Rock News Brief Update for Saturday 16th January, 2010

Damn Yankees Reunion maybe closer?

Original Damn Yankees members Jack Blades, Tommy Shaw, Ted Nugent and Michael Cartellone got together at this past week NAMM event for an unplugged version of their mega hit "High Enough" which you can view here:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxSkKMzyL0Q

Both Ted Nugent and Jack Blades have been hinting over the past year or so that it's quite possible they will be doing something again soon ... Quite when soon is though is anyones guess, that said, this little gathering is encouraging.

A week in AC/DC

From www.acdc.com/news/ yesterday:


While AC/DC continues to ready for their New Zealand and Australia shows, the AC/DC action just keeps coming. T minus thirteen days, folks.

With the Australian shows quickly approaching, the buzz is already developing in the Australian press. On Sunday, The Age's Guy Blackman ran a solid article - www.theage.com.au/articles/2010/01/09/1262453696084.html -  about AC/DC which does a great job of spelling out all the things there are to like about the band, from their "meat and potatoes rock 'n' roll" to their "big story" to their "ageless" appeal. While it's a great piece, Blackman pretty much summed it up in the first line: "There's really no other band in the world like AC/DC." We're in total agreement, Guy.

Stateside, The Olympian (out of Olympia, WA) ran a story - www.theolympian.com/entertainment/story/1100852.html - about the all-female AC/DC tribute band Hell's Belles - www.hellsbelles.info/ - who are playing a gig in Olympia this Saturday. The Belles, who have been paying tribute to AC/DC for some time now, take pride in the fact that they're "inspiring young girls to play rock 'n' roll" with their performances. They're apparently pretty damn good because as the article notes:

"In a 2003 interview with Blender magazine, AC/DC's lead guitarist Angus Young himself said the band was 'the best AC/DC cover I've heard.'"

That's cred right there.

As we mentioned last week, when the New Zealand and Australia shows finally hit, we want to hear about your experiences at the shows and see your shots from the second row. From what we see in the forums, it looks like fans in Melbourne are already prepping for some serious pre-gig action. We want stories! Head over to the forums and let us know.
That's it for this week. Catch you next week in another edition of The Week in AC/DC.

Rock News for Friday 15th January, 2010

Ace Frehley hitting Aussie venues soon!

Former Kiss legend Ace Frehley has just posted some - and they are kind of few - dates for an Australia mini tour, through his MySpace page:

FEB 1 – PERTH, AUSTRALIA – METROPOLIS FREMANTLE
FEB 4 – ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA – HQ COMPLEX
FEB 5 – MELBOURNE, AUS – PALACE THEATER
FEB 7 – SYDNEY, AUS – ENMORE THEATRE
FEB 8 – BRISBANE, QLD – BRISBANE TIVOLI THEATRE

Keep updated on the Space Ace’s activities at: http://www.myspace.com/acefrehley

Europe offering chance to get up close and personal with the band on their UK tour.

*WIN A CHANCE TO MEET EUROPE ON THE FEBRUARY UK TOUR* - From: http://www.myspace.com/europe

Hi everyone,

Visit (and become a follower of) the official Europe Press & Media blog for more details on how to win!
http://europethebandmedia.blogspot.com/

See you out there rockers!
www.myspace.com/europe

For all of Europe’s UK and Worldwide tour dates:
http://www.europetheband.com/tourdates.html

Ringo Starr announces his 11th outing featuring his “All Starr Band.”

Much as the guy is often ridiculed by many for not being so talented as a drummer, former Beatle's man Ringo Starr has often proven people wrong when it comes down to it.

He turn’s 70 years old - or is it young?! - this year but that doesn’t seem to slow him down, as he has just released his latest album, “Y-Not” featuring of course a whole host of star names, including old Beatle mate, Paul McCartney.
More news through his site on that here: http://www.ringostarr.com/news.php

Every year now though, he’s been putting together an “All Starr” band of his own to go out and play his own favourites as well as songs by each of the all star cast that he pulls on board. Every year an impressive list of who’s who in music joins him and this year looks like being no different, as the “All Starr Band” hits the road for the 11th time.

Edgar Winter and Gary Wright return to the All Starr family as Ringo welcomes newcomers Rick Derringer, Mr. Mister’s Richard Page and Wally Palmar (The Romantics). Drummer Gregg Bissonette returns to help out on skins while Ringo plays host.

More information here at Pollstar: http://pollstar.com/blogs/news/archive/2010/01/14/705318.aspx
Tour dates confirmed so far kicking off with 2 nights in Niagara Falls can be found here:
http://pollstar.com/resultsArtist.aspx?ID=20402&SortBy=Date

Jason Bonham shares news on his new band Black Country

Drummer Jason Bonham – Yes, in case you’d lived on Mars for all of your past life, he is the late John Bonham’s son! – who seems to be following in the footsteps, not so much of his father, but more like the late legend, drummer Cozy Powell RIP.
Why do I say that?
Well, Cozy Powell who I always had time for seemed to get in with the rock worlds most well known artists and I kid you not, it seems Jason Bonham is out to challenge Cozy’s record!

Bonham Jr., has already jammed in place of his late father, when the rest of Led Zeppelin reformed to play at London 02 Arena a while back in 2007, but on top of that he’s played with most recently – Before the Zep gig – Foreigner and the others include, UFO, Jimmy Page, Paul Rodgers, played a part in the Mark Wahlberg film "Rock Star" and was also on VH1’s “Supergroup” alongside Ted Nugent, Sebastian Bach, Scott Ian and Evan Seinfeld. He’s also stepped in a jammed with many other well known folks for fun too, not to mention having his own band Bonham back in the late 80’s.

Black Country is his latest project that also features legendary bassist / vocalist Glenn Hughes and the extremely talented blues rocker, Joe Bonamassa on guitar / vocals.

Jason Bonham recently did an interview with http://www.spinner.com/ which you can find out more about what Black Country is all about:

http://www.spinner.com/2010/01/13/jason-bonhams-new-band-black-country-recording-album/

Finally …, Something Special this way comes ….?

I received a notice today, sharing this … Following the link to the You Tube video!

Something very special is coming on February 2nd, 2010, “A New Dawn!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqlDPTiO174&feature=player_embedded#

Latest Rock News Updates ...

Hey all, first off apologies for the lack of news updates for Wednesday and nothing for Thursday, I was travelling (Driving) so wasn't able to update.
Today Friday, full update will be done a little later, so keep watching .... Thanks!

Brief Rock News Update

Update on Ronnie James Dio's condition from Wendy Dio

Picture: RJD at "The Pick of Destiny" Movie Premiere 

Wendy Dio late on Thursday 14th January posted this latest update on the Dio MySpace page, Ronnie's (James Dio) current situation following recent continued chemo treatments:

"After a few hiccups between Christmas and New Year’s, such as a blood clot, a trip to the emergency room, and a three day stay at the hospital, we had a quiet holiday spent with family and close friends. Ronnie and I just returned from Houston, where Ronnie had his third chemo treatment, and all seems to be going well. Ronnie and Simon Wright went to see Avatar, which he thought was amazing! He has also been writing more chapters for his book.

While at M.D. Anderson Cancer Centre on his second trip, he met a DIO fan named Carmen who has been having treatment every other day for a year, and is eagerly awaiting a bone marrow transplant. Ronnie and Carmen have become fast friends. Carmen is a very positive happy person whose existence, like Ronnie’s, depends heavily on music and sports. On the third trip, we also met his mom and sister, whose total support is so important to all cancer patients. They have become part of our family as well.

The support we get from all of our friends and fans is such a blessing to Ronnie and I.

Ronnie, Geezer (Butler), Tony (Iommi) and Vinny (Appice) will be doing some interviews in the upcoming weeks to be included in the new 30th anniversary Heaven and Hell DVD due out sometime this year.

We would like to thank Simon Wright, who has been such a help with everything and a good, good friend, of course our doctor at MD Anderson, Dr. Ajani, and especially our family doctor, Dr. Sandeep Kapoor, without whose quick diagnosis and help with all the nurses and hospitals, we would be lost. His care and compassion is unwavering.

Thanks again to all of Ronnie’s friends and fans, and --- by the way ---- Ronnie has not lost any hair yet!

------ Wendy Dio"

 

Here's wishing you well Ronnie from the Chambers Of Rock right here. You're in our thoughts and prayers.

 

  It's NAMM Week!

 

It's NAMM showtime in Anaheim, CA and 2010 looks like being a great event full of great musicians and of course, the various musical equipment that allows them to do just what they do, thanks very often to great sponsorship / endorement deals.

 

The NAMM website is here for all you want to look into about the annual event:

http://www.namm.org/thenammshow/2010

 

The whole thing kicked off on Wednesday but there are great events planned and a list of events / shows is here:

http://www.namm.org/thenammshow/2010/events

 

Amongst many of the acts that will be there, Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger posted that they will be at NAMM on Friday. We're performing at the Taylor booth at 3:00, he said through MySpace and Facebook.

More details of all artist appearances can be found here:

http://www.namm.org/thenammshow/2010/artist-appearances

 

See, I told you it was brief ... I need sleep!

.

*Exclusive Interview with Status Quo's Francis Rossi*

Francis Rossi Interview – October 29th 2009

Late last year at the end of October, I was fortunate enough to interview one of Britain’s longest playing faithful rock servants, Francis Rossi who has recently become, alongside his long standing stage mate Rick Parfitt, Francis Rossi OBE and Rick Parfitt OBE for services to music and charity in the UK.
I know it's taken some time to get this interview completed, I won't go into all the reasons, but it does take sometime - That's not always available ... - to get the interviews transcribed from the recordings to text. 

Anyway, it's done now so read on, as clearly the man is funny – Just look how he answered the phone! - yet thoughtful and oh yeah, he does swear on the odd occasion!


FR: Hello this is Freddy’s sandwich bar, how may I help you? We do cooked food or a sandwich or what is you’d like? The avocado is not very good! (Both laughing). I was just signing off the computer there, so just sort of stalling really as I’ve been playing patience, so I thought here, let me lie down a minute. Yeah much better, now I’m good.

AW: Ready for a nap eh?

FR: Well I’m in that position for a nap you know, but I don’t think I will though ‘cos I don’t know about you but if I nap during the day, I suddenly wake up in the middle of the f**king night and can’t go back to sleep and I need to sleep at night. There’s nothing worse than getting to bed and not sleeping, what the bloody hells that all about! Anyway ….

AW: Yeah I know, my wife’s been giving me grief about me snoring lately …

FR: Are you a Kiwi?

AW: Eh? No I’m not a bloody Kiwi!
FR: You’re either a Kiwi or an Aussie!

AW: No I’m not, I’m from Pompey. I’m from Portsmouth mate!

FR: How come? That’s not my fault, you blame me for everything! You definitely sound like you’ve got an Aussie accent! You were supposed to be coming from New York and I they said it’s from New York and you’ve got an Aussie accent and I thought ‘Aww f**k it, I’m in Germany who cares!’
AW: (Laughing) No, no, no, I’m in Detroit suburbs basically …

FR: Detroit?

AW: Yeah, I’ve been living in the States for about the past 9 years … FR: That’s not bad … AW: It’s actually the PR office that’s in New York …

FR: Oh I see, right! Well the last time I remember going to Detroit was very early 70’s and this guy we were given as our tour manager he said,”First of all I’ll give you these vitamins and it’s up to you if you take them or not, but if you don’t eat them in this country you’ll die … The food over here is shit, don’t eat it! Never eat in KFC and all these things he told us all this and we were going home through somewhere and he said, ‘Do not stop in Detroit’ and so we stopped, me, Rick (Parfitt) and Bob (Young) and it was one of these dark places with all these mama’s in there and there were all these juke boxes and things and the booze and this gorgeous black girl, she came up to me and she was really sweet and she said, ‘You shouldn’t be here,’ you know and she escorted us back to the car and said, ‘Now you be on your way you boys, you’re not safe here.’ You know it was such a fabulous moment in my life. Some woman saved my bacon! (Both laughs) Yeah, but anyway …

AW: Yeah, you did come through here back in about 2003 and what really sucked is Rick lost his voice that night and you cancelled and er …

FR: Yeah that’s right, Detroit yeah that’s right he did lose his voice and then we went on to some f**kin’ place, I can’t remember where, but yes he did lose his voice, he did.

AW: Toronto? I think you went up to Toronto after that.

FR: Yeah, it’s a strange situation, because we’re often asked about America, it really is and we took a decision, took a view in the 70’s that we’re spending so much money chasing the Yankee dollar …

AW: That it wasn’t worth it?

FR: We were taking the view that most bands last “X” years and that for us, it didn’t seem to be on the cards and we were earning good money around Europe and then spending it on America and that it’s a good move to back out now because this just isn’t going to work, you know. It was a good move in some respects because never did actually finally break it, but we never actually did keep going long enough I think and it would be very nice now, to be able to … I think we can do 12 – 1500 seat theatres here and there in some places but then that isn’t enough to carry the full production that we like to do. Anytime we’ve been to certain places over the years, they want you to take less gear and so in other words, to do it in a budget sense and there would be no point in us going to America, but it would be lovely to go and do some stuff there, just ‘cos we haven’t done much there mainly, that’s all.

AW: It’s kind of funny really because the 4th Chord album … It just got released here, 2 years after it being released in the UK …

FR: I know and we seem to have got a lot of interest in it as well. More interest than I think we’ve had there from any album I think, well maybe 1 or 2 others, but it does make you like … When I was 25 or 28 or something, like this sort of pioneering, ‘let’s move on, let’s do this, let’s further the band’ and I keep forgetting that I’m .., erm … a little bit older than that! (Both laughs.). It comes to mind quite often that …Kind of surreal its good business and the audience were great and you get off and you’re really enthused sort of, ‘Yeah!’ Your mind is still as it was I suppose back in your mid to late 20’s where the band was still forging forwards and then you sort of go … Oh right yeah, I forgot about the one thing and you spot yourself in the mirror and you think, Mmm huh OK ….

AW: What a bastard eh?

FR: However, I think it’s very good this business or whatever you want to call it, for that in itself that there’s a bloke of 60 at the moment, talking to you, hoping that it’s gonna … Still like it was when he was 20 something, thinking ‘Yeah this could be and we could sell some pieces in America, not just selling some pieces, but to actually get there and play … I was just thinking the other day somewhere, that we’re much very similar to the entrepreneur guys who …, they’ll go into something to make the killing, not necessarily just for the money but to actually make the killing and I’ve been like that, I’ve realized in this business for years and I asked somebody when I was about 18, we’d just had Matchstick Men then and I asked my publisher about how much I earned per record and it was so little at the time that I thought I’m never going to ask that ever again or even think about that again! I just love the vibe that you know ‘x’ amount of pieces have been sold or ‘x’ amount of tickets have been sold, the people that’s coming to see you. Now my share of that if I actually think about it is er …., it’s a real leveler you know, just because of the way things cost, so it’s that initial feeling of ‘Oh yeah,’ and we’ve been hearing all these positive things out of America and we’re shifting a few pieces and it’s like ‘Oh yeah perhaps …‘ and it’s that thing in me, that stays in you and you forget that I suppose we should really be thinking ‘Well we’ve had loads of hits 60 something or 70 or whatever it is hits and loads of albums and we’ve done this and that but it never feels like you’ve finished, it always feels like, ‘Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, this could be new, good, next section, next move, next …,’ you know … When will that f**king stop!

AW: Yeah, it’s that next chapter you know the elusive chapter you know, just out of reach or something …

FR: Oh yeah, that would be a dream come true really and as I say, mainly for the score. I was saying it to somebody the other day and you know I try to keep up with it and I realize that … Oh yeah, can you imagine if we had to go and do 50 or 60 dates, that’s hard work you know, but initially you think, ‘Yes! What a f**king great thing!’ Honestly we would love to do it, we would really love it! I think sometimes it would be one of those things where you could say to people over the years, ‘Well look, we finally f**king did it, got you didn’t it!’ It’s always leveled against us and there’s lots of acts over here that we that you know gets leveled against people, ‘Ah, but you never made the States did you? Ah so there must be something wrong with you really’ and that generally people (In the UK) about America think they’re all tossers but if you didn’t make the American market, there’s something wrong. My wife thinks I’m great, she’s a Yank what do you want me to say?!
I really would like to be well known in the States but there you go …

AW: So is mine!

FR: Eh?

AW: My missus is from here as well.

FR: Yeah, I’ve got nothing against Americans at all. All that bollocks we talk about Americans I think is kind of silly. It’s just a whole bunch of Europeans and whatever else went there, it’s a melting pot so … This idea that the Americans are that much different from us and blah, blah, blah ... We do that in England about everybody though, the French, the Germans, the Italians, the Spanish …, we don’t seem to like anybody!
We Brits always seem to pick on the Yanks though and I love them really, I do! There’s always something whenever I watch shot footage from the USA, I have this …, very similar to the vibe I get when I’m going home and I don’t know why? I have lost relatives in America and I’ve been there and stuff but I’ve always had this since I was really young, unless it’s because I grew up in the 50’s and the whole thing about America and all my Uncle’s wanting to go there and it was forward thinking, it felt very modern compared to England and something in me still has that …, ‘Wow! It’s America, you know?’

AW: Well you never know mate because I’m the same, you’re as young as you feel, I mean I know at night time you can feel bloody old but you wake up and you get through the day and you do gigs and it’s like me and the missus and that’s how we met, she plays keyboards and I play the drums and so we’ve got that young at heart vibe you know and it’s great …

FR: That’s what I mean, I think there’s something inherent in this whole, whether it’s being a muso or whatever it is, something makes you …, some people may say it’s infantile or something, they might be f**king right (Laughs), well because you know because you can’t do anything right in this world can you and people quite often say to us, ‘Well, when are you going to stop?’ When am I going to stop what? ‘When are you going to stop?’ When are you going to stop f**king living, is that what you mean to me?! I mean the whole thing, if you think about it any act whoever it is, the ones that have gone on, people say, ‘Cor, why don’t they give someone else a chance, why don’t they stop … If I’d died when I was 30, people would say, ‘Oh it was so sad,’ I get to 60 and it’s like, ‘Oh you’re an old f**k!’ You can’t win!

AW: (Laughs) You can’t win, no mate, it’s a tough old battle it really is …

FR: There you go!

AW: There’s still a demand though, I mean people still want to see you and everyone comes out to see you and it’s funny you know, I can remember my brother calling me up and he lives just outside of Portsmouth as well and he says, ‘Can you see BBC? Quo’s on at Glastonbury!’ I went, ‘What?!’ I couldn’t believe it?!

FR: Yeah that was funny! You know people have been saying that to us for so many years, like you know …, even my son watching Top of the Pops, he said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great for you to go and do Glastonbury and I said, ‘Well why, you mean for Glastonbury or for what?’ However, as much as Rick and I when doing promo came up, people kept saying to us, ‘Are you going to do anything special?’ I went, ‘No.’ ‘Well, are you going to wear anything different?’ ‘No, we’re doing a gig!’ and they want you do something … and that always puts us on the wrong foot. I don’t want to go to any gig thinking it’s more special than another one, because we won’t perform in the correct way … However …, something has definitely happened since we did that …

AW: Yeah?

FR: I don’t know what or why people perceive us … We were doing a radio show, you know Steve Wright, well we do his way once a year, you know and ever since him (Rick Parfitt) and I have been doing it, we’ve always wanted to meet the old woman, Janie Lee Grace who gets in there and we’re doing the interview and suddenly Janie walks in there and she grabs the mic and gets it dead close to her mouth and in that kind of … (Puts on deep breathy voice), ‘It’s strange how you’re really, really quite hip now aren’t you …?’ and I’m like, ‘Eh?!’ and that’s when we sense shit like that’s going on, ‘cos then that woman then wants to be …, she obviously then asked to be on the interview and she ain’t ever asked before because we ain’t … So whatever we said about Glastonbury whether it was you know, suddenly everyone’s going ‘Wow!’ and it’s this and it’s that and gates have been improved and it’s peculiar?! But, there is a collective consciousness that goes on in that venue; I mean those people are going to enjoy themselves, whatever f**king goes on! If you think about this year, they sold about 160,000 tickets to people that didn’t even know what they were going to see …

AW: Right, yeah …

FR: And most of them saw stuff way out of their generation, but it still works and so I have to give them their due on that and we enjoyed it and erm, as I said people seem to think we’re kind of groovy for the moment, but that's a bit dangerous, because the only way to go after groovy is ….? Non groovy! At we know what that’s like, ‘cos we’ve been there for f**king centuries! (Both laughs)

AW: Yeah, but it’s kind of become the new Reading hasn’t it to be honest? I mean it really has …

FR: Well I think actually you put it that way, yes I think it has because Reading for me, some years ago I don’t remember when we did it, but it was about the 3rd time we’d done it … I was standing alongside stage, I think not Spinal Tap, I think The Young Ones or somebody were onstage or something …

AW: Bad News … (Young Ones UK comedy show / act doing a Spinal Tap.)

FR: Yeah, whatever they were called and Lemmy was stood there, I was standing at the side with Lemmy and all of a sudden it rained all these cans and bottles and Lemmy said to me, “We started that.” I said, “Started what?” He said, “That bottle fight,” I said, “Oh that’s f**king great Lemmy, well done! No one can go onstage now without getting muellered with bottles!” (Both laughs.) So that festival when we were younger was quite a nice festival and I think that’s what’s happened now with Glastonbury, although they don’t want to appear to be called a ‘nice festival’ (Laughs) ….

AW: Right, I hear you, I hear you.

FR: But it is …, but as I say, the difference it’s made fascinates me!

AW: Yeah, yeah …!

FR: Who knows?!

AW: Yeah, anything’s possible mate, anything’s possible, but …

FR: Hang on a minute there, you went a bit …., sorry I was trying to get something out of my nose and I don’t mean from inside of it! I got these tweezers and I’ve got this hairy ears and hairy nose, you know … (Laughs) I shaved my nose when I was about 15 like a dickhead, you know when you do that, ‘I’m gonna have a shave, I’m gonna shave everything I can f**king find …, dickhead!

AW: It was like Billy Connolly said wasn’t it, all of a sudden you get old and all your hair’s coming out of all the wrong bloody places. You lose it in one place and it starts coming out all over the place …

FR: Yeah, it certainly is, it really is yeah! I got it coming out of me ears, me arse, me nose, bit’s of me face, but not where it’s supposed to be coming out of, like the top of me head!

AW: (Laughing) Right, right …

FR: Such is life you know …!

AW: Yeah, well the album was released here, I think last month and I mean the thing is, I’ve got people I communicate with all over, like on forums and stuff and they’re all saying stuff like … FR: Yeah … AW: There is an underlying Quo fan base here, there’s no doubt about it and of course and it does seem to be .., I’d like to say … more Canadian than US, but that said, it’s the old Canada / UK thing again isn’t it …? Kind of goes that way, the old British Empire thing you know …

FR: Yeah I think so, but I do think there’s a fundamental difference, something happened this time or from the promo I’ve been doing thus far the way people are talking, you can usually tell if you’re doing promo with the US and you’re doing a syndicated thing and the guy kind of leads you in and you say certain things … The last few I’ve done, the guys actually quote certain tunes from the album and actually say why they liked it and I thought, ‘Well I’ll try and catch this guy out and maybe …,’ no this guy actually knew everything about the album so it makes one feel a bit better and like I said it gives you that, ‘Aww, you never know! That would be blinding!’ (Laughing).

AW: It would be sweet, it would be, but you’ve got the DVD out as well, haven’t you?

FR: Yeah and that’s gone to number 1 in all sorts of strange places, ridiculous isn’t it?

AW: Yeah but that’s great isn’t it? I mean it’s a nice DVD mate, I mean I only got it this week … That Montreux crowd though they’re a bit stiff aren’t they?

FR: They are yeah … I’m glad somebody said it yes …! They are very much like that and I always find it that way there and I don’t know why … Normally, generally the Swiss …, if we go somewhere else in Switzerland, they have a thing the Swiss, they’re a very good audience and they have a thing where they all wave their hands in the air and wobble them and make this ‘Oy oy oy oy oy’ type noise and when you’ve four or five thousand people doing that it’s fantastic!

AW: Yeah, I saw that on there …

FR: But yes, I agree with you, Montreux they’re weird …

AW: I guess it was the old Jazz festival right and that’s why …, it’s kind of strange really ‘cos …

FR: It’s weird! Again they call it a jazz festival and it couldn’t be any further from the f**king truth! With us and John Fogerty, I mean he was on and when you see other acts on there and the things that go through there, I mean a couple of years ago when we did it, Purple were on and it’s weird but there seems to be a … Well, I did see a clip on the …, I don’t know what year it was but Nina Simone was on there and f**k me! She was good, but there’s much smaller theatres within that place, that complex now and I think when we played there were 3 other gigs on at the same time …

AW: Really?

FR: I don’t know four or five hundred seaters, six or seven hundred seaters, that sort of thing maybe less you know and it’s very big thing that goes on there and that town, Jesus! That place is dripping with money! It’s lovely actually! Lovely place to be!

AW: Yeah, I’m sure …

FR: It really is, you turn up there and you think, ‘f**k me, these people are living well here’ and far as we all know, it’s just some corner of Switzerland, no one takes any notice of … Fantastic! Bastards!

AW: (Both laughing) Well, that’s what everyone says and they reckon the air there is bloody better than anywhere else in the world right?

FR: Well, so they tell us, but mind you there’s some friends of ours, this band called ‘Vivien’ and I went did some promo with them earlier this year to help them with their track that I’d been on and this guy Roger Vivien, nice enough man and he was telling us and I don’t suppose you know this? I didn’t know this but every person in Switzerland, every house has to have a handgun in it.

AW: Really? I didn’t know that no?

FR: I said, ‘No don’t be silly, you can’t have to …’ He said, ‘Yes, there are more people, more murders in Switzerland, particularly of the erm, men killing their wives and vice versa, that they have to have a gun in their house.’ Then everyone one in Switzerland has a room under their house to put them in, in case of a nuclear attack. Everybody ... So I can see this scenario in the next years when the world blows itself up and after 10 or 15 years, the Swiss come out of the ground and they say to everybody, ‘Hi everybody, we’ve got all the money … We’ve got the … Hello everybody … Oh, it’s no f**king good having the money, there’s nobody here!’ (Both laughing). I can just see all the Swiss coming out of the ground saying, ‘Look what we saved everyone! Oh, there’s nobody here!’ They can see clean from Switzerland, right up to Birmingham! ‘Oh, erm, oh shit!’ I often wondered what they think, what their logic is there about being that way, you know?

AW: Right! Moving on, so you’re in Germany now right, so how’s Germany now, interesting?

FR: Yes, it’s very good! I think it’s the best we’ve had …

AW: I mean you’ve always done pretty good there it’s that whole European thing again isn’t it and then Australia as well right? You go back to Oz in Spring right?

FR: Yep, looking forward to that yeah. Always like that. It’s such a good … I think as well we tend to go that time of the year so that we leave England while it’s still a bit … and then we come back and spring has burst through, so it’s this wonderful … It’s great to get back to England ‘cos it always feels this WOW! You know I try to get all the pluses there are and there are many pluses in life …

AW: There you go you’ve got to get all the pluses you can right?

FR: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah!

AW: But you’re always ….

FR: How did you get an accent half kiwi?!

AW: I’m telling you, it’s because I’ve been living here for 9 years and I’m surrounded by so many Americans, I don’t talk to too many Brit’s except for when I call home and it’s like …, I almost want to say it’s like that Kid Jenson thing, like that mid Atlantic thing …

FR: Oh yeah, it’s starting to move the accent a bit, yeah, yeah, yeah, I know what you mean …. You know what’s weird about Kid Jensen?

AW: Go on …

FR: It’s now when you work with him, you can’t go ‘Kid …’ It’s David I think now, David Jensen, you can’t call him Kid anymore …

AW: Yeah, David Jensen. No, you can’t really call him Kid anymore, right?

FR: No, it just sounds so fucking silly! I’m 60 and he’s 58 or something or if he’s the same age or something. You can’t call him Kid anymore, there’s something odd with calling him Kid, so … He still sounds the f**king same though … That’s the thing with those radio guys, they do just …, sound the same! (Laughs) Lucky bastards!

AW: Yeah … So I was just wondering, you’re touring with Kansas in Germany right, I mean a lot of people would say that’s an interesting combination, you two …, so what’s the chances of you two …

FR: Well, that was one of the things we looked for …. Sorry, sorry, go on, didn’t mean to interrupt you …

AW: No, all I was going to say was is there any chance of you could hook up with them and come back here? I mean wouldn’t that be sweet? Maybe do some shows with them?

FR: That would be fine for us, but I don’t think they could, with respect, afford to pay us, because I said, we need the money to carry our production and we won’t … and I don’t mean the full production but there’s a point we go to where we say, well there’s no point unless we’re going to present ourselves in this particular way. They’ve come over here these guys, they only have in ear monitoring, there’s no amplification whatsoever … They’re really professional about the way they do everything and stuff, but … We wouldn’t do that, just turn up with a bit of rented equipment here, there and everywhere, nah, not going to do that, but …, the idea is quite nice yes and I … There’s a thing over in Europe trying to make these decent packages. We sometimes do around the world with Deep Purple, that’s always a good package or sometimes we have Manfred Mann with us and that’s a really good package! You tell it’s a good package ‘cos suddenly the gate lifts … and you can sense that and the two bands don’t … Kansas don’t interfere with what we’re doing at all and we can’t interfere with what they’re doing because the bands are so opposite. They’re very, very musical and jazzy and progressive and we’re not, so I find those combinations are really good. The promoters were talking out here about … I think it was Deep Purple and …
They were looking at Deep Purple to do a package and try and push their gate and they just didn’t think and for some reason they put Deep Purple and Alice Cooper together and they said what each one was worth in tickets on their own and what they did was treble the business they would do on their own but it just didn’t make sense but it was a fabulous combination and for some reason it appeals to the punter and he says, ‘I’ll go and see that.’ It’s like it’s value for money I suppose but I don’t know, rather than there’s a support band on that they don’t particularly want to see, so they might as well go out and see 2 names. Maybe it’s a blast from the past and so on and that’s what’s happening these days, whatever it is they can do to get people to come out because as records aren’t being sold in the quantities that they used to, most acts just come out on the road. Even the younger ones that want to come out and mime or the boy or girl bands that want to come out and mime, they have still got their head in the same live trough, so what kind of happens is the live market is kind of almost saturated again with people that just never used to work and now everybody wants to work! Bastards! (Both laughing).

AW: Yeah I know it makes it tougher to …

FR: They’ve come into our area, what are they doing?! (Laughs)

AW: Yeah right. So anyway how are things in the Quo camp these days? How’s Rick these days, I mean ‘cos I haven’t seen Quo in about 10 years …

FR: Oh he’s bobbing about somewhere … Eh? What was that?

AW: I haven’t seen Quo in years, because I’ve been over here for almost 10 years and …

FR: Oh I see, well you should see us again, I mean there’s a vast improvement I don’t why but there is … (AW: Laughing …)

FR: I’m deadly serious, ‘cos I don’t know really what it is and we’ve all noticed it and various people have been saying it to us, but there’s some ridiculous improvement in the way the bands playing sounds. I don’t know what it is but some people say, ‘You should be at your bloody age!’ (Both laughs)

AW: You get better with age! That’s what you said in the interview isn’t it, on the DVD, the extra bits on the interview, you said, that you’ve been doing this long enough, you should be pretty good at it by now right?

FR: Well yeah, I can understand people saying that, however I’m just pleased that I can say that about the band, it’s improved particularly in the last 2 or 3 years, some sort of … (Changes tone of voice) ‘Giant leap for for man forward!’ Some sort of quantum leap jobby going on and I don’t know what happened, whether it’s we’re more comfortable … I don’t know …? I don’t argue, I mean I don’t question it.

AW: Yeah, I know, but it is a good show and watching it again brought back loads of old memories, but I guess Rick doesn’t do so much of the banter with you back and forth like you used to do back in the day, is that ‘cos he’s saving his voice more or no particular reason …, maybe he didn’t like the Montreux gig? (Laughs)

FR: No particular reason really, I don’t er know, it’s unusual I don’t know what to say about that really? I thought it was the same as he’s always been myself but there you go?

AW: You’ve also always played a good long set for the fans, which even current bands can’t match these days to be honest … I mean back in the day it used to be 2 ½, what 3 hours or so …

FR: Yeah, 2 ½ yeah … There is a point these days as well where we figure after 1 hr 45 minutes, where we figure after 1: 45, I don’t care who it is, but after 1: 45 you start to get …, well most of us do, ‘Cor, I’ve had enough of that …!’ I don’t care who it is, there seems to be an optimum point, plus as I said when we get on 2’s, we’re on 2’s at the moment. We do 2 on, 1 off, 2 on, 1 off and we started 3 on, 1 off today … Next week when we get to England because we’re taking on a charity show, we’re starting with 6 on the trot and now we’ve got to be careful of that, because various people may get ill after that. So then we do 3 on, 1 off, 3 on, 1 off and that’s f**king hard work! You have to look after yourselves somewhat, you have to be careful.

AW: Right and then you’re doing a 1 off in the Czech Republic right after all these dates, aren’t you?

FR: Yeah that goes just before we go home …

AW: That’s kind of weird isn’t it?

FR: Yeah, you want to come out and do it mush, I’ll tell ya! You think it’s weird, you’re saying it from over there! (Laughs) I’m saying it from over here, shit! It might be all right. You never know with these places, all of that stuffs changed. If you’ve been away 10 years it f**king changes fast!
We’re playing now in Leipzig (Germany), first time I came here in Leipzig 15 – 20 years ago, it was f**king grim! Now it’s a very, very nice town.

AW: Oh, that’s cool.

FR: So lot’s of the eastern stuff, stuff we still call the east, as though you know 'Dun, dun dun da dun, dun da dun dun dun dun da (Francis makes funny humming tune),' has really come on. They’ve invested millions and millions and it’s really working.

AW: That’s good, that’s good …

FR: Well it’s good for them it just makes it nice for us when we visit … (Laughs)

AW: Well nicer, eh?

FR: Anyway sorry, I’ve been told I’ve got to chop this down! I’ve got another one coming in apparently.

AW: OK. Well alright, what else was I going to ask you quick, looking through my notes here quickly …

FR: That’s made it worse hasn’t it …?

AW: I know we did go on a bit didn’t we?

FR: Yeah, that’s my fault sorry!

AW: Yeah! (Laughing) So, when the next Quo album likely then Francis?

FR: We’re going to make one in April, we’re scheduled to make one in April. However, I was talking about that this morning and we’ve got to get some material together yet, but these things you know, they come about …

AW: Right. So, do you think you’ll ever do another solo album or who knows?

FR: Yes, almost finished the solo album oddly enough, which that should be going out … I forget now, but I think it should be May (2010) I think or late April, I don’t know … I’m doing 6 shows in April / May. I just want to see what it’s like to be honest I’ve never been in another band before. I’ve never played with anybody else other than the people in this band. I’m the only person that didn’t join this band, it’s weird! Very weird?!

AW: Another one for you was do you have a favourite period of Quo yourself or not really? It’s funny because you and Rick are always going on about Blue for You, where you were all “doing stuff,” other stuff?

FR: Sulphate!

AW: Yeah (Laughs), I mean that was a great album, that one and Piledriver to me were like for me, the original favourites, but 4th Chord has really struck down, really good now, but I like Party Ain’t Over Yet as well …

FR: Yes it has! I don’t know what it is with 4th Chord and we get different vibes in the band about what they think, but I think it’s a pretty good album because it’s got some nice material on it. It’s always down to the material really, you can say it’s the producer, the sound, you know but if the song’s no good you don’t … You just don’t go out and buy a blinding sound, do you?

AW: No, no … Your family came from an Ice Cream company, is that right they …

FR: Yeah they did …

AW: Now when I was living in Pompey and that, there were always 2 vans that went around Verechia and Verrossi. Did you join up, the families …?

FR: Who? Verechio?

AW: No, Verechia … There was one called Verechia and one called Verrossi

FR: Well there were so many bloody Rossi’s around they split up. There was a lot in Southend, there was a lot in Southport, in Liverpool, a lot in south London and generally they were related but the Italians, you know like anybody else, you can put that string together and get us all back to Africa, so we’re all f**king related anyway, so cares!?! (Both laughing).

AW: Alright, one last one mate, so seriously, do you think Quo will come back to the US again or is it dependant on the album reaction and stuff, right?

FR: It’s very much dependant on the album reaction, who wants to take a chance with us and all that and you realise it’s a chance with certain promoters to draw but as I said, we need enough money to carry the production otherwise there’s not a lot of point in us going. There’s no point in us going out and doing a show that we consider sub-standard to what we would like to do so. I don’t know, as I said, I’ve never heard such a positive reaction to an album in America.

AW: Right, right …

FR: Which is great.

AW: Alright mate, well good stuff. It’s been smashing talking to you Francis …

FR: Yeah, hope you got what you needed if not, put at the bottom, this would’ve been a better interview, only the silly old f**k talks too much! There, they’ll love that! (Laughs).
You can put silly old …

AW: I talked to Mick Box for about an hour and a half mate, I’ll tell ya! He was going on …

FR: Yeah, he’s a lovely guy he’s a lovely man. We had the same manager for a while and I think they’ve had to leave.
You take care now, I’ve got to speak to somebody else.

AW: Alright, take care Francis, thanks mate.

FR: Thanks very much, I’ll give your regards to your home town when I’m down there!

AW: There you go, alright mate …

FR: See you now, take care.

AW: Take care mate.

Rock News for Tuesday 12th January, 2010

*Possible Exclusive!!!*
Is Blackmore back to ROCK?!

OK, I guess don't get too excited as I'm sure it's nothing but, just maybe there's a slim chance that Mr Ritchie Blackmore may have seen the light ... and is ready to rock again!

Today on Ritchie Blackmore and Blackmore's Night website I noticed a very recent posting for January that said simply just this ... "Back in the Studio with Pat Regan at this time!!"
http://www.blackmoresnight.com/index2.htm

If you know Producer Pat Regan's background, he's worked with Warrant, Mr. Big, Kiss among others and previously with Blackmore on both Rainbow's "Stranger In Us All" and Deep Purple's "The Battle Rages On."
I've got to say this could be something special!!!

Foreigner to grace TV on Access Hollywood this Saturday 16th January

Mick (Jones) and Kelly (Hansen) of Foreigner will be promoting their latest album “Can't Slow Down” on Access Hollywood this Saturday, January 16, 2010.

"Can't Slow Down" went Top 30 last year for Foreigner in the US Billboard charts for the first time since their “Inside Information” release in 1987, will also get a UK and European release in March 2010.

The guys will be giving an acoustic performance and short interview.

The national broadcast airs at 4 p.m. on KNBC-TV in L.A. and 7 p.m. on WNBC-TV in New York.

Please check your local listings for other show times in your area. The weekend show also has a large international broadcast.

More Foreigner information right here: www.myspace.com/foreignermusic

Norway’s classy AOR act On The Rise album Dream Zone gets US release

On The Rise the Norwegian act that basically ‘is’ Terje Eide – the mastermind behind the project – has just had it’s latest album “Dream Zone” released in the USA by Frontiers records on January 7th, 2010.

If you check out www.myspace.com/ontherisemusic you can check out some of the excellent music on the album, which is full of many great hooks.

I must say, I’m very impressed with what I’ve heard so far and this band deserves to be heard. Good stuff!

Daughtry get’s the cover of Guitar Edge Magazine

Kudo’s to Daughtry who have been chosen to be the featured cover artist for the February 2010 edition of Guitar Edge Magazine.

Check out the great feature of the band - www.digital.guitaredge.com/guitaredge/201002_1#pg29 - on Guitar Edge's website and then check out this awesome guitar tab of their hit single "No Surprise" here: www.digital.guitaredge.com/guitaredge/201002_1#pg55

Y & T provide an update for January, including new album on the way

Happy New Year!

The Y & T camp looks forward to a busy 2010. Other than the three February shows, the band will be hibernating in the studio as they continue working on the new album over the next several months.

Look for a late spring release date worldwide. And be sure to keep an eye on the web site for new shows to be announced soon.

You've asked for more "all ages" shows. We hear you, and we're happy to announce that the second show of 2010 is an all ages show. And after many years, Y & T finally returns to Fresno. So come on out and bring the kids.

Y & T SHOWS

Details for each of the shows below are on the TOUR DATES page of the web site.

www.meniketti.com/tourdates.html

Stay tuned...many more 2010 shows to come!

USA

February 4 ~ Modesto, CA - Fat Cat Music House

February 5 ~ Fresno, CA - Tower Theatre (all ages show)

February 6 ~ Santa Cruz, CA - The Catalyst

Europe

June ~ Solvesborg, Sweden - Sweden Rock Festival

*Schedule subject to change. Please be sure to verify with each venue.*

Check the web site TOUR DATES page for the most up-to-date concert information.

Thanks for your support!

-----

The official Y & T and Dave Meniketti web site.

http://www.yandtrocks.com/

http://www.meniketti.com/

5255 Stevens Creek Blvd, Suite #233

Santa Clara CA 95051

Monday January 11th, 2010 - Update!

NEWMAN SET TO RETURN WITH THE ART OF BALANCE

One of the UK’s top melodic rock acts Newman will return with their eighth album in March.

Entitled “The Art Of Balance” the album will be released through the Chrome Dome label and will include the following tracks: Hero To Zero, Edge Of The World, Endless, The Miracle, Stay With Me, Tumble Down, Wish You Well, Find My Heart, Your Surrender, Break It Again, Forever and Stronger.

For the past 11 years, since the 1998 debut, Newman have continued to release consistently high quality albums and gained a reputation for producing hard rockin’ melodic anthems. They also proved to be a live force to be reckoned with when they returned to the stage in 2009 playing the Z Rock Festival and supporting the legendary John Waite on his recent UK Tour.

This album should appeal to existing and new fans alike. Once again, the emphasis is on big guitars, massive hooks, and “The Art Of Balance” has this in abundance. The songs “Edge Of The World” and “Endless” are already receiving extensive airplay on the “Steve Price Show” over at ARfm http://www.arfm.co.uk/  .

The album was once again recorded at “The Blue Room” and produced by Steve Newman.

“The Art Of Balance” will be available from all the usual online distributors and pre-order from the official Newman website.

Check out http://www.newmansound.com/ for further details.

An All-Star Blu-Ray Blast! – Not available on DVD

A CONCERT BY THE LAKE

Featuring Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Roger Taylor, and many others!

~Release Date February 16, 2010~

New York, NY (January 11, 2010) —It’s officially 2010, and Eagle Rock Entertainment is ready to keep the good times rolling for the concert Blu-ray circuit. On February 16, an all-star assemblage will be showcased on A Concert By The Lake.

Known as Band du Lac, this stunning supergroup amassed at the historic Wintershall Estate in Surrey, England to play a benefit concert for HASTE – the Heart and Stroke Trust Endeavour. With Procol Harum’s Gary Brooker at the helm as musical director, guitarists Andy Fairweather Low and Mike Rutherford, keyboardist Paul Carrack, and drummer Henry Spinetti kept the crowd captivated through 23 beloved tracks, including “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” and a rousing rendition of “Tequila.” This night was also chockfull of guest appearances, including Eric Clapton (“Lay Down Sally,” “Willie & The Hand Jive,” “Cocaine”), Ringo Starr (“Photograph,” “With A Little Help From My Friends”), The Drifters (“Under The Boardwalk,” “Stand By Me”), Roger Taylor (“I Want To Break Free”) and Katie Melua (“The Closest Thing To Crazy”). Bonus interviews with all key performers are also included.

Originally released as Band du Lac: One Night Only Live via Eagle Rock, this night of musical magic is now presented as a dynamic high-def experience. This is just the kickoff to another great year of Blu-ray bliss.

Eagle Rock Entertainment is an international media production and distribution company operating across audiovisual entertainment programming. Eagle Rock Entertainment works directly alongside talent to produce the highest quality programming output covering film, general entertainment and musical performance. Eagle Rock Entertainment has offices based in London, New York, Germany, France & Toronto.

Track Listing:

1.) Tequila

2.) Over My Shoulder (feat. Paul Carrack)

3.) Reconsider Baby (feat. Eric Clapton)

4.) Lay Down Sally (feat. Eric Clapton)

5.) How Long (feat. Paul Carrack)

6.) Willie & The Hand Jive (feat. Eric Clapton)

7.) Crawling Up A Hill (feat. Katie Melua)

8.) My Aphrodisiac Is You (feat. Katie Melua)

9.) The Closest Thing To Crazy (feat. Katie Melua)

10.) Lay My Burden Down (feat. Andy Fairweather Low)

11.) Say It’s Not True (feat. Roger Taylor)

12.) These Are The Days Of Our Lives (feat. Roger Taylor)

13.) I Want To Break Free (feat. Roger Taylor)

14.) This World Is Rich (feat. Gary Brooker)

15.) Act Naturally (feat. Ringo Starr)

16.) Photograph (feat. Ringo Starr)

17.) With A Little Help From My Friends (feat. Ringo Starr)

18.) A Whiter Shade Of Pale (feat. Gary Brooker)

19.) Stormy Monday (feat. Eric Clapton & Chris Barber)

20.) Under The Boardwalk (feat. The Drifters)

21.) Stand By Me (feat. The Drifters)

22.) Cocaine (feat. Eric Clapton)

23.) I Can’t Dance (Everyone)

Look for Eagle Rock to release blu-ray DVDs of Black Sabbath, Michael Bolton, and the television series Blood Ties in 2010.

THREE DAYS GRACE ANNOUNCE ADDITIONAL DATES FOR US CO-HEADLINE TOUR WITH BREAKING BENJAMIN AND SPECIAL GUEST FLYLEAF

Tour begins in Peoria, IL on January 15, 2010

New York, NY -- Three Days Grace have announced additional dates for their co-headline tour with Breaking Benjamin and Special Guest Flyleaf. The second leg of the tour will begin on February 13th in Lowell, MA at the Tsongas Arena and conclude on March 5th in Little Rock, AR at the Verizon Arena.

The band’s most recent release Life Starts Now debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top 200 charts making it the highest debut ever for the band. “Break” the first single from Life Starts Now has reached #1 on the Active Rock and Mainstream Rock BDS Charts and Top 5 at Mainstream Rock.

The Toronto-based rock band is comprised of Adam Gontier (vocals, guitar), Neil Sanderson (drums, piano), Brad Walst (bass), and Barry Stock (lead guitar).

Their first album, the self titled Three Days Grace, was released in 2003. The album generated 3 hit singles, “I Hate Everything About You” which reached #2 on the Mediabase Modern Rock charts and Top 5 on the Mediabase Mainstream Rock charts, “ Just Like You” which went to #1 on both the Mediabase Modern Rock and Mediabase Mainstream Rock charts, and “Home” which went to #2 on the Mediabase Mainstream Rock charts.

One-X, the band's sophomore album was released in 2006 and debuted on the Billboard Album Chart at #5. That album also produced 3 #1 Mediabase Mainstream Rock singles “Animal I’ve Become,” “Pain” and “Never Too Late.”

For 2007 Mediabase ranked Three Days Grace as the # 1 artist in airplay across all rock formats (Modern Rock, Active Rock, Mainstream Rock). That same year R&R/Billboard also ranked Three Days Grace as # 1 Active Rock Artist of the Year, # 1 Rock Artist of the Year and # 2 Modern Rock/Alternative Artist of the Year.

Both Three Days Grace and One-X have been certified Platinum. Three Days Grace has sold over 4 million albums worldwide.

Tickets for most shows go on sale Saturday, January 16, 2010. Fan club early pre sale begins on Tuesday, January 12, 2010. For a full listing please see below.

THREE DAYS GRACE-BREAKING BENJAMIN CO HEADLINE TOUR

WITH SPECIAL GUEST FLYLEAF:

NEW DATES:

February 13 Lowell, MA Tsongas Arena On Sale 1/16

February 16 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena On Sale 1/16

February 17 State College, PA Bryce Jordan Center On Sale 1/15

February 19 Newark, NJ Prudential Center On Sale 1/16

February 20 Reading, PA Sovereign Center On Sale 1/16

February 23 Augusta, GA James Brown Arena On Sale 1/15

February 24 Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Arena On Sale 1/16

February 26 Estero, FL Germain Arena On Sale 1/15

February 27 Tampa, FL St Pete Times Forum On Sale 1/16

March 1 Pensacola, FL Pensacola Civic Center On Sale 1/16

March 2 Baton Rouge, LA Baton Rouge Civic Center On Sale 1/16

March 4 Boosier City,LA Century Tel Center On Sale 1/16

March 5 Little Rock, AR Verizon Arena On Sale1/16

PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED DATES

January 15 Peoria. IL Peoria Civic Center Arena

January 16 Detroit, MI Joe Louis Arena

January 18 Madison, WI Alliant Energy Center

January 20 Duluth, MN Duluth Entertainment Convention Center Arena

January 21 LaCrosse, WI LaCrosse Center Arena

January 23 Mankato, MN Verizon Wireless Center

January 24 Rockford, IL Rockford Metro Center

January 26 Grand Island, NE Heartland Events Center

January 27 Cedar Rapids, IA US Cellular Center

January 29 Evansville, IN Roberts Stadium

January 30 Ft. Wayne, IN Allen County War Memorial Coliseum

February 1 Lexington, KY Rupp Arena

February 2 Huntington, WV Big Sandy Superstore Arena

February 14 Portland, ME Cumberland Civic Center

New CD of Jimi Hendrix last studio recordings to be released.

Well, here we go again as someone unearths yet more old material from Jimi Hendrix.

In stories that I’ve seen covered today by both http://www.pollstar.com/ and http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/ it seems a new CD Valleys Of Neptune, will be released on March 9.

Aside from the title track itself, this will also have covers of Cream’s Sunshine Of Your Love and Elmore’s James’ Bleeding Heart, plus re-recordings of the songs Stone Free, Fire and Red House, which were originally on the Are You Experienced album.

The other titles on the release will be, Lullaby For The Summer, Crying Blue Rain, Ships Passing Through The Night and Mr Bad Love.

More on all things Hendrix, go right here to: http://www.jimi-hendrix.com/

The story at Pollstar is here: http://www.pollstar.com/blogs/news/archive/2010/01/11/704695.aspx

The Classic Rock one, right here:

http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news/hendrix-last-recordings-to-be-released/

Jon Lord New Album

Jon Lord will release his next album, To Notice Such Things, on April 5, 2010 through Avie Records.

Titled after the main work – a six movement suite for solo flute, piano and string orchestra – the album was inspired by, and is dedicated to the memory of Jon’s dear friend Sir John Mortimer, the English barrister, dramatist, screenwriter, author and creator of Rumpole of The Bailey, who died in January of 2009.

- He was a great friend and a great inspiration to me and I hope my love and respect for him comes out in the music, says Jon.

- A few weeks after he passed away, I was offered a commission to write a piece for solo flute and strings – a flute concerto in essence. At first I turned it down because I thought there wasn’t enough time, but after a couple of days of thought, I realized that I had these three little pieces for flute and piano that I had written for the theater shows that I used to do with Sir John, and I thought that they might provide the basis for this ‘flute concerto’ and that I could write in his memory.

- John and I became friends about 12 years ago. A couple of years later he asked if I would be interested in playing the piano and writing a bit of music for him, for his theater shows – Mortimer’s Miscellany – during which he sat on the stage and, accompanied by two actresses, a pianist and a flute player, he read poetry and prose, told stories and jokes and related hilarious legal anecdotes, giving his wonderfully wise and witty take on life, love and the law.

The music written for those shows has now evolved into Jon’s new album, To Notice Such Things.

- There was a total of about six minutes of music which has now grown into a 27 minute suite for solo flute, piano and string orchestra. I wrote it during March, April and May, and it was an emotional yet fascinating experience to work on it when John’s presence was still so very strong. In fact it still is, but back then he had only just passed away.

- I think he’s pretty much in every note of the piece and I’m really pleased with it, because I think he would be happy with what my thoughts about him are.

The suite ends with a movement called Afterwards, named after the Thomas Hardy poem that John Mortimer used to read at the end of his show.

Both the Suite itself and the album are called To Notice Such Things because the last line of the Hardy poem is ‘He was a man who used to notice such things’.

The all-instrumental album was recorded at the end of last September with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Clark Rundell with Cormac Henry on flute, and also features three additional pieces.

1. To Notice Such Things

a. As I Walked Out One Evening

b. At Court

c. Turville Heath

d. The Stick Dance

e. The Winter of a Doormouse

f. Afterwards

2. Evening Song

3. For Example

4. Air on the Blue String

Come back to http://www.jonlord.org/ to listen to samples from To Notice Such Things.

Soon you can also read our new year’s interview with Jon Lord in which he looks back on a busy 2009, discusses the new album and his future plans in general.

Posting for Monday 11th January Postponed .... Sorry!

Folks, I want to thank you up front for your patience as todays posting was about to go up, after much editing and searching for the stories, but as I wrapped up the final edit ... Yes, the wonderful internet crashed and I lost it all!
Unfortunately, even though this Blog location keeps telling me it is autosaving as I go, in draft format, get this, if it crashes, it has not saved the "so called draft," ANYWHERE!!!
Grrrr!

So, forgive me folks while I try again, before it crashes again! :)
Alun

Rock News for Sunday 10th January, 2010

UK AOR rocker Newman with brief update ... Press release to follow soon!

Steve Newman, the man behind the very classy AOR rock act Newman, has just recently posted a very slight update on his MySpace page, this is the statement posted there:

Happy New Year !!!!

Hi fellow MySpacer's !!!

Happy New Year to everyone

We've uploaded two new songs "Edge Of The World" and "Endless" from the forthcoming album.

There will be a full press release on http://www.newmansound.com/ asap.

Thanks for your continued support.

 http://www.myspace.com/newmansound

I must say that the 2 tracks sound very good indeed and anyone that has not yet given this band a chance, should certainly give this new material some serious attention.

Last year, Newman were given the title of band of the day by many attendees of UK Rock festival Z-Rock that John Waite headlined.

Here's hoping that 2010 gives this much underrated artist, the attention he's long overdue!

Premier Journey tribute band Frontiers gearing up for a busy year in 2010

Frontiers the Journey tribute band that features the very talented Jeremey Hunsicker on lead vocals, have just added a bunch of new tour dates.

Hunsicker who was almost in line for the Journey frontman gig but was beaten by Arnel Pineda, he was so close that he even co-wrote alongside Neal Schon and Jonathan Cain the opening track "Never Walk Away" off Journey's last album, "Revelation."

Here’s some upcoming shows just added to the Frontiers schedule!

Jan 29, Cosmic Charlies, Lexington KY

Jan 30, Bluebird, Bloomington IN

Feb 3, Melting Point, Athens GA

Feb 4, Flip Flops, Valdosta GA

Feb 5, House of Blues, New Orleans

Feb 6, Cypress Bayou Casino, Charendon LA

Feb 12, Pierre’s, Ft Wayne IN

Feb 13, The Omni, Toledo OH

Feb 19, House of Blues, Cleveland, OH

Feb 20, Magic Bag, Ferndale, Detroit MI

More info on the band right and further dates here:

http://www.journeytributeband.com/file/NEWS/NEWS.html

Not much other news this Sunday, but I'm sure tomorrow they'll be plenty of interesting stuff!