Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Slash Slams Scott Weiland Over Velvet Revolver Reunion Talk
(Classic Rock) Slash is fed up with Scott Weiland's "rantings" about rejoining Velvet Revolver, saying: "None of us have a clue what he's talking about… We're not buying it."
Frontman Weiland, who was booted out of Velvet Revolver in 2008 and subsequently got back together with Stone Temple Pilots, has been talking up a reunion with his VR bandmates Slash, Duff McKagan, Matt Sorum and Dave Kushner.

However, in an interview in the new issue of Classic Rock, Slash bristled at the mere mention of Weiland's name, insisting: "I don't even want to give him this attention, to tell you the truth."

The top-hatted one added: "I think at this point Scott just got fired from STP and I think he's trying to pull off that trick of trying to get something else going on, and we're not buying it. The door's shut on this side and it's probably shut on that side too, so he's on his own. And he deserves it too." more on this story



Metal Guitarist Arrested For Attempted Murder
Oblivion Myth guitarist Chris Selby was arrested for attempted murder in the first degree last week for allegedly dangling a woman off a third story balcony during an argument.

The band's lead singer Ray LeGrand posted the following statement on the group's Facebook page: "PUBLIC STATEMENT: It is with absolute shock and disbelief that I find myself writing this statement. About 30 minutes ago my phone started ringing and numerous text messages came to me asking for comment on longtime Oblivion Myth guitarist Chris Selby. This was the first myself or any other member of the band were made aware of the situation. At this time, all we know is that Chris has been arrested on attempted murder in the first degree for "dangling a woman off a third story balcony" at Tulip Grove Apartments in Hermitage, TN.

"My first concern is for this yet to be identified woman and the second is for our friend and band-mate, Chris Selby. Obviously this situation has implications for the band as well and we will deal with them in time. For now, I would ask that you honor our privacy as we are absolutely distraught over this information. We will likey post an update as we learn more, but honestly, our information is the same as everyone elses right now. Thank God that this situation did not end any worse than it already is. Please pray for all those involved." Band's Facebook page.




Scorpions Call Off Retirement Plans
(hennemusic) Three years after announcing plans to retire, and just weeks after completing their farewell tour, The Scorpions have revealed plans to continue on as a band.

"As the emotion built, it [not retiring] became a gradual decision," frontman Klaus Meine tells Classic Rock magazine. "It's one thing to say, 'This is going to be the end of the Scorpions' and another to do it. Our 'Sting In The Tail' album [2010] was such a success that a whole new generation of fans joined the party. It was amazing. And you know that with all the best parties it's sometimes hard to find the door?"

There are plans for a new Scorpions album, featuring leftovers from the early 1980s. "We started that over a year ago," Meine confirmed. "It will be material that was never finished; songs with pure Scorpions DNA from a very exciting time. Once we close the book on the crazy touring schedule that's something we'll pick up again." more on this story




Rob Caggiano Leaves Anthrax
Anthrax guitarist Rob Caggiano has left the group to focus on his career as a record producer. Both Caggiano and the band have addressed the change.

The band had this to say: "Rob has been an integral part of Anthrax for so many years, as our lead guitarist, in a production capacity, but most of all, as our close friend. His contributions to the band have been enormous. While we are sad that he is leaving, we wish him nothing but great success going forward, and hope to share the stage with him again sometime down the road.

"With the Metal Alliance Tour on the horizon, we have been considering several lead guitarist options, and will be making an announcement on that shortly."

Caggiano issued this statement: "I'm extremely proud of my time in Anthrax. Actually, that's an understatement! We accomplished so many great things together over the years and I shared some of the best times of my life with these guys. As a band, we also weathered quite a few storms along the way. It's been a wild ride (to say the least) from Day One and I wouldn't change one single thing about the last 12 years. This is an extremely difficult and emotional decision for me to make but my heart is just steering me in a different direction right now. I've always been one to follow my heart in everything that I do and while this might be one of the hardest decisions I have ever had to make, it feels like the right one for me at this time. Scott, Charlie, Joey, Frankie (and John Bush) will always be part of my family and this decision doesn't change the way I feel about that in the slightest. I would also like to say thanks to all the amazing fans I've met and hung out with worldwide over the years. You guys always were and always will be the reason why I make music! In this day and age, being a musician isn't always easy -also an understatement- but the fans truly make it worthwhile for me. I hope to see each and every one of you again really soon. The fact that Anthrax is at the top of their game right now and totally 'out for blood' after all these years is a testament to this band's longevity and conviction! I'm truly honored to have been a part of their brilliant legacy." more on this story




Rolling Stones Coachella Rumor Fueled By Photo
(hennemusic) The Coachella Festival has dropped a hint leading some to believe that the Rolling Stones will be a part of the 2013 lineup.

Organizers posted a photo of a round stone in the field of the festival's site on their Facebook page on Friday, fueling more speculation that the group will be involved in the two-weekend event.

Last month, a Coachella date appeared on the official Stones App, only to be taken down hours later; April 12 is the opening day of the festival's first weekend. Read more and see the photo here.




Brian Tichy Leaves Whitesnake
(hennemusic) Whitesnake drummer Brian Tichy has left the group to focus on his project with Sass Jordan. The band had the following to say:

Whitesnake regret to announce that powerhouse drummer, Brian Tichy, has told David Coverdale this morning he is leaving the band to pursue the SUN project he started with gifted singer/guitarist Sass Jordan. Bassist & singer, Michael Devin, also a participant in SUN, will remain with Whitesnake.

Coverdale said: "We are truly sad to see him go, but, we fully support the pursuit of his ambitions & sincerely wish him well. His fearless drumming brought a relentless driving edge & to our music that we fully embraced. Good Luck, Brian...May the SUN shine brightly on you!!" more on this story




Post Thin Lizzy Band Black Star Riders Begin Recording New Album
(hennemusic) Black Star Riders are set to pick up where the touring lineup of Thin Lizzy left off and begin recording their debut album today (January 7th).

A few weeks ago, Thin Lizzy revealed its plans to adopt the new band name while moving forward with a new recording project, and now it's happening.

"Two years ago today, Thin Lizzy's reformed line up played their first show in Aberdeen," posted the band Sunday. "Today, Black Star Riders loaded into the studio in preparation for tomorrow's start to the recording sessions with Kevin Shirley. The rehearsals went very well and the songs are ready. Time to make it happen!" more on this story




Yellow Submarine Remake Plan Sunk
Plans to remake The Beatles animated film "Yellow Submarine" has been abandoned by "Forrest Gump" and "Back To The Future" director Robert Zemeckis.

Zemeckis was originally planning to make the film with Disney but the studio pulled out in 2011 and while Zemeckis could have partnered with another studio he had reportedly decided not to.

The directly told Total Film of "Yellow Submarine" that "it's probably better not to be remade", according to Noise11.com.

Zemeckis directed and co-wrote the late 70s Beatles themed comedy "I Wanna Hold Your Hand."




Waters Emphatically Rules Out Pink Floyd Reunion
(Classic Rock) Roger Waters has emphatically ruled out a Pink Floyd reunion once and for all – saying the band "was over" in 1985 when he left.

In recent years relations between him and surviving members David GIlmour and Nick Mason have thawed to the point where all three appeared during a performance of Waters' The Wall in 2011.

But that's as far as it goes, says the former mainman. He tells the Sun: "I can't. I left Pink Floyd for very good reasons, and it was the right and proper thing to do. It was over in in 1985 – and it's still over." more on this story




Robot Band Goes Viral With Metal Classic
(hennemusic) Compressorhead, a robot band from Berlin, have issued a cover of Motorhead's 1980 classic "Ace Of Spades."

The video has gone viral since its debut last Thursday, quickly racking up more than 1.3 million views in its first four days.

The group, which bills themselves as "the world's heaviest metal band", is made up of guitarist Fingers, bassist Bones and drummer Stickboy. Read more and watch the video here.




Framing Hanley Preview Songs From New Album
Framing Hanley are giving fans an early preview of several songs set to appear on their forthcoming album, "The Sum Of Who We Are"

The band hopes to release the album later this year and have released a preview video for the album and its artwork on YouTube featuring five songs. Listen here.

"The cover is a photo of my son at the park taken by our drummer Chris' wife Krystl" says frontman Nixon. "When my wife showed me the picture, it immediately resonated in so many ways. At the time, the other band members and I were all going back and forth for cover ideas for the record, but when I saw this, it was just too strong of an image to not be used. It was perfect! Looking at that picture I see so many things. I see innocence. I see determination...the 'I'll make my own path' adage. Walking from the light, to the darkness; that to me is a pretty heavy statement in itself. I could go on all day with a million different things of what the picture says to me, but the best thing about this cover is I think it's a picture people can look at and interpret their own meaning. No different than a song really. I love hearing a fan's perspective of a song because it is always different. I expect this picture to be the same." more on this story




Rival Sons Go Stop-Motion For Until The Sun Comes Video
(Classic Rock) Rival Sons have released a stop-motion music video for their track "Until The Sun Comes."

It's taken from the band's last album, Head Down, which Classic Rock named the number-two album of 2012. The band also won Breakthrough Act Of The Year at our Roll of Honour Award ceremony in November.

But while Rival Sons are enjoying the limelight, they're hoping not to be branded with the label of being a retro act. Guitarist Scott Holiday tells Dropping The Needle: "We're not trying to make an old-sounding record or a retro record. We're just trying to make a record that sounds good. We're using plenty of new things and tons of really old stuff, too. Not to be cool, but just to make the best sounding record. I'm touchy because we get the 'retro' tag a lot." Read more and watch the video here.




Deep Purple's Slaves And Masters Being Reissued In Deluxe Edition
(hennemusic) On February 5th, Friday Music will release the Deluxe Edition of Deep Purple's "Slaves And Masters," the only album featuring former Rainbow/Fandango singer Joe Lynn Turner.

Now remastered, the album features two rare bonus tracks: "Slow Down Sister" (B side of "Love Conquers All" 12" and 45) and the hard to find 45 edit of "Love Conquers All", as well as including rare RCA label memorabilia.

According to the press release: "Featuring the Mark V line up of Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Paice, the late Jon Lord, Roger Glover and new addition hard rocker Joe Lynn Turner, 'Slaves And Masters' was a nice way to kick in a new decade with this one time configuration. Most notably hard rocking tracks like 'Fire In The Basement', 'King Of Dreams' and the international hit power ballad 'Love Conquers All' helped make this a much played album at rock radio from day one of its release. more on this story




Motorhead Holding Event At Vince Neil's Girls Girls Girls Club
Motorhead are planning a launch event for their Motorheadphones at Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil's Girls Girls Girls gentlemen's club.

The band is set to debut the product at Consumer Electronics Show tomorrow (Jan 8th), but Motorhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister will be holding a special event with Vince Neil at Neil's club.

"These new headphones are not like the weak-kneed, lily-livered, tin-pot, skinny sounding little pieces of garbage out on the market today," said Kilmister. "We designed these headphones to deliver everything louder than anything else and with the sort of range, clarity and TRUE rock reproduction you'd expect from a band of warriors like us." more on this story




Original Judas Priest Frontman Wants To Be Acknowledged By Band
(Classic Rock) Founding Judas Priest frontman Al Atkins wishes the band would acknowledge his contribution as a former member by naming him on their website.

He brought the outfit's name from a previous act of his own when he started Priest with KK Downing and Ian Hill in 1970.

By the time they recorded their first album in 1973, he'd had been replaced by Rob Halford. But several of his songs appear on Rocka Rolla and its follow-up, Sad Wings Of Destiny.

Asked if he feels he got all the recognition he deserves from Judas Priest, Atkins tells Rock Overdose: "I think credit was given to me, but I wished they would have put my name as a past member of their official website. more on this story




Olympic Stadium May Be Solution To Hyde Park Time Limitations
(Classic Rock) Large-scale event promoters looking to move out of London's Hyde Park are being offered the Olympic Stadium as an alternative.

The park has become unpopular after it was suggested that millionaire residents had applied their influence to limit the extent of shows – including having the power cut on Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney last year.

Olympic Stadium boss Dennis Hone says: "We have the opportunity to put on some major events, some music events and festivals. We hope to announce the content in the coming weeks." More Rock news.




Lineup Change For Bang Tango
(Classic Rock) Bang Tango have replaced drummer Trent Anderson with Timmy Russell, formerly of Little Creatures.

Anderson says of his departure: "I am seeking new bands and projects to tour with in 2013. I will have a couple of tour date announcements next week."

Guitarist Scott LaFlamme adds: "Trent is a huge part of the Bang Tango family and we wish him well. Trent will always be one of our bros." More Rock news.




Conan Helps Dropkick Murphys Launch New Album
(Radio.com) Dropkick Murphys have turned to an unlikely ally to reveal their new album, Signed and Sealed in Blood, to the world: late-night talk show host Conan O'Brien.

"Those guys are all from Boston. They're old friends. They actually played with him when he toured America in the summer of 2010," explained the band's manager, Jeff Castelaz, about the band's new album being premiered via an exclusive stream on O'Brien's official Team Coco website during an exclusive interview with Radio.com (the album is officially released on January 8).

"The Boston blood runs very, very deep. They have a deep mutual love and respect for one another," Castelaz continued. "Conan called them up and said, 'hey, we have a website and a lot of people looking at it. We love premiering people's albums, and we'd love to do you guys right at the top of the year.' We were happy to say no to everybody else and yes to him." A lot more here.





Jack White Austin City Limits Performance Posted Online
(hennemusic) Jack White was featured on the latest episode of the long running PBS series Austin City Limits.

White brought both of his live bands to the legendary PBS series, opening with the all-male Buzzards, closing with the all-female Peacocks.

The former White Stripes leader's solo debut album, "Blunderbuss", was recently named the biggest selling vinyl album of 2012. Watch the ACL performance here.




Video of Steven Tyler Getting His Million Dollar Car Goes Online
(hennemusic) Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler took delivery of his brand new $1.1 million Hennessey's Venom GT Spyder last June. Now, video of the delivery, featuring Latvian model Jula Lescova, has surfaced.

Top Gear reports Tyler approached Hennessey Performance chief John Hennessey in 2011 to discuss the project.

"Steven came to us and asked if we could build his Venom GT as a roadster," said John. "We had to make a few structural changes to our integrated rollcage in order to be able to fit the removable top. This increased the weight of our vehicle by about 30lbs to a curb weight of 2,743lbs - 1,244kgs. So we decided to increase the Venom GT's power to 1,244bhp to maintain our one horsepower-per-one-kilogramme power to weight." Watch the video here.




Slash Performs At Charlie Sheen Bar Opening
(hennemusic) Slash was on hand to help pal Charlie Sheen launch his new bar in Mexico over the holidays.

Sky News reports Sheen was in town to open Epic at the lavish Hotel El Ganzo in Los Cabos.

Entertainment at a gala opening dinner on December 28 was provided by Slash, and the mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa, was among the guests.

Video of some of Slash's performance has surfaced online, including footage of classic tracks by Led Zeppelin and Guns N' Roses.