There’s a beautiful purity to the finest rock ‘n’ roll, a thrilling simplicity in striking an over-amplified guitar chord, a transcendent joy in getting high on just volume, adrenaline and a backbeat. Black Star Riders, lifers in an industry less secure than a secret in a soap opera, understand this, which is why Heavy Fire, the quintet’s latest UK Top 10 album for Nuclear Blast Entertainment, sounds so fresh and exhilarating and alive.

The band are currently coming to the end of a run of well-received European summer festival dates with new drummer Chad Szeliga. Just prior to their “special guest” slot at the Ramblin’ Man Fair on July 29, Black Star Riders are pleased to present the official lyric video for the  track 'Cold War Love'. The song is a smouldering and reflective ballad, packed with the band's signature sound and soaring riffs. Speaking about the track, Ricky Warwick commented: "You can't fix yourself by breaking somebody else."

Formed in 2012, Black Star Riders signed their first contract with Nuclear Blast Entertainment in the same year. Under the banner of the independent label, the band released three critically acclaimed albums: All Hell Breaks Loose, The Killer Instinct and Heavy Fire. The latter gained worldwide success reaching: #6 UK in the National chart, #11 in the German National chart, #91 in the USA Current Top Albums.

In just two weeks’ time Liverpool’s newest boutique festival Hope & Glory will be taking over the city centre with a spectacular array of live music and entertainment across the weekend of August 5 and 6. The complete line-up across all three stages has now been revealed with some special new additions including Liverpool’s very own Space, plus Rale, Rich Ayre, We Are Catchers and the ferocious Sex Pissed Dolls, who will have the legendary Tony Christie guesting with them for a special rendition of ‘Amarillo’.

They will be joining the festival’s incredible line-up of top name acts – including headliners James and Haçienda Çlassical, Razorlight, Ocean Colour Scene, The Fratellis, Charlotte Church’s Late Night Pop Dungeon, The Lightning Seeds and more, plus some of the most exciting up and coming talent such as the Blinders, The Shimmer Band and Zak Abel. Embrace will also perform an anthems loaded set at Hope & Glory having just supported Coldplay, playing to 65,000 people a night at their recent stadium shows.

Also featuring on Saturday at the ‘In The Lady Garden Stage’ will be Charlotte Church and Lucy Spraggan ‘In Conversation With’ respected journalist and author Simon Price, as well as Liverpool’s International Air Guitar Competition, which will be taking place throughout the day, with entrants battling it out to show their best moves to the crowd.  Entries for the Air Guitar Competition should be made to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with their name, age and top three songs to rock out to.

There will be numerous more weird and wonderful things happening across the site, including pop up comedians, a Football Legends charity darts match, celebrity arm wrestling, The Victorian Acrobatic Team, Harminder the Elephant and Dinosaur Baby in the Pram and Lord Of The Lobsters, as well as a Foam Party, Prince Albert’s Little Secret (cocktail bar), Mothers Ruin (gin bar), Mr Edison's Electric Emporium, Dr Johnson's Clandestine Gathering, The Hoop & Stick and Darwin's Little Darlings.

Ticket buyers can also get involved in the festival’s Victoriana fancy dress competition, with one lucky winner walking away with £1,000 and two tickets to next year’s Hope & Glory, so expect handle-bar moustaches, bearded ladies and bloomers galore. All ticket profits will be donated to the victims and families of the Manchester attacks, so grab your top hats, bonnets, capes and cravats and join the fun in 2017’s hottest new festival.