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Today's Day in Rock Stories

Yellowcard Announce Final Farewell Shows(Gibson)


Yellowcard have announced the final two show of their career before they retire the band. The band had been on a two-year hiatus from 2008-10 and now, in June 2016, the band announced that they would be breaking up after the tour to support their 10th album, the eponymous Yellowcard, released this September.
Now, as they wrap up their ongoing final tour of the United States, the band have just announced two more shows to close out their career. The two new dates are March 24th, 2017 in Los Angeles (where the band will perform their classic 2003 album Ocean Avenue in full) and March 25th in Anaheim, where the band played their first-ever sold out show.

The band's frontman Ryan Key said, "Due to incredible demand, we have decided to add two final shows in Southern California to the tour. On March 24th, we will be performing Ocean Avenue in full at The Nova in Los Angeles.

"On March 25th, at the brand-new House of Blues Anaheim, we will be ending the story in the city where we played our first sold-out show." Read more here.




Rush's Family Guy Guest Appearance Goes Online(Prog)

Rush have appeared on the latest episode of hit animated TV show Family Guy, playing their track Tom Sawyer, and the clip from their appearance has been posted online.
This past weekend the iconic Canadian band appeared on season 15's seventh episode, entitled High School English, which sees Family Guy characters acting out a brief version of Mark Twain's classic book The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn.

In one of the show's typical cutaway scenes, the characters end up at a Rush concert. In a brief clip which can be viewed below, Peter Griffin, in the role of Huck Finn, asks Tom Sawyer, played by Chris Griffin what he's doing so far from home. Sawyer replies: "Rush is playing here tonight. They wrote a song about me."

It's not the first time Rush have featured in animated form. They have previously shown a brief clip of the South Park cast playing Tom Sawyer on a big screen as an introduction to the track at live shows. A clip of that and the Family Guy appearance can be viewed here.



Slipknot Making New Album Plans(Metal Hammer)

Slipknot percussionist Shawn 'Clown' Crahan says the band will begin writing new material in February of next year. The band have only recently wrapped up touring in support of 2014 album .5: The Gray Chapter - which arrived six years after fourth album All Hope Is Gone.
But Crahan is hinting that fans won't have to wait as long for the sixth album. He tells Rolling Stone he plans to meet up with Slipknot guitarist Jim Root in February 2017 to start writing new music "because we want to write."

Crahan also says he wants to make another film after the success of his directorial debut Officer Downe, which is based on a comic book and stars Sons Of Anarchy actor Kim Coates.

He says: "I was born to make movies. I'm into fashion, death, sex and clothes. I work really hard to portray things that you're not going to see at Walmart." Read more here.



Evanescence To Live Stream Paramount Concert(Metal Hammer)

Evanescence have announced that they will be streaming their upcoming performance at The Paramount in Huntingdon, New York live on November 23rd.
It will be the band's final show of 2016 - and will be available to view at Live Nation's Facebook, Live Nation TV and their Youtube channel. Watch their announcement video below.

The band have been touring the US in the lead-up to the launch of their vinyl box set, The Ultimate Collection, which arrives on December 9. The collection features all of Evanescence's studio records along with their previously unreleased demo album Origin. Read more here.



Page and Plant In The Studio For Led Zeppelin IV Anniversary

A new episode of the syndicated radio show In The Studio: The Stories Behind History's Greatest Rock Bands celebrates the 45th anniversary of the landmark album Led Zeppelin IV. The show sent over these details:
In a matter of four short years Led Zeppelin had delivered four groundbreaking albums each destined to top the other. Widely considered a hard rock, heavy metal band by many, Zeppelin would astonish everyone by creating one of hard rock's first epic ballads, the most played record in rock radio history "Stairway To Heaven". Jimmy Page shares with In The Studio host Redbeard just how immediate the reaction was.

"We were out touring and that album (IV) hadn't come out and we played "Stairway" in the Forum (Los Angeles) and we got a standing ovation." - Jimmy Page

Anyone assuming that Led Zeppelin's allure was limited to the decade of the Seventies, or even the 20th century, simply has not been paying attention: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction 1995; Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award 2005; one-off 2007 London O2 Arena performance that had over six million ticket requests; and recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors in 2012 awarded by U.S. President Barack Obama, proving that the Led Zeppelin legacy and their music has certainly not diminished.

Jimmy Page and Robert Plant share their views In The Studio as to why Led Zeppelin IV has stood the test of time to become the third highest selling album in music history.

"I wanted to make music that people would respect... I knew it was good, but I hadn't got the faintest idea that it was ever going to become as big as it did... I wanted to do something that could stand the test of time." - Jimmy Page

"We just did whatever... whenever it was most appropriate, with amplifiers, without amplifiers, in a desert, on top of a Welsh mountain, wherever it was which could be indicative and show what we were all about." - Robert Plant. Stream the episode here.





AC/DC Star Phil Rudd Previews Head Job Video(hennemusic)

Former AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd has released a preview of the forthcoming music video for the title track to his recently re-released solo album, "Head Job."
Rudd originally issued the album in 2014, just months before a series of legal troubles led to an 8-month home detention - on charges of threatening to kill a contractor, possession of methamphetamine and possession of cannabis - that sidelined him from joining AC/DC for a world tour in support of the "Rock Or Bust" album.

The Australian group brought in former member Chris Slade to handle drums for the trek, which eventually saw Axl Rose step in to handle vocals in place of Brian Johnson after the longtime AC/DC singer risked permanent hearing loss.

Rudd was a member of AC/DC from 1975-83 and again from 1994 to 2014. "Head Job" was first previewed with the lead single, "Repo Man"; the album's reissue and plans to tour the UK and Europe in 2017 are part of Rudd's plan to launch a comeback following his recovery from a heart attack in New Zealand this past summer.

"I made mistakes, but I am really good now," says Rudd. "Life is good. I'm positive and healthy. I really appreciate the support of the fans around the world, which kept me going through, you know, some of the dark times, and I cannot wait to play the music for them, it is going to rock." Check out the preview here.




Slayer Were Offended By Fake 1990s 'Punk' Groups(Metal Hammer)

Slayer's Kerry King says he didn't like the direction of heavy music in the 90s and "couldn't understand why things were popular." He points to Slayer's 2001 album God Hates Us All as the moment the band refocused their efforts after a period in the 90s when groups such as the Offspring were on the rise.
King tells the new episode of Metal Hammer: In Residence: "I think we refocused on God Hates Us All. I think in the 90s, me and Jeff Hanneman just didn't pay any attention to anything.

"In particular didn't like where music was going and I let it get to me for the only time in my career - and that was basically the 90s. I couldn't understand why things were popular and it just bummed me out completely and I had to forget about it and refocus because it was just bringing me down.

"I'm not talking about pop and stuff like that. Heavy music - I didn't like where heavy music was going." He continues: "I remember in particular when we did Undisputed Attitude in 1996, we did that in rebellion to Green Day and the Offspring.

"It's not their fault but everyone called them punk bands and me and Jeff were, 'This isn't punk, guys.' We just took offence to it and Undisputed Attitude was that coming out." Read more here.




Pierce The Veil Release 'Dive In' Video(TeamRock)

Pierce The Veil have released a video for their song "Dive In". The clip was filmed on the San Diego band's last few tours and includes footage from their Made To Destroy Tour this summer with Neck Deep and I Prevail.
The band released their fourth album Misadventures earlier this year. Frontman Vic Fuentes said he travelled across the US to find inspiration for the record.

He said: "I felt like the four walls that I was looking at every day were not gonna inspire an amazing record, so I got out of there. We went on tour - which was very conducive to the record - and when we did get back and it was time to work on the lyrics and finish the thing, I wanted to do the exact opposite of what I had been doing."

"I wanted to travel instead of being stuck in a room. I wanted to stimulate my brain, go to different cities, stay in different houses and work in different studios." Watch the video here.




Steve Harris' British Lion Writing Heavier New Music(Classic Rock)

Iron Maiden's Steve Harris says British Lion have gone in a "heavier direction" with their new material. The newly incarnated British Lion was announced in 2012 - 20 years after the first lineup dissolved. They've been "road-testing" their new songs on tour, which are to be included on the studio follow-up to their self-titled 2012 album
Harris tells Kerrang: "The band's been evolving and the songs have been evolving with it, or vice versa. We're finding our feet as a band, finding more of a sense of what we are.

"Without analysing it too much, I think the new songs are really probably going, if anything, maybe in a heavier direction perhaps. I mean, Spitfire to me sounds like really heavy Thin Lizzy. But others might think something different about it." here.




Kate Bush Releases 'And Dream Of Sheep' Video(Prog)


Kate Bush has released a video for her live track "And Dream Of Sheep". It's taken from upcoming three-disc set Before The Dawn, recorded during her sold-out 22-date residency at London's Hammersmith Apollo - her first full-scale shows since 1979.
A statement reports: "This is a special piece of film to accompany the release of the live single And Dream Of Sheep. The vocal was performed live while filming Kate lying in the huge water tank at Pinewood Studios.

"This was to create a sense of realism, as the character in the song is lost at sea - however, it became more realistic than Kate had imagined. She spent so long in the water during the first day of filming that she contracted mild hypothermia. She recovered after a day off and carried on filming.

"This film was then projected onto a large oval screen which hung above the stage during the performances of her live show." Watch the video here.




Nightwish's Floor Jansen To Join Ayreon Onstage(Prog)

Nightwish singer Floor Jansen will appear onstage with Ayreon for two shows in the Netherlands next year. The performances will be held at the 013 venue in Tilburg on September 15 and 16, 2017, and will see Arjen Lucassen also joined by a raft of guests for the shows, which are being billed as the Ayreon Universe experience.
Nightwish's Marco Hietala, Symphony X's Russell Allen, Threshold's Damian Wilson, Blind Guardian's Hansi Kursch, Kamelot's Tommy Karevik, Katatonia's Jonas Renkse and Anneke van Giersbergen have so far been confirmed, with further names to be added in due course.

Ayreon Universe has been organised and arranged by Lucassen and Joost van den Broek, and will see music from all Ayreon albums and a selection of tracks from Star One showcased.

Lucassen says: "After the huge success of the four sold-out Ayreon theatre shows in 2015, Joost and I decided to boldly go even bigger. This is a full-on 'best of Ayreon' rock show in a big venue with as many original Ayreon singers and musicians as possible." Read more here.



Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson Shaves Heads To Cancer Charity(Classic Rock)

Bruce Dickinson helped shave the heads of a group of ice hockey players over the weekend, to support their cancer charity activities. The Iron Maiden frontman took clippers to the head of Cardiff Devils player Patrick Asselin as team-mate Josh Batch continued his bid to raise £3000 for MacMillan Cancer Support.
Dickinson as become an active supporter of the Welsh squad after launching his Cardiff Aviation firm in the area, and he's taken some of the players to try out his company's flight simulator, while accepting a custom shirt from them - numbered 666.

He told Wales Online: "Devils are doing really well. I like the name and I'm delighted with my shirt.

"The guys who came down to try out the simulator were able to take-off, fly around a little bit and they also landed it a few times."

Devils boss Todd Kelman, an avid Iron Maiden fan, said: "I saw them in Calgary when I was a teenager and have followed the band my whole life, so this is very, very cool." here.




Phil Anselmo Compares Stage Persona To Pro-Wrestling(Metal Hammer)

Phil Anselmo believes his aggressive vocal style and "pro wrestling" stage persona may give people the wrong impression of him. The former Pantera frontman hit the headlines earlier this year with his "white power" outburst at an event paying tribute to late bandmate Dimebag Darrell. He apologized for the incident and has repeatedly denied that he is a racist.
Now he says that if people look closely enough at this career, they will see that he has "nothing but love" in his heart. And those who still see a hateful man could be mistaking his vocal style for hatred, he says.

Anselmo tells Clrvynt: "I want people to understand that I have nothing but love in my heart. It is what it is, but hopefully the truth comes out in the wash, and I love everybody. I do. The sad truth of it all is I love everybody, almost to a fault.

"I am no rustic fool, despite what I might get sometimes get into on a stage. That part of my personality is like pro wrestling or something. It's part of me - I don't know where that came from.

"But 'racist' is a very strong word. Look at my track record and you'll see a lot of love there, I do believe. If you see the loathe part - well, maybe that's my expression as an angry vocalist.

"Still, that doesn't equate to someone that hates someone else for their f***ing skin colour. That is absurd." Read more here.




Mikkey Dee Recalls Rocky First Motorhead Gig(Classic Rock)


Former Motorhead drummer Mikkey Dee has recalled how mainman Lemmy stood up for him in his earliest days with the band - while some people thought the Swedish sticksman was a "wanker."
Dee joined up in 1992, replacing classic-era member Philthy 'Animal' Taylor, and remained on board until the band ended with Lemmy's death last December.

He remembers his first show with Motorhead. Dee tells Music Radar: "If eyes could kill I would have been murdered right away. A lot of people didn't know me and they literally stood pointing at me going, 'How can you bring this wanker into the band?' I was the wrong guy completely. They hated me."

"But Lemmy stood up for me. He said, 'Get out of my dressing room. Mikkey's unbelievable, you wait and see!' After the show the same guys wanted to shake my hand - 'This was the best Motorhead show we've ever seen!' And I got accepted."" Read more here.




Avenged Sevenfold Changed Approach With Brooks Wackerman(Metal Hammer)

Bassist Johnny Christ says Avenged Sevenfold took a "reverse process" approach to latest album The Stage, thanks to the arrival of new drummer Brooks Wackerman.
The record was sneak-released last month as the band made a point of exploring new ways to express themselves both onstage and off. In the behind-the-scenes , Christ says: "Having Brooks when we were writing was great. A lot of the riffs would actually come off of beats and ideas he would bring to the table."

He adds that writing became "more of jamming and playing off of each other, rather than coming up with parts and fine-tuning them - getting the feel of it first and then going back. It was kind of a reverse process from the album before." here.




James Kottak Making Post Scorpions and Rehab Plans(hennemusic)

Former Scorpions drummer James Kottak is thanking fans for their support through his battle with alcoholism and his continued efforts in recovery.
"Hello to all my family, friends, and freaks," writes Kottack on his website. "I want to send a HUGE thank-you from the bottom of my heart for the thousands of messages of hope and positivity during my time of healing! I am humbled and honored by your love and gracious offerings. I am healthy & happy living in the now…grateful for yesterday, excited for the future.

"As one chapter of my life closes…a thousand new doors of adventure have opened. I have been given the ultimate gift of life with my personal REboot. To quote one of my fav songs 'Tomorrow is a Brand New Day'. With the support of Athena and my three wonderful kids, today IS the first day of the rest of my life! I look forward to reconnecting and seeing you all SOON! Rock & Roll Forever!"

Kottak - who joined the Scorpions in 1996 - made international headlines in 2014 following an alleged drunken incident in Dubai that resulted in a month-long sentence in jail in the country; the rocker was released after serving less than 10 days and promptly entered rehab to treat his alcoholism. Read more here.




Nikki Sixx Says Sixx A.M. Focused On Performance Not Glory(Classic Rock)

Nikki Sixx says he is cool with his band Sixx A.M. not being the headline act while on tour. They're currently on the road across North America with Five Finger Death Punch and Shinedown, who are co-headlining the trek. But the bassist says he is too focused on their performance on the night to think about their slot on the bill.
He tells Music Feeds Australia: "I've never really thought about it. I like to perform. I enjoy playing my instrument and being in a band and trying to push myself, watching my singer grow as a front man, watching us grow as a band every night.

"So whether I'm at the bottom of the bill or the top of the bill I never really look around and go, 'Oh look at me.' It's more about what I'm doing when I'm on stage.'

"All of the work, all of the songwriting and the lyrics and melody, the guitar parts and the mixing and the artwork. You step on stage and that's kind of what it's really about." here.




Obituary, Decapitated and Brujeria Added To Bloodstock(Metal Hammer)

Obituary, Decapitated and Brujeria have been added to the bill for next year's Bloodstock festival. They join previously announced headliners Amon Amarth, along with Blind Guardian, Testament, Hatebreed, Whitechapel, Possessed and Hell.
Bloodstock 2017 takes place from August 10 to 13 at Catton Park, Walton On Trent, England. Obituary will take to the main stage on the Sunday in support of their upcoming 10th studio album, which is expected to launch in March.

Guitarist Trevor Peres previously called Obituary's follow-up to 2014's Inked In Blood "brutal" and added: "Our new album is going to come out in March. We just finished recording before this tour started. There's some leads that still have to be finished.

"So the actual title - we haven't made a decision what to title the album yet. I think there's going to be eleven songs on the album, including Ten Thousand Ways To Die." Read more here.



Amplifier Release Trippin' With Dr Faustus Trailer(Prog)

Amplifier have released a short video to announce their upcoming sixth album titled Trippin' With Dr Faustus. The follow-up to 2014's Mystoria is scheduled for an early 2017 launch, with the new trailer featuring cryptic lyrics along with audio from the record.
The lyrics read: "Hey, Mona Lisa. How's it hanging? Smile on your starman in the operating room. Well, have we lost our way up to your city clouds? Or are we still dreaming? Well who's to know?

"And it's been on my mind. In fact, it is totally clear that life brings you suffer time - and jokers that you know. Supernova, I'm waiting for your call."

The band are also asking for fans to send images for inclusion on the Trippin' With Dr Faustus cover art. Amplifier say: "Last call for submission of photos for the artwork for Trippin' With Dr Faustus.

"The cover is made entirely from various peoples pictures - a lot of them taken while they were travelling around the world. Your image will almost certainly be boiled down deconstructed and then retooled into something completely different." Read more and watch the trailer here.



Steel Panther Announce 360 Degree Concert Live Stream(Classic Rock)

Steel Panther have announced that they will release a 360-degree virtual reality stream of their show at Los Angeles' Roxy Theatre on November 22 (Wednesday).
The rockers follow Machine Head, Testament, Megadeth and Five Finger Death Punch in their use of immersive visual technology. Fans can watch the video on the band's website or on the YouTube mobile app.

The band revealed they'll issue their fourth album Lower The Bar on February 24. It's available for pre-order now.

They also released a video for their cover of Cheap Trick's She's Tight, which features cameos from Cheap Trick's Robin Zander, Paris Michael Jackson, Bobbie Brown and Papa Roach drummer Tony Palermo.