The complete original line-up will be playing along with Ozzy Ozbourne singing, although quite how he will manage that remains to be seen, after all I’ve watched him on TV and he can barely even string a coherent sentence together these days, so it should be interesting!

Anyway, it’s rumoured that the concert tickets will go on sale early in 2012, so if you would like to see the old rockers belting out their new album, and I’m sure a good number of their old hits too, get yourself a ticket and get that head banging again.

To keep the fires of one of the greatest arguments in rock fanned, here is our top five list of the world’s greatest guitar heroes:

1. Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix is the guitar hero’s guitar hero.  There is no living person on this list who doesn’t speak in awe and admiration of Hendrix, so if Clapton is a “God”, then this guy was something even more amazing.  Unmatched in his technical skills, and with a stage presence that those who were lucky enough to see him can never forget, Hendrix also had incredible vision and soul.  Hendrix tragically died young, becoming one of the original members of the now infamous “Forever 27 Club” (the list of musical legends who died at the age of 27, recently added to by the death of Amy Winehouse), but not without achieving the accolade of being number one in just about everybody’s list.

2. Slash

Not to everybody’s mind the very greatest technical player, but one of the most popular and influential guitarists the rock world has ever known.  Slash reinvented the guitar hero image with his attitude and style, and despite his heavy sound, his collaborations with people like Michael Jackson introduced a whole new type of music fan to the sense of awe experienced when hearing a truly brilliant guitar solo.

3. Eric Clapton

Likened to a “God” at the age of 20 with only five years of guitar playing under his belt, Clapton is the essence of natural talent.  Putting a relevant spin onto the deep blues sounds he so loves has always come far more naturally to Clapton that all the others who have tried it, and despite the speed and excellence of his solos, Clapton doesn’t feel like he’s playing for his ego.  One of the true greats, and one of the most credible men to pick up a guitar.

4. Carlos Santana

With a style that manages to be both traditional and unique at the same time, Santana’s Latin infused sounds gave heavy rock guitar a new and beautiful twist.  Collaborating with incredibly diverse people without ever looking like he was selling out, Santana is a truly influential and innovative guitar legend.

5. Jimmy Page

Led Zeppelin’s guitar superstar ticks every box on the “guitar hero” checklist.  Classic solo every kid wants to play?  Check.  Credibility among his peers?  Check.  Electric stage presence?  Check.  Uncommonly memorable hair?  You bet.  Some say his own genius often gets under appreciated in lists like these purely because Led Zeppelin as a unit were so incredibly tight that their sound never entirely relied just on Page’s incredible guitar skills, but watch or listen to any of his solos and you’ll be hard pressed not to agree that he deserves his place among the all time greatest.

Think you are the next big guitar player? In a fantastic live band? Then leave a comment and perhaps you will be listed when this list is done again in a few years time.

It seems that these days it’s all the other way around, the band brings out a single, some people buy it, some download it, but it still makes it into the charts, then the album (or LP if you are as old as me) follows and again a lot of people download it, but some are still paying. However the bands, at least, appear to play more frequent and longer tours these days, incorporating many countries which would have been overlooked in the past. In addition these gigs are likely to have impressive sound systems, lighting rigs and stage sets incorporating risers and pyrotechnics, this draws the crowds and the groups (or their management) can charge much more for the tickets and push the merchandise too.

This approach to a gig is a far cry from the gigs of the 60′s when the screaming from the girls in the crowd would drown out the underpowered PA, whilst the band stood under a couple of PAR cans, which may have flickered very slightly if they were really going for it.

In my belief, yes bands may have to work harder these days, but the fans get a lot more for the money they pay, and the big bands still make plenty of money from their gigs.

Party bands have to work even harder, those smaller bands who make a living out of playing mostly covers, to be in a party band you still need to practice and play the gigs, but also move your own kit and set up the PA and Lights and then take it all down again at the end of the concert.

Support your local party band Berkshire, party band Hertfordshire or try to find party bands Wiltshire, party band Oxfordshire or party band Cornwall, as they really do work hard and can be as enjoyable to watch as the big bands at a fraction of the cost.

Janis grew up in Port Arthur a southern town in the USA and had a healthy interest in music and the arts from an early age.  She toured all the local small venues of the time both singing and watching other performers play until she settled in as a student at Austin Texas.  This however, was to be short lived as her experimentation with drugs got out of hand and sent her back home to take a view of where her life was going.

Then Chet helms, an old friend who had settled in San Fransisco contacted her to audition with an unknown band, she got the gig and was soon playing with Big Brother and the Holding Company. from here her career really began to take off………..

Part 2 to follow

Anyway, the idea is to write about anything which interests me about music, it could be a write up about a band, new or old, or a news story which I found interesting and have some kind of comment to make about it, or I may even tell you about the new guitar I am planning to buy and my process of elimination to decide which one to get eventually, just for the record the Alhambra 7P is looking like the favorite at the moment.

I may also try some little biographies about a few of my favorite singers, they could be anything from PJ Harvey to Janis Joplin or Christina Aguelera, so please don’t expect this to stay to one musical genre, because it wont.