When the Irish band were a folksy blues three-piece, it was Eric Bell who defined Thin Lizzy on their 1971 self-titled debut and early 70s follow-ups, Shades Of A Blue Orphanage and Vagabonds Of The Western World

From Ken Kesey’s Acid Tests to extended residencies at Las Vegas’s hi-tech phenomenon the Sphere – and, soon, the storied stage of the Royal Albert Hall – it’s been a long, strange trip for BOBBY WEIR . But the guardian of the GRATEFUL DEAD ’ s legacy still has further to go. “Am I still on the bus now? Yeah, I am,” he tells Nick Hasted

What is this that stands before me? Only the original lineup of BLACK SABBATH , gathered together for the final time! To celebrate the event, Uncut hears their story from the secret ingredient of the band’s heavy swing: drummer BILL WARD . “I jump into a song and explode,” he tells John Robinson

Midge Ure, the Live Aid orchestrator and Ultravox synth-pop pioneer, looks back at his trial by fire with Thin Lizzy – and why he told Phil Lynott: “I’m not the guy you should be asking”

THIS IS HOW IT ALL BEGINS. It’s May 1969 and four men are crammed into a room in the Newtown Community Centre in Aston, Birmingham, England, inventing the future. Between them, they sport an array of

With his trusty Fender Strat in hand and at a young 64, Bob Mould is an evergreen icon of alt and indie guitar – and he’s back with a new solo album