Poison's Rikki Rocket Interview

POISON Drummer RIKKI ROCKETT - "We Have Learnt So Much In Our Career It Amazes Me That We Are Not Putting All Of Those Things Together Into An Album"

Rock Hard

Posted on Sunday, April 10, 2011 at 10:37:41 EST

By Mitch Lafon
 
When POISON released their first album back in 1986, the hip rock critics panned the band and gave them less than a year to exist. Well, twenty-five years later the band rolls on and drummer Rikki Rockett looks back on his time in Poison with pride and looks forward with eager anticipation. Bravewords.com caught up with the affable skin man to discuss rock’s greatest guilty pleasure, Poison.
 


Bravewords.com: You’re on tour this summer with MÖTLEY CRÜE. Fans have been clamoring for this double bill since 1986, but the Motley guys never seemed to take Poison seriously and often put down the band. Has that negative energy passed or will this tour truly be a battle of the bands?
 
Rikki Rockett: “I never had the negative energy and, honestly, I’ve always been a Mötley Crüe fan. Let me put it to you this way, recently, I read this article about motorcyclists from an outsider’s perspective and if you don’t ride a motorcycle you think all motorcycles are the same. You don’t know the difference between a Harley, Yamaha or a Triumph until you’re in it and then all of a sudden everything seems so different. So for a fan that loves ‘80s music they don’t care about… They like a TESLA song, a Motley song, a BON JOVI song and they don’t understand the nuances between the images or this and that. Your general overall fan just likes good music. They like good songs and you can’t have just one band in your playlist. In fact, most don’t even have one genre in their playlist. Most people like everything. If, for example, you look at my wife’s playlist she’s got everything from Motley to MAROON 5 to country. You can’t live by bread alone. I think too many bands get wrapped up in this stuff. I had a beer one time with Lars Ulrich and at the same time there was a cover story in Hit Parader about METALLICA versus Poison. I said to Lars, ‘are we fighting?’ and he said, ‘not that I know of’. People get too twisted about this stuff. What’s worst is when the band starts to get twisted about it too. I don’t know where this stuff comes from. We’ve always gotten along with Motley, but we went through this little period of time where there were some differences and I do understand Motley going ‘we started earlier in rock and if the whole ‘80s thing is coming down – we need to separate ourselves away from it if we want to continue to have a career.’ I get that, but I do think that if you turn tail and run from who you are that can be devastating.”
 
Bravewords.com: Especially, when fans grew up loving your music and that image. Is there really a difference between Home Sweet Home and Every Rose Has It’s Thorn?
 
Rockett: “No, not really. A good song is a good song. Mötley Crüe and Poison have been through similar circumstances. The nuances are subtle from a fan’s perspective and the main thing is fans are going to love this.”
 
Bravewords.com: Absolutely and fans are going to get a three hour show filled with about forty top ten hits.
 
Rockett: “Absolutely and these tours work because fans can bank on getting a lot of bang for the buck. That’s why, for example, STYX and JOURNEY go out together. They may not be the hippest bands on the planet, but it doesn’t matter because you get great music and you know you’re going to get great music. Whereas when people see a bunch of newer bands… you might see eight of them on a bill but, at best, get six good songs. That’s why packages like ours work in this touring market. There’s not a lot of money to go around and we’ve done everything we can to keep tickets prices down.”
 
Bravewords.com: Do you adjust your set list at all because Mötley Crüe is coming on after you? Do you include more of the faster songs and pull out some of the ballads?
 
Rockett: “You know what Mitch, we haven’t sat down as a band and talked about it yet.”
 


Bravewords.com: What would you like to do?
 
Rockett: “I’d like to do everything. Obviously, we have to keep our hits in there because people want that, but I would probably open up with Let Me Go To The Show, drag some of the older stuff out and just challenge ourselves a little bit more. Motley is going to have a bigger show because they’re headlining, so I’d rather focus on our songs and what the fans really want. I’ve been reading on Facebook what the fans really want and they want something different in the set. We need to write down all the hits we need to cover, but from then on change almost everything. Do all different stuff to what we’ve been doing over the last years. Leave out all the cover songs and just do Poison songs.”
 
Bravewords.com: As a fan, I think that would be the best thing. If you’re going to play only (maybe) twelve songs, I don’t need to hear your cover of THE ROMANTICS or KISS. I’d rather hear 'Back To The Rocking Horse', 'Play Dirty' or 'Blame It On You'.
 
Rockett: “That’s a great idea by the way. 'Blame It On You' is really a fun song to play.”
 
Bravewords.com: Quite frankly, you could just play the entire first album from start to finish and you’re done.
 
Rockett: “I would love for us to book a couple of special shows where we just go and do the whole Look What The Cat Dragged In album. Then, in the encores, we could do a couple of the other hits from the later records, but just cover Cat from top to bottom. We could do the choreography and everything. Obviously, we can’t do everything like it was 1986 nor should we try, but we could be similarly energetic.”
 
Bravewords.com: Do you think this idea is something the band would consider doing at some point? Isn’t this is the 25th anniversary of Look What The Cat Dragged In?
 
Rockett: “You know Mitch, that’s exactly what this is and this is exactly what I’ve been trying to get the band to do. I think we should lead the tour with this or end the tour with it. In the situation that we are in with Motley, I think we need to mix up all of our songs for now, but if we did some of our own shows; I think that exactly what you and I are talking about would be great. I would love it. I would really love it. I think fans would go crazy and we could do the set-up the same way and I could build a kit… By the way the kit I built for this year’s tour is a knock-off from the original Open Up and Say Ahh kit.”

Bravewords.com: Speaking from a fan’s perspective, I think this would be a great way to celebrate the beginnings of the band. I would love to hear 'Blame It On You' (like I said before), but also 'Cry Tough' and '#1 Bad Boy'…
 
Rockett: “I would absolutely love it. I wish to God I could re-record those songs because I play so much different now. The core of who I am is the same, but I would put so much better of a spin on it now and throw those little things in that I just didn’t know back then. They always say that you should really go out on tour first, play all your songs and then come home and record them, but that’s not how we work in the music business. We do exactly the opposite, so you don’t always get all those choices. We were on a budget on that record. We were banging out four tracks a day.”
 
Bravewords.com: The whole album took only twelve days…
 
Rockett: “Yeah. That included pre-production and all that. We just had no time. Our main idea when we went in to do that record was not to have a technically proficient record because we just didn’t have the time for that, but what we needed to make it do is freaking ‘party’ (and that’s what we needed to do with our videos as well). We just didn’t have the budget. You don’t want to plant tomatoes in the desert. You plant a cactus in the desert. We decided to take what we knew would grow in that environment and did the best we could with it and that’s why I think that record works. That fervent feel of it is contagious. Believe me, we were not at the best place in our lives when we made that record. We had been turned down by every record company and here we were settling… well, at that time we considered it to be settling for an independent, but when I look back I’m glad we did because it put us in the driver’s seat. At the time, we didn’t have any money. We couldn’t play any gigs for a while because we were concentrating on putting together songs for the album (writing and all that stuff). We disappeared from the circuit so we couldn’t bring any money in. We were dirt poor Mitch. We didn’t have anything and we weren’t at the best place in our lives, but our music ‘partied’, we lived in that and we decided to make a record that felt like that because if it lived in us maybe it would live in other people too. It worked.”
 
Bravewords.com: It did work. It’s been twenty-five years since I first bought it and I’m still not fed up with it yet. I put it on the other day and listened to it from top to bottom. You simply cannot put on that album and only listen to one song. You have to play the whole album. To me, it’s still magical. If you ever play one of those albums shows – make sure you capture it on film and put it out on Blu-ray. You’ll be able to update the sound like you mentioned before, but without having to re-record the album.
 


Rockett: “Mitch, maybe you should manage us (laughs).”
 
Bravewords.com: Speaking of albums – isn’t it time for a new Poison album? I see Bret running around doing solo album after solo album and I keep thinking ‘wouldn’t it be great to have CC, Rikki and Bobby on those tracks’. I want some new Poison…
 
Rockett: “You know Mitch - here’s the thing that drives me crazy, we have learnt so much in our career… in our twenty-five years, yet it amazes me that we are not putting all of those things together (that we have learned) into an album. We could make a really great record at this point. I know I’m a better player than I was even ten years ago. I know everybody is better. Everybody has had more experiences… I can’t tell you how overdue a new record is. I am so with you on that. That’s what I wanted to do this past summer quite honestly and then we could be going out on this tour with a new record. It’s never to late to make a new record in my opinion and maybe it would be really good to do it after we come off of this. We could go back out headlining next year with a new record. I’d love that. It’s time… it’s time.”
 
Bravewords.com: Do you think it’ll happen? Doesn’t it get to be annoying to be nothing more than a heritage act at this point (and I don’t mean to be negative)?
 
Rockett: “YES! Absolutely it does. Bret is doing a lot of his own stuff right now, so he feels like he’s not being a heritage act. He’s spending a lot of time on his own stuff and that makes it fairly difficult to work around.”
 
Bravewords.com: I listened a lot to RATT’s new album (Infestation) that came out last year and the guys hit a home run. Then, you hear the new ACCEPT album and it’s another home run. There’s no reason why Poison can’t hit a home run.
 
Rockett: “I really wish that Ratt album would get some play because it’s a great record. Blotzer is playing the best I’ve ever heard…it’s a great great record…”
 
Bravewords.com: And Pearcy couldn’t have sounded any better. As for Poison, what can fans expect apart from concerts?
 
Rockett: “It’s up to us to make a record. We’re in control of that and that’s what would turn the corner for me.”
 
Bravewords.com: It’s long overdue… Will you make another solo album to keep the creative juices flowing?
 
Rockett: “I’m going to continue to try and convince the band to do another Poison album, but I, for the first time, have decided to think about working on a side project. I really want to do something and I’ve been talking to a few people and if this tour didn’t happen that’s what I’d be doing this summer. Obviously, I’m going to have to put it on hold for a little while. I’m all about keeping the focus on Poison, but if Poison is not working next year then that’s what I’m going to be doing and I’m going to have fun with it. I’ve never stepped outside of Poison and tried something in a serious way, but if I do – I’m going to give it everything. I’m not going to half-ass it…”
 
Bravewords.com: By side project – do you mean another solo album or a new band?
 
Rockett: “It’ll be a new band. The solo record was a fun project, but as a solo artist I wouldn’t go out and make a covers record. I would make an album of songs that I wrote. That album was just something I wanted to do and it was a fun thing. I though about going through all the eras of music and I think it would be really fun to step up and do an early punk record of covers. Not in any serious way, but just something fun to do. I made Glitter For Your Soul in my little studio to reconnect to some of those ‘70s artists. I reached out to all those people and made friends that I still have to this day. Life is about having these new experiences.”
 
Bravewords.com: If you do a side-project, would it be an extension of Poison music or will it be the Rikki Rockett jazz album?
 
Rockett: “It would be a straight ahead rock record very much like BAD COMPANY. That’s my favorite type of rock to play. I like all kinds of stuff – I’m truly a music fan, but this is what naturally comes out of me so why fight it? I love to stretch out and try new things, but I do know who I am and you’re not going to get a Rikki Rockett jazz record because there isn’t a single jazz fan that would take me seriously, but there’s no reason why I can’t throw some influence in there if I want to. That’s all I need to do to make myself feel good about that challenge.”
 
Bravewords.com: Poison has been around for twenty-seven years or so now – what was the magic that made you last so long? I remember reading Circus or Hit Parader back in the day and you were supposed to be the next one-hit wonder if that…
 
Rockett: “I have two answers for that. It’s like when you have that damn car that for some reason just keeps running even though everything about it was supposed to have broken down. If you really examine it though, first of all, we have a slew of hits and secondly we built a huge following through touring. Every step that we took somebody said, ‘this will be the last step Poison takes’. ‘They’ll have a flop on their second record (the sophomore flop),’ and then the second one happened and we did even better. Every step that we took was really digging into the roots of what makes a rock band work and be successful. It’s touring and reaching out to the fans – on the first headlining tour Mitch, we played every single ‘B’ market… we played ‘C’ markets. Our thinking was, ‘if they’re not coming to us then we’re coming to them’. That was our goal – to hit every city in the United States and that’s what we did. Besides the hits, that’s eighty percent of why we’ve lasted. Same thing with Metallica and I have all the respect in the world for Metallica because they beat the trail. They would do two or three year tours.”
 


Bravewords.com: As far as touring goes – you’re essentially a US-only band. You don’t head over to Asia, Europe or Australia often if at all. Is there a plan to hit those markets this year or next?
 
Rockett: “There’s an offer for a couple of shows in Australia, but I don’t know that we could afford to make it make sense right now. You have to put together a proper tour. We don’t want to go over there and disappoint people.”
 
Bravewords.com: Does Poison continue forever and do the occasional tour here and there or is there a five year plan to retirement?
 
Rockett: “At this point, we have no desire to quit.”
 
Bravewords.com: As long as fans keep showing up – you’ll keep playing.
 
Rockett: “I think so. I know I will. This has been my baby for a really long time and I really love it. By no means am I bored with it, but maybe we could make new songs because I’m a little bored playing the same songs over and over again. Besides that I enjoy it. It’s a struggle at times too and you could say we’re a comedy of errors, but if it weren’t so funny it would be tragic.”
 
Bravewords.com: I really do hope that you can get together and make a new album. Finally, how is your Rockett Drum Works company doing (Rockettdrumworks.com)?
 
Rockett: “It’s going great. I’m finally getting into that spot, where in a year, I can be big enough to support my guys but not this huge company where there are all these board meetings just to do one little thing. Right now, I can turn on a dime and do anything I need to do. I’m in a really great position right now.”
 
For more:
Website: RikkiRockett.com
Twitter: Twitter.com/RikkiRockett
Facebook: Facebook.com/RikkiRockett
Blog: Rikkirockett.wordpress.com





Credits are as follows:

Photos: (c) 2011 Robin Perine Photography (RobinPerine.com)
Stylist: Eliza Black
Designs: Marc Vachon (MarcVachon.com) & Tattoo Knuckle Gloves

Ben Stiller In Talks To Star In 'The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty'

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4/9/2011 5:41 PM ET

James Thurber's 1939 short story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" will be made into a film starring Ben Stiller. A previous film version, directed by Danny Kaye, premiered in 1947. The new production has suffered from undisclosed script problems; but, writer Steve Conrad ("The Pursuit of Happyness") has done a re-write with which Stiller was reportedly pleased. Several male leads previously showed interest including Jim Carrey, Will Ferrell, Mike Myers, Owen Wilson and Sacha Baron Cohen.

Keanu Reeves Says It Was “Horrible” Being Accused Of Fathering A Fan’s Child

Saturday April 9, 2011

 

KEANU Reeves says it was “horrible” being accused of fathering a fan’s children.
The Henry’s Crime star was accused of being the dad of at least one of Canadian woman Karen Sala’s four adult children and while DNA tests proved she was lying, Keanu admits it was an awful experience.
When asked what the craziest thing a fan has done to him, Keanu said, “Accuse me of being a father. I had to go to court. It was horrible. I didn’t do it. I’m not the dad.”
In 2009, Karen claimed Keanu used hypnosis and disguised himself as her ex-husband to impregnate her.
The 46-year-old actor had been advised to take a paternity test by his attorney when Karen went to court in Ontario, Canada, to claim he owed her child support payments.
She had asked for $150,000 per month in child support — retroactive from June 1988 — and $3 million a month in spousal support, retroactive from November 2006.
Keanu has always maintained he has never met the woman.

Bob Seger: New Album Is "Half Done"

April 8, 2011 Bob Seger has been hard at work on his first album in five years, and he has six new songs recorded. Now his dilemma is whether to keep including new material that has yet to be written, or use some older tunes that he just never officially released in the past. But in the meantime, he is enjoying being back on the road with his band for a few months before he starts writing again in June. "Last fall I put out this album Early Seger Vol. 1. It was a real rush job, but it got me looking through all this old stuff. I found that I had 45 to 55 things that no one had ever heard of before," Seger told Rolling Stone at a recent show in Ohio. "All last summer I was working on Volume 2 because the first one just had 10 songs on it... as I worked on them I said, 'You know, I’m going to put the band together and see what these would sound like if we played them live.' As we played together it just kind of kindled the old flame. One of the last things I found going through the archives was 'Downtown Train,' which we cut in 1989. We put that together and I re-sang it and edited it a little bit and we added timpani and the girls and everything, and it really sounded good. So about two months ago I said to my manager, 'If you put this on the radio, is that enough for me to go do a couple of months and see if I still like touring?' In May, I’m going to be 66, so I don’t know how many more years I’ve got a chance to do this. I thought if they played 'Downtown Train' on the radio we could buy some time for a new album perhaps in the fall." Seger added that the new album is about "half-done." "I have three other brand new songs on it, and then I’m torn, because I really like some of this old stuff, 'Downtown Train' being one of them. I’m thinking about maybe a mix of old and new for the next record," he said. "I'll start writing again around June 1. If the song-writing gods smile on me, it will all be new. If they don't, it will be a mixture of new and old – and the best of the old. That's what it will be, whatever the best songs are is what I'll put out." Seger also explained that he is having a good time onstage with his band, but that his age is starting to take its toll. He said that playing a full-on Rock show at this point in his life is sometimes surreal. "Our biggest problem is that we have too many songs. I worked up 36 songs and I can't fit them all in. We did 26 songs in Saginaw the other night and it was just too long. We're cutting it down to 24," he told the magazine. "But it's real fun up there. I'm paying the price though. I've got a real stiff neck and sore back. Other than that, I'm enjoying it." Seger's tour continues on April 9 in Buffalo. He will do a three-night stand in Detroit in late May, and wrap up the trek with a show in Cleveland on May 26.

JANI LANE To Release New EP Soon

Rock Hard

Posted on Friday, April 08, 2011 at 20:16:39 EST

Former WARRANT frontman Jani Lane has issued the following update:

"I will be back on the road by June. In the mean time I'm staying holed up in my studio writing for myself and other artists. I will be releasing a remastered and possibly rerecorded version of JABBERWOCKY by September. Tired of hearing basterdized versions floating all around the world... guess its time to put it out there properly.

I'll also be releasing a five-six song EP on my new website Janilane.net . This is, in my humble opinion, some of the best songs I've ever written (I'm not the only one who has said this)! I'm planning a RADIOHEAD type experiment where I will make the entire download free, give you a chance to check it out and several ways to kick me back what you think its worth... or tell me it sucks and to go back to the drawing board! Hope you all have a great spring break and see you this summer!!"

SAMMY HAGAR To Guest On Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

Rock Hard

Posted on Friday, April 08, 2011 at 20:27:51 EST

According to the Late Night TV Page, SAMMY HAGAR (CHICKENFOOT, ex-VAN HALEN, MONTROSE) will guest on the Tuesday, April 19th edition of NBC-TV's Late Night With Jimmy Fallon promoting his new book, Red: My Uncensored Life In Rock. The show airs at 12:35 AM (EST) (early Wednesday morning, April 20th).

Hagar is singing the US National Anthem for the first time tomorrow (Saturday, April 9th) - with bandmate JOE SATRIANI - at AT&T Park in San Francisco, CA.

PAUL STANLEY To Appear On The Doctors

Rock Hard

Posted on Friday, April 08, 2011 at 20:32:29 EST

Paul Stanley, the driving force behind KISS, "the greatest rock band of all time," will appear on the nationally-syndicated television show The Doctors on Thursday, April 14. Paul will discuss his work with the non-profit House Research Institute, his own hearing loss and his efforts to prevent noise-induced hearing loss amongst teens. Check your local listings for air times or go to Thedoctorstv.com for further programming information.

Prince To Play 21 Nights In LA

Prince 

 

Prince will continue his residency-style "Welcome 2 America" tour with a whopping 21-date stand in Los Angeles, beginning on April 14 at the Forum. The artist made the announcement via a phone call on George Lopez's show last night (watch the video below).


Video: Prince on "Lopez Tonight"

"I will be starting a 21-night stand next Thursday the 14th at the L.A. Forum with [his band] the New Power Generation and a whole gang of special guests," Prince said. "I'm gonna blast the roof off that place, I promise!" A rep for the singer later clarified to the Los Angeles Times that not all of the dates will be at the Forum, and said detailed will be available soon.

Prince then said he'll appear on Lopez's show on Wednesday night to discuss the residency further. More information was not available at press time; information about the shows had not yet appear on the Forum's website.

Since December, Prince has played residency-style concert series in the New York area, North and South Carolina, and Oakland, California. Many of the hits-heavy shows have featured guest appearances -- ranging from Cee Lo Green, Sheila E. and Carlos Santana to, er, Kim Kardashian and Leighton Meester -- and a series of stellar opening acts, including Janelle Monae, Esperanza Spalding, Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings and more.

Manny Ramirez Retires Under Steroid Scrutiny

NEW YORK -- Tampa Bay Rays slugger Manny Ramirez told Major League Baseball on Friday that he is retiring after being notified of an issue that arose under MLB's drug policy.
The commissioner's office announced Ramirez's decision in a statement but did not say whether he tested positive for a banned substance. Ramirez tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug during spring training and retired rather than face a 100-game suspension, sources told ESPN.com. Ramirez previously served a 50-game suspension for violating the drug policy while he was with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"Major League Baseball recently notified Manny Ramirez of an issue under Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program," the statement said. "Rather than continue with the process under the Program, Ramirez has informed MLB that he is retiring as an active player. If Ramirez seeks reinstatement in the future, the process under the Drug Program will be completed."

SweetSpot: Hall Of Famer?

Is Manny Ramirez a Hall of Famer? ESPN.com's David Schoenfield says absolutely, although the steroids issue will certainly put a chokehold on his candidacy when he comes up for election. Blog
• Karablog: Retirement fantasy reaction

MLB said it would have no further comment. A second positive test under the program results in a 100-game suspension, and a third test results in a lifetime ban.
"The Tampa Bay Rays were informed today by the Commissioner's Office that Manny Ramirez has decided to retire after being informed of an issue under the Drug Program," the Rays said in a statement. "We are obviously surprised and disappointed by this news. We will have no further comment on this matter, and our fans and organization will carry on."
The Rays purchased the contract of Casey Kotchman from Triple-A Durham to replace Ramirez on the roster.
Ramirez left the team earlier this week to attend to what the Rays called a family matter. Manager Joe Maddon said on Thursday that he expected Ramirez to be available for Friday night's game at the Chicago White Sox, but he never showed up.
"I just approached the team and talked to them straight up about it," Maddon told ESPNChicago.com. "I believe in that. I don't believe in trying to dissemble the truth in any way. So we talked about it in a very forthright manner and because of that I think we're going to actually do good by it. I think you can take something like this, which on the surface has all negativity stamped all over it like a postage stamp, but at the end of the day this can be something that really brings us together."
Ramirez played in only five games for the Rays, with one hit in 17 at-bats.
Rays outfielder Johnny Damon said he began hearing late Thursday that Ramirez wouldn't be returning to the team, but he didn't know the reason.
"I am surprised," Damon said. "This spring he played well."
The 12-time All-Star agreed to a $2 million, one-year contract with the defending AL East champions in the offseason, hoping to re-establish himself as one of the game's feared hitters.
The 38-year-old outfielder-designated hitter struggled with injuries but still hit .298 with nine homers and 42 RBIs in 90 games for the Dodgers and White Sox last season. He's a career .312 hitter with 555 home runs in 18-plus seasons, including some of his best with the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox.
It was after signing with the Dodgers, though, that his reputation was sullied.
The erratic Ramirez performed well on the field and became a fan favorite, with "Mannywood" signs popping up around town, and wound up signing a $45 million, two-year contract to remain with the Dodgers. But in May 2009, he was suspended for testing positive for human chorionic gonadotropin, a banned female fertility drug that is often used to help mask steroid use.
According to a report in The New York Times later that summer, Ramirez also tested positive for performance-enhancing substances during MLB's anonymous survey testing in 2003. Ramirez was a member of the Red Sox during that time.

Manny Among Boys

Manny Ramirez was one of the greatest right-handed hitting outfielders in MLB history. His adjusted on-base plus slugging of 154 trails only Hank Aaron, Willie Mays and Joe DiMaggio among right-handed batters that played at least 1,000 career games in the outfield.

Highest OPS+, RHB Outfielders

MLB History
Hank Aaron	155
Willie Mays	155
Joe DiMaggio	155
Manny Ramirez	154
Frank Robinson	154
*Minimum 1000 games at OF

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"I'm shocked," said Colorado's Jason Giambi, who has acknowledged taking steroids during his own career. "He always kind of portrayed that he was out there but he knew how to hit, man. He was unbelievable when it came to hitting."
His retirement comes as baseball, which has been working hard to put its so-called Steroids Era in the past, has another of its great hitters, Barry Bonds, on trial in San Francisco. Bonds is facing federal charges that he lied to a grand jury in 2003 by denying that he willfully used performance-enhancing drugs.
The Rays, winless through their first six games, hoped the Manny they signed this season would be the same Manny who was MVP of the 2004 World Series when he was with the Red Sox.
"Might have been running out of bullets," said Philadelphia Phillies manger Charlie Manuel, who worked with Ramirez in Cleveland. "Father Time was catching up to him."
At his best, Ramirez was one of the game's great hitters, finishing in the top five in MVP voting four times. He led the American League with a .349 batting average in 2002, finished second the following year and had an AL-best 43 home runs in 2004.
At his worst, Ramirez was criticized for his lackadaisical nature, particularly in the outfield. More than once, managers and teammates complained that Ramirez didn't seem to care about playing defense or wouldn't hustle down the line after a hit.
"A lot of people don't take it really seriously when they talk about Many Ramirez," White Sox third baseman Omar Vizquel told ESPNChicago.com. "But the guys who have been in the lineup with him and know how he works, his work ethic, he shows up at 2 o'clock every day, he takes extra batting practice every day and it doesn't matter if he went 5-for-5 the day before. He was constantly in the gym lifting weights. His work ethic was very, very good. And some people look at him on the field like, 'Who the hell is this guy? What is he doing?' There are actions that he does on the field that really don't reflect what type of player he was. But he was just an amazing guy."
Giambi said Ramirez's approach to hitting was never in question.
"It was just impressive to watch," he said. "He always played that he was aloof, but he really knew how to play the game. You could talk hitting with him and his work ethic was pretty unbelievable. He would be in the cage, hitting off breaking-ball machines, and I think that's a part of him that people didn't see, that he put his time and effort into hitting."
Damon refused to discuss whether Ramirez's reputation has been tainted by drug use, instead choosing to focus on his performance on the field. They were teammates on the Red Sox from 2002-05 and together helped the franchise win the 2004 World Series, its first since 1918.
"It's unfortunate," Damon said. "I don't know everything that's been brought up. All I know is he's a great teammate and a great player."
Texas Rangers manager Ron Washington was more somber in his assessment of Ramirez's career.
"Until the past couple of years, I thought he was on his way to the Hall of Fame," Washington said. "I don't think many guys got as many big hits in their careers as he has. There weren't many guys who had as big an effect on a game as he had.
"You hate to see greatness all of a sudden just fade," he said.

Def Leppard Unveil Tracklisting For New 'Mirrorball' Live Album

April 7, 2011

 




Def Leppard, Britain's greatest arena rock band, are set to release a brand new live album, 'Mirrorball', this summer featuring a mix of live Def Leppard classics (recorded throughout The Sparkle Lounge Tour), three brand new studio songs and a bonus DVD that contains energetic live performances and intimate backstage footage captured on the road.

'Mirrorball' is Def Leppard's first ever live album and features rock classics such as "Animal", "Pour Some Sugar On Me", "Photograph", "Nine Lives" and "Rock Of Ages". The album also brings together three brand new studio tracks -- "Uundefeated", "Kings Of The World" and "It's All About Believin'" taking their place with ease within this classic setlist.

'Mirrorball' will also be available online, marking the first time the band's music will officially be made available for digital purchase. Def Leppard will also be releasing their new community based website in May, which is being developed to be the ultimate Def Leppard fan experience and go- to destination for all things on the band.

Full 'Mirrorball' tracklisting is as follows:

DISC 1:
1. Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)
2. Rocket
3. Animal
4. C'Mon C'Mon
5. Make Love Like A Man
6. Too Late For Love
7. Foolin'
8. Nine Lives
9. Love Bites
10. Rock On

DISC 2:
1. Two Steps Behind
2. Bringin' On The Heartbreak
3. Switch 625
4. Hysteria
5. Armageddon It
6. Photograph
7. Pour Some Sugar On Me
8. Rock Of Ages
9. Let's Get Rocked
10. Action
11. Bad Actress
12. Undefeated (new studio track)
13. Kings Of The World (new studio track)
14. It's All About Believin' (new studio track)

Also set for release this summer is Leppard's first coffee table book titled "Def Leppard - The Definitive Visual History", with exclusive photos by legendary rock photographer Ross Halfin. The book is released on the 1st June 2011.

Def Leppard remain one of the world's biggest and most successful live acts. The band last played the UK and Eire in 2009 - headlining Download festival that year after a hugely successful sold out UK Arena tour in 2008. 2011 will see Def Leppard headline Download Festival for the second time in three years. The band will also play Arena shows in both Dublin and Belfast with legendary special guests Alice Cooper and Thin Lizzy. Full details below:

Tues 7th June 2011 - The Odyssey Arena, Belfast, N. Ireland
Wed 8th June 2011 - The O2, Dublin, Eire
Fri 10th June 2011 - Download Festival, UK

With more than 65 million albums sold worldwide and two prestigious Diamond Awards (Def Leppard are one of only five rock bands to have two consecutive 10 million plus selling albums in the U.S. - the others are The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Van Halen) to their credit, Def Leppard - Joe Elliott (vocals), Phil Collen (guitar), Rick "Sav" Savage (bass), Vivian Campbell (guitar) and Rick Allen (drums) - continue to be one of the most important forces in rock music. Over the course of their career, the band has produced a series of classic groundbreaking albums that set the bar for generations of music fans and artists alike. The group's spectacular live shows, filled with powerful melodic rock anthems, continue to sell out venues worldwide. Their epic live show and arsenal of hits have become synonymous with their name, leading Def Leppard to be heralded as an institution in both the music and touring industry.

'Mirrorball' will be released through Bludgeon Riffola/Mailboat Records. For dates, see below:

Germany / Switzerland / Austria - June 3
UK & Europe - June 6
North America - coming this summer, exact date to be announced

KISS start work on new album

KISS have begun work on their new album.

On his website, Eric Singer posted a photo of his drums in a studio setting, along with the caption, “Rehearsals have begun for the new KISS record !”

“Sonic Boom,” released in 2009, was the band’s first studio album in more than a decade. Vocalist/guitarist Paul Stanley produced that album, and he will perform the same duties on this one.

“Paul knows more what a KISS record should sound like than anybody, to be honest with you, so he is going to lead the charge and produce it again, and we are all really excited about it,” guitarist Tommy Thayer told BackstageAxxess.com in January.

Gene Simmons is pleased with where the project is, at this point. “KISS pre-production for new studio album going great. New songs. New energy. Paul doing a great job,” Simmons Tweeted on Thursday.

Blink-182 'More Than Halfway Through' New Album, Says Travis Barker

Artists in this Article

blink-182

Travis Barker

Lil WayNE

Transplants

Currently on the road with Lil Wayne to promote his first solo album, "Give the Drummer Some," Travis Barker predicts he'll do another record of his own -- but that might not be for a while with new blink-182 and Transplants projects on the horizon.

"They're all very different," Barker tells Billboard.com about his assorted activities. "It's easy for me to separate them. When I was finishing my album, I was starting on the blink album, starting on a Transplants record, but they're separate and all three are so different that it was really easy to go in and write for each of them...nothing was sounding similar."

Travis Barker: Inside His Hip-Hop Passion Project

Barker says blink-182, which reunited in 2009 after a four-year split, is "a little more than halfway through" its next album, which bandmates Mark Hoppus and Tom DeLonge are working on in Los Angeles while Barker is on the road. "Right now I get a lot of stuff sent to me over the Internet, so when I get home I can do my thing," explains Barker, who finishes the Lil Wayne tour on April 29. "I talk to Mark through e-mail every day."

At this point, Barker adds, "It's hard to say what everything's going to sound like because it's not finished. It does feel exactly where it should be, where we left off with the self-titled (album in 2003). They feel like they could be disc two of that album, so far."

The album's title and timetable is up in the air right now, but Barker notes that, "I believe we're planning on turning it in in July and out hopefully in the summer. I think a summer tour and summer album would be nice, but I can't really say anything yet."

Transplants -- Barker's band with Rancid's Tim Armstrong and Skinhead Rob Alston -- started working on their third album and follow-up to 2005's "Haunted Cities" shortly before the blink-182 reunion. And, according to Barker, the trio has continued to work together when schedules align.

"I think we have 16 songs already," he notes. "We're very, very quick with writing, and spontaneous. I think we plan on maybe writing 30 songs and picking 12 to 15 and putting them out. The others will be featured on deluxe editions and B-sides and other cool things we plan on releasing."

Travis Barker Jams with RZA, Raekwon, Tom Morello in 'Carry It'

There's no word on a Transplants release date, either, but Barker is confident that album can surface this year along with blink-182's. Meanwhile, he's perfectly happy being on the road with Lil Wayne and his Young Money/Cash Money cohorts.

"I've never seen arena rap in my whole life," Barker marvels. "I've seen arena rock forever, and I've been to small hip-hop shows, but this is a trip to see. Wayne's filling arenas all around the world and just killing it. It's pretty awesome, man. I'm pretty proud of him and just seeing how far the whole thing has come, you know?"

Shinedown New Somewhere In The Stratosphere CD/DVD Details

. Shinedown has provided the details for their forthcoming live, multi-disc CD/DVD collection, "Somewhere In The Stratosphere," which will arrive on May 3rd.The collection – which received its title from a member of the "Shinedown Nation" fan community – will include material filmed and recorded on Shinedown's two 2010 headline tours: the inaugural "Carnival Of Madness" tour, in which they topped a lineup that included Chevelle, Puddle Of Mudd, Sevendust, and 10 Years; and the "Anything & Everything" acoustic tour, which featured stripped-down versions of both chart-topping hits and fan favorites alongside intimate conversations with the audience about the stories behind the songs.
"SOMEWHERE IN THE STRATOSPHERE" showcases both the energy of their electric show and intimacy of their acoustic sets with a CD/DVD dedicated to each tour (see attached track listing).
Frontman Brent Smith: "The Carnival of Madness and Anything & Everything tours were some of the most intense and rewarding shows we've ever played. 'SOMEWHERE IN THE STRATOSPHERE' allows us to relive those special times with all the fans that came out, and share the experience with those that we didn't get to see on the road."
A Premium Pack will also be available, allowing fans to choose from the Standard or Deluxe album, plus a poster and t-shirt. The deluxe version of the multi-disc CD/DVD set includes an expanded 16-page booklet with the four discs each packaged in die-cut baby jackets and housed in a special box. "Somewhere In The Stratosphere"

CD/DVD 1
Somewhere In The Stratosphere –
Madness
LIVE from Washington State (Electric)
Intro
Sound Of Madness
Devour
I Dare You
Cyanide Sweet Tooth Suicide
If You Only Knew
Diamond Eyes
45
Burning Bright
Heroes
The Crow & The Butterfly
Her Name Is Alice
Save Me
Left Out
Simple Man
Fly >From The Inside
Second Chance

CD/DVD 2
Somewhere In The Stratosphere –
Anything and Everything
LIVE from Kansas City (Acoustic)
Heroes
Save Me
If You Only Knew
Sound of Madness
Shed Some Light
45
I Dare You
Times Like These
The Crow & The Butterfly
Burning Bright
Devour
Call Me
Fly
With A Little Help
Simple Man
Second Chance

Will Arnett Lands Starring Role In Lorne Michaels Comedy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4/5/2011 9:15 PM ET

Will Arnett has landed a starring role in an as-yet-untitled Lorne Michaels-produced sitcom for NBC. Arnett will play the stay-at-home husband of a working mother (Christina Applegate) in the Broadway Videos production, which also stars former "Saturday Night Live" actress Maya Rudolph. The "Arrested Development" actor, who last appeared on the nixed TV show "Running Wilde," has a recurring role as Devon Banks in Michaels' "30 Rock."

Christian Slater's New Series 'Breaking In' Debuts This Week

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4/6/2011 8:35 PM ET

Christian Slater's new action/comedy series "Breaking In" is set to debut on Wednesday, April 6 on Fox at 9:30 pm ET/PT. The series centers on Slater's character Oz, the head of a high-tech security firm who is willing to go to dubious lengths to sell his product. Slater joins Bret Harrison, Alphonso McAuley, Trevor Moore, Odette Annable and Michael Rosenbaum for the new show, which is produced by Adam F. Goldberg and Seth Gordon.

More Star Power Added To 'The Office' Season Finale

4/6/2011 3:25 PM ET

(RTTNews) - Ray Romano, James Spader and Catherine Tate have all reportedly joined the growing list of guest stars set to appear in the upcoming season finale of "The Office." According to a new report from tvline.com, the trio of stars will appear alongside Ricky Gervais, Will Arnett and Will Ferrell in the one-hour season wrap up.

The increased attention is due in large part to star Steve Carell's departure before the end of the season. Ferrell will, in fact, appear in the final four episodes of the season. Various industry insiders have speculated that the final shows will be used to announce a new boss that will replace Carell's character of Michael Scott.
Carell has made continued headlines for his departure from the show and now it seems his costar Rainn Wilson may be heading for the door as well.
"I'm ready, willing, and able to move on, I'd like to go back to theater," Wilson recently told New York Magazine. "Theater is f***ing hard and time-consuming, and there's not enough time while doing 'The Office' to rehearse and run a play."
The season finale of "The Office" will air on May 19.

JOURNEY TO RELEASE FIRST SINGLE

Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the April 4th digital release of the new Journey single, City of Hope from the forthcoming album Eclipse. “City of Hope” will be available at all European online music stores. “City of Hope” is a “classic Journey style anthem”, writes melodicrock.com.
Journey is currently touring Latin America in front of packed audiences. Following shows in Santiago, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Lima and Caracas, Journey will play the following dates:
April 7 Guatemala City, Guatemala - Mundo E
April 9 Panama City, Panama - Centro Figali
April 12 Mexico City, Mexico - Auditorio Nacional
April 13 Monterrey, Mexico - Arena Monterrey
“Eclipse” will be released on Scarecrow Records in Mexico, WET Music in Brazil and D.B.N. in the rest of Latin America.
The first single from “Eclipse” in South America will be “Human Feel”, also available digitally from April 4th. Online stores carrying the new single include iTunes and Telcel in Mexico, Claro, Telefonica and Comcel in Colombia, and Porta in Ecuador.
“Eclipse” will be released in Europe on May 27th, with the “Eclipse Tour” kicking off with major arena shows in the UK and Eire together with Foreigner and Styx (check local listings for lineups). The tour also visits Germany, Switzerland, Benelux, Scandinavia, France and – for the first time ever – Italy, before the North American tour which starts in mid-July.
Since its formation in 1973, Journey has earned 19 Top 40 singles and 25 gold and platinum albums in the US alone. The band's “Greatest Hits” album is 15 times platinum, bringing Journey into the elite club of Diamond-certified album holders. “Revelation”, Journey's 2008 studio album, is the sixth album to reach double platinum worldwide. Journey (Neal Schon - lead guitar, Jonathan Cain - keyboards, Ross Valory – bass guitar, Deen Castronovo – drums and Arnel Pineda – lead vocals) have performed for over two million fans, and the Eclipse Tour will take them around the world well into 2012.
For more information on Journey and complete tour details go to www.journeymusic.com.

xx

Sammy Hagar Still 'Angry' Over Van Halen Split

April 5, 2011

 




Former Van Halen frontman Sammy Hagar is still confused and "angry" about his departure from the band and he's convinced they could have achieved great things if he had stayed on as singer.

Hagar parted company with the Jump hit-makers in 1996 after 11 years as the group's frontman, claiming he'd been fired after a bust-up with founder/guitarist Eddie Van Halen.

He admits he's still furious over the incident, and he's confused as to why he is no longer with the band, as its work rate has slumped since he left.

Hagar tells Dr. Drew, "I don't really know what (Eddie's) whole problem is... The ending was hurtful... Nobody likes that... I was p**sed off. I let it out the other way. I was angry, and I still carry it with me, like you said. I feel it. I'm going, 'Why did those guys do that?'

"Look, they throw me out of the band and then they haven't done anything since! Eighteen years later (sic). It's like, 'Why did you do that?' We were the biggest band in the world, everything was fantastic, and it's a shame to see that go to waste."

ALICE IN CHAINS ANNOUNCEMENT APRIL 11

Alice In Chains has re-launched their website, AliceInChains.com, and the band says that a special concert announcement will be coming on Monday, April 11. In related news, AIC frontman William DuVall is producing a feature-length documentary film about Atlanta’s hardcore punk scene. Under the working title All Alone Together, the film spotlights two generations of hardcore kids – those who jump-started the scene in the early 1980s and the new generation of kids who are carrying it forward in the present day – exploring the common threads and challenges faced by Atlanta's youth of different eras. Also, today is the anniversary of the death of original AIC singer Layne Staley.

Bryan Ferry 'seriously ill' in hospital

65 year old is admitted to hospital after 'feeling rough for some time.

The Roxy Music singer was due to make an appearance at an Olympic 2012 event, but pulled out after saying he has been feeling unwell for some time and wanted to undergo hospital examination.

According to The Daily Mail, a spokesman for the 65 year old denied that Ferry had suffered a heart attack, only stating the singer was having tests.

The spokesman said: "Bryan has been feeling rough for some time and he felt even worse today. So, he thought it was best for the doctors to look into it. We’re all obviously very concerned for him."

He added that the tests were "a precautionary measure."

Ferry has a series of gigs booked throughout the summer, including appearances at Thetford Forest and Hop Farm Festival in July. There has been no comment as to whether these dates will be affected.

DEF LEPPARD Guitarist Phil Collen On Touring With HEART

Posted on Tuesday, April 05, 2011 at 12:27:38 EST

Noisecreep has issued a new interview with DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen, conducted by Jon Wiederhorn. The following is an excerpt:

Q: The last time US audiences saw Def Leppard was on a joint headline tour with POISON. HEART are a very different kind of band. Are you trying to tap into an audience from multiple generations?

A: "Not really, because we do that anyway. It really came down to who was available. We wanted to have someone with a big catalog of hits. That's worked well for a few years. We went out with Poison, JOURNEY, BRYAN ADAMS, BILLY IDOL, STYX. And Heart seemed to fit the bill



Def Leppard on tour with Heart:

June
15 - West Palm Beach, FL - Cruzan Amphitheatre
17 - Tampa, FL - 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre
18 - Atlanta, GA - Aarons Amphitheatre at Lakewood
19 - Orange Beach, AL - Amphitheater at the Wharf
22 - Charlotte, NC - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
24 - Raleigh, NC - Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion
25 - Virginia Beach, VA - Farm Bureau Live
26 - Philadelphia, PA - Susquehanna Bank Center
29 - Scranton, PA - Toyota Pavilion
30 - Boston, MA - Comcast Center

July
2 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
3 - Hershey, PA - Hersheypark Stadium
5 - Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest
7 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center
12 - Wantagh, NY - Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
13 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
15 - Chicago, IL - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
17 - Cadott, WI - Rockfest
19 - Tulsa, OK - BOK Center
20 - Dallas, TX - Gexa Energy Pavilion
22 - Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
23 - New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Arena
24 - San Antonio, TX - AT&T Center

August
8 - Sturgis, SD - Buffalo Chip
10 - St. Louis, MO - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
13 - Des Moines,IA - Iowa State Fair
16 - Toronto, ON - Molson Amphitheatre
17 - Detroit, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
20 - Pittsburgh, PA - First Niagara Pavilion
21 - Buffalo, NY - Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
24 - Cleveland, OH - Blossom Music Center
26 - St Paul, MN - Minnesota State Fair
27 - Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center
31 - Salt Lake City, UT - USANA Amphitheatre

September
2 - Albuquerque, NM - The Pavilion
7 - Universal City, CA - Gibson Amphitheatre
9 - San Francisco, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre
11 - Sacramento, CA - Sleep Train Amphitheatre
14 - Portland, OR - Sleep Country Amphitheater
15 - Seattle, WA - White River Amphitheatre

Today In Rock History

Though the exact time of his death is unknown, Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain is thought to have killed himself on April 5, 1994. He was 27 years old.

Cobain had walked out of a rehab center in Los Angeles the previous week and had not been seen by his family and close friends for several days, including his wife, Hole frontwoman Courtney Love, with whom Cobain had a one-and-a-half-year-old daughter.

On April 8, Cobain's body was discovered at his home by an electrician. The singer had shot himself in the chin with a shotgun. He had long battled depression and drug addiction, and a suicide found near the body detailed dissatisfaction with his life and with the music business.

Nirvana had released just three studio albums during Cobain's life, but their second effort, 1991's "Nevermind," with its seminal grunge track "Smells Like Teen Spirit," solidified the Seattle music scene in the mainstream. The band released their debut effort “Bleach” in 1989. Their third studio effort, “In Utero,” was released in 1993.

Steve Carell And Keira Knightley Connected To New Comedy Film

4/4/2011 7:20 PM ET

(RTTNews) - Steve Carell and Keira Knightley are both reportedly in talks to star in a new comedy film titled "Seeking A Friend at the End of the World." According to a new report from the hollywoodreporter.com, Carell may star in the film as a lonely man seeking a meaningful relationship in the days before the apocalypse.

Lorene Scafaria is set to make her directorial debut on the film. She is part of the all-female writing and production crew known as Fempire, which also includes "Juno" writer Diablo Cody and Liz Meriwether.
"Seeking A Friend at the End of the World" will be a joint production between Steven Rales and Mark Roybal of Indian Paintbrush films along with Nathan Kahane and Nicole Brown of Mandate films and Steve Golin and Joy Gorman of Anonymous Content.
Filming is expected to begin next month in Los Angeles.

Steven Tyler: New Single, Oxygen, Comes With Autobiography

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

There’s a new Steven Tyler single on the horizon.

Last fall, when the Aerosmith singer was making headlines with news that he was joining American Idol as a judge, Tyler released his first solo single in Japan.

Tyler recorded the theme song, “Love Lives,” for the live-action "Space Battleship Yamato" movie, which opened in Japan in December.

Now, there’s news that another Tyler solo track is on the way.

On May 3, Steven will release his autobiography, “Does the Noise in My Head Bother You?” – and the book will be accompanied by a new single called "Oxygen (Feels So Good)."

Tyler posted a comment on Twitter back in February about it, saying:

“Workin on new song (OXYGEN) Will B in book...”

In 2002, while putting together songs for the “Oh Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits” package, a song called “Oxygen” was reportedly turned down by the band; Tyler has resurrected the song for a solo 2011 release.

My Career With Elton John: Davey Johnstone Interview

Davey Johnstone on stage with Elton John, Norfolk, Virginia, 2011. © Jason Moore/ZUMA Press/Corbis

"What's going on with us is remarkable, and Madison Square Garden is a classic example," marveled Elton John guitarist Davey Johnstone the other day. "We've played there so many times, well over 60 concerts, and to still sell it out for a couple of shows, it's incredible. New York City has always been a great city for us. We love coming here."
Having just played two knockout (and yes, packed) dates at the Garden, Johnstone was in town with Sir Elton and the rest of the band (which also includes drummer Nigel Olsson, who, along with Johnstone and the late bassist Dee Murray, comprised the famed, original Elton John four-piece), for an appearance on Saturday Night Live. John hosted, and he and the band played a couple of numbers with Leon Russell, Elton's idol and musical partner of late.
During a break in his schedule, Johnstone sat down with MusicRadar in Manhattan's swanky London Hotel. He admitted that the SNL gig promised to be "a lot of fun. Elton's such a comedy fan - I'm sure he'll be brilliant in all the skits." But after the show, it's back to the road. Johnstone, who has performed with John for 40 years now ("very hard to believe - the time has just blown by"), not counting a brief period in the late '70s when the superstar went into semi-retirement, said that touring has lost none of its luster. The three-hour show is a dizzying cavalcade of multi-platinum smashes, but Johnstone revealed that he and the boss try to change things up here and there.
"Elton and I talk before every show," he said. "We look at the setlist and make adjustments when needed. It's a long show, with no opening act. We do all the hits. Of course, when I say 'all' the hits, there's still many that we aren't doing. Even in a three-hour show, we can't do every hit. I'm always trying to get him to do stuff that we haven't done in a while, like Harmony, which I love.
"Every Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, which I've been hassling him to do for years, and Crocodile Rock - he hasn't been doing that one for a while, either. That's what I do: I stay on him about the set. Fortunately, I know his tolerance level, and I know not to ask him about something too many times. But he knows me, and he knows if I say something often enough that there might be something to it. We have a great relationship in that way."
The Scottish-born Johnstone joined Elton John's band in 1971 at the advanced age of 19. Throughout the decades, the guitarist has put his unique guitar stamp - one minute he's dishing out lashing electric solos, the next he's applying lush acoustic layers - on a breathtaking number of worldwide chart-toppers (it's estimated that John has sold over 250 million albums) and has become Elton's musical director. In addition to his day job, Johnstone has worked with John on The Lion King soundtrack, as well as the music to productions such as Aida and Billy Elliot.
"We've done pretty well," Johnstone said, chucking at what he realizes is a whopper of an understatement. With so much history to talk about, classic songs and decades of memorable shows (the guitarist cited 1974's Madison Square Garden concert, during which John Lennon joined Elton and the band, as a career highlight), it was difficult to know where to start. So, MusicRadar went right to the beginning:
Tell me how you came to join Elton's band.
"I was a studio player, and I knew Gus Dudgeon. Gus was Elton's producer [Dudgeon died in a car accident in 2002], but he was also working with a band I played with called Magna Carta. One day, Gus talked to me about an album he was doing with Elton - this would be Madman Across The Water - and he said that none of the guitar players they had tried had worked out. He asked if I wanted to come to the studio and do a session, and I said, 'Sure. Of course.'
"Honestly, I didn't really know at the time who Elton John was. I'd seen him a bit in the music papers, but I wasn't into what he was doing - I was into traditional Irish music. But money's money, so I agreed to do the session. Why not, right? The day before the session, however, I saw Elton perform Border Song on Top Of The Pops, and I went, 'Wow…this guy is good! [laughs] So I went into the session with a whole new attitude."

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Pink Floyd’s Waters and Gilmour to Reunite

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04.01.2011

 

Roger Waters has confirmed he is likely to be joined on stage by former Pink Floyd bandmate David Gilmour on his tour of The Wall – but only for one gig. Waters and Gilmour have had a fractious relationship for many years, but did play together in Pink Floyd at 2005’s Live 8 charity show. There now seems to be another chance to see them share a stage.
“I hear the rumors,” Waters says. “I think it’s beginning to look now as if he’ll do one gig, he’ll do “Comfortably Numb” at one gig. It’s a big secret when. Live 8 was the big one when Rick [Wright] was still alive – it was very moving."
Speaking to Sky News, Waters also rebuffed that he and Gilmour’s battle over Pink Floyd ever got over-serious. “We didn’t go to court – all that was crap – we never went near a court ever. When we split up, David and Nick [Mason, drums] ended up with the name and I ended up with The Wall and everything to do with it and a few quid.”
Waters predicts these could be his last big shows. “Constructing something like this indoors – I’ll probably never do anything this big again, the technology of projection we’ve used in this show is breathtaking.”
Waters’ European tour of The Wall starts today, April 1 in Milan, Italy.

'Hop' Vaults Over Weekend Box-Office Competition

Last week's #1, 'Diary of a Wimpy Kid,' drops to #4.

"Hop" (featuring the voice of outrageous jokester Russell Brand as an Easter Bunny who poops candy) had the strongest opening weekend of any movie released thus far in 2011. The holiday-themed kids' movie enjoyed a $38.1 million opening, which is just a hair (or "hare"?) more than the $38 million debut of "Rango" five weeks ago.
Both flicks are rated PG. "Hop," which co-stars James Marsden ("X-Men") in the lead human role, earned the rating for some mildly crude humor, whereas "Rango," featuring Johnny Depp voicing a cartoon lizard, has some crude humor, a bit of cowboy action and characters who smoke.
"Rango" remains the better reviewed of the two, with 89 percent of critics finding it worthwhile, according to Rotten Tomatoes, which collects reviews from critics. "Hop" sits at just 20 percent on the Tomatometer at press time. ("Rango" was produced by Paramount Pictures, which like MTV is a subsidiary of Viacom.)
The strong debut of "Hop" is great news for Russell Brand, whose "Get Him to the Greek" debuted at #2 last summer with $17.5 million. The R-rated comedy went on to gross $60.9 million domestically. Brand, who is married to singer Katy Perry, will turn up again in theaters next weekend as the drunken title character in the remake of the 1981 Dudley Moore vehicle "Arthur."
The weekend's #2 movie was "Source Code" starring Jake Gyllenhaal ("Donnie Darko"), with a $15 million debut. The mind-bending, time-traveling, Hitchcock-influenced intimate action drama co-stars Vera Fermiga ("Up in the Air") and Michelle Monaghan ("Eagle Eye"). "Source Code" is the second feature-length film from director Duncan Jones, whose somewhat similarly themed sci-fi mind-bender "Moon" was beloved by critics, though it grossed just $5 million domestically.
"Source Code" boasts a 89 percent critical average on Rotten Tomatoes — just 1 percent less than "Moon." Jones, whose father, David Bowie, often sang about outer space as his alter-ego Ziggy Stardust, wrote "Moon" but worked from a script by Ben Ripley ("Species III") for "Source Code."
The weekend's other new release, "Insidious," was #3 with a $13.5 million debut. The haunted-house-themed horror/thriller was directed by James Wan ("Saw") and produced by the team who made "Paranormal Activity." The movie was reportedly made for just $1 million. The original, Wan-directed "Saw" was famously made for just $1.2 million and went on to earn $55.1 million domestically in 2004. It spawned six sequels, all with Wan onboard as producer.
Last weekend's #1 film, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules," was #4 this weekend with $10.2 million, for a two-week total of $38.3 million. Bradley Cooper ("The Hangover") thriller "Limitless" was #5 with $9.4 million, giving it a $55.6 million total that easily surpasses its $27 million budget. "The Lincoln Lawyer" was #6 with $7.1 million for $39.6 million total. The drama is the best-reviewed movie from Matthew McConaughey ("Sahara") in years.
The critically panned "Sucker Punch" fell hard and fast to #7 with just $6.1 million in its second weekend of release. The CGI-heavy, female-led action fantasy from director Zack Snyder ("300") has made $29.8 million domestically against it's $82 million budget. Warner Bros., the studio behind "Sucker Punch," enlisted Snyder to reboot one of their biggest franchises with "Superman: Man of Steel," which is set for release next year with Henry Cavill ("Stardust") in the lead role.
The aforementioned "Rango" was #8 over the weekend with $4.6 million. It's $113.8 domestic total puts it in the 2011 $100 million+ club with Adam Sandler's "Just Go With It," which is no longer in the top 10 but has earned $101.4 million since it was released two months ago. The Elton John-produced Disney movie "Gnomeo and Juliet" is close behind them with $96.8 million.
Comedic sci-fi homage "Paul" was the #9 movie with $4.3 million for a $31.9 million total. "Battle: Los Angeles," whose aliens are much less friendly than the little guy voiced by Seth Rogen ("Knocked Up") in "Paul," was #10 with $3.5 million, for a $78.5 million total.
The Weinstein Company's decision to re-edit Oscar-winning historical drama "The King's Speech" in order to change it's R rating to a PG-13 didn't seem to broaden the film's audience as they'd hoped. The new cut, which excises a spout of harsh language during a speech therapy session scene, earned just $1.1 million in its first weekend of release. By comparison, the original R-Rated version made $1.6 million last week. The film has earned $136.6 million domestically and $230 million internationally since it was released in late November of last year.
In addition to "Arthur," next weekend's new releases include the assassin drama "Hanna"; the sword-and-sorcery comedy "Your Highness" starring Danny McBride ("Tropic Thunder"), James Franco ("The Pineapple Express") and Natalie Portman ("Black Swan"); and "Soul Surfer," the real-life tale of pro surfer Bethany Hamilton. Hamilton lost an arm in a shark attack at the age of 13 but went on to take first place at the 2005 NSSA National Championships. MTV Books published her book, "Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family and Fighting to Get Back on the Board."

John Travolta To Play John Gotti In New Movie

(RTTNews) - John Travolta has reportedly signed on to play famed mobster John Gotti in Nick Cassavetes' new family biography "Gotti: Three Generations." The new indie project will explore the relationship between the now-deceased Gambino family crime boss John Gotti Sr. and his son and success John Gotti Jr.

In the film, Travolta will portray Gotti Jr. as he decides to step away from the family business and dodges prison time in four subsequent racketeering trials. According to a report from Variety, Gotti Jr. has given his blessing to the film and met with Travolta during the casting process for the film.
The film will be produced by Marc Fiore along with Marty Ingels and hollywoodreporter.com claims that Travolta and Gotti Jr. will join the producers at an upcoming press conference for the film.

The Cars Starting Summer Tour In May

The Cars have announced ten dates for May, in support of the band's upcoming reunion record Move Like This. The Cars will play Seattle (5/10), Los Angeles (5/12), Oakland (5/13), Denver (5/15), Minneapolis (5/17), Chicago (5/18), Toronto (5/20), Washington D.C. (5/23), New York City (5/25) and Boston (5/26). Move Like This is due out on May 10.

Steven Tyler Goes Solo?

It appears that Steven Tyler is working on a solo project.
This came to light when his daughter, actress Liv Tyler, let slip the following when interviewed on US TV chat show Jimmy Kimmel Live:
“We were driving through the hills in his fancy sports car with the top down… he was blasting me his new single; it’s amazing and beautiful.”
Whether this affects  plans for a new Aerosmith album remains to be seen.