Classic Rock Stars Deny Indecent Assault Of 15-Year-Old Girl(Classic Rock)
Two former members of The Tremeloes who have been accused of historic charges of indecent assault against a 15-year-old girl have denied any wrongdoing.
Rick Westwood, 72, and Len Hawkes, 69, were both charged last month with one count each of indecent assault relating to an incident in Chester in 1968.
According to the BBC, the pair both pleaded not guilty at an appearance at Chester Magistrates' Court this week and were bailed ahead of a further appearance scheduled for April 5, 2016.
Prosecutor Rob Youds told the court the alleged incident took place in a Chester hotel room at the height of the band's fame. Read more here.
Motorhead Frontman Lemmy Sick Of Death Questions(Classic Rock)
Lemmy says he sick of being asked when he's going to die. The Motorhead frontman has struggled with ill health in recent years, and a number of shows on the band's recent US tour were cancelled or stopped early as he suffered with a lung infection, exacerbated by high altitude.
But the 69-year-old rock icon insists he's doing just fine and adds that he's fed up being asked about his health. He tells Classic Rock: "I'm sick of the f***ing, 'Are you going to die?' line of questioning. It's getting really old, that question. I'm alright. I'm going out there and doing my best.
"I have good days and bad days but mostly I've been doing alright. The last tour of the States was very good." Lemmy adds that, even though he's approaching 70, he has no intention of retiring.
He says: "It's when you get to 60 when everything starts to go pear-shaped. Everyone thinks that becoming an older guy is easy, but you never consider it fully. It comes as quite a shock. But the thing is, I don't want to give in to it." Read more here.
Ringo Starr Breaks Records With Auction(M2M)
Beatles legend Ringo Starr raised almost $10 million with his Julien's Auctions of rarities which included fetching record breaking prices for a historic drum kit and the first UK pressing of one of the Beatle's most iconic albums.
Ringo's very first UK pressing of the Beatles' White Album sold for $790,000, breaking the previous record held by an Elvis acetate that sold for $310,000 at auction.
The biggest item from the auction was Ringo's first 1963 Ludwig Oyster Black Pearl three-piece drum kit, which was purchased by Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay for a record $2.2 million.
We were sent the following history of the drum set and more details about additional items that were sold at the auction: The kit has not been seen in public for more than 50 years and was used by Starr in more than 200 performances between May of 1963 and February of 1964 and used to record some of The Beatles biggest hits including: "Can't Buy Me Love," "She Loves You," "All My Loving," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "Money," and "I Wanna Be Your Man," and many others. Paul McCartney also used the Oyster Black Pearl kit on his first solo album, McCartney. Read more here.
Rush's Geddy Lee Open To Making New Solo Album
The future of Rush is still up in the air with the band stating that their last tour would possibly be their last. But there is still hope for new music from frontman Geddy Lee, who says that he would definitely consider making another solo album.
Lee did an in-depth interview with The A.V. Club looking back at various songs and periods from Rush's 40 year career. At the end of the discussion the talk turned towards his solo experience. When asked if he would ever consider making a follow up to his 2000 solo album "My Favorite Headache," he said "Yes, I would. Definitely."
Prior to that question, he was asked what it was like to write without Neil Pearl and Alex Lifeson. He responded, "That was a real interesting period for me. It was tough because I had planned to do some jamming with my dear friend Ben Mink who is an amazing musician, producer, and songwriter in his own right, and a violinist and guitarist. Because we had been friends for so long, and we had never actually made a record together aside from him playing on the song Losing It from our Signals album, we had always planned that some time when the band was on a break, we would just get together and start writing together and see what happened.
"We were planning to do that, and suddenly tragedy struck Neil's life. His daughter was taken from him in a car accident, and everything got really weird and it was just a horrible period.
"So I decided after a few months this idea of working with Ben might be a real tonic for me, because I didn't know really whether there would ever be another Rush album. I had no idea; it was not something we were focused on, and people get through tragedies in different ways. I was kind of going crazy and needed something to focus on, so this project that was sort of in the back of my mind with Ben suddenly became critical so we started getting together in my home studio in Toronto and I would go to his place in Vancouver and over a series of months we gathered a whole bunch of material together and then we decided to go for it and make the record." Read the full interview here.
Billy Corgan Pays Tribute To Scott Weiland
The Smashing Pumpkins leader Billy Corgan has published a tribute to former Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver frontman Scott Weiland who died last week at the age of 48.
Corgan published the following on the official The Smashing Pumpkins website, "Having just woken to the news of this passing, I feel compelled to put pen to paper and pay my respects to Scott. And in that I will not pretend to know more than I know, or add some sad homily to how he loved his life. At least in that, may I now say he is undoubtably in the arms of grace and eternal love.
"May I also offer my humble condolences to his family, friends, and band mates; who have, and are, suffering this great loss. For when anyone as vaunted leaves far too soon, we mourn all that might have been.
"As any fan, I find myself reflecting on what I do have in my own treasure chest: in scarce moments where Scott and I spoke as contemporaries or competitors, and got to know each as people other past the footlights and shadows we were so busy casting to the world. It may seem trite in reflection, but I'd try to make him giggle when I saw that the manic whirl of the dumb parties we were at (in Hollywood, no less!) might be causing undue stress.
"It was, I'd guess you'd say, my way of apology for having been so critical of STP when they appeared on the scene like some crazy, man-fueled rocket. And not only was the knight up front freshly handsome to a fault, but he could sing too! As any supreme actor gives a real and different voice to each character played.
"It was STP's 3rd album that had got me hooked, a wizardly mix of glam and post-punk, and I confessed to Scott, as well as the band many times, how wrong I'd been in assessing their native brilliance. And like Bowie can and does, it was Scott's phrasing that pushed his music into a unique, and hard to pin down, aesthetic sonicsphere.
"Lastly, I'd like to share a thought which though clumsy, I hope would please Scott In Hominum. And that is if you asked me who I truly believed were the great voices of our generation, I'd say it were he, Layne, and Kurt.
"So it goes beyond tragedy to say it is we who lost them, and not the other way round… WILLIAM CORGAN"
Every Time I Die's Keith Buckley Thankful Following Baby Complications
Every Time I Die frontman Keith Buckley posted a message of thanks and shared a photos of his new daughter Zuzana London Buckley. He was forced to leave the band's tour last week after his wife suffered "a rare and life threatening complication which required immediate removal" of their child to save their lives.
Buckley posted the following message on his personal Facebook page, "I'm indebted to a lot of wonderful people for a lot of beautiful things lately but I need to take a moment to publicly thank Tyler Brand of Exalt and Jason Butler of Letlive for the sacrifices they are making in order to course correct ETID and keep them moving forward in my stead. my view from the outside this week has given me a new appreciation of the compassion inherent in the community where every time I die has proudly built a home- one where the strong are selflessly motivated to compensate for the weak- and I am humbled to a sacred place outside of words.
"To all those who go to the shows and support every time I die unflinchingly, your part in helping me keep my focus beyond the outermost limits of darkness is as fundamental as Tyler and Jason's. I am grateful for the things I have, particularly in the times when I have not. I hope to see you soon."
He also posted a photo of his wife and new born daughter with the caption "her name is Zuzana London Buckley and this is what it looks like when love prevails. my heart is new again. - with Lindsay Buckley." See the photo here.
Scott Weiland Appeared To Be In A Bad Way At Rock On The Range(Classic Rock)
Scott Weiland had the appearance of a man who "needed help" after his band's performance at Rock On the Range this year, according to TeamRock editor-in-chief Alexander Milas.
Milas watched Scott Weiland And The Wildabouts' "shambolic" performance at the festival in Ohio on May 16 and interviewed him after he came off stage. He says the experience left him feeling very sorry for the clearly deeply troubled singer.
Weiland was found dead on his tour bus in Bloomington, Minnesota, on Thursday night. The cause of death has yet to be confirmed. He was 48. The Rock On The Range appearance came just weeks after a video of Weiland and his band performing Stone Temple Pilots classic Vasoline went viral on account of the vocalist's disheveled appearance and wayward singing.
Milas tells TeamRock Radio: "It was a strange experience, to put things mildly. It had come not long after a video went viral from a show in Texas where he seemed confused and didn't quite know where he was. In Texas, they did a Wildabouts song and he began to sing something by STP and it was quite clear then that he had some troubles.
"So I was surprised that he then made that festival appearance, and shambolic is probably being generous." During his interview with Weiland, Milas says it was obvious the frontman was in a bad way. Read more here.
Decapitated Announce Blood Mantra Across North America Tour
Decapitated have announced that they will be launching their own North American headlining tour early next year. The Blood Mantra Across North America Tour will feature support from Black Breath and Theories.
The tour scheduled to kick off on January 27th in Denver, CO at the Marquis Theater and will be concluding on February 27th in Virginia Beach, VA at Shaka's.
Guitarist Vogg had the following to say about the trek, "We're very excited to announce that we will be returning to North America in January and February as a part of the At The Gates tour, along with our first headline dates in over 3 years.
"As you probably know due to unexpected problems with U.S.C.I.S. we were forced to cancel our tour with Soulfly in October this year. We can't wait to get back and play for our loyal fans all over North America and we hope to see you there! Nothing will stop us this time!!!"
Singer Rasta adds: "The beginning of 2016 is gonna be awesome. We are coming back to United States and Canada!!!. As we all perfectly know, North America is one of the best place to play hard music. This continent was simply built on a Rock and Roll music, and I feel it every time we play there. Amazing crowds, constant headbanging and of course unforgettable shows. North America are you ready?! We are coming! See you there!" See the dates here.
King Diamond Shows Sidelined By Acute Laryngitis(TeamRock Radio)
King Diamond was forced to cancel his show in Houston on Friday night (December 4). He had to pull the plug on his gig in Oklahoma last Tuesday evening due to acute laryngitis. And the singer says a side effect of his treatment to cure the problem has led to the latest call-off.
A statement reads: "Houston, we are very sorry to inform you that there is unfortunately no chance for King Diamond to perform at the House of Blues due to acute laryngitis.
"An unforeseen effect of the anesthetic used in the examination this past Monday has delayed the healing process. "King has for once been silent, trying his damnedest to bring enough vocal cords back to complete the rest of the tour." Read more here.
Halestorm Unplug For New Modern Love Video(Classic Rock)
Halestorm have released an acoustic version of their track New Modern Love. The song originally appeared on their third album Into The Wild Life, which came out earlier this year via Atlantic Records.
Lead guitarist Joe Hottinger told TeamRock: "This was the second song we wrote and it helped define where we were going to go with this record. It has this groove that we've never really done before."
Halestorm are currently on tour across New Zealand and Australia and will return to Europe in January, which includes a run of eight UK shows. Watch the video here.
Manowar Release The Dawn Of Battle Live Video(Classic Rock)
Manowar have released a live video for their track The Dawn Of Battle. It was filmed at this year Monsters Of Rock Brazil, which took place in Sao Paulo in April. It originally appeared on their three-track EP of the same name, released in 2002 via Nuclear Blast.
The band will embark on the European leg of their Gods And Kings World Tour next year. And bassist Joey DeMaio says they're looking forward to unleashing their new-look set.
He says: "This new production is packed with everything a Manowar fan can dream of: Massive sound, sensational visuals, and all of the anthems our fans love.
"We are extremely excited to bring this monumental world of fantasy to life on stage for our fans." Watch the video here.
ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons Sees Solo Album As Homage To His Dad(Classic Rock)
Billy Gibbons says his solo album Perfectamundo is "in no small part a direct homage" to his dad. The ZZ Top guitarist's father was a big-band leader and composer, who encouraged his son's early discovery of percussion instruments.
And that's one of the reasons Perfectamundo features experimental approaches to Afro-Cuban music. Gibbons tells Chron: "I had been banging on anything and everything around the house that made a loud noise. Maybe I'd just turned 12.
"My dad had become entertained by all this banging and clanging, so one day I found myself on a plane to New York, where I was marched off to learn how to do it right."
His father took him to mambo and Latin jazz musician Tito Puente. "This was the clincher - he didn't say, 'Let me show you what to do.' He handed me some timbale sticks and said, 'Let me hear what you want to play.'
"Apparently I had good feel for it. He said, 'We're not going to have a problem here. Let's begin.' That started it all." Read more here.
Eric Clapton Limited Edition Box Set Announced(hennemusic)
Eric Clapton will release "The Studio Album Collection", a limited edition 9-LP vinyl box set that highlights the acclaimed music star's years with Polydor/RSO on January 29.
The package features remastered editions of the guitarist's 1970 projects - his self-titled debut and his double album with Derek And The Dominos - plus six others including his best-selling 70s record , 1977's "Slowhand." Pressed on 180 gram vinyl with replica album packaging, the collection also comes with a download voucher.
Last month, Clapton issued "Slowhand At 70 - Live At The Royal Albert Hall." The set captures the guitarist during his 7-show run at the famed London venue in May in honor of his 70th birthday in March.
The series of shows also marked Clapton's 50 years in the music business and more than 200 performances at The Royal Albert Hall. See the track details for the new box set here.
Cradle Of Filth Release Blackest Magick In Practice Video(TeamRock Radio)
Cradle Of Filth have released a video for their track Blackest Magick In Practice. The song is taken from Dani Filth and co's latest album Hammer of the Witches and the promo is directed by Sam Scott-Hunter.
The director days: "There's dark madness in this video. Blackest Magick In Practice is a deeply tragic tale of lost love. It's the grief stricken insanity of trying to bring back that loved one from the dead, desperately trying to hold onto that person who's gone, even if that leads down a dark and gruesome path. I don't want to give it all away, but I will say that the hardest part of the production was getting hold of a human ear.
"I wanted to convey the power of the band too, in amongst the romance, madness and magic. Behind the imagery of the lyrics is a great and powerful metal band of amazing musicians, and I hope people can feel the intensity of the band when they watch this. It is intense viewing. There should be a bit of madness in the video, because there's madness in this song." Watch the video here.
Trivium Reveal New Drummer At Knotfest(TeamRock Radio)
Trivium have revealed drummer Paul Wandtke as their latest member. He played his first show with Matt Heafy and co during Knotfest in Mexico this past weekend.
It follows the dismissal of Nick Augusto last year, while roadie Mat Madiro played on the band's latest album, Silence In The Snow. Introducing Trivium's fourth sticksman since their formation, Heafy told the crowd: "I'll keep this short and sweet - any change we've ever made has been necessary for the very survival of the band."
Heafy's dad Brian, a former manager of the band, later said: "Matthew, Corey and Paolo are excited about what Paul brings to the team. A player's player, from what I have seen. Hopefully everything works out perfectly." Read more here.
Killswitch Engage, Atreyu, Down Lead Additions To Download Lineup (Classic Rock)
Killswitch Engage, Atreyu, Down, Breaking Benjamin, Lawnmower Deth and Shinedown are among the latest acts to be confirmed for next year's Download festival.
Donington bosses have named 33 more bands who will join the previously-announced headliners Rammstein, Black Sabbath and Iron Maiden at the three-day event in 2016.
Tremonti, Twin Atlantic, Beartooth, Don Broco, Rival Sons, Tesseract, Disturbed, Saxon and Delain have also been confirmed. The list was announced on Daniel P Carter's Radio One Rock Show on Sunday night. Read more here.
Skunk Anansie Release 'Love Someone Else' Video(Classic Rock)
Skunk Anansie have released a video for their single Love Someone Else. The song is also a track from the band's forthcoming sixth studio album Anarchytecture.
The band's management describe Anarchytecture as "a collection of hard-hitting alternative rock anthems, brimming with punchy riffs and the sort of fire that can only burn from the heart and soul of vocal powerhouse, Skin."
Skin and co previously issued a lyric video for the track, the first to be lifted from the album which is due to be released on January 15th. Watch the new video here.
Steven Wilson and Opeth To Coheadline Be Prog! My Friend(Classic Rock)
Steven Wilson and Opeth have been named as co-headliners for the 2016 edition of Be Prog! My Friend in Barcelona next July. They'll be joined by Magma, Between The Buried And Me, Anneke van Giersbergen, The Pineapple Thief, Textures, Obsidian Kingdom and Exxasens.
The third annual open-air event is sponsored by TeamRock's Metal Hammer and Prog magazines. It takes place at the scenic Poble Espanyol on Saturday, July 2, with location and performance times designed to allow visitors the chance to make the most of their trip to Barcelona.
Ticketholders will also be able to attend a free show on Friday, July 1, at the nearby Sala Apolo. Wilson - who's continuing to support third solo album Hand. Cannot. Erase. - says: "This is going to be almost like a family event for me, with so many of my friends and favourite bands appearing in such a beautiful location." Read more here.
N.y.X. Recruit King Crimson Stars For New Album(Prog)
Former King Crimson members Adrian Belew and Trey Gunn make guest appearances on upcoming N.y.X. album The News. The Italian outfit's second record is to be released early next year via a deal with Bad Elephant Music.
Belew plays on _A Sarcastic Portrait _while Gunn contributes to The Daily Dark Delirium. The follow-up to 2009's Down In Shadows also features pianist Ivan Napoles and cellist Marco Allocco.
N.y.X.'s Danilo Pannico says: "We're proud to become part of the Bad Elephant Music family with The News. We're looking forward to a professional collaboration." Read more here.
Periphery Go 4K For Psychosphere Video(Prog)
Periphery have released a live performance video for their track Psychosphere. The 4k Ultra HD video was recorded in one take by director JP Kaukonen on the band's current tour of Europe.
Kaukonen has also created a similar live clip for Periphery's tour buddies Veil Of Maya's performance of their tracks Nyu and Leeloo. Periphery say: "Surprise. Here's a brand new live music video of Psychosphere.
"This was filmed by our very good friend JP of the band Circle Of Contempt." Periphery released two albums - Juggernaut: Alpha and Juggernaut: Omega - simultaneously this year. Watch the video here.
Iron Maiden's 'Ed-Phon3s' Released(Classic Rock)
Iron Maiden's 'Ed-Phon3s' have been released in the UK and Europe. The £199 (or €299) headphones, designed in conjunction with Maiden bassist Steve Harris and produced by Japanese electronics company Onkyo, are being sold in the UK exclusively through Richer Sounds stores, while in the rest of Europe they are available online at www.maidenaudio.com
A companion MaidenAudio smartphone app is available for iOS and Android and includes exclusive custom EQ settings. Harris says: "I knew that I would need some really good headphones to use for playback of the mixes of The Book Of Souls. I'd actually started looking into this about 18 months prior to when we started recording because I'd been struggling to find a design which came even remotely close to what I felt was an acceptable sonic standard for rock and metal.
"My main objective was for a balance that wasn't just top and bottom heavy with hardly any mid range like a lot of headphones these days that are basically designed for dance music. I wanted a good balance across the widest bandwidth incorporating a lot more mid range frequencies, something I strongly feel is vital to appreciate the complexities of our music and rock and metal in general." Read more here.
Anna Von Hausswolff Releases Live Session Video For Stranger(Prog)
Anna Von Hausswolff has released a live session clip of her track Stranger. It features on her latest album entitled The Miraculous, released last month via City Slang.
She's accompanied in the clip by guitarist Karl Vento and it's been released to mark the start of her European tour. The Miraculous was recorded in Sweden and features the Acusticum Pipe Organ, which feature built-in glockenspiel, vibraphone, celeste and percussion, and boasts 9000 pipes.
Von Hausswolff previously released the tracks Come Wander With Me/Deliverance and Evocation from the follow-up to 2013's Ceremony. Watch the video clip here.
The Darkness Join Stone Free Festival Lineup(Classic Rock)
The Darkness have been added to the bill of then inaugural Stone Free festival, which will take place at London's O2 Arena on June 18 and 19. Many more acts are to be announced.
"Multi-million selling saviours of ROCK The Darkness are proud to grace the Stonefree stage," say The Darkness, "alongside rock legends past and future!
"Expect the usual mix of mania-inducing vocals, riffs forged from solid steel, and stage costumes to make you feel a bit damp in the naughty area. You are welcome." Read more here.
Singled Out: Heat of Damage's Judgment Day
The members of California metal band Heat of Damage tell us the story behind the song "Judgement Day" which is a track from their recently released debut album "Open Fire". Here is band with the song story:
David Haug: "Judgment Day" was written to be a powerful 'F**k You' song, plain and simple. The lyrics are written from the perspective of someone who has been wronged, whose response is to be the better person. My contributions to the writing process come from my own experiences of essentially the exact same thing; being wronged and priding myself on being a better person than those who would treat me poorly. The musicality aspect of the song is very heavy, like 80's era heavy metal sounding (interestingly enough, we called the riff '80's metal' before the song became Judgment Day). The harmonized guitar solo was thrown in because I am very influenced by the guitar stylings of Iron Maiden, and love the way harmonized guitar sounds.
Nick Lassalette: The song started out as just a simple guitar riff that I came up with. As soon as I played it at rehearsal one day, Julian started pounding away on his drums and the sound of the song started to take form. From the beginning I knew this song was going to be something special. We decided to make it the first official single from the album because it strongly represents exactly what Heat Of Damage is and what this album will sound like as a whole. Personally, I think it's the best song we have ever written.
Jared Easter "Judgment Day" was rather simple to write on bass, since I had very little to do with the writing process for that song. The bass line follows the rhythm guitar for the most part, providing the low end drive for the song.
Julian Bohland: "Honestly, Judgment is one of my favorites in our library. It's powerful, angry, and hits so hard. It has some of my best drumwork and is so much fun to play live. It's an overall kick ass song!
"The music video was very fun to make. We shot that at our Ace Of Spades show on August 1st, 2015 as show support for the band Some Fear None. It was their album release show. After filming the show we sent the raw video to Matt Thomas to edit. He did a great job and I love the way it came out.
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