Metallica Fans Threaten To Kill Lou Reed
(Rock News Desk) Lou Reed says he's received a number of death threats from Metallica fans over Lulu, his collaboration album with the thrash giants.
Supporters were shocked when the controversial coupling was revealed earlier this year, and many have remained unimpressed with what they've heard. Most reviews have been lukewarm too. But Reed says he doesn't care – because he only did it for fun.
The veteran art rocker tells USA Today: "They are threatening to shoot me, and that's only because I showed up. They haven't even heard the record yet and they're recommending various forms of torture and death." more on this story
Roger Waters The Wall Tour Details
Pink Floyd legend Roger Waters is bringing his live production of "The Wall" back to North America in 2012. Here is the official word with details, dates and ticket information:
"The Wall" live has played more than 120 shows around the world for more than 1.6 million fans making it one of the most successful tours of 2010 and 2011. Tickets for "The Wall" 2012 go on sale beginning on Monday, November 7th at LiveNation.com.
The 2012 tour will begin on May 1st in Houston, Texas at the Toyota Center making a 36 show trek throughout North America, including several outdoor stadium performances with state of the art modifications transforming the arena production into magnificent outdoor events. more on this story
Gene Simmons A Sex Addict?
(Rock News Desk) Former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley says Gene Simmons is a sex addict and his sleeping around meant he was constantly suffering attacks of lice.
The claims appear in Frehley's autobiography, No Regrets, in which he discusses his own addiction issues along with memories of his two stints with the glam icons.
The guitarist writes: "I believe Gene is a sex addict in much the same way I am an alcoholic. more on this story
Megadeth and Motorhead Gigatour Dates Announced
Megadeth have announced the dates for the return of Gigatour which is set to take place early next year.
Aside from headliners Megadeth, the outing will also include Motörhead, Volbeat and Lacuna Coil. All were personally picked by Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine
The tour is set to kick off on January 26 in Camden, NJ. Before wrapping February 28 in Denver, CO, the tour will make stops all across the U.S. and Canada including a January 28 show in New York and February 24 in Los Angeles. Tickets are on-sale beginning November 4. more on this story
Duff Can't See Guns N' Roses Reunion for Rock Hall
(hennemusic) Original Guns N' Roses bass player Duff McKagan recently spoke with The Nervous Breakdown about the possibility of the band being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the chances for a reunion if they get in.
"Yeah, it's weird, you know? I've never striven to get into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Never in my life have I thought, 'Man, I gotta get a Grammy,'" says Duff. "In sports you try to win it all, but music's a different deal. So the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame was never on my radar."
"As a matter of fact," he continues, "I don't know how we got roped into it, but when we (Velvet Revolver) inducted Van Halen, it went south. I don't know if you remember that. It just went south. The band (VH) was fighting, and the only ones to show up were Michael Anthony and Sammy Hagar, and it was like, 'Ohhh, boy…' So when we (GN'R) got announced, that's what I remembered. But I do understand that for the fans, it's important. It's important to the people who buy your records and come to your gigs and connect with some lyric that you wrote or a groove or something. I mean, I'm part of social media — I write a couple of columns online, and people comment on those. I have Twitter and I'm on Facebook and I read people's comments about how they feel about us being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, so then it's important to me. Only then. And I've learned to just say, 'thank you.'"
So what does Duff think could happen on the big night, whenever it happens…IF it happens? "I can't. I can't picture it. Your guess is as good as mine. There is no picture. It's bound to happen, but I'd love to call the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, whoever they are, and say, 'Hey guys, why don't you put this off for another ten years? Thank you! Thanks for nominating us — it's great, but how about you put it off for ten years?' more on this story
Fleetwood Mac Original Dies
(Gibson) Fleetwood Mac's original bassist is dead. Music Week magazine in England reports that Bob Brunning passed away at his home in England last week. He was 68.
Brunning had joined Peter Green in 1967, to be later replaced by John McVie. Brunning then quit life as a full-time musician and became a headmaster at several schools in London.
Later, he played again with The Brunning-Sunflower Blues Band. He also wrote several books about the music business including, Blues – The British Connection and Fleetwood Mac: The First Thirty Years. more on this story
Dio's All Star Metal Project 'Stars' Being Reissued
(hennemusic) While Bob Geldof was saving the world with Live Aid and charity singles in the mid-80s, the metal community was pretty much left out, until Dio members Vivian Campbell and Jimmy Bain connected with Ronnie James Dio to put together their own charity project.
As Rolling Stone reports, the result was the song "Stars," featuring members of Mötley Crüe, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Quiet Riot, Twisted Sister, Blue Öyster Cult, and even Spinal Tap. The group – which called itself Hear N' Aid – also enlisted Ted Nugent and Yngwie Malmsteen to record the track and put out an album, "Stars," featuring live cuts by Kiss, Rush, Dio and more.
Due to contract differences with the labels, the song and album weren't released until New Year's Day, 1986, well after the success of its predecessors and it has since been largely forgotten.
But Ronnie's widow/manager Wendy Dio wants to fix that. Read about that here.
Pete Townshend Slams Apple as Digital Vampire
(Rock News Desk) Who guitarist Pete Townshend says Apple is behaving like a "digital vampire" by "bleeding" musicians and giving nothing back to the music industry.
And he's called on the firm to start giving back instead of simply taking revenue out of the business.
He used his platform at BBC6 Music's inaugural John Peel Lecture to query the morality of the iTunes business model, which is responsible for more than three quarters of all digital music sales. more on this story
3 Inches Of Blood Release Split with Bob Wayne
Outlaw country star Bob Wayne has teamed up with metal band 3 Inches Of Blood to release a new split 7".
The 7", which is available today, includes Bob Wayne's "Everything's Legal In Alabama" and a live version of "Call Of The Hammer" from 3 Inches Of Blood featuring Ben Falgoust from Goatwhore.
3 Inches Of Blood vocalist Cam Pipes commented on the release, "When asked if we wanted to do a split 7" with Bob Wayne it was a pretty easy decision. We've never done a split 7" before and Bob's already a friend of ours, a good ol' Pacific Northwestern boy. We've also never released a live track before. We had recorded some shows in Vancouver last year, so we picked Call of the Hammer since Ben Falgoust from Goatwhore does guest vocals on it. All around this is a special release for us." more on this story
Deep Purple Orchestra Live Double CD, DVD and Blu-Ray Coming
(Kayos) Next Tuesday (November 8) Eagle Rock will release Deep Purple + Orchestra Live At Montreux 2011 on 2CD, DVD and Blu-Ray.
Here are the details: On July 16, 2011, Deep Purple performed on the closing night of Switzerland's prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival by re-inventing their classic catalog with the help of a symphony orchestra. This night will forever be emblazoned upon the brains of Deep Purple fans around the world when Eagle Rock Entertainment releases Live At Montreux 2011.
The whole night has been preserved in crystal clarity via high definition for the DVD and Blu-Ray releases. The sound on the 2CD set—DTS Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Stereo—is superb. Included on the DVD and Blu-Ray is a bonus in-depth band interview. Such classics as "Highway Star," "Strange Kind of Woman," "Lazy," "Perfect Strangers," "Hush," "Woman From Tokyo," "Black Night," "Smoke On The Water" and 11 other gems, as performed with the orchestral sweep behind them, certainly spurred the band on. Ian Gillan (vocals), Ian Paice (drums), Roger Glover (bass), Steve Morse (guitar) and Don Airey (keyboards) can be seen visibly pleased with the results of the orchestra, as directed by Stephen "BK" Bentley-Klein. more on this story
Beatles and John Lennon Box Sets For Record Store Day
Back To Black Friday will include the release of The Beatles: The Singles, a brand new box set from the Fab Four featuring four 7" singles, each with an A-side sung by one of the four, in their original sleeves.
The Singles will include a Record Store Day branded-adapter along with a poster. All eight tracks, ("Ticket To Ride"/ "Yes It Is," "Hey Jude"/ "Revolution," "Something" / "Come Together," and "Yellow Submarine" / "Eleanor Rigby") are newly remastered and those remasters are appearing on vinyl for the first time.
Apple/Capitol will also release John Lennon – Imagine – 40th Anniversary Box Set, a 2010-remastered LP, which includes six tracks on a stunning white vinyl 12" along with a poster. more on this story
Steve Perry Reunion With Journey Unlikely
(hennemusic) There's a new Journey package in stores Tuesday: "Greatest Hits Volume 2" - featuring singles and album tracks recorded between 1978 and 1996 - which means media interviews for those involved in the release. Including former Journey singer Steve Perry.
The Associated Press reports Perry, who rarely does detailed interviews, spoke to them by phone last week to discuss the project. If the resurgence of Journey and the band's hit "Don't Stop Believin'" may have given fans hope of a reunion, Perry says that's probably not going to happen.
"It's like any emotional, committed relationship. At some point, they seem to all have a shelf life and bands are no exception," he said. "Life has moved us all on in different places in our lives. They're doing what they're doing — they have been since '98. And I've been doing what I'm doing, which is living my life and having a personal life." more on this story
Kings Of Leon's Talihina Sky Arrives
Kings Of Leon's new documentary, Talihina Sky, was released on DVD and Blu-Ray this week.
Synopsis: Talihina Sky is the story of Kings of Leon, whose strict Pentecostal upbringing in Oklahoma and Tennessee preceded their unlikely transformation into one of the biggest rock bands in the world.
The film follows Nathan, Caleb, Jared and Matthew Followill back to Talihina, Oklahoma for their annual family reunion. This reunion serves as a catalyst to explore the band's roots and the difficulties they faced growing up. Home movies, childhood photos and revealing interviews with family members -- including a colorful group of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins -- expose how the influence of their family has informed the creativity that drives Kings of Leon today. more on this story
Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi Livestream Chat Online
(hennemusic) Black Sabbath guitar legend Tony Iommi spoke about his memoir, "Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven And Hell With Black Sabbath," on Livestream yesterday. But if you missed it you can still check it out.
"Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven And Hell With Black Sabbath" is out in the UK and is being be released in the US on November 1.
"Iron Man" chronicles the story of both pioneering guitarist Tony Iommi and legendary band Black Sabbath, dubbed "The Beatles of heavy metal" by Rolling Stone. "Iron Man" reveals the man behind the icon yet still captures Iommi's humor, intelligence, and warmth. He speaks honestly and unflinchingly about his rough-and-tumble childhood, the accident that almost ended his career, his failed marriages, personal tragedies, battles with addiction, band mates, famous friends, newfound daughter, and the ups and downs of his life as an artist. Check out the video of the chat here.
Iced Earth and Symphony X North American Tour
Iced Earth and Symphony X are teaming up for a coheadlining tour of North America that will feature support from Warbringer.
The three-month, 30+-date, co-headliner tour begins January 31st in Hartford, Connecticut, and concludes March 10th in Clifton Park, New York. At that point, Iced Earth will continue another week - without Symphony X - for five more dates.
"I'm excited to tour with Symphony X," Iced Earth founder Jon Schaffer said. "They're phenomenal musicians and very cool guys. This co-headliner tour will be a great experience for the fans. It is also way overdue for us to play a proper tour of North America. Get ready!" more on this story
Todd Rundgren Live Todd Coming To CD and DVD
Todd Rundgren's live performance of his classic album Todd will be released on DVD and CD on February 14, 2012. Here is the official word:
By the time he recorded the eponymous Todd in 1973, Todd Rundgren had charted with such evergreen hits as "Hello It's Me," "I Saw the Light" and "We Gotta Get You a Woman," and had also been dubbed "Rock's Renaissance Man" by Rolling Stone after releasing studio masterpieces Something/Anything? and A Wizard, A True Star. Todd was a departure; the iconoclastic artist included pop ballads alongside medleys, anthems, and prog rock. The album is universally heralded as one of Rundgren's best, often compared to Electric Ladyland and Pet Sounds.
In 2010 — 37 years after its original release — Rundgren performed Todd live in its entirety for the first time ever, as part a special limited six-date sold-out tour (the Healing album was also performed, which will be a subsequent stand-alone live DVD/CD release). more on this story
Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson North American Tour and In Stores
Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson is hitting the road in North America next week for a series of special solo shows in support of his new album, Grace For Drowning.
This is the second album released under Wilson's own name, and builds on the artistic inroads he forged with 2009's Insurgentes. A double album ('two 40-45 minute albums in the same package') Wilson has described it as "my biggest project to date".
In addition to the tour dates, Steven has booked three in-store appearances including a special rare acoustic performance in NYC. more on this story
Abigail Williams Kick Off Mayhem Tour Tonight Ahead of Album Release
Abigail Williams are in the final stages of mixing for their next full-length album, Becoming, which will be released in North America on January 24, 2012.
Becoming was recorded in various warehouses throughout Los Angeles with frontman Ken Sorceron handling the mixing, mastering, production and engineering duties for the entire album. The final track listing, album art and more will be unleashed in the weeks ahead as the record nears release.
Following a warm-up headlining gig last night in Trenton, New Jersey, Abigail Williams will be providing support for black metal legends Mayhem as their thirty-six date North American tour gets underway today in Baltimore. more on this story
Man Overboard Announce Headline Shows
Man Overboard will follow up their run on the Pop Punk's Not Dead Tour will a week's worth of headlining shows on the East Coast.
The tour starts at Amityville, NY's Broadway Bar and ends December 15th at Wilkes Barre, PA's Redwood Art Space. Daytrader and True Things will be joining them for these dates.
On December 16th, the band are playing The Lost Tape Collective Holiday Show at Union Transfer in Philadephia along with The Wonder Years, Fireworks, Wheatus, Into It. Over It, and Moving Mountains. more on this story
Metallica Canceled Riot Show Ticket Refunds Being Issued
(hennemusic) The mess following last Friday's cancelled Metallica show in Gurgaon, India is slowly getting cleaned up.
"A majority of our tickets were sold online, and more than 20,000 bank accounts are involved," Karuna Prithvi, PR manager, DNA Networks was quoted in the Indian Express on Tuesday. "Since we started the process of refunding only today, it will take some time to happen."
Meanwhile, promoters have moved forward and made arrangements for a refund of tickets to all customers holding a valid ticket for Metallica's concert, originally scheduled for October 28 in Gurgaon. more on this story
Rare Silversun Pickups & Sea Wolf For Record Story Day
Dangerbird plan to celebrate Record Store Day's Back To Black Friday on November 25th with new vinyl releases from Silversun Pickups & Sea Wolf.
Fans will get a taste of the latest music from Silversun Pickups with Seasick, a 10-inch vinyl release featuring three previously unreleased tunes—including the title track as well as b-sides "Broken Bottles" and "Ribbons & Detours." On the same day, Sea Wolf will release two rare tracks with a 7-inch featuring "Song of the Magpie" and "Where The Wind Blows." While serving as teasers for those who are eagerly awaiting new full-length LPs expected from both bands in spring 2012, these vinyl releases are putting the "black" in "Back to Black Friday" by supporting the mom and pop record shops that are so important to the music community.
"Back to Black Friday" is organized by Record Store Day, a cooperative project of hundreds of independent record stores in the USA, Canada, the UK, France, Germany and Holland. This year's Record Store Day created the largest vinyl sale day in Soundscan history, while lifting the music sales for the entire music industry. "Back to Black Friday" will follow the "bigger-than-Christmas" success of Record Store Day's annual April event. Most of the special releases are being issued as vinyl records, which have experienced a huge surge in popularity in recent years, spearheaded almost entirely by independent stores. more on this story
Warbeast Joining Gwar and Every Time I Die Tour
Warbeast will be joining Gwar and Every Time I Die's current North American tour starting on Tuesday, November 8th in Seattle, WA.
"I've probably seen Gwar live 20 times over the years. I always liked their sci-fi/horror/gore inspired music and lyrics," states vocalist Bruce Corbitt.
"But I especially dug their graphic/elaborate/obscene costumes and stage antics. I think that experiencing a Gwar show live is a "must" for any fan of metal and gore. This is the biggest tour for Warbeast to date. So we are stoked to be part of the madness for these next few weeks." more on this story
The Kills Map Out North American Tour
(Press Here) The Kills will be returning to North America early next year for dates in January and February with Jeff the Brotherhood and Hunters.
The tour will culminate in their return to NYC's Terminal 5 for the band's 10th anniversary, which they'll celebrate with a special show for the occasion.
The band is currently on tour in South America and will be touring in Europe from early November. more on this story
We Are The Ocean North American Album Release
Side One Dummy Records have announced a Feb 28, 2012 North American physical release date of We Are The Ocean's new album, Go Now And Live.
If you can't wait, digital versions are currently available at iTunes and other digital music retailers. Here is the background info we were sent:
On Go Now and Live We Are The Ocean deliver a blend of anthemic melodies in the vein of Foo Fighters and Rise Against with undertones of the aggression found in post-hardcore bands like Thrice and Alexisonfire. more on this story
Arkona Coming To America
Arkona are hitting the North American road for the first time, first as headliners and then as direct support for Korpiklaani.
Arkona will be touring in support of their brand-new album "Slovo," and will begin a string of headlining Canadian dates on November 11th.
They will then join up with Korpiklaani on the 25th, as they enter the United States, and then finally conclude back in Canada on December 18th. more on this story
Steel Panther Singled Out Week: Why Can't You Trust Me
Infamous Sunset Strip rockers Steel Panther delivered their new album, "Balls Out," this week. To celebrate we asked Satchel to tell us about the song "Why Can't You Trust Me". Here is the story:
This song is special to me. Not only because I think it's an experience most guys have had in a relationship, but because of the way it was written. We had just finished doing a string of shows in the UK and we got on the tour bus. The plan was to go to the airport, which was a 4 or 5 hour drive, and fly home. Well, after a couple of hours and banging some groupies, the other guys all passed out. Me? Well. I have a hard time sleeping on those damn tour busses. So I'm laying there in one of those tiny little bunks, staring at the ceiling that's 4 inches from my face, thinking about how hard it is to be on the road in a bitchin' band like Steel Panther, cuz everyone wants a piece of our magic..... and I realized that's probably why none of us have steady girlfriends.
Most girls would never be able to handle it. Too many chicks. Too many drugs. Too many chicks giving us drugs. And that's when the chorus came to me. And once it started, I couldn't stop it. I wrote pretty much the whole song in that bunk on that tour bus on the way to the airport. All the chords and everything. Anyone who's ever been with a jealous girl can relate to this. F**k- Anyone who's been with any girl can relate to this.
It's a good thing I can't sleep on tour busses. And on cocaine.
