Sammy Hagar: ‘I Would Love to Make Another Record With Van Halen’

Sammy Hagar: ‘I Would Love to Make Another Record With Van Halen’

Thursday, 3 March 2011

From Rolling Stone.com:
By Andy Greene
Sammy Hagar’s new autobiography Red: My Uncensored Life In Rock (in stores on March 15th) traces the singer’s long career from his days in the 1970s hard rock band Montrose to his insane ride in Van Halen through the formation of his supergroup Chickenfoot.
The new issue of Rolling Stone (on sale and in the online archive Friday) has an exclusive excerpt focusing on Van Halen’s disastrous 2004 reunion tour that was nearly derailed due to Eddie Van Halen’s alcoholism. We chatted with Hagar about why he decided to write the book – and whether or not he’d ever return to Van Halen.
What made you want to write a book?
I’ve been maybe one of the most misunderstood rockers of all time because I’ve always been kinda quiet on my personal life. I’ve never really been a press-hound. There’s never been a lot of stuff written about me, quite honestly. Flying under the radar’s always been my philosophy. If you’re never in, you’re never out.
At some stage in your life, though, you go “I want my story to be told,” and here it is.  I think that’s why people are gonna be surprised when they read. You know we know all about Tommy Lee. We know all about Keith Richards. But, we don’t know that much about Sammy.
Tell me how you worked with your co-author Joel Selvin.
He’s a longtime friend, and a critic in the Bay Area where I grew up. He’d come in and go, “Okay, let’s talk about Montrose.” And we would for three or four hours. He’d transcribe it and go, “I need to know more. Let’s talk about what your wife was going through” or “More about your mother now” or “I need to know more about what happened on tour.”

You really spill the dirt on Eddie Van Halen. You clearly weren’t too concerned with burning bridges there.
I don’t consider them burning bridges at all. When I first joined the band, dirt was going back and forth between us and the former lead singer. I didn’t burn any bridges. They eventually put the bridge back. Time washes everything clean. To be honest, Valerie [Bertinelli] said almost all the same stuff in her book about Ed.
The only thing I did was talk about my personal relationship with him. I had almost 10 fantastic years in that band. It was a dream come true for any musician on the planet. We had the greatest relationship and the greatest run and wrote some of the greatest music. We had five Number One albums and sold 50, 60 million records together.  We practically sold out every venue in the world.
The last two years were really rough. Everyone immediately goes to the dirt, but quite honestly being in Van Halen was one of the greatest experiences in my life. I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’ll take the dirt right with it.
Back to burning bridges: If you choose to write an autobiography, which I did, then you only have one shot. If you don’t tell it all then you sit there for the rest of your life telling stories and people are like, “Well why wasn’t that in the book?” I don’t wanna have to do that. It’s all right there.
Are there things you didn’t put in the book because you didn’t want to piss off Ed or David Lee Roth?
Oh, hell no. I didn’t really consider that, because they know what happened. I didn’t make up anything. I didn’t embellish anything. The only thing is that I didn’t go as crazy as I could have about the sex, drugs and rock & roll part of my early years. I have a nine-year-old daughter and a 14-year-old daughter. I’m cringing as I’m writing this book going, “Oh, jeez. I really don’t want them to read this.” But how can I not? My wife looked at some chapters and went, “You’re not going to put this in there, are you?” I’m going, “Yes I am!” I hope my daughters understand. I might have them read Keith Richards’ book first.
What do you think the percent odds are that you’ll ever play in Van Halen again?
I’d say it’s up there around 90 percent. I would love to make another record with Van Halen. If Eddie was totally cool and was back to the guy I used to know, or a new guy, not the guy I knew the last time [laughs]. He can’t be that guy. I wouldn’t do it if he was like that. It’s below zero, minus zero. But if Eddie really got his life together, which it seems he has judging by the pictures I’ve seen, then definitely.
You really think there’s a 90 percent chance?
There’s no rumor. There’s no reason to say,  “Yes, I’ve got this vibe going on.” Right now, zero chance. When my book comes out, zero for a while. But someday, before we all die, fuck yeah. We might be in our nineties though.

Sammy Hagar RED: My Uncensored Life In Rock Video Promo

Thursday, 3 March 2011

Loud rock, fast cars, and Cabo. This is the life of Sammy Hagar.
Sammy and co-author Joel Selvin talk a little bit about the process of writing his upcoming autobiography that tells his unforgettable story.
From his decade-long journey alongside Eddie Van Halen to his raucous solo career with Chickenfoot and everything in between—the drugs, groupies, and excesses of fame, the outrageous stadium tours, and the thrill of musical innovation—Hagar reveals all in this treasure trove of rock-and-roll war stories. Red is a life-changing look at one of music’s biggest talents—an essential read for music fans and anyone dreaming of becoming rock’s next number one star.
Book release date March 15, 2011
For more information and to purchase, visit Van Halen Store, where you get an exclusive photographic print when you pre-order.

SAMMY HAGAR SEES RED IN NEW BOOK:

SAMMY HAGAR SEES RED IN NEW BOOK:
 
Sammy Hagar has updated his website with a new section dedicated to his upcoming book Red (due March 15 worldwide). Check it out at: www.redrocker.com/red.
From the page: "Sammy Hagar—legendary lead singer of Van Halen, founder of the Cabo Wabo Tequila brand, and one of rock music's most notoriously successful performers—tells his unforgettable story in this one-of-a-kind autobiography of a life at the top of the charts. From his decade-long journey alongside Eddie Van Halen to his raucous solo career with Chickenfoot and everything in between—the drugs, groupies, and excesses of fame, the outrageous stadium tours, and the thrill of musical innovation—Hagar reveals all in this treasure trove of rock-and-roll war stories. Red is a life-changing look at one of music's biggest talents—an essential read for music fans and anyone dreaming of becoming rock's next number one star."

And this from: www.straight.com/article-377017/vancouver/sammy-hagar-tears-strip-eddie-van-halen-upcoming-autobiography: "On March 15 Sammy Hagar's autobiography, Red: My Uncensored Life in Rock, will hit bookshelves, but you can bet his old bandmate Eddie Van Halen won't be racing out to score a copy. According to excerpts published recently in the Marin Independent Journal, the 63-year-old "Red Rocker" holds nothing back about the guitar hero—like how he looked before their Van Halen reunion tour in 2003.
"I hadn't seen him in 10 years," writes Hagar. "He looked like he hadn't bathed in a week. He certainly hadn't changed his clothes in at least that long. He wasn't wearing a shirt. He had on a giant overcoat and army pants, tattered and ripped at the cuffs, held up with a piece of rope. I'd never seen him so skinny in my life. He was missing a number of teeth and the ones he had left were black. His boots were so worn out he had gaffer's tape wrapped around them and his big toe still stuck out."
Neither is Hagar complimentary toward David Lee Roth, the original (and now current) Van Halen vocalist, whose position he took over in 1985.
"I hated Dave," he writes. "The guy rubbed me wrong. I'm sure I rub all kinds of people wrong, so it's not like I'm putting him down. The guy was a great front man, great attitude in rock, and had an image from hell, but I just couldn't stand the guy. He was the opposite of what I believed in and what I am. First of all, the guy's not a great singer and he acts like he's the coolest, hottest guy in the world when, to me, he looks gay."
During the initial Hagar era Van Halen released four multi-platinum studio albums, all of which hit #1 on Billboard, but many longtime fans decried the poppier direction the band took in comparison to its raunchy early style. After he was "unceremoniously fired" (Hagar's words) in 1996, he went on to form his own band, the Waboritas, who he still plays with. More recently he formed a "supergroup" called Chickenfoot that features guitar wizard Joe Satriani, but the less said about them the better. He's also known as a successful businessman, owner of the Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and founder of the Cabo Wabo tequila company, which he's made millions from.
Hagar first tasted fame on a major scale with the anti-speed-limit single "I Can't Drive 55", which was released the year before he was recruited by Van Halen. But I always thought his best work had been accomplished more than 10 years earlier, when he sang on the first two Montrose albums, the self-titled 1973 debut and 1974's Paper Money. Back in the day I was also mightily impressed with his debut solo album, 1976's Nine On a Ten Scale, and its two follow-ups, both from '77, Sammy Hagar (better known as "The Red Album") and Musical Chairs. All three of those albums were produced by a guy known only as Carter.
I never got to see Montrose, sadly, although I remember friends saying they played at Empire Stadium one summer, opening for Heart or something. But I did get to see Hagar play at the Commodore Ballroom around '77, and he was a crimson dynamo back then, trading flashy guitar solos with lead player Gary Pilh. He'd also taken the Montrose rhythm section of bassist Phil Church and drummer Denny Carmassi with him, which was killer. I really loved Sammy Hagar back then. Now, not so much. That tequila of his sure hits the spot, though."

KISS Rocker Paul Stanley To Be A Dad Again

For the first time since 1982, Sir Elton John will appear on the Saturday Night Live stage.
The "Rocket Man" will perform hosting duties as well as accompany Leon Russell as the musical guest during an upcoming show. Russell and Elton collaborated on the 2010 release, The Union.
Elton revealed that he would be doing double duties on the show at his posh Oscar party. The function included a live auction of a pair of VIP tickets to the SNL show. The tickets pulled in $75,000 and the proceeds went to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
The singer/composer has been busy. Currently, he has two scores (Billy Elliot and The Lion King) represented on Broadway, as well as an animated film (Gnomeo & Juliet), whose soundtrack features hits from his back catalog.
The SNL episode starring Sir Elton airs live on April 2.
Copyright(c) 2011 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved

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KISS Rocker Paul Stanley To Be A Dad Again

 

Kiss frontman Paul Stanley has confirmed that he and his wife Erin are expecting their third child together. During a recent interview with People Magazine the rocker says that they are overjoyed with the new addition and that his family is his most prized possession. "There is nothing greater in life than family, and my accomplishments as a father rank at the top of my successes," he said. "Erin and I are blessed."

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KISS frontman Paul Stanley has confirmed that he and his wife Erin are expecting their third child together.
During a recent interview with People Magazine, the rocker says that they are overjoyed with the new addition and that his family is his most prized possession.
"There is nothing greater in life than family, and my accomplishments as a father rank at the top of my successes," he said. "Erin and I are blessed with our expectation of the addition of another princess to our family and a new member of the KISS army."
The new baby will join Paul and Erin's two children Sarah Brianna, 2, and Colin Michael, 4, as well as Paul's oldest son, Evan Shane, 16, who is from a previous marriage. "I may be 59," Stanley added, "but the only rocking chair this rocker is getting ready for is the one for my new baby."
Copyright(c) 2011 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved

Henry Rollins on classic Van Halen

Henry Rollins on classic Van Halen

Wednesday, 2 March 2011

Henry Rollins talks about classic Van Halen. From the book, Van Halen 101, by Abel Sanchez.
Henry Rollins:

"To this day, perhaps some of my most played records that I own are the Van Halen albums with Dave."

I will always consider myself lucky for being teenage when the first Van Halen album was released. I had heard about it before it came out. Someone told me about a song called “Runnin’ With The Devil” and that it was really cool. It was probably getting some airplay and I had not heard it yet. I was in California at a skate contest I think it was and heard a song with that lyric over the PA system. It had to be them. It was. I bought the album the first chance I got.
I was stuck right in the middle of high school. It was a gulag. One of the only things that kept me going was the music I was listening to. Van Halen was in the mix. I remember the night before Van Halen II was released, the played the album in it’s entirety on WPGC FM in Washington DC, where I lived. I listened. We all listened. I taped it by putting my very bad tape recorder up to the radio and sat very still. It sounded horrible but I played it a few times before I bought the album.
I forget what year it was but I made my annual trip to the arena to see Ted Nugent. It was the best show you saw that year, every year. His band was lethal, and Nugent had amazing tone with that hollow body Gibson. What a show, what songs, what a man. On the third voyage to the Nuge there was a great change. There was an opening band that actually stayed in the memory. Usually the opener was a blur but this time it was a band called Van Halen. I remember they hit the stage and went into “Runnin’ With The Devil” after Diamond Dave made his drum riser leap. He acted like his band was the headliner and there was no other band on that night.
I remember very well when Eddie performed “Eruption” and the whole place was in disbelief. At the end of it, he looked down at his hands and shook his head like he didn’t know what came over him. It was amazing. The set was a monster.

" I remember very well when Eddie performed “Eruption” and the whole place was in disbelief."

Nugent came on a while later and a few songs in, people were chanting “Van-Ha-Len!” over and over and waving newly bought VH t-shirts until the Nuge came to the front of the stage and yelled, “Fuck Van Halen!!!” He then retreated to his cabinets and played the rest of the show looking down at his wedge monitors. Move over Ted!
In 1983 when I encountered Diamond Dave at an art Gallery in Los Angeles, I told him this story and he shot back the date, location and how many people were at the show. To this day, I can’t think of a better interview to read than one where David Lee Roth is full on, which means any interview of his you can find will do. He’s the mouth that scored. You wonder how he keeps it all stored in there. He’s the most quotable man in the business.
To this day, perhaps some of my most played records that I own are the Van Halen albums with Dave. They still work. To transmit on a critical level for just a moment here, let me say this; Van Halen’s perfect synthesis of bone crunching riffs and almost Beach Boys backing vocals is one of the most irresistible and potent concoctions I have ever heard in music. Perfect for radio without selling out or being wimpy. How the hell can you do that?! Something for the guys, something for the ladies. Adding to that, the presentation was second to none. That was a show. Diamond Dave really needed an arena to realize his vision and when he got one, he wasted no time. Van Halen was like the Circus coming to town, like the biggest block party you’ve ever seen and you’re on the invite list.
The proof of the band’s rock solid place in history can be found in all the bands that came immediately after VH broke. All the Eddie clones, Warner Bros. attempt to make another Dave/VH with the ill-fated Bullet Boys, how guitarists changed their approach solos. Every frontman in any hard rock band has a little bit of David Lee in him no matter what they say. Some of the stories around the band are the stuff of legend and are known the world over. Brown M&M’s – ‘nuff said.
The records themselves have lost absolutely no speed after twenty-plus years. Actually, now that I think about it, seeing where music is these days, perhaps those records have picked up a little speed! Hail the Mighty (With Dave) Van Halen!

THAT METAL SHOW RETURNS TO VH1:

THAT METAL SHOW RETURNS TO VH1:
New York, NY – March 2, 2011 – VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show" is back in Los Angeles and ready to shake things up for lucky season seven on Saturday, March 19 at 11PM ET/PT. Members of some of the biggest metal acts, including Metallica and Whitesnake, grace the "That Metal Show” stage to give viewers a true power hour that all hard rock and heavy metal enthusiasts are certain to love.
The boys are back and ready to rock! Eddie Trunk, Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson host the only talk show where all things hard rock and heavy metal are discussed, dissected and debated. Metal musicians and rock royalty, including Kirk Hammett (Metallica), David Coverdale (Whitesnake) and Lita Ford (The Runaways), will be part of the roundtable discussions this season. Guests and premieres dates include the below, at 11 pm ET/PT:
3/19 – Kirk Hammett (Metallica) and Uli John Roth (Scorpions)
3/26 – Ace Frehley (Kiss) and Billy Sheehan (UFO, David Lee Roth)
4/02 – David Coverdale (Whitesnake, Deep Purple) and Lita Ford (The Runaways)
4/09 – Chris Jericho (Fozzy, WWF Wrestling Champion) and Yngwie Malmsteen (Alcatrazz, Steeler, Rising Force)
4/16 – Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver, Jane's Addiction) and Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Country Communion)
4/23 – Matt Sorum (Guns N' Roses) & Cherie Currie (The Runaways) and Jim Norton (comedian on Opie and Anthony and Howard Stern)
4/30 – Sebastian Bach (Skid Row) and Anvil
5/07 – Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge, Ozzy Osbourne Band, Beck Bogert Appice, Rod Stewart)and Dave Meniketti from Y&T

Distilling decades of your favorite hard rock and heavy metal into sixty minutes of mayhem; “That Metal Show” will deliver the ever popular 'Stump The Trunk' as well as the triumphant return of 'TMS TOP 5' to your TV every Saturday night at 11pm, only on VH1 Classic.
Fans can also catch the complete season six and bonus clips at ThatMetalShow.VH1.com. New episodes of season seven will launch online every Monday morning following the show's on-air premiere. "That Metal Show" is a production of VH1 Classic. Lee Rolontz and Keshia Williams as executive producers for VH1. Jeff Baumgardner serves as producer for the series for VH1.
Launched in May 2000, VH1 Classic is a 24-hour network that presents videos, concerts and music specials all day long, featuring the best of rock, soul and pop artists from the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90s, including The Rolling Stones, The Who, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, Prince, Whitney Houston, Madonna, and U2. Learn more at VH1Classic.com.

Bret Michaels says Poison & Motley Crue tour is on!

Bret Michaels says Poison & Motley Crue tour is on!

Monday, 28 February 2011

Bret Michaels says Poison & Motley Crue tour is on! Poison & Motley Crue team up for summer 2011 tour dates Breaking now from Bret Michaels' official TWITTER Recent "The Celebrity Apprentice" winner and Donald Trump favorite, rocker Bret Michaels, currently recuperating from heart surgery, will reunite with all original POISON band mates for a 25th-anniversary tour tentatively titled "Glam – A – Gedon 25". For the first time ever POISON and MÖTLEY CRÜE will co-headline a select date summer tour with special guests the NEW YORK DOLLS. Although several controversial statements have been made in the press by certain members of MÖTLEY CRÜE vowing this tour would never happen, that is simply not the case. Fans of both bands have spoken and want the tour to happen and both MÖTLEY CRÜE and POISON have agreed. Concert promoters in these select cities state that the buzz is unbelievable for both the POISON dates as well as the MÖTLEY CRÜE / POISON tour. No doubt this will be the rock tour of the summer. Tickets for the MÖTLEY CRÜE / POISON tour will go on sale March 18. POISON plan to kick off their 25th-anniversary "Glam -A – Gedon 25" tour in Tupelo Mississippi at the Bancorp South Arena Wednesday May 25. Michaels will then continue solo, playing Thursday, May 26 in Ft. Walton Beach where he will perform for the fans and troops as he did last Memorial Day weekend. Michaels will rejoin POISON in Little Rock at the River Fest Amphitheater on Friday, May 27. Michaels will then perform solo at the Hard Rock in Biloxi on Saturday, May 28. Bret will rejoin POISON and MÖTLEY CRÜE Sunday, May 29 at Rocklahoma. POISON will then continue on alone playing arenas from Memorial Day until rejoining MÖTLEY CRÜE in Dallas at the Starplex Amphitheater on Tuesday, June 7. When reporters recently asked Bret Michaels if there was any bad blood between the bands, Michaels laughed: "There may be some friendly competition but there is no bad blood at all on my part. Nikki [Sixx, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist] and I have spoken several times on the phone recently and the conversations went great." Michaels continued, "Music is a universal language and I am extremely excited that this tour has come together as are the fans, they are truly going to see a great show. Honestly, I could care less about all the mudslinging, it gets nobody nowhere, and after all I have been through health wise in the last year, I am going to try to focus on what does matter which is the show, the fans, fun and personally throwing a hell of a backstage party." Bret Michaels' solo tour will start March 19 when he appears at Muhammad Ali's "Celebrity Fight Night" alongside Kevin Costner, David Foster, Billy Crystal, Halle Berry and Reba McIntire and will continue up until the MÖTLEY CRÜE / POISON tour starts. The "Get Your Rock On" solo tour in support of the album of the same name will resume immediately following the select summer dates with MÖTLEY CRÜE and POISON.

“Eruption” Nominated For Best Guitar Solo of All-Time

“Eruption” Nominated For Best Guitar Solo of All-Time

Tuesday, 1 March 2011

Guitarist Magazine (UK) has come up with a list of the “Greatest Guitar Solos Of All-Time” and has published a poll on its website. They have polled for a shortlist of 20 guitar solos from which people can vote, and Eddie Van Halen’s revolutionary solo “Eruption” has been nominated. But surprisingly, “Eruption” has only a small percentage of votes as of this moment.
VOTE FOR “ERUPTION!” According to the rules you can vote as many times as you’d like, so please vote for Eddie and spread the word.
Vote HERE!

Bob Seger Puts Out New Single

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

 

 

Bob Seger Puts Out New Single

Bob Seger has released a new version of his hit track "Downtown Train." The release marks his first single since "Face The Promise," which appeared five years ago. The song was first recorded by the veteran rocker in 1989 and was re-recorded for Seger's upcoming new album. He recently spoke with Billboard magazine about the track, which was covered by Rod Stewart in 1989. "The next thing I knew, a month later [Stewart] recorded 'Downtown Train' in London."

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Bob Seger has released a new version of his hit track "Downtown Train." The release marks his first single since "Face The Promise," which appeared five years ago.
The song was first recorded by the veteran rocker in 1989 and was re-recorded for Seger's upcoming new album. He recently spoke with Billboard magazine about the track, which was covered by Rod Stewart in 1989.
"The next thing I knew, a month later [Stewart] recorded 'Downtown Train' in London, and two months later, he recorded it in the same studio I recorded it in Los Angeles."
He also noted that, though he no longer harbors hard feelings towards Stewart, Stewart's use of the song forced him to retire it until now.
Seger also recently made a guest appearance on the piano in Kid Rock's song "Collide," off Rock's new album Born Free. He and his band, the Silver Bullet Band, are currently preparing for their U.S. tour, which will kick off in Toledo, Ohio on March 26.
Copyright(c) 2011 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved

Motley Crue confirm Poison as support on tour!

Motley Crue confirm Poison as support on tour run!

Tuesday, 01 March 2011

Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil & Motley Crue team up with Poison for summer tour! Nikki Sixx is a Twitter-aholic. Today he tweeted about the tour announcement and says: "I'm really fucking tickled pink today!" Now after Bret Michael's and Poison spilled the beans, it seems Motley Crue says it's true! MÖTLEY CRÜE has released a statement confirming that it will embark on a summer "headlining" tour "with support from POISON and special guest NEW YORK DOLLS." The dates for the trek, which is scheduled to kick off in early June, will be announced on SixxSense.com on Tuesday, March 1 starting at 7 p.m. local time. A press release issued by the POISON camp on Monday indicated that the Bret Michaels-fronted glam rockers and MÖTLEY CRÜE would "co-headline" the tour, which is expected to include shows in Canada. MÖTLEY CRÜE frontman Vince Neil was asked during a November 19, 2010 appearance on the "Elliot In The Morning" radio talk show about POISON singer Bret Michaels' onstage claim that POISON and MÖTLEY CRÜE would celebrate their 25th and 30th anniversaries, respectively, this year by joining forces for a North American trek. "I don't know why Bret would say that," Neil said. "And I hadn't heard about it. People were asking me, and I'm going, 'I never heard that in my life.' And I was getting a lot of Twitters about it. I finally just called my office and said, 'What is up with this?' I was kind of pissed that nobody told me. And they go, 'Look, we have no idea. There was never anything like that [being considered] or that was even being talked about.' But the funny thing is, ever since [Bret] did that and now people are talking about it, crazier things have happened. It could happen. Because you have promoters out there going, 'Hmmm…. Yeah, maybe. Yeah, that sounds like a great package.' You know what I mean?!" In a February 2004 online posting, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx shot down reports that his then-band BRIDES OF DESTRUCTION would be touring later that year with POISON and KISS. "No way in fucking hell would we (BRIDES OF DESTRUCTION or MÖTLEY CRÜE) ever, ever tour with a fucking band like POISON," he wrote. "We have had talks with KISS and I told them very clearly that we would not do the tour if they used POISON. That would be the death of us... I will not be attached to that kind of fake bullshit..." When questioned about his comments in a May 2004 interview with the Stamford Advocate, Sixx explained, "I was in negotiations and said it depends who else is on the tour. If you're going to do a nostalgia thing, we're not interested. If you go get JET or THE DARKNESS, it sounds like fun. All of a sudden they come back with KISS, the BRIDES and POISON! There ain't no way in hell I'm doing that tour. I will not play with fucking POISON. There are followers and leaders. I'm not into followers." During a July 2005 interview with the Fox 2 TV network, Sixx famously closed out the four-minute chat by calling the interviewer "an asshole" after he was asked the question, "Who rocked harder in the '80s: MÖTLEY CRÜE or POISON?" When POISON drummer Rikki Rockett was questioned in an August 2006 interview with DelcoTimes.com about Sixx being abrasively vocal in his displeasure about being categorized alongside POISON, Rikki replied, "Nikki really needs to get over it. I don't think a forty-something-year-old man should be acting like that; you'd think with all that Nikki has been through, he wouldn't care about these dumb little rivalries." Article found on Blabbermouth

Billy Sheehan on Van Halen, Then and Now

Billy Sheehan on Van Halen, Then and Now

Monday, 28 February 2011

 

Examiner.com conducted an interview with Billy Sheehan who played bass on David Lee Roth’s first two solo LPs. We’ve listed the Van Halen content below:

Considered by many to be the Eddie Van Halen of bass, Billy Sheehan launched his recording career in the late ’70s with the Buffalo-based rock trio Talas, then joined original Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth’s band in the mid-’80s for two platinum-selling albums. After parting with Diamond Dave, Sheehan formed Mr. Big in 1988. Best known for its hit ballad “To Be with You”—which went to number one in 15 countries including the U.S. in 1992—Mr. Big called it quits a decade later, but in 2009 the original lineup reformed for a massive tour of Asia and Europe.
Earlier this month, the band released What If…, the first album in 15 years from the reunited rockers, which instantly went gold in Japan upon release. I spoke with Billy while he was at the music product industry’s NAMM Show in January about the new album, his long relationship with Japan, and Mr. Big’s future touring plans.

If you had a wish list of groups that you could tour with, who would it be?
Well, we did a lot of touring with Rush in the old days; a tour with Rush would be great, because they are such wonderful people. I didn’t really know them that well before we toured with them, but getting to know the guys from Rush, they are just wonderful, wonderful people. We also toured with Bryan Adams; that was pretty cool, too, because he’s got a zillion hits, and that was a lot of fun, too; a great tour.

You’ve also played with Aerosmith.
We did some shows with them in Europe and they were really successful; nice bunch of guys, too. Yeah, I don’t know—maybe Mr. Big and a couple of other acts; Tesla, maybe, or Cinderella, or guys like that—our generation of bands. In the end, it’s not so much a concern other than the fact that we just want to play.
There’s always Van Halen, right?
 [Laughs] That’d be good.

Have you spoken to David Lee Roth since he got back together with Van Halen in 2007?
Not since then; I spoke with him just prior to that. He’s still my hero, you know? I still love Dave, and I still look back at the Eat ’Em and Smile days as one of the greatest things that ever happened to me.

This year also marks the 25th anniversary of Eat ’Em and Smile’s release. Has there ever been any plan to reform that group, with or without Dave?
Not that I know of. Maybe some talk that was generated that I didn’t hear about. There’s been no plans, but it’s something where I keep a candle lit, you know? Even if it was just three or four shows or eight or ten shows, it would just be a riot, because all of us—myself, Steve Vai and Gregg [Bissonette]—we are still very close friends, and the stories we tell from those days are just incredible. And all of us love Dave; he was the man. He was the biggest rock star in the world when we were working with him, and that was just an incredible trip.

What do you think of the chemistry in Van Halen now that Eddie’s son Wolfgang is on bass? Did you see them on tour?
You know, I didn’t go. To me—no offense, I love Ed and Al and Dave—but to see Mike [Anthony] not there kind of threw me a little bit, and I’m sure Wolfie’s a great player, a fine player, and a good kid. But I’m a fan, and I want to see the original lineup, you know? It was sad to see that Michael wasn’t there. I don’t know; I saw some bootleg video footage and bootleg audio, and it sounded pretty good. Eddie was killing, and Dave’s voice was in great shape. Dave’s really killing on the show I heard, and Wolfie plays bass great. But it’s just a fact that I would have really liked to see Michael up there.

I went to their show at Madison Square Garden, but something was missing.
Heartbreaking, heartbreaking. Again, I wish them well and it’s great for Wolfie; he’s Ed’s son, so that’s great. They were looking for somebody else to play bass, and I get the connection. But, you know, Michael’s an awesome player and a great vocalist, and he was the guy, you know? Hopefully, who knows what the future may bring.

What was it like when your band Talas opened for Van Halen on their 1980 tour?
It was like a Ph.D. in show business. I mean, we got to see some stuff that we had no idea, you know, that show business worked that way. And we saw [Van Halen] so consistently awesome, that on their worst night they were merely spectacular, these guys [laughs]—it was like a military operation. They’d get up and hit that stage, and man—that machine would kick in, amazing. From the openings to the banter between songs, Dave’s storytelling and Eddie’s spectacular playing, the whole band, the groove, and oh—it was just amazing. I look back on it as one of the luckiest things that ever happened; we opened for them about 30 or 40 shows in 1980—oh, God, it was amazing. I came off that tour knowing so much more about how it’s supposed to work [laughs] than I ever could have imagined on my own.

How did you get picked to open that tour?
There was a woman named Barbara Skydel with Premiere Talent in New York City, a booking agent, that booked Van Halen, the Who, a lot of the huge acts. We showcased for them in New York City for them to become our agents and to book us. Unknown to us, they sent our demo tape to Van Halen, who wanted kind of an unknown opening act, but somebody who’s not going to, you know, blow it. And they said yes—we had no idea that we were even in line for it! So the Talas guitar player [Dave Constantino] pulled up to pick me up for a gig and he had a bottle of champagne with him…he broke the news, we freaked out. When we did the shows they were actually pretty cool with us; they let us do a couple of encores and we did really well in front of the crowd. To this day, I get e-mail from people that saw that show.

Lynyrd Skynyrd Prepare for Tour

Lynyrd Skynyrd Prepare for Tour

Posted on Feb 28, 2011

Lynyrd Skynyrd will we out on the road again this spring and summer on a 21-city tour which will kick off on March 4th in Hollywood Florida, and eventually wind down on September 4th, in Atlanta.
Skynyrd guitarist Rickey Medlocke is amazed at how the band's music has lasted through the years and become so ingrained in popular culture: "I think the music is never-ending. The original guys, they wrote some very, very great songs, and I think the songs will probably be around a lot longer than we are. It's almost like now, every time you turn on a radio, or a TV, or you're in a movie or something, you hear the songs, so it's. . .I think it's all about the music."
Lynyrd Skynyrd tour dates (subject to change):
March 4 - Hollywood, FL - Seminole Hard Rock Live
March 5 - Orlando, FL - Universal Studios
March 10 - San Antonio, TX - Majestic Theatre
March 11 - Marksville, LA - Paragon Casino Resort
March 12 - Choctaw, MS - Golden Moon Casino
March 16 - Johnstown, PA - Cambria County War Memorial Arena
April 28 - Glen Allen, VA - Innsbrook Pavilion
April 29 - Fredericksburg, VA - Central Park
June 25 - Norfolk, NE - Divots Music Fest at Divots Event Center
July 16 - Oshkosh, WI - Rock USA at Ford Festival Park
August 5 - Detroit Lakes, MN - WE Fest / Sugarland at Soo Pass Ranch
August 12 - Sedalia, MO - Missouri State Fairgrounds Grandstand
August 13 - Fort Knox, KY - Godman Army Airfield
August 16 - Des Moines, IA - Iowa State Fairgrounds
August 20 - Aberdeen, MD - Proving Grounds
August 26 - Gilford, NH - Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion (with the Doobie Brothers)
August 27 - Essex Junction, VT - Champlain Valley Exposition
August 31 - Du Quoin, IL - Du Quoin State Fairgrounds
September 1 - Highland Park, IL - The Pavillion At Ravinia Park
September 2 - Kettering, OH - Fraze Pavilion For The Performing Arts
September 4 - Atlanta, GA - Atlanta Motor Speedway

Van Halen, Sammy Hagar featured in Eddie Trunk’s new book

Van Halen, Sammy Hagar featured in Eddie Trunk’s new book

Saturday, 26 February 2011

Van Halen and Sammy Hagar are tow of the many bands featured in Eddie Trunk’s upcoming book, Eddie Trunk’s Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal.
We emailed Eddie and asked exactly how much VH & Hagar are featured. His response; “There are entire sections and tons of exclusive photos for both Van Halen and Sammy Hagar which includes Montrose, Chickenfoot, solo career, and Van Halen.”
The table of contents shows 8 pages on Van Halen and 6 pages on Hagar.
Known as a leading expert on all things hard rock and heavy metal, Eddie Trunk continues to entertain fans on the radio and as the host of VH1 Classic’s hit television program That Metal Show with his passion for music. In his debut book, Eddie discusses his most essential bands, his unique personal experiences with them, his favorite “Stump the Trunk” anecdotes and trivia, as well as his favorite playlists. Whether you’re a classic Metallica or Megadeth metalhead or prefer the hair metal of old-school Bon Jovi or Poison, Eddie Trunk’s Hard Rock and Heavy Metal salutes all who are ready to rock! By Eddie Trunk, foreword by Rob Halford.
Available wherever books are sold, April 1st, 2011.

RUN RIGHT OUT AND SEE “UNKNOWN” WITH LIAM NEESON

RUN RIGHT OUT AND SEE “UNKNOWN” WITH LIAM NEESON

What could be scarier than waking up from a coma in a Berlin hospital with amnesia and no identification? This movie will make you forget your troubles as you fret about the leading character. Liam Neeson is strong, appealing, and vulnerable as the star of “Unknown” – the Alfred Hitchcock style thriller opening this weekend. It’s an expertly done action movie with a compelling and suspenseful, if somewhat far-fetched plot. That’s all we’re going to tell you – except see it as soon as possible, before you hear too much about it. It’s highly entertaining, Berlin is captivating, and you will walk out satisfied, for a change. All this and as a bonus, our friend pointed out, there’s no gratuitous sex, nudity, or obscenities.

GARY BUSEY’S NOT AS LOUD AS HE USED TO BE- THANKS TO MARLEE MATLIN

GARY BUSEY’S NOT AS LOUD AS HE USED TO BE- THANKS TO MARLEE MATLIN

A “dramatic” situation is percolating on Celebrity Apprentice this season: Deaf actress Marlee Matlin met Gary Busey for the first time, and she immediately observed that he spoke too loud and had trouble understanding conversations. She realized he was partially deaf and pulled him aside and suggested he see her hearing doctor. The doc told Busey he had only 40% of his hearing and fit him with a hearing aid. (Since it was filmed for the show, he probably got it free.) He communicates better now, but what he says is still pretty outrageous.

Heart/Def Leppard To Appear At Alabama's Amphitheater At The Wharf

Paul McCartney says he doesn't mind hip-hop sampling and has even approved some dance producers to use Beatles hits for remixes.
According to a new report from Britain's The Sun, the former Beatle has said that, unlike his record company, he is in favor of Dangermouse's 2006 Grey Album. That record combined a remix of both the Beatles' White Album and rapper Jay-Z's Black Album.
"I didn't mind when something like that happened with the Grey Album. But the record company minded. They put up a fuss. But it was like, 'Take it easy guys, it's a tribute,'" McCartney told the Beatles and Black Music documentary on BBC Radio in the U.K.
Macca is hoping for more hip-hop artists to sample Beatles material in the future.
"It's exactly what we did in the beginning - introducing black soul music to a mass white audience. It's come full circle, it's well cool," said McCartney.
"When you hear a riff similar to your own your first feeling is 'rip-off'. After you've got over it you think, 'Look at that, someone's noticed that riff.'"
The Beatles and Black Music documentary is being broadcast on Monday, February 28.
Copyright(c) 2011 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved

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Heart To Appear At Alabama's Amphitheater At The Wharf

Heart have signed on to appear alongside Def Leppard at the Amphitheater at the Wharf in Orange Beach, Alabama. The concert is set to take place on June 19. The show comes as part of the Amphitheater at the Wharf's growing spring concert lineup, which also includes performances by the Beach Boys and Zac Brown Band. Tickets for Heart and Def Leppard will be available via Ticketmaster and the Wharf's box office starting March 4.

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Heart have signed on to appear alongside Def Leppard at the Amphitheater at the Wharf in Orange Beach, Alabama. The concert is set to take place on June 19.
The show comes as part of the Amphitheater at the Wharf's growing spring concert lineup, which also includes performances by the Beach Boys and Zac Brown Band.
Tickets for Heart and Def Leppard will be available via Ticketmaster and the Wharf's box office starting March 4 and will cost from $39.50 to $89.50.
The news comes in the midst of Heart's resurgence behind their 2010 effort Red Velvet Car. The album hit stores last August and debuted at number 10 on the Billboard 200 chart, giving Nancy and Ann Wilson their first top 10 debut since 1990.
"It's very hard-rock acoustic - that's something Heart does that you don't really find elsewhere very much . . . It's not a digitally constructed sound at all, or a layered sound. It's a very on-the-spot, human conversational sound," Nancy told the Seattle Times of the new album just before the release.
Copyright(c) 2011 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved

When Suddenly, The Sun Was Gone! Brad Delp Of Boston

Brad Delp & Boston in 1976. When, suddenly, the sun was gone. By: Geoff Edgers, Globe Staff  / Feb 20, 2011 In his basement, the gawky engineer fresh out of MIT painstakingly recorded layers of guitars, keyboards, and bass until he got it right. But it wasn?t until Tom Scholz, the stubborn perfectionist, met Brad Delp, the dark, complicated singer with the soaring voice, that those basement demos came alive... SHOCKING DETAILS: LATE BOSTON SINGER MIGHT HAVE HAD A YOKO? In the wake of lawsuits flying in Boston about the band Boston following the 2007 suicide of singer Brad Delp, it turns out there might have been a Yoko in the band -- Delp's girlfriend. Some are saying Delp's struggles with his girlfriend are why he killed himself, others allege Boston mastermind Tom Scholz is to blame, and we at Sludge think it might have something to do with the band playing some of the world's blandest, by-the-numbers corporate rock for 30 years. At any rate, it all makes for an incredible story in the Globe that you can read HERE -- if you're a Boston fan (OK, I admit it, I am) or even a soap-opera fan, you're going to LOVE this story. -- Duff Z'Nuff More than a Sludging

JOURNEY - FIRST INSIGHT INTO NEW CD ECLIPSE:

JOURNEY - FIRST INSIGHT INTO ECLIPSE:
 
Journey have just completed their first live show for 2011 and first since ending their Revelation tour. The Las Vegas date is a warm up for the coming South American tour and the first date of two years of planned touring. The US summer leg will include Foreigner and Night Ranger as support.

The band previewed no less than 5 new Eclipse tunes in tonight's set. The complete set list was: Separate Ways, Edge of the Moment (new Eclipse track), Only the Young, Ask the Lonely, Never Walk Away, Send Her My Love, Resonate (new Eclipse track), Stone in Love, Keep on Running (Deen vocal), City of Hope (new Eclipse track), Lights, Open Arms, Chain of Love (new Eclipse track), Mother Father (Deen vocal), Escape, Guitar jam, Wheel in the Sky, Human Feel (Rise Up) (Eclipse track), Be Good to Yourself, Faithfully, Don't Stop Believin', Encore: Anyway You Want It, Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'.

Thanks to MR regular Rip, you can check out each new track via YouTube footage of tonight's show now:

Resonate: www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTM1_CUKtp0
Chain of Love: www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIBvmm9bQ0k
Edge Of The Moment: www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsWOhNdmlfg
City Of Hope: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceSmLs2wO4I
Human Feel (Rise Up): www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8N_0n4kmu8

As you can hear, this album is going to be a rocking affair and less commercial than possibly anything that has come before it. Guitar freaks are going to be all over this. I have been listening to the studio version of the lead album cut City Of Hope over and over again. This is an incredible track. It packs a punch from the opening riff, features duel guitars throughout and piano is used to fill the sound. There is a strong verse, a shifting bridge and an anthemic chorus in the vein of Faith In The Heartland and Never Walk Away. Deen Castronovo pounds away, but the song belongs to Neal Schon, who shreds from start to near finish. The last 90 seconds of the track is a double, then triple time drum/guitar shred-fest that turns the track heavier. Just tremendous stuff and glorious to hear in such a melodic setting!

Now, every band can come up with a classic song, but the intensity, power and guitar overdrive of this song, coupled with the usual anthemic flair of Journey's classic style leaves one with a very positive outlook towards the coming album. If the lead track can be filled with such power, then the rest of the album promises to be a real revelation (no pun intended!).

DEF LEPPARD HEADLINE DOWNLOAD 2011 + NEW BOOK + LIVE ALBUM:

DEF LEPPARD HEADLINE DOWNLOAD 2011 + NEW BOOK + LIVE ALBUM:
 
Press Release - Def Leppard, Britain's greatest arena rock band, are set to headline Download Festival 2011 on Friday, June 10 at Donington Park (UK) to kick off their world tour. The band are also set to release a brand new live album, Mirrorball, this summer featuring a mix of live Def Leppard classics, three brand new studio songs and a bonus DVD that contains energetic live performances and intimate backstage footage captured on the road. Also set for release this summer is Leppard's first coffee table book titled "Def Leppard - The Definitive Visual History", with exclusive photos by legendary rock photographer Ross Halfin.
Def Leppard remain one of the world's biggest and most successful live acts. The band last played the UK in 2009 - headlining Download Festival that year after a hugely successful sold out UK Arena tour in 2008. 2011 will see Def Leppard headline Download Festival for the second time in three years! For ticket information please refer to www.downloadfestival.com.
About Def Leppard: With more than 65 million albums sold worldwide and two prestigious Diamond Awards (Def Leppard are one of only five rock bands to have two consecutive 10 million plus selling albums in the U.S. -- the others are The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Van Halen) to their credit, Def Leppard -Joe Elliott (vocals), Phil Collen (guitar), Rick "Sav" Savage (bass), Vivian Campbell (guitar) and Rick Allen (drums)- continue to be one of the most important forces in rock music. Over the course of their career, the band has produced a series of classic groundbreaking albums that set the bar for generations of music fans and artists alike. The group's spectacular live shows, filled with powerful melodic rock anthems, continue to sell out venues worldwide. Their epic live show and arsenal of hits have become synonymous with their name, leading Def Leppard to be heralded as an institution in both the music and touring industry.

Bon Jovi, Roger Waters Make Billboard's Money Makers List

 

 

Bon Jovi, Roger Waters Make Billboard's Money Makers List

Bon Jovi, Roger Waters and Paul McCartney are raking in the big bucks. They have all landed in the top ten on Billboard's Top 40 Money Makers list for 2011. The "It's My Life" rockers claimed second on the list with their yearly income of $30,441,776, which comes mostly from their latest tour. Just above Bon Jovi is Lady Gaga, who made $30,556,342 thanks to her "Monster Ball" tour. Waters holds on at number three, while McCartney just made the list, cla

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Bon Jovi, Roger Waters and Paul McCartney are raking in the big bucks. They have all landed in the top ten on Billboard's Top 40 Money Makers list for 2011.
The "It's My Life" rockers claimed second on the list with their yearly income of $30,441,776, which comes mostly from their latest tour. Just above Bon Jovi is Lady Gaga, who made $30,556,342 thanks to her "Monster Ball" tour.
Waters holds on at number three, while McCartney just made the list, claiming the number ten spot.
Other rockers on the Top 40 list include Dave Matthews Band, the Eagles, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Phish and Eric Clapton.
Copyright(c) 2011 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved

Rush To Release Moving Pictures 5.1 Remix

The Broadway show Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark is getting a script rewrite. Though ticket sales have remained steady, the musical has been plagued with poor reviews and injuries to its actors.
Deadline.com reports that Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa has been tapped for the rewrite. A spokesman for the production, Rick Miramontez, would not cofirm the news though, telling the site: "We have no comment on that report."
Aguirre-Sacasa wrote Spider-Man comics for Marvel from 2006 to 2007. He is currently a writer for the HBO series Big Love. He is also slated to write a musical adaptation for the American Psycho novel with Duncan Sheik.
The $65 million Spider-man: Turn Off The Dark is part stunt show, part musical and was scored by U2's Bono and The Edge. Opening night is set for March 15.
Copyright(c) 2011 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved

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Rush To Release Moving Pictures 5.1 Remix

Rush is set to release a 5.1 surround sound remix of their Moving Pictures album, according to MusicTap.net. The 1981 release went four times platinum, and now the remix will be available in a CD/DVD set and CD/Blu-ray set. The remix was undertaken by producer/engineer Richard Chycki, who worked on Rush's last studio effort, Snakes & Arrows.

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Rush is set to release a 5.1 surround sound remix of their Moving Pictures album, according to MusicTap.net. The 1981 release went four times platinum, and now the remix will be available in a CD/DVD set and CD/Blu-ray set.
The remix was undertaken by producer/engineer Richard Chycki, who worked on Rush's last studio effort, Snakes & Arrows.
"After discussion with the band, the goal here was to pay serious homage to the production of the era so a considerable amount of time was spent researching and working through effects, etc. that matched the original but would fare well in the 5.1 world," Chycki said in a statement.
Rush is currently on their "Time Machine" tour. In anticipation of the upcoming remix release, they will be adding Moving Pictures classics like Tom Sawyer and Limelight to the show setlists.
Copyright(c) 2011 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved

Jani Lane Is Back With A New Band, Tour Dates & More.

Jani Lane is BACK with a new band, tour dates & more.
 
Jani Lane has a up coming SOLO tour!

EverythingJaniLane are pleased to announce the latest additions to former Warrant singer Jani Lane's band for his upcoming SOLO tour!

Returning is longtime keyboardist Shawn Zavodney and guitarist Patrick Kennison, along with former Warrant guitarist Billy Morris for the excitement of ALL shows! Also, longtime Ohio friends and musicians will be joining Jani onstage to bring you a mixture of old and NEW.

Speaking of new, a video of Jani performing one of his new songs, "Changes", at 2009's M3 Festival can be viewed on his EJLFB page. This will give you an idea of what the new stuff sounds like. This song was written in 2008, directly after the break with Warrant and reflects on his thoughts from that (listen to the lyrics).

Jani has been feverishly writing since 2008 to bring you a more modern sound! Think The Beatles mixed with Hoobastank and Foo Fighters. He is working very hard to evolve with the music industry, as well as keeping his long time fans impressed and turned on by his new creations.

As of TODAY, the following are a complete list of shows:

February 26: Biloxi, MS - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
March 25: Jim Thorpe, PA - Penn's Peak
March 26: Battle Creek, MI - Planet Live Music Factory
June 10: Lake Odessa, MI - Bike N Roll Festival
June 12: DeMotte, IN - Jimmy's House of Rock
June 17: Madison, WI - Bike N Roll Festival
June 18: Fremont, WI - Liquid Assets

JOURNEY SET TO DELIVER A MASTERFUL ECLIPSE MAY 2011:

JOURNEY SET TO DELIVER A MASTERFUL ECLIPSE MAY 2011:
Journey's new album Eclipse is set to deliver a heavier and darker tone and is confirmed for release in North America May 24 via WalMart outlets. A worldwide release will follow via Frontiers Records on or close to that exact date. The album features 12 tracks, one of which is an instrumental. The rest is all new material written over the last 18 months by guitarist Neal Schon and keyboardist Jonathan Cain, with help from frontman Arnel Pineda.
The album was produced and record by Kevin Shirley and mixed by David Kalmusky. Rumors suggest it is quite a lengthy record, with one source stating the album was: "more rock...longer songs..."

Comments from the band have begun to appear, with Neal Schon quoted by VH1 as saying: "The record, it's been done for a while. It sounds amazing. I'm in love with the record, which I haven't said for a long time. I was very involved with this record. Jon Cain and I wrote the whole thing with a little help from Arnel. You know, I really fought for this record to be the way it is. It's a rock record. It's built for the places we're about to play. We're playing a lot of big shows – South America and Europe – and we're going to be touring the whole world on and off for two years. So with the addition of Arnel, we've become more of an international band which has been really great. We busted all kinds of markets wide open. So I wrote for what I felt we were missing in our show. We've got a lot of hits to play and we have to play those but there's plenty of time to do some new stuff too so we're gonna mix it up."

Jonathan Cain last week tweeted: "Journey rehearsals ended today--band sounds great! New songs kick butt--lookin forward to rockin Vegas." Cain also talked to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, describing the album as: "a concept record with some spiritual themes to it. Pretty tough, hard-hitting stuff. This is Journey with big combat boots on. And helmet and a rifle. [Lyrics] searching for soulfulness and enlightenment and love and all the stuff that Journey's about. But the album also has a larger dynamic sweep with some darker stuff in there. We just felt like it was time to send a message to the world about how we feel about life in general," concluding with stating that the album incorporates Hindu principles of Tantra, "the belief that life is kind of a weave, a circle of energy, a life force that's woven with the universe in all of us. We dove deep into it. [The album is] ...one of those headphone records."

Fans attending this weeks show in Vegas will get an exclusive preview of 3 new songs from the album. Stay tuned for more.

Number Four Invade the Top Spot This Weekend? PREDICTED WEEKEND BOX OFFICE

BOX OFFICE PREDICTIONS: Will I Am Number Four Invade the Top Spot This Weekend?

PREDICTED WEEKEND BOX OFFICE

• 1
  I Am Number Four$32.5 million
• 2
  Unknown$23.3 million
• 3
  Big Momma's House$19.9 million
• 4
  Just Go with It$18.8 million
• 5
  Gnomeo and Juliet$17.7 million
• 6
  Justin Bieber: Never Say Never$12.4 million
• 7
  The King's Speech$6.8 million
• 8
  The Eagle$5.4 million
• 9
  The Roommate$4.9 million
• 10
  No Strings Attached$4.4 million

• #1
• #2
• #3
• #4
• #5
• #6
• #7
• #8
• #9
• #10

Last week the Adam Sandler comedy Just Go with It debuted at number one with $31 million. The movie managed to knock the college based thriller The Roommate out of the top spot after only one week on the charts. But with three new films premiering at the box office this weekend including the teen sci-fi film I Am Number Four, the Liam Neeson thriller Unknown, and Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son starring Martin Lawrence, its likely that we will be crowning a new box office king before the weekend is over.

Predicted to debut at number one this week is the new film from Eagle Eye director D.J. Caruso, I Am Number Four. The movie stars an excellent cast of young actors including Alex Pettyfer (Beastly), Dianna Agron (Glee), Teresa Palmer (The Sorcerer's Apprentice), Callan McAuliffe (Flipped) and Timothy Olyphant (The Crazies). Currently the movie has an average rating of a 3.6 on our site. Out of the twelve people who have rated the film, six of them have given it five stars and the trailer has had over 9,000 views. The movie is predicted to earn about $32.5 million in its opening weekend.

Predicted to debut at number two is the new action thriller Unknown. The film stars Liam Neeson (The A-Team), as well as January Jones (Mad Men), Diane Kruger (Inglourious Basterds), Aidan Quinn (Jonah Hex), and Frank Langella (Superman Returns). Currently the movie has an average rating of a 4.5 on our site. Out of the six people who have rated the film, five of them have given it five stars and the trailer has had over 9,000 views. The movie is predicted to earn about $23.3 million in its opening weekend.

Predicted to debut at number three this week is the new comedy Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son, the third chapter in the Big Momma's House series. The movie features returning star Martin Lawrence (Death at a Funeral), as well as Brandon T. Jackson (Tropic Thunder), Jessica Lucas (Cloverfield), Portia Doubleday (Youth in Revolt), and Faizon Love (The Replacements). Currently the movie has an average rating of a 3.6 on our site. Out of the twelve people who have rated the film, six of them have given it five stars and the trailer has had over 11,000 views. Here is what our official reviewer had to say about the movie, "While the movie's tone is mostly filled with good hearted fun, the cross-dressing gag begins to wear thin by the film's end. Fans of the franchise's past installments will most likely enjoy this one, but those who are new to it may not like it as much." The movie is predicted to earn about $19.9 million in its opening weekend.

Predicted to drop three places from its debut last week is the new Adam Sandler (Happy Gilmore) comedy Just Go with It, co-starring Jennifer Aniston (Love Happens). The incredible cast also includes Brooklyn Decker (Battleship), Minka Kelly (The Roommate), Dave Matthews (You Don't Mess with the Zohan), Nick Swardson (Bedtime Stories), Rachel Dratch (Spring Breakdown), Kevin Nealon (Get Smart), and Oscar winner Nicole Kidman (The Hours). Last week the film made $8,737 on each of its 3,548 screens for an opening weekend total of $31 million. But the film will have to continue to do well in the next few weeks if it hopes to earn back its entire $80 million production budget. The movie is predicted to earn an additional $18.8 million this weekend.

Predicted to round off the top five and fall two places from its debut last week is the new CGI animated film Gnomeo and Juliet. The film is based on William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, and features the music of Grammy Award winner Elton John. The film also features the voice talents of James McAvoy (Wanted), Emily Blunt (Charlie Wilson's War), Jason Statham ((The Expendables), and two-time Academy Award winners Michael Caine (The Dark Knight), and Maggie Smith (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince). Last week the film made $8,517 on each of its 2,994 screens for an opening weekend total of $25.5 million. The movie is predicted to earn an additional $17.7 million this weekend.

The rest of the top ten films at the box office this weekend are predicted to look like this:

Predicted to slip four spots from last week to number six is the new documentary/concert film from teen-musical sensation Justin Bieber. The film is called Justin Bieber: Never Say Never and will give fans an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look into the pop phenomenon's impressive career. Last week the film made $9,746 on each of its 3,105 screens for an opening weekend total of $30 million. The movie is predicted to earn an additional $12.4 million this weekend.

Predicted to fall one place from last week to number seven is Oscar frontrunner, The King's Speech. The film stars Colin Firth (Bridget Jones's Diary), Helena Bonham Carter (Alice in Wonderland), Guy Pearce (Memento), Geoffrey Rush (Pirates of The Caribbean: The Curse of The Black Pearl), and Michael Gambon (Layer Cake). While the film dropped 6.2% last week from the previous week, it was seen on 2,584 screens and earned $3,216 on each for a weekend total of $8.3 million. In over two months of release, the film has now earned a total of $93.6 million at the box office, which is over six times its initial $15 million production budget. The movie is predicted to earn an additional $6.8 million this weekend.

Predicted to drop four places from its debut last week to number eight is the new film from The Last King of Scotland director Kevin Macdonald called The Eagle. The film features an all-star cast which includes Channing Tatum (G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra), Jamie Bell (Jumper), Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes), Denis O'Hare (Charlie Wilson's War), and Donald Sutherland (MASH). Last week the film made $3,741 on each of its 2,296 screens for an opening weekend total of $8.5 million, which almost earned back half of its $20 million production budget. The movie is predicted to earn an additional $5.4 million this weekend.

Predicted to slip four places from last week to number nine is the new thriller The Roommate. The film stars an excellent cast of young actors and seasoned veterans including, Leighton Meester (Country Strong), Minka Kelly ((500) Days of Summer), Cam Gigandet (Burlesque), and Alyson Michalka (Easy A), with Billy Zane (The Phantom), and Frances Fisher (Titanic). While the movie fell 44.0% last week from the previous week, it earned $3,315 on each of its 2,534 screens for a weekend total of about $8.4 million. In two weeks of release, the film has made $26 million, which earns back its entire $16 million production budget and then some. The movie is predicted to earn an additional $4.9 million this weekend.

Finally, predicted to fall three spots from last week to number ten is the new romantic comedy from director Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters), called No Strings Attached. The film features an all-star cast that includes Natalie Portman (Black Swan), Ashton Kutcher (Killers), Lake Bell (What Happens in Vegas), Cary Elwes (Saw 3D), and Oscar winner Kevin Kline (A Fish Called Wanda). While the movie fell 27.4% last week from the week before, it earned $2,108 on each of its 2,756 screens for a weekend total of about $5.8 million. In four weeks of release the film has made $60 million which earns back its entire $25 million production budget and then some. The movie is predicted to earn an additional $4.4 million this weekend. Be sure to check out Box Office Beat Down this Sunday to see who is crowned the King of the box office this week and check back here next week for more box office predictions!

I Am Number Four was released February 18th, 2011 and stars Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Teresa Palmer, Dianna Agron, Callan McAuliffe, Kevin Durand, Jake Abel, Jeff Hochendoner. The film is directed by D.J. Caruso.

Unknown was released February 18th, 2011 and stars Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones, Aidan Quinn, Bruno Ganz, Frank Langella, Sebastian Koch, Olivier Schneider. The film is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra.

Sources: Jami Philbrick

AC/DC Live CD / Concert Video on the Way

AC/DC Live CD / Concert Video on the Way

AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson revealed in a new interview with OversteetTV.net that the band's new live album, and accompanying concert video, will be released "in about six weeks." The set is expected to contain footage of AC/DC's three sold-out shows at the River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires on December 2, December 3 and December 6, 2009 (65,000 capacity each).
"We've got a new live album which we shot in Argentina at the end of the last tour, which was about September," Johnson said during the interview. "There was 300,000 people there, and it was just wonderful. We had about 12 cameras there and a great sound crew, and we just enjoyed the heck out of it.
"The live album comes out, with the video of those concerts, in about six weeks or something. So I'm looking forward to that."
He added, "After that, we haven't made any plans; we just wanted to have a rest, 'cause we were on the road for two years. We played in front of five million people. and we deserve a rest, I think. We're pretty pooped. I know that sounds horrible to people that work hard, but believe me, it is hard work."
The Buenos Aires concerts were part of AC/DC's highly acclaimed "Black Ice World Tour", the second-highest-grossing world tour of 2009, according to concert industry trade publication Pollstar.
AC/DC's setlist for the Buenos Aires concerts was as follows:
01. Rock N' Roll Train
02. Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be
03. Back in Black
04. Big Jack
05. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
06. Shot Down In Flames
07. Thunderstruck
08. Black Ice
09. The Jack
10. Hells Bells
11. Shoot To Thrill
12. War Machine
13. Dog Eat Dog
14. You Shook Me All Night Long
15. T.N.T.
16. Whole Lotta Rosie
17. Let There Be Rock
Encore:
18. Highway To Hell
19. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)