Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Day in Rock News!

Tim Abrigg Jr.'s Rock and Roll News Of The Day!: Today's Day in Rock News!: Today's Day in Rock Arrest Warrant For Former Pearl Jam Member (hennemusic) It has been discovered that there is an outstandi...

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Arrest Warrant For Former Pearl Jam Member
(hennemusic) It has been discovered that there is an outstanding arrest warrant for former Pearl Jam drummer Dave Abbruzzese that was issued in September of last year in Texas on drug charges.

hennemusic reports: The drummer was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled substance under 28 grams and the manufacture or delivery of a controlled substance, according to the Denton County Crime Stoppers website.

Abruzzese joined Pearl Jam in 1991 after drummer Dave Krusen checked himself into rehab following the completion of the group's debut album, "Ten." Read more here.




Metallica To Headline Rock In Rio
Metallica have announced that they have been selected to headline this year's Rock In Rio in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as the festival celebrates its 30th anniversary this September.

The band had previously announced that they would be a headliner for the inaugural U.S. based version of the festival which will be taking place in Las Vegas on May 8-9 and May 15-16. They will be headlining the World Stage at the MGM Resorts Festival Grounds on May 9th.

The band had the following to say about headlining the Brazil flagship festival, "One Rock In Rio in a year is just not enough! We're very excited that we have been invited to be a part of the original Rock In Rio 30-year celebration by headlining one night during the festivities taking place September 18-27, 2015 at the City of Rock in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

"This will mark our eighth (!) Rock In Rio appearance including the upcoming May show in Las Vegas. It promises to be quite the party as we join a stellar festival line up including Faith No More, System of a Down, Queens of the Stone Age, Slipknot and many others."

The band also advised fans that this would be their only concert in South America this year.




Coverdale Revisits Deep Purple On New Whitesnake Album
Whitesnake have revealed that their forthcoming album will find frontman David Coverdale revisiting and "re-imagining" some of the classic songs that he performed in the Mk III and Mk IV eras of Deep Purple.

The new album, entitled appropriately "The Purple Album", is set to be released in North America on May 19th in a standard edition, double LP vinyl version and a deluxe edition that will feature two bonus tracks, four music videos and a Behind The Scenes featurette. You can preorder the various versions here.

The band has also released a music video for "Stormbringer," the first single from the album. You can watch the video here. Coverdale had the following to say about the album, "It's a tribute. A homage. It's a huge thank you from me to Deep Purple for the opportunity I was given over 40 years ago

"As I said to Ritchie, you guys set me on an incredible journey that continues today and I couldn't have asked for better teachers. The University of Deep Purple was an extraordinary, amazing school to learn from. We can't wait to play these songs in concert!"

The current lineup of Whitesnake, Coverdale, Reb Beach, Joel Hoekstra, Michael Devin, and Tommy Aldridge, has already revealed North American tour dates in support of the album and will soon announce dates for other parts of the world. Check out the tracklistings and the tour dates here.




Hinder Announce New Album And Tour Dates
Hinder have announced that they will be releasing their new studio album, "When The Smoke Clears," on May 12th and they have revealed a series of North American tour dates.

Drummer Cody Hanson had the following to say about the new album, "We can cross genres whenever we want. We don't want to be a band that can only do that one thing. We have something for everyone. We've always been that way. Having the ability to do our own production, having our own studio, gives us a chance to experiment and try new things."

The band will be hitting the road prior to the album release for a spring tour that will be kicking off on March 13th in Traverse City, MI at Ground Zero and concluding on April 21st in Abilene, TX at the Taylor County Expo Center.

In addition to the tour, they will be playing special CD release shows. The first will take place on May 7th in Tulsa, OK at Vanguard and second is set for May 9th in Hinton, OK at the Sugar Creek Casino Event Center.

The group has also announced appearances at the Loudwire Music Festival on June 28th in Grand Junction, CO and an appearance at the Umatilla County Fair in Hermiston, OR on August 14th. Check out the tracklistings and the tour dates here.




Coverdale and Blackmore Discussed Deep Purple Reunion
(Classic Rock) David Coverdale has revealed that he and former Deep Purple bandmate Ritchie Blackmore discussed the possibility of getting back together after the death of Jon Lord in 2012.

And although the idea didn't come to fruition, it may have informed Coverdale's decision to record an album of his Purple-era tracks with Whitesnake.

The singer - who fronted the MkIII and IV version of Purple from 1973 to 1976 - confirmed the launch of The Purple Album yesterday, describing it as "a huge thank you from me to Deep Purple for the opportunity I was given over 40 years ago."

Coverdale says in the latest edition of Classic Rock, on sale now: "The tragic loss of Jon made me finally realise that life is too f***ing short to hold animosity, bitterness and resentments.

"So I decided to reach out to Ritchie to share the sense of grief and loss of Jon with him, and to express my gratitude to him for bringing me on board Deep Purple. During the conversation we did discuss the idea of getting back together in some way, which was Jon's wish."

He says he didn't pursue the idea because "After several discussions with Ritchie's manager I felt I didn't share their vision of the project. I sincerely wished them well and respectfully withdrew." Read more from Coverdale here.




Pete Townshend Remasters Solo Albums For Reissue Campaign
(hennemusic) Pete Townshend of The Who has announced that he will release 11 albums from his solo catalog digitally on February 25th as part of an extensive reissues program.

The 11 releases cover 1972's "Who Came First", his collaboration with The Faces' Ronnie Lane "Rough Mix", his musical version of Ted Hughes's "The Iron Man", his collections of demos "Scoop", "Another Scoop" and "Scoop 3", as well as the albums "Empty Glass", "All The Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes", "White City", "Psychoderelict" and the live album "Deep End Live!" featuring David Gilmour.

All 11 records will be remastered and reissued on CD later this year as part of an extensive reissue program for Townshend's solo material that will run into 2016.

Townshend and The Who recently played the first run of UK dates for their 50 anniversary farewell tour, "The Who Hits 50!"; the band will launch a North American leg in Tampa, Florida on April 15. Check out the reissue album details here.





The Scorpions Reunite With James Kottack Following Rehab
(hennemusic) The Scorpions have welcomed drummer James Kottack back into their lineup following his 2014 arrest and jail time in Dubai and a stint in rehab for alcohol abuse.

"It was like a disaster," frontman Klaus Meine tells TV Rock Live. "He did make a mistake - he crossed the red line, definitely. This was not rock'n'roll and it was not funny. We said to James that he was pretty much out of the band. We told him, 'You have to go to rehab. You've got to take care of yourself and take it seriously.'We've set the doors wide open but it's really up to you.'"

Kottack returned to live duties late in 2014 and was on hand to record the group's new album, "Return To Forever." "He recorded the album in Stockholm at the end of last year, and we played two shows with him," adds Meine. "It was fantastic - it's great he's back in the family." Read more here.




Global Release Day For All New Music Moving Closer
(Classic Rock) The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is expected to announce that singles and albums hoping to enter charts are to be released on Fridays all round the world.

While Friday is already release day in Australia, Germany and other countries, it's traditionally been Monday in the UK and Tuesday in North America.

The IFPI hope a global release day will capture increased sales as a result of trade being more busy as the weekend begins. Boss Frances Moore tells Music Week: "The whole dynamic of the global release day consultation has been driven by one thing and one thing only - how best to serve the music consumer.

"We've had a long consultation involving retailers, artists and record labels. No one has seriously questioned the concept; the only debate has been about the day." Read more here.



Paul McCartney To Headline The Firefly Festival
(Radio.com) The final headliner for Firefly Festival has been revealed, and it does not disappoint. Paul McCartney will be holding that spot come June 18-21 when the festival takes place in Dover, Del. Macca will be joined by the Killers and Kings of Leon.

McCartney's addition to the lineup isn't too surprising, though; he was long rumored as the headliner ever since the poster, with its blurred-out major headliner, first went live.

In smaller print on the lineup, you'll find acts with just as much recognizability like Morrissey, Modest Mouse and Spoon. Also playing will be Cage the Elephant, Run the Jewels, Gary Clark Jr., Charli XCX, Kid Cudi, Snoop Dogg and Foster the People, among many more. Read more here.




Sun Kil Moon, Blackberry Smoke Lead Led Zeppelin Tribute Album
(Radio.com) This week, Led Zeppelin reissued their 1975 classic double album Physical Graffiti in a number of formats with the usual treasure trove of alternate versions of songs.

To celebrate, the excellent British magazine MOJO has compiled a track by track tribute to the album by a lineup showcasing the diversity of Zeppelin's influence.

The lineup includes Southern rock revivalists Blackberry Smoke, singer/songwriters Laura Marling and Michael Kiwanuka, Malian hard rock band Songhoy Blues, Mark Lanegan collaborator Duke Garwood, Sun Kil Moon and more.

The current issue of MOJO is now on newsstands in the U.K., and will likely be in the U.S. in a week or two. The tribute album is included with the magazine as a CD, but there's also a limited edition vinyl version. Find out how to order that and check out the tracklisting here.




Mastodon's Troy Sanders Says Killer Be Killed Could Play Again
(TeamRock Radio) Mastodon's Troy Sanders hopes supergroup Killer Be Killed will play live again after their run of shows at Australia's Soundwave festival. He hit the stage for the first time this weekend alongside Max Cavalera, Ben Koller of Converge and Greg Puciato of The Dillinger Escape Plan.

And although no other appearances are planned when Soundwave comes to an end, there could be more on the horizon. Sanders tells The Metal Hammer Magazine Show of their first set: "It was pretty rare and amazing. There was a handful of positive anxiety - the good nerves, not the band ones.

"There was a lot of smiles going on. 'Wow, dude - you're Max, you're Juan from Torche, you're Ben from Converge and you're Greg from Dillinger - and we're all jamming together.'"

He jokes that the advantage of working with two other frontmen is "we all get to do 66% less of the work!" Read more here.




Coal Chamber Expand Reunion Album Tour Plans
(TeamRock Radio) Coal Chamber have announced an 11-date UK tour in support of comeback album Rivals. The band's fourth album is released on May 19 via Napalm Records and the tour begins the following day. The band aresupported by Soil, American Head Charge and Dope.

Mainman Dez Fafara recently said of the follow-up to 2002's Dark Days: "This record was over 13 years in the making, and I promise it won't disappoint. Rivals is solid through and through.

"There's maturity and growth in the music, while still maintaining the true Coal Chamber sound, and delivering track after track of killer tunes. We had a great time working together on this record and I hope you all enjoy it as much as we do." Read more including the new dates here.




Swervedriver Announce Spring UK Tour
(Classic Rock) English alt-rockers Swervedriver will tour the UK in May, the've announced. The 14 dates have been lined up to support I Wasn't Born To Lose You - their first album since 1998's 99th Dream.

It launches on March 3 via Cobraside and despite the 17-year period between releases, guitarist and vocalist Adam Franklin says the recording process happened quickly.

He tells Brazilian site Bem Parana: "The actual physical time recording the album was quite quick. Mikey Jones got all this drums down in about three days and Steve George recorded the bass with the drums. Jim Hartridge and I then took a bit more time with the guitars." Read more and see the dates here.




New Found Glory Open To Collaborating With Paramore
(TeamRock Radio) New Found Glory are open to a collaboration with Paramore, guitarist Chad Gilbert has confirmed. The couple have been together since 2008 and were engaged on Christmas Day last year.

And when asked by Spin Or Bin if both bands could get together to work on material, Gilbert says: "There is a very good chance." New Found Glory launched their eighth album Resurrection last year - their first without guitarist Steve Klein. And despite coming through the pop-punk scene in the late 90s, Gilbert insists the band have always had their own unique style and continue to do things their way.

He says: "We've never tried to fit what was popular in the mainstream. When we came out, we just created the music that we played. We never wanted to sound like any other bands. We sounded nothing like Blink-182 or Green Day. We were our own style and we got popular.

"When music started changing and things got poppier or things got a little bit more gothic, a lot of bands changed with the genre - but we created our genre, so we never changed because we started our style of music. "

He also weighs in on the current Blink-182 situation. Read more here.




Al Jorgensen Working On 'The Fastest Music In The History Of Music'
(TeamRock Radio) Ministry mainman Al Jourgensen has revealed his next musical project will be called Surgical Meth Machine - and it's set to feature "the fastest music in the history of music."

He's currently appearing at Australia's Soundwave festival with the final incarnation of Ministry, following the death of guitarist and close friend Mike Scaccia in 2012.

And while there are some more live shows to come from the band he's best known for, he's confirmed 2013 album From Beer To Eternity was their studio swan song.

Jourgensen tells The Metal Hammer Magazine Show: "We're going to do one last tour as Ministry, maybe even another tour, because people seem to want to see it.

"As far as future studio releases, since Mikey's death, I decided it's not the same. It would be like Zeppelin playing without Bonham or the Who playing without Moon or something like that. Me playing without Mikey doesn't seem right."

Instead, he's working on a Surgical Meth Machine album with longtime engineer Sam D'Ambruoso. "We decided to cut out the middle-men," Jourgensen says. "Me and him are doing this music that's just eyeball-popping. There's nothing under 220pbm on there. It's not for the faint of heart."

He compares the material to a track on From Beer To Eternity: "Mikey's Middle Finger is one of the last things Mike did before he died. Imagine a whole album of that - this is what we're going for now. Straight mayhem." Read more here.




Dave Mustaine Hires Megadeth Guitarists To Challenge Him
(TeamRock Radio) Dave Mustaine has joked that he plays tracks by his former band Metallica for fun when he's sitting around the house. But he's also admitted that every guitarist he brought into Megadeth were hired because they challenged him.

Mustaine tells Pensado's Place: "Each guitar player I've worked with over the years, I've gotten because they were better at soloing than I was. I'm pretty confident with my rhythm playing.

"I didn't want someone who sounded just like me - I wanted the two to dovetail together. If you add white and white it's still white. If you add white and black you can start to change the colors. As you add colors into the palette you change the songs."

And he's as passionate about playing guitar as he ever was. "The guitar's helped me say things I can't say with my mouth," he explains. "I say it with my hands. When you play a piece of music and someone else can go, 'I feel what you feel,' you've made a really good bond with somebody." Read more here.



Panic Room Exceed Their Crowdfunding Goal For New Project
(Prog) Welsh outfit Panic Room have exceeded their Kickstarter target set up to help them record an acoustic album. And they say they're "humbled" by the response to their first-ever crowdfunding drive and have thanked fans for their support.

The band say: "We couldn't have reached this target without all of your incredible pledges - we are high-fiving each and every one of you right now. We were Kickstarter virgins so we had no way of knowing exactly how successful or positive this project would be. But you have well and truly 'broken us in.'

"Your support since we announced this acoustic album has been truly amazing, and we couldn't be more proud, excited and humbled to have fans like you."

The record will feature reworked material from all four of their albums: 2008's Visionary Position, 2010's Satellite, 2012's Skin and last year's Incarnate. Read more here.



Steve Hackett Recruits The Flower Kings' Roine Stolt
(Prog) Steve Hackett has discussed his pleasure at appointing Roine Stolt a full-time member of his band. The Flower Kings mainman and Transatlantic member will play bass and 12-string guitar on Hackett's UK tour, after a guest appearance at his Royal Albert Hall concert in October 2013.

Hackett says: "I'm really pleased Roine will be joining the band on bass, 12-string - and, for some songs, doubling on electric guitar with me. Roine is a truly impressive and versatile player and I particularly like his work with other bands and artists.

I've enjoyed playing with him live on more than one occasion and I'm thrilled he's going to join the team. It's marvellous to have both Swedish talents Roine Stolt and Nad Sylvan as part of the band for these Hackett solo/Genesis Revisited shows." Read more here.



Allan Holdsworth Calls On Fans To Help With 'Tales From The Vault'
(Prog) Allan Holdsworth has launched a Pledge campaign to crowdfund his album Tales From The Vault. The record will feature material he's written in recent years and includes guest appearances by colleagues Jimmy Johnson, Chad Wackerman, Gary Husband, Virgil Donati, Jimmy Haslip and many others.

Holdworth tells fans: "It's been quite some time since I've released new material. Rather than going the traditional route, I've teamed up with PledgeMusic to engage you in the release of Tales From The Vault.

"These previously unreleased tracks have been compiled over the last few years and feature many of the phenomenal musicians you've come to know from my tours and recordings." Read more here.




Nightwish's Hietala Discusses Working With Floor On New Album
(Prog) Nightwish bassist and vocalist Marco Hietala has hailed Floor Jansen's work ethic after she became the first frontwoman to attend studio sessions from the day they began.

The band, who released a promo for track Elan this month, are poised to release eighth album Endless Forms Most Beautiful - their first with Jansen at the helm, and with Troy Donockley as a full-time band member.

Hietala tells FaceCulture: "When we got together for the rehearsals, she was the first vocalist to come in on day one and start doing her stuff. It gave us a better view of the songs.

"You head the structures, the vocals, the lyrics and all that, and you can start going through them and what kind of punch they have, and have them play according to those dynamics.

"I could also start working on all kinds of harmony parts. We nailed down a lot that way. That was really a good thing." Read more here.






Scott Weiland Releases Cover Of Rock Classic
Scott Weiland and the Wildabouts have released a cover of T. Rex's 1973 classic "20th Century Boy," which comes from their forthcoming album Blaster.

The album is set to be released on March 31st and "20th Century Boy" is the fourth track that the band has revealed from the project. Earlier this week they released the song "Modzilla," which followed the release of "Way She Moves" and "White Lightning".

Weiland told Entertainment Weekly the following about their version of the T. Rex classic, 'It's just the coolest, most current take on a classic glam-rock song, 'Sounds like it could be playing on the radio now ' it should be!"





Veteran Guitarist Fears The 'Ageing Out' Of Rock
(Classic Rock) Twisted Sister's Jay Jay French says the rock genre is in trouble because it's an "ageing cultural phenomena." His comments come as it was revealed the 10 best-selling musical artists of 2014 had an average age of 38 - some distance from the classic perception that rock music is made for teenagers by teenagers.

And he's concerned that, while no young rock bands are exploding into the big-time, it's not the same case in the world of pop, country and hip-hop. French tells The Metal Voice: "Rock is over 50 years old and it's not regenerating with the youth.

"When I was 17 years old I would see Led Zeppelin, the Stones, the Who, the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan. They were 24 years old. Now there are no rock bands coming up that are that enormous and that young - but you've got plenty of hip-hop artists, country artists and pop artists that are.

"What's happening is, you're watching the ageing-out of a genre of music." Read more and watch the full interview here.




Aerosmith's Brad Whitford Talks DVD, Tour Plans, Guitars and More
(Gibson) Things are simmering in the Aerosmith camp, with the announcement of a cross-country summer tour expected any day now. In addition, this Thursday (Feb. 26), a special one-night concert film event will be broadcast in more than 300 theaters nationwide. Titled "Aerosmith Rocks Donington 2014," the show features the band performing a 19-song set list during their headlining appearance at last year's Download Fest at Donington Park in Leicestershire, UK. A 90-minute DVD of the show will be available this spring, with the tour to soon follow.

To get the scoop on these happenings and more, we spoke with longtime Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford. The veteran rocker shared his thoughts on a range of topics, including his favorite guitars, his primary influences, his musical interaction with Joe Perry, and whether or not fans can expect a new Aerosmith studio album anytime soon.

What made the Donington show an especially good choice for the theater concert broadcast and DVD? We've always felt it's a great festival and a great event. And we've always associated it with a lot of our favorite bands and musicians. Plus the crowd is incredibly enthusiastic. It's an honor to be included in that festival. It felt like a no-brainer to immortalize that show.

Joe has said he thinks of Aerosmith primarily as a live band. Do you agree? I understand his view, although we've certainly made some great recordings and come up with some great music in the studio as well. Still, I tend to agree--our true passion is to get on-stage and perform.

You're formally schooled and Joe is self-taught. Has that figured into how the two of you work together? It's hard to say. Joe comes from a place where music is inside him, and he just has to get it out. His approach is intuitive, whereas I may stop and think about what we're doing a little more. We've never sat and had a lot of discussion about what we should play. It's very organic. He'll start playing something, and I'll immediately find a counterpoint for it. That's how we've always worked. We find things to complement one another's ideas.

Which players influenced you as you were coming up? I was totally blown away by the British Invasion. Like most of my contemporaries, seeing The Beatles and getting into their music was huge-a revolution, really. And then all these other British bands came along--groups that were really different, who had their own sound. I'm still infatuated with Cream, with Eric Clapton's work in that band. Hendrix, Zeppelin, Jeff Beck-it was a wave of incredible talent. Guys like Joe and me were profoundly affected.

You've said elsewhere that "Sunshine of Your Love" affected you in a special way. I'm still amazed at the feel of that song. Everything Clapton did there is incredible. It's amazing how far back on that beat that guitar part is. And the solo is stunning. It's still one of my favorites--his tone, his choice of notes. It was great instruction about touch and technique. I was amazed at Clapton's vibrato, how smooth and subtle it was. It was a great lesson in how to make a solo stand out.

You've had a strong hand in the writing of some great Aerosmith songs, and you've also done great lead guitar work. Does it ever rankle that more people don't recognize that? In the past it did, but not anymore. I remember being in London years ago and reading review of the Rocks album. There was this great review of the song "Last Child," that credited all the guitar work to Joe. That made me angry, because all the guitar work on that song was mine. But these days I think our individual styles and approaches are well recognized. I enjoy my place in the band and my standing with the public. I wouldn't want to change anything about that.

Is there any talk of Aerosmith going into the studio to make another album? Not at the moment. Steven has wanted to do his own album for the past 20 years, and finally he's blocked out some time for that project. That may inspire him and the rest of us to get back into the studio together, but it probably wouldn't happen until after we've finished the tour we're doing this summer. Right now we're not under the gun of a recording deadline, with record contracts and stuff. Who knows--that might give us even more inspiration, where we do it just because we want to do it.

Are there any surprises you can reveal about the summer tour? We're hoping to bring some songs out of the closet, musically. Of course we'll still be playing the bulk of the hits as well, but one goal is to maybe do some songs people have never heard us do before live. That's our goal. I'm hoping we can pull that off. I know we can--it's just a matter of staying committed to the idea. We feel it's time to bring some new music into the fold.







Black Star Riders Release Acoustic 'Charlie I Gotta Go' Video
(hennemusic) Black Star Riders vocalist Ricky Warwick and guitarist Damon Johnson teamed up to deliver an acoustic performance of the track "Charlie I Gotta Go" from the band's newly-released second album, "The Killer Instinct."

The duo dropped by The Orchard to play the tune as they make the rounds to promote the new record. "The Killer Instinct" was recorded in Nashville with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Rush, The Foo Fighters, Alice In Chains, Mastodon).

The project is available in multiple formats: CD, Limited 2 CDs Digibook with a bonus disc that features 2 extra songs and acoustic versions of 4 tracks from the album, Limited Gatefold Black Vinyl and Limited Gatefold Clear Vinyl (available for mail orders only).





Joanne Shaw Taylor Releases 'Outlaw Angel' Video
(The Blues Joanne Shaw Taylor has released a video for her track Outlaw Angel. It's taken from her fourth album, The Dirty Truth, which was released in September via her label Axhouse Music.

Taylor recently said: "I wanted to retain the same vibe that we captured on the first album. The new one is a combination of rock and blues - I think it's exciting, and hopefully my fans will love the rockier edge."

She appears at the inaugural Ramblin' Man Fair, sponsored by The Blues Magazine, on July 25-26 at Mote Park, Kent, alongside Gregg Allman, Seasick Steve, The Temperance Movement, Blues Pills, Randy Bachman, VerseChorusVerse, Mick Ralphs, Aaron Keylock and others.





35th Anniversary Of U2's Big Break
(Gibson) Today (February 26), marks the 35 year anniversary of the gig that landed U2 their record deal. The band had been gradually building up a following in Ireland and the UK over the past few years, and had recently won five categories in a Hot Press readers poll. In order to make the most of this minor success, U2 manager Paul McGuinness booked the band (who was essentially broke) on a headlining tour to try and get that ever elusive record deal.

By this time U2 had been a band for a few years, and had gradually started to find their sound. On a trip to New York with his family, The Edge had bought a Gibson Explorer. "It was the zig-zag shape that set it apart but the sound and the feel were great too. Everyone was playing the same kinds of guitars and I thought, we sound different, let's look different," said The Edge in U2's autobiography U2 By U2. Armed with his new guitar, The Edge soon started fiddling around with echo units, and was developing what would become his signature sound.

The band needed a recording contract that came with touring support as well, because without it they could never afford to finance a US tour, and would be stuck touring the neighboring European countries, not getting the chance to make it Stateside. For the culmination of their headlining tour, McGuinness had booked the band to play Dublin's National Stadium. It was a brave move, seeing how the venue could hold over 2,000 people, and was regularly used for established Irish acts, as well as visiting bands from the US, and the UK.

Having exhausted many of the major record labels, U2's manager turned his attention to Island Records. The (at the time) rather small label had made a name for itself by releasing reggae music, most prominently Bob Marley & the Wailers, but McGuinness was starting to exhaust all his options, and figured it was worth a shot. It didn't hurt that Island's publicist Rob Partridge happened to be a fan of U2. So for the National Stadium gig the band had invited Island Records A&R man Bill Stewart in hopes that a deal could be struck. Read more here.





Fozzy Found New Audience With War
(TeamRock Radio) Chris Jericho reckons Fozzy's mix of styles on last year's Do You Wanna Start A War helped them appeal to a wider audience. The frontman and wrestler says it's been their most popular record - and he puts that down to doing what they wanted with their music.

Jericho tells Examiner.com: "We wanted to focus on writing great songs and not worry about if they're too heavy, too poppy, too dancy or too ballady. I think a lot of bands put themselves into a box: 'We're a heavy metal band, so we must play heavy metal,' or, 'We're a pop band so we must play pop.'"

He continues: "When you think of some of the greatest bands of all time, whether it be the Beatles or Queen, they always had records with a lot of diversity - but they'd still sound like the Beatles and Queen." Read more here.




Carcass Frontman Says Bands Should Have Humble Goals
(TeamRock Radio) Carcass frontman Jeff Walker has suggested many bands in today's metal scene are driven by money and not by creativity. And he tells newer groups not to expect to make it in a crowded genre - especially when classic acts haven't yet retired.

He tells Rock Overdose: "I think if you're going to play music, your reason for doing that should be solely that you want to be creative and enjoy it. You should be realistic. We never formed this band to get rich, famous or big. You should have very humble goals.

"Too many people are creating bands as a career choice. 'Should I be a football player? Should I be an actor?' Everyone wants to be famous but I think your motives have to be pure."

He continues: "The reality is that the older bands are not going anywhere - they still exist. It's like a club and there's more and more people joining but no one's leaving. The old guard is still there, Priest, Maiden." Read more here.




Moonspell Continue To Challenge Themselves With New Material
(TeamRock Radio) Moonspell mainman Fernando Ribeiro admits they band are facing a challenge as they prepare to perform material from upcoming album Extinct. But he believes the struggle will prove worthwhile.

Ribeiro tells Metal Kaoz: "We definitely want to take another route in our music. Even for us to write it was challenging. To play it is challenging. Now, to make it happen live is also a challenge - but we don't mind, because we feel the songs are great."

The Portuguese outfit's challenge extended to keeping up with producer Jens Bogren's hectic schedule. "He is a very involved guy; he's restless - he never gave us a day off," Ribeiro recalls.

"He's all work, work, work because he wants everything to shine through. He gave a bit of discipline to us all. It was a complete production, and a very cool and intense process." Read more here.




Singled Out: Prophet Omega's The Day The Radio Died
Today Prophet Omega mastermind Joe Magistro tells us about "The Day The Radio Died" which is the first single released from the forthcoming album "Going Out To Slab City" (out March 14th). Here is the story:

The Day The Radio Died is the third track on the latest Prophet Omega album Going Out To Slab City. The song fits into the larger tapestry of the album but centers around one specific event; a good old-fashioned American close encounter with folks not from our cosmic neighborhood. It's inspired by an actual event. That mind blowing encounter lasted 20 minutes or so. This song is not nearly as long.

Some people would assume that beings from an unimaginably advanced civilization wouldn't have the occasional existential crisis. the nerve!
"What did they believe in? What'd they hope to find? Where were they going? How many empty miles behind"

"they just kept going, since the day they came, thought we'd change forever but our lives remained the same"
Hey little buddy was that trip through the space-time continuum worth it?

The Day The Radio Died was recorded and mixed at home in the Catskill Mountains in New York State. I'm usually making the Prophet Omega music at home on my own which tends to give it its own flavor but sometimes it's nice to bring in a friend to add a little something something on top, a little extra personality. This song has guest appearances from two of my favorite people. Adam Widoff plays one of the two guitars (the really good one) and Burnell Pines chimes in on "nah nah nah" vocals. These guys bring a little space madness to our terrestrial road-trip.

Tim Abrigg Jr. Rants/Raves:: Today's Day in Rock News!

Tim Abrigg Jr. Rants/Raves:: Today's Day in Rock News!: Today's Day in Rock Older Artists Selling More Music? (Classic Rock) Music appears to be becoming an old person's game as...

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Older Artists Selling More Music?
(Classic Rock) Music appears to be becoming an old person's game as it has been revealed that the average age of the ten best-selling artists of last year was 38. Only four of them, all pop acts, were aged 25 or under in 2014, with three in their 30s and one each in their 50s, 60s and even 70s.

The balance was heavily swayed by rock bands - AC/DC were the fifth best-selling band of the year, with an average age of 60, while Pink Floyd, at number seven, averaged 70 years old.

And 'king of pop' Michael Jackson, at number six, would have been 56 if he hadn't died in 2009. The information, sourced from the IFPI Global Record Artist Chart, was revealed by Music Business Worldwide, who comment: "Thought pop was music made for teenagers, by teenagers? Not any more."





KISS Defend Their Use Of Backing Tracks In Concert
(Classic Rock) KISS have admitted to using backing tracks during their current tour of Japan, but Gene Simmons and co are adamant that there is nothing wrong with the move.

Pre-recorded parts are being played along with the band during their performances of Samurai Son, one of two songs they recently recorded with Japanese pop outfit Momoiro Clover Z. But Kiss say in a tweet: "Recorded Samurai Son for Japan. To reproduce production here, we play live with extra tracks. Nothing to hide."

Blabbermouth reports that Simmons slated bands using backing tracks in 2012, saying: "We're sick and tired of girls getting up there with dancers and karaoke tapes." Read more here.


Slash Adds Dates To North American Tour
Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators have added additional dates to their upcoming North American tour in support of their latest album "World On Fire."

The former Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver guitarist and his solo band have added the following new stops to the trek: New Orleans (April 28th), Sioux City (May 19th), Austin (May 21st), and Dallas (May 24th).

As we reported earlier this month, the tour will be kicking off on April 25th in Orlando, FL at the Central Florida Fairgrounds and the tour includes appearances at several music festivals including Welcome To Rockville on April 26th, Carolina Rebellion on May 3rd, Rise About Fest on May 9th and Rock on the Range on May 15th.

Slash and the band are currently Down Under playing a series of dates in Australia and New Zealand including appearances at this year's Soundwave Festival as well as few headlining shows.

Following those dates the band will kick off a South American tour on March 4th in Santiago, Chile at Teatro Caupolican. That tour leg will conclude on March 28th in Monterrey, Mexico.

In June the band will head over to Europe a series of shows including appearances at the Sweden Rock Festival on June 4th, Rock Im Park on June 5th and the Download Festival on June 12th-14th. See the tour dates here.




Emmure Singer Suffers 'Major Tear' In His Vocal Cords
Emmure were forced to cancel their show in Fort Collins, Colorado last night after their frontman Frankie Palmeri suffered a "major tear" in his vocal cords.

The band broke the news to fans via a Facebook post on Tuesday (February 25th). At press time they have not announced if they will be forced to miss any more shows on their current tour with Suicide Silence.

Here is the message, "It's with a heavy heart I must inform you Emmure will not be performing at The Aggie Theatre in Fort Collins tonight (and possibly tomorrow night). I experienced a major tear in my vocal chords and my only chance in finishing the tour is to sacrifice getting to see all of our supporters tonight.

"I am already on my way to quick recovery and once again deeply apologize for anyone let down by the news. We love you all...this does not put the breaks on our current or future obligations but...I am human...these things happen."

Fans can check their Facebook page for any updates here.



The Scorpions Announce North American Tour Dates
The Scorpions have added a number of North American dates in September and early October to their global tour plans in support of their forthcoming studio album "Return To Forever."

The band will be kicking off the North American trek on September 10th in Boston at the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion and concluding the tour leg on October 2nd in Inglewood, Ca at the Forum.

The tour leg includes stops in New York State (Brooklyn), New Hampshire (Gilford), Ontario (Toronto and Windsor), Quebec (Montreal), Ohio (Columbus and Cleveland), Illinois (Chicago), and California (San Jose and Los Angeles area).

The new album will be released in March and the band will be kicking of the supporting world tour in China on May 1st with an appearance at the Chang Jiang Music Festival.

The band has announced tour dates in Russia, eastern Europe and European festivals this fall and they will follow their North American tour in late fall with another European tour leg and they have already booked a tour of their native Germany for March of 2016. See the tour dates here.



David Bowie In The Studio For Young Americans 40th Anniversary
Syndicated radio show In The Studio: The Stories Behind History's Greatest Rock Bands have released a special online episode that celebrates the 40th anniversary of David Bowie's "Young Americans" album. The show sent over these details:

From '72 thru '74 Bowie's Ziggy Stardust character fascinated the rock music world by leading the Glam trend, and pioneered the ever-increasing importance of visual fashion elements to popular music. However, the success of Ziggy was also its downfall. David Bowie remarks, "I had this terror in my mind that I was going to be trapped with Ziggy and the Spiders... There was no way I was going to be trapped in that character for the rest of my life."

While setting up camp in New York City during the height of Ziggy-mania, Bowie found himself drawn to the mecca of American soul music, the Apollo Theater in Harlem. The musical acts he saw there truly inspired Bowie, and new musical relationships were conceived including the introduction to guitarist and future Bowie collaborator Carlos Alomar, saxophonist David Sanborn, and unknown singer Luther Vandross. David shares with InTheStudio host Redbeard the powerful effect American soul music had on him creatively.

"It was very hard for me to actually process that the music we were listening to (growing up in London) was associated with a lifestyle. Very naive, but true. It just came out of space! This stuff came from AMERICA... Coming to America, the impact was that this was real music coming from a way of life, and a lifestyle actually. It really came home in full force and I got completely overwhelmed by it , as I usually do by new experiences. I was just swept away with it, and I wanted to soak it up and then express it my way."

Bowie would score a Top 10 album with Young Americans in February 1975 fueled by the # 1 hit single "Fame", co-written with John Lennon and Carlos Alomar. Young Americans would begin the transition of Bowie into his next formidable character, the Thin White Duke.




Doug Aldrich Reveals Reason For Leaving Whitesnake
(Classic Rock) Doug Aldrich has revealed he quit Whitesnake after realizing he needed to spend more time with his son. And although he'd rather have stayed with David Coverdale's band, he's certain he made the right choice.

He bowed out last May, just as the group started work on what will be their 12th album. Before that he'd been a member of the band for all-star Las Vegas musical Raiding The Rock Vault, and he was also recording with supergroup Revolution Saints.

Aldrich started working with Coverdale on his days off from the musical, and believes they were "accomplishing a lot." But he adds: "I think David wanted me there full-time like I'd always been before. I was going to be, I wanted to be, but he wanted it now.

"There were some tense moments, and I felt, 'I'm really proud of what we've done together. I don't want it to become weird or whatever.'" Aldrich reflects that he "needed a little bit more flexibility." He adds: "David put Whitesnake on hiatus when his son was the same age. I took the decision that I needed to be with my boy. I decided, 'Time to step out.'" Read more here.



Guns N' Roses and Alice In Chains Lead Ebola Auction
(Classic Rock) Guns N' Roses and Alice In Chains are among bands contributing items for an Ebola charity auction. They join Black Label Society, System Of A Down, Sammy Hagar and others in the CharityBuzz online campaign, running now.

More than 10,000 people have died since an outbreak of the virus in West Africa, and millions more are at risk of serious or fatal infection. The MusiCares organisation is helping fight the problem via Music For Relief.

Auction items include a signed photo of former Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan from 1986, autographed guitars from Alice In Chains and Slash, and more.




David Ellefson Says Time Outside of Megadeth Helped Him
(Classic Rock) Megadeth bassist David Ellefson says spending time out of Megadeth helped him "grow up." He left in 2002 when mainman Dave Mustaine dissolved the band and was welcomed back into the fold in 2010.

And he says he sensed that guitarist Chris Broderick and drummer Shawn Drover, who quit Megadeth last year, were interested in taking on a new musical venture - a move he says he can relate to because of his eight-years out of the band.

Ellefson tells Maximum Volume: "I did sense that a change was coming, especially when they both did it together. It was sort of like, 'Okay, they're obviously musically on to something else. And sometimes people do need to walk away and move into a different chapter of their lives in order to be clear and focused and give a new endeavour their 100% attention.

"I went through a similar thing like that back in 2002 when Megadeth disbanded. I was sort of forced into it. Fortunately, I had about eight years until I came back in 2010, where that process being in different groups and writing songs with people in a lot of different endeavours definitely helped me grow up and I appreciate having done that outside of Megadeth." Read more here.




Ozzy Osbourne Guitarist Gus G Working On New Album
(TeamRock Radio) Firewind and Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Gus G is in the process of recording the follow-up to last year's debut solo album I Am The Fire and has promised "catchy tunes that are rock hard."

He tells Metal Shock Finland: "I've already written all the songs and we just finished tracking the drums. So once I go back home from this tour, I'm going to go straight back in the studio and start working hard on the guitars. We're aiming to finish it by summer.

"This time, there are going to be fewer guests. It's going to be more like a close group of people that I collaborate and co-write with. I'm excited about that. There's a lot more up-tempo and heavier stuff on it, and a lot of guitar in it." Read more here.




Steven Tyler's Solo Album May Inspire New Aerosmith Music
(TeamRock Radio) Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford believes Steven Tyler's solo project could inspire the band to make another album. The chances of a studio return have been in doubt ever since the lukewarm reception for 2012's Music From Another Dimension. Last year drummer Joey Kramer said a follow-up was "unlikely."

But Whitford tells The Morning Call: "We're not currently in the studio or anything. We're not quite sure when we might get back. Steven is working on a solo album that he's been wanting to do for the last 20 years. I think a good deal of inspiration may come out of that - he may want to continue to write."

The guitarist adds: "Maybe at some point this year we might record some new music. Currently, no plans." Bassist Tom Hamilton says there's a possibility that, instead of writing new material, Aerosmith could go into their archive of unused tracks. Read more here.




FM Release 'Diggin' Up The Dirt' Video
(Classic Rock) FM have released a music video for the song "Diggin' Up The Dirt," which is taken from the band's Heroes and Villains album, the follow-up to 2013's Rockville pairing.

"Well, here it is, the brand new video of the lead track from our new album," says singer Steve Overland. "It's called Diggin' Up The Dirt and it's about sleaze and the gutter press, and how they're not really interested in real news, just celebrity. It's a real FM rock anthem and we had great fun making the video. We hope you enjoy it."

FM announced new album Heroes And Villains earlier this month, and head out on tour in May. The band will also play at HRH AOR in March, and at the TeamRock-sponsored Ramblin' Man Fair in July.

Watch the video here.


Robben Ford Streams Collaboration With Keb' Mo' and Robert Randolph
(Classic Rock) Robben Ford has launched an exclusive stream of his track Justified, featuring guests Keb' Mo' and Robert Randolph. It's taken from upcoming album Into The Sun.

The album is set to be released via Mascot Label Group on March 30, also including guest spots with Warren Haynes, Sonny Landreth and Tyler Bryant.

Ford recently explained: "The rule was to have no lid on things. I've worked very hard to master my craft as a musician and a songwriter - but other than relying on my strengths in those areas, I made sure there was room for new ideas and everything my collaborators brought to the music.

"When you're open to different concepts and approaches, the most beautiful things can happen." Stream the song here.



Mastodon and While She Sleeps Added To Reading and Leeds Festivals
(Prog) Mastodon and While She Sleeps have been added to the lineup for this year's Reading & Leeds music festivals in the UK, which will be headlined by Metallica.

Both bands are set to perform on the Pit Stage with Refused, according to the BBC's Daniel P. Carter, who broke the news in two posts on the social media site Twitter.

He says: "So yeah. While She Sleeps for The Pit is exciting right?" He later added: "Mastodon headlining the other day of The Pit. Reading & Leeds will be amazing, right?" Read more here.




Aerosmith Release Live 'Mama Kin' Video
(hennemusic) Aerosmith have released a video of their performance of "Mama Kin" from "Aerosmith Rocks Donington 2014", a new live DVD that will premiere in US cinemas on February 26.

The package features Aerosmith's headline performance on June 15, 2014 as they closed the final night of the Download Festival in Donington Park. "It's always an absolute hoot that leaves me howling at the moon, performing at Donington we couldn't have had a better time on stage that night," says Steven Tyler. "I could feel the vibes of all the greats pulsing through the stage like AC DC, Rage Against the Machine, Metallica and so many more."

"We have played Donington many times but this performance was one of our best," said Joe Perry. "Thanks to our fans who were there who helped us make it a night to remember. We are proud to have it be part of this theatrical series and it will give our fans who weren't there around the world a chance to relive an ass kicking night of rock and roll."




Randy Bachman Releases Neil Young Collaboration
(hennemusic) Randy Bachman has released an online stream of his collaboration with Neil Young on the track "Little Girl Lost" from his upcoming album, "Heavy Blues."

Due April 13 (April 14 in North America), the guitarist is joined on the project by guests including Robert Randolph and the late Jeff Healey. Bachman recently premiered the album's title track, which sees him team up with Peter Frampton, and "Bad Child" featuring Joe Bonamassa.

Bachman is joined on the project by new band members Anna Ruddick on bass and drummer Dale Anne Brendon. The guitarist will launch a North American tour in support of "Heavy Blues" on April 2 in St. Charles, IL.

Check out the new song here.




Fearless Vampire Killers Releasing Comic Book
(TeamRock Radio) Fearless Vampire Killers have unveiled a comic book titled The Vigilante. To promote the project, the band will appear at the Super Comic Con on March 14-15 at the Excel Centre, London. They will be the first band ever to do so.

They say: "We're crazy excited to be attending Comic Con this year. We have a load of new stuff coming this year, from a new comic called The Vigilante to a brand new novel Militia Of The Lost.

"Comic Con is a perfect forum to announce this new work and bring like-minded people a bit deeper into our conceptual side! We'll be doing meet and greets, signing books, and even have some exclusive prints and preview pages from the new comic, not to mention it will be good to reunite with old friends like David Lloyd and the Aces Weekly team!"

Read more and the cover art for the comic book here.




Atreyu Finish Recording New Album
(TeamRock Radio) Atreyu have finished recording their sixth studio album, drummer and vocalist Brandon Saller has confirmed. And he reveals that the organic process behind the studio sessions reignited a youthful spark within the band.

The US metalcore act went on hiatus in 2011 and reformed last year. The follow-up to 2009's Congregation of the Damned is now being mixed before it sees an autumn release, although singles and other "titbits" are set to arise over summer.

He tells Music Feeds: "I feel like we have too much of a history to not embrace the fact that we have been around, which we're very lucky for. There's no real agenda other than make music we love and have fun. Music had turned into such a business and such a daily grind.

"These shows we've played so far, since we've been back, feel like they did when we were 17 years old, which is how it should be. We're just kind of embracing that whole feeling and just doing things that are fun." Read more here.




Kamelot Releasing New Album 'Haven' This Spring
(TeamRock Radio) US symphonic metal outfit Kamelot have announced details of their 11th album, Haven. The follow-up to 2012's Silverthorn will be launched across Europe on May 8 after they inked a deal with Napalm Records and in North American on May 5.

Guitarist Thomas Youngblood says: "There is a grey cloud that is forming over our world. We are here to find that silver lining with an album that is both dark and melancholy, yet uplifting - and giving the listener a Haven in a world gone mad."

Along with the standard release, a deluxe version comes with a bonus disc featuring 15 extra tracks including alternative versions of songs from the main album. Read more including the track details here.




Steven Wilson Discusses Concept Behind New Album
(Prog) Steven Wilson describes the concept behind his forthcoming solo album Hand. Cannot. Erase. as a "gift" because of the songwriting opportunities it brought him.

He was inspired by the story of Joyce Vincent, a recluse whose body was found in her London flat two years after she'd died. Neighbours hadn't known anyone lived there and her family assumed she'd cut ties with them, so no one raised the alarm until bailiffs broke in to repossess the property over unpaid rent.

Wilson tells MusicRadar: "I was aware of the background of my character. I had seen a documentary on her, and I was very affected by it. I carried it around with me for some time.

"When I sat down to write new music, I found I was writing about a character based on Joyce Vincent. It wasn't like I made a conscious decision - I just think something about her story stayed with me.

"I wouldn't be so pretentious as to say 'the story chose me' but there were elements of that. The more I developed the story, the more of a gift it became; it touched on so many things that I wanted to talk about." Read more here.




Godspeed You! Black Emperor Announce New Album
(Prog) Godspeed You! Black Emperor will release their fifth album next month, they've announced. Titled Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress, it's set for release on March 31 via Constellation.

The follow-up to 2012's Allelujah! Don't Bend! Ascend! is their first standard-length studio outing since the late 90s, with the new material clocking in at 40 minutes.
The material is said to offer "a mighty slab of superlative sonics, shot through with all the band's inimitable signposts and touchstones - huge unison riffage, savage noise/drone, oscillating overtones, guitar vs. string counterpoint, inexorable crescendos and scorched-earth transitions."

They've issued an eight-minute excerpt from opening track Peasantry Or 'Light! Inside Of Light!' - hear it here.




Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson 'Bemused' By Lineup Debates
(Prog) Jethro Tull mainman Ian Anderson says he's "bemused" by fans who want to see him reunite with former band members for future live dates. He's been playing Tull tracks live under his own name since completing the Aqualung 40th anniversary tour in 2011. He released Thick As A Brick 2 in 2012 without longtime Tull members guitarist Martin Barre and drummer Doane Perry.

Some followers have called for a reunion for their upcoming appearance at the TeamRock-sponsored Ramblin' Man Fair. But Anderson says on his website: "I am rather bemused by the fan gossip surrounding who might be, or should be, at my side in concert. All of the musicians in the current band have performed as members of Jethro Tull during the last decade. They are fine musicians, wonderful people and my closest friends.

"There have been, arguably, 26 members of Jethro Tull over the years; a big extended family of musicians. A family who are usually delighted to see each other again after a period of absence but sometimes with the proviso that after a warm and welcoming cup of tea, they won't stay for lunch. You know how it is." Read more here.




Public Service Broadcasting Release 'Go!' Video
(Prog) Public Service Broadcasting have released a video for their track Go! from second album The Race For Space. The follow-up to 2013 debut Inform - Educate - Entertain was released this week via Test Card Recordings. Its theme is the US and Soviet space race in from the 1950s to the early 1970s, and Go! concentrates on the Apollo moonshots.

Mastermind J Willgoose Esq decided to focus on NASA's mission control centre rather than on the spacecraft itself. He says: "The first time I heard the call-outs and the replies, there was such excitement and frenetic-ness to it.

"The finished result is a fiery and confident speed-trial of a track, with an infectious chorus and the most unlikely sing-along dialogue of the year, all counting down to the moon landing itself, when Neil Armstrong utters the relief-filled words 'The Eagle has landed'."

He says of the Apollo era: "I find it a particularly sad indictment of our species that arguably our greatest technological and spiritual achievement - leaving our own planet and walking on another celestial body - is viewed by the more cynical as a colossal waste of money or, worse, as the greatest hoax ever perpetuated." Read more and watch the video here.




Prolong The Agony Release 'Bad Dreams' Video
(TeamRock Radio) As Portsmouth quintet Prolong The Agony prepare to release their new EP 'All We Are' in April, they have premiered their new video, 'Dead Dreams' as a taster.

Says vocalist Lawrence Welling: "The release of both the EP and our video for Dead Dreams represents a huge amount of work and determination to create something new and show people what we're really all about.

"With full respect to our past work, this is a new lease of life for our band - the connection between us and our supporters has really grown as we developed during its creation. The UK music community is really shining right now and we're stoked to be part of it. We hope you all enjoy what we're doing."





Finch Announce UK Tour
(TeamRock Radio) Californian post-hardcore outfit Finch have announced a seven-date UK tour. The run kicks off in Glasgow on May 27 and the shows have been lined up to support last year's Back To Oblivion - their first album since 2005's Say Hello To Sunshine.

Frontman Nate Barcalow previously said the group's sound had changed since their last record as they could no longer write material about "stupid stuff."

He said: "We stepped out of it for so long that when we came back, it was like, 'Who are we?' I felt like we didn't know who we were and what we sounded like any more.

"You can't write about high school - stupid stuff you used to write back in the day. You try and make it a little more poignant, a little more important." See the dates here.



(TeamRock Radio) In This Moment frontwoman Maria Brink insists while image is important to the band, the music will always come first. The group are known for their theatrical live performances but the singer says she wants people to enjoy the music at home just as much as their stage shows.

She tells Linea Rock: "The core of everything always has to be the music. If someone's in the dark and can't see what we look like, you still want that music to make them feel something and make them have that connection.

"On top of that, we like to give people something visually just as stimulating as if you're just listening to the music. We really like to express ourselves artistically with all of the visuals and the theatrical side. It all plays a really important part to us." Read more here.




Hang The Bastard Announce Dates With Corrosion Of Conformity
(TeamRock Radio) Hang The Bastard will support Corrosion Of Conformity on their upcoming UK tour, the London-based band have confirmed. They've also announced a run of headline shows to support latest album Sex In The Seventh Circle.

They were forced to step back from planned dates with Entombed AD in November after frontman Tomas Hubbard spent three days in hospital suffering from a back problem. But they report they're back on track after a difficult 2014.

They say in a statement: "We are more than excited to be playing shows and to be back on the road in the UK after a tough couple of months.

"Tom is feeling a lot better after his back problems and we are ready to play some riffs! Coupled with that, we are honoured beyond belief to be a part of this historic COC tour.

"We really can't wait to visit some of the places we haven't been to in a long time. It's gonna be heavy and it's gonna be loud? Bang your heads, we are coming for you!" Read more including the tour dates here.




Nightwish Singer Says New Album Was A Vocal Puzzle
(Prog) Nightwish singer Floor Jansen says the band's eighth album Endless Forms Most Beautiful was a "puzzle" they worked on together - even though she didn't write any of the material.

Her lack of involvement at composition level didn't cause her any ego problems, because she knew the results would be worthwhile. So she was happy to leave those duties to mainman Tuomas Holopainen and bassisst Marco Hietala.

Jansen tells FaceCulture: "This was my first time on an album from scratch, written by mainly Tuomas and Marco. 'This is the vocal line - this is the lyric. Go ahead.'

"One thing that connects all the eras of Nightwish is that particular sound. My little ego is just fine with saying, 'I don't have to write for this. This is going to be awesome anyway.' And it is."

But she continues: "That doesn't mean that there is no creative input from me whatsoever. There is a certain phrasing that Tuomas had in mind, but it becomes a vocal puzzle, where my input comes in: 'I can sing it like this, I can sing it like that.'"

Tim Abrigg Jr. Rants/Raves:: Today's Day in Rock News!

Tim Abrigg Jr. Rants/Raves:: Today's Day in Rock News!: Today's Day in Rock Scott Weiland Premieres Another New Song (hennemusic) Scott Weiland And The Wildabouts are sharing a prev...

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Scott Weiland Premieres Another New Song
(hennemusic) Scott Weiland And The Wildabouts are sharing a preview of their debut album, "Blaster", with the release of a video for the project's third track, "Modzilla."

The tune follows "Way She Moves" and "White Lightning" from the album, which is due on March 31. The 12-track set was produced by Rick Parker (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club) and recorded at Weiland's Lavish Studios and the Sandbox in Los Angeles.

Joining Weiland in The Wildabouts are guitarist Jeremy Brown, bassist Tommy Black and drummer Danny Thompson. Watch the new music video for "Modzilla" here.



Motley Crue Add Date To Farewell Tour
Motley Crue's hometown fans will have another opportunity to say goodbye the band as they have announced a third Los Angeles show for their "Final Tour" later this year.

The band has added a December 28th show at the Stapes Center in Los Angeles. The band will also be playing the venue on December 30th and will stage their very last show there on New Year's Eve.

As we previously reported, the last leg of their "Final Tour" will begin on July 22nd in Eugene, OR at Matthew Knight Arena and will be concluding with the final tour date of their career on December 31st in Los Angeles, CA at the Staples Center.

Like their previous North American leg of the Final Tour, rock legend Alice Cooper will be opening for Motley Crue on most of the stops on this final leg of the farewell tour. See the tour dates here.




Tom DeLonge To Release Unheard Blink-182 Demos
(TeamRock Radio) Tom DeLonge will release previously unheard Blink-182 demos next month, he's announced. The ex frontman left the group last month, insisting he hadn't quit - despite drummer Travis Barker and bassist Mark Hoppus saying otherwise.

The public spat then intensified with DeLonge claiming that he and Hoppus had previously discussed ditching Barker - comments that the bassist quickly played down.

But despite the fallout, DeLonge says via Twitter: "March 1, I will be launching personal recordings of new Blink demos along with a few extra tracks on TomDelong.me." Read more here.




The Pixies Announce North American Tour
The Pixies have announced that they will be hitting the road this spring to launch a North American tour that will feature headline shows and some music festival appearances.

The tour is scheduled to kick off on May 5th in New Orleans, LA at the Civic Theatre and will conclude with an appearance at the Amnesia Festival in Montebello, QC in June.

The band, Black Francis, Joey Santiago, and David Lovering, will once again be joined by bass player Paz Lenchain, who replaced Kim Deal when she left the band in 2013.

The group had the following to say about the tour, "All headline shows will feature a new and more varied set packed with songs from the entire Pixies catalogue, full of distortion howls and all the vivid dissonance a Pixies fan would expect. - all performed on a sparse yet stunning stage" See the tour dates here.




Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page In The Studio For Physical Graffiti Anniversary
Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page was the featured guest on the latest episode of the syndicated radio show In The Studio: The Stories Behind History's Greatest Rock Bands for part 1 of a special 40th anniversary celebration of the "Physical Graffiti" album. The show sent over these details:

Led Zeppelin's sixth release had completed a fundamental change in the popular music and media equation that began with their fourth album back in 1971. With the song "Stairway to Heaven" , Led Zeppelin had proven that the album format had matured to the point that a hit single for Top 40 radio release was no longer a necessity for big album sales.

Before Led Zeppelin the conventional wisdom of A&R (record label) types was to focus on one sound or style to be successful. But Zeppelin's international success resulted in more extensive concert tours taking them to the four corners of the world, which only stoked their creative flame such that epic songs on Physical Graffiti like "Kashmir" became musical bonfires, "Ten Years Gone" glowing embers, and "Custard Pie", "Trampled Under Foot" and "In My Time of Dying" outright sonic blow torches.

One of the enduring legacies of Physical Graffiti was Led Zeppelin's uncanny ability to seduce the ears while also pummeling the listener with a sonic slam which knew no peer, often in the same song. Jimmy Page shares with InTheStudio host Redbeard how he made the conscious decision to innovate and not be derivative.

"I was really careful not to listen to too much other music... I wasn't following what everyone else was doing in the same sort of category as us, that's for sure. I was trying to do things that were really different." - Jimmy Page





Early Iron Maiden Members Reunite
(Classic Rock) Four early members of Iron Maiden, who were part of the NWOBHM giants in 1977, staged a reunion this past weekend. Vocalist Dennis Willcock, keyboardist Tony Moore, drummer Barry 'Thunderstick' Purkis and guitarist Terry Wapram gathered at the Hope And Anchor bar, where Wapram's band Buffalo Fish were playing.

The moment was arranged by fan group Maiden 77, who admitted afterwards: "We had been planning something - but to be honest we didn't know if we could pull this off. A reunion of 80% of the 1977/1978 lineup! Thank you guys. It was an amazing night."

Moore only played one show with Steve Harris' band, before it was decided that keyboards didn't fit his sound. Thunderstick was Maiden's drummer for a few months while Willcock and Wapram spent nearly a year in the lineup. Read more here.




Tedeschi Trucks Band, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings Tour
Tedeschi Trucks Band have announced the initial leg for their "Wheels of Soul" tour that will be taking place this summer and will also feature Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, as well as Doyle Bramhall II.

The first eleven of the expected 20+ tour dates have been revealed with the tour set to kick off on June 5th in Paso Robles, CA at the Vina Robles Amphitheatre.

Tedeschi Trucks Band's singer and guitarist Susan Tedeschi, had the following to say about the tour "Sharon is really soulful and sweet and we know a lot of the Dap-King guys through different projects.

"There's a lot to look forward to and who knows-maybe we'll all get up and play together. The wheels of creativity are turning at all times; it should be fun and could be epic." See the tour dates here.




Krokus Announce First U.S. Tour In 25 Years
Krokus have announced that they will be launching their first U.S. tour in over 25 years this spring. The trek will be in support of their recent live release "Long Stick Goes Boom: Live From Da House Of Rust."

The band will be kicking off the tour on April 18th when they take part in the Monsters Of Rock Cruise that will also feature Tesla, Europe, Night Ranger, Extreme, KIX, and Queensryche.

Following the cruise, they will launch a club tour that will begin on April 24th in Houston, TX at Concert Pub North and conclude on May 6th in Los Angeles at the Whisky A Go Go. See the tour dates here.




Death Angel Cancel Charity Show Due To Injury
(TeamRock Radio) Death Angel have been forced to cancel a charity gig after drummer Will Carroll broke his foot at home. The San Francisco metal veterans were lined up to play at the Metal Against Cancer event in Marietta, Georgia on February 28. But they've pulled out after the sticksman broke a bone in his right foot while taking out rubbish.

Carroll says in a statement: "Doctors say I can't drum for three to four weeks. I was looking forward to this show for many reasons, but the biggest one is the fact that I lost my mother to cancer 11 years ago. It was important to me and Death Angel to be a part of this great cause.

"This will also be the first show I have ever cancelled in the 27 years I've been playing live, so this is hitting me on multiple levels."

The band tried to to find a replacement for Carroll, no one was able to step in at short notice. Carroll continues: "We decided there wasn't enough time to teach someone the set and make it presentable. The last thing we want to do is put on an unequal performance. People deserve better than that." Read more here.




Candlemass's Leif Edling Sitting Out Live Dates Due To Health Issues
(Classic Rock) Candlemass mainman Leif Edling will sit out the rest of 2015 as he continues to battle health issues. He was forced to take a back seat with his other band Avatarium early last year - and although specifics on his health condition haven't been made public, he's said to be getting better and will spend the rest of the year recuperating.

Candlemass say in a statement: "Our bass player and songwriter engine Leif Edling will, unfortunately, be off stage a year yet because of health issues. We will wave the flag high with our keyboard player Per Wiberg or Jorgen Sandstrom who will do the bass work instead while Leif is getting better."

The Swedish doom metal outfit are lined up to play this year's TeamRock-sponsored Hammerfest VII on the weekend of March 12-15 at Hafan Y Mor Holiday Park, Pwllheli, Wales. Read more here.




Slipknot's Clown Casts Sons of Anarchy Star In Film Debut
(TeamRock Radio) Canadian actor Kim Coates, known for his role as Tig Trager in Sons of Anarchy, is set to play the title character in Slipknot star Shawn 'Clown' Crahan's film directing debut Officer Downe.

The film is based on a graphic novel by Joe Casey and Christ Burnham, about a Los Angeles cop who is resurrected every time he's killed in the line of duty. Production begins next month.

Crahan recently told The Pulse of Radio: "I've been working my way toward directing a feature for a long time. I've been preparing myself with art my whole life and preparing myself for directing and scriptwriting.

"I honestly believe that we are going to create the next Clockwork Orange and I'm going to die trying because that's my life." Read more here.





Mayall, Green, McVie and Fleetwood Bootleg To Be Released
(The Blues A 1967 bootleg recording of John Mayall's Bluesbreakers featuring future members of Fleetwood Mac gets an official release on April 20 via Forty Below.

The bootleg was recorded in five London clubs during the three-month period in which Mayall, Peter Green, John McVie and Mick Fleetwood worked together.

Mayall secured the five-decade-old tapes recently and restored them with the help of Forty Below Records' Eric Corne, who says: "While the source recording was very rough and the final result is certainly not hi-fidelity, it does succeed in allowing us to hear how spectacular these performances were." Read more here.




Stolen Radiohead Guitar Found After 19 Years
(TeamRock Radio) Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood hit the stage this weekend with a guitar he thought he'd never see again. It was stolen in 1995 while the band toured in the US in support of second album The Bends.

But last year, Radiohead fan site The King Of Gear heard from a reader who'd recognized the Ebony Frost Fender Telecaster Plus, and arranged its return.

The King Of Gear explains: "Someone recognised Jonny's Telecaster as one they'd purchased in Denver, the city in which all the band's gear was stolen on October 4, 1995. I directed them to Plank, the band's guitar tech, and the result was that the guitar was returned to Jonny." Read more here.




Orgy, 9electric and Death Valley High Announce Sick Talk Tour
Orgy have announced that they will be launching the Sick Talk tour of North America next month that will also feature support from 9electric and Death Valley High.

The tour will be kicking off on March 25th in Denver, CO at the Marquis Theater and the band have announced dates up until April 22nd in Colorado Springs, CO at the Black Sheep, with more dates still to be announced.
Orgy's Jay Gordon had the following to say about the tour, "Orgy 'Sick Talk' Spring tour update: I've been hangin' with my boy Ron Underwood from 9 Electric - 9E, since the Wayne Static Memorial Show about taking them with us on this tour, so we threw some tentative dates together with 9E, and said it was a go for them. So we are pleased to announce the lineup for the Sick Talk Tour. Orgy will be taking 9E as Special Guest and opening the show will be hard hitting Death Valley High - DVH from my hometown San Francisco.

"We're excited to bring the fans a super-charged, and chaotic show, as well as introduce to fans some fresh new music. Orgy has been writing and recording over the past year which will be coming by way of 2 EP's, the first of which is titled Talk Sick will be released to coincide with the start of the tour the end of March. The second EP is tentative titled Entropy will be released 4 - 6 months later.

"We are very excited about the Spring tour and a fresh new start for Orgy, and we will not stop developing and creating fresh new music until we have regained the trust and interest from all of our fans from the past as well as capture the attention of fans in the near future and beyond. We hope to get as many people onboard with us to help us push to the next level, as possible. Please come and support the shows. We will not disappoint. XJXGXOXRXGXYX." See the tour dates here.



The Darkness Announce New Album and Release Lead Single
(hennemusic) UK rockers The Darkness will issue their 4th album, "Last Of Our Kind", on June 1. Produced by guitarist Dan Hawkins, the follow-up to 2012's "Hot Cakes" is preceded by the newly-released lead single, "Barbarian."

According to vocalist Justin Hawkins, the song has "not one but two dramatic monologues, a guitar solo that has been declared 'irresponsible', a riff that weakens lady-knees and a chorus that makes grown men sh*t directly into their pants."

"The lyrics describe the Viking invasion of East Anglia which culminated in the decapitation of Edmund the Martyr," he adds. "So yeah, classic Darkness."

The album sees the debut of new drummer Emily Dolan Davies, who replaces original drummer Ed Graham after a split last year. Davies will make her live debut with The Darkness at an intimate "secret" show March 4 on Ireland's Valentia Island as part of a 10-show run across the country to road test their new material next month.





Kim Thayil Says Soundgarden Plan To Release New Album This Year
(hennemusic) Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil has revealed that the Seattle band plan to release a new album in 2016. The rocker shared the news while in Australia to play dates across the country as part of the annual Soundwave festival.

"No studio has been chosen and no songs are written yet," Thayil tells the Sydney Morning Herald. "When we finish these shows in Australia we'll spend a month or more working on it. It's definitely going to happen.

"We worked with producer Adam Kasper on our last album [2012's "King Animal"] and I wouldn't be surprised if we hook up with him again," he added. Read more here.




Steve Hackett Learned Ancient Instrument For New Album
(Prog) Steve Hackett says that he learned to play an ancient musical instrument for upcoming solo album Wolflight. He employed other musicians to perform on tar, digeridoo, duduk and darbukkah drum - all of which he says have lent the tracks a "prehistoric" and "otherworldly" feel.

He explains via his blog: "Having been fascinated by the evocative music on my trip to Morocco, I decided to have a go at learning one of those exotic instruments of the desert.

"I bought an Iraqi oud - a fretless lute - and took on the challenge. It's very hard to tune, but intriguing to play when those magical sounds start to speak back to you. My oud performance features briefly a couple of times on Dust And Dreams, a piece of music designed to evoke the soul of the desert." Read more here.




Tangerine Dream To Carry On Despite Edgar Froese's Death
(Prog) Former Tangerine Dream member Peter Baumann has vowed the band will continue, following the death of mainman Edgar Froese. He passed away suddenly last month at the age of 70. The band said in a statement: "Edgar once said, 'There is no death, there is just a change of our cosmic address.' This is a little comfort to us."

Now Baumann, who played a key role during Tangerine Dream's 1970s trio era alongside Christopher Franke from 1971 to 1975 then 1975 to 1977, reveals he'd been in discussions with Froese to return to the band.

He says via Facebook: "As all of you, I was shocked by Edgar's sudden departure. Just a month ago I visited him in Austria making plans for a new project.

"Well, there will be a new project, and Edgar's fingerprints will be all over it. His personality will permeate everything that is composed and produced under the TD name." Read more here.




Greg Christian Says He Was 'Under Duress' In Testament
(Classic Rock) Former Testament bassist Greg Christian has posted a reflective Facebook update, a year after he left the band after a lack of payment. Although he again hits out at his ex-band's hardline attitude - which left him with less than $150 to his name - he also writes of being in a better, more productive place with his new project Trinity Fallen. And he also reveals his financial woes were put into perspective following the death of friend Fozz Bear.

He says: "Been reflecting a lot. A little over a year away from Testament I see everything so much different. There's also something about death that helps to put other things in perspective so I think Fozz's passing may actually be 'helping' me in a way.

"I'd have to say I was under duress the entire eight and a half years I was back in the band. I came back with nothing, under a great deal of stress about trying to keep up an appearance that was consistent with being in a band of this stature, while being sh*t broke and struggling.

"That's exhausting and I was never able to get ahead, even a little. They fully took advantage, knowing if I didn't just do the gigs and get that next cheque, I couldn't pay my bills. There was no negotiating. There was a, 'F*** off, take it or we'll get someone that will. We own everything and you're not sh*t anyway' kind of attitude. I never once felt grounded or balanced. It wasn't possible." Read more here.




Wilko Johnson Returned To Hospital To Thank Them For His Life
(Classic Rock) Wilko Johnson went back to hospital last week - to thank medics for saving his life last year. He'd been expecting to die of pancreatic cancer until he was referred to the Adenbrooke's establishment in Cambridge. He underwent surgery in April and in October reported he'd been given the all-clear.

Wilko tells the Cambridge News: "Adenbrooke's, to me, is a wonderful, magical place. They saved my life. To me, everybody from the consultants to the cleaners to the nurses are heroes."

Surgeon Emannual Huguet, who oversaw the procedure, says: "Wilko was very brave throughout - it's wonderful to see him return to what he does brilliantly." Read more here.






Jimmy Page Reveals His Led Zeppelin Masterplan
(hennemusic) Jimmy Page reveals some of his masterplan when he first put together Led Zeppelin in 1968, in part three of his recent interview with Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell in Los Angeles.

"I knew at that time there was a big focus on guitar, so I wanted to make it a tour de force for the guitar," explains Page (transcribed by hennemusic). "So for my playing, it was going to be everything from acoustic through to electric, there's pedal steel on it - there's everything - I'm throwing everything on it to get all these guitar textures. So it goes from really rude bottleneck through to very sensitive acoustic. It was going to be a guitar tour de force but not at the expense of the other members - this was they key to it. Everyone needed to be really heard."

The guitarist joined Cornell for "An Evening With Jimmy Page" at the Ace Hotel Theater in November to discuss his photographic autobiography, "Jimmy Page By Jimmy Page", and his own history as a musician.

In part 1, Page discussed his early years and musical upbringing with host Cornell in front of a live audience, and in part 2 he spoke about how he came to join The Yardbirds. Watch the video here.




Metal Musician Launches Petition Against Facebook Fees
(Classic Rock) The frontman of US metalcore outfit Illuminate Me has launched a petition asking Facebook to stop charging bands a fee for promoting their music. Chris Murray has started the campaign via Change.org as he says bands are being unfairly punished as they attempt to bolster their online presence.

He's paid Facebook close to $3000 to promote his band - but reckons the social media giant's "greed" is now unjustifiable. He says: "Facebook has raised its rates on bands and small businesses promoting themselves through their website several times over the last few years - asking to pay even more money to simply reach the audience the band or small business has already acquired.

"It's getting to a point where it's blatant greed and is unjustifiable. Bands like us for example, especially the unsigned ones, pay Facebook a hefty amount of money for an ad just to get potential new fans to visit our page.

"On top of that, now we must pay a large fee to talk to the fans already subscribed to our page. So we're paying double on a service that we heavily rely on." Read more here.



Jimi Hendrix's Final Interview Animated
(Classic Rock) An audio clip of an interview with guitar icon Jimi Hendrix the week before he died has been released as part of an animated web series titled Blank On Blank. The conversation between the guitarist and UK journalist Keith Altham was recorded in September 1970 - just a few days before Hendrix died in London.

In the clip, he talks about money, his appearance, smashing up his equipment on stage and his thoughts on the way he'd like to have seen music and visuals combine in the future.

When questioned about being credited as giving birth to psychedelic music, he says: "The way I write is a clash between reality and fantasy. You have to use fantasy to show different sides of reality - that's how it can bend. I don't really round it off too good - it's almost naked. I just hate to be in one corner. I hate to be just a guitar player, or a songwriter, or a tap dancer."

And he also gives his thoughts on the music scene at the time, calling it "too heavy." He continues: "There's too many heavy songs out nowadays - music is getting too heavy, almost to the state of unbearable. I have this one little saying, 'When things get too heavy just call me helium - the lightest known gas to man.'





In Flames React To Fan Backlash
(TeamRock Radio) In Flames have rejected complains from followers unhappy with their change in musical direction over the years. The Swedish outfit recently revealed how 11th album Siren Charms, launched last year, carried a heavy Van Halen influence.

That followed a rebalancing of influences with the departure of guitarist Jesper Stromblad in 2010 and the return of Niclas Engelin. Guitarist Bjorn Gelotte tells Noisecreep: "There's no way you can please everybody. There's no way you can listen to everybody. The only thing we know is what we like, the five of us in the band."

Frontman Anders Friden says: "We love our fans and we're so grateful that we can do what we do - travel the world and work with our hobby." But he adds: "We cannot listen to 1000 people - that would be an extremely confusing song," he says. "We are the ones who'll live with this album for ever, so we have to be happy with what we've done."





Black Star Riders Went Beyond Thin Lizzy On New Album
(Classic Rock) Black Star Riders frontman Ricky Warwick says he's happy with the balance he's achieved between being influenced by Phil Lynott and bringing in his Almighty spirit.

The Thin Lizzy offshoot set their own agenda by changing their name ahead of their debut album All Hell Breaks Loose. Follow-up The Killer Instinct is out today via Nuclear Blast.

Former Almighty vocalist Warwick tells Metal Forces: "I've been singing Phil's songs for almost five years now and I completely immersed myself in the role. When I was given the job I wanted to do it justice.

"I studied the man's lyrics, his poetry. I've learned so much from him - I think it's made me a better performer, a better writer and a better musician. That's part of who I am now."

While their first album was planned to sound more like Lizzy, Warwick believes there's less pressure now. "We'll always still have that vibe because of what we do," he says, "but I think we can try anything." Read more here.




Soundgarden Perform 'Birth Ritual' For 1st Time In Two Decades
(Radio.com) More than 20 years ago, Soundgarden contributed the song "Birth Ritual" to the soundtrack for the movie Singles. Released right at the apex of their popularity, the song's chugging riffs and caterwauling vocals find the grunge outfit in peak form.

They briefly appeared in the movie to perform the song, but strangely it's been absent from their lives sets ever since then. That is, until now. Touring Australia as part of the Soundwave festival's lineup over the weekend, Soundgarden performed the song for the first time since 1992 in Adelaide and Melbourne.

No one would confuse this performance for a perfect representation of the song, but it's nonetheless an admirable effort considering that they haven't performed the song in more than two decades, and by the end they seem to have locked into the groove.





Black Crowes's Chris Robinson Was Not Close To Bandmate Brother
(Classic Rock) Former Black Crowes frontman Chris Robinson says he and guitarist Rich never shared a spirit of brotherly love during their 25 years with the band. Instead, he suggests, the Crowes' success was the only reason they continued to communicate after the late 1980s.

The split was confirmed last month by guitarist Rich after drummer Steve Gorman had previously hinted they wouldn't be returning from hiatus to celebrate their quarter-century.

Now Chris tells HuffPost Live: "We never really had much of a relationship. You write some songs and that record sells six million copies, then you're supposed to keep going. Then there's family and there's responsibility and stuff."

But he continues: "I'm proud of the work. The Black Crowes gave me everything - the sheer, humble gift that a weird kid in Atlanta in the 80s could find his way through the world as an artist." Read more here.




Buck & Evans Release 'Screaming' Video
(Classic Rock) Buck & Evans have released a video for their track Screaming - featuring stand-in AC/DC drummer Bob Richards. He's a member of the Welsh blues outfit who recorded an album live at Rockfield Studios last year. Screaming is the latest number to be launched.

Richards was called up by AC/DC in October to appear in two videos for 17th album Rock Or Bust, as a result of the continuing issues faced by drummer Phil Rudd.

Richards recently said: "I heard the songs an hour or so before we went on to the set to start filming. I played it over several times and did a bit of air-drumming to it. The band were fantastic - they made me so welcome and we had a great time shooting."

Rudd has been replaced by Chris Slade for the band's world tour. Watch the video here.




John Bush Has Lost Touch With Former Anthrax Bandmate
(Classic Rock) Former Anthrax frontman John Bush says he's saddened that he's lost contact with drummer Charlie Benante. He remains in touch with guitarist Scott Ian, but hasn't spoken to Benante in several years - even though he says they used to be very close.

He fronted Anthrax from 1992 to 2005 then left when they attempted to regroup with classic-era frontman Joey Belladonna. When that failed they hired Dan Nelson but dismissed him in 2009. Bush returned to fill the gap until Belladonna's permanent return in 2010.

Bush tells Lucas H Gordon: "I haven't talked to Charlie in probably a couple of years, which is a little sad because I was close with him. But things got kind of weird. Maybe he doesn't want to talk or something. I'm cool - it's all good on my end." Read more here.




Singled Out: Revolution Saints (Night Ranger/Journey/Whitesnake)
Revolution Saints, featuring Night Ranger's Jack Blades, Journey's Deen Castronovo and Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake), release their self-titled debut album today and to celebrate we asked Jack to tell us about the song "Turn Back Time". Here is the story:

The way the song "Turn Back Time" is laid out it just screamed for a duet from Deen and me. We were in Portland in the studio and Deen started singing the first verse on the song…kinda low for his voice but he put it down. I took the second half of the verse and kinda played around with the melody still keeping it within the realm of the song.

Well, Deeno took that as a big green light and ripped into the second verse and then the chorus after the blazing solo DA had just laid down…I'm thinking, oh great… these guys are firing on all eight cylinders what am I supposed to do now with a harmony on this wild last chorus that Deen just killed.

The producer Alessandro was in the control room trying to come up with some harmony note for the last chorus and I said to him just roll the song and hit record. He started to say something and I said "just roll it and record", all the while thinking to myself what the hell am I gonna sing????

The chorus came on and boom I just started answering Deen's awesome chorus lines with lines of my own…sorta like we were talking back and forth with each other, line for line, note for note.

When I was finished Alessandro just stopped the song, looked at Deen and Doug, and they all together threw the horns with both hands. Ale said "Perfecto". I said "what the hell did I sing?" He laughed and played it back.

We left it as it was; what both Deeno and I did on the first run through of the song….didn't even try and sing it again. Now that's the way to record a vocal. I inspired Deen, Deeno inspired me and thankfully we didn't try to mess with it!!