Meat Loaf Announces Farewell Tour

The vocalist has just announced the ‘Last at Bat’ tour of the U.K., which is intended to be his final trek in the country.
The musician has described the tour as his “final goodbye” to his U.K. fans and he’s making the shows something special as a result. The performance will be split into two parts. The first is expected to focus on hits from throughout his career, while the latter portion will be a full performance of his 1977 album ‘Bat Out of Hell‘ in its entirety.

Covering ‘Bat Out of Hell’ is an obvious choice as the disc sold over 45 million records for the singer. Meat Loaf says, “When Jim [Steinman] and I first came together, we couldn’t have dreamt the profound effect ‘Bat Out of Hell’ would have on both our lives and the lives of our fans around the world … This show promises to be an exciting event. I know the fans will enjoy the show as much as I enjoyed putting it together.” Meat Loaf will follow the U.K. shows with a trek through Germany, and it’s unclear as of this writing exactly when his last concert date will be.

Meat Loaf recently had knee surgery to make sure he would be ready for touring again. His fall North American tour, the ‘Mad Mad World’ trek, ran into scheduling difficulty when the East Coast run coincided with the arrival of Hurricane Sandy. Four New York-area shows were canceled indefinitely as a result. The singer made headlines during his summer 2011 tour by passing out on stage on two different occasions, and declared in August that he would rather die during a performance than reduce his tour schedule.chad childers

Bon Jovi announces major new Because We Can tour

just announced a new tour that's going to take them to at least five continents. (See dates below). That's why his songwriting partner, Richie Sambora, just recorded another solo album and toured, and why David Bryan used his "spare time" to write the Tony-winning Broadway hit "Memphis." And the whole band gathered in a movie theater Tuesday night to take live questions from fans around the world. Plenty of bands have strong work ethics, but these guys are insane.



The new tour, Because We Can, is groundbreaking in its concept. They've tiered the ticket prices to seven different levels, partly to thwart the scalpers and partly to give fans a break. While there are some high-end VIP packages available, thousands of tickets are priced at $19.50. Tickets for 1987's "Slippery When Wet" tour were $16.50 -- which is $32.15 in today's dollars when adjusted for inflation. So it's technically cheaper to see them now than it was to see them back then.



Sambora -- whom Bon Jovi describes as "my right-hand man. He's Dean to my Frank" -- took a few minutes from his schedule to talk about the new tour.



MSN: How was your live Q&A with fans from the theater? I'm told that had never been done before.



Sambora: "It's the first time anything like that ever happened. We interacted with our fans, which we do a lot. We had a Q&A with the fans both on Twitter feed and our website. Questions were coming in from everywhere, Australia, South America, Europe. It was really cool. We've got a lot of new music to put out there, so that's what we're doing."



So those people overseas must have been up in the middle of the night to submit the questions.



"Thank God for our fans. I was just in Europe -- I just put out a solo album 'Aftermath of the Lowdown,' and I was in Europe for a solo tour. They sold out in presale! There were people who went to every show. There were people there from China, for God's sake! It's crazy."



Well you're on Twitter all the time, it seems.



"Absolutely! At least a couple of times a day. It's definitely me, man. I enjoy it. I like to hear people's opinions. Sometimes I'll just have a question of the day and put it up there because I'm curious about what people think."



You've been a band who are willing to experiment, whether it's your residencies in large stadiums or your new tour where you've gone with tickets priced as low as $19.50.



"It's a band philosophy that came from a long, long time ago, even before we had hit records. We said 'Let's play everywhere. Live, live, live. Let's tour everywhere.' We didn't have a hit record, but we played in all these countries supporting other bands or playing a club tour. What happened was the garden was seeded. The only thing missing was a hit record. Then 'Slippery' hit, and we had a bunch of hit records (laughs). It exploded worldwide. We've always taken a global stance on making music and taking the tour on the road. When the grunge era came in, in the early '90s we went out and broke 20 new markets. Our sales really didn't suffer that much, and we were able to remain ourselves artistically."



Where does that work ethic come from? When you're not touring, you're all still working.



"It's really important when you're a band that stays together all this time, that everybody does have their individual efforts that they can be an individual with. That's very, very important stuff. Lucky for us we all support each other's efforts, whatever it may be. Anytime you do something different, you bring back a whole new knowledge to the band. It's like it's brand-new again. It's a good learning process and it also freshens the relationship. A band is very much like a marriage. If you limit yourself in that relationship … that doesn't work. Here, everybody gets a chance to do their own things."by msn music

Feb. 9 Uncasville, CT
Feb. 10 Washington, DC
Feb. 13/14 Montreal, QUE
Feb. 17/18 Toronto, ONT
Feb. 20 Ottowa, ONT
Feb. 21 Pittsburgh, PA
Feb. 27 Atlanta, GA
March 1 Tampa, FL
March 2 Ft. Lauderdale, FL
March 5 Charlotte, NC
March 6 Nashville, TN
March 9 Cleveland, OH
March 10 Columbus, OH
March 13 St. Louis, MO
March 14 Louisville, KY
March 16 Oklahoma City, OK (on sale soon)
March 17 Lubbock, TX (on sale soon)
April 2 Calgary, AB
April 3 Edmonton, AB
April 5 Winnipeg, MB
April 7 St. Paul, MN
April 10 Austin, TX (on sale soon)
April 11 Dallas, TX
April 13 Kansas City, MO
April 14 Des Moines, IA
April 16 Denver, CO
April 17 Salt Lake City, UT
April 19 Los Angeles, CA
April 20 Las Vegas, NV
April 23 Glendale, AZ
April 25 San Jose, CA
July 12 Chicago, IL
July 24/25 E. Rutherford, NJ

 

Led Zeppelin to Play on ‘Late Show with David Letterman’

Three surviving members of Led Zeppelin will be interviewed — but apparently will not perform — on Monday night’s (Dec. 3) episode of the ‘Late Show with David Letterman.’
Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones — who will be fresh off receiving the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor the night before — will turn up on Letterman’s couch to promote their newly released ‘Celebration Day’ live album, which documents their one-off 2007 reunion concert.by matthew wilkening

Paul McCartney and Wife Involved in Near-Disastrous Helicopter crash

Paul McCartney and wife Nancy Shevell weren’t aware they were within two feet of a terrible helicopter accident this past spring until after the chopper was safely on the ground. The Daily Mail reports the couple were being flown home, when the pilot became disoriented by the bad weather and nearly caught the tree tops surrounding his chopper pad.
Poor weather in East Sussex lead to the May 2012 incident, which is now being investigated. The pilot realized his altimeter read two feet, meaning he was just 24 inches from a fixed object, in this case the trees. He pulled up and opted to land at the nearby Lydd Airport in Kent instead of at the McCartney compound.
The chopper was a chartered Sikorsky S-76C with nine seats, weighing over five tons. The Daily Mail writes that neither the 70-year-old singer or the 52-year-old Shevell were aware how close they came to an accident that could have took their lives, eight months after they wed.by bill dukes

49 Years Ago: The Beatles Play ‘Rattle Your Jewelry’ Concert

Nov. 4, 1963, the Beatles  to politely applause at London’s Prince of Wales Theatre, as the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret gazed amid the crowd. But these four charming Liverpool lads were clearly royalty themselves.
Their massively successful debut album, ‘Please Please Me,’ had been released in March of that year, cementing their superstardom and the ‘Beatlemania’ phenomenon that would soon spread like wildfire across the planet. And as those rabid teenage girls screamed, and as radio stations and record labels scrambled to keep up with the changes, the Beatles continued to churn out innovative, note-perfect singles.

Between the release of ‘Please Please Me’ and their  concert at the London’s 1963 Royal Variety Show, the band released two of the most well-loved early Lennon-McCartney gems — the harmonica-laden ditty ‘From Me to You’ and the swooning anthem ‘She Loves You.’ All the while, they were recording their second studio album, the equally excellent ‘With the Beatles,’ which would be released on Nov. 22 of that year.

The quartet’s three-song set at the Royal Variety Show is shocking in retrospect. Freed from the droning teenage shrieks and general hysteria that accompanied most Beatles concerts, this set was — and is — a glimpse into the band’s respective live abilities, given that they could actually hear themselves sing and play. Opening with ‘From Me to You,’ all of the band’s boyish charm is on full-display. There are plenty of Paul McCartney head-bobs, awkward Ringo Starr smirks, and John Lennon toe-taps.

‘The next song that we’d like to sing now is — one — that’s…a — bit slower,’ McCartney fumbles, catching his breath, before diving into a gorgeous take on ‘Till There Was You’ (from the 1957 ‘The Music Man’). A longtime staple of the band’s early live sets in Hamburg, Germany, the song is built on McCartney’s booming, effortless vocal and George Harrison‘s silky guitar figures.
But the evening’s most infamous moment wasn’t of the musical variety. Before closing with a rousing version of ‘Twist and Shout,’ Lennon delivers one of the most infamous — and hilarious — bits of stage banter in music history: ‘For our last number, I’d like to ask your help. Will the people in the cheaper seats clap your hands? And for the rest of you, if you’ll just rattle your jewelry…’ Cemented with his toothy smile and sheepish thumbs-up, it’s a time-capsule moment in pop-culture history.by ryan reed

Eddie Vedder Live From Phoenix Sunday Novemeber 4th 2012

 

 

Hear Eddie Vedder perform live from the Comerica Theater in Phoenix, Arizona on Sunday, November 4th — exclusively on Pearl Jam Radio (channel 22). This is the first time ever that an Eddie Vedder concert has been broadcast live! Don't miss this exclusive concert broadcast — including a performance by special guest Glen Hansard (of The Frames and The Swell Season) — only on SiriusXM.   Vedder kicked off his much anticipated 2012 solo tour October 31 in Las Vegas, featuring songs from his latest solo album, Ukulele Songs. The tour continues until early December, ending in Clearwater, Florida on December 4th.   SiriusXM is giving away tickets to select dates on the tour. To Enter and see Official Rules, visit www.siriusxm.com/pearljamradio before Noon ET on November 9th. Thank you for being a loyal SiriusXM listener!

 

KISS KRUISE 2 Rocking

Kiss Kruise II set sail from Miami. As the ship left its port, fans were treated to an unmasked, acoustic show by the guests of honor on the pool deck of the Norwegian Pearl, which, for the next few days, can probably be renamed the “Dr. Love Boat.”

 the band posted the above image and the following message to its Facebook page: “Here’s more than 2200 KISS fans standing on the pool deck of the Norwegian Pearl waiting for KISS to take the stage for yesterday’s acoustic set!”

During the show, Kiss played such favorites as ‘Comin’ Home,’ ‘A Million to One’ and ‘All Hell’s Breakin’ Loose.’ The band also took requests from fans, and Paul Stanley told the crowd that there will be a Kiss Kruise III.

The ship’s launch was delayed to accommodate those whose travel times to Miami were affected by Hurricane Sandy, but that didn’t delay the festivities. Fittingly, Halloween was celebrated with a costume contest, which was judged by guitarist Tommy Thayer.

Kiss Kruise II continues through Nov. 4, making a one-day stop at Great Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas tomorrow. In addition to Kiss, Skid Row, Adler and several cover bands and lesser known acts are on the bill.by dave lifton

Journey VIP Ticket Experience

Journey

Buy Now Vipnation

VIP Package

• One ticket in the first 10 rows
• Photo op with Journey band members
• Backstage tour
• Pre-show refreshments
• Exclusive Journey gift bag
• Journey VIP commemorative laminate
• Crowd-free merchandise shopping
• Onsite VIP host

Tour Package

• One ticket in the first 20 rows
• Exclusive Journey gift

Rolling Stones to tour again

The legendary band said Monday it would return to the stage this year with four concerts in Britain and the U.S. The shows will take place on Nov. 25 and 29 at London's O2 Arena, followed by gigs on Dec. 13 and 15 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, just outside of New York.

The shows mark the first time in five years that the Stones have performed live, with Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood all coming together once more. The band said it was the "crowning glory" of celebrations marking its 50th anniversary of its first gig.
"Everybody loves a celebration, and London and New York are two good places to do it in!" Jagger said in a statement.

The Stones have sold more than 200 million records, with hits including "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," ''Street Fighting Man" and "You Can't Always Get What You Want."
But in recent years much of their income has come from touring. Their last global tour, "A Bigger Bang," earned more than $500 million between 2005 and 2007.

Their legions of fans will hear era-defining tracks such as "Gimme Shelter," ''Jumping Jack Flash," ''Tumbling Dice," ''It's Only Rock and Roll," plus a few surprises and other classics from GRRR!, the multiformat album coming out in November.

"GRRR!" is a greatest hits collection that includes two new songs "Doom and Gloom" and "One More Shot," recorded recently in Paris -- the first new recordings since the 2005 album "A Bigger Bang."

The band promises an all-new, custom-built set design, featuring the tongue and floppy lip logo, that will "reach out into the crowd."

The tour comes despite some famously testy times.
Richards and Jagger have been creative catalysts and sparring partners -- sentiments aggravated two years ago when Richards published his autobiography "Life."

Neal Schon Proposes to Michaele Salahi On Stage

Journey guitarist Neal Schon proposed to his girlfriend Michaele Salahi on stage during the band’s benefit concert in Baltimore, Md. last night (Oct. 14). The former reality show star tearfully and joyfully agreed to be his wife.

The happy couple made national headlines last fall when Salahi’s at-the-time husband reported her as kidnapped, only to find out (along with and in front of the whole world) that she had instead fallen madly in love with a rock star, and left him to join Schon on tour.

Since then, the former ‘Real Housewives of D.C.’ got divorced and her relationship with the guitar legend bloomed. The couple defended themselves against a multi-million dollar lawsuit from the ex, appeared in an eyebrow-raising Valentine’s Day Journey video together, and generally seem as happy as high school sweethearts. (If we were their parents, we’d be checking them for hickeys after every date.)

This being 2012, the whole proposal was captured on video by multiple concert goers.by: matthew wilkening

Roger Waters Added To "Love For Levon"

Roger Waters of Pink Floyd has been added to an already all-star lineup for the “Love For Levon” concert in East Rutherford, NJ at IZOD Center on October 3rd. Ticket proceeds for the unbelievably stacked benefit show will be used to help save The Band’s late drummer, Levon Helm, barn and studio, home to many famous midnight rambles. The Band previously performed with Roger Waters at The Wall – Live in Berlin back in 1990, playing with Sinéad O’Connor, a concert said to have drawn over 300,000 people. The show’s lineup includes John Mayer, Greg Allman, Warren Haynes, Bruce Hornsby, My Morning Jacket, Lucinda Williams, Eric Church, Robert Randolph, Dierks Bentley, Marc Cohn, Patty Griffin, Ray LaMontagne, Joe Walsh, and more. The Levon Helm Band will be performing as well.

Lynyrd Skynyrd Guitarist Clarifies Comment: Confederate Flag Will Fly Onstage

guitarist and founding member Gary Rossington has clarified comments he made on a recent CNN interview, and now states that the band will display the Confederate flag at their shows ‘every night.’

Rossington spoke in the original interview about the negative associations made with the flag over the years, including its adoption by such hate organizations as the Ku Klux Klan. The guitarist added that such associations had caused the band to disassociate themselves from the flag, which had been a large part of their visual image over the years.
Some fans were quite vocal in their opposition to this change on various message boards, with some stating that the flag is a symbol of Southern pride. In a poll featured on our original story, 51% of readers stated that they did not agree with this decision.
Rossington has since posted a message at the band’s website to clarify his and the band’s position. It reads:by chad childers

I wanted to clarify the discussion of the Confederate Flag in our recent CNN interview. Myself, the past members and the present members (that are from the South), are all extremely proud of our heritage and being from the South. We know what the Dixie flag represents and its heritage; the Civil War was fought over States rights. 
We still utilize the Confederate (Rebel) flag on stage every night in our shows, we are and always will be a Southern American Rock band, first and foremost. We also utilize the state flag of Alabama and the American flag as well, ‘cause at the end of the day, we are all Americans. I only stated my opinion that the confederate flag, at times, was unfairly being used as a symbol by various hate groups, which is something that we don’t support the flag being used for. The Confederate flag means something more to us, Heritage not Hate

Green Day Frontman Unleashes Profanity Tirade at iHeartRadio Fest

we present Billie Joe Armstrong‘s f-bomb filled tirade at the Las Vegas-based iHeartRadio Music Festival.
The group played a seven-song set, but the final track ‘Basket Case’ was cut short when Armstrong noticed a clock that was telling them how much time was left in their performance. Apparently, the group had their set cut short so that pop star Usher could have more time, and it didn’t sit well with the singer.
In mid-lyric, Armstrong belted to the audience, “I wanna play a new song. F— this s—. Gimme a f—in’ break, one minute left. One minute f—in’ left. You’re gonna give me one minute?! Look at that f—in’ sign right there, one minute! Let me tell you something … I’ve been around since f—in’ 1988 and you’re gonna give me one f—in’ minute?! You’ve gotta be kidding me.”
The singer added, “I’m not Justin f—in’ Bieber you mother—–ers! You’ve gotta be f—in’ joking. It’s a f—in’ joke. I’ve got one minute, one minute left, oh now I’ve got nothing left.”
He then proceeded to show his anger at the loss of time by smashing his guitar furiously against the stage and flipping off the officials keeping time, before telling the crowd, “God f—ing love you all.”
Before the ending, audiences were treated to six and a half quick songs, as Green Day played such favorites as ‘American Idiot,’ ‘Holiday,’ ‘Longview,’ and ‘St. Jimmy’ as well as the new songs ‘It’s F— Time’ and ‘Oh, Love’ before the shortened finale of ‘Basket Case.’by: chad childers

Motley Crue's Nikki Sixx Reflects On Tour With Kiss

All-around renaissance man, Nikki Sixx.
After praising his road crew for getting the show back on the road after a gear bus accident trashed some of their stage, Sixx talked about the inspiration he’s gotten from his touring partners, the reaction to the band’s unconventionally new released single ‘Sex,’ and what would happen if Kiss and Motley Crue were to raid each other’s catalogs.
For more on Sixx’s Twitter rant against Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine and what lies ahead for his band Sixx: A.M, click on the button below to read Loudwire’s portion of the interview.

So the tour got back on track pretty quickly (after the crash), huh?

We’re really lucky that no one was playing the next night in Detroit. I know the Shinedown guys came down and hung out and they had a show tonight there. So there was a hole between our show and their show. If they still would have been there, we would have had to reschedule — which would have been really difficult — but everything worked out. Kiss’s and Motley Crue’s (road crews) worked together just perfect.
The comradery between the bands is really high, and the crew. If it wasn’t for that it could have been a real disaster because that entire truck was carrying both of our gear. We hired the same carrying company so everything was super easy. (Still), if it hadn’t been for everyone working so hard, they wouldn’t have been able to put the stuff back together because some of this stuff, I’ve never seen anything like it. When the truck flipped, it basically popped like a pimple and all the gear went out the top — the semi went over the top of a lot of the gear. So these huge bars of steel pulled all the pyro and mounted it into the rafters and stuff. That stuff was snapped like a toothpick.

You say the comradery with Kiss is good, that’s good to hear. Do you still get a friendly competitive vibe (when you perform together)?

Nikki: I mean, I’ve talked with this about Paul Stanley. We’re backstage, we’re hanging, we’re talking about everything and anything under the sun. Then we go to get ready. When we get on that stage, man, it’s all or nothing. It’s been that way since day one. It doesn’t matter who we’re on tour with. For Motley Crue, we have to give 150% and I know for sure the guys in Kiss, they’re the same way. So are we in competition with each other? Not really as much as we’re in competition with ourselves to keep pushing ourselves. Now when you have a band like Kiss playing with you, you can’t f— around and I know it’s the same for them. You know, we’re going out there and giving everything. It’s not like you have a slacker playing right after you or right before you so I think that’s like really healthy. We really didn’t discuss, as in a friendly competition, but I know that it’s there.

Inspiration, that’s a better word. But you explained it perfectly…

Definitely, you know it’s great, because I’ll be like, “Hey dude that one part of your show, I loved that” and they’ll say the same thing for us. It’s just such a nice feeling to have after all these years. We’ve seen every version of touring with bands and most of the time it’s really good, especially (with) the pros. You know, we did the co-headline with Aerosmith, with Ozzy, it was the same thing, like we just go up there and blow the audience away.

The new song ‘Sex’ is pretty cool, have you been happy with the reaction to it?

Yeah. It’s really interesting, it reminds me of when were kids. We would be playing the Whiskey-a-Go-Go and we (would have just written) this song called ‘Looks That Kill’ and (we go to) play it and people would be like “Dude! That song’s insane!” That’s the kind of thing that inspires us to write more songs. It didn’t get lost in the clutter, (instead we had) direct communication with fans. What we’d do in the future, I don’t know.
We’re going to make music. First thing you do is you write it, you record it, then you have it, then what do you do with it? Do we release EPs? Do we release albums? Do we release two songs a week? We don’t know yet and that’s kind of exciting, it’s kind of interesting to be in that place and not be going, “Well here’s the release date, the full 10 songs have to be mixed and mastered by this date.” We don’t necessarily know exactly what we’re going to do. I mean, we like what we’re doing right now, it feels good. It feels organic. We like that we have this body of work that we can pick from to play live. The band’s probably getting along better than maybe ever.

You’re known for doing things in unconventional ways. Were you happy with the reaction to your recent Vegas residency?

We just heard Guns N’ Roses is going to take a shot at the Vegas residency thing and I heard someone else, I can’t remember who… but it’s kind of cool that before we went in there, all we heard was “You’re going to fail,” “You’re going to tarnish your image,” “No one’s going to show up.” And, you know, we sold the whole thing out and everybody was really happy. We felt like, “Wow we’re kind of lucky to be the first hard rock / heavy metal band to ever go into Vegas. To see other bands going in there is really cool, because I think it’s a good opportunity. I think you have to be the right band. I think you can’t just go in there and play songs. You gotta put on more of a show, but it is a really cool thing.

So are there plans to do it again?

I guess at this point, you know, we did it and we knew we were going to do this tour. There’s a bunch of options on the table for some other opportunities and then we can make a record. So that’s kind of down the road, I’m not saying no, but we haven’t (confirmed it), it’s not on the calendar yet.

Okay last question — it’s quick and it’s a two-parter. If Motley Crue were going to cover a Kiss song, which one would it be?

Man, I tell ya, I love that song ‘War Machine,’ off of ‘Creatures of the Night.’ That would be pretty badass.

That would be good. Now, flip it around. Which one would you like to see them do of yours?

Which would they do it justice for? Um, let me think. You know, I think they can do a pretty badass version of ‘Shout at the Devil.’

I’d like to see Gene do ‘Louder than Hell‘ sometime…by: Matthew Wilkening

There you go! I can see that. That actually makes the most sense.

Vince Neil Joins Tribute Band

Vince Neil provided a memory for a tribute band that they’ll likely never forget. The vocalist headed out after the band’s performance Thursday night (Sept. 13) to catch a show from Crued, a Motley Crue tribute band, and ended up joining them onstage.
The band had been chosen for Neil’s official after-party following the Kiss-Crue date at Toronto’s Molson Amphitheatre, and the singer hobbled  up onstage to join in on ‘Smokin’ in the Boys Room’ and ‘Wild Side.’
Crued stated to Blabbermouth after the show, “Last night was the s—, man! Vince Neil, broken foot and all, came on stage to perform two songs with Crued, and he said we rocked and we’re a tribute who does it right and he had a great f—ing time! The club was packed, the show was awesome!!! Thank you, gods of rock and roll!”
The group’s bio states that they pay attention to detail, seeking to mirror both the costumes and backdrops straight from each of the band’s albums and tours.by chad childers

Diet Blamed for Eddie Van Halen’s Medical Issues

According to the National Enquirer, the Van Halen guitarist’s recently reported emergency surgery was complicated because of some painful-sounding (and rather frightening) side effects he suffered after embarking on the Master Cleanse diet.
As Radar reports, the program “temporarily replaces food with a liquid consisting of water, fresh lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper” — a concoction that apparently didn’t sit well with Eddie’s gullet. According to the Enquirer’s sources, Eddie’s “abdominal region was a disaster area” and the diet “touched off an explosion in his intestines.”
The Enquirer went on to quote a doctor (who, we hasten to add, did not treat Van Halen) as saying, “The stress of fad diets increases pressure on the colon, and if the person has diverticulitis there may be leakage from the bowel into the abdomen.”
As previously reported, Van Halen spent three weeks in the hospital following his surgery for diverticulitis, and he’s expected to take up to six months to fully recover. Here’s hoping he watches his diet while he recuperates.by jeff giles

Motley Crue’s Nikki Sixx Calls Out Dave Mustaine On Latest Comments

Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine received some serious backlash from his most recent remarks he recently made onstage in Singapore suggesting that the Obama administration “staged” recent tragedies like the one in Aurora, Colo. and the massacre at the Sikh temple in Milwaukee, Wis., in order to promote stricter gun laws.

Mustaine then tried to do some damage control by appearing on the show ‘Info Wars’ to clarify his statement, but fans and victims alike are not impressed with what he had to say. One of the victims who was in the Colorado theater waiting to see the ‘Dark Knight Rises’ movie when the gun spree erupted has gone on record calling the conspiracy theory “absurd” and now Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx is weighing in as well
.
Sixx on his personal Facebook page posting a link from the L.A. Times reporting what Mustaine said about President Obama. He also commented pretty candidly, saying, “Dave Mustaine is f—ing a–hole. I can’t even imagine how deep this cuts the victims’ families of these shootings.” He continued, adding, “He owes every family an apology as well as our great country.”

 he added a message directed personally to Mustaine, saying, “Hey Dave if you think America is turning into ‘Nazi America’ as you are quoted saying. Then move the f— out.”
Sixx may be brutally outspoken but he’s also willing to put his money where his mouth is. It was recently reported that Motley Crue and Kiss joined forces to donate $100,000 to the Aurora Victim Relief Fund when ‘The Tour’ stopped in Englewood, Colo. last week (Aug. 9). At the time, Sixx commented, saying, “We bonded together with our tour partners and friends Kiss to donate money, but we also hope it inspires others to do the same, no matter how big or small by mary ouellette

Battle of the Blues Joe Bonamassa

Guitar Center Battle Of The Blues

Guitar Center is once again searching for our Nation's top undiscovered blues guitar players. In help with their search they have asked Joe Bonamassa and Dr. John to perform after the contest at the event and don't be surprised if there are more Special guest appearances. Back in 2009, Joe was asked to perform and since then Joe has been a part of the Competition in one way or another as the performer, Judge and Emcee the last few years. The Final competition will be held on August 18th in Los Angeles at Club Nokia. The Finalist will "battle" it out with each other before a panel of Guest Judges as they try to claim the title of "King of the Blues" for 2012. Each contestant will receive 5 minutes to set up and will perform live to an original backing track, developed by Grammy Award winning producer, Pete Anderson

Motley Crue and Kiss Donate 100K for Aurora Shooting Victims

In the wake of the horrible movie theater shootings, the two bands announced their plans to donate $100,000 to the Aurora Victim Relief Fund. The bands hope that the money not only aids victims, but inspires others to support the cause.
Aurora, Colo. became infamous overnight when a midnight showing of the new Batman movie ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ turned into a shooting rampage when a gunman opened fire on the audience. Twelve lives were taken and many more victims were left injured.
“Following the heartbreaking news of the senseless shootings in Colorado we wanted to do something to help the families and victims,” explained Motley Crue bassist Nikki Sixx. “We bonded together with our tour partners and friends Kiss to donate money, but we also hope it inspires others to do the same, no matter how big or small.”
Paul Stanley of Kiss also weighed in, saying, “The terror these innocent victims of the Aurora massacre must have experienced and the profound loss their families now face is unimaginable. We hope that our small gesture helps inspire others to band together in compassion and financial support for all involved in this unspeakable tragedy.”
The Aurora Victim Relief Fund was set up after the shootings by the state’s Governor John Hickenlooper with the local Community First Foundation and aims to serve as a fund to help the victims and their family members with both immediate and long-term support.
‘The Tour,’ featuring Motley Crue and Poison, continues to cross the country wrapping up at the end of September in Hartford, Conn.by: mary ouellette

Dave Mustaine Says Obama Was Born in Kenya, First Lady to ‘Black Widow’

The  Megadeth frontman has been  quiet as of late, but we may have just been experiencing the eye of the storm, as Mustaine has once again claimed that President Obama was born in Kenya, Michelle Obama wore a dress that purposely made her look like a Black Widow spider and that the Obama administration has facilitated race wars, class wars, sexual wars and religious wars.
Mustaine recently appeared on conspiracy theorist radio program ‘The Alex Jones Show,’ to discuss a very wide range of political and musical topics. To be fair to Dave Mustaine, the Megadeth frontman raised some grounded and thought-provoking points regarding the financial institutions of the U.S. government and the questionable tactics of the TSA (Transportation Security Administration).
“When we left here last time, my 14-year-old [daughter] was groped by the TSA,” says Mustaine. “And I was so mad, I was swearing. And the one very large woman said, ‘What’s that?’ And I said, ‘You heard what I said.’ And Pam, my wife, grabbed me and she said, ‘Don’t say anything.’ Because she knows that these guys are power-drunk and that they probably would have arrested me for just saying something about them groping my 14-year-old.”
Although many will surely sympathize with Mustaine and his run-in with the TSA, he continues to cause controversy with his insistence that Barack Obama was born in Kenya. “Why hasn’t somebody moved to impeach this man?” asks Mustaine. “With all of the proof about his birth certificate being fake. And you see the signs in Kenya that say, ‘The birthplace of Barack Obama.’ Hello?! C’mon, guys. How stupid are we right now?”
Mustaine continues to spew venom at Michelle Obama. “I guess the best revenge is when you look back in history at what Michelle [Obama] wore at his inauguration and she had a black dress on with two red triangles, so she looked like a black widow turned upside down. So there’s gotta be some symbology there. You just don’t wear something like that to some event like that without there being some kind of future message being told.”by: graham gruhamed hartmann

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers August 11th 2012

Rock Hops: Dark Star Orchestra & VIP Craft Beer Tasting

Bernie Worrell Orchestra, Citizens Band Radio, Quimby Mountain Band, Lucid

• Mercer County Park West Windsor, NJ
• Doors open at 1:30 PM
  
  All tickets include:
  -Dark Star Orchestra show
  -Music all day
  -Activities
  -Food vendors - "Ring of Fire"
  -Great Craft Beer for sale by the cup
  -Access to Seminars & Vendors
  
  Connoisseur VIP Package also includes:-Access to Select Rare Beer Tastings from 3:30 PM - 6:00 PM
  -Complimentary tasting glass
  -Access to VIP Concert viewing area & bar close to stage
  -Access to VIP restrooms
  -Complimentary tasting glass
• Sat, August 11, 2012 1:30 PM (Doors: 1:30 PM)
• $35 - $65
• All Ages
• Ticketfly.com

J. Geils Band To Play Few East Coast Dates For August

Yes, Peter Wolf and the J. Geils Band still have some roots-boogie to play as the group responsible for songs such as “Must Of Got Lost,” “First I Look At The Purse,” “Centerfold,” and “Give It To Me,” climbs aboard the tour bus for a quick jaunt through New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont.

Aug. 25 – Syracuse, N.Y., New York State Fair
Aug. 26 – Essex Junction, Vt., Champlain Valley Fair
Aug. 28 – Allentown, Pa., The Great Allentown Fair
Aug. 31 – Buffalo, N.Y., Buffalo Place Rocks The Harbor

Van Halen's Song 'Jump' voted most popular Sport song

Van Halen's 'Jump' has been voted as the most popular sporting song in a new poll.

PRS for Music polled its members to find out what the most popular sporting song was in the run up to the Olympics. The Top 20 also includes 'The Winner Takes It All' by ABBA, 'Eye of the Tiger' by Survivor and Tina Turner's 'The Best'.

Of the results, PRS chairman Guy Fletcher said: "We are so excited about the Olympic Games and music plays such a classic role for both the spectator and participant. As a Brit I would have to vote for Spandau Ballet's 'Gold' being a personal favourite. We have such a strong team of athletes this year too - I think we might get a few of those, fingers crossed."

Queensryche Fued Continues

latest episode of their ongoing legal fight, the members of Queensryche are accusing the ousted singer Geoff Tate of withholding access to the group’s official website and social media accounts.
According to Blabbermouth, the group made the new claims in a July 25 filing in response to Tate’s recent motion to disqualify their attorney from representing them. Michael Wilton, Eddie Jackson and Scott Rockenfield claim that Tate continues to interfere with their career despite a court ruling in early July that they could tour under the name Queensryche without him.
“This includes refusal to relinquish control of Queensryche.com and other Internet and social media accounts, challenging the Defendants from taking control from the registering entity of Queensryche.com,” they state in court documents. The group recently launched a new website at QueensrycheOfficial.com
.
The musicians announced a side project called Rising West in,with singer Todd LaTorre taking Tate’s place in what was essentially a tribute to classic Queensryche featuring most of the band members. Shortly after they announced that they were replacing Tate entirely and that LaTorre would become the new singer in Queensryche, touching off a spate of lawsuits between Tate and his former colleagues.

Tate is arguing that his musical  contributions to Queensryche are so extensive that the band should change its name in his absence. His former band mates allege that Tate has no legal right to use any offshoot of their familiar Tri-Ryche symbol in packaging and promoting his upcoming solo album.by: sterling wqueenshitaker

Metallica Crew Sustain Burns After Performance in Mexico City?

Metallica debuted their new stage set up, which commemorates three decade of history in Mexico City during the first of eight shows at Palacio de los Deportes. During the performance of ‘Enter Sandman,’ one of the onstage flare launchers malfunctioned. Two stagehands inspected them, only to be engulfed in a huge flame. You can see video of the pyro-gone-wrong below, with one man appearing to be completely on fire at the bottom left.

Frontman James Hetfield pleaded for the show to stop and that’s when other stage crew members came out with fire extinguishers, rushing to the aid of their associates, who were carried out on stretchers. A few minutes later, ‘Tallica resumed the performance.

Scary scene right?There are rumors that this is a scripted and planned part of the show although seeing someone become a human inferno isn’t exactly entertaining. “It’s all part of the show,” a spokesperson for Ocesa, the promoter of the concert, said, according to Blabbermouth.
Apparently, the band was recreating the accident that was initially staged for the ‘Cunning Stunts’ video. In that 1998 video, the stage collapsed and exploded during ‘Enter Sandman’ and a stage tech was ignited, running across the stage while ablaze.
The band also posted a recap of the show on its official website last night, with a casual mention of a mishap,making us think that it was indeed a well executed stunt.by amy sciarretto

Metallica’s Expects New Album to See an Early 2014 Release

Metallica drummer is “realistically” expecting the band’s 10th album to hit stores in early 2014.
Metallica have been incredibly busy as of late, putting together the massive, two-day Orion Music + More Festival, which the band plans to bring back next year, and the working on the Metallica 3D concert film.
Ulrich took part in an interview with Canada, radio station 99.3 ‘The Fox,’ revealing Metallica’s making their next record. “I wouldn’t use the word ‘close,’ says Ulrich. “I mean, obviously, in the context of, say, the age of planet Earth, we’re pretty close. But in the context of, say, other things, there may be one or two football seasons, or one or two baseball seasons, or one or two hockey seasons… We’ve gotta do this movie, and we’re gonna get back to writing when we’ve done this movie.”
He continues, “I would say late ’13 or early ’14. It’s difficult to imagine… I think even late ’13 may be a bit optimistic. I would say hopefully we can realistically get a record out probably about a year and half from now, so maybe early ’14.”
Metallica’s 3D film will be much more than just a concert experience. The concert footage will be shot on Aug. 24 – 25 in Vancouver on a giant 140-foot-by-50-foot stage that will showcase “colossal components and striking visual elements spanning Metallica’s entire 30-year career,” while the accompanying narrative will be filmed afterward. “The rest of the film will be shot the next two or three weeks after the shows in Vancouver, into the middle to the third week of September,” the drummer says.
Ulrich continues, “[The film] is a narrative, and the rest of the stuff that goes on outside of the concert is not going to feature members of Metallica… in any way, shape or form. It’s a split narrative that kind of runs parallel to the concert.by Graham Gruhamed Hartmann

 

 

The Who Announce ‘Quadrophenia and More’ Tour

The Who will embark on a 37-date North American tour entitled ‘Quadrophenia and More’ this fall.  members Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend will perform the 1973 album in its entirety, along with other popular songs from their catalog.

Its the band’s first North American tour in four years. As Townshend explains, “We’ve been trying to find something we can do together, Roger and I, for a while… ‘Quadrophenia’ was something that we both felt we could get together on and look again. The last time we did it (on tour) was in 1997. We’ve been anxious to work together before we drop dead.”

 “What’s great about doing it now, is that it’s still a work in progress. Hopefully, it’ll keep developing into something new. I don’t know how many more years I’m going to be able to sing this music.
Although Townshend makes it clear that “we miss the other two guys very much,” he also admitted to relishing the “liberating” challenge of presenting the music instead with the group’s longtime supporting musicians, including Zakk Starkey (Ringo‘s son) on drums, Townshend’s brother Simon on guitar and Pino Palladino on bass.

It’s been a busy time for ‘Quadrophenia.’ The album was given the deluxe reissue treatment — with great results — last year. A documentary exploring the album, ‘The Who: Quadrophenia – Can You Still See the Real Me?,’ will air in movie theaters across the country on Tuesday, July 24, and the ‘Quadrophenia’ film will be given the high-class Criterion Blu-ray and DVD treatment on Aug. 28.
The tourdates are listed below. A special two-day exclusive ticket sale takes place July 20 for members of the band’s official fan club. Then American Express cardholders get three days of exclusive sales.by matthew wilkening

2012/2013 The Who ‘Quadrophenia and More’ Tour:
2012
11/1 — Sunrise, Fla. — BankAtlantic Center
11/3 — Orlando, Fla. — Amway Center
11/5 — Duluth, Ga. — The Arena at Gwinett Center
11/8 — Greenville, S.C. — Bi-Lo Center
11/9 — Greensboro, N.C. — Greensboro Coliseum
11/11 — Pittsburgh, Pa. — Consol Energy Center
11/13 — Washington, D.C. — Verizon Center
11/14 — Brooklyn, N.Y. — Barclays Center
11/16 — Boston, Mass. — TD Garden
11/20 — Montreal, QC — Bell Centre
11/21 — Ottawa, ON — Scotiabank Place
11/23 — Toronto, ON — Air Canada Centre
11/24 — Detroit, Mich. — Joe Louis Arena
11/27 — Minneapolis, Minn. — Target Center
11/29 — Chicago, Ill. — Allstate Arena
12/2 — Nashville, Tenn. — Bridgestone Arena
12/5 — New York, N.Y. — Madison Square Garden
12/6 — Newark, N.J. — Prudential Center
12/8 — Philadelphia, Pa. — Wells Fargo Center
12/9 — Uncasville, Ct. — Mohegan Sun Arena
2013
1/28 — Anaheim, Calif. — Honda Center
1/30 — Los Angeles, Calif. — Staples Center
2/1 — Oakland, Calif. — Oracle Arena
2/2 — Reno, Nev. — The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
2/5 — San Diego, Calif. — Valley View Casino Center
2/6 — Glendale, Ariz. — Jobing Center
2/8 — Las Vegas, Nev. – The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
2/12 — Denver, Colo. — Pepsi Center
2/14 — Tulsa, Okla. — BOK Center
2/16 — Louisville, Ky. — KFC Yum! Center
2/17 — Columbus, Ohio — Schottenstein Center
2/19 — Hamilton, ON — Copps Coliseum
2/21 — Uniondale, N.Y. — Nassau Coliseum
2/22 — Atlantic City, N.J. — Boardwalk Hall
2/24 — Manchester, N.H. — Verizon Wireless Arena
2/26 — Providence, R.I. — Dunkin’ Donuts Center

Queensryche Members Win Court Ruling Keep Band Name

Billboard spoke with AGPS Management  manager Glen Parrish, who explained, “We are excited that the courts saw what we and the fans have always known, that Queensryche is more than any one member. We are sorry we had to go to court to show this, but we are determined to bring back the quality product Queensryche was known for. We can’t wait to unveil to the fans what’s next musically.”

Parrish also that the group had signed with AGPS Management, having recently ousted Tate’s wife Susan from her role overseeing the band. The sworn declaration of Susan Tate regarding her husband’s case toward the other group members has become public.
According to Blabbermouth, Tate claims that the band members painted an inaccurate picture of how she became their manager. Having initially started as the group’s fan club operator, she later took on merchandising and was eventually asked to join the management team after the band became dissatisfied with their former representative.

Tate says over time she began performing more and more tasks assigned to a manager even though she was serving as an assistant to then chief Lars Sorenson, and was able to negotiate a contract for the group with Rhino which eventually led to a request by Scott Rockenfield to stay on as manager after Sorenson decided to quit.

She adds, “Rockenfield, Jackson and Wilton’s assertions that Geoff and I conspired to take control of the band by force belies the fact that they were the very ones who hired me as the band’s manager.”
The remaining band members recently announced plans to continue with new singer Todd LaTorre taking over for Tate, and they performed under the moniker Rising West at a recent show prior to making the move to get rid of the singer.by chad childers

Farm Aid 2012 Hershey,Pennsylvania

MUSIC NEWS - Organizers have announced that there're bringing their annual concert to Hershey, Pennsylvania and the Hershey Park Stadium! FarmAid 2012 will shine a spotlight on the family farmers and ranchers whose hard work and ingenuity are essential for all of us.

Farm Aid 2012 will run on Saturday, September 22, will feature Farm Aid board members Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young and Dave Matthews (with Tim Reynolds). Special guests include Jack Johnson, ALO, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, and Pegi Young & The Survivors.

Tickets for Farm Aid 2012 will go on sale Friday, July 13, at 10 a.m. EDT and range from $35.75 to $99.75. Tix are available at www.livenation.com, www.ticketmaster.com, Ticketmaster outlets, GIANT Center Box Office, or by-phone at 800-745-3000.

Steven Tyler Stepping Down From ‘American Idol’

Steven Tyler has announced that he will not return for a third season as a judge on ‘American Idol.’ Instead of spending another year hosting a bland televised singing competition, the Aerosmith frontman will focus on what we all know he was put on this earth to do.
In a statement released, Tyler explains, “After some long……hard……thoughts…I’ve decided it’s time for me to let go of my mistress ‘American Idol’ before she boils my rabbit. I strayed from my first love, Aerosmith, and I’m back — but instead of begging on my hands and knees, I got two fists in the air and I’m kicking the door open with my band. The next few years are going to be dedicated to kicking some serious ass.”
Tyler surprised many fans and ruffled his longtime bandmate Joe Perry‘s feathers when he joined ‘American Idol’ two years ago. While the nationally televised spotlight gave his band’s back catalog a nice sales boost, many fans wondered how he could successfully split his attention between a music and TV career.
With Aerosmith set to release their first studio album of new material in over 10 years, ‘Music from Another Dimension,’ this November, the time seemed right to choose sides. It seems Tyler is doing so with no regrets: “’Idol’ was over the top fun, and I loved every minute of it…Now it’s time to bring rock back.”by: Matthew Wilkening

Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson Join Forces For 2012 Tour

Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson are teaming up for a co-headlining trek dubbed the Twins of Evil Tour.
The U.S. leg of the trek will kick off this fall when both acts appear at the Desert Uprising Festival in Phoenix, Arizona, and fittingly wrap up on Halloween night in Dallas, Texas. Following the U.S. jaunt, the Twins of Evil will travel overseas to embark on a European leg of the tour, which launches Nov. 26 in London and runs through a Dec. 12 gig in Bologna, Italy.
Describing his excitement for the tour, Zombie comments, “Finally! Why did the most obvious tour take so long to happen? Who knows? Who cares? It’s happening now. If good taste is the chief enemy of great art, then we should be able to fill the Louvre with this f—ing tour. Be prepared for something wicked this way a-coming.”
Meanwhile, Manson issues a warning statement: “I have sympathy for the Whore of Babylon that gave birth to these twins of evil, and this abomination of a tour. There is no babysitter, and there is no repairing her womb. If Rob Zombie doesn’t f— you up, than I surely will. Hide all drugs and firearms… I’m coming to town.”

The tour will be supported by J Devil, the DJ alter ego of Korn singer Jonathan Davis, who will open the Manson/Zombie dates with his chaotic electro-metal. “I like to think of J Devil as the ‘anti-christ’ of EDM [electronic dance music],” says Davis. “To play alongside Zombie and Manson is going to be a f—ing sinister night all around, and an unbelievable theatrical experience. I can’t wait.”by spencer kaufman

Rob Zombie & Marilyn Manson Twins of Evil 2012 Tour Dates:

9/28 Phoenix, AZ — Ashley Furniture Home Store Pavilion
9/29 Las Vegas, NV — Luxor Lot or Red Rocks
10/1 Salt Lake City, UT — USANA Amphitheatre
10/2 Denver, CO — 1st Bank Center
10/4 Topeka, KS — Topeka Expo Center
10/8 Lincoln, NE — Pershing Auditorium
10/9 Mankato, MN — Verizon Wireless Center
10/11 Chicago, IL — Allstate Arena
10/12 Detroit, MI — DTE Energy Music Theatre
10/13 Bloomington, IL — US Cellular Coliseum
10/15 Youngstown, OH — Covelli Center
10/16 Rochester, NY — Armory
10/17 New York, NY – Hammerstein Ballroom
10/19 Camden, NJ — Susquehanna Bank Center
10/20 Uncasville, CT — Mohegan Sun Arena
10/21 Manchester, NH — Verizon Wireless Arena
10/23 Boston, MA — Agganis Arena
10/25 Atlanta, GA — Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood
10/30 Houston, TX — Reliant Arena
10/31 Dallas, TX — Verizon Wireless Theatre
11/26 London, UK
11/27 Manchester, UK
11/28 Glasgow, UK
11/29 Birmingham, UK
12/1 Luxembourg, Luxembourg
12/2 Bochum, Germany
12/3 Amsterdam, Holland
12/5 Stockholm, Sweden
12/6 Copenhagen, Denmark
12/8 Vienna, Austria
12/9 Munich, Germany
12/11 Basel, Switzerland
12/12 Bologna, Italy

Sebastian Bach to Skid Row: Let’s Come Together for the Fans

Skid Row's Old frontman Sebastian Bach has never had a problem saying what’s on his mind, especially when he thinks someone is putting words in his mouth. This was proven at great length in his latest  letter to his old band and  one particular member of the press.
A  story for those not following along – over the past few months, there have been fleeting rumors of the original Skid Row lineup reuniting after their tumultuous past. Nothing was ever substantiated by any of the current or former members, leaving it just a rumor for the most part.
In a new interview with current Skid Row vocalist Johnny Solinger, a writer hints that he had conversations with both Bach and guitarist Dave ‘The Snake’ Sabo — both saying they were NOT interested in any sort of reunion. Bach took exception to this question, saying he never said anything of the sort. In fact, he was so perturbed by it, that he wrote a open letter to his fans and the writer in particular, calling him a liar.
So kick back and get comfortable, here’s Sebastian’s full lengthy letter that he posted on his Facebook page:

One of my favorite bands in history is Kiss. One of the coolest things I’ve always loved about Gene Simmons is that he truly lets the fans be the boss. Whatever the fans think is cool, Gene tries to give us what we want. Always. For almost 40 years now, Kiss has let the fans be the boss, and the fans love them for it. They really know how to succeed in this business.
My old band? Is the complete opposite of that.
Individually, I’m sure we all appreciate the fans for putting us where we are today and giving us a great life. I know I do! But collectively, as a band, we don’t care at all about what it is that the fans want.
Nowhere in the world can you buy a DVD of our original band. Nowhere in the world can you buy a Skid Row box set with unreleased goodies like every other band in the world. No ‘Deluxe Editions’ for our fans. Nowhere can you go buy a copy of the ’18 & Life’ video or Roadkill or Oh Say Can You Scream, all Platinum releases that do not exist anymore. That’s because we, collectively, as a band, put the fans very last on what is important to us. Individually, I’m sure we all love our fans who put us where we are today. But collectively, Skid Row has treated Skid Row fans worse than any other band I can think of in history. The name is completely destroyed. For many reasons.
There is another reason while you may never see the original band reunite. Not just because the band itself could care less about what the fans want. There is a journalist named Jonathan Parks who has gone out of his way to undermine our fragile relationships and pit us against each other online with lies and bulls–t. This piece of s–t ‘journalist’ makes up whatever he wants to say on his website and I can guarantee you I never said what ended up in my online “interview”. Every time there is a question in the interview from Jonathan Parks I answer (on his site) “well you know John,” I can guarantee you I did not know this person’s name doing the interview & I never put his name in my answers because I did not know his name! I can guarantee Snake, and everyone else in the band he has interviewed, did not know his name either. I challenge Mr. Jonathan Parks to put up the the Audio of what I actually said, so you can hear for yourself what bulls–t lies ended up in his online ‘interview’. I can guarantee you I never said his name once in my interview, because I did not know his name!
This guy Jonathan Parks pulls our pants down, sucks our d–ks in the interview, rips apart the other members to each one of us behind our backs, and then turns around and does the exact same thing with the other band members. This is why it’s futile for me to respond to my replacements ridiculous claims. Because I’ll bet you Jonathan Parks used more than a little creative license in his interview, as he did in mine.
But I will address some points. Number one: I can guarantee you it’s not “crap” when I say that four out of five band members would reunite Skid Row. I can guarantee you it’s not “crap” that we were offered to play two shows at Sonisphere in Europe this year as the original band. I can guarantee you it’s not “crap” they even printed up posters for the show which had us on the bill.
I talked with Snake years ago with Doc McGhee and we even planned a box set with unreleased stuff, going on tour, and all that great stuff. He was the first one to say that he would reunite… for the fans. I have talked to Rob many times and he would do it. I talked to Scotti and he seemed very into putting the band back together for a world tour. I called the bass player but never heard back. Of course they could change their mind in public, but in private that is the truth, and the one thing the fans know about me is that I am not afraid to say what the truth is. Never have been.
Another thing I would like to say is that I did not say anything about a Skid Row reunion to “get attention for myself”. My little fingernail has forgotten about more attention it has received than my replacement will ever receive for his whole life’s work. I answered a Tweet from someone on my Twitter account with the response “4 out of five of us would reunite”. That was all. My one tweet made news the world over. I cannot help it if news outlets look at my twitter feed and take one individual tweet and make it into news stories around the world. Believe me, when I send out a tweet I do not expect it to turn into world news. The fact that my replacement thinks I answered a tweet “to get attention for myself” is as hilarious as his attempt to sing ‘I Remember You’ accurately. If there is one thing I do not need, and am certainly not looking for, is ‘attention’.
Another comedic factor that I must address is when someone says, “I have wanted back in that band since day one”. Nothing could be further from the truth. I do not want to be in their band even now. All I ever said was that, for the fans, I could get on stage with them and sing ‘I Remember You’ and ‘Youth Gone Wild’, even in the right key. I am completely happy with my new record Kicking & Screaming. I am the only musician from the original Skid Row to place anything at all on the Billboard Top 200 album chart, with ‘Kicking’ reaching #68 & Angel Down reaching #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart. My record deal for Frontiers is demanding that I do another solo album right now. I am completely happy playing the main stage at festivals such as M3 while my old band plays second stage. I am completely happy with my band members in my solo band. But for the fans, I do understand their frustration at the fact that all five members of Skid Row are still alive, but because of ego, and journalists such as Jonathan Parks, we cannot get in the same room together. It’s not fair to the fans. I do not want anything more in this life than to make great music and play great shows. I do not need my old band to do that. But, for the fans, I would be willing to put my ego aside and do something that would be special for the people who put us where we are today. I do not personally want it myself. But its not always about “what I want”. If the fans really want to see us together, I would do it for the fans. Sometimes you can do things for people other than yourself.
So to my old band members, if you want to try and get out of the Internet bulls–t and come together for the sake of the fans, you can give me a call.
One last gigantic ‘f— you’ to Jonathan Parks for being a slimy scumbag and going around starting fights with each one of the members of the band. You are the worst kind of ‘music journalist’, one who would put band members against each other, and further jeopordize our already fragile relationships, just for the sake of your own personal ‘gain’. One thing is for sure, if we ever do get back together, you will be banned from every single show that we do. Jonathan Parks, the fans have you to thank for completely f—ing up this years chances for a reunion, and making it even more of a remote possibility than it already is. Way to go, stupid! F— you, and your piece of s–t website of lies.
Yours Sincerely, Sebastian Bach.by: Mary Ouellette