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

Billy Gibbons onstage

Billy Gibbons has an unfinished song he wrote with Jeff Beck called Chocolate Meatballs

By Dave Ling published

Billy Gibbons reflects on his solo shows, life without Dusty Hill, and new life with Elwood Francis

LONDON - 7th JUNE: Scottish rock band Nazareth posed by The Mall in London on 7th June 1972. Left to right: guitarist Manny Charlton, bassist Pete Agnew, vocalist Dan McCafferty and drummer Darrell Sweet.

"We’ve been a rock band, we’ve been pop stars, and then we became dinosaurs. But if you can live through the dinosaur period you become a legend..." The epic saga of Nazareth

By Dave Ling published

Axl is a huge fan. Robert Plant owes them money. They were almost on that plane with Skynyrd. Nazareth: the full crazy story

Island Of Love hanging on a washing line

Island Of Love: the Third Man signings hitting the sweet spot between spit and polish

By Dave Ling published

The first signings to the UK branch of Jack White's Third Man Records, Island Of Love's ‘nice’ songs come laced with energy and edge

Ronnie James Dio

"If an arrow has been shot at me, I shoot it back..." The life and career of Ronnie James Dio, in his own words

By Dave Ling published

The amazing life and career of a true metal legend, as explained by the man himself

The cover of Nick Drake's Five Leaves Left and and inset of Mikael Åkerfeldt

Why I ❤️ Nick Drake's Five Leaves Left, by Opeth’s Mikael Åkerfeldt

By Dave Ling published

"Some of the most beautiful songs I’d ever heard": Mikael Åkerfeldt, guitarist/vocalist with Swedish proggers Opeth, on one of his biggest influences

Judas Priest's Living After Midnight single sleeve with Clint Eastwood

"I sounded like Clint Eastwood clutching a condom!" The story behind Judas Priest's Living After Midnight

By Dave Ling published

How John Lennon – and Rob Halford complaining that his bandmates were making a racket – inspired a metal classic

The covers of Rainbow’s Rising, Lou Reed’s Transformer, Meat Loaf’s Bat Out Of Hell and Foo Fighters’ The Colour And The Shape

20 bands whose second album is the best thing they ever did

By Classic Rock published

The bands who defied the sophomore slump to deliver the greatest albums of their career

Goo Goo Dolls' John Rzeznik and Robby Takac

Goo Goo Dolls: "As soon as any song comes out and becomes available to the public, that’s when I wave goodbye"

By Dave Ling published

As Goo Goo Dolls and Those Damn Crows head out on tour, Dolls' mainman John Rzeznik talks doing good, internet celebrity, and the differences between US and UK audiences

Chris Holmes onstage

Chris Holmes: "I don't know any other guitarist on this planet that plays the way I do"

By Dave Ling published

Expect plenty of W.A.S.P. songs from former guitarist Chris Holmes when he tours this month, but don’t ask Blackie Lawless to show up

Disturbed press shot

Disturbed: "Sometimes people cannot handle that a band they loved privately is shared with the world"

By Dave Ling published

Disturbed frontman David Draiman on a divided America, fickle fans, and their plans for Download 2023

Frost*

"I hate the term 'neo prog'!" Frost* and the making of Falling Satellites

By Dave Ling published

Five years after he called an indefinite hiatus on the band, Jem Godfrey and Frost* returned with their third studio album Falling Satellites

Kansas in 1973, shot in silhouette

From triumph to nowhere and back: the story of Kansas, in their own words

By Dave Ling published

After a career peppered with notable successes, Kansas came close to being dead and buried. But, taking the advice of their most famous song, they picked themselves up and carried on

Hawkwind

Hawkwind's Dave Brock is 81 and would like to go backwards in time instead of forwards

By Dave Ling published

Hawkwind's Dave Brock on chopping up wood, feeding the horse, and the future of rock's ultimate space travellers

Joe Bonamassa and band onstage

Joe Bonamassa: "I've sold nine million records. The detractors can say what they want"

By Dave Ling published

Joe Bonamassa on being comfortable with the haters, mentoring the blues greats of the future, and the biggest guitar nerd he's ever met

Eddie Van Halen with guitar and (inset) Gene Simmons throwing the horns

The Eddie Van Halen I knew, by Gene Simmons

By Dave Ling published

"Our millennials need to know about the most important musician since Jimi Hendrix" - Gene Simmons on the late Eddie Van Halen

Mike Rutherford headshot

Mike Rutherford: "The last Genesis show felt bizarre"

By Dave Ling published

With Mike + The Mechanics currently on an extensive UK tour, Mike Rutherford talks singers, drummers, taking it easy, and the last days of Genesis

Hillbilly Vegas press shot

Say hi to the your new favourite southern rockers, Hillbilly Vegas

By Dave Ling published

"We’re a band from the South and we play music that comes from the South" - Hillbilly Vegas frontman Steve Harris

Joey Tempest holding an acoustic guitar

Joey Tempest sometimes wonders what life would be like without The Final Countdown

By Dave Ling published

As Europe's 40th anniversary shows approach, frontman Joey Tempest looks back and ponders the legacy of *that* song

Richard Marx press shot

How Richard Marx's "dumbest, lamest" song became his biggest hit

By Dave Ling published

Richard Marx only recorded the "laughably stupid" Hazard to prove people wrong. So just how did his worst ever song become a global smash hit?

Steve Perry recording in the studio, and The High Kings

Steve Perry has joined forces with Irish folk group The High Kings for their new single - and he's told us why

By Dave Ling published

Watch the Video for the Steve Perry-enhanced folk ballad The Streets Of Kinsale

Brian Johnson and Angus Young onstage at the Columbiahalle in Berlin

What happened when AC/DC played an intimate show for 3000 lucky fans in Berlin

By Dave Ling published

In 2003, AC/DC were scheduled to perform for 450,000 fans in Toronto, but warmed up with an intimate show on the other side of the Atlantic - and our man was there to tell the story

Wishbone Ash circa 1972

Wishbone Ash: The making of the almighty Argus

By Dave Ling last updated

“If you’re the main guy that’s writing the stuff you’ve every right to say, ‘Shut up and listen to what I’m telling you'" - Martin Turner

Mike Portnoy

An introduction to Flying Colors

By Dave Ling published

When modern prog supergroup Flying Colors released their debut album back in 2012 Prog sat down with each member to find out what makes them tick

Jesse Malin portrait

Jesse Malin: "I like to get under those lights and sweat out the poison"

By Dave Ling published

Jesse Malin reveals what he has planned for his upcoming dates celebrating the 20th anniversary of The Fine Art Of Self Destruction

Slade enjoying a banquet

The Slade albums you should definitely own

By Dave Ling last updated

Behind Slade's glam-disaster outfits, the dunce spellings, Dave Hill’s haircut and a Christmas perennial there’s some classic pop-rock. Here are their best albums