Today's Day In Rock News!

Wife Broke Up Van Halen?
(hennemusic) Van Halen's label rep at Warner Music in the band's early years blames Valerie Bertinelli for the group's 1985 split with singer David Lee Roth.
In a new interview with LA Weekly, former Warner Music artist development director Ted Cohen says the arrival of Bertinelli on the scene in 1980 began to drive a wedge between the members of the group, Yoko Ono–style. (Neither Van Halen's nor Bertinelli's management responded to repeated requests by LA Weekly for comment.)

The actress believed Eddie Van Halen should receive the lion's share of the credit for the band's triumphs, whereas Roth was essentially expendable, Cohen says. more on this story



Aerosmith's Steven Tyler Lands Film Role
(hennemusic) Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler is among the voices cast for a new animated film entitled "Epic."

The flick, by Twentieth Century Fox Animation and Blue Sky Studios, is a 3D CG action-adventure comedy that reveals a hidden world unlike any other. From the creators of "Ice Age" and "Rio", "Epic" tells the story of an ongoing battle deep in the forest between the forces of good and the forces of evil. When a teenage girl finds herself magically transported into this secret universe, she must band together with a rag-tag team of fun and whimsical characters in order to save their world…and ours.

Beyoncé Knowles voices Queen Tara; Colin Farrell ("Total Recall") is Ronin; Josh Hutcherson ("The Hunger Games") is Nod; Amanda Seyfried ("Dear John") portrays Mary Katherine; and Johnny Knoxville ("Jackass") voices Mandrake. more on this story



Izzy Stradlin Reunites With Guns N' Roses On Stage
(hennemusic) Former Guns N' Roses guitarist Izzy Stradlin joined his old band on stage at the O2 Arena in London on Thursday.

Stradlin teamed up with GNR to perform the songs "14 Years," "You Could Be Mine," "Dead Flowers," "Knockin' On Heaven's Door," "Nightrain," and "Paradise City."

The rarest of tracks on this night was was the "Use Your Illusion II" song "14 Years," which hasn't been played live since 1991. Watch the jam here.



Lars Explains 3D Metallica Movie Plans
(Gibson) It's still not completely clear what Metallica's upcoming 3D movie will be like. Drummer Lars Ulrich recently spoke to Rolling Stone about the plans for the film.

"This has been circling for two years. It's time to life-size it, get it out of our minds and on the screen. And if it's done right, it can be sensational," he said. "You're not watching Metallica onstage. You're onstage with Metallica. In IMAX, James Hetfield is 38 feet tall, snotting on you, spitting on you. It's 2,000 decibels. If there is an earthquake outside, you wouldn't notice."

Of course, Ulrich admits that the treatment could be too intense for even the most ardent Metallica fans . "But you can't do that for 100 minutes. It loses its appeal. There is another element in there – intimate, small, a story that takes place over the same trajectory as the concert. The question is, 'Where do they weave in and out of each other?' But you have to cut away from the concert to enjoy the concert." more on this story





King's X Hitting The Road With Kansas
King's X will be hitting the road this fall for a North American tour where they will be direct support for Kansas.

In regards to this upcoming trek, King's X bassist/vocalist dUg Pinnick comments: "I've been a huge Kansas fan since the beginning. I remember sitting on the floor with my friends listening to the just released record 'Song for America'...Fast forward to years later, King's X is going on tour with them!! It is an honor to be doing shows with them. This is gonna rock!!"

With King's X drummer Jerry Gaskill and lead guitarist Ty Tabor also onboard for the North American trek, these dates will mark the band's first tour since Gaskill's remarkable recovery from a major heart attack earlier this year. "Not too long ago I was thinking I might not ever get back on a stage, now I'm ready and with the ok from all my doctors," says Gaskill. "What better way to get back than to tour with the legendary Kansas. Let's rock..." more on this story



Queensryche's Tate Moving Forward With Solo Rock Album
(Classic Rock) Queensryche singer Geoff Tate vows his upcoming solo album will rock. He's at the centre of a storm of controversy after his bandmates formed Rising West, pledging to play tracks from Queensryche's first five albums.

Speculation the prog-metal giants are experiencing tension has been played down – although their official website promotes Tate's solo work while it doesn't mention Rising West.

The frontman hasn't discussed the splinter group either and insists he's concentrating on his own projects. Tate tells AnthologySD: "The album is recorded now, so I'm happy about that. I don't know exactly when it's coming out.

"It's very different from the last one. It's a new bunch of people I've been working with to write and record it, so that changes things. This one is really hard rock. The last one was really all over the place with different styles of music and everything, but this one really keeps with the hard rock style. more on this story




Senses Fail Giving Back To Wounded Warriors On Warped Tour
(CSP) Senses Fail have donated 4 tickets for each of their stops on this summer's Warped Tour to the Wounded Warrior Project. We were sent these details:

The WWP has sent out an invitation to select service members across the country to attend the tour along with the opportunity to meet the band, plus watch Senses Fail's set from the side of the stage.

"We are very excited to be working with WWP and to have the opportunity to give back to the veterans," says singer Buddy Nielsen. "I have had many friends who served in the military and my girlfriend is a former Marine. She was actually the one who brought WWP to my attention. I stand very proud of her and every other man and woman that have served this nation and am glad we can lend a small piece of happiness to them." more on this story



Dave Grohl, Stevie Nicks, Kenny Rogers For Songwriter Hall of Fame
The 2012 Songwriters Hall of Fame Annual Induction and Awards Dinner will feature an allstar cast of performers and presenters.

Organized announced that Foo Fighter's Dave Grohl, Stevie Nicks, Kenny Rogers, Lyle Lovett, Meat Loaf, Emmylou Harris, Cheyenne Jackson, Constantine Maroulis, L.P., Jerry Moss and Take 6 have signed on to be either a presenter and/or performer at.

This year's dinner will be held Thursday, June 14th at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in NYC. more on this story


Bloc Party Returning With Four
Frenchkiss Records have set an August 21st release date for Bloc Party's first new album in four years, Four.

Produced by Alex Newport (The Mars Volta, At The Drive-In, Polysics), the album was recorded and mixed in New York City, and is the band's first full-length since 2008's acclaimed Intimacy.

Along with this news, the band have announced a string of European, U.S. and festival appearances following a two year absence from the stage, which will give fans the first opportunity to hear new material from their forthcoming album, as well as classic tracks from the band's ten year history. more on this story



Joe Lacy Joins Second To Last
Second To Last have tapped Joe Lacy (Sleepsick, ex-Transit) to replace former guitarist Pat Mays.

Lacy has become a permanent member of the group and will be playing guitar and singing vocals. Drummer Kristopher Ruiz rounds out the trio's new lineup.

"I will be playing guitar and singing most of the songs with Tyson," Lacy announced in an exclusive interview with PropertyOfZack. "I'm really excited to focus more on my guitar playing and helping Second To Last come up with a new direction." more on this story




Ace Frehley Set To Rock Live This Summer
Ace Frehley will be playing a handful of live tour dates this summer in North America.

The former KISS guitarist will kick things off with a three-day appearance at the Days of the Dead event in Indianapolis, IN.

He will follow up with shows in New York, Jackson, MI with Ted Nugent, Detroit, and Greenville, WI with Sammy Hagar. more on this story




Singing Harder for Megadeth's Dave Mustaine After Surgery
(Classic Rock) Megadeth's Dave Mustaine finds singing more difficult after surgery on his neck and spine – and admits it was never his strong point in the first place.

The Megadeth mainman went under the knife last year after going through agony following a lifetime of energetic performance. But he says one of the worst parts was people accusing him of making it all up.

He says doctors warned him he would struggle with his vocal delivery. "It's been harder to sing and they said that would happen," he reports. " Which is sad, because I've already had… Singing is not my forte. I try my best to go it, but I'm not a great singer." more on this story



Slash Scores Top 5 Debut
Slash has scored a Top 5 debut with his new album Apocalyptic Love, landing at No 4 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart, marking the top rock debut this week.

The disc is also #1 Independent Albums Chart and #1 Hard Music Albums Chart. In addition, Apocalyptic is also Top 5 in seven countries outside the U.S.: Canada (#2), Australia (#2), New Zealand (#1), Germany (#5), France (#7), Japan (#2), Sweden (#4) and Switzerland (#3).

Earlier this week Slash joined Ozzy Osbourne onstage for his Ozzy & Friends tour in Bergen, Norway, for the first of 10 dates before joining his band, Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators for sold-out shows across Europe. The group will return to North America for a headlining run set to kick off in Portland, OR on July 12. more on this story




Robert Plant's Band Of Joy Releasing DVD
(hennemusic) Robert Plant's Band Of Joy's set at Nashville's War Memorial Auditorium for the TV series "Live From The Artists Den," will be released on DVD and Blu Ray on July 10, according to Billboard.

The DVD of "Robert Plant & the Band of Joy: Live from the Artists Den" includes performances of three Led Zeppelin classics - "Black Dog," "Houses of the Holy" and "Tangerine" - that were not part of the initial broadcast on public television stations.

Other songs included that did not make the initial cut are "In the Mood" from his solo disc "Principle of Moments," and the traditional "I Bid You Good Night." The DVD features bonus interview clips as well. more on this story



Tragedy Inspired Garbage Reunion
(Classic Rock) Garbage realised it was time to end their seven-year break after band friends lost a young son to cancer, says mainman Butch Vig.

The genre-crossing outfit fronted by Shirley Manson have released Not Your Kind of People on their own label. And Vig says the decision to get back to work was made in a "profound moment".

He tells ExploreMusic: "A friend of ours, a couple, lost their son to cancer. It was a horrible tragedy. Shirley and I wrote a song for a tribute album to raise money for children's cancer. Shirley sang at the funeral. I think we realised how important music is in our lives, and we had unfinished business.

"A day or two after that Shirley called Duke and Steve. A couple of weeks later we were in the studio recording." more on this story




The Flaming Lips And Heady Fwends Getting Wide Release
If you didn't get a chance to grab a vinyl copy of The Flaming Lips' The Flaming Lips And Heady Fwends on Record Store Day, don't fret.

Warner Bros. Records will make the album available on physical CD and digitally via all digital retailers on June 26th.

The album contains the band's unique and experimental collaborations with a diverse cross-section of heavy friends from every corner of the musical cosmos, including vocal and musical assistance from such disparate playmates as Yoko Ono, Nick Cave, Bon Iver, Ke$ha and many more. A new track recorded with Aaron Behrens of Ghostland Observatory is exclusive to the CD and digital versions and was not included on the vinyl edition. more on this story



Mars Attacks Pantera Classic
Pantera's Far Beyond Driven is the focus of the latest edition of Mars Attacks Classic Albums Column.

As usual the column is split into a written comments received via e-mail, and a podcast that can be streamed or downloaded from here

The podcast contains comments from Rex Brown, Gene Hoglan, Alan Tecchio, Dave Reffett, Martin Popoff, Mitch Lafon, Aaron Griffith

The written portion contains comments from Ron "Bumblefoot Thal", Dan Lorenzo, Jim Florentine, Steve Smyth, Jason Bittner as well as members of Angelus Apatrida, Cancer Bats, Sacred Reich, and current and former members of White Wizzard among others.



Harry Potter Actors Lands CBGB Film Role
(Gibson) Rupert Grint, best known for his role as Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter movies, has been cast as New York punk legend Cheetah Chrome.

NME.com reports Grint will play the Dead Boys guitarist Cheetah Chrome, who played a key role in the CBGB club story. The Bowery club launched a series of major acts in the 1970s including The Ramones, Television, Patti Smith Group, Mink Deville, The Dead Boys, The Dictators, The Fleshtones, The Voidoids, The Cramps, Talking Heads and Blondie.

Malin Akerman, who stars in the upcoming movie musical Rock of Ages, will play Blondie's Debbie Harry, while another Harry Potter actor Alan Rickman has signed on to portray club owner Hilly Kristal. more on this story





Beatles Musical To Open In Los Angeles Before Broadway
(Gibson) The theatrical adaptation of Backbeat, the 1994 film that details The Beatles' early days, will open in Los Angeles early next year before hitting Broadway, Billboard has reported.

The production will be staged at L.A.'s Ahmanson Theater from January 16 through February 24, with January 23 being designated as the "official" opening night. The show premiered originally at Glasgow's Citizens Theater in 2010, and its next run till take place in Toronto, from July 21 through September 2.

Set in 1960, Backbeat plays out against the backdrop of the relationship between The Beatles' original bassist, Stu Sutcliffe, and German photographer Astrid Kirchherr. The show prominently features songs the band covered in the clubs of Liverpool and Hamburg – including "Long Tall Sally," "Twist and Shout," "Good Golly Miss Molly," "Please Mr. Postman" and "Rock 'n' Roll Music." The cast for the Los Angeles production has not been announced. A Broadway theater has yet to be booked, but Billboard speculates the show will likely open in New York before the end of April 2013. more on this story





Smashing Pumpkins Call On Fans To Help With Album Art
(Gibson) The Smashing Pumpkins are asking fans to put their art skills to use for the band's forthcoming album, Oceania. As outlined on their website, the Pumpkins would like artistic fans to share visual impressions trigged by each of the album's 13 song titles.

Acceptable images include photos, designs, paintings and words. Those participating are encouraged to circulate their efforts via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and other social networking sites. The Smashing Pumpkins will, in turn, share, "like" and re-post their favorites on the band's official social sites. Select images will also be featured on the Smashing Pumpkins' official website.

In a related initiative, the band has partnered with jpgmag.com for a series of "Photo Challenges." Over the next few weeks, fans will have the opportunity to submit one photo for each of the 13 challenges, based on song titles for Oceania. Winning entries will be featured on a limited edition print-on-demand canvas poster signed by Billy Corgan and the other members of the band. more on this story





Digital Music Overtakes CD Sales in UK
(Gibson) The digital revolution in the U.K. in in full force and now the British trade organization, BPI, has announced that digital sales have passed CD sales for the fist time.

NME.com reports that digital sales, which includes downloads and subscriptions to sites like Spotify and Napster, has reached 55.5% of total sales. The increase in digital sales was measured at 23.6%.

Music Week quotes BPI Chief Executive Geoff Taylor as saying: "This is a significant milestone in the evolution of the music business. U.K. record labels have embraced digital to their core, supporting innovation and licensing more new online and mobile services than any other country. As a result, the industry's prospects for growth look brighter than for several years." more on this story





John Lydon Says Sex Pistols Frustrations Inspired PiL Formation
(Gibson) Having just released This is PiL, the first album from Public Image Ltd in 20 years, John Lydon has revealed that he originally formed PiL out of frustration with the Sex Pistols.

"I wanted to break with traditional formats," Lydon said, in an interview to be published by M - Music & Musicians. "The Sex Pistols were a great thing – that whole experience was wonderful, and I thank those lads very much. But there were limitations in the band. There was some ambition toward emulating sound structures, with following the rules of rock and roll. And that was unacceptable to me. We fell apart for the other reasons, but that, alone, would have been a good reason."

Lydon added that the concept for PiL was forged while he was still in the Pistols. "It was already there, permanently, throughout our American tour. I wrote [the early PiL song] 'Religion' while in the Sex Pistols, but the rest of the band wouldn't touch it. So I had to find a new base to begin from." more on this story





Gwar-B-Q Confirmed
Good news from the land of Gwar this week. The band sent out word that this year's Gwar-B-Q is on. Here is what they sent over:

After months of paperwork, hoop-jumping, and making the appropriate sacrifices, today Slave Pit is pleased to announce that the Gwar-B-Q is 100% completely legal and confirmed, and set for Aug, 18th at Hadad's Lake, the location we had planned on using last year. As you may recall, last year's Gwar-B-Q was switched from Hadad's to the National Theater because of problems getting the correct permits. Even though the event was still completely awesome most people seemed to agree that generally speaking, Gwar-B-Q's should be held outdoors.

"All the proper arrangements have been made in triplicate and the proper demonic sponsorships attained," said GWAR spokes-thing Oderus Urungus. "It's going to be a stinking hot, beer and beef-smeared metallic murderfest of unprecedented debauchery...the most splat-tac-cular Gwar-B-Q! more on this story



Speedy Ortiz Set EP Release
Our friends at Exploding In Sound sent over this big news for Speedy Ortiz fans: The debut EP from Speedy Ortiz, Sports EP, is set for a June 5th release on Exploding In Sound Records.

The album is available in limited edition 10" random colored vinyl and digitally through Bandcamp and other major distributors.

Speedy Ortiz has several release shows planned along the East Coast, celebrating the arrival of Sports EP with friends in Boston, MA (5/30), Danbury, CT (6/1), and Brooklyn, NY (6/2) before heading out on tour this summer. Fans at the shows will be able to purchase the vinyl ahead of the June 5th release. more on this story



B Sides


Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros Release Man On Fire Video
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros have release a new music video for the song "Man On Fire."

"Man On Fire" is the first single from their latest album, Here, which was released this week.

The clip is the first music video directed by actor Brady Corbet (Melancholia, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Thirteen), and it stars the New York City Ballet, NY Cheer Allstars, National Double Dutch League, and Soul Steps & Brooklyn Divas, as well as choreographers, coaches, and relatives of the various performers.

Corbet shot "Man of Fire" on location in New York from May 12th through 14th. Watch it here.



Truth And Its Burden Deliver The Decider Video
Rite of Passage Records has premiered Truth And Its Burden's new music video for their track "The Decider."

The song comes from the band's new album Choices, which hits stores on May 29th. Watch the video here.

Formed in 2008, Truth And Its Burden started out as an idea to bring a sincere message of hope, and to do so with a real sense of urgency. Those same ideals that gave life to this band still chorus through in every song 4 years later. To be aware, to challenge, to follow through, to ignite ideas into dreams, to re-invigorate life itself and to find meaning and purpose. Over the past four years, the band has toured throughout Europe and Africa with bands like The Ghost Inside, Haste The Day, Have Heart, and many others. more on this story


Miss May I Release Hey Mister Video
Miss May I released their new music video for "Hey Mister," which was directed by Thunder Down Country.

The track comes off the new album At Heart which will be available June 12th via Rise Records.

You can check out Miss May I this summer on the 2012 Warped Tour. For now check out the new video

Today's Day In Rock News!!

Def Leppard To Play Free Club Show
(hennemusic) Def Leppard have announced that they'll play an exclusive "YouTube Presents" club gig at House of Blues Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, CA on Wednesday, June 6 at 2:30PM (PST),
Fans will be admitted to this FREE show on a first-come, first-served basis. The show itself will be followed by a Q&A of fan questions.

June will be busy for Leppard, as the UK rockers celebrate the summer of "Rock of Ages" by releasing newly-recorded versions of "Pour Some Sugar On Me" and "Rock Of Ages" on June 4. more on this story



The Red Hot Chili Peppers Releasing 18 New Songs This Year
(Classic Rock) The Red Hot Chili Peppers are planning to release 18 new songs before the end of the year.

Flea reports they've been "writing stuff while touring" and adds they'll be released in seven-inch vinyl and digital formats.

The songs will follow the release of the band's last studio album, "I'm With You," which hit stores last summer. More rock news.




Fans Lose Patience With Guns N' Roses
Guns N' Roses still pack arenas but they appear to have a problem keeping the fans in the arenas.

The band ran into that problem earlier this week when fans in Manchester England left the arena after losing their patience waiting for the band to start.

NME reports that the band were told to end the show by 11 PM but didn't even take the stage until 11:15. They were schedule to start at 10PM and by the time they ended their set there were reportedly only 6,000 fans still in the arena, 10,000 less than the venue holds.

Those that did stick around were treated to a three hour show that included 33-songs. A case where patience was a virtue but with some fans relying on trains to get home, it made it impossible for them to stay for the concert and still catch the last train of the night. Read NME's report here for more info.



Slash Documentary Set For Release
(Gibson) Slash just released his sophomore solo album, Apocalyptic Love, last week, and now, the famed Velvet Revolver and former Guns N' Roses guitarist has a documentary on the horizon.

Slash – The Cat in the Hat: The Story So Far is set to arrive on Blu-ray on August 21 via Pride, according to Blabbermouth. Here's the official description of what to expect from the 131-minute flick: "The most iconic rock guitarist since Keith Richards, Slash has achieved the status of 'most interesting hard rock act in the world today.'

"This two-disc set includes a DVD documentary tracing the life and times of Slash, and a disc of audio interviews with the Cat himself during which he speaks candidly and honestly on almost everything he feels strongly about." more on this story





The Killers To Return With Battle Born
(Gibson) The Killers have announced that their new album will be called Battle Born. The follow-up to 2008's Day & Age is reportedly due out this fall.

Rolling Stone caught up with the rockers in their Las Vegas studio. Frontman Brandon Flowers explained the title: "In a sense, all Americans are battle born. Our ancestors came here for something better."

Many producers have been attached to the album, including Stuart Price, Steve Lillywhite, Damian Taylor and Brendan O'Brien. Among the songs confirmed to appear on Battle Born: "Heart of a Girl," "Flesh and Bone," "Carry Me Home" and "Runaways." more on this story





Tom Petty Still Suffers From 30-Year-Old Hand Injury
(Gibson) Take note, musicians out there. It's probably best not to punch a recording studio wall when frustration occurs. Thirty years ago, Tom Petty did just that and had to have pins placed in his fingers.

The Daily Express reports that the rock legend still suffers pain from injuring his hand back in the '80s. Petty told Q magazine, "I didn't notice it for the longest time, but in the last year it's started to hurt. I guess that's just down to getting old."

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will perform at the Isle of Wight Festival in England on June 22. more on this story





Folk Pioneer Doc Watson Dead at 89
(Gibson) Folk music pioneer Doc Watson passed away Tuesday (May 29) at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where he was registered in critical condition last week. Watson, who recently underwent abdominal surgery, was 89 years old.

Watson is best known for his influence on the '60s folk movement with his groundbreaking flat-picking technique on the acoustic guitar. His songs brought vintage country to the next generation of folk and bluegrass lovers. Moreover, his command of flat-picking helped bring the guitar to the forefront of music in the '50s and '60s, since at the time, the instrument was often treated as a backup for the mandolin, fiddle or banjo.

Watson was born March 2, 1923 in Deep Gap, North Carolina. He lost his eyesight by the age of 1, but he still began playing guitar, banjo and harmonica as a child. By the end of his career, Watson had released over 50 albums, scored seven Grammy Awards and, in 2004, earned a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. more on this story





ABSU Sidelined By Medical Problem
Absu have been sidelined by a medical problem and as a result they have been forced to cancel their appearance at this weekend's Chaos In Tejas.

The band was set to headline the show at Red 7 this Saturday with support from Terrorism, Loss, Morbosidad, Ares Kingdom and Black Witchery.

Immediately following their performance at the opening night of this year's installment of Maryland Deathfest this past Thursday night, Absu drummer/vocalist Proscriptor had to rush back to Texas due to a knee infection. Following two instantaneous surgeries, Proscriptor will be in good health and back to 110% efficiency by the mid portion of June, but not in time to perform as scheduled on Saturday night. more on this story



Garbage Score Top 20 Return
Garbage's first album in seven years, Not Your Kind of People, scored a top 20 return for the alternative rockers.

The album debuted at no. 17 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart last week selling 19,281 digital albums via iTunes where the album was available exclusively for the week.

This week the album jumped up to no. 12 on the Top 200 Chart this week scanning over 22,000 units. more on this story



Alice in Chains Honored With Post Comeback Grammy Nods
(Classic Rock) Alice in Chains mainman Jerry Cantrell says they were honored just to be nominated for more Grammy Awards after the release of comeback album Black Gives Way to Blue.

"We were very happy to lose two Grammy again," he comments. "I think that puts us at zero and eight… Look, dude, it's an old cliche but it's true: it's an honour to be thought of. We achieved something.

"We were very happy with the success that we had. It felt good, it was hard work and it was worth every bit of it. And we're looking forward to doing it again." more on this story




Rick Wakeman Releases Live Album
Rick Wakeman has pulled a classic concert recording from 2003 out of the archives and released it as a new CD. Glass Onyon sent over these details:

After leaving YES following a world tour in 2004, Rick concentrated on his solo career and collaborated with Jon Anderson on a number of projects including tours of the UK and US and a studio and live album. The latest release from Rick Wakeman is an archive live album titled 'In The Nick Of Time', which was recorded in 2003. The album was recorded during the tour to promote the then current studio album 'Out There'. Rick performed with the "New English Rock Ensemble" which featured Rick alongside old hands Ashley Holt, Tony Fernandez and new boys Ant Glynne and Lee Pomeroy. Tracks featured include: "Out There", "Catherine Parr", "No Earthly Connection", "White Rock" and "Wurm". The album has been much anticipated by the large and dedicated Rick Wakeman audience and this release will be the first time this album has been commercially released.

Tracks: 1. Catherine Parr 2. Out There 3. No Earthly Connection 4. Dance of a Thousand Lights 5. The Cathedral In The Sky 6. White Rock 7. Wurm.





Rancid, The Rev. Horton Heat, Lucero, Bouncing Souls Hootenanny
Rancid, The Rev. Horton Heat, Lucero and Bouncing Souls lead the lineup for this year's Hootenanny which will take place on July 7 at Oak Canyon Ranch in Silverado Canyon, California.

Over the last 18 years, The Hootenanny has become one of Southern California's most anticipated annual events celebrating the convergence of music and kustom car culture that have helped shape the region's iconic fashion, lifestyle and sound. Attended by thousands of fans from around the world each year, The Hootenanny has featured performances by pioneers that have influenced and inspired the spirit and soul of the thriving scene like Jerry Lee Lewis, Social Distortion, Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Link Wrey, Chris Isaak, Joe Strummer, Stray Cats, The Cramps, X, Scotty Moore & DJ Fontanta, Wanda Jackson, Steve Earle, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Los Lobos, Tiger Army, Hank Williams III, among many others.

This year The Hootenanny makes a strong return with headlining California punk rock legends Rancid, who are making their first ever appearance at the festival in celebration of their 20th anniversary. They'll be supported by rockabilly favorites The Reverend Horton Heat, punk-country rockers Lucero, New Jersey punk rockers The Bouncing Souls and more. more on this story




Volbeat, Hellyeah and Iced Earth Summer Tour
Volbeat will be hitting the road this summer for the North American leg of their Live >From Beyond Hell / Above Heaven Tour.

The trek kicks off on June 18th in Toronto and will run until July 19th where it wraps in Baltimore, MD. Hellyeah has been selected as direct support, with Iced Earth also on the bill.

Volbeat will be touring in support of their latest album Beyond Hell / Above Heaven, which debuted at number one on the sales charts in Denmark, Finland and Sweden, and Top 10 in a half dozen additional countries. more on this story




The Mars Volta Sideband Zechs Marquise Map Out Tour
The Mars Volta sideband Zechs Marquise will be hitting the road for a summer co-headlining North American dates with And So I Watch You From Afar.

Following the band's recent stint as main support for At The Drive-In's reunion tour, Zechs Marquise joins ASIWYFA on June 30th to kick off the extensive tour in Anaheim, CA.

Zechs Marquise, the El Paso, TX quintet are touring in support of their sophomore album Getting Paid. more on this story



Evans Blue Plan Summer Tour
Evans Blue have mapped out the dates for the first leg of their Graveyard Of Empires 2012 Tour.

The summer trek is set to kick off July 6th at The Machine Shop in Flint, Michigan, where the band will also film a live video for the song "Halo."

Evans Blue will be touring in support of their latest release, Graveyard Of Empires, and will be joined on the tour by State Your Cause who will provide direct support. More August dates will be announced in early June. more on this story



Aerosmith Touring Member Russ Irwin Releases Solo Album
(Shorefire) Russ Irwin, a touring member of Aerosmith for over 15 years, has released the ten song solo album 'Get Me Home.'

Featuring guest vocals from Steven Tyler and appearances by Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford, Stone Temple Pilots' Dean DeLeo, and Grammy-nominated trumpeter Chris Botti, 'Get Me Home' showcases Irwin's unique style of piano-driven, jazz-inspired, blues rock.

The album's sharp arrangements and eclectic dynamics represent just a sample of the songwriting acuity that has earned Irwin high-praise status as a hitmaker among his peers. Irwin's first single "Manhattan," a modern day standard and ode to New York City, chronicles a born and bred New Yorker's nostalgia for the landmarks and mood of the Big Apple after years of being on the road and living in L.A. The raucous "I Miss Being Lonely" laments an addict friend's chaotic downward spiral despite claims of being sober and the slow-burning build and tight vocal harmonies of "Find the Light" give universal encouragement to not "give up when times are rough." more on this story



10 Years Set New Album Release
10 Years have set a July 31st release date for their new studio album, Minus The Machine, which is being released under their own label Palehorse Records.

The first single from the effort, "Backlash," is set for release on June 19th via iTunes and will hit radio on the same day.

"We wanted to create an album that has no boundaries," 10 Years frontman Jesse Hasek explains the decision to release Minus The Machine independently. "When you feel like you're being told to go through motions and jump through hoops, it takes the heart out of it. It's better to do what comes naturally and then figure out the after-effect." more on this story



The Contortionist Releasing New Album This Summer
eOne Music/Good Fight Music have set a July 17th release date for The Contortionist's new album "Intrinsic".

"On 'Intrinsic', we've found ourselves focusing on the songwriting as well as the new textures and melody we're striving for. Each song has its own identity and flow, but the album is fun to listen through in order cause of the conceptual ties," says vocalist/keyboardist Jonathan Carpenter.

The album was produced and recorded by Eyal Levi (Daath, Job For A Cowboy) and Jason Suecof (Trivium, Devildriver) at Audiohammer Studios. more on this story




No Bragging Rights Begin Recording New Album
No Bragging Rights are heading into the One Light Media recording studios in Las Vegas, NV to start recording their next album.

The band will start tracking a brand new album with Kelly Cairns (As I Lay Dying, Austrian Death Machine, Molotov Solution) who worked on the bands last album "Illuminator" which was released January of last year.

No Bragging Rights completed many tours this past year with appearances at the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival, The Jamboree and many other notable festivals, and could not be more thrilled to take time off and start recording a new album. more on this story



B Sides


Little Ozzy Rocks America's Got Talent
(hennemusic) Ozzy Osbourne impersonator Little Ozzy auditioned for America's Got Talent Tuesday night in front of Ozzy's wife, Sharon Osbourne, one of the judges on the talent competition.

Little Ozzy was created by Lin Doak, an ex-MINIKISS member who left the band after four years of touring the country with them to create a new live act.

Tuesday night's episode featured AGT reviewing contestant auditions in St. Louis, and Little Ozzy stepped up to perform Ozzy's "Mama, I'm Coming Home." "I have to tell you something," Sharon said to Little Ozzy. "My husband is away from me right now, and it made me miss him even more by you singing me that song, so I really thank you." Watch it here.



Metallica Release Oslo Footage
(hennemusic) Metallica's 2012 European Summer Vacation rolled into Oslo, Norway on May 23.

The tour sees the metal icons performing their 1991 self-titled ("Black") album in its entirety for the first time, and the band offers it up with a twist: they perform the songs in reverse order so they can end the regular set with "Enter Sandman."

Metallica are now sharing some footage from the Oslo event, including video of the pre-show meet and greet, a tuning room version of "No Remorse," and the performance of "Through The Never" from the concert. more on this story



Beatles Impact on Badfinger
(Gibson) Joey Molland, who along with Ham powered the band's distinctive dual-guitar sound, continues to keep the Badfinger flame alive. Gibson.com spoke with Molland about Badfinger's legacy, the band's twin-guitar approach and what it was like to work so closely with The Beatles.

Badfinger self-produced the first version of Straight Up, but then Apple Records insisted the album be re-made. What was the biggest change that occurred, when George Harrison came in as producer? The idea was to smooth things out, to make it more of an Abbey Road-style album. Apple thought our recordings were a bit crude, so we went in with George and did something more sophisticated. George took our original version of Straight Up, went through the songs and the lyrics, and arranged them very much as he did with his own music. And then he had us play those arrangements. That was the biggest difference. It turned out great, although to this day I think some of those original versions are closer to what the band was about.

Was Harrison pleasant to work with? Oh, yes. George didn't behave like a rock star, or like a "Beatle." It was very comfortable working with him. He also had no qualms about strapping on his guitar and playing a bit of guitar with us. I think he enjoyed doing that, as much as he enjoyed everything else. He worked on lyrics with us, and he got excited about the songs as they went down. He started sensing that this could be a hit record. He completely changed "Suitcase," for instance, and you can hear that on the record. He even changed the lyrics. I didn't play guitar on the "George" version of "Suitcase," whereas on the original version I played all the guitar. more on this story





The Day The Who Became The World's Loudest Band
(Gibson) On this day in 1976, The Who gave themselves a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the loudest performance of a rock band at 120 decibels, when they played at Charlton Athletic Football ground. Gibson looks back:

It's May 31, 1976, and it's a typically wet rainy night in London, England at the Charlton Athletic Football Stadium. The 60,000 people have been there all day watching the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Little Feat, The Outlaws, Streetwalkers and Widowmaker battle the elements. How many were there for Little Feat or Alex Harvey can't be clear but the excitement grew tangible as the audience waited for the headlining act. As several tried to climb floodlight towers for a better vantage point, it was obvious that most were there to see one of the greatest live bands of all time, The Who.

The band were still on their '70s creativity high, still pushing the boundaries of rock and roll performance. The Who by Numbers was just out and "Squeeze Box" had given them their first hit single in a while. Tommy would feature heavily in the set (which included "I Can't Explain," "Substitute," "My Wife," "Baba O'Riley," "Squeeze Box," "Behind Blue Eyes," "Dreaming from the Waist," "Magic Bus," "Amazing Journey," "Sparks," "The Acid Queen," "Fiddle About," "Pinball Wizard," "I'm Free, "Tommy's Holiday Camp," "We're Not Gonna Take It," "Summertime Blues," "My Generation," "Won't Get Fooled Again") partly because the Ken Russell movie was released the previous year. And they'd just set the record for the largest indoor arena attendance with 75,962 at the Pontiac Silverdome the previous December.

Today's Day In Rock Music News!

Boston Singer's Bedroom Spy Cam Discovered Days Before Suicide
(Classic Rock) Boston singer Brad Delp installed a hidden camera in his fiancee's sister's bedroom and killed himself nine days after he was caught.
Evidence given in the court case between Boston mainman Tom Scholz and a newspaper revealed how Delp, who committed suicide in 2007, was ashamed and apologetic after his spy device was found. Events came to light as part of Scholz's claim that the Boston Herald defamed him by suggesting he was to blame for his bandmate's death.

Delp was engaged to Pamela Sullivan while her sister Meg Sullivan lived in the singer's house. His relationship with Meg was described as "platonic". But in February 2007 she discovered his battery-powered spy device when it fell from its hiding place. She confronted him about it then went to stay with her boyfriend. There is more to the story and Meg Sullivan says the discovery was not the reason for his death.


Queensryche's Future In Doubt
(Classic Rock) The future of Queensryche is in doubt after the band announced plans to tour and record with Crimson Glory singer Todd La Torre in Geoff Tate's place.

Michael Wilton, Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield and Parker Lundgren have teamed up with La Torre to form Rising West. They'll play tracks from the first five Queensryche albums and aim to start work on their own record in the coming weeks. Tate, meanwhile, is concentrating on his solo career.

Speculation has increased recently that the band were experiencing internal tensions, with unconfirmed reports of arguments, secret meetings and outbursts of violence. Tate surprised fans by telling them: "You suck!" at the Rocklahoma festival last weekend. more on this story



Metallica Streaming Concert This Weekend
(hennemusic) Metallica's 2012 European Summer Vacation sees the metal icons performing their 1991 self-titled ("Black") album in its entirety for the first time.

The band offers the classic up with a twist: they perform the songs in reverse order so they can end the regular set with "Enter Sandman."

Metallica have announced that this Saturday's performance at Rock Am Ring in Nurburgring, Germany will be streamed live online. more on this story



Slipknot Demoing For New Album and Plan Mysterious Announcement
Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor has been teasing fans via Twitter about #HoGaB and the countdown to when the mystery will be solved. With yesterday's tease he also gave fans an update about a forthcoming greatest hits album and that the band is working on new demos. Here is what he wrote:

"11 days till the meaning of HoGaB is revealed. And I believe 7.17.12 is when the Slipknot greatest hits album drops."

Soon after he Tweeted, "To anyone asking, Slipknot is not currently working on an album. Yet. We are putting together demos, but we're not recording. Yet." Corey's Twitter page



ZZ Top Releasing New Music Next Week
(hennemusic) After years of talking about, and recording, new music with producer Rick Rubin, ZZ Top are finally sharing some of it with fans.

Next Tuesday (June 5), ZZ Top will release "Texicali," a four track digital collection of the first new studio recordings from the band in nine years.

The four new songs offer a preview of the group's full-length album, as yet untitled, that will be released late this summer or early fall. Fans purchasing the four songs will benefit from a pro-rated discount on the purchase of the full album when it is released. more on this story



Olympics Snubbed Jimmy Page
(Classic Rock) Jimmy Page says he's offended that UK Olympics bosses didn't ask him to take part in the London event.

Organisers have tried and failed to secure a Free reunion and a Sex Pistols set – and even asked the Who if late drummer Keith Moon was available.

But they didn't approach the Led Zeppelin guitarist, who appeared at the Beijing Olympics to promote the London games. "I'm feeling rather hurt," Page says. "We put so much into Beijing." More rock news



Lita Ford Wants The Runaways To Reunite
(Gibson) Lita Ford says she's hoping for a reunion of her old band The Runaways next year. The singer and guitarist, who is preparing to launch a new solo album, Living Like a Runaway, made the statement to Metal Underground in response to a question about whether she'd consider performing in an all-female festival or tour lineup.

"I would if it was the Runaways," Ford said. "There's all kinds of lineups you can have and all kinds of wonderful musicians. Unfortunately Sandy's not around anymore, the drummer, and she was such a huge part of the band. I don't know if Joan Jett would do the band without Sandy. I would, I love Sandy and nobody will ever take her place, but there's still me and Joan and Cherie. The Runaways had a couple of bass players and they were both great. I would love to do the Runaways again, maybe next year, 2013 would be a good time."

Ford's immediate plans include the Def Leppard/Poison tour that begins in Salt Lake City in June, and the release of Living Like a Runaway, which features guitarist Gary Hoey. more on this story





Former David Bowie Guitarist Joins The Cure
(Gibson) Former David Bowie/Tin Machine guitarist Reeves Gabrels is a member of The Cure for their summer festival tour in Europe. The Cure and Gabrels kept the news under wraps until their performance at the PinkPop 2012 festival in Holland on May 26.

The collaboration isn't the first time Gabrels has worked with The Cure, collaborating with the band on the tracks "Wrong Number" from their 1997 Galore singles compilation, and "A Sign From God" (as COGASM). Gabrels also co-wrote the song "Yesterday's Gone" with Cure frontman Robert Smith for Gabrels's solo album Ulysses.

There is no word yet on whether Gabrels will join The Cure on an extended basis or if his current tenure with the band is just for the European shows. more on this story





Sex Pistols' Queen Wasn't Act Of Spite Against The Jubilee
(Gibson) The Daily Express reports that John Lydon, formerly Johnny Rotten of Sex Pistols infamy, did not write the biting lyrics of the Pistols' "God Save the Queen" to attack the Queen's Jubilee in 1977.

He told OfficlalCharts.com: "I wrote a record. It wasn't about a specific moment in time or history – I wrote a record about a subject matter that mattered to me, in a personal way, and then all this situation enveloped and unfolded. I never did it as an act of spite against the Jubilee. I don't think that's been quite completely understood."

Queen Elizabeth will be celebrating her Diamond (60 years) Jubilee next week in England. more on this story





Ugly Kid Joe Taking Fans On The Stairway to Hell
(Gibson) The reunited Ugly Kid Joe have released their comeback EP, Stairway to Hell, digitally. The EP will come out on July 9 as a physical release, and fans can hear it now via an official widget.

Stairway to Hell is the band's first release since their 1997 disbandment. It contains six tracks, including "Love Ain't True" which features guest appearances by Angelo Moore and Dirty Walt of Fishbone.

The band has also released a video for the album's first track, "Devil's Paradise," which was filmed in early April in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, with Mike and Dave Hatchett of Standard Films. more on this story





Testament, Anthrax, Death Angel Tour
Testament is once again teaming up with Anthrax and Death Angel for a North American tour this fall.

So far Death Angel is the only group to officially announced the trek but Testament and Anthrax have posted the updated tour dates on their websites.

Testament and Death Angel's list of dates has the tour kicking off on September 14th in Sacramento and wrapping on October 5th in Montclair, Nj. There is always a chance that more dates could be announced in the near future, but there is no official word at press time. more on this story




Mumford & Sons Map Out Special Tour Plans
(BH) Mumford & Sons have some special plans this summer and have announced details of a series of Gentlemen of the Road Stopovers in the United States this August.

The Stopovers combine the intimacy of a community celebration with the excitement of a world-class music festival. Featuring local vendors and activities, each Stopover will begin with a concert at a unique site and end with a series of smaller events involving local businesses, venues, and, most importantly, local people.

Mumford & Sons will headline the main event, alongside an eclectic and energetic roster of artists curated by the band themselves. more on this story



Asia Plans New Album, Tour, Deluxe Reissue and DVDs Release
Frontiers Records have set a May 14th North American release date for Asia's new studio album, XXX (out June 29th in Europe.

The band also plans to release a 30th Anniversary edition of their debut album, 2 DVDs, and also embark on a world tour.

XXX was produced by Mike Paxman and will be released as a CD, collector's edition CD/DVD (featuring new music videos and behind the scenes footage), and on vinyl (limited edition Europe only). more on this story




Katatonia Set New Album Release
(Fresno) Peaceville Records have set a August 28th release date for Katatonia's new studio album, Dead End Kings.

"Dead End Kings is about the corridors of our mind from where there is no return," commented vocalist, Jonas Renkse. "Be a king or queen in your own right in these hallways, even at the dead end. Carry your burden with pride. That's what we are doing, twenty years and counting. Kings, because we believe in what we are creating, in our own disturbing faith."

Added guitarist, Anders Nyström, "This album has doors revolving into many different genres of music but remain disguised within the Katatonia trademark. We have walked the fine line between attempting not to repeat ourselves but also not to distance us away from what people know and love. We're now ready to hand over the evidence and whatever the direction this has taken is now for you to decide. We're confident the creativity and passion on this album is something that will be echoing evenbeyond the dead end." more on this story




Killinger To Tour With Volbeat and Hell Yeah!
Killinger will be hitting the road this summer supporting Volbeat and Hell Yeah! on their upcoming North American tour.

Killinger will also perform at the 8th Annual Boonstock Music & Arts Festival in Gibbons, Alberta, Canada on June 30th alongside acts like Korn, Puddle Of Mudd and Volbeat.

Killinger will be touring in support of their self-titled full-length debut which was released last year in North America by Sunmor Entertainment more on this story




In This Moment Album and Tour Plans
In This Moment will be hitting the road next month for a series of North American tour dates.

The run will include headlining dates, as well as support slots with Shinedown and Adelita's Way.

The band will be digitally releasing the title track to their forthcoming album on June 12th. The album, Blood, will hit stores on August 14th and was produced by Kevin Churko (Ozzy Osbourne, Five Finger Death Punch). more on this story




New Tinnitus Treatment Offers Hope
(Classic Rock) A team of researchers have made a breakthrough in the treatment of hearing condition tinnitus which promises a better future for victims.

Tinnitus, often describes as "ringing in the ears", is incurable and can cause a chain-reaction of related issues including sleep disorders and emotional problems.

Now researchers have reported positive results after a year-long study followed 492 sufferers and provided them with an experimental treatment plan. more on this story




Andy Fraser Explains The Breakup of Free
(Classic Rock) Free bassist Andy Fraser says he wasn't interested in singer Paul Rodgers' vision of the future and that's one of the reasons the band broke up in 1972.

They were already dealing with guitarist Paul Kossof's drug addiction issues when tension boiled over between the frontman and the four-stringer. Rodgers went on to form Bad Company with drummer Simon Kirke, managed by Led Zeppelin impresario Peter Grant – but Fraser says he never had any interest in that kind of success.

"Free had become unglued. Paul and myself were going in different directions. He thought I acted like an emperor and decided he was now going to run things," He tells Psychedelic Baby. "All the while Koss was becoming a junkie. We had basically broken up. As spokesman it fell to me to announce it. I was viewed as the one leaving. more on this story




Iron Maiden's Dickinson Introduces New Business
(hennemusic) A few weeks ago, Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson announced the launch of his major commercial airline maintenance repair and overhaul operation in South Wales.

Dickinson's Cardiff Aviation is based at the Twin Peaks hangar at St Athan in the of Vale of Glamorgan. "We're coming into this enterprise with the knowledge that we'll also be bringing business to South Wales," said Bruce at the time. "A cautious projection is that we'd expect to create up to a thousand jobs within 18 months based on the level of interest and commitment from aircraft manufacturers and operators."

"South Wales has long had an association with the aircraft industry and I am delighted that I am able to have a small part in the continuation of that tradition," he added. more on this story




B Sides


Paul Rodgers Still Has The Swagger To Rock and Roll
(Classic Rock) A bona-fide classic rock legend, with over 90 million album sales to his name, at age 62 Paul Rodgers shows little inclination to leave rock'n'roll to the young guns.

The voice of Free, Bad Company and The Firm, the Middlesbrough-born singer is currently duking it out with Bruce Springsteen and The Black Keys on the upper reaches of America's Classic Rock radio airplay charts with his solo single With Our Love, and ahead of the re-formed Bad Company's first tour of mainland Europe in 37 years, he recently announced his sole UK show of 2012, a charity gig at The Venue in Chichester this coming Thursday (May 31).

"I still feel that swagger when I walk onstage that I felt as a teenager," Rodgers admits. "I'm always up for a show." Read the Classic Rock interview here.




Van Halen Share Their Inspirations
(hennemusic) Van Halen are sharing more footage from their self-interview series. The latest video to surface features singer David Lee Roth sitting down with Eddie and Alex Van Halen to reminisce about their original musical inspirations.

Among the topics discussed by the guys are things like the the first song that made them want to play their particular instruments and the first album they ever bought. "First record I ever bought was Dave Clark Five, 'Glad All Over,'" says Eddie. Originally a drummer, Ed was turned on by the song's thundering drum sound.

"The first one I remember was a Louie Bellson record; it was a 78 [rpm]," explains Alex. "Bellson was the drummer for Duke Ellington, Count Basie…he was the first double-kick [drum guy]."

"First record I bought was The Beatles' second record," says Roth. "'Roll Over Beethoven' was the first song, and that had a superb impact one me, cause I didn't know, at the time, that that was a cover tune." Check out the full session




Kasabian Guitarist Named Man of the Match
(Gibson) Kasabian guitarist Serge Pizzorno was named Man of the Match for his superb goal during the all-star celebrity Soccer Aid game last weekend.

The soccer-playing guitarist played for the Rest of the World team alongside other celebrities and ex-professional players.

Pizzorno's team included Gordon Ramsay, Woody Harrelson and Will Ferrell, while Robbie Williams captained the England team.

Today's Day In Rock News!

Judas Priest Play Final Show of Farewell Tour
(hennemusic) Judas Priest played the final show of their "Epitaph" world tour Saturday in London. Saturday's sold-out gig at the Hammersmith Apollo in London was professionally filmed for a 2013 DVD release.
The band's year-long farewell trek kicked off last June in Holland, and has been around the globe. Epitaph saw the introduction of guitarist Richie Faulkner to the Priest fold, following the sudden retirement of Kenneth "K.K." Downing just six weeks before the tour's launch.

Upon announcing the "farewell" tour, Priest clarified the band's status as the trip was not going to be their final shows but, rather, their last extensive world tour. Check out video from the show here.



Guns N' Roses Late Start Reportedly Planned Ahead Of Time
(Classic Rock) The crew working at Guns N' Roses's Glasgow show were told to expect a late start, thirteen hours before Axl Rose and co hit the stage.

The news calls into question the frontman's insistence that he doesn't mean to keep fans waiting, and it simply happens by accident.

GnR played in the Scottish city on Friday as part of their current UK tour. The band and staff arrived on the Thursday evening, more than 24 hours ahead of showtime. But next morning local crewmen were invited to a production meeting and told to come to work two hours later than scheduled. more on this story



Linkin Park Release New Music Video
(hennemusic) "Living Things," the new album from Linkin Park, is due June 26. The group has released the video for the album's lead single, "Burn It Down."

The band are currently pre-promoting the new project with a series of live shows on the European festival circuit.

Linkin Park kick off a North American tour on August 11 in Bristow, VA. Until then, check out the new video here.



Ozzy and Lita Ford Duet Was A Mistake
(Classic Rock) Lita Ford has recalled how the biggest hit of her career, the Ozzy Osbourne duet Close My Eyes Forever, came about by accident during a night of drinking, getting stoned and driving under the influence.

The 1988 hit from her album Lita crowned an era during which she was named best female vocalist in rock, while Ozzy was named best male vocalist. She was managed by his wife Sharon at the time.

"Close My Eyes Forever was a mistake." The former Runaways guitarist tells Metal Underground. "It was just me and Ozzy and Sharon hanging about in the recording studio. They showed up one day and had a housewarming present for me: a life-size duplicate of Koko the gorilla from the San Diego Zoo. It was freaking huge – I had to strap it in the front seat of my jeep to get it home.

"Ozzy stayed, Sharon got bored and left, and me and Ozzy had a couple of drinks and we were jamming. We started singing, messing about and we wrote Close My Eyes Forever. more on this story



One Member Preventing Skid Row Reunion?
(Classic Rock) Sebastian Bach has backtracked on his previous vehement statements that he'd never return to Skid Row and he's revealed only one member of the hard rock outfit's classic lineup disagrees with him.

But he hasn't said whether it's bassist Rachel Bolan, guitarist Dave 'Snake' Sabo, guitarist Scotti Hill or drummer Rob Affuso. All but the sticksman are currently in the band.

The singer was sacked by Skid Row in 1996, going on to develop a solo career while they hired replacement Johnny Solinger. In the past both parties had firmly asserted getting back together wasn't on the cards. But asked again via Twitter, Bach said: "Four out of five want to do it. Believe it or not, I am one of the four who would do it." more on this story



Soilwork and Arch Enemy Supergroup Preview New Album
Coroner Records are offering a preview from the forthcoming The Night Flight Orchestra (classic rock project for Soilwork and Arch Enemy members) album.

The label have posted a preview of "Montreal Midnight Supply" taken from the forthcoming album "Internal Affairs" here

The Night Flight Orchestra's brand new album that will be released worldwide on June 18th 2012. The project features Björn "Speed" Strid from Soilwork and Sharlee D'Angelo from Arch Enemy. more on this story



Robert Plant, Razorlight, Joss Stone and More On Rockwell Concert DVD
MVD have set a June 19th DVD and Blu-ray release date for the Rockwell Benefit Concert at O2 London. They sent this background:

The O2 arena, London was stage for the gathering of some of the UK's most notable, and charitable music icons. "Rockwell" event brought together the likes of Robert Plant, Tom Jones, Joss Stone, as well as Lulu, Razorlight, Beverley Knight, Escala, Dan Gillespie Sells (from The Feeling)in one of the most memorable benefit concerts to date.

The evening with many major stars sharing the spotlight for brilliant, unexpected surprises was culminated in the final song that saw every act hit the stage for a version of The Beatles' classic "Let It Be"! more on this story



The Queen Extravaganza Tour Kicks Off
(hennemusic) Queen's official tribute band, The Queen Extravaganza, launched their North American tour Saturday in Quebec City.

"The Queen Extravaganza" band was selected after judges spent 11 weeks reviewing online auditions and weighing votes from Queen fans around the world to confirm the lineup.

The band consists of singers Jennifer Espinoza (San Antonio, TX) and Marc Martel (Montreal, QC / Nashville,TN), guitarists Tristan Avakian (Toronto, ON) and Brian Gresh (Tulsa, OK), drummer Tyler Warren (Camden, TN) and bassist Francois-Olivier Doyon (Quebec City, QC). "Audience refuse to sit down for the first 11 songs...i'm a nervous wreck, band are amazing!" tweeted Queen's Roger Taylor, who is producer and musical director for the event. Check out video here.



ZZ Top Explain Releasing New Song Via YouTube
(Classic Rock) Billy Gibbons admits many ZZ Top fans will be surprised to find them embracing the digital era after they released their first new music in nine years via an online ad.

A clip of upcoming track I Got To Get Paid is used in a YouTube promo for Jeremiah Weed Root Brew – and Gibbons says that's just the start for his outfit.

"ZZ Top would be the last guess for the most internet-savvy band. However, I think we're just in the initial stages of a very fast-moving platform," He tells USA Today. "Sooner rather than later, any other form other than digital media will be a thing of the past. It won't vanish – but let's face it, this is the way of the future." But that doesn't mean he has no doubts about what comes next.




Dance Gavin Dance Singer Jonny Craig Still In The Band
Dance Gavin Dance frontman Jonny Craig was the focus of a lot of controversy and many believed his days with the band were over. But the apparently are not.

Earlier this year the band went on tour without Craig after a controversy surrounding the reported bogus sales of laptops online and a jail stint for drug charges, followed by court ordered rehab. The band said at the time, "As some of you have heard today, Jonny Craig will not be doing the upcoming tour with Dance Gavin Dance. Jonny is very sick right now, and needs to do what he can to get better.... For this upcoming tour with A lot Like Birds, we will be joined by Kurt Travis and Matt Geise to fill in on vocals."

It now appears that Craig is back with the group, a posting via Facebook under his name reads, "I know people have been wondering, but I am STILL in Dance Gavin Dance and will be singing for them on all upcoming tour dates including The All Stars Tour."





Joe Bonamassa Books Retrospective Tour
Joe Bonamassa will perform a series of four London concerts that chronicles his rise from playing the intimate Borderline to the prestigious Royal Albert Hall.

Bonamassa will be playing in support of his 13th solo album Driving Towards The Daylight, which is currently #2 in the UK's Official Album Chart.

Blues rock fans will be able to purchase tickets to see Joe perform at four different London venues including The Borderline (March 26), 02 Shepherd's Bush Empire (March 27), HMV Hammersmith Apollo (March 28) and the Royal Albert Hall (March 30). more on this story




Animals' Eric Burdon Releasing New Solo Album
(Gibson) Eric Burdon, singer with the Animals during the '60s British invasion has a new album coming soon. Til Your River Runs Dry will be released on September 18.

Burden said in a statement: "I started feeling that I needed to use this album as a catharsis, to express my own truth. It took longer than any other album, not because of time spent in the studio, but because of the subject matter of the songs I wanted to put out there.

"During the making of this record, we lost Bo Diddley, one of my greatest influences. There were many things I would have said to him, if I'd realized that his time was limited." more on this story





Elvis Presley Crypt To Be Auctioned
(Classic Rock) Elvis Presley's original crypt will be put up for auction next month. It's part of Music Icons auction which takes place on June 23.

The King's body was interred for two months at the Forrest Hill Cemetery, Tennessee, following his death in 1977, but later moved to Graceland.

Sale price will include the underground crypt, opening and closing for burial, a memorial inscription and use of the cemetery's chapel. More music news



Kamelot Set New Album Release
Kamelot has inked a new deal with SPV and their new album has been scheduled for release on September 24, 2012 in Europe, September 21st in Germany and September 25th in North America.

Kamelot are set to play a number of festivals (among them Wacken Open Air and Bang Your Head) as early as July and August before embarking on a US tour alongside Nightwish in September/October and a major headliner tour of Europe in November 2012.

The group surrounding guitarist and composer Thomas Youngblood is currently working on the drum recordings with renowned sound engineer Jim Morris at the Morrisound Studios in Tampa, Florida, before work on the album is due to be completed at Wolfsburg's Gate studios under the direction of producer Sascha Paeth (Edguy, Avantasia, Rhapsody). more on this story




Municipal Waste, Sepultura, Soilwork and More For Extreme Metal Cruise
Municipal Waste, Sepultura, Soilwork, At The Gates, Six Feet Under are just some of the bands taking part in Barge To Hell: The World's Most Extreme Metal Cruise. We were sent these details:

The madness begins on December 3rd, when 40 of the most extreme Metal Bands and 2,000 headbangers from around the world will go to the Caribbean to take over a luxury cruise ship for a 5 day and 4 night trip to the undead!

For the entire trip it's like everyone has a backstage pass and you can mingle side-by-side with the Artists in this incredibly fan-friendly scenario that has no comparison. See each of the 40 bands play two live shows on two different days. That's 80 shows with unrestricted festival access to the three stages, each with it's own unique atmosphere more on this story



Nikki Sixx Threw Out The First Pitch At Dodgers Game
(hennemusic) Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx threw out the first pitch in Dodger Stadium prior to Sunday's Los Angeles Dodgers game vs. the Houston Astros.

"Really grateful being from Los Angeles to be invited to throw out the first pitch today at Dodger stadium ( YES I can throw a ball )," posted Sixx. "The Dodgers are on a winning streak and you could feel it in the air everywhere today.( New owners surely helps too.) "

"My family had a blast and it was nice for me to connect with the great Victor Ortiz, who I think is a great fighter," Nikki continued. "If you remember back, I was really disappointed in Floyd Mayweather for the sucker punch he threw at Victor and, after meeting him, I see what a class act he was for not slagging Floyd in the press after that cheap shot....Here we are hanging out (see photo here).




B Sides


Angels & Airwaves Deliver Surrender Video
Angels & Airwaves have released a new music video for the track "Surrender," the lead single off their latest album Love Part Two.

Set amongst opposing scenes of passionate youth rioting and dancing in the streets, the video, as lead singer Tom DeLonge explains it, "is based on young revolution. The idea that young people are speaking their minds...and that young people across the Globe will still find a way to celebrate even when they're living their worst day."

The band enlisted director William Eubank to create the video. Eubank is previously known for teaming up with the band to create their critically acclaimed, independent feature film Love that was released in conjunction with the Angels & Airwaves double album Love Part One and Two.

"Surrender " was shot in Los Angeles at the old Herald Examiner Building, and at the La Mirage dry lakebed outside of Barstow. Indy film fans may catch the quick cameo by Evan Glodell and the Medusa car from the movie Bellflower. You can check it out here




Bruce Springsteen Releases Rocky Ground Video
(hennemusic) Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band's "Wrecking Ball" tour is currently in its third week of shows across Europe.

Bruce's latest release debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart back in the spring. With sales of 196,000, Springsteen just barely outsold Adele's "21" (195,000) to bump it from the top spot, where it had been for 23 non-consecutive weeks.

Springsteen has released the video for the project's latest single, "Rocky Ground." Watch it here.




Watch The Offspring Rock in Rio
(hennemusic) The Offspring return June 26 with their new album, "Days Go By." Ahead of the album's release, The Offspring are doing shows on the European festival circuit.

On Saturday, they played the Rock In Rio Lisbon festival on a bill headlined by Smashing Pumpkins.

The band's Dexter Holland told Rolling Stone that it was important for the band to push themselves this time around. "This is our ninth record, so we've got to dig a little bit deeper, and that's what we want to do as well." Watch the Rock in Rio performance here.



Anniversary of Jeff Buckley's Disappearance
(Gibson) On this day in 1997, Jeff Buckley disappeared after talking a swim in the Mississippi River. His body was found on June 4, after being spotted by a passenger on a tourist riverboat. Gibson looks back:

In the mid-'90s, things were looking pretty good for Jeff Buckley. Although his 1994 debut album, Grace, hadn't been a blockbuster, it was a massive critical success. Up on the record's release, Buckley seemed to become the favorite newcomer for rock's elite, earning praises from Bono to Jimmy Page to David Bowie to Bob Dylan, who called him "one of the great songwriters of this decade."

While Buckley toured incessantly, his album eventually went gold in France and Australia and began to sell better in the U.S. as well. After two years of touring, in 1996, Buckley began working on his follow-up album in New York. As he was writing, he helped Patti Smith on her record, Gone Again, and met former Television guitarist Tom Verlaine – who agreed to produce Buckley's next CD. In New York City, Buckley began testing out songs for the upcoming record (to be titled My Sweetheart, the Drunk) at live shows. Lou Reed attended one, and told Buckley he'd like to work with him in the future.

In '96 and early '97, Buckley and his band began laying down tracks with Verlaine producing, but Buckley wasn't happy with the results. He felt a change of scenery might be in order and moved to Memphis in February. The singer rented a shotgun shack in Memphis and planned to record at Easley McCain Recording.

Verlaine and Buckley's band soon joined him in Memphis to take another crack at some sessions, but the magic still wasn't there. Buckley called upon Grace producer Andy Wallace to replace Verlaine and sent his band back to New York while he continued to work on writing and demos in Memphis. In the meantime, Buckley continued to test out his new songs live, playing regular gigs at Barrister's, a downtown bar.

He sent his demos to his band, who were thrilled with the results and excited to begin work on the songs. Arrangements were made for the musicians to fly in on May 29, 1997. Sadly, the day would prove a tragic one and the band would never see Buckley alive again.

On this day in 1997, with his band scheduled to arrive in the evening, Buckley went out to dinner with friend and road manager Keith Foti. The two guys were heading to a rehearsal studio when, at about 9 p.m., the singer decided to go for a swim in Wolf River Harbor – while wearing boots and all of his clothing. Apparently, this is something Buckley had done before. Legend has it that Buckley was singing "Whole Lotta Love" to himself and he jumped in. Foti watched from the shore.

Today's Day In Rock News!!

Bomb Scare For Pink Floyd's David Gilmour
(Classic Rock) Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour and his wife were forced to flee their home after an unexploded World War II incendiary device was unearthed nearby.

Their six-storey mansion in East Sussex is midway through extensive renovations, during which builders discovered a 150cm pipe-shaped device which caused alarm.

The area was evacuated and a Navy bomb disposal team were called in. They identified the German weapon and removed it safely. No one was injured. more on this story



Black Sabbath Reunion Show Video Streaming Online
(hennemusic) On May 19, a mostly-reunited Black Sabbath rocked their hometown of Birmingham. Multi-cam video of the complete Birmingham concert has surfaced.

The event marked the first time the band had played the city in more than a dozen years, and acted as a warm up show to the group's upcoming headline appearance at Download next month.

Original Sabbath members Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler were joined by Ozzy's drummer Tommy Clufetos for the show as Bill Ward released a statement declining to participate in the reunion based on a current contract offer. Watch the show here.



Iron Maiden's Beast Tops the Beatles, Queen and Floyd
(Classic Rock) Bruce Dickinson has hailed fan power after Iron Maiden's 1983 album The Number of the Beast came top in a vote over the best British records of the past 60 years. The classic metal record scored higher than the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Beatles and Queen.

Music retailer HMV ran the poll to mark the Queen's diamond jubilee and Maiden's loyal followers came out in droves, securing more than nine percent of the entire vote. Around 55,000 people made their choice from 60 albums online.

Frontman Dickinson describes the result as "very special." He says: "We're astonished and delighted. Some of the most influential and classic albums from the last 60 years were in the running, so it's a testament to our incredibly loyal and ever-supportive fans." See how the Top 10 came out.




Deep Purple's Jon Lord To Play First Show Since Cancer Announcement
(hennemusic) Last summer, former Deep Purple keyboardist Jon Lord announced that he was fighting cancer and would be taking a break from performing while getting treatment. Now, Lord has scheduled his first concert appearance since revealing his health news.

A special performance of his 2008 release, "Durham Concerto," is set for July 6 in Hagen, Germany.

The concert is rounding off Jon's stretch as this year's 'composer in residence' with the Hagen Philharmonic Orchestra near Dortmund. To this end, the orchestra has been performing several of his pieces over the past few months, most recently a breath taking performance of "From Darkness To Light," which was broadcast by German radio WDR3 on May 15. more on this story



Astbury Waited 13 Years For The Doors Gig
(Classic Rock) The Cult singer Ian Astbury says it was worth the thirteen-year wait to cover Jim Morrison's position in the Doors. He thinks if he'd been much younger he wouldn't have been able to do the job well – and he's grateful for the musical education he received from the band.

Astbury first appeared with original members Ray Manzarek and Robby Krieger in 2002 and performed over 150 shows with them. For legal reasons the outfit has been variously known as The Doors of the 21st Century, D21C and Manzarek-Krieger.

"They waited thirty years and the courtship was quite a long while. I was introduced to Ray, Robby and John Densmore when the Doors movie was being made in 1990," The Cult frontman tells U-T San Diego. "I was invited to a party in the Hollywood Hills. Michael Talbot, this famous metaphysical writer, was there. Timothy Leary and his partner was there. This Russian woman who was supposed to be a spiritualist was there. They were the only other people there – it was like I was being vetted in some way." more on this story




Slash Sees Myles Kennedy As Musical Partner Not Hired Gun
(Gibson) Slash has spoken many times about his past relationship with Axl Rose. He's also spoken about how he's made his previous solo records. Now, he seems happier working with singer Myles Kennedy.

In a forthcoming Guitar World interview Slash admits that he enjoys "just putting together guitar ideas on my own." He also says, "I try not to overwork it. I'll come up with two or three parts, and that's it. Then I like to bounce things off other guys and see what they can come up with."

Of the just-released Apocalyptic Love album, Slash adds. "Myles could do whatever he wanted when he was writing his parts. And sometimes that even changed my parts. For instance, there's a song on the new album called 'No More Heroes' that is a classic example of a 50/50 kind of collaboration between us, where I had a riff and a whole arrangement that I put together, but it was all still open to interpretation.

"So Myles took the chorus idea that I had and just completely raped it, and came up with a new, insanely great chorus. And that was a moment where it was like, 'Okay, we have a good thing going… it makes for better music overall.'" more on this story






New Freddie Mercury Biography Coming in July
Touchstone books have set a July 3rd release date for Mercury: An Intimate Biography of Freddie Mercury by rock journalist Lesley-Ann Jones. We were sent over this background info:

In Mercury Lesley-Ann Jones presents the full portrait of both the complex man and the myth. Jones toured widely with Queen and has unrivalled access to the band. She has secured more than 100 interviews with those closest to Mercury, many of who are only opening up now, twenty years after his tragic death. He was the first major rock star to die from AIDS.

Meticulously researched, sympathetic yet not sensational, Mercury offers an unvarnished, revealing look at the extreme highs and lows of life in the fast lane. Jones details it all from Queen's slow but steady rise to fame, to the creation of ground breaking songs like 'Bohemian Rhapsody', to the decadent, raucous after parties Queen became infamous for, to the band's creative process and their perpetual quest to challenge themselves musically.

To gain a better understanding of Mercury's early life and his somewhat fraught relationship with his traditional, conservative past Jones traveled to Zanzibar, his birthplace, and India, where he attended boarding school. Jones also provides new insights into the great loves of Mercury's life—long-time girlfriend Mary Austin, chef Joe Fanelli, German soft-porn star Barbara Valentin, live-in-lover Jim Hutton—and what those relationships meant to him. In MERCURY a compelling, definitive portrait emerges of this enigmatic entertainer who thrilled audiences around the world with a magnetism matched by few performers. Amazon link




Why Yes Is Saying No To Reunion Idea
(Classic Rock) Yes bassist Chris Squire admits one of the reasons they haven't invited original singer Jon Anderson back into the band is that his health issues could limit their ability to make money.

The prog giants hired Benoit David in 2008 after Anderson suffered a near-fatal respiratory condition. The frontman insists they didn't tell him he'd been dismissed.

Earlier this year David experienced his own health problems. He says he discovered Jon Davidson had been given his job when he read it in a magazine. But Squire suggests there was more to the lineup change than just health matters. He tells Rolling Stone: "He started to get a little wobbly onstage. I thought he was having a cold or had gotten sick on the road – that happens all the time. But in Benoit's case it seemed to not be getting better. We toured Europe after that and once again he started to go a little soft." But...



Full Van Halen Concert Video Posted Online
(hennemusic) Van Halen made major headlines recently when the band abruptly postponed a full series of summer US dates of its "A Different Kind Of Truth" tour without explanation.

A few days after the announcement, singer David Lee Roth explained the situation, saying "As usual, we bit off way more than we can chew when it came to scheduling. The band is winning, but our schedule has been sidelined for unnecessary roughness. If we continue past July 4th and all the way into Australia and Japan, then we're asking for the robot zombie tour."

"We're gonna take a break because this tour is gonna take us about two years," added Roth.

"The band is getting along famously, better than we have in quite some time, and I think the shows reveal that through the miracle of YouTube," Roth said. "I think we're one of the few bands who relishes you bringing whatever camera — if you can carry it in and pull the trigger on it yourself, then please do. And through the eye of YouTube, you can see that we're having ourselves a hell of a time, and I think that translates into the music."

Plenty of fans are taking the band up on the chance to film the 2012 shows, including the group's late March stop in Pittsburgh at the Consol Energy Center. Watch it here.




Bun E's Status In Cheap Trick
(Classic Rock) Cheap Trick drummer Bun E Carlos confirms he's still a member of the band but adds he hasn't spoken to them for some time.

The pop-rock giants announced in 2010 that Carlos would no longer be their touring drummer, and replaced him with guitarist Rick Nielsen's son Daxx.But the sticksman hopes they can rebuild their relationship at some point in the future – despite believing they'll never make an album to follow 2009 release The Latest.

"I don't see a next Cheap Trick record, really. I haven't heard any new songs from the songwriters in ten years," Carlos tells PunkGlobe. "Every album we do, we get the tapes out and find out if we have enough for a record. We made The Latest the same way we make every record – but there weren't very many brand-new songs laid out."

"I'm still in the band, but I don't tour. I don't hear from them. I prefer to be out on the road performing with them. Maybe we'll kiss and make up. more on this story




Rush Took Different Approach To New Album
(hennemusic) June 12th can't come fast enough for Rush fans as they anxiously await the release of the band's new album, "Clockwork Angels." The album is a mix of past, present, and maybe future, for Rush, displaying elements of the band's complex arrangements and mood changes while keeping the contemporary feel of the group's more recent work.

Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson was asked by Metal Express Radio if this was the plan when he first started discussing musical ideas with bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee. "I don't know, really. I'm never sure what the plan is," said Alex. "We sort of start on the day and it takes its shape and we kind of go with it. I think probably with this record, we really wanted to play and wanted to stretch out a little bit. We wanted to have fun playing and also to strip things down a little. I think 'Snakes & Arrows', in retrospect, was a little bit dense, because it was written on acoustic guitar, which played a major role in the production. We layered a lot of acoustics and electrics and I think we got just a little cloudy at times. I really like the record, but with hindsight of living with it for a while, we realized that we kind of overcooked it a bit."

"We really wanted to strip it down and have more of a three-piece feel to it," Lifeson continued. "There`s no rhythm guitar during the guitar solos and such, which are things you end up doing as you like the sound of it because you like all the colour, but it`s not always necessary and I think the album comes across as a lot more powerful as a result." more on this story




Neil Young Covers God Save The Queen On New Album
(Gibson) On his forthcoming Americana album, primarily a collection of classic American folk songs, Neil Young also covers the U.K. national anthem, "God Save the Queen."

The British national anthem was also a "de facto" anthem for the United States before the adoption of "The Star Spangled Banner." But as a Canadian, Young is still a member of the British Commonwealth.

"Written in the 18th century with possible melodic roots in the 17th century, this anthem has been sung throughout the British Commonwealth and may have been sung in North America before the American Revolution and Declaration of Independence in 1776, which rejected British sovereignty," Young notes of the song's pedigree.

"The Americana arrangement draws from the original melody and changes some melody and lyrics in the folk process." more on this story






Motley Crue's Mick Mars Goes Pop Evil
(hennemusic) Motley Crue guitarist Mick Mars continues to share his songwriting skills outside of the band.

Mars co-wrote "Boss's Daughter," the new single from Michigan hard rockers Pop Evil; the track appears on the group's 2011 release, "War Of Angels."

Now, Mars is a part of the song's new video, directed by Nathan "Karma" Cox. Pop Evil frontman Leigh Kakaty says "This video is the best depiction of the energy we bring during our live performance. Mick and [Playboy Playmate] Jessa [Hinton] were terrific to work with! Nathan and his crew made a killer all-American rock and roll video." Watch it here.




B Sides


Watch Metallica Rock in Rio
(hennemusic) Metallica continued their European Summer Vacation tour Friday night with a stop at Rock In Rio in Lisbon, Portugal.

The metal icons headlined the opening night of this year's festival, with 250,000 people expected during the five-day event.

Other headliners include Smashing Pumpkins (May 26), Lenny Kravitz (Jun 1), Stevie Wonder (Jun 2) and Bruce Springsteen (Jun 3).

Video of much of Metallica's set has surfaced for fans to check it out.




Evanescence's Full Rock In Rio Performance Streaming Online
(hennemusic) Evanescence continue their extensive world tour in support of the band's 2011 self-titled release. Broadcast video of the group's full Rock In Rio set has surfaced online.

The group's first album in five years, it debuted at #1 back in October, after selling 127,000 copies in its first week.

On Friday, Evanescence played the Rock In Rio Lisbon festival, second on the opening night bill headlined by Metallica. Watch it here.




Linkin Park's Full Rock in Rio Set Streaming Online
(hennemusic) Linkin Park are gearing up for the June 26 release of their new album, "Living Things." The band debuted the video for its new single, "Burn It Down," last week.

LP kick off a North American tour on August 11 in Bristow, VA; in the meantime, they are out playing the European festival circuit, and fired things up with an appearance at Rock In Rio in Lisbon on Saturday.

LP were on a bill headlined by the Smashing Pumpkins that also featured the Offspring and Limp Bizkit. Broadcast video of LP's full set has surfaced. Watch it here.




Slash Unplugs
(hennemusic) Slash can be seen and/or heard everywhere these days as he promotes his newly-released sophomore album, "Apocalyptic Love."

Along with singer Myles Kennedy, Slash took part in an acoustic performance in the studios of SiriusXM satellite radio last week in front of 20 lucky listeners.

Video footage of their appearance can be seen online and the full interview and performance can be heard on SiriusXM Octane today, May 28 at 9 p.m. ET. Watch the video here.




Watch Mastodon Rock in Rio
(hennemusic) Mastodon are on the road touring behind their latest effort, "The Hunter."

On Friday, the Atlanta band played the opening night of the Rock In Rio festival in Lisbon, Portugal on a bill headlined by Metallica.

Broadcast video of Mastodon's full set has surfaced online. You can watch it right here.




Extreme Stars Rock National Anthem at Red Sox Game
(hennemusic) Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt of Boston rockers Extreme performed the national anthem on Saturday at Fenway Park prior to the Boston Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays game.

Footage of the performance was filmed by Darren Parker, who has proclaimed himself one of Nuno's biggest fans. The band and fans know him as NunoFreak.

Darren has an inoperable brain tumor, rendering him unable to work as his medical bills are mounting.

A fundraiser is being held on June 23 at Sleep's Bar & Grill in Bluffs, Illinois which will include an auction, donations and freewill. Darren's dream was to have Nuno show up, but, unfortunately, Nuno will be in London on tour with Rihanna. Bettencourt came up with a solution to help.




Anniversary of the US Festival
(Gibson) On this day in 1983, The four-day US Festival '83 took place in California, featuring The Clash, U2, David Bowie, The Pretenders, Van Halen, Stray Cats, Men at Work, Judas Priest, Stevie Nicks, Willie Nelson, INXS, Joe Walsh, Motley Crue and Ozzy Osbourne. Gibson looks back:

Giant music festivals have a way of being remembered for a lot of things besides music. Woodstock was about the hippies, Altamont was about the Hell's Angels and the US Festival became known for losing a ton of money for Apple Computer founder Steve Wozniak.

In 1982, Wozniak had paid to bulldoze a site and then construct an open-air music venue near Devore in southern California. His idea was to hold a three-day festival that would feature top music acts on the big stage, but also the latest in computers and technology in an air-conditioned tent. The first US Festival took place on Labor Day weekend of 1982, but it wasn't a big success. Despite landing top acts like Fleetwood Mac, The Police and Tom Petty, 110-degree heat and other factors kept many people away and the enterprise lost Wozniak an estimated $12 million.

Undeterred, Wozniak planned to have a second US Festival the following Memorial Day, which began on this day in 1983. This time, it was a four-day fest (with the last day taking place the following Saturday) and each day revolved around a loose theme. So, Saturday was "New Wave Day" with The Clash, Men at Work and the Stray Cats; Sunday was "Heavy Metal Day" with Van Halen, Quiet Riot and Ozzy Osbourne; Monday was "Rock Day" with David Bowie, The Pretenders and U2 and the following Saturday was "Country Day" with Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Hank Williams Jr.

Unfortunately, for Wozniak, the second installment didn't improve much on the first. For one thing, the weather was even hotter (115-degree highs) and the bands demanded more money up front. Van Halen agreed to play the festival for $1 million… until they found out David Bowie was getting the same amount. Because there was a clause in their contract that specified they were to be paid more than any act at any festival they played, Van Halen earned $1.5 million for their US Festival appearance.

On the other hand, the members of The Clash were upset by what their perceived as the crass commerciality of the event. They demanded that Wozniak and some of the other big-ticket bands donate a portion of fees to charity groups.

It's not clear if this position or something else caused a backstage argument between The Clash's and Van Halen's respective frontmen, Joe Strummer and David Lee Roth. Some have said the altercation arose from a quote Eddie Van Halen had given to Rolling Stone magazine about The Clash's music ("that's like what I played in my garage when I was a kid, man"). Regardless, the next day, Roth went on to insult the band's drinking habits during Van Halen's performance.

In contrast to perceptions, the Van Halen-headlining day (or "Heavy Metal Day") was a pretty big success, if taken on its own merits. The day, which also featured Judas Priest, Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot, Mötley Crüe and more, set the record for single-day concert attendance (375,000). Crüe singer Vince Neil would later claim, "It was the day new wave died and rock 'n' roll took over."

But Wozniak probably wouldn't share Neil's happy assessment of the event. Reportedly, it lost him another $12 million and put an end to any future US Festivals – although the site is now home to San Manuel Amphitheater. Many Clash fans will recall the event as featuring the last-ever appearance of guitarist Mick Jones as a member of the band.

Of course, Wozniak can take solace in this Homer Simpson quote (said while scoffing at the prospect of Springfield's Hullabalooza): "There can only be one truly great festival of a lifetime, and it's the US Festival!"

SLASH TALKS TO THE LA TIMES:

From the LA Times: Guns N' Roses' former guitarist talks Rock Hall of Fame induction, his new solo album, Apocalyptic Love, and chances of a GNR reunion (none).

Slash performs at the Rock on the Range Festival in Columbus, Ohio. (Steven C. Mitchell / EPA / May 23, 2012) There are things that Slash just doesn't want to talk about. And the timing was definitely not right a few weeks ago as the guitarist was preparing for a trip to Cleveland for his induction with Guns N' Roses into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
"I don't even want to talk about that. I don't want to touch it," Slash said in April, his usual friendly demeanor turning cool at the mere mention of GNR. It was during a week of drama and uncertainty about the ceremony, which had peaked days earlier with the arrival of a confrontational open letter to the Hall of Fame from singer Axl Rose. "There is nothing positive to be gained from talking about it."
For Slash, all that is about the glorious past and less glorious drama that's continued since he officially left that band in 1996. He's moved on and is essentially a solo artist now, leading a hard-rocking unit with singer Myles Kennedy.
This week, Slash released "Apocalyptic Love," his second true solo album, a project he was very happy to talk about, as he sat drinking coffee on the back patio of a Los Angeles photography studio. He'd just finished posing with Alice Cooper for the cover of Revolver magazine.
"I am responsible for everything that goes on, so I am very driven and motivated and focused," Slash, 46, said of his solo work. "I want to keep a handle on having a good time. I love the guys I'm playing with. It's very stress-free. It's just fun for me to realize that it doesn't have to be so ... difficult."
Fans of his work in GNR and Velvet Revolver will find much to embrace in the album's 13 tracks, ranging from the sneering rock hooks of "You're a Lie" and the heavy metal grind of "Halo" to the extended instrumental passages on "Anastasia."
"I definitely never wanted to do anything that seemed like a carbon copy of the band that I was from," Slash said, but he wasn't interested in abandoning his legacy either. "I've always been a work in progress. I always thought I had a lot of potential, so I'm still going down that road. I don't want to jump ship now and try and take on a whole new style."
Beginning in the '90s and up through 2002, he led a band called Slash's Snakepit, which was inevitably eclipsed by Guns N' Roses, despite decent sales of its two albums. "At some point," Slash recalled, "the powers that be said, 'OK, we turned a profit on your record. Now you've got to get back to Guns N' Roses,' and pulled the plug on tour support."
He laughs about it now. With Guns N' Roses now fully behind Slash, and Velvet Revolver on hiatus, his solo career is finally a real priority.
His first solo album, 2010's "Slash," was an all-star gathering of singers and players, from Ozzy Osbourne and Iggy Pop to Dave Grohl and Fergie — the Black Eyed Peas diva who revealed a surprising affinity for hard rock on the song "Beautiful Dangerous." For the final two tracks recorded for the album, Slash worked with Kennedy, a new collaborator known mainly as the singer of Alter Bridge.
"It turned out to be really amazing chemistry from Day 1," said Slash (born Saul Hudson). "I clicked with him on a personal level and on an artistic level."
For the new album, he decided to record with the same players he took on the road for his solo tour, and give all the vocals to Kennedy, not a series of guests. The singer welcomed the opportunity, even as he remained a full-time member of Alter Bridge. While touring last year with that band, Kennedy spent his downtime on the bus working on new songs, building on riffs and ideas from Slash.
"He's obviously got a fantastic sense of feel and emotion in the way he conveys himself on the guitar," Kennedy said from the road. "A lot of the guys that I listened to when I was growing up were either blues-based or soul-based. It's not so much about technique. It's really about pulling emotion out and getting people to feel what you feel."
Weeks later, Slash is on the phone from Minneapolis. The Hall of Fame induction was behind him, and he was back on tour with Kennedy and the band, which Slash had named the Conspirators. He was clearly in a good mood and happy to discuss his recent trip to Cleveland.
It turned out to be "a really pleasant event," Slash said of the induction ceremony. "There was a great feeling of closure for some reason. I will never hear the question of will there be a reunion again the same way, because there just won't."
At the suggestion of GNR bassist Duff McKagan, Kennedy stepped in as the singer for a short set of the band's best-known songs. For the singer, it was another strange high-profile gig, just as when he was recruited in 2008 by Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist John Paul Jones to briefly work on new material.
Zeppelin singer Robert Plant chose not to participate in a reunion, so Kennedy was brought to England, where he jammed with the Zeppelin vets and drummer Jason Bonham, son of the band's late drummer, John Bonham. "As a fan, it was one of those crazy experiences you never dreamed in a million years would happen," said Kennedy, who worked with the Zeppelin vets during two visits before the project ended. "I will definitely take that to my grave. I've flown under the radar for most of my career, and suddenly in the last four years some of the experiences I've gotten to have are the stuff dreams are made of."
For Slash, there is also unfinished business with Velvet Revolver, which has been on hiatus since the abrupt exit of singer Scott Weiland in 2008. The band occasionally reconvenes in private as its members search for a new vocalist, but a brief reunion with Weiland for a January benefit concert at the House of Blues in West Hollywood did not indicate permanence.
"Scott showed up and was in good form and everything," Slash said, "but there wasn't that spark of magic like, 'Let's resurrect this.' I can't make those same mistakes over and over again."
StoryLink: www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-slash-20120524,0,5498162.story.

AEROSMITH'S NEW MUSIC FROM ANOTHER DIMENSION:

Aerosmith have announced details of their highly anticipated new studio album Music From Another Dimension. The 14 track album is introduced with the new single Legendary Child (out yesterday and a left over tracks from the Get A Grip album). The track listing is:
1. What Could Have Been Love 2. Beautiful, 3. Street Jesus, 4. Legendary Child, 5. Oh Yeah, 6. We All Fall Down, 7. Another Last Goodbye, 8. Out Go the Lights, 9. Love Three Times a Day (Hello Goodbye), 10. Closer, 11. Shakey Ground, 12. Lover a Lot, 13. Freedom Fighter, 14. Up on the Mountain.

Rolling Stone Magazine features a new interview with frontman Steven Tyler. It reads:

By Rolling Stone / Steven Tyler spoke about the new Aerosmith record, Music from Another Dimension, during a press conference at last night's American Idol finale.
"It's the kind of thing where it represents who you are," the frontman and Idol judge said. "Who are you? We don't know. Sometimes our music speaks for us so this album – as Joe Perry said on one of his solo records – 'Let the music do the talking,' and this one does."
The album is slated to drop August 28th, and Aerosmith premiered the album's first single, Legendary Child, in a performance during last night's show.
Tyler added, "Your album is like a wave, and you ride that album all the way and see what you got. Hopefully we have three or four deep, which means radio play . . . Jack Douglass and I and Joe . . . we worked this thing for the last year, and we're so happy about it."
Their performance also marks the first time Aerosmith has performed on Idol since Tyler joined the show in 2010, a decision that caused some turmoil within the group, making the chances for an Idol performance seem slim at the time.
"Well, we're doing an album," said Tyler last night about the group making their Idol debut. "It was the right time. This the first time we've ever had a chance to play live, the first song. The song off the album that we did depicts who we are."
During the press conference, Tyler was also asked whether he'd be upset if fellow judge Jennifer Lopez didn't return next year, as rumors have suggested. "Probably. Everything evolves, though," he said. "Who you're gonna sit next to makes it really worthwhile. Don't take that out of context!"
Tyler also heaped some praise on fellow frontman Mick Jagger for his recent dual hosting/musical guest gig on Saturday Night Live's season finale, which had the Stones frontman impersonating Tyler.
"He could have done 'Yakakakaow!'” said Tyler, suggesting his signature scream. "He could have done the bastard son of Mick Jagger. There could have been so many skits. I thought he looked good in his long hair. I've always wanted him to grow it back. He looked good. It was fun."