Saturday, February 12, 2011

News update for Saturday 12th February, 2011

Hi folks, first of all it's always nice to be able to mention and share any landmark detail about the site and although to many sites, this may not be a big deal, but to me for this blogsite, I do appreciate the support of all you regular visitors!
Thursday night the site passed the 40,000 mark for page visitors at 'Chambers of Rock,' which isn't too bad in my eyes for the past year, for a blog site that gets no publicity from anywhere else and simply just exists!
Thank you all, I'm glad you appreciate the site enough to become returning visitors!
So I'll just leave you with a wish that you enjoy your weekend, before I plug the news!
Cheers, Al


MR. BIG HIT IT BIG (AGAIN) WITH Strong chart debuts ABROAD FOR NEW ALBUM “WHAT IF…”; ALBUM FINDS ALL FOUR ORIGINAL BAND MEMBERS REUNITED
“WHAT IF…” NOW SET FOR FEBRUARY 15TH RELEASE IN NORTH AMERICA


(New York, NY) – Shredder rock-pop metallers Mr. Big are back with brand new album WHAT IF… The new studio release finds all four original band members reuniting for their first album in 14 years. Produced by Kevin Shirley (Aerosmith, Rush, Iron Maiden), WHAT IF… will now be released in North America on February 15th. The first single from the album, “Undertow,” will impact at radio this week. Released last month overseas, WHAT IF… has hit the European album charts with strong respective debuts including: #36 in Switzerland, #50 in Germany, #71 in Austria, #71 in Italy and #75 in Sweden.

WHAT IF... will be released in a special edition CD + DVD in digipak, regular CD, vinyl and digital download and in a limited edition luxury box including the CD, DVD, LP and exclusive memorabilia. The DVD includes videos of “Undertow” and “All the Way Up” plus a documentary “making of” the album including interviews and exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of the four band members. Please see below for the complete album track listing.

In other Mr. Big news, the band will play their first U.S. show in more than 14 years on April 2nd at the House Of Blues in West Hollywood, CA. More U.S. tour dates will be announced later this year.

Formed in 1988, Mr. Big forged its place in hard rock history by combining trademark virtuosic musicianship with stellar vocal harmonies. The original (and now reunited) line-up features vocalist Eric Martin, guitarist Paul Gilbert, bassist Billy Sheehan, and drummer Pat Torpey. The quartet produced numerous hit songs that ranged across a wide array of rock genres, including the ubiquitous "To Be With You,” which was a Billboard Hot 100 #1 single in 15 countries for weeks, propelling the band to huge international success and record sales in the multi-millions.

WHAT IF… track listing:
1. Undertow
2. American Beauty
3. Stranger In My Life
4. Nobody Left To Blame
5. Still Ain’t Enough For Me
6. Once Upon A Time
7. As Far As I Can See
8. All The Way Up
9. I Won’t Get In My Way
10. Around The World
11. I Get The Feeling
12. Unforgiven

Official site: www.mrbigsite.com/


GUITARIST BRIAN ROBERTSON REMEMBERS GARY MOORE
NEW SOLO ALBUM "DIAMONDS AND DIRT" OUT ON APRIL 5 IN NORTH AMERICA


Legendary guitarist BRIAN ROBERTSON recently took some time out to reflect and remember former band mate and friend Gary Moore, who passed away earlier this week.

BRIAN spoke about the recording process of the Thin Lizzy "Nightlife" album and his refusal to re-record Gary's solos:

"When I first joined Thin Lizzy and we recorded the Nightlife album, there was this track that we had to do, a song called "Still In Love With You". As it was time to record the guitar solos I refused to replace Gary's original solos. They were the best solos I'd ever heard at that point and I wouldn't let anyone talk me into changing that!"

ROBERTSON reflected on just one of his memorable Gary Moore stories:

"In the early days with Lizzy we did a tour of Europe with Colosseum II, which was the band Gary was in at the time, and we did a gig in Arnhem, Holland. Gary came round my room at the hotel after the show with a crate of brandy. Needless to say, we had a great time and we ended up hosing each other down with the fire hoses in the hallway. Unfortunately the fire alarm went off and the whole hotel had to be evacuated. It was a very cheap hotel and it had lots of senior citizens living there, so all of these people had help each other out of the hotel in the middle of the night while Gazza and I stayed in the room and tried to hide. We ended up in the nick for that prank, but it was quickly sorted by our managements"


BRIAN ROBERTSON is set to release his first solo album "Diamonds and Dirt", on April 5th in North America on SPV/Steamhammer. The album blends hard rock with definite blues elements and gritty mainstream, wonderfully melodic excellent guitar arrangements. In terms of compositions, the album presents a number of outstanding Robertson numbers, such as the driving title track, the truly intense "Passion", "Texas Wind" with its wonderfully atmospheric beginning, and the powerful "Devil In My Soul" with its awesome wah-wah guitar solo. The album is rounded off by tracks from Robertson's extremely successful collaboration with Phil Lynott during their Thin Lizzy days in the years 1974 to 1978 and his fellow-countryman Frankie Miller, with whom he recorded "Dancing in the Rain" in 1986, among others.

TRACKLISTING
01: Diamonds And Dirt (Brian Robertson)
02: Passion (Brian Robertson)
03: It's Only Money (Phil Lynott)
04: Mail Box (Frankie Miller)
05: Running Back (Phil Lynott)
06: Texas Wind (Brian Robertson)
07: Devil In My Soul (Brian Robertson)
08: Do It Till We Drop (Drop It) (Frankie Miller/Jeff Barry/Brian Robertson)
09: Blues Boy (Brian Robertson/Phil Lynott)
10: That's All...! (Brian Robertson)
11: 10 Miles To Go On A 9 Mile Road (Jim White)
12: Running Back (Phil Lynott) (slow version)
13: Ain't Got No Money (Frankie Miller) (bonus track)

Produced by Chris Laney, Sören Lindberg and Brian Robertson except for "Ain't Got No Money" produced by Sören Lindberg and Brian Robertson

LINE-UP:
Brian Robertson - All Guitars, Lead & Backing Vocals, Keyboards(Bass Guitar and Percussion on "Ain't Got No Money) (Ex-THIN LIZZY, Ex-MOTÖRHEAD, Ex-WILD HORSES)
Ian Haugland - Drums and Percussion (Drummer EUROPE)
Nalley Påhlsson - Bass Guitar & Backing Vocals (Bassplayer THERION and TREAT)
Leif Sundin - Lead Vocals (Ex-singer of MSG)
Liny Wood - Backing Vocals
Rickard Jakobson - Percussion
Chris Antblad - Piano on "Running Back"
Ola Gustafsson - Dobro on "Running Back"(slow version only!)
Rob Lamothe - Lead Vocals on "Ain't Got No Money" (RIVERDOGS)
Ellinor Alm - Backing Vocals on "Ain't Got No Money"
Håkan Persson - Drums on "Ain't Got No Money"

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT



Watch out! Out of Sweden, THE POODLES release their new album “Performocracy”


The title of the album is a combination of the words “Performance” and “Democracy”, meaning “The power of Performance” or “Rule by Performance”. The album was again produced by Mats Valentin, but this time Tobias Lindell (Europe, Mustasch) mixed the 12 outstanding tracks that make up the cd. “I think we have followed through on what we started with the last album, “Clash of the Elements”, explains singer Jakob Samuel. “Besides continuing to work with producer extraordinaire, Mats Valentin, we took a step further with some of the material that was hinted at on “Clash of the Elements”. On “Performocracy” there is a more epic and darker character to some of the songs that we wanted to explore in more detail. Having said this, we have definitely stayed with a lot of the signature melodic elements that are trademark of the band”.


The first single off “Performocracy” is “Cuts like a knife”, which promises to entice both Poodles fans and anyone with a passion for rock n’ roll. The song will impact at radio on February 21st and the single will be released digitally only on March 3rd. A video produced by Steve Ravic, who also shot and produced the band’s landmark DVD release “In the Flesh”, will accompany the release of the first single. After the gold and platinum records that the band was able to achieve in their home country Sweden, now it is time for them to take on the world !

“One important aspect of having a few releases in the bag is that you know more what you want as a band” adds bassist Pontus Egberg. “Someone once said that “if you want to dream big, you have to dream in great detail”. To us this means that we take all the knowledge and experience that we have acquired from our previous efforts and use that to plan ahead and make our dreams bigger.”

 
As the album title suggests, performing songs live is the reason for what The Poodles are as a band. A full European tour is planned for the early fall of 2011 and in conjunction to this The Poodles will also head to South America and Japan to support the release of “Performocracy”. For the summer of 2011 The Poodles will take part to festivals and shows with a focus on Sweden.

Stay updated following The Poodles on poodles.se or on www.facebook.com/the poodles


“Performocracy” will include the following tracks: I Want It All; Until Our Kingdom Falls; Father To A Son; I Believe In You; Cuts Like A Knife; As Time Is Passing; Love Is All; Your Time Is Now; Action!; Bring Back The Night; Vampire's Call; Into The Quiet Night; Don’t Tell Me (Bonus Track).


Heavy Metal has never been more exciting and the new album promises to be a milestone in rock n’ roll history!

THE POODLES
Jakob Samuel - vocals
Pontus Egberg – bass
Christian Lundqvist - drums
Henrik Bergqvist – guitars
Produced by Mats Valentin

Weblinks:


MOLLY HATCHET ANNOUNCES 2011 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES
LATEST ALBUM "JUSTICE" OUT NOW ON SPV/STEAMHAMMER


MOLLY HATCHET'S latest studio effort Justice is available now on SPV/Steamhammer. In support of the album, MOLLY HATCHET has just confirmed the 2011 "Justice" North American tour. Dates are listed below:

March 2011
3/9 - DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA BIKE WEEK @ DOGHOUSE
3/10 - REDONDO BEACH, CALIFORNIA @ BRIXTON REDONDO
3/11 - AGOURA HILLS, CALIFORNIA @ THE CANYON
3/12 - SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA @ RAMONA MAIN STAGE
3/13 - SAN LUIS OBISTO, CALIFORNIA @ SLO BREWING COMPANY
3/15 - EXETER, CALIFORNIA @ ORANGE BLOSSOM JUNCTION
3/17 - BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS @ SPRING FESTIVAL
3/25 - GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA @ BLIND TIGER
3/26 - JIM THORPE, PENNSYLVANIA @ PENN'S PEAK
3/27 - CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA @ SPRING FEST 2011

April 2011
4/30 - ORANGE PARK, FLORIDA @ SUNSHINE BIKE RUN AND SOMER CONCERT

May 2011
5/27 - MONTEAGLE, TENNESSEE @ BIKER FEST 2011
5/28 - EDEN, NORTH CAROLINA @ 2 RIVERS SPRING BIKE RALLY
5/30 - ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI @ SOLDIERS MEMORIAL PARK RIB AMERICA FESTIVAL

June 2011
6/4 - MEARS, MICHIGAN @ VAL DU LAKES

July 2011
7/15 - DETROIT, MICHIGAN @ WOUNDED WARRIORS BIKE RALLY
7/16 - OGEMAW, MICHIGAN @ BIKE WEEK FESTIVAL
7/23 - BIRKENFELD, OREGON @ NORTHWEST'S PREMIERE BIKER RALLY
7/30 - ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI @ WOUNDED WARRIORS BIKE RALLY

September 2011
9/16 - NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS @ OTT RALLY COUNTY EXPO FAIRGROUNDS
9/17 - PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA @ RIB AMERICA FESTIVAL

December 2011
12/1 - ROCK LEGENDS CRUSIE 2011
12/2 - ROCK LEGENDS CRUSIE 2011
12/3 - ROCK LEGENDS CRUSIE 2011
12/4 - ROCK LEGENDS CRUSIE 2011
12/5 - ROCK LEGENDS CRUSIE 2011


To Bobby Ingram, brain, guitarist and main songwriter of American Southern rock act MOLLY HATCHET, the term 'Justice' is more than just a word. To him, this basic concept expresses his whole philosophy of life. Justice, fairness, trust between friends, family members, parents and their children: what could be more important? MOLLY HATCHET live this maxim, to them this solemn promise applies not only within the international Southern Rock community, but also to their music and its impact on their fans. Yet Ingram saves himself any kind of self-assessment, leaving the verdict on MOLLY HATCHET'S latest offering, Justice, to his audience. "Have we evolved as a band? Have we become better? Stronger? These are questions that everybody should answer for themselves when they have listened to our new album. I'm sure that the clarification of this matter will turn out in our favor."

Ingram's confidence, his joy and his pride in the new material on Justice are well warranted. A dozen rock numbers prove that MOLLY HATCHET are justly considered to be on par with legends such as Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers. Justice is marked by hot Southern Rock that is exceptionally powerful and diverse. Almost every single track signals its musical and thematic direction. As front man Phil McCormack unmistakably sings on 'American Pride': "Got that American pride with that southern style, born and bred something deep inside." And the title track is pretty much representative of the whole album: "We need some Justice to make the wrong into right."

At the same time, MOLLY HATCHET don't just broadcast these type of statements, they fill them with altruistic commitment, the most impressive example being 'Fly On Wings Of Angels (Somer's Song)', which is based on a true story. MOLLY HATCHET have dedicated this haunting track to seven-year-old Somer Thompson from Florida, who was abused and brutally murdered. Without a second's hesitation, Ingram and the band supported Somer's parents when they needed help, by playing a charity concert to raise money and informing the public about the tragic events. As a listener, you can't help but be moved when you hear Somer's sister Abby Thompson sing at the beginning and end of the track. "Coincidentally, a few days ago a prime suspect was arrested," Ingram says. "The indications are that he killed her, but we will be fair and not prematurely judge him until all questions have been answered. That's also part of true Justice."

There are so many exciting aspects to discover on an album which presents MOLLY HATCHET (Ingram, McCormick, Dave Hlubek (guitar), Tim Lindsey (bass), Shawn Beamer (drums), John Galvin (keyboards)) at the pinnacle of their creativity. MOLLY HATCHET have recorded a true masterpiece; not only in terms of their compositions, but also in terms of its production, Justice leaves nothing to be desired. Producer Ingram is responsible for the awesome sound, supported by sound engineer Tommy Newton, who mixed the album. "I wanted a warm, natural sound, which you only get with an analog mixing desk," Ingram explains his decision of working with Newton and his Area 51 studio. And so Justice has turned into an album which impresses at all levels: earthy, dynamic, with a lot of love for detail and loads of energy. You could say it's MOLLY HATCHET at their best!

TRACKLISTING
01. Been To Heaven Been To Hell
02. Safe In My Skin
03. Deep Water
04. American Pride
05. I´m Gonna Live `Til I Die
06. Fly On Wings Of Angels (Somers Song)
07. As Heaven Is Forever
08. Tomorrows And Forevers
09. Vengeance
10. In The Darkness Of The Night
11. Justice

VISIT MOLLY HATCHET AND SPV ON THE WEB


Earl Slick joins the 'New York Dolls' on forthcoming UK tour

Legendary guitarist Earl Slick, best known for his spectacular guitar work on David Bowie’s albums David Live (1974), Young Americans (1975) and Station To Station (1976), has officially joined the New York Dolls as their new guitarist on their forthcoming UK tour dates.

The Dolls will perform concerts at:
O2 Newcastle Academy on Sunday March 27th
Manchester Club Academy on Tuesday March 29th.

Tickets for the Newcastle are available from Box Office: 0844 477 2000, http://www.ticketweb.co.uk/
Tickets for the Manchester concert are available from Box Office: 0845 413 4444, http://www.alt-tickets.co.uk/

Next week details of two further London concerts on the Dolls’ March UK tour will be revealed.


The March UK tour dates coincide with the Dolls’ new studio album “Dancing Backwards In High Heels” which is produced by the Killers engineer Jason Hill, and features David Johansen (vocals), Sylvain Sylvain (guitar, vocals), Frank Infante (guitar), Jason Hill (bass) and Brian Delaney (drums). The album is released in the UK on Blast Records on Monday March 14th.
Weblinks:


Ex-Iron Maiden frontman Paul Di'anno faces jail term

How crazy is this? As desperate as people get and I'm aware of how tough it is for people that have given up their day jobs, to try and go professional or semi-pro as a musician, but former Iron Maiden frontman, Paul Di'anno, looks like he's in big trouble!
What's really makes the guy look bad, is that he was claiming benefits for not working during the years of 2002 to 2008, as he claimed he was too ill to work during that time.
Where did Di'anno slip up? He posted live videos of his performances on You Tube and apparently the ones that got him busted were from 2006!

 (Paul Andrews (DiAnno) photo courtesy of www.telegraph.co.uk)

Di'anno, real name Paul Andrews, appeared in a UK court and admitted to swindling taxpayers out of more than £45,000 and Judge Andrew Barnett who Andrews faced in the Salisbury Crown Court, said this:
''You have got the sense and courage to plead guilty to these matters, but you have to understand that they are very serious.

''Although all sentence options will be open, you should prepare yourself for a prison sentence - and an immediate one at that.''

Doesn't look good for the man at all right now, at all.
Read the full story here in the UK's paper, The Daily Telegraph:

Here's one of those You Tube video's, uploaded in 2006:
Also, singing 'Wrathchild' in 2007 ...
Running Free same time:

Erm, he doesn't look like his back's that bad, now does it?!


Rob Zombie to induct Alice Cooper into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

White Zombie frontman Rob Zombie will induct Alice Cooper into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during the 2011 induction ceremonies March 14 in New York City.
Neil Young will do the same for 2011 inductee Tom Waits.

The Rock Hall released its official list of 2011 presenters Tuesday morning.

Here’s the complete inductee-presenter list:
Alice Cooper: Rob Zombie (White Zombie)
Neil Diamond: Paul Simon
Dr. John: John Legend
Darlene Love: Bette Midler
Tom Waits: Neil Young
Jac Holzman: John Densmore (The Doors)
Art Rupe: Lloyd Price
Leon Russell: Elton John

The 2011 induction ceremony will be held March 14 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. An edited version of the ceremony will be broadcast at 9 p.m. March 20 on cable TV channel Fuse.


.... And finally ....

Stephen Pearcy and Ratt ... Is it finally all over ...?

OK folks, just a brief note, because right now, that is all that Stephen Pearcy is sharing with his fans, via Twitter or through his site, you can follow the mans 'Tweets!'

Over at http://www.stephen-pearcy.com/ you can find this last 'Tweet' from the guy:

"Management (MMG) major press release next week on my new solo band, new solo record, summer tour, future (if at all) in the band RATT. CYA!"  

Now then, is the 'CYA' a cryptic clue regarding Ratt or is he simply saying 'later' to his fans?
Apparently, since this was posted on Friday 11th, I guess we'll find out next week.

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Rock News Update for Thursday 10th February, 2011

Gary Moore - Official Statement update at his website

In giving the man a little final dignity in his passing, through his website, the family of Gary Moore has issued the following statement, along with perhaps a very respectful and thoughtful photo of the man:



GARY MOORE
1952-2011

On Sunday 6th February 2011 musician Gary Moore died in his sleep of a heart attack while on holiday in Spain.

Acknowledged as one of the finest guitarists that the British Isles has ever produced; Gary Moore’s career dated back to the sixties. Moore graced the line-ups of several notable rock bands including Thin Lizzy, Collosseum II and Skid Row, to name but three, and to this year maintained a highly successful solo career.

Gary is survived by four children; daughters Saoirse and Lily and sons Jack and Gus. His family take great comfort in the fact he died of natural causes and was looking forward to his holiday prior to recording a new album. Gary was thrilled by new guitars he had just bought and was planning to play shows throughout the world, later this year.

His family has requested that their privacy is respected during this sad time and no further comment will be made. They would very much like to express their heartfelt thanks for the show of support and all the kind messages from friends and fans alike, the world over. 

I for one certainly respect this request, as seriously, when you lose a loved one how much do you like to answer questions about it?
In some respects, people might think, 'Yeah, but wasn't he great and all I want to say is how great I thought he was, etc.'
The thing is at the end of the day, it is simply a courtesy that the family should be left alone in their time of mourning, as it's certainly difficult to talk to anyone, when you've lost someone you love.
Maybe down the road, they'll speak more on matters.
My sincere sympathies go out to Gary's family and closest friends.
RIP Gary, you will be greatly missed, but never forgotten.

In other news ............


STRYPER GET BACK TO THEIR ROOTS ON COVERS - HEAVY SET, 'THE COVERING'



Christian rockers Stryper are offering fans a headbanging view of who their influences were early on, with the arrival of an almost entire album's worth of covers, 'The Covering.' Set for release on February 15th via Big3 Records, the album includes twelve rocking covers, as well as an all-new original tune, "God." And most significantly, the album marks the return of original bassist Tim Gaines back into the Stryper fold, setting up the first Stryper release in years to feature the definitive line-up of Michael Sweet (vocals/guitar), Oz Fox (guitar), Tim Gaines (bass), and Robert Sweet (drums).

According to Michael Sweet, the impetus for putting out a mostly covers set was a simple one. "Every Stryper album is pretty serious and pretty bold in the lyrical faith sense of the word. We just wanted to roll our sleeves up, cut loose, and have some fun." And when it came time to pick out a listing of tunes to cover, all the band had to do was look back upon their club days. "Growing up, before Stryper was even Stryper, we were a cover band. We played Gazzarri's on the Strip for years - we would do originals but also do covers, as well. We always did (Judas) Priest covers and (Iron)Maiden covers, all those bands that we grew up on and influenced us."

What fans get is a CD that runs the gamut from 1970's era classic rock (Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song," Deep Purple's "Highway Star," Kiss' "Shout It Out Loud," etc.) to 1980's era heavy metal (Black Sabbath's "Heaven and Hell," the Scorpions' "Blackout," "Iron Maiden's "The Trooper," etc.). "A few things we set out to do on this album was to stay true to the original - we didn't want to disrespect the original versions," explains Michael. "I'm never going to sound like Bruce Dickinson or Ronnie James Dio, nor would I ever try to. And having me sing the song puts our own spin on it. We just all did our own thing and with our own touches and feel - Robert, Tim, Oz, and myself - it has that Stryper feel to it as well."

Big3 Records Chairman Bill Edwards adds, "We are excited to allow Stryper the creative freedom to do what they do best, and take this album to the next level. We are very excited about working with the band and helping make 'The Covering' a widespread success."

To support 'The Covering,' Stryper is planning a tour that begins in March, and when it comes to the set list, it will contain quite a few surprises for longtime fans. "We're probably going to pull out four Stryper songs that haven't been played in the set in years. And then we're probably going to do four covers. And then we've got a whole slew of other Stryper songs that we've been playing for a long time. So we probably have 20 songs in the set."
Stryper fans rejoice, more anthemic metal will soon be on the way!

'THE COVERING' TRACKLIST:

1. Set Me Free (Sweet)
2. Blackout (Scorpions)
3. Heaven and Hell (Black Sabbath)
4. Lights Out (UFO)
5. Carry On My Wayward Son (Kansas)
6. Highway Star (Deep Purple)
7. Shout It Out Loud (Kiss)
8. Over The Mountain (Ozzy Osbourne)
9. The Trooper (Iron Maiden)
10. Breaking The Law (Judas Priest)
11. On Fire (Van Halen)
12. Immigrant Song (Led Zeppelin)
13. God (Stryper)

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT:


Swedish Rockers "Europe" to film forthcoming UK Tour


Swedish hard rockers EUROPE are set to film the entirety of their London o2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire concert on Saturday February 19th. The concert will be released on DVD and Blu-ray in October 2011, and will also include a bonus live CD.

The London concert is part of Europe’s “Balls ’N’ Banners” UK tour which kicks off at the Glasgow o2 ABC on Thursday February 17th. The forthcoming DVD release will also include behind-the-scenes footage, including rehearsals and backstage banter filmed during the rest of the dates on the rest of the UK tour. Europe will perform music from their current album ‘Last Look At Eden’, plus classic tracks from their albums ‘Wings of Tomorrow’, ‘The Final Countdown’, ‘Out of This World’, ‘Prisoners in Paradise’, ‘Start From The Dark’ and ‘Secret Society.’

"We're taking some new directions with our songs, and we're exploring different styles,” says Europe’s lead singer Joey Tempest about the songs from the Eden album. "There is a definite classic rock vibe on some of the tracks... a tip of the hat to groovin', funkin' 70s rock songs, but ones we have bought into the here and now.”


Europe’s “Balls ‘N’ Banners” UK tour dates in full: Glasgow o2 ABC (Feb 17), Birmingham o2 Academy (Feb 18), London o2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire (Feb 19), Oxford o2 Academy (Feb 21), Bournemouth o2 Academy (Feb 22), Bristol o2 Academy (Feb 23), Manchester Academy 2 (Feb 25), Leeds o2 Academy (Feb 26) and Newcastle o2 Academy (Feb 27).
Ticket Hotline: 0844 477 2000, 0161 832 1111 (Manchester).


BRAVEWORDS.COM HOSTING PREMIERE OF NEW TRACK "BRINGING ON THE END"
FROM THE NEW JAG PANZER ALBUM
"THE SCOURGE OF THE LIGHT"
NEW ALBUM IN STORES MARCH 8, 2011 ON SPV/STEAMHAMMER


Starting today, Bravewords.com is premiering "Bringing on the End," a track from the new JAG PANZER album, "The Scourge of the Light", which is slated for a March 8 release via SPV/Steamhammer.
Check out exclusive premiere on the Bravewords "Knuckle Tracks Player" at http://www.bravewords.com/knuckletracks/?tid=0

For the original band members Harry Conklin (vocals), Mark Briody (guitar) and John Tetley (bass), JAG PANZER has always been something they held close to their hearts. "We've known each other from our earliest childhood and have never lost sight of the idea that this band is based on," Tetley explains. "I don't exactly want to use the term 'spiritual', but the three of us are connected with this band by a very special relationship. You could say that our lives are inseparably linked with the history of JAG PANZER."

This heartfelt passion has always been apparent in their songs, however: the American band has never sounded as impressive, mature and accomplished as on their latest album "The Scourge Of The Light" (out on 28 February 2011 in Europe, 25 February 2011 in Germany, and on 8 March 2011 in the US).
The reasons? Well, there are probably a number of them. Without a doubt, the band's two main songwriters, guitarists Mark Briody and Christian Lasegue, have never been in better form. Every one of their extremely dynamic riffs sounds haunting, every melody cuts their listeners to the core. It may sound like a contradiction, but since guitarist Chris Broderick, who was a band member between 1997 and 2007, left to join Megadeth, JAG PANZER have returned to their old roots. "There can be no question that Chris Broderick is an amazing guitarist, and we were really happy for him that he got this chance with Megadeth. But we feel that thanks to Christian Lasegue, JAG PANZER's classic, clearly more melodic power metal style has returned and that the fans will definitely be happy about this."
Tetley may well be right since JAG PANZER's most recent studio recording Casting The Stones (2004) was criticised, especially in Europe, for its noticeably harsher direction. "We knew that Christian was the best man for the job, after all he was a band member for three years in the mid-1980s."

But there are other reasons, too, why "The Scourge Of The Light" sounds so impressive. Despite their limited production budget, JAG PANZER spared no expense or effort to give their ten fantastic new songs a driving their trademark sound. For this reason, they asked Jim Morris to mix the recordings at his legendary Morrisound Studios in Florida and sent the result to New York's renowned Sterling Sound for mastering. The result is a real ear catcher, without any ifs and buts: "I feel The Scourge Of The Light is the best-sounding album in the history of JAG PANZER," Tetley rightly expresses his pride in the product of his group's labors.

LINE-UP:
Harry Conklin - vocals
Mark Briody - guitars
Chris Lasegue - guitars
John Tetley - bass
Rikard Stjernquist - drums
For More Info Visit:


Richard Marx / John Parr UK Live dates in May 2011

It seems that John Parr, whose hits include, 'Naughty, Naughty,' 'Magical,' 'St. Elmo's Fire' and "Rock 'n' Roll Mercenaries" (With Meat Loaf), has been added to Richard Marx' UK tour dates later this year in May.
John Parr's last UK visit, was as special guest on Journey's 2008 UK tour dates.

Richard Marx in recent years has been doing more solo and duo, unplugged / acoustic performances and I understand that these dates will be just that too.
If you ask me, that's a huge shame, as I last caught Richard Marx playing live with his full band, here in Detroit a few years back and it was a great show! He more than showed that he could still rock, as well as perform the most fantastic ballads, so it's sad that these days the man doesn't seem to want to do the full band gigs anymore.
I'm sure the shows will still be good, but I'm sure you get my meaning.
Official website: http://www.richardmarx.com/

Anyway, here's the flyer for the gigs: 


Here's an official Press Release update from John Parr's management, with some interesting links!

John Parr confirmed as Special guest on Richard Marx UK Tour.


Iconic rock vocalist/songwriter John Parr has been confirmed as Special Guest on the Richard Marx ‘Stories to Tell’ UK tour, taking place in May 2011. Parr will play a solo acoustic set on all five shows on the tour, which calls at Glasgow, Birmingham, Liverpool, Bristol ending with a show at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Tuesday 31st May 2011.
Tour press flyer:

It was during the mid 1980’s when John Parr received a call from one of the world’s most successful record producers, David Foster. He requested Parr to record a song for the film ‘St Elmo’s Fire.
Parr and Foster wrote a song in honour of wheelchair athlete and activist Rick Hansen, the song was called ‘St Elmo’s Fire (Man In Motion)’ which also became the theme for the film St. Elmo’s Fire. The track became a huge hit for Parr around the world (including hitting the No. 1 spot on the US Billboard Chart) and garnered many awards ....., including a Grammy Award nomination. John went on to have many tracks featured in motion pictures (including ‘The Running Man’ and ‘Three Men And A Baby’).

Fast forward to 2011 and after a 20 year legal/litigation battle (which basically stopped Parr recording for the past 20 years), John is now currently back in the studio working on brand new material and is preparing to go back out on the road. Commenting on the Richard Marx tour, John Parr said, “I’m really looking forward to getting back out on the road as Richard’s guest. I’ve performed at many venues and stadiums around the world, including Madison Square Garden and the Sydney Opera House, but this will be my first ever performance at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London”.
John Parr will be Special Guest of Richard Marx on the following UK dates.

Dates/venues:

Wednesday 25th May 2011 - Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow
Thursday 26th May 2011 - Symphony Hall, Birmingham
Saturday 28th May 2011 - Philharmonic Hall - Liverpool
Sunday 29th May 2011 - Colston Hall - Bristol
Tuesday 31st May 2011 - Royal Albert Hall - London

Also folks, if you wanted to see John acoustically in the studio, take a look at thie below You Tube link.
John and his management felt it was actually quite amusing so they have decided to share it.
John is singing Katy Perry’s Firework acoustically.


For John Parr's official website - Which is currently undergoing an update. - go here:


It Bites secures headline spot at the UK's Z-Rock Festival and adds additional tour dates

It Bites, who most in the UK will remember that back in the 80's, with singles 'All In Red,' 'Calling All The Heroes' and 'Whole New World,' had a kind of mixed bag sound of Pop meets Prog rock meets Goth rock at times.
They were certainly a little eccentric in some of their dress sense back then, as I can recall as I caught their live show on a couple of occasions, but they clearly knew how to rock!
Sadly when Francis Dunnery decided to leave at the end of 1990, the band seemed to struggle for a while, but soldiered on nonetheless, for a while, before then going their separate ways, with keyboard genius and main writer in the band, John Beck, soon hooking up briefly with John Wetton's (Asia, King Crimson, Roxy Music) solo touring band and then briefly the Alan Parsons Project band.
Bob Dalton (Drums) also followed Beck into John Wetton's band at the time.
Original bassist Dick Nolan also joined the Alan Parsons Project, before then hooking up with Ray Davies (Kinks) solo band.
Francis Dunnery had chosen a solo career that seems to have kept him busy to this day.  

Following It Bites reformation in 2006, sans Dunnery of course, he being replaced by John Mitchell (Kino, Arena, John Wetton) on lead vocals and guitar, but including Beck, Dalton and Nolan, although then Nolan was replaced by new member Lee Pomeroy (Mike Oldfield, Rick Wakeman) who is sometimes replaced by Nathan King (Level 42, Frost), when Pomeroy is not available due to his heavy commitment to various session work.

These days, the band seem to have been embraced by the melodic rock / AOR audience and their 'Tall Ships' album release in 2008 seemed to be welcomed with open arms by the genre.
Without further ado though, here is their site update:

It Bites are delighted to announce they will headline 'Z Rock 2011' at The Asylum, Birmingham on May 15th 2011.

Other dates are listed below.

It Happened One Night UK Tour and DVD Launch

14th May Manchester Academy *
Tel. 01618321111 www.manchesteracademy.net

15th May Birmingham Z Rock Festival - The Asylum
Tel. 01695629917 www.zrecords.net

16th May London The Peel House of Progression *
Tel. 02085463516 www.houseofprogression.webeden.co.uk

18th May Newcastle The Cluny **
Tel. 01912304474 www.ticketweb.co.uk

19th May Glasgow The Arches **
Tel. 01415651000 www.thearches.co.uk

20th May Whitehaven Rosehill Theatre **
Tel. 01946692422 www.rosehilltheatre.co.uk
* Special Guest Jon Amor (http://www.jonamor.com/)
** Special Guest Jon Amor and 13 Stars


















Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Rock News Update for Wednesday 9th February, 2011

Gary Moore tributes continue and Thin Lizzy dedicate tour to the man

As well as more tributes being posted all over the place at different websites, Brian Downey has just told Planet Rock that Thin Lizzy have all agreed that they want to dedicate their current world tour the man's memory. Respect indeed.
You can hear the interview with Brian Downey here:

Mick Box of Uriah Heep, was an old mate of Gary's, from back in those early Skid Row days, shared this with me on his passing, that he'd also posted at his site:

"I was shocked and devastated to read that my good friend Gary Moore had died at the age of 58, in a hotel in Spain. I remember first meeting Gary backstage when we were playing a London show, and he was over from Ireland, and on the brink of leaving Skid Row, which at the time was pretty top secret. We shared a few drinks, and discussed our love of Jeff Beck's playing, and had a great evening. Since then we have met many times, but mostly on the road where we have shared the same stage at many a festival. Gary has left a legacy of guitar playing that will continue to inspire guitarist all over the world, for many years to come. He had a wonderful touch, and his tone was always spot on. It really is unbelievable that he is no longer with us, and his virtuoso playing will be sadly missed, as will the man himself who touched so many people as a player and as a person. Rest in peace my friend!
Mick Box
URIAH HEEP
Mick's official site: www.heepstermusic.com/MickBox/

Vocalist Brian Howe (Ted Nugent, Bad Company), although he never really knew Gary, was another admirer of the man and his work, he shared this:

"All I can say about Gary is that I only met him once but I was very impressed, as I was a huge fan of his G-Force album.
He was a really nice unassuming guy. Really into his music. He loved playing. The real deal."


The Swedish band Europe have posted this statement at their website:

ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE BAND EUROPE

"NO WORDS CAN DESCRIBE HOW SAD WE FEEL HEARING THE NEWS THAT GARY MOORE HAS PASSED AWAY. WE CAN'T BELIEVE IT! IT'S A TOTAL SHOCK! HE WAS ONE OF OUR BIGGEST INFLUENCES BOTH AS A GUITARIST AND A SONG WRITER. OUR THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS NOW GO OUT TO HIS FAMILY AND CLOSE FRIENDS."

JOEY / JOHN / JOHN / MIC / IAN

 
Both Ozzy Osbourne and Queen's Roger Taylor have paid tribute to Gary Moore, through http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/

Ozzy said, “I had the honour of recording with Gary on his After The War album on the track Led Clones which was great fun.
To say that his death is a tragic loss doesn’t seem to give it the justice it deserves. We’ve lost a phenomenal musician and a great friend. Rest In Peace, Gary.”

While Roger Taylor added, "“I have great memories of Gary on tour in Thin Lizzy with Queen: always smiling, very cheerful and… too young to die. He’d recently joined Lizzy and he fitted in great: a blindingly fast player, and his thing was these staccato runs, with a bit of jazz in there. Totally different to Brian [May], who’s a very fluid player, but musicians usually ‘get’ other rated musicians, and Brian very much enjoyed his playing."

For all that was said by Ozzy and Roger, go to:


Through Twitter, fellow guitar master, Steve Lukather said "God bless Gary Moore .. One of the greats and a real nice man."

He later at his site, elaborated:
"The world lost a Giant ... Gary Moore. I was a fan for sure. Amazing touch and chops... whew... fire! I had the honor of sharing the bill with him in 2001 at Montreux Jazz Festival. I was with Larry Carlton at the time... he was such a nice guy and a MONSTER player. He will be missed. Man... this stuff is happening WAY too much for me. I pray you are all well and God bless."

 
 
Glenn Hughes, a long time friend of Gary Moore's told Andrew McNiece at www.melodicrock.com/ about his reaction. Glenn stated: "I'm devastated...Gary was a Rock and Blues Icon...he played with no fear. We spent a lot of time together in the 80's. I have very fond memories of when Gazza was stayin' @ my house in LA…trust me, there was much love and laughter...And that's what I will remember...I'm truly shaken."

And in other news .... 


Night Ranger Japan Tour Announced

Any Japanese Night Ranger fans that read this at all?
I really kind of doubt it, but you never know I guess or if you're a fan and may be travelling there on business in June, maybe this will make your trip a little more special!
Night Ranger is coming back to Japan this June!
VIP presale tickets for Night Ranger's tour will be offered via the ticketing link below beginning Monday, February 7th, 2011!

Night Ranger VIP Packages are $175 USD each and include:
- A Premium Reserved or General Admission Ticket (early entry into the venue for general admission shows)
- Access to a Meet and Greet with Night Ranger and Photo with band (with your own camera)
- 1 Year Online Membership in the Night Ranger Fan Club
- An Autographed Night Ranger Poster
- A Commemorative VIP Tour Laminate
- An Autographed 8x10 Photo of Night Ranger

The only way to access VIP presale tickets for these shows is via the ticketing link on this news page. The presale link is:


JUNE TOUR DATES:
2011年06月09日 Namba Hatch (Osaka)

2011年06月10日 The Bottom Line (Nagoya)

2011年06月13日 C.C. Lemon Hall (Tokyo)

2011年06月14日 C.C. Lemon Hall (Tokyo)

Presale tickets are limited and offered on a first come, first served basis.


Interesting Def Leppard post at their website

Various Def Leppard band members are really doing their own thing lately, Joe Elliott with Down 'n' Outz, Phil Collen with Man Raze and Vivian Campbell involved in the current world tour that Thin Lizzy are currently undertaking.
It seemed clear to all that the band were taking time out from all things Def Leppard ...
Knowing how long it takes them to record an album, that's a little scary to fans of the band!

Interesting then, that over at the Def Leppard site, this was posted on Tuesday!

Gearing up.... 
Leppard fans ....!
The countdown is on for Def Leppard to make a MAJOR announcement to the world! Stay tuned, DefLeppard.com will be reporting official news soon .....!

So come on then, who know what is going on?
Gearing up to split up?
I hope my guess is wrong, but I think Vivian Campbell's position in Lizzy is about to become permanent!

Doesn't look that way, the announcement implies something big is about to happen and 'gearing up,' surely implies that it's something good!
Keep watching!


National Museum of American History Receives Eddie Van Halen’s “Frankenstein Replica” Guitar

Monday, 7 February 2011 The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History has recently acquired the Van Halen “Frank 2″ guitar played and made famous by Eddie Van Halen through a partnership donation with Fender Musical Instruments.


The guitar was made in 2006 as part of a joint venture between the artist and Fender to produce a limited edition number of guitars for the EVH brand. Known as the “Frankenstein Replica,” or “Frank 2,” it will be part of the museum’s Division of Culture and the Arts, which preserves a large and diverse collection of instruments.

Eddie Van Halen is a Dutch-American guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, producer and self-taught inventor of guitar technology and technique. He is best known as the lead guitarist and co-founder of the hard-rock band Van Halen and recognized for his innovative performing and recording styles in blues-based rock, tapping, intense solos and high-frequency feedback; he is also famous for energetic and acrobatic stage performances. The band’s self-titled debut album was released Feb. 10, 1978.

“The museum collects objects that are multidimensional, and this guitar reflects innovation, talent and influence,” said Brent D. Glass, director of the museum. “The guitar moves the museum’s instrument collections into more contemporary history.”

In 1975 Eddie Van Halen realized that no existing guitar had the features that he needed to create his signature sound. A constant tinkerer, he set out to construct a guitar to fit his standards, needs and playing style, combining different elements of long-established guitar designs into one instrument. Fans nicknamed the custom creation “Frankenstein.” By 2006, the original “Frankenstein” guitar had been in service for more than 30 years and was retired from performances. Chip Ellis, a master guitar builder at Fender, replicated every detail of the original guitar, which, when presented to Eddie Van Halen, appeared to be indistinguishable from the original. During the Van Halen 2007-08 North American tour with original lead singer David Lee Roth, Eddie Van Halen used the replica guitar, “Frank 2″ for the majority of the performances.

The National Museum of American History collects, preserves and displays American heritage in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history. To learn more about the museum, check http://americanhistory.si.edu/
Story source: www.vhnd.com/


CLUTCH CONFIRMS TRACK LISTING FOR NEW MUSIC BONUS CD "BASKET OF EGGS" TO APPEAR WITH THE "BLAST TYRANT" REISSUE
CLUTCH AND WEATHERMAKER MUSIC ANNOUNCE FIRST EVER MOBILE CAMPAIGN


Maryland hard rockers CLUTCH have just confirmed the final track listing and release date for the ten song "Basket of Eggs" bonus CD that will be included as part of the reissue of the classic CLUTCH album "Blast Tyrant".
The CD will be released on April 26th on CLUTCH's label Weathermaker Music. The confirmed track listing is below.

Disc One:
Mercury
Profits of Doom
The Mob Goes Wild
Cypress Grove
Promoter (of Earthbound Causes)
The Regulator
Worm Drink
Army of Bono
Spleen Merchant
(In the Wake of) The Swollen Goat
Weather Maker
Subtle Hustle
Ghost
La Curandera
WYSIWYG


CD#2 "BASKET OF EGGS" 10 song bonus CD
Boxcar Shorty's Confession
The Regulator (Acoustic)
Basket of Eggs (Acoustic)
Tight Like That (Acoustic)
Drink to the Dead (Acoustic)
Cattle Car
Walpole Man
Promoter
La Curandera
Steve Doocy

Want to be the first to know about everything CLUTCH related? Be it tour dates, breaking news and exclusives, make sure to sign up for the CLUTCH and Mobile Mailing List by texting CLUTCH to 94253
CLUTCH is currently tearing across the country with Motorhead and Valient Thorr. This is one of the most talked about tours of the year, so make sure to check out CLUTCH live when they hit your town.
CLUTCH ON TOUR WITH MOTORHEAD AND VALIENT THORR

February 20112/9 - Edmonton, AB @ Edmonton Events Centre
2/10 - Calgary, AB @ Flames Central
2/12 - Winnipeg, MB @ Burton Cummings
2/13 - Fargo, ND @ The Venue
2/14 - Sioux Falls, SD @ The Vault*
2/15 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
2/16 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
2/17 - Kansas City, MO @ The Midland Theater by AMC
2/18 - Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue*
2/19 - Chicago, IL @ Congress Theater
2/20 - Sauget, IL @ Pop's
2/22 - Grand Rapids, MI @ The Orbit Room
2/23 - Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theater
2/24 - Buffalo, NY @ The Town Ballroom*
2/25 - Kitchener, ON @ Elements Night Club
2/26 - Toronto, ON @ Kool Haus
2/27 - So. Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground*
2/28 - New York, NY @ Best Buy Theater
March 2011
3/1 - Boston, MA @ House of Blues Boston
3/3 - Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
3/4 - Atlantic City, NJ @ House of Blues
3/5 - Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte
3/6 - Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounger*
3/8 - Austin, TX @ Stubb's BBQ
3/10 - Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theater
3/11 - Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia LA Live

Please note: Dates with *asterisk* denote CLUTCH headlining shows.
For more information be sure to visit:
http://pro-rock.com/
http://weathermakermusic.com/


Aerosmith Music Sales Up 250% Since Steven Tyler Became Judge on 'Idol'

Steven Tyler’s popularity on American Idol is boosting Aerosmith’s music sales.

Since Season 10 premiered on Jan. 19, with Tyler making his debut on the judges’ panel alongside Jennifer Lopez, sales of his band’s Greatest Hits collections have shot up more than 250%, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
To read the whole story go to:
www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/idol-worship/aerosmith-music-sales-250-steven-97299