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Thursday, May 10, 2012

News Update for Thursday May 10th, 2012

SLASH:
 FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS 


TO LAUNCH JULY NORTH AMERICAN DATES
 JULY 12 IN PORTLAND, OR AND WRAP AUGUST 4 IN HUNTINGTON, NY
 PRE-SALE BEGINS WEDNESDAY, MAY 9 VIA WWW.SLASHONLINE.COM

GROUP TO PERFORM ON “LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON”
 MONDAY, MAY 21
SOLD-OUT SHOW AT IRVING PLAZA IN NEW YORK CITY
 SET FOR TUESDAY, MAY 22, DAY OF RELEASE

“Apocalyptic Love is at heart a collection of lean, high-octane rock-and-roll tunes built to be
 blasted out of open-top sports cars or, more suitably, open-air stadiums.” – Rich Bienstock, REVOLVER (**** four out-of-five star CD review)


As the Grammy-winning guitarist, songwriter and Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame inductee SLASH gears up for the May 22 release of his second solo studio album APOCALYPTIC LOVE, he’s announced a run of headlining shows in North America kicking off July 12 and wrapping August 4 with up-and-coming Canadian group Monster Truck supporting. 
Exclusive fan pre-sale began this yesterday Wednesday, May 9 at http://www.slashonline.com/ and will feature packages including VIP meet and greets, and rare merch items such as signed guitars. SLASH and his band Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators are currently touring the U.S., a mix of headlining dates and festivals (Carolina Rebellion, Rock On the Range, Rocklahoma).

Starting Monday, May 7, fans are given the opportunity to unlock unreleased tracks from APOCALYPTIC LOVE by sharing the app located on SLASH’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Slash with 10 of their friends. From Monday through Friday of next week, 5 new tracks will be previewed exclusively each day via SLASH’s Facebook page.

On Monday, May 21, SLASH and his bandmates Myles Kennedy (vocals), Brent Fitz (drums) and Todd Kerns (bass) will head to New York to perform their red hot single “You’re A Lie”  live on NBC TV’s “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.” Next, on Tuesday May 22, the group will perform a special sold-out New York City CD release show at Irving Plaza on the same day APOCALYPTIC LOVE streets (May 22) via Dik Hayd International, distributed through EMI.
All tickets for SLASH: Featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators are available now on http://www.slashonline.com/. See the full itinerary via link below, with more dates to be added.

SLASH: featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators tour dates:
 http://www.msopr.com/n/client-roster/slash/?cmd=tours


Pictured above L-R: Todd Kearns, Myles Kennedy, SLASH and Brent Fitz.



A New Massive AOR Sensation from Sweden!
WIGELIUS to debut with 'Reinventions' on Frontiers in June!




Frontiers Records is excited to present the debut album from WIGELIUS entitled “Reinventions” due for release on June 29th in Europe and July 2nd in North America.
WIGELIUS is a sensational new AOR band from Sweden built around the talent of Anders Wigelius, a gifted young vocalist who came to the attention of producer Daniel Flores (ISSA, THE MURDER OF MY SWEET, MIND'S EYE) after he sung the popular Journey song "Don't Stop Believin'" in a contest on the national Swedish TV (you can watch his performance following this link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDeVbz3Pbcg).

 A true Melodic Rock / AOR music fan, Anders grew up with music from Richard Marx, Toto, Journey and Foreigner and played AOR songs covers in a band called GAMBLERS, before going his own way with his own thing. “Since I discovered the joy in writing my own songs and I have been doing it since then” says Anders. “The music of Wigelius is powerful and big: it’s a guitar and drums driven sound, with a strong melodies on top. The arrangements are intricate with some theatrical modern parts, and there’s also a more downscaled side to it with emphasis on an acoustic feel. You can hear influences from Toto, Journey, Van Halen and Whitesnake.”.


Anders is in his early 20's, which is an advantage when creating new ways of marketing modern AOR. He plays guitars and keyboards and also writes music for other bands and has been quite successful with that. His older brother Erik Wigelius, plays drums. This is a hit, hungry, horny and amazingly talented new band, plus they look amazingly good. “I was fortunate to meet some great guys for this band” continues Anders, “but without Daniel Flores, there wouldn’t be Wigelius. We had a blast recording the album and with his experience the songs just kept getting better and better”. The line-up is rounded up by Jake Svensson on guitars and Chris Pettersson on bass.

Wigelius is also all about having fun! Without the enthusiasm for the music and lots of laughs during the process, "Reinventions" would have never sounded as energetic and "big" as it does. The collaboration turned out to be a perfect match of people sharing the same vision in making music together. The best still lie ahead! Everyone in the band is very excited to be a part of it! Harry Hess (ex HAREM SCAREM) mastered the album.

“Reinventions” tracklisting includes: Angeline; Talking About Love; Do You Really Know; Next To Me; My Cassandra; Piece Of The Action; Too Young To Fall In Love; Right Here, Right Now; Love Can Be That Much; Hold On To Love; There Is No Me Without You; I Reach Out
You can stream now in full the first single “Angeline” on Frontiers Records webradio www.frontiers.it/webradio and look forward to the band’s videoclip to be launched sometime in June.



WIGELIUS is:
Anders Wigelius (Vocals)
Erik Wigelius (Drums)
Jake Svensson (Guitars)
Chris "Wielbass" Pettersson (Bass)

Website:



 Irish HARD ROCK’s finest new band MILLION $ RELOAD to release their second album “A Sinner’s Saint” on Frontiers




Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the signing to the label of MILLION $ RELOAD for the release of the band’s second album entitled “A Sinner’s Saint” on June 29th in Europe and July 2nd in North America.

Formed in Northern Ireland in 2005, Million $ Reload started immediately to learn their breed playing live in the local club circuit leaving behind them a trail of fans hungry for more. Their catchy anthemic tunes soon gained them a recording deal, which culminated with the release of the debut album “Anthems Of A Degeneration” in 2008. A tour-de-force of vast hooks, killer riffs and moments of joyous, snake-hipped abandon, with shades of everyone from AC/DC and Aerosmith through to Thin Lizzy and Thunder confirming that these young Irishmen know their history and salute it with style, while also displaying a powerful and compelling character and atmosphere that is all their own.


“Million Dollar Reload sound is the culmination of our individual influences : no frills, balls to the wall, straight up rock n roll” says singer Phil Conalane. “Loud guitars , big vocals and the odd guitar solo with killer hooks. We have a definite sound, it’s not a new sound and we are not trying to re-invent the wheel, there are no delusions of grandeur in M$R . We know what we are about. All of us have our own personal influences that clearly can be heard in our songs, AC/DC, Aerosmith, early G'N'R. We don’t try to emulate those bands, we have our own take on modern day rock n roll, but they are definitely a big influence”.


The band toured heavily in support of the album and shared stages with Thunder, The Darkness, Buckcherry, Papa Roach and more. This has further pushed the band’s abilities and focused their songwriting abilities. The result is the new killer album “A Sinner’s Saint” which has sparkled the attention from the Italian label Frontiers Records which immediately signed the band upon hearing the new stuff the Irish five piece created.


Indeed, from blistering, cocksure sing-alongs like “Blow me away”, “Bullets in the sky” and “Wicked”, through to the irresistible bluesy ballad “Broken”, “A Sinner’s Saint” is a flawless exercise in smart, sassy songwriting and a superb showcase for the electrifying chemistry that exists between these five musicians. You can’t keep a band this good, or an album this strong, down for long, and now that they have started to build momentum once again, Million $ Reload must surely be on the road to rock ‘n’ roll glory. They’ve got the balls, the belief and the tunes to make it happen.


“Rock ‘n’ roll is escapism…you can forget about your everyday troubles and woes, rock out, sing and scream along, have a beer and a smoke!” grins Phil Conalane. “It’s nothing new, this kind of balls-out rock ‘n’ roll, but it’s been buried away these last few years because too many people in the industry wrote it off as old fashioned and out of touch, but people are beginning to realise what proper rock ‘n’ roll really is! We’re the real deal and we’re here to stay!”

“A Sinner’s Saint” will include the following tracklisting: Fight The System; Bullets In The Sky; Blow Me Away; Can’t Tie Me Down; Broken; I Am The Rapture; Wicked; Smoke 'N' Mirrors; Headrush; Pretty People; It Ain’t Over; Protest (Bonus Track).



Enjoy now “Bullets In the Sky” video via the Youtube link:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Npj6s8Ns1g (for German fans: vimeo.com/41701460) and listen on the Frontiers webradio www.frontiers.it/webradio to stream it exclusively !

Weblinks:



LITA FORD Premieres New Song




Living Like A Runaway Out June 19th on SPV/Steamhammer
Legendary female guitar icon LITA FORD's new album Living Like A Runaway will be released June 19th in North America via SPV/Steamhammer. The album will be available in four configurations: a double LP, limited edition CD, standard CD and digital download.

Today LITA is giving the public a chance to hear the first new song from Living Like A Runaway.  Noisecreep is hosting an exclusive premiere of the track "Branded". Get a first listen HERE:

Living Like A Runaway is available for pre-order on AMAZON:

LITA FORD has teamed up with producer Gary Hoey and lyricist Michael Dan Ehmig to work on Living Like a Runaway. Together the team invested a lot of time and effort into this kick ass project: "We worked on the lyrics intensively to really give the songs a lot of meaning and that special emotional depth. I think that these are some of the best lyrics ever, period."
FORD is referring to numbers such as 'Devil In My Head,' 'Hate,' and 'The Asylum' which see her bare her soul in a way which she has never done before.

Unlike many albums today, Living Like a Runaway is an album that truly must be heard in its entirety from start to finish. "Listeners shouldn't pick out individual tracks but listen to the full album," says FORD. "It's a fascinating musical journey, inspired by Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. I had seen a documentary about Dark Side of the Moon and it really motivated me to focus on Living Like a Runaway as a whole journey rather just an individual song."

Coinciding with the album's release, LITA is hitting the road this summer with Def Leppard and Poison on the "Rock of Ages Tour".
The dates for the first leg of the tour have been announced and are listed below.
More dates are expected to be announced soon.

Following the demise of the Runaways, LITA FORD concentrated on her own career and now looks back on many memorable hits including: the chart topping duet with Ozzy Osbourne "Close Your Eyes Forever" "What Do You Know About Love", "Shot Of Poison", "Larger Than Life" and "Kiss Me Deadly".
With the release of Living Like A Runaway, expect many more songs to be added to the list of hits.

LITA FORD on Tour With Def Leppard and Poison:

6/20: Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheater
6/22: Irvine, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
6/23: Las Vegas, NV @ Red Rock Amphitheater
6/25: Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
6/27: Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
6/29: Atlanta, GA @ Aaron's Amphitheater at Lakewood
6/30: Tampa, FL @ Tampa Bay Time Forum
7/2: Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
7/3: Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
7/6: Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
7/7: Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theater
7/10: Baltimore, MD @ Merriweather Pavilion
7/11: Newark, NJ @ Prudential Center
7/13: Wantagh, NY @ Nikon at Jones Beach Pavilion
7/16: Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
7/17: Hamilton, ON @ Copps Coliseum
7/19: Chicago, IL @ Allstate Arena

For More Information Please Visit:



STRYPER – LEGENDARY CHRISTIAN ROCKERS ON TOUR

The Yellow & Black Attack is Back World-Wide For Select Intimate Shows

HOLLYWOOD, CA (May, 2012) –The Yellow and Black Attack is back -  STRYPER is about to embark in a string of select dates world- wide starting May 10th at Tailgaters in Bolingbrook, IL  just outside of Chicago.

STRYPER is one of the few bands from a decadent era that features “All Original Members”.
They continue to tour the world and produce Billboard-charting albums.  Brothers Michael Sweet and Robert Sweet, along with Oz Fox and Timothy Gaines, make up the legendary hard rock quartet.
TOUR DATES – (more to come):

5.10.12     Tailgaters              Bolingbrook, IL(Chicago)
5.12.12     M3 Festival             Columbia, MD
5.17.12     House of blues          Dallas, TX
5.18.12     House of blues          Houston, TX
5.19.12     Santa Fe Station        Las Vegas, NV
5.24.12     BB Kings                New York, NY
5.25.12     Showcase Live           Foxborough, MA –  ALL AGES
5.26.12     Rock Junction           West Greenwich, RI
 
6.01.12     The Marque              Tempe, AZ
*6.02.12     Speaking Rock Casino    El Paso, TX  
*with Special Guest Stephen Pearcy/RATT6.03.12     El Corazon              Seattle, WA

7.06.12     Seaside Festival        Risoya, Norway
7.07.12     Gulbranna Festival      Halmstad, Sweden
7.26.12     House Of Blues          Orlando, FL
7.27.12     Wild Horse Saloon       Nashville, TN
7.28.12     HalfwayJam              Royalton, MN

9.19.12    Indira Gandhi Stadium    Kohima, India
9.22.12    DDSC            Dimapur, India

11.16.12   Poliedro de Caracas      Caracas, Venezuela
11.17.12   Complejo Ferial Bicentenario   Barqusimeto,Venezuela
                                                           
Over 25 years later the band continues to deliver an inspiring message with their electrifying stage show, performing in front of audiences worldwide.

For more information go to:



What Do Steven Tyler, KISS, Matt Sorum, Jane Lynch, Johnathon Schaech, "Ellen" DJ Tony Okungbowa and More Have in Common?


HILARIOUS PSA/VIDEO ON YOUTUBE STARRING AEROSMITH’S STEVEN TYLER, KISS, JANE LYNCH (“GLEE”), MATT SORUM (GUNS N’ ROSES, THE CULT, VELVET REVOLVER, CAMP FREDDY, ETC.), ACTOR JOHNATHON SCHAECH, “ELLEN” DJ TONY OKUNGBOWA, AND YOUTUBE SENSATIONS SAM MACARONI, SHAY CARL, EPIC LLOYD AND MARY DOODLES FOR SORUM’S FOUNDATION ADOPT THE ARTS, WHOSE MISSION IT TO KEEP THE ARTS AND MUSIC PROGRAMS FUNDED AND IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

Los Angeles: In Adopt the Arts' pursuit of music education being made available to all children, in the face of adversity and the school districts trying to pull the arts from the school to save a buck, a bunch of well-known music, movie and Internet stars have gotten together to create an entertaining, hilariously funny and straight to-the-point PSA/video to save the arts.
If you like the video and are a supporter of the arts (music, art, drama, etc.), please make a donation to www.adoptthearts.org.

Here’s a link to the video. We expect this to go viral quickly, especially with the stellar cast of luminaries who lent their time, images and performances to this PSA:

For more information, please check out www.adoptthearts.org, and follow @mattsorum, @janemarielynch, @adoptthearts, @johnschaech, @IamStevenT, @KISSonline, @lesleyzprchick on Twitter for constant updates.



Ozzy Osbourne's "Speak Of The Devil" DVD Out July 17 


New York, NY (May, 2012) — On July 17, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release 'Speak Of The Devil' on DVD by Ozzy Osbourne in North America. 

This show was filmed at Irvine Meadows Amphitheater in California on June 12, 1982 as part of the delayed continuation of the “Diary Of A Madman” tour following the tragic death of Randy Rhoads a few months earlier.  The audio has been digitally restored and remastered and is now available in DTS and Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound for the first time.
Speak Of The Devil includes the classics “Mr Crowley,” “Over The Mountain,” “Crazy Train,” “Flying High Again,” “Iron Man,” “Paranoid,” “Goodbye To Romance” and many more

The concert is a perfect snapshot of Ozzy Osbourne’s live performances in the eighties with dramatic staging and masses of energy with a setlist based around his first two solo albums and a few Black Sabbath classics.
The line-up for this show features Ozzy Osbourne (vocals); Don Airey (keyboards); Tommy Aldridge (drums); Brad Gillis (guitar) and Rudy Sarzo (bass).

Ozzy has always been one of heavy metal's great frontmen and, despite the difficult circumstances, the show presented on 'Speak of the Devil' captures him at his absolute best.

Track Listing:
1) Over The Mountain 
2) Mr Crowley 
3) Crazy Train 
4) Revelation (Mother Earth) 
5) Steal Away (The Night) 
6) Suicide Solution 
7) Guitar / Drum Solo 
8) Goodbye To Romance 
9) I Don’t Know 
10) Believer 
11) Flying High Again 
12) Iron Man
13) Children Of The Grave 
14) Paranoid 
Weblink:

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Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Girlschool – ‘Hit and Run – Revisited’ album review
Released on: UDR via EMI Release date: Available now




OK, here we go, once you've checked out this album review, I have a giveaway contest to win a copy of this very album, thanks to my good friends at Chipster PR and the UDR label!

So, read the review and get a feel for Girlschool and let's see who wants to be a winner! 

Many people have often viewed UK rockers Girlschool as the female equivalent of Motorhead, which to me frankly is a bloody huge insult!
While I know that Girlschool and Lemmy go back a long way and Motorhead with their – Surprising – success have helped Girlschool out somewhat, the difference to me is an ocean!
They do put Lemmy in their special thanks too here though, which I guess is fair enough.

Now this may stir up a few people, as I know many people think Motorhead are great fun band …
I can honestly say, I can’t stand them! Sorry, we’re all entitled to our own opinions and that’s mine.
I'm sorry, but Lemmy can’t sing for starters and then the band is just a wall of noise, add to that Lemmy’s obsession of all things Nazi and that’s more than enough for me … And before anyone comments, ‘But you don't like them, so you’ve never seen them!’

You’d be wrong, I’ve seen them twice live ...
I saw the band play at Donington Park's, Monsters of Rock festival in 1986, when Def Leppard made their comeback with Rick Allen, The Scorpions played an absolute killer set and Ozzy topped the bill that year too.
I also caught them playing with Iron Maiden and Dio (RIP) back in 2003 and they sounded awful ...

Anyway, enough about my thoughts on Motorhead, this review is all about Girlschool!

I first saw Girlschool back in 1981, believe it or not, on the tour that supported this very albums original release.
I thought then, they have promise and put on a great rockin’ show, even if I only knew about half or less of the songs.
The band has gone through many changes over the years that including sadly, losing original guitarist / singer / songwriter, Kelly Johnson (RIP) to spinal cancer in 2007.
Tragic, as she was a great guitarist.
  Now the band is back, re-recording the album that quite possibly broke the band in the UK originally, ‘Hit and Run – Revisited.’
The band today features all the original members, with the exception of course of Jackie Chambers, who carries the role that Kelly formerly held and Jackie does so in a very good fashion.
Kim McAuliffe (Guitars/Vocals), Enid Williams (Bass/Vocals) and Denise Dufort on drums are all present and still rockin’ hard! 

From the off I will say this about this album, as it was and is today, that I’d forgotten I guess. It really does have a punky kind vibe about it, kind of at time, kind of Ramones like, especially with heavy songs that clock in typically around two to three minutes long on average.

‘C’mon Let’s Go’ opens things, almost like ‘Bad Motor Scooter’ cranking out, before getting into an almost ‘Overkill’ - The song, not the band! - fashion, but of course the difference between Girlschool and Motorhead is that you can understand what they are singing!

Next up it’s ‘The Hunter’ almost has a kind of T-Rex feel about the way it’s structured.
The thing about this album over the original, besides Jackie’s vocals from Kelly’s originally, is a little more depth to it and the production / mix on hand. I swear I do hear slight keyboards in places that I never heard before on this album originally.
‘(I’m Your) Victim’ does sound seriously heavy and it’s kind of like a seriously heavy Go Go’s if I were honest.
The pace continues with ‘Kick It Down’ which is seriously punchy and has real attitude about it, no question!

With ‘Following The Crowd,’ the song refers to the audience that followed the ‘N.W.O.B.H.M. (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal)’ that was the era that spawned the talents of Def Leppard, Saxon, Iron Maiden and many more alongside Girlschool.

An excellent version of ZZ Top’s ‘Tush’ is next and it was always a favourite in the bands live set. Nice one!

The title track ‘Hit and Run’ is next and boy do I remember driving around back in the 80’s singing along with this one! Still love it!
‘Watch Your Step’ is serious punky thrash ala Ramones style, still a catch chorus and serious hi-speed playing.

I love the groove to ‘Back To Start,’ it’s a little more refined than most of the songs on the album, while still retaining the heavy power chords throughout. It’s not unlike the way Gary Moore covered the Yardbirds ‘Shapes of Things,’ song structure wise.

‘Yeah Right’ was another minor hit single for the band back in the day, again perhaps a little punky for some peoples liking though.
The track that closed the original album was ‘Future Flash’ next, that starts with a little eerie Sci-Fi style intro and then gets rocking, but the song takes a few twists and turns throughout, including a ripping guitar solo or two and then the eerie keyboard / sound effects ending.

The bonus tracks are next with one of their live favorites re-recorded in ‘Demolition Boys,’ a fun thrash through rocker.
Well, you really didn’t expect to hear any ballads here did you?!
The last track is an extra version of ‘Hit and Run’ this time featuring the addition of ex-Warlock vocalist, Doro Pesch taking the lead vocal, a little deeper in tone … Why not I guess, it adds a little twist!
Rating: 3.75 out of 5

Official band website:

OK folks, here we go, here's the giveaway question for you!
There is just one sealed copy of this album to giveaway and here's what I'd like you to answer:
Girlschool's excellent 'Play Dirty' album was produced by who ...? I'm looking for two names ..., two 70's UK legends!

Please send the correct answer to me at: alun_williams@comcast.net

First correct answer will get the new release from Girlschool.
Please provide full name and address.
Contest is open to residents of the USA and Canada only at this time folks.
Thanks and good luck!!!
Giveaway ends Friday May 18th, 2012 at midnight.
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Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Pat Travers band live at The Magic Bag, Ferndale (Detroit), Michigan. USA.
Friday 4th May, 2012

Pat Travers Band live at The Magic Bag, Detroit, MI
All Photo's by Alun Williams

Pat Travers is a Canadian guitarist who I first paid attention to back in 1979 with his single, ‘Boom, Boom, Out Go the Lights’ and yes, many older PT fans are probably thinking, what took you so long?!
Come on guys …, it was over thirty years ago, so give me some respect!
After hearing that track, I went right out and bought the associated live album, ‘Go For What You Know’ and have never looked back!

The man is a killer rocking blues player, who's released some truly great albums and he’s even had some of my favourite players, guest on some of the earlier albums, with both Thin Lizzy players Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham play on the man’s ‘Makin’ Magic’ and ‘Putting It Straight’ albums respectively and he’s put out around twenty studio albums since his self titled released in 1976.
Not too shabby, eh?

I’m fortunate enough to be able to say that I’ve seen the man play live four times prior to this gig, so not that often, but often enough to know that he’s good enough to go and catch live, again and again!

The Magic Bag may not be a huge venue, but it’s a great place for fans to see acts up close and personal and there was a very respectable crowd in the house tonight, not many empty seats and others were standing around the edges too.
My only beef with the place - Like so many smaller live venues - is that it has poor lighting, adequate I guess for the artist, but when there's no flash photography allowed, at all, then the outcome of most peoples pictures, is not great.

Pat's current band features Kirk McKim (Guitars), Rodney O’Quinn (Bass) and Sandy Gennaro on drums and all the players have been a part of PT’s live band for a while now and all certainly know their stuff!

 
Opening with ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll Susie’ from his ‘Makin’ Magic’ album, it got the evening off to a great start. Then it was the title track of his ‘Crash and Burn’ album, which was the first album I got to see him play live in support of back in 1980, at Hammersmith Odeon, London, but a track that at the time along with that album that certainly made his fans wonder what was going on.
He’d added keyboards to that one and even covered Bob Marley’s ‘Is This Love!’
Scary and confusing at the time, from the man who clearly knew how to rock!

Anyway, Pat’s crowd tonight appreciated it and showed as much in their generous applause, especially since the band sounds tight!

Picking up the pace with ‘Heat In The Street’ and Sandy Gennaro plays up a storm, as much as the guitar players, good stuff!
Surprise inclusion for me tonight, although I’ve seen that he’s played it live before – Thanks to You Tube. – was Ram Jam’s ‘Black Betty.’ The crowd really got into the spirit of having some fun with this one and again, Mr. Gennaro was equal to anything flash Pat or Kirk pulled off! Nice one guys!


Pat then announces that he wants to play a couple of tracks off his latest album ‘Fidelis’ and for starters we get the excellent laid back ‘Josephine.’ It’s a really nice track and it comes across well tonight with the crowd.
Nice, if brief, harmony solo work between Pat and Kirk towards the end of the song.

Then the band get back into the rockin’ groove with the very catchy ‘Ask Me Baby’ which produces some very nice solo work from Kirk once more and then we get a mini drum solo from Sandy Gennaro. Just the right length, not too drawn out and this works well with the crowd.



‘I’ve Got News For You,’ from Pat’s first ‘Blues Tracks’ album is next and there’s some classy dual lead work here, which the crowd laps up.

Pat takes a moment or two to do a little tune up and then we get the moving ‘Stevie,’ which still gives me goose bumps today.
It’s just a class track, it really is. Some excellent harmony guitar work here, love it!

A little solo spot for Kirk to do his best Neal Schon like impression … Seriously, Kirk is a guitar player alongside Pat who deserves to be checked out. The sound from both Pat and Kirk using PRS guitars is seriously slick!
Pat comes back out and starts messing around with some slide guitar work that then leads into Jimi Hendrix ‘Red House.’



Then the band gives us their rendition of Robert Johnson’s ‘If I Had Possession Over Judgement Day,’ and that concludes the real deep blue’s performances for the evening and then it’s back to the rockin’!

 
Oh yeah and you know it’s getting close to the end as Pat rips into ‘Snortin’ Whiskey’ and the crowd are on their feet and the mood remains, with ‘Boom, Boom (Out Go The Lights)’ to close the main set.
Rockin'!!!


It was tough for a moment to think, what had we missed that they would play as an encore and then it was clear as day. No Pat Travers show would be complete without the man playing ‘Statesboro’ Blues!’
It wrapped the night up perfectly!

Sure there were other songs I would’ve loved to have heard, but that’s always the case with any live show, but I for one was very happy to have witnessed tonight’s performance, as clearly were the rest of the audience, many who stuck around at the end inside to meet and chat with Pat and the band.

It’s still a great show from the Pat Travers Band, if he comes to your town, you must check it out, to use the words that introduced his classic live album, ‘Go For What You Know,’ he’ll ‘kick your ass!’
Brilliant!

Rating: 5 out of 5

Official Website:


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News Update for Tuesday, May 8th, 2012

Hi folks, sorry for lack of updates ... A whole bunch of stuff going on, that's not been helpful, personally and interruptions in a limited lunchbreak situation in the dayjob are not helpful either!
The weekend flew by and Monday was just, well ... Monday!
Friday night I caught a great live set from the Pat Travers Band, review will be up, very soon
Moving swiftly on, have yourselves a great week!
Cheers, Al


 Ian Gillan and Tony Iommi to Release WhoCares Album




Word is out that the joint collaborative 'WhoCares' project featuring Black Sabbath‘s Tony Iommi and Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan will be more than just a one-off charity single project.


The two legendary rockers teamed up last year to release the song ‘Out of My Mind’ (along with ‘Holy Water’) to raise funds for rebuilding a music school in Armenia, marking their first collaboration since Ian Gillan’s involvement with Black Sabbath on the 1984 disc ‘Born Again.’

Both musicians have visited Armenia several times over the years and have seen the slow renewal after a major earthquake struck, that decimated the country in 1988.
After having such a great time together working on last year’s benefit track, the longtime friends decided to forge ahead with a full record with the goal remaining to aid rebuilding efforts in Armenia.

Gillan says, ‘As I said once in the song ‘Razzle Dazzle’…it’s a real fine line between an orgy of destruction and a wonderful time.’ The destruction of conformity in this case – some of these pieces never really fitted into the contemporary program and got sidelined or forgotten, and some of the album tracks never had much exposure.
As the track listing for this album came together, I noticed many of the titles had character similarities, a combination of freshness as they fully felt the sun on their backs and rebellion in a ‘Yeah, told you so,’ kind of way. And that adds up to a wonderful time. And that adds up to more money for the music school we are building in Armenia.”


Iommi and Gillan are finalizing the track listing at the moment, but did reveal that there will be a pair of original 'WhoCares' songs, the Deep Purple unreleased studio jam ‘Dick Pimple,’ a song from Gillan’s pre-Deep Purple band Repo Depo, two unreleased tracks from Tony Iommi featuring Glenn Hughes, plus obscure collaborations, B-sides and exclusive live versions of tracks.
Jon Lord, Nicko McBrain and ex-Metallica bassist Jason Newsted also helped with last year’s benefit songs, but it is not known which artists will guest on the next 'WhoCares' release?
'WhoCares' will be released on June 22nd on earMUSIC. A dream come true for Deep Purple, and Black Sabbath fans!



Michael Schenker's "Temple of Rock" UK Tour starts Wednesday May 9th



Wednesday May 9th sees the start of legendary guitarist Michael Schenker’s “Temple of Rock” UK tour.

These shows mark the first time Schenker’s touring band will feature two ex-Scorpions members – Herman Rarebell (drums) and Francis Buchholz (bass). Vocalist Doogie White (ex-Rainbow and Yngwie Malmsteen) and M.S.G. keyboardist, Wayne Findlay complete the line-up.

Tickets are available from 0844 478 0898 and www.thegigcartel.com.


May 2012 UK Tour Dates

May 9 - Wolverhampton The Wulfren
May 10 - Manchester HMV Ritz
May 11 - Glasgow O2 ABC
May 12 - London O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire

The UK concerts will feature a plethora of hits spanning Michael Schenker’s colourful career. Songs to be performed by the “Temple of Rock” line-up include UFO’s “Rock Bottom" and "Doctor Doctor", M.S.G.’s "Armed and Ready" and "Into The Arena", Scorpions classics "Another Piece of Meat" and "Rock You like a Hurricane", plus new songs from the recently released "Temple of Rock" album "Miss Claustrophobia" and "Before the Devil Knows You´re Dead".



For more details on this press release, go here: http://www.noblepr.co.uk/Press_Releases/michaelschenker/tour.htm

For everything you want to know about Michael Schenker, go here:http://www.michaelschenkerhimself.com




 SHRED GUITAR LEGEND- MICHAEL ANGELO BATIO PRESENTS:

“Hands without Shadows – A Tribute to Rock Guitar”
@ The Token Lounge on Sat. May 12TH – Detroit, MI

FEATURED SHREDDING OF: PANTERA, HENDRIX, RANDY RHOADS, METALLICA & MORE!

HOLLYWOOD, CA (May, 2012) - Legendary shredder Michael Angelo Batio will take over Detroit’s Token Lounge with his newly devised show: “Hands without Shadows – A Tribute to Rock Guitar.” This show is a multimedia extravaganza featuring the music of some of the greatest rock guitarists of the past 50 years. Batio will also be giving away an autographed MAB 3 guitar the night of the Token Lounge performance!

Guitar legend and virtuoso, Michael Angelo Batio, takes you on his 90 minute aural/visual journey to the different eras of rock music while playing guitars with incredible speed and musical precision. The “Hands without Shadow’s – A Tribute to Rock Guitar" show entails an awesome display of guitar wizardry accompanied by an equally talented band. This chronological tribute features Batio’s incredible arrangements and medley’s from the different eras of rock beginning with Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton, then moving on to Led Zeppelin, Van Halen, Metallica and more.

The brilliant, fast paced multimedia experience is completed with multiple video screens, incredible lighting, on stage theatrics and of course the amazing guitar work of the “#1 Shredder of all time” (Guitar One Magazine), Michael Angelo Batio. You will be introduced to Batio’s “MAB Over – Under” neck technique along with his famous Double-Guitar. Michael’s Dean “Jet” Double-Guitar was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in February 2012. Michael invented the Double-Guitar and is credited with being the first person to play both left and right handed at the same time.

The Token Lounge
28949 Joy Road
Westland, MI
www.thetokenlounge.com – to purchase in advance
Advance Tix $10 - $15 at the door
Doors 8pm

The excitement of the show stays with you long after the performance. Michael Angelo Batio has been an extraordinary inspiration to countless musicians around the world, playing a major role in the evolution of modern rock guitar. He embodies the spirit of a true artist who has ceaselessly pursued his own creative vision, while mentoring and cultivating the next generation of emerging musicians. Come see what all the talk is about of this true shred guitar legend!

For more information and to watch for the upcoming tour dates go to www.angelo.com or www.facebook.com/#!/michaelangelobatioofficial.





PLATINUM SELLING AWARD-WINNING PERFORMER/SONGWRITER/COMPOSER
TREVOR RABIN
RELEASES JACARANDA



ALBUM AVAILABLE ON VARESE RECORDS MAY 8TH

Trevor Rabin releases Jacaranda (Varese Vintage Records), his first new solo album in two decades since Can't Look Away. The extremely versatile Rabin covers a wide range of styles on the new album, including rock, jazz, and classical. Trevor Rabin plays all of the instruments himself, with the exception of drums on the tracks, for which he brought in noted jazz/rock drummer Vinnie Colaiuta (Sting, Frank Zappa), longtime Rabin drummer Lou Molino III, and Rabin’s son Ryan Rabin (Grouplove). He also brought in noted bass guitarist Tal Wilkenfeld (Jeff Beck, Herbie Hancock) who plays on the track “Anerley Road.” Vocalist Liz Constintine is featured on the track “Rescue,” inspired by the film The Guardian.


Trevor Rabin is regarded as one of the finest guitarists in the world. His collaborations include working with Seal, Michael Jackson, Manfred Mann, Tina Turner, Bob Dylan and Paul Rodgers. He is also one of the most sought-after film composers in the business. He has created music that crosses barriers and genres that have made him one of the premier composers of contemporary music. As a guitarist, keyboardist, singer, songwriter, producer or recording engineer, he has established himself as a leader in the modern music field. As a film composer his credits include: Armageddon, Remember the Titans, National Treasure, Race to Witch Mountain, The Guardian and The Sorcerer's Apprentice.


Trevor Rabin has received numerous awards including a Grammy, numerous Film and TV Awards, a Lifetime Achievement Award (Los Angeles Music Awards), a Career Achievement Award (Temecula International Film Festival), and Gold Medal for Excellence in Film Music Award (Park City Film Festival).

Track List:
1 Spider Boogie
2 Market Street
3 Anerley Road
4 Through The Tunnel
5 The Branch Office
6 Rescue
7 Killarney 1 & 2
8 Storks Bill Geranium Waltz
9 Me And My Boy
10 Freethought
11 Zoo Lake
12 Gazania
Website:



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