Today's Day In Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock Stories

Paul Stanley Explains KISS Farewell Tour Move

KISS sparked speculation that they may be planning to launch another farewell tour after it was reported in the media that they had filed a request to trademark the term "End of the Road."
It turns out that the band is just looking ahead and the move was not tied to any immediate plans to embark on a retirement tour, cofounder and frontman Paul Stanley explained in a recent interview.

Stanley was asked about the move by Michael Cavacini and responded, "It's not the first trademark that's been filed.

"I thought it was a terrific name, and I was surprised nobody had used it before. I wanted to make sure that when we used it, and there will be a time that we do, I imagine - I wanted to be sure that we own it and it's ours.

"When we wanted to go out and do the 'Hottest Show On Earth' tour, Ringling Bros. came to us and said, 'You can't do that.' It set off a light and bell for me. We've always had slogans or sayings that are synonymous with us, and this was another. Everything does end, in one form or another.

"When it's my time, I want to go out in style, and I want to go out guns blazing. So, when I came up with this idea, I thought let's make sure we tie this up."



Led Zeppelin Stream Classic Live Song Performance(hennemusic)


Led Zeppelin are streaming a newly-remastered version of their 1970 classic, "Immigrant Song", as a preview to the March 23 reissue of their 2003 live set, "How The West Was Won."
The opening track from "Led Zeppelin III" reached No. 16 on the US Billboard Hot 100 while the album topped the Billboard 200 on its way to US sales of more than 6 million copies.

Remastered by producer/guitarist Jimmy Page, "How The West Was Won" presents highlights from the UK band's shows at the Los Angeles Forum and Long Beach Arena on June 25 and 27, 1972, with the two nights sequenced to replicate a single concert from beginning to end.

The 2018 reissue will be available in multiple formats, including CD, digital, and the first-ever vinyl and Blu-ray Audio editions, with the Blu-ray containing hi-res 5.1 surround sound.

A Super Deluxe Boxed Set version includes 3CDs, 4LP, a DVD in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround and PCM Stereo plus photo gallery, and a high-def download card of all stereo audio content at 96kHz/24 bit and complemented with a book of rare and previously unpublished photos of the band at each of the concert locations, and presented with a high-quality print of the original album cover - the first 30,000 of which will be individually numbered. Stream the classic song here.



Iron Maiden Plan Surprises For Fans On Legacy Tour

Iron Maiden are preparing to hit the road for the Legacy Of The Beast Tour and frontman Bruce Dickinson says that he wants fans that attend the shows to be surprised by the concert and the set list.
He told Kerrang!,"When you do a show like we're planning to do, I want it to be really slick, but awesome. I want people to go, 'Wow! F***ing hell, you've gotta see this show!' I want people to be surprised as well. I want them to go home going, 'F***ing hell, I can't believe they played that song!' That's the reaction I want.

"When you do an album tour, it's more… you can take time to be a bit goofy with people and for them to digest it and what have you. On 'The Book Of Souls' tour, there was quite a lot of chatting with the audience. I'm not planning that on this tour because we've got so much to do and there's so much going on.

"The show and the music is gonna carry the whole bloody thing. I'm pretty intimately involved in the show. There'll be a couple of moments of chat with the audience, but it should be completely self-explanatory what's going on - the drama should be in the transitions of the stage and the music. And we're playing one or two things that people are gonna be really surprised by. There'll be social media madness after the first show."


Sir Ringo As Beatles' Legend Knighted By Prince William(Radio.com)


That's Sir Ringo to you. Legendary Beatles drummer Ringo Starr has joined fellow bandmate Paul McCartney as an official British knight.
Starr was knighted by the Duke of Cambridge, AKA Prince William, eldest song of the late Princess Diana. "It means a lot actually," Starr told the BBC. "It means recognition for the things we've done. I was really pleased to accept this."

The drummer admitted to being nervous, and that he "was a bit shaky today on my own," unlike when the Beatles were given the MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) as a group in 1965.

Starr wasn't sure about being called Sir Ringo: "I don't know yet. It's new and I don't know how you use it properly," before telling BBC reporter Colin Paterson, "but I expect you to use it."

Starr tweeted about the honor, calling the honor "another busy day for Sir. Ringo. Peace and love peace and love." See the tweet here.



Judas Priest Play 1978 Song Live for the First Time(Radio.com)


Judas Priest went way back for a live debut of a song from the late 70s for their new tour kick off. Currently on tour behind their new album Firepower, Rob Halford and company energized hardcore fans on opening night by reaching back to their first decade.
With this year being the 40th anniversary of the group's 1978 full-length, Stained Class, the band performed album track, "Saints in Hell," for the first time ever.

Halford introduced the song by telling the audience how the show's set-list came together, mentioning the 40th anniversary of Stained Class, and that "this is going to be really cool" before launching into "Saints in Hell."

The tour launch marked the debut of guitarist Andy Sneap, filling in for longtime guitar player, Glenn Tipton, who is battling Parkinson's Disease. Watch fan footage of the performance here.





Joe Bonamassa To Tribute Clapton, Beck and Page On New Album(Gibson)

Joe Bonamassa has announced that he will be releasing a new live package celebrating the music of Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page and more in May.
Titled British Blues Explosion Live, it was recorded during the vocalist and guitarist's show at Greenwich Music Time at The Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, London, on July 7, 2016. It was part of the live tour Bonamassa set up to honor the UK musicians who have inspired him, including Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page.

Bonamassa says: "If it wasn't for certain British musicians of the early 1960s, the blues may well never have exploded into rock music as we know it today, and indeed may have passed into history."

It will be released on May 18 on CD, DVD, Blu-ray and 3LP via Mascot Label Group/J&R Adventures. Watch the trailer and check out the tracklist for the new album here.



Queens of the Stone Age, The Killers To Rock Elton John Tribute(Gibson)

Queens of the Stone Age and The Killers are just a couple of the artists that will be rocking Elton John classics for two new tribute albums to the legendary musician ahead of Elton's Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour.
The two cover albums will act as a tribute to his seminal songwriting partnership with Bernie Taupin. The two albums - Revamp and Restoration - and will feature some of the biggest names in modern music covering the classic catalogue of John and Taupin through the years.

Revamp, which will release on April 6 will feature Ed Sheeran ('Candle In The Wind'), The Killers ('Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters'), Queens of the Stone Age ('Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'), Miley Cyrus ('Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me') and Coldplay ('We All Fall In Love Sometimes') among others.

In a statement, Elton John said, "It's always a huge compliment when an artist loves your song enough to take the time and effort to rework it. As songwriters, Bernie and myself are thrilled when singers we admire and respect as much as those on Revamp and Restoration choose to add their own unique twist in the process." Read more here.



Liam Gallagher Cancels Show After Cutting Lollapalooza Set Short(hennemusic)

A chest infection that forced Liam Gallagher to cut his March 18 set at Lollapalooza Chile short has led to the cancellation of a March 21 show at Club Audio in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The singer struggled with the issue through three songs at Lollapalooza before walking off stage during the fourth tune, "Wall of Glass", the lead single from his debut solo album, "As You Were."

"My voice is absolutely smashed," Gallagher told the crowd at Santiago's Parque O'Higgins. "I'm not just going to stand here all night screaming out for everybody sounding f**king horrific. "I'm very sorry I can't sing the tunes."

Following the appearance, the former Oasis frontman updated fans on his status, saying he "was diagnosed with a sinus, ear and nose infection after a European show a few weeks ago which has led to a chest infection. He has been continuing to perform and trying to push through it but unfortunately today he was finding it hard breathing on stage and wasn't able to continue the set.

"Liam is severely disappointed and upset that he couldn't finish the show and wants to apologise to everyone who came out to see him tonight. He promises to reschedule a gig in Santiago as soon as possible."

The three-day Lollapalooza Chile featured headline sets by Pearl Jam, The Killers and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. A day later, Gallagher announced the cancellation of his next scheduled show, telling fans that he "has been diagnosed with an ongoing respiratory infection and a fever. The doctor has advised that he needs a minimum of 48 hours rest.

"Unfortunately, he will have to cancel his show at Club Audio on Wed March 21, however tickets will be valid for the next day at Autodromo de Interlagos, or alternatively, a refund can be arranged." Read more and watch video of his ending of the festival performance here.




Sammy Hagar Previews Rock & Roll Road Trip Guest Lineup(hennemusic)

Sammy Hagar is sharing a video preview of the guest lineup for the third season of the AXS TV series "Rock & Roll Road Trip." The show - which sees Hagar traveling the country to interview and often perform with some of the most popular and influential musicians in rock - will premiere on Sunday, April 8 at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT. with footage from the Fillmore in San Francisco from his fourth annual Acoustic-4-A-Cure benefit concert while featuring performances and conversations with Foo Fighters Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins, Mick Fleetwood, Bob Weir, and guitarists Steve Vai and Vic Johnson.
Along the way, Hagar will be joined by a 2018 lineup that includes The Who's Roger Daltrey; Canadian rockers Nickelback; Foreigner founder and guitarist Mick Jones; Judas Priest vocalist Rob Halford; Kings Of Chaos featuring Matt Sorum, Billy Duffy and Steve Stevens; Sarah McLachlan; Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo; Bad Company, Todd Rundgren and Blue Oyster Cult on the Rock Legends Cruise VI; a Mardi Gras special with celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse and New Orleans Jazz Fest legend Trombone Shorty; and Hagar supergroup The Circle.

"It's been a cool surprise how much we're all enjoying the interview part of this show because, as artists, what happens on stage or in the music studio is the easy/fun stuff and the interviews often feel like the work," says Hagar. "It's like when the camera lights go on and the questions start, that typical wall or guard is down because it's me on the other end and not a seasoned journalist asking the questions.

"So the flow is organic and its easy - to the point where we're both surprised how deep and real the conversations get - we're definitely forgetting the camera is even there and I think that's really connecting with the viewers, too." Watch the video here.




Chester Bennington's Widow Promotes Five Signs For Singer's Birthday(Radio.com)


Tuesday (March 20) was late Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington's birthday, and it was celebrated to help promote mental health awareness. Bennington's widow, Talinda Bennington, spearheaded an online campaign for fans to spread around the world.
"On Chester's birthday, I ask that you post a picture of yourself holding up your hand, which symbolizes you know the Five Signs," she said in a press statement, referring to the Five Signs of Emotional Suffering & the Healthy Habits of Emotional Well-being. The five healthy habits are: Take Care, Check In, Engage, Relax and Know. The five sings of suffering are: Personality Change, Agitated, Withdrawl, Poor Self-Care and Hopelessness.

"Write 'I AM THE CHANGE" on your hand and please use #320ChangesDirection," Talinda continued. "Because we are the change in our mental health culture. Every one of us is changing it by sharing your thoughts, offering support, and by simply being aware that we have our mental health to care for. It's up to us to change the way we think of mental health, to acknowledge that everyone has their own mental health to care for, and to end stigma and shame when we need to seek help for it." Read more here.



Unearth Recruit Killswitch Engage Star For New Album

Unearth announced last week that they have recruited Killswitch Engage's Adam D. to record the drum tracks on their forthcoming follow up album to their 2014 effort "Watchers of Rule".
The band will be entering Graphic Nature Studios with Will Putney (Every Time I Die, Body Count, Gojira, Thy Art Is Murder, Silent Planet) to record the new album which they hope to release in late summer or early fall under their brand new deal with Century Media Records.

The group had this to say about their new deal, "For three decades Century Media have been a highly trusted and leading force in Heavy music and we are proud to further our partnership with them to a Worldwide level." Read more here.



Frank Turner Looks Back On Early Marcus Mumford Memories(Gibson)

It's hard to imagine that Frank Turner, British troubadour, with six folk albums to his name and more than 2000 shows behind him, was once the lead singer in a post-hardcore band called Million Dead. Still, as a new interview with Music Radar illustrates, it's all part of the journey that's shaped him as an artist.
In the interview, Turner mentions the influential London venue Nambucca on Holloway Road, where he'd perform, along with other upcoming names on the British folk scene, like Marcus Mumford, Laura Marling and Justin Hayward-Young (The Vaccines).

He even mentions a line in one of his songs "which was specifically a rip on Marcus because he used to play banjo at the open mic night and we thought he was an idiot... then he sold a million records!" here.



Singled Out: Brother Hawk's Quittin Time

Brother Hawk guitarist and vocalist JB Brisendine tells us the story behind their single "Quittin Time", which comes from their latest album "The Clear Lake". Here is the story:
The main riff in the verse for Quittin Time was written while I was attempting to play a guitar other than a Les Paul for the first time since I was 18. I bought this Strat and every time I picked it up I gravitated towards working on that riff, it just came out of that guitar somehow. I ended kind of hating the guitar and only played one show with it before I went back to the Les Paul (what was I thinking), but I'm glad i tried because I love that riff and that song and I don't think I'd have them without that guitar. I actually sold it to Clay from The Artisanals (they rule, go listen to them). The lyrics to the chorus, "half past the crack of the crystal and fifteen minutes til the whistle", is something my grandpa would say whenever anyone asked him what time it was - without fail. Obnoxious, yet charming. I have no clue what that means but it always sounded like someone was about to get off work to me, so it seemed like the perfect break up metaphor when i was writing this song. ?