ROCKiKON

A dedicated fan and flag-bearer for Classic Rock & Heavy Metal, Mark Crampton (born 1963, London, UK) is a ‘respected’ rock music journalist and historian who has written several books as well as audio CD biographies of famous rock ikons such as Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden.

A former graphic design consultant, his career as a rock journalist began in 1989 when he founded and edited the rock magazine Riff Raff after writing for various music publications. The London-based monthly rock magazine which featured interviews with top rock stars of the day, including arena rockers such as Ozzy Osbourne, Alice Cooper, Dio, Def Leppard, The Scorpions, and Foreigner, progressive pioneers Magnum and Marillion, and rising US ikons The Black Crowes and Skid Row, also championed new Brit hopefuls such as Thunder and The Almighty culminating with the promotion of the 1991 Cumbria Rock Festival.

Eventually translated into several European languages, one of Riff Raff’s most popular features was the surrealist ‘Fly Column’, which reportedly had some influence on Bono of U2, who directly quoted The Fly’s catchphrase “Bringing you the latest news, blues, and views” at U2’s legendary 1993 concert at Wembley Stadium when Salman Rushdie came out of hiding. The launch of two new pan-European magazines, ‘Noize Unlimited’ and ‘Monsters Of Rock’ likewise reflected an un-closeted musical spectrum ranging from the alternative rock of Oasis, Radiohead and The Manic Street Preachers, to the nu metal of Rage Against The Machine, Faith No More and Marilyn Manson.

After a brief break from the rock scene in the late 1990s (to ‘musically detox’, become Arsenal fan-ied and raise a family) today Mark Crampton has returned to his ikonic rock roots. Having worked on best-selling retrospective releases by Gary Moore, Saxon, and Uriah Heep, he compiles and composes CD sleeve notes for several top rock music labels.

He is currently furthering the cause of Classic Rock & Heavy Metal in new media circles...