The Apollo legend retold… When the rock’n’roll revolution came, Scotland was in the thick of the action. Every big... More > name in the business wanted to be there for one reason: the Glasgow Apollo. Between 1973 and 1985 the ‘Purple Palace’ played host to everyone who ever mattered. From ABBA to Zappa, Johnny Cash to the Style Council, they all played and they all came back. The former cinema was a one-off, with its high stage, infamous bouncers – and the terrifying bouncing balcony.
This book, first published in 2005, explains what made the venue so special, with the addition of new interviews, unseen photos and commentary.
It ties in with the GlasgowApollo.com website to bring you the story of a rock’n’roll legend, told by the people who made it: those who played there, those who worked there and the unforgettable Glasgow choir, who inspired dozens of acts to record their Apollo shows for live release. Martin Kielty is a Glaswegian author, rock drummer, band manager and journalist. < Less

The history of Scotland like you’ve never seen it before... extended by popular demand.

As featured in the national press... More > and radio, this book presents some of the biggest events in the nation’s timeline, presented as they would have been covered if a paper like the Scottish Scribe had really existed from Roman times right up to the modern era.

By popular demand this new edition has been
extended to include even more imaginary front pages from every era of Scottish history.

Martin Kielty has spent 20 years working at the sharp end of national newspapers as both writer and designer, and brings award-winning skills to bear on a subject he cares about. He has written six books on popular culture and politics, runs a major entertainment news website and has appeared on TV and radio as a commentator on Scottish subjects

Foreword by Robert Low, author of the acclaimed Oathsworn and Kingdom novels < Less

People get bored by history books full of kings and battles. And it’s the same for rock’n’roll history books full of... More > nothing more than stars and hits.

Yes, you’ll find plenty of names you know in this lightning-fast rollercoaster ride down Memory Lane.

Members of Del Amitri, Nazareth, the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, the Bay City Rollers, Primal Scream, the Beatstalkers, the Soup Dragons, the Vaselines, the Clyde Valley Stompers and Gene Vincent’s band are amongst the speakers.

But you’ll also meet people – REAL people – who made less well-known but still important contributions to the Scottish rock and pop scene over its first 50 years.

Big Noise From a Wee Country is packed with dozens of first-hand accounts of just some of the moments which shaped our nation’s recent musical history. From dreams to disasters it’s a quick-start guide to who did what and when.

Martin Kielty is a Glasgow-based writer, journalist, musician and manager. This is his eighth book. < Less

For the last five years former Nazareth guitarist and Rock Radio Breakfast Show
presenter Billy Rankin has taught on-air... More > morning classes to students of rock’n’roll history.

Now he’s written down some of his favourite study notes: tales of wine, women and song starring big names like Ozzy Osbourne, Guns n’Roses, Iron Maiden, Aerosmith, Metallica, Status Quo, Ted Nugent, the Who, REM, the Beatles and many others.

This book is stuffed with hundreds of short stories which will entertain and inform you. Chapters cover everything from big names’ early days through lifestyles of excess, studio battles, fallouts and breakups, tour dramas, unusual inspirations and trouble with the law.

It’s a great memento of Billy’s daily School of Rock feature, which kept audiences listening for around 4000 hours of live radio.

Foreword by rock radio legend Tom Russell. < Less

The history of Scotland like you’ve never seen it before...

Some of the biggest events in the nation’s timeline... More > presented as they would have been covered if a tabloid paper had really existed from Roman times right up to the modern era.

Newspaper journalist Martin Kielty presents a series of front pages from the fictional Scottish Scribe, looking at events from AD84 until 1879.

The result is a fresh look at some of the moments which forged the history of Scotland – and an entertaining but thought-provoking book which can be read from beginning to end or simply skimmed through in spare moments.

Martin Kielty has written four books on Scottish culture and one on politics. < Less

A Daily Record Book of the Year, Daily Mail Critics' Choice and WH Smith Scottish Book of the Year shortlister. The... More > definitive story of the legendary Glasgow Apollo music venue, famous the world over from 1973 until 1985. A critically-acclaimed collection of anecdotes and memories from the bands, the fans and the staff written by Glaswegian rock author Martin Kielty. Foreword by Rock Radio presenter and Apollo house DJ Tom Russell. < Less

Scotland fell for rock ’n’ roll at a very early stage. From the post-war period to the new century, the nation has... More > generated more rock stars per head than anywhere else in the world. Big Noise looks at the sound of Scotland and discovers
its background through the stories and memories of those who made it.

Using a blend of exclusive interviews and unpublished photos, Martin Kielty presents a character-led portrait of the fans, bands and businessmen who were there.

The narrative moves from the early days of skiffle
and ballrooms, through the global success stories
of the 70s and 80s to the pop giants of today,
sharing many personal moments behind hundreds of hits and misses. < Less

The history of Scotland like you’ve never seen it before...

Some of the biggest events in the nation’s timeline... More > presented as they would have been covered if a tabloid paper had really existed from Roman times right up to the modern era.

Newspaper journalist Martin Kielty presents a series of front pages from the fictional Scottish Scribe, looking at events from AD84 until 1879.

The result is a fresh look at some of the moments which forged the history of Scotland – and an entertaining but thought-provoking book which can be read from beginning to end or simply skimmed through in spare moments.

Martin Kielty has written four books on Scottish culture and one on politics. < Less

This is the history of Scotland like you’ve never seen it before..

Some of the biggest events in the nation’s timeline... More > presented as they would have been covered if a paper like the Scottish Scribe had really existed from Roman times right up to the modern era.

Martin Kielty has spent 20 years working at the sharp end of national newspapers as both writer and designer, and brings award-winning skills to bear on a subject he cares about.

Foreword by Robert Low, author of the acclaimed Oathsworn and Kingdom series of historical fiction novels. < Less

FREE DOWNLOAD: In 2009 Rock Radio brought you over 4000 items of news - and here are the biggest stories you were reading... More > throughout the year.

Presented two pages to a month, Rockipedia 2009 runs through the year from January to December, starting with Thunder's split announcement and ending with Rage Against the Machine's Christmas number one - with dozens of heavy and light stories in between.

Plus we present coverage of the three main events Rock Radio attending: Download (where we provided the festival radio station), Sonisphere and Hard Rock Hell.

Rockipedia 2009 is a FREE download PDF - one click and you can keep hold of all the big events of the past year in PDF format. < Less