Today's Day in Rock

Black Sabbath Reunion On Metal Day
(Gibson) Black Sabbath have organized a press conference for Friday, November 11. All four original members of the band – Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward – will be in attendance at the announcement, to be held at the Whisky A Go-Go in Los Angeles, according to NME.

The date is not an accident. November 11 isn't just "National Metal Day" (11-11-11), it's also an important anniversary for Sabbath. The date marks the legends' first U.S. show, which took place November 11, 1970 at – wait for it – the Whisky A Go-Go.

Henry Rollins will host the event, during which the band members are expected to announce a reunion tour and, possibly, a new album. more on this story



Velvet Revolver To Resume Singer Search
(hennemusic) Velvet Revolver is reconvening next month, according to Slash. While promoting his forthcoming DVD, "Made in Stoke 24/7/11," due November 15 on DVD and Blu-ray, the guitarist also spoke to Billboard about his plans between now and the holidays.

Slash says Velvet Revolver will get together in December to "spend some time with a couple of singers - that's all I can tell you."

The group, on hiatus since frontman Scott Weiland left to rejoin Stone Temple Pilots in 2008, worked early this year with Slipknot/Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor, but that did not pan out, as Slash vetoed his involvement. more on this story



Van Halen To Make Announcement At Grammy Event?
(hennemusic) November 30, 2011, that's when rumor has it that Van Halen will appear at the Grammy Nominations Concert live to make a special announcement.

Two signs indicate VH will update the world on their plans at the event: The first is a mention at the end of this week's press release for the Grammy Nominations broadcast, which says: "a special, live announcement from an iconic group regarding their historic band reunion set to take place on the Grammy stage on February 12, 2012."

Sure, not enough to go on, but combine that info with… The second, a tweet from The Grammy folks (here), which reads: "Who do u predict the reuniting band will be @ #GRAMMYnoms? Does this hint make u wanna 'Jump' & 'Dance the Night Away'?" more on this story



Danzig Outrage at Music Fest?
Glenn Danzig reportedly gave Misfits fans and event organizers anything but a fun fun fun time at the Austin based Fun Fun Fun music festival this weekend.

Danzig was headlining the event with his Danzig Legacy show but the problems began as he arrived, according to the event's booking agent.

The former Misfits frontman reportedly was the focus of drama on and off the stage, which he eventually appeared on late, played an abbreviated set and reportedly encouraged fans to riot. The booking agent for the festival took to the event Facebook to provide a blow by blow of what went down from their perspective. (If we receive a statement from Glenn's camp with his side of things, we will publish that as well.) Read the blow by blow here.



Gwar's Oderus Tributes Late Guitarist Cory Smoot
Gwar frontman Dave Brockie (stage name Oderus Urungus) has issued a formal statement about the sad death of Gwar guitarist Cory Smoot (stage name Flattus Maximus) and the status of Gwar. Here is what he has to say:

After a restless night spent hurtling through the desolate Canadian wilderness, I crawled from my bunk on the tour bus to face reality, grudgingly aware that the the dark dream that gripped us would not fade with the day. We have lost a brother, a husband, a son, and one of the most talented musicians that ever slung an ax. Cory Smoot, longtime lead guitar player for the band GWAR, has passed at the age of 34.

As the singer of GWAR and one of his best friends, I feel it is my duty to try and answer some of the questions that surround his tragic and untimely death. I know the sense of loss and pain is far greater in scope than in the insulated environment of a band on tour, and I will do my best to provide what clarity and comfort I can.

The most glaring question is how? And unfortunately that is the hardest question to answer. The truth will not be known until the medical officials have finished their work. All I can do is relate what we saw with our own eyes. read the rest here



New Stone Temple Pilots Album Coming
(hennemusic) Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland is doing interviews to promote his newly-released Christmas album, "The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year."

The album presents Weiland singing Xmas standards in a variety of styles, including big band swing, orchestrated ballads, reggae, bossa nova and more.

While speaking with Billboard about his latest solo effort, Scott promises that "there is another album coming" to follow 2010's self-titled effort. The group plays three shows in South America this month, then Weiland expects his bandmates to start working on new material. "They usually start before me, just getting some rough ideas together and then putting rough ideas down on ProTools with no lyrics and no melody," he explains. "And then I start listening to it and see if it's just a straight-ahead rock 'n' roll record, or if it's more of a concept album, like (2001's) 'Shangri-La Dee Da' was. Once we decide that, it should go full speed ahead." more on this story



Lou Reed and Metallica Recruit Black Swan Director
(Gibson) Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky is set to direct a music video for a track from Lulu, the new collaborative album by Lou Reed and Metallica. Aronofsky, who also directed the Oscar-nominated film The Wrestler, will make the video for the song "Iced Honey," with scenes to be shot in the San Francisco Bay area.

Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich said that, for him, working with Reed and Aronofsky is "living the dream." "As if making a record with Lou Reed is not enough, now I get to make a video with Darren Aronofsky," Ulrich said, "who has been among my very favorite filmmakers since his first movie, Pi." Perhaps with tongue in cheek, Reed said he hopes the video "can be [Aronofsky's] next Black Swan."

The veteran rocker has called Lulu, which was released on Tuesday, "the best music [he] has ever done." more on this story



Thin Lizzy Name A Permanent Guitarist
(hennemusic) The revolver door on the Thin Lizzy guitar slot has now stopped. For more than forty years, Thin Lizzy has been delivering their brand of rock 'n roll to audiences all over the world. Even with the untimely passing of legendary front man Phil Lynott twenty-five years ago, the band has continued on.

Over the years, many rock luminaries have graced the ranks of Thin Lizzy including the likes of Brian Robertson, Snowy White and the late Gary Moore. Most recently, Def Leppard's resident guitar wizard Vivian Campbell joined the band for their 2011 European tour. When Def Leppard called Vivian back to their camp, Gun's & Roses guitarist Richard Fortus joined the boys on their European festival run this past summer.

Continuing on in the tradition of top-notch performers, the members of Thin Lizzy are proud to announce that veteran guitar player Damon Johnson has joined their ranks as a permanent member. more on this story



Radiohead Star Auctioning Historic Guitar To Help Child With Brain Tumor
(Audio Ink Radio) Ed O'Brien, guitarist for alternative rock outfit Radiohead, has put one of his prized guitars up for auction to benefit charity.

The guitar was used on the recordings of Radiohead's popular Kid A and Amnesiac albums, and 100% of the proceeds from the auction will benefit the Billie Butterfly Fund to help raise funds for four-year-old Billie Bainbridge who has a rare, fatal brain tumor.

The crusade is raising money to treat Bainbridge's tumor with an operation in Texas, since the procedure is not available in the U.K. more on this story



Yes' Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman To Release Live Album This Month
(Glass Onyon) YES legends Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman have set a November 28th release date for 'Anderson / Wakeman - The Living Tree In Concert Part One' .

The CD was recorded during the duo's British tour in 2010 and comes housed in a sleeve design by Mark Wilkinson who was also responsible for the design of the artwork for 'The Living Tree'.

Having worked together on and off since 1971's groundbreaking YES masterwork 'Fragile', Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman have traveled similar musical paths that have eventually and happily led their careers back together again. The duo began performing live together in the UK in 2006 playing both classics from the YES catalogue and selected tracks from the pair's individual solo releases. In 2009 Anderson and Wakeman recorded the highly anticipated album 'The Living Tree' which garnered rave reviews worldwide. In 2010 it was announced that Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman were to tour together once more at the end of the year. The wildly successful tour featured material from their time with YES, but more importantly material from the duo's new CD 'The Living Tree'. A collection of live highlights from the tour were compiled and overseen by Jon and Rick for the upcoming release 'Anderson / Wakeman - The Living Tree In Concert Part One'. more on this story



Slash Cautious About Guns N' Roses Rock Hall Reunion Expectations
(hennemusic) Given the recent Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame nomination for his old band, Guns N' Roses, the subject of a possible induction and – dare anyone say it – reunion, is on a lot of people's minds, so the subject naturally came up during the session.

Slash says he's "honored" by GNRs' nomination "It's become very prestigious over the years, and it's become a huge honor for anybody to be inducted into it -- or even nominated, for that matter," he says. "It's a cool accolade, I suppose. Obviously we're in really, really great company."

Slash says he hasn't spoken with any other GNR members about the nomination, and he's trying not too think too much about how the original quintet - which hasn't played together since 1991 - would handle its induction. "Of course, you have those thoughts of how it might work in case it does happen, but with Guns 'N Roses, there's really no guessing exactly how it will go. I suppose if it happens, everybody will get some sort of ducks in order. But I think the first thing to do is wait and see if we actually get inducted, because you know how unpredictable that is." more on this story



Franz Ferdinand Plot Return
(Audio Ink Radio) Franz Ferdinand are planning a major comeback. Guitarist Nick McCarthy has confirmed to the Daily Record that the Glasgow, Scotland-based hit-makers do, indeed, have new music on their minds, and they'll reconvene next year to make it happen.

"We're thinking of doing something again after a bit of a sabbatical," he said. "We'd toured to excess and needed to enjoy playing again. It is going really well." Franz Ferdinand hasn't played a proper tour in two years, so the news of a reunion is certainly overdue.

McCarthy went on to say the guys are finally okay with taking a few years off between albums, whereas before, they wanted to push new music out constantly. more on this story



Megadeth's Mustaine Explains The High Price of Headbanging
(Rock News Desk) Dave Mustaine says headbanging has brought pain all thrash musicians and he compares the act to giving yourself chronic whiplash.

The Megadeth mainman recently underwent surgery for a neck and spine condition known as stenosis, after struggling through the pain barrier to complete the band's US Mayhem Festival tour.

"I knew I was hurt, but I didn't know how bad. Nobody knew the writing was on the wall," He tells Decibel. "I pretty much thought, 'Well, I'm hurt, but I'll just take it easy, have a couple of glasses of wine. I'll get through it, get a couple of trigger point injections, get an epidural.' more on this story



Ratt, Def Leppard and Poison Covered On Guilt By Association 3
(Sub) Engine Room Recordings will continue thier covers compilation series with Guilt By Association Vol. 3, which will be released on November 15, 2011.

The Guilt By Association concept is easy, Engine Room asks artists to cover songs that one could call a guilty pleasure, but the catch is we all love these songs guilt free! Past volumes included tracks by Devendra Banhart, Will Oldham, Superchunk, My Brightest Diamond, Matt Pond PA, and Frightened Rabbit covering artists such as Mariah Carey, Ace of Base and Destiny's Child.

On Guilt By Association Volume 3, Engine Room has gone one step further and added a theme within the theme. For this newest installment, all of the songs had to be plucked from everyone's favorite genre, 80's hair metal. Vol. 3 features Helmet covering Loudness, Mike Viola tackling Ratt, Madison Square Gardeners doing Poison, Canon Logic taking on Cinderella and Bird of Youth covering Skid Row. more including a link to a free download!



Scott Weiland Image Not Really Scott Weiland?
(Gibson) Back in the 1990s, it would be been impossible to foreshadow that Scott Weiland, bad-boy frontman of Stone Temple Pilots, would ever record a Christmas album. But, it's 2011, and Weiland is a different man; the kind that appreciates time-honored classics such as "Silent Night," "Winter Wonderland" and "What Child is This?"

Weiland's new album of Christmas songs, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, dropped last month, and if you ask Weiland, he doesn't think the fact he's putting out a jolly collection is all that surprising. "My solo albums are very avant-garde compared to Velvet Revolver or STP," the 44-year-old told Spin. "It's more influenced by bands I like such as Granddaddy and the Flaming Lips and Sigur Ros and The Smiths…"

He added that his current public persona isn't at all representative of Weiland in 2011. "My image now is only a smidgen [of] who I actually am," he said. "Just like Keith Richards or Perry Farrell or even Mick Jagger. Jagger was never a real druggie, but they were thought of as the bad boys. I had a period in my life in the '90s where I was definitely young, dumb and full of even more dumb." more on this story



The Who's Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend Launch Teen & Young Adult Cancer Program
(hennemusic) Rock legends Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend of The Who have always said they owe much of their musical success to teenagers.

In a heartfelt repayment, Roger Daltrey announced the launch of the UCLA Daltrey/Townshend Teen & Young Adult Cancer Program, which will serve teens and young adult cancer patients at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

The vision of the program is to ensure that every young person receives the best possible care and professional support to help them meet the physical and emotional challenges of a cancer diagnosis. The belief is that teenagers and young adults shouldn't stop enjoying their youth just because they have cancer. more on this story



Timothy B. Schmit Solo Tour and Q and A
The Eagles and Poco's Timothy B. Schmit is hitting the road towards the end of the month for a North American solo tour. MSO sent over the details along with a cool Q&A with Schmit.

For the month-long trek , Timothy and his full band will perform songs from his fifth solo effort Expando (2009, Lost Highway/Universal) as well as gems by The Eagles and Poco.

Written and produced by Schmit, Expando presents a diverse mix of Americana, folk, country, rock and blues with an eclectic array of iconic artists including The Blind Boys of Alabama, Garth Hudson, Kid Rock, Graham Nash, Van Dyke Parks, Benmont Tench and Dwight Yoakam, among others. Highlights on the varied 11-song disc include "Parachute," "Downtime," "One More Mile," "White Boy From Sacramento," "Good Day" and the new single "Friday Night." more on this story



Napalm Death Set New Album Release
Napalm Death are putting the final touches on their 14th studio album, Utilitarian, which it will hit stores on February 27th in Europe and February 28th in North.

Singer Mark "Barney" Greenway explains the album title and concept: "After some deliberation, we have decided on Utilitarian as the album title. We generally try to avoid generic titles, and this seemed to have a lot of scope to it. I won't explain the full meaning of Utilitarianism here because it's an ethical theory, and as ethical theories go, the depth and debate around it is quite heavy at times. It has a certain 'morality' aspect to it and that isn't something that drives me, so I also certainly have issues with it."

"So, rather than just nail that straight to the mast, of course we wanted to put our own spin on it by suggesting that those (i.e. the utilitarian in us, perhaps) who try to challenge everything, or fight against conventions, well, we go through periods of real self-doubt where we wonder if we're really making a difference. I suppose the conclusion is that, for the sake of all our freedoms, you should never stop, as even the feeling of resistance is at least a signal to those who would like to entirely control and dominate us - meaning everything from our instinctive behavior to our human entitlement to walk the earth unprovoked." more on this story



INXS Debut New Singer Live
INXS performed with their new lead singer Ciaran Gribbin for the first time last week at Jardin de la Cerveza in Arequipa, Peru on Nov. 3, 2011, to kick off their South American tour. Their camp sent over the following:

"I had the best night of my life singing with INXS in Peru. The band was on fire and the wonderful audience was so up for it—a truly awesome experience that I will cherish forever," said Gribbin. INXS performed for over two hours to the Peruvian fans rocking out to some of their greatest hits such as, "Mystify, Suicide Blonde, Need You Tonight and of course their latest release written by Andrew Farriss and Gribbin, Tiny Summer.

Gribbin's debut performance had fans flocking to the band's official Facebook page in admiration of the show. more on this story



Animals As Leaders New Album Preview
Animals As Leaders have launched a sampler of their new album, Weightless, online at YouTube, where you can hear portions of every track from the album.

The album was released in mainland Europe last week, is being released today, Monday the 7th in the UK and Tuesday the 8th in North America. "Weightless" marks the recording debuts of drummer Navene Koperweis, who spearheaded the production of the album, and guitarist Javier Reyes, who mixed the album. Listen here

Animals As Leaders are out now on an extensive North American tour with Between The Buried And Me more on this story



John Lennon Tooth Sells For A Tidy Sum
(Rock News Desk) A tooth which John Lennon pulled from his own mouth has been bought at auction for £32,000. The strange souvenir was purchased by dentist Michael Zuk, who plans to put it on display in his practice.

Lennon extracted the tooth in the kitchen of his Surrey home at the end of the 1960s and gave it to housekeeper Dot Jarlett, telling her: "Will you dispose of this? Or, as your daughter is a Beatles fan, you can give it to her as a souvenir."

The item wound up in the hands of Dot's son Barry, who put it on sale at the weekend. more on this story



Nonpoint Set New Album Target
Nonpoint have inked a new recording and publishing deal with Razor & Tie, who will release their next album in Spring of 2012.

Nonpoint is already deep into writing their forthcoming new album having demo'd over two dozen songs.

"We couldn't be happier or more excited about our up-coming new partnership with Razor & Tie. Their aggressive staff and fresh plan of attack has us excited to get this record on the shelves and on the airwaves because I know they will reach for greatness and are as proud of being a part of this project as we are. We're very much looking forward to the next album cycle," comments Elias Soriano of Nonpoint. more on this story



Book Of Job Set Album Plans
On January the 9th, Book Of Job will enter Realsound Studio in Parma (Italy) with producer Wahoomi Corvi (Crysalys, The Way Of Purity). Wormholedeath will release their debut album titled "Hamartia" world-wide through Aural Music Group.

Release date is due during the winter of 2012 and will be announced at the end of the current year.

Lead Vocalist, Kaya Tarsus stated : "We are very excited to join the Wormhole Death roster, we have been given the opportunity to spread our music world wide and with the help of the Wormhole Death team we will achieve this. We have been working hard writing our debut album and we cant wait to hit the studio in January to begin the recording process. When we return to the UK we will be looking to play as many shows as we can, our aim is to showcase our own brand of metal thats gonna make you jump out your seat! Prepare to get BOJ'd! " more on this story



Pearl Jam Twenty Is Number One
(Sony) Pearl Jam Twenty DVD has debuted at number one on the TOP DVD Music Video Chart.

Pearl Jam Twenty directed by Cameron Crowe was released on October 24 and features special extras on each band member, and amazing unreleased live footage.

Pearl Jam Twenty is a Cameron Crowe film told in big themes and bold colors with blistering sound. The film chronicles the years leading up to the band's formation, the chaos that ensued soon-after being catapulted into superstardom, their step back from the spotlight with the instinct of self-preservation, and the creation of a trusted circle that would surround them—giving way to a work culture that would sustain them. The film celebrates the freedom that allows the band to make music without losing themselves, their fans, or the music lovers they'd always been. more on this story



Forward To The Apocalypse Fest This Weekend
The annual Forward To The Apocalypse Fest is set to take place this weekend (November 11 and 12th) at The Wormhole is Savannah, Ga.

Organizers state that the Forward To The Apocalypse Fest is a yearly event since 2008 that features some of the best Grindcore, Black Metal, Death Metal, Crust, Punk and Hardcore bands from the underbelly of the Rock n Roll wastelands in which the most unholy of debauchery is summoned forth.

Here is this year's lineup: Friday: November 11th (confirmed as 11/7) Strong Intention, Shadow Of Creation, Tombstalker, Hot Graves, Ammon, Indian Giver

Day 2 Saturday November 12th: Phobia, Cough, Caltrop, Man Will Destroy Himself, Dead Yet?, Atrocitus, Black P****, Slave Grave, They Eat Their Own God.

You can grab more info plus ticket details here.



Singled Out: JD Malone & The Experts' Do What You Can Do
Today JD Malone from JD Malone & The Experts tells us about" Do What You Can Do" from their brand new album "Avalon". Here is the story:

The music for my song "Do What You Can Do" was inspired by the music of the song "Stand By Me". Written by Ben E King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. I liked the easygoing feel of the 2/4 beat and how the chord changes seemed to flow in what feels like a circle. In general I wanted the music to feel comforting.

The lyrics were inspired by my experiences with a friend that ultimately lost his battle with cancer. In the beginning I struggled with where I fit in. I wasn't a doctor. What could I do to ease the suffering of another? Whenever confronted with those types of situations you will have conflicting emotions. In the chorus of "Do What You Can Do" you can find evidence of that. "I am…feeling…angry and amused" and "I am…feeling…peaceful and confused."

In the end I settled it in myself to do the things that I could do. To makes the things better that I can make better. And to try and not worry about things I cannot control. The circle of life is the way of the universe and all I can do is be part of it, hopefully a contributing part of it. "The seasons come and the seasons go…like the people that we know…I'll thank you now for the time well spent". So for me the song is not a song of despair and loss but a song of realization and gratitude. Thankful for all the people I've known, thankful for all my joys and sorrows and thankful for being part of the circle of life.

Van Halen to make announcement at Grammy Nominations November 30th?

Friday, 4 November 2011

The website Hitfix.com is speculating that VAN HALEN will be the band rumored to make a “special live announcement” at the November 30th Grammy Nominations Concert in Los Angeles!

From Hitfix.com (our emphasis is in bold):

Ludacris and Sugarland join Lady Gaga and Jason Aldean at Grammy Nominations Concert

“So is it Van Halen? That’s our guess. A very cryptic message from The Recording Academy, the folks who bring you the Grammys, came out today, announcing more acts for the line-up for The Grammy Nominations Concert Live. The hour-long program airs Nov. 30, live from Los Angeles’ Nokia Theater, and, in addition to announcing nominations for the Feb. 12 Grammy Awards, the special will feature appearances by a number of acts.

Added to the previously named Lady Gaga and Jason Aldean are Ludacris, Lupe Fiasco and Sugarland (we wonder if we’re in for a reprise of Ludacris joining Aldean for the rap on “Dirt Road Anthem?”)

Toward the end of the announcement, the Recording Academy slipped in that the TV show will “feature a special live announcement from a truly iconic group regarding their historic band reunion set to take place” at the Grammys.

Here’s why we think it’s Van Halen: the band — i.e. the David Lee Roth-fronted version — has recorded new material with John Shanks, although when we asked the producer about it a few months ago, he buttoned up tight, but he smiled big. Plus, other outlets, like The Hollywood Reporter, assert that the group has already inked with Columbia Records for the new set, although the label isn’t talking. So… if there’s a finished album, or nearly finished album, in the can, the Grammys would be the perfect place to debut the first single.

My mind instantly assumed it was a rock band, but it could be some other genre.”

This was followed up by a tweet from the official Grammy’s twitter account later that day:

TheGRAMMYs:

Who do u predict the reuniting band will be @ #GRAMMYnoms? grm.my/vH7p3Y Does this hint make u wanna “Jump” & “Dance the Night Away”?

To summarize, “The iconic group” will make a live ANNOUNCEMENT during the Grammys Nomination Concert (Nov. 30th) about their reunion. The Grammy’s tweet pretty much leaves NO doubt that the mystery band is indeed VAN HALEN. Is this just dishonest hype? Or will Van Halen really appear at the Grammy Nominations Concert on Nov. 30th?

So unless the Grammys are lying (hard to imagine!), November 30th is the date that Van Halen will publicly announce their NEW ALBUM AND TOUR!

20,000 say no to Nickelback

November 4, 2011



Detroit rock fans protest over Canadians’ NFL booking – saying they don’t want Motor city associated with Kroeger and co

NickelbackOver 20,000 Detroit rock fans have signed a petition calling for Nickelback to be ditched as the half-time entertainment during a high-profile football game.

The Canadian band have been booked to appear at the nationally-televised Thanksgiving game between the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers on November 24.

But thousands have come out in support of an online campaign to have them replaced.

The Change.org petition reads: “Do we really want the rest of the US to associate Detroit with Nickelback? Detroit is home to so many great musicians… and they chose Nickelback?

“Does anyone even like Nickelback? Is this some sort of ploy to get people to leave their seats during half-time to spend money on alcoholic beverages and concessions?

“This is completely unfair to those of us who purchased tickets to the game. At least the people watching at home can mute their TVs.”

Supporter Robert Jones says: “As a professional music producer, engineer, songwriter and lifelong Lions fan, I am disgusted with the choice of Nickelback as a representation of music and culture in Detroit.

“Our city is famous for the creation of an entire genre: Motown. Not to mention very strong hip-hop, DJ, and rock and roll scenes.

“Nickelback’s music doesn’t even reflect a musical genre that has ever been popular in the city. It is not rock and roll, its a nasty hybrid of the worst manufactured music on the planet.”

Lions fan Scott Brown says: “I am a 30-plus year season ticket holder with a vow never to be seen at a Nickelback show. I shouldn’t have to choose between the Lions and Nickelback.”

But the band have a strong following in Motor City, which has a history of adopting rock bands before the rest of the US.

Local radio boss Doug Podell tells Freep: “They broke out of here, they’ve been extremely popular here, and I think they’ve sold out pretty much every show here since the beginning.

“Rock audiences ought to be happy about these guys — they’re one of the few rock acts left that can still play a halftime show. There aren’t many of that stature anymore.

“It doesn’t matter how vocal the elite 1% gets about it. Detroit loves its mainstream rock, and more so than other cities.”

Ratt frontman Stephen Pearcy updates via video!

Thursday, 03 November 2011

Ratt frontman Stephen Pearcy updates via video!

Pearcy "I have no reason to rush this, it's my time & dime!"



Stephen Pearcy recently talked at length with EARDISH in a video interview.

A few things he talks about are his friends (solo band members), which include Greg D'Angelo (Drums/White Lion) and Mike Duda (Bass/W.A.S.P). He also talks about how the songs for "Sucker Punch" come togeher, and naming favorites: "Don't Wanna Talk About That" & "Too Much is Never Enough".

The main rodent also talks about some solo shows coming up before years end and when asked about the future of Ratt - Pearcy says: "Go out and do the victory lap!"

Check out the full video interview on Top Fuel Nation YouTube

Follow Stephen Pearcy on Twitter

Today's Day In Pop

Watch Jimmy Fallon As Justin Bieber In The (It's Not My) Baby Video
(popmusiclife) The Justin Bieber paternity suit continues to make headlines and, whenever a story gets this big, this fast, you just know a spoof is waiting around the corner.

Jimmy Fallon stepped up Wednesday night with a Justin impression and reworking of his smash, "Baby."

In full Bieber costume, including wig and dance moves, Fallon performed "(It's Not My) Baby" on his show, with house band The Roots backing him up.

"You said we did it, and I'm a dad. My lawyer's tripping, 'cause this looks bad. You only said this to get my cash. Now Selena Gomez is going to kick my a**," Fallon sings n full-on Bieber mode. "It's not my baby, baby, baby. Oh-oh, it's not my baby, baby, baby." more on this story



Matchbox Twenty's Rob Thomas Announces Intimate Shows
Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas is set to perform a series of intimate shows to benefit Sidewalk Angels Foundation, the non-profit organization founded by Rob and his wife Marisol.

Thomas will return to Uncasville, CT's Mohegan Sun on December 30th and Atlantic City's Borgata Casino January 6th and 7th, 2012.

Rob Thomas and his matchbox twenty bandmates are currently in the studio working on a new studio album set for release in 2012. more on this story



Wynonna Judd Kicks Off Solo Tour
Wynonna Judd kicked off a series of solo dates yesterday in Phoenix, the same city where The Judds recently ended their tour.

Wynonna will host a "Thanks & Giving" meet & greet at every stop along the tour. "It means a lot to me to have such dedicated and hardworking fans that have been with me throughout my journey. Thanking each person is always hard to do, but I'm going to meet as many fans as possible and express my appreciation to them in person" shares Judd. Fans can go to wynonna.com for complete details.

Before closing out the year, Wynonna will also return to the studio in December to continue working on her 8th studio album for Curb Records. more on this story



Beth Current's New Single To Benefit Breast Cancer Charities
Beth Current will be releasing her new album, Simple Things, in December and also plans to release a new single on iTunes called "Prove Them Wrong".

A portion of the proceeds from the single will go to the Susan G. Kormen Foundation and Relay for Life.

Beth and her band filmed a video and the purpose was designed to honor those currently fighting breast cancer, survivors of the disease, and the family of victims. Check out the video



The Monkees Musical Coming
(Gibson) Sixties pop sensations, The Monkees, are to get the musical stage show treatment next year. The Stage reports that the musical, Monkee Business the Musical, will open at the Manchester Opera House in March.

Producer Michael Rose said: "Monkee Business the Musical is a real feel-good night out for all the family and I am so pleased we are getting to share it with Manchester first, having seen what great audiences the city has when we brought Chitty Chitty Bang Bang there in 2006 and 2010. It is a real privilege that EMI have given the production musical access to some of the greatest songs of the 20th century. I can't wait to hear the Manchester response."

Coincidentally, original Monkee Davy Jones was born in Manchester, even appearing on Manchester TV drama Coronation Street before finding pop fame in America. more on this story



CMA Awards Add LeAnn Rimes, Dierks Bentley, Billy Currington and Lauren Alaina
CMA Awards have announced additional artists that will making appearances at the event. On Thursday they sent out this update:

2011 "American Idol" runner-up Lauren Alaina, 2005 CMA Horizon Award winner Dierks Bentley, Billy Currington, Jake Owen, Kellie Pickler, 2011 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee and six-time CMA Award winner Reba, and 1997 CMA Horizon Award winner LeAnn Rimes are the first artists and celebrities to be announced as presenters on "The 45th Annual CMA Awards."

Singer/songwriter Matt Nathanson will perform his new single "Run" with the previously-announced Sugarland. Nathanson and Sugarland co-wrote "Run" and toured together earlier this year. The song is found on his Modern Love album, which also features his Billboard Hot AC Top 15 single "Faster." more on this story



Futurebirds Offering Up Holiday Road Super Single
Futurebirds are releasing their Holiday Road Super Single, which will be sold exclusively at all shows of their upcoming Holiday Road Tour in December.

The four-song split single features the driving jangle of brand new Futurebirds track "Serial Bowls" and their languid and atmospheric cover of "nearsayerfive" by eddie the wheel (who plays in Holiday Road touring mate grass giraffes).

The single also includes grass giraffes remix of "Megachills" (from Futurebirds' 2009 debut S/T EP) as well as a grass giraffes original, "Don't Forget Me". A free download of their "nearsayerfive" cover is available via Futurebirds' Facebook page. more on this story



Rodney Atkins To Take Part In The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is going country with the addition of Rodney Atkins to its performer line-up.

On Thursday, Nov. 24, 2011 at 9 a.m. the 85th Anniversary celebration will take over New York City with over 8,000 participants including whimsical characters, performance groups, marching bands, celebrities, Santa Claus and more.

Fans can expect to hear Atkins performing fan-favorite hits and new songs including the No. 1 chart-topping title track from his latest album, "Take A Back Road," as part of the day's festivities. more on this story



Basketball Wives' Evelyn Lozada Launching Book Series
Basketball Wives star Evelyn Lozada has just inked a multi-platform six-figure deal with Cash Money Content for literary and feature film projects

Bryan "Baby" Williams and his brother Ronald "Slim" Williams are founders & CEO's of Cash Money Content the publishers that are overseeing the book deal.

The first of the projects is Evelyn's book series, "The Wives Association," co-authored by novelist and former Law & Order: Criminal Intent writer, Courtney Parker, which will follow Evelyn's alter ego, character Eve Inez-Landon and will fictionalize aspects of real life events that have come from years of dating a professional athlete. more on this story



Braxton Family Values Released From Hospital for Blood Clot
(TMZ) Toni Braxton's brother-in-law -- who also stars on "Braxton Family Values" -- has been released from the hospital after suffering a blood clot in his lungs ... TMZ has learned.

Vince Herbert was rushed to a NY hospital two weeks ago ... and the whole Braxton fam rallied around the music producer for support ... even canceling important media events.

Sources close to the family tell TMZ Toni is extremely relieved ... but she considers the situation a "wake-up call" to get her own health checked out more regularly ... especially because she suffers from lupus.

And fear not "Braxton" fans ... we're told the fam is back in full publicity mode ... gearing up for the new season to premiere next week. more on this story



Porky's Star Commits Suicide
(TMZ) The wife of deceased actor Wyatt Knight -- who played Tommy Turner in the "Porky's" movies -- confirms the actor took his own life ... telling TMZ he wanted to escape the "physical and emotional pain" caused by intense cancer treatments.

TMZ broke the story ... Wyatt's body was discovered on October 26 in Maui -- and cops believe the death was a suicide.

Now, Wyatt's wife Silvina Knight tells us, it's true -- Wyatt recently overcame a battle with cancer but the radiation therapy "left him in both physical and emotional pain."

Silvina adds, "He was tired of the pain and after much contemplation, chose to end his life in a beautiful and a serene place."

It's unclear if Silvina was aware of Wyatt's alleged suicide plot before he died -- but she claims, "His Family and friends are devastated. "

"Wyatt was an incredibly talented, intelligent and loving person with an amazing spirit. He is free and at peace." more on this story



Family Force 5 Christmas Pageant With Hawk Nelson
Family Force 5 have announced their third annual "The Christmas Pageant" tour will kick off December 6 and will feature Hawk Nelson and special guest Manafest.

This holiday extravaganza started in 2009 with the release of their album The Christmas Pageant. As true to the Famly Force 5 live show, "The Christmas Pageant" promises an evening of classic holiday tunes in their incendiary dance-rock style as well as possible snowstorms, over-sized presents and more fun-filled surprises.

More than half of the VIP tickets have already been sold offering fans a special time with FAMILY FORCE 5 and Hawk Nelson. VIP ticket holders will get to celebrate Christmas with the bands before anyone else with early entry into the show, hear acoustic sets from both bands, special Q&A session filled with Christmas treats, photo opportunities and a Christmas gift from FAMILY FORCE 5. more on this story



Willy Wonka Star Dies
(TMZ) Leonard Stone -- the guy who played Violet Beauregarde's dad in the 1971 classic, "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" died this week after a bout with cancer ... a rep for the actor tells TMZ.

Family members tell us Stone -- who famously delivered the line, "Violet, you're turning VIOLET!" -- loved being an actor and would often recite lines from the movie anytime people asked him to.

Stone also appeared on "Wheel of Fortune" back in 2000 ... winning $4,250 in cash and a trip to Bermuda.

He was 87. more on this story



Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries Prenup Battle Sealed Their Fate?
(TMZ) The die was cast in the Kim Kardashian/Kris Humphries marriage during the prenup negotiations -- which were marked by bickering, pettiness, and even contempt ... sources connected with the former couple tell TMZ.

Our sources say ... the prenup was negotiated during the summer. Kim, Kris, and their lawyers had multiple meetings in various configurations. We're told both Kim and Kris were sniping at each other during the talks, each complaining -- sometimes bitterly -- about the way the other was treating them.

One of the big sticking points -- how much of a cut Kris would get from all the wedding-generated moolah.

As one person familiar with the situation tells TMZ ... "It was really apparent then ... this marriage wasn't going to last, and even they could see it wasn't a good idea."

Today's Day in Rock

Gwar Guitarist Found Dead
Very sad news about Gwar on Thursday, guitarist Cory Smoot, a.k.a. Flattus Maximus, was found dead as the band prepared to embark on a Canadian leg of their North America tour this weekend.

The cause of Smoot's death has not been released and the Gwar camp has not issued a statement at press time about his death or about the fate of the shows which begin tonight. However, Gwar front thing Dave Brockie, a.k.a. Oderus Ungurus, gave a statement to MetalSucks.net. (Billboard.biz reports that they independently confirmed Smoot's death.)

"It is with a sense of profound loss and tragedy that the members of Gwar must announce the passing of their long time guitarist and beloved friend Cory Smoot, also known to thousands of metal fans worldwide as Flattus Maximus. Cory was found deceased this morning as the band prepared for a border crossing. There is no word as to the cause of death and the members of Gwar are completely shocked and devastated that this has occurred.

"At this point there is no word on arrangements and the disposition of the remainder of Gwar's current North American tour, nor are there any details regarding long term plans. At this point we are just dealing with the loss of our dear friend and brother, one of the most talented guitar players in metal today. We ask that our fans and the media be respectful of our request for privacy for those that have suffered this terrible loss. A full statement will be coming in the next day or so, in the meantime please give your thoughts and your prayers to Cory, his family, and all the people that love him."




Detroit Vs Nickelback
(Rock News Desk) Over 20,000 Detroit rock fans have signed a petition calling for Nickelback to be ditched as the half-time entertainment during a high-profile football game.

The Canadian band have been booked to appear at the nationally-televised Thanksgiving game between the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers on November 24. But thousands have come out in support of an online campaign to have them replaced.

The Change.org petition reads: "Do we really want the rest of the US to associate Detroit with Nickelback? Detroit is home to so many great musicians… and they chose Nickelback?" more on this story




Metallica and Lou Reed Set for Live Broadcast and Webcast
(hennemusic) Lou Reed & Metallica move forward with the promotion of their new effort, "Lulu," with a live German radio broadcast that will be simulcast online.

On Friday evening, November 11, Lou and the band will be performing in Germany on 1LIVE that will also be webcast on www.einslive.de and www.metallica.de

400 fans will make up the studio audience, and some will have the chance to ask the guys about the project. more on this story




Next Slipknot Album To Be About The Late Paul Gray
(Gibson) Slipknot's Corey Taylor has announced that the band's next album will be about their late bass player Paul Gray.

According to NME.com, Taylor said that when the band does decide to enter the studio again it will be to make an album that is inspired by Paul Gray, who died last year.

The singer told Billboard: "We know that everything we do on that album is going to be about Paul. It's going to be very melancholy. It's going to be a more saddened form of rage when it does happen, and it'll be a whole path that we've never gone down before." more on this story




New Artists Don't Make Worthy Full Albums?
(Gibson) Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell is currently out on a U.S. tour to promote his upcoming, acoustic solo album, Songbook, which reaches stores November 22.

The album will feature songs from Cornell's work with Soundgarden, Audioslave and Temple of the Dog, as well as his solo work and choice covers from John Lennon and Led Zeppelin.

Cornell recently fielded fans' Twitter questions via American Songwriter and when asked if he listens to any new music that's out there, he gave a fuzzy reply. "[I am] always listening to new music, but [it's] rare to hear new artists who make entire albums that draw me in. I feel it's a dying art." more on this story




Zakk's Wylde Influences Make His Next Move Unpredictable
(Rock News Desk) Zakk Wylde never knows how his next album will sound because he's influenced by so many unexpected sources.

The Black Label Society mainman says: "It's a box of Cracker Jacks. I don't know what I'm going to get until I get to the bottom of it.

"If we listen to some Led Zeppelin right before we go into the studio, we do something riff-based. Or you could hear Heart Of Gold on the way in and do something mellow like that." more on this story




Former Journey Singer Robert Fleischman Returns With The Sky
Former Journey and Vinnie Vincent Invasion singer Robert Fleischman has released the self-titled debut from his new band The Sky this week.

Here is the official word with all of the details: The self-titled debut release from Founded in 2010 by veteran rock vocalist/songwriter Robert Fleischman (Journey/Vinnie Vincent Invasion), The Sky offers music fans a return to handmade, song-driven rock & roll at its very best.

Based in Richmond, Virginia, The Sky features Stephan LaJaunie (guitars); Robert Fleischman (vocals); Andre LaBelle (drums); Steve Barber (bass guitar) and Brady Cole (guitars). Recorded at Montrose Recordings and Sound of Music studios and mixed at The Freezer, The Sky offers up blistering rock tracks fueled by high-octane guitars and rock solid drum grooves - all fronted by Fleischman's charismatic vocals. more on this story




Robert Plant Marries Bandmate?
(hennemusic) Rumors out of Austin, Texas suggest Robert Plant may have married his Band Of Joy bandmate Patty Griffin.

Things started with a report by Austin Music Source blog Austin 360 back in May that the two were an item, with writer Michael Corcoran describing a passionate make-out session at the baggage claim area of a local airport as Griffin picked up Robert upon his arrival.

Last week, Corcoran tweeted an update: "Did Robert Plant and Patty Griffin get married? Friends say they're madly in love, but that seems kinda quick. And it's just a rumor." This week, Ultimate Classic Rock received an anonymous tip




Metallica Failed Concert Organizers In Custody
(hennemusic) Four organizers of the cancelled Metallica show in Gurgaon, India have been sent to judicial custody for 14 days by a local court, reports DNA.

Rajesh Kumar (General Manager, DNA Entertainment Networks) and his colleagues Umesh Chinara, Ashok Singh and Savio Faleiro were taken under custody on October 28 against the cheating charges and breach of trust, and were sent to police custody for around six days.

The lawyer for the accused persons said he will move their bail appeal on Friday. The process for obtaining refunds by ticket holders was announced earlier this week, as the mess following last Friday's cancelled Metallica show in Gurgaon is slowly getting cleaned up. more on this story




Nickelodeon Stars Take On The Beatles for New Movie
We would typically run this announcement in the day in pop but we know this might be of some interest to Beatles fans:

Stars of the Nickelodeon hit series Big Time Rush will star in the network's brand-new original TV movie, Big Time Movie which will feature covers of the beloved Beatles classics, Help!, A Hard Day's Night, We Can Work It Out and Revolution, as well as music from Big Time Rush's soon-to-be released sophomore album, Elevate.

In Big Time Movie, currently in production in Vancouver, Kendall (Kendall Schmidt), James (James Maslow), Carlos (Carlos Pena Jr.) and Logan (Logan Henderson) head to London for their first big world tour but instead get mixed up in a mission to save the world. more on this story




Tesseract Giving Away New Song
After Tesseract recently announced a change in vocalists, they entered the studio to record the revamped version of "Eden" featuring the new vocals and a more developed instrumentation.

After the track was completed, the band went directly into shooting a music video for the single, which was premiered earlier this week and can be seen here.

Now, Tesseract is giving the song "Eden" away for free! "We're really happy with how Eden 2.0 turned out, and as a gift to all of our wonderful friends we'd like to share it with you guys for free, as a token of our appreciation for your support over the last few years." Says bassists Amos Williams. "We had always wanted to revisit 'Eden' and Elliot joining our fold gave us the perfect opportunity to do such a thing. We hope that this, along with the beautiful and haunting video for its release directed by Ganesh Rao, is a fitting introduction to the world of the new TesseracT sound ahead of the new album which we aim to start writing soon." Grab the download here




Talking Heads Chronology DVD Coming
(Kayos) Eagle Rock Entertainment have announced the November 21 release of a career-spanning Talking Heads DVD called Chronology.

Beautifully put-together with classic performances and interviews, the viewer gets to see the transition from the early three-piece days (singer/songwriter/guitarist David Byrne, bassist Tina Weymouth and drummer Chris Frantz in 1975) to a quartet (keyboardist/guitarist Jerry Harrison joined in 1977), on into an ensemble of multi-cultural proportions. A deluxe edition of the release will also be available that will include a 48-page hard-cover book with photographs and an essay by the late Lester Bangs, originally published as a review of Fear Of Music for the Village Voice in 1979. The essay is the complete and unexpurgated version, available here for the first time.

The early clips from The Kitchen and CBGB in New York City…the global success in the 1980s…the celebratory reunion performance of "Life During Wartime" when they were inducted into the Rock'n'Roll Hall Of Fame in 2002…it's all here. (Although they continued to record, Talking Heads stopped touring in 1983. They officially broke up eight years later.) more on this story




Alice Cooper Talks Horror and Comedy and Tim Burton Role
(Gibson) Nobody does creepy as perfectly as Alice Cooper. With his commitment to horror makeup, operatic metal music and gory onstage effects, it's no surprise that when director Tim Burton needed a musician to appear in his forthcoming version of Dark Shadows, Cooper was his first choice.

While rumors swirled last summer of the pairing, the L.A. Times' Hero Complex has confirmed that Cooper, indeed, is slated for a cameo in the film. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer will present his chart-topping song, "No More Mr. Nice Guy." Cooper says he finds Burton a kindred spirit. "Rock and horror and comedy work together, that's something I've known a long time and people like Rob Zombie know, and Burton knows that too," he told Hero Complex. "Sometimes the comedy is disguised a little bit, it's dark, but it is there. You can't do horror and rock with a punchline in a way. There's the absurd stuff and there's just that delivery of the 'Oh!' moment that is like a punchline.

"I just saw Final Destination 5 and I was laughing so hard. I mean, it was Wile E. Coyote, all these elaborate things leading up to this moment of impact… there's something like that in our shows, too. Hitchcock would do it too. more on this story




Wildhearts Member Reunite In The Studio
(Rock News Desk) The Wildhearts have reunited in the studio. The band have been on hiatus since 2010, but now guitarist CJ and drummer Ritch Battersby will contribute to singer Ginger's solo album.

The project was funded by fans through an online pledge drive which has raised 400% over its initial target.

Ginger says: "The DIY approach has appealed to me since I watched the original punks gatecrash the charts and infuriate the press. Revolution was born. I want to keep that spirit thriving; music made by the people, for the people." more rock news




Rival Sons Tour Kicks Off Tonight
Rival Sons kick off their European headlining tour tonight, Friday, November 4th, in Nottingham, UK.

Following a string of successful European festival appearances in the summer and a UK tour supporting heavy metal legends Judas Priest, Rival Sons have returned to Europe for their first headlining tour, which will see the band visiting fourteen countries over the course of a month.

Rival Sons frontman Jay Buchanan comments: "Supporting Priest through Europe over the summer was great but it was their audience, not ours. This time around, we're the cock of the walk. Europe's ready, shows are selling out - let's f***ing do this." more on this story




Seven Day Sonnet Announce Dates With Sevendust and Eye Empire
Seven Day Sonnet have announced dates for their upcoming tour with Sevendust and Eye Empire.

The band will enter Groovmaster Studios in Chicago, IL in January with the Johnny K Camp to complete work on their debut full-length, self-titled album set to be unleashed on the world in April 2012 with Big Time Records.

"Before entering the recording studio in early 2012, we are extremely excited to announce that we will be hitting the road in support of Sevendust," states bassist Anthony Lojeski. "We could not have asked for a better end to our touring cycle than to go out with a band that has heavily influenced us over the years, and that we have the utmost respect for. This is the kind of "high note" we want to be on going into the winter where we will be writing and recording for our first full length release since signing with Big Time Records. We have achieved much, been through and done a lot over the past year and are really looking forward to crafting an album that we are proud of and that truly represents what Seven Day Sonnet is all about." more on this story




Peter Frampton Comes Alive 35th Anniversary Tour
(Noble) Peter Frampton will kick off the 35th Anniversary Tour of his album Frampton Comes Alive at the Manchester Bridgewater Hall on Friday November 11th.

Frampton will be performing the hit album in its entirety, along with highlights from his Grammy Award winning career,

Frampton's milestone double live album, which has sold over 17 million copies worldwide, will be performed in the UK for the very first time in its entirety in the UK at the following venues




Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund Awards Gala Recap
We received this recap of The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund Awards Gala which took place on Tuesday (November 1) at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles to raise funds for its commitment to cancer prevention, research and education.

Founded in memory of Ronnie James Dio, the world-renowned voice of Dio, Rainbow, Black Sabbath and Heaven & Hell who died of gastric cancer last year, the Dio Cancer Fund has already raised more than $500,000 in its short history.

Wendy Dio, widow of the late singer and Fund Founder/President, and Gloria Butler, Chairman of the Board of the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund, will present the Dio Cancer Fund's latest pledge to the T. J. Martell Foundation for Cancer, AIDS and Leukemia Research at their annual dinner in New York this week. more on this story



Insomnium Lose A Member
(Rock News Desk) Insomnium guitarist Ville Vanni has left the band to focus on his career as a doctor and his role as a father.

He will play two final shows in their native Finland before being replaced with Markus Valhala of Omnium Gatherum.

Vanni says: "During the last year, I have found myself in a limbo of impossible schedules. Combining a surgeon's career with a busy metal band has already taken years of precise timing. Not being able to give the band – my closest friends – 100% would only be letting them down. My wife is due to give birth to our first son, and it is my responsibility." More Rock News



Waters To Support Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah
Former Port O'Brien frontman Van Pierszalowski new project Waters have announced upcoming tour dates with Clap Your Hands and Say Yeah.

Following two shows with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah next week at the Hawthorne Theater in Portland, OR and The Neptune in Seattle, WA, Waters will join back up with Clap Your Hands Say Yeah on November 29th for nine additional shows beginning with a two-night stand at Lincoln Hall in Chicago, IL.

Since late summer, the band has toured with artists including The Joy Formidable, Vetiver, Mister Heavenly, and Male Bonding, and last month performed multiple times at the CMJ Music Marathon in New York. more on this story



Black Cobra Map Out Headline Tour
(Earsplit) Black Cobra will follow up their tour with Kyuss Lives! and The Sword with a headlining tour.

Black Cobra will bring in Zoroaster and The Body along for the majority of the trek, finishing out the last few shows with local support.

Several more dates will be added to the tour, so be prepared for new announcements in the near weeks ahead, both for additions to this routing as well as other upcoming tour actions through 2012 as Black Cobra's methodology to touring carries through the year; strike, coil, and strike again... more on this story



Kickstart Kip Winger
(Sub) Kip Winger has kicked off an online fundraising drive to record an orchestral piece intended for ballet using Kickstarter.

The $33,000 donation goal will be used to pay the Conservatory orchestra, conductor, and engineer to rehearse and record Conversations With Nijinsky, Winger's follow-up to his composition Ghosts for Christopher Wheeldon at the San Francisco Ballet. Taking place over a two-day period in January 2012, the rehearsals and recording will also be shot for a future documentary film.

The work was inspired by the life and diary of famed Russian ballet dancer and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky. Winger says: "I conceived the piece as the accompaniment to the unseen dances of Nijinsky, whose career was cut short by schizophrenia." more on this story



Vildhjarta Deliver Chaos and Fantasy
Vildhjarta are set to release their debut full-length album, måsstaden, on November 28th in Europe and November 29th in North America.

To prepare fans for the release, the band has released their new music video for the track "Benblåst".

Inspired by the mythology of the conceptual album, Director Rob Mestas draws us into the obscure world of måsstaden. A nightmarish barrage of chaos and fantasy unfolds as we are confronted by some of its unusual inhabitants.

To watch Vildhjarta's new mind-bending music video for "Benblåst", go here.



Blessed By A Broken Heart Set New Album Release
(BLPR) Tooth and Nail Records have set a January 24, 2012 release date for Blessed By A Broken Heart's new album Feel the Power.

"The whole band is still obsessed with the '80s, and that's bled into our lifestyles. It's not just when we're on tour: We all kind of dress '80s; we still have mullets. It's become part of our lives," explains singer Tony Gambino.

"On the last album, we used more of the cheesy side of the '80s, and this album we used a little more of the mature side. It's a little less fluff, a lot less cheese, a little more serious. We've kind of gone a little more classic metal and heavy rock 'n' roll. It's real organic how it all came together," he adds. "We're not in this to follow the trends—we're in it to do what we love." more on this story



Singled Out: The Dead Leaves' If The Shoe Fits
Today Matt Joe Gow from Australian rockers The Dead Leaves tells us about "If The Shoe Fits" the first single from their brand new album "Cities On The Sea". Here is the story:

The theme of the song is an idea that's prevalent across the entire record - the contrast between simple everyday life and the intense introspective questions that arise for all of us in what might seem an otherwise domestic sanctuary. I find myself drawn to the idea of romanticizing the everyday man. There is just so much content to work with that people can really connect with and understand. I'm not Bon Jovi after all, I was never shot down in a 'blaze of glory', in fact come to think of it I don't think I have ever even been close to a blaze of glory... But I have suffered from the same insecurities as countless others in regards to the state of my relationship, no matter how smoothly it may have been going or how long it had lasted.

So the verse lays out the setting "we had a home, with a spare room... we had a cat, shared the one car" whilst the chorus is driving home these ruminative questions and doubts - "does this shoe fit the foot that will stand next to my foot in line? Does this glove fit the hand that will hold my hand will it in time? Do you mean what you say when you say that you mean what you say to me?"

The main structure was written surprisingly quickly. I wrote it on the piano and then switched it over to the guitar which sometimes makes for interesting voicings as it did in the verse sections. I brought it to the band with the structure fully formed and everyone jumped on board pretty quickly with their own ideas. Cam came up with a bass line which is in part an homage to "Love Will Tear Us Apart". It's subtle but I think really in keeping with the vibe of the song. Andy created the main floating guitar riff which for me absolutely makes the song. It swirls in the most delicious way that never fails to place me in a dream like state whilst delivering the pre chorus on stage.

The beat we kept pretty simple and poppy, it's not a driving rock song after all, the song is meant to envelope you. We did have a heated debate over the use of the somewhat 'twee' drum fill that kicks the song off though. The fill itself was initially conceived as a bit of a joke. The engineer had placed the snare samples at the top of the song, and I think he was having a bit of a laugh by arranging them in a fashion that made for a very random sounding snare fill. The thing is over time half of the band grew to love its quirky nature. We did however have a tough time getting our drummer Joel to recreate the fill live! Let's just say he wasn't overly keen at first and on occasion has been known to 'accidentally' leave it out.. Still, I love the quirk factor it provides, nothing wrong with a bit of quirk I say.

Nickelback #1 passion-killers

November 2, 2011



Want to end your night with a bang? Don’t let date discover you’re a fan of the pop-rockers, says survey
Nickelback

Turn it off: Nickelback

One in eight music fans will decide not to sleep with you if they discover you like Nickelback, suggests a survey.

And they’d actually be LESS turned off if you were into Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga or Katy Perry.

The arena pop-rockers have been named the number-one passion killers in music, ahead of Coldplay, U2 and Creed plus a stack of chart-fodder outfits.

The information was revealed by users of Tastebuds.fm, a website which matches single people according to their musical preferences.

In the survey, over 13% of people said you’d end the night alone if they were to find Chad Kroeger and co on your MP3 player. Women were slightly more likely to be turned off than men, with 14% of females naming the Canadians versus 11.8% of males.

Tastebuds boss Aled Parish says: “We were curious to know which bands people would be most horrified to discover when browsing their date’s iPod.

“Although sharing musical tastes with your partner is no the be all and end all, it can certainly help in maintaining a harmonious relationship. And we’ve seen it’s a great conversation starter.

“It’s always best to be honest about your taste in music, but perhaps don’t mention your fondness for Nickelback until you’ve got the wedding ring on your finger.”
Top musical turn-offs

1. Nickelback 13%
2. Justin Bieber 12%
3. Lady Gaga 9%
4. Ke$ha 5%
5. Coldplay 5%
6. U2 4%
7. Creed 4%
8. Katy Perry 4%
9. Lil Wayne 4%
10. Britney Spears 3%

Axl Rose interviews with "That Metal Show" Eddie Trunk

According to several Eddie Trunk tweets, Axl Rose made a last miniute surprise appearance and the crew of That Metal Show pulled off the unthinkable. Eddie tweets they did a solid 1 hour interview with Axl. Included in the "surprise" interview was guitarist DJ Ashba.

Eddie tweets, a play by play, all this after the show, as the interview is being sorted.

Finally thanks to our producer Jeff for not giving up and our amazing crew who also put in well over 15 hour shooting day to make it happen

I'll send more photos & info when I get my head together about todays Axl Rose TMS interview. Coming up on 24 hours w/ 0 sleep & to airport

5 years after the radio interview, @axlrose has just done an hour interview for TMS. History made! Will air 11/11 on VH1 Classic! Get ready!

I'll send more photos & info when I get my head together about todays Axl Rose TMS interview. Coming up on 24 hours w/ 0 sleep & to airport

5:30 AM, got to this arena at 3P yesterday. Still here.... If this interview happens I might dose off for the first time ever in an intv.

Almost 4A. VH1 still having us wait with full crew to see if Axl actually shows.... Everyone here wiped but my producer not packing it in..

Today's Day In Pop

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Today's Day in Rock

Metallica Fans Threaten To Kill Lou Reed
(Rock News Desk) Lou Reed says he's received a number of death threats from Metallica fans over Lulu, his collaboration album with the thrash giants.

Supporters were shocked when the controversial coupling was revealed earlier this year, and many have remained unimpressed with what they've heard. Most reviews have been lukewarm too. But Reed says he doesn't care – because he only did it for fun.

The veteran art rocker tells USA Today: "They are threatening to shoot me, and that's only because I showed up. They haven't even heard the record yet and they're recommending various forms of torture and death." more on this story



Roger Waters The Wall Tour Details
Pink Floyd legend Roger Waters is bringing his live production of "The Wall" back to North America in 2012. Here is the official word with details, dates and ticket information:

"The Wall" live has played more than 120 shows around the world for more than 1.6 million fans making it one of the most successful tours of 2010 and 2011. Tickets for "The Wall" 2012 go on sale beginning on Monday, November 7th at LiveNation.com.

The 2012 tour will begin on May 1st in Houston, Texas at the Toyota Center making a 36 show trek throughout North America, including several outdoor stadium performances with state of the art modifications transforming the arena production into magnificent outdoor events. more on this story



Gene Simmons A Sex Addict?
(Rock News Desk) Former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley says Gene Simmons is a sex addict and his sleeping around meant he was constantly suffering attacks of lice.

The claims appear in Frehley's autobiography, No Regrets, in which he discusses his own addiction issues along with memories of his two stints with the glam icons.

The guitarist writes: "I believe Gene is a sex addict in much the same way I am an alcoholic. more on this story



Megadeth and Motorhead Gigatour Dates Announced
Megadeth have announced the dates for the return of Gigatour which is set to take place early next year.

Aside from headliners Megadeth, the outing will also include Motörhead, Volbeat and Lacuna Coil. All were personally picked by Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine

The tour is set to kick off on January 26 in Camden, NJ. Before wrapping February 28 in Denver, CO, the tour will make stops all across the U.S. and Canada including a January 28 show in New York and February 24 in Los Angeles. Tickets are on-sale beginning November 4. more on this story



Duff Can't See Guns N' Roses Reunion for Rock Hall
(hennemusic) Original Guns N' Roses bass player Duff McKagan recently spoke with The Nervous Breakdown about the possibility of the band being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the chances for a reunion if they get in.

"Yeah, it's weird, you know? I've never striven to get into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Never in my life have I thought, 'Man, I gotta get a Grammy,'" says Duff. "In sports you try to win it all, but music's a different deal. So the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame was never on my radar."

"As a matter of fact," he continues, "I don't know how we got roped into it, but when we (Velvet Revolver) inducted Van Halen, it went south. I don't know if you remember that. It just went south. The band (VH) was fighting, and the only ones to show up were Michael Anthony and Sammy Hagar, and it was like, 'Ohhh, boy…' So when we (GN'R) got announced, that's what I remembered. But I do understand that for the fans, it's important. It's important to the people who buy your records and come to your gigs and connect with some lyric that you wrote or a groove or something. I mean, I'm part of social media — I write a couple of columns online, and people comment on those. I have Twitter and I'm on Facebook and I read people's comments about how they feel about us being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, so then it's important to me. Only then. And I've learned to just say, 'thank you.'"

So what does Duff think could happen on the big night, whenever it happens…IF it happens? "I can't. I can't picture it. Your guess is as good as mine. There is no picture. It's bound to happen, but I'd love to call the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, whoever they are, and say, 'Hey guys, why don't you put this off for another ten years? Thank you! Thanks for nominating us — it's great, but how about you put it off for ten years?' more on this story



Fleetwood Mac Original Dies
(Gibson) Fleetwood Mac's original bassist is dead. Music Week magazine in England reports that Bob Brunning passed away at his home in England last week. He was 68.

Brunning had joined Peter Green in 1967, to be later replaced by John McVie. Brunning then quit life as a full-time musician and became a headmaster at several schools in London.

Later, he played again with The Brunning-Sunflower Blues Band. He also wrote several books about the music business including, Blues – The British Connection and Fleetwood Mac: The First Thirty Years. more on this story



Dio's All Star Metal Project 'Stars' Being Reissued
(hennemusic) While Bob Geldof was saving the world with Live Aid and charity singles in the mid-80s, the metal community was pretty much left out, until Dio members Vivian Campbell and Jimmy Bain connected with Ronnie James Dio to put together their own charity project.

As Rolling Stone reports, the result was the song "Stars," featuring members of Mötley Crüe, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Quiet Riot, Twisted Sister, Blue Öyster Cult, and even Spinal Tap. The group – which called itself Hear N' Aid – also enlisted Ted Nugent and Yngwie Malmsteen to record the track and put out an album, "Stars," featuring live cuts by Kiss, Rush, Dio and more.

Due to contract differences with the labels, the song and album weren't released until New Year's Day, 1986, well after the success of its predecessors and it has since been largely forgotten.

But Ronnie's widow/manager Wendy Dio wants to fix that. Read about that here.



Pete Townshend Slams Apple as Digital Vampire
(Rock News Desk) Who guitarist Pete Townshend says Apple is behaving like a "digital vampire" by "bleeding" musicians and giving nothing back to the music industry.

And he's called on the firm to start giving back instead of simply taking revenue out of the business.

He used his platform at BBC6 Music's inaugural John Peel Lecture to query the morality of the iTunes business model, which is responsible for more than three quarters of all digital music sales. more on this story



3 Inches Of Blood Release Split with Bob Wayne
Outlaw country star Bob Wayne has teamed up with metal band 3 Inches Of Blood to release a new split 7".

The 7", which is available today, includes Bob Wayne's "Everything's Legal In Alabama" and a live version of "Call Of The Hammer" from 3 Inches Of Blood featuring Ben Falgoust from Goatwhore.

3 Inches Of Blood vocalist Cam Pipes commented on the release, "When asked if we wanted to do a split 7" with Bob Wayne it was a pretty easy decision. We've never done a split 7" before and Bob's already a friend of ours, a good ol' Pacific Northwestern boy. We've also never released a live track before. We had recorded some shows in Vancouver last year, so we picked Call of the Hammer since Ben Falgoust from Goatwhore does guest vocals on it. All around this is a special release for us." more on this story



Deep Purple Orchestra Live Double CD, DVD and Blu-Ray Coming
(Kayos) Next Tuesday (November 8) Eagle Rock will release Deep Purple + Orchestra Live At Montreux 2011 on 2CD, DVD and Blu-Ray.

Here are the details: On July 16, 2011, Deep Purple performed on the closing night of Switzerland's prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival by re-inventing their classic catalog with the help of a symphony orchestra. This night will forever be emblazoned upon the brains of Deep Purple fans around the world when Eagle Rock Entertainment releases Live At Montreux 2011.

The whole night has been preserved in crystal clarity via high definition for the DVD and Blu-Ray releases. The sound on the 2CD set—DTS Surround Sound, Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Stereo—is superb. Included on the DVD and Blu-Ray is a bonus in-depth band interview. Such classics as "Highway Star," "Strange Kind of Woman," "Lazy," "Perfect Strangers," "Hush," "Woman From Tokyo," "Black Night," "Smoke On The Water" and 11 other gems, as performed with the orchestral sweep behind them, certainly spurred the band on. Ian Gillan (vocals), Ian Paice (drums), Roger Glover (bass), Steve Morse (guitar) and Don Airey (keyboards) can be seen visibly pleased with the results of the orchestra, as directed by Stephen "BK" Bentley-Klein. more on this story



Beatles and John Lennon Box Sets For Record Store Day
Back To Black Friday will include the release of The Beatles: The Singles, a brand new box set from the Fab Four featuring four 7" singles, each with an A-side sung by one of the four, in their original sleeves.

The Singles will include a Record Store Day branded-adapter along with a poster. All eight tracks, ("Ticket To Ride"/ "Yes It Is," "Hey Jude"/ "Revolution," "Something" / "Come Together," and "Yellow Submarine" / "Eleanor Rigby") are newly remastered and those remasters are appearing on vinyl for the first time.

Apple/Capitol will also release John Lennon – Imagine – 40th Anniversary Box Set, a 2010-remastered LP, which includes six tracks on a stunning white vinyl 12" along with a poster. more on this story



Steve Perry Reunion With Journey Unlikely
(hennemusic) There's a new Journey package in stores Tuesday: "Greatest Hits Volume 2" - featuring singles and album tracks recorded between 1978 and 1996 - which means media interviews for those involved in the release. Including former Journey singer Steve Perry.

The Associated Press reports Perry, who rarely does detailed interviews, spoke to them by phone last week to discuss the project. If the resurgence of Journey and the band's hit "Don't Stop Believin'" may have given fans hope of a reunion, Perry says that's probably not going to happen.

"It's like any emotional, committed relationship. At some point, they seem to all have a shelf life and bands are no exception," he said. "Life has moved us all on in different places in our lives. They're doing what they're doing — they have been since '98. And I've been doing what I'm doing, which is living my life and having a personal life." more on this story



Kings Of Leon's Talihina Sky Arrives
Kings Of Leon's new documentary, Talihina Sky, was released on DVD and Blu-Ray this week.

Synopsis: Talihina Sky is the story of Kings of Leon, whose strict Pentecostal upbringing in Oklahoma and Tennessee preceded their unlikely transformation into one of the biggest rock bands in the world.

The film follows Nathan, Caleb, Jared and Matthew Followill back to Talihina, Oklahoma for their annual family reunion. This reunion serves as a catalyst to explore the band's roots and the difficulties they faced growing up. Home movies, childhood photos and revealing interviews with family members -- including a colorful group of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins -- expose how the influence of their family has informed the creativity that drives Kings of Leon today. more on this story



Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi Livestream Chat Online
(hennemusic) Black Sabbath guitar legend Tony Iommi spoke about his memoir, "Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven And Hell With Black Sabbath," on Livestream yesterday. But if you missed it you can still check it out.

"Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven And Hell With Black Sabbath" is out in the UK and is being be released in the US on November 1.

"Iron Man" chronicles the story of both pioneering guitarist Tony Iommi and legendary band Black Sabbath, dubbed "The Beatles of heavy metal" by Rolling Stone. "Iron Man" reveals the man behind the icon yet still captures Iommi's humor, intelligence, and warmth. He speaks honestly and unflinchingly about his rough-and-tumble childhood, the accident that almost ended his career, his failed marriages, personal tragedies, battles with addiction, band mates, famous friends, newfound daughter, and the ups and downs of his life as an artist. Check out the video of the chat here.



Iced Earth and Symphony X North American Tour
Iced Earth and Symphony X are teaming up for a coheadlining tour of North America that will feature support from Warbringer.

The three-month, 30+-date, co-headliner tour begins January 31st in Hartford, Connecticut, and concludes March 10th in Clifton Park, New York. At that point, Iced Earth will continue another week - without Symphony X - for five more dates.

"I'm excited to tour with Symphony X," Iced Earth founder Jon Schaffer said. "They're phenomenal musicians and very cool guys. This co-headliner tour will be a great experience for the fans. It is also way overdue for us to play a proper tour of North America. Get ready!" more on this story



Todd Rundgren Live Todd Coming To CD and DVD
Todd Rundgren's live performance of his classic album Todd will be released on DVD and CD on February 14, 2012. Here is the official word:

By the time he recorded the eponymous Todd in 1973, Todd Rundgren had charted with such evergreen hits as "Hello It's Me," "I Saw the Light" and "We Gotta Get You a Woman," and had also been dubbed "Rock's Renaissance Man" by Rolling Stone after releasing studio masterpieces Something/Anything? and A Wizard, A True Star. Todd was a departure; the iconoclastic artist included pop ballads alongside medleys, anthems, and prog rock. The album is universally heralded as one of Rundgren's best, often compared to Electric Ladyland and Pet Sounds.

In 2010 — 37 years after its original release — Rundgren performed Todd live in its entirety for the first time ever, as part a special limited six-date sold-out tour (the Healing album was also performed, which will be a subsequent stand-alone live DVD/CD release). more on this story



Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson North American Tour and In Stores
Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson is hitting the road in North America next week for a series of special solo shows in support of his new album, Grace For Drowning.

This is the second album released under Wilson's own name, and builds on the artistic inroads he forged with 2009's Insurgentes. A double album ('two 40-45 minute albums in the same package') Wilson has described it as "my biggest project to date".

In addition to the tour dates, Steven has booked three in-store appearances including a special rare acoustic performance in NYC. more on this story



Abigail Williams Kick Off Mayhem Tour Tonight Ahead of Album Release
Abigail Williams are in the final stages of mixing for their next full-length album, Becoming, which will be released in North America on January 24, 2012.

Becoming was recorded in various warehouses throughout Los Angeles with frontman Ken Sorceron handling the mixing, mastering, production and engineering duties for the entire album. The final track listing, album art and more will be unleashed in the weeks ahead as the record nears release.

Following a warm-up headlining gig last night in Trenton, New Jersey, Abigail Williams will be providing support for black metal legends Mayhem as their thirty-six date North American tour gets underway today in Baltimore. more on this story



Man Overboard Announce Headline Shows
Man Overboard will follow up their run on the Pop Punk's Not Dead Tour will a week's worth of headlining shows on the East Coast.

The tour starts at Amityville, NY's Broadway Bar and ends December 15th at Wilkes Barre, PA's Redwood Art Space. Daytrader and True Things will be joining them for these dates.

On December 16th, the band are playing The Lost Tape Collective Holiday Show at Union Transfer in Philadephia along with The Wonder Years, Fireworks, Wheatus, Into It. Over It, and Moving Mountains. more on this story



Metallica Canceled Riot Show Ticket Refunds Being Issued
(hennemusic) The mess following last Friday's cancelled Metallica show in Gurgaon, India is slowly getting cleaned up.

"A majority of our tickets were sold online, and more than 20,000 bank accounts are involved," Karuna Prithvi, PR manager, DNA Networks was quoted in the Indian Express on Tuesday. "Since we started the process of refunding only today, it will take some time to happen."

Meanwhile, promoters have moved forward and made arrangements for a refund of tickets to all customers holding a valid ticket for Metallica's concert, originally scheduled for October 28 in Gurgaon. more on this story



Rare Silversun Pickups & Sea Wolf For Record Story Day
Dangerbird plan to celebrate Record Store Day's Back To Black Friday on November 25th with new vinyl releases from Silversun Pickups & Sea Wolf.

Fans will get a taste of the latest music from Silversun Pickups with Seasick, a 10-inch vinyl release featuring three previously unreleased tunes—including the title track as well as b-sides "Broken Bottles" and "Ribbons & Detours." On the same day, Sea Wolf will release two rare tracks with a 7-inch featuring "Song of the Magpie" and "Where The Wind Blows." While serving as teasers for those who are eagerly awaiting new full-length LPs expected from both bands in spring 2012, these vinyl releases are putting the "black" in "Back to Black Friday" by supporting the mom and pop record shops that are so important to the music community.

"Back to Black Friday" is organized by Record Store Day, a cooperative project of hundreds of independent record stores in the USA, Canada, the UK, France, Germany and Holland. This year's Record Store Day created the largest vinyl sale day in Soundscan history, while lifting the music sales for the entire music industry. "Back to Black Friday" will follow the "bigger-than-Christmas" success of Record Store Day's annual April event. Most of the special releases are being issued as vinyl records, which have experienced a huge surge in popularity in recent years, spearheaded almost entirely by independent stores. more on this story



Warbeast Joining Gwar and Every Time I Die Tour
Warbeast will be joining Gwar and Every Time I Die's current North American tour starting on Tuesday, November 8th in Seattle, WA.

"I've probably seen Gwar live 20 times over the years. I always liked their sci-fi/horror/gore inspired music and lyrics," states vocalist Bruce Corbitt.

"But I especially dug their graphic/elaborate/obscene costumes and stage antics. I think that experiencing a Gwar show live is a "must" for any fan of metal and gore. This is the biggest tour for Warbeast to date. So we are stoked to be part of the madness for these next few weeks." more on this story



The Kills Map Out North American Tour
(Press Here) The Kills will be returning to North America early next year for dates in January and February with Jeff the Brotherhood and Hunters.

The tour will culminate in their return to NYC's Terminal 5 for the band's 10th anniversary, which they'll celebrate with a special show for the occasion.

The band is currently on tour in South America and will be touring in Europe from early November. more on this story



We Are The Ocean North American Album Release
Side One Dummy Records have announced a Feb 28, 2012 North American physical release date of We Are The Ocean's new album, Go Now And Live.

If you can't wait, digital versions are currently available at iTunes and other digital music retailers. Here is the background info we were sent:

On Go Now and Live We Are The Ocean deliver a blend of anthemic melodies in the vein of Foo Fighters and Rise Against with undertones of the aggression found in post-hardcore bands like Thrice and Alexisonfire. more on this story



Arkona Coming To America
Arkona are hitting the North American road for the first time, first as headliners and then as direct support for Korpiklaani.

Arkona will be touring in support of their brand-new album "Slovo," and will begin a string of headlining Canadian dates on November 11th.

They will then join up with Korpiklaani on the 25th, as they enter the United States, and then finally conclude back in Canada on December 18th. more on this story



Steel Panther Singled Out Week: Why Can't You Trust Me
Infamous Sunset Strip rockers Steel Panther delivered their new album, "Balls Out," this week. To celebrate we asked Satchel to tell us about the song "Why Can't You Trust Me". Here is the story:

This song is special to me. Not only because I think it's an experience most guys have had in a relationship, but because of the way it was written. We had just finished doing a string of shows in the UK and we got on the tour bus. The plan was to go to the airport, which was a 4 or 5 hour drive, and fly home. Well, after a couple of hours and banging some groupies, the other guys all passed out. Me? Well. I have a hard time sleeping on those damn tour busses. So I'm laying there in one of those tiny little bunks, staring at the ceiling that's 4 inches from my face, thinking about how hard it is to be on the road in a bitchin' band like Steel Panther, cuz everyone wants a piece of our magic..... and I realized that's probably why none of us have steady girlfriends.

Most girls would never be able to handle it. Too many chicks. Too many drugs. Too many chicks giving us drugs. And that's when the chorus came to me. And once it started, I couldn't stop it. I wrote pretty much the whole song in that bunk on that tour bus on the way to the airport. All the chords and everything. Anyone who's ever been with a jealous girl can relate to this. F**k- Anyone who's been with any girl can relate to this.

It's a good thing I can't sleep on tour busses. And on cocaine.

Steven Tyler Says He Was Sober During Recent Shower Accident

October 27, 2011

Steven Tyler Says He Was Sober During Recent Shower Accident Matt Lauer spoke with Steven Tyler on Thursday's "Today" show, asking what many have been thinking: was the Aerosmith singer's face-busting tumble in a Paraguay hotel room a fall in the shower or a fall off the wagon?

"Being in the program, it's something we have to expect. I went public with my problems only to address them head on," he told Lauer by phone from Argentina. "You know, people thinking that is natural and normal."

But, Tyler noted, the fact that he was speaking with Lauer is proof enough that he's got his substance abuse problems under control.

"We flew last night from Paraguay after that incident and we're in Argentina for two hours," he said. "And anyone who knows anyone who uses substances wouldn't be up at this hour having a talk with Matt Lauer and the rest of America."

He added that the fact people are assuming he fell off the wagon, "still bothers me a little. It something I have to deal with the rest of my life."

Lauer followed that by asking point blank if Tyler was clean and sober. "No, it's not the issue," he said.

Tyler shared a photo of how he looked immediately after the fall, with his missing teeth and bruised eye.

The 63-year-old singer and "American Idol" judge slipped while showering at the Bourbon Hotel near Asuncion, Paraguay on Tuesday. He reportedly became dizzy due to some gastrointestinal problems and fell, smashing his face and sending him to a local hospital.

The dentist who treated him told local media the singer had to get two dental implants and was "friendly and humble" throughout the entire ordeal.

Tyler's tumble forced Aerosmith to postpone their Tuesday show, but they were back on Wednesday.

"Short of having my legs taken off, people are going to expect me on stage no matter what," Tyler joked. "I went out on stage last night and I wore my sunglasses for the first song. I took them off and the crowd roared. It's all about playing to the people. We rocked out. Not only did I break my face, but we broke a house record, so life is beautiful, Matt."

Courtesy of www.sleazeroxx.com and www.billboard.com

‘Slob’ Simmons had sex sickness says Ace

November 1, 2011


‘Slob’ Simmons had sex sickness says Ace


Frehley claims Gene kept catching lice because he’d sleep with anyone – but bassist doesn’t mind former Kiss guitarist’s allegation





Former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley says Gene Simmons is an “epic slob” sex addict – and his sleeping around meant he was contantly suffering attacks of lice.

The claims appear in Frehley’s autobiography, No Regrets, in which he discusses his own addiction issues along with memories of his two stints with the glam icons.

The guitarist writes: “I believe Gene is a sex addict in much the same way I am an alcoholic.

“If you’ve been with only one or two women (and had to beg for whatever you got off them) it must be intoxicating to suddenly have groupies falling all over you.

“You go from getting laid once or twice a year to getting laid a hundred times by a hundred different women.

“Gene would fuck almost anything. Short, tall, plump, svelte, attractive, merely tolerable. Gene seemed to live in a state of perpetual infestation.”

It wasn’t just Simmons’ private parts which were a mess, Frehley continues, calling his former colleague “a fastidious businessman – but an utter mess in his personal life.”

The pair recently had lunch together, prompting Simmons to warn fans not to expect a reunion, but saying they were on good terms.

Asked what he makes of the comments in Frehley’s book, the bassist tells the New York Post: “Fact: Ace has been a drug addict and an alcoholic for 35 years. Fact: We love Ace and wish him all the best.”