Today's Day in Rock News !

Today's Day in Rock


Pearl Jam, Guns N' Roses, Screaming Trees Supergroup
(Classic Rock) Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, Duff McKagan ex of Guns N' Roses and Barrett Martin ex of the Screaming Trees have formed a supergroup and are currently working on their debut album.
The band hasn't been named yet, and won't feature a permanent singer, relying instead on a series of guest appearances.

Drummer Martin is currently with McKagan in Walking Papers, and asked former Mad Season bandmate McCready to appear on their album. That led to a conversation regarding material from Mad Season's never-finished second album.

He tells Billboard: "Mike and I were putting together this Mad Season collection. Duff and I were starting the Walking Papers album which we'd asked Mike to play on." more.



Original Kansas Lineup Reuniting
(Classic Rock) The original lineup of Kansas will reunite for the first time in over 30 years at a 40th anniversary concert later in 2013.

Kerry Livgren, Dave Hope and Robby Steinhardt will make guest appearances with Phil Ehart, Steve Walsh and Rich Williams during the celebratory event on August 17 in the Benedum Centre, Pittsburgh, PA.

Kansas are planning a two-set show. They'll be accompanied by a 35-piece symphony orchestra for the first part, then after an intermission they'll deliver a selection of classics.

Drummer Ehart says: "We do a symphony set then we do a regular set. And in the meantime we have Dave, Kerry and Robby playing on different songs with the current band throughout the whole show. We've got some great stuff planned for the intermission too – it's gonna rock." more on this story




Scott Weiland Wanted Stone Temple Pilots Lineup Change
(Classic Rock) Scott Weiland wanted Stone Temple Pilots to change their lineup ahead of his sacking. The band announced earlier this week they'd "terminated" his position with them, leaving the ex-Velvet Revolver frontman shocked and saying he'd only discovered the news in the press.

But the day before STP made their move, he'd been discussing the possibility of modifying the band's personnel.

Sixteen hours ahead of the announcement Weiland told Rolling Stone: "My personal feeling is that we just need some new blood in the band. It'll give it new energy, so that we're not just playing the same greatest hits set we've been playing ever since we got back together after I left Velvet Revolver. I'd like to make a new record so it breathes new life into it."

Weiland also stated he was still hoping for a reunion with Velvet Revolver – despite guitarist Slash's assertion that the pair would never work together again.

The singer said: "I'd love it if it happened. But it's not something I can count on, and it's not something that I can control. If it happens, it'll happen. It would be a great thing. But what about Slash?




Bret Michaels Delays New Album Release
(hennemusic) Bret Michaels' forthcoming new solo album, "Good Songs & Great Friends," which was originally scheduled for release March 26, has been delayed until June 11.

Featuring artists from a variety of genres and generations, "Good Songs & Great Friends" includes a live duet with Jimmy Buffett ("Margaritaville"), a cover of "Sweet Home Alabama" with Gary Rossington, Rickey Medlocke and Peter Keys from Lynyrd Skynyrd playing on the track, and new versions of some of Poison's biggest hits, including a remake of "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" with Loretta Lynn.

Bret is joined by Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Michael Anthony of Van Halen/Chickenfoot, Leslie West of Mountain, Ace Frehley of Kiss/Frehley's Comet, among others..

Featuring artists from a variety of genres and generations, "Good Songs & Great Friends" includes a live duet with Jimmy Buffett ("Margaritaville"), a cover of "Sweet Home Alabama" with Gary Rossington, Rickey Medlocke and Peter Keys from Lynyrd Skynyrd playing on the track, and new versions of some of Poison's biggest hits, including a remake of "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" with Loretta Lynn.

Bret is joined by Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Michael Anthony of Van Halen/Chickenfoot, Leslie West of Mountain, Ace Frehley of Kiss/Frehley's Comet, among others. more on this story




Song By Black Sabbath's Iommi Headed For Eurovision Semi-Final
(hennemusic) Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi is the man behind Armenia's song entry into the Eurovision song contest.

Dorians frontman Gor Sujyan's "Lonely Planet" was selected at a Saturday, March 2 national vote to be performed at Eurovision in Malmö, Sweden. The identity of the song's composers — Iommi (music) and Vardan Zadoyan (lyrics) — had been kept secret for a while.

"Well here's something different, one of my demo ideas has been chosen as the Armenian entry for the Eurovision Song Contest!," wrote Iommi. "It went on a short list and Saturday night was voted as the winner. I did the music and the performing band Dorians wrote the lyrics, it's called 'Lonely Planet'. They're a good band, the singer has a really good voice and the lyrics they've written are in English. It now goes to the semi-final on May 16th in Malmo, Sweden." more on this story




Styx Vs Record Label
(Classic Rock) Styx have sued A&M over unpaid royalties and they've accused the record label of constructing a "phoney business model" to disguise how much the band should have been paid.

The veteran outfit allege that for every dollar they've received, they should actually have been given between two and five dollars.

TMZ reports that they want the courts to decide how much they should be paid in damages – and that it's likely to be a huge amount. They released eight albums through A&M from 1975′s Equinox to 1990′s Edge Of The Century.

Styx filed paperwork in Los Angeles Country Superior Court last week using their corporate name, Gelderdisk LTD. more on this story




Slayer Frontman Doubted Lombardo 'For A While'
(Classic Rock) Slayer guitarist Kerry King says frontman Tom Araya has had doubts over drummer Dave Lombardo for a while but King wanted to keep him.

It was only when "trouble in paradise" flared hours ahead of their Australian tour that the axeman made the call to have him replaced.

Jon Dette is currently behind the kit for the thrash giants Down Under – and they're not sure whether Lombardo will return.

Asked whether he saw the dispute coming, King tells Soundwave TV: "Tom did. Tom's been on the fence about Dave for a while and I was pretty much the one that said, 'Nah, I'm not comfortable moving on.'

"Then it got thrust in our face, and I took action immediately," he said. "It's unfortunate that Dave couldn't be with us. I planned on him being here up until the Monday before I left – then I saw trouble in paradise." more.




Green Day Member Recalls Billie Joe's Meltdown
(hennemusic) As Green Day gear up for their live return to the stage March 10 in Pomona, CA, bassist Mike Dirnt spoke with Rolling Stone about frontman Billie Joe Armstrong's meltdown in Las Vegas last fall that led to a stint in rehab.

"When Billie showed up, it was, 'You're not right. What's going on?'," explains Dirnt, about the his concerns prior to taking the stage at the iHeartRadio festival. "I kept an eye on things, and it just went progressively downhill. Me and Billie – we don't play like 12-year-olds anymore. But at one point, I was like, 'Let's goof around.' Somehow, we ended up wrestling backstage. I thought, 'If I can just get some of this out of him . . . ' But with the mood depressants and alcohol, it doesn't end up in a jovial party."

Dirnt spoke about what it was like watching Armstrong lose it on stage. "You know, truth be told, I agreed with what he said, outside of mentioning anybody else. I know that's not Billie," he says. "But the bigger side of it – I actually agreed with the rant. But I was watching my friend and going, 'You're out of your f**king mind.' And we were dealing with a sh*tshow." more on this story




Motley Crue's Tommy Lee Slams Meet-and-Greet Greed
(Classic Rock) Motley Crue's Tommy Lee is refusing to take part in meet-and-greet sessions on the band's current tour – because he doesn't agree with fans forking out for the experience.

The drummer won't be present for those who pay $899 for Crue's Kickstart My Heart ticket package at venues in Australia.

Lee says: "For those of you that are asking why I am not doing any more meet-and-greets – it's got nothing to do with me not wanting to meet the fans.

"I just don't agree with doing it under the certain given circumstances. I love you all and I'll gladly high-five y'all if I see you – and you won't have to pay me for that." more on this story




Paul McCartney Doodle Sells For Five Figures
(Gibson) A basic pencil doodle drawn by Paul McCartney when he was a teenager has fetched £3,764 (approximately $5658) at auction last week.

The sketches, done by the Beatle during the late 1950s when he was studying at the Liverpool Institute High School For Boys, was sold by PFC Auctions on 28 February amid a flurry of last minute bids.

The drawings, multiple faces showing different expressions on a single sheet of paper, are rendered in pencil. The "piece" is 12.5" x 8" and in good condition, with the exception of a small tear in the bottom right hand corner.

McCartney won a prize at the age of 14 for a drawing he did of St Aidan's church on the Speke, Liverpool, housing estate where he lived, though the unschooled artist has said, "I felt that only people who had gone to art college were allowed to paint." McCartney's ink drawing of an idea provided the inspiration for the artwork for the Sgt Pepper album cover. In 1999, his visual work was displayed in a solo exhibition, Paul McCartney: Paintings, in Germany. more on this story






Rolling Stones Getting Their First Rock Hall Exhibit
(Radio.com) The Rolling Stones have celebrated their golden anniversary with five shows, two new songs, one documentary (2012′s Crossfire Hurricane), and a slew of other film and photo exhibits around the world. Now they'll get their – believe it or not – first major exhibition at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum this spring.

"Rolling Stones: 50 Years of Satisfaction," opening Memorial Day weekend (May 24), captures the band's legendary career of half a century. Included in the exclusive exhibition, which will run through March 2014, are rare and personal items and collections that have never been available to the public.

"The Rolling Stones are the epitome of rock and roll," said Greg Harris, Rock Hall president and CEO in a press release. "This first-ever exhibit gives us an opportunity to tell the story of one of the definitive rock and roll bands. The experience should be on every music fan's destination list this summer." more on this story




The White Stripes' Elephant Getting Special Record Store Day Reissue
(hennemusic) Jack White will mark the 10-year anniversary of The White Stripes' breakthrough album "Elephant", with a limited edition reissue for Record Store Day.

The colored, double LP is available exclusively for Record Store Day 2013 on April 20th. A black vinyl version will be available later this year.

"As Record Store Day Ambassador of 2013," explains White, "I'm proud to help in any way I can to invigorate whoever will listen with the idea that there is beauty and romance in the act of visiting a record shop and getting turned onto something new that could change the way they look at the world, other people, art, and ultimately, themselves." more on this story




A Day To Remember Plan Album Release ASAP
(Radio.com) During a concert last May, Florida hard rockers A Day To Remember announced that their fifth studio record would be called Common Courtesy.

After fans spent the better part of the year speculating about the forthcoming material, ADTR surprised fans in December with a decidedly hard-edged track titled "Violence (Enough is Enough)." The album's recording was only partially completed at the time ADTR dropped "Violence," and the band was "stunned" by fans' reaction to it.

"You never really know 'til they hear that new material, McKinnon told Radio.com in an exclusive interview. "When we put out that song, it was one of the best responses we've ever had coming out of the gate. I can't tell you how excited that made all of us."

McKinnon continued, talking release dates: "We're not really sure the release date yet, we're working that out. We're in the last few weeks of tracking. After this we're going to head into mixing and mastering and then we're done. Then we're going to put it out as soon as we possibly can."

Despite the band having filed a lawsuit against Victory Records in late 2011, McKinnon blamed the album's delay on simply having too much material. He has more to say here.



Sebastian Bach and Steve Stevens Unplug For KLOS
(hennemusic) Sebastian Bach and Steve Stevens stopped by KLOS 95.5 FM Los Angeles Friday morning. The visit was to promote the pair's April 5th show at The Viper Room.

The guys played a couple of live, acoustic versions of Billy Idol's "Eyes Without A Face" and Skid Row's "I Remember You."

Bach and Stevens are collaborating on material for Sebastian's next solo album.

According to the singer, Stevens "has come up with one track so far that will definitely be on my next record. It is a kick-ass cool rock 'n' roll song that I guarantee will make the hair stand up on the back of your neck. Just how I like it." Check out the jams here.




A Silent Film Proud Of Comparison To The Killers
(Radio.com) The guys of A Silent Film are used to the comparison game. From Coldplay to Snow Patrol they've heard it all. But while the comparisons can get old, they never seem to get tired of hearing they sound a little like The Killers.

"They are an amazing band," singer Robert Stevenson told Radio.com. "I'm very proud to be in the same category."

Like The Killers, the English band, who are currently touring the States behind their 2012 album, Sand & Snow, write anthemic choruses that fans can't help but sing along to. But even with the similarities, Stevenson was quick to point out that his band is very different than the Vegas band.

"They're very American in their approach, and we love that," he said. "But I don't think there's any danger that we're ripping them off in any way."

Guitarist Karl Bareham thinks the comparisons are just a starting point, a way to get people interested in a band before they actually get a chance to hear the music. more.




KISS To Perform On The Footy Show
(hennemusic) KISS will perform on the season premiere of "The Footy Show", an Australian sports variety television program covering the professional rugby league, on Thursday, March 7 at 9.45 p.m. AEDT

KISS will play two of their hits live in the studio to kick off the 20th season of the show.

"What an amazing way to kick off our 20th year, with one of the biggest rock bands in the world live in the studio," said Glenn Pallister, executive producer of the program. "['The Footy Show' host] Fatty [Paul Vautin] is such a KISS fanatic, we may need to have oxygen on standby." more on this story



Aerosmith To Perform In Indonesia This Spring
(hennemusic) Aerosmith have announced that they will play the Jiexpo Kemayoran in Jakarta, Indonesia on May 11.

The Boston rockers have been quiet since they wrapped up the fall 2012 leg of their tour in support of "Music From Another Dimension."

Aerosmith are returning to the road in April for their first Australian dates in 24 years. The group will play three shows in Oz and one in New Zealand, starting April 24 in Dunedin, NZ. more on this story




Grunge Supergroup Mad Season's Documentary Goes Online
(Classic Rock) Above, the sole studio album from 90s grunge supergroup Mad Season, will be reissued next month.

The surviving members of Mad Season will release a deluxe edition of Above on April 2, containing two CDs and a DVD.

Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready and Screaming Trees drummer Barrett Martin have collaborated with Mark Lanegan to complete songs from Mad Season's unfinished second album, which will be included alongside Above. Frontman Layne Staley died in 2002 and bassist John Baker Saunders passed away in 1999.

View a mini-documentary about the reissue here.




Devon Allman Leading Charge For National Blues Museum
(Gibson) "Think about having a place that celebrates the source of all contemporary music," says Devon Allman. "That's the goal of the National Blues Museum."

Right now it's Allman's goal to get the word out about the fundraising effort underway to make the St. Louis-based institution a reality — and to raise the $1.7-million dollars need to ensure that the museum's doors can open as scheduled in March 2014. So far $12.3-million has been raised over the past three years, and a total of $14-million must be achieved by April 1 in order to take advantage of various incentives for the project.

So Allman and a board's other nine members — who are from the corporate and educational worlds — have launched "Buck Up For the Blues," an initiative to encourage all blues fans to make a donation now to help reach the fundraising goal and bring the museum to life.

Artist renderings of the museum, viewable on line at the National Blues Museum web site, depict a facility like Seattle's Experience Music Project, with a blend of artifacts, films, historic audio and hands-on interactive "jamming stations" where museum patrons can perform the music themselves. Plans call for artist workshops, seminars and Q&A sessions with industry figures, intimate performances with the genre's stars, acoustic concerts that blend music and history, plus lectures and discussions, industry seminars and a film series. A lot more.





Eric Clapton Discusses Ginger Baker
(Radio.com) "He influenced me as a drummer. But not as a person." That's what Free/Bad Company member Simon Kirke said about former Cream/Blind Faith skinsman Ginger Baker in the must-see documentary, Beware Of Mr. Baker, out last week on iTunes.

Indeed, that was a theme of the entire film: a number of drumming legends – including Kirke, Neil Peart of Rush, Lars Ulrich of Metallica, Charlie Watts of The Rolling Stones and Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers – sing Baker's praises and discuss his influence. Meanwhile, his children and ex-wives give a no-holds-barred account of the chaos that surrounded the man in his personal life.

Some of the most interesting interviews are with his ex-bandmates: Jack Bruce from Cream, Steve Winwood from Blind Faith and, especially, Eric Clapton, who was in both bands. Clapton spoke at length on his days with Baker, and director Jay Bulger provided Radio.com with some exclusive outtakes from his extensive interview with the guitar god.

Clapton's experience with therapy and recovery from addiction are apparent in the first clip, as he discusses the ties between drug dependence and musicians.

"What is Ginger without the music? I think Ginger is an incredible human being with fantastic potential. And his desire to be 'locked into' the music keeps him in chaos. And I had the same thing, I thought that if I stopped drinking and I stopped using drugs… I would not be able to play anymore. In other words, those were things that were necessary for inspiration. But it was a shortcut. My experience now tells me in a long time of being in recovery, that I can be a good musician with or without that philosophy. It's a gift that I've been given and the best way to honor it is to stay clean and sober to be able to do it as well as I can. I wouldn't be here today – I'd probably be dead – if I hadn't gotten straight." More including streams.





Robot Band Compressorhead Plays AC/DC Classic On TV
(hennemusic) Compressorhead, the robot band from Berlin, rocked the AC/DC classic "TNT" on the German TV program "Die Bülent Ceylan Show" this week.

The group, which bills themselves as "the world's heaviest metal band," is made up of guitarist Fingers, bassist Bones and drummer Stickboy.

With 78 purpose-built fingers, guitarist Fingers was built by Kernschrott Robots, a company that creates direct recycling of discarded metal and industrial waste, converting metal parts and discarded devices into sculptures and objects of art.

Created by Robocross Machines, Stickboy uses 4 arms and 2 legs to plays his 14 piece Pearl drum kit with a double kick bass drum setup. Check out video of the performance here.




UFO's Rob De Luca Releases New Of Earth Video
(Classic Rock) Of Earth, the new project from UFO and Sebastian Bach bass player Rob De Luca, have released a video for their track Prototype.

It's taken from upcoming second album The Monarch, due for launch in the coming weeks. The band consists of De Luca (vocals, bass), Paul Casanova (guitars, vocals), Rik De Luca (drums) and Matt Baram (keys).

The bassist is currently touring the UK with UFO – they play the ABC, Glasgow, tonight (March 1); 53 Degrees, Preston, March 2; HMV Institute, Birmingham, March 3; and HMV Forum, London, March 5. After that they'll continue on the road across Europe before playing at Download on June 15. Watch the video here.



W.A.S.P. Supergroup Hotel Diablo Release New Video
(Classic Rock) Hotel Diablo, featuring members of Bang Tango and W.A.S.P. , have released a video for their single Psycho, California.

The track comes from the band's debut album The Return To Psycho, California. Produced by Gilby Clarke and Matt Starr.

Hotel Diablo formed in early 2011 and comprise Ladyjack vocalist Rick Stitch, Quiet Riot/Bang Tango guitarist Alex Grossi and W.A.S.P.'s rhythm section of Mike Duda (bass) and Mike Dupke (drums).

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Stone Temple Pilots Fire Scott Weiland and The Singer Fires Back
After months of speculation, Stone Temple Pilots confirmed on Wednesday that they have fired frontman Scott Weiland, but the singer is not taking the firing sitting down and plans to take legal action.
The band did not provide any details about their decision; they simply issued the following statement: "Stone Temple Pilots have announced they have officially terminated Scott Weiland."

A short time later, Weiland issued this response: "I learned of my supposed 'termination' from Stone Temple Pilots this morning by reading about it in the press. Not sure how I can be 'terminated' from a band that I founded, fronted and co-wrote many of its biggest hits, but that's something for the lawyers to figure out.

"In the meantime, I'm looking forward to seeing all of my fans on my solo tour which starts this Friday."

It was Weiland's former Velvet Revolver bandmate Slash who said in December that the singer had been fired by STP. When he was asked about Weiland's comments about a Velvet Revolver reunion being discussed, Slash said "That's because he got fired from STP."

Slash told Classic Rockat the time, "I think he's trying to pull off that trick of trying to get something else going on, and we're not buying it. The door's shut on this side and it's probably shut on that side too, so he's on his own. And he deserves it too."

As Weiland mentioned in his statement and we previously reported he will be launching his "Purple at the Core" tour tomorrow. The title of the tour references the first two Stone Temple Pilots album's "Core" and "Purple" and Weiland plans to perform songs from both albums on the tour.

Weiland will also be performing his solo material as well as songs from his former band Velvet Revolver. more.



Symphony X's Jason Rullo Rushed To The Hospital
(Classic Rock) Symphony X drummer Jason Rullo is recovering after being rushed to hospital with an emergency heart condition.

He says: "We had a few scary days in there, but I made it through what was hopefully the worst of it.

"Doctors say I have a very good chance for a full recovery – I plan to be back at 100% even if it takes a while." more on this story




Aerosmith Classic May Become Official State Song
(Radio.com) One song is the most famous tune ever written by Boston's most revered band. Another is a classic in its own right and perfectly captures the setting and spirit of Massachusetts in its lyrics. So which one deserves to be the official state rock song?

Mass. officials are disagreeing over whether Aerosmith's legendary single "Dream On" or The Modern Lovers' classic Boston-based single "Roadrunner" should earn the coveted title. Not long after Rep. Marty Walsh proposed a bill to give the nod to "Roadrunner," reps Josh Cutler of Duxbury and Jim Cantwell of Marshfield have filed a proposal of their own that would award the title to "Dream On."

Cantwell joined Karlson & McKenzie live Tuesday morning to tell the guys about the legislation and why he chose Aerosmith. An avid ZLX listener, he said he came up with the idea for the new bill from a K&M listener who called him and made the suggestion.

He also said he would like K&M to come in and testify to the House on why they want "Dream On" as the state rock song, along with anyone else with strong-enough arguments.

"This would be a fun debate about music that you can have listeners weighing in on, what they think the best song should be," he said about the process. Read more and see the fan debate here.




AC/DC Release Their Own Brand of Beer
AC/DC are taking their classic song "Have A Drink On Me" to a literal level by adding a new official beer to the last year's official wine.

The legendary Australian hard rockers have released their very own "AC/DC Premium Lager Beer" which is billed as a premium German lager that contains 5.0% alcohol.

The beer's official website says that the beer is available at the German chain stores Wasgau, Tegut and Getränke Hoffmann. The site also says the beer will soon be available in Romania, Russia and Brazil. Check out the site to learn more.





Fall Out Boy To Visit 90210
(Radio.com) Recently reunited, Fall Out Boy is ready to visit TV's most famous ZIP code in an upcoming episode of 90210.

According to E! Online, the band is scheduled to appear on the April 29 episode of CW series 90210, the reboot of the famous Fox teen show Beverly Hills, 90210, that ruled the 1990s with tales of the original gang at West Beverly Hills High School.

Fall Out Boy will play "My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark (Light Em Up)," the first single from their upcoming sixth studio album, Save Rock and Roll, set for release on April 16. The band's performance on the show will be "as part of a big concert event."

This won't be their first TV appearance since the band's surprise 2013 reunion... more




David Lee Roth Discusses Van Halen's Live Plans
(hennemusic) Van Halen recently announced that they will co-headline the inaugural Stone Music Festival at Sydney's ANZ Stadium over the April 20 and 21 weekend.

Also on the bill are co-headliner Billy Joel, Kings Of Chaos, Richie Ramone, Lifehouse and Illumination Road, among others.

For Van Halen, it's their first Australian appearance in many years, after coming close a couple of times recently, including a canceled headlining slot at Soundwave 2011.

"You're going to have to ask the rhythm section about that one," singer David Lee Roth tells The Daily Telegraph, in regards to the band's lack of shows down under. "I myself am a traveller. And let me carry with that an explanation that all those who wander are not necessarily lost. I'm calling you from Tokyo, in fact."

Roth was asked if the Aussie concert is part of his quest to get Van Halen out of America and touring the world again.

"Clearly," agrees Roth. "The Van Halens, I think, are just now starting to value that which once was, which was the capacity to experience other worlds, other communities, particularly when you are a stranger in a stranger land. I find that so refreshing. And you gotta be prepared to be a beginner, you gotta be prepared to not have your cheesburger and fries, you gotta be prepared for a lot." more on this story




Robb Flynn Explains Firing of Machine Head Cofounder Adam Duce
Machine Head frontman Robb Flynn has explained why the band decided to part ways with cofounder Adam Duce.

Flynn addressed the news with the following online blog post this week: 2-11-13. That is the date we fired Adam Duce. That is the day that I had to tell Adam that after 21 years of being in a band together, I just couldn't take it anymore.

That is the day I said "My hope is that this can be amicable." The words sounded like someone else had spoken them. It was like being outside of my body watching someone else deliver these painful words. But, it was me saying it. And we all said it.

We had our say sitting in our jam room in Oakland. Dave said it. Joseph (our manager) said it. Phil said it. We all said that we couldn't take being in a band with him anymore. That if this didn't happen, we were going to break up the band.

It was hard. One of the hardest moments of my life. It was also a long time coming. We may have fired Adam on 2-11-13, but Adam quit Machine Head well over a decade ago. He just never bothered to tell anyone… but we all knew it.

Contrary to popular belief, being in a band is tough. Really f**king tough. It's the toughest sonofabitch you'll ever come across in your life and it will beat the living sh*t out of you 80% of the time. Many times it feels like one big rollercoaster, the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. There are wins and losses seemingly every single day. Being in a band is one of life's strangest gambles.

But when you do win, when you win that 20%, well… it truly is salvation. It's what makes eating the other 80% of that s—sandwich bearable. It's where "those" stories come from. It can be the best job you'll ever have and unquestionably one of the hardest you'll ever have. But until you've done it for 20+ years, you have no clue. Until you've held a band together for 20+ years, you really don't know jack sh*t about it. You think you do. You don't. more





Cradle Of Filth Frontman Angry About Tour Cancelation
Cradle Of Filth frontman Dani Filth is angry after the band was forced to cancel their upcoming U.S. tour due to visa issues.

Filth posted a message to fans explaining the cancelation. He wrote: The week we were due to receive our US performance visas truly was one of the worst weeks of my life, as it launched itself blazing into nightmare with the rotten news that the US tour was being cancelled. Believe you me, there is still no one more pissed off about this than me, over nothing more than a silly visa issue. Still, what can you do, the more you complain about the immigration laws, the less likely we are to get in next time we intend to tour?

Unfortunately there is no way of getting around this problem, whatever anybody says and believe you me we have tried vigorously through various official channels and at some expense, it is just a hard cold fact of entry into the US at the moment. So, better that we postpone/cancel than lead people on any further in the hope that Cradle will be making at least some of these current dates, including Canada, which comes cost-wise part and parcel of touring North America as a whole.

It truly is a royal nightmare, as the tour obviously took a lengthy time to route and organise, plus there are the other bands, booking agents, bus companies, local promoters, venues, venue staff and of course, our loyal fans in attendance to consider. Still, if it's any consolation at all, it does mean that there is a distinct possibility that when the visas are eventually processed, we will be able to come back to the States on a much longer tour, seeing as there was a huge amount of people on our Facebook page complaining about the band not playing anywhere near where they lived. Believe me when I say this, we hear you, and the next tour will take all these requests into ardent consideration. So, if you want Cradle to come to your country, town or city, make your sepulchral voice heard now… F**k it, speak to the local promoters if you have to!

And if this wasn't enough misery to unhappily digest, it was then followed by a horrid bout of flu. I had Pharyngitis, Toni had Laryngitis and the rest of the week was spent in the company of a high temperature, headache, earache, limb ache, all-else ache and a raging sore throat combination pack. On Valentine's Day, that most romantic evening of the year, having cancelled our posh dinner and movie date, we were both rolled in as many layers of clothing as was humanly possible to keep warm in bed. And we were still shivering through fever. Now, nigh on two weeks on and the final dregs of the chest infection that came with it are still airing themselves via a hacking great cough and a sinister, snivelling cold.

Anyway, I'd like to end this section of my blog by offering a massive apology to everybody that has been let down by this cancellation, especially the all-important Crewdle Of Filth, The Agonist, Decapitated and The Faceless. If there was any way we could change this, we indefatigably would. Without question. Our friends and fans are the most important thing to this band. Period. He had more to say on other topics.




Primus Expand 3D Tour
Primus has expanded their 3D tour plans and Les Claypool will also be hitting the road with his Duo De Twang this spring.

The Primus 3D tour will feature two sets per night and fans will given 3D glasses to fully enjoy the multimedia experience that will feature original 3D content from 3D Live.

The bulk of the Primus dates will take place in May and early June. Les Claypool's Duo De Twang will be hitting the road on March 20th in San Rafael, CA and concluding on April 28th in New York City.

Primus will be touring in support of their latest studio album, Green Naugahyde, which was was produced and engineered by Les Claypool in his personal studio, Rancho Relaxo, in Northern California. more on this story




Black Sabbath Add New Tour Date
Black Sabbath have added a new date to their reunion tour of Australia which will feature Shihad as special guests.

Tour promoter Live Nation announced that the band will now be making a stop in Adelaide on May 7th.

The tour now includes six dates and will be kicking off on April 25th in Brisbane and will conclude with the Adelaide date.

The band will be visiting nearby New Zealand prior to the Australian tour and will be playing concerts in Auckland on April 20th and 22nd.

Black Sabbath are launching the tour ahead of the June release of their semi-reunion album, "13," their first studio album with Ozzy Osbourne since 1978's "Never Say Die!" more on this story




Peter Frampton Teaming Up With Deep Purple For Tour
(hennemusic) Peter Frampton has announced that he will be playing a series of dates across Germany with Deep Purple this fall.

"Hello Germany!," posted Frampton. "As you can see... my band and I will be coming to play for you again later this year. Looking forward to playing with my good friends Deep Purple again. This will be our 2nd time touring together.

"Steve Morse is one of my all time favourite guitar players! Time for some more back stage riffing and stealing of his licks! Did I just say that out loud? LOL."

Deep Purple will be touring in support of their new album, "NOW What?!", which is due out in late April. more on this story





Green Day Add Club Shows To Upcoming Tour
Green Day will now be kicking off their upcoming North American tour with three dates performed at intimate venues.

The club dates will take place at The Fox Theater in Pomona, CA on March 10th, The Marquee in Tempe, AZ on March 11th and Tricky Falls in El Paso, TX on March 13th.

The band will then launching their regular North American tour on March 28th in Rosemont, IL and have announced dates through April 18th in Los Angeles, CA.

The North American tour will be followed by a European trek which starts on May 24th in Milan, Italy and will conclude on July 13th in Bilbao, Spain. more on this story




The Del-Lords Releasing First New Album Since 1990
The Del-Lords have set a May 14, 2013 release date for their new album, Elvis Club, their first new studio album since 1990.

The reunited band features founding members Scott Kempner, Eric Ambel and Frank Funaro and they are joined by new bassist Michael DuClos.

"Elvis Club confirms to me what I always felt the band could do," says Ambel. "To me, it's a different kind of record for us, in that there isn't so much of a theme to it as a feel, a real band feel. I didn't really think of it as unfinished business; it was more like 'Here's what we can do now."

With Ambel producing the band for the first time, and the sessions taking place at his Brooklyn studio Cowboy Technical Services, the band was able to record on its own terms and in its own time.

"That was a big departure from every record we've made in the past," Ambel observes. "Playing with the guys felt effortless and natural, and it was fantastic to build this thing ourselves, from the ground up. We made the record we wanted to make, based on our own enjoyment. That's as good as it gets for me." more on this story




REO Speedwagon's Live at Moondance Jam Coming To HD TV
Palladia will be premiering REO Speedwagon's "Live at Moondance Jam" on Saturday, March 2 at 6:00 pm PST/9:00 pm EST.

The MTV franchise's high definition channel will also air the concert six additional times, including March 2 at midnight, March 3 at 3:30 pm, March 5 at 10:30 pm, March 6 at 12:30 pm, March 10 at 4:30 am and March 13 at 1:30am (all times ET). Following the run on Palladia, VH1 Classic will premiere the concert on Friday, March 22 at 9 pm ET.

"Live at Moondance Jam," the first high-definition REO Speedwagon concert, is available on DVD and Blu-ray. The release features 13 songs plus an exclusive interview with Kevin Cronin.





Jimi Hendrix Featured On Official Record Store Day Poster
An iconic Jimi Hendrix photo is being used as the official poster for Record Store Day 2013 which will be taking place on April 20th at independent record stories across America.

The Hendrix estate's camp sent over these details: The poster was created from a photo of Jimi Hendrix that was taken in a small record store in New England by Ira Rosen just prior the release of the landmark album, Are You Experienced.

Jimi's sister, Janie Hendrix had this to say, "It's entirely appropriate that an image of Jimi Hendrix is on the official Record Store Day poster. He was an avid music fan and record collector himself and, of course, his recordings are among the most enduring and cherished of all time. Jimi's musical legacy and influence grow with every passing year so, in a sense, he makes Record Store Day last much, much longer than 24 hours."

Only 5,000 copies of the poster will be made and will be free to Hendrix fans at fully participating record stores in the United States.

Experience Hendrix will also be celebrating Record Store Day 2013 with the exclusive release of a limited edition individually numbered 7" vinyl single featuring the original mono mixes of "Hey Joe" b/w "Stone Free" which have been unavailable since their original 1966 release. See the poster photo here.




Orgy, Vampires Everywhere and Davey Suicide Tour Starts This Week
The recently relaunched band Orgy will be kicking off their North American headline tour this weekend in Phoenix.

The band's Wide Awake and Dead Tour starts this Saturday and will conclude with a finale at the Whisky a Go Go on April 15th.

Orgy will be joined on the tour by Vampires Everywhere and Davey Suicide as they hit cities across the U.S. more on this story





FM Releasing Indiscreet 25 Live DVD
(Classic Rock) FM will release a live DVD on April 1. Indiscreet 25 Live was shot last March during shows to celebrate the anniversary of their classic 1986 album, during which the band played it in full.

The package includes a behind-the-scenes documentary in which the band discuss the original record's legacy.

It will be on sale in shops and the band's merch stand during their upcoming tour, the last four shows of which feature It Bites as special guests. more on this story





New Spiritual Beggars Song Streaming Online
(Classic Rock) Classic Rock have premiered "Turn The Tide," the first track from Spiritual Beggars' upcoming eighth album, Earth Blues.

They'll release the follow-up to 2010′s acclaimed Return To Zero on April 15 (April 16 in North America) via InsideOut.

The Swedish outfit launch a European tour with special guests Zodiac on the day the record comes out, and will appear at a number of festivals throughout the summer. Listen to the song here.




Whitesnake TV Premieres 2nd Part of Keith Olsen Interview
(hennemusic) Whitesnake TV has rolled out part 2 of singer David Coverdale's extended conversation with music producer Keith Olsen.

Olsen worked with Coverdale on 1984's "Slide It In," the self-titled 1987 record, and 1989's "Slip Of The Tongue."

Whitesnake kick off the "Year Of The Snake" 2013 world tour in mid-May with a UK trek, before the group hits Europe in June.

The tour will feature the return of legendary drummer Tommy Aldridge to the Whitesnake camp, following the recent departure of Brian Tichy

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Uriah Heep Star Battling Cancer
(Classic Rock) Trevor Bolder has told Classic Rock that the reason for his recent surgery wasn't a heart attack, as online rumors suggested - it was cancer.
But the Uriah Heep bassist is looking forward to life without the killer disease, and he's revealed plans for a Spiders From Mars reunion later this year.

Heep last month announced that Bolder would be temporarily replaced by JJ Jowitt of IQ, Arena and Frost* fame, adding: "We all wish Trevor a speedy return to the fold."

That led to speculation he'd suffered a heart attack. But Bolder tells Classic Rock: "No. It wasn't – it was cancer. I had a big operation in early January that will take me months to get over. more on this story




Robert Plant Has New Album Almost Done
(Radio.com) 2012 saw lots of Led Zeppelin activity, including the band's inclusion in the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony in December. The night of that event, Robert Plant told Radio.com that in 2013 he might "just chill for a while."

But one of his many collaborators, guitarist Buddy Miller, recently told Radio.com that Plant has at least one new album almost ready to go. And after two consecutive releases of (mostly) covers (2007′s Raising Sand with Alison Krauss and 2010′s Band Of Joy), this one will feature brand new songs.

"We got together, we wrote a whole new batch of songs," Miller says. "He wanted to write together, so I said, 'Come over to the house, and let's have Marco [Giovino], our drummer — he's drumming with Jim [Lauderdale] and me — come over. So the three of us set up in my room, and I thought, 'Y'know, if we're gonna write, let me stick up some mics, and record it.' I'm glad I did: it actually sounded really good. It's exciting: I'd say it rocks harder than what we did before. We recorded most of it without a bass; I played baritone guitar, or six-string bass. It's stripped down and tribal and rocking."

So, just how close is it to being ready for release? That, of course, is up to Mr. Plant. "It's just about done," Miller says. "It's missing a few background vocals, and him re-doing a few things. I think he wants to finish it. He's real proud of the songs. But he's Robert Plant, man. He can do whatever he wants to do!" More including a video stream of the interview.




Axl Rose Turned Down Offer To Leave Guns N' Roses
Music industry legend Kim Fowley recently spoke with antiMusic's Morley Seaver and had numerous stories to share from his travels in the business and he shared the following story about how Axl Rose turned down a lucrative offer to leave Guns N' Roses and join another band.

Kim tells us: I was working for a rich manager of a difficult band who had drug issues and alcohol issues and they were friends of Axl. The guy who was putting up the money for this unknown band was dating the leader of the band's mother. So he said "I don't know about this band I'm investing in." he was paying me three grand a week to be their babysitter, producer, coach, shrink, songwriting teacher, publicist, etc. I was doing like 10 jobs. He said, 'Something tells me these guys may not make it. Do you know anyone else who's weird and strange and difficult but possibly platinum?" "Yeah, Guns N' Roses." "Good. Okay. Let's take a look. Oh my goodness. You're right. Okay. Have the singer come by the studio tomorrow."

So we're all in the studio with the unknown band and here comes Axl by himself. And the manager had a $2,000 suit on and he said, "Well, you guys are great. I want to be your manager, production company etc. And I want Kim Fowley to record and produce right here in this studio. And to show you how serious I am I'm going to open this suitcase and show you what's inside. And you can walk away with the suitcase. Or call the boys up and drive up and I'll pay for the cab if you don't have enough gas. Go ahead Axl, open the suitcase."

So Axl opens the suitcase and there's $50,000 in cash. And the manger says, "What do you think?" and Axl says, "With all due respect sir, whoever you are. That's not enough for Guns N' Roses. We're going to be bigger than that. It's just a matter of time. I'll say no politely and I'll go away and I'll make more money than this on our initial signing with my guys. What don't you help these guys out? They're deserving. They're probably not as great as we are but if you're going to piss it away, you might as well piss it away on them because you're already working with them. I gotta go rehearse. It was nice seeing all of you. Good bye." And we all applauded him. (laughs) What else do you do, you know?

So he called a cab. We had the money for the cab and he rode away. And I always thought of all the starving musicians I'd ever seen, even the ones who made it or didn't make it, he was the only one who knew exactly how valuable he was, and how not to panic. Because that's a lot of money for anyone. And he just wasn't interested. And of course they got 75 grand for signing with Geffen.

And the day they got the deal, they gave him the check. He came into Rainbow Bar & Grill, he saw me there and he remembered that I had recommended him. He said, "You'll appreciate this." And he opened his jacket and he had a check for $37, 500 which was half of $75,000 and then they would get the other half when they started the album. So he said, "See, I told you we'd get more." I said, "You did. When are you going to cash it?" He said, "Tomorrow, the banks are closed. So buy me dinner." "I said, okay." (laughs) So we did. And he sat there and he hustled this free dinner (laughing) and with his $37,500 he walked away. He had a steak dinner and we thought it was great. Good for him. And that's how I know Axl. I know THAT Axl. The kind of guy who kinda had it under control.

Check out the full interview to discover how Kim links Axl Rose to Jayne Mansfield here.




Tool Plan Limited Edition Anniversary Release
Tool will be celebrating the 21st anniversary of their debut EP, Opiate, by releasing a special limited edition reissue on March 26th.

The six-track EP will be reissued as limited edition anniversary packages and sold on the band's website.

They plan to only release a total of 5,000 copies with 5 different 1,000 piece runs featuring different graphics and bonus material.

The reissues will feature art direction by Adam Jones, illustrations by legendary artist Adi Granov and design packaging by Mackie Osborne.

The bonus material will include a new stereoscopic image from the 10,000 Days packaging for fans to use with their glasses. The band says that more details will be announced soon and they will not be taking pre-orders for the reissues. Band's website.




David Bowie Pokes Fun At Celebrity Culture in New Video
David Bowie takes aim at today's obsessive celebrity culture in the short film / music video for his new single "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)."

The song comes from his forthcoming album, The Next Day, and has been released at iTunes. The album will be released on March 12th in North America.

The video was directed by Floria Sigismondi and stars the Bowie and actress Tilda Swinton and includes an unprovoked attack with a Morphy Richards electric carving knife, according to Classic Rock. You can stream the new video here.




Iggy Pop and the Stooges Releasing New Album
(Gibson) Iggy Pop and the Stooges have set an April 30th release date for "Ready to Die," their first album since 2007.

"Ready to Die" will be the first album to feature guitarist James Williamson and drummer Scott Asheton since the band's classic Raw Power album from 1973.

The new album will feature bassist Mike Watt, who took over after original guitarist and later bassist Ron Asheton passed away in 2009.

Iggy and the Stooges are hitting the road on March 23 with an Australian tour. After a lone date in Long Beach, CA, the boys head over to Europe for a bunch of festival dates in June and July. more on this story







Metallica Not Planning Full Album Set At Orion Festival
(hennemusic) Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich shares some insight into this year's Orion Music + More Festival, including which acts he's looking forward to seeing and what fans won't be seeing from Metallica.

"I saw the Chili Peppers in San Francisco about six months ago," says Lars. "They're on a f**king roll at the moment. They're better than they've ever been. I was completely blown away for two hours. We did a run with the Deftones in 2003 on our Summer Sanitarium Tour, which was really cool. Those guys are always good. Dropkick Murphys, those guys are so much fun and have so much energy. [Laughs] There's such a positive vibe in what they do. Bringing in the 2013 incarnation of Black Flag, minus the "Black," is obviously going to be pretty fun.

"My 14-year-old has turned me on to Japandroids, and I've heard some of their stuff, which is pretty amazing. I've become kind of a late fan of Fu Manchu. My girl actually turned me on to them a little while ago, so I'm a brand new fan of theirs. I'm glad that they're with us. You know, [proto-punk band] Death. [Laughs] We'll have Death come out and do their thing in Detroit again! And the Dillinger Escape boys. Lots of different stuff."

Ulrich was asked if the band would be playing any of their classic albums at Orion 2013. "If I was a betting man, which I'm not, I would probably not put too much money on that," he said. "I think you've got to be careful that it doesn't become something that people expect from you every year, especially when you only put records out every five years like we do. We'll run out of records to play at some point pretty quick." He elaborates further.





Deep Purple Reveal New Album Title
(Classic Rock) Deep Purple have finally confirmed the title of their 19th studio album: it's called Now What?! and it's set for release in late April.

The band had spent recent weeks teasing fans over the title, referring to is simply as "?!" and refusing to reveal any further details.

The first single, a double-A release featuring tracks entitled Hell To Pay and All The Time In The World, will appear on March 29.

Meanwhile, former Purple member Glenn Hughes has recalled how the band kept watch on him for a year before inviting him to join. Read about that here.





Soundgarden Reveal Spring Tour Dates
Soundgarden have revealed the tour dates for the 2nd leg of their North American tour in support of their latest album.

The new tour leg will kick off on May 3rd in Atlantic City, NJ and will conclude on May 28th in Broomfield, CO

In addition to headlining dates, the tour will also include performances at music festivals including Carolina Rebellion, Rock on the Range and WRZX X103 Mayday Event.

The band is touring in support of their comeback album, King Animal. The band filmed the final show of the 1st leg of the tour at The Wiltern in Los Angeles for Live From The Artists Den.

The episode will be airing later this year on PBS and will feature interviews with the band in addition to the live footage. more on this story





Whitesnake Plan Second Live Release This Year
(hennemusic) Earlier this month, Whitesnake announced plans to release "Made In Japan," a Deluxe 2CD/DVD Edition, Blu-ray and DVD that captures the band in concert at the Loud Park festival on October 15th, 2011 at Saitama Super Arena in Japan during their Forevermore World Tour.

The project will be released in the UK on Monday April 22nd (North American release is Tuesday April 23rd).

Now, singer David Coverdale tells The Rockpit that the band will issue a second live project later this year.

"We'll also be releasing a double live CD called 'Made In Britain' in July," he says. "It was recorded on the 2011 UK tour and an extra CD tentatively called 'Whitesnake The World Record' recorded all over the f**king place. Very ambitious." more on this story




Jeff Lynne Rarities Include ELO Album With George Harrison and Ringo
(Gibson) A number of rare Electric Light Orchestra and Jeff Lynne recordings have found a new home on Frontiers Records, the label that recently released new albums by both Lynne and his most famous musical endeavor, ELO.

The releases are ELO's Zoom, a 2001 release which has been unavailable for over ten years and which features appearances by Beatles George Harrison and Ringo Starr; Lynne's 1990 solo debut Armchair Theatre (Harrison shows up there too); and Electric Live Orchestra Live, which chronicles the first date of the Zoom tour at Los Angeles' CBS Television City, originally released as a DVD.

Each release includes additional tracks, with Live really upping the ante with four tracks that weren't on the original DVD release as well as two new unreleased studio tracks, "Out of Luck" and "Cold Feet." more on this story






Bruce Springsteen's Born To Run Home For Sale
(Radio.com) A little more than a week has passed since Bruce Springsteen's former home located at 71/2 West End Court Long Branch, New Jersey was placed on the market for $349,900 by one of its three owners, and already real estate agent Susan McLaughlin of Keller Williams Realty has received a whopping 40 phone calls and another 40 emails regarding the estate.

The other two owners have agreed to partner with anyone willing to buy a third of the house.

Springsteen lived in the five-room, two-bedroom and one bath cottage in 1974 and '75 and while writing his most iconic album to date, 1975′s Born to Run. He was 25 and 26

According to the Asbury Park Press, rock legend Bob Dylan was looking for the landmark home after being detained by the Long Branch police in 2009. While visting the homes of rock stars like Jim Morrison to feel the musical vibes, Dylan mistakenly went to West End Avenue, not West End Court. more on this story




Great White Guitarist Explains Jack Russell Departure
Classic Rock Revisited recently spoke with Great White guitarist Mark Kendall for an in-depth interview about their new 30th anniversary release, their new frontman and other topics. Kendall also explained the band's parting with original singer Jack Russell. Here is that portion of the interview:

CRR: I don't want to slag Jack, because I love him in Great White. But we know what happened and all of the issues. Great White was not having fun at the end with Jack. Did you ever think it would be fun again?

Mark: Just to be brutally honest, it was not fun because there was so much drama attached to everything. I get it because I work with addicts every day. My sobriety has quality to it because I am giving back. I work with MusiCares and I help people who are struggling.

I get addiction. When you are watching someone self-destruct and you're trying to have fun at the same time, then the fun is really hard to get to. We were dealing with someone who was fighting demons. He was having a hard time getting it, if you will. It was hard on everyone. Even the fans were going, "What are you doing having this guy out here in this condition?" as if we were forcing him to come out. He was insisting on coming out. I remember playing a gig in Canada and he actually was falling asleep onstage. I went behind him where the crowd couldn't see me and literally slapped him on his back to wake him up. We were only five songs into the set and he was falling asleep. It was tough. You get so used to the drama that it is normal. When you start out you go to your hotel, you do interviews and you go play the show. When you have to insert urgent care and shots of Demerol and falling down and all of that, then it hinders everything. It makes it hard on everyone.

When that all went away and we got this healthy dude in Terry, who is into martial arts and doesn't smoke cigarettes and we are all sober as the day we are born, then we just started making music and enjoying our families, and our fans, and our gigs again. We don't leave anywhere that we play without having everything signed and all of the pictures are taken. We are having fun again and it is a blast. Everything is so easy; I had forgotten how easy it can be. It is really not so tough. When you have someone struggling then it really can make it tough.

It was not like Jack and I got into a drop down drag out fight and that we were done with each other. It was not like we could not take each other anymore. It was just the case of addiction winning. I work with addicts all the time and I try to help them. I tried to help Jack. I took him to my pastor and I had him baptized, but he was high at the time. It was a little bit of a dog and pony show, but I get it. If you're not ready to get sober then you're not going to do it. You can't get clean for other people; you have to quit for yourself. To have success in recovery then you need to do it for yourself. The problems will take care of itself in time. You can't do it because your kids want it, or to save your marriage. You give yourself the best chance to be successful if you do it for yourself. The interview with Mark covered a lot more topics, check it out here.




Member Leaves Saigon Kick As They Prepare For Reunion Tour
Saigon Kick are preparing to launch a five date reunion tour next month but have announced one member is already leaving the band.

The group had this to say, "After the official Saigon Kick reunion announcement and rehearsals, we regret to announce that Tom Defile (bass) will not be continuing with the band. Tom and Saigon Kick amicably decided this is best for both parties and we wish him nothing but success in his future endeavors."

Saigon Kick frontman Matt Kramer tells BW&BK that Chris McLernon, who replaced Defile on their Water album and joined the reunion as second guitarist, will now be back to playing bass. Read their report here.




Extended Interviews From Aerosmith's 60 Minutes Appearance Go Online
(hennemusic) 60 Minutes Australia caught up with Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler and guitarist Joe Perry for an extensive chat about their legendary career and survival tactics for the future.

The appearance was tied to the news that Aerosmith will tour Australia this spring for the first time in 24 years. The group will play three shows in Oz and one in New Zealand.

Watch Tyler and Perry's extended individual interviews that were not part of the 60 Minutes broadcast here.




Anthrax Break Out AC/DC Cover Down Under
(hennemusic) Anthrax rocked an AC/DC classic during the first show of the Soundwave festival in Australia.

The group played AC/DC's "TNT" on Saturday at the Brisbane stop of this year's traveling festival.

Anthrax have recorded "TNT" for "Anthems," a forthcoming eight-track EP that pays tribute to the classic songs by some of the group's favorite bands from the 1970s. Check out video of the jam here.




American Hero Experience Makes Marine's Music Dream Comes True
(Gibson) The American Hero Experience TV show helped make the dreams of singer/songwriter and former active duty Marine, Markus Fox, come true earlier this month.

Fox, who served tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, had his father ship his guitar to a combat zone. His music not only became therapy, it also lifted the spirits of his fellow Marines.

The American Hero Experience sent Markus to Nashville, Tennessee to record his song, "Sacrifices," which will be used periodically on the new TV series.

Markus also performed on stage in Nashville with hit songwriters Wynn Varble, Don Poythress, Karen Staley and Brad Cotter. At the show, Gibson President & CEO Henry Juszkiewicz presented Fox with a guitar.

The episode will air on "American Hero Experience" at 1:00 pm EST on Thursday, February 28, 2013 on the NBC Sports Network. Check out video here.






Robin Zander's Sgt. Pepper Outfit Added To Rock Hall
(hennemusic) To kick off 2013, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio has unveiled dozens of new collection items – including handwritten lyrics, instruments, a tour van, clothing, stage props, and more – many on display to the public for the first time.

One of the highlights from the new collection is Cheap Trick vocalist and guitarist Robin Zander's Sgt. Pepper outfit, designed by Karen Dusenbery, and located in the Ahmet Ertegun Main Exhibit Hall, Lower Level

Cheap Trick released the album "Sgt. Pepper Live," recorded with a full orchestra on August 25, 2009, commemorating the 42nd anniversary of the release of the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." more on this story




Def Leppard's Rick Allen Plans Special Art Events In Vegas
(hennemusic) When Def Leppard take over the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas next month for their "VIVA Hysteria!" residency, fans will have more than just the live concerts to check out while in Sin City.

Leppard drummer Rick Allen will showcase his fine-art debut collection, "Electric Hand: Rhythm + Change", at the Martin Lawrence Galleries at the Forum Shops in Las Vegas.

From March 22 until April 10, Allen's entire collection of rhythm on canvas will be on display, and fans are encouraged to visit the gallery while they are there to see it and own the final pieces available in the world.

There will also be two live question-and-answer events with Rick at the gallery where he will discuss the collection and meeting the public. more on this story





Singled Out: The Trouble With Templeton
Today Hugh Middleton from up-and-coming Aussie band The Trouble With Templeton tells us about their song "Six Months in a Cast". Here is the story:

'Six Months in a Cast' was the first track that we decided to record with Matt Redlich at his incredible studio in Yeronga, Brisbane. The bass, drums and acoustic guitar bed of the track was recorded live. Initially it was quite a tricky one to capture on a recording because of how tight the bass and drums had to be to perfectly lock into the groove of the acoustic guitars' quite staccato sounding strums. While laying down the bed of the track we all slowly started to realize how much of a perfectionist Redlich is. And I mean that in the best way possible. At the time it was quite a shock to us that it was proving more difficult than recently anticipated to get a take down that reached Redlichs standards. But it is this very reason why all of us have chosen to work with him. He listens from a completely objective point of view, and delivers what he thinks in the same way. He pushes just enough for the best results whilst maintaining a friendly yet professional way about it.

Being the first recording experience together as a band, there was a fair amount of experimentation involved using a wide array of pedals, synths and sounds that we as a band had never previously been accustomed to playing. Our drummer Richie had also a fair amount of influence on the ambience of the track. Redlich secretly recorded Ritchie scuffling through one of his drum bags as he was searching for a shaker. The clanking of bells, sticks, shakers and other bits of percussion were used as a large part of the ambience particularly in the middle section. It was Redlichs idea to incorporate a Moog modulation pedal running through a live piano track. Betty's piano line during the chorus shifts up and down in octaves, and swells and retracts in fast sweeping delays that were controlled simultaneously by Tom in the control room. This method of one member playing the instrument and another controlling the plug ins or pedals is happening all over this album. It's a great way of breaking the predictability of a melody line with effects.

Because the bass, drums and rhythm guitar parts of the track were quite driving and staccato I felt it would compliment the progress of the song to include a more sustained, elongated feeling guitar line that enters after the first verse. I was hoping this would create some contrast against the dry acoustic tight grooves and balance it with some eeriness. The outro of the song was only actually written a few days before we started recording. Originally we were hoping to fill out the outro with a brass section. That idea didn't really make it since all the brass players we asked were busy and I think by the end we all started to lean towards the idea of it being more of a soaring, crowd sing along style section…

After the instruments were done, it was time for the main vocal. Tom being Tom pushed out one take and it was it. Absolutely incredible... By that stage I think Redlich really was impressed by the delivery of Toms' vocal, seeing that the recording of the bedding track seemed to take a bit longer than he would've liked. Oh before I forget, claps! Claps were a major part of this song. I remember Tom also had an exceptional clap sound, I don't think mine made the cut…

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself right here!




Saxon Release Sacrifice Video
(Classic Rock) Saxon have released the promo video for Sacrifice, the title track of their 20th album.

It follows the launch of an eight-minute making-of clip in which band discuss the inspiration for the song while the director and crew explain the process of putting the video together.

Sacrifice is released on March 4. Saxon tour the UK and Ireland in April. You can find the tour dates and watch the new video here.




Van Halen's David Lee Roth Explores Tattoo History
(hennemusic) Van Halen lead singer David Lee Roth explores the world of tattoos in the latest episode in his series, The Roth Show.

"Tattoos In Japan" see Roth talking about the history of tattoos worldwide, especially in Japan, where the singer is currently residing. Dave also shares his own Japanese tattoo experiences.

A year ago, "Tattoo" was the lead single from Van Halen's "A Different Kind Of Truth," the band's first album with Roth since 1984. Check out the episode here.




Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx On Creative High Heading Down Under
(hennemusic) Motley Crue kick off an Australian tour with KISS and Thin Lizzy on Thursday in Perth.

The bands will play 8 shows in the country between February 28 and March 16. Bassist Nikki Sixx checks in from down under as he prepares for opening night.

"Long day today ( yesterday ) getting last minute stuff together to catch the flight to Australia ( where i just landed in Sydney )," writes Nikki. "I haven't had a day off in over a month so I am a little bit crisp around the edges. The good news is I've been on a creative high and that always a good reason to be tired."

"Anyway, I regress, back to the tour," he continues. "Leaving on tour is always hard on me and always has been. Ive been pretty open about it in my books and posts over the years. I have a lot to wanna stay home for but i also love doing what i do ( playing ROCK N ROLL )..So here I sit in Sydney waiting for the connection flight to Perth where Kiss and Crue kick off the first show of the tour. The rest of the band left days ago but i wanted to milk the last few days to soak up the family."

Today's Day in Rock News!

Today's Day in Rock


Foo Fighters Begin New Album
(Radio.com) Dave Grohl just can't stop rocking. After announcing last October that the Foo Fighters were set to "go away for a while," Grohl has revealed that the band is ready to reconvene and begin work on a new album.
Grohl made the revelation during a red carpet interview at this year's BRIT Awards in London on February 20.

"I return to Los Angeles tomorrow to start work on a Foo Fighters record," he said to the show's host, James Cordon (via Kerrang!), adding that the new material would be released "eventually."

It would be the Foo Fighters' eighth studio full-length, and the first since 2011 album Wasting Light, which included such singles as "Rope" and "These Days." more on this story




Trent Reznor Resurrects Nine Inch Nails
(Classic Rock) Trent Reznor has confirmed Nine Inch Nails will tour in 2013, four years after he brought the curtain down on the band's live career.

In 2009 he said "I've been thinking for some time now it's time to make NIN disappear for a while," and did just that after their Wave Goodbye tour.

Now he's decided the time is right to bring the industrial rock project back – and he's revealed the new lineup includes former Jane's Addiction bassist Eric Avery and King Crimson frontman Adrian Belew. more on this story




Metallica Announce Orion Festival Lineup
Metallica have revealed lineup and headliner details for their 2nd Orion Music + More Festival that will be taking place this spring.

Aside from Metallica, the festival will also feature headline performances from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rise Against, Deftones and Bassnectar.

The 2013 Orion Music + More Festival is set to take place on June 8th and 9th at Belle Isle in Detroit, MI.

The festival lineup will also feature over 30 bands performing on 5 stages including The Dillinger Escape Plan, All Shall Perish, The Bronx, Gogol Bordello, Dropkick Murphys, Tomahawk, The Joy Formidable and more.

"Last year's Orion Music + More Festival was hands down the highlight of the Metallica calendar. A great time was had by all, especially the band members," said Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich. "The fact that it also resonated with enough of our fans and friends that it warrants another go-around in '13 is beyond exciting. I can think of no better place than the Motor City, with its rich and diverse history of music, for the second ride on our Orion festival train. Bring it the f**k on!" See lineup here.




KISS Founder Ace Frehley Facing Home Foreclosure
A bank filed a foreclosure filing earlier this month against a home owned by original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley and he is also reportedly owes back property tax on the home.

U.S. Bank National Association alleges that Frehley stopped making mortgage payments on his Yorktown, New York home on March 1, 2011, according to lohud.com

The bank made a foreclosure filing on February 15th where they asked a court to order the sale of the property for the outstanding principal of $703,581.48 plus interest, late charges and other expenses, according to the report.

Frehley is also reportedly behind on his taxes. The report states that tax office shows that they havene't received a tax payment since December of 2011 and there is a tax lien for $5,131.61 for town and county taxes for 2011 and he owes $13,425.94 for unpaid 2012 county, school and town taxes. more on this story





The Dillinger Escape Plan Launching Spring Tour
The Dillinger Escape Plan have announced a Spring North American tour which will be part of their new World Tour plans.

The North American trek will also feature The Faceless and Royal Thunder and is set to kick off on April 22nd in Lancaster, PA.

Prior to the tour launch, Dillinger Escape Plan will be making an appearance at the New England Metal Fest on April 20th in Worcester, MA.

The band is hitting the road in support of their new studio album, One Of Us Is The Killer, which is set for release in North America on May 14th.

"It's been a while since we've been out doing what we do best," said guitarist Ben Weinman. "We're excited to present this album to the world." more on this story




Former Black Sabbath Member Puzzled By Bill Ward Situation
(Classic Rock) Former Black Sabbath singer Tony Martin believes Black Sabbath should have done everything in their power to bring Bill Ward back into the fold.

The drummer was left out of the band's reunion with original vocalist Ozzy Osbourne after saying he hadn't been offered a contract he regarded as "signable." His place on upcoming album 13 was taken by Rage Against The Machine sticksman Brad Wilk after producer Rick Rubin failed in an attempt to bring Ginger Baker into the studio.

Martin previously wondered if it was nothing more than a publicity stunt. But now he cites the example of Def Leppard to illustrate how far he thinks Sabbath should have gone to make Ward part of the reunion.

He tells Legendary Rock Interviews: "The thing is weird – because they always loved Bill. They never had a bad thing to say about him, so I don't quite get why they wouldn't take time out to nurture him back into the fold." more on this story





NWOBHM Bands Launching Music Festival
(Classic Rock) NWOBHM heroes including Holocaust, Avenger, Scarab and Spartan Warrior will gather at the first Brofest event at Northumbria University Students Union, Newcastle, on March 1 and 2. Organiser and former Tygers Of Pan Tang vocalist Jess Cox explains why the event is so important.

In 1980 a new musical phenomena burst into the world, called the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. It spawned Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, Saxon – and the North East's very own Tygers Of Pan Tang.

The movement only lasted a few short years; but for a while it was the height of cool – and it influenced generations of major worldwide acts, including the biggest heavy metal band on the planet: Metallica.

Many of the movement's foot soldiers were from Newcastle and outlining towns. Most of them were signed by Neat Records from Wallsend, who released 200 singles and albums through the 1980s by Geordie metal acts Venom, Raven, the Tygers, Tysondog, Fist, Blitzkreig and White Spirit (featuring guitarist Janick Gers, who found fame later in Maiden). more on this story




3 Doors Down Plan Special Unplugged Concert
3 Doors Down will be unplugging for a special one-off acoustic concert in the band's adopted hometown of Nashville next month.

The event is set to take place at the War Memorial in Nashville on March 1st. Frontman Brad Arnold explains, "We all call Nashville home, and we cannot wait to perform for our fans in a more intimate setting at War Memorial.

"It will also be the first time we have performed a full set acoustically. It's going to be a great evening."

Guitarist Chris Henderson adds, "These songs translate so well from the electric versions. We go through and strip each one down to figure out what will work best for this type of show. It's a reimagining of the songs."




Fear Factory and Hate Eternal Announce American Tour Dates
Fear Factory and Hate Eternal have announced the initial dates for their upcoming North American tour.

The announced dates kick off on April 10th in Seattle, Wa and run until May 16th in Houston, with more dates expected to be announced soon.

Fear Factory will be hitting the road in support of their latest album, The Industrialist. more on this story

More on Fear Factory - Fear Factory Music - Fear Factory Tour Dates/Tickets - Fear Factory CDs, vinyl and rarities
Paramore's Hayley Williams Explains New Album Title
(Radio.com) During an exclusive interview with Radio.com, lead singer Hayley Williams discussed Paramore's fourth album, and why they chose it to name it after the band.

"The self-titled aspect of the whole thing is definitely a statement. I feel like it's not only reintroducing the band to the world, but even to ourselves," Williams explained alongside bandmates Taylor York and Jeremy Davis.

"We wrote this album kind of blindly, just letting it lead us wherever it was gonna take us. Each song felt very different and felt very new and exciting for us. By the end of it, it felt like we're a new band."

"I definitely think we're reintroducing ourselves to the world and to our fans," the singer continued about the band's first album without founding members Zac and Josh Farro. "At the same time, it's so definitely us, you know? It's so Paramore. I just don't think there would've been any other title that would've worked. Anything else would've felt like we were trying too hard." more on this story




Aerosmith and Foreigner Members Headed To Songwriter Hall of Fame
Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry and Foreigner's Mick Jones and Lou Gramm lead the 2013 class for the Songwriters Hall Of Fame.

The hard rock duos will be inducted along with Eagles songwriting collaborator JD Souther, 60s hit maker Tony Hatch, and multi-genre songwriter Holly Knight who's credits include Tina Turner and Aerosmith's "Ragdoll. "

The induction will take place at a gala on June 13th in New York City at the Marriott Marquis Hotel.

Organizers sent over details about each of this year's inductees that you can read here




Green Day Announce South By Southwest Plans
Green Day will be warming up for their upcoming world tour with their very first appearance at the South By Southwest music festival.

The band is set to appear at the festival on March 15th for a screening of their two films and a live performance.

The film screening will include the world premiere of Broadway Idiot and the Green Day documentary ¡Cuatro! at the Paramount Theatre.

The band will then perform ACL-Live at the Moody Theatre. Their camp sent over the admission information here.





Motley Crue Heading North This Spring
(hennemusic) Motley Crue have announced a 2013 Canadian tour, which marks the most expansive run of the country in the band's history.

The 18-show trek kicks off April 20 in Penticton, BC, and runs through to May 14 when the band completes the tour in the nation's capital, Ottawa, ON.

The Crue will be joined by special guests Big Wreck. Motley Crue kick off an Australian tour with KISS and Thin Lizzy on Thursday in Perth. more on this story





New Pearl Jam Album Out This Year?
There is some hope for Pearl Jam fans that the band will be releasing their new album this year according to comments from guitarist Mike McCready.

McCready was interviewed by Rolling Stone and while the publication did not include the full quote from the guitarist, they do quote him as saying the band hopes to have the album out "this year, for sure." Though his quote sounds far more definite than their "hope" qualification.

The article features several partial quotes from McCready. One states that the band is "working on demos right now and we're going to be recording soon."

"What everybody's been saying is halfway done," he says of the new album. "I think that's true – we have seven songs that are relatively completed. But then we have an additional 15 ready to go aside from any that Eddie brings in, so we'll weed through those."

He also discussed the musical direction of the album and his excitement to once again be working with Brendan O'Brien. Read the report here.




Former Allman Brothers Band Member Dan Toler Dies
Onetime Allman Brothers Band guitarist Dan Toler died at his home in Sarasota Florida on Monday morning, (February 25th), after fighting a long battle against (ALS) Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Toler was best known as a member of the Dickey Betts & Great Southern band and was featured on the two albums with Dickey Betts & Great Southern before becoming a member of The Allman Brothers Band from 1979 until 1982.

Toler was featured on the Allman's 1979 album, "Enlightened Rogues," 1980 album "Reach for the Sky" and "Brothers of the Road" in 1981.

Dan Toler and his late brother David (Frankie) Toler were members of the Gregg Allman Band in the 1980s, and were featured on his album, I'm No Angel, in 1987; and again on Just Before the Bullets Fly in 1988. more on this story





Trapped Under Ice Going on Lengthy Hiatus
Trapped Under Ice are planning the put the band on ice at the end of the summer, announcing plans for a "lengthy hiatus."

The band assure fans they are not breaking up and released a length explanation for the move as well as confirmation they will be honoring their live commitments which conclude with their appearance at the This Is Hardcore festival in August.

Here is what the band had to say: Hello World. TUI here. We're writing to give everyone an update on the future of the band. Let's get straight to the point: Beginning in August 2013, Trapped Under Ice is going on a pretty lengthy hiatus. We are NOT breaking up. This is by no means the end of TUI. We just decided that it was important to keep the band fresh and something the five of us enjoy. We don't wanna spin the wheels for nothing and just write music because we feel like we have to. We don't really feel right about just putting out another record for the sake of touring right now. So, while its still fun, we're gonna go on a little break, do all our own things, then take it from there.

At this time, we just want to emphasize that TUI, as a band, and as people, all still love hardcore and punk music. We all play in other bands and still tour. More importantly, we're five people who still love each other and love playing music together. None of that has changed. We've been around the world and back a couple times together and all grown a lot as individuals in this band. Made amazing friends and played with some of our favorite bands. We just wanted to keep it honest for people that have stuck with us through thick and thin over the years. There's no beef, no drama. So anything you hear or read thats not in these paragraphs is 100% NOT true. After a lot of deliberation, we just all felt it was a good time to step back, take a breather, and get a fresh perspective on things.

So, with that being said, we aren't going on hiatus just yet. We still have a bunch of shows in the next six months, including a California weekend, a show in Hawaii, United Blood (Richmond VA), New England Metal Fest (Mass), Groezrock in Belgium (our one and only mainland European show), a UK tour with our friends Backtrack, Canada, and shows in Baltimore and DC. Wrapping it up this summer at This Is Hardcore Fest in Philly, for what will be our last show for roughly a couple years (2015). We'd love for everyone to come out and have fun. more on this story




Suicidal Tendencies Tour To Feature D.R.I. and Sick Of It All
Suicidal Tendencies have announced the first leg of their Slam City tour of North America which will feature some big name support.

The band will kicking off the leg on April 11th in San Francisco. The entire tour will feature support from Wake the Dead and the tour will feature additional support from punk legends D.R.I. from April 16th until April 28th.

Sick Of It All will replace D.R.I. beginning on April 30th in St. Petersburg, FL and remain on the tour leg until it concludes on May 12th in San Diego.

Sick Of It All will also be appearing early in the tour at shows in New York, Philadelphia, Worchester and Baltimore. more on this story




Anthrax Streaming AC/DC Cover
Anthrax continues to preview their forthcoming covers EP with the latest song stream featuring their take on an AC/DC classic.

The Thrash Metal veterans will be releasing the new 8-track covers EP, "Anthems,' on March 19th in North America.

This past week Megaforce Records released a stream the band's cover of AC/DC classic "TNT" and Charlie Benante spoke with Music Radar about why they selected it.

"This was Joey's [Belladonna, vocals] track," Benante told the site. "We already had Whole Lotta Rosie recorded, but he wanted T.N.T. I can see why: his voice totally lends itself to this track.

"AC/DC is probably one of the greatest bands ever. The came in with a certain sound, and they'll end with that same exact sound. They never altered it; they just stayed true to what they were. To me, that's an honest-to-goodness rock 'n' roll band.

"It would have been obvious to pick something off of Highway To Hell or Back In Black, and so we didn't. [Laughs] I studied every Phil Rudd lick, and I did not go overboard with anything. I played exactly what he played on T.N.T. You can't do a fast drum fill on the song – it'll stand out as being out of place. I laid it down, pulled it back, and that was that." Check out the stream here.




Megadeth Excited To Release New Album With Universal
(hennemusic) Megadeth are sharing more footage of the band in the studio working on their forthcoming new album, "Super Collider."

The project will be released in June via guitarist Dave Mustaine's new label, Tradecraft, which is distributed by Universal.

"It was a real thrill for us to learn there was an opportunity to join Universal," said Mustaine. "It seems like every time you see a great band or music video, it comes from a Universal label. Being with Universal is by far the most exciting and prestigious home for Megadeth ever!

"We are electrified with what the future holds and the possibilities such a powerhouse like Universal will bring for us all. We have worked with some great people over the years, and it is amazing to see so many of them on the Universal team for our new record, 'Super Collider'. If Megadeth being here isn't satiating enough, having Tradecraft as my own label is going to be really amazing for metal bands around the world." Watch it here.




Saxon Document Sacrifice
(Classic Rock) Saxon have released a video documenting the making of the promo for upcoming single Sacrifice.

In the eight-minute clip the band discuss the inspiration for their 20th album's title track while the director and crew explain the process of putting the video together.

Frontman Biff Byford recently said of the album: "My brief to the band was to be raw, be real and not be afraid to look back at the old classic material for inspiration." Watch the video here.





KISS Coffeehouse Named Grand Strand Winner
(hennemusic) The KISS Coffeehouse in Myrtle Beach has been voted a winner in the "Best Of The Grand Strand" competition for the 4th consecutive year.

With more than 56,000+ total votes cast, by both locals and tourists alike, and over 1,000+ businesses competing for "Best Of" honors, in 68 unique, and special categories, The KISS Coffeehouse was 1 of just 68 overall winners, winning in the category of "Specialty Food & Drink - Best Coffee Shop."

The "Best Of The Grand Strand" competition is an annual competition, sponsored by Myrtle Beach's local NBC affiliate, WMBF News. more on this story





FM Release Tough Love Video
(Classic Rock) With their new album Rockville due out on March 11, UK melodic rock veterans FM have released a promo clip for their new song Tough Love.

FM are also pleased to announce that due to the amount of interest generated in Rockville II, this album will now get a standalone release via Riff City Records on March 25.

Originally only available as part of a two-CD Rockville package via the FM PledgeMusic campaign, Rockville II includes a new version of the song High which was originally recorded by Steve Overland and Pete Jupp for the So! album Brass Monkey.

"We love this song and we wanted to give it the FM treatment," says bassist Merv Goldsworthy. Check out the preview trailer here.





Singled Out: The Gallery
Today The Gallery frontman Brendan Cooney tells us about the song "Young & Restless" from their brand new album "Restless," which was released today. Here is the story:

The song is about humanity, and how everyone goes through hard times – whether it's loss of loved ones through war, or heartbreak in general… but it's the human spirit to keep on keepin' on. As for the chorus, it is about how we need to be there for each other – we are stronger together than we are individually.

We started this song over two years ago, so I honestly couldn't tell you when or where the original idea spawned from. The original title was 'The Thing About Love,' because the opening verse of the song was the only part we had finished ("The thing about love and the thing about peace; the thing about hope and the thing about me…"). It took me a long time to figure out what part of the song - pre-chorus, chorus, verse, etc. - that should be.

We wanted to finish the song for a long time – even for the 'Come Alive' EP – but we just couldn't get it done in time. Nothing we tried for the rest of the song felt as strong as that first verse. When it came time to write this record, we were just trying and trying to finish it, but it wasn't coming easily. Usually that's a sign not to force it.

We had the original 10 songs for the album, and thought the record was done. Our manager, Sara, however, loved the song and wanted us to give it one last try. We'd showed it to our producer, Warren, who loved it as well. We ended up going back into the studio to record it, almost as a bonus after the rest of the album was completed.


We didn't feel the original chorus melody we came up with was strong enough to be the chorus, but we still liked that melody and the idea behind the lyric ("It's been a long year for the broken hearted…"). We ended up writing a new chorus, and making the old chorus the bridge – we kept the lyrics but changed a few of the chords to make it feel more like a bridge.

Once the new melody was written for the chorus, it was up to us to sit there and play the chorus melody over and over, and sing over and over, to see what words sounded good and fit the meaning of the song. I finally came up with "We are the young and restless, together no one can stand against us, we are the young and restless, we are one" after trial and error, and just listening to it hundreds of times. We'd already had the idea to do gang vocals for the chorus, even before the lyrics were written, so that helped write the "we are" part of the lyric. We had also already decided to name the album Restless, so we thought that lyric would be a good fit.

We knew the song would be going in a poppy direction for us – even going into it – but we thought we would stretch ourselves a little, while staying true to the sound of the rest of the album. We wanted to keep a balance of that. Overall lyrically it's personally one of my favorites, and I like how it came out. I am glad we got the push to finish it, and I'm happy we waited this long and didn't force it.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn more about the album right here!




When David Bowie Became Ziggy Stardust
(Classic Rock) Former Spider From Mars drummer Woody Woodmansey has reflected on the amount of pressure David Bowie was under during his Ziggy Stardust era and how the experience changed his ex-colleague.

"We went on holiday to Cyprus and the plane got hit by lightning," Woodmansey says. "He went white and fainted. He was so emaciated from the hard work, you could see the veins on his face. He didn't fly after that.

"In the early days, we'd have a laugh, go clubbing – but later on it became apparent that he'd gone into character. You'd come off stage and he'd do interviews as Ziggy; you'd be sat in a taxi with this alien. You'd ask a question and he'd look right through you. He had turned into Ziggy Stardust." more on this story




Heaven's Basement Go Behind The Scenes of I Am Electric
(Classic Rock) Heaven's Basement have released a video documenting the making of the promo for their single I Am Electric.

The rising-star outfit released debut album Filthy Empire earlier this month. Guitarist Sid Glover recently said of the record:

"I want people to say, 'F**k, I haven't heard an album that's made me feel this pumped up in ages. I haven't seen a band with this much energy and go-f**k-yourself attitude.'"

You can view both the making of and the final video