Friday, March 26, 2010

Rock News for Friday, 26th March 2010

JOHN WAITE - "In Real Time" new live CD out in May!

John Waite, the popular British singer/songwriter/performer who brought you immortal songs such as the smash Billboard #1 hit “Missing You”, “Change” and “When I See You Smile” (with Bad English) is back with “In Real Time” – a live album capturing the energy of his new live show and his renewed love for Rock Music.

“In Real Time” is an electrifying new live CD recorded on tour during 2009 with John Waite’s super-charged three-piece band. The album will hit stores on May 14th in Europe on Frontiers Records. Classic hits like “Change,” “Missing You,” The Babys’ “Back On My Feet Again” and “Head First”, Bad English’s “Best Of What I Got” and “When I See You Smile” and even a blistering version of Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll” take on entirely new lives in their raw forms on the spontaneously delicious “In Real Time”.

“It’s a lot of the hits played how we play them live,” Waite says of “In Real Time”. “It’s like late 60’s rock in London when it was performance driven, prior to becoming commercialized – back in the days when everybody got in a transit van, sat on the amps and drove for hours to the next gig. When I set out to do this record, I wanted to simplify it down to what I remember rock and roll being as a kid – a three-piece band with a singer – so it’s very raw and right on the edge.”

John Waite recorded five albums with The Babys before launching a solo career with “Ignition”, a record which spawned the MTV/rock radio staple “Change”, only to be surpassed later by one of the greatest pop/rock ballads of all time – “Missing You”.

In the late 80’s, John Waite continued his success with supergroup Bad English. Along with a succession of Billboard Hot 100 hits he achieved the #1 position, once again, with the band’s single, “When I See You Smile”.

John Waite has released nine studio albums to date and is currently writing for and working on an all new original material record expected sometime in 2010.
“In Real Time” includes the following songs:
Change; Back On My Feet Again; In Dreams; Every Time I Think of You; Band Intro; Prelude; New York City Girl; Best Of What I Got; Missing You; Head First; Rock and Roll; When I See You Smile*.
* Bonus Track

Mp3 samples on:

Band:
John Waite: Lead Vox, Rhythm Guitar on “In Dreams” & “When I See You Smile”
Tim Hogan: Bass Guitar
Luis Maldonado: Lead Guitar, Backing Vox
Billy Wilkes: Drums, Backing Vox
Weblinks:

Goo Goo Dolls, new exclusive video from 'The Inner Machine ...'

The Goo Goo Dolls are gearing up for their US tour starting in April in Indianapolis, IN in support of their upcoming new album, 'Something For The Rest Of Us' and the tour runs on through May and into June.
Here and there, they've been sharing videos from tour rehearsals mainly with their fan club members - 'The Inner Machine' - but every now and then, with others.

..Preview the latest Inner Machine exclusive video. Studio Cam, Episode 16 - John tracking guitars on a new song. Full video and more on The Inner Machine, but this through YouTube:

For a full list of Goo Goo Dolls tour dates, go here:

REO SPEEDWAGON FORCED TO RESCHEDULE TWO SHOWS THIS WEEKEND DUE TO ILLNESS

Los Angeles, CA...March 25, 2010 - Due to doctor's orders, REO Speedwagon is forced to, regretfully, reschedule two shows this weekend as a result of a severe flu REO guitarist Dave Amato is experiencing. The March 26th show at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan, IL and the March 27th show at the Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet, IL will be rescheduled; announcement of the new dates to come shortly.

"Dave is one of the true rock warriors and, if he could, he would absolutely be on stage this weekend," said lead singer Kevin Cronin. "As much as we hate to postpone these concerts, we have to respect doctor's orders. The truth is that we know both of these shows would be packed with some of our most loyal fans; and we would not be able to do our best for you guys under these conditions."

All tickets for the shows this weekend will be honored for the rescheduled dates. If ticket holders can no longer attend these newly rescheduled dates, they can contact the box offices at 815-726-6600 in Joliet, or 847-263-6300 in Waukegan, or Ticketmaster Customer Service at 800-653-8000.

Heaven and Hell 2010 Tour Dates

Posted yesterday over at the Black Sabbath website, are the following Heaven and Hell tour dates, but as Joe Siegler says there, these are all conditional on Ronnie James Dio's recovery, which seems to have been going good to date, all things considered!

Here's to Ronnie's recovery... Some 2010 Tour Dates!
June 2010* Jun 13 - Burgenland, Austria (Nova Rock Festival)
* Jun 18 - Zurich, Switzerland (Sonisphere)
* Jun 19 - Prague, Czech Republic (Sonisphere)
* Jun 22 - Sofia, Bulgaria (Sonisphere)
* Jun 25 - Bucharest, Romania (Sonisphere)
* Jun 27 - Istanbul, Turkey (Sonisphere)
July 2010
* Jul 8 - Lisbon, Portugal (Optimus Alive Festival)
* Jul 10 - Barcelona, Spain (Sonisphere)
* Jul 24 - London, England (High Voltage Festival - Victoria Park)
August 2010
* Aug 07 - Stockholm, Sweden (Sonisphere)
* Aug 08 - Pori, Finland (Sonisphere)
* Aug 15 - England (Bloodstock Metal Festival)

Keep up to date with Ronnie's health updates through his site, thanks to his wife Wendy Dio:

Axl Rose being sued by former management

It seems, a number of news sites around the globe are posting the story that Guns 'N' Roses frontman Axl Rose is being sued by his former management company, Front Line Management.
It seems they signed an agreement with the Guns N’ Roses mainman in 2008, whereby they were guaranteed 15 percent of all money made by the band.
They are currently demanding just under $2M as their share of what the band has made during recent tours of Asia, Canada and South America.
Also see:

Creedence Clearwater Revisited Announce 2010 Tour Dates

Stu Cook and Doug "Cosmo" Clifford, two founding members of American rock institution Creedence Clearwater Revival, will tour North America in 2010 as Creedence Clearwater Revisited and yes, they will be playing classic CCR songs! I mean, what other reason would there be to go other than to see "Proud Mary," "Midnight Special" and "Travelin' Band"? These are classics from the Americana rock songbook and both new and old generations of fans want to see those tunes.

Creedence Clearwater Revisited also includes powerhouse lead singer/rhythm guitar player John Tristao, lead guitarist Tal Morris and multi instrumentalist/vocalist Steve Gunner.
The above info from: 

Dates as follows:
April 2010
04/10/10 Central Park Palm Coast, FL
04/16/10 Inn of The Mountain Gods Casino Events Ctr Mescalero, NM
04/17/10 The Cannery Casino and Hotel N. Las Vegas, NV
04/23/10 Dakota Magic Casino Hankinson, ND
04/24/10 Northern Lights Casino Walker, MN
04/25/10 Northern Lights Casino Walker, MN
04/29/10 Tuacahn Amphitheatre Ivins, UT
May 2010
05/01/10 Heartland Events Center Grand Island, NE
05/08/10 Dixon May Fairgrounds Dixon, CA
05/21/10 Emerald Queen Casino Tacoma, WA
05/22/10 River Cree Resort and Casino Enoch, Alberta
05/23/10 Northern Quest Casino - Pend O’Reille Pav Spokane, WA
June 2010
06/04/10 Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort Mount Pleasant, MI
06/05/10 Harrah’s Atlantic City Atlantic City, NJ
06/11/10 Caesar’s Windsor - The Colosseum Windsor, Ontario
06/12/10 Harrah’s Joliet - Outdoors Joliet, IL
06/18/10 Spirit Mountain Casino Event Center Grand Ronde, OR
06/25/10 Beau Rivage Resort Biloxi, MS
06/26/10 Gold Strike Casino - Millenium Theatre Robinsonville, MS
06/27/10 Black Oak Mountain Amphitheatre Lampe, MO
July 2010
07/02/10 Soboba Casino Arena San Jacinto, CA
07/15/10 Parc Beausejour Rimouski, Quebec
07/17/10 Busch Gardens Williamsburg Williamsburg, VA
07/18/10 Busch Gardens Williamsburg Williamsburg, VA
07/20/10 Artpark Lewiston, NY
07/21/10 Ridgefield Playhouse Ridgefield, CT
07/23/10 Lac a la Tortue Beach Lac a la Tortue
07/24/10 Mountain Fest Motorcycle Rally Morgantown, WV
07/25/10 Indian Ranch Webster, MA
07/27/10 Count Basie Theatre Red Bank, NJ
07/30/10 Casino Rama Entertainment Centre Rama, Ontario
07/31/10 Casino Rama Entertainment Centre Rama, Ontario
August 2010
08/07/10 Dixie Landin’ Theme Park Baton Rouge, LA
08/08/10 Buffalo Chip Campground Sturgis, SD
08/12/10 Humphrey’s Concerts by the Bay San Diego, CA
08/13/10 Ventura County Fair Ventura, CA
08/14/10 Western Mountana Fairgrounds Missoula, MT
08/20/10 Chase County Fair and Expo Imperial, NE
08/21/10 River Roots Live Festival Davenport, IA
08/27/10 First Council Casino Newkirk, OK
08/28/10 Garden City Fair Garden City, KS
September 2010
09/03/10 Wind River Casino Riverton, WY
09/05/10 Peppermill Wendover Casino Concert Hall Wendover, NV
09/09/10 Madera District Fair Madera, CA
09/10/10 Hutchins Street Square Lodi, CA
09/11/10 The Orleans Hotel and Casino Las Vegas, NV
09/12/10 The Orleans Hotel and Casino Las Vegas, NV
09/15/10 Wells Fargo Center For The Arts Santa Rosa, CA
09/16/10 Los Angeles County Fairgrounds Pomona, CA
09/17/10 Montalvo Arts Center Garden Theatre Saratoga, CA 
For all confirmed dates check with:

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Thursday, March 25, 2010

Rock News for Thursday 25th March, 2010

Hear the new Stone Temple Pilots new single “Between the Lines”
  
Prior to the release of Stone Temple Pilots new self titled album, you can hear their brand new single 'Between The Lines' first right here:


It sounds good to me, a little like a heavy Tom Petty type sound, but with the edge you'd expect from STP.
Good stuff indeed!

Also, Live Nation has hooked up with STP to let you place your pre-order now for eith just the new album or a T-Shirt and new album package deal, right here:
or just the CD in a pre-sale offer here:



 
AMERICAN HI-FI - READY TO ‘FIGHT THE FREQUENCY’ ON JUNE 22;
“LOST” SINGLE AND VIDEO IMPACTING IN COMING WEEKS

(Photo Credit: Adam Elmakias)
AMERICAN HI-FI is ready to 'FIGHT THE FREQUENCY' and back to their roots with their fourth studio album, due out June 22 on their own label, Hi-Fi Killers/The Ascot Club (through Megaforce/RED/Sony). It’s the highly anticipated follow-up to 2005’s 'HEARTS ON PARADE' (Maverick). It was produced by singer/guitarist Stacy Jones and recorded at his studio in Los Angeles, The Deathstar.

The first single and video, “Lost,” from the original line-up--Stacy Jones (singer/guitarist), Drew Parsons (bass), Jamie Arentzen (guitars) and Brian Nolan (drums)—will be released in the coming weeks.

As Jones recently explained on http://www.altpress.com/: “I think we've circled back to the first record in terms of sonics and style. We've moved back to big, riff-driven guitar parts with melodies on top and a slightly harder edge.” Jones later added, “In the past, there was always the pressures and expectations that came from being on a record label. Now, we have the freedom to put the business aside and just play rock music like we always wanted!”

So what’s the band been doing for the past five years? They’ve mostly been busy with Miley Cyrus. Singer Stacy Jones has been her music director and drummer, while Jamie Arentzen has been her guitarist. They’ve both been featured in everything and anything Miley Cyrus, including the 2009 movie and “Best Of Both Worlds” concert film/DVD. Jones has also produced records for artists such as Ingrid Michaelson, Meg & Dia, The Cab, Plain White T’s, and many others.

Over the course of their 10-year career, American Hi-Fi has sold over 1 million albums thanks to hit singles such as the Top 10 smash “Flavor Of The Weak,” “Another Perfect Day” (which was used as Coca-Cola’s theme for the 2002 Winter Olympics) and “The Art Of Losing,” and they’ve toured the world with artists such as Elvis Costello, Matchbox Twenty, Bon Jovi and Fall Out Boy. Before teaming up as American Hi-Fi, the band members performed as part of various influential bands from the ‘90s Alternative Rock scene, including Veruca Salt and Letters to Cleo, and with Tanya Donelly, Tracy Bonham, Aimee Mann, and Juliana Hatfield individually. Their songs have been heard on TV shows and commercials such as Coors, Labatt Blue, Verizon, “Boston Public,” “24” and “Dawson’s Creek,” video games including “Guitar Hero 3,” and in movies including “American Pie 2,” “Freaky Friday,” “Van Wilder” and “Superman Returns.”

Stay tuned for news about upcoming U.S. tour dates.
Here’s the complete track listing for FIGHT THE FREQUENCY:
1. Acetate
2. Bullet
3. Fight The Frequency
4. Frat Clump
5. Keep It Like A Secret
6. Lookout For Hope
7. Lost
8. Recover The Stars
9. Stargazer
10. A Taste For Crime
11. This Is A Low
12. Tiny Spark
13. Where Love Is A Lie

Australia's KARNIVOOL US Tour update

Australia's KARNIVOOL demolished Austin, TX last week with multiple shows throughout the SXSW music festival, even sneaking in a few special acoustic sets, both planned and impromptu. They discussed their experiences with Outback Steakhouse with Village Voice Media, slayed Full Metal Texas, chatted w/ Rockpit and made the Top 10 with Metromix coming to NYC.

This week starts the U.S. tour behind 'Sound Awake,' the internationally lauded full-length that has already conquored Australia and most of the Europe. Two tracks, "All I Know" and "Set Fire To The Hive" just landed on the APRA Song Of The Year Shortlist. Check out the full list of contenders here.

THE VOOL will be in your town shortly so come out and see what everybody else knows.
 
Check out Karnivool's Soundawake page, with music, photos, etc here:
 
KARNIVOOL Current U.S. TOUR dates:

March 2010 
March 26 Jacksonville, NC Hooligan's
March 27 Augusta, GA Sky City
March 28 Charleston, SC The Oasis
March 30 Baltimore, MD The Quarter
March 31 New York, NY Gramercy Theater
April 2010
April 1 Philadelphia, PA The Note
April 2 Hartford, CT Webster Underground
April 3 Providence, RI Club Hell
April 5 Toronto, ONT Wreck Room
April 7 Cleveland, OH Peabody's
April 8 Louisville, KY Phoenix Hill Tavern
April 9 Chicago, IL Penny Road
April 10 Flint, MI Machine Shop
April 11 Madison, WI The Annex
April 12 Minneapolis, MN The Rock
April 14 Denver, CO Marquee
April 16 Sacramento, CA Boardwalk
April 17 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
** w/ Deftones, Sevendust & Drowning Pool

Lostboy AKA Jim Kerr latest update


Simple Minds frontman, Jim Kerr's forthcoming new solo album 'LostBoy! A.K.A.' is now available for pre-order at the following links:

A free download is still available for http://www.simpleminds.com/ members.
The track is called 'Refugee' and it's a belter!
Simply visit http://www.lostboyaka.com/, enter your email address and follow the link you're sent to access your copy of the track.

Hear the first single 'Shadowland' at the LOSTBOY! A.K.A. YOUTUBE CHANNEL:

More LostBoy! A.K.A. preview shows have been announced:
The Den Atelier, Luxembourg on the 27th May 2010
Hamburg, Germany - The Knust, 25th May 2010
Cologne, Germany - The Underground, 26th May 2010
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Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Rock News for Wednesday 24th March, 2010

TRIUMPH’S MAJESTIC ARENA ANTHEMS CELEBRATED ON NEW CD/DVD SET, ‘GREATEST HITS: REMIXED’


Few acts could whip an arena full of rockers into a frenzy as Triumph did throughout the late ‘70s and ‘80s, when the group’s best known line-up – guitarist/vocalist Rik Emmett, bassist/keyboardist Mike Levine, and drummer/vocalist Gil Moore - were at the peak of their powers. And it’s this exact time period that is focused on throughout Triumph’s new “best of” set - ‘Greatest Hits: Remixed’ - which will be released on May 18, 2010.

All of the classic tunes that were - and continue to be - in heavy rotation on rock radio (and the early days of MTV) are included here, namely, “Lay it on the Line,” “Hold On,” “Fight the Good Fight,” “Magic Power,” etc.

These fourteen tracks of anthemic metal have never sounded so good, as they were all recently remixed by Rich Chycki (who has previously worked with Aerosmith and Rush). The set also includes a previously unreleased recording - “Love Hurts” - which will be the lead-off single from Triumph’s ‘Greatest Hits: Remixed.’

"We have been planning this release forever," says Levine. "For years, Triumph fans have been demanding that we give them a fresh greatest hits package and they are going to love this one."

Also included in the set is a DVD mixed in 5.1 audio, that features eleven promo and live videos in widescreen (plus additional unreleased videos for “Child of the City,” “Blinding Light Show,” and “Love Hurts,” and footage of the group’s 2008 induction into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame).

The deluxe two-disc package will be housed in a six-panel digipak – including a 20-page color booklet, complete with liner notes, lyrics, and chockfull of vintage photos.
Whether you’re a long-time Triumph fanatic or a new convert, you have never heard the group as crystal clear and loud n’ proud as you will throughout ‘Greatest Hits: Remixed.’ "’Greatest Hits: Remixed’ rocks like no other Triumph set,” declares Moore. “This is the definitive Triumph collector’s edition."

Track listing for ‘Greatest Hits: Remixed’ CD:
1. Allied Forces
2. Lay it on the Line
3. Follow Your Heart
4. Magic Power
5. I Live For the Weekend
6. Hold On
7. Just One Night
8. Fight the Good Fight
9. Spellbound
10. Never Surrender
11. When the Lights Go Down
12. Somebody’s Out There
13. Rock and Roll Machine
14. Love Hurts

Track listing for ‘Greatest Hits: Remixed’ DVD:
1. Follow Your Heart
2. Lay it on the line
3. Spellbound
4. Magic Power
5. When the Lights Go Down
6. Hold On
7. Just One Night
8. Somebody’s Out There
9. Allied Forces
10. Never Surrender
11. Never Say Never

Bonus Videos
1. Child of the City
2. Blinding Light Show ( Bootleg: Filmed on Fan Cam )
3. Love Hurts
To keep up with the band and all things Triumph visit:

A update note from Michael Schenker
(Photo image courtesy of www.michaelschenkerhimself.com )

Heres' the latest message from Michael Schenker to his fans regarding the DVD recorded in Japan.
This should be a good one as the line up included:
Michael Schenker
Gary Barden
Simon Phillips
Neil Murray
 Wayne Findlay

We successfully finished the MSG - 30th Anniversary - (Special Line-up) Japan Tour.
A DVD and Recording featuring live footage from this tour will be released in Autumn.

Also, a long awaited Instructional DVD will be available in stores soon.
All the best
Michael
 
In addition at his site, this news item:
On March 27th Michael will be performing at the Frankfurt Musikmesse (Agora Stage, 13:30 - 14:00 Uhr) with ex Scorpions drummer, Herman Rarebell and Kingdom Come front man, Lenny Wolf on vocals. Also, part of the line-up will be Wayne Findlay (MSG, Slaviour) on guitar/keyboards and Elliott Dean on bass.

Rik Emmett Toronto Guitar clinic this Thursday 25th March.

More Triumph related stuff too!
Join Rik Emmett and Dave Dunlop at Long & McQuade (Toronto) this coming Thursday, March 25th at 7:00pm.
Rik and Dave will perform a few tunes (both electric and acoustic), take questions, and do a meet & greet signing autographs for fans.

Long & McQuade
925 Bloor St. W.
Toronto, Ontario
Phone: (416) 588-7886
Map and store details:

Judas Priest featured in new book
 
Judas Priest is featured in a new book, Full Metal Jackie Certified: The 50 Most Influential Heavy Metal Songs of the '80s and the True Stories Behind Their Lyrics. In a new interview conducted exclusively for the book, Rob Halford details the creative process that resulted in "Breaking the Law", "Electric Eye," and "Eat Me Alive," in full chapters about each song that also examine their social and cultural signficance, both then and today.


Full Metal Jackie Certified: The 50 Most Influential Heavy Metal Songs of the '80s and the True Stories Behind Their Lyrics is in-stock or available for order at major book retailers, and also online at:
and other online retailers.

Chickenfoot Teams up w/ Aqua Teen Hunger Force


Chickenfoot aka - Joe (Satriani), Chad (Smith), Mike (Anthony) and Sammy (Hagar) step into the very strange world of Aqua Teen Hunger Force this Sunday night on Adult Swim TV. Check out the episode of "I Am a Pod" in which Shake orders what he thinks is an Ipod, but turns out to be seeds to grow a Pod (a la Invasion of the Body Snatchers). The Pod is a huge Chickenfoot fan and ultimately gets to meet the band at one of their shows, turning them into aliens, and hence they take over the world on their tour. More info at http://adultswim.com/shows/aquateenhungerforce
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Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Rock News for Tuesday 23rd March, 2010

Sorry for the slow start today folks ... Been a busy family day here, much to do, but without any further delay ...

UK Festival goers in for treat, as more acts get added  to both High Voltage and Download gigs

Download Festival, which happens at the UK's Donington Park racetrack from June 11-13, has already announced it's headliners, but names continue to be added as is happening with the High Voltage festival in London's Victoria Park on Sat. 24th and Sun. 25th July, giving the UK's hard rock festival starved fans all they could ask for!
Me personally, I wish I could be there for the High Voltage festival, what an awesome bill!

Here's the current line up for Download:
FRIDAY, JUNE 11

Main Stage:
AC/DC
Them Crooked Vultures
Wolfmother

Second Stage:
Bullet For My Valentine
Coheed & Cambria
A Day To Remember
36 Crazy Fists
Job For A Cowboy
Unearth
Lawnmower Deth

SATURDAY, JUNE 12

Main Stage:
Rage Against The Machine
Deftones
Megadeth
Lamb Of God
Five Finger Death Punch
Hell Yeah
Taking Dawn

Second Stage:
30 Seconds To Mars
HIM
The Blackout
Volbeat
We Are The Fallen
Rise To Remain
Y&T

SUNDAY, JUNE 13

Main Stage:
Aerosmith
Stone Temple Pilots
Motorhead
Billy Idol
Cinderella
Saxon
Ratt
Dommin
Second Stage:
Stone Sour
Airbourne
Steel Panther
Dillinger Escape Plan
August Burns Red
Whitechapel

A lot more bands are expected to be confirmed in the coming weeks.

Day Tickets for Download 2010 will go on sale from 9am on Tuesday, March 23 and can be bought from http://www.downloadfestival.co.uk/ Each day priced at £75. Weekend and camping tickets, plus limited VIP packages, are also still available.
High Voltage festival


For all the details on High Voltage including all ticket details:

"You Really Got Me - The Story of the Kinks" Coming To DVD on May 18

Contains some of The Kinks finest moments and is full of rarely seen performances from the sixties right through to the nineties.

Voiceprint and MVD Visual are pleased to announce the release of "You Really Got Me - The Story of the Kinks" for North American distribution on May 18.

This DVD contains some of the Kinks finest moments and is full of rarely seen performances from the sixties right through to the nineties and also contains comments from the various members of the band including Ray Davies, Dave Davies and Mick Avory.

Some of the performances featured here include You Really Got Me, 'Til The End Of The Day, Waterloo Sunset, Days, Celluloid Heroes and many more including the Dave Davies hit single Death Of A Clown. Footage comes from live concerts and television performances in America, the UK, Germany and Japan.

Of all the British bands that broke through commercially in America who were part of the "British Invasion" of the sixties, one band stood head and shoulders above all the others as being quintessentially English ... The Kinks.

Led by Ray Davies and his younger brother Dave Davies, the Kinks burst onto the music scene in 1964 with their ground breaking hit single You Really Got Me. This was the band's third single and it reached number one in the UK singles chart and made the American top ten.

Along with the Davies brothers the band was made up of bassist Pete Quaife and drummer Mick Avory. Originally, like many other aspiring band of the early sixties they were an aspiring rhythm and blues band and their first two singles bear out this claim, although the second single You Still Want Me was the first Kinks single to be written by Ray Davies.

Once the band broke through with You Really Got Me they were off and running and further hit singles followed with All Day And All Of The Night, Tired Of Waiting For You, Set Me Free and A Well Respected Man (all of which were written by Ray Davies, as was the vast majority of the Kinks material) all doing well within the next twelve months. In fact the Kinks were considered one of the biggest bands of the period and Ray Davies, one of the eras more important and highly regarded song writers.

The band continued until mid 1996 and since that time has been inactive as a band with both Ray and Dave Davies releasing solo material. In 2004, Dave Davies suffered a stroke but since that time has made a slow but steady recovery. Ray Davies has also said he is keen to reunite the Kinks and rumours persist that this may happen in 2010


AVA (Angels and Airwaves) Live concert broadcast this Friday 26th March at FUEL TV

Live performance airs this Friday, March 26 @ 9:00pm ET / 6:00pm PT

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FUEL TV, the only network dedicated to the lifestyle of action sports, is excited to announce that it will be broadcasting and webcasting a live concert of Angels & Airwaves on Friday, March 26, 2010 at 9:00pm ET/6:00pm PT. Fans can either tune in to FUEL TV or log on to www.fuel.tv/ava/live to watch the performance.

Foo Fighters to reunite with Nirvana producer

This story from the BBC's website.

Dave Grohl will reunite with producer Butch Vig for the first time since recording Nirvana's Nevermind to work on Foo Fighters' new album.


The 41-year-old drummer and singer will begin recording the follow-up to the band's 2007 album 'Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace' in September of this year.

He said: "It's the first album the two of us have made together in 20 years.
"There's something that Butch does that helps a song become a bigger song. At this point I just want to rock."
Dave Grohl is currently touring Europe with his side-project Them Crooked Vultures.
To read the full story go here:
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Monday, March 22, 2010

Update for Monday 22nd March, 2010

Well folks, not a whole lot new to share today ... Very little update news for you.
Plenty of items in for review right now, DVD's and CD's so hoping to get more of those covered for your reading pleasure soon!

Hopefully Tuesday will bring more news of note. Enjoy the rest of your Monday! :)

Single news item ..

Kings of Southern Rock Lynyrd Skynyrd join with King of Reality TV Bret Michaels and 38 Special for 2010 Concert Tour!!! 

NASHVILLE, TN – Yes, you read it right…three extraordinary acts… one stage! The Cruzan Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, Florida will be the first stop on a multi-city tour with legendary artists Lynyrd Skynyrd and Bret Michaels with guests 38 Special. Starting June 2010, the sparks fly and the amps go to 11! Produced by Live Nation, a collaboration of this scale is definitely going to be a powerful live experience for fans.

Speaking about the tour, Johnny Van Zant said,”The band and I have been friends with Bret for years and are looking forward to finally getting to tour with him. It's going to be a kick-ass show complete with new music plus all the fan favorites. Skynyrd will definitely be pulling for Bret to become the next Celebrity Apprentice!"

“There is no doubt that Lynyrd Skynyrd is one of my all time favorite rock and roll bands. I have been friends with them a long time, so I am honored that Skynyrd has asked me to join them on their tour this summer” says Bret Michaels. “I will have a chance to play all the Poison greatest hits, plus all the new solo hits including "Nothing to Lose" (featuring Miley Cyrus), songs from "Rock of Love," "Celebrity Apprentice" and the new solo CD "Custom Built." The Lynyrd Skynyrd / Bret Michaels tour will be a summer concert celebration of awesome music, amazing fans and most important a kick ass night of rock and roll. To sum it up Lynyrd Skynyrd / Bret Michaels is a nothing but a good time summer party that will rock your world.”

Confirmed tour dates include:
June 2010
Thu Jun 10 West Palm Beach, FL Cruzan Amphitheatre
Sun Jun 13 Houston, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Thu Jun 17 Birmingham, AL Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Fri Jun 18 Raleigh, NC Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion
Sat Jun 19 Charlotte, NC Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Sun Jun 20 Virginia Beach, VA Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Thu Jun 24 Detroit, MI DTE Energy CenterMusic Theatre
Fri Jun 25 Chicago, IL* First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
Sat Jun 26 St. Louis, MO Verizon Wireless Amphitheaterre
Sun Jun 27 Indianapolis, IN Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
July 2010
Thu Jul 01 Boston, MA Comcast Center
Fri Jul 02 Holmdel, NJ P.N.C Bank Arts Centre
Sat Jul 03 Buffalo, NY Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
Thu Jul 08 Cleveland Blossom Music CenterPavilion
Fri Jul 09 Washington, DC Jiffy Lube Pavilion Live
Sat Jul 10 Hartford, CT Comcast Theatre
Sun Jul 11 Pittsburgh, PA First Niagara Pavilion

Tickets go on sale beginning March 26th at LiveNation.com

About Lynyrd Skynyrd: The band has enjoyed continued success and visibility in the past few years including a Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction. Their American rock anthem “Sweet Home Alabama” has passed the 2 million mark in downloaded ringtones. With the release of their 'God & Guns' CD last fall, the band once again climbed the Rock Charts with the single "Still Unbroken". High profile appearances, including the show closer at VH1 Fashion Rocks helped to expose the band to a younger audience. With a catalog of over 60 albums and sales beyond 30 million, Lynyrd Skynyrd remains a major cultural icon that appeals to all generations.

About Bret Michaels: Bret Michaels, front man of the legendary rock band Poison and hit reality shows , Nashville Star, Rock of Love, and now Celebrity Apprentice is currently promoting his new hit single “Nothing to Lose”, featuring Miley Cyrus. Bret has sold over 25 million records and has scored an amazing 15 chartbusting Top 40 singles including "Talk Dirty to Me," “Nothing But a Good Time” and the timeless #1 smash "Every Rose Has Its Thorn." Rock of Love with Bret Michaels has been an enormous ratings winner for VH1. The series has became the highest rated show on VH1 and has consistently won its time slot when aired, including multiple airings. He also is working on his autobiography with Simon and Shuster called “Roses and Thorns.”

About 38 Special: Formed by neighborhood friends Don Barnes and Donnie Van Zant in 1975 in Jacksonville, Florida. By the early 1980s, 38 Special began amalgamating southern rock and arena rock in their music, thereby kicking off a string of successful albums and singles. Their first high-charting song was "Hold On Loosely" (1981); "Caught Up In You" (1982) and "If I'd Been The One" (1983) both hit #1 on Billboard magazine's Album Rock Tracks chart. "Back Where You Belong" (1984) continued the annual sequence of radio favorites, and "Second Chance" (1989), a #1 hit on Billboard's adult contemporary chart, was sung by former Specialist Max Carl. The current lineup consists of Barnes, Van Zant, guitarist Danny Chauncey, bassist Larry Junstrom, keyboardist Bobby Capps and drummer Gary Moffatt.
*38 Special will not be part of the Chicago show.
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Sunday, March 21, 2010

Talon - Fire in Your Soul CD review

Talon – Fire In Your Soul CD review (Metal Mayhem Music via MVD)


You know, this is an interesting release from Talon as it was put out late last year here in the US, but just recently found its way to my mailbox, even more interesting is according to the sleeve notes, all songs on here were written in 2002, what the heck??!
More so you’ll realize that the first 11 tracks on Talon’s first self titled album from 2003 are the same first 11 tracks here.

‘Fire in Your Soul’ actually has 8 bonus tracks that were not on that first release, but some of these have shown up on other rock compilations here and there, as well as 2 demo’s with original vocalist Craig Kazor on.
I also confess, I’ve really heard very little of Talon’s music before this even though I’ve heard good things here and there, through forums and other reviews I’ve read elsewhere over time.

So, this release, ‘Fire in Your Soul,’ was very appealing and the big bonus was there’s a Talon live DVD in this 2 disc set from their 2003 appearance at the UK’s ‘Gods’ festival and the trip over there from the USA. Fun stuff!

The band was founded around guitarist Kory Voxen – Voxen in fact, was the bands original name. – and drummer and it seems driving force behind the band, John Parker.

So, what do I think of this release? Well what I can tell you is I’m now a fan of the band for sure!
I’d also say that I think there’s a huge European influence to this band, where I hear elements of say, Scorpions, UFO, Bonfire, Praying Mantis, Kraaft (Anyone remember them?!) and even some of the UK’s NWOBHM to the music, but it is not without melody. These guys know how to write good songs, with strong melodies, in a similar way to some of the aforementioned bands and its good strong melodic hard rock.

Opening with ‘Wrecking Ball,’ the band grab you instantly and the vocals of Michael O’Mara are impressive too.
Title track, ‘Fire in Your Soul,’ I just love as its heavy, driving and yet full of hooks, big vocals in the choruses too.

The acoustic intro to ‘Still You Run’ then leads into a nice lead break and slow start, before then the pace picks up and grows into a nice pre-chorus and strong chorus before easing back in the verse and then picks up again. Nice.
The phrasing in the chorus of ‘Calling You Tonight’ may throw some people, but it’s a clever twist and there’s a big AOR vibe to this track.

‘Talon in My Heart’ gave a vision of the movie, Rock Star’s ‘Steel Dragon’ with the opening guitar squeal, but again the song moves on and there’s almost a Michael Schenker style evident about some of the guitar playing here, who I’d hazard to guess lead guitarist Jim Kee may be influenced by a little amongst others.

Punchy commercial power chords drive ‘Falling Star’ and the chorus is big enough to back them up too before another impressive lead break.
‘Mother Mary May I,’ is an up tempo driven track, from the start and into big harmony driven vocal choruses.

Wow, a piano starts ‘Holding You Soon,’ for the first time on here, into a big power ballad. Soulful vocals from O’Mara with some haunting, moving lead guitar work following and then it soars a little before coming back down again. Nice work here.

‘All Is Not Forgiven’ I could imagine being massive with a major production job behind it, again the catchy power chords, great lead work and unforgettable chorus, of a wounded heart.

‘Livin’ For Your Love’ and ‘Rock and Roll Runaway’ still both good, although perhaps predictable songs according to the titles. Good strong choruses and yes, great lead guitar work.

So to the bonus tracks with ‘Paradise’ first which apparently was a Japanese bonus track before. Fits well with the other tracks, although perhaps not so strong hook wise.
‘Blood Red Rose’ is an unreleased track from the first album sessions and why it wasn’t track twelve on the bands first album or just included elsewhere beats me? Stronger than ‘Paradise’ I’d say.

Next is an ‘Alternative mix’ of ‘Wrecking Ball’ to be honest, some different guitar work, but … To me, if a song is not a complete re-write as say a rock song to a ballad or vice versa, it hardly seems worth it. Just my take …

‘Evil’ next actually makes me think of Dio in places and is another good track along with ‘Euphoria’ next, both good songs.

The two demo’s with the bands original vocalist Craig Kazor of ‘All is Not Forgiven’ and ‘Mother Mary May I,’ well sorry but I can see why Michael O’Mara was brought in, although I understand now, that he has gone. Shame …
Talon’s latest singer is Dave Friday, who I know even less about.

Final track here is a demo version of ‘Holding You Tonight,’ which is OK too.
The bonus DVD is a lot of fun and certainly makes the 2 CD set worth getting, to get yourself a serious insight into this band and a VFM (Value For Money) package.

This is a good release that I do like a lot, I’m not totally blown away, but I’m sure the band has a lot more to offer, perhaps with a better production and mix that will come.

Rating: 3 out of 5 for music / production. 4 / 5 for VFM package.
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