Today's Day in Rock

Metallica and Lou Reed Preview
(hennemusic) The Lou Reed and Metallica project, "Lulu," is just over month away from its release but you can get a taste today..

The guys have offered up the first preview of a track from the album, a 30-second snippet of the disc's second track, "The View."

To help launch the release, "Loutallica" are scheduled to appear on the BBC's Later With Jools Holland on November 8 and 11. Check out the preview clip here

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New Van Halen in 2012 On New Label
(SuperLOUD) Hits Daily Double is reporting that the Van Halen's new album will be released early 2012 on Columbia Records, ending their long career with Warner Bros.

Regarding the 2011 tour that's meant to accompany the album, that seems to be delayed too, as there has been no rumors about that lately (other than the recent Soundwave Festival cancellation, that is).

The still untitled record, the band's first full studio album with David Lee Roth since 1984 27-years ago, is said to sound like old-school Van Halen. more on this story

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Judas Priest Frontman Falls Off His Motorcycle
(hennemusic) Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford fell off the motorcycle he rides onto the stage at the end of each show during Thursday night's concert at Ginásio Nilson Nelson in Brasilia, Brazil.

It looks like nothing major, as Halford had planted the bike and it was standing still at the time; Rob appears to simply fall over to the left with the bike as it goes down.

The singer quickly rights the bike and the band launch into "Hell Bent For Leather" during their encores. more on this story

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Mick Jagger Denies Rolling Stones Rumors
(Gibson) Mick Jagger has been promoting his new "supergroup" SuperHeavy, and seems reticent about a Rolling Stones reunion.

The Stones, formed in 1962, could celebrate 50 years together in 2012. A tour has been rumored, and Jagger was seen leaving a London meeting last week with bandmates Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood.

But Jagger now tells The Sun of about any anniversary tour: "Don't hold your breath." Jagger also denied rumors the Stones would perform at the London 2012 Olympics.

"When a band starts as a blues band, it always remains sort of true to that." more on this story

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Zakk Wylde 'Terrified' Of Stalker
(Rock News Desk) Black Label Society mainman Zakk Wylde is reported to be living in fear of a 20-year-old neighbour who's been stalking him.

Wylde applied for a restraining order after becoming "terrified" when the man left a sacrifice at his door consisting of one of his retail signature guitars and a lumberjack shirt.

TMZ reports that a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge approved a temporary order, requiring the fan to stay 100 yards away from the musician and his family.

Wylde called police after the "sacrifice" incident, after which the fan was arrested and placed under mental evaluation for a 72-hour period. more on this story

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Lennon to Lemmy Inspire New Arctic Monkeys Video
Arctic Monkeys have released a new music video for the title track to their forthcoming album "Suck it and See."

The Focus Creeps' directed video for 'Suck It And See', starring Monkeys' drummer Matt Helders, who last appeared in a cameo role in the 'Scummy Man' video. You can watch the video here

Here are some words from the directors themselves: 'Inspired by past "lost weekends" in LA, from Lennon to Lemmy, the music video for the "Suck It And See" imagines: what if a rock and roller were lost altogether and never came back? The video is a behind the scenes fragments of Matt Helders' outlaw "lost weekend" out in the Wild West.' more on this story

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Slash Making Progress On New Album
(hennemusic) Slash launched his new wah-wah pedal with an in-store appearance at the new GuitarGuitar store in Epsom, U.K. While chatting with Music Radar about the new gear, Slash was also asked about his plans for his next solo album.

"We actually haven't started recording, but we've been in pre-production," said Slash. "We're about nine songs in, as far as that goes. And when I get back from England tomorrow, we'll go in and do another 12 songs. And we start actually recording late October. This is a record with Myles [Kennedy of Alter Bridge] singing in the entire thing. And also Brent Fitz's playing drums and Todd Kerns is playing bass."

Basically, the next album will be done from the ground up with Slash's touring lineup of the past year and a half. more on this story

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Seether Let Go With New Album
(Banana 101.5) In a new interview, Seether says their latest album 'Holding on to Strings Better Left to Fray' is all about knowing (or not knowing) when it's best to say goodbye.

Seether's new album has already spawned the massive singles 'Country Song' and 'Tonight' — but what the hell does it all mean? Shaun and the rest of the guys sat down with Artist Direct recently to talk about the central theme behind 'Holding on to Strings Better Left To Fray'. Shaun Morgan explained:

"I think the whole concept of just letting things go. Letting relationships that are effecting your life negatively — just saying 'you know what? This is not working out.' Friends, girlfriends, family members, whatever it is." Read the rest of his thoughts here

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New Blood From Peter Gabriel Next Month
Peter Gabriel has set an October 11, 2011 release date for his new full-length CD, New Blood. The release will be both familiar and new, read on to find out how.

A continuum to his recent Scratch My Back release, the New Blood album will feature some of Gabriel's biggest hits from his prodigious career, reconstructed and re-imagined with orchestral arrangements and recorded live with the New Blood Orchestra. Gabriel hand-selected the songs and enlisted the help of longtime collaborator John Metcalfe for the arrangements and Ben Foster as conductor of the 46-piece New Blood Orchestra.

This treatment is applied with painstaking attention to detail and stunning effect to songs including "Mercy Street", "Don't Give Up", "Digging In The Dirt", "San Jacinto", and the all-time classic "Solsbury Hill". The intention was not to simply rework Gabriel's biggest songs, but rather, find songs that were enhanced by the massed strings, brass, woodwind and percussion. "Don't Give Up" - now with Norwegian singer Ane Brun's vulnerable, cracking vocals replacing those of Kate Bush - rides a stirring, uplifting coda. Where the twinkle of "San Jacinto" was originally supplied by loops from a Fairlight sampler, piano and bows now provide the otherworldly magic. But probably the most extraordinary reinterpretation is that of "Rhythm Of The Heat" where Metcalf has recast the original's extended African drum jam into a dizzying, swirling orchestral maelstrom. more on this story

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The Show Must Go On Freddie Mercury Benefit Concert Announced
(CMP) A unique group of musicians -- and Queen fans -- will come together to commemorate the twentieth anniversary of Freddie Mercury's passing with The Show Must Go On -- a live performance of the music of Queen -- on November 9th at The Roxy Theatre.

All proceeds from the concert and memorabilia auction will be donated to AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA), to help combat the disease that took Freddie from this world.

In November 1991, the world mourned music legend Freddie Mercury, who died of complications resulting from AIDS. As lead singer, songwriter and the heart of Queen, Freddie's legacy continues to inspire generations of fans. more on this story

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Jeff Beck Declared A Living Legend
(Gibson) Between decades of guitar greatness and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, it's pretty safe to say that Jeff Beck has reached legendary status. But Classic Rock magazine has decided to make it official by bestowing Beck with a Living Legend Award, according to Ultimate Classic Rock.

"I'm really a backroom boy, not a mainstream rock act," he told BBC News. "It means someone is out there looking at what I'm doing, which is really nice."

Beck will pick up his trophy at The Classic Rock Roll of Honour ceremony on November 9, hosted by KISS's Gene Simmons. more on this story

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Todd Rundgren Takes On Meat Loaf, Cheap Trick and More With A Twist
(Gibson) It's one of the more interesting approaches to a covers record. Todd Rundgren has put together an album of his versions of songs that he's produced for other artists during the past few decades. According to an interview he did with PopMatters, Rundgren covers Meat Loaf, Cheap Trick, XTC, The Psychedelic Furs, Patti Smith and others on the new album.

"[The album] essentially is new versions of songs that I produced for other people, and they're mostly all dance versions," he said. "So I had to do arrangements that were completely unlike the originals; there was simply no point in me aping what I had done already. So all of the songs have some twist, or unique approach to them that makes them not necessarily recognizable at first."

The album, called (Re)Production, includes XTC's "Dear God," Cheap Trick's "I Can't Take It," Meat Loaf's "Two Out of Three Ain't Bad," Patti Smith's "Dancing Barefoot" and The Psychedelic Furs' "Love My Way." more on this story

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AC/DC Exhibit Opens in Young Brothers Home Town
(RockAAA) A new AC/DC exhibit has opened in Glasgow. The BBC reports "AC/DC Scotland's Family Jewels" opened this past weekend at Kelvingrove Museum. It's the first time this band-approved exhibition has left Australia and Scotland seemed like the obvious place to bring it.

"There's so many connections with Glasgow and Scotland, and when I was putting the exhibition together in Australia, I kept finding material about it, " says curator Tim Fisher. "One of my bits of research was to go see AC/DC at Hampden Park a couple of years ago, and when I was here, I came to see the people at Kelvingrove and that's how it all came about."

Founding band members Angus and Malcolm Young were born in Glasgow before the family moved to Australia in 1963; their immigration papers feature in the first section of the exhibition which charts their childhood and life before AC/DC. An early photograph shows the brothers posing at the Christmas display at a department store in Glasgow. more on this story

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Good Old War Announce Fall Tour
Good Old War will launch their first headlining dates in over a year this Fall when they hit the road in November.

The group spent the past twelve months building an eclectic and passionate following by opening for artists like Alison Krauss, Guster, Joshua Radin, Brandi Carlile, Xavier Rudd and Dr. Dog, and now it's time for them to step into the main spotlight.

The tour kicks off on November 16th in San Diego. Good Old War has finished recording their third album, which is currently scheduled for a February 2012 release via Sargent House. It was recorded in Omaha with producer Jason Cupp and the trio will embark on a full tour of the USA this winter. more on this story

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Peter Murphy Delivers Seesaw Sway Video
Peter Murphy has released a new music video for his song "Seesaw Sway" which comes from his ninth solo album, Ninth.

Directed by Justin Coloma and shot at the famed Paramour Mansion in Silverlake, CA, the video highlights what the Former Bauhaus frontman does best. Watch it here.

Murphy recently announced a 30-city co-headline tour across North America with She Wants Revenge, which launches Thursday, November 3 in Phoenix, AZ and wraps Friday, December 9 in Pomona, CA (Hussle Club to open all dates). more on this story

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Sigur Ros Offering Free Song Download From Forthcoming Release
Sigur Ros have released some details and a preview of their first-ever live film and double live album.

The film and album, entitled Inni, is set for North American release on November 15th on XL Recordings. The first preview from the release is the free download of the song "Festival" which you can grab here.

Upon release on November 15th, Inni will be available in a plethora of formats: *Double CD + DVD (includes 4 extra songs not featured on the live album) *Double CD + Blu Ray (includes 4 extra songs not featured on the live album) *Clear 150 gram vinyl (3 LPs) *Digital edition *Deluxe edition. more on this story

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Patrick Stump Soul Punk Details
Fall Out Boy frontman Patrick Stump has released the track details to his upcoming solo debut.

The album, Soul Punk, is set to be released on October 18th and will contain the following tracks:

1) Explode 2) This City 3) Dance Miserable 4) Spotlight (New Regrets) 5) The "I" in Lie 6) Run Dry (X Heart X Fingers) 7) Greed 8) Everybody Wants Somebody 9) Allie 10) Coast (It's Gonna Get Better) Bonus Track: This City (Feat. Lupe Fiasco)

more on this story

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Carson Daly Going Greek With The Decemberists, Death Cab for Cutie, Atmosphere and Thievery Corporation
Carson Daly will be going Greek this week with The Decemberists, Death Cab for Cutie, Atmosphere and Thievery Corporation as "Last Call with Carson Daly" launches its 11th season on Tuesday, September 20 (1:35-2:05 a.m. ET).

This week's programs will feature performances from Los Angeles' legendary Greek Theatre as the world-famous venue celebrates its 80th anniversary.

"Greek Week" on "Last Call" will air from Tuesday, September 20 through Friday, September 23, marks the first multi-night music celebration from the Greek Theatre. Each show also will be re-broadcast the following day on Fuse. " more on this story

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Outasight Giving Away New Song
(WBR) Outasight is giving fans another free new track called "Loosen Up" to tide them over until the release of his debut full-length.

Outasight fans can download the track here and he also released the Figure 8 EP this summer, and the new video for the title track "Figure 8" can be seen here.

Outasight will head out on tour with Gym Class Heroes and The Dirty Heads in October. dates here

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The Monkees In A Box... Set
(Kayos) Next Tuesday, September 27, Eagle Rock will release both television seasons of The Monkees in two separate boxed sets.

This is the first time in over 10 years that both seasons have become available on DVD, since their original Rhino Records release.

The 32 half-hour episodes of Season #1, contained on six discs, originally aired in 1966. It was the first time on American television that a situation comedy keyed in on the zany escapades of a Beatles-styled rock band. The type of stylized new-age cinematic techniques (ala A Hard Day's Night) were coupled with music from some of finest songwriters in America (Gerry Goffin/Carole King, David Gates, Neil Diamond, Barry Mann/Cynthia Weil). The terminally cute vocalist Davy Jones, guitarist Mike Nesmith, bassist Peter Tork and drummer Micky Dolenz catapulted songs such as "I'm A Believer," "(I'm Not Your) Steppin' Stone," "Daydream Believer," "Last Train To Clarksville" and "Pleasant Valley Sunday" into huge hits. Bonus features for the first season include commentary from the band and the show's directors, trivia for each episode, a 16mm version of the original pilot, discography and vintage Monkees Kelloggs commercials. more on this story

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The Atlas Moth New Album Hits Tomorrow
The Atlas Moth's new album, 'An Ache For The Distance,' will be released tomorrow, September 20th via Profound Lore Records.

The Atlas Moth are also set to hit the road in support of 'An Ache For The Distance'.

The Atlas Moth will team up with label mates and hardcore prodigies Ken Mode, for the fall tour which kicks off this coming Saturday. more on this story

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Broadway Calls Going Toxic
(ESM) All For Hope Records (US) and Banquet Records (UK) have announced the release of the new Broadway Calls 12", "Toxic Kids".

The 6 song 12" was recorded by Jack Shirley (Comadre) at his Atomic Garden Studio in the Bay Area, and fully captures the angst and energy of a perfect Broadway Calls house show. (No release date provided in the announcement).

While still riding high on their newest full length for Side One Dummy Records, "Good Views, Bad News", this blast of energy is exactly what the fans need to get them through to the next full-length. more on this story

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Mars Attacks Carmine Appice
Hard rock legend Carmine Appice is the featured guest on the latest episode of the Mars Attacks Podcast with Victor M. Ruiz.

Carmine discusses the latest King Kobra album, how Paul Shortino became the singer of the band, how he started doing clinics, his upcoming autobiography, and what he's read in others that he finds boring or just over the top sensationalism.

Case in point, there is a specific story about Ozzy Osbourne that he believes never happened. He also bounces around and discusses a bunch of the bands he's played with.

The podcast can be downloaded or streamed here

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Phish Raise Over A Million Dollars For Flood Recovery
(Sub) Phish played a special concert at Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction, VT last Wednesday night.

The show raised in excess of $1.2 million dollars for Vermont flood recovery efforts. Major donors generously underwrote all the production expenses for the evening, contributing greatly to the concert's success. All proceeds - including ticket revenues, merchandise, download and webcast sales and concessions - will be directed to The WaterWheel Foundation and the Vermont Community Foundation to aid in the recovery of the Green Mountain State. The event broke attendance records at the venue, which is the largest facility in Northern Vermont. Governor Peter Shumlin introduced the band, which got its start at the University of Vermont in 1983.

"It was amazing and inspiring to see so many people come together through music to aid the great state of Vermont," said Phish guitarist/vocalist Trey Anastasio. "We're so grateful to the businesses and individuals that helped us raise as much money as possible for the recovery process." more on this story

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Anberlin Singled Out Week: Take Me As You Found Me
Anberlin kick off a coheadlining tour with Switchfoot this week and to celebrate we asked frontman Stephen Christian to tell us about some of the songs from their latest album "Dark Is A Way Light Is A Place". Today he tells us about "Take Me As You Found Me":

My mother called me and asked me if I was into vampires. It kind of caught me off guard because this isn't one of those normal questions you would expect to be asked by your mom. I told her if she was referring to the Twilight craze then no, but thanks for asking. She thought 'whose going to drain your blood' was some type of vampire ritual, which I thought rather hysterical. Yes mom, I am into vampires and ended up writing a song for Edward... c'mon!

The line actually comes from a neighbor friend of my named Tim who lives down the street from me in east Nashville. Tim is an older guy; some years from age but mostly from the abuse his body took from the drug years being a Harley biker guy in California in the 70's. He was absolutely friendly and even loaned me his truck to dump some stuff when I first moved in. We talked the entire day where he gladly laid out his life story including the fact that he had to go to dialysis every other day and felt bad because his wife had to take off work and drive him back and forth and then wait there with him for hours.

The older we will get in life the more dependent we will become on those we love. The line 'whose gonna drain my blood, now that your gone' is about Tim's dialysis and how I put myself in his shoes... If his wife left him what would he do? He would be almost incapable of living without her literally. That is how love feels sometimes, we slowly grow into one being to the point that eventually we would to be literally unable to live without them.

Mick Jagger on Rolling Stones Reunion: ‘Don’t Hold Your Breath’

Mick Jagger has been promoting his new “supergroup” SuperHeavy, and seems reticent about a Rolling Stones reunion. The Stones, formed in 1962, could celebrate 50 years together in 2012. A tour has been rumored, and Jagger was seen leaving a London meeting last week with bandmates Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood.

But Jagger now tells The Sun of about any anniversary tour: “Don’t hold your breath.” Jagger also denied rumors the Stones would perform at the London 2012 Olympics.

“When a band starts as a blues band, it always remains sort of true to that.”

Jagger is currently working with all-star group SuperHeavy – featuring Dave Stewart, Joss Stone, Damian Marley and film composer A.R. Rahman.

SuperHeavy’s album is out now. Jagger said: “If people like it, we could do a few other things.”

Van Halen/Columbia Records Rumor

Sunday, 18 September 2011

Industry insiders at Hits Daily Double are reporting that the band has split with Warner after three decades and has partnered with Sony by signing a brand new deal with Columbia Records. “After spending its entire 35-year career at WB, Van Halen, with David Lee Roth back in the fold, recently completed work on its first album for new label Columbia, coming early next year…”

This marks the first rumor of Van Halen signing a new record deal. Hits Daily Double is known for being a reliable source for record industry news, but there has been no confirmation on this rumor yet from Van Halen or Columbia.

An inside source tells VHND.com that there have indeed been serious talks between the parties, but that, as of today, there is no signed deal.

If this deal goes through, this would be a great match. Columbia has a good reputation for promoting “legacy” artists, such as AC/DC, whose last album was released to Walmart through Columbia (for those who don’t know, Columbia is a subsidiary of Sony).

A new Van Halen studio album with David Lee Roth will be a HUGE deal, as it would be one of the most anticipated rock albums in many years. (It will be the band’s first full album since Van Halen 3 in 1998, and their first with Roth since 1984). If Hits Daily Double is correct about the album coming out in early 2012, that would make sense, as they’ve got to have enough lead in time to get all their ducks in a row (ie: promotions, lead single, interviews, tour planning). The importance of doing this right is paramount.

Mastering should be completed very soon, and then it’s only a matter of time before we get a new, full album and tour!

NTSB on scene of Nevada air crash that killed 3

By SCOTT SONNER and MARTIN GRIFFITH
Associated Press

RENO, Nev. (AP) -- Federal investigators on Saturday began looking into what caused a 74-year-old pilot to lose control of his World War II-era plane and crash next to a VIP section at a Reno air race in an accident that killed at least three people and sent dozens to the hospital.

National Transportation Safety Board spokesman Terry Williams told The Associated Press Saturday that a team has arrived from Washington to join regional officials. He said it's too early to say what caused the crash.

As thousands watched in horror, the plane competing in a Nevada event described as a car race in the sky suddenly pitched upward, rolled and did a nose-dive toward the crowded grandstand.

The P-51 Mustang, flown by a veteran Hollywood stunt pilot, then slammed into the tarmac in front of VIP box seats and blew to pieces in front the pilot's family and a tight-knit group of friends who attend the annual event in Reno.

"It came down directly at us. As I looked down, I saw the spinner, the wings, the canopy just coming right at us. It hit directly in front of us, probably 50 to 75 feet," Ryan Harris, of Round Mountain, Nev., told the AP.

"The next thing I saw was a wall of debris going up in the air. That's what I got splashed with. In the wall of debris noticed there were pieces of flesh."

The pilot and two spectators were killed and more than 50 were injured amid a horrific scene strewn with smoking debris.

Authorities said it appears a mechanical failure with the P-51 Mustang - a class of fighter plane that can fly in excess of 500 mph - was to blame. Some credit the pilot, Jimmy Leeward, with preventing the crash from being far more deadly.

"If he wouldn't have pulled up, he would have taken out the entire bleacher section," said Tim Linville, 48, of Reno, who watched the race with his two daughters.

Left in its wake were bloodied bodies spread across the area as people tended to the victims and ambulances rushed to the scene. Video of the aftermath shows a man with his leg severed at the knee.

Video and photos of the crash were captured by several people in the stands, and the horrific images of the wreckage were transmitted around the world within minutes.

John Townes, a Reno pilot, said the plane didn't sound right.

"It wasn't quite vertical. It was at a very slight angle and because of that I think it probably saved a lot of people," he said.

"Normally when you see an air crash, you see recognizable wreckage. There was nothing, just little bits of metal."

Prior to Friday, 17 people had been killed at the National Championship Air Races since their start 1964, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported.

Two involved P-51s, the newspaper reported. In 1999, a P-51 disintegrated during a race, scattering debris and damaging a house. In 1994, one of the vintage craft crashed next to the east-west runway after engine failure sprayed the windshield with oil.

Organizers softened two of the curves pilots negotiate after crashes into nearby neighborhoods in 1998 and 1999. In 2007 and 2008, four pilots were killed at the races, prompting local school officials to consider barring student field trips to the event.

Friday's crash was the first time spectators were killed or seriously injured, the Gazette-Journal reported.

Planes at the yearly event fly wingtip-to-wingtip as low as 50 feet off the sagebrush at speeds sometimes surpassing 500 mph. Pilots follow an oval path around pylons, with distances and speeds depending on the class of aircraft.

Mike Houghton, president and CEO of Reno Air Races, said at a news conference hours after the crash that there appeared to be a "problem with the aircraft that caused it to go out of control." He did not elaborate.

He said the rest of the races, which bring in tens of millions of dollars for the local economy, have been canceled as the National Transportation Safety Board investigates.

"The way I see it, if he did do something about this, he saved hundreds if not thousands of lives because he was able to veer that plane back toward the tarmac," said Johnny Norman, who was at the show.

Tim O'Brien of Grass Valley, Calif., who is chairman of an air show in his hometown in California, was photographing Friday's races when the crash occurred.

He said the P-51 Mustang was racing six other planes, and was in the process of moving from third place into second when it pitched violently upward, rolled and then headed straight down.

From the photos he took, O'Brien said it looked like a piece of the plane's tail called a "trim tab" had fallen off. He believes that's what caused the plane's sudden climb.

When the aircraft hit the ground, there was a "big explosion but no fire," O'Brien said.

"The propeller (was) spinning very fast, and there was a lot of mass coming down all at once," he said. It was a "very violent impact."

Afterward, a number of people were standing around, and "all we could do was hug each other," he said.

Maureen Higgins, of Alabama, who has been coming to the air races for 16 years, said the pilot was on his third lap when he lost control.

"Obviously he had no control. He was wobbling. He went upside down and then he headed straight for us, straight at the grandstand."

She was sitting about 30 yards away from the crash and watched in horror as the man in front of her started bleeding after debris hit him in the head.

"I saw body parts and gore like you wouldn't believe it. I'm talking an arm, a leg," Higgins said "The alive people were missing body parts. I am not kidding you. It was gore. Unbelievable gore."

Renown Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Kathy Carter confirmed that two others besides the pilot died, but did not provide their identities.

Stephanie Kruse, a spokeswoman for the Regional Emergency Medical Service Authority, told The Associated Press that emergency crews took a total of 56 injury victims to three hospitals. She said they also observed a number of people being transported by private vehicle, and those people were not included in the count.

Kruse said of the total 56, at the time of transport, 15 were considered in critical condition, 13 were serious condition with potentially life-threatening injuries and 28 were non-serious or non-life threatening.

"This is a very large incident, probably one of the largest this community has seen in decades," Kruse told The Associated Press. "The community is pulling together to try to deal with the scope of it. The hospitals have certainly geared up and staffed up to deal with it."

Gov. Brian Sandoval noted at a news conference that area hospitals were in need of blood in the wake of the crash, and he encouraged people to donate.

Among the dead was Leeward, of Ocala, Fla., a veteran airman and movie stunt pilot who named his P-51 Mustang fighter plane the "Galloping Ghost," according to Houghton said.

Leeward, the owner of the Leeward Air Ranch Racing Team, was a well-known racing pilot. His website says he has flown more than 120 races and served as a stunt pilot for numerous movies, including "Amelia" and "Cloud Dancer."

In an interview with the Ocala (Fla.) Star-Banner last year, he described how he has flown 250 types of planes and has a particular fondness for the P-51, which came into the war relatively late and was used as a long-range bomber escort over Europe. Among the famous pilots of the hot new fighter was WWII double ace Chuck Yeager.

"They're more fun. More speed, more challenge. Speed, speed and more speed," Leeward said.

Leeward talked about racing strategy in an interview Thursday with LiveAirShow TV while standing in front of his plane.

"Right now I think we've calculated out, we're as fast as anybody in the field, or maybe even a little faster," he said. "But uh, to start with, we didn't really want to show our hand until about Saturday or Sunday. We've been playing poker since last Monday. And uh so, it's ready, we're ready to show a couple more cards, so we'll see on Friday what happens, and on Saturday we'll probably go ahead and play our third ace, and on Sunday we'll do our fourth ace."

Houghton described Leeward as a good friend.

"Everybody knows him. It's a tight-knit family. He's been here for a long, long time," Houghton said.

He also said Leeward was a "very qualified, very experienced pilot" who was in good medical condition. He suggested Leeward would have made every effort to avoid casualties on the ground if he knew he was going to crash.

"If it was in Jimmy's power, he would have done everything he possibly could," Houghton said.

The National Championship Air Races draws thousands of people to Reno every September to watch various military and civilian planes race.

The FAA and air race organizers spend months preparing for air races as they develop a plan involving pilot qualification, training and testing along with a layout for the course. The FAA inspects pilots' practice runs and briefs pilots on the route maneuvers and emergency procedures.

Mike French, a private pilot, was his way to the races late Friday when he learned they were canceled after the crash.

"It's unfortunate, tragic in so many ways," said French, 41, of Wellington, Colo.

It would have been his fifth trip and the first for his 8-year-old son, Myles. "He really wanted to go," the dad said.

French said he had the "Galloping Ghost" P-51 image as his computer screensaver.

"It's the weirdest thing," he said. "I just liked the looks of the aircraft."

---

Associated Press writers Ken Ritter in Reno and Cristina Silva and Oskar Garcia in Las Vegas contributed to this report.

John Mayer Throat Condition Derails Album, Concerts

John Mayer is canceling two concerts and postponing his album until next year because he's having problems with his vocal cords.

Mayer revealed the problem on his blog, saying he had developed a granuloma in his throat. Granulomas are nodules, and they vary from harmless to very serious. John didn't elaborate.

He was scheduled to perform at the iheartradio Music Festival in Las Vegas next week and a show with Tony Bennett in Los Angeles.

Mayer also said his next album, which was due later this year, will now be pushed back to 2012.

He says he'll devote his time to "writing and composing more music and kicking an empty soup can around the West Village."

3 Doors Down Announce U.K. Tour With Seether

9/15/2011 4:18 PM ET

(RTTNews) - 3 Doors Down have announced a string of U.K. tour dates in support of their new release Time of My Life. The "Kryptonite" rockers will be joined by Seether on the tour, which kicks off on March 9 at the HMV Picture House in Edinburgh, Scotland.

During a recent interview with espyrock.com, the band's guitarist Chris Henderson explained that touring is vital to the band's livelihood in the era of downloading:

"It's the only way, the only f*****g way; downloading has killed it. We make a little money on publishing and like sponsorships and merchandise if people buy our t-shirts but touring, on the f*****g road, playing shows, that's how you f*****g do it like it or not. We love touring and we do a lot of f*****g shows . . ."

Time of My Life hit stores on July 18.

The tour dates are as follows:

Mar 9th - Edinburgh HMV Picture House

Mar 11th - Manchester Academy

Mar 12th - Birmingham O2 Academy

Mar 14th - Bristol O2 Academy

Mar 15th - London HMV Hammersmith Apollo

Stone Temple Pilots' Tour Hits Speedbump As Scott Weiland Needs Vocal Rest

9/16/2011 3:18 PM ET


(RTTNews) - The Stone Temple Pilots have put their current tour on hold because singer Scott Weiland is in need of "immediate vocal rest".

On the band's Facebook site, the group posted the diagnosing doctor's advice to Weiland:

"With such a heavy concert schedule and vocal activity we determined that Mr. Weiland could potentially run the risk of a vocal hemorrhage or suffer permanent damage hence putting him on complete vocal rest."

The group added: "STP apologizes to their fans . . . and of course, refunds are available at the point of purchase."

Shows in Cincinnati, Ohio; Louisville, Kentucky and Council Bluffs, Iowa have been canceled. Four additional dates have been postponed. One date (Concho, Oklahoma) has been rescheduled for November 5; the status of the other three dates is pending an announcement from STP.

Red Hot Chili Peppers Top Multiple Billboard Charts

9/16/2011 2:03 PM ET


(RTTNews) - The Red Hot Chili Peppers owned the Billboard charts this week, claiming the number one spot on the Alternative Album, Rock Album and Rock Songs charts. Their new release I'm With You hit stores on August 26, the first single from which is "The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie."

It's the second week at number one on the Alternative Albums chart for I'm With You. This week it edged out Foster The People's "Torches." Mumford and Sons remained in the number three spot with Sigh No More, the Muppet's: Green Album rose one spot to number four and Bon Iver took the fifth spot with his self-titled release.

"The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie" edged the Foo Fighter's "Walk" for the top spot on the Rock Songs chart this week. Foster The People took the number three spot on this chart with "Pumped Up Kicks."

ROCK NEWS AND MORE!

New Rihanna This Fall- Interscope Offices Used For Drug Trafficking?- Big Week for Lady Antebellum- Katy Perry's Sixth Coming- Boyz II Justin Bieber- more

09/16/2011
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(Billboard) When Rihanna tweets, people listen. On Sept. 15, the diva tweeted a response to one of her followers asking "When's the next album due?" with "THIS FALL!!!!!" which must have been music to the ears of her fans. more

Lady Gaga released the second fashion video for her single "Yoü and I" yesterday. The clip, directed by Inez+Vinoodh and entitled "Haus of Ü ft. Bride" can be seen on YouTube here

(Billboard) Federal prosecutors say that the offices of Interscope Records were used by a drug-trafficking ring as a transit point for cases filled with cocaine and cash, according to a report in the Smoking Gun published Thursday. more

(BBC) Film director Roman Polanski is to collect a lifetime achievement award at the Zurich Film Festival, two years after his arrest in the city on child sex charges more

(Billboard) After two full days on sale, Lady Antebellum's third album, "Own the Night," is shaping up to have a bigger debut than expected. more

(FMQB) Justin Bieber has revealed he has been recording with Boyz II Men for the Pop star's upcoming Christmas record. MTV News has posted a photo of Bieber and Boyz II Men's Shawn Stockton in the studio together. more

(BBC) Coldplay is voted the best headline of any festival of 2011, according to a poll conducted by BBC Radio 6 Music. more

(FMQB) More details have been announced for Kelly Clarkson's upcoming album Stronger, due out October 24. The album contains 13 songs, and will also be released in a deluxe edition, as well as a bonus EP. more

(Billboard) Add the winner of NBC's "The Voice" to the list of contemporary musical acts portraying stars of the late 1950s and early '60s on NBC's "The Playboy Club." more

(Jam!) Ashlee Simpson and actor Vincent Piazza have gone public with their romance after attending a Boardwalk Empire season premiere together on Wednesday. more

(BBC) Veteran US actor Mickey Rooney sues his step-son, Christopher Aber, claiming he tricked him out of millions of dollars and bullied him into working. more

(FMQB) Katy Perry will offer a sixth single from Teenage Dream when "The One That Got Away" goes to radio next month. more

(NME) No Doubt delay new album release until 2012 Band push back first LP in over 10 years to 'make the best record we can possibly make' more

TODAY'S ROCK NEWS!

Blink-182's New Album Leaks- Joe Perry for Hurricane Irene Benefit Event- The Doors Legend Jams With Alice Cooper- Paul McCartney- The Dead Leaves Mars Volta'd- more

09/16/2011
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(KROQ) The internet was hit with a leaked copy of Blink-182's new forthcoming album, Neighborhoods, which is due out September 27th. As we all know, when something big like this gets leaked, it spreads like wildfire – and that wildfire happened to spread all the way to our desks here at KROQ.com more

(UCR) Vermont was ravaged by Hurricane Irene last month, and Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry, who still resides in the Boston area and once attended school in Vermont, has joined the Irene Good Bye cabaret benefit to pitch in with his support. more

(BMN) In the midst of the "No More Mr. Nice Guy" world tour, Alice Cooper treated fans to a special performance last night (Thursday, September 15) at the legendary Whisky a Go-Go. Special guest appearances during the set featured former The Doors guitarist Robbie Krieger and pop singer Ke$ha. more

Lars Stalfors of Mars Volta recently remixed "If The Shoe Fits", the first single from The Dead Leaves upcoming album Cities On The Sea (Liberation Music). You can download the track for free here

You can grab a sneak peek of Paul McCartney's upcoming recorded release, Ocean's Kingdom, here ahead of the October 4th release date.

(BW&BK) Dream Theater have moved their Seattle show scheduled for Tuesday, September 27th at Showbox SODO to the Moore Theatre. more

(The 1st Five) According to the band's facebook page, Cartel will be releasing their In Stereo EP digitally on October 4th. more

(FMQB) Friday, September 23 marks Bruce Springsteen's 62nd birthday, and Envision Radio Networks and Boss Time Radio are offering a free, two-hour special broadcast celebrating the day. more

(Lambgoat) Dance Gavin Dance will headline a November/December tour of the U.S. with support from Isetmyfriendsonfire, A Loss For Words, and The Bunny The Bear. more

(BMN) soulfly has tapped Chris "Zeuss" Harris (chimaira, hatebreed, all that remains, the acacia strain, born of osiris, shadows fall) to produce the band's new album for an early 2012 release via Roadrunner Records. more

(Lambgoat) Dark Funeral has revealed that they've parted ways with Regain Records. more

(PNO) Coalesce will be reissuing 1996's Give Them Rope on vinyl. The double LP features a remastered version of Give Them Rope as well as a second disc of 2010's Give Them Rope She Said v2.0; a remixed version of the album more

Twenty years ago tomorrow Guns N' Roses unleashed the Use Your Illusion albums. Tony K takes a look back here

The voice of RATT Stephen Pearcy hits the road!

Thursday, 15 September 2011

The voice of RATT Stephen Pearcy hits the road!
1304687687-stephenpic.jpg
Stephen Pearcy plays Hollywood Sept 23rd @ Key Club



The voice of RATT and main rodent hits the road this fall from LA to NY!

Pearcy just tweeted the following in the last 24 hours!

"Filming Video's today for "Sucker Punch". "Don't Want To Talk About" and "Too Much Is Never Enough" @ EarDish Multi Media Complex. Gonna kick some ass! Back at ya later kidz, cya!" Stephen Pearcy - Twitter Sept 14th 2011

Tour Dates for the Fall.

· 09/23/11 Stephen Pearcy in West Hollywood, CA at Key Club

· 10/07/11 Stephen Pearcy in Fort Worth, TX at The Aardvark

· 10/08/11 Stephen Pearcy in San Antonio, TX at Back Stage Live / Sunken Gardens

· 10/20/11 Stephen Pearcy in Chicago, IL at TBD

· 10/21/11 Stephen Pearcy in Warren, MI at The Ritz

· 10/22/11 Stephen Pearcy in Fostoria, OH at The New Nest

· 10/23/11 Stephen Pearcy in Akron, OH at Ripper Owen’s Tap house

· 10/26/11 Stephen Pearcy in Irwin, PA at Pluma’s

· 10/27/11 Stephen Pearcy in Reading, PA at Reverb

· 10/28/11 Stephen Pearcy in Watertown, NY at The Exhibition Hall

Check out Pearcy on his TWITTER - FACEBOOK - WEBSITE - YOUTUBE

November 21 Releases

November 21 is shaping up to be a good day for modern rock fans with new studio albums due from Nickelback (Here And Now) and American Idol finalist Daughtry.

WHITESNAKE TO RELEASE MAJOR BOX SET & EXPANDED VERSION OF GOOD TO BE BAD:

Whitesnake are to have a box set released on November 7. Titled Box O'Snakes: The Sunburst Years 1978-1982, the box has every studio and live album from the period, two previously unreleased BBC concerts, a limited edition seven inch, a DVD and a 90-page book with new interview and unseen photos.
Here's the full track listing:
CD One: Trouble (1978) 1. Take Me With You 2. Love To Keep You Warm 3. Lie Down (A Modern Love Song) 4. Day Tripper 5. Nighthawk (Vampire Blues) 6. The Time Is Right For Love 7. Trouble 8. Belgian Tom's Hat Trick 9. Free Flight 10. Don't Mess With Me.
CD Two: Live At Hammersmith (1978) 1. Come On 2. Might Just Take Your Life 3. Lie Down 4. Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City 5. Trouble 6. Mistreated
CD Three: Lovehunter (1979) 1. Long Way From Home 2. Walking In The Shadow Of The Blues 3. Help Me Thro' The Day 4. Medicine Man 5. You 'N' Me 6. Mean Business 7. Love Hunter 8. Outlaw 9. Rock 'N' Roll Women 10. We Wish You Well
CD Four: Ready An' Willing (1980) 1. Fool For Your Loving 2. Sweet Talker 3. Ready An'Willing 4. Carry Your Load 5. Blindman 6. Ain't Gonna Cry No More 7. Love Man 8. Black and Blue 9. She's A Woman
CD Five: Live�In The Heart Of The City (1980) 1. Come On 2. Sweet Talker 3. Walking In The Shadow Of The Blues 4. Love Hunter 5. Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City 6. Fool For Your Loving 7. Ain't Gonna Cry No More 8. Ready An' Willing 9. Take Me With You
CD Six: Come An' Get It (1981) 1. Come An' Get It 2. Hot Stuff 3. Don't Break My Heart Again 4. Lonely Days, Lonely Nights 5. Wine, Women An' Song 6. Child of Babylon 7. Would I Lie To You 8. Girl 9. Hit An' Run 10. Till The Day I Die
CD Seven: Saints & Sinners (1982) 1. Young Blood 2. Rough An' Ready 3. Bloody Luxury 4. Victim Of Love 5. Crying In The Rain 6. Here I Go Again 7. Love An' Affection 8. Rock An' Roll Angels 9. Dancing Girls 10. Saints An' Sinners
CD Eight: Live At Reading Rock '79 (1979) 1. Walking In The Shadow Of The Blues 2. Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City 3. Steal Away 4. Belgian Tom's Hat Trick 5. Mistreated/Soldier Of Fortune 6. Love Hunter 7. Breakdown
CD Nine: Live At Reading Rock '80 (1980) 1. Sweet Talker 2. Walking In The Shadow Of The Blues 3. Ain't Gonna Cry No More 4. Love Hunter 5. Mistreated/Soldier Of Fortune 6. Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City 7. Fool For Your Loving
DVD Promo Videos 1978-1982 TV Performances Extra Feature: Official Bootleg Live at the Capital Centre, Washington, USA 1980
Snakebite EP (1978) 33rpm seven inch white vinyl - Side One 1. Bloody Mary 2. Steal Away Side Two 1. Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City 2. Come On.
Find out more at www.whitesnake.com.

An expanded updated version of Whitesnake's Still Good To Be Bad, is out this week as a Japanese import, featuring:
The CD+DVD Digipak Special Edition contains a 15 Track audio CD featuring newly recorded, remixed & remastered versions of Ready To Rock, If You Want Me, All I Want Is You and Dog, originally featured as bonus tracks from the Live In The Shadow Of The Blues double live album Plus a Bonus DVD that includes the music videos 'Ready To Rock' and 'Lay Down Your Love', a rare and unseen 8 song Live Acoustic Performance with David Coverdale and Doug Aldrich at the Cutting Room In NY in 2008, the 'Good To Be Bad' Interview by Eddie Trunk and the 'Live In The Shadow Of The Blues' EPK. The DVD also includes a slideshow of live photographs from 2008-2009 Good To Be Bad World Tour featuring the Summer Rain Acoustic Version. Click on album cover to order from CD Japan.

Today's Quick Hits!

Spinal Tap Officially Rules
(Rock News Desk) This is Spinal Tap has been voted the best comedy movie of all time by a panel of over 200 experts.

The spoof rockumentary that goes up to eleven came home ahead of Airplane!, Monty Python's Life of Brian and Annie Hall. Big names including actor Dan Ackroyd and writer Richard Curtis contributed to the poll.

The iconic film stars writers Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer as guitarist Nigel Tufnel, singer David St Hubbins and bassist Derek Smalls as they attempt to salvage their career with their new album Smell The Glove. more on this story

More on Spinal Tap - Spinal Tap CDs, vinyl and rarities - Spinal Tap Tour Dates/Tickets

Stevie Nicks Turned Down Prince's Purple Rain
(Gibson) Stevie Nicks has revealed that almost 30 years ago, Prince asked the Fleetwood Mac singer to collaborate on a new song. The Purple One sent Nicks a 10-minute instrumental and asked for lyrical assistance. The song eventually became "Purple Rain."

Nicks talked about the situation in an interview with the Minneapolis Star Tribune. She said it came about after the two teamed up on her 1983 hit "Stand Back," and Nicks asked Prince if he thought they'd ever write together. He sent her the unfinished track in response. But it was too much for Nicks to take in.

"It was so overwhelming, that 10-minute track, that I listened to it and I just got scared," Nicks said. "I called him back and said, 'I can't do it. I wish I could. It's too much for me.' I'm so glad that I didn't, because he wrote it, and it became 'Purple Rain.'" more on this story

More on Stevie Nicks - Stevie Nicks CDs, vinyl and rarities - Stevie Nicks Tour Dates/Tickets

Coheed and Cambria Moving Forward: Now Hear Their New Song
(Banana 101.5) Coheed and Cambria have gotten a lot of attention this year, unfortunately all for the wrong reasons. Perhaps the most press the band has ever received came when bassist Michael Todd was arrested for armed robbery prior to their opening gig for Soundgarden in Boston. The band swiftly replaced Todd, and while remaining sympathetic of his plight, have wasted no time in moving forward as a band.

It has recently been reported that Coheed and Cambria have already begun writing and recording the follow-up to 2010′s 'Year of the Black Rainbow'. In addition to the album, the band has contributed their cover of 'Beer Drinkers and Hellraisers' to the upcoming ZZ Top cover album — 'A Tribute From Friends' (due Oct. 11th).

Their new song 'Deranged' will be featured on the soundtrack to the upcoming video game 'Batman: Arkham City', which is set for release October 4th. Check it out here

More on Coheed and Cambria - Coheed and Cambria CDs, vinyl and rarities - Coheed and Cambria Tour Dates/Tickets

Chickenfoot Up Next With Deeply Personal Song
(hennemusic) Chickenfoot have issued the fourth episode in a new video podcast series to introduce their forthcoming album, "Chickenfoot III," due September 27.

The every-other-day video podcast series is designed to take fans behind the scenes and hear the members of Chickenfoot give background behind each song on the new project while sharing a preview clip of the track. Episode #4 features the guys talking about the album's fourth track, "Up Next." The song has special meaning to the band. "Up Next" is written for our manager, [John] Carter, who died in the middle of making this record," says Sammy Hagar. "Carter was the guy who signed me to my first record contract when I was throw out of Montrose, and produced my first four albums. Carter, dear friend, became our co-manager, and he got cancer: last minute, got it diagnosed, got operated on immediately and died. It was horrible."

"No one knew Carter was sick," continued Sammy. "No one knew he was gonna die that year, no one knew he was gonna die that month. It was so crazy that it inspired this whole song." Check it out here

More on Chickenfoot - Chickenfoot CDs, vinyl and rarities - Chickenfoot Tour Dates/Tickets

Michaele Salahi Not Kidnapped, She Ran Off With Journey Star
(TMZ) TMZ has learned ... far from being kidnapped ... Michaele Salahi has run off with Neal Schon, the lead guitarist for the band Journey.

TMZ broke the story ... Tareq called authorities several times last night and today, claiming his wife has been abducted, because she left without taking her belongings.

But now we've learned ... Michaele has been dating the rock icon, went to his show in Nashville last night and is currently with Schon in Memphis, where Journey is set to perform with Foreigner.

Scoop Marketing, the rep for Journey, confirmed with TMZ that "Nobody kidnapped her and they are in Memphis together."

We've also confirmed Michaele has dated Schon in the past, and she's called it an "intimate and passionate relationship." more on this story

More on Journey - Journey CDs, vinyl and rarities - Journey Tour Dates/Tickets

Def Leppard Show They Got Talent
(hennemusic) Def Leppard put some rock into this season's America's Got Talent finale Wednesday night.

Originally scheduled to appear a week earlier, a last-minute scheduling change moved the British rockers to this week's season-ending show, as producers had 2 hours of programming to fill (to meet advertising commitments) for about 10 legitimate minutes of content.

Leppard performed a mix/medley featuring "Rock Of Ages" and "Pour Some Sugar On Me." more on this story

More on Def Leppard - Def Leppard CDs, vinyl and rarities - Def Leppard Tour Dates/Tickets

Music Leads To Better Hearing
(Rock News Desk) A scientific study suggests people who play musical instruments throughout their lives are likely to have better hearing in their later years.

Researchers say a 70-year-old musician will have ears are strong as those of a 50-year-old non player – meaning a life in music could keep hearing 30% better than it otherwise would be.

Hearing ability is known to decline naturally with age, with as many as one in three experiencing moderate loss by their 60s, and two in three by their 80s. more on this story

More on Hearing

Jeremy Piven Honors Slash With Stones at Benefit
(TMZ) Jeremy Piven returned to the stage Tuesday night ... WITH A VENGEANCE.

Piven was tearing it up behind the drum set for a Rolling Stones tribute band in NYC ... and it was all to benefit young, recovering addicts.

The event was hosted by an organization called Road to Recovery -- and even though Piven dominated ... the entire thing was put together to honor Slash from Guns 'N Roses. more on this story

More on Slash - Slash CDs, vinyl and rarities - Slash Tour Dates/Tickets

Limo Driver Doesn't Remember Giving Reality Show Permission
(TMZ) The limo driver who sued the people behind the TV Guide reality show "Nail Files" for violating his privacy has a big problem ... in the form of a signed release form obtained by TMZ.

Fred Busby -- a limo driver -- claims he was taking the star of the show and her cameraman to LAX, when he went into a diabetic coma. Busby says the show aired the footage and portrayed him as drunk ... even though he insists he never signed a release form.

But we now have a release form that appears to show Fred's signature not once, not twice but three times.

The form states, among other things, "I recognize that my signature on this release is a condition of Company permitting me to be a guest/participant in the Programming or both"

We spoke to Fred's lawyer who tells TMZ, "My client does not recall signing any such documents"

The lawyer went on to imply that Fred may have been "incapacitated" when he was asked to sign the release, and therefore even if he did sign " it would not be enforceable" more on this story

More on Reality

Chaka Khan Wins Grandchild
(TMZ) Chaka Khan just won temporary custody of her 10-year-old granddaughter because the child's parents are drug addicts -- this according to legal docs obtained by TMZ.

Chaka filed a petition for appointment of guardianship last week -- claiming she has already "assumed on a day-to-day basis the role of the child's parent fulfilling both the child's physical and psychological needs for care and affection."

Chaka claims the child's mother -- who lives in the same house -- is incapable of caring for the girl because of a "heavy involvement in drugs."

Chaka's sister Tammy McCrary -- who was also awarded custody -- filed an additional statement in the petition, claiming Chaka's son "also uses and abuses drugs and other illegal substances."

The judge temporarily granted the petition for custody on September 6th ... and extended it today. A hearing is set for October to make it permanent. more on this story

More on Chaka Khan - Chaka Khan CDs, vinyl and rarities - Chaka Khan Tour Dates/Tickets

Snooki Swaers She's Not Obscene
(TMZ) Snooki swears she's NOT an Obscene person ... but she claims the Obscene Jeans company used her name to promote the brand anyway ... and now the MTV star is calling them out.

It's all over a press release Obscene sent out Monday -- announcing a new product placement deal with Celeb Branding, LLC to "outfit the female cast members of 'Jersey Shore' in its hottest new fashions." The statement mentions Snooki, Jwoww, Deena and Sammi by name.

But Snooki's rep claims Snooki has NOTHING to do with the company and it had no right to use her name.

The rep tells us, "The inclusion of Ms. Polizzi's name in the announcement was unauthorized. Ms. Polizzi has never been approached by the company."

It's unclear if Snooki will be pursuing legal action against the company. more on this story

Today's One Liners

One-liners: ‘Having one leg changes everything’
West on life after amputation plus Mike Portnoy and Stone Sour, BLS, Aerosmith, STP, Fleetwood Mac, Seb Bach and Kiss
Leslie West

Learning again: Leslie West

Mountain man Leslie West says he’s learning to live with one leg after he lost his lower right limb in emergency surgery to deal with an infection.

The guitarist explains: “It changes everything. I can’t just jump out of bed and go outside. It’s been different, trying to remember you have one leg. You still feel it because the nerve endings are in there. It’s called ‘phantom pain’ – you think it’s there but it’s not. I’ve had to learn how to use crutches and be in a wheelchair. But it was either my leg or my life.”

West’s new solo album Unusual Suspects is released next week, featuring appearances by Slash, Joe Bonamassa, Zakk Wylde, Billy Gibbons and Steve Lukather.

* * * * *

Former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy will gist with another band when he covers for Stone Sour drummer Ray Mayorga at Rock in Rio on September 24.

The sticksman quit his prog-metal outfit while touring with Avenged Sevenfold last year, and recently said he loved the experience of being able to play drums without having to be involved in a band’s decision-making process.

Now he’ll repeat the feat while Mayorga attends the birth of his first daughter, due on the day of the show.

Stone Sour’s Corey Taylor says: “Having Mike fill in for one show will be great. We can’t wait ti take the stage and lay it down.”

Portnoy adds: “It’s an unexpected treat for me to get another visit with some of the greatest fans in the world down in Brazil.”

* * * * *

Chad Szeliga, formerly of Breaking Benjamin, will become Black Label Society’s fourth drummer in less than a year.

He replaces Mike Froedge, who says: “It’s not every day one gets to tour the world with a living guitar legend and his amazing band. I will never forget it.”

Szeliga comments: “Being a hired gun can be hard. If you don’t do your job you’ll be replaced instantly. You have to be hungry. You have to practice and show that you’re dedicated.”

* * * * *

Aerosmith have laid down 13 basic tracks for their strife-torn follow-up album to 2004′s Honkin’ on Bobo.

Bassist Tom Hamilton says: “The bass parts are done, subject to some adjustment in the future. The drum tracks are all done and we’re starting to do guitar overdubs. It’s fun.

“We can see and hear the album in our minds – we can kind of tell what’s going on. I like to describe it as being crunchy on the outside with a creamy centre.”

* * * * *

Stone Temple Pilots have cancelled the remaining shows of their US tour after frontman Scott Weiland was ordered to rest his vocal cords.

Dr Sid Khosla, who treated Weiland at the UC Health Voice Center in Cincinnati on Tuesday, reports: “We determined his left cord has likely scarring and his right cord is tremendously inflamed. With such a heavy concert schedule we determined Mr Weiland could potentially run the risk of a vocal haemorrhage or suffer permanent damage, hence putting him on complete vocal rest.”

* * * * *

Meanwhile, Sebastian Bach has suggested Velvet Revolver made a mistake in hiring Weiland to front the band rather than himself, after he spent a month working with them during their formation.

The ex-Skid Row man says: “They put their faith in a heroin addict. How did that work out for them? If they had picked me we’d probably still be together right now. I’m a musician like them; I’m not a junkie and not into that kind of thing.

“So they don’t have a singer – and I have a new album.”

* * * * *

Fleetwood Mac are laying plans to tour next year, although Mick Fleetwood admits the plans aren’t very sturdy.

He says: “We’re so disorganised as a band. All we know is we’re working next year. We’re all up for touring in the early summer of next year, I think, and once we start we’re much like U2 and the Stones in terms of workload – we basically play until no one wants to book us any more.”

Meanwhile, his bandmate Stevie Nicks has revealed Prince invited her to co-write the song which became Purple Rain; but the concept scared her too much.

She explains he sent her a ten-minute instrumental version of the track after the pair had discussed working together. “It was so overwhelming. I called him back and said, ‘I can’t do it. I wish I could. It’s too much for me.’

“I’m so glad that I didn’t, because he wrote it and it became Purple Rain.”

* * * * *

Kiss mainman Gene Simmons doesn’t want talk of an original lineup reunion to circulate after he met up with former bandmate Ace Frehley recently.

Simmons says: “Ace and I had a nice, friendly lunch together. It was wonderful to see him. He looked healthy and happy. Nothing else was talked about. Ace and I are both happy with our lives and are not changing anything.”

Original KISS Not Reuniting

09/15/2011
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(Rock News Desk) Kiss mainman Gene Simmons doesn't want talk of an original lineup reunion to circulate after he met up with former bandmate Ace Frehley recently.

Simmons says: "Ace and I had a nice, friendly lunch together. It was wonderful to see him. He looked healthy and happy.

"Nothing else was talked about. Ace and I are both happy with our lives and are not changing anything."

Fleetwood Mac Summer 2012 Tour Confirmed

Just about two weeks ago, Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham told fans he “wouldn’t be shocked” if there was a “tour and possibly an album” to come in 2012 from the ’70s pop/rock giants.

Following on from that conversation, band founder Mick Fleetwood has confirmed that Fleetwood Mac will play again next year.

He told Billboard.com: “We’re so disorganized as a band... All we know is we’re working next year. I’ll get a phone call that we’re going to start rehearsing – usually in a blind panic because we leave everything way too late. But we’re all up for touring in the early summer of next year, I think, and once we start we’re much like U2 and the Stones in terms of workload. We basically play until no one wants to book us anymore.”

Aerosmith Making Progress

09/15/2011
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(hennemusic) Aerosmith continues to work on their 14th studio album with producer Jack Douglas, their first since 2004.

Bassist Tom Hamilton checks in with an update on the project in a new video message for fans. "We're finished with the basic tracks" says Tom. "We've cut 13 basics and we're gonna sit with that for the moment. The bass parts are done, subject to some adjustments in the future. The drum tracks are all done, and we're starting to do guitar overdubs. It's fun. I enjoy going down to the studio and hanging out with the other guys while Joe [Perry] and Brad [Whitford] do their work. So that's probably what we're gonna be doing for the rest of September. And then we're gonna start rehearsing and getting ready for the tour in South America and Japan, which will take us to the end of December."

"And then," continues Hamilton, "sometime between now and then, Steven's [Tyler] probably gonna start singing some vocals and then get really intense about it when we get back from Japan. We can see and hear the album in our minds; we can kind of tell what's going on. And I like to describe it as being crunchy on the outside with a creamy center."

Stone Temple Pilots Cancel Remainder Of 2011 Tour

Yet again Stone Temple Pilots have canceled the remainder of a tour because of Scott Weiland, at least this time it appears to be for legitimate reasons.

Last year STP dropped the off of their tour early after singer Scott Weiland had an exciting multiple-night run of falling off of stages and announcing to the crowd he had also fallen off the wagon. This year the band took another run at it and was receiving mostly positive reviews — all was going well…until last night.

Scott Weiland consulted with Doctor at the UC Voice Health Center prior to their show last night (Sept 13th) in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Doctors informed Weiland that he had scarring on his left vocal chord and a “tremendously inflamed” right vocal chord. The director of the UC Voice Health Center gave the following statement in regards to their orders to put Weiland on vocal rest:

“With such a heavy concert schedule and vocal activity, we determined that Mr. Weiland could potentially run the risk of a vocal hemorrhage or suffer permanent damage, hence putting him on complete vocal rest.”

The band themselves issued a statement about the final 3 shows that are effected by the doctors orders:

“STP regrettably postpones last 4 shows of the summer 2011 tour. Concho, Oklahoma already rescheduled for November 5th. STP apologizes to their fans and should have their remaining three shows rescheduled soon. And of course, refunds are available at the point of purchase.”

Dave plays through Mustaine barrier for NY show

Megadeth mainman scheduled for neck surgery after recent injury – but fronts his band for Big 4 show as planned
Dave Mustaine


Dave Mustaine fronted Megadeth for the Big 4 concert in New York last night – but admitted he was facing surgery on his neck after sustaining an injury during a recent tour.

Rumours had been rife that Megadeth might miss the last scheduled appearance of the touring event which has seen them sharing a stage with genre mates Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax since last year.

It had been said the guitarist and singer spent the last few days in hospital, suffering from pain in his shoulder following an incident on the recent Mayhem Festival US tour.

TV presenter and insider Eddie Trunk had tweeted: “Big news circulating about Big 4 Wed. Stand by for an official announcement.” He later added: “Megadeth IS scheduled to play tomorrow at Big 4. Apparently there was some concern over a back issue with Mustaine but they are on as of now.”

But Mustaine appeared as planned at the Yankee Stadium last night – then told fans he’d be going under the knife in the near future.

The Big 4 ended their show last night with a group performance of Motorhead track Overkill. Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich says there are plans for more US dates to be announced, but a full tour is unlikely.

Joe Francis Charges DROPPED in $2.5 Mil Gambling Fight

Chalk up another legal victory for Joe Francis -- a Nevada court has ruled the "Girls Gone Wild" honcho WILL NOT be prosecuted for allegedly plotting to screw Steve Wynn out of a $2.5 million gambling marker.

It all dates back to an incident in 2007 -- when Francis took out the marker at the Wynn Las Vegas ... and failed to pay it back. Wynn reported the incident to officials ... and the State of Nevada later charged Francis with theft and drawing and passing a check without sufficient funds.

According to court documents obtained by TMZ, prosecutors admitted Francis HAD enough cash to cover the marker at the time -- but before Wynn tried to collect, Joe's accounts "may have been frozen by the government in connection with a federal tax prosecution."

Therefore, the court ruled prosecutors could no longer move forward with the case because they couldn't prove Joe "intended to default on the marker" ... a required element of the charged offenses.

In fact, the evidence shows Joe PROBABLY would have paid the money back ... if he could've.

TMZ spoke with Joe ... who tells us, "I think it is absolutely disgusting what Steve Wynn and his cohorts tried to do to me."

He adds, "I have now been found innocent by a Las Vegas judge and a court of law, and I am so happy to put this behind me ... but you better believe I will go after Steve Wynn personally and the Wynn casino for every dime this has cost me."

Former NFL Pro Bowler I'M DEAD BROKE ... and Living with My Parents

Former NFL Pro Bowler
I'M DEAD BROKE
... and Living with My Parents



Former NFL bad ass Chris McAlister -- who signed a $55 MILLION contract in 2004 -- claims he's BROKE AS A JOKE and living with his parents ... this according to court docs obtained by TMZ.

The ex-Baltimore Ravens defensive superstar has just filed new documents in his child support war with his ex-wife Marlene in the hopes of lowering his $11,000 per month obligation.

In the docs, Chris -- a 1st round NFL draft pick in 1999 who played in the league for 10 years -- states, "I have been unemployed since 2009. I have no income."

He adds, "I live in my parent's home. My parents provide me with my basic living expenses as I do not have the funds to do so."

McAlister was a KEY member of the Ravens when they won the Super Bowl in 2000 ... and even got himself an interception during the big game.

McAlister was only married to Marlene for 13 months -- but she claims Chris ended the relationship in 2009 when she got pregnant and refused to get an abortion.

Tareq Salahi "Devastated" by Wife's Liaison With Journey Guitarist

Tareq Salahi is telling friends, he feels "betrayed" by Journey guitarist Neal Schon, a trusted friend who has hooked up -- again -- with his wife, Michaele.

Tareq is saying he considered Neal and his band members "best friends." The band recently came to his winery in Virginia and played for free and even stayed with Tareq and Michaele.

And there's more. Two weeks ago, Tareq and Michaele went to a Journey concert in Virginia and hung backstage with Neal and a woman named Ava, whom Tareq believes is Neal's wife.

Tareq has been crying hysterically, saying he feels as if his life is over because Michaele is all he lived for.

TMZ broke the story ... contrary to Tareq's belief that his wife had been kidnapped, Michaele was hooking up with Neal in Tennessee, bouncing from Journey concert to Journey concert.

Lita Ford: “Eddie Van Halen is The Les Paul of Today’s World”

Tuesday, 13 September 2011

Lita Ford from The Runaways contributed to the upcoming hardcover photo book, Eddie Van Halen, by Neil Zlozower.

The Van Halen News Desk has the exclusive on Lita’s quote in the book, below.

In the very early days, the Runaways and Van Halen musically grew up together on the Sunset Strip. Edward was my friend. I’d go to his house after a night of partying, and we would say “Hi” to his mom, and he’d make me breakfast by opening a packet of Carnation Instant Breakfast (mix with milk and drink your breakfast, chocolate or vanilla).

Edward had no time in his life for anything unless it was for sex or rock ’n’ roll. He didn’t even have an ignition switch in his car. He just said, “Fuck, I don’t need a key,” and he would put these wires together, and off we went in his piece of trash vehicle with an AMAZING stereo system, on which he played me “Running with the Devil.” I was blown away by how awesome and rockin’ it sounded! Good ol’ straight-in-your-face rock ’n’ roll, no bells and whistles. Not watered down with tons of guitar overdubs and tons of keyboards, as we just came out of the Boston era. Boston was cool, but extremely produced. back-to-basics three-piece rock ’n’ roll. Everyone was too busy trying to figure out how to outdo each other, while Edward would just DO IT! No questions asked!!! Just fuckin’ DO IT!

He was a great inspiration to me. You know how sometimes people say things to you that you carry with you for years, and that change your life forever? I was stuck in a world where not too many people listened to girls playing guitar. I didn’t know what I was capable of doing, especially having been fresh from the Runaways, which was an uphill battle. One day Edward said to me, “Lita, you can play guitar, what’s your fuckin’ problem, just DO IT!!!” Something so simple coming out of the mouth of Edward Van Halen was like an electric charge of energy going through my brain. Suddenly, my life became so clear and simple. Hey, it’s not an issue that you’re a chick. So what? Just fuckin’ DO IT! What are you waiting for? Approval? Fuck them!!! Just be yourself!!!

We all know EVH is the Les Paul of today’s world. We all know Edward changed the face of rock ’n’ roll. But it’s the person that he truly is that makes him so unique. He is an inspiration to every musician, because we all wanna be him, and some of us try real hard, but the reality of it is that there is only ONE Edward Van Halen!!! PERIOD! What makes him tick? Good question! But whatever it is, they honestly did break the mold after they made Edward!!! I love you, buddy friend! God bless you and your family! Thanks for rockin’ my world!!!

—Lita Ford

From the upcoming hardcover photo book, Eddie Van Halen, by Neil Zlozower. For more info or to pre-order your Autographed copy, visit Van Halen Store.

Today In Rock News!

Hanoi Rocks Frontman Doesn't Blame Vince Neil for Bandmate's Death
(RockAAA) Michael Monroe says the tragic car accident involving Vince Neil and Razzle, claiming the latter's life, acted as the catalyst for the demise of Hanoi Rocks in 1985 – but he insists he holds no grudges with the Motley Crue singer.

Monroe, who was Hanoi Rocks frontman, was devastated when Razzle was killed following a crash involving a car Neil was driving but while he confesses the band began to unravel after the accident he doesn't feel Neil is to blame.

"There was a car accident where unfortunately our drummer (Razzle Dingley) was killed. That was one of the reasons that Hanoi Rocks disbanded. As far as Vince Neil I have nothing to say," Monroe told Sleaze Roxx. "It was an accident that surely all of us would like to put behind us already. I would never blame anybody for an accident — you can't. What happened, happened, and I can't change that. Everybody suffered from this and we'd like to put that behind us. more on this story

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Watch Slash Roast Charlie Sheen
(Banana 101.5) Charlie Sheen may have jumped the shark 6 months ago, but Comedy Central still booked him for one of their infamous roasts. In the following clip you can see Sheen's neighbor — legendary former Guns N' Roses axeman Slash — rip a blistering solo as the tiger-blooded warlock takes the stage.

'The Comedy Central Roast of Charlie Sheen' taped over the weekend and is set to air on the cable network September 19th. The lineup of comedians and celebs on the dais this time out include regulars Jeffrey Ross, Seth Macfarlane, Anthony Jeselnik, and newcomers Mike Tyson, Steve-O, and Slash.

Not only did Slash roast his longtime friend and neighbor at the taped skewering, he also lent his guitar mastery as Sheen approached the hot seat. Watch as Slash bends guitar strings, space, time, and kind of forgets what's going on for a minute as he propels into solo-land. Check it out here

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Hear Sammy Hagar and Joe Satriani's NFL Theme Song
(hennemusic) Sammy Hagar's been writing stadium-size rock anthems for decades, so it's no surprise he has teamed with the NFL to provide some musical inspiration for the new season.

Hagar and Chickenfoot partner Joe Satriani have recorded "Knockdown," one of the new songs included on the Official Gameday Music Of The NFL three-track single.

Along with tracks from Darius Rucker and Hinder, Hagar's "Knockdown" is an adrenaline-charged, fist-pumping rocker that will be used by the NFL throughout the season. more on this story

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Earliest Big Four of Thrash Photos For Christmas?
Murder In The Front Row: a new book that uncovers the earliest "big four" pictures including Kirk Hammett in Exodus, Dave Mustaine in Metallica, and Kerry King in Megadeth, is set to hit stores this December. Here is a little background:

As "Big Four" thrash metal bands Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax prepare an historic performance together this week at Yankee Stadium in New York, further details emerge about the upcoming photo book documenting their origins: Murder in the Front Row: Shots From the Bay Area Thrash Metal Epicenter, by Harald Oimoen and Brian Lew. Among the previously unseen photos from the original thrash metal explosion: Kirk Hammett performing with Exodus; Dave Mustaine rehearsing and performing with Metallica-including the band's very first practice with bassist Cliff Burton; Kerry King soundchecking and performing with Megadeth during that band's debut series of shows in 1984; and Anthrax's modest first-ever Bay Area appearance. These historic events are part of a spectacular large-format 272-page view inside "the metal scene that banged those heads that did not bang" includes over 400 of some of the earliest color and black-and-white photos of Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Exodus, Possessed, Death Angel, Forbidden, Legacy/Testament, Vio-lence, and many others key figures from the Bay Area thrash metal universe.

"Before they played the Bay Area, Slayer wore makeup onstage," says coauthor Brian Lew. "After that first Bay Area show they never wore makeup again. This book will show people why."

Murder in the Front Row will be available December 2011, wherever books are sold. To view page samples and place a preorder (with limited two-sided exclusive poster-size dustjacket), go here

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Candice Night Releases Black Roses Video
(SB) Candice Night has released a new music video for the song "Black Roses," which comes from first solo album Reflections, set for release on September 27, 2011.

"Call it Love," the debut single off of the album, is currently available for purchase on iTunes. The music video for "Black Roses" can be viewed exclusively here

Night's debut album, Reflections, showcases a different side to her extraordinary talent and voice. As a new solo star, Reflections, is emanated from Night's personal experiences as a woman, devoted mother and musician. Allow yourself a chance to get lost in the passions, the mysteries, and the ever-changing kaleidoscope of Candice Night - reflected in her vocals, her lyrics and her music. more on this story

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Joe Firstman and Jaron Lowenstein Release New Cordovas Album
(EBM) Jaron Lowenstein of Jaron and the Long Road to Love has recorded a genre-bending album with Joe Firstman (former band leader of Last Call with Carson Daly) and their new band Cordovas.

The new release, which shifts from Southern Rock to Alt/Country to Gospel then Bluegrass, sometimes within a single track, is available worldwide on iTunes and TheCordovas.com today, Tuesday, September 13.

"This whole project has been one giant musical evolution... and still continues to evolve daily," said Jaron. "Joe and I had no idea where this would lead when we began working together back in May, but we knew that combining our strengths would lead to a sum that is greater than the individual parts. We set out to create the best music we could -- music that would inspire us first with the belief that if we're moved by it, others will be too." more on this story

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The Creeping Death of the Music Biz
(RockAAA's Mick Wall) I'm off to London today to listen to the new Loutallica album. That is, I'm off to London to sit in a basement room at some anonymous hotel with a bunch of other chosen-ones from the media, to listen to the Loutallica album. Our bag and phones will be placed into a 'secure room' while we do this, we've been informed. And biogs and lyrics will be given out to us. Ooh, thanks.

From this I shall be required to write an extensive review for Classic Rock magazine. Hardly the most promising way you would have thought, for someone to say anything meaningful about so apparently important a release. And you would be right. It's probably about the worst way possible, in fact. I guarantee you a week from now I will remember nothing about it worth talking about.

None of which, I hasten to assure you, I am complaining about. No one is holding a gun to my head. I just genuinely wish to hear, if only fleetingly for now, what I appear to be alone in thinking might just be one of the albums of the year.

What I wish to comment on here is what a symbol this patently ridiculous situation is of everything that is screwed-up about the calcified so-called 'modern' music biz. more on this story

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Henry Rollins Playing Unusual Role On Dinosaur Jr. Tour
(rock nyc) Dinosaur Jr. has announced some dates for a West Coast tour in December during which they will perform their 1988 album 'Bug' in its entirety.

But it is barely the main attraction of the tour, they will also bring Henry Rollins along with them, and he will be interviewing the band before each performance.

It's a sure bet this renaissance man will come up with entertaining new questions each time. more on this story

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The Book of Mormon The Movie
(rock nyc) Yet another Broadway hit being squished into a big screen movie. Although many shows have made great films ( West Side Story, Singing In The Rain) others couldn't hold a candle to Great White Way.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone have announced that a movie adaptation of the play is in the works.

The show which features Mormons sent to Uganda to save the locals and convert them to Mormonism will first go on a nationwide tour The Book of Mormon will go on a nationwide tour, beginning in their home state of Colorado. more on this story

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Marc Anthony Invited Will Smith To Dolphins Game
(TMZ) We found out it was Marc Anthony who reached out to Will Smith ... inviting him into his luxury box at the Miami Dolphins game last night.

Dwyane Wade ... was also invited to hang with the superstars. After the game Wade told people that it was genuine friendship between Marc and Will, and not just mugging for the cameras.

That said, it's clear they wanted to make a very public point ... there are no hard feelings between them in the wake of rumors Marc had an affair with Jada Pinkett Smith.

Nothing like a nice cushy box to bring guys together. more on this story

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Diamond Eye React To Song of The Year Nomination
(Sub) Diamond Eye have reacted to their nomination for Song of The Year in the Metal category at the WA Music Industry Awards for the title track of their forthcoming EP "Sound Of The Guns".

"We are honoured to be nominated for WAM song of the year. This is a victory for all the people who have supported us and championed Diamond Eye from the beginning" says Chase Cameron, Bass Guitarist.

The winner of the category will be announced at the annual WA Music Industry Awards night on 12th October – just two days before the band officially launch the EP at Perth's Amplifier Bar. more on this story

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Bush Officially Back
Yesterday Bush released The Sea Of Memories, their first new album in 10 years.

The album marks the band's return to the top of the charts, with lead single "The Sound Of Winter" hitting No. 4 on Billboard's Rock Songs Chart.

Bush will celebrate the album's release on the road, as today also marks the launch of their headlining tour of North America, to be followed by an international run that kicks off November 3rd in Madrid. more on this story

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Caveman Album Release Show Tomorrow
(POM) Yesterday Caveman digitally released their debut album CoCo Beware via their very own Magic Man! Records.

The digital release is followed by the physical CD and vinyl release on November 15th.

In support of CoCo Beware, Caveman will play a record release show at New York City's Mercury Lounge tomorrow September 15th. more on this story

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A Great Big Pile of Leaves Releasing Two EPs This Fall
(ASP) A Great Big Pile of Leaves will release two new EP's on November 1st. Both EP's consist of new and re-recorded songs and will be available digitally and on vinyl only.

The first, Live from the Living Room- Volume One, a joint release from Boston, MA's Topshelf Records and Brookyn, NY indie, Pressing Matters, run by Motion City Soundtrack keyboardist Jesse Johnson, was recorded in Johnson's living room.

The second, a studio effort titled Boom, will be released by Topshelf Records. More details regarding both releases will be announced shortly.

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Stars Help Surfrider Raise $50K at Celebrity Expression Session
This past weekend the Surfrider Foundation hosted its 6th Annual Celebrity Expression Session in Malibu. Celebrities from film, television and music paddled out at the famed First Point to ride waves and raise funds and awareness for the Surfrider Foundation. Here is the official recap:

Not even the dark sky and rain could stop celebrity surfers from hitting the water on September 10th to raise funds and awareness for the Surfrider Foundation at the 6th Annual Celebrity Expression Session presented by Cali Bamboo. Celebrities from film, music and television paddled, caught and rode their fair share of waves at First Point in Malibu during the hour-long free surf session, and raised $50,000 for the Foundation and its mission of protecting our world's oceans, waves and beaches.

The Malibu Surfing Association's MSA Classic hosted this year's Celebrity Expression Session, which featured an eclectic mix of celebrities from film, television and music including Eric Avery, Eric Balfour, David Chokachi, Tate Donovan, Brian Geraghty, Gregory Harrison, Chad Lowe, John Slattery, Jesse Spencer, Ross Thomas and Sam Trammell. more on this story

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The Future of the Music Business
Hal Leonard Books has published The Future of the Music Business by Steve Gordon. This Third Edition is a practical guide for artists and entrepreneurs on how to succeed in the music business with the new digital technologies.

New technologies are revolutionizing the music business. While these changes may be smashing traditional business models and creating havoc among the major record companies, they are also providing new opportunities for unsigned artists, independent labels, and music business entrepreneurs.

The Future of the Music Business provides a legal and business road map for success in today's music business by setting forth a comprehensive summary of the rules pertaining to the traditional music business, including music licensing, as well as the laws governing online distribution of music and video. more on this story

Weds Quick Hits Part 2!!

New Amy Winehouse Song Today- Gucci Mane Going To Jail- Joe Jonas Not Really Naked Video- Wiz Khalifa Working On New Album- Whitney, Jordan Sparks Movie?- more

09/14/2011
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(NME) A brand new song by Amy Winehouse will debut today (September 14) on Ken Bruce’s Radio 2 show from 9.30am, on what would have been her 28th birthday. Check back at NME.COM later today to read fans' first impressions of the song 'Body And Soul', a duet with jazz singer Tony Bennett. more

In related news, Amy Winehouse's family has launched a youth charity in her name to mark what would have been the singer's 28th birthday. more

(Billboard) Authorities in suburban Atlanta say rapper Gucci Mane will serve six months in jail after pleading guilty to battery and other charges. more

(Billboard) Yes, we just said "naked," "Jonas" and "video." The former teen star is all grown up in his new video for second "Fastlife" single "Just In Love," set in Paris involving a beautiful girl. However, Jonas maintains he's "not naked and she's not naked" in the clip but admits, "I'll just say it's a little bit older than anything I've done before. Check out the video here

(FMQB) Wiz Khalifa has revealed that he is already working on the follow up to his gold-major label debut Rolling Papers, which was released six months ago. more

(FMQB) Big Sean is gearing up for his first solo tour. The I Am Finally Famous tour takes a 30 city run, beginning October 2 in Asheville, NC. more

(FMQB) Whitney Houston is in talks to star in a remake of the 1976 movie Sparkle. American Idol winner Jordin Sparks and actor Mike Epps also are set to star, according to the Hollywood Reporter. more

Weds Quick Hits Part 2!!

New Amy Winehouse Song Today- Gucci Mane Going To Jail- Joe Jonas Not Really Naked Video- Wiz Khalifa Working On New Album- Whitney, Jordan Sparks Movie?- more

09/14/2011
.
(NME) A brand new song by Amy Winehouse will debut today (September 14) on Ken Bruce’s Radio 2 show from 9.30am, on what would have been her 28th birthday. Check back at NME.COM later today to read fans' first impressions of the song 'Body And Soul', a duet with jazz singer Tony Bennett. more

In related news, Amy Winehouse's family has launched a youth charity in her name to mark what would have been the singer's 28th birthday. more

(Billboard) Authorities in suburban Atlanta say rapper Gucci Mane will serve six months in jail after pleading guilty to battery and other charges. more

(Billboard) Yes, we just said "naked," "Jonas" and "video." The former teen star is all grown up in his new video for second "Fastlife" single "Just In Love," set in Paris involving a beautiful girl. However, Jonas maintains he's "not naked and she's not naked" in the clip but admits, "I'll just say it's a little bit older than anything I've done before. Check out the video here

(FMQB) Wiz Khalifa has revealed that he is already working on the follow up to his gold-major label debut Rolling Papers, which was released six months ago. more

(FMQB) Big Sean is gearing up for his first solo tour. The I Am Finally Famous tour takes a 30 city run, beginning October 2 in Asheville, NC. more

(FMQB) Whitney Houston is in talks to star in a remake of the 1976 movie Sparkle. American Idol winner Jordin Sparks and actor Mike Epps also are set to star, according to the Hollywood Reporter. more

Dave Mustaine And Kirk Hammett Officially Bury The Hatchet

Megadeth mastermind Dave Mustaine was once the lead guitarist for a little band called Metallica. When he was replaced by Kirk Hammett in 1983, it started a long standing rivalry that has finally come to an end.

Whether it’s your ex-lovers new companion or the guy who holds the gig you were just canned from — having anything but a hate-based relationship with your replacement is difficult. Nobody knows this better than Dave Mustaine who, until recently, carried bitterness towards his successor in Metallica — Kirk Hammett.

The two have been touring together as part of The Big 4 and now that they’ve shared a stage together, have mended their differences. Dave Mustaine tells Artisan News that their relationship began to turn in the other direction when Hammett offered him the spotlight:

“When we played ‘Helpless’ [Diamond Head cover] one night, I walked over to say hello to Kirk on the stage and he said, ‘Do you wanna take the solo?” and I said, ‘Yeah.’ [Laughs] But we forgot to tell anybody on the stage or the sound out front that I was gonna do the solo so… The song’s playing along and Kirk’s playing rhythm full blast, and I’m sitting there going [shreds air guitar]… you can’t hear what I’m doing. At least we knew what had happened. It was kind of a symbolic passing of the torch back to me and it was a nice gesture. I think that that helped Kirk and my relationship improve a bit.”

The Big 4 take the stage tomorrow night at New York’s Yankee Stadium. Megadeth’s new album ‘TH1RT3En‘ is due for release November 1st — the same day as Metallica’s Lou Reed collaboration, ‘Lulu‘. Maybe the rivalry isn’t over just yet…

Keith Richards Would Like “One More Bash” with the Stones

Keith Richards says he hopes to reconvene The Rolling Stones, but he isn’t sure when that might happen. “There is talk about [doing more songwriting],” the veteran rocker told GQ in a recent interview. “Basically I want to get the Stones back together and give it one more bash. I think they've got it in them. But it's about timing and an awful lot of very careful diplomacy.”

Richards also revealed that one of the greatest difficulties he encountered in putting together Life, his autobiography, was writing about the loss of his son, Tara, to sudden infant death syndrome. “'I really didn't want to go through and remember the death of my son,” he said. “You spend a lot of time trying to bury that kind of [stuff], not bringing it up again. That was the hard one for me, to relieve that.”

Richards went on to say that life on the road as a Rolling Stone, even during the band’s wild-partying heyday, wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. “It actually wasn't a very glamorous life,” he said. “It was a lot of hard slog, a lot of hard work. We were taking care of two hours on the stage and the rest of it; I wouldn't wish it on anybody.”

Weds Quick Hits!

Scott Weiland Calls in Sick- KISS Reunion Denied- Evile Lady Gaga?- Different Soundgarden- Patrick Stump- The Bled Farewell Tour- Whitesnake in a Box- Misfits- more

09/14/2011
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(BMN) Stone Temple Pilots were forced to cancel last night's (Tuesday, September 13) concert at the Taft Theatre in Cincinnati, Ohio. According to a band's representative, lead singer Scott Weiland is suffering from "inflamed vocal cords" and is regrettably unable to perform. more

(SRX) Gene Simmons has moved swiftly to end rumors of a full KISS reunion after he and guitarist Ace Frehley were spotted at lunch together on Monday. more

(Rock News Desk) Evile drummer Ben Carter says they’d love to open for pop star Lady Gaga. He explains: “She’s great, and I’m not ashamed to say that. She’s more than just a manufactured pop star; she has a true love for metal. The metal purists out there would probably never listen to us again, but music is music, and sometimes you can’t afford to be so narrow-minded, especially in the climate of the industry today.” more

(Loudwire) Soundgarden disbanded in 1997, only to reunite in early 2010. Soundgarden have since been working on a new album, with frontman Chris Cornell promising fans that it will be unlike anything the band has ever done. more

(Rock News Desk) White Wizzard have announced another lineup change. Jake Dreyer is the latest addition to the Los Angeles-based quintet, replacing Lewis Stephens. more

Reckless Kelly is streaming their new album Good Luck & True Love in its entirety free on AOL Music’s “Listening Party” (here) beginning this week. The album was released yesterday on their own No Big Deal Records straddles the lines of rock and country and marks their 11th album.
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(Classic Rock) Whitesnake are to have a box set released on November 7. And they’re also playing live at the end of the year. Titled Box O’Snakes: The Sunburst Years 1978-1982, the box has every studio and live album from the period, two previously unreleased BBC concerts and more

(Noisecreep) As I Lay Dying are celebrating their 10th anniversary this year and to help celebrate the milestone, they'll be releasing a new album titled 'Decas.' more

A preview of Fall Out Boy frontman Patrick Stump's new video “This City (ft. Lupe Fiasco)” can be seen here. The full video will premiere September 20th on Vevo and his new solo album, Soul Punk, will be released on October 18th.

(Rock News Desk) A university graduate is writing a thesis on the etiquette of the moshpit. The report is part of masters student Gabby Riches’ degree in Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Alberta. more

(Billboard) In case you couldn't get enough of grunge, here's comes 144 performances straight of "Smells Like Teen Spirit." Members of F*cked Up, Tokyo Police Club and others are getting together at the Toronto Underground Cinema on October 1 to play through the Nirvana classic over and over again. more

(The 1st Five) This Time Next Year have reported their trailer has been stolen along with all of their merchandise and a substantial amount of gear. more

(Lambgoat) The Bled has announced dates for their farewell tour, which will also include Decoder. Grab them here

(BW&BK) Hatebreed have confirmed a handful of tour dates on the Share The Welt Tour, supporting Five Finger Death Punch and All That Remains. more

(FMQB) Blink-182’s newest release Neighborhoods is said to be a combination of the group’s previous albums, according to bassist Mark Hoppus. The album drops September 26, and is their first in eight years. more

(PNO) The Misfits have detailed their forthcoming album, The Devil's Rain. It's due out on October 4, 2011 and is their first album of original material in ten years. It reunites the band with Famous Monsters producer Ed Stasium who also recorded The Ramones' Road to Ruin and Too Tough to Die. more

(Classic Rock) There’s an all new Kate Bush album on the way. Called 50 Words For Snow, it’s release by her own EMI imprint Fish People on November 21. more

(The 1st Five) Hit The Lights have signed an album and publishing deal with Razor & Tie. The band’s new album – the first in over four years – will drop early in 2012. more

Molotov Solution have announced the release of their forthcoming album Insurrection for October 25th. more

(Classic Rock) Thunder have announced their Christmas show, and also confirmed dates for a Danny Bowes/Ben Matthews UK tour. more

(AP) Even though they've now been released, the three men known as the 'West Memphis Three' are still getting support from Eddie Vedder and the rest of Pearl Jam. more

Sick Of It All and Shai Hulud will tour Europe next month along with All For Nothing. more

Marduk has issued the following announcement about splitting with Regain Records and gearing up to record a new full-length album more

One Liners!

One-liners: ‘We put the past behind us’
Dez Fafara considers Coal Chamber reunion shows plus Mastodon, White Wizzard, Evile, Godsmack vs Motley Crue and moshing etiquette study

By Andrew McDonald
Coal Chamber

Comeback consideration: Fafara with Coal Chamber

DevilDriver frontman Dez Fafara has revealed that he would consider reuniting with Coal Chamber.

He split the nu metal act in 2003 over his bandmates’ use of methamphetamines. But he now says guitarist Meegs Rascon and drummer Mikey Cox are “clean off of hard drugs.”

Fafara says: “We put the past behind us. We’ve been friends for years – they come out to DevilDriver shows. I don’t know if I’d entertain a reunion, but I would entertain some shows. Definitely.”

* * * * *

Mastodon guitarist Bill Kelliher wanted his presence to be felt more on forthcoming album The Hunter after feeling outshone by fellow axeman Brent Hinds on their previous record.

Kelliher reports: “A lot of our last album, Crack The Skye, was written when Brent was in the hospital, so some of the songs were pretty heavy. I approached this record in the same way, but Brent came back full force and he had a lot of the album written out in his head, so some of my tunes didn’t make it. I did want to shine. I think the songs that I contributed to heavily really do.”

* * * * *

White Wizzard have announced another lineup change. Jake Dreyer is the latest addition to the Los Angeles-based quintet, replacing Lewis Stephens.

Mainman Jon Leon says: “Jake is a great guy and a fantastic talent. Lewis has toured with us over the last year and we wish him well on his new engagement and life in Wales. We now have a permanent final member and look forward to slaying you in the next few months.”

* * * * *

Godsmack drummer Shannon Larkin has revealed more about the feud with Motley Crue which led to his band writing the track Cryin’ Like A Bitch, said to illustrate the bad feeling between singer Sully Erna and Crue’s Nikki Sixx.

Larkin says: “We get along great with Mick Mars and Tommy Lee. I got along great with Nikki. In fact, he had called me over one time and asked if I would like to play on his Sixx:AM project. But then, four weeks into the tour, him and Sully had this clash.

“They were real weird with our guests getting backstage, like they might want to look at Motley Crue. Our guests were there to see us and they didn’t give a shit about Motley Crue. They’re a band that we all respect. It just kind of fronted us a little that they would think our guests would be star-struck over them.”

But when asked directly whether Cryin’ LIke A Bitch is about Sixx, Larkin says: “It’s difficult for me to restrain myself from answering that question because, as honest as I’d like to be, the other side of me doesn’t want to give anybody the extra exposure, even if it’s negative.”

* * * * *

Evile drummer Ben Carter says they’d love to open for pop star Lady Gaga. He explains: “She’s great, and I’m not ashamed to say that. She’s more than just a manufactured pop star; she has a true love for metal. The metal purists out there would probably never listen to us again, but music is music, and sometimes you can’t afford to be so narrow-minded, especially in the climate of the industry today.”

* * * * *

A university graduate is writing a thesis on the etiquette of the moshpit.

The report is part of masters student Gabby Riches’ degree in Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Alberta.

She says: “Moshing started in the early 1980s, in the American hardcore punk scene. Bad Brains used to yell at their audience to ‘mash it up’, but the singer had a thick Jamaican accent, so people heard ‘mash’ as ‘mosh’.

“At first, moshing can feel intimidating and frightening, but there’s a sense of exhilaration and community. There are rules like no spiked jewellery and no sexual contact. One of the most important ones is to help someone up if they fall.”

Bach orders fan out of show

Singer Seb unleashes foul-mouthed rampage on audience member during US tour – and doesn’t miss a moment out of song
Sebastian Bach

Shouting out: Sebastian Bach

Sebastian Bach lashed out at a member of his audience during a concert on Saturday night – telling security staff: “Get him out of here or I’ll get him the fuck out of here.”

His band had reached the solo section of Skid Row track I Remember You when Bach began pointing towards someone in the crowd to the left of the stage.

Video shows him pointing towards the unidentified person and shouting: “Come here. Come here. Come here, motherfucker. Get the fuck out of here.”

As the band play on and the rest of the audience cheer the singer, he tells security staff: “I want this guy to get the fuck right out of here. Goodbye. Get him out. Get him out of here or I’ll get him the fuck out of here. Bye-bye.”

Without missing a beat Bach gets back into the song at the end of the instrumental, while security staff deal with the unknown issue.

Bach recently spoke of his anger at UK promoters who refuse to book his band because they’re hoping he’ll reunite with Skid Row – something he and his former act have both said will never happen.

The singer explained: “Playing only 20-year-old songs doesn’t interest me. I don’t want to be a nostalgia act. That doesn’t interest me at all.”

STYX ANNOUNCE REGENERATION VOLUME I & II AS A DOUBLE-DISC SET THROUGH EAGLE ROCK ENTERTAINMENT:

Superstar rock group Styx announced today that it will release Regeneration Volume I & II as a double-disc set through Eagle Rock Entertainment on October 4. Originally released independently through Styx' web site and sold on tour, the two discs will now be available commercially for the first time. The new package consists of past Styx hits re-recorded in new digital versions by the current lineup of Styx, which features classic members Tommy Shaw and James "JY" Young along with keyboardist/singer Lawrence Gowan, drummer Todd Sucherman and bassist Ricky Phillips. Founding member Chuck Panozzo also played bass on some tracks.
The two discs touch on Styx classics like "The Grand Illusion," "Come Sail Away," "Renegade" and "Fooling Yourself," along with deeper album cuts like "Sing for the Day," "Lorelei" and "Snowblind." There is one new Styx studio track entitled "Difference in the World," as well as two new Styx recordings of "Coming of Age" and "High Enough," two hits originally recorded by Tommy Shaw's supergroup Damn Yankees.
Eagle Rock Entertainment previously released Styx: One With Everything, a DVD and Blu-ray filmed with The Contemporary Youth Orchestra Of Cleveland.
In December Eagle Rock will release a new Styx live project, The Grand Illusion/Pieces Of Eight � Live, on DVD/CD, DVD, and Blu-ray. That footage was filmed last fall during a tour that had the band performing two of its classic albums - 1977's breakthrough The Grand Illusion and 1978's Pieces of Eight - in their entirety.
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