Today's Day In Rock News!

The Who Plan Quadrophenia Tour
The Who held a virtual press conference yesterday to announce that they will be hitting the road for a very special North American arena tour this fall.
The trek, the legendary rockers plan to play their classic 1973 double album Quadrophenia in its entirety, along with a selection of fan favorites.

The initial 36-date leg, the band's first North American tour in four years, kicks off November 1 in Sunrise, FL with an initial six-week run. The Who will return in late January with more dates commencing January 28 in Anaheim, CA. more on this story



Guns N' Roses Focused On Writing New Music
(hennemusic) On Tuesday, Guns N' Roses played the Spaladium Arena in Split, Croatia. The day before the show, GNR members Dizzy Reed (keyboards), Tommy Stinson (bass) and DJ Ashba (guitar) sat down for an interview with K5 TV.

The guys chatted about the tour, as well as their work on new material. "That's definitely our main focus right now," said Ashba.

"We're always sort of kicking material back and forth and trying to come up with new ideas," added Reed. "Throwing it in the big melting pot that, hopefully, will become the next Guns N' Roses record."

When asked about who would be contributing new music from a songwriting standpoint, Stinson said, "It will be all these guys; it'll be all of us, probably. I wouldn't totally rule it out but probably all of us will be included in making a new record." Watch the interview here.



The J. Geils Band Reunite For Summer Tour
The J. Geils Band camp sent over word that the group will be reuniting for the 2012 Houseparty Tour of limited appearances this summer. They provided these:

The band is hitting the road with original members Peter Wolf (lead vocals), Seth Justman (keyboards), Danny Klein (bass) and Magic Dick (harmonica) and will be joined by longtime associates Duke Levine (guitar) and Tom Arey (drums). See below for tour dates.

Guitarist John Geils will not be joining this tour due to an ongoing legal dispute between The J. Geils Band and John Geils' solo record label, Francesca Records. more on this story



Randy Blythe's Bail Doubled In Manslaughter Case
(Classic Rock) Lamb of God frontman's Randy Blythe's bail has been doubled to $400,000 and the objection raised against him being freed has been overruled in a Prague court hearing which took place two says earlier than planned.

But that doesn't mean he'll be freed – the judgement is subject to the same appeal process that forced him to remain behind bars even after posting $200,000 surety following his arrest three weeks ago.

The vocalist has still not been charged for any offence, despite being accused of manslaughter after fan Daniel Nosek died in June 2010, a month after allegedly sustaining a head wound at a Lamb of God concert. Band manager Larry Mazer says he's waiting for an official letter explaining the judgement and detailing the conditions of Blythe's freedom.

Meanwhile the musician has spoken in his first interview since being jailed in the Czech Republic on June 27. See what he had to say here.



Paul McCartney Working With Mark Ronson
(Gibson) NME shared the scoop that earlier this summer Paul McCartney was in New York cutting tracks with Mark Ronson.

Of course, Ronson might be best known for shaping the sound of Amy Winehouse's classic Back to Black album.

Ronson was also responsible for producing Rufus Wainwright's latest album, Out of the Game which was released this spring. more on this story





Iron Maiden's Steve Harris Releasing Solo Album
Iron Maiden's founding member Steve Harris is planning to release his very first solo album in September.

The album, 'British Lion,' will be released September 24th in the UK (by EMI) and the 25th in the US (By UME).

Harris has launched a solo website to promote the effort at steveharrisbritishlion.com/ and put out some details about the album and what fans can expect: 'British Lion' and comprising ten songs that Steve and his collaborators have been working on for the past few years between Iron Maiden tours and releases, it is an album that will surprise and delight music fans the world over. more on this story



X Reuniting With Ray Manzarek For Full Album Show
(MI) For the first time since 1980, X will be joined by Los Angeles album producer Ray Manzarek, and play the album in its entirety, at The Roxy during the Sunset Strip Music Festival on August 17th.

Just prior to this historic show, the band will perform at the Indie West Fest in Ventura, CA on July 29th.

As announced earlier, the band will travel across the country for one East Coast show where they will, once again, join Pearl Jam as a special guest on their "Made in America" Festival date with Jay Z, taking place on September 1 & 2nd in Philadelphia. more on this story



KISS Playing Private Show For The Troops and Vets
(hennemusic) KISS have announced that they'll play a private show for US troops and veterans today at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Virginia.

The show comes on the eve of the band's summer tour with Mötley Crüe, which kicks off Friday at the same location.

KISS will put on their show for over 2,000 service men and women, who were provided with free tickets to the private event. more on this story



Keith Richards Getting His Chops Back For Rolling Stones Live Return
(Gibson) The Rolling Stones are 50 years old as a band, and rumors grow of an anniversary tour. But Keith Richards has revealed he struggles to remember the band's classic hits.

He told Absolute Radio, "When you kick off a song you say, 'I can't remember how the middle bit goes,' but the fingers remember even if you don't!

"I don't practice as much as I should, probably. But now that we're putting the act together again I'm getting the chops back together."

The Rolling Stones have recently been in rehearsals, with bassist Bill Wyman back in the fold. They have yet to confirm any official shows, but Mick Jagger has said "autumn" when asked when the Stones will play live again. more on this story





Slipknot's Corey Taylor Doesn't Remember Onstage Collapse
(Classic Rock) Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor doesn't remember the details of his onstage collapse in Texas last week.

He says: "It was really, really, really hot. I kind of had a heatstroke blackout. I finished the show but I don't remember the last two songs.

"I woke up backstage – apparently I collapsed onstage. It scared the crap out of me; it's like, 'Oh, yeah, we were masks and coveralls in 110-degree heat. It's awesome.'" More rock news.



Meat Loaf Suing Tribute Singer For $100K
(Classic Rock) A Meat Loaf tribute singer is being sued for $100,000 by the Texan singer's lawyers.

But UK-based Dean Torkington, who's been impersonating the Bat Out of Hell icon since 1996, says the legal action is a case of "bullying" and he won't bow to it.

He first fell foul of Meat when he was invited backstage in 2003 – and ordered to remove artwork from his custom-painted van. more on this story



Alvin Lee Releasing On the Road to Freedom Sequel
Ten Years After's Alvin Lee will be releasing a sequel to his 1973 album, On the Road to Freedom, with the August 27th release of Still on the Road to Freedom. Conqueroo sent over these details:

Recorded at Space Studios 3 in Spain, Still on the Road to Freedom finds Lee returning to his original inspirations. Longtime band members bassist Pete Pritchard and drummer Richard Newman, along with keyboardist Tim Hinkley, join Lee in a musical travelogue that is a tribute to the roots music that first influenced him.

"I got my start in music listening to my dad's jazz and blues 78s when I was eight years old," says Lee, who continues to follow his inspirations. "It's about the freedom to make music of my own choice without worrying about what other people thought or expected," he writes in the album's liner notes. more on this story



Slayer's Kerry King Wrote New Songs On Recent Tour
(Classic Rock) Slayer guitarist Kerry King managed to write some material during the band's recent European tour because he doesn't tend to leave his hotels so often during visits to the old world.

He explains: "I don't go out that often – there are still a number of currencies over there and you get dicked every time you change money. If I don't have any local money I'll probably sit in my room."

King says one new song is entitled Chasing Death, adding: "As you get older your friends start dropping; you're having that new sensation. My guitar tech died earlier this year and he was just 35. Those are the touch ones. It's talking about stuff like that. Chasing Death isn't directly related to any of my friends dying. It's like people who drink too much – they don't help themselves out so they're chasing death." More rock news.



Lynyrd Skynyrd Ready For New Album and Tour
(Gibson) Lynyrd Skynyrd release a new album, Last of a Dyin' Breed, on August 21. It is the band's first studio album since 2009's God & Guns. The band also plans to play three dates in the U.K. in November.

Gary Rossington is now the only original Skynyrd member, but he has told Michigan Live: "I wouldn't say it's a responsibility, at least not in a heavy way. We all had a dream, and the dream came true. Then, it was stripped away so quickly. People still love the music, and we love doing it. That's really what's it's all about – playing music that makes people happy and hearing stories from them."

Of Last of a Dyin' Breed Rossington says: "It's just good Southern rock 'n' roll. It's within the tradition and style of the band."

New to the band is ex-Black Crowes bassist Johnny Colt. When asked about receiving a phone call from Rickey Medlocke to join the band, Colt said, "What else do you say to Medlocke, Rossington and Van Zant? We're talking Southern rock royalty. We're talking Lynyrd Skynyrd. The only thing out of my mouth was, when and where?" more on this story





Van Halen Confirm Tour Dates
(hennemusic) Van Halen have officially confirmed three concerts in Japan this November as part of their "A Different Kind Of Truth".

After suggesting that they'll be playing shows in Japan this fall, the band had yet to actually announce or officially confirm anything to date - until today.

Van Halen have announced two concerts in Osaka (November 20 & 22) and a show in Tokyo on November 27. more on this story



My Darkest Days Added To Dirt Fest
(Banana 101.5) My Darkest Days will be performing on the main stage at Dirt Fest 2012 which will take place on August 11th at the Birch Run Expo Center.

The Canadian rockers will be playing songs from their recent release 'Sick and Twisted Affair' and their major label debut album.

MDD will join Dirt Fest 2012 headliners Clutch as well as Chiodos, Falling in Reverse, In This Moment, Royal Bliss, Dead Sara and more on August 11th at the Birch Run Expo Center. more on this story



The Acacia Strain Plan Rocktober Album Release
Rise Records have set an October 9th release date for The Acacia Strain's new album, "Death Is The Only Mortal".

When it came time to pick a producer for the effort, the band didn't have to look too far, tapping guitarist Daniel Laskiewicz (DL) for the task.

The announcement was short on other details but did say that the band have been in the studio writing and recording for the past couple of months, right up until they had to leave for tour. more on this story



Black Tusk Plan Headline Tour
Black Tusk will be hitting the road this fall for a string of North American headlining dates in support of their latest release Set The Dial.

The run kicks off October 13th in Johnson City, TN and is scheduled to wrap up October 24th in Portland, Oregon.

Black Tusk, are in the midst of their first ever European headline tour. The run will wrap up this week with a festival appearance in Tonsberg, Norway with an appearance at Slottsfjell Fest. more on this story



B Sides


Backstage With Aerosmith Guitarist
(hennemusic) Aerosmith are playing two shows in their hometown of Boston this week as part of the band's Global Warming summer tour.

The group have already completed about a half-dozen shows on the trek, on which they are joined by Cheap Trick.

Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford is featured in a new video shot at the TD Garden on Tuesday, prior to the band's first show in the city. "I can't remember the last time we were here," says Whitford. "It's great to be back; this home plate in Boston. Forty-something years ago we hit a home run out of the park here – and everywhere else in the world." more on this story



Robert Fleischman Talks Vinnie Vincent Experiences
The Decibel Geek podcast interviewed original Vinnie Vincent Invasion vocalist Robert Fleischman for the 3rd installment on their special series about the former KISS guitarist. They sent over these details

Known for his vocals on the 1986 self-titled Vinnie Vincent Invasion debut album, Fleischman never appeared outside of a few photographs as a member of the band due to stalled contract negotiations and the addition of Mark Slaughter. Slaughter would go on to appear in the video for lead single 'Boyz are Gonna Rock' while lip-synching to Fleischman's studio tracks. This video also resulted in a lawsuit. Fleischman joins Decibel Geek hosts Chris Czynszak and Aaron Camaro for a discussion detailing his time working with Vinnie Vincent; three different occasions including the Invasion's debut album.

Also of note in this interview is Fleischman's recollections of Vinnie Vincent before he became Ace Frehley's replacement in KISS as they worked on some demos together which later became the first Invasion album.

This conversation details the behind the scenes process and turmoil that went into making 1986's Vinnie Vincent Invasion album including Fleischman's claims of unethical behavior by band members and constant tension between band members, managers, and record executives.

Also included in this conversation are Fleischman's memories of working with the former KISS guitarist after the breakup of the Invasion and his take on what happened to cause a record deal to fall through in 1990 and why he decided to walk away from a working relationship with Vincent

STYX RAISE THE CURTAIN ON THE GRAND ILLUSION AT 35:

Exclusive interviews with Tommy Shaw, James 'JY' Young, Lawrence Gowan and former member, co-founder Dennis DeYoung.

Dallas, TX - JULY 17, 2012. North American syndicated Rock radio show InTheStudio: The Stories Behind History's Greatest Rock Bands sails away this week with Styx for the 35th anniversary of their breakthrough album The Grand Illusion. It took 7 albums in 7 years, but on 7/7/77 Styx would shatter any perception of Midwest mediocrity with the release of The Grand Illusion, an album questioning life's illusion versus its reality. Surprisingly timely today, the Top 10-selling Grand Illusion album produced two massive hit singles, “Come Sail Away” and “Fooling Yourself”, and began what would result in four straight platinum-plus selling albums. In 1999 Lawrence Gowan replaced cofounding member Dennis DeYoung on keyboard and vocals.
Currently on tour now through November, Lawrence shares with program host Redbeard his thoughts on the power of the Styx vocal assault.
“The toughest thing for me coming into Styx, and the thing I have to be most cognizant of, is being a part of that three voice, three headed monster. The power of those three voices together are one of the most distinctive things about the sound of Styx. And being able to put myself into that block harmony with JY and Tommy has been the thing I'm most aware of. I think that's just one of our strengths.”

The Styx The Grand Illusion/ InTheStudio program will air on radio this weekend on over 50 radio stations across North America. To stream this interview online, visit: www.inthestudio.net/redbeards-blog/styxthe-grand-illusion-35th-anniversary/

SEBASTIAN BACH TO GO 'KICKING AND SCREAMING' ON AXS TV:

Multi-platinum rocker Sebastian Bach will celebrate Kicking And Screaming, his latest solo album on Frontiers which debuted at #73 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart, with a special live television event exclusively on AXS TV. Currently touring the world, Bach's "Sebastian Bach: Kicking & Screaming & Touring" will broadcast LIVE from Club Nokia in Los Angeles on Thursday, August 2 showcasing Bach's "balls out gang of mountainous hooks and titanic grooves" (Outburn) from his latest offering.
"Bach's voice is in particularly fine form…the album is pure rock aggression," Revolver praised of Bach's solo album.
The singer/songwriter's fan base extends beyond the 20 million-plus records sold worldwide as he expanded his career over the past decade to actor/entertainer. Highlights for this multi-faceted performer consist of multiple television appearances including a 5-season recurring role on the CW's hit series "Gilmore Girls", two turns on Broadway, with starring roles in "Jekyll & Hyde" and "The Rocky Horror Picture Show;" and "The Jesus Chris Superstar" national tour.

Tickets are available at: www.ticketmaster.com/event/2C0048DDD2E65225.

Sebastian Bach: Kicking & Screaming & Touring - LIVE broadcast exclusively on AXS TV. Thursday, August 2 at 10pm PT / 1am ET

Fans can share the experience of on twitter www.twitter.com/AXSTVConcerts and Facebook www.facebook.com/AXSTVConcerts.

For more information on AXS TV concerts and events, please visit: www.axs.tv.

Today's Day In Rock News!

Cops Pull The Plug On McCartney and Springsteen Jam
(Gibson) It seems not even an historic meeting of rock royalty is immune from that most troublesome of musician woes: the dreaded curfew. Paul McCartney and Bruce Springsteen had the plug pulled on them at London's Hyde Park in the interest of the public's "health and safety."
The incident happened at the Hard Rock Calling festival during a cover of "Twist and Shout."

The Boss's guitarist Steve Van Zandt of the E Street Band vented his frustrations on Twitter after the incident: "English cops may be the only individuals left on earth that wouldn't want to hear one more from Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney," he wrote more on this story





Slash Already Working On Next Album
Slash seems especially inspired by his new solo band, Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, as the former Guns N' Roses guitarist just released a new album but he tells Rolling Stone that they are already working on the next one.

"I definitely feel like I'm cresting a certain wave in my career where I'm having a really great time, I love what I'm doing, I love the people I'm working with and I'm feeling very energized," Slash said. "I haven't had that feeling since when Guns started."

"We've got the tour that's gonna go into next year, we're starting work on the next record.'" Read the Rolling Stone report here.



Motley Crue Release First New Song In Four Years
(hennemusic) Motley Crue have released "Sex," their first new song in four years. The track was written when the band was together during their residency in Las Vegas last February.

Since there will not be a new Crue album this year, the band is releasing the song to help promote its summer tour with KISS, which kicks off this Friday in Bristow, VA.

The pair of classic rock acts will play more than 40 shows across North America before the tour wraps up September 23 in Hartford, CT. Listen to the song here.



Deep Purple's Jon Lord Dead At 71
(Classic Rock) This sad news broke after the Day in Rock was published yesterday, for those that missed the update: Deep Purple icon Jon Lord has died from a health complication as a result of his fight with cancer. He was 71.

Last year he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the fourth most-common type of the killer disease – but vowed to return to health, saying music would play a major part in his recuperation.

An official press statement says: "It is with deep sadness we announce the passing of Jon Lord, who suffered a fatal pulmonary embolism today, Monday 16 July, at the London Clinic after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. more on this story



Richie Kotzen, Mike Portnoy and Billy Sheehan Supergroup
(Gibson) The new supergroup featuring Richie Kotzen, Mike Portnoy (ex-Dream Theater) and Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big) will begin recording their debut album in August.

The group was originally to include Portnoy, Sheehan and John Sykes (ex-Whitenake, Thin Lizzy, Blue Murder). Portnoy and Sykes had even gone so far as to announce the band formation during an episode of That Metal Show.

But as Portnoy explained on Eddie Trunk's Friday Night Rocks radio show on the weekend, "I love John personally, and we get along great – he's a sweetheart of a guy – but I need to keep moving. I can't sit still and kind of wait to make an album over the next three years. I need to put things on the calendar and move forward and get them done, and John's kind of just a 'wait, wait, wait' guy." more on this story





KISS Reveal Destroyer Resurrected Details
The new reissue of KISS' classic 1976 album Destroyer is set to feature an extended version of the hit ballad "Beth" and a bonus track version of "Sweet Pain," which features an alternate guitar solo. The new version will also feature the original artwork that was intended for the album, but was changed because the record label thought it was too violent.

The band revealed these details on Monday about the reissue: On August 21, 2012, Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) will release KISS's 1976 multi-platinum, landmark album Destroyer: Resurrected, newly remixed from the original master tapes by the album's original producer, Bob Ezrin. Ezrin pulled the tapes from the vaults and painstakingly remixed the entire album, enhancing the sound and bringing out its rich texture and vibrancy, while keeping the integrity of the original recording intact. Destroyer: Resurrected will also include rare and unreleased recordings rediscovered during the remixing process, plus the originally intended cover artwork.

Originally released as the B-side to the single "Detroit Rock City," "Beth,"–the heart-yearning ballad co-written and performed by drummer Peter Criss–was quickly picked up by radio nationwide and became the first top 10 for KISS, climbing all the way to the No. 7 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. While going through the original tapes, a forgotten vocal piece that was originally edited out in the final mix of "Beth" was discovered and now, for the first time, the complete original vocal recording has been restored and is included in the final mix. more on this story



Mumford & Sons New Album Details
Mumford & Sons have released details about their sophomore album, Babel, which was produced by Markus Dravs and will be released on September 25th, 2012.

"We are more than excited to release Babel into the world. We had started writing new songs well before we got into the studio to record," says the band.

"At first, we peeled ourselves off the road quite reluctantly. We love playing live, obviously, but it had also become an important part of our creative process, we had been writing and rehearsing in soundchecks, and sort of 'road-testing' new songs on our very gracious audiences. But then we fell in love with recording again. more on this story



Queensryche Win Court Ruling For Their Name
(Classic Rock) Queensryche will be allowed to perform using the band name with new singer Todd La Torre, a court has ruled.

Sacked singer Geoff Tate's attempt to have the title taken off them failed in a preliminary court hearing – although the decision could be overturned in later action. The two parties have been locked in a bitter paperwork feud since Michael Wilton, Scott Rockenfield and Eddie Jackson decided to kick Tate out last month.

Responding to the King County Superior Court judgement in Washington, the band's management said: "We are excited that the courts saw what we and the fans have always known: that Queensryche is more than any one member. We are sorry we had to go to court to show this." more on this story



The Afghan Whigs Give Away Song and Expand Tour
The Afghan Whigs have added six new stops to their upcoming tour of North America and announced a free song download.

The tour will now include shows in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Boston & Philadelphia.

Yesterday the band began offering fans a free download of the song "Lovecrimes" here. Originally released by Frank Ocean in 2011 on his debut mixtape, Nostalgia, Ultra, the track has become a staple of The Afghan Whigs live set since their reformation this year. more on this story



Robert Plant Confirms Secret Marriage
(hennemusic) Led Zeppelin legend Robert Plant has confirmed the rumors that he married Patty Griffin last year.

"I eloped and ran off to Texas," the singer tells The Independent. "So now I spend half my time there and half here [in the UK]."

There, the couple lives in what the former Led Zeppelin frontman describes as "an old crack house in Austin," a rented place infested with termites. "I tap my hand on the table and they fly out the walls in this huge cloud, like something from a Disney film." more on this story



Joe Elliott Wants Rerecorded Def Leppard Songs To Sound Like Originals
(Classic Rock) Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott insists the band's plan to rerecord all their hits is not an attempt to make a fast buck. And he wants to make the [new versions] so good that fans won't notice the difference between the new versions and the originals.

Last month he revealed the band had decided to retrack as much of their back catalogue as possible after failing to reach an agreement with their former record label over digital releases.

"What we're trying to attempt to do – and it's down to the listeners to decide whether we achieve it or not – is give them something that sounds like the original," Elliott tells NPR. "We don't want them to say 'It's better' or 'It's worse'. We want them to say 'It's the same'." more on this story



Jimi Hendrix: The Ultimate Lyric Book Coming For His 70th Birthday
Janie L. Hendrix has compiled the forthcoming Jimi Hendrix: The Ultimate Lyric Book which is set to arrive in time for Hendrix's 70th birthday and will feature never-before-seen songs, photos, and handwritten lyrics.

Backbeat Books sent over these details: Jimi Hendrix was such an extraordinary guitarist, it is easy to forget that just as much passion, soul, and precision went into his lyrics. Inspired by Bob Dylan, Hendrix was a fearless lyrical innovator, willing to let his imagination guide him to uncharted landscapes within the pop music realm.

From the existential euphoria of "I Don't Live Today" to the elusive beauty of "Little Wing" to the psychedelic blues of "My Friend" to the otherworldly "1983 (A Merman I Should Turn to Be)," his lyrics remain among the greatest in the pantheon of rock, infused with the same inventiveness, virtuosity, and courage that informed his guitar playing. more on this story



Mike Portnoy and Paul Gilbert Guest On New Neal Morse Album
Neal Morse has set a September 11th release date for his new album, "Momentum" which will feature Mike Portnoy, Paul Gilbert and more and will be supported by a North American tour. Glass Onyon sent over these details:

In January 2012, Morse was pondering the possibilities of a change in direction. After all, it had been a decade since he left the progressive rock stalwart Spock's Beard to pursue a solo career that would allow him to write more freely about his personal faith. And in that time he had recorded 6 impressive studio records that were heralded for their unique hybrid of epic compositions that tested the boundaries of musicianship while maintaining a remarkable sense of melody through irresistible hooks and addictive choruses. He could have taken a break. Or gone in an entirely new direction. But he felt led otherwise, as summed up in the new record's title track: "You've got some new momentum, you better keep going."

Morse's long time studio partner and friend Mike Portnoy had a small window in January 2012 when he could record. The only problem was, there was only one song and a few bits and pieces written. Taking a leap of faith, he scheduled a recording session with the drumming legend and longtime bass player Randy George in two weeks, hoping that the music would arrive before the musicians. And boy did it ever. more on this story



Chris Robinson Brotherhood Releasing Another Album This Year
The Chris Robinson Brotherhood will follow-up the June release of their debut Big Moon Ritual, with the release of the companion album, The Magic Door, on September 11th.

Both albums were recorded in two marathon sessions earlier this year at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles with producer Thom Monahan (Vetiver, Devendra Banhart, Papercuts) after the band wrapped up a 118-show 2011 tour during which the band road-tested all the material.

"I would say very early on in the recording--within the first two days," says Robinson when asked about the moment he realized two albums would emerge. "Thom had encouraged us to remain true to the arrangements we had been playing all year on the road. We inevitably had some longer pieces and felt that the performances were strong enough that we didn't want to edit them for any extraneous reasons." more on this story



Vision of Disorder Set New Album Release
Candlelight Records have set a September 18 North America release date for Vision of Disorder's new album, The Cursed Remain Cursed.

The album marks the first new recording by the band in over ten years and was produced by Will Putney (Shadows Fall, Suicide Silence) and mixed by Cameron Webb (Motorhead, Social Distortion).

"We feel we accomplished a very unique, vicious and exciting record without compromising the VOD brand of hardcore," says guitarist Mike Kennedy. "The Cursed Remain Cursed sounds like nothing we've ever done." Vocalist Tim Williams adds, "the songs are raw, real and from the heart." more on this story



Randy Blythe Friend Asks Fans Not To Bash Czechs Over Arrest
(Classic Rock) A close friend of Randy Blythe has called on fans not to criticise the Czech Republic over the Lamb of God singer's prison drama. Long-time friend Tommy Streat organised a gathering of supporters in Blythe's home town of Richmond, Virginia, earlier this month. He'll lead a second vigil at the US Supreme Court on Sunday afternoon.

Blythe has been behind bars for nearly three weeks after being arrested in Prague last month in connection with the death of fan Daniel Nosek at a concert in 2010.

He's never been charged and he's posted bail of $200,000 – but despite that he hasn't been freed. And although a new hearing is set for Thursday, it's not guaranteed that he'll be released even if the judge finds in his favour. more on this story



Alex Van Halen Strived For John Bonham Sound On New Album
(hennemusic) When Van Halen prepared to create "A Different Kind Of Truth," their first album with David Lee Roth in 28 years, they surrounded themselves with a new production team.

Grammy-winning producer John Shanks headed up the project, and engineer Ross Hogarth handled the mixing stage. Hogarth spoke with Guitar World about his role on the album. "Van Halen is a very three-dimensional band," explains Hogarth. "There are incredible dimensions to each and every aspect of the instruments, the people, the dynamics and the history. There are all these dimensions and you have to live inside of them. It's not a simple task of 'go mix a record.'"

"Starting with the sonics, Alex loves John Bonham's drums and wants his to sound like Led Zeppelin, but Led Zeppelin never had the amount of distortion and the amount of size and the guitars that Eddie has, so right off the bat, just getting the guitars to fit into a drum sound that sounds like John Bonham — because we all know that Alex is like the torch that John Bonham left, and there's an element to Alex that's like a mixture between Keith Moon, John Bonham and Elvin Jones or some jazz kind of thing. They're coming from the same place," Ross continues here.



Snow Patrol and Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds Tour
Snow Patrol and Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds will be teaming up this fall for a coheadlining tour of North America.

The trek will kick off in Portland, OR on October 23 and is set to conclude on November 9 Houston, TX.

Gallagher's camp sent over this additional info: This will be Gallagher's fourth USA touring visit within the last 12 months, having performed at Coachella Festival in April, as well as double sell out shows in Los Angeles and New York. more on this story



Mike Keneally (With XTC's Andy Partridge) Album Coming Next Week
(Gibson) Wing Beat Fantastic, the album by Mike Keneally featuring songs he co-wrote with XTC's Andy Partridge, will be released on July 24.

As previously reported, Wing Beat Fantastic is a 12-song album, eight of which were co-written by Keneally and Partridge during two writing sessions in 2006 and 2008. "The chance to work with Andy was absolutely a mind-blower," said Keneally, who quoted XTC's "The Mayor of Simpleton" in the song "Day of the Cow 2" from his 1992 debut hat. "He's a true songwriting hero of mine, and during the '80s he demonstrated that there was still a place for truly high-quality writing in pop music. His songwriting gift is still as strong as ever, and I'm fiercely grateful to be able to help bring new Andy Partridge music into the world."

Partridge said of the collaboration, "I didn't know how any of the tunes we'd agreed to write together were going to come out, but I know one thing, so musical is this man that him just sitting with a guitar across his lap or perched at a keyboard pulled things from me that I can honestly say 'I don't know where they came from.'" more on this story





B Sides


Singled Out: District 97 (American Idol's Leslie Hunt)
Today District 97 singer Leslie Hunt tells us about the song "Open Your Eye" from their brand new album "Trouble With Machines". You may remember Leslie as a top 20 finalist on season 6 of American Idol. But don't let the Idol thing fool you; she is a rocker at heart. Here is the story:

I wrote Open Your Eyes with every intention of helping my sister see how screwed up her relationship was with her boyfriend at the time. They would regularly fight and get physically violent with one another, and I would often write songs as a sneaky way to offer her a new perspective. Music spoke to her more than my lectures ever did, so that was often the method that I chose to get through to her. She ended up passing away at twenty two years old, so while my music was not able to save her, I feel in my heart that whatever wisdom I was able to impart onto her was made possible through this song.

The song itself has many little sections, all of which were written at different times. As a writer, I often stock pile melodies and fragments that come to my head, and if I notice a trend in tempo and key, I take it as a sign that they are all part of the same song, finding it's way out of me. I originally wrote that song to be performed in my solo project, and it appears on my solo album Your Hair Is On Fire. Jonathan (drummer/primary composer of District 97) thought it would be fun to make a new arrangement for the band, and now it's hard for me to hear it any other way!

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself with a full album stream right here!



Green Day Release New Lyric Video
(hennemusic) Green Day have released a lyric video for "Oh Love," the lead single from "Uno!", the first album in the band's forthcoming trilogy.

"What I really wanted to do was write real power-pop kind of music that had that old Green Day energy," frontman Billie Joe Armstrong tells Billboard, "so the original Green Day sound became '¡Uno!'"

As for the trilogy, ¡Uno!, ¡Dos!, and ¡Tré! will be released in stages, on September 25th, November 13th, and January 15th 2013 respectively.

STYX JOINED ONSTAGE BY TED NUGENT FOR GRAND FINALE OF TOUR:

July 12, 2012 -- Special one-time-only surprises usually happen at the end of a long tour. The final stop in Bangor, ME last Sunday, July 8 of “The Midwest Rock 'n Roll Express” with Styx, REO Speedwagon & Ted Nugent was no exception. During Styx's set, lucky fans at that final stop got what they were hoping for when Ted Nugent joined the band for a special performance of the Damn Yankees classic Coming Of Age.
As Styx's Tommy Shaw declared, “Working with Brother Ted has been a real treat. Joining fellow Nugent alumni Dave Amato (REO Speedwagon guitarist) in the wings on a regular basis to watch Ted, Derek (St. Homes), Greg (Smith) and Mick (Brown) craft the perfect set for our collective audience. Night after night, it has been inspirational. Then, to finish the tour with Ted joining Styx on stage for a killer performance of 'Coming of Age' caught me off-guard how powerful it was. I swear Nugent was levitating. Damn Yankee brothers forever.”
“The Midwest Rock 'n Roll Express” began May 1 in Hidalgo, Texas and quickly became one of Pollstar's top-grossing tours of the summer so far. Rolling Stone recognized the 30-date tour as one of the “Ten Hottest Summer Package Tours of 2012” noting, “Likely Highlight: Styx has played 'Renegade' and 'Come Sail Away' about six thousand times, but the fans keep coming back for more.”
In touring news, the band's schedule isn't slowing down now that “The Midwest Rock 'n Roll Express” tour is done. Check out Styx at any of the following stops, with more to be added in the coming weeks:

Thu 7/19 Interlochen, MI Kresge Auditorium
Fri 7/20 Lac du Flambeau, WI Lake of the Torches Resort Casino
Sat 7/21 Goshen, IN Elkhart County Fair
Sun 7/22 Harrington, DE Delaware State Fair (with Cheap Trick)
Fri 8/3 Waverly, IA Bremer County Fair
Sat 8/4 Anderson, IN Hoosier Park Racing Casino
Sun 8/5 Muskegon, MI Frauenthal Center
Tue 8/7 West Allis, WI Wisconsin State Fair
Wed 8/8 Sioux Falls, SD Sioux Empire Fair
Fri 8/10 Corbin, KY NIBROC Festival
Sat 8/11 Pittsburgh, PA PNC Park (post-game Pittsburgh Pirates game)
Fri 8/24 Boise, ID Western Idaho Fair
Sat 8/25 Albany, OR Oregon Amphitheatre
Sun 8/26 Palmer, AK Alaska State Fair
Mon 8/27 Monroe, WA Evergreen State Fair
Fri 8/31 Marshfield, WI Central Wisconsin State Fair
Sat 9/1 New Lenox, IL New Lenox Commons
Sun 9/2 Wauseon, OH Fulton County Fair
Thu 9/6 Lincoln, CA Thunder Valley Casino Resort
Fri 9/7 Madera, CA Madera District Fair
Sat 9/8 Pomona, CA LA County Fair
Sun 9/9 Saratoga, CA Mountain Winery
Tue 9/11 Redding, CA Cascade Theatre
Thu 9/13 Spokane, WA Interstate Fair
Sat 9/15 Deadwood, SD Deadwood Jam
Fri 11/9 Biloxi, MS Hard Rock Casino & Resort
Wed 11/14 Provo, UT Covey Center

Today's Day In Rock News!

Rolling Stones Plan Live Return This Fall
(hennemusic) The Rolling Stones will mark their 50th Anniversary by playing their first live shows in five years this fall.
"You will definitely be seeing us all together soon," Mick Jagger told the Evening Standard on Thursday at a London exhibition of photographs taken throughout their career. "It's been great fun being back together and there are a lot of memories in here. I can't believe it's been 50 years. We've been hanging out together, seeing quite a bit of each other and we want to do some gigs."

When asked by the Standard when the band would next be performing live together, Jagger replied with a wink: "In the autumn." more on this story



Fan Dies At Warped Tour
A teenage female died at Sunday's stop of the Warped tour in Toronto, Canada. Other fans reportedly discovered the 19-year-old on the grass not breathing during Chelsea Grin's set.

Fans called 911 and attempted CPR but were unable to revive her. Chelsea Grin responded the tragedy with this posting on their Twitter page: "Our hearts go out to the person who died today. We still don't know everything that happened but it's no time for jokes on our page."

According to Lambgoat: the woman was reportedly Taylor Nesseth, age 19, of Ontario. Ironically, Nesseth Tweeted the following Sunday morning: "Have to be up in 10 minutes...oh well. Warped tour today! I'd say I'm excited, but that's not enough." Read their report here.



Travis Barker May Fly Again
(Classic Rock) Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker may rethink plans to sideline himself for his band's upcoming tour of Australia due to his fear of flying.

He narrowly escaped with his life in 2008 when a private jet he'd hired with collaborator DJ:AM crashed on takeoff, killing four of the six people on board. It was later revealed Barker's injuries nearly killed him too. DJ:AM later died as a result of becoming addicted to the medications prescribed for him after the accident.

Barker, 36, recently said his reluctance to board a plane meant a stand-in would have to be hired when the three-piece played down under. But after fans pleaded with him to change his mind, he says he's considering flying after all – although he'll do it under sedation. The drummer says: "I'm contemplating getting knocked out and getting on a plane to Australia. I want to overcome that eventually for me – and my kids are scared to death to fly. I want them to witness me overcome it." more on this story



Bret Michaels Recruits Joe Perry, Ace Frehley and Michael Anthony For CD
(Gibson) Poison frontman and reality TV star Bret Michaels has put together an all-star supporting cast for his new album. Bret Michaels and Friends: Get Your Rock On will be released in September and feature guest spots from musical luminaries from Loretta Lynn and Jimmy Buffett to members of Rascal Flatts and Lynyrd Skynyrd, according to Rolling Stone.

Aerosmith's Joe Perry plays on a reworking of "Every Rose Has its Thorn," while Michael Anthony, Lil Jon and Ace Frehley contribute to a new version of "Nothin' But a Good Time."

"Ace Frehley is the real deal," Michaels said. "He laid down this amazing solo and then Michael Anthony came in, he did the backups, and I was like, 'Just play some Michael Anthony licks.' He did, and that's what made magic on the song."

And Bret's still trying to add stars to the roster. He'd like to bring in Zakk Wylde for "Go That Far" and Cheap Trick axeman Rick Nielsen for a revamp of "Talk Dirty to Me." "I think that'd be great to have him come in and put his style on a song that I remade in an over-the-top, punk-metal fashion," Michaels said. more on this story





Producer Says Queensryche Wasn't On Mindcrime II
(Classic Rock) The producer behind Queensryche's 2006 album Operation Mindcrime II claims that only singer Geoff Tate and later-sacked guitarist Mike Stone appeared on the album.

Jason Slater was hired for the follow-up to the band's platinum hit 1988 release, and worked on their next two releases. He insists drummer Scott Rockenfield didn't even appear in the recording studio during sessions, and work done by guitarist Michael Wilton and bassist Eddie Parker had to be binned.

Slater's statement is part of Tate's court filing in answer to the allegations levelled on him by the band who sacked him last month. The parties are fighting over ownership of the band name and arguing over who has done most damage to the brand's value. more on this story



Eddie Van Halen Explains What Inspired Their New Album
(hennemusic) In a new Guitar World interview/cover story, Eddie Van Halen talks about what got the ball rolling on making the new Van Halen album, "A Different Kind Of Truth," the band's first with David Lee Roth in 28 years.

"Wolfgang's enthusiasm," explains Eddie. "He was going, 'Come on, come on!' We went up to 5150 and started jamming. It felt like a comfortable old pair of shoes. Working with Dave again was like we had never left each other. It was that comfortable. We've known each other since high school. When you have old friends, five or six years can go by when you don't see each other, but you just pick up where you left off."

"We started recording at the studio at my house with just Alex, Wolfgang and me," continued the guitar icon. "Basically it's the same way we start any record. We went through our archives of stuff we had already written. Wolfgang picked out a bunch of tunes. 'She's the Woman' was the first one. We started jamming on songs like 'She's the Woman' and 'Bullethead' and reworked them." more on this story



Mutemath Map Out Fall Tour
Mutemath will follow their late summer tour with Linkin Park and Incubus with their very own headlining tour this fall.

The headlining tour will kick on of September 13 in Phoenix, AZ and runs through October 25th and will feature support from Civil Twilight.

Before heading out on their own, MUTEMATH will join Linkin Park and Incubus for this year's annual Honda Civic Tour. The tour kicks off on August 11th in Virginia and will crisscross the U.S. before wrapping up in San Diego on September 10th. more on this story



Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Killers Lead Big Day Out
The Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Killers have been named as the headliners for the 2013 Big Day Out festival in Australia.

The annual touring festival is set to take place from January 18th thru 28th and is set to feature over 30 bands participating in the tour for the first time, including Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Vampire Weekend, Band Of Horses, Animal Collective, 360, Foals, B.O.B, , Sleigh Bells, Jeff The Brotherhood, Off!, Jagwar Ma, Delta Spirit, Every Time I Die and House Vs Hurricane.

Alabama Shakes, Childish Gambino, Logo, Death Grips, Adventure Club and Gary Clark Jr., will all be making their Australian debut at the festival. more on this story



Wallflowers Set Album Release, To Give Away Song Featuring Mick Jones
Columbia Records have set an October 2nd release date for The Wallflowers' new album, Glad All Over.

The band's new single, "Reboot The Mission," is a Clash-inspired track featuring Mick Jones on vocals and guitar.

The song will be available for FREE beginning Tuesday, July 24th at www.thewallflowers.com. The single is set to impact radio on July 23rd.

In addition to their new album, The Wallflowers have announced a series of tour dates that will kick off in select U.S. cities in July. more on this story



Iron Maiden Issue Video Road Report
(hennemusic) Iron Maiden are on the road this summer as they bring their "Maiden England World Tour" to fans across North America.

The tour closely mirrors, in terms of production and content, the original 1988 concert video of the same name, shot on the "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son Tour."

Maiden have posted a US East Coast report from the road, featuring footage and interviews with band and crew members. "It's rocking along," says singer Bruce Dickinson. "It's an unrelenting set and it goes… 2 hours…just like that."

"I think the stage show is probably one of the best kind of shows we've had, since I've been with the band, anyhow," adds guitarist Janick Gers. "It's absolutely enormous. You don't notice it when you're on the stage 'cuz it's happening around you – you're kind of in the eye of the storm, as it were." Watch the video here.



Queen Classic Voted Top No. 1 Single Off All Time
(hennemusic) Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" has been voted the UK's favorite Number 1 single of all-time.

The Official Charts Company and ITV conducted a nationwide poll in honor of 60 years of the Official Singles Chart.

Queen's 1975 classic was revealed as #1 during a 60-song countdown Sunday evening. Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" was at Number 2, while Adele's "Someone Like You" (Number 3), Oasis' "Don't Look Back In Anger" (Number 4) and The Beatles' "Hey Jude" (Number 5) completed the Top 5. more on this story



KISS' Secrets To Success
(Gibson) Gene Simmons says KISS's famous black and white make-up was "warpaint." Speaking to U.K. newspaper The Guardian, Simmons said he used to think The Beatles were a family because they had identical haircuts, and wanted to create a similar effect of unity.

"[The make-up] was warpaint. Make-up does not give it enough respect. We played a place called the Daisy. There couldn't have been more than 50 to 100 people there. When we looked across the stage, we felt as if we belonged together. I remember seeing The Beatles as a kid and thinking there must have been a Beatle mother 'cause they all looked like they were connected. There's no question that our outfits and our boot-heels and our make-up was a unique definition of who we were and helped us become who we are."

Fellow frontman Paul Stanley shared another strategy that KISS used to make the group look popular in the early days. He said they created a myth of success, even though they were struggling at the time. "We had a rule that we wouldn't play more than once every eight or 12 weeks because we wanted people to think we were busy. We were literally sitting in our loft starving and rehearsing. And then we would go out and do a show and I would say, 'It's great to be back' we've been gone!' We weren't anywhere. But it was about creating this mythology from the ground up," he said. more on this story





Absu Streaming New Song
(ESM) Absu have released a new single, "Hall of the Masters" as part of Adult Swim Singles Program.

The track was recorded at Nomad Recording Studios in Carrollton, Texas and once again mixed by J.T. Longoria. (King Diamond, Solitude Aeternus) An official video to accompany the song will be released on September 10 directed by filmmaker Daniel Garcia. Listen here.

Absu have also confirmed new festival and tour dates for the Summer and Fall months. Late August will see the band performing at Slaughter By The Water III -- the annual fest taking place in Alameda, California aboard massive aircraft carrier the U.S.S. Hornet -- followed directly by two shows in Mexico City and San Luis Potosi, Mexico. November sees the band traveling to South America for a string of eight shows throughout Columbia, Chile and Brazil. More stateside tour actions are being confirmed to be announced in the weeks ahead. more on this story



The Specials 30th Anniversary Tour DVD Coming
Wienerworld will release The Specials 30th Anniversary Tour on DVD next Monday July 23, 2012. They sent over these details:

Filmed at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall in front of an adoring home crowd, the show was the biggest revival story of 2009 and the first time the band had been captured in concert for 28 years. With a 30th Anniversary set packed full of energy and hits, and a set of musicians on top of their game, it's a memorable record of a band who defined an era.

Includes all of their biggest hits including 'Monkey Man', 'Guns Of Navarone', 'Hey, Little Rich Girl' and 'Rat Race'. The DVD was also shortlisted in the best live coverage category in the 2010 UK Music Video Awards. more on this story



New Jersey ATP Event Moved To Manhattan
ATP Concerts have been forced to move the New Jersey based I'll Be Your Mirror festival event to Pier 36 in Manhattan, New York. They sent over these details:

Pier 36 was the intended home for I'll Be Your Mirror beginning in 2013 - but due to unavoidable logistical concerns (along with a lack of available fan accommodations in Asbury Park), ATP has decided to move there for this year's event.

New additions to the festival today include: Philip Glass & Tyondai Braxton, Lightning Bolt, Lee Ranaldo, Chavez, Kurt Braunohler, Afterhours, Joseph Arthur, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, The Album Leaf, The Psychic Paramount, Braids, Tall Firs, Blanck Mass, Endless Boogie, Demdike Stare and DJ Jonathan Toubin with more to be added to all three days. more on this story



B Sides


Duff N' Slash Jam
(hennemusic) There was a partial Guns N' Roses reunion in Seattle on Friday night. On tour in support of his new album, "Apocalyptic Love," Slash rolled into town for a gig at the Showbox SoDo, where he was joined by fellow- and former-GNR member Duff McKagan for a pair of their old band's classics.

Duff and Slash rocked out on "It's So Easy" and "Paradise City" to the delight of the packed house.

"Thanks to Duff McKagan for coming down & jamming a couple tunes as well. Made it a perfect night. #itssoeasy#" tweeted Slash after the show. Check out video here.



Megadeth Guitar Center Sessions Video Streaming Online
(hennemusic) Megadeth are featured on the latest edition of DirecTV's Guitar Center Sessions.

The Megadeth episode was filmed at Guitar Center in Hollywood, California on March 22 and premiered this weekend on DirecTV's Audience Network.

The metal legends appearance was designed to promote their latest release, "Thirteen." Watch the video clips here.



Sebastian Bach's Complete Hellfest Set Streaming Online
(hennemusic) Sebastian Bach spent the spring on the road across Europe playing a series of festival dates.

In June, Bach and crew rolled into Clisson, France to play the second day of Hellfest on a bill topped by Guns N' Roses; Megadeth and Motley Crue headlined the other nights.

Sebastian is touring behind his latest release, "Kicking & Screaming." Pro-shot footage of Bach's full set has now surfaced. Watch it here.



Vince Neil Jams Motley Crue Classic With Slaughter
(hennemusic) While Motley Crue are getting set to kick off a full summer tour with KISS, singer Vince Neil stepped out to join his pals in Slaughter recently at a show in Nevada.

During Slaughter's set at the Sunset Station Amphitheater in Henderson, the band brought Neil out for a performance of the Crue classic, "Home Sweet Home."

The Slaughter-Crue connection is simple: bassist Dana Strum and guitarist Jeff "Blando" Bland are both longtime members of Neil's solo backing band. Watch it here.



God Forbid Release Equilibrium Video
Victory sent over word that God Forbid have released a new music video for their title track of their latest album, "Equilibrium."

Filmed in Brooklyn, NY and directed by Eric Richter, "Equilibrium" takes you through the layers of life.

"It's about discovering that no matter how much you strive to achieve a goal, you become sidetracked. You look for ways to find patience and balance while becoming stable and finding a renewed feeling or belief in what may come your way." says vocalist, Byron Davis.

Bret Micahels looks to remake Poison songs with Zakk Wylde & Rick Nielsen.

Saturday, 14 July 2012

"I'd like to get Rick Nielsen to come in to play on 'Talk Dirty to Me,'" he says.
"I think that'd be great to have him come in and put his style on a song that
I remade in an over-the-top, punk-metal fashion."



Poison frontman looks to remake Poison classic with Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick
Posted By: Metal Sludge


While gearing up to take Poison on tour with Def Leppard this summer, Bret Michaels found time to assemble an all-star cast of guests for his new LP, Bret Michaels and Friends: Get Your Rock On, due out in September.

"Every song on it is a collaboration with other musicians," says Michaels. "And it's such a diverse range of people, from Loretta Lynn and Joe Perry [who play on a reworking of the Poision hit "Every Rose Has Its Thorn"] and Jimmy Buffett to Lil Jon, Michael Anthony, Ace Frehley, all the Skynyrd guys, guys from .38 Special and Blackfoot and Rascal Flatts' Jay [DeMarcus]. These are friends and people I've played with, partied with, jammed with throughout the years."

A new rendition of Poison's "Nothin' But a Good Time" unites Frehley, Anthony and Lil Jon. "Ace Frehley is the real deal," says Michaels. "He laid down this amazing solo and then Michael Anthony came in, he did the backups, and I was like, 'Just play some Michael Anthony licks.' He did, and that's what made magic on the song."

While many of the featured artists are now friends of Michaels, they started off as his rock & roll heroes. That's most apparent on his rendition of "Sweet Home Alabama." "I did [it] with all the guys from Lynyrd Skynyrd, the guys from Blackfoot and .38 Special," he says. "That was amazing because probably my first foot in the door as a child was traditional country, then I got turned onto the Beatles and Stones. Then I immediately fell in love with Southern rock, which was kind of a perfect mixture of country and rock."

Michaels isn't done recruiting collaborators. He hopes to get Zakk Wylde to come in and redo "Go That Far," the theme from Rock of Love. And after checking out Cheap Trick in concert recently, he got another idea. "I'd like to get Rick Nielsen to come in to play on 'Talk Dirty to Me,'" he says. "I think that'd be great to have him come in and put his style on a song that I remade in an over-the-top, punk-metal fashion."

Though Michaels says, "This could be the never-ending record," he's focused on finishing the LP and can't help but get excited about the prospects of future collaborations. "If I was to do another one of these records, it's overwhelming the amount of possibilities," he says. "I've been onstage with Jimmy Page, he's come and played with Poison in Reno, Nevada, and it was an amazing night. And last year, I played with Toby Keith and partied with him. The list is endless."

Courtesy of Rolling Stone

Metal Sludge
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Last Updated ( Saturday, 14 July 2012 )

Today's Day In Rock News!

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler Quits American Idol
Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler is focusing his attention back on his band and stepping away from his judging role on American Idol after two seasons on the hit show. His camp sent over the comments:
"After some long......hard......thoughts…I've decided it's time for me to let go of my mistress 'American Idol' before she boils my rabbit," said Steven Tyler. "I strayed from my first love, AEROSMITH, and I'm back--but instead of begging on my hands and knees, I got two fists in the air and I'm kicking the door open with my band. The next few years are going to be dedicated to kicking some serious ass--the ultimate in auditory takeover… On Nov 6, we are unleashing our new album, Music from Another Dimension on the Earth, Moon, Mars, and way beyond the stars…'Idol' was over the top fun, and I loved every minute of it…Now it's time to bring Rock Back. ERMAHGERD."

"It's been a tremendous honor to have Steven--one of the most prolific artists in the world--on AMERICAN IDOL for the past two seasons," said Mike Darnell, President of Alternative Entertainment, Fox Broadcasting Company. "He's been a terrific judge, a true friend and great mentor to everyone involved with the show, and we know he'll continue to be a huge inspiration to IDOL hopefuls for years to come. We are very sad that Steven has chosen to focus more on his music, but we always knew when we hired a rock 'n' roll legend, he would go back to the music. We all wish him all the best and would love to have him back on the show anytime." more on this story



Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie Tour
Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie are teaming up for a co-headlining tour this fall which will hit North America and Europe and will feature support from J Devil, the DJ alter ego of KoRn's frontman Jonathan Davis.

The tour will kick off September 28 when both Zombie and Manson co-headline the first day of the Desert Uprising Festival in Phoenix, Arizona and the U.S. leg will wrap in Dallas on Halloween, October 31.

"Finally! Why did the most obvious tour take so long to happen? Who knows? Who cares? It's happening now," stated Zombie. "If good taste is the chief enemy of great art, then we should be able to fill the Louvre with this f**king tour. Be prepared for something wicked this way a-coming." more on this story



Motley Crue Tease New Song
(hennemusic) Motley Crue are giving fans a preview of their new single, "Sex." The track was written when the band was together during their residency in Las Vegas last February.

"Sex" will debut today, Friday, July 13 on Sirius/XM and be available on Tuesday, July 17.

The Crue hit the road with KISS for a North American summer tour that will play more than 40 shows following its July 20 launch in Bristow, VA. Listen the tease here.



Fleetwood Mac Will Be Back
(Classic Rock) Fleetwood Mac will reunite for a tour next year, according to Stevie Nicks. Fleetwood Mac last toured in 2009.

Nicks confirmed the band's comeback plans during an interview on CBS This Morning.

She said: "It's the plan, because that's what we do. I do my thing. And Lindsey [Buckingham] is out doing his thing now."

Nicks also commented on the recent suicide of former Mac guitarist Bob Welch. Find out what she had to say here.



Lamb of God Singer Gets Court Date In Manslaughter Case
(Classic Rock) Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe will return to court in Prague on Thursday, three weeks after he was arrested for manslaughter after the death of Daniel Nosek at a 2010 concert. But even though he posted $200,000 bail nearly two weeks ago, the new hearing won't necessarily lead to a criminal charge or freedom.

A panel of judges will consider prosecutors' objections to his release. However, if they decide in his favour, the prosecutors are allowed to challenge the new decision too. Under Czech procedural law this cycle can continue for up to six months.

Prague Post reported Jonathan Crane believes there's not enough evidence to secure a conviction against Blythe, even if he was responsible for the incident that led to Nosek's death from a brain haemorrhage a month after rushing the stage three times during a Lamb of God show. "Who is to say that Nosek wasn't accidentally kicked or trodden on, or left without help by fans below the stage?" he asks. more on this story



Flanagan Speaks Out On The Cro-Mags Stabbing
(Classic Rock) Cro-Mags founding bassist Harley Flanagan says the knife attack against ex-bandmates that got him arrested last weekend was self defense.

He insists he was invited backstage and planned to settle his long-standing differences with the outfit he left in 2002 – but instead found himself the victim of a "beatdown" and feared for his life, and wound up stabbed in the leg.

He says the violence spilled out to the VIP area of the Webster Hall in New York during the inaugural CBGB Festival, and that's when he stabbed current bassist Michael Couls and William Berario. more on this story



Charlie Sheen Insults Axl Rose at Slash Event
(Classic Rock) When Slash was honoured with a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame earlier this week, the guitarist was accompanied by his friend Charlie Sheen. In a speech, the wayward actor couldn't resist taking a pot-shot at Slash's former Guns N' Roses band-mate, Axl Rose.

Sheen said: "You know, it's quite fitting, I think, that Slash is getting a star on the very street that Axl Rose will one day be sleeping on."

Slash couldn't resist a sly chuckle at Sheen's comments. Sheen also quipped: "This star is going to be stepped on more than the coke we did in the 80s." Watch video of it here.



Slipknot To Broadcast Knotfest Performance
If you can't make it to see Slipknot perform at their upcoming Knotfest, don't worry you will still be able to watch it. But it will cost you.

The band have announced that they will offer a pay-per-view broadcast of their performance at their new two-day music fest at this location.

"One of our long-time dreams, is finally coming to fruition with the creation of Knotfest," says M. Shawn Crahan aka clown of Slipknot. "Our goal was to create a festival experience which screamed our vision. It means everything for everyone to see the live spectacle we're creating in the flesh, but we understand some fans around the world can't be at the show. We've now made it possible for you to be there in spirit--so join us Live on August 18th." more on this story



Historic Bob Dylan Treasure Uncovered
(Classic Rock) The guitar that shocked Bob Dylan fans at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965 has been found and valued at $500,000. And the case holding the Fender Stratocaster also contained some unpublished lyrics written by the iconic musician.

Investigators on TV show History Detectives have verified it's the genuine article after the person who currently keeps it told how Dylan left it on a plane after the controversial concert.

His brief set provoked a massive backlash from the folk music fraternity, with one leading light calling Dylan's transition to electric music "tenth-rate pop-pap drivel." Recordings include booing from the crowd, although it's said the negative reaction was simply because he was only given time to perform three songs. more on this story



Allman Brothers Band Reveal Peach Music Fest Details
The Allman Brothers Band have announced the lineup and details for their Peach Music Festival which is taking place from Aug 10th - 12th.

We were sent these details: This will be the first-ever Allman Brothers Band-inspired festival in the Northeast Pennsylvania (NEPA) region, which will take place on multiple stages over the course of three days at Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain and Sno Mountain Ski Area & Water Park in Scranton, PA Friday, August 10 through Sunday, August 12th. Previously-announced artists include Zac Brown Band, Warren Haynes Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, O.A.R., Railroad Earth, The Wailers, Dark Star Orchestra, Jaimoe's Jasssz Band, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Blackberry Smoke and more.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 10: Zac Brown Band, The Allman Brothers Band, Warren Haynes Band, Dark Star Orchestra, Blackberry Smoke, Trigger Hippy, Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, Cabinet and 61 North

SATURDAY, AUGUST 11: The Allman Brothers Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, O.A.R., The Wailers, Rebelution, Jaimoe's Jasssz Band, Railroad Earth, Toubab Krewe, Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes, JD & The Straight Shot, Grimace Federation, Tauk and Miz

SUNDAY, AUGUST 12: Wake Up With Warren (Warren Haynes acoustic solo), Robert Randolph & The Family Band and Blind Boys of Alabama



Queensryche Angered That Geoff Tate Made Mindcrime Movie Deal
(Classic Rock) Queensryche drummer Scott Rockenfield says the band were forced to fire singer Geoff Tate as a result of ongoing violent and dominating behaviour.

Rockenfield has detailed a series of events which he says proves they had no option but to oust the frontman, including a series of spitting and punching incidents ahead of a concert in Brazil in April.

He says Tate's statement that the band didn't write songs is untrue – and that claims he taunted his ex-bandmate by saying "I've fired your family and now I'm going to fire you" is "a complete lie."

And he reveals the crunch came when the band discovered Tate had cut a secret deal to make a movie based on classic album Operation: Mindcrime. more on this story



Rolling Stones Deliver Latest Bootleg
(Gibson) Rolling Stones fans are in for a treat, as the fourth installment of the legendary group's new series of authorized bootlegs has arrived. Live at the Tokyo Dome (Tokyo 1990) offers footage from the rockers' second to last gig during their 10-concert residency in the Japanese capital in February 1990.

The shows were the first The Rolling Stones had ever performed in Japan and came at the end of their Steel Wheels/Urban Jungle tour to promote 1989's Steel Wheels.

Rolling StonesThe Live at the Tokyo Dome release groups together 23 songs – everything from newer cuts off Steel Wheels to the group's catalog of favorites. "Start Me Up," "Sad Sad Sad," "Harlem Shuffle," "Tumbling Dice," "Miss You" and "Ruby Tuesday" are just a few of the selections. Longtime engineer Bob Clearmountain worked on the mixes for the album, which is available only as a digital download. Fans can score it in the U.S. via the Google Play music store. more on this story





Job For A Cowboy Recruit The Red Chord Guitarist For Tour
Job For A Cowboy have recruited The Red Chord guitarist Mike "Gunface" McKenzie to fill in for bassist Nick Schendzielos on the Summer Slaughter tour.

The tour which also features Cannibal Corpse, Between The Buried and Me, The Faceless, Periphery, Veil of Maya, Goatwhore, Exhumed, Cerebral Bore, is set to kick off next week and Schendzielos is going to miss part of the trek run due to a serious family emergency.

Comments Schendzielos: "Hey friends: On June 28, immediately after landing in Boston to rehearse for Puerto Rico/Summer Slaughter, my girlfriend was in a head-on collision on her scooter. She sustained very serious head and bodily injuries. I flew right home, and we've been in the ICU for a week and are still in the hospital to make sure everything is okay. She needs 24/7 supervision for at least two weeks once we get out of here, so I'm very grateful to announce that Gunface from The Red Chord is going to help me out filling in on Summer Slaughter until I can meet back up with it. We love the dude very much and it's going to be really cool for both JFAC and TRC fans to see. Enormous thanks for understanding this difficult situation and I'll be back as soon as possible!" more on this story



Richie Sambora Sets Solo Release and Streams New Song
Bon Jovi's Richie Sambora has set a September 18, 2012 release date for his third solo album, Aftermath of the Lowdown.

Aftermath of the Lowdown is his first album in 14 years. Lyrically, he tackles the universal tribulations of divorce, substance abuse, single parenthood, independence and self-reliance.

"A lot has happened in my life over the last ten years, personal stuff that's cathartic for me to get out," says Sambora. "Really things that could happen to anybody, but I just happened to be in a band with the biggest concert tour in the world, and in the glare of the public eye."

The first single, "Every Road Leads Home To You," is available here.



Gary Moore's Jimi Hendrix Tribute Show Being Released
Eagle Rock have set a September 25 CD, DVD and Blu-ray release date for Gary Moore's Blues For Jimi. Here are the official details and the tracklisting:

This release captures a unique concert featuring Moore playing Jimi Hendrix tracks, including such classics as "Purple Haze," "Foxy Lady," "The Wind Cries Mary," "Hey Joe," "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" and many more. Filmed at the London Hippodrome on October 25, 2007, it was part of the launch for the Jimi Hendrix "Live At Monterey" program.

At the end of the night, Gary was joined by Mitch Mitchell and Billy Cox of the Jimi Hendrix Experience for three tracks. The full line-up for this show was Gary Moore (guitar, vocals); Dave Bronze (bass); Darrin Mooney (drums) with Billy Cox (bass on tracks 9-11, and also vocals on the first two of those) and Mitch Mitchell (drums on tracks 9-11). more on this story



Slash Reflects On Walk of Fame Honor
(Gibson) Slash should be a happy guy at the moment, as the guitar great was honored Tuesday (July 10) with his very own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Now, Slash is speaking out about the honor, and he says it's reflective of how great he feels about his music at this point in his career.

"I definitely feel like I'm cresting a certain wave in my career where I'm having a really great time, I love what I'm doing, I love the people I'm working with and I'm feeling very energized," he told Rolling Stone after the star ceremony. "I haven't had that feeling since when Guns started."

He added that his current solo project, and recent #4 Billboard smash album, Apocalyptic Love, is something of a "Cinderella story."

"It's kind of a Cinderella story," he said. "I had no idea this was going to be a band I was going to do things with – I thought it was a pickup band. It turned out to be really, from the get-go, this kickass band, and now it's more like a group." more on this story





Bob Seger Comments On Metallica's Cover Of His Classic
(hennemusic) Detroit rocker Bob Seger has written many legendary songs over the course of his career. Seger was rewarded by the industry for his craft recently when he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame during a June 14 event in New York City.

That evening, Seger performed one of his classics, "Turn The Page," a song that originally appeared on his "Back In '72" album. Although never released as a single, Seger's live version of the tune on his 1976 "Live Bullet" album became a mainstay of rock radio stations, and still gets significant airplay to this day on classic rock stations.

While in New York, Seger was asked for his thoughts on Metallica's version of the song, which appeared on the band's 1998 covers/compilation album "Garage Inc." "I loved it. They told me they were gonna do it and I loved it," said Seger. "I really liked the drums, especially, because our drums are really simple. [It was] a cool take on it. It's been done before. Another guy did it in Australia and won a Grammy with it." more on this story



Next Week's Riot Fest East Postponed
Organizers of next week's Riot Fest East 2012 in Philadelphia but have pulled the plug on the event for unknown reasons.

The event's homepage states that the date, which was led by Refused and August Burns Red, has been postponed and they are looking to reschedule but they are offering refunds.

They issued this statement: "Riot Fest East 2012, scheduled for Thursday, July 19 at Festival Pier in Philadelphia, PA has been postponed due to unforeseen circumstances. Refunds will be available at point of purchase. more on this story



The Sheepdogs Set Album Release and Preview New Song
Atlantic Records have set a September 4th release date for the new self-titled album by The Sheepdogs.

The album was produced by The Black Keys' Patrick Carney and Austin Scaggs, and the first single, "The Way It Is," can be heard here.

The Sheepdogs will celebrate their new album with their first coast to coast U.S. headline tour. The trek gets underway September 16th at the Rapids Theatre in Niagara Falls, New York, and then continues through late October and will feature support acts Black Box Revelation and Buffalo Killers. more on this story



B Sides


Singled Out: Beasto Blanco (Alice Cooper)
Today Chuck Garric, long time bass player for Alice Cooper tells us about the song "Break Down" from Beasto Blanco, the band he formed with guitar player Chris Latham. Here is the story:

It was the first song I sat down to write as the new band was being formed and dates were being scheduled for tracking. "Break Down" started as most songs do - with a guitar riff. I had a riff I liked and when I put down a vocal melody, it had a percussive rhythm to it - a bounce I liked. I didn't have lyrics yet, it was more of a rhythmic scat that really started to grow on me. I wasn't sure where it was going to go after the verse, but I knew I had something I liked.

I remember having this other melody in my head. And when I would sing it back, I kept hearing a group of girls singing it. So, on the demo version I sang the melody in my best "Cherie Currie" voice, knowing that when we'd track it I'd have to find a female voice for the song.

As the song starting to take on its own life, I had a dream - one of those dreams you have where you're trying to run but you move slowly or trying to punch someone but its like your hands won't move.

That idea came to me as a chorus and lyric idea. The song "Break Down" is about trying to get somewhere and sh*t keeps happening. You get stuck, something gets in your way. Or you have to start over again. But you keep on keeping on!

The final touches came in the studio. Producer Tommy Henriksen got Glen Sobel on drums and Calico Cooper to get that aggressive female sound the song needed.

Beasto Blanco is currently in the studio writing for their new album and looking forward to a fall release with upcoming tour dates. Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn more about the album right here!



Ted Nugent and Tommy Shaw Damn Yankees Reunion Jam Online
Video has emerged online of the Damn Yankees semi-reunion jam that occurred on the final date of The Midwest Rock 'n Roll Express tour featuring Styx, REO Speedwagon and Ted Nugent.

Styx's camp sent over the details and comments: During Styx's set, lucky fans at that final stop of the tour in Bangor, ME last Sunday got what they were hoping for when Ted Nugent joined the band for a special performance of the Damn Yankees classic "Coming Of Age."

"Working with brother Ted has been a real treat," said Styx's Tommy Shaw. "Joining fellow Nugent alumni Dave Amato (REO Speedwagon guitarist) in the wings on a regular basis to watch Ted, Derek (St. Homes), Greg (Smith) and Mick (Brown) craft the perfect set for our collective audience. Night after night, it has been inspirational. Then, to finish the tour with Ted joining Styx on stage for a killer performance of 'Coming Of Age' caught me off guard how powerful it was. I swear Nugent was levitating. Damn Yankee brothers forever." Watch video of the jam here.



Free Song From We Are the Fury and Head Automatica Supergroup Romans
The Muse Box sent over a free download of "Mystery Girl," a new single from Romans, the supergroup formed by Jeremy Fury from We Are the Fury, and Craig Bonich of Head Automatica / Jaguar Love.

Backing up the two on recording are Rick Penzone, Christopher Hatfield and Los Angeles native drumming monster, Jon Safley.

Produced by L.A. based noise-smith Manny Nieto (The Breeders, Rumspringa, Health) and assisted by Rick Parker (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Von Bondies, Good Old War) Grab the song here.



Travis Barker Discusses His Love Affair With Cars
We received this bit of news which might be of interest to Blink-182 fans: Travis Barker recently sat down to talk about his love of cars for the most recent episode of "Sanctiond Stories" directed by famed photographer Estevan Oriol.

"I think cars and drums are two things I've always been passionate about," Barker divulges. He also discusses his appreciation for classic rides, how his kids have inherited a love for cars, differences between West and East Coast car culture and how a unique paint job reflects the personality of its owner.

"Sanctiond Stories" dive into the lives of tastemakers from art, music, fashion and more, while showcasing their passions, lifestyles and endeavors as it relates to the mission statement of Mister Cartoon's Sanctiond premium car care products.

SEBASTIAN BACH LAUNCHES OFF NEW SKID ROW SALVO:

This should fire things up between the members of Skid Row for a while to come. Sebastian Bach has posted an open letter to his Facebook page. And it reads like this:

Open Letter to Skid Row & The Original Skid Row Fans:
One of my favorite bands in history is Kiss. One of the coolest things I've always loved about Gene Simmons is that he truly lets the fans be the boss. Whatever the fans think is cool, Gene tries to give us what we want. Always. For almost 40 years now, Kiss has let the fans be the boss, and the fans love them for it. They really know how to succeed in this business.
My old band? Is the complete opposite of that.
Individually, I'm sure we all appreciate the fans for putting us where we are today and giving us a great life. I know I do! But collectively, as a band, we don't care at all about what it is that the fans want.

Nowhere in the world can you buy a DVD of our original band. Nowhere in the world can you buy a Skid Row box set with unreleased goodies like every other band in the world. No 'Deluxe Editions' for our fans. Nowhere can you go buy a copy of the '18 & life' Video or 'Roadkill' or 'Oh say can you Scream', all Platinum releases that do not exist anymore. That's because we, collectively, as a band, put the fans very last on what is important to us. Individually, I'm sure we all love our fans who put us where we are today. But collectively, Skid Row has treated Skid Row fans worse than any other band I can think of in history. The name is completely destroyed. For many reasons.
There is another reason while you may never see the original Band reunite. Not just because the band itself could care less about what the fans want. There is a journalist named Jonathan Parks who has gone out of his way to undermine our fragile relationships and pit us against each other online with lies and bullshit. This piece of shit 'journalist' makes up whatever he wants to say on his website and I can guarantee you I never said what ended up in my online "interview". Every time there is a question in the interview from Jonathan Parks I answer (on his site) "well you know John," I can guarantee you I did not know this person's name doing the interview & I never put his name in my answers because I did not know his name! I can guarantee Snake, and everyone else in the band he has interviewed, did not know his name either. I challenge Mr. Jonathan Parks to put up the the Audio of what I actually said, so you can hear for yourself what bullshit lies ended up in his online 'interview'. I can guarantee you I never said his name once in my interview, because I did not know his name!

This guy Jonathan Parks pulls our pants down, sucks our dicks in the interview, rips apart the other members to each one of us behind our backs, and then turns around and does the exact same thing with the other band members. This is why it's futile for me to respond to my replacements ridiculous claims. Because I'll bet you Jonathan Parks used more than a little creative license in his interview, as he did in mine.
But I will address some points. Number one: I can guarantee you it's not "crap" when I say that four out of five band members would reunite Skid Row. I can guarantee you it's not "crap" that we were offered to play two shows at Sonisphere in Europe this year as the original band. I can guarantee you it's not "crap" they even printed up posters for the show which had us on the bill.

I talked with Snake years ago with Doc McGhee and we even planned a box set with unreleased stuff, going on tour, and all that great stuff. He was the first one to say that he would reunite... for the fans. I have talked to Rob many times & he would do it. I talked to Scotti and he seemed very into putting the band back together for a world tour. I called the bass player but never heard back. Of course they could change their mind in public, but in private that is the truth, and the one thing the fans know about me is that I am not afraid to say what the truth is. Never have been.
Another thing I would like to say is that I did not say anything about a Skid Row reunion to "get attention for myself". My little fingernail has forgotten about more attention it has recieved than my replacement will ever receive for his whole life's work. I answered a Tweet from someone on my Twitter account with the response "4 out of five of us would reunite". That was all. My one tweet made news the world over. I cannot help it if news outlets look at my twitter feed and take one individual tweet and make it into news stories around the world. Believe me, when I send out a tweet I do not expect it to turn into world news. The fact that my replacement thinks I answered a tweet "to get attention for myself" is as hilarious as his attempt to sing "I Remember You" accurately. If there is one thing I do not need, & am certainly not looking for, is 'attention'.

Another comedic factor that I must address is when someone says "I have wanted back in that band since day one". Nothing could be further from the truth. I do not want to be in their band even now. All I ever said was that, for the fans, I could get on stage with them and sing "I remember you" and "youth gone wild", even in the right key. I am completely happy with my new record "Kicking & Screaming". I am the only musician from the Original Skid Row to place anything at all on the Billboard Top 200 album chart, with 'Kicking' reaching #68 & ''Angel Down' reaching #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart. My record deal for Frontiers is demanding that I do another solo album right now. I am completely happy playing the main stage at festivals such as M3 while my old band plays 2nd stage. I am completely happy with my band members in my solo band . But for the fans, I do understand their frustration at the fact that all five members of Skid Row are still alive, but because of ego, and journalists such as Jonathan Parks, we cannot get in the same room together. It's not fair to the fans. I do not want anything more in this life than to make great music and play great shows. I do not need my old band to do that. But, for the fans, I would be willing to put my ego aside and do something that would be special for the people who put us where we are today. I do not personally want it myself. But its not always about "what I want". If the fans really want to see us together, I would do it for the fans. Sometimes you can do things for people other than yourself.

So to my old band members, if you want to try and get out of the Internet bullshit and come together for the sake of the fans, you can give me a call.
One last gigantic 'fuck you' to Jonathan Parks for being a slimy scumbag and going around starting fights with each one of the members of the band. You are the worst kind of 'music journalist', one who would put band members against each other, & further jeapordize our already fragile relationships, just for the sake of your own personal 'gain'. One thing is for sure, if we ever do get back together, you will be banned from every single show that we do. Jonathan Parks, the fans have you to thank for completely fucking up this years chances for a reunion, and making it even more of a remote possibility than it already is. Way to go, stupid! Fuck you, and your piece of shit website of lies.
Yours Sincerely, Sebastian Bach.

Today's Day In Rock News!

Tommy Lee Fan Rant Was Inspired By Heartless Disrespect
Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee sparked controversy last month when he issued an open letter to fans complaining about them asking him to take pictures with him. He has now explained the event what inspired the rant, which should quiet down the criticism now that fans understand the circumstances.
The one point which sparked the most criticism in his rant was this line: "What I have a problem with is... taking pictures! I hate it! Irritates the f*** out of me when people say... 'You owe it to your fans, they put you where you are, etc. etc.!' I certainly don't owe anybody anything!" However, Lee has now explained the incident which inspired those words in a new interview, which puts his complaint in context that most people should understand.

"My mother passed away recently," Lee tells Fuse TV. "I was picking up her ashes to take them home with me to do a service for my mother. And so I'm at the mortuary, I've got my mom's ashes in my right hand, and my girlfriend, I'm holding her hand with my left hand, and we're walking out. And the F***ing lady, the receptionist, goes, 'Oh my god, can I take a picture with you?' And I looked and her and went [takes a deep breath], 'I'm sorry, but I'd rather not.'"

But it gets worse; instead of being respectful, the woman pushes the issue. Lee explains, "Then she was like, 'Are you sure?' And I couldn't even believe it—she asked me if I was sure. I'm F***ing standing there with my mom's ashes and it's not the F***ing happiest day on the planet for me. I couldn't believe it. I go, 'Okay, that's officially the most F***ed up thing that has ever happened to me.' I called the manager and said, 'You're not going to believe what just happened. I don't expect you to fire her or anything like that, but that was the most disrespectful bulls*** I've ever experienced in my life.'

Lee had more to say, you can read that here.


Slipknot's Corey Taylor Passes Out On Stage
Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor passed out on stage on Tuesday night at the Dallas date on the Mayhem tour.

Fortunately the cause didn't end up being a major medical issue. Taylor reassured fans on his Twitter page yesterday with the following message:

"Hello everyone. I'm fine- just overheated in Dallas last night. Ready and waiting for Houston! Thank you to everyone for your concerns!" You can watch video of the incident here.



Sebastian Bach Addresses Fans About Skid Row Reunion Talk
Former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach issued an open letter to fans yesterday where he addressed recent speculation about a Skid Row reunion.

However, the open letter was later deleted from Bach's Facebook page for an unexplained reason. Here is what he had to say according to BW&BK: One of my favorite bands in history is KISS. One of the coolest things I've always loved about GENE SIMMONS is that he truly lets the fans be the boss. Whatever the fans think is cool, Gene tries to give us what we want. Always. For almost 40 years now, KISS has let the fans be the boss, and the fans love them for it. They really know how to succeed in this business.

My old band? Is the complete opposite of that. Individually, I'm sure we all appreciate the fans for putting us where we are today and giving us a great life. I know I do! But collectively, as a band, we don't care at all about what it is that the fans want. more on this story



Rolling Stones Have Rehearsed For 50th Anniversary Tour
(Classic Rock) Keith Richards says the Rolling Stones have started rehearsing for a 50th anniversary tour, although he can't confirm when it will take place. And looking back over a career that started on July 12, 1962, the guitarist says he has very few regrets about what has been an "incredible adventure."

"There's things in the works. There's nothing final. We've had a couple of rehearsals lately – I think it's definitely happening, but when, I can't say," he tells here. "There might be life in the old dog yet. We'll die gracefully, elegantly wasted/"

Fifty years ago today Richards and singer Mick Jagger hit the stage in London's Marquee Club accompanied by Elmo Lewis, Dick Taylor, Ian Stewart and Mick Avory. more on this story



Flanagan Says The Cro-Mags Stabbings Were Self Defense
The Cro-Mags founding bass player Harley Flanagan claims that he stabbed members of his former group last week in self defense.

We previously reported The Cro-Mags were set to perform at Webster Hall in New York on Friday as part of the CBGB music festival. Flanagan reportedly went backstage and allegedly cut the band's current bass player Michael "The Gook" Couls in the arm and stomach with a hunting knife and slashed William Berario (whom the New York Post reports is a member of the band) above his eye and bit him on the cheek, according to the Post.

nynatives.com report that Flanagan and his attorney have told them that "Harley was not the aggressor and any and all of his actions were in self defense." The have promised that an in-depth interview will be published in the coming days. Read their report here.



Children of Bodom Frontman Leaving Hospital
Children of Bodom announced on Wednesday that their frontman Alexi Laiho will be released from the hospital today.

They told fans, "We are happy to announce that Alexi will be leaving the hospital in Oslo tomorrow, Thursday, 12th of July, and are also glad to confirm that the band will be able to play Ilosaarirock Festival. The Hate Crew is rolling again! More info shortly..."

As previously reported, he hospitalized in Norway on July 3rd for what the band described as a "serious infection" which caused him severe stomach pain. Previous report here.



Geoff Tate Accused of Threatening To Kill Queensryche Bandmate
(Classic Rock) Queensryche guitarist Parker Lundgren says singer Geoff Tate threatened to "kill" drummer Scott Rockenfield after a concert during which he'd attacked two of his bandmates.

The frontman assaulted Rockenfield and guitarist Michael Wilton before warning bassist Eddie Jackson "You're next," then later regretted he hadn't hit Wilton hard enough, says Lundgren in a court submission.

The drama took place after the band's performance in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in April – an event which led to "Operation Knifecrime" rumours circulating online, alleging Tate had pulled a blade on the other members of Queensryche.

Lundgren's testimony is part of the band's papers arguing that the sacked singer should not be allowed to stop them continuing under their current name with new frontman Todd La Torre. more on this story



The White Stripes Release Recording of Live Debut
(Gibson) The White Stripes have released their first-ever live show. The vinyl-only release is part of a package available through Third Man Records' "Vault" series, a quarterly subscription service offered by the Jack White-owned label.

The 7-inch vinyl recording was taped on July 14, 1997, during an open-mic night at the Gold Dollar in Detroit. The soundboard recording features a version of "Jimmy the Exploder," which later appeared on the White Stripes self-titled debut, along with covers of "Love Potion #9" and the traditional blues tune, "St. James Infirmary."

Also included in the package is a Live at the Gold Dollar 12" LP, recorded on August 14, 1997. The August performance, which includes a "blistering cover" of The Stooges' "TV Eye," constitutes the band's first full-length concert. Rounding out the package is a tote bag emblazoned with the White Stripes' classic peppermint logo. The deadline to sign up to The Vault, in order to obtain this package, is July 31. more on this story





Metallica Guitarist Making Special Appearance
(hennemusic) Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett will be making an appearance at San Diego's Comic-Con convention this Friday.

Hammett will be on hand to sign "a few pre-determined cool thingies" pertaining to his forthcoming book, "Too Much Horror Business - The Kirk Hammett Collection."

The guitarist will be at the Tokyo Toy Booth #5336 in Hall G from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. In addition to the above details, Metallica posted the following: "A word to the wise...this will ONLY be open to those who ALREADY HAVE CONVENTION CREDENTIALS and those who have ALREADY REGISTERED via our "cryptic" sign-up last week, but if even if you DIDN'T get in the sign-up, if you have your badge, drift on by the TOKYO TOY BOOTH and eyeball the Too Much Horror Business action, organized by our old friend Pushead who may be lurking around!" more on this story



Peter Gabriel's So Getting Classic Albums Treatment
The next installment in their Classic Albums DVD and Blu-ray series will focus on Peter Gabriel's blockbuster 1986 album, "So," and will be released on September 18 by Eagle Rock. Here are the details:

It was his fifth solo album and the first one to have a title (all others were self-titled). The album spawned a number of hit singles on both sides of the Atlantic including "Sledgehammer," "Big Time," "Don't Give Up," (a duet with Kate Bush) and "In Your Eyes" which drove So to multi-platinum sales, the No.1 spot in the UK and No.2 in the US.

The acclaimed Classic Albums series is a definitive collection of the stories behind the albums that form the soundtrack to our lives. Made with the full authorization and co-operation of the artists, Classic Albums: So offers contributions from many of those involved in the making of the album and the landmark videos. Those featured include Peter Gabriel himself, co-producer Daniel Lanois, engineer Kevin Killen and musicians Jerry Marotta, Laurie Anderson, Tony Levin and Manu Katché and many more. more on this story



Jane's Addiction Giving Away New Album and Plan After Show Party
Jane's Addiction have made a limited number of the their latest album, The Great Escape Artist, available for free download on the Lollapalooza.com homepage beginning July 10.

Jane's Addiction have also announced a special Lollapalooza after show concert at Chicago's Aragon Ballroom on Saturday, August 4.

They will be joined by very special guests, Franz Ferdinand, with dubstep pioneers Skream and Benga closing out the late night celebration. More info and the download here.



Paul McCartney's Nova North American Premiere Set
Paul McCartney's Nova, an orchestral adaptation composed by McCartney for his late wife, Linda, will have its North American premiere this Fall.

Nova will be part of Heart Strings event and will be performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Friday, September 7, 2012, 8 p.m., at Heinz Hall, 600 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, to benefit pediatric cardiac research.

"We are so honored Pittsburgh and its magnificent symphony will host and perform NOVA's North American premiere," said Kris Fischerkeller, who with her husband, Paul, founded Rock for the Heart after their son Matthew passed away suddenly at age 16 because of cardiac arrest. "We are equally excited about the importance of generating awareness about sudden cardiac arrest among children and teenagers." more on this story



Ozzy Osbourne Explains The Schizophrenic Life of Rockstars
(Gibson) Ozzy Osbourne believes rock stars share traits with some people afflicted with a certain personality disorder. He also says entertainers risk going "crazy" if that can't separate their personal lives from their onstage personas.

"[Rock] performers are like schizophrenics," Osbourne said, speaking to Kerrang! magazine. "When you're onstage that's what you do, but when you are offstage you've got to be different."

Osbourne admitted he speaks from experience, having struggled through the years to draw a division between his professional life and his personal life. "It got me in all kinds of trouble," he said. Still, be believes there's at least one category of entertainer that behaves even more erratically than rockers. "Rock and roll is bad for that stuff," he said, "but if you think that's bad, you want to get involved in the acting world. They go nuts!" more on this story





Freddie Mercury DVD and Blu-ray Coming
Eagle Rock have set a September 25 DVD and Blu-ray release date for Freddie Mercury's The Great Pretender. Here is the official word:

Created by the same team behind the widely acclaimed Queen: Days of Our Lives BBC documentary, The Great Pretender, in similar vein, presents a compelling insight into its subject matter, unearthing previously undiscovered or rarely seen footage and presented for the first time in High Definition.

Produced and directed by Rhys Thomas, life-long Queen fan and expert (to the extent that Rhys famously broke the Mastermind all time record points score with a specialist subject of Queen), Rhys has this time turned his attention to the Freddie archive, going back as early as 1976 in search of vintage gems which reveal more than ever before the inside story of Freddie's life and career and the solo projects he worked on outside of Queen. more on this story



David Geffen TV Documentary To Air This Fall
David Geffen will be the focus of a new two-hour documentary, American Masters Inventing David Geffen, which will be premiering nationally Tuesday, November 20, 2012 at 8 p.m. (ET) on PBS (check local listings).

We were sent these details: Two-time Emmy-winning filmmaker, American Masters creator and executive producer Susan Lacy paints an unflinching portrait of Geffen, who narrates his unorthodox rise from working class Brooklyn boy to billionaire entertainment power broker in extensive interviews.

American Masters explores the highs and the lows in Geffen's professional and personal life through more than 50 new interviews with his friends, colleagues and clients, as well as other media luminaries. Irving Azoff, Jackson Browne, Cher, David Crosby, Barry Diller, Maureen Dowd, Rahm Emanuel, Nora Ephron, Tom Hanks, Don Henley, Jimmy Iovine, Elton John, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Calvin Klein, Steve Martin, Lorne Michaels, Mike Nichols, Yoko Ono, Frank Rich, Slash, Steven Spielberg, Neil Young, and many others illustrate Geffen's riveting story filled with extraordinary achievements. more on this story



Nachtmystium Take Fans Behind The Scenes of New Album
Nachtmystium are giving fans a behind the scenes look at their forthcoming album, Silencing Machine, which will be released on July 30th in Europe and July 31st in North America.

Nachtmystium has now posted the first of five in-studio videos featuring exclusive footage and interviews with the band. Filmed and edited by Justin Baron, who recently did the Yakuza documentary, this first video spotlights Charlie Fell (drums), and it can be viewed here

Recorded at Engine Studios with the band's own synths/electronics specialist Sanford Parker (YOB, Pelican) handling producer duties, Silencing Machine is, as front-man/lead guitarist Blake Judd puts it, "A F***in' black metal record". more on this story



Parkway Drive Working On Next Album
Parkway Drive sent out word that they are currently in a Los Angeles studio working on their fourth album. Their camp provided these details:

The recording is due to take seven weeks, which is the longest time the band has spent on any album. Production is being overseen by Matt Hyde, whose vast resume includes Slayer, Sum 41, Alkaline Trio, Hatebreed and Children of Bodom.

Parkway Drive vocalist Winston McCall says new material flowed easily in the wake of Deep Blue, which saw the group tap a rich vein of creativity. more on this story



Godhunter Putting Together Southwest Terror Fest
Godhunter have two special events planned in Tucson including a new metal music festival that they are putting together.

The band are one of the local musical acts confirmed to annihilate The Nest Skatepark on July 28th, where several pro skaters from the city will be in attendance and a documentary crew will be filming a short movie about Tucson's local scene.

Godhunter are also fully coordinating and booking the first ever Southwest Terror Fest, a two-day event that will take place on October 19th and 20th, 2012. more on this story


Morbid Saint Reunite
Morbid Saint have decided to reunite to play a string of reunion shows and their debut album has also received a special reissue. Here is the official word:

The reunion shows include performances at Maryland DeathFest X, Metal on the Rocks in Mexico City, The Barbary in Philadelphia in support of Whiplash, and as the headliner at Club Europa in Brooklyn, NY.

The band will also travel to Germany and play the Keep it True Festival next year. Morbid Saint's next scheduled appearance is on July 27th at Reggie's in Chicago, IL in support of Diamond Plate. more on this story



Kaipa Releasing New Album Next Month
Swedish rockers Kaipa have set an August 28th release date for their new studio album, Vittjar.

InsideOut Music sent over these details: While recording Vittjar, each of the musicians recorded their parts separately using several different studios. As the voice of the band, Hans Lundin led the group in deciding how songs would be assembled, giving credence to the old-school belief that present day technology - no matter how useful it may be in the studio - is no substitute for experience. Lundin is as experienced as they come, having recorded his first single in 1965.

"It doesn't matter what we do, we'll always be placed in progressive rock," says Lundin. "When I'm writing songs I actually try to avoid a traditional way of writing and playing progressive rock, but at the same time those elements are a part of me and my history. So, I hope the result is something new and fresh. Of course, the special influence of Swedish folk music helps accomplish that, and I think it grows with every Kaipa album." more on this story



Stars Stream New Song and Map Out Fall Tour
Stars will be hitting the road this fall for a North American tour and are also offering up a taste of their forthcoming album.

Stars will be touring in support of their sixth full-length album, The North, which will be released on September 4.

Fans who purchase tickets for any of the US headlining shows will receive a digital copy of the album on release day and an instant download of "The Theory of Relativity". more on this story



Beardfish Set New Album Release
InsideOut Music have set a August 28th release date for Beardfish's new album, The Void.

The band comments: "We went full-on with this one... We've had some trouble in the past conveying our live energy on the studio albums. This is the one that shines through! It's an album about loss. It's about love. It celebrates both life and death and the struggle in between to heal the wounds that don't show and to actually take the step to move forward in life.

"We've been waiting to share these songs with all of you for a while now and we, Beardfish, are really proud to present to you 'The Void'." more on this story



B Sides


Tom Waits Makes Rare TV Appearance on Jimmy Fallon
(hennemusic) Following his appearance on David Letterman's show Monday evening, Tom Waits rolled into Late Night with Jimmy Fallon's show for a Tuesday guest slot.

On back-to-back nights, the music legend delivered the first live performance of songs from his latest recording, "Bad As Me."

After Tom joined Fallon for a chat, he and his band performed "Raised Right Men." Watch it here.



Metallica Release Live Fight Fire With Fire Footage
(hennemusic) Metallica wrapped up their 2012 European Summer Vacation tour with a show at the Nova Rock Festival in Austria on June 10.

The 16-date series, which kicked off May 7 in Prague, saw the band perform their 1991 self-titled ("Black") album in its entirety for the first time.

Metallica are now sharing some footage from the event, including video from the Tuning Room and "Fight Fire With Fire" from the concert.