Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Grateful Dead Member Wanted For Assault
(TMZ) A warrant has been issued for the arrest of Mickey Hart -- former drummer for the Grateful Dead -- after the musician allegedly attacked someone at a recent concert ... TMZ has learned.
Multiple law enforcement agencies tell TMZ ... Hart -- real name Michael Hartman -- has been accused of assaulting a person at a Mickey Hart Band show on Sept. 8 at Terrapin Hill Farm in Harrodsburg, Kentucky.

Hart played with the Dead between 1967 and 1995 ... the year Jerry Garcia passed away.

The details surrounding the alleged attack are unclear ... but the alleged victim filed a police report following the incident and initiated assault charges.

We're told it's standard practice in Kentucky to issue a warrant as soon as an alleged victim decides he or she wants to press charges.

Mickey's camp tells us they're looking in to the situation. more on this story



Glenn Hughes and David Coverdale Consider Reunion
(Classic Rock) Glenn Hughes and David Coverdale are considering reuniting next year to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Deep Purple MkIII.

They'd been working on a full reunion with keyboardist Jon Lord until his sudden death earlier this year. But that wasn't the only hurdle facing them.

Hughes tells CBS: "Jon, David and I were trying to get it together. We couldn't get hold of Ritchie Blackmore. We sent carrier pigeons and the Pony Express – but nobody at Castle Blackmore answered the door. It wasn't meant to be."

But he adds: "David and I have talked about it weekly since Jon died – how we can do something to keep the flame burning." more



Wolfgang Van Halen Joins Creed Guitarist's Band
(hennemusic) Wolfgang Van Halen has joined Creed/Alter Bridge guitarist Mark Tremonti's solo band, Tremonti, on tour.

Tremonti shared the news with fans, writing, "Due to personal reasons Brian Marshall won't be with us on this tour. On a lighter note the amazing Wolfgang Van Halen will be joining us!"

For his part, Wolfgang had very little time to get up to speed before his first show Tuesday; he tweeted on Monday, "Holy sh*t! An abrupt change of plans has left me playing bass with @MarkTremonti tomorrow! I've got some tunes to learn!" more on this story



Led Zeppelin Reunion Coming To Theaters Next Month
(hennemusic) Led Zeppelin's 2007 reunion concert is not only coming to DVD, but also movie theaters.

The band has been counting down to an official announcement, due Thursday, regarding the release of their 2007 London show on DVD and CD.

Rumor has it the package will be available November 22 to coincide with the U.S. Thanksgiving Day holiday. On Wednesday, the band posted the studio version of Led Zeppelin III's "Celebration Day," to tease the news.

Cineplex has posted its plans to premiere the new package, "Led Zeppelin: Celebration Day," in its theatres on October 17. See the details here.



Lamb of God Won't Change Live Show In Light Of Singers Arrest
(Classic Rock) Lamb of God have no intention of changing their approach to playing live, despite singer Randy Blythe's looming trial for manslaughter.

Earlier this year the vocalist spent five weeks in a Prague prison – with almost no support for US authorities – as a result of fan Daniel Nosek's death, following a show in the Czech Republic in 2010.

But as Lamb of God prepare for their first tour since Blythe's release, drummer Chris Adler insists they won't modify the aggressive style of their performance. He points out the band's technical rider already specifies high levels of security attendance, and tells Billboard: "It's difficult for us to say this was something that was our fault, and that we should change how we're doing things. We're already trying to look out for those kind of incidents.

"This is obviously a terrible tragedy that nobody foresaw or intended to happen. But it's such a random series of events that I don't think us changing what we do would stop it from happening again." more on this story




Cream, Def Leppard, Kinks, MC5, Deep Purple and More Tribute The Who
Cleopatra Records have put together an impressive roster of artists to pay tribute to The Who on the new album, Who Are You: An All Star Tribute To The Who, which is set to be released on October 2nd.

The album will feature allstar collaborations taking on classic songs from The Who's vast catalog of music.

Some of those collaborations include K.K. Downing (Judas Priest) with John Wetton (Asia) and Derek Sherinian (Dream Theater) on "Eminence Front" plus a punk-infused version of "My Generation" with Knox (The Vibrators), Dave Davies (The Kinks), Rat Scabies (The Damned).

Gretchen Wilson takes on "Who Are You" with Randy Bachman (BTO) on guitar. Also featured on Who Are You: An All Star Tribute To The Who are Iggy Pop, Sweet, Todd Rundgren, and The Raveonettes and members of Def Leppard, Deep Purple, Cream, King Crimson, MC5, Herman's Hermits, Yes, The Vibrators and more. more on this story




Slash To Stream Concert Online
(hennemusic) Slash played a series of dates across Australia last month as part of his world tour to promote "Apocalyptic Love."

Slash's August 25th show at the Sydney Entertainment Centre was filmed by Moshcam, who will premiere the concert online this Friday 14th September, 10am AEST FREE and in HD.

Slash has been a frequent visitor to Australia, and Moshcam asked what keeps him coming back year in and year out. Read more and check out the trailer here.




Bun E. Not Leaving Cheap Trick
(Gibson) Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos says not to fear, that he remains a "full member" of the legendary power pop group.

"I'm a full member of Cheap Trick in all respects," he told Billboard, in an email exchange. "Solely as an accommodation to some of the band members, I reluctantly agreed to take a temporary hiatus from touring."

Speculation that Carlos might no longer be part of Cheap Trick reached a peak recently when word came that he wasn't invited to play on the band's contribution to a forthcoming A Very Special Christmas album. Carlos admits that the snub came as a shock. "The Special Olympics was as surprised as I was," he said. "They had no idea I wasn't on the record." more on this story





Ringo Wasn't On Recently Unearthed Pre-Beatles Recordings
(Gibson) Ringo Starr has issued a statement denying that he was the drummer on recently unearthed recordings by Rory Storm and The Hurricanes. As previously reported, tapes from March 1960 by Starr's pre-Beatles band were recently found in the cellar of Storm's sister's home. Scores of articles appeared last week indicating that Starr was the drummer on the recordings, but he says that's not the case.

"It's not me," Starr said, in a statement issued through his publicist. "That was done after I'd left to join the Beatles. I don't know who the drummer was but I hope that Rory fans enjoy it anyway."

Starr went on to cite two songs he did record with Storm. "The only two tracks I was on were recorded while we were in Germany in 1960, when we made a two-track acetate, and for those of you in the digi world that is a-ce-tate, of 'Mailman Bring Me No More Blues,' a Buddy Holly song sung by Lou Walters, and 'Fever.' I'd love to hear those tracks 'cause I don't have a copy." The statement was signed "Peace & Love, Ringo." more on this story





Velvet Underground Dealt Blow In Andy Warhol Battle
(Classic Rock) A New York judge has forbidden the Velvet Underground from claiming copyright infringement by the Andy Warhol Foundation over their famous banana image.

The band's lawyers say the artist's estate had no right to license the image for use in iPhone and iPad products.

But the Velvet Underground are continuing to pursue the foundation over trademark infringement. More rock news.




Toto Star's Prognoses From Lou Gehrig's Disease Isn't Great
(Classic Rock) Toto keyboardist David Paich has described the "heartbreaking drag" of seeing retired bassist Mike Porcaro battling motor neurone disease.

The debilitating illness – also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Lou Gehrig's disease – forced him off the road in 2007 and has now put him in a wheelchair.

Toto split in 2008 but reformed two years later with the part aim of raising funds and awareness for Porcaro's condition. Bassist Nathan East has taken his place alongside Paich, Steve Lukather, Steve Porcaro, Joe Williams and Simon Phillips.

Paich tells here: "I'd like to say Mike's doing better, but the words I can use are: Mike's hanging in there. The prognosis isn't that great. more on this story



Creed Announce Global Tour Dates
Creed plan to launch their very first tour of Indonesian, Philippines and South American tour this fall.

The 12 city international trek will begin Wednesday, October 31st in Surabaya, Indonesia and will wrap Thursday, November 29th in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

"We are excited to go overseas in October to begin Creed's international tour in Indonesia," said lead singer Scott Stapp. "After an awesome North American tour, we're energized to head overseas again and reconnect with our fans abroad - an opportunity we have been eagerly awaiting for a long time - and one that is truly inspirational through the universal connection between our music and our fans, from the heart of Asia to South America." more on this story




Soundgarden Releasing New Song Next Week?
(hennemusic) Soundgarden recently revealed the title of their forthcoming new album will be "King Animal." Now, a new report suggests a new Soundgarden single is on its way.

The Pulse Of Radio reports "Been Away Too Long" will be shipped to rock radio stations next Wednesday, September 19.

The band's first studio release since 1996's "Down On The Upside" is tentatively due November 13. more on this story



Heart To Receive Walk of Fame Star
(hennemusic) Heart's Ann and Nancy Wilson will be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The Wilson sisters' star will be unveiled in front of the Musician's Institute. "This location is a coveted spot for many Rock n' Rollers. and these ladies will join the likes of bands Journey and Motley Crue who also have stars on that property," said Ana Martinez, Producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremonies. "We are thrilled with this latest star addition as many young, aspiring female rockers look up to these legendary ladies of Rock n' Roll."

The Hollywood Walk Of Fame ceremony takes place September 25 at 11:30 a.m. Guest speakers will include Jerry Cantrell and Mike Inez of Alice In Chains, and actress Rita Wilson. more on this story



Beatles Era Cavern Club Items Up For Auction
(Gibson) Some historic artifacts from Liverpool's Cavern Club, the venue that helped launch The Beatles, are up for auction.

The Liverpool Echo reports that a Reslo ribbon microphone and a piece of the Beatles era stage have been made available at the PFC Auctions website. Online bids close at 7pm on September 27.

Spokesperson Kylie Whitehead said: "The Cavern Club was one of the most iconic venues in popular music history. The birthplace of The Beatles, the Cavern was where the band were spotted by Brian Epstein who managed them until his death in 1967. We expect these unique items to draw attention from music fans around the world." more on this story






Alice Cooper, KISS and Aerosmith Guitarist Releases Memoirs
(Gibson) Dick Wagner, who has played with superstars like Alice Cooper, Lou Reed, Aerosmith and KISS, has written an autobiography, Not Only Women Bleed, Vignettes From the Heart of a Rock Musician.

Alice Cooper contributes the foreword and says: "I first saw Dick Wagner while he was playing with the Frost in Detroit, and quickly I filed him under "guitar players I'd like to steal." Later I had the great pleasure of adding him to the Welcome To My Nightmare touring band, where along with Steve Hunter they became known as the "Dynamic Duo," a name given to them by Steven Tyler. He considers them two to be the best tandem American guitar players in Rock N Roll. But Dick isn't JUST a guitar player... He's a gifted writer, and I wrote most of the post Alice Cooper Hits with him...."

Not Only Women Bleed, Vignettes From the Heart of a Rock Musician is available as an e-book and the hardback edition includes two CDs of music.









Classic Stray Cats Performance Coming to DVD
Eagle Rock will be releasing Stray Cats' Live At Montreux 1981 on DVD and Digital Video on November 6. Kayos sent over these details:

Newly restored with DTS Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 5.1 and Dolby Digital Stereo, this concert is comprised of 15 songs, almost equally divided between original compositions and vintage rockabilly classics from 1956 to 1961. Of the 15, nine were on the Stray Cats' first album, and some of the others were released as B-sides and EP tracks. A couple performed here have never appeared on official releases.

Live at Montreux 1981 displays how this trio of vocalist/guitarist Brian Setzer, upright bassist Lee Rocker and drummer Slim Jim Phantom single-handedly revived and restored the time-honored purity of real raucous rockabilly and brought it back into the forefront of modern pop. The band did more to get a generation back into slapback bass and hiccupped vocals than any other band. more on this story



Billy Corgan Unplugs For His New Tea Shop Opening
Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan will open his new Madame ZuZu's tea shop in Chicago today and will be playing an acoustic set to celebrate. MSO Sent over these details:

The shop, located at 582 Roger Williams Ave., Highland Park, opens for business on Thursday, September 13, 2012 at 8:00 a.m. The teashop is designed to serve as a social hub for the community, blending tea drinkers with the arts. Drawing from Corgan's love of music from the 30's, Madame ZuZu's is a Chinoise inspired teahouse found in Paris during this period.

"I'm a tea guy and living in Highland Park since 2003, I've always wanted to open a salon like this for everyone to enjoy," describes Corgan. "This is a place with no age boundaries. We hope to attract everyone from young students to seniors. With a blend of music, photo galleries, art displays and speakers, I think Madame ZuZu's offers something for everyone." more on this story



Paul Gilbert Releasing New Album
Music Theories Recordings will be releasing Paul Gilbert's 12th solo album "Vibrato" on October 15th in the UK.

The album includes 4 new guitar and vocal compositions, 4 instrumentals, and 3 live cover songs from Gilbert's 2010 "Fuzz" tour including Yes' Roundabout, Muddy Waters' I Want To Be Loved and AC/DC's Go Down.

The album follows Gilbert's appearance at the Marshall Amplification's 50 Years of Loud concert at London Wembley Arena on Saturday 22nd September. The concert celebrates 50 years of Marshall Amplification's musical innovation and the life of the late Jim Marshall, and also features Zakk Wylde, Yngwie Malmsteen, and many more name guitarists. more on this story



Cannibal Corpse, Misery Index and Hour of Penance Tour
Cannibal Corpse will be hitting the road this fall for a North American headlining tour with support from Misery Index and Hour of Penance.

The tour will kick off on November 16th in Huntsville, AL and wrap up on December 7th in Tampa, FL.

Cannibal Corpse will be touring in support of their recently released studio album,, Torture. more on this story



Agnostic Front, Death By Stereo and West Of Hell Tour
Agnostic Front have tapped West Of Hell to support them on their 30th anniversary tour, traveling through Canada this October.

Also performing on the tour will be Death By Stereo. The six-day mini tour kicks off in Vancouver, BC on October 19th and comes to an end in Winnipeg, MB on October 25th.

West Of Hell will be touring in support of their latest release, Spiral Empire, was recorded at The Factory Studios in Vancouver and is produced by Juno Award winning engineer Rob Shallcross (Strapping Young Lad, GWAR, Zimmers Hole, Fear Factory). more on this story



Pat Metheny: The Orchestrion Project Coming Next Month
Eagle Rock have set an October 9, 2012 release date for Pat Metheny: The Orchestrion Project on both 2-disc DVD, single disc 3D/2D Blu-ray, and digitally. Kayos sent over these details:

Based on a childhood fascination with his grandfather's player piano, 19 time Grammy Award winner Pat Metheny, commissioned and built The Orchestrion, a mechanically controlled mini-orchestra capable of responding to his touch on the guitar. This innovative project brought about a completely unique approach to solo performance. The collaboration between this master guitarist and his wildest imagination has resulted in a fascinating and absolutely one of a kind musical experience.

Shot over a two-day period in November 2010 at St. Elias Church in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, The Orchestrion Project showcases Metheny single-handedly operating this symphony of instruments in one illustrious treat for the senses. more on this story



Mean Creek Set To Tour With Counting Crows
Mean Creek will be hitting the road this fall for a North American tour supporting Counting Crows.

The trek will be the band's second stint with Counting Crows and is set to kick off on Tuesday, October 23 in Port Chester, NY, at The Capitol Theatre.

The 14 date tour will travel across the U.S., culminating in an appearance at The Wiltern in Los Angeles, CA, on Saturday, November 24. more on this story



Coming Clean To Sing Loud This Fall
Love And Death Records have set a November 6th release date for Coming Clean's new EP, Sing Loud.

Guitarist Kyle Carrier says, "Sing Loud is the four song counterpart to the March EP entitled Drive Safe." This connection is further expanded on through the cover art of both EPs, both done by Joshua Minnich. Drive Safe shows the mom waving from the house, with Sing Loud showing the son with a backpack walking towards a car.

The band has also released a studio update from their time at Silver Bullet Studios, where they have recorded every release thus far and will return to record their debut full-length. You may view the studio update here.



Strangers on a Train's Albums Being Reissued
Strangers on a Train's long out of print albums will be reissued on November, 5th in Europe and December, 11th in USA.

"The Key Part I: The Prophecy" and "The Key Part II: The Labyrinth" have been remastered using tube technology and released in new digipack editions.

Strangers on a Train was formed in 1990 as a musical hybrid of talents comprising Clive Nolan (Arena, Pendragon, Shadowland, Caamora), Karl Groom (Threshold) and Tracy Hitchings (Landmarq). "The Key Part I: The Prophecy" (1990) is the beginning of The Key trilogy, an epic concept conceived by Clive Nolan, who also wrote all the music and lyrics. "The Prophecy" set out to be a performance album based on the strength of compositions, the skills of individual band members and a high level of emotional intensity. One could call it "chamber rock" - drawing from the roots of progressive rock, yet abandoning the unnecessary clichés that have always attached themselves to that genre of music. "The Prophecy" contains over an hour of thoroughly composed, well thought out, brilliantly performed music - sometimes haunting, sometimes soothing, versatile in style and just plain different, which makes for a unique listening experience. Strangers on a Train quickly got a faithful following and nowadays they enjoy a cult status. They have been known to be popular amongst progressive rock fans and those accustomed with Nolan's works, as well as crossing over to a wider audience, appreciative of New Age music and Cinematic soundscapes. more on this story



B Sides


Singled Out: Prototype
Today Prototype frontman Vince Levalois tells us about the titled track from their new album, "Catalyst," which just hit stores this week. Here is the story:

Although this is the second track from our 3rd full length CD release entitled Catalyst, a concept album, it's just the first song with lyrics. Musically speaking it was worked on for a good while, with bits and pieces put together over a few months at least. This song is a calling card for the whole album in that it's titled the same and it introduces the listener to the album's concept.

We incorporated a fast paced beginning but then contrasted a heavier verse and even more melodic chorus. We like to mix elements in a way to create smooth contrasts that eventually form the shape of a whole song that guides you through the feeling of the story.

Lyrically, I imagined the beginning of the story, which predates the existence of life on Earth, but also explains its origins. The "Catalyst" is what stimulated the basic elements in the primordial "soup" to become evolving life. Without this, life would have never existed on Earth. the Catalysts take form in large crystal stems hundreds of feet long, built by an alien race, that embed themselves into the Earth. These stems are a technological marvel and are made to analyze the composition of planets to find out if they contain the type of energy that this race needs in order to survive, and hopefully find a permanent home. The aliens are called "Unfamiliars" and are space drifters due to the destruction of their system of origin. They live on a separate "plane" from humans, invisible yet able to directly influence and affect the physical world around them.

The result here is that these probes end up enabling the beginning of life on Earth. This is a random occurrence, but it starts the path that would eventually unite humans and Unfamiliars in an epic journey.

The concept/story as a whole is a result of my fascination with science fiction, movies and science in general. I'm offering an entertaining way of imagining at how we came to be on our planet and what happens to us because of it in the future.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn more about the album right here!



Taproot Release The Everlasting Video
Taproot have released their brand new music video for this new track "The Everlasting" which from their latest album The Episodes.

"The Everlasting" is an ongoing story from Taproot's previous music video "No Surrender" that follows a younger version of the same character.

The character in "The Everlasting" is waking up in a safe environment and wants to venture into the hellish world outside, where as in the previous music video it was an opposite scenario. Both videos have the characters heading to the park where they share fond memories. Watch the new video here.



James Iha New Album Streaming Online
Conan O'Brien's Team Coco are giving James Iha fans an advance listen to his new solo album, Look To The Sky, which is set to hit stores next Tuesday. We were sent this background information on the release:

Look To The Sky sees Iha returning as a solo artist after nearly a decade and a half, newly inspired, a little wiser and proud to share what he's learned and created. "I feel like everything should lead up to something and this is a culmination of my journey"

Perhaps best known as a co-founding member and longtime guitarist for Smashing Pumpkins, James has gathered musical depth and craftsmanship inspired by his many bands (A Perfect Circle, Tinted Windows) as well as his production work (Cat Power, The Yeah Yeah Yeahs), to create this new album that offers listeners a wide range of sounds that touch upon each aspect of James' impressive career. Listen to the album here.



Lynyrd Skynyrd Release Last Of A Dyin' Breed Video
(hennemusic) Lynyrd Skynyrd have released the music video for their new single "Last Of A Dyin' Breed."

The song is the title track to the Southern Rock icons recently-released first new album in three years.

The project reunites Skynyrd with producer Bob Marlette, and sees the debut of new bassist Johnny Colt (Black Crowes, Brand New Immortals, Train, Rock Star Supernova). Watch the video here.



Metallica Seek And Destroy Vancouver
(hennemusic) After two shows in Vancouver last month, Metallica surprised area fans by announcing a last-minute, third date.

Metallica had been filming their summer live shows for the group's upcoming 3D movie, and the band added a third show to help with the production. Metallica put tickets on sale for $5, with proceeds to benefit the Greater Vancouver Food Bank.

Metallica are now sharing footage from the third Vancouver date, on August 27, including video of the tuning room, pre-show huddle and "Seek And Destroy" from the concert.