Tuesday, February 03, 2026

What is "The Soul of a Rainbow"?

So, what is "The Soul of a Rainbow"?

The Soul of a Rainbow is an album created with the aid of the Mozart AI music generator app. It takes the lyrics of songs originally released by Anglo-American rockers Rainbow and adds a little AI-generated soul-style music to them. It specifically uses the songs that were originally sung by the late, great Ronnie James Dio.

Julian's Social Media Discoveries Episode 49: Avatar, The Underdogs, Penfriend, Them Creepy Crawlies and More!

We've reached episode 49 of the Social Media Discoveries series, and in the past few weeks we've neglected you a little. All that changes this week as we begin the show with someone screaming down the microphone at you! Oh, and we've also got a group of comedy dogs for you as well!

Images From Civil War

 

If you've been reading this blog over the past five years or so you'll know this banner from the Civil War page, but just in case you don't know what Civil War was all about, click on the link below and give that a quick read. I'll wait here for you.

Sunday, February 01, 2026

What If.....Hulk Hogan Went to ECW? Chapter Ten: The Final Showdown (April 1996)

As April 1996 dawned, the stage was set for the final showdown between Hulk Hogan and Shane Douglas. The two men had been feuding for months, with Hogan consistently defending his title and Douglas vowing to take down the champion.

What If.....Hulk Hogan Went to ECW? Chapter Nine: The World War 3 Showdown (March 1996)

As March 1996 dawned, the stage was set for one of the most epic showdowns in ECW history: World War 3. The event would feature a massive 60-man battle royal, with some of the biggest names in professional wrestling competing for a shot at the ECW World Heavyweight Championship.

What If.....Hulk Hogan Went to ECW? Chapter Eight: The Superman Era (February-March 1996)

As 1996 dawned, Hulk Hogan's ECW career continued to thrive. The feud with Raven had reached its boiling point, and the stage was set for a thrilling showdown. Meanwhile, a new challenger emerged in the form of Superman, the iconic superhero who had become a part of the ECW universe.

What If.....Hulk Hogan Went to ECW? Chapter Seven: The Road to World War 3 (December 1995-February 1996)

As 1995 ended, Hulk Hogan's feud with Raven continued to intensify. The two men had been trading victories and insults for months, and the tension between them was palpable. On December 16, 1995, Hogan faced off against Raven's ally, Scotty Anton, at the Starrcade event. The match was a wild and unpredictable affair, featuring interference from Raven and other members of the Nest.

What If.....Hulk Hogan Went to ECW? Chapter Six: The November to Remember Showdown (November 1995)

As the fall of 1995 wore on, the feud between Hulk Hogan and Raven continued to intensify. The two men had been trading victories and insults for months, and the tension between them was palpable. On November 18, 1995, the two men faced off in a title match at the November to Remember event, held at the ECW Arena.

Saturday, January 31, 2026

What If.....Hulk Hogan Went to ECW? Chapter Five: The Angle with Raven (July-September 1995)

As the summer of 1995 wore on, Hulk Hogan's reign as ECW World Heavyweight Champion continued to face new challenges. A new rival emerged in the form of Raven, the brooding and intense wrestler who had been making waves in ECW. Raven's dark and poetic style was a perfect fit for the ECW audience, and he quickly became a top contender to Hogan's title.

What If.....Hulk Hogan Went to ECW? Chapter Four: The Hostile City Showdown (April-June 1995)

As the spring of 1995 wore on, Hulk Hogan's feud with Cactus Jack continued to intensify. The two men had been trading victories and insults for months, and the tension between them was palpable. On April 8, 1995, Hogan faced off against Cactus Jack in a hardcore match at the Hostile City Showdown event. The bout was a chaotic, action-packed affair, featuring tables, chairs, and other foreign objects.

What If.....Hulk Hogan Went to ECW? Chapter Three: The Feud with Cactus Jack (January-March 1995)

As the new year dawned, Hulk Hogan's reign as ECW World Heavyweight Champion continued to gain momentum. He had established himself as one of the top champions in the promotion's history, and his matches were consistently delivering on the promise of high-energy entertainment. However, a new challenger emerged in the form of Cactus Jack, the hard-hitting, no-nonsense wrestler who had been making waves in ECW.

Music Special: Jonathan William Radbourne 1961-2026

One week ago today my brother, Jonathan William Radbourne, passed away at the age of 64. Jon was one of the people responsible for shaping my musical tastes when he introduced me to heavy metal and hard rock back in the early 1980s. If it wasn't for him I wouldn't listen to most of the music I do today.

This show is my personal tribute to him, playing some of the bands he saw play live at the old West Runton Pavilion, as well as others he introduced me to back in the day.

Rest in peace big brother. Love you. 

Friday, January 30, 2026

What If.....Hulk Hogan Went to ECW? Chapter Two: The Main Event Era (July-December 1994)

As the summer of 1994 wore on, Hulk Hogan's ECW career continued to gain momentum. He had established himself as a top player in the promotion, feuding with the likes of Shane Douglas and Sabu. The ECW fans, known for their passion and dedication, had taken to Hogan, appreciating his willingness to adapt to their unique style.

Thursday, January 29, 2026

The Thursday Rock Show: Even More From David Bowie

It's time for The Thursday Rock Show again, and time for the final part of our mini-series where we look back at the UK chart hits of the late great David Bowie, who passed away ten years this month. This week we're looking back at his hits from the second half of the 1980's.

Wednesday, January 28, 2026

What If.....Hulk Hogan Went to ECW? Chapter One: The Shocking Departure (February-June 1994)

If you’re a long-time reader of my blog you’ll know that I’ve been toying around with various AI apps for a while now. I used Gemini to help me convert my old Civil War stores so I could post them here on this blog, and I’ve also used these apps to help with some stories based on a few ideas I had, such as the story of Deep Purple’s 50th anniversary concert, and a story based on the rumour that Metallica asked Hulk Hogan to become their bass player.

Tuesday, January 27, 2026

Julian's Social Media Discoveries Episode 48: Robert Velvet, Dr. Rony, Staffan Ofwerman, Symphony of Sweden and More!

Episode 48 of the Social Media Discoveries series sees us taking another trip around Europe, with a couple of sojourns across the pond, as we feature yet more music we've discovered online over the past few years. We've even got an NHS doctor for you this week!

Thursday, January 22, 2026

The Thursday Rock Show: Yet More From David Bowie

It's time for The Thursday Rock Show once again, and we're continuing our look at the UK chart hits of the late great David Bowie, who passed away ten years ago this month. This week we're looking back at his hits between 1980 and 1984.

Wednesday, January 21, 2026

Clash of the Comics 2025 - TV Review

So…..

It’s been nine years since I’ve watched and reviewed a full wrestling show. Nine long years. I was never tempted to go back into the wrestling world at all during that time, not even when the country went into lockdown when people suddenly found themselves with a lot of time on their hands.

But now, with access to Netflix (thanks to big brother Mark, he’s a DJ you know), to ITVX, and to countless hours of free wrestling courtesy of YouTube, I’ve decided to dip my toes into the waters once again. Who have I watched, I hear you ask?

Have you watched the most recent episode of Monday Night Raw? Have you watched AEW for the first time? Or perhaps you’ve gone into the past and looked at the WWE or WCW Vaults over on YouTube? Or have you even turned your attention to those guys you used to hang around with in Norwich?

No. None of that. I headed over to the U&Dave catch-up service to watch a bunch of comedians.

Immortals: Civil War III - The Unfinished Story

Simon Callow would have made a great Captain Watt.
What you are about to read is the prologue to the fourth story of Civil War III, a story titled "Immortals". The idea was to look at the history of the Immortals, characters "borrowed" from the Highlander film and television series and used in the Anglo-Force/Valkyrie Chronicles universe, how they came to be, and why they fought for the ultimate prize in the Gathering.

That story was never written. I never added to the Civil War story that I had begun four years before in 1996. By the time this prologue was written in 2000 work commitments, and the beginning of The Two Sheds Review wrestling column online meant that the story was never written.

It's taken me since over five years to get all of my old stories online. The purchase of a new scanner and the advent of AI apps sped up the process no end in the past few months. I've enjoyed going over what was a very creative part of my life, and it's reminded me of the grand plans I had for Civil War.

So is there anything else I could add to Civil War? Will there be any more stories? All I will say is never say never.

Here's the prologue of "Immortals" for you.