Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


AC/DC Plan New Music And Tour Dates For 40th Anniversary
(Classic Rock) AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson has confirmed the band will be back in action soon to mark their 40th anniversary. The singer has confirmed their schedule had been put on hold while one member of the band dealt with serious health issues.
Johnson tells 98.7 The Gater: "We've been denying anything because we weren't sure. One of our boys was pretty ill, so we didn't like to say anything. We're pretty private about things like this; he's a very proud man."

He continues, "I think we'll be going in the studio in May in Vancouver - which means we should be getting ready. It's been 40 years of the band's existence, so I think we're going to try to go 40 gigs to thank the fans for their undying loyalty. We're happy to go out even though we're getting a bit long in the tooth - I'm really looking forward to it." more on this story




KISS Frontman Says Rock Hall Is 'Tainted, Corrupted And Distorted'
(Classic Rock) KISS have long been outspoken critics of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and frontman Paul Stanley has not changed his tune, calling the Rock Hall "tainted, corrupted and distorted" even after fans helped the band finally be inducted to the hall this year.

Classic Rock has published excerpts of their exclusive interview with Stanley where he shares his strong feelings about the Rock Hall and whether Ace Frehley and Peter Criss are invited to the upcoming induction ceremony.

Stanley was asked, "Did you feel honoured at being inducted in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame?" He responded, "No, it was done begrudgingly and because it had become absolutely ludicrous that they were choosing to ignore us. At the end of the day most people don't realise that the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame was a privately created establishment and that it has a self-appointed board. It's a perfect case of perception becoming reality. People heard 'Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame' and gave it credibility. So whether it deserves the title has to be weighed against who it inducts. So was it an honour to be nominated? No. It means a lot to the fans and I understand it because it's validation for them. So for that reason I accept graciously and accept on their behalf.

"My feelings and my ambivalence about the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame hasn't changed any. Their attitude is elitist and it doesn't reflect the public. It reflects a small group who dictate who meets the criteria that they set up as 'rock and roll'. I've always felt the spirit of rock and roll meant not only ignoring your critics, but ignoring your peers and going your own way. I think we've done that pretty much with few exceptions for forty years. So that same criteria that kept us out has not gotten us in. I scratch my head a little and I also take issue with a certain arrogance within that group.

"Nonetheless I look at some of the inductees and any club that has Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton and The Who and the Beatles and the Stones is company I don't mind being in and my feelings have nothing to do with any of them, it purely has to do with a system which I think is tainted, corrupted and distorted."

He was then asked if was looking forward to playing at the induction event. He responded, "Honestly, I have no plans at the moment to do anything, and that includes playing with Ace and Peter or anyone else. My plan at the moment is to go and accept the award. Anything else, we'll see how it unfolds or unravels. It was interesting to me, or offensive to me, that when the question was broached with the hierarchy about inducting additional members it was shut down immediately as 'a non starter,' which to me is arrogant. People who sit behind desks need to respect the people who are actually either inductees or possible inductees into this so-called hallowed organization. So the fact that there are 30 or 40 or 50 or some absurd number of Grateful Dead members all inducted, the fact that all of the Chili Peppers, including people who played on early albums that never amounted to very much are not inducted, the fact that John Rutsey, the drummer on the first Rush album is not inducted, the fact that Rob Trujillo, who's a great guy but didn't play on any of the classic Metallica albums, was inducted after being in the band six years makes me wonder exactly what are the rules? If the rules don't apply to everybody then they're not rules."

He goes on to address Peter and Ace possibly joining them on stage at the induction. Read his answer to that and more here.




Guns N' Roses Tease Big Announcement For Tuesday
Guns N' Roses decided to tease fans on Valentine's Day by telling them that they will be making a big announcement on Tuesday (which they hint will be the confirmation of another Las Vegas residency).

As we previously reported at he beginning of the month, The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas teased fans with posts on their Facebook page on January 31st with one photo tagged "Coming Spring 2014. #GNRVegas" along with the message "Text GNR to 97580 to be the first to hear the big news."

Then the band followed up last Friday on their website, "Whispers around the craps table (and our offices), is that GNR have a big announcement this Tuesday. We could gamble some big money on guessing what that announcement will be… Nightrain members will be the first to roll the dice at the exclusive tables, so get your chips in place and hop onboard the Nightrain! Tuesday. 7am. Tune in to Guns N Roses.com."

Guns N' Roses staged their first-ever residency, "Appetite For Democracy," at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino's live music venue The Joint back in the fall of 2012.




The Exploited Singer Suffers On Stage Heart Attack
Veteran punk band The Exploited have been forced to cancel their tour after frontman Wattie Buchan suffered a heart attack on stage during a concert last Thursday (February 13th).

The band were performing at the Lisbon, Portugal stop of their European "Tour Of Chaos" with Hatebreed and Napalm Death when Buchan suffered the heart attack, according to Classic Rock.

On Thursday night the band apologized to fans via Facebook by posting "Sorry to have stopped the concert halfway through tonight but Wattie had taken very ill and couldn't continue. Thanks for your understanding."

The band then posted a follow-up message on Friday where they announced they were pulling out of the tour. They wrote, "I'm sorry to say that due to a severe illness. That Wattie can't continue with the tour. He will be in hospital for at least a week. Thanks for all the get well messages. Much Appreciated."




Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder Rocks AC/DC Classic With Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band fans in Melbourne, Australia were treated to a special appearance by Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder on Saturday night.

Vedder joining Springsteen and the band on stage perform two tracks including the AC/DC classic "Highway to Hell," which Springsteen has been performing on the Aussie tour as a tribute to late AC/DC frontman Bon Scott.

"We're going to have some help opening the show tonight. Let me bring up Eddie Vedder!," Springsteen told the crowd at Melbourne's AAMI Park as Vedder joined the band on stage to perform the AC/DC classic.

The Pearl Jam frontman stayed on stage to duet with Springsteen on the title track to Springsteen's album "Darkness On The Edge Of Town." Billboard is streaming videos of both performances here.




Lombardo Slams Slayer
Former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo still has strong feeling about his dismissal from the group last year. In a new interview with Planet Mosh, Lombardo discusses his firing and the band's reaction to the death of Jeff Hanneman.

"This could have been an easy fix," he said about the issue which drove him out of the band. "I wasn't asking for anything other than to be treated equally.

"I'm sure I've made mistakes along the way, but my intention was never to leave. Who would do that in the golden years of a band? Where we stand now disgusts me. Jeff [Hanneman] didn't want this - and neither did I."

Lombardo was also asked about Tom Araya's comments in a recent interview with Metal Hammer, where Araya described him as "a working member of the band" and not a partner in the group that he co-founded.

He responded, "It's sickening. I left the band in '92 to be at home for the birth of my son, period. One show changed the course of this band. Tom has forgotten history... swallowed the stories that have been created throughout the years to sell tickets. If it weren't for me, Slayer would not exist. I approached Kerry [King] to start this band. Somehow they have forgotten that."

He says that his relationship with Araya and Kerry King is currently "sadly, non-existent" and he said he didn't regret his Facebook "rant". He said, "No. My 'ranting' on Facebook still stands because it's accurate."

He went on to talk about his relationship with Jeff Hanneman and also his shock that Tom Araya didn't show up at Henneman's memorial. Read what he had to say about that and more here.





Lacuna Coil Lose Two Members
Lacuna Coil revealed that Cris 'Pizza' Migliore and Cristiano 'CriZ' Mozzati have left the group as they prepare to release their new studio album "Broken Crown Halo" on April 1st.

'Pizza', 'CriZ' and the band all issued statements about the two member's retirement from the group. The band had this to say, "It is with a heavy heart that we share this news with you today: Our two brothers Cris 'Pizza' Migliore and Cristiano 'CriZ' Mozzati have decided to retire from LACUNA COIL.

"Both Pizza and CriZ have had big changes impact their lives recently - we know how stressful and difficult it can be to balance both real life and the life of a professional touring musician, and we have nothing but total respect for their decisions to focus on their families and lives at home.

"We have such incredible memories of traveling and exploring the world together with Pizza and CriZ, and we want to wish them both all the best as they begin these exciting new chapters in their lives. We will never forget the important roles they played in this band, or the incredible times we shared together."

Cris 'Pizza' Migliore had this to say, "After over 16 years spent with the Lacuna Coil family, I decided to move on and begin a new chapter in my life. This hasn't been an easy decision, as you can imagine, but I felt like I needed to change some things around.

"I'm glad and honored that I've had the chance to be able to embark on such an amazing adventure, with such wonderful people as "travel companions"! I will never forget my time in Lacuna Coil and I wish my sister and brothers all the best for whatever the future may bring.

"I'm sure you understand! I would also really like to thank every single one of you for showing such amazing love and support for a small band from Milan, Italy, who would've never thought would become what it has during these incredible 16 years. Thank you all and enjoy this last record we did with me and CriZ as part of the line-up - it's some of the best music we've done and I'm sure you'll love it!"

Cristiano 'CriZ' Mozzati had this to say, "As many of you guys and gals know, during this last year lots of very important things happened in my life - something really amazing, and deep enough to make me sit in front of my laptop to write these bittersweet words...

"I'm leaving my 'second family' Lacuna Coil because I need this change in my life... this hasn't been an easy decision at all and I've come to it with pain in my heart, because together we laughed and cried; we fought and gave all our lives to this amazing band. Together we lived the dream for 16 wonderful, intense and unforgettable years. All you guys around the world gave me such positive and sincere vibes and emotions that will stay embedded in my heart for the rest of my life! I want to say thank you Coilers, friends, crew, partners, and people that listen to our music for being such an inspiration for me. To my brothers and sis I'd like to say the following: Never stop to kicking asses, you sure know how to!

"The new record is the best thing we've done together. I have put all my passion and feelings into it and I'm sure you'll love it. I'll never stop playing drums - as we all know, if you were born with rock inside your veins, you'll die with it... and this is what I will do."

The band will be kicking off a North American tour on February 20th that will feature Sick Puppies, Eyes Set To Kill, and Cilver. Lacuna Coil revealed that they will be joined on the tour by drummer Ryan Folden who played with them on a majority of the 2012 and 2013 'Dark Legacy' and 'Dark Adrenaline' tours. more on this story




Documentary About The Who's Tommy Coming To DVD
(Classic Rock) The Who's groundbreaking album Tommy is the subject of a documentary which goes on sale next month in DVD, Blu-ray and digital video format via Eagle Rock.

Sensation: The Story Of Tommy is an extended version of a film broadcast by the BBC last year, featuring new interviews with Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey plus archive conversations with late bassist John Entwistle. Engineer Bob Pridden, artist Mike McInnerney and others offer insight into the making and impact of the 1969 concept album, which received a deluxe and super-deluxe re-release last year.

Speaking at the premiere in October 2013, vocalist Daltrey recalled: "The signs were there the first time we played it live - the audience reaction was extraordinary. It grew so quickly, which was kind of frightening. It grew from audiences of a thousand to a hundred thousand in about 18 months. That was scary." Read more and watch the trailer.




Megadeth Icon Compilation Set For Release
Megadeth will be the latest artist featured in UMe's "Icon" compilation series, with the Megadeth edition set to be released on February 25th in the U.S. and March 11th in Canada.

The new compilation will feature some of the veteran thrash band's best known tracks including "Peace Sells", "Symphony Of Destruction," "Trust," Hanger 18," "In My Darkest Hour," and "A Tout Le Monde."

The band had these details about the series: The aptly named "Icon" series from Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) launched in August 31, 2010, with releases from 30 major artists spanning rock, pop, R&B and country.

Megadeth "Icon" Tracklisting:
01. Holy Wars…The Punishment Due
02. Symphony Of Destruction
03. Wake Up Dead
04. Trust
05. Hangar 18
06. Sweating Bullets
07. A Tout Le Monde
08. Skin O' My Teeth
09. In My Darkest Hour
10. Kill The King
11. Peace Sells

You can see the cover art and pre-order a copy here.





Rolling Stones Invite Fans To Intimate Rehearsal Jam
(hennemusic) The Rolling Stones marked the last day of their 14 On Fire tour rehearsals by inviting fans into a Paris, France studio to watch them play a short set.

Over thirty fans, who'd been listening to the rehearsals in the street, watched the Stones perform a 7-song set, including "Doom And Gloom", "She's So Cold", "Before They Make Me Run" and more.

"I was there since this morning," one of the lucky fans told France 24. "At around 2.30pm, a member of the Stones' entourage came out and wrote a number on our hands. At the time there were 27 of us. We were all brought inside." more on this story





The Faceless Lose A Member and Working On New Music
The Faceless revealed on Friday (February 14th) that they have parted ways with guitarist Wes Hauch and said that they have put their covers album on "the back-burner" in favor of working on new original music.

Here is what they had to say, "The Faceless have officially parted ways with Wes. Things were moving in different directions and it seems that this is best for everyone. We wish him the best of luck and we know he's going to continue to do great things in music. Please keep supporting Wes in everything he does. We definitely will.

"We are also currently working on new music with bassist Evan Brewer, who is remaining a full-time member of the band, to clear up any confusion. The cover album has also been put on the back-burner in place of new original material. We are very excited with how things are coming together and will keep you all updated as things progress."




Producer Tsangarides Released From Hospital
(Classic Rock) Famed producer and engineer Chris Tsangarides has been released from hospital in Kent after recovering from a medically-induced coma, he's confirmed.

The Grammy-nominated deskman - best known for his work with Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and other metal icons - underwent an emergency lung bypass in January after contracting Legionnaires' disease.

He'd spent time in a support unit in London before being returned to Kent, and has now been allowed to continue his recuperation at home.

Tsangarides says: "It feels so good to be in my own bed! All the messages of support have overwhelmed me - I knew there were messages but had no access to them in hospital. more on this story




The Clash Documentary Coming To DVD
(Classic Rock) A documentary charting the career of The Clash is to be released on DVD on March 10, offering a new look at their history and the trailer has been released online.

The influential outfit disintegrated in 1986, after drummer Topper Headon had left in 1982 and guitarist Mick Jones had been fired the following year. Mainman Joe Strummer's death in 2002 put an end to fans' hopes for a reunion - which Jones recently insisted would never have happened anyway.

Producers say: "How did it happen that at the top of their fame and success The Clash were able to self-destruct? The documentary impresses with inside information and shows the rise and the fall - from huge success down to dismantling themselves. The DVD contains a host of previously unreleased material and interviews." Watch the trailer here.





Ricky Warwick Calls On Fans For New Albums Help
(Classic Rock) Black Star Riders frontman Ricky Warwick has announced the launch of a pledge campaign to fund the making of two albums that are set to be released later this year.

It's yet another tie-in with Def Leppard singer Joe Elliott, who'll produce the records, as he did for Warwick's first two solo titles. The pair were recently signed up to appear in a music movie and Elliott was last month confirmed as producer for BSR's second album.

Former Almighty vocalist Warwick says: "These will be my fourth and fifth studio albums - the acoustic one is going to be called Hearts On Trees, and the theme will be being true to your roots and what people sacrifice for their homes. The other will be called When Patsy Cline Was Crazy (And Guy Mitchell Sang The Blues). There will not be an acoustic guitar in sight on that one. more on this story





Whitechapel Pull Out of Soundwave Festival Due To Death In The Family
Whitechapel have been forced to pull out of the upcoming Soundwave Festival tour of Australia and their appearance at Westfest 2014 in New Zealand after a band member suffered a loss in their immediate family.

The band tweeted the bad news to fans on Sunday night. They wrote, "We regret to inform we must cancel our upcoming shows in Australia and New Zealand due to the death of a members immediate family member."

An hour later the band added, "It's a decision that no band wants to make, but family comes first, and we will be back as soon as we can. Thank you for understanding."

The band was scheduled to take part in the annual Soundwave Festival with Green Day, Avenged Sevenfold, Stone Temple Pilots with Chester Bennington, Alice In Chains, Rob Zombie, Korn, Trivium, Down, Alterbridge and more.

They have also canceled their appearance at Westfest 2014 on February 20th at Vector Arena in Auckland Central, New Zealand. The two day festival will feature Korn, Rob Zombie, Asking Alexandria, Five Finger Death Punch, Black Veil Brides, Eagles Of Death Metal, August Burns Red, Terror, and Saving Grace. more on this story





Kill Devil Hill Release 'Leave It All Behind' Video
Metal supergroup Kill Devil Hill have released a new music video for the song "Leave It All Behind," the first clip the band has released from their most recent album 'Revolution Rise'.

The new album was produced by Jeff Pilson and the band, which features former Pantera and Down bassist Rex Brown, former Dio, Black Sabbath and Heaven And Hell drummer Vinny Appice, former Pissing Razors frontman Dewey Bragg and 40 Cycle Hum guitarist Mark Zavon.

Brown had this to say about the new video, "'Leave It All Behind' was shot with a very different approach for us. It's a story board video that intertwines the band with a guy that has faced some apocalyptic demons in his own mind.

"We shot the video at an old missile site in Southern California that had been burned out by fires years ago. The story hits very close to home with the lyrical content of the song, which makes it even more surreal and sublime - we'll leave the rest up to your interpretation!" Watch it here.




Thin Lizzy Star Introduces New Scorpion Child Video
(Classic Rock) Scorpion Child have recruited Thin Lizzy/Black Star Riders star Scott Gorham to record the introduction to the band's new music video for "Kings Highway".

The animated clip was directed by award-winning stop-motion maestro Jess Cope (Steven Wilson, Storm Corrosion, Devin Townsend) of Owlhouse Studios, whose talents have been seen in the short film The Astronomer's Sun, the British children's television series Postman Pat and Tim Burton's feature film, Frankenweenie.

Scorpion Child frontman Aryn Jonathan Black shares the following about the video: "Jess Cope's work for our new Kings Highway video is masterful! We are enamored by her artistic eye and ability to create a fantasy trip with an ethereal visual that's captivating and timeless." Watch the video here.




Anette Olzon Releases 'Lies' Video
(Prog) Prog has premiered "Lies," the new track and video by symphonic songstress Anette Olzon. The song comes from her upcoming debut solo album Shine.

The former Nightwish frontwoman says, "I am so thrilled to finally release my first solo album," says Anette. "I've been working on it for a long time by now... The album is very personal with songs I have started writing already in 2009 but also very recent songs."

"The overall message of the album is that life can be really dark and filled with hardship and sadness, but you can always choose to see some light coming through, to make you stronger and full of life - making you SHINE… no matter what." Watch the video here.





Aerosmith's Joe Perry Performs At Rock N Roll Fantasy Camp
(hennemusic) Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry was one of the featured performers at the Rock N' Roll Fantasy Camp in Las Vegas, and photos from the long weekend event are available.

Perry is sharing shots from the 4-day camp, which also saw Steve Vai and Eric Johnson share their experience, techniques, riffs, tone tips, and creative concepts in real-world band settings.

The US President's Day weekend saw the Rock N Roll Fantasy Camp team up with Guitar Player magazine for the special edition of Rock Camp, which also saw appearances by Cars guitarist Elliot Easton, bassist Michael Anthony, Gary Hoey, Tony Franklin (The Firm), Danny Seraphine of Chicago and Joe Vitale (drummer for CSN and the Eagles). Check out the photos here.




Vandenberg's MoonKings Release 'Breathing' Video
(Classic Rock) Vandenberg's MoonKings, featuring ex-Whitesnake guitarist Adrian Vandenberg, will release their debut album in the UK on February 24 via Mascot Records.

As part of the build-up to the self-titled full-length's release, the band have unveiled a music video for the new album's single "Breathing".

Vandenberg's MoonKings features Adrian Vandenberg (guitar), Jan Hoving (vocals), Sem Christoffel (bass) and Mart Nijen Es (drums).


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