Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Rock News Update for Tuesday 15th February, 2011

UK's 2011 High Voltage festival adds more acts

Yes, the bill for what looks like becoming a now annual event, the High Voltage festival in London's Victoria Park, has today announced more acts added to the already interesting bill.

The organisers have now added, two more big name acts in Seattles Queensryche and surprise, surprise ..., former UK favourites Thunder will reform to play High Voltage in their only 2011 performance, so they say.

An early 70's Prog Rock act, Curved Air has also been added to 2011's line up.
Additional acts have also been announced today, but I'll leave that to the festival's press release for today for you to discover:

High Voltage Announces Further Acts For 2011


Following the launch of the UK’s new prestige rock festival, in 2010, High Voltage returns in 2011 with exclusive performances from headliners Judas Priest and Dream Theater, UK festival exclusives from Black Country Communion, Jethro Tull and Spock’s Beard and performances from Michael Schenker Group, Caravan, The Enid, Pallas and Mostly Autumn. The further acts announced are:

QUEENSRYCHE (Main Stage) – UK festival exclusive
Queensryche are one of the classic metal bands, with worldwide albums sales of over 20 million. Formed in Seattle in the days before grunge, the band broke into the rock mainstream with the brilliant concept album Operation: Mindcrime and scored a top ten US hit with the single Silent Lucidity. Queensrcyhe’s most recent album American Soldier was another powerful and politically charged concept album – and another top 30 US hit.

THUNDER (Main Stage) – UK festival exclusive
Thunder, one of the UK’s biggest and best loved rock bands, are making a surprise return at High Voltage having split up in 2009. The band have had a hugely successful 20 year career and built a reputation as one of the great festival acts. Thunder guitarist Luke Morley also appeared at the inaugural High Voltage in 2010 with his acclaimed new band The Union. High Voltage will be a UK festival exclusive for Thunder.

NEAL MORSE (Prog Stage)
Neal Morse is a founding member of Spock’s Beard and Transatlantic, and a leading figure in modern progressive rock. His new album Testimony 2 features his Transatlantic bandmate and ex-Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy, who describes the album as “a masterpiece”. Neal returns to High Voltage having headlined the Prog Stage in 2010 with Transatlantic.

SAINT JUDE (Main Stage)
Saint Jude are a London-based rock ‘n’ roll band whose singer Lynne Jackaman has been likened to Janis Joplin and whose fans include none other than rock legend Ronnie Wood. Hailed by Classic Rock magazine as “one of the most talked about and hotly tipped bands of the moment”, Saint Jude are currently working on the follow-up to their 2010 debut album Diary Of A Soul Fiend.

ANATHEMA (Prog Stage)
Anathema formed in Liverpool in 1990 and in an acclaimed career their music has developed from doom metal to Pink Floyd-inspired progressive rock. In 2010 the band released its eighth album, We’re Here Because We’re Here, mixed by Porcupine Tree’s Steven Wilson and rated by Classic Rock as ‘Prog Album Of The Year’.

CURVED AIR (Prog Stage)
Curved Air is the legendary English progressive rock group whose early albums, such as 1970’s Airconditioning, are landmarks in the genre. The band’s famous alumni include Stewart Copeland (The Police) and Eddie Jobson (Roxy Music, Jethro Tull). The current line-up of Curved Air features founder members Sonja Kristina (vocals), and Florian Pilkington-Miksa with Chris Harris (Bass), Kit Morgan (Guitar), Robert Norton (Keyboards), and Paul Sax (Violin)


High Voltage is the festival all true rock fans have been waiting for – custom built by rock fans for rock fans. The High Voltage team has been to every rock festival imaginable – taking what they have learned to build a festival unlike any other.
First of all there’s the music: Amazing headliners AND three unique stages specially curated to cater for different sides of the rock audience, and a brilliant supporting cast playing special must-see sets. Then there’s the festival itself. The facilities will be second to none: great food, proper beer, clean toilets and deluxe hospitality packages. This is somewhere you take the whole family.

High Voltage offers a new and unique festival experience for rock fans of all ages. Only High Voltage gives ticket buyers the freedom to design their own bespoke festival package – which can include accommodation, transport and VIP entertainment.
Tickets priced £99 (for weekend tickets) and £56.50 (for day tickets) – subject to booking fee. VIP tickets will be available at £105.00 for the day, £199.00 for the weekend – subject to booking fee. There will also be various VIP and hotel packages available, at varying price levels to suit.

Official festival site: www.highvoltagefestival.com/


US Rock Festival fans look forward to M3 and Rocklahoma

Yes, in the US, rock fan can also look forward to a couple of big name annual weekend festivals keeping things going with both the M3 Rock Festival, in Columbia, MD at the MERRIWEATHER POST PAVILION and also Rocklahoma, in Pryor, OK.
M3 will feature over two days, a very 80's driven line up, with Whitesnake as headliners on the Saturday May 14th and 80's rockers Kix, opening festival events as headliner on the Friday 13th May, alongside special guests Warrant, LA Guns and Jetboy.
Whitesnake will have acts such as Tesla, Sebastian Bach, Lita Ford, Firehouse, Slaughter and Great White to name a few.

Rocklahoma is a much more heavier looking event, taking place on the weekend of May 27th, 28th and 29th. This year the event is being headlined by Motley Crue, along with Staind, also Whitesnake and Sebastian Bach, but harder edged rockers such as Seether, Pap Roach, Black Label Society and All That Remains amongst many others.

Here's their flyers:


 
 
 
 
 
ICONIC ROCK FRONTMAN SEBASTIAN BACH INKS WITH FRONTIERS RECORDS WORLDWIDE FOR MULTI-ALBUM DEAL

BACH HEADED IN TO STUDIO THIS MONTH FOR SUMMER 2011 RELEASE

Frontiers Records is proud to announce the signing of golden-voiced, iconic rock frontman Sebastian Bach to an exclusive worldwide, multi-album recording contract. Bach will head in to the studio later this month with his new young virtuosic guitarist Nick Sterling to record a brand new album. Producer Bob Marlette (Black Sabbath, Shinedown, Atreyu, Filter) will be at the helm. The album is tentatively scheduled for a summer, 2011 worldwide release.

Sebastian Bach commented, “I would like to sincerely thank all at Frontiers Records for their support and belief in me, my band and the new tunes. Expect an album full of high-energy rock n’ roll with kick-ass clean and clear vocals, along with me laying down the craziest screams I have recorded in my life thus far… To all of the rockers of the world, thank you for letting me create killer music for the past two decades, and all I can say is, we are just warming up mothertruckers!”
Frontiers Records President Serafino Perugino added, “We are pleased and honored to be at the service of Sebastian Bach! We look forward to help make his forthcoming album a hard rock milestone!”

Sebastian Bach has sold in excess of 20 million records worldwide as lead singer with his former band, Skid Row and as a solo artist. Far from just being a multi-platinum recording artist, the singer/songwriter/actor/entertainer has expanded his career over the past decade to include episodic television with a 5-season recurring role on the CW’s hit series “Gilmore Girls”, starring roles on Broadway (“Jekyll & Hyde”, “The Ricky Horror Picture Show”) and national touring companies (“Jesus Chris Superstar”), as well as an ongoing relationship with MTV/VH1.

Weblinks:


Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band confirm extra dates

For fans of the man from Motor City, Bob Seger, news of his latest tour dates with The Silver Bullet Band has got many people on the edge of their seats.

The sad view by many is that the guy is too old to rock 'n' roll, but I stand by what I've said before, when we caught him back on his last 'Face the Promise' tour, that ran with dates in 2006 into 2007, the man showed that he could still belt out some good, 'old time rock 'n' roll!'
The 'Face the Promise' album was also nothing to be sneezed at.
Seger apparently plans to record new music, after this next set of live dates and may even hit the road again after that!
Doesn't sound like retirement at this time is on the cards for him anytime soon either!

At this time the following dates have so far been confirmed:

Date / City / Venue:
March 2011
Sat 03/26/11 Toledo, OH The Huntington Center
Tue 03/29/11 Saginaw, MI Arena at Dow Event Center
Thu 03/31/11 Toledo, OH The Huntington Center

April 2011Sat 04/02/11 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
Tue 04/05/11 Cincinnati, OH U.S. Bank Arena
Thu 04/07/11 Cleveland, OH Quicken Loans Arena
Sat 04/09/11 Buffalo, NY HSBC Arena
Official website: www.bobseger.com/

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