaam And The Angel are back but they're still not quite sure where they fit in

By Dave Ling published

Former too-rock-for-goth family affair Balaam And The Angel are about to kick off an eight-date UK tour

Sepultura's Andreas Kisser onstage

"Playing for fifteen people can be amazing experience if you make the night of ten of those people": Sepultura are coming to the end of the road and they're getting the crowd involved

By Dave Ling published

Retiring Brazillian metallers Sepultura are about to bring the hammer down on the anvil for the last time

Terrorvision in the video to Baby Blue

"We almost went to prison in Eastern Europe because of Lemmy": In the 90s Terrorvision were high flyers, but the fall hit them hard. Now they're back

By Dave Ling published

We Are Not Robots is Terrorvision's first new album in more than a decade, and it’s full of top tunes

Jordan Rudess

“We knew not everybody would like The Astonishing – we’re not blind and we’re not stupid – but we did it anyway. After a long career we reserve the right to do that”: Jordan Rudess’ life and times with Dream Theater

By Dave Ling published

He started out in a college so strict that he couldn’t understand prog when he first heard it. But the composer, educator and tech fan, has made the most of opportunities that came his way

Dream Theater 1999

“The only way of getting back on track was to regain control of just about every facet of the band”: When Mike Portnoy quit Dream Theater for the first time, the shakeup led to epic double-album Metropolis Pt. 2

By Dave Ling published

1999 modern prog masterpiece – their first record with Jordan Rudess – came after the dismissal of Derek Sherinian, the demise of internal “fake democracy” and fights with their label and the media

Doug Pinnick

“We don’t write as proggy as we used to; we’re older and lazier, but you hear a lot on those early albums”: Doug Pinnick, who stole his sound from Chris Squire, would do everything differently if King’s X went round again

By Dave Ling published

Bassist/vocalist reflects on his band being called the next big thing – but also the most unsellable product of all time

Paul Di'Anno onstage

Paul Di'Anno's 10 greatest performances with Iron Maiden

By Dave Ling published

Some fans still cite Iron Maiden's first two albums as their greatest. This is the best of Paul Di'Anno, the late, great man who sang on them

Van Halen’s Michael Anthony posing with a custom Jack Daniel’s bass in 1986

“When Eddie was singled out, I can tell you right now, I never felt any jealousy”: From Led Zeppelin to Eddie Van Halen, these are the musicians that shaped ex-Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony’s life

By Dave Ling published

Jack Bruce, John Paul Jones and his ex-bandmate - these are former Van Halen man Michael Anthony’s biggest musical influences

Creeper publicity photo

"The public needs fantasy and escapism": Creeper are gearing up for Devil's Night and a huge, pomp-filled night in North London

By Dave Ling published

It’ll be fangs, coffins and fake blood at Wembley Arena later this month

John Petrucci of Dream Theater performs at Mediolanum Forum of Assago on May 07, 2022 in Milan, Italy. at Mediolanum Forum on May 07, 2022 in Milan, Italy

"There are no reasons why brothers should not be able to resolve any trauma that they've been through": John Petrucci on the return of Mike Portnoy to Dream Theater

By Dave Ling published

With friends (and bandmates) reunited for Dream Theater’s 40th anniversary, it’ll be a special night for fans at Wembley Arena later this month

“Well-structured harmonies were important and we liked to be quite artsy… but there was pressure to become more and more commercial”: The tale of prog-tinged City Boy, who landed a hit pop-rock single and never recovered

By Dave Ling published

Starting as an art-rock project in the vein of 10cc or Queen, work with producer Mutt Lange and the 1978 single 5.7.0.5. let to dispute, distraction and eventual destruction after several promising proggy albums

Phil Mogg onstage

"When all those glamour models were banging at my door, I should have opened it and let them all in": Phil Mogg on 50 years with UFO, life on the road and new band Moggs Motel

By Dave Ling published

Phil Mogg reveals why Moggs Motel doesn't have an apostrophe