Joe Walsh has revealed that the James Gang is not only “alive and well,” but that the legendary trio will likely tour small venues in the not-too-distant future.
Speaking to M – Music & Musicians, the guitarist said, “I went to Cleveland and saw [drummer] Jimmy [Fox] and [bassist] Dale [Peters], and we played some together. It’s great; we can still do it. The James Gang is alive and well. The first little window I get from my current project, and the Eagles, we’ll probably go out as a three-piece. At some point we’ll go out and play some small places. I don’t think we should have a ‘comeback’ tour and I don’t think we should try to fill 10,000-seat places. But in House of Blues and Hard Rock Café venues – those types of places – I think we would do great.”
Walsh is currently on a solo tour in support of his latest album, Analog Man. Click here to read Gibson.com’s recent feature interview.
AC/DC may be disrupting operations at an Iranian nuclear facility. As reported by Gawker.com, Finnish computer security researcher Mikko Hypponen says he’s received “a series of emails from Iran” indicating that a cyber attack at the Iran location has included the blasting of AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck” in the wee hours of the night at full volume. Hypponen posted the text of one e-mail on his blog. It reads:
“I am writing you to inform you that our nuclear program has once again been compromised and attacked by a new worm with exploits which have shut down our automation network at Natanz and another facility Fordo near Qom. According to the email our cyber experts sent to our teams, they believe a hacker tool Metasploit was used. The hackers had access to our VPN. The automation network and Siemens hardware were attacked and shut down. I only know very little about these cyber issues as I am scientist not a computer expert. There was also some music playing randomly on several of the workstations during the middle of the night with the volume maxed out. I believe it was playing ‘Thunderstruck’ by AC/DC.”
Hypponen says he’s verified that the e-mail indeed came from Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization.
Larry Hoppen, singer for Orleans and the voice behind such hits as “Still the One” and “Dance with Me,” died on Tuesday (July 24). The cause of death is under investigation. Hoppen was 61.
Orleans was founded in Woodstock, New York, in 1972. The band’s best-known album, 1976’s Waking and Dreaming, yielded the chart-hits “Love Takes Time,” “Still the One” and “Forever.” Hoppen had been continuing to tour with Orleans, along with his brothers, Lance and Lane. The group was scheduled to perform this Friday (July 27) on Fox TV’s nationally televised Fox & Friends’ All-American Concert Series.
In addition to his work with Orleans, Hoppen performed or recorded with such notable figures as Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt, Levon Helm and Chet Atkins. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Hoppen; two daughters, Claire and Maeve; his brothers, Lance and Lane; and his sister, Lynda. “Words cannot express the depths of my sorrow,” said Lance Hoppen, in a statement.
Sir Paul McCartney has spoken out about David Beckham’s omission from the British Olympic soccer team.
The Sun newspaper reports that the Beatle legend said: “He’s a national hero. I would’ve thought Beckham would be first choice because of his huge contribution to getting the Olympics.
“I feel a bit sorry for the three over-23s because we’re going to be looking at them and saying, ‘That should’ve been Beckham.’
The king of all things horrifying, Alice Cooper, has signed on to be a part of two haunted attractions debuting this fall at “Halloween Horror Nights” at both Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood.
What to expect from the terrifying attractions? At Universal Orlando Resort, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer will present his own take of a demented and dark subconscious via the haunted maze, “Alice Cooper – Welcome to My Nightmare.” The maze is inspired by elements from his debut solo album, and the attraction will give guests insight into the disturbed dreams of the album’s recurring character, “Steven,” as he endures the “scream-inducing madness spawned from the mind of the legendary rocker,” according to a release.
Universal Studios Hollywood will host Alice Cooper’s new haunted attraction, “Alice Cooper Goes to Hell 3D,” which is inspired by Cooper’s seminal concept album focused on “unending darkness, eternal torment and unimaginable horrors.” To take in the full experience, guests will put on 3D glasses and experience a very personal, ghastly greeting with Alice Cooper’s nightmare.
For more details on “Halloween Horror Nights” at both Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood, head to www.halloweenhorrornights.com.
Gibson signature artist Don Felder is ready to release his first solo album in roughly three decades. The record, titled Road to Forever, will arrive on October 9 and offer 12 tracks, all written or co-written by the songwriter. The album, which is his second solo release, also will feature guest performances by a slew of famous names: Graham Nash, David Crosby, Stephen Stills, Tommy Shaw of Styx, American Idol’s Randy Jackson and more.
Felder first hooked up with the Eagles in 1974 and helped make the band a success, thanks to his mad guitar skills and songwriting talents. He actually composed the music for the band’s big hit, “Hotel California.” He played in the Eagles until 2001 and wrote about his less-than-friendly exit from the group in his 2008 memoir, Heaven and Hell: My Life in the Eagles, which was on the New York Times bestseller list.
Felder has booked a selection of North American shows and is gunning to add more tour dates this fall. Check out the track list for Return to Forever below.
Return to Forever Track List:
"Fall from the Grace of Love"
"Girls in Black"
"Wash Away"
"I Believe in You"
"You Don't Have Me"
"Money"
"Someday"
"Heal Me"
"Over You"
"Road to Forever"
"Life's Lullaby"
"Give My Life”
A group of British musicians have signed a letter to U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron, calling for government to do more to stem the tide of illegal music downloads. BraveWords.com reports that Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend (The Who), Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin) and Brian May (Queen) are among those who signed the note.
The musicians suggest that the British economy could be strengthened if illegal file sharing laws were enforced more strictly. They have requested the implementation of the 2010 Digital Economy Act, which forces internet service providers, search engines and advertisers to prevent users from going to sites with illegal content.
To mark the release of a new iTunes Beatles compilation, Tomorrow Never Knows, Foo Fighter Dave Grohl has written some words outlining his love of the British band.
NME.com reports that he said: “If it weren’t for The Beatles, I would not be a musician.
The Beatles seemed to be capable of anything. They knew no boundaries, and in that freedom they seemed to define what we now know today as Rock and Roll.”
Grohl also reveals that his six-year old daughter is also a fan, saying, “From one generation to the next, The Beatles will remain the most important rock band of all time. Just ask Violet.”
Paul McCartney has posted a rehearsal video promoting the upcoming Olympics concert at his website, PaulMcCartney.com.
Macca shows that the famous Beatle humor is alive and well when responding to his July 14 concert appearance with Bruce Springsteen, which was ended by the power being disconnected (for curfew reasons). In the video, his rehearsal is abruptly ended.
Rock legend Roger Waters, the biggest-selling live act of 2012 so far, has stopped signing autographs.
According to the Daily Express, the Pink Floyd legend is upset about the commercialization of the autograph business.
Waters told the Daily Telegraph, “I don’t sign any guitars or scratch-plates or anything like that any more. There’s a little sort of industry that’s about eBay. It’s about getting a little bit of you that they can sell to somebody who cares, and I find that ugly.”
Rush’s Alex Lifeson is fiercely forward-looking when it comes to the band’s music, but he’s saddened that albums no longer reign as the premier musical format.
“We grew up with albums, and for us, the album was always the thing,” he told M-Music and Musicians. “We’ve never been a singles band. We’ve released singles, sure, and we’ve had some moderate success with some, but we’ve never been that kind of band. So yes, I’m sorry to see the album and everything it represented go. It was like a book, and now you’re buying chapters that don’t always relate to the whole book.”
Still, Lifeson said it “was fun” releasing a couple of songs from the band’s new album, Clockwork Angels, as teasers. “It got us thinking that in the future we might record two or three songs and release them every six months,” he said. “But for now, especially with a project this size, an album was the only way to go.”
Tony Martin says he knows his former Black Sabbath bandmates love drummer Bill Ward, and he hopes they can come to an agreement which would see Ward return to the band for their in-progress reunion album.
In an interview with Born Music Online, Martin said he didn’t understand the fuss over “this Bill Ward stuff. I spent 10 years with the band and not once did they speak badly of Bill Ward. They love him, so why didn’t they go the extra yard to make it work?”
Martin released five albums with Black Sabbath, including a few which remain critically acclaimed (Headless Cross and Cross Purposes), and he shared the stage with three quarters of Sabbath’s founding members when Ward joined Martin, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler for a 1994 South American tour.
In a 2011 interview with Gibson.com, Martin said he looked back fondly on Cross Purposes: “I was gettin’ a bit more real with lyrics instead of historical. But I actually invented some words and to this day only one person has found them and questioned me about them. I challenge anyone to find them, but everyone sings them. It’s those things that I find really interesting.”
Martin’s latest album is The Third Cage with the project Mollo/Martin.
Pink Floyd founder Roger Waters’s world tour is the highest grossing of 2012 so far, reports Classic Rockmagazine.
Boxscore Billboard monitors ticket sales and reported that Waters’s tour brought in $131.4 million in the six months from November 2011 to May 31, 2012.
The top 10 tours during that time are:
1. Roger Waters’ The Wall: $131.4m
2. Michael Jackson The Immortal Tour: $68.4m
3. Bruce Springsteen: $52.4m
4. Jay-Z/Kanye West’s The Throne: $46m
5. Lady Gaga: $44m
6. Van Halen: $38.6m
7. Trans-Siberian Orchestra: $33.4m
8. Taylor Swift: $26.3m
9. Pearl Jam: $25.4m
10. Andre Rieu: $25.3m
Queen will release a new boxed set featuring the rock legend’s most famous videos and promotional films. Greatest Video Hits will include two DVDs containing 33 clips from the ’70s and ’80s, according to Ultimate Classic Rock.
The DVDs will include commentary from Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor, as well as restored versions of the videos with DTS sound mixing. Greatest Video Hits will be available on August 28.
Queen, Greatest Video Hits tracklist:
Disc One:
1. “Bohemian Rhapsody”
2. “Another One Bites the Dust”
3. “Killer Queen” (Live on Top of the Pops)
4. “Fat Bottomed Girls”
5. “Bicycle Race”
6. “You’re My Best Friend”
7. “Don’t Stop Me Now”
8. “Save Me”
9. “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”
10. “Somebody to Love”
11. “Spread Your Wings”
12. “Play the Game”
13. “Flash”
14. “Tie Your Mother Down”
15. “We Will Rock You”
16. “We Are the Champions”
Disc Two:
1. “A Kind of Magic”
2. “I Want it All”
3. “Radio Ga Ga”
4. “I Want to Break Free”
5. “Breakthru”
6. “Under Pressure”
7. “Scandal”
8. “Who Wants to Live Forever”
9. “The Miracle”
10. “It’s a Hard Life”
11. “The Invisible Man”
12. “Las Palabras De Amor”
13. “Friends Will Be Friends”
14. “Body Language”
15. “Hammer to Fall”
16. “Princes of the Universe”
17. “One Vision”
It’s been 25 years since Guns N’ Roses released their monumental debut, Appetite forDestruction. Looking back, Slash says the band was simply writing songs that reflected what was happening at the time. “It’s a snapshot of life from 1984 to 1987,” he said, speaking to the Australia radio station, Triple M. “It was talking about stuff that nobody really talked about at the time. It was delivered with an attitude so sincere that a lot of people really related.”
Slash ascribed the album’s success, in part, to its honesty. “We said things that people would have felt uncomfortable about saying, but felt those same things,” he explained. “We were living on the edge and singing about it, and people were like, ‘Wow, that’s pretty brutal.’”
Slash went on to say the songs for the album came very quickly. “They almost wrote themselves,” he said. “With Axl, I know he was very conscientious with the lyrics, and might have spent more time with them. But the arrangements and the music would come together within an hour.”
An eBay bidder has spent £9,581 (approximately $15,000) on a rare version of The Beatles’ first U.S album.
According to the Daily Express, Introducing... The Beatles was released in early 1964 but was somewhat lost in the mix after their band’s Meet The Beatles album came out just 10 days later.
Introducing... The Beatles included “Twist and Shout” and their debut single “Love Me Do.”
Yes, kids, the legendary British band is launching “The Moody Blues: The Voyage 2013,” which will voyage to several Caribbean hotspots, including Ocho Rios, Jamaica, and Georgetown, Grand Cayman. The voyage will take place March 20 through 25.
What to expect from the rockin’ cruse? Try private concerts, surprise music acts and an exclusive Q&A session with Justin Hayward, John Lodge and Graeme Edge of the Moody gang. The fan cruise will also commemorate the 45th anniversary of the Moody Blues’ decisive album Days of Future Passed.
Tickets for “The Moody Blues: The Voyage 2013” will be available in the coming weeks. For more details, head to the cruise’s official website.
Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey have announced The Who’s first North American tour in four years. This trek (titled “Quadrophenia and More”) will center around a full-length performance of Quadrophenia, the band’s 1973 rock opera, but will also feature other Who hits, according to Ultimate Classic Rock.
“We’ve been trying to find something we can do together, Roger and I, for a while,” Townshend said. “Quadrophenia was something that we both felt we could get together on and look again. The last time we did it [on tour] was in 1997. We’ve been anxious to work together before we drop dead.”
Townshend went on to admit how much he and Daltrey miss the other founding members of The Who – late bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon. But, he said he’s looking forward to playing the classic opus with the group’s current touring lineup, which includes Zak Starkey on drums, Pino Palladino on bass and Pete’s brother Simon Townshend on guitar.
The tour begins November 1 in Sunrise, Florida. Check out our local dates below.
11/1 — Sunrise, Fla. — BankAtlantic Center
11/3 — Orlando, Fla. — Amway Center
11/5 — Duluth, Ga. — The Arena at Gwinett Center
11/8 — Greenville, S.C. — Bi-Lo Center
11/9 — Greensboro, N.C. — Greensboro Coliseum
11/11 — Pittsburgh, Pa. — Consol Energy Center
11/13 — Washington, D.C. — Verizon Center
11/14 — Brooklyn, N.Y. — Barclays Center
11/16 — Boston, Mass. — TD Garden
11/20 — Montreal, QC — Bell Centre
11/21 — Ottawa, ON — Scotiabank Place
11/23 — Toronto, ON — Air Canada Centre
11/24 — Detroit, Mich. — Joe Louis Arena
11/27 — Minneapolis, Minn. — Target Center
11/29 — Chicago, Ill. — Allstate Arena
12/2 — Nashville, Tenn. — Bridgestone Arena
12/5 — New York, N.Y. — Madison Square Garden
12/6 — Newark, N.J. — Prudential Center
12/8 — Philadelphia, Pa. — Wells Fargo Center
12/9 — Uncasville, Ct. — Mohegan Sun Arena
2013
1/28 — Anaheim, Calif. — Honda Center
1/30 — Los Angeles, Calif. — Staples Center 2/1 — Oakland, Calif. — Oracle Arena
2/2 — Reno, Nev. — The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
2/5 — San Diego, Calif. — Valley View Casino Center
2/6 — Glendale, Ariz. — Jobing Center
2/8 — Las Vegas, Nev. – The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
2/12 — Denver, Colo. — Pepsi Center
2/14 — Tulsa, Okla. — BOK Center
2/16 — Louisville, Ky. — KFC Yum! Center
2/17 — Columbus, Ohio — Schottenstein Center
2/19 — Hamilton, ON — Copps Coliseum
2/21 — Uniondale, N.Y. — Nassau Coliseum
2/22 — Atlantic City, N.J. — Boardwalk Hall
2/24 — Manchester, N.H. — Verizon Wireless Arena
2/26 — Providence, R.I. — Dunkin’ Donuts Center
Lynyrd Skynyrd release a new album, Last of a Dyin’ Breed, on August 21. It is the band’s first studio album since 2009’s God & Guns.
Gary Rossington is now the only original Skynyrd member, but he has told Michigan Live: “I wouldn’t say it’s a responsibility, at least not in a heavy way. We all had a dream, and the dream came true. Then, it was stripped away so quickly. People still love the music, and we love doing it. That’s really what’s it’s all about – playing music that makes people happy and hearing stories from them.”
Of Last of a Dyin’ Breed Rossington says: “It’s just good Southern rock ’n’ roll. It’s within the tradition and style of the band.”
New to the band is ex-Black Crowes bassist Johnny Colt. When asked about receiving a phone call from Rickey Medlocke to join the band, Colt said, “What else do you say to Medlocke, Rossington and Van Zant? We’re talking Southern rock royalty. We’re talking Lynyrd Skynyrd. The only thing out of my mouth was, when and where?”
Lynyrd Skynyrd play three dates in the U.K. in November. Look for them at the Stockton Arena with the Doobie Brothers Friday October 5th.
Nov. 11 - Gateshead - The Sage
Nov. 12 - London - O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Nov. 14 - Norwich - UEA
Last of a Dying’ Breed is also released as a Classic Rock magazine “fan pack” on August 20. The special edition contains four bonus tracks on the CD in a 120-page magazine about Lynard Skynyrd, plus poster, bottle opener and keyring.
Last of a Dyin Breed’stracklist is:
“Last of a Dyin’ Breed”
“One Day at a Time”
“Homegrown”
“Ready to Fly”
“Mississippi Blood”
“Good Teacher”
“Something to Live For”
“Life’s Twisted”
“Nothing Comes Easy”
“Honey Hole”
“Start Livin’ Life Again”
The Rolling Stones are 50 years old as a band, and rumors grow of an anniversary tour. But Keith Richards has revealed he struggles to remember the band’s classic hits.
He told Absolute Radio, “When you kick off a song you say, ‘I can’t remember how the middle bit goes,’ but the fingers remember even if you don’t!
“I don’t practice as much as I should, probably. But now that we’re putting the act together again I’m getting the chops back together.”
The Rolling Stones have recently been in rehearsals, with bassist Bill Wyman back in the fold. They have yet to confirm any official shows, but Mick Jagger has said “autumn” when asked when the Stones will play live again.
He has told London’s Evening Standard, “You will definitely be seeing us all together soon. It’s been great fun being back together and there are a lot of memories in here. I can’t believe it’s been 50 years. We’ve been hanging out together, seeing quite a bit of each other and we want to do some gigs.”
Bob Dylan will release a new album this fall. Tempest, his 35th studio effort, will be released on September 11, according to Rolling Stone.
Dylan has revealed the tracklist for the record, which concludes with a tribute to fellow music legend, John Lennon. “Roll on John” includes portions of lyrics from several Beatles tunes, including parts of “Come Together” and “A Day in the Life.” The title track is an epic, running 14 minutes and detailing the sinking of the Titanic.
Bob Dylan, Tempest:
“Duquesne Whistle”
“Soon After Midnight”
“Narrow Way”
“Long and Wasted Years”
“Pay in Blood”
“Scarlet Town”
“Early Roman Kings”
“Tin Angel”
“Tempest”
“Roll on John”
Tributes have been pouring in for Deep Purple’s Jon Lord, who died in London on July 16.
Slash tweeted: “[It’s a] sad day in rock and roll; Jon Lord has passed on. One of the biggest, baddest, heaviest sounds in heavy metal. One [of] a kind.”
Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine wrote: “RIP the great Jon Lord, Deep Purple's cornerstone/keyboardist. So many great great songs and that incredible SOUND of his! Thankyou.”
And Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath wrote on his GeezerButler.com blog: “Very sad to hear of Jon’s death, following his battle with the demon cancer. One of the great musicians of my generation. Tony Iommi recently worked with Jon, and said what a lovely bloke he was. I met him a few times, but never got to work with him. Blessings.”
Mötley Crüe have made their new single “Sex” available for free for 24 hours.
The song can be streamed from Motley.com via a Reverbnation player but can be downloaded and kept by providing an e-mail address or Facebook account.
The band wrote the new song when they were together in Las Vegas for their Sin City residency in February 2012, and is being released to promote “The Tour,” their un-cryptically-titled summer co-headlining tour with KISS.
It’s the first new Mötley Crüe studio track since the 2008 album Saints of Los Angeles. That album was loosely based on The Dirt, the band’s 2001 autobiography with Neil Strauss.
“It sounds very much like it’s off of the first record,” Nikki Sixx told VH1 Radio Network’s Dave Basner of the new single. “And that was definitely on purpose. I’ve been writing very simple riffs for the last year and focusing on how these riffs would work for Vince, basically, and took it in the studio with Tommy and Mick and the thing just came alive.”
Sixx has indicated via Twitter that Mötley Crüe plans to play the new song during their run with KISS.
KISS and Mötley Crüe “The Tour” tour dates:
Jul 20 – Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live
Jul 21 – Virginia Beach, VA Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach
Jul 22 – Raleigh, NC Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek
Jul 24 – Atlanta, GA Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood
Deep Purple keyboardist Jon Lord has lost his battle with pancreatic cancer, according to BraveWords. He was 71.
A message on Lord’s website reads: “It is with deep sadness we announce the passing of Jon Lord, who suffered a fatal pulmonary embolism today, Monday, July 16th at the London Clinic, after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Jon was surrounded by his loving family.
“Jon Lord, the legendary keyboard player with Deep Purple co-wrote many of the bands legendary songs including ‘Smoke on the Water’ and played with many bands and musicians throughout his career.
“Best known for his Orchestral work Concerto For Group & Orchestra first performed at Royal Albert Hall with Deep Purple and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in 1969 and conducted by the renowned Malcolm Arnold, a feat repeated in 1999 when it was again performed at the Royal Albert Hall by the London Symphony Orchestra and Deep Purple.
“Jon’s solo work was universally acclaimed when he eventually retired from Deep Purple in 2002.
It seems not even an historic meeting of rock royalty is immune from that most troublesome of musician woes: the dreaded curfew. Sir Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen had the plug pulled on them at London’s Hyde Park in the interest of the public’s “health and safety.”
The incident happened at the Hard Rock Calling festival. Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello was also part of the cross-generational power cut, which occurred during a cover of “Twist and Shout.”
The Boss’s guitarist Steve Van Zandt of the E Street Band vented his frustrations on Twitter after the incident: “English cops may be the only individuals left on earth that wouldn’t want to hear one more from Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney,” he wrote, adding “On a Saturday night! Who were we disturbing?” and, “There’s no grudges to be held. Just feel bad for our great fans. ... It’s some City Council stupid rule.”
The following day, London Mayor Boris Johnson had this to say: “It sounds to me like an excessively efficacious decision. You won’t get that during the Olympics. If they’d have called me, my answer would have been for them to jam in the name of the Lord!”
Poison frontman and reality TV star Bret Michaels has put together an all-star supporting cast for his new album. Bret Michaels and Friends: Get Your Rock On will be released in September and feature guest spots from musical luminaries from Loretta Lynn and Jimmy Buffett to members of Rascal Flatts and Lynyrd Skynyrd, according to Rolling Stone.
Aerosmith’s Joe Perry plays on a reworking of “Every Rose Has its Thorn,” while Michael Anthony, Lil Jon and Ace Frehley contribute to a new version of “Nothin’ But a Good Time.”
“Ace Frehley is the real deal,” Michaels said. “He laid down this amazing solo and then Michael Anthony came in, he did the backups, and I was like, ‘Just play some Michael Anthony licks.’ He did, and that’s what made magic on the song.”
And Bret’s still trying to add stars to the roster. He’d like to bring in Zakk Wylde for “Go That Far” and Cheap Trick axeman Rick Nielsen for a revamp of “Talk Dirty to Me.” “I think that’d be great to have him come in and put his style on a song that I remade in an over-the-top, punk-metal fashion,” Michaels said.
The Allman Brothers Band have announced the lineup and details for their Peach Music Festival which is taking place August 10-12.
The Allman Brothers Band-inspired fest takes place on multiple stages over the course of three days at Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain and Sno Mountain Ski Area & Water Park in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Previously announced artists include Zac Brown Band, Warren Haynes Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, O.A.R., Railroad Earth, The Wailers, Dark Star Orchestra, Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band, Robert Randolph and The Family Band, Blackberry Smoke and more.
The full lineup is now:
August 10: Zac Brown Band, The Allman Brothers Band, Warren Haynes Band, Dark Star Orchestra, Blackberry Smoke, Trigger Hippy, Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, Cabinet and 61 North.
August 11: The Allman Brothers Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, O.A.R., The Wailers, Rebelution, Jaimoe's Jasssz Band, Railroad Earth, Toubab Krewe, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, JD & The Straight Shot, Grimace Federation, Tauk and Miz.
August 12: “Wake Up With Warren” (Warren Haynes acoustic solo), Robert Randolph and The Family Band and Blind Boys of Alabama.
Gene Simmons says KISS’s famous black and white make-up was “warpaint.” Speaking to U.K. newspaper The Guardian, Simmons said he used to think The Beatles were a family because they had identical haircuts, and wanted to create a similar effect of unity.
“[The make-up] was warpaint. Make-up does not give it enough respect. We played a place called the Daisy. There couldn’t have been more than 50 to 100 people there. When we looked across the stage, we felt as if we belonged together. I remember seeing The Beatles as a kid and thinking there must have been a Beatle mother ’cause they all looked like they were connected. There’s no question that our outfits and our boot-heels and our make-up was a unique definition of who we were and helped us become who we are.”
Fellow frontman Paul Stanley shared another strategy that KISS used to make the group look popular in the early days. He said they created a myth of success, even though they were struggling at the time.
“We had a rule that we wouldn’t play more than once every eight or 12 weeks because we wanted people to think we were busy. We were literally sitting in our loft starving and rehearsing. And then we would go out and do a show and I would say, ‘It’s great to be back’ we’ve been gone!’ We weren’t anywhere. But it was about creating this mythology from the ground up,” he said.
Fox has revealed that Steven Tyler will not appear as a judge on the next edition of American Idol. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer will be focusing on touring with Aerosmith, according to USA Today.
The report follows rumors that Jennifer Lopez is considering moving on from the reality competition series.
Tyler’s statement:
“After some long...hard...thoughts…I've decided it's time for me to let go of my mistress American Idol before she boils my rabbit. I strayed from my first love, AEROSMITH, and I’m back – but instead of begging on my hands and knees, I’ve got two fists in the air and I’m kicking the door open with my band. The next few years are going to be dedicated to kicking some serious ass – the ultimate in auditory takeover…On Nov. 6, we are unleashing our new album, Music from Another Dimension on the Earth, Moon, Mars, and way beyond the stars…Idol was over-the-top fun, and I loved every minute of it…Now it's time to bring Rock Back. ERMAHGERD.”
In 2007, Gary Moore paid tribute to fellow guitar legend Jimi Hendrix with a concert dedicated to Hendrix tunes. The show, which took place at London’s Hippodrome, was recorded and will be released as Gary Moore: Blues for Jimi on CD, DVD and Blu-ray on September 25.
At the concert, Moore put his spin on Hendrix classics such as “Purple Haze,” “Red House” and “Foxy Lady.” For the last three songs of the show, he was joined by Hendrix bandmates Billy Cox (bass) and Mitch Mitchell (drums). Of course, Mitchell and Moore have both passed away since the concert took place.
Slash should be a happy guy at the moment, as the guitar great was honored Tuesday (July 10) with his very own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Now, Slash is speaking out about the honor, and he says it’s reflective of how great he feels about his music at this point in his career.
“I definitely feel like I’m cresting a certain wave in my career where I’m having a really great time, I love what I’m doing, I love the people I’m working with and I’m feeling very energized,” he told Rolling Stone after the star ceremony. “I haven’t had that feeling since when Guns started.”
He added that his current solo project, and recent #4 Billboard smash album, Apocalyptic Love, is something of a “Cinderella story.”
“It’s kind of a Cinderella story,” he said. “I had no idea this was going to be a band I was going to do things with – I thought it was a pickup band. It turned out to be really, from the get-go, this kickass band, and now it’s more like a group.”
Rolling Stones fans are in for a treat, as the fourth installment of the legendary group’s new series of authorized bootlegs has arrived. Live at the Tokyo Dome (Tokyo 1990) offers footage from the rockers’ second to last gig during their 10-concert residency in the Japanese capital in February 1990. The shows were the first The Rolling Stones had ever performed in Japan and came at the end of their Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle tour to promote 1989’s Steel Wheels.
The Live at the Tokyo Dome release groups together 23 songs – everything from newer cuts off Steel Wheels to the group’s catalog of favorites. “Start Me Up,” “Sad Sad Sad,” “Harlem Shuffle,” “Tumbling Dice,” “Miss You” and “Ruby Tuesday” are just a few of the selections. Longtime engineer Bob Clearmountain worked on the mixes for the album, which is available only as a digital download. Fans can score it in the U.S. via the Google Play music store.
In other Stones news, today (July 12) marks the 50th anniversary of the Rolling Stones' very first gig, which happened at the Marquee Club, at the time one of London's most popular jazz venues. Happy anniversary, boys!
Live at the Tokyo Dome (Tokyo 1990) Tracklisting:
“Start Me Up”
“Bitch”
“Sad Sad Sad”
“Harlem Shuffle”
“Tumbling Dice”
“Miss You”
“Ruby Tuesday”
“Almost Hear You Sigh”
“Rock and a Hard Place”
“Mixed Emotions”
“Honky Tonk Women”
“Midnight Rambler”
“You Can't Always Get What You Want”
“Can't Be Seen”
“Happy”
“Paint It Black”
“2000 Light Years from Home”
“Sympathy for the Devil”
“Gimme Shelter”
Band Introductions
“It's Only Rock 'N' Roll (But I Like It)”
“Brown Sugar”
“(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction”
“Jumping Jack Flash”
Slash was honored Tuesday (July 10) with a star on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame. The veteran guitarist joins such illustrious peers as Alice Cooper, Elvis Presley and The Beatles, each of whom has been similarly honored.
“I’ve been a part of the Hollywood fabric for a long time, and to actually be appreciated by the city of Hollywood is a huge, huge honor,” said Slash, at the unveiling of his star. “And so I want to thank everybody for this; it’s unbelievable.”
Among those on-hand for the celebration was actor Charlie Sheen. Slash has sold more than 100 million albums as a member of various groups and as a solo artist. His latest solo album, Apocalyptic Love, recently hit #4 on the Billboard Top 200 chart.
Ozzy Osbourne believes rock stars share traits with some people afflicted with a certain personality disorder. He also says entertainers risk going “crazy” if that can’t separate their personal lives from their onstage personas.
“[Rock] performers are like schizophrenics,” Osbourne said, speaking to Kerrang! magazine. “When you’re onstage that’s what you do, but when you are offstage you’ve got to be different.”
Osbourne admitted he speaks from experience, having struggled through the years to draw a division between his professional life and his personal life.
“It got me in all kinds of trouble,” he said. Still, be believes there’s at least one category of entertainer that behaves even more erratically than rockers. “Rock and roll is bad for that stuff,” he said, “but if you think that’s bad, you want to get involved in the acting world. They go nuts!”
With rumors flying that Van Halen are to play at next year’s Super Bowl halftime show, David Lee Roth has addresses the issue with an open letter posted on the fansite Van Halen News Desk.
Roth says: “I’m compelled to address the now-rampant rumors that Van Halen is playing the Superbowl. First of all let me say this – be still my pigskin heart. That honor has not been bestowed upon us at this time though it is one we would accept in a NY minute.
“Having heard VH blaring through stadium speakers on any given Sunday – more like every given Sunday, the idea of playing there live would be like – ‘okay, now we’re in the game.’
“Van Halen’s collective memories are – and with all due respect to each and every one of these memories, teeming with been-theres and done-that’s, but none include playing at the Superbowl. Playing at the Superbowl is a veritable holy grail of musical recognition, a highly prized rite of passage for (game-changing) artists. Not a spiritual rite with snake pits or Hebrew school or anything, but it’s up there.
“We are not on Commissioner Goodell’s dance card at this time, but we would be most honored to dance the halftime away in New Orleans.
“It’s an honor to be considered and for that we would like to thank the rumormongers all over the World Wide Web.
A landmark live show featuring the pairing of the Rolling Stones with Muddy Waters is being released on DVD and CD this week.
Muddy Waters And Rolling Stones – Live At The Checkerboard Lounge documents this historic November 22, 1981 performance. In the middle of a mammoth American tour, the Stones arrived in Chicago for a three-night stand at the Rosemount Horizon. As Chicago blues fans they visited Muddy Waters’ club, The Checkerboard Lounge, to witness a concert by the legendary bluesman. Before long Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Ian Stewart joined in on stage. Buddy Guy, Junior Wells and Lefty Dizz also joined in.
The original footage of the event has been restored with sound mixed and mastered by Bob Clearmountain.
Muddy Waters And Rolling Stones – Live At The Checkerboard Lounge will be released on Tuesday July 10 via Eagle Rock Entertainment.
Def Leppard’s Phil Collen has vivid memories of recording Hysteria, the multi-platinum album the band released 25 years ago. “I can remember being in the studio, what guitars we used … I think I remember what we ordered for lunch on some days,” the veteran guitarist tells MusicRadar.com, in a lengthy interview about the 1987 classic.
Collen said the band was determined to fulfill producer Mutt Lang’s vision of making a hard rock version of Michael Jackson’s Thriller. “Mutt wanted to open us up to any kind of sound, make us like a hybrid in a way, and we thought that was really exciting,” he explains. “A lot of rock albums can sound thin and reedy. But listen to hip-hop albums and R&B records – they sound huge! We found that we could get a lot of crossover appeal by making the songs big and open.”
Hysteria was three years in the making, but when Collen heard the finished product for the first time, he was ecstatic. “I thought, ‘If it sells one copy and my mom’s the only one that buys it, I’ll be happy’,” he said . “It was the best thing I’d ever heard. I was completely satisfied. I was so proud and pleased. I can still listen to it and feel the same way."
Stephen Stills, an innovative guitarist in his own right, has been talking about the late, great, Jimi Hendrix.
Stills told Music Radarthat Hendrix was “astonishing – a very dear, dear soul” and was always happy to pass on a few guitar tips.
“I remember he was showing me something,” said Stills. “And I said, ‘Jimi, put your hand up.’ So he held his hand up and I put mine next to his and I said, ‘Your thumb is longer than mine! I can’t do what you’re doing!’ So he went, ‘Oh, yeah,’ and figured out a way to show me the same thing.”
Scorpions are reworking unfinished songs from the early ‘80s for a new album promised for next year. Guitarist Matthias Jabs tells Billboard.com the veteran German metal band has raided the vaults for “leftovers from the Blackout album [and] Love at First Sting, which some people think is our best time.” “It’s actually very good material,” he said. "We're doing it the way we are recording albums today, but the basic ideas, the riffs, the feel, the way they were written and arranged, we try to keep as much from the old recordings as possible. Thirty years later no one would come up with these ideas we came up with when we were younger, so we want to keep that spirit in there."
Last month, Scorpions delighted fans with news they were not breaking up, but they do remain firm in their decision to retire from the road at the end of this year. “We decided to stop at this point because we are still in great form and would like to be remembered as a great live band,” Jabs said. “We don't want to grow old in the spotlight.”
Check it out, Beatles fans. A new BBC documentary about illustrious Beatles producer George Martin is hitting the U.S. on DVD and Blu-ray this fall.
The documentary, named simply Produced by George Martin, features lengthy interviews with Martin, plus discussions with a handful of the big names Martin has put on tape, including the one and only Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and Jeff Beck. Moreover, the fresh release packs over 50 minutes of interviews not aired when the documentary was first broadcast in the U.K. last year.
Martin started working with the Beatles in 1962, and he arranged and produced their studio albums, eventually scoring a Grammy in 1967 for Album of the Year for his work on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Martin is also one of the lucky few to have his name in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, getting inducted in 1999.
Look for Produced by George Martin to be released on September 11.
KISS legend Gene Simmons took 28 years to finally wed Shannon Tweed - a delay he puts down to his own selfishness.
According to U.K. newspaper The Daily Express, Simmons told TV show Daybreak: “I will speak for myself, I can’t speak for all men... I’ve been arrogant and selfish all my life, thought I could have my cake and eat it too and didn’t want to ever answer, ‘Where are you going?’ Where am I going? Who wants to know? Shannon has been with me for 28, almost 29 years this August and has put up with my crap...
“For her to stick around and put up with all that, and she knows everything, she knows where all the bodies are buried and all that.
“This is a question for all those guys out there, imagine you’re on your deathbed... Who do you want around your deathbed for that last breath of air. If you want the woman you love and your children, then don’t wait before you die. Love them and be good to them while you’re alive.”
Rock legends Lynyrd Skynyrd are planning to release their new album, Last of a Dyin’ Breed, on August 21. And, just in time for the Fourth of July, the Southern rockers have revealed the full tracklist on the new record, according to BraveWords.com.
The album is the first record from the veteran musicians since 2009’s God & Guns, which also was produced by Bob Mariette. Check out the full tracklist below.
Lynyrd Skynyrd, Last of a Dyin’ Breed:
“Last of a Dyin’ Breed”
“One Day at a Time”
“Homegrown”
“Ready to Fly”
“Mississippi Blood”
“Good Teacher”
“Something to Live For”
“Life’s Twisted”
“Nothing Comes Easy”
“Honey Hole”
“Start Livin’ Life Again”
Bonus tracks:
“Poor Man’s Dream”
“Do it Up Right”
“Sad Song”
“Low Down Dirty”
Def Leppard are working through re-recording some of their back catalog so that their former label has no control over their sales.
As reported a couple of weeks ago, Def Leppard recently re-recorded and re-released new versions of “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and “Rock of Ages,” saying that the reasons were due to an ongoing dispute with their ex-label.
Now frontman Joe Elliott has expanded in a new interview with Billboard.com. Elliottsays that the band refuses to deal with their former record label, Universal, “until we come up with some kind of arrangement” over compensation, especially for digital downloads.
Elliott says Def Leppard are also starting to think about recording brand new material, although it’s possible that they may release one or two tracks at a time rather than an album. Joe also revealed that he is working on a second Down N Outz album and he hopes to release it in 2013.
Sir Peter Blake – the artist responsible for probably the best-known album cover in history, The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely hearts Club Band – celebrated his 80th birthday with some of Britain’s greatest rockers.
According to the Daily Express, Ronnie Wood, Eric Clapton and Sir Paul McCartney attended his birthday party while Bill Wyman, Jimmy Page and Roger Daltrey all visited the exhibition of Blake’s work at London’s Royal Albert Hall.
No let up for Macca – it’s been announced that the bass-playing Beatle will perform his classic song, “Let it Be” at the London Olympics opening ceremony.
According to Rolling Stone magazine, Graham Nash is to write his memoir for a huge sum of money. He has struck a deal with the Random House/Crown publishing group.
“They were all more than kind to me,” Nash says. “But it was the people at Crown and Random House who gave me over seven figures.”
Nash plans to start his tale with his childhood in Salford, England, and will be totally open about his life and career. “I’ve been as honest as I can be. If they asked me a question about drugs, I answered them,” he says of his meetings with the publishers. “You ask me a question, you’re going to get an answer. Whether you like the answer or not is your problem, but you’ll get an answer.”
Nash’s untitled memoir is set for a winter 2013 release.
“I’ve had an incredible ringside seat to the last 50-odd years of rock & roll,” said Nash. “I think people will be very interested to know what the British Invasion was like, what Woodstock was like, what my friends are like, what trouble we got into, what heights we scaled. I think they’ll be interested in all of it.”
Even for old rockers, this could all be interesting. Neil Young – of Crosby Stills Nash & Young – with Nash, publishes his own autobiography in October 2012. Young’s book is called Waging Heavy Peace. Young says it is “not quite a memoir. It’s more like a diary and a projection.”
KISS will release their 20th studio album, Monster, in October. There are 12 tracks, all collaborations between co-founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, with guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer.
Monster is the group's first studio album since the band’s 2009’s Sonic Boom. Monster was produced by Paul Stanley with Greg Collins at Conway Studios in Hollywood and The Nook in Studio City, California.
On Monday (July 2), KISS’s “Hell or Hallelujah” will be available as a digital single. It gets a physical release the next day. Stanley says it is “a battle cry that encapsulates the entire record... one way or another, we’re going to do it our way.”
“There are no symphony orchestras, boy choirs, keyboards, outside producers or songwriters on this album,” promises Gene Simmons. “The best thing we did was to turn inwards to ourselves. Tommy [Thayer] and Eric [Singer] have revitalized this band, with a work ethic and the talent to back it up. This is a real band effort. KISS has become a behemoth. We’re going where no bands have gone before.”
This being KISS, there is merchandise! Timed to coincide with the release of the Monster album is a deluxe coffee table, limited edition KISS Monster book, a collection of artwork, 126 photos from the band’s 40-year career, including rare images. It’s three-feet high, two-and-a-half feet wide and two inches thick. And comes with 10 different covers for different nations. The Monster book will be available in copies signed by all four KISS members and limited to only 1,000 copies worldwide.
In the August 2012 issue of Guitar World magazine, guitarist Eddie Van Halen speaks about the group's future in with much positivity. And he dismisses rumors that the he and his bandmates are having a hard time getting along on the road.
“We truly are a band; it’s not just a one-off thing,” EVH says. “I don’t want to say it’s a rebuilding process. If anything it’s continuation. It feels more like a band and a family than it ever has, and not just because three-quarters of it is family.”
He added, “Working with Dave [Lee Roth, vocals] has been very productive. We’re all very opinionated about things, but it’s all for the benefit of the music. We’re working together better than ever. I see us doing this for a long, long time. When things feel right, why the hell not keep doing it?
“I can't think of anyone on the planet who is more lucky and blessed. Not only do I get to play with my brother but I also get to play with my son [Wolfgang, who joined Van Halen at age 16]. If my dad was still here now, that would really make things amazing. I have a wonderful wife, wonderful friends, and a son who doesn’t smoke, drink or do drugs. I’m just a guitarist in a kick-ass rock ’n’ roll band. What more could I ask for?”
Sir Paul McCartney told some fascinating stories to Ronnie Wood on the Stones’ guitarist’s Absolute Classic Rock show.
According to Music-News.com, Elvis Presley cured a McCartney headache: “...the healing power of music is serious. I remember I had a mate called Ian James and I remember one day, I went back to his house and I had a headache, steaming headache, and I thought ‘Oh God,’ but we put on ‘All Shook Up’ by Elvis. By the time that record had ended I didn’t have a headache!”
As for sparring partner John Lennon, Macca recalled that John would take off his glasses when girls were around despite being “blind as a bat.”
Boxscore Billboard monitors ticket sales and reported that Waters’s tour brought in $131.4 million in the six months from November 2011 to May 31, 2012.
Bob Dylan will release a new album this fall. Tempest, his 35th studio effort, will be released on September 11, according to 
Tributes have been pouring in for Deep Purple’s Jon Lord, who died in London on 
Queen’s classic single “Bohemian Rhapsody” has been voted as the U.K.’s Favorite #1 Single.
Mötley Crüe have made their new single “Sex” available for free for 24 hours.
Deep Purple keyboardist Jon Lord has lost his battle with pancreatic cancer, according to 
It seems not even an historic meeting of rock royalty is immune from that most troublesome of musician woes: the dreaded curfew. Sir Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen had the plug pulled on them at London’s Hyde Park in the interest of the public’s “health and safety.”
The Live at the Tokyo Dome release groups together 23 songs – everything from newer cuts off Steel Wheels to the group’s catalog of favorites. “Start Me Up,” “Sad Sad Sad,” “Harlem Shuffle,” “Tumbling Dice,” “Miss You” and “Ruby Tuesday” are just a few of the selections. Longtime engineer Bob Clearmountain worked on the mixes for the album, which is available only as a digital download. Fans can score it in the U.S. via the Google Play music store.
According to the 
