Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


KISS Cancel Rock Hall Performance After Ace and Peter Uproar
KISS stars Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons have pulled the plug on performing at the band's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction after original members Peter Criss and Ace Frehley broke the news that the were not going to be allowed to perform at the event.
Criss told fans this weekend, "It's disappointing to have to say to you, the fans, that as of today, Ace and I have been denied a performance with Gene and Paul for our Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. Tickets go on sale on Monday, February 24th and I wanted to make sure that fans understood that no original performance, in or out of makeup, has been offered to us before they purchased their tickets. This is disgraceful and I feel bad for the fans who were looking forward to the four of us being inducted together."

Frehley broke the news during a radio interview on Friday night. hennemusic reports that Frehley said, "I don't think KISS fans are gonna be too excited and happy about the news, 'cause at this juncture, Paul [Stanley] and Gene [Simmons] have decided to perform with [current KISS members] Tommy [Thayer] and Eric [Singer], and it looks like the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is going along with it."

Frehley told listeners that Stanley and Simmons "shot down doing any type of reunion with [original KISS drummer Peter Criss and me] - with makeup, without makeup."

"I'm not gonna get on the stage with Tommy wearing my makeup. That's absurd", stated the guitarist. "It's a shame. I know what the fans wanted. I know it's what the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame wanted. [But] it's not gonna happen."

Then on Sunday, Stanley and Simmons told fans that there would be no performance at the event. They wrote, "Out of respect, Ace and Peter's recent statements demand a quick response to you, our fans. Our intention was to celebrate the entire history of KISS and give credit to all members including present long time members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, and additionally Bruce Kulick and Eric Carr all who have made this band what it is, regardless of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame's point of view. [Vinnie Vincent and the late Mark St. John were also members of KISS.]

"Although KISS has moved forward far longer without them, Ace and Peter are at the very foundation of what we have built and this would all be impossible had they not been a part of it in the beginning.

"It is over 13 years since the original lineup has played together in make-up and we believe the memory of those times would not be enhanced. Contrary to claims made through the media we have never refused to play with Ace and Peter.

"We have spent 40 years dedicated to building KISS without quitting or wavering as the band has moved forward with huge tours and platinum albums through different important lineups for forty years, to this day.

"KISS has always been a band unlike any other. That is why we started KISS. That is why we continue KISS. Being unlike other bands also means making choices and decisions unlike other bands.

"This is understandably an emotional situation where there is no way to please everyone. To bring this to a quick end, we have decided not to play in any line-up and we will focus our attention on celebrating our induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

"We are excited and are looking forward to seeing you all on the KISS 40th Anniversary worldwide tour."




Death on Gregg Allman Biopic Set
Gregg Allman has released a statement after a crew member was killed and seven other people were injured on the set of the filming of his forthcoming biopic 'Midnight Rider'.

27-year-old second camera assistant Sarah Elizabeth Jones was killed Thursday afternoon in Savannah, Georgia after she was hit by a freight train during the filing of a dream sequence on a railroad bridge. More details about the accident here.

"I am so terribly saddened by the news of the tragedy that took the young life of Sarah Elizabeth Jones on the film set," said Gregg Allman. "My thoughts and prayers go out to her family, friends and colleagues during this time of mourning."




Alter Bridge Singer Reveals Details Of His Led Zeppelin Audition
(hennemusic) Alter Bridge and Slash singer Myles Kennedy shared the inside story of his 2008 audition with Led Zeppelin on a recent edition of VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show", and video of the episode is available to stream online.

Kennedy was one of the frontmen to rehearse with Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham in the months following their 2007 reunion at London's 02 Arena (since released as "Celebration Day"), after Robert Plant passed on continuing under the Zeppelin banner to focus on his solo career.

"Believe me… those rehearsals I will remember to my dying day," said Kennedy. "When we're talking about this it seems completely ridiculous - there's no way - but it did happen. We played 'The Rain Song,' which is probably my favorite Led Zeppelin song, 'No Quarter,' 'Kashmir,' it was a lot of fun."

"But it wasn't going to be 'Led Zeppelin,'" he continued. "I don't know if they knew what it was going to be. They just wanted to play, they wanted to jam, they wanted to put a project of some sort together. They weren't sure what it was, but it was never going to be Led Zeppelin with a new singer, I mean, obviously." Watch the video here.




Newsted Cancel Tour Dates Including Soundwave Festival
Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted announced that his band Newsted have been forced to cancel their upcoming tour dates including their appearance at this year's Soundwave Festival in Australia.

Jason Newsted broke the news on Facebook this weekend. The message appears to have since been deleted but Loadwirereports that Newsted posted the following message, "NEWSTED METALHEADS-

"Due to private and personal circumstances, we sincerely regret to inform you that The NEWSTED Band is unable to perform in February & March as scheduled…Our deepest apologies for any inconvenience to you. We are all gutted by this turn of events.

"Our hope is that we will have another opportunity to share our Heavy Music with you all again sometime in the near future. I'm sorry, Sisters & Brothers, We were really looking forward to these shows too… L I S T E N T O M E T A L J" more on this story




Nazareth Reveal New Singer
(Classic Rock) Nazareth have named fellow Scot Linton Osborne as the replacement for lead singer Dan McCafferty, who was forced to retire last year due to ill health.

The veteran outfit are gearing up to hit the road once again, while their final album with McCafferty is due for release later this year. Naz say in a statement: "Born in Edinburgh and raised near Dunfermline, 41-year-old Linton has been singing and performing professionally for as long as he can remember.

"After extensive auditions, the band was knocked out by Linton's voice, presence and style. And he's a thoroughly good guy! His enthusiasm and energy has been a shot in the arm for the band - a real boost after the sense of loss and sadness at the sudden retirement of our dear friend and brother Dan." more on this story




Metallica Have 1200 Riffs For New Album
(Gibson) Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett says that the band "have to" start work on their next album soon. Metallica's last album was Death Magnetic in 2008. Their collaboration with the late Lou Reed, Lulu, was released in 2011. Metallica have toured since (and continue to tour) but Hammett says they need to record new material soon.

Speaking to Kerrang! magazine, Hammett says, "We cannot think of any other reasons to procrastinate. We're kind of backed up into the corner now, so yes, we have to start working on the album. And I'm excited. James [Hetfield] has, like, 800 riffs. I only have 400, but there's not going to be any shortage of ideas. It's going to be interesting to see how it turns out."

There are no songs as such yet, though. Hammett says, "We have little bits and pieces of music earmarked to become songs, and really that's all I can say about it. We're pretty psyched about it. We're only procrastinating because we love being at home with our families, but we really do love writing songs together and making an album."

Is 2015 likely? When asked, Hammett said: "I'm up for it, man." more on this story







Jimi Hendrix To Be Featured On U.S. Stamp
(hennemusic) Late guitar legend Jimi Hendrix is set to be featured on a forthcoming U.S. postage stamp as part of the United States Postal Service's U.S. Music Icons series.

The design of the Hendrix stamp will be revealed during its launch at the South By SouthWest music festival in Austin, Texas; the event will take place on the SXSW outdoor stage in Butler Park on March 13 at 11 a.m.

The image used on the stamp is a painting of Hendrix by Rudy Gutierrez, who created the artwork for the 2002 album, "Shaman", by Santana; the Hendrix stamp is his first project for the Postal Service. more on this story




Van Halen's David Lee Roth Performs With Beach Boy
(hennemusic) Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth joined Beach Boys singer Mike Love to perform the band's classic, "California Girls", at The Society Of Singers' 21st ELLA Awards on Thursday in Beverly Hills, and video from the appearance has surfaced.

The 21st ELLA Awards honored Love, lead singer and co-founder of The Beach Boys, as well as producer Nigel Lythgoe and backup singers The Waters Family.

Roth famously covered "California Girls" on his 1985 EP, "Crazy From The Heat." The Van Halen singer's version reached No. 3 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Watch the video here.





Hawkwind Abandon North American Tour Plans
(Prog) Hawkwind have abandoned plans for their first tour of the US and Canada in decades, after a series of incidents which threatened the wellbeing of band and crew became too difficult to overcome.

In September the band said they were "insulted and angry" after former member Nik Turner advanced a legal process which, they believed, would make it impossible for them to use the band name on the other side of the Atlantic.

The added stress led mainman Dave Brock to become too ill to travel, and the tour was postponed. Then last month a series of rumours were spread which suggested Brock didn't have a work visa, leading to the loss of at least one booking in Canada, and putting others in doubt.

Now Hawkwind have apologised to North American fans after admitting defeat. They say in a statement: "We have tried everything - but it became a logistical nightmare. We put all out money and savings into making it happen. This huge effort has become all-encompassing, and over the last year has affected not only our lives, but those of our friends and families, and it has undermined our creativity in that period." More.





Katatonia Lose A Member
(Prog) Katatonia have split with guitarist Per Eriksson with immediate effect. He'll be replaced for the band's upcoming shows by The Pineapple Thief mainman Bruce Soord.

It marks the end of Eriksson's four-year stint with the Swedish outfit after he started as a session and touring member in 2010. Jonas Renkse's outfit say in a statement: "It has been some time coming, but guitarist Per 'Sodomiser' Erikkson and Katatonia have mutually agreed to part ways.

"A difference in views on the band's current operative, as well as last year's decision from Per to permanently live in Barcelona have made his involvement too problematic, both for him and the remaining members." more on this story





Arctic Monkeys Frontman Declares That Rock and Roll Will Never Die
(Radio.com) While the Arctic Monkeys generated plenty of headlines (not to mention record and ticket sales) on the strength of their latest album, AM, frontman Alex Turner stepped out this week and incited a firestorm of attention with his words.

After winning British Album of the Year at this week's Brit Awards, Turner used his acceptance speech as a rallying cry for a return to rock 'n' roll, poking a little fun at One Direction along the way.

"Yeah, that rock'n'roll, it seems like it's faded away sometimes, but it will never die," Turner told the crowd. "And there's nothing you can do about it." He then literally dropped the mic and left the stage, but not before offering to pick up tab for the microphone he was about to break. What nice English lad.

But when Turner and drummer Matt Helders sat down with Radio.com a few weeks ago, there was no mic drops. Instead they sat down and spoke about the process behind their confident new full-length, which Turner says sounds like the "Spiders From Mars covering Aaliyah."

Watch the guys talk about their hip-hop influences, being an internet band and channeling Timbaland in the video here.





Led Zeppelin Then As it Was Revised And Updated
(hennemusic) A revised and updated edition of "Led Zeppelin Then As it Was - At Knebworth 1979" by author Dave Lewis focuses on the band's appearance at the UK event.

In August of 1979, thousands of fans flocked to Knebworth to see Led Zeppelin perform their first UK shows in four years and their first live date since the death of Robert Plant's son during the band's 1977 North American tour.

Zeppelin played live on August 4 and August 11, 1979 at Knebworth House before an estimated 200,000 fans each night. The band were joined by The New Barbarians (featuring Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards) (August 11 only), Todd Rundgren and Utopia, Southside Johnny, Marshall Tucker, Commander Cody, Chas & Dave and Fairport Convention. more on this story




Jon Lord Biography Video Preview Released
(hennemusic) "Jon Lord - All Those Years Ago", a new, limited-edition photo biography of the late Deep Purple keyboardist, will be published in April and a video preview for the book has been released.

The book features a history and recollection of Jon's early life from birth to the start of Deep Purple by his brother Steve Lord. The project includes never before seen, personal family photographs, Jon's own photographs from his days with Deep Purple, contributions from Jon's colleagues, friends and family and unpublished professional images.

The bio features unique contributions from Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Ian Paice, David Coverdale, Glenn Hughes, Metallica's Lars Ulrich, Bernie Marsden and many others.

Read more and watch the preview here.





Anthrax's Scott Ian Not Taking Motley Crue Road With Autobiography
(hennemusic) Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian will publish his autobiography, "I'm The Man", on October 7th. Ian says his memoir will be distinctly different from other rock bios.

"What makes mine different is that it doesn't take the usual story arc that most of these rock/metal biographies and autobiographies do," Ian tells Lithium magazine.

"That arc is usually the rise to fame, the fame, the crash and burn and then some sort of redemption. I don't have that story arc. I don't know what you would call my story genre, but it's more about coming from nothing and being able to do all that I have done.

"I think it's about being able to show anybody that no matter where you come from, whether you're a scrawny kid from Queen's, you do have the opportunity to make something of yourself. I am the living proof of that. And you don't have to take the normal road that's portrayed in these books. You don't have to take the Motley Crue road." more on this story





Video From Rolling Stones 14 On Fire Tour Kick Off Goes Online
(hennemusic) The Rolling Stones launched their 14 On Fire Tour Friday night in Adu Dhabi, the Stones first-ever performance in the United Arab Emirates, and video of the show has surfaced.

The band's 19-song set at the sold-out du Arena at Yas Island kicked off with "Start Me Up", and featured one classic track after another, including the fan-voted "Gimme Shelter."

Up next, the band travel to Japan to play three sold-out shows at the Tokyo Dome, starting on Wednesday, February 26. Watch over half a dozen videos from the tour kick off here.




Green Day Play Free Show in Tiny Pub
(Gibson) Green Day surprised fans in Australia on 20 February by playing a tiny pub gig 45 minutes after announcing the show on Twitter. It was a warm-up show for Green Day's headline appearance at the Soundwave festival.

The band took to the microblogging site at 10:15pm to announce they would be hitting the stage at The Captain Cook Hotel in Paddington, Sydney, at 11pm.

The message read: "hello Aussie! Green Day is playing tonight at a club called Captain Cook Hotel Tonight in Sydney. I repeat, Tonight! Feb 20th around 11:00pm."

Fans dashed to the venue for the free show. Frontman Billie Joe Armstrong walked out on stage and said, "I guess a few of you saw the tweet." more on this story






Floyd Taylor Dead at 60
(The Blues Floyd Taylor, the son of iconic bluesman Johnnie Taylor, has died, it's been reported. The singer's younger brother TJ Hooker Taylor tells TimesDaily.com: "He died pretty much the way my dad died: a heart attack at the age of 60."

Based in Chicago, Floyd Taylor appeared on stage alongside his father in the 1970s and also performed with Johnny 'Guitar' Watson, Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole and others. In 1998 he was named Entertainer Of The Year by the Chicago Blues Society.

He released his debut album, Legacy, in 2002. In December last year he launched a single entitled It's On Me, taken from his fifth studio record Shut Um Down. He'd just completed a US tour, with more dates booked for next month, and was planning more shows overseas. more on this story




Gilby Clarke Recalls Playing Axl Free Guns N' Roses Rock Hall Induction
(hennemusic) Former Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke spoke with KLOS 95.5 FM in Los Angeles on Friday about a variety of subjects, including playing the band's induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2012 without frontman Axl Rose.

"It was a strange time, because there was kind of like a dark cloud over our whole induction, because Axl decided not to go," said Clarke. "And once he decided not to go, the dark cloud kind of went away, 'cause the guys that did go, we all get along great, we still play together all the time, and it actually was fun. We had a really good time."

"We actually only rehearsed, like, the night before the thing," he continued. "We got together at a club… We hadn't played those songs in 20 years, so that was the thing… I mean, for me, we were trying to figure out what songs we were gonna play, and I'm, like, 'Wow, I haven't played that song in 20 years.' It had to come back to me. It was funny: there was a photo going around on Twitter of Duff and I in the bathroom, actually, going over the songs, trying to remember the riffs and things like that." more on this story




Kurt Cobain Statue Features One Lonely Tear
(Radio.com) Art may be subjective, but it's safe to say that the recently unveiled statue of Kurt Cobain in his hometown of Aberdeen, Washington is not going to win any awards anytime soon.

The statue was part of the town's Kurt Cobain Day, which they celebrated Thursday (Feb. 20) on what would have been Cobain's 47th birthday. The statue itself features Cobain sitting on a stool playing an acoustic guitar with one lonely tear dribbling out of his eye. We'll assume this is an homage to the Virgin Mary or perhaps the crying Indian who wishes you would just stop littering.

Not that everyone in Aberdeen was looking to honor the man. Case in point, a local news station referred to their hometown hero on air as "the lead singer of Nirvana… a well known heroin addict who shot himself nearly 20 years ago."

The report itself focused on the controversial decision to celebrate Cobain's legacy and features one reporter ticking off Cobain's less than stellar attributes-drug use, vandalism, lack of hometown pride-and eventually makes the bold statement we've all been wishing someone would make, Kurt Cobain was "no George Washington." No, in fact, he wasn't.

But let's all shed one tear in solidarity with Cobain's clay statue and hope the dedication at Nirvana's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction on April 10 is a bit more complimentary. Nirvana will also be the recipient of its 24-hour commemoration on the same day as the band's induction into the Hall of Fame, when the small city of Hoquiam, Washington, celebrates the first Nirvana Day.

Watch the local news broadcast to get a closer look at the now infamous Cobain statue here.





Anubis Gate Release Seven-Minute Album Preview
(Prog) Danish prog-metal band Anubis Gate have launched a seven-minute trailer for their upcoming sixth album Horizons. The follow-up to 2011′s self-titled LP is due for release on April 15 via Nightmare Records.

Horizons - the second album to feature bassist Henrik Fevre on lead vocals, and the first to include drummer Morten Gade Sorensen - will be available in digital and physical formats.

A four-track EP is included with the CD edition, containing live performances of songs from Anubis Gate's first two albums. The new album is described as "daring, from liquid grooves to uneven time signatures, trademark soundscapes and heavy riffing." Watch the trailer here.





65daysofstatic Plan 10th Anniversary Reissue
(Prog) 65daysofstatic will mark the 10th anniversary of debut album The Fall Of Math with a deluxe re-release on March 24 via Monotreme Records. And they'll back it up with a UK tour featuring a unique two-set London show, where the entire record will be performed in full for the first time.

The Sheffield band say: "In the first year of the weird post 9/11 future we all now occupy, we wrote a record entirely by mistake in an obscure room in the north of England, usually in the evening after finishing whatever day-jobs we were holding down.

"While 65daysofstatic are no longer the people we were back then, the world is as big a mess as it ever was. The Fall of Math holds a great significance for us - maybe it does for you too. We're looking forward to trying to remember how to play a bunch of the music on there. Come and see the results in March." more on this story





Heart Release Extended Preview Of Fanatic Live DVD
(hennemusic) Heart will release "Fanatic Live From Caesars Colosseum", on CD and DVD/Blu Ray this coming Tuesday, February 25, and the band are sharing an extended video preview of the set.

The new live package captures the Seattle band live on their "Fanatic" tour at Caesars Colosseum in Windsor, Ontario, an event originally filmed by AXS-TV.

In addition to songs from the band's 2012 "Fanatic" album - which were performed for the first time for the television viewing audience - "Fanatic Live From Caesars Colosseum" also showcases many of Heart's classic hits including "Barracuda," "Crazy On You," "These Dreams," "Alone," "What About Love," and many more. Watch the video here.





Arcade Fire Perform 'Afterlife' On The Tonight Show
(Radio.com) Before watching Arcade Fire's performance of "Afterlife" on Thursday night's (Feb. 20) episode of The Tonight Show, make sure you've digested your breakfast. There's a lot of spinning.

For the band's performance, frontman Win Butler decided to take the reigns and shoot the beginning of the song himself, selfie-style. Butler spins around with the camera revealing each member of his band in their black and white matching outfits and eventually turns the lens on himself for a very up close and personal shot.

Butler ends the performance in the crowd, climbing all over the brand new seats in Studio 6B shouting the line, "Where do we go?" He didn't go too far though, choosing to serenade the first few rows of the balcony.

Arcade Fire kick off their first official North American tour behind Reflektor on March 6 in Louisville, KY. Watch the Tonight Show performance here.





Singled Out: Kiven's In The Fire
Today Kiven frontman Tyler Demorest tells us about the song "In The Fire" from their brand new self-titled debut album, which was produced by Tony Hajjar from At The Drive-In. Here is the story:

I'd like to think I wasn't tired
Tired of ongoing dreams
As we throw ourselves into the fire slowly
Believe it time it may discover
Shedding light to all fears
Don't try don't speak don't even bother for me

Sometimes it's tasking doing what you love. The introduction to this song is an acknowledgment of this lethargic hangover you can experience when you're devoting your whole self to an idea that isn't / won't be materialized until months later. It's a statement wishing that I wasn't tired of the grind, but how there's no need for sympathy - as it's a choice to dedicate myself to a craft that can often bring about a ton of joy and fulfillment.

After the introduction... In The Fire starts.

Closing doors, shut off the roar below
But a murmor of the matter can seed this, can feed disbelief.
And for a moment, you're fearing numb
But a surgeon for the latter I'm told, could lose their hold and down we go.

I was actually working on this song at home after we wrapped an "early" rehearsal. It was about 930PM when I sat down in my apartment to get going and some dickhead neighbor yelled "shut uppppp" from his window haha. Looking back it's pretty hilarious, but at the time it was a bit of a "f*** you neighbor guy symbolizing the rest of the world" moment. I knew I wanted the song to be about passion, and dedication - but i needed a vehicle.... and there it was.

"In the fire, we burn it all to earn a
On the wire we loose ourselves along the middle
I'm not coming home, I'm not coming home"

This chorus encompasses the effort and what can be a perpetual let down for pursing passion. We've had success, but all artists along the way question their craft, their time and dedication, and input along the way. The process of making this album in particular was difficult, yet rewarding. We continually wrestled with the amount of time and energy put in the project, while juggling the ability to make a living and the amount of time it takes to make that living comfortable. The final sentence is that defiance to comfort or the leap into commitment to your craft.

Faith in tow, deceiving down the road
In a complicated gesture letting go
You're not alone
For a moment lie alone, clueless on the matter when you fold your hope
And losing hold of what you know

The second verse continues down the journey and explores uncertainty of what's ahead. It's particularly applicable to my situation but it works for anyone refusing to be complacent with a typical life by letting go of the routine in exchange for uncertainty.


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