Geoff Barton
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Recovering English teacher, head, and union baron. Chiefly: books, food, Shakespeare, oracy … and endless pics of Suffolk skies with border terrier Molly B.
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Articles by Geoff Barton
“When I started out I thought: ‘I’ll be able to play guitar, drink, take drugs and shag as many women as I can!’ But we ended up in the prog vein”: Pye Hastings’ lifelong urges
Entertainment (UK) 6 hours ago Movie Review – Rosebush Pruning (2026) flickeringmyth.com - Robert Kojder • 6h Rosebush Pruning, 2026. Directed by Karim Aïnouz.
“In the middle of punk, I’m coming up with an album about a Martian invasion, narrated by Richard Burton and featuring Justin Hayward and Phil Lynott. It does sound kind of nuts”: The maverick who turned a classic sci-fi novel into a musical masterpiece
Hear Me Out: ‘Songs of Innocence’ is the most pretentious album ever made There has always been a little bit of pretentiousness throughout every single U2 album ever made. Bono might claim that he wants to change the world …
“I reckon Ritchie Blackmore might have thought we’d made a mistake having them open for Rainbow, as we just couldn’t match them”: When AC/DC blew Rainbow off stage
A composite photograph of AC/DC’s Angus Young and Ritchie Blackmore of Rainbow performing onstage in the 1970s. It’s been a long time since AC/DC supported anybody, but back in the 1970s they took any gig they could. This resulted in the relatively unknown Australian band opening for such established acts as Kiss, Black Sabbath and even The Stranglers. And the headliners often didn’t know what had hit them. One band who felt the full force of Hurricane ’DC were Rainbow.
Hold up your phone, hang on to your tissues, we're going in: The 40 greatest power ballads of all time
You’d have thought compiling the Top 40 power ballads of all time would’ve been easy. If only. By the end of a marathon judging session, the assembled Classic Rock scribes were tearing their hair out. Thankfully, there was plenty to go around as we’d cultivated poodle perms for the occasion. Even then, the atmosphere grew hotter than our curlers. No, really. But eventually we boiled down the essential qualities of a power ballad into five key categories. The Surge (Also known as The Crunch).
Hold up your phone, hang on to your tissues, we're going in: The 40 greatest power ballads of all time
“I can't stand Eddie Van Halen's guitar playing. I think he ruined rock guitar all through the '80s and '90s 'cause so many people copied him”: Fighting talk from the Jesus And Mary Chain The Jesus and Mary Chain – William and Jim Reid – have never been short of opinions, and they have kicked up the proverbial hornets’ nest with some …
Why the four solo albums were the beginning of the end for Kiss
In 1978, all four members of Kiss released solo albums on the same day, backed by a $2.5 million promotional campaign, but the lack of success marked the beginning of the band's decline. Despite Gene Simmons' solo album being the most successful, reaching No.22 on the US chart, the overall reception of the solo albums led to Kiss hitting the bargain bins for the first time.
"I was going to step out into the water and pretend to be the Son of God!" The story of the day Steve Harley's Jesus trip was spoiled by overheated fans
Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel onstage at Crystal Palace Bowl. Now they’re headlining a big outdoor festival at London’s Crystal Palace Bowl. Unusually, there’s an ornamental lake right in front of the stage. Fans sit on the faraway banks, facing the stage, which makes for a somewhat subdued atmosphere from the performer's perspective. Mr Harley has a crafty plan, however. He's put together a strong lineup, with the Jack Bruce Band, John Cale, Billy Cobham and Steeleye Span playing support.
The story of the day Steve Harley's Jesus trip was spoiled by overheated fans
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The day Steve Harley's Jesus trip was spoiled by overheated fans
Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel headlined a festival at London’s Crystal Palace Bowl in 1975, where fans sat on the banks of an ornamental lake in front of the stage, leading to a subdued atmosphere. Harley planned a stunt to walk on water during the performance, but overheated fans jumped into the lake, sat on his underwater platform, and prevented the show's finale with underwater fireworks.
Arts Inoculation: Many years back, I remember Stephen Fry being asked a question about the ‘Harry Potter’ series which he was in the middle of recording as audio books. Those tales of Harry and his… | Geoff Barton
Arts Inoculation: Many years back, I remember Stephen Fry being asked a question about the ‘Harry Potter’ series which he was in the middle of recording as audio books. Those tales of Harry and his Hogwarts friends become increasingly dark, including - shockingly when first encountered - the death of a much-admired character in book four ('Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire'). After that the series gets even darker.
“The idea came from The Beatles’ Tomorrow Never Knows. I just played it in a more violent way”: How Ringo Starr, Isaac Asimov and The Devil inspired one of rock’s greatest ever drum solos | Flipboard
14 hours ago Three gins were featured in the final round of judging at the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers Association (WSWA) annual competition in Las Vegas, held February 1–2 in partnership with The Tasting Alliance. I served as a judge, and the following are my tasting and production notes for each finalist. Gin …
"There are people who are almost tainted by their knowledge of music. It's almost like they know too much": How we got over ourselves and learned to love The Darkness
“The band members are all in there,” he grumbles, gesturing toward what we hope will turn out to be a glittering fairy grotto just inside. In actuality, we step forward and enter a typical country kitchen, complete with Aga and ceiling beams, pots and pans dangling from them. Very heavy, very Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.
"There are people who are almost tainted by their knowledge of music. It's almost like they know too much": How we got over ourselves and learned to love The Darkness | Flipboard
4 hours ago "Pokemon will be forgotten by the year 2003 or so." 1. This review of The Office: Why this aged poorly: The Office is one of the most beloved comedies of all time, and has gotten even more popular in the era of streaming. 2. This claim about creating videos from AI: If you can't read the above, it says: …
How we got over ourselves and learned to love The Darkness
The Darkness, a British rock band, gained worldwide success with their hit song "I Believe In A Thing Called Love" in 2003 and won three BRIT Awards in 2004. The band members of The Darkness, known for their flamboyant image, were revealed to have a more down-to-earth and rural lifestyle during a visit to Dan Hawkins' Norfolk farmhouse.
“We were being thrown to the dogs. It felt like our hard work was being chucked away for this crap idea that girls couldn’t possibly be decent musicians”: They were American rock pioneers loved by David Bowie. But they’ve been virtually forgotten today
Generate Key Takeaways When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Michael Putland/Getty Images Trailblazing US rockers Fanny were the first all-female rock band to get a major label deal in the early 70s. But despite attracting the admiration of David Bowie, they never attained the success they deserved.
"He was given 24 hours to live. It all came crumbling down in one day": The astonishing story of Slade: glamour, tragedy and beyond
“We were at the pinnacle of our career,” Holder recalls today. “We’d had a string of hit records, and we were just at the end of a big British tour. That year we’d had both Cum On Feel The Noize and Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me come in straight in at No.1. "Our tour had ended at Earl’s Court, and there were 18,000 people in to see us. We had a stormer of a show, and we were really riding on the crest of a wave. Then a week later Don had his crash. He was given 24 hours to live.
The astonishing story of Slade: glamour, tragedy and beyond
Generate Key Takeaways When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns Noddy Holder remembers the exact time when he finally realised how massively – make that unbelievably – popular Slade had become in Britain.
"He was given 24 hours to live. It all came crumbling down in one day": The astonishing story of Slade: glamour, tragedy and beyond
‘I Only Dunk When She’s Here’: NBA Star Donovan Mitchell Gets Bounce From Coco Jones Mitchell got up for some nasty slam dunks during the Cavs' Christmas game at the Knicks, inspired by his partner. There are muses, and there is Coco …
The SecEd Podcast: Teaching Shakespeare Effectively: Practical tips and classroom ideas - SecEd
This episode offers a range of practical ideas, advice and teaching techniques for engaging students in the work of William Shakespeare – both in the English classroom and across the school.
The SecEd Podcast: Teaching Shakespeare Effectively: Practical tips and classroom ideas - SecEd
This episode offers a range of practical ideas, advice and teaching techniques for engaging students in the work of William Shakespeare – both in the English classroom and across the school.
Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones, Free and the forgotten British blues pioneer who played a part in all their careers
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Brian Shuel/Redferns In the cold light of today, Alexis Korner looks an odd kind of character. There’s a famous black-and-white photo of him in a striped shirt and tightly knotted necktie, holding a smouldering cigarette. He’s got a long, mournful, serious-looking face, a big mane of tousled black hair and huge furry sideburns.
Why Shakespeare and oracy go hand in hand
Many years ago, I took my parents to see a Shakespeare play: The Merchant of Venice by the Royal Shakespeare Company. It was 1987 and Antony Sher was electric as Shylock. Portia was halfway through her “Quality of mercy” speech when my father decided to join in. From the back of the Stratford gods came his voice, echoing the words he’d known since school. I was mortified. Now I see it differently. Shakespeare’s words weren’t just in my dad’s head - they were in his bloodstream.
"I wish I wrote it - I would’ve made a lot more cash!" The story of the English song that was minor hit in Europe before becoming an all-American classic
Ace Frehley poses in his dressing room, 1977. New York Groove is Ace Frehley’s very own personal anthem. The track is as synonymous with the ex-Kiss man as his silver superhero suit and smokin’ six-string. Frehley was born and raised in the Bronx, so the Big Apple is his kinda town. And New York Groove is his kinda song – even though he didn’t actually write it.
The story of the English song that was minor hit in Europe before becoming an all-American classic
Generate Key Takeaways When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Ace Frehley in 1977. | Credit: Michael Putland/Getty Images New York Groove is Ace Frehley’s very own personal anthem. The track is as synonymous with the ex-Kiss man as his silver superhero suit and smokin’ six-string. Frehley was born and raised in the Bronx, so the Big Apple is his kinda town. And New York Groove is his kinda song – even though he didn’t actually write it.
"We want to appeal to everybody and get rich quick. We want to be millionaires": How AC/DC's plan to conquer the world began in the back of a squalid bus
It’s a rather decrepit bus, truth be told, with dirty beige bodywork, rusty holes around the wheel arches and a creaking interior apparently lifted from an old London Routemaster. Nevertheless, as the vehicle’s engine wheezes into life, AC/DC’s mood is buoyant. We might not be on the Highway To Hell – we’re actually on the more prosaic Road To Retford – but the band’s adventures are just beginning.
How AC/DC's plan to conquer the world began in the back of a squalid bus
Generate Key Takeaways When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. AC/DC in London, 1976: L-R Malcolm Young, Bon Scott (front), Angus Young, Phil Rudd and Mark Evans. | Credit: Michael Putland/Getty Images In 1976, much-missed UK music weekly Sounds sponsored AC/DC's Lock Up Your Daughters tour, a jaunt that took in such salubrious venues as the Civic Hall in Bedworth and Gravesend's Woodville Halls Theatre.
"We want to appeal to everybody and get rich quick. We want to be millionaires": How AC/DC's plan to conquer the world began in the back of a squalid bus | Flipboard
Blues is the foundation of Rock and Roll and also of other styles that came later, such as Hard Rock, being especially important for bands like …
"Ozzy stood up, produced a Zippo lighter from his back pocket, and set Bill Ward's beard on fire": A personal insight into the chaotic, beautiful mind of Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne wearing a fur coat, arms outstreched. I was just 16, and it’s no exaggeration to say that Master… changed my life. A few short years later I had wangled a job on Sounds music weekly, and it was a dream come true for me to be invited to go out on the road with the Sabs for the first time. Even if it was to Portsmouth and Ipswich. The resultant Sounds article was a multi-page epic published in January 1976 and titled If The Damned Were Screaming, It Was Impossible To Hear.
"Ozzy stood up, produced a Zippo lighter from his back pocket, and set Bill Ward's beard on fire": A personal insight into the chaotic, beautiful mind of Ozzy Osbourne | Flipboard
14 hours ago Disturbed's David Draiman Responds To Boos At Black Sabbath Show Disturbed’s David Draiman has responded to boos during his July 5 performance at Black Sabbath’s farewell concert. Draiman joined an all-star lineup to perform Sabbath’s ‘Sweet Leaf’ and Ozzy Osbourne’s ‘Shot In The Dark.’ As he walked onstage, the crowd reacted with loud boos, something Draiman later addressed on social media.
“The depression lasted quite a long time. At the end of it, when I felt I was coming out of a long tunnel, I wrote God Gave Rock And Roll To You”: The epic story of Argent, the forgotten early 70s band who inspired one Kiss’ biggest hits | Flipboard
50 Cent is living his pettiest life as he continues to kick Diddy while he is down. He recently made fun of him over his alleged small manhood.As …
The epic story of Argent, the forgotten 60s band who inspired one Kiss’ biggest hits
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns Formed from the ashes of several 60s groups – including The Zombies – Argent were the band who wrote God Gave Rock And Roll To You, best known as the song Kiss covered in Bill And Ted’s Bogus Journey. In 2010, as they reunited for Classic Rock’s High Voltage festival, singer Russ Ballard and keyboard player Rod Argent looked back on the band’s career.
“We asked Perry: ‘Do you want to write a new record?’ ‘No, no, no.’ At that point you’re wondering, why did we even bother putting Journey back together?” How Journey found a brand new singer on YouTube and banished the ghost of Steve Perry | Flipboard
Now Comedian Michael Kosta says when he's on tour he's warns the crowd when he is about to make fun of Trump, followed by a promise that he will poke fun at Biden. Kosta says as soon as he makes fun of Trump the crowds "go crazy and can't take it" and he wonders why this "alpha male president" is so …
How Journey found a brand new singer on YouTube and banished the ghost of Steve Perry
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Journey have never been short of drama, from numerous line-up changes over the years to public spats between band members. But when Classic Rock say down with the shortly after the release of 2008’s Revelation album, it looked like they’d steadied the bought with new singer Arnel Pineda, who they discovered crooning cover versions of their songs on YouTube.
A mind-mincing encounter with Black Sabbath on the Sabotage tour
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. In January 1976, Sounds writer Geoff Barton travelled to Portsmouth to see Black Sabbath play one of the final shows on their Sabotage tour, a trek that had started the previous July at the Sports Arena in Toledo, OH. Below, he remembers the show, and his aftershow encounters with Ozzy Osbourne and Tony Iommi. It was most appropriate. A scene out of Hell.
A SecEd best practice guide to teaching oracy in schools - SecEd
How can secondary schools develop young people’s oracy skills and what does best practice actually look like?
A SecEd best practice guide to teaching oracy in schools - SecEd
How can secondary schools develop young people’s oracy skills and what does best practice actually look like?
Geoff Barton: How the week that ‘changed education forever’ unfolded
As someone who is not remotely superstitious, it felt to me that on Friday 13 March 2020, the world of education changed forever. For me, it all began on a train. On Wednesday 11 March 2020, I was on my way to Birmingham for the Association of School and College Leaders’ Annual Conference. In hindsight, knowing what we now know about what was about to happen, it seems unthinkable that a conference of 1,000 school and college leaders was taking place at all.
How Judas Priest reunited with Rob Halford to regain the metal throne with Angel Of Retribution
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Despite both sides insisting it would never happen, Judas Priest reunited with former singer Rob Halford in 2003 after 13 years apart. The following year, Classic Rock caught up with Halford, plus guitarist Glenn Tipton and KK Downing (who left in 2011) on the road in Spain to talk splits, reunions and their then-upcoming comeback album Angel Of Retribution.
The story of AC/DC’s Back In Black, the 50 million-selling album that emerged from tragedy
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music via Getty Images Having sold almost 50 million copies, AC/DC’s Back In Black is the biggest rock album in history – but it emerged in the wake of the tragic death of singer Bon Scott. In 2008, guitarists Angus and Malcolm Young plus Bon’s replacement Brian Johnson looked back on the making of a masterpiece.
How Ozzy Osbourne rediscovered himself with the Scream album
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival Ozzy Osbourne has just announced the news that every fan wants to hear – a one-off all-star farewell gig in his hometown of Aston. But back in 2010, the singer was promoting his new album, Scream – and as Classic Rock discovered, he was expecting the “Jesus freaks” not to be happy about it.
“I came into the studio on the last day and said, ‘I think you better hear this one.’ It was kind of a curse… a gentle curse, though”: When Kansas cracked the charts with a song they didn’t want to record | Flipboard
5 hours ago British fantasy author Neil Gaiman has been accused of human trafficking, sexual abuse, assault and rape in a lawsuit filed against him and estranged wife Amanda Palmer by their former nanny. The nanny, Scarlett Pavlovich, alleges in a lawsuit filed in a Wisconsin federal court Monday that Gaiman …
I was there: A night out with Iron Maiden before they were famous
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience.Generate Key Takeaways When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Virginia Turbett/Redferns You know Iron Maiden’s pet monster, Eddie?
Deep Purple’s 25 maddest moments
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How Queen + Paul Rodgers took Freddie Mercury's spirit back to the stage
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Neil Lupin/Redferns As Classic Rock wrote this story in mid-March 2005, Paul Rodgers had been rehearsing with Queen stalwarts guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor for a little over a month.
“John Wayne said: ‘My daughter would be so happy to get your autographs.’ So David Coverdale and I signed his cowboy boots”: Glenn Hughes’ wild tales of Ritchie Blackmore, David Bowie, Phil Lynott and The Duke | Flipboard
2 days ago How to Grow and Care for Rex Begonias Rex begonia, also commonly known as painted-leaf begonia or fancy-leaf begonia, is known for its large variegated leaves in brightly colored shades … 3 days ago 3 Three-Hit Wonder Classic Rock Bands That Will Energize Your Playlist You’ve heard of one-hit wonders and even two-hit wonders. But three-hit wonders? They might be the greatest of the bunch. Bands who knew how to make … 6 days ago Whatever Happened To Angus T. Jones From Two And A Half Men?
“John Wayne said: ‘My daughter would be so happy to get your autographs.’ So David Coverdale and I signed his cowboy boots”: Glenn Hughes’ wild tales of Ritchie Blackmore, David Bowie, Phil Lynott and The Duke
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Fin Costello/Redferns) Glenn Hughes moved in exalted circles during his time as a member of Deep Purple in the mid-1970s. He befriended David Bowie, who wanted him to sing on his Young Americans album. He partied with Keith Moon – Nazi uniform and all. He met “big, girthy and massive” John Wayne. He pissed alongside Stevie Wonder. He shot the breeze with Richard Burton.
An introduction to Terry Reid, the man who could have fronted Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images In a parallel universe, Terry Reid would be the lead singer of Led Zeppelin. Or equally, a subtle shift in the space-time continuum would find him installed as frontman with Deep Purple. But in the stone-cold-sober light of day, neither of those things happened. Reality can be a bastard sometimes.
"Ritchie Blackmore never missed a note, and that ain't easy when you’re about to be beheaded": An introduction to Terry Reid, the man who could have fronted Led Zeppelin and Deep Purple | Flipboard
1 day ago Washington CNN — Latino voters in key battleground states were crucial in handing president-elect Donald Trump his victory over Vice President Kamala Harris. The economy was also a top voter issue in this year’s election. Republican candidates have steadily gained ground in recent years with the …
“I had a meltdown. Cocaine psychosis took over - it’s a form of paranoid schizophrenia”: How Deep Purple split from Ritchie Blackmore and made a funky masterpiece in Come Taste The Band | Flipboard
“I had a meltdown. Cocaine psychosis took over – it’s a form of paranoid schizophrenia”: How Deep Purple split from Ritchie Blackmore and made a funky masterpiece in Come Taste The Band Released in November 1975, Deep Purple’s Come Taste The Band album was their only album to feature American guitarist Tommy Bolin, who replaced Ritchie …
How Deep Purple split from Ritchie Blackmore and made a funky masterpiece in Come Taste The Band
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Credit: Fin Costello/Redferns Released in November 1975, Deep Purple’s Come Taste The Band album was their only album to feature American guitarist Tommy Bolin, who replaced Ritchie Blackmore to create the Mk IV line-up. For years, its funkier style meant it remained an outlier in the Purple catalogue, but today it’s held up as a classic.
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