Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


KISS Urged To End Rock Hall 'Nonsense' For Bill Aucoin
(hennemusic) The partner of original KISS manager, the late Bill Aucoin, has issued a statement regarding the new controversy over the band not performing at their induction into the 2014 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.
The controversy sparked this weekend when Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons announced that no lineup of KISS would perform at the induction ceremony after Ace Frehley and Peter Criss told the public that they were told that they would not be allowed to perform.

Aucoin's former partner, Roman Fernandez had the following to say, "I'm going on record. I normally stand by the sidelines quietly watching the scrimmage in silence, but now, I feel I have to speak up.

"My late partner, Bill Aucoin, bothered enough in 1973 to wager his entire career as a successful television producer and bet all the money he had, as well as money he didn't have, on 4 kids from the streets of New York. He unfortunately can no longer speak for himself on the subject of KISS and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Bill Aucoin gave KISS their start, as well as some of the best years of his life. KISS would, in fact, despite all his other successes, come to define Bill in the eyes of millions of fans and in the eyes of the industry. An industry that to a great degree didn't give KISS the time of day when it mattered the most. No one did except for Bill, Sean Delaney and Neil (and Joyce) Bogart. All no longer with us except for Joyce. But, Bill and I spoke about this subject on several occasions before he passed. Bill Aucoin was not the type to reflect in regret, and he harbored no animosity. But he was convinced that due to politics within the board of the Hall of Fame, the day would never come that saw KISS inducted. I'm pretty certain he was OK with that.

"But had Bill been alive to see the day it was announced that the group would indeed, despite every notion to the contrary, be inducted, might have been a nice parting gift for him. But it's done. He's gone. It could have just as easily been Paul, Gene, Peter or Ace. But they're still here. And I'm pretty sure this is what Bill might have said in light of all this nonsense: '(….unintelligible noises) Look it, find a compromise, put everything aside for one night, be the larger than life rock stars you know you are, and then…. Onward and upward!'

"I don't believe Bill would begrudge any reasoning for the band members feeling however they may about one another. But, I also believe he would have recognized this as one singular night to put unresolved issues aside. Bill is no longer with us. If Paul, Gene, Peter or Ace were not here, this conversation would not even be possible. Life is too short to waste such a precious opportunity. If for no other reason, do it for Bill Aucoin. And for Sean. And for Neil. Love to all members of Kiss past and present. Onward and Upward guys." more on this story




Lemmy From Motorhead Inspired Matt Sorum's Fierce Joy
Former Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum is releasing a new solo album under the moniker of Matt Sorum's Fierce Joy and antiMusic's Morley Seaver spoke with Sorum about the project and learned that the name was inspired by Motorhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister.

During the interview Morley asked Sorum, "Tell us about the band title, Matt Sorum's Fierce Joy. Where does the happiness angle come from?" Matt responded, "I was the drummer for Motorhead a few years ago on a tour when Mikkey wasn't able to tour. It was so much fun to hang out with my good buddy Lemmy Kilmister.

"We were talking one night and he was just so appreciative about getting to play music for a living. One night he says to me (adopts British accent), 'I have such a fierce joy about playing. I mean, I could be digging ditches. But instead I'm able to do this.' (laughs)

"That phrase really struck me, so later when I was thinking of names, I called him up and said 'Remember when you said that "fierce joy" thing when we were on tour? I was thinking of using that for a name. Is that cool with you?' And he says, 'Yeah, you can use that.' So the name actually came from Lemmy.'" Read the full interview here!




AC/DC Classic Given Classical Makeover In Massive Viral Hit Video
2Cellos, Luka Sulic and Stjepan Huaser, have scored a massive viral hit with a YouTube video of their reinterpretation of the classic AC/DC song "Thunderstruck."

The duo posted the video to the streaming site last Tuesday and a week later the video had been viewed over 4,321,800 times (at press time on the morning Feb 25th).

On Monday, the duo posted the following thanks to fans, "OMG 3 MILLION!!! It's unreal, this video gets more than 1 million views per day... We don't know what to say but Thank You!!!"

The video not only shows the duo's unique take on the AC/DC song but also how they think a stunned 18th century audience would react to it. Find out what everyone is buzzing about here.





Bruce Springsteen Plans Special Record Store Day EP
(Radio.com) Bruce Springsteen's fans are still digesting the new songs from his recent release High Hopes, and more new music is on the way, but it may be tough to get for many fans. He has just announced, via his website, that he is releasing a four-song vinyl EP, American Beauty, for Record Store Day.

Oddly, the release of the EP, according to Springsteen's website, is April 26; however Record Store Day (according to its website) is April 19. It's unknown if the songs will be released in any other format: limited edition Record Store Day releases, particularly those with rare material, tend to sell out very quickly.

The four songs on the EP - the title track, "Mary Mary," "Hey Blue Eyes" and "Hurry Up Sundown" - were recorded during the High Hopes sessions according to the post on Springsteen's website. more on this story




Metallica Came Up With Grammy Idea Says Lang Lang
(hennemusic) Chinese concert pianist Lang Lang performed with Metallica at the 56th annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles last month, and he discusses the experience of working with one of rock's biggest bands.

The Herald Tribune reports Lang says that the idea for the collaboration on the Metallica's hit, "One", at the Grammys came from the Metallica camp.
"Somehow the Metallica team had this great idea to work together," he said. "The Grammys are basically a stage for synthesizing music together. It's a perfect stage for musical friends to be united."

"They were such cool people and I had a wonderful time working with them," he said. "Now everywhere I go, particularly in America, everyone is talking about it. Even checking into a place, going through customs, people say, 'Wow, you played really great!'" more on this story





Alter Bridge Acoustic Session Goes Online
(hennemusic) Alter Bridge singer Myles Kennedy and guitarist Mark Tremonti unplugged for a three-song performance for music industry magazine Billboard, and video of the session is available.

The band appeared on the session as part of their promotion for their latest album, "Fortress", and an upcoming US tour to support it, which starts April 14 in Dallas, Texas.

For the Billboard session, Kennedy and Tremonti played acoustic versions of "Addicted To Pain" (the first single from "Fortress"), and "Rise Today" and "Watch Over You" - two tracks from their second album, "Blackbird." Watch the video here.




Suicide Silence Including Mitch Lucker Lyrics On New Album
(TeamRock Radio) Suicide Silence have revealed that their next studio album will include some of the last lyrics written by late frontman Mitch Lucker, who died in a motorcycle accident in 2012.

The band last year confirmed they'd continue with former All Shall Perish vocalist Eddie Hermida in his place. Hermida tells Soundwave TV: "Mitch left behind some lyrics and we incorporated it into a song.

"It's about him being bigger than life - it's about finding that true resilience in yourself to keep going," he said. "It really means the world to us, because obviously that's what we're doing. It came out very beautiful." more on this story





Fan Speaks Out After Being Jailed For Crowd Jumping at Concert
(TeamRock Radio) A Letlive fan who jumped from a balcony into other fans has been released after spending a week in jail for his actions and he insists he doesn't regret at thing.

Alex McCormick, 23, threw himself from a first-floor barrier into the crowd below at the Ogden Theatre in Denver, Colorado, during a show where his favourite band were opening for Bring Me The Horizon.

It's been reported he ran away after three people had to be taken to hospital, but was later caught and arrested. But McCormick is unrepentant. He says: "Not that being in jail is cool or anything but it's definitely hilarious to see how people twist things.

"I can't believe I spent a week in jail for this bogusness, considering the the 'victims' were released from hospital with no injuries." More.






Motley Crue's Tommy Lee Engaged To Be Married Again
(hennemusic) Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee has announced his engagement to longtime girlfriend, Sofia "Sofi" Toufa, a German singer and dancer now based in Los Angeles, who is also known by her stage name SOFI (acronym for SomeOtherFemaleInterest).

"There comes a time in a mans life when you just know your partner is for LIFE!!" tweeted Lee. "Say hello to my fiancé and soon to be wife @SOFIofficial."

This will be the fourth marriage for the Motley Crue drummer; he previously wed model Elaine Starchuk and actresses Heather Locklear and Pamela Anderson. more on this story





Soundgarden's Superunknown Getting Two Reissues For 20th Anniversary
(Radio.com) Soundgarden's Superunknown, which is getting not one, but two 20th anniversary releases this summer. The album's deluxe edition, out June 3, will feature the remastered album along with a second disc of demos, rehearsals and B-sides.

The "super deluxe edition" will span 5 CDs and will contain the remastered album, additional demos, rehearsals and B-sides. The fifth disc is for hard-core audio files, it's the album mixed in Blu-ray Audio 5.1 Surround Sound. And if you're still loyal to vinyl, there's also going to be a 2-LP gatefold of the original 16 vinyl tracks remastered on 200-gram vinyl.

The band also made a never before heard rehearsal recording of their song "The Day I Tried To Live," which will be on the demos and b-sides disc of both editions. Listen here.

Superunknown took the band, which had graduated from the underground Seattle scene to mainstream radio. The album surprised some by debuting at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and catapulted them to headlining status. Still, they were unusual compared to any mainstream band: the lead single, "Spoonman," literally featured a guy who played spoons as a musical instrument. Artis The Spoonman, as he was called, opened several dates on Soundgarden's tour and joined them on stage, spoons in hand, for his big moment each night.

Thanks to his performance on the 1991 Temple Of The Dog supergroup, and his solo performance of "Seasons" on the 1992 Singles soundtrack, the world knew that Chris Cornell could sing, but by '94, Soundgarden were ready for a bit of crooning. And it paid off: "Black Hole Sun," "Fell On Black Days" and "The Day I Tried To Live" got major exposure not just on alternative radio, but on MTV, without alienating (too many of) their older fans.

Speaking of spinning the black circle, there's going to be a Record Store Day exclusive limited edition vinyl box set with five 10″ EPs containing the Superunknown singles and associated b-sides with newly interpreted artwork sleeves by Josh Graham. Record Store Day is April 19.

Check out the full tracklisting and the song stream here.




Scorpions To Perform At Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix
(hennemusic) The Scorpions will perform at the 2014 Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix on April. 5. Currently promoting the recent release of "MTV Unplugged - Scorpions Live In Athens", the German rockers concert is one of several events that will mark Bahrain International Circuit's (BIC) 10th anniversary.

"It is an absolute delight to have rock legends like the Scorpions coming to Bahrain and be a part of our 10th anniversary Grand Prix celebrations," said BIC Chief Executive Shaikh Salman bin Isa Al Khalifa.

"We are truly privileged to have them performing live at BIC on such a momentous occasion, and are confident that both sporting and music fans alike will be treated to yet another unforgettable entertainment spectacle during the race weekend." more on this story





Slash Plays Tribute For Bob Dylan
(hennemusic) Slash has teamed up with Aaron Freeman (aka Gene Ween) on a cover of Bob Dylan's "Wiggle Wiggle" as part of a new tribute album to the legendary singer.

The former Guns N' Roses guitarist played acoustic guitar on the original version of the song, which appeared on Dylan's 1990 release, "Under The Red Sky."

Due March 25, "Bob Dylan In The 80s: Volume One" features covers by Built To Spill, Glen Hansard, Reggie Watts, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Lucius, Langhorne Slim, Craig Finn Of The Hold Steady, Deer Tick, Dawn Landes, Blitzen Trapper, Elvis Perkins and more.

Listen to the Slash cover here.






Megadeth's Dave Mustaine Symphony Performance Poster Released
(hennemusic) Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine will be a featured soloist with the San Diego Symphony in April, and a poster for his upcoming appearance has been unveiled.

Mustaine will participate in a program that will include Wagner's "Ride Of The Valkyries" from "Die Walküre", Vivaldi's "Winter" from "The Four Seasons" and Dvorak's "Symphony No. 9" (the "New World" symphony).

The classical special concert, billed as "Symphony Interrupted", will take place at Copley Symphony Hall in San Diego, California on Saturday, April 12, 2014 at 8:00 p.m. See the poster here.





Von Hertzen Brothers Plan Dates With The Wildhearts
(Prog) Von Hertzen Brothers have announced that they will return to the UK in April to support the Wildhearts on an eight-date UK tour. They've received the nod from the Wildhearts mainman Ginger.

Ginger had this to say, "They're one of the best bands in the world, and I'm a huge fan. They're going to make a lot of friends on this tour - I can guarantee that."

The Finnish outfit's frontman Mikko Von Hertzen adds: "After seeing the kind of response Ginger's music has on people at his recent birthday bash in London, even the thought of playing for a crowd of such rock lovers is making my heart race. I have no doubt the tour will be sweet and sweaty, smelly and smiley - and, of course, loud as hell!" more on this story





Rob Zombie Reveals Zombie Horror Picture Show Artwork
(hennemusic) Rob Zombie has unveiled the cover to his forthcoming live DVD, "The Zombie Horror Picture Show" as Zombie plays Australia's traveling Soundwave festival and will launch a spring US tour April 26 in Fort Myers, Florida.

Due in May, the project captures Zombie in concert last summer in Houston (Aug 3) and Dallas (Aug 4) during the final two shows of the 2013 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival.

Zombie was headlining the festival while on the road to promote his latest album, "Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor." Check out the cover art for the new DVD here.





INXS Make Chart History Down Under
(hennemusic) INXS made Australian chart history this week after they became the first homegrown music act to secure the top two spots on the Australian album charts.

Billboard reports INXS' "The Very Best" continued to hold the top spot on ARIA chart for a second successive week and the group's blockbuster 1987 album "Kick" went to the No. 2, according to Billboard.

Six INXS titles have entered the ARIA top 40 albums chart following the airing of the final episode of the two-part mini-series "INXS: Never Tear Us Apart". more on this story






Rolling Stones Receive Warm Welcome In Japan
(hennemusic) The Rolling Stones are sharing video of their arrival in Tokyo, Japan on Sunday as they prepare to play three sold-out concerts at the Tokyo Dome as part of their 14 On Fire Tour.

"Thank you to everyone who welcomed us at the airport in Tokyo on Sunday!" posted the group. The Stones will perform their first show this Wednesday, before returning to the stage for two dates next week.

The band launched their 14 On Fire tour in Abu Dhabi on Friday - check out video of opening night here. Following the Tokyo shows, the Stones will play dates in Macau, Shanghai, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. Watch the video from Japan here.





Black Label Society Streaming New Song 'My Dying Time'
(TeamRock Radio) Black Label Society have released a stream of brand-new track My Dying Time. It's taken from Zakk Wylde and co's album Catacombs Of The Black Vatican.

Catacombs Of The Black Vatican follows 2009's The Order Of The Black and is set for launch on April 7th in Europe and the UK and April 8th in North America.

BLS recently went through a lineup change after 'Evil Twin' Nick Catanese decided to move on. He's been replaced by former Lizzy Borden guitarist Dario Lorina. Listen to the stream here.





Taking Back Sunday Go Behind The Scenes of Flicker, Fade
(TeamRock Radio) Taking Back Sunday have released a new behind-the-scenes video stream that was shot during the making of their promotional video clip for Flicker, Fade.

The track comes from upcoming sixth album Happiness Is, which is set to be released on March 17th in Europe and the UK and will hit North American stores on March 18th.

Vocalist Adam Lazzara recently said of the record: "I tried to be a little more loose; I was more focused on being myself than trying to sound perfect or anything. We played around a lot with arranging the harmonies and playing with layers, and I think that makes these songs a lot more rich." Watch the video here.






Asia Release 'Valkyrie' Video
(hennemusic) UK supergroup Asia have released the video for "Valkyrie", the lead single from the band's forthcoming album, "Gravitas," which will be release on March 5th (Japan), March 21st (Europe). and March 25th (North America)

Produced and written by John Wetton and Geoff Downes, "Gravitas" introduces Asia's new guitarist, Sam Coulson, who replaced Steve Howe last year following his return to the Yes lineup.

The album will be released in two configurations: a standard CD and a Deluxe Edition, that will include two bonus tracks and a DVD containing the "Valkyrie" music video, a promotional film, and footage of classic live Asia tracks such as "Heat of the Moment," recorded with the Plovdiv Philharmonic Orchestra in Bulgaria.

"Pure, unadulterated and stereotypical Asia, with raw energy, enthusiasm and free from impurities," says Wetton. "It conveys the spectrum of emotion and colour from real life agonies to ecstatic fantasy of escapism. Great songs, fabulous performance. Gravitas is Asia by Asia. At last." Watch the video here.





James Armstrong's Guitar Angels Inspired By His Friends
(The Blues James Armstrong has named his fifth album Guitar Angels after the friends who helped him maintain his career following his serious arm injury in 1996.

He was the victim of a vicious assault when his home was broken into, and the permanent damage means he still only has limited movement on one hand. But thanks to the support of other musicians he's been able to keep making music - and his latest record was launched last week via Catfood Records.

Armstrong says: "Since my injury many guitar players, alive and dead, have helped me. I still am unable to bend the third finger on my left hand, or use my little finger, but I attribute some of the reason I'm actually able to play the guitar again to my 'guitar angels' - my father, James Armstrong Sr, Mike Ross, Coco Montoya and Joe Louis Walker." more on this story





Teeth Of The Sea Plan Limited Edition Release
(Prog) Teeth Of The Sea will release their version of the soundtrack to 2013 movie A Field In England as a limited-edition LP for this year's Record Store Day.

They recorded the 30-minute work after being commissioned to deliver a live multimedia show for Cork Film Festival in 2013, on which they worked with visual collaborator Benjamin Barfoot. The response was so positive they performed again at the Hackney Picture House in London last month.

Set in a hallucinogenic haze during the English Civil War, Ben Wheatley's A Field In England received acclaim when it was released in cinemas, online and on Film4 on July 5 last year. more on this story





The Graveltones Tour Announce Dates
(The Blues Garage blues rockers The Graveltones kick off a European tour with three UK shows this week, ahead of two major festival appearances. Duo Jimmy O and Mikey Sorbello will play Birmingham, Chester and London with The Cadillac Three and Buffalo Summer in support of debut album Don't Wait Down.

In addition to the tour dates they'll play the inaugural HRH Blues festival in Pwllheli, Wales in March and the Download festival at Donington Park, England in June. Between those appearance the London-based Australians also tour across Europe.

The Graveltones have just filmed a video for their track Forget About The Trouble, due out soon. Meanwhile, their previous video Dying On Your Feet can be see here.




Kenny 'Blues Boss' Wayne Releasing New Album
(The Blues Kenny 'Blues Boss' Wayne will release eighth album Rollin' With The Blues Boss on April 22 via Stony Plain Records. And the award-winning Canada-based pianist says his new work - created with the help of several guest artists - ticks a number of boxes.

Wayne comments: "This is a great dancing record, along with some commercial possibilites. It features Eric Bibb and Diunna Greenleaf, along with some of the most talented musicians in Canada."

His last record, 2011's An Old Rock On A Roll, won him two Living Blues Awards and a Blues Foundation award nomination. He's previously won a Juno award and been nominated for two more. more on this story





Dynazty Release Starlight Video
(Classic Rock) Dynazty have revealed their brand new video for the single Starlight, the first track to be taken from their fourth studio outing Renatus due for release on March 31 via Spinefarm Records.

"From the get-go, Starlight felt like a quintessential heavy metal single. The idea was to create a heavy and fast-paced melodic bomb!" exclaims Love Magnusson, guitarist with the Swedish rockers.

On the live front, Dynazty are confirmed to make only their second ever visit to the UK in March, when they appear at the Hard Rock Hell AOR event in North Wales - a three-day festival topped off by such melodic rock legends as Tyketto and House Of Lords. Watch the video here.




The Fruitful Earth Premiere New Song Firebird
(Classic Rock) The Fruitful Earth have premiered their new song "Firebird" which comes from their upcoming second album Rising Sun where they aim to channel 60s and 70s classic rock influences.

The London band are powered by singer-songwriter Sarah Blair's voice and piano as she connects middle-era Beatles with glam-era Bowie plus others including Little Feat, Elton John and the Beach Boys.

The band's live line-up includes David Gordon (who has collaborated with Julian Lennon and Canned Heat) on bass and Daniel Mayers on drums. The band have five London dates planned, and aim to arrange a UK tour in the coming months. Rising Sun is released on April 28 via Big Peach Records.


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