Today's Top Stories
Aerosmith Farewell Tour Coming?(hennemusic)
Steven Tyler says Aerosmith are considering plans for a farewell tour in 2017. As the singer gears up for the release of his debut solo album and companion tour, he spoke with Rolling Stone about what lies ahead for the legendary Boston band.
"I'm doing 30 [solo] shows from May until August," says Tyler. "And then in 2017 we go out with Aerosmith. We're probably doing a farewell tour. Look, there's two bands that still have the original members, us and the Stones. I'm grateful for that. Whether we do a farewell tour or go into the studio and do another record, I'm just excited about it."
Tyler's comments follow similar thoughts by guitarist Brad Whitford, who told Eddie Trunk last December: "We are actually talking about that - about actually putting together a sort of wind-down tour which we would call the Farewell Tour. I guess it's just because of our age.
"You know, something's gonna happen. It's just inevitable that somebody's not gonna be able to do it anymore. So it would be very nice to take a nice long bow and say thank you and ... put it to bed kind of gracefully." Read more here.
Gregg Allman Tour Bus In An Accident(hennemusic)
A tour bus carrying members of Gregg Allman's road crew crashed in Jackson County, West Virginia early Wednesday (April 6) morning en route to a concert that evening in Charleston.
WSAZ Huntington reports that ten members of Allman's sound crew were on the bus when the driver experienced a choking incident behind the wheel, causing the vehicle to cross the southbound lanes on Interstate 77 into the northbound lanes, went through a guardrail and over an embankment around 5:00 AM.
Three of the crew were sent to hospital, treated for minor injuries and released later the same day. Gregg Allman was not on the bus at the time of the accident.
The rocker thanked the members of his crew during Wednesday night's show at the Clay Center in Charleston. "I want to thank my crew after being through a nightmare," Allman said after he and his musicians took the stage. See a photo here.
Guns N' Roses Insult Denied By Def Leppard Guitarist (New Rock Times)
Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen denies recent press comments attributed to him describing the Guns N' Roses reunion shows as 'lame.' In an interview with The Daily Telegraph Collen was quoted as describing the GNR shows, which see Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan reunite for the first time in more than 20-years, as paling in integrity next to the ongoing Def Leppard line-up.
The Telegraph quoted him as saying: "We obviously think it's really f***ing lame. I love Guns N' Roses; I think they're really cool. I'd love to see Slash and Axl and Duff play together; that's great. But I think it's f***ing lame considering we've been hardcore. Our integrity's still intact; we've never split up. We've gone through if someone had a little sniffle or something, we soldier on."
Collen continued: "Someone dies, someone loses an arm, someone gets cancer, we soldier on. With GNR, if someone has a little barney backstage, they can't deal with each other. I know it's difficult, but I do think it's pretty lame when you compare anyone else to us."
But now two months on Collen has moved to clarify the comments insisting he was misquoted. Speaking on an appearance on the Toontrack podcast he insists: "I actually just got into trouble recently, 'cause I got misquoted talking about Guns N' Roses, of who I think are amazing. I love Guns N' Roses. I think they're an amazing band. I would love to go and see them.
"And someone said, 'Oh, you said they're lame.' No. I said it's lame that they broke up in the first place. I don't even think it's lame that they're reforming. I think it's… you know, the world needs a Guns N' Roses, and it's, like, well, about time.
"I thought it was lame that they broke up when I think they could have enjoyed a little bit… I know they were having all sorts of problems, so it's easy for me to say. But we had worse problems. You know, we had someone die, someone lose an arm, Vivian (Campbell, guitar) got cancer, and we just soldiered on." Read more here.
Gene Simmons Defends KISS Using Original Makeup(hennemusic)
Gene Simmons of KISS continues to defend the band's reuse of original makeup by non-original members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer. Thayer dresses in lead guitarist Ace Frehley's makeup and stage outfits while Singer does the same with drummer Peter Criss' gear, while each perform songs by their original counterparts.
The issue - which makes headlines every few years - recently surfaced again as the New York group marked the 40th anniversary of its 1976 album "Destroyer."
"Why wouldn't we use the classic makeup? We own it," Simmons tells Rolling Stone. "The saddest thing of all is here we are, top of Mt. Olympus with all this cool stuff happening, really enjoying ourselves, the fans are thrilled, and nobody ever holds up a sign, 'Where's Ace and Peter?'"
After early fans of KISS struggled to accept guitarist Vinnie Vincent as the Ankh Warrior and drummer Eric Carr as the Fox in the 80s, the group revived its then-sagging fortunes by unmasking entirely.
Following reunion and farewell tours with Frehley and Criss, Simmons and co-founder Paul Stanley took ownership of the designs and passed them on for use by Thayer and Singer.
"In retrospect, it was the right decision," Simmons adds. "There's always going to be five percent or 10 percent of people who were there at the beginning who will complain about anything. And listen, I think that's valid from their point of view. But people get onto a train at different times.
"If you go to see the Stones live today and poke the guy next to you and say, 'Ron Wood, he's not Brian Jones,' the guy says, 'Who is that?' He wouldn't have a clue what you were talking about. He came into the Stones 10, 20, 30 years after you did." Read more here.
Latest News
David Bowie's 'I Can't Give Everything Away' Lyric Video Released(hennemusic)
David Bowie's team have released a lyric video for "I Can't Give Everything Away," the third single from the late rocker's final album "Blackstar." Directed by UK artist Jonathan Barnbrook, the clip is a tribute inspired by the record's closing number and created by someone who played an integral role in the album's visual identity and presentation.
"This is really a very simple little video that I wanted to be ultimately positive," says Barnbrook. "We start off in black and white world of Blackstar, but in the final chorus we move to brilliant color.
"I saw it as a celebration of David, to say that despite the adversity we face, the difficult things that happen such as David's passing, that human beings are naturally positive, they look forward and can take the good from the past and use it as something to help with the present. We are a naturally optimistic species and we celebrate the good that we are given."
Barnbrook's history with Bowie dates back to the art of 2002's "Heathen", which featured a prototype of the Barnbrook-designed Priori font. His work with Bowie would continue to include the covers of 2003's "Reality" and 2013's "The Next Day", as well as the graphics for the V&A touring exhibition "David Bowie is." Watch the video here.
The Cult Play Concert In A Living Room(hennemusic)
The Cult recently delivered a sweaty live set before 100 fans on CBC Radio 2's The Strombo Show with George Stroumboulopoulos, and video of the performance is available online.
Part of the program's regular "Strombo Sessions" series, the band played live at Stroumboulopoulos' downtown Toronto home for the program as they tour in support of their latest album, "Hidden City."
The 5-song set included classics like "Wild Flower", "Horse Nation" and "She Sells Sanctuary", and a pair of new tracks "Deeply Ordered Chaos" and "G.O.A.T."
The Cult also spoke with the host about the roots element of the band and the inspirations of the modern world. "I think because we grew up as blue collar kids, we've always been immersed in street culture and kept and ear to the ground in that way," explained frontman Ian Astbury. "Always paying attention to evolving new sounds, directions, fashion and music. The popular culture conversation, social media, that's part of it, but then actually physically going places - it doesn't matter, Paris, Milan, Tokyo, New York, LA, TO - in 'The Six'!
"Just pay attention and staying with it. I mean, we're hardly rubes at this point. We're not trying to repeat ourselves or do a carbon copy or pastiche. And it doesn't work that way." Check out the video here.
Rolling Stones Releasing 'Totally Stripped' This Spring(hennemusic)
The Rolling Stones will release a new live collection, "Totally Stripped", on June 3 via Eagle Rock Entertainment. The set expands on the 1995 unplugged album, "Stripped", which delivered acoustic and alternate versions of the band's classics alongside select covers of tunes by Bob Dylan and Robert Johnson, among others.
"Totally Stripped" sources three complete Stones concerts from 1995 - the Paradiso in Amsterdam, L'Olympia in Paris and London's Brixton Academy - and is rounded out with an overhauled version of the documentary of the same name, which gives viewers behind the scenes look at the making of the original package.
"There's something about playing these small venues, the immediacy of it," says Keith Richards. "Also we can keep God out the band, because on big gigs he sometimes turns up as rain or wind."
As Mick Jagger said at the time, the aim was to "take the best element from (MTV) Unplugged, the intimate thing of it, without actually doing it completely unplugged."
"Totally Stripped" will be available in a variety of formats, including DVD or SD Blu-ray, DVD+CD or DVD+LP, single CD / 2LPs and Deluxe Editions on DVD or SD Blu-ray complete with a 60 page hard book set containing 5 discs which boasts hours of previously unavailable music. Check out the tracklisting here.
Alter Bridge Working On New Album(Classic Rock)
Mark Tremonti confirms Alter Bridge are back in the studio recording their fifth album. The guitarist says the band have begun tracking for the follow-up to 2013's Fortress and they aim to launch it this year.
He tells Metal Wani: "I'm actually tracking today. We don't have a specific date set yet but we're trying as hard as we can to get the album out this year. We're in the studio now. We've already tracked the bass and the drums for the album, I started my guitar tracking yesterday and I continue today. We're well on our way."
Tremonti last year told TeamRock Radio: "The album could go in any direction. I've got a ton of ideas in all different styles. Last time it was just one heavy idea after another - hopefully this time we can branch out and bring something new to the table." Check out the full interview here.
Metallica Release Unboxing Video For 'Ride The Lightning' Box Set(TeamRock Radio)
Lars Ulrich appears in an 'unboxing' video for Metallica's deluxe box set version of their 1984 album Ride The Lightning. The limited edition package will be available on Record Store Day (April 15) along with a box set version of Metallica's 1983 album Kill 'Em All. An unboxing video for the Kill 'Em All set was released earlier this week.
The numbered box set of Ride The Lightning includes four vinyl records, six CDs, one DVD, a book including unseen photos, a mini-book of lyrics handwritten by James Hetfield and a set of three posters.
Both box sets are available to ore-order now from Metallica's online store. The albums will also be available in remastered CD and vinyl formats. On the remastered version of Ride The Lightning, drummer Ulrich said: "It holds up very well. There's kind of a youthful energy that runs through the record." Watch the video here.
Beatles' Anthology Collections Now Streaming(Gibson)
The Beatles' three Anthology collections, which were unleashed in 1995 and 1996 as two-CD collections, arrived this week on various streaming services.
The sets pack rarities, outtakes and demos from the Beatles' full career, as well as two songs - "Real Love" and "Free as a Bird" - that started as John Lennon demos from the late 1970s and were finished by Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr in 1995.
All three collections entreated the Billboard 200 chart at No. 1, with Anthology 1, 2 and 3 arriving in November 1995, March 1996 and October 1996, respectively.
Anthology 1 has "Free as a Bird" as the first track. The tune picked up the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal category in 1996. The set also features recordings from the pre-Beatles band the Quarrymen starting in 1958 and runs through Beatles recordings up to October of 1964.
Anthology 2 has "Real Love" as the first track and includes Beatles recordings from February 1965 through February 1968. Anthology 3 compiles tunes the Beatles recorded from May 1968 through January 1970. Read more here.
Def Leppard's Joe Elliott Discusses His Recent Vocal Problems(Classic Rock)
Joe Elliott compared himself with an injured footballer after he struggled with voice problems earlier this year. The Def Leppard singer was forced to cancel the last 10 dates of the band's winter tour earlier this year due to throat issues.
Last year Elliott said he suffered from bronchial spasms, possibly due to "dust and gas emissions" from the South Dakota motorbike festival he performed at that summer - but he says he's ready to perform again.
He tells John Garbutt: "As far as I'm aware, it's fine. I got a really bad cough over Christmas and New Year, and that's what did the damage. It wasn't singing. It was just an injury.
"It was like a footballer getting kicked very hard on the shin and not being able to play for a few weeks or a couple of months or whatever. It was nothing to do with his ability to play; it was just an injury that he picked up. And it was the same thing with me.
"I just got a really, really bad cough, couldn't clear it up, and I was warned, having seen a couple of throat doctors, that I needed to take four to six weeks off." Read more here.
Damon Johnson Talks Solo EP And Next Black Star Riders Album(Classic Rock)
Black Star Riders guitarist Damon Johnson says producer Nick Raskulinecz encouraged him to put out his solo EP Echo. The five-track release is out now and was produced by Raskulinecz at his Nashville studio. Johnson says the pair's friendship led to the EP becoming reality.
Johnson tells Talking Metal: "My family and I moved to Nashville three years ago. The guys that played on it with me are from here. And Nick Raskulinecz, such an amazing rock producer, lives here too. We worked together two years ago on The Killer Instinct.
"He just did a phenomenal job on that. It gave us an opportunity to get to know each other on a personal level. After that experience, our families started hanging out. We take our kids to Chuck E Cheese or a hockey game. One day he said, 'Hey man if you've got any songs we should get you into the studio and start tracking some stuff.'"
As for the choice of songs on Echo, Johnson gives the credit to his wife. He adds: "These were songs that have been sitting in the vault. If I'm writing with some particular musicians, if we don't do something with it right then, I tend to sort of forget about it and move on. My wife Linda said I had a stack of material, quality songs that you should at least revisit."
Johnson also reveals that he and Ricky Warwick have a stock of around 20 songs to choose from for the next BSR album, with work on the follow-up to The Killer Instinct to start in the summer. He adds: "We will be back in the studio in August here in Nashville with Nick to do the third BSR album." Listen to the full interview here.
Disturbed's David Draiman On The Impact Of Fatherhood(TeamRock Radio)
Disturbed frontman David Draiman says becoming a father has made him angrier. Draiman and his wife Lena Yada welcomed their son Samuel into the world in 2013 and his birth had some unexpected effects on the singer - some of which found their way onto Disturbed's comeback album Immortalized.
Draiman tells Full Metal Jackie: "I can't deny the impact of becoming a father and having my son come into this world, and even becoming a husband.
"The irony is that, when people think that in certain ways it softens you - in many ways I'm more defensive and more on guard and more frightened and more angry at everything in this world now that I have them to worry about.
"But on another level, they open your eyes to things. Tracks on this record like Who Taught You How To Hate, coming from watching the innocence of youth and how someone like my son has absolutely no prejudices of any kind and sees everyone as equals, and that it is something that is taught. It isn't something that you're inherently born with." Read more here.
Tim Commerford's New Band Wakrat Release First Video(Classic Rock)
Tim Commerford has announced the formation of a new band called Wakrat. The punk and hardcore-influenced trio have also released a video for their first track, Knucklehead. Joining singer and bass player Commerford in the group are drummer Mathias Wakrat and guitarist Laurent Grangeon.
Wakrat are working on their debut album. Former Audioslave man Commerford says: "I am as excited about Wakrat and what we're doing musically as I was when Rage Against The Machine first started.
"Wakrat is brand new, we're not a known commodity, so we're looking forward to finishing the album, paying our dues and earning our fans, and getting out there and playing shows as often as possible."
The video for Knucklehead was captured using drones and multiple cameras at the band's Los Angeles rehearsal studio. Lyrically, the song reflects on struggles Commerford went through personally. He says: "I don't ever want to go back there again, but it lead to Knucklehead, so it all worked out." Watch the video here.
The Devil Wears Prada Working On New Album, Announce Tour(HER)
The Devil Wears Prada have announced that they've entered the studio to begin work on their next full-length album, coming late this year via Rise Records.
Frontman Mike Hranica had the following to say, "Along with bringing Kyle into the band, we're also happy to announce that we're recording our sixth, next full-length. We wrote the album in two stints out in Michigan and Wisconsin, and now we're back in Long Island to work with the most excellent Dan Korneff."
The Devil Wears Prada will embark on a short, intimate club tour in July, starting at Cleveland's Grog Shop on July 18th after appearing at Chicago's Open Air festival on July 15. The run will wrap up in Springfield, MO at the end of the month. See the tour date here.
October Tide Stream Three Tracks From New Album Winged Waltz(TeamRock Radio)
October Tide have made three tracks from their upcoming album Winged Waltz available to stream. The full-length follow-up to 2013's Tunnel Of No Light is released on April 22.
October Tide features Volturyon vocalist Alexander Hogsbom, Katatonia's former guitarist and bassist, Fredrik and Mattias Norman, Mandylon guitarist Emil Alstermark and sticksman Jocke Wallgren, who was recently recruited as a touring drummer for Amon Amarth.
Hogbom says of Winged Waltz: "This is undoubtedly the best and most emotionally charged material October Tide has created, in my opinion. I know how much hard work Fredrik (guitar) has put into making this album and you can really feel the thought behind it all.
"I almost injured myself physically and was close to passing out a couple of times during the recording of the vocals. I gave it all to match the intense music and those powerful lyrics and I'm very happy with the result." Check out the streams here.
The Security Project Announce New Album and Tour(Prog)
The Security Project have announced the upcoming release of a live album and a US tour. The supergroup - which re-imagines the music of Peter Gabriel - features members of King Crimson, Shriekback and Gabriel's original band. They'll issue new album Live 1 on May 3.
Trey Gunn and Michael Cozzi are joined in the lineup by drummer Jerry Marotta, keyboard player David Jameson and singer Brian Cummins. Marotta says: "Peter was always great at setting the table for us as musicians. He always got us started with great ideas.
"As we were creating Security we had no idea we were making something so unique. I'm proud that with The Security Project we're able to deliver the deepest of those songs, and do it with real conviction - playing them live."
Gunn adds: "This material is ridiculously special. Of course, Peter is a special artist. But the material on his first few records, especially the third and fourth ones, are productions with no peer." Check out some songs from the album and their tour dates here.
Stratovarius Announce Multi-Disc Collection(TeamRock Radio)
Stratovarius will release their Best Of collection on May 6. The Finnish veteran outfit will launch both a regular two-CD compilation and limited edition three-CD package, which includes an exclusive Live At Wacken disc. Both will include a new bonus track, Until The End Of Days.
Keyboardist Jens Johansson had the following to say: "It's been 20 years since the Episode album, we're all getting older but this stuff sounds as fresh as ever.
"To me, it's a testament to the fact that paying attention to songwriting and production was expensive, but so worth it. The songs, the sound and the performances really have stood the test of time." Read more and watch the announcement video here.
Music Was Ugly Kid Joe Singer's Father Figure(New Rock Times)
Ugly Kid Joe frontman Whitfield Crane says rock n' roll has raised and steered him from a young age and remains his 'safety net' to this day. In a revealing interview with TeamRock's Matt Stocks, he explains having his father walk out on the family saw the young Crane turn to rock music for solace.
He says: "Rock 'n' roll is kind of like my father figure. My dad split when I was a young kid and that was tumultuous for me growing up. I was always trying to fill that void.
"I liked sports and what not, but then I found Black Sabbath's 'Paranoid'. I was hooked immediately, and all those motherf***ers - Halford, Bon Scott, Ozzy, Ronnie Van Zant, Hendrix - became like my father figures."
He continues: "When I talk to some people they don't quite know all the lyrics to a lot of songs, but I'm obsessed with lyrics. Those are my teachers. I used to ask Lemmy all the time, 'What does rock 'n' roll mean to you?' And he'd always give me the same answer: 'Chuck Berry and Little Richard.' " Read more here.
Devin Townsend Announces Autobiography and New Album(TeamRock Radio)
Devin Townsend has announced that he will be publishing his autobiography Only Half There in August, complete with an album of new recordings.
The book covers his career from working with Steve Vai to forming Strapping Young Lad, creating the Devin Townsend Project and founding latest outfit Casualties Of Cool.
A Classic version will be available alongside a Signature box set, including demo cassette and cartoon prints. Townsend says: "I thought writing a book was going to be easy - it wasn't.
"Writing about growing up, music, the creative process and the connection between personal development and career made me think about a lot of other stuff too.
"Like the positive and negative experiences of making different albums, and how each one affected me mentally, physically and emotionally. It's all here, though." Read more here.
Forever Still Release 'Break The Glass' Video(TeamRock Radio)
Forever Still have released a video for their track Break The Glass as they kick off a short run of UK dates. The song is taken from Forever Still's current album Tied Down, which was released earlier this year.
The Danish rockers launched their four-date Untied UK tour in Newcastle on Wednesday (April 6) and will also play in Edinburgh, Manchester and Swansea.
Singer Maja Shining says: "We are super stoked to be heading back to the UK. We had a blast last time and the new songs sound amazing in the rehearsal space. We can't wait to rock out to them with our awesome UK fans." Watch the video and see the tour dates here.
Black Stone Cherry Release Nosferatu Video Tutorial(The Blues)
Black Stone Cherry have given fans a video tutorial on how to make their favourite alcoholic milkshake - the Nosferatu, which John Fred calls "the working man's milkshake."
Drummer John Fred Young and guitarist Ben Wells made the clip for Kerrang and in it they can be seen creating a bourbon version of the drink as well as a vodka version.
It involves mixing two shots of vodka or bourbon, four scoops of vanilla ice cream, 12 ounces of almond milk and a healthy squeeze of chocolate sauce in a blender. Watch the video here.
Holger Czukay's 1979 Album 'Movies' Tweaked For Reissue(Prog)
Holger Czukay's 1979 album Movies will be reissued with alternative running order and new cover artwork. A video for Cool In The Pool has also been released.
Entitled Movie!, the reissue will be released on June 3 via Gronland Records. It is available for pre-order now on CD and vinyl. The label says: "Movies has been lovingly reworked with a considered new running order.
"The album has been re-titled and the booklet accompanying has been revised, along with new cover artwork and in addition to Cool In The Pool (still fit for any modern club) there is an instrumental version - a bonus track entitled Cool Pool." Watch the video here.
Singled Out: The Dose's Cold Hands
Los Angeles rockers The Dose are releasing their debut EP tomorrow (April 8th) and to celebrate we asked frontman Indio Downey to tell us about the single "Cold Hands". Here is the story:
To me " cold hands" and "a warm heart" sort of represent longing and fulfillment. In a way you can't have one without the other. On my way to Tennessee I came across a letter my girlfriend wrote me. The lyrics to Cold Hands are inspired by what it said.
Ralph's drum beat and bass part gave the song a unique sound, and when he incorporated the synth pads it really came together. The variety of sounds we were able to achieve between the two of us, on this song particularly, is a good representation of what we want to accomplish in the future.
I used to play those two chords over and over for hours. Funny to think what became of something so simple.
