Today's Day in Rock
Tool Member Breaks Ribs and Dislocates Shoulder In Scooter Crash
(Classic Rock) Tool were forced to suspend work on their upcoming album after one of the band was involved in a scooter crash, they've revealed.
They lost nine days of song development time after the member, who hasn't been named, suffered broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder. The incident took place earlier this month and the victim is on the mend.
Tool say in a statement: "The New Year started off on a bad note. For the most part this was due to a 'minor' accident on a Vespa scooter, slick road conditions being the cause, by a certain band member.
"Because of the physical nature of the musical instrument involved, nine days of jamming were lost, although I'm happy to report that the person involved is recovering nicely. So much so, in fact, that writing sessions resumed on Monday, January 21 – despite it being a holiday for many." more on this story
Adler Gets His Revenge
(Classic Rock) Former Guns N' Roses drummer Steven Adler says the success of his new project is all the revenge he needs to take on his troubled past.
His band, Adler, recently released debut album Back From The Dead. He says the new music has led audiences to stop expecting him to perform a set of GnR classics, and call for more of his new material.
He tells Legendary Rock Interviews: "That is my revenge. The only revenge I wanted on that whole situation was success. I didn't want vengeance – I didn't want to hurt anybody – but I wanted to make a great record because, I think success is the greatest revenge."
Adler believes his band is made up of the "right recipe of people" and credits guitarist Lonny Paul with knocking him into physical shape. "He helped me lose 25 pounds," the drummer explains. "Until we started working out I didn't realise how heavy 25 pounds is until I lifted up a 25-pound weight and said, 'Holy crap, this is what I've been carrying around with me?' It's all thanks to Lonny." more on this story
Bumblefoot, Billy Sheehan, Mike Portnoy Namm Show Jam Goes Online
On Sunday night antiMusic co-sponsored a NAMM Show after party at the KingKing in Hollywood that featured an all-star jam by Guns N' Roses' Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, Mike Portnoy of Adrenaline Mob and Dream Theater, Billy Sheehan of Mr. Big and David Lee Roth and was fronted by the show's host Happenin Harry.
One of the fans that attended the show has posted some video from the jam on Youtube. Going under the name of Kg30000, the fan had this to say:
"An AWESOME night of fun jams...no set list or rehearsals...just great fun! Ron Thal literally walked onstage and asked if anyone had a guitar he could use. Even using borrowed gear, these guys KILLED it!
"Portnoy slayed some Rush...on a 3 piece kit! Russ Allen from Adrenaline Mob and Symphony X came out and guested on Zeppelin's Lemon Song. They also did Diamonds & Rust, Wrathchild, Run To The Hills, Shyboy and a bunch of others!" Check out video here.
The night also featured a performance from "Little Monsters" which featured Michael Angelo Batio, Alex Kane of Anti-Product, Happenin' Harry, Tanya O Callaghan and Drummer KC. The latter has posted video of them performing Holland's "Basics of the Bullet." Watch it here.
Def Leppard Bringing More Hysteria To Vegas
Def Leppard have extended their upcoming "Viva Hysteria!" residency in Las Vegas with the addition of two more shows.
The residency will still kick off on March 22nd but has now been extended beyond the original April 10th end date and now wraps up with two additional performances on April 12th and April 13th.
The residency is set to feature the band playing their multi-platinum album, "Hysteria" in full as well as additional hits.
"We were already very excited by the fact we were getting to play The Joint for nine nights and now because of phenomenal demand, we get to add two more shows!," says frontman Joe Elliott in a statement.
"We had a good feeling about Viva Hysteria! but this just confirms the popularity of the band and how much the album means to our fans. Roll on March!"
The "Viva Hysteria!" shows will take place on March 22, 23, 27, 29, 30 and April 3, 5, 6, 10, 12, 13 at the The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. more on this story
The Gaslight Anthem Frontman Plans Solo Album
The Gaslight Anthem frontman Brian Fallon last week announced his intention to record a solo album but reassures fans that the band will also be working on new material but also taking it easy.
Last Friday he posted the following message on his official website, "I'm working on a lot of things, it's been a while, I apologize. I've had some really amazing things happen and some really terrible things in the last couple months. I'm definitely on a new page, and I have to start there. So, I'm going to make a record by myself, hopefully sometime this year. I've just started to work on these songs now, as well as new Gaslight Anthem songs for our next record.
"I've learned there's too much to be done and not a lot of time to do it in. Things can change overnight. So I'm going to do my best to get as much music out there as I can while I'm young enough and fortunate enough to have people listening.
"There's no termoil or anything with Gaslight, we're going to be writing too, but I'm sure we're gonna need a breather after this year of touring before we go in to make our next record. So since I can't sit still, I'm gonna make another record. It's what happens when you don't do drugs, you end up with a lot of down time. So I fill that time with songs now.
"Here's to looking forward to what comes out.
"See you guys soon.
" I don't love pictures…
"Brian"
Official website.
Yes Lead Prog Rock Cruise Lineup
Progressive rock fans will have the opportunity to sail with Yes and a host of other prog rock stars this March.
In addition to Yes, the cruise will also feature Steve Hackett's Genesis Revisted; UK with Eddie Jobson, John Wetton, Alex Machacek & Terry Bozio; Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy, featuring the music of that legendary band; Tangerine Dream featuring Edgar Froese; Saga, Nektar, Zebra, Glass Hammer, IOEarth, and Trans Siberian Orchestra's Joel Hoekstra, Heavy Mellow and more.
The Cruise To The Edge is set to last for five days and nights and will depart from Fort Lauderdale, FL on March 25, 2013.
The cruise will visit various Caribbean ports including Ocho Rios, Jamaica and Georgetown, Cayman Islands. You can find additional information about the cruise here.
The Dear Hunter Announce Spring Tour and Album Release
The Dear Hunter have set an April 2, 2013 release date for their new studio album, which is entitled Migrant.
The album was produced by Mike Watts and the effort was recorded at Vu Du Studios in Long Island, NY.
Vocalist and songwriter Casey Crescenzo had this to say about Migrant, "When I started writing this record, I made sure to limit myself to an instrument and my voice. I didn't want to jump into the current of production I always had before - predetermining the final path of each song from its inception. Instead, I let the music take as natural a course as it could."
"What felt at first to be the seeds of the starkest songs, grew into some of the most lush and beautiful arrangements I had written to date. Keeping the heart of the music so transparent was liberating, and the result is, at the very least, the most creatively rewarding record yet."
The band will support the effort by launching a North American headline tour in March with support from Naive Thieves.
An Evening with The Dear Hunter is set to kick off on March 12 in Scottsdale, AZ. Crescenzo explains that the band will have more freedom on the upcoming trek, "In the past, due to the time constraints we faced on stage, we focused very narrowly on representing whichever record we were currently promoting. The time is finally right to represent the vastness of the band's discography, and to give longtime fans something special. There are a great deal of songs we haven't played in years, and a few we have never played. We hope everyone is as excited as we are."
Prior to the North American tour the band will head to Australia to take part in this year's Soundwave Festival. more on this story
Mick Jagger Tops Stylish List
(Classic Rock) Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger has been named the most stylish rock star of all time by lifestyle website Complex.
He leads their top 50 list ahead of Prince, David Bowie, Kurt Cobain, Sid Vicious and Keith Richards.
Complex say of Jagger: "Hands-down one of the best-dressed musicians of all-time, he definitely set the bar for flamboyant frontmen. From his crazy stage antics to his bad boy edge, his style reflected his personality perfectly: it was something that needed to be tamed, but functioned best when it was wild.
"Even today, he wears silk scarves and suits with more rakish appeal than most men – and he's pushing 70." See who else made the list.
Dispatch Plan North American Tour
Dispatch will be launching their North American Circles Around The Summer Tour in May.
The tour is set to launch on May 29th in Nashville, TN and conclude on June 15th in Berkeley, CA
The trek will feature support from Guster for the outdoor shows in Boston, Chicago, and Berkley and Allen Stone will support the Nashville and Birmingham dates.
The band will also perform at the Wakarusa Festival in Ozark, AR and Mountain Jam in Hunter Mountain, NY.
Dispatch is touring in support of their latest studio album, Circles Around The Sun, which was released last summer. more on this story
Vanna Announce New Album and Tour
Vanna have set a March 13th release date for their new studio album, which will be entitled The Few and the Far Between.
The band reunited with The Honest Hearts EP producer Jay Maas for the effort which they recorded at Getaway Recordings in Boston (Haverhill) Massachusetts.
The band will be hitting the road next month for a tour with Every Time I Die along with The Acacia Strain, Hundreth, No Bragging Rights.
The trek kicks off on February 6th in Chicago, IL and will conclude on March 16th in Allentown, PA.
Vanna will travel to Australia in May for a tour with Norma Jean and Safe Hands. more on this story
Blue October's Justin Furstenfeld Launching Acoustic Tour
Blue October frontman Justin Furstenfeld will be launching a spoken word and acoustic tour in April.
The "An Open Book: An Evening With Justin Furstenfeld of Blue October" will kick off on April 4th at Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles, CA.
The intimate shows are set to include a spoken word portion, a Q&A and an acoustic performance of new songs and Blue October songs.
"I always look forward to the spoken word/solo shows," said Furstenfeld in a statement. "The fact that I'm sitting just a few feet away from the audience, that there are no rules as to what they ask me, or that I don't have boundaries on my answers, is what is exciting to me. I'm hoping that the evening will give everyone a chance to dig deep, connect, and explore the dark corners of why honesty, no matter how brutal, remains one of the most beautiful aspects of being human. Through poetry, music, and conversation, we heal. Why not do it together."
Furstenfeld is launching the tour in support of the expanded third edition of "Crazy Making," which is his book of lyrics, hand-written notes and personal photographs. more on this story
Spiritual Beggars' 20th Anniversary Plans Include New Album and Tour
Spiritual Beggars will be celebrating their 20th anniversary with the release of a new album and a tour.
The band is currently putting the finishing touches on the new album, which will be called Earth Blues, and will be released this spring.
Guitarist and songwriter Michael Amott explains, "We started the recording process of 'Earth Blues' with an eight day long session at 'Fat Guitar Studios' (Sweden) with knob twiddler Roberth Ekholm, a truly great dude who really knows how to capture a band jamming live, sadly a rare quality in recording engineers nowadays! We continued with some overdubs at various studios in Sweden, and it's all come together super easy this time. We're finishing up the mixes now with Staffan Karlsson (Spiritual Beggars, Shining, etc.) at his studio in Halmstad, Sweden. Sonically, I think this might be our finest hour yet. It's a raw, heavy and honest record."
The band will be supporting the album release with a European headline tour that will feature support from Zodiac.
The tour will kick off on April 15th in Hamburg and includes stops across Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, France and Spain. more on this story
Jon Bon Jovi Still Gets Stage Fright
(Classic Rock) Jon Bon Jovi admits he still suffers from stage fright as his band gear up for their 2013 world tour.
He's been playing to audiences of tens of thousands for decades and he knows when it comes to showtime he can deliver the goods.
But it's in the weeks running up to hitting the road that nerves hit him. The singer tells the Express: "You have those same old neuroses – a voice in one ear saying, 'You can do it,' and a voice in the other ear saying, 'No you can't.'" more on this story
Smashing Pumpkins Map Out Summer Tour Plans
(Gibson) Smashing Pumpkins are getting ready to hit the road in Europe this summer. The Billy Corgan fronted band has announced a European tour that starts on June 20 in Cologne, Germany and ends a month later at London's Wembley Arena on July 22.
The band will be touring behind their latest release Oceania, which is an album within their ongoing 44-song project Teargarden By Kaleidyscope.
Corgan is the only original member still left in Smashing Pumpkins. Aside from Corgan, the band consists of guitarist Jeff Schroeder, Mike Byrne on drums, and bassist Nicole Fiorentino.
Smashing Pumpkins has a tendency to shy away from their older hit-laden material, so expect a lot of new songs on the tour. more on this story
The Who Map Out European Arena Tour
(hennemusic) The Who have announced a 12-date arena tour of the UK and Europe where they will perform their iconic 1973 double album "Quadrophenia" in its entirety, along with a selection of Who classics.
This new concert version of "Quadrophenia", personally directed by Roger Daltrey, focuses on the original album and replaces the narrative used in previous stage versions with powerful imagery projected on an array of massive screens, designed to support, complement and propel the musical content of the work by setting it in the context of the history of the band.
The Who's 12-date tour in the UK (including Belfast) and in Dublin, Paris and Amsterdam features founding members Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend, who will be joined by Zak Starkey (drums), Pino Palladino (bass), Simon Townshend (guitar/backing vocals), John Corey (keyboards), Loren Gold (keyboards/backing vocals) and Frank Simes (musical director, keyboards/backing vocals). more on this story
Eric Clapton Praises Ginger Baker in New Documentary
(Radio.com) Even if you don't like Ginger Baker's work in Cream and Blind Faith (among many other groups), the documentary Beware Of Mr. Baker is a compelling film.
If you're a music fan, you'll enjoy hearing how his drumming influenced Neil Peart of Rush, Lars Ulrich of Metallica and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Of if you get a rise out of observing incredible amounts of drama in other people's lives, you'll be drawn in by the insanity of his personal life (you'll be shocked to find out who he left his first wife for, why his second wife left him and how long its been since he's been in touch with his son). Helmed by first-time director Jay Bulger, the film leaves very few stones unturned in the famously cranky drummer's life.
Baker became a star after he formed Cream in 1966 with bassist Jack Bruce and guitarist Eric Clapton. The band combined blues music and jazz to create a very explosive and distinct sound. In this exclusive outtake from the film, Clapton tells Bulger how he — coming from a blues background — fit in with jazz musicians Baker and Bruce.
"I could listen to what Jack was doing and what Ginger was doing, and see a way to get involved in that without being overawed," he said. "I could hold my own in terms of musical taste and knowledge. Not necessarily from the world that they were coming from, which was more of a jazz world, and they had played in it and they could talk that language, which I couldn't… I was of the view that it all came from blues anyway." Watch the full clip
Katatonia Returning To North America For Tour With Opeth
Katatonia will be returning to North America this spring when they hit the road with Opeth.
The North American Heritage Tour 2013 kicks off on April 18 in Buffalo, N.Y. and will include an appearance at this year's New England Metal & Hardcore Festival and a special show on April 28th where they will be joined by Porcupine Tree frontman Steven Wilson.
Katatonia guitarist Anders Nyström had this to say, "Back in the U.S.A...That's right Springsteen! We're looking at round #2 as special guests to our brothers in Opeth on their last North American leg of the Heritage World Tour. This time we'll mainly cover off-territories, so regardless if you caught or missed us last time, consider this a second chance to attend the dead ends of North America with one of the best bills there'll ever be!"
Katatonia will be touring in support of their latest studio album, Dead End Kings, which was released last summer. more on this story
A Life Once Lost Map Out The Man Machine Tour
A Life Once Lost will be hitting the road in March for their North American The Man Machine Tour.
The trek will kick off on March 6th in Richmond, VA and includes a stop at this year's SXSW.
On March 17th, Author & Punisher will join the tour which will also feature Encrust for three dates.
A Life Once Lost will be touring in support of their latest studio album, Ecstatic Trance, which was released by Season of Mist. more on this story
Pretty Maids Releasing New Album in March
Pretty Maids have set a March 22nd European and March 26th North American release date for their new album, which will be entitled "Motherland."
The album is the follow up to the band's 2010 album, "Pandemonium" and was once again produced by Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Amaranthe)
Frontman Ronnie Atkins had this to say, "Jacob was a natural choice since we had a great experience with him producing the 'Pandemonium' album. The recordings went smooth to begin with, but then we had to start touring again during the weekends and this created some stress. Though I really feel strongly about 'Motherland'. In my view it has all the ingredients of a good Pretty Maids album, maybe even more melodic than 'Pandemonium' and absolutely, as far as I'm concerned a worthy follow up".
Atkins explains that the challenges the band faced with following up "Pandemonium," "We knew it was going to be a tough one to follow ! I remember back in the day when we had to follow up albums like "Future World", we tried more or less to copy the songs from the previous album to keep the same kind of balance. But this time we just wrote what came natural to us and that's what became 'Motherland'. more on this story
Architects (UK) Plan North American Spring And Summer Tours
Architects (UK) have mapped out North American tour plans which will have the band on the road this spring and summer.
They will kick things off in March when they join Enter Shikari's headline tour which will also feature Heartist and Crossfaith.
The band will also take part in this year's South By So What?! Festival on March 16 where they will join Breathe Carolina, Attack Attack!, and Chelsea Grin.
They will be returning this summer to take part in this year's entire run for the Warped Tour.
The band will be touring in support of their latest album, Daybreaker, which was released last summer. more on this story
Queen Live At Wembley 25th Anniversary Edition Coming in March
Eagle Rock have set a March 12th DVD (and digital video) release date for Queen Live at Wembley Stadium.
This new 25th Anniversary edition of Queen's 1986 concerts will be released as a 2-disc set that will include previously unreleased footage and brand new bonus features.
The video was captured during two sell-out concerts at Wembley stadium on Friday, July 11th and Saturday, July 12th 1986 which was part of the band's final tour with Freddie Mercury before his untimely death.
"The Wembley concerts in 1986 were the pinnacle for us" says Brian May. "We were at our height band-wise, and Freddie had developed this phenomenal way of dealing with stadium audiences. Being back home in London playing two sell-out nights was such a big, big occasion for us. None of us realized that this would be almost the last time we played together…"
The new anniversary DVD features both full concerts and the DVD footage has been restored and the sound remastered with a brand new stereo mix and 5.1 sound.
Extras on the DVD include 'The Magic Tour', a short feature containing brand new interviews with Brian May and Roger Taylor filmed in 2011. They reflect back on what was to be their final tour with their familiar intelligence, honesty and brilliant wit and humor. They explain in depth how they would approach planning their concerts and they also reflect on the poignancy of the shows which were to become among the last few performances with Freddie. more on this story
Singled Out: Cosmic Suckerpunch
Today Ari Welkom from Cosmic Suckerpunch tells us about their new single "Cosmic" which comes from their debut album "Good Morning". Here is the story:
With this song we feel our sound and the things we are trying to say and communicate as a band really came forth. All of our influences converge in this track - from hard rock, to blues, to grunge, to metal, to neo-psychedlia. It's no wonder that this is the song that is responsible for naming the band.
The track was initially called Cosmic Suckerpunch, and we were going by a name which we don't like to talk about anymore, wink wink. We decided to take the name of our song "Cosmic Suckerpunch" as our band name. And then we shortened the name of the song to "Cosmic." This was a defining moment for the band as it gave our sound and aesthetic a real unifying direction.
The "Cosmic" - the universal, the ethereal, the psychedelic. And the "Suckerpunch" - the high-energy, aggressive, hard-rock, metal, punk influence. So in essence this song birthed a fusion which became our sound. The writing of the song began with guitarist Fabien Hameline's crazy space-age intro guitar lick. This was the first and most challenging piece of the puzzle. Creating the proper mixture of effects, getting the right tone, finding the perfect attack, and building the notes so that they arrive in a crescendo and explode into the main body of the song; it took Fabien about a year to master this, and to date it's probably the most challenging part of the set to play.
Then Fabien and I collaborated on writing and arranging the song, before bringing it to the rest of the band, which is how we do a lot of our song writing. The lyrics came to me over time. The melody came first (as it always does).
Then certain words started to pop out as I'd sing the song: "energy", "synergy", "aeons", "beyond"... The more I sing a song, the more it starts to take shape lyrically. The song reveals itself to me. If I sing it enough times with real feeling, by the time I sit down and "write the song out", there's very little work for me to do. I almost realize in retrospect what the song is about. That's what happened with this one.
When it was finished, I took a step back and said "oh sh*t, this is about me being lost and alone in the world, feeling hopeless, and then looking up and finding my soulmate, my muse, my passion. Realizing that I'm not really alone." A lot of my lyrics seem to be about that subject. I hope you can identify. But mostly, we hope you enjoy the song.
Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and grab a free download of the song and stream the entire album right here!
Oceano Preview Next Album With New Lyric Video
Oceano have released a lyric video for "Slow Murder", a new song which is set to appear on their next album.
The band have been working on the new album, which they plan to call Incisions, and decided to give fans a small taste of what is to come when the album is released later this year. Watch the video here.
Oceano guitarist Nick Conser explains: "The new Oceano comes out today. Get ready for it. We're starting a new chapter in this band. We're not selling out. We're not getting soft. We're getting more f**ked up and bringing more hate. And if you want us to change, then you're gonna be disappointed. We're not gonna replicate any album that we've ever released. We're going to get more evil than anything you've heard from this band. Today will show the start of how hateful this record is gonna be."
Bon Jovi Release Because We Can Video
(Classic Rock) Bon Jovi have released a new music video for their track "Because We Can," and you can watch it online at Classic Rock Magazine.
The band are gearing up for a world tour including UK dates – which frontman Jon Bon Jovi has admitted leads to bouts of stage fright.
They're also preparing for the release of new album What About Now. Guitarist Richie Sambora recently told Billboard: "We've stripped it down and added some different elements. It sounds like Bon Jovi – it sounds like us. The lyrics are very positive; it's all empowering, and that's what we were trying to get to."
