Guns N' Roses Reportedly Reuniting For Coachella, Stadium Tour In 2016
Original Guns N' Roses members will reunite early next year and will headline the Coachella festival according to reports from two credible music publications that cite "multiple sources."
Axl Rose and Slash will reportedly lead the lineup, according to Billboard which reports that they have been told by multiple sources that the band is set to headline the California music festival next April.
They also report that the band is currently negotiating with a promoter to launch a North American stadium tour next summer and they are also in talks to be one of the first bands to play the Las Vegas Arena, which is set to open on April 6th.
A second report from Consequence of Sound says that an official announcement is "imminent" and the publication confirms that their "sources" tell them that the band lineup will also include original bass player Duff McKagan along with Rose and Slash and they will likely tap "Use Your Illusions" era drummer Matt Sorum for the reunion.
However, Billboard also reports that there were unable to reach representatives of the band, Coachella organizers, or AEG who will be operating the new Las Vegas venue for confirmation. Coachella's lineup is set to be revealed in January.
These new reports come in the wake of a mysterious Guns N' Roses trailer that appeared in movie theaters over the Christmas holiday during showings of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and the band launching a redesign of their website over the holiday that features the group's classic "Appetite For Destruction" era bullet logo.
Last month the band's official Twitter was updated with a series of cryptic tweets that read "What ever happened to no new is good news?... Of course today everyone is a journalist... if only they could read lips... Surely they'll read between the lines."
Rush's R40 Tour Was Not A Farewell Trek Says Geddy Lee
Rush frontman Geddy Lee has reiterated in a new interview that he does not believe that the legendary band's career is over and says that their R40 tour was not a farewell trek.
As we reportedly earlier this week, Lee told Paste Magazine that the band members at this point can not agree on their plans for the future, but he is not ruling out another album or future live performances.
The band's 2015 R40 tour was speculated to be their final large scale tour but Lee also says in the interview that the trek's "intention was not a farewell tour; its intention was a look back and a celebration of 40 years of music." Read the interview here.
Skid Row Part Ways With Singer Tony Harnell
Skid Row has lost another frontman. Former TNT vocalist Tony Harnell broke the news to fans via a social media post this week that he has parted ways with Skid Row.
Harnell was brought in earlier this year to replace Johnny Solinger. Now Harnells tells fans, "I'm sorry to inform everyone that I'm no longer the lead singer for Skid Row. I thank the fans for their love and support!"
His announcement comes following his hospitalization earlier this month, which forced the band to cancel their concert in Chicago. He posted the following message on Facebook about the situation at the time:
"I wanted to snuff out a few rumors I've seen online so here's the story. I'm neither dying nor faking! lol I was in the ER Tues night and admitted and released Wednesday for severe Bronchitis with Asthmatic symptoms and low oxygen levels, they ran tests to rule out anything serious.
"The Dr's felt traveling today and attempting to sing as soon as tomorrow would be a bad idea. I'm always willing to give it a try but everyone involved with the show felt it was best not to wait till the last minute to make a decision."
Motorhead Manager Reveals Lemmy's Reaction To Cancer News(hennemusic)
Motorhead drummer Mikkey Dee says the band is done following the death of leader Lemmy Kilmister in Los Angeles on Monday and the band's manager has revealed Lemmy's reaction to the news that he only had a short time to live.
"Motorhead is over, of course. Lemmy was Motorhead," Dee tells Sweden's Expressen newspaper. "We won't be doing any more tours or anything. And there won't be any more records. But the brand survives, and Lemmy lives on in the hearts of everyone."
Motorhead manager Todd Singerman revealed Lemmy had not been feeling well in recent weeks and went to the emergency room when he complained of chest pains.
Rolling Stone reports doctors found no heart trouble but Singerman and others decided he needed a brain scan "because his speech was getting bad." There were concerns that he'd had a stroke.
"We took him for the X-rays and they said, 'Oh, my God, there's stuff all over his brain and his neck,'" said Singerman on Monday. "On Saturday, two days ago, the doctor came by the house, brought the results and told us all that he has two to six months to live."
It was cancer, and Lemmy reacted calmly. "He took it better than all of us. His only comment was, 'Oh, only two months, huh?' The doctor goes, 'Yeah, Lem, I don't want to bullsh*t you. It's bad, and there's nothing anyone can do. I would be lying to you if I told you there was a chance.'"
"Here's the shocker for me and everyone else: He's been to a thousand doctors and hospitals throughout the world, but nobody caught this," adds Singerman. "To be told you have terminal cancer with all the blood tests he's taken in his life and everything else? It's very hard to grasp that. It's not like he had a f***ing chance here. This was outright: 'You got no more than six months.'" Read more here.
Foo Fighters Score Their Sixth Million Selling Album In The U.S.
Foo Fighters have another platinum level selling album release under their belt in the U.S. after their Greatest Hits collection passed one million copies sold earlier this month.
The 2009 best of collection reentered the Billboard 200 this past week at No. 159 and has now sold 1,009,000 copies in the U.S., following sales of 6000 copies last week and the 3000 copies sold during the week of December 17th, which pushed the compilation's total sales tally past one million.
This gives the band, formed by former Nivana drummer Dave Grohl, their sixth million selling album in America. Greatest Hits joins their previous platinum level albums The Colour and the Shape (1.9 million), In Your Honor (1.5 million), One By One (1.4 million), There Is Nothing Left To Lose (1.3 million) and their self-titled debut (1.3 million), according to Billboard. Read the report here.
Beatles Attract Younger Fans With Spotify Launch(Gibson)
Now that The Beatles catalog is available on streaming services, a whole new generation of future Beatles fans are discovering the Fab Four. And casual fans will be able to access the music more easily to dig deeper. And those of us who are die-hards who bought everything years ago have another way to access their beloved tunes on the go.
The Beatles albums are now available to stream on Spotify, Apple Music, Google Play, TIDAL and Amazon Prime Music. And it's particularly interesting to see which songs have had the most plays since the catalog went live on Christmas Eve.
According to Billboard, 65 percent of Beatles plays on Spotify were by users under the age of 34, and over 673,000 people added the band to Spotify playlists. And the top Beatles songs on Spotify around the world are: 1) Come Together 2) Let It Be 3) Hey Jude 4) Love Me Do 5) Yesterday. See the rest of the top 10 here.
There Would Be No Metallica Without Motorhead(Classic Rock)
Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich has detailed how big a part Lemmy played in his decision to form his first band. Ulrich now explains how, after having seen Motorhead play on a number of occasions, he found his way into their rehearsal room in England when he was 16 years old and it inspired him to star Metallica.
Ulrich tells Rolling Stone, "I got down to this studio - and within half an hour I'm sitting in their room and it's Lemmy, Phil Taylor and Eddie Clark. It was just them and me, and they're writing songs for their next album.
"I remember they were talking about this new song called Iron Fist. This is the biggest band in England, and I'm just sitting there with them in the f***ing rehearsal room writing songs for their next record. Just put that in f***ing perspective."
Ulrich continues: "There was this openness to let people into their inner circle, and it motivated me. I had met this kid, James Hetfield, about six months before - I could tell he was a super-cool guy, but nothing much came out of that interaction.
"Later in the week after I got back, I called him up and said, 'We've got to form a band together. I just hung out with Motorhead. I'm feeling it, this otherworldly calling.'
"So when I say that Lemmy is the primary reason that I'm in a band to this day, and that Metallica exists because of him, it's not some cheap exaggeration. It really was. They took me in, they let me be a part of what they were doing, and it inspired James and I to form this band based on that attitude and that aesthetic. We were just a bunch of lost kids who wanted to belong to something that was bigger than ourselves." Read more here.
Phil Anselmo's Superjoint Recording New Music
Superjoint (formerly Superjoint Ritual) has started recording new music, the band lead by former Pantera and current Down frontman Philip Anselmo, confirmed in an online post.
The band simply said "new tunes are coming" in a Facebook post which linked a metal blog report about the band recording new material at Anselmo's Louisiana studio, Nodferatu's Lair.
New Orleans photographer Jody Dorignac broke the news of the recordings by sharing a series of photos on his Instagram account of guitarist Jimmy Bower recording guitar tracks for the new music. See the posts here.
Fans Pushing To Have Motorhead's Ace Of Spades Top UK Chart(Classic Rock)
Motorhead classic Ace Of Spades is at the centre of a fans' bid to pay tribute to Lemmy in the UK new year singles chart. But organizers don't want half-hearted support from those who aren't prepared to buy the single during the week of January 1.
The Facebook page was launched in 2014, but it had secured fewer than 2000 likes until Lemmy died on December 28, two days after being told he had an aggressive form of cancer. Now nearly 20,000 people have signed up.
Admins say: "As a tribute to the absolute legend that we knew and loved as Lemmy, let's chart Ace Of Spades. Buy it from as soon as Big Ben chimes in 2016."
But they warn: "Please only like this page if you're serious about downloading Ace Of Spades from 00:01 on January 1. The new chart begins then, meaning we have a better chance of a No.1 than if we download now.
"Let's make the loudest No.1 single in years as a worthy tribute to a great man." Read more here.
Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi Says Ozzy's Devastated By Lemmy's Death(Classic Rock)
Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi thinks Lemmy didn't want people to know about the pain he was in before he died. The Motorhead icon passed away aged 70 on December 28, two days after being told he had an aggressive form of cancer.
Old friend Iommi, who admits he's still in shock, tells the BBC: "I'd remember him as a nice kind man, very honest, no airs and graces. He didn't want to harp on about the past - the future was what he was concerned about. It seemed so sudden, even though I knew he'd been ill. I think maybe he didn't want people to know all that. That would be him."
He adds that bandmate Ozzy Osbourne is "devastated," saying: "Lemmy wrote some lyrics for Ozzy's solo albums so he was in contact a lot. It's going to hit everybody. It hasn't sunk in properly yet." Read more here.
Stuck Mojo Reunion Over, Band To Continue Without Bonz and Lowery
Stuck Mojo drummer Frank Fontsere says that band is continuing on with him, guitarist Rich Ward, and new members taking the place of frontman Bonz and bassist Corey Lowery.
The news comes a year after the band's reunion show in Atlanta. The new lineup has already recorded a new studio album which they hope to release in mid-2016.
Fontsere explained the lineup changes in a recent appearance on the "Talk Toomey" podcast. He said (via Blabbermouth), "We did the reunion show [in December 2014], and it was great, and we did a couple of other shows that were great. But it was one of those things - not to go into too much detail - we're gonna continue on, but it's gonna be me and Rich [Ward, guitar] and two other guys. It hasn't been announced yet officially, but I was told that I can say that."
He also discussed the new album: "I think it's the best album we've ever done. I know everyone says that, but I've let a few people preview it, and I know Rich has let a few people preview it, and the responses are from people whose opinions we respect, who have no reason to be dishonest, and were, like, 'Oh my God! This is amazing!' So I really think it will silence any doubters. If anybody hears ,'Oh, Stuck Mojo put out a new record, but it's not with the guys that I want to be in the band, so it can't be any good.' Well, they'll get a surprise when they hear it. This album is not fooling around." Read more and listen to the full interview here.
Joe Lynn Turner Asks Fans Not To Buy Brazen Abbot CD/DVD Release
Former Rainbow and Deep Purple frontman Joe Lynn Turner has asked fans not to purchase a new CD/DVD compilation from another band he was involved with: Brazen Abbot.
Turner says in an online posting that the 'homemade bootleg' was released without his consent and he is looking into taking legal action to stop the release, according to BraveWords.com.
The singer posted the following message on his Facebook page, "Attention to all! I have just been made aware of a Brazen Abbot CD/DVD 20 years compilation release. I am very saddened to learn that this 'homemade bootleg' release was done without my knowledge, consent or approval. I consider this a breach of trust and fair business practice.
"I am looking into the legal aspects of such release and would urge everyone not to purchase this unauthorized product until any and all legal points are negotiated and agreed upon.
"I am shocked and disappointed at such unethical practice by Mr. Kotzev and feel this is a direct stab in the back. I have never seen this DVD and was not aware of the fact that Mr. Kotzev decided to release this DVD on his own without any regard or respect to me. This is unacceptable and appalling!
"I will ask you all to share this information with everyone to support all true artists who still keep the integrity and standards in this crumbling music industry. Your choice is the only decision that can make a difference.
"I appreciate your consideration and understanding in this matter and thank you for your continued love and support!"
Saxon's Biff Byford Tributes Longtime Friend Lemmy(Classic Rock)
Saxon frontman Biff Byford has bid farewell to Motorhead counterpart Lemmy after nearly four decades of friendship. The Motorhead icon died aged 70 on December 28, two days after being told he had an aggressive form of cancer.
Byford says: "I knew Lemmy for 36 years. If you were his friend you were his friend for life. He was a defiant rebel to the end, who loved his music and never compromised. Let's remember Lemmy as he wanted to be: as an iconic songwriter, lyricists and rock'n'roll rebel. Wherever you are, mate, give 'em hell."
Longtime Motorhead collaborators Girlschool say: "We lost a true friend, someone who since 1979 was part of our lives and our history as a band. We played together, recorded and toured together - but most and foremost we had the opportunity to know Lemmy's true and kind heart." They add: "We have no words to express how much we miss you." Read more here.
Evilyn Strange Announce Evilution EP
Evilyn Strange have announced that they will be releasing their new EP, "Evilution," in the first part of next year. The new EP is the follow up release to the band' 2013 debut album "Mourning Phoebe."
Frontman Phillip Strange had the following to say about the upcoming release, "Our aim is to make storming classic hard rock and metal music. I grew up listening to so many awesome bands such as Whitesnake, Sabbath, Dio, Megadeth, Alice In Chains, and The Cult. Listening to that music was such a massive inspiration in my teenage years."
Strange also discussed a change in the song writing dynamics for this new EP, "[guitarist Mikael Johannesson] gets to have a larger influence this time out which means we're heading in a heavier direction.
"It's important that we continue to explore new roads with our music, and Mike's influence has helped us to do that. Mourning Phoebe was a great foundation and Evilution builds on it." See the tracklisting here.
Lemmy's Firing From Hawkwind Recalled By Dave Brock(Classic Rock)
Hawkwind mainman Dave Brock has recalled the band's decision to fire Lemmy in 1975 - and the jokes both parties made about it afterwards. The Motorhead icon died at home in Los Angeles on December 28, two days after being told he had an aggressive form of cancer.
Brock yesterday paid tribute to his old friend, saying they'd always had a "magical bond" when they worked together. Lemmy went on to form Motorhead in 1975, and the bands toured together two years later. Brock tells the BBC: "He was a great character, a great musician. He'll never be forgotten because he made a lot of great records."
Lemmy regularly said he'd been kicked out of the band for "doing the wrong drugs." Brock responds: "Our little joke, we always had, was that if he hadn't been fired from Hawkwind he wouldn't have formed Motorhead and gone off to this fantastic career and lifestyle that he had.
"It was a band decision - two of us didn't want to sack him and four of us did. And off he went, blazing a star. It's a great style of playing he had. Very few bass players play like Lemmy. He was originally a guitarist, and when he joined us he didn't have a bass, so we had to go to a second-hand shop and buy a bass for him. He was a very eccentric lad - but he did what he wanted to do." Read more here.
Singled Out: City Reign's Sympathy
Chris Bull and Michael Grice from Manchester, UK indie rockers City Reign tell us about their new single "Sympathy" which will be included on their forthcoming sophomore album "Dasein". Here is the story:
Michael: Musically the song came in a purple patch where I was came up with the vast majority of the songs on the Dasein. The two riffs are one of those lucky moment where you pluck them out the air. The song has a great driving groove and it is impossible to not think of Springsteen when listening to those riffs. However once I took it to the practice room the 'creative disagreements' started. I think we came up with three different choruses before finding the winner, those included going half time, playing sixteenths on the drums and only playing one chord…all terrible ideas! For the outro we were a little reserved about how to end it but rightly in the end we threw caution to the wind and released the power ballad within us.
Chris: Lyrically I guess Sympathy is about something and nothing at the same time. It encapsulates the heady cocktail of vulnerability and bravado of unrequited love, and the ultimate feeling of helplessness it leaves you wallowing in. Love is strange and beautiful and makes no sense. Kinda like this song.
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