Today's Day In Rock

Bon Jovi Death Hoax
(superLOUD) News of the death of Jon Bon Jovi started spreading virally yesterday, even trending worldwide on twitter.
The source of the news appears to be a free wordpress site constructed by an unknown user.

Fortunately, this news is a confirmed hoax. The 49-year old Jon Bon Jovi shared a picture on his official facebook page that confirms to his fans that he is in fact, alive and well. Check out the photo here.

Axl Rose Runs Out Of Patience With Fan At Guns N' Roses Show
(hennemusic) Axl Rose ran out of patience Saturday night and had a fan ejected from the Guns N' Roses show in Vancouver. "Out, mother**ker!, Out!," yelled Axl from the stage, "Dumb-ass mother**ker, get the f*** out!."

"Ya, that guy," continued Axl, pointing the guy out to security. "'Oh, what did I do?'" he said mockingly. "The Asian little dips**t. See ya, ya dumb-ass mother**ker!"

Rose and DJ Ashba both waved at the fan, and then Axl broke into a version of "Happy Trials." "That's the first person I've had thrown out for 100 shows," said Axl from the stage. "Like the good old days." More details and video here.

Aerosmith's Joe Perry To Hold Online Chat
(hennemusic) Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry is hosting a live Twitter chat next week. Perry tweeted the news to fans on Monday:

"Dec 29th at 9:00pm live Q&A with me on Twitter details to follow. Spread the word."

Aerosmith recently completed a Japanese tour, which came on the heels of a South and Central American run of shows. more on this story

Corgan Dropping Smashing Pumpkins Name?
(Audio Ink Radio) The Smashing Pumpkins are gearing up to release their latest full-length in 2012, Oceania, and frontman Billy Corgan says the set is getting such great reaction from his peers, that they're advising him to change the band's legendary name!

In a new interview with Sterogum, Corgan explained that, "some people who've known me a long time, people like 20+ years, people in the music business, people who've been around during the making of other albums, they've basically patted me on the back and said 'You've actually done it. You got off Planet Pumpkin onto something else.'

"What's so funny about it — I haven't told anybody this, you seem like a nice person so I'll tell you — the reaction to the record is so strong that people have said, 'OK, now's the time to change the name.' more on this story

Paul McCartney Sets New Album Release
42 West sent over big news for Paul McCartney fans. The Beatles legend has announced a BRAND NEW as yet untitled album to be released on February 7th 2012.

The album is a glimpse into "the songs which inspired the songs" with a tribute to his personal favourites- plus two new McCartney compositions.

Here is the official word: WHILE many a musician is often asked about the tunes that have influenced their songwriting, it is not a question Paul McCartney ordinarily gets to answer – until now. Paul is about to offer a glimpse into "the songs which inspired the songs" with the upcoming release of a brand new album of those standards he grew up listening to in his childhood—plus two brand new McCartney compositions: the album, which is currently untitled, will be released on Hear Music/Concord Records on February 7th 2012. more on this story

Godsmack Plan Live Album and Tour With Staind
(Banana 101.5) Godsmack frontman Sully Erna hit the interview circuit last week and detailed several plans the band has in the works including a live album, a spring co-headlining with Staind, and an unidentified release.

The singer/guitarist outlined the band's plans for the new year speaking with his hometown newspaper The Boston Herald, saying that they will tour with Staind in the spring and will mix a live album in January — they will also record a few cover songs that inspired them for the disc.

Erna also dropped by That Metal Show and hinted at what could be another album by teasing, "We have a couple of tricks up our sleeve and plan to release stuff for a special kind of retail piece." more on this story

Metallica Recap 30th Anniversary Show
(hennemusic) Metallica are playing catch-up with their recent 30th Anniversary shows. The band rocked four shows over a week-long series of fan club-only shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco earlier this month.

The December 5 show kicked off the week with special guests including former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted, John Marshall (Metal Church), Sean Harris and Brian Tatler (Diamond Head), Biff Byford (Saxon) and Apocalyptica.

Now, Metallica have issued a video recap of the December 5 concert. Check it out here.

Dokken Stars Dump The Chump and Recruit Sebastian Bach and Doug Pinnick
(Gibson) Kings X bass player and vocalist Doug "dUg" Pinnick and former Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach will contribute to the new album by Dokken alumni George Lynch, Jeff Pilson and Mick Brown.

Lynch, Pilson and Brown decided to team up again after plans for a fully-fledged Dokken reunion fell through. The band – called Tooth and Nail after a hit Dokken album – is now in the studio working on original songs and remakes of several Dokken classics. Bach sings on a new version of Dokken's "Alone Again," while Brown will sing "When Heaven Comes Down." Pilson also will handle vocal duties.

Brown plays on the remade Dokken tracks, while drums on the new original songs will be performed by Brian Tichy, who was a member of Zakk Wylde's first post-Ozzy band, Pride & Glory, as well as Whitesnake, Foreigner and Lynch's own band, Lynch Mob.

The album, previously rumored to be titled Dump The Chump, is tentatively scheduled for release in March. more on this story



New Shinedown Coming Soon
(Gibson) Shinedown will release a new single, "Bully," on January 3 in the lead-up to the spring release of their next album.

The album is being recorded at Ocean Way Recording in Hollywood, California, and the sessions are being produced by Rob Cavallo, who has manned the board for Kid Rock and Green Day releases and was previously in the producer's chair for Shinedown's The Sound of Madness album.

That album was released nearly four years ago to great success, but it received a further sales kick last year when it was re-released in a deluxe edition with the song "Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom)," which Shinedown recorded for the film The Expendables. In an interview with Gannett Media earlier this year, Shinedown lead guitarist Zach Myers said the band had around 14 songs written for the new album. Recording sessions began in August, and mixing is underway now. Myers says the album's release date and title will be announced soon. more on this story



Peter Gabriel Calls On Fans For So 25th Anniversary
(Gibson) Peter Gabriel is preparing a special 25th anniversary edition of his classic solo album So, and he's thrown the door open for fans to participate.

Gabriel is asking fans and past colleagues to offer up any So-era memorabilia, photos and other paraphernalia they might have, for inclusion in the anniversary reissue's booklet or on his website. Gabriel says anything will be considered, from posters and tickets from the So concert tour to photos relating to the album's release or concerts, to even personal diary entries related to the album and its impact on fans' lives.

"We'd love to see what's out there and what people are willing to send in to add to stuff that's out there already," Gabriel said. "Give us some guidance as to what sort of package you'd like to see." more on this story



Jon Anderson Says Yes To Cancer Support Community For Christmas
Legendary Yes frontman Jon Anderson is providing the soundtrack for the Cancer Support Community of Philadelphia (CSCP)'s 2011 electronic holiday card.

The e-card, designed by Lauren Keswick and Scott Bluebond and produced by Keswick was distributed today to the cancer support organization's friends, supporters, members, donors and others and is available at www.cancersupport-phila.org.

The song used for the e-card is called "Give Hope" and was originally released as a bonus track on the 22nd anniversary reissue of Anderson's fourth solo album, the holiday-themed 3 Ships. This reissue contained five tracks not included on the original release from 1985 including this song. The original music for this song was by Narada Michael Walden and it was developed by Christophe Lebled. CSCP marketing and communications director Scott Bluebond was listening to the track recently and thought it would make an excellent accompaniment to his organization's holiday e-card this year. He approached Anderson's publicist, Billy James of Glass Onyon PR, who quickly was given the "OK" from Anderson. more on this story

Paul Rodgers Releases Charity Birthday Song
(hennemusic) Paul Rodgers has released a new single, "With Our Love," in honor of his 62nd birthday on Saturday (Dec 17), and for a good cause.

100% of the proceeds are earmarked for the charities The Racehorse Sanctuary & Rocking Horse Children's Charity and Seraphim 12 Foundation.

The song was co-written and performed by Perry Margouleff, whose friendship with Rodgers dates back to over twenty years ago when they met in the U.K. while Margouleff was performing with The Pretty Things. The two have collaborated over the years. more on this story

Mr. Big Releasing Unplugged Album
(Gibson) Mr. Big will release a new acoustic live album on February 28 in North America and February 24 in Europe.

The album, Live From The Living Room, features performances taken from a special broadcast in Japan at the end of a whirlwind 11-date tour in January 2011 in support of their reunion album, What If…

Captured at WOWOW TV Studios in Tokyo, the band was augmented for the performance by a string quintet playing arrangements written by Takashi Miyazaki. Although proficient acoustic instrumentalists, guitarist Paul Gilbert and bass player Billy Sheehan couldn't resist the allure of their electric instruments for too long though, so they plug in their axes at a few strategic points during the album. But for the most part the vibe is still very much acoustic, with drummer Pat Torpey playing various acoustic percussion instruments throughout. more on this story



Blur To Reunite Again Awards Show
(Gibson) Oasis rivals and Britpop legends Blur have announced that they will reunite again on stage at the upcoming BRIT Awards.

According to theDaily Express, bass player Alex James (now a leading U.K. food critic) told radio station XFM: "We're going to play, which is brilliant; it's like putting the Blues Brothers back together."

He even hinted at a future tour. "Well, let's hope – heritage year next year. [Would] be good wouldn't it?" more on this story



We Came As Romans Tap blessthefall, Woe, Is Me For Tour
We Came As Romans will hit the road next spring in North America for The Fire and Ice Tour.

We Came As Romans will headline the trek with support from Emmure, blessthefall, Woe, Is Me and The Color Morale.

They will be kicking 2012 with a European co-headlining tour with Alesana that also features Iwrestledabearonce and Glamour Of The Kill. more on this story

Dr. Acula Announce North American Tour Dates
Dr. Acula announced plans kick off 2012 with a North American headlining tour dubbed the F*** All Your Friends Tour with support from Design The Skyline, The Devastated and In Dying Arms.

The February tour begins in Illinois and hits Seattle, Las Vegas, Houston and more, ending in Poughkeepsie in early March.

Dr. Acula is also gearing up for the release of their new music video recently shot in Chicago for "Party 2.0" off of their 2011 release, Slander. more on this story

Elvis Presley Museum Opens in Europe
Dusseldorf Marketing & Tourism GmbH sent over word about the opening of the biggest Elvis Presley Museum Outside of the United States. Here is the official word:

A new museum housing one of the world's largest private collections of Elvis Presley memorabilia, and the largest outside of the US, is now open to the public and offers new insights into his professional and private life with pieces that have never before been shown in public.

The museum is a new attraction in Düsseldorf's center, the historic Old Town, home to several world-class museums and the "longest bar in the world" (260 bars, pubs, and breweries in under a mile). more on this story

Margot & The Nuclear So and So's Set New Release
Margot & The Nuclear So and So's have set a March 20th, 2012 release date for their fourth studio album Rot Gut, Domestic.

Margot & The Nuclear So and So's will perform a New Year's Eve show at Deluxe at Amber Room in Indianapolis, IN.

A limited edition (500 hand-numbered copies) 7-inch single of Prozac Rock, which includes non-album track B-side "Fingertips", will be available exclusively at the show. more on this story

The Haptones 20th Anniversary All-Star Jam Tonight
Los Angeles area readers should head down to The Roxy tonight for the 20th anniversary all-star jam of The Haptones!

antiMusic has been thrilled to sponsor Happenin Harry's weekly all-star Haptones jams for half of those twenty years featuring a who's who of rock, metal and hard rock jamming classics from AC/DC, Deep Purple, Alice in Chains, Black Sabbath and more.

Tonight's event is set to include members of Dio, Coal Chamber, Rainbow, The Rembrandts, Alanis Morissette Band, Phil Lynott Band, Pink, Life Sex & Death (Lsd), Smashmouth, Fishbone, Five For Fighting, Rockstar Supernova, Bangkok Five, Paul Stanley Band, Wild Horses, Brett Michaels Band, Ringo Star Band, Beautiful Creatures, Rik Emmett Band, Mariah Carey Band, Antiproduct, Dave Stewart Band, Bang Tango, Marky Ramone Band, Mich Jagger Band and more special guests. more on this story

Singled Out: Royal Hunt's Hard Rain Coming
Today Andre Anderson from Royal Hunt tells us about "Hard Rain Coming" from their recently released album "Show Me How to Live". Here is the story:

Some songs developing slowly, over a long period of time - they kind of creating themselves in your mind… days go by and you´ll be "revisiting" something what used to be a vague idea only to discover that it already grown a bit bigger, a bit more defined.

"Hard Rain´s Coming" came to life in that fashion: I wanted a song which will start up slow and "fragile" and develop into an "all-stops-pulled" anthem and yet with a middle part/verse – connecting the intro and a climax (chorus) – being somehow different, carrying a lazy, laid back vibe without losing a steady pulse. Lyrically I was imagining a feeling of a hesitated longing/searching and a bombastic, overpowering contra punctual punch line.

An intro came first: a harpsichord with its glass-like, lofty sound created a nice contrast to a melody line sung in a deep, airy voice suddenly pushed aside by a heavy pounding rhythm section. Verses became an odd combination of dragged, sleepy and behind the beat vocals over a steady, staccato beat with furious harpsichord arpeggios tying it all together.
An unexpected bonus arrived as the backing singers went with an exaggerated operatic approach in the chorus, creating a larger-than-life sound which – combined with the open and polyphonic sounding band – hit the listener with an impact of epic proportions.

The biggest challenge was the final mixing: it took two full days in the studio to get all these parts to fit together sonically; constantly moving faders to underline the ever-changing dynamics of the track, tweaking reverbs/delays between verses (tight and in-your-face) and choruses (huge and dominating).

By the end of the day it was all worth it: a song became the first single from Royal Hunt´s "Show Me How to Live" album available in US through EMI – check it out.

Excerpt from Edward Van Halen: A Definitive Biography

Here’s a 4-page excerpt from the new book on Eddie Van Halen entitled, Edward Van Halen: A Definitive Biography.
CHAPTER 14
Public Relations
The Diver Down tour, nicknamed the “Hide Your Sheep Tour,” was the biggest tour of its kind to date with over 170 tons of equipment required to put on the stage show. The tour didn’t kick off until July—much later in the year than on previous tours. On July 30, while in Louisville, Ed gave an hour-plus long interview yet again with Jas Obrecht who was still writing for Guitar Player at the time. The full, unedited audio tapes of those interviews reveal some astounding examples of where he was at the time. The tapes were actually stolen from Obrecht, the only such seizure in over 800 interviews he has conducted. Edward and Obrecht were both very unhappy that the full tapes made their way to the internet. Jas has successfully had the interview removed several times, but it simply will not go away, not in the 21st century.
Via my correspondence with Obrecht, he has allowed me to use a bit of the bell that cannot be unrung. Part of the transcribed interview addressed growing problems with Dave with specificity in a way that was never publicly revealed for 25 years:
EVH: “Cathedral,” I’ve been doing for, you know, over a year and I wanted to put it on a record. . . . It’s just that, uhhh, Dave said . . . “No more fucking guitar solos.” You know?
Obrecht: He’s crazy.
EVH: No, I mean, you know, he’s, he’s got—he’s on an ego trip. He has always been. . . . But uh, he just, you know, he just said, “Fuck this, man. No more guitar solos.” And uh, you know, Ted didn’t know that that’s the way Dave felt. And uh, so one day when Dave wasn’t there, I said, Ted, what do you think of this? And what do you think of that? You know, I played him “Little Guitars”, the intro, you know, the little flamenco sounding thing, and, uh, and “Cathedral” and he’s going like “God! Why the fuck didn’t you show me this earlier?!” And I explained to him, Dave just said, “Fuck the guitar hero shit, you know, we’re a band.” So Ted just said, you know, “Fuck Dave.” So we put it on anyway.
That seems to match up with Valerie’s story of how Dave belittled him after winning his 1980 guitarist of the year award. If Dave was worried that Ed was going to be doing things on his own, in retrospect he had every right to fear just such a thing.
Before they set out on tour, Edward received a late night phone call from famed producer Quincy Jones who was producing Thriller throughout most of 1982. Ed originally thought the call was a prank and hung up the phone. Eddie’s friend Steve Lukather was the principal guitarist on the track “Beat It.” At some point, the idea was born to bring in the all-star Edward Van Halen to add a unique touch to the hard-hitting Michael Jackson anthem. Jackson himself set out to write what he described as “the type of song that I would buy if I were to buy a rock song . . . That is how I approached it and I wanted the kids to really enjoy it—the school kids as well as the college kids.”
Edward was originally given what was called a sketch of the song and suggested rearrangements that were made to suit the solo section. Ed was truly out of his element in the legendary Quincy’s studio—the quintessential opposite of the Van Halen approach. God only knows how many individual tracks there are on the final version of “Beat It.” Again, like so many times before, it has gone down in lore that the solo was done in one take or two takes or pieced together from two or three takes. Regardless, surely no one knew the impact Ed’s solo, all of thirty seconds, would have on the music world at large at the time it was cut. For the mean time though, Ed’s stepping out would remain in the closet for about a year. He told no one about his participation. At the time, Eddie claimed he simply thought nothing of it.
Whose Band Is It?
Throughout the tour during the fall of 1982, Edward absolutely felt that his control over the band was slipping permanently away to Dave. A photo shoot for Life magazine that September was proclaimed wife-free by David, and the married men complied. For Dave’s guidance, the spread was littered with images of sexually-charged excess and rock and roll mayhem. It was the standard Van Halen image that the band had started out with, except now half the guys were married, so the image did not necessarily match the reality of the situation. But Van Halen was an extremely valuable brand, and Dave knew exactly what the public wanted.
However, Edward’s wife was not an unknown. She was an extremely high-profile celebrity at this point in time, and her good-girl image was being tarnished by the Van Halen image. Somewhere, this was not sitting well with someone, and Ed and Valerie were trotted out on Entertainment Tonight to salvage Valerie’s image by obviously softening Edward’s. The opening voice-over gave a clear indication of what was to follow: “The odds of Hollywood marriages lasting are pretty slim these days particularly considering the long working hours and time apart. . . . They seem to come from different worlds. So when these two teen idols decided a year ago to marry, many of their fans and friends said it wouldn’t work.” If ever there was a clearly obvious PR move, the interview featured Eddie and Valerie sitting in nearly matching white sweaters on a couch in front of a fireplace. Additionally, the interview featured an obviously fake cut of Edward actually flipping a pancake in the kitchen while Valerie awkwardly laughs along. They’re also shown cuddling with a set of tiny, white kittens. Stars go on Entertainment Tonight for public relations purposes, especially if the only angle is the state of their marriage. The interview featured the following transcribed exchanges:
Interviewer: The two of you seem to be so different. Valerie, you’re kind of the goodie two shoes and the rock world is supposed to be so insane.
Valerie: That’s it—you just said the key word—supposed to be. I mean I’ve seen more insane people in the TV world than I have in his world. I mean, you know.
EVH: I’ll verify that.
The interviewer suggested that their lifestyles were fairly incompatible and that reports were flying that their brief marriage was already on the rocks. Valerie was exasperated that some magazines and journalists went so far in an attempt to simply take down the seemingly happy couple. She stated that they were such normal people as far as they were concerned, which was a notion that she didn’t think others believed or could process.
On another tabloid television program, PM Magazine, the couple again went on the PR defensive about their marriage in an interview with Maria Shriver. Valerie again expressed frustration that she felt forced to repeat over and over that they were a happily married couple. Their potential incompatibility was reinforced by referring to the couple as the “all-American Valerie” and the “all-electric Eddie.” Edward said that he was much happier being married and having a home than he was constantly living on the road with hotels as his permanent address.
When Shriver noted the general belief that a “rock star’s life is groupies, drinking, late hours, and hard drugs,” the following exchange took place:
Maria Shriver: But does it apply to Edward Van Halen?
Edward: Take a guess? No.
Maria Shriver: ‘No. None of it.’ . . .
Edward: The late hours and drinking, maybe, yeah.
Maria: But the groupies . . .
Edward: Of course, not! I’m married. I wouldn’t do that.
Valerie: I hope not.
This was part of a calculated effort to soften Ed’s public image, but also part of an effort to portray Valerie not as a young 15-year-old sweetheart, but a 21-year-old married woman in order to placate the tabloid criticism of their “incompatibility.” Edward appeared edgy and defensive (and shown on television both smoking and drinking).
Order the book now at Van Halen Store for just $19.95 and save $5 off the list price (Guaranteed Lowest Price anywhere).
See the book’s Facebook page.

Today's Day In Pop

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Today's Day In Rock

Velvet Revolver Auditioning New Singer
Loudwire has big news for Velvet Revolver fans. They report that Matt Sorum said the group plan to audition Ours frontman Jimmy Gnecco. Here is what they had to say:
Gnecco sang lead vocals on three tunes during the Road Recovery benefit concert in New York City back in September: 'Slither' by Velvet Revolver, 'It's So Easy' by Guns N' Roses and 'Hey Joe' by Jimi Hendrix.

"So we'll see how that goes," Sorum told the Vine of the auditioning of Gnecco. "Then we've got a couple of other ideas. It looks like Slash is going to make another album, but I'm not sure about his touring and stuff yet. So we'll see how that goes. But we're all open to it and interested in trying to do something together."

Matt also discussed a possible GNR Roll Hall reunion and his side projects, read about those here.

Etta James Terminally Ill
(Gibson) 73-year-old singer Etta James has a terminal illness. Doctors diagnosed the rock legend with leukemia earlier in the year but have now announced that her illness is incurable, according to the Riverside Press Enterprise.

A court battle is in full swing between her husband Artis Mills and her son Donto James for control of her estate, estimated at over $1 million.

The blues and soul singer, who fought heroin addiction in the '70s, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 and was played by Beyoncé in the 2008 movie Cadillac Records.

Watch Etta James in action with Keith Richards and Chuck Berry here.



Wild Thing Singer Hospitalized
(Gibson) Reg Presley, singer with '60s British band The Troggs ("Wild Thing," "With a Girl Like You," "Love is All Around"), is in the hospital in England suffering from pneumonia and a possible stroke.

Music-News.com reports that 70-year-old Presley is in poor condition. His wife told the Daily Mirror that it "started that weekend [December 3] but he was contracted to do [a show] so thought he had better go ahead.

"He came back and got steadily worse. In the last couple of weeks he has gradually deteriorated. It is like he has hit a brick wall all of a sudden." more on this story



Beach Boys Reuniting for Album and 50th Anniversary Tour
(Gibson) The Beach Boys have announced plans to reform for their 50th anniversary. Founding members Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, plus David Marks and Bruce Johnston, plan a new studio album and a 50-date international tour beginning in April.

No touring dates have yet been confirmed, but the band will appear as headliners at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (April 27 to May 6, 2012). New commemorative releases are also planned for 2012, including a new Beach Boys hits collection and a career-spanning box set.

Frontman Brian Wilson said of the reunion: "This anniversary is special to me because I miss the boys and it will be a thrill for me to make a new record and be on stage with them again."

Mike Love added: "We got together at Capitol Records and re-recorded 'Do It Again.' Brian and I wrote that song which went to #1 in Great Britain, Australia and elsewhere some 44 years ago. Brian paid me a compliment saying, 'How can a guy sound that great so many years later?' Later on, while working out some harmonies on a new song Brian had written, I got a chance to return the compliment. more on this story



Guns N' Roses and Duff McKagan Reunion Jam
(hennemusic) Guns N' Roses fans had a double-shot of nostalgia over the weekend, as Duff McKagan opened two shows for his former band.

Friday's gig in Seattle was followed by a Saturday concert in Vancouver, and Duff joined GNR on stage both nights.

In Vancouver, McKagan was on board with GNR for "You Could Be Mine" (same as in Seattle) and "Civil War." Check out video here.

Crue, KISS, Dokken, Megadeth Members To Tribute Ozzy
(Gibson) Ozzy Osbourne is set to great the tribute album treatment with a new release due next year. No More Tears: A Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne will be released on May 8 and feature some major artists.

Although the tracklist has yet to be revealed, Versailles Records announced that both Black Sabbath and Ozzy's solo work would be up for grabs.

Among the contributors: Vince Neil (Mötley Crüe), George Lynch (Dokken, Lynch Mob), Eric Singer (KISS), Mark Slaughter (Slaughter), Keri Kelli (Alice Cooper, Ratt), Chris Poland (Megadeth), Stu Hamm (Joe Satriani, Steve Vai) and Derrick LeFevre (Lillian Axe). more on this story



Metallica Offering Up Recording of First 30th Anniversary Gig
(hennemusic) Metallica recently celebrated their 30th Anniversary with a series of fan club shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco.

MetClub members could see individual shows at the legendary venue (capacity 1,200) for $6, or all four for $19.81, in honor of the 30 year mark. Metallica are now making Night 1 of the series available to fans.

The December 5 show kicked off the first of four nights with a bunch of special guests, including former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted, John Marshall (Metal Church), Sean Harris and Brian Tatler (Diamond Head), Biff Byford (Saxon) and Apocalyptica. more on this story

Joe Satriani Becomes A Comic Book Hero
(Gibson) Joe Satriani is going to debut as a comic book hero. He will be part of the second volume of the comic book Eternal Descent, appearing as a "cryptic entity" with supreme powers.

The storyline involves music. Upon making the ultimate sacrifice, the character Sirian finds himself caught lost in time and space as strange beautiful music (Strange Beautiful Music is a Satriani album title) resonates throughout the cosmos, heralding the arrival of Joe Satriani. He saves the day, of course. Eternal Descent is a "virtual band" in the comic book, and Static X and God Forbid have previously appeared.

"I reached out to Joe directly with a taster of previous Eternal Descent collaborations and some ideas for incorporating his musical heritage into the world of comics," says writer Llexi Leon. "I was blown away when he responded a few days later, all the paperwork signed and his own ideas noted down along with the answers to some questions I had raised." more on this story



Two New Scorpions Releases Coming Next Month
Legacy Recordings have set a January 24, 2012 North American release date for two new titles from the Scorpions.

Scorpions: Comeblack: Comeblack, a new album of classic rock covers and fresh performances of signature repertoire recorded earlier this year, and Get Your Sting and Blackout - Live in 3D, available on Blu-ray disc, an 11-camera 3-D concert film recorded in Saarbrucken, Germany on April 15, 2011 during Scorpions current farewell tour.

Launched by guitarist Rudolf Schenker in 1965, Scorpions forged metal, rock and pop into a sound that's come to signify an entire genre through hard rock anthems like "Rock You Like A Hurricane" and hits like "Send Me An Angel," "Wind of Change" and "Still Loving You," selling more than 100 million records in the process. more on this story

Behind The Lost Chickenfoot Record
(hennemusic) When Chickenfoot released their sophomore album, "Chickenfoot III," in September, the title puzzled fans a bit, since it was only their second album.How did they end up with "III", and was there ever a "II"?

In a new video spoofing the situation in a Behind The Music-style presentation, the members of Chickenfoot have some fun explaining the "lost record."

Chickenfoot recently snagged a Grammy nomination for the "Best Recording Package," for the creative 3D design of the new album ("III," that is). Check out the spoof video here.

Journey's Neal Schon Plugs Nude Picture Leak
(TMZ) Journey guitarist Neal Schon went on a legal campaign this week to decontaminate the Internet -- demanding a gossip website remove a XXX picture of his private parts ... or else.

Schon's attorney fired off a blistering letter to TheDirty.com on Thursday -- claiming the site published a self-taken pic of Neal ... flashing his junk in the bathroom.

According to Schon's lawyer, the pic was stolen from an old cell phone -- and publishing it constituted a gross violation of the musician's privacy rights ... that, and it's just plain humiliating.

The site must have bought the argument, too ... because the photo has since been removed. more on this story

Black Stone Cherry Plan North American Tour
Black Stone Cherry will start the New Year by hitting the road for a series of North American headline dates with support from Cavo.

Black Stone Cherry who will be hitting the road in support of their 2011 release, Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea.

Produced by Howard Benson (Theory of a Deadman, Daughtry, Three Days Grace), Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea has spawned three Rock radio hits to date.
more on this story

Sky Eats Airplane and Of Mice & Men frontman's New Group Lands Deal
Former Sky Eats Airplane and Of Mice & Men frontman Jerry Roush's new group Glass Cloud has inked a deal with Equal Vision Records.

The complete lineup features Roush, 8-string guitarist Joshua Travis [ex-The Tony Danza Tap Dance Extravaganza], bassist Travis Sykes and drummer Chad Hasty.

The group is currently in San Diego, CA recording their debut album at Lambesis Studios, with Joshua Travis producing the record. more on this story

Tank Plan Live DVD
(MMP) Tank will record their show on March, 9th 2012 in Stodola Club in Warsaw (Poland) for their first live DVD release.

Cliff Evans: "We're really looking forward to making our first ever Official Tank Live DVD. It's something we've wanted to do for a long time and gives us the chance to show our fans around the world what a Tank show is all about.

"The DVD will include old favourites such as 'This Means War', 'Echoes of a Distant Battle' and 'Power of the Hunter' plus future classics such as 'Judgement Day' and 'Phoenix Rising' plus many more. Get ready for 'War Machine Live!' DVD." more on this story

F*** All Your Friends Tour With Dr. Acula, The Devastated and More
The Devastated will team up with Dr. Acula, Design The Skyline for the "F***! All Your Friends Tour"

In Dying Arms will also appear on select dates for the trek that kicks off on February 1st in Barrington, IL and wrapping up on March 7th in Poughkeepsie, NY.

Century Media says that fans can expect to hear new material taken from the band's upcoming release, Devil's Messenger. more on this story

Guitar Hero Concerto
(Gibson) The Guitar Hero video game may have recently suffered a sales slump, but Freddie Wong and Shiva Feshareki think it still has genuine musical potential.

Wong, a Los Angeles-based filmmaker and musician, whose YouTube channels boast nearly half a billion viewers and more than two million subscribers, has now helped create a Guitar Hero 2 "concerto." Wong is not new to this: he was named the #1 player at the World Series of Video Games in Dallas in 2007.

But it is Shiva Feshareki who has composed this first-ever Guitar Hero Concerto. She says, "I've written it with Freddie's personality in mind, but it's also about showing off the instrument as well. What I love about Guitar Hero is it's so accessible. It doesn't cost very much, and the notation is so easy to follow. There are millions of people out there who practise on their Guitar Heroes for hours." more on this story



Tall Ships EP Preview Now Online
Tall Ships' new EP, There is Nothing But Chemistry Here, will be released on February 21st but you can get a taste today.

The EP will be available in the U.S. digitally and on vinyl for the first time ever.

Tall Ships are expected to return to the States for more shows this spring. and Filter is now premiering "Hit The Floor (Dark Dark Horse Remix)", a track off the EP here.

Lacuna Coil Streaming New Song Online
Lacuna Coil are streaming their new song "Kill The Light" from their forthcoming album Dark Adrenaline, on their Facebook page.

Dark Adrenaline will be released in North America on January 24th, 2012 via Century Media Records.

The album was produced by the acclaimed Don Gilmore (Linkin Park, Bullet For My Valentine) and you can listen to the new track here.

Man That Signed Oasis Predicts Reunion
(Gibson) The record company exec who signed Oasis and helped launch Britpop on the world says he thinks the band will reform in the future.

According to NME.com , Alan McGee, one-time head of Creation Records, told BBC 6 Music: "Even if it's not the Morning Glory tour, I think you will see Oasis play again, not as a band like [Primal] Scream but I can see them doing a huge gig for charity in a few years but they've just got to stop insulting each other."

The colorful music biz impresario is currently working on a stage production with Irvine Welsh, author of Trainspotting, telling NME it has "nothing to do with Creation or Britpop in that respect." more on this story



Anniversary of Elton John's First Hit
(Gibson) On this day 1970, Elton John's first U.S. hit, "Your Song," entered the Billboard Hot 100, where it went on to reach #8. The Hollies had been offered the song and Three Dog Night had already recorded a version which was included on their It Ain't Easy album. Gibson takes a look back:

When Bernie Taupin and Elton John first began working together, the piano man was still going by his birthname – Reginald Dwight. Friends and musicians knew him as Reggie, a pub piano player and a musician with the group Bluesology, who often backed American R&B and soul acts when they played England. Bernie and "Reggie" were first linked up in 1966, through Liberty Records A&R man Ray Williams, when each of them added an ad in the NME.

Williams gave a bunch of Taupin's lyrics to the young singer, who began to set music to them and then mail the finished compositions back to Bernie. By the time the two met in person for the first time, in 1967, Reggie had taken the name Elton John (after Bluesology saxophonist Elton Dean and Long John Baldry). Little did they know, their partnership would continue for decades and decades.

Although John and Taupin struck up a fast friendship and a productive working relationship, the pair's songs didn't achieve instant success. In the late '60s, they mostly wrote easy-listening schmaltz for other pop singers. Elton also did some session work, including playing piano on The Hollies' "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother."

GIVE IT TO ME GOOD! TRIXTER ARE FIRING UP THE ENGINES FOR THEIR COMEBACK ALBUM:

Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the signing of Trixter for the worldwide release of the band's reunion album in the spring of 2012!
Formed in Paramus, New Jersey during 1983, Trixter would learn their chops playing live in the club circuit around their hometown with the likes of Skid Row and Kix, before eventually getting signed by Mechanic/MCA for their self-titled debut album in 1990, which spawned the Billboard Hits & # 1 MTV Videos Give It To me Good, One in a Million and Surrender and went on to become gold. The band toured nationally during 1990-91 sold out arena tours with Poison, Scorpions and Warrant. Trixter's second album, Hear!, was released in October 1992, touring in support of Kiss. Unfortunately the change of musical climate made it impossible for the band to keep going so, after the release of an independent covers album, the band called it quits in 1995.
Trixter finally announced the reunion of the original lineup in 2007. Since then the band played several shows, including a successful appearance at the Rocklahoma festival in 2008. "The band has been playing together for the last 4 years, so making a new record is the next logical step," tells guitarist Steve Brown. "We are all very excited: the new cd will be entitled New Audio Machine and is a classic style Melodic Hard Rock album. All the sounds people have loved about Trixter will be there... Great songs, big guitar riffs, catchy vocals and a huge bottom end. A total big rock production!"
Trixter are now formed by Pete Loran on lead vocals and guitar, Steve Brown on lead guitar, P.J. Farley on bass and Gus Scott on drums. "We take pride in the fact that we are one of the few bands of our genre that have all original members," says Brown. With an arsenal of great new songs and a catalogue of two successful releases Trixter are looking forward to bring their songs on stage, "We are hoping to land a support slot on one of the major summer tours," concludes Brown. "And we finally hope to play our first European tour as well." Get ready for the return of Trixter!
Weblinks: www.frontiers.it / www.trixterrocks.com.

Today's Day In Pop

Today's Full Report


Rodney Atkins Denies Trying To Smother His Wife
(TMZ) Country superstar Rodney Atkins was arrested last month in Tennessee for domestic assault after allegedly trying to smother his wife with a pillow -- but TMZ has learned Rodney has since filed for divorce, and insists his wife made up the whole thing.
According to court docs filed in Williamson County, Rodney's wife Tammy Atkins called 911 at 7:47 AM on November 21 -- claiming the two had been arguing throughout the night in their home ... when Rodney turned violent.

Tammy told police Rodney tried to smother her with a pillow ... and later grabbed her by the face and threw her down the hallway.

According to cops, Tammy insisted the platinum-selling singer "had been drinking alcohol all night and was intoxicated."

What's worse -- Tammy claims the entire assault took place in front of the couple's 10-year-old son.

Rodney was hauled to a nearby jail -- where he was booked and released on $2,500 bail.

But Rodney says his wife is straight up lying -- and his lawyer is calling the incident nothing more than an "unfortunate verbal dispute."

In a statement released to TMZ ... Rodney's lawyer says, "When Mr. Atkins realized their child was in hearing range of the argument his first priority became getting out of the earshot of the child."

The statement continues, "Mr. Atkins realized he would have no recourse but to file a complaint for divorce. He has exercised substantial parenting time with the parties son and he will continue to do so while the divorce is pending."

"Mr. Atkins wants to thank his fans for standing by him as he is confident the truth will prevail." more on this story

Cops Raid Girls Gone Wild Photo Shoot
(TMZ) LAPD officers just busted into a "Girls Gone Wild" photo shoot in a Hollywood Hills home -- and TMZ has learned it's all because the models might be getting wild on camera ... without a permit.

According to law enforcement sources ... police went to the home to conduct a "film permit investigation" because there's been an ongoing issue of people -- not only GGW -- shooting there without proper permits.

A GGW rep says they have about a dozen staffers -- including requisite girls in bikinis -- at the home shooting their "Search for the Hottest Girl in America."

The rep claims LAPD entered the private residence without a proper warrant or probable cause.

Our law enforcement sources say the investigation is not targeting GGW -- and instead the cops want the person leasing the house and allowing people to shoot there. We're told police have been to the location multiple times over the last year. more on this story

Lady Gaga Tops Forbes List
(popmusiclife) Financial magazine Forbes has issued their list of the Top-Earning Women In Music for 2011, and Lady Gaga beats 'em all by a mile.

Gaga pulled in $90 million dollars, more than the combined earnings of No. 2 Taylor Swift ($45 million) and No. 3 Katy Perry ($44 million).

The Queen Monster grossed $170 million on 137 shows in 22 countries over the past 12 months. Though high production costs significantly reduced that sum, Gaga rakes in additional cash for heavy radio play, recorded music sales and endorsement deals. more on this story

Security Firm Vs Britney Spears
(TMZ) It costs $303,900 to provide Britney Spears with a full-time 365-day security detail ... this according to her former protectors who claim the pop star's people screwed them out of half-a-year's pay.

The people who run Britney's estate are being sued by Advanced Security Concepts Corporation -- claiming Team Spears never paid them more than $140k in fees ... after they kicked the bodyguard company to the curb back in 2010.

ASCC claims Team Spears has been unfairly holding a grudge against it ever since one of their former bodyguards, Fernando Flores, filed a lawsuit against Britney last year ... accusing her of multiple instances of genital-exposing sexual harassment. Britney has denied the allegations.

But in the lawsuit, ASCC claims Team Spears demanded the company cover Britney's legal expenses in the case -- even though they weren't obligated to put up the cash.

ASCC claims Britney's people not only fired them after the stand-off -- but they refused to fork over a check for $141,625.00 ... the remainder of a 1-year contract which Brit's camp had previously agreed to pay out whether or not they actually used the security service.

We reached out to Brit's camp for comment -- so far, no response. more on this story

Adele Scores MTV's Best Song of 2011
(popmusiclife) Adele has already topped best-of 2011 lists by Billboard, Rolling Stone, Time magazine and iTunes, and now she has another list to add to her list of lists.

MTV has named "Rolling In The Deep" as the Best Song Of 2011, ahead of tracks by Nicki Minaj, Rihanna and LMFAO.

"Was there any doubt?," writes MTV. "The megahit so dominated 2011 that calling it the Song of the Year is putting it mildly. And we're not just talking commercially — though it was the year's best-selling track — or critically, mostly because focusing on those details fails to tell the whole story. Consider it the anthem to end all anthems, the feel-bad song of our time, the antidote for the Auto-Tuned masses." more on this story

Walter Rose Duets With Lucinda Williams
Walter Rose has debuted his duet with Lucinda Williams, "Driving South," at the My Old Kentucky Blog.

"It's not every day you open a door and see someone like Lucinda Williams on the other side," exclaims Carmel, California-based Walter Rose about the final day of recording for his debut album Cast Your Stone, to be released on January 17th, 2012.

Williams duets with Rose on "Driving South," the latest track taken from the album, now streaming at My Old Kentucky Blog here. "This one just flowed out of me," Rose says of the song. "Every word just fell from the sky. I wish it happened more often!" more on this story

Foster The People Plan North American Tour
(popmusiclife) Foster The People are bringing their music to the people next year. The band has announced a 6-week North American tour, starting May 29 in New York and running into July.

Joining FTP will be three different opening acts covering various portions of the tour – including The Kooks, Tokyo Police Club and Mayer Hawthorne.

Prior to the North American shows, FTP will play a series of dates in Japan, Australia and Europe. more on this story

Clint Eastwood Gets His Own Reality Show
(TMZ) Clint Eastwood is going the way of the Kardashians ... TMZ has learned his wife and two of his daughters are currently shooting a family reality show intended to air on the E! network.

Sources connected to the production tell TMZ ... the show will explore what it's like to live in a family of "Hollywood royalty." It will focus on the relationship between Clint's wife Dina Eastwood, their daughter Morgan and Clint's 18-year-old daughter Francesca ... an aspiring actress.

We're told 81-year-old Clint has agreed to make a couple of cameos -- but will not be a main character on the show.

The show is being produced by reality powerhouse Bunim/Murray -- the same people who produce all of the Kardashian reality shows ... along with "The Real World" and "Bad Girls Club."

Sources tell us producers are hoping to get the show on the air in the next few months. more on this story

Gary Numan On World Cafe Today
(MSO) Gary Numan is set to be today's featured special guest on National Public Radio's "World Café" with host David Dye

The appearance is set to be broadcast today, Thursday, December 15 from 2:00-4:00pm ET. Tune in to hear NUMAN discuss his musical influences and history as well as what 2012 holds for the iconic electro rocker.

The two-hour daily program can be heard on over 200 stations nationwide; listeners can find their local station here. Online and worldwide fans can hear the broadcast live directly on WXPN here. The show will be archived online on NPR later in the day here.

Numan is celebrating the release of Dead Son Rising, which was released last week, on December 6.

Anya Marina Releases Christmas Song
(Filter) Anya Marina is giving fans a little Christmas cheer with the release of "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas." The track is now streaming online.

Originally performed by then-child star Gayla Peevey in 1953, the playful song is sure to bring a smile to even the grumpiest of grinches faces.

Anaya Marina will be releasing her forthcoming album, Felony Flats, February 14 via Chop Shop/Atlantic Records. Her latest EP, Spirit School, is available via all major digital retailers. Listen to the Christmas song here.

Abercrombie & Fitch Claim The Situation Can't Take A Joke?
(TMZ) Abercrombie & Fitch is trying to end their ongoing feud with The Situation once and for all -- asking a judge to dismiss the "Jersey Shore" star's lawsuit against the clothing company ... on grounds dude can't take a joke.

The war between Sitch and A&F began back in August -- when A&F publicly offered to pay The Situation NOT to wear its clothing. A month later, Sitch sued the company, claiming it ripped off his "GTL" and "Situation" trademarks on a line of guido-mocking t-shirts.

But now, A&F is trying to put an end to the back-and-forth -- claiming Sitch had no right to sue them in the first place ... because he doesn't technically own the trademarks in question ... he only applied for them.

What's more -- A&F claims Situation's application for "Gym Tan Laundry" has actually been suspended ... because MTV already owns "Gym Tanning Laundry," and the US Patent & Trademark Office thinks they're too similar.

But trademarks aside -- A&F insists its shirts are still protected under a law that allows parody as part of free speech ... in other words, the shirts were obviously a harmless joke ... albeit at the Situation's expense.

Bottom line, A&F is hoping to avoid further litigation by citing an often incontrovertible fact ... The Situation is full of crap. So far, no word back from Sitch's camp. more on this story

Kim Kardashian Wins Bids for Elizabeth Taylor Jewelry
(TMZ) Kim Kardashian just dropped $65k to outbid a gang of serious jewelry nuts for 3 unbelievable jade and diamond bracelets that used to belong to Elizabeth Taylor ... TMZ has learned.

Taylor's entire collection of rare and expensive jewelry was auctioned off in NYC this week for a whopping $116 MILLION ... and Kim was one of the bidders.

Sources close to KK tell TMZ ... Kim idolized Taylor -- especially after Kim did a magazine interview with Liz for a project shortly before her death. So when Kim saw LT's 3 jade and diamond Lorraine Schwartz bangle bracelets on the auction block, she snatched 'em up for a cool $64,900.

We're told Kim believes jade harnesses energy ... and now that she owns the bracelets, KK feels she will share a deeper connection to the Hollywood icon.

Kim is not in possession of the jewelry yet ... but she's expected to get 'em sometime in the next few days. more on this story

Dodgers Star Defends Ryan Braun Over Performance Enhancing Drug Test Results
(TMZ) Los Angeles Dodgers star Matt Kemp has Ryan Braun's back -- claiming the reigning National League MVP shouldn't be branded as a cheater ... despite reports he tested positive for performance enhancing drugs.

Kemp -- who finished 2nd to Braun in the MVP voting this year -- was at The Grove in L.A. this week when we asked about the allegations surrounding Braun.

Kemp told us, "Nobody's proven anything man ... we don't know anything." He added, "That's a good dude. That's my homie."

Braun's rep has adamantly denied the accusations -- and according to reports, the Milwaukee Brewers player plans to file an appeal with Major League Baseball in an effort to avoid a 50 game suspension. more on this story

Ex-Manager Vs Basketball Wives Star
(TMZ) "Basketball Wives" star Tami Roman is being sued by her ex-manager ... who claims he helped make Tami rich and famous -- but she refuses to pay him for a job well done.

Jerry Silverhardt filed the lawsuit Monday in L.A. County Superior Court -- claiming he was instrumental in securing Tami's "Basketball Wives" gig ... but instead of being grateful, she fired his ass.

Jerry claims Tami paid him for Season Two -- but then left him out to dry after she ended their relationship in February ... refusing to pay for work she did on the recently completed Season 3.

According to Jerry, Tami's oral contract with him is crystal clear ... she owes him 10% no matter what on all "Wives" paychecks for seasons 3 through 6 -- and she better pay up, stat. Calls to Tami were not returned. more on this story

The 17th Annual Inspirational Country Music Association Awards Air This Weekend
(Webster) The 17th Annual Inspirational Country Music Association's Faith, Family & Country Awards will air this Saturday, December 17 at 4:30 P.M. (CST) on TCT Network and will re-air on Sunday, December 18 at 7:30 P.M. (CST)**.

In case you miss it, you can catch it again on Saturday, January 14 at 7:00 P.M. (CST) on the NRB Network. Hosted by Inside Edition's national correspondent anchor Megan Alexander and GAC's popular entertainment news anchor, Storme Warren, the annual award show honors and showcases the biggest names and emerging talent among artists who perform Inspirational Country music.

A few of this year's honorees include Ricky Skaggs, Lady Antebellum, Justin Moore, Jeff Bates, The Fox Brothers, Joey + Rory, The Roys and the movie "Soul Surfer." more on this story

Wolf Gang Coming To America
Elektra Records is bringing UK hitmaker Wolf Gang to American audiences with the domestic digital release of Wolf Gang's debut album Suego Faults.

They sent over these details: The album – which features the hit single, "The King And All Of His Men" – will be available at all U.S.-based digital retailers on December 20th

Recently named one of the "100 Best Things In The World Right Now," by GQ UK, Wolf Gang has proven a proper sensation in his native United Kingdom. more on this story

SL Jones Releases Free Mixtape
Audible Treats sent over word that SL Jones has released his latest mixtape, Flight Risk. The project is being released to fans as a free download, available through the Little Rock rapper's Bandcamp.

With previous mixtapes, the list of guests – Clipse, Waka Flocka, Trae Tha Truth, Killer Mike, Pill, Chamillionaire– served as a testament to networking and mutual artistic respect. But with Flight Risk, Jonesy largely goes it alone; the 10-song mixtape features no big names. Flight Risk does, however, find SL continuing to work with a collection of top-grade producers, names that include Lex Luger, Shawty Redd, Young L, Sonny Digital, Honorable C.N.O.T.E., Metro, Smiff & Cash, and more.

Flight Risk, clocking in at 10-tracks and playing just over 40 minutes, is also SL's most cohesive, concise project to date — as well as his most aggressive. "I had a lot of pent up aggression – from my legal situation, from the restrictions it's put on my life – and the music reflects that," explains SL. "I wanted listeners to get below the surface, and give them a glimpse of what makes me who I am. I don't want my audience to just listen to my music; I want them to connect."

In addition to brash emotion, Flight Risk, SL's third release over the past six months, is a project that shows continued growth."The Number 23 was about showing off talent and range, while Pandamonium was reckless emotion, driven by fear, uncertainty, desperation, and confusion," he explains. " I'm learning to embrace the chaos and steer my emotions in any creative direction, and Flight Risk is the next step in that progression: embracing the bad and hoping for the best, all while fully expecting it to get worse." Download SL Jones' Flight Risk mixtape

Download Free Blonds
(BH) Blonds release their debut EP Dark Roots for free on their Bandcamp this week.

The dating duo wrote and recorded the entire EP during the recent Thanksgiving weekend, never having previously played music together. In that short time, Stereogum has named the West Palm Beach band a "Band To Watch" and featured the tracks "Kite" and "Treasure Coast", which was quickly followed by the premiere of "K.O." on Consequence of Sound.

Blonds intend to keep the frenetic pace up, already at work on their debut LP, and are planning to embark on their first tour in 2012. Grab the download here.

Angelina Lavo Delivers Circus Act
(SBI) Sultry Russian beauty Angelina Lavo has released her latest, Circus Act, on iTunes.

Produced by Grammy-award winner and hip-hop phenomenon Omen (Lil Wayne, Drake, Fabolous) and Audio BLK for Electrik Music Orchestra. Circus Act's edgy beat will seduce club-goers onto the dance floor internationally.

Angelina hopes that it will inspire men and women to put their troubles away and step out as strong, sexy, and empowered individuals. more on this story

Robert Davi Release Christmas Charity Single
(Jonaspr.com) Robert Davi has released his re-imagined version of the Christmas classic song, "Mistletoe and Holly," to help The Salvation Army provide assistance to people in need this Christmas season.

100% of the proceeds of the single's sales will be donated to The Salvation Army's 120th annual Red Kettle Campaign, which kicks off nationally on Thanksgiving Day. "Mistletoe and Holly" will be available to purchase from iTunes and Amazon for 99 cents.

"'Mistletoe and Holly' is a Christmas classic, and I'm excited to release it in support of a classic charity during the Christmas season," said Robert Davi, who recently released his first studio album, Davi Sings Sinatra - On The Road To Romance. "This is a great opportunity to help make more Christmas dreams come true for children, teens and seniors in need."

Today's Day In Rock

Lars Upset Metallica Missed Justin Bieber Opportunity
(Rock News Desk) Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich got upset when Metallica missed a chance to screw with their fans.
They'd hoped to pose for a photo with teen pop star Justin Bieber and Lulu collaborator Lou Reed. But when plans fell through Ulrich couldn't hide his disappointment.

"Can you imaging that picture? Metallica, Lou Reed and Justin Bieber? We could have put it out that this is our next project. The fans would go f**king crazy," He said. "People already accuse us of betraying metal by working with Lou. Wait till they hear what we can do with Bieber…" more on this story

Guns N' Roses' Axl Rose Gets Keys To Utah City
(hennemusic) Guns N' Roses leader Axl Rose hooked up with the Mayor of West Valley City at the band's Tuesday night concert in the Utah city.

The Salt Lake City Tribune reports about one hour into the show at the Maverik Center, Mayor Mike Winder stepped onstage and greeted Axl.

Winder congratulated the band on this past week's announcement that GNR had been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and presented Rose with a key to the city. more on this story

New Foo Fighters in 2012?
(Gibson) Dave Grohl has posted a lengthy message on the Foo Fighters' website expressing his gratitude to fans for helping make 2011 "an amazing year."

"Where do I begin?" he writes. "Thank you all for making Wasting Light the most incredible album experience of our band's 17 year history. For real. The fact that a rock and roll record, made in a garage, completely analog to tape with no help from computers, could be a #1 album around the world, AND get a Grammy nomination for 'Album of the Year' ...well...these days that's no small feat. It's truly inspiring, and it makes us feel like the luckiest band in the world."

Grohl went on to give details about the experience of making Wasting Light, which he called "the album of a lifetime." He also hinted that fans could expect a new Foo Fighters album in 2012. "If you would have told me 17 years ago that in 2012 I would be writing songs for our 8th studio album...well...," he writes. Read his full post here. more on this story



Dave Mustaine Talks Metallica Reunion Jam
(hennemusic) Beyond the Big 4 events, it's been many years since Megadeth's Dave Mustaine stood on stage with his old bandmates in Metallica.

Mustaine joined the band last weekend for the final night of their 30th Anniversary shows at the Fillmore in San Francisco, rocking out tracks he first recorded with Metallica three decades ago.

In a new interview with Powerline, Mustaine shares his thoughts on the evening and revisiting some of his classic Metallica songs. "You know, it felt fun to play them," Dave explains. "I wish I would have had a little bit more opportunity to get prepared with the band. You know, because I'm a perfectionist. I would have liked to have had my sound just so and make sure when I did the solos they would jump up the volume and stuff like that that I'm used to, but we were at a club and playing at a club and playing like a club band. It was fun to take off all the rules and regulations and stuff and kind of shoot from the hip." A little about the song choice

Shinedown Working On Different New Album
(Banana 101.5) Shinedown band began recording the follow up to their massive hit record 'The Sound of Madness' in August so it is likely that the new material will surface sometime in 2012 — but not definite.

The Sound of Madness' brought all kinds of new ears to Shinedown thanks to the crossover success of mega-hits 'Second Chance' and 'If You Only Knew.' Now the question is will they return to more rock-oriented fare — like Theory of a Deadman did after dabbling with success at Top 40 radio — or will they walk the line between both genres like Nickelback? Vocalist Brent Smith said this this of the new record speaking to Artisan News last May:

"We can't compare any of the other records to this one — just like we can't compare the first one to the second one or the third one to the first one. We pride ourselves on being a band that each record sounds completely different than the last. The beautiful thing is the journey and finding out where you are in your life, not only as a person, but where you are as an artist and as a musician and how far you've come and how far you've grown. So, for us, we tour a lot — our last record, we toured for almost three years — so it's very, very crucial and very, very important for us for this fourth record [to be as strong as possible], so we take our time." more on this story

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Plan North American Tour Dates
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers will warm up for their first tour of Europe in 20 years with a number of North American tour dates next Spring.

The North American tour includes the band's first ever show at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival where they will headline the first weekend of the annual event on Saturday, April 28.

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers will also perform in the Canadian provinces of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia for the first time. The band will play in St. John's, NL on June 3 and in Halifax, NS on a date to be announced shortly. more on this story

Seether Score No 1 Active Rock Song of 2011
Loadwire has some big Seether news: Seether have had much success with their latest album 'Holding Onto Things Better Left to Fray.'

Now the disc's debut single 'Country Song' has been named Billboard's Active Rock Song of the Year and Mediabase's No. 1 active rock song of 2011 in terms of airplay.

Seether also took Billboard's No. 1 spot for Artist of the Year in both Active Rock and Heritage Rock. more on this story

The Shins Set New Album Release
(Gibson) The Shins have announced that their new album, Port of Morrow, will be released in March, according to NME.

The album from the indie stars will be the first since 2007's Wincing the Night Away.

Port of Morrow, The Shins' fourth album, will be released on frontman James Mercer's Aural Apothecary label (and not Sub Pop, which the band split from in 2008). The band, which also includes Yuuki Matthews, Jessica Dobson, Richard Swift and Joe Plummer, will tour next year. more on this story



Eagles, Foo Fighters and Tom Petty For Jazz Fest
(Gibson) The Foo Fighters, the Eagles and Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers are among the headliners for next year's New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, the Associated Press has reported.

The outdoor event, which emphasizes Louisiana-based artists from a wide variety of genres, will feature hundreds of acts on approximately a dozen stages. The 2012 festival extends through two weekends, from April 27 through May 6.

Other nationally renowned acts who will accent the event include the Zac Brown Band, Al Green, Bonnie Raitt and My Morning Jacket. Still, roughly 85 percent of the lineup hails from Louisiana. "This festival really offers the best of both worlds," said Quint Davis, the festival's producer. "The heart and soul of the festival is all the Louisiana artists, but added to that is the very best of all these other genres." more on this story



Jimi Jamison Returns To Survivor
Jimi Jamison has returned as the frontman of Survivor, after leaving the band in 2006 to focus on his solo career.

Survivor – Jimi Jamison (vocals), Frankie Sullivan (guitar), Marc Droubay (drums), Billy Ozzello (bass) and Walter Tolentino (keyboards/guitar) – will begin working on a new album, expected for release in 2012.

"It feels great to be back with Frankie and the band, singing the songs that the fans love," says Jamison.

Frankie Sullivan adds, "I'm excited to have Jimi back up front singing the hits, and giving the fans what they want."

http://www.survivormusic.com/

Yngwie Gets His Own Sharpies
(Gibson) Guitar wiz Yngwie Malmsteen has been given a special gift from Sharpie. According toClassic Rock magazine, the world famous pen manufacturers have made the guitarist his own personalized set of pens.

Sharpie president Ben J. Gadbois is a huge Yngwie fan, telling Blabbermouth: "It was fantastic to meet one of the greatest guitar players of all time and talk about music and several of our common interests. It was also an honor to present Yngwie with his own personalized Sharpies.

"It means a lot that he chooses our markers to sign autographs. He's definitely made an indelible mark on music, and in some small way, we hope Sharpie has helped him make a lasting impressions with his fans." more on this story



Gibson Repairs and Restores Cheap Trick Guitarist's Classic Les Paul
(Gibson) Last summer, the members of Cheap Trick narrowly escaped a terrible stage collapse. As you might recall, the power pop legends were playing the Ottawa Bluesfest in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada in July when the stage collapsed, leaving a few people injured – although the band members came out OK.

Of course, a fair amount of Cheap Trick's gear took a beating, including some of guitarist Rick Nielsen's most prized instruments. Gibson Repair and Restoration has been working their magic on Nielsen's guitars, a few at a time.

The latest guitar to get the Repair and Restoration treatment is Rick's 1968 Les Paul Standard, which was converted to 1959 LP specs. Check out some images detailing the process



X Factor Contestant Rocks Beatles Classic
(hennemusic) It's semi-finals week on the American version of X Factor, as the show is down to the final four contestants. On Wednesday, the singers performed two songs each to help fill out the 90-minute program.

We've already seen Josh Krajcik cover tracks by the Foo Fighters, The Rolling Stones and The Beatles for the contest, and this week fans voted for the songs in the first round; in Krajcik's case, it was the Beatles' "Come Together."

The song's traditional drum beat was stripped down to more simplified arrangement, as the production tried to highlight Krajcik's Joe Cocker-esque vocal style. Check it out here.

Kid Rock Gives Back
Kid Rock is once again giving back to those less fortunate in Detroit. This year he has purchased 1,200 $25 Meijer gift cards that he plans to distribute throughout the city as a Christmas present to people in need in his hometown.

The gift cards, which will be distributed through local radio stations in the area, will be good for redemption at any local Meijer store. The gift cards will become available starting today, Dec. 14th. This is becoming an annual tradition for Kid Rock.

Last year around Thanksgiving, Kid Rock donated 1,000 meals in the same way, and since the reaction was so great he has upped the amount to 1,200 this year. more on this story

Eisley Delivering New Music Next Year
Equal Vision has set a February 14th, 2012 release date for Eisley's new five-track EP, "Deep Space".

The Deep Space EP was recorded in Eisley's hometown of Tyler, TX with engineer/mixer Andy Freeman.

In support of the new EP, Eisley will venture out on a US tour in March 2012 supported by Christie DuPree and Tampa, FL-based band Marksmen. more on this story

Sebastian Bach Delivers Tunnel Vision Video
(hennemusic) Sebastian Bach has issued the second video from his 2011 release, "Kicking & Screaming."

The "Tunnel Vision" video mixes rehearsal studio/soundstage with live footage.

A longtime pal of Axl Rose's, Bach recently opened a couple of shows for Guns N' Roses – a third one in Albany was canceled due to production issues. watch it here.

Tom Petty Holding Online Chat Today
(hennemusic) Tom Petty will be hosting a Twitter chat with fans today – Thursday, December 15.

Petty will be live on Twitter for a 1-hour chat session with fans starting at 5:30pm EST.

Use the hashtag #TompettyTCS to join the session with Tom Petty live on Twitter from 5:30pm - 6:30pm EST. more on this story

L.A. Guns Pick New Singer
(Gibson) Tracii Guns' version of L.A. Guns is fast overtaking Van Halen in the "Oh what have they done this week?" stakes. Now, a mere 71 days after announcing that Dilana Robichaux was the last singer that L.A. Guns would ever have, Robichaux is out and serial TV talk show guest Tony West is in.

The band has not yet given any indication whether West's appointment is permanent. West, the 40th member of L.A. Guns and their 11th singer, has appeared as a guest on the Sally Jesse Raphael Show, Jerry Springer Show, Maury Povich, Geraldo Rivera, the Ricki Lake Show and the Richard Bey Show, with some clips even making their way onto the E! program Talk Soup.

For her part, Robichaux says on Facebook that she never quit the band. "Tracii walked out saying 'Thank you, it was fun while it lasted,'" she said, before calling the band a [expletive] joke and hinting that she was planning to write a book on her two-and-a-bit months as singer for one version of the classic '80s band. "I have all the notes written n some recorded about this very [expletive] up L.A. Guns tour," she wrote. "One day, you will understand!" more on this story



Stray From The Path Debut New Video Online
Stray From The Path have posted their new music video for the song "Bring It Back To The Streets" on their Facebook page.

The clip features Andrew Neufeld from Comeback Kid and was shot by renowned director Scott Hansen (After The Burial, As Blood Runs Black). You can check it out here.

The band will be joining Everytime I Die, Terror and Former Theives from Feb. 17th to March 8th. You can also catch them on their own headlining run in Jan. alongside Cruel Hand / Structures / Counterparts / Betrayal January 24-February 11. more on this story

Poison Idea Classics To Be Reissued
(Earsplit) Southern Lord Recordings have announced plans for a reissue campaign next year for hardcore punkers Poison Idea.

Southern Lord will be releasing CD versions of several Poison Idea reissues that TKO Records are currently re-releasing on vinyl. All of the material is being re-mastered by Jack Control (World Burns to Death) and each release includes new, extensive liner notes as well as never before seen photos and previously unreleased bonus material.

This Poison Idea reissue series kicks off January 31st, with the re-release of Darby Crash Rides Again: The Early Years. Boasting twenty-nine tracks from the band's earliest days, the album includes the 100% previously unreleased Boner's Kitchen demo from 1981, the complete Darby Crash Rides Again demo from 1982, the complete uncut live-on-the-air set from the 1983 KBOO radio benefit, and outtakes from the Record Collectors Are Pretentious Assholes recording session. Much of this material has either been out-of-print or never before officially released! more on this story

My Ticket Home Tease
(ESM) Rise Records are providing fans with a teaser video of the song "A New Breed" from My Ticket Home's upcoming album.

The album, To Create A Cure, will be out January 31st and the single for "A New Breed" will be available Dec. 20th but you can watch the video tease here.

The follow-up to the Columbus, OH band's 2010 The Opportunity To Be EP, To Create A Cure was produced by Caleb Shomo of Attack Attack! My Ticket Home is currently out on tour. more on this story

Red Hot Chili Peppers Add Another Date
Red Hot Chili Peppers have announced a second Los Angeles show will be added to their I'm With You World Tour.

The 2012 arena tour will be the band's first full-scale tour of the U.S. since 2007 when they hit the road in support of 2006's Stadium Arcadium.

Joining the Red Hot Chili Peppers will be Janelle Monáe. Red Hot Chili Peppers received a Grammy nomination for "Rock Album of the Year" and were just announced to be inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. more on this story

Godseed CD and DVD Details
Godseed have announced the tracklisting for their "Live at Wacken" CD/DVD combo.

The combo set will be released on January 27th in Europe and January 31st in North America.

The CD will include footage of the group's infamous live show from the 2008 edition of the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany, where they headlined the main stage in front of 75,000 screaming fans. The concert featured sheep heads on stakes, "crucified" nude models, satanic symbols, and gallons of sheep's blood. more on this story

Scale The Summit Announce Headline Tour
Scale The Summit will embark on their first ever headline tour, "Their Strings Are Voices" in January with support from Elitist.

Scale The Summit are currently on the road with Protest the Hero and label mates, Last Chance to Reason, and are supporting their most recent release, "The Collective."

Guitarist Chris Letchford commented on "Their Strings Are Voices:" I am very excited to announce our first ever headlining tour! We decided to go with only one support band for this tour so that we are able to ensure our fans that they'll be getting a full set from us each night. Since it's our first headliner, we'll be playing tracks from all three full lengths: Monument", "Carving Desert Canyons" and our most recent release, "The Collective". Support for this tour is Elitist, a young band from California; all very talented and proficient players and a great addition to the bill. We will also be having a few locals open the show each night. Make sure to not miss this tour and come out early to support your local music scene! See you guys on the road! If you guys are interested in choosing the songs that we play, please go and check out the poll, now! more on this story

O'Brother and Junius Team Up For Tour
O'Brother will be hitting the road early next year with Junius for a co-headlining tour of North America.

The trek will kick off at DC9 in Washington, DC on February 16th and wrapping up at Warehouse Live Studio in Houston, TX on March 11th.

The band will be hitting the road in support of the January 10th CD release of their debut album Garden Window (Triple Crown Records/Favorite Gentlemen) and before heading out with Junius, O'Brother is set to headline a hometown release show at the Masquerade in Atlanta, GA on January 6th. more on this story

Ribozyme New Album Release Set
Indie Recordings will release Ribozyme's new album on February the 10th in Europe and February the 14th in North America.

They had this to say about it: For over a decade Ribozyme has been a connoisseur's choice and a front-runner for the diversity and integrity of Norwegian rock & metal. Ribozyme's solid approach to their work has been evident from day one. Ribozyme has been compared to numerous giants of their genre: from Tool to Filter, from Nine Inch Nails to Sigur Rôs, although the distance to the above has never been greater.

With their new album, Ribozyme once again continue to push boundaries and redefine the trio format, through a horizontal vision on songwriting and, in the words of lead singer and guitarist Kjartan Ericsson; "combining power, precision and melody in an unpretentious way.

Vampires Everywhere! Get Warped
Vampires Everywhere! is one of the five new artists that have been announced for the Warped Tour 2012.

"We are excited to announce that we are playing the 2012 Vans Warped Tour! We feel honored to be a part of this amazing tour that has spawned so many incredible artists. We plan on bringing our brand of Shock Rock to the Advent Stage along with an intense stage show!" Says vocalist Michael Vampire. "We have many amazing surprises coming in 2012 and we are very excited to share them with you all this summer!"

Vampires Everywhere! will join Bayside, Chelsea Grin, Memphis May Fire, Sleeping With Sirens and a number of other artists that will be released shortly.


Evile To Headline Next Big Thing Music Festival Event
Evile are set to headline the February 11th, 2012 HMV's third annual Next Big Thing music festival tour event.

HMV's Next Big Thing tour takes place at nine venues across the UK and celebrates the very best in new and emerging talent, drawn from all genres of music, with performances from bands and artists who are tipped to make it big in the coming year.

Evile are set to perform at the HMV Ritz in Manchester, UK on February 11th, 2012. Joining them will be Cerebral Bore, Savage Messiah and Woods Of Ypres. more on this story

Historic KISS Mannequins Up For Grabs
High River Entertainment sent over the following big news for KISS rarity collectors: Avid KISS collectors Jae Connor and Johnny McLaughin of Electric Lotus Tattoo have decided to unearth this full set of very rare KISS mannequins.

These one of a kind mannequins originally came from Fat Vinnie Gonzales, who at one time had the largest collection of KISS memorabilia in the world. The mannequins were made in 1976 and came directly from the Aucoin Management warehouse.

One recalls that not only was these from the Aucoin warehouse, but that the band members themselves actually worked on these mannequins, assembling and hand painting their own faces. more on this story

The Kooks Announce Dates With Foster The People
The Kooks will return to North America in 2012 as special guests of Foster The People on their upcoming tour.

They will be touring in support of their latest Astralwerks release, Junk of the Heart was produced by Tony Hoffer (Beck, Air, Belle & Sebastian), and recorded in The Sound Factory (Los Angeles) and Sarm Studios (London).

The band's third album sees The Kooks solidifying their position as a bona fide album band with trademark hooks from their first single "Junk Of The Heart (Happy)" to the electro dub of "Runaway" and the infectious new radio single "How'd You Like That."

GREAT WHITE SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT:

Great White have responded to yesterday's statement from original vocalist Jack Russell. It reads as follows:

"First and foremost, our main concern is our fans. We have spent 30 years trying to be the best we can be and bring our fans the top quality of music they have become accustomed to and deserve. It saddens us today to have to respond to Jack Russell's announcement.
Jack Russell announced on Facebook on Saturday, December 10, 2011 that he was returning to Great White with a new lineup. This was a complete shock to the entire Great White family.
This couldn't be further from the truth. As we all know, Jack Russell has been fighting drug and alcohol abuse for many years. He has had numerous stints in and out of treatment facilities and hospitals. In 2010 Jack's physical condition deteriorated to the point that he routinely fell on and off stage, forgot lyrics and we had to cancel shows due to his inability to perform. In the past two years, Jack has had five major surgeries and has almost died three times. His drug abuse was so bad that his body began to shut down and ultimately resulted in colostomy surgery from a perforated bowel (he nearly died during this procedure). The colostomy surgery saved his life, but vanquished him with a colostomy bag for a year.
We stood by Jack; we supported his sobriety and eagerly awaited his return. Jack was first slated to return to Great White this past summer. Unfortunately, his frail body and his drug abuse prohibited this event. In the following months, Jack had three more surgeries that delayed his return. Finally, he chose February 2012 as his target return date.
We had five clear conditions for Jack's return:
1. Jack had to be drug free. Off all opiates, methadone, Valium or Xanax.
2. Jack had to be off prednisone (a steroid that ate away at Jack's internal organs that caused the perforated bowl).
3. Jack had to be sober and off crack cocaine and all alcohol.
4. Jack had to agree to weekly drug tests.
5. Jack must attend weekly meetings for AA and NA.

Last week Jack notified management he would not make it back by February 2012. Jack referred to his doctor's opinion that he would not be ready. He had just started physical rehabilitation again and his legs and back needed more rehab to handle the rigors of touring. Jack thought he would be ready by May to start the summer touring season. However, he wasn't sure if he could be off the methadone by then or ever. Management reiterated that he had to be completely drug-free for his return. He owed it to the fans. He owed it to us. He owed it to himself.
Out of nowhere, we all received an email on Saturday, December 10, 2011 stating that he was coming back now and that he was starting his own (a different lineup) Great White. As you can imagine, this was shocking, to say the least. We were saddened and hurt from this shocking announcement.

We only want to do right by our fans. We aim to give the best possible show and have every fan leave the show feeling they got their money's worth. This band is sober and music is our passion. With Jack Russell not being drug-free and unable to physically perform on stage, it will only let down our fans. Time and again, Jack Russell has let down his band and fans. His addictions have ruined his life the past eight years. We will not sit by and enable our brother to abuse alcohol and drugs to kill himself. We have lost too many loved ones to this madness. After the passing of our dear friend, the talented Jani Lane, it has become more evident that this has to stop. It must end.
Since Jack's departure in August 2010, Great White has performed almost 100 concerts. We've had no shortened sets, cancelations or song choice limitations due to vocal issues. In this struggling economy, fans need and deserve more — not less. We owe it to our fans and the promoters to not to allow Jack Russell and some garage band to hurt Great White's classic rock legacy and bright future. Jack Russell does not have the right to start his own Great White or use the name without our names in the lineup.
We will litigate any promoter that books 'Jack Russell's Great White' or uses any logo featuring the name Great White. We give you our word, we will continue through 2012 and beyond to provide you with the top-quality musical performances you have been accustomed and deserve.
We hope and pray that Jack gets healthy, happy and sober. His health and well being is the only thing that matters."

And Jack Russell responds further with a brand new Metal Sludge interview: www.metalsludge.tv/home/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2638&Itemid=38.