Sammy Hagar's 'Marching to Mars' Already 15 Years Ago

Given the acrimonious nature of his departure from the group, it’s understandable that this surprisingly diverse album fires more than a few shots towards his old pals.
Hagar either quit or was fired from Van Halen in 1996 following arguments about soundtrack songs, best-of albums and the band’s clandestine recording sessions with former lead singer David Lee Roth.
As Hagar told the Road back in 1997, “When they went and got Roth back in the band… to me, that was the biggest backstab I could imagine. I wanted to be the lead singer of Van Halen for the rest of my life, but when Ed told me they were getting Roth back in the band, I was like, ‘f— you, f— Roth and f— everybody.’ I was pissed. It was like coming home and finding your wife in bed with her old boyfriend.”
Clearly ticked off, Hagar wasted little time assembling a solo album, recruiting drummer Danny Carmassi from his Montrose and early solo career days, along with keyboardist Jesse Harms and bassist Jonathan Pierce.
Hagar also enlisted several of his famous friends to help him exorcise his demons, with a full-out Montrose reunion taking place on ‘Leaving the Warmth of the Womb’ and Slash adding guitar to the album’s not-so-subtly titled lead single ‘Little White Lie.’
The track is a fine example of the album’s sophistication and sense of dynamics. Clearly advancing from the rock of ’80s albums such as‘Standing Hampton,’ Hagar kicks things off with a swampy dobro riff, then slowly layers in acoustic guitars, drums and harmonica as tension builds. Soon enough, everything boils over in a more traditional, but newly resonant fashion, with Hagar repeatedly vowing all those lies will come back to haunt their owners — presumably, his former bandmates.
Among the most surprising collaborators on the album — granted, nothing can top the appearance of funk legend Bootsy Collins on  Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart, who provides percussion on several songs, including the undeniably stomping and upbeat album-closing title track.
The Van Halen breakup seems to turn up as subject matter on several tracks on the album, with Hagar’s mood varying from meditative (the brooding and ultimately explosive  to comedic and finally philosophical and maybe even forgiving on the shockingly mature, jangling heartland rocker ‘Both Sides Now.’
The album received some of the best reviews of Hagar’s solo career, with AllMusic declaring it “a lean, tough collection” that “stands out because of its immediate sound and sense of purpose.”

Hagar has gone on to release five more solo albums since ‘Marching to Mars,’ and briefly rejoined Van Halen in 2004 to tour and record three new songs for a greatest hits compilation. That reunion ended in even more spectacularly bitter fashion, and bassist Michael Anthony ultimately jumped ship to join Hagar in the supergroup Chickenfoot.by:matthewwilkening

News From Slipnot

Mysterious ‘Antennas To Hell’ teaser video posted on Roadrunner Records’ official site earlier today (May 29), Slipknot’s Corey Taylor has revealed information about the upcoming release on Twitter. He also tweeted that the band is working on new demos.

Taylor spilled the beans on the release, saying it will be a greatest-hits package, but left another item, dubbed ‘HoGaB’ a mystery: “11 days till the meaning of HoGaB is revealed. And I believe 7.17.12 is when the Slipknot greatest hits album drops.”
That date of the greatest-hits release would coincide nicely with the Rockstar Mayhem Festival that Slipknot will be headlining. The tour also includes Slayer, Motorhead, Anthrax and several other bands.
No details on the greatest-hits package have been released yet, but the teaser video below alludes to the fact that remixes will be included. That could mean a double disc set of greatest hits and remixes, a single disc of hits with a few remixes, or something completely different. No matter what the configuration, Slipknot fans will probably buy it in droves.

The greatest hits album will have to tide fans over until Slipknot releases new material. In another tweet, Taylor revealed Slipknot is currently demoing new material, but not recording yet. They are set to enter the studio in early 2013 to begin recording their next album.bychadbower

Chickenfoot "Different Devil" Tour Hard Rock June 1st 2012

Nikki Sixx Throw Out the First Pitch at Dodger Stadium

Motley Crue‘s Nikki Sixx traded in his bass for a baseball by throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at the Los Angeles Dodgers’ game on Sunday (May 27).

Sixx took the mound at Dodger Stadium and threw his pitch, which bounced in the dirt on its way to home sweet home, but was luckily saved by catcher A.J Ellis.
After the pitch, Sixx shared his excitement with his fans on Facebook: “Really grateful being from Los Angeles to be invited to throw out the first pitch today at Dodger stadium (YES i can throw a ball). The Dodgers are on a winning streak and you could feel it in the air everywhere today.My family had a blast.”
Well, Sixx certainly is a Renaissance man, as he’s both a member of Motley Crue and Sixx A.M., not to mention a best-selling author and an acclaimed photographer. But let’s just say he needs a little work on throwing a baseball. So, Nikki, stick to your day jobs for now, but we applaud the effort!

The Dodgers won the game 5-1 against the Houston Astros. Perhaps Sixx brought some luck to the mound?byliz ramanand

Michael Anthony Doubts Story About Cancelled Tour Dates

Van Halen‘s former bassist Michael Anthony heard David Lee Roth‘s explanation why the band cancelled 30 dates from their current tour schedule. Roth said the group “simply bit off more than we could chew,” but Anthony isn’t quite so sure.

Before Roth made a video to tell what he said was the real story, tour insiders had already said the band members “hate each other” and are “arguing like mad.” Sammy Hagar — who of course was once Van Halen’s frontman — even waded in to the controversy, saying, “I’m surprised it took this long. I predicted this was going to happen a lot sooner … They’re hard people to get along with, those brothers.”

“Everybody’s got their own opinions. Who knows?” he told Classic Rock Magazine. “To me it sounds kinda interesting – if you say you’re tired and you want to recharge your batteries you don’t put 30 shows on sale. If I were a fan I’d be going, ‘Why are you putting 30 shows on sale?’”
Anthony also offered a possible explanation for why three days lapsed between the announced schedule changes and Roth’s public statement about them: “Maybe that’s the three days you take to come up with your story?”
Zing.
Even still, he had kind words for the group. “I wish them well — they put out a great album, they’re a great live band, they always have been,” he says.
So would he ever consider re-joining the line-up?
“I don’t know. As time goes on now, less and less,” Anthony said. “Eddie’s got his son up with him now. The circumstance would have to be right. I was always the never-say-never guy, but I don’t really think about it any more … Chickenfoot, my relationship with those guys is great.”
But even though he had troubles while in Van Halen, he says things were never as bad as the battle going on within Black Sabbath right now.

“I’ve read three different sides of that story,” Anthony said. “Ours wasn’t as much drama as [that].”

Sebastian Bach On Showtime "Californication"

Sebastian Bach may not be a guitar player, but he can certainly play one on TV.
The boisterous singer recently posted on his Facebook page that he’s been in California shooting an episode of the Showtime hit show ‘Californication’ starring actor David Duchovny.
Bach’s guest role will take place  during the show’s upcoming sixth season.
According to Bach, the role is a bit of a departure from his day job. “Very excited to be on the show! I play a guitar player as you can see by this pic taken yesterday,” he reports. “My role on the show is killer and interesting. I am honored to be part of ‘Californication”s 6th Season!’
After the shoot Bach talked about the positive experience, saying, “I had an incredible time shooting the show! David was a truly awesome guy as was the whole cast and crew. Including my buddy Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols!”
Bach is no stranger to television appearances with many successful runs at reality TV shows including ‘Celebrity Fit Club,’ and ‘Supergroup,’ – just to name a few. He’s also has a few dramatic roles under his belt, the most memorable being a recurring spot on ‘Gilmore Girls.’

Rock ‘n’ roll always come first though for Bach. He released his latest solo disc ‘Kicking & Screaming’ in September of 2011.by: Mary Ouellette

Smashing Pumpkins At Rock Rio

Smashing Pumpkins took to the stage at Rock in Rio in Lisbon, Portugal powering through a monstrous nineteen song set.
Kicking it off with ‘Zero,’ Smashing Pumpkins made quick work of their extensive catalog playing three songs from their 1993 release ‘Siamese Dream’ including ‘Cherub Rock’ and Today.’ 1995′s ‘Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness’ had a strong presence throughout their set as well with ‘Bullet with Butterfly Wings,’ ‘1979’ and ‘Tonight, Tonight.’
The enthusiastic crowd was also introduced to three songs from the Pumpkins upcoming release ‘Oceania’ including the title track in addition to ‘Quasar’ and ‘Panopticon.’
While their set focused mainly on Smashing Pumpkins original material, two of the songs delivered during the four song encore offered up some fun surprises. First was the sprawling rendition of Space Oddity,’ David Bowie’s 1969 song about Major Tom.
After performing their next song,Corgan took some time to thank the crowd before returning to the stage to close out the night with a Pumpkins-infused rendition of ‘Black Diamond’ by Kiss. You can watch it all in the pro-shot footage from the show.
Smashing Pumpkins new disc ‘Oceania’ is due out on June 19 and will be their seventh studio album. Check out the cover art and track listing here.

Smashing Pumpkins return home to Chicago for a show on June 14 at Metro Smart Bar before heading to Australia to kick off a tour run.by: Mary Ouellette

Godsmack Premiere ‘Rocky Mountain Way’

Godsmack’s new disc ‘Live & Inspired’ features performances from collection from the band’s 2010 concert at Detroit’s Fox Theater and a handful of cover songs, including the Joe Walsh classic ‘Rocky Mountain Way.’
The band performed ‘Rocky Mountain Way’ every night out during the recently wrapped Mass Chaos tour with Staind, and now they’ve just released a video for the tune.
The video is a performance based piece, showing clips of Godsmack playing the song during their live set. Part of the Godsmack concert experience over the last few years is the drum-off that usually goes down between Shannon Larkin and Sully Erna during their shows, and there is an instance of that in the new video as well.

The concert footage is interlaced with clips of the band backstage, hanging out in their dressing rooms and doing meet and greets with fans, giving you a full 360-degree look at life on the road, Godsmack-style.by:mary ouellette
As mentioned, Godsmack just finished up the Mass Chaos tour with co-headliner and hometown pals Staind.The ‘Smack are now gearing up for the 2012 Uproar Festival with Shinedown, Papa Roach and Staind, among others.

Tool's New Album Update

The School of Rock organization has done wonders for music education over the years, and their latest event had Tool drummer Danny Carey taking part.
Last Friday, Carey dropped by the School of Rock venue in West Los Angeles for a jam session with some of the gifted students. Carey rocked through several Led Zeppelin covers as well as the band’s own music, and MetalInsider.net reports that he took the time to also give an update on Tool’s current status.
While the group hasn’t fully returned to recording, he did admit that they “have the framework of at least five good songs,” and that they hope to finish their next album by the end of the year. It’s been six years since Tool released their ’10,000 Days’ studio album, though singer Maynard James Keenan has kept quite busy both recording and touring with his other bands, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer.

Earlier this year, Carey had stated that Tool would likely enter the studio later this summer.by chadchilders

Slash Last Words To AXL Rose

During an interview with Piers Morgan on CNN‘s ‘Piers Morgan Tonight,’ one-time Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash recalled how he left things with Axl Rose. There was no spectacular breakup or loud, physical confrontation. Slash simply told Rose he was done and walked away.
That was in 1996. “And it wasn’t even me necessarily leaving the band, it was not continuing on with the new band that Axl put together that he was now at the helm of, which was the new Guns N’ Roses,” Slash says in the video below. “I was given a contract to basically join his new band, and it took about 24 hours before I decided, ‘I think this is the end of the line.’”
Since then he’s heard rumors of seven-figure offers to reunite with his former bandmates, but nothing has come of the offers. It sounds like nothing ever will. Slash once again slammed the door on any chance of a reunion, ever.
“I think you’ve got a situation where nobody involved wants to revisit. It’s not just me — it’s the whole band. And so I don’t think there’s a price tag that anybody’s put in front of us that’s going to make that work.”

Slash has been on a media tour promoting his  solo album “Apocalyptic Love,” It’s his second solo album and features Myles Kennedy as vocalist on all 13 songs.by bill dukes

Letterman Like Joe Bonamassa

Roger Waters Last Tour

Roger Waters has been on the road touring with The Wall for almost two years and has made it clear that, when this tour ends, it will be the last of his performing days.

The original tour was set to end in Philadelphia, PA on July 14 but, in the following video, Waters announces one last HUGE show in Quebec City, Canada on July 21. Plans are to build the largest Wall ever at over 800 feet wide.

Will this really be the end of Waters' music career? We doubt it as he has recently said he still has the 'fire in his belly.' He may never tour again on this massive scale, but it's a good bet that we'll see or hear him again in some capacity in the future.

Joe Bonamassa's new album hits midweek #1

Joe Bonamassa's brand new studio album 'Driving Towards The Daylight' is the number 1 album in today's Official UK Midweek Album Chart only 2 days after release

Released in the UK by Provogue Records, this marks Joe's 13th solo album and solidifies his reputation as one of the hottest guitarists in the music business.

'We are very excited about Joe's impressive rise in record sales,' says Ed van Zijl, owner of Provogue Records. 'Joe has worked extremely hard for the past 20 years, gradually building a massive following with the general public. It now seems that public demand is dictating the need for a singer/songwriter and guitarist of Joe's stature.'

The midweek chart position is subject to change. The official album chart will be revealed on Sunday evening. The album follows Bonamassa's appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman, which aired on Monday May 21st. View Joe's Letterman TV debut here.by andy snipper

Pearl Jam Headline Music Festival In Philadelphia

Pearl Jam have been announced as one of the headliners on the Philadelphia Made in America Music Festival, which is being curated by rap superstar Jay-Z.

The grunge heavyweights have been added to the maiden voyage of the Brooklyn rapper’s Made in America festival as the night one headliners, with Jay-Z himself headlining night two. The diverse festival is set for Labor Day weekend (Sept. 1 and 2) and will take place at Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Fairmount Park. Other artists on the bill include Skrillex, Miike Snow and Passion Pit amongst others, as well as more acts that will be announced at a later date.

In addition to the Midtown Music and Deluna festivals, Made in America is one of only three U.S. performances Pearl Jam have on the books for this year. The band will, however, take a jaunt through Europe beginning in late June. PJ are currently in the middle of recording their 10th studio album, which, according to a recent outlook from guitarist Mike McCready, will likely hit stores at some point in 2013.by tree riddle

Drummer Mark ‘Bam Bam’ McConnell Dies

Sebastian Bach touring drummer Mark ‘Bam Bam’ McConnell passed today (May 24).
Bach himself alerted fans that McConnell was in ill health yesterday, asking his fans to pray for the stickman. Another McConnell associate had informed fans that the drummer’s liver and kidneys had begun to shut down and that he had suffered partial brain damage.
McConnell’s wife Rikki paid tribute to the musician in a Facebook posting. She stated, “My sweet, beautiful best friend and husband. I miss you so much and so do Sara and Patch. I’ll take good care of them. My time with you was way too short, but what an adventure! Wow! I’ll love you always and always! You’ll be in my heart!!! Xoxoxoxox.” The drummer reportedly passed at 9:42AM ET this morning (May 24) surrounded by his family and friends.by chad childers

McConnell was part of Bach’s touring band from 1997 through 2005, and also played with the group Blackfoot in 2006 and 2007. Tributes from friends, family and peers have been left at the drummer’s Facebook page.

Beatles from ‘Abbey Road’ Shoot Sells for $25,000 at Auction

The cover of the Beatles‘ ‘Abbey Road’ album is one of the most imitated in rock history.Beatles fans from all over the world flock to the intersection of Abbey Road and Grove End Road in London to re-create the famous shot by Iain Macmillain. A print of an outtake from that photo shoot of August 8, 1969 sold today (May 22) for approximately $25,000 (16,000 pounds) at an auction.

The shot is very similar to the one we all know and love, with a couple of exceptions. For starters, Paul McCartney is wearing sandals instead of going barefoot. This, of course, was later considered to be a clue in the “Paul is Dead” hoax of that year. But the main difference is that the Beatles are walking in the opposite direction, towards Abbey Road Studios.

According to the Beatles Bible website, the photo used for the cover was the fifth of the six pictures Macmillain took that day because it was the only one in which the group walked in time. The second shot, the only one in which McCartney is walking from right-to-left while wearing sandals, is the one that sold. The entire shoot took ten minutes while a policeman held up traffic.

Zakk Wylde Honored To Play in Pantera

Former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde is willing to replace Dimebag Darrell should Pantera reform. In an interview promoting his book, ‘Bringing Metal to the Children: The Complete Berzerker’s Guide to World Tour Domination,’ Wylde was asked the question that has been floating around the metal world for the past few months.
“I love all those guys,” he told Billboard without reservations. “It would be an honor. How could I say no? I’d do my best to make them proud.”
The speculation is based on an interview drummer Vinnie Paul did in March where he said that, if a reunion were to happen, Wylde, who was very close friends with Dimebag Darrell, would be the most obvious choice to replace him. “But I honestly think, out of respect for my brother,” he added. “We should just leave the 14 amazing years Pantera had be.”

Singer Phil Anselmo, on the other hand, isn’t ready to jump into the Wylde Waters headfirst just yet. Last week, he said, “I’m not so sold on all that, because I think he and I have to sit down and hash some crap out. That day has not come yet, and [when] that day comes, I can comment further on it. As of right now, it’s just talk.”by dave lifton

Heir Apparent Vocalist Bryan Hagan Dies

Seattle metal band Heir Apparent. Bryan Hagan, who fronted the group from 2002-2003 has passed away on May 21 at 39 years of age. The cause of his death has not yet been revealed.Hagan never put his voice onto a record for a band, as Heir Apparent’s last full-length album, ‘One Small Voice’ was released in 1989. However, the band remains active and played shows during Hagan’s time with the band. In honor of their fallen brother in music, Heir Apparent posted a tribute to the vocalist in the ‘News’ section of their official website.
“He was a gentle giant and a great friend,” begins the band’s statement. “Bryan was slated as first choice to replace Paul Davidson for the 2012 reunion shows last January in Greece and Germany, but was unable to make the trip. We are shocked and tremendously saddened by his untimely passing,” the post continues. “You will be greatly missed, my friend.”

Unfortunately, Hagan was unable to perform vocal duties for Heir Apparent’s European shows, where the band achieved much greater success than in the United States. According to the band’s MySpace page, Heir Apparent’s first album, ‘Graceful Inheritance’ remains the “highest rated album” by German Magazine ‘Rock Hard.’
An online memorial, with more quotes about Hagan, has been set up here.Graham "by Gruhamed" Hartmann Yesterday

Joe Bonamassa Dominates Music Industry

LOS ANGELES, May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The unstoppable blues-rock juggernaut, and the hardest working man in show business, Joe Bonamassa, releases his "lucky" 13th album Driving Towards The Daylight today. Releasing alongside Bonamassa are solo albums from Slash and John Mayer and a live album from the Tedeschi Trucks Band, making Tuesday, May 22 the Day of the Guitar!
Of Bonamassa's new album, All Music Guide raves, "the arrangements and guitars mesh together like whisky and soda" and MSN.com calls it "nothing less than astounding." American Songwriter ranks Bonamassa "among our greatest living guitar players." Across the pond, UK's Guitar & Bass says its "one of his best," The Sun calls Bonamassa's playing "jawdropping," and Guitarist said "his guitar, voice and songs are simply better than ever." Get the free download of the single "Driving Towards

Last night (May 21), Joe wowed audiences with his first appearance on Late Show with David Letterman, sitting in with Paul Shaffer and the CBS Orchestra. And in other exciting Bonamassa news, Joe just won "Best Rock Blues Album" for 2011's solo release Dust Bowl at May 10^th's Blues Music Awards in Memphis, TN.
Driving Towards The Daylight was produced by Kevin "Caveman" Shirley (Black Crowes, Aerosmith, Led Zeppelin) and features guest artists including Aerosmith's Brad Whitford. To support the release, Bonamassa's label J&R Adventures is airing webisodes with behind-the-scenes footage about the album. It can be viewed on Joe's YouTube Channel (http://www.youtube.com/JoeBonamassaTV).
Recorded mostly at Studio At The Palms in Las Vegas, NV, Driving Towards The Daylight is a balanced back-to-basics album that highlights Bonamassa's signature style of roots blues with rock-and-roll guts, while honoring the traditions of the original blues musicians. "We've taken some really traditional old blues songs and we've tried to imagine how they would do them in a rock context," said Shirley. "It's a very exciting return to the blues in a very visceral way. It's vibrant and it's gutsy and it's really, really rugged."
Last month, Bonamassa had the honor of playing, along with Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top) and Derek Trucks, at the Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction of blues legend Freddie King. Other Hall of Fame inductees included Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beastie Boys, Guns N' Roses, Faces, and Donovan.

For more information and updated tour schedule, visit www.jbonamassa.com. Download the free Joe Bonamassa iPhone app for news, tour dates, storefront and more on the go.

Guns N’ Roses Reportedly Wants 20 Scottish Models to Be Front Row at Glasgow Show

 The Guns N’ Roses frontman and his crew have reportedly contacted a Scottish modeling agency to request that 20 of their hottest young ladies stand in the front row for the band’s Glasgow gig on May 25. According to DailyRecord.co.uk, an unnamed source spilled the haggis about the band’s arrangement with the Sonia Scott Agency. “The band’s promoter contacted Sonia and asked if she could provide the band with models for the gig,” says the source. “He asked Sonia for 20 of her prettiest models to stand in the front row and wow the band while they’re performing. The girls have then been invited to join Axl and the boys backstage for drinks and they’ve even asked Sonia if she can arrange a party for the band.”
Calling up an agency to arrange a “party” for the band? Sounds like a pretty incredible trip to Scotland — a country filled with beautiful green pastures, enchanting stone castles, and no laws against the act of exchanging money for sex.
The source continues, “Axl and the rest of the band love girls from Scotland and they want to party in Glasgow. No other band has ever requested models from the agency to party with a rock band before, so this a first … But then again, it is Axl Rose.”
Layla Ferguson, 19, Kyleen McKerlich, 23, and Annie Voigt, 22, are just three of the 20 models who will attend the GN’R show, with Ferguson in particular unable to contain her fanatical enthusiasm. “I’m really excited about meeting the band,” says Ferguson.“I don’t know much about them really – my mum and dad are more into them – but I’ll listen to their songs before Friday.”

Guns N’ Roses are set to begin their extensive tour of Europe in Newcastle, England on May 23.by: Graham "Gruhamed" Hartmann

SLASH On Velevet Revolver

Slash has further refuted Scott Weiland‘s claims that the singer is returning to the Velvet Revolver fold to record a new album and to embark on a tour. He essentially said that while he loves Weiland, he doesn’t want to be in a band with him ever again. That sounds pretty definitive!
Last week, Weiland went on record to say that he was back with the band and making new music with them, despite being booted four years prior. The singer went as far as to reveal that his former bandmates gave him new songs, and that he and guitarist Dave Kushner and bassist Duff McKagan were getting ready for a writing session. He also confirmed that a tour would be taking place in late summer, since Slash would be promoting his solo album ‘Apocalyptic Love’ in the meantime.
Sounds pretty official and like Weiland was in the know, right?

Wrong. Slash was the first person to deny the reunion, saying, “He’s out of his mind. There’s been a common rumor going around. I know that he’s been positive on that subject. Maybe they know something I don’t. I have absolutely no intention of going back to that.”
Slash further shot Weiland’s claims to hell the other night on the Eddie Trunk’s ‘Friday Night Rocks’ radio show (quotes courtesy of Blabbermouth.) Turns out the guitarist was prepping for an interview with a Minneapolis radio station when the you-know-what hit the fan.
Slash said, “And [the radio show host] starts saying something at one point where he goes, ‘So Scott Weiland’s back in Velvet Revolver. And how does that feel?’ And I was like, ‘Woah! What?’ And he goes, ‘Yeah, Scott said you guys are writing together and you’re gonna be on the road by the end of the year.’ And I was just like, ‘Am I delirious? What are you saying?’”
The guitar god continued, “Anyway, then, which was a good thing, he played me a tape of the actual conversation with Scott saying all this stuff. I was like, ’ And that was it. And I called Duff, and I was like, ‘Duff, do you know anything about this?’ And Duff says, ‘I have no idea.’ So that was it. I was just in a state of shock.”

Slash then went to the other source – Kushner- who told him that he and Scott “had some conversations at some point about getting back together. But I remember that was sort of Scott’s M.O. when we did that reunion thing.” The band played a benefit show earlier this year, where Weiland took his place behind the mic for a one-off.loudwire source

Slash continued, “So he’s been interested in burying the hatchet and getting back together and sort of juggling this whole STP/Velvet Revolver perfect-world thing. And I’m, like, there’s no way that’s gonna happen. I love Scott — he’s a great guy when I’m not in a band with him. I’d just like to keep it that way. So there’s no truth to this whole thing.

Black Sabbath Return To HomeTown Stage

While the Black Sabbath reunion has had a bit of a black cloud hovering over it, all of that was put to rest last night (May 19) when they returned to the stage at the O2 Academy in Birmingham, England for their intimate homecoming show to a crowd of about 4,000 people.
The show, which served as a warm-up for their upcoming appearance at the Download Festival, marked the band’s first concert since 2005 and the first in their hometown in nearly 13 years. Anyone lucky enough to score a ticket to the gig, which sold out in less than ten minutes, would see the band perform one of only a handful of shows scheduled for this year – three to be exact.
With drummer Bill Ward officially bowing out of the reunion, Tommy Clufetos quietly sat behind the kit.
It also marked the return of guitarist Tony Iommi, who was diagnosed with lymphoma shortly after the band announced that the original lineup was getting back together for a world tour and has been battling it ever since. Seeing him on stage seemed to invigorate not only the rest of the band but the crowd who you can hear chanting “Tony, Tony, Tony” throughout some of the fan-filmed videos.
The band powered through a set of over 18 songs that was reportedly filmed for future use. For now, check out some clips below. They opened the show with ‘Into the Void’ and their set included classic tunes like ‘War Pigs,’ ‘Iron Main’ and an encore of ‘Paranoid.’ The set list, seen below, featured songs primarily from Sabbath’s first four releases but there was a surprise or two thrown into the mix.
After the show, bassist Geezer Butler took to his website to thank the fans for the evening, saying, “Thank you, thank you, thank you Birmingham. Best fans ever – you brought out the best in us. It was a privilege playing for you tonight. Tony was a hero – you were the best medicine he has had. Proud to be a Brummie.”
In addition to Download Festival, Black Sabbath is set to perform at Lollapalooza this year, scheduled for Aug. 3-5 in Chicago, Ill.

Black Sabbath Set List (May 19):

Into the Void
Under the Sun
Snowblind
War Pigs
Wheels of Confusion
Electric Funeral
Black Sabbath
The Wizzard
Behind the Wall of Sleep
N.I.B.
Fairies Wear Boots
Tomorrow’s Dream
Sweet Leaf
Symptom of the Universe
Iron Man
Dirty Women
Children of the Grave
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath (Intro)
Paranoid

Robin Gibb Of Bee Gees Dead At 62

Robin Gibb, one-third of the Bee Gees, died Sunday after a long battle with cancer Gibb was 62 years old.
"The family of Robin Gibb, of the Bee Gees, announce with great sadness that Robin passed away today following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery," reads the statement. "The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time."

Two years ago, Gibb battled colon and liver cancer, but despite making what he called a "spectacular recovery," a secondary tumor recently developed, complicated by a case of pneumonia.
Gibb was born in Manchester, England, in 1949, along with twin brother Maurice. (Maurice died in 2003 of complications from a twisted intestine; eerily, Robin had surgery for the same medical issue in 2010.) Along with their older brother Barry, the brothers began harmonizing as a trio in Australia, where the family moved in 1958. Although the Bee Gees had some success in Australia -- they hosted a weekly variety show there -- they didn't truly arrive until they returned to England and signed with manager Robert Stigwood. Robin's quivering, vulnerable voice was featured prominently on several of the group's earliest and most Beatles-eque hits, including "New York Mining Disaster 1941," "I Started a Joke," "Massachusetts," and "I've Gotta Get a Message to You."
Although he looked and sounded like the meekest Bee Gee, Robin grew into the family rebel. By 1969, he and Barry were feuding over whose song should be singles, and Robin, then 20, was declared a "ward of the state" by their father when his drinking and partying seemed to take over his life. "It happened so fast that we lost communication between us," Gibb later recalled. "It was just madness, really."
But it also Robin who, in 1971, made the first call to Barry to reunite with his brothers. Robin's solo career had stalled, and Barry and Maurice's attempts to continue as the Bee Gees as a duo had floundered as well. "If we hadn't been related, we would probably have never gotten back together," Robin said at the time. Robin's voice was heard, beautifully, on the chorus of their minor 1972 hit "Run to Me."
The Bee Gees' massive second wind arrived with their proto disco hit, "Jive Talkin'," in 1975; two years later, their contributions to "Saturday Night Fever" made them bigger stars than ever. Most of the hits from that era featured Barry's falsetto voice, but the brothers' vocal blend remained an indelible apart of their sound.
The group entered another fallow period during the early '80s, although during this time, Robin produced a semi-hit album by Jimmy Ruffin, brother of the Temptations' David Ruffin. The last Bee Gees album, "This Is Where I Came In," was released in 2001. Two years later, Maurice died, and with his passing the Bee Gees ended.
Robin and Barry reunited periodically -- in 2010, they made an appearance on "American Idol" and inducted ABBA into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame -- and talked about a duo tour, but nothing materialized. Robin, though, kept his hand in music. With his son Robin-John, he wrote an ambitious piece, "The Titanic Requiem," a mix of orchestral and vocal pieces telling the story of the doomed liner on the 100th anniversary of its sinking. "It's a serious subject and it's not a rock opera," Gibb said before its debut. "There are no backbeats. This could have been written 300 years ago."

Featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the work had its world premiere in London on April 10th. But in a sign that Gibb's health had taken a turn for the worse, he wasn't able to attend. Ironically, next week's episode of "Glee" will include covers of Bee Gees songs from "Saturday Night Fever."source rollingstone.com

David Lee Roth Take On The Postponed Tour

No matter what you’ve heard, the guys in Van Halen are getting along just fine, thankyouverymuch, and only postponed some concert dates because they “bit off more than they could chew.”
That’s the skinny straight from VH frontman David Lee Roth, who recorded a video to explain the recent events — in his own words.

In the clip, shot in the woods of Minnesota, Roth says the band is “getting along famously, better than we have in quite some time,” and that they’re “having a helluva time” on tour.
That directly contradicts a Rolling Stone piece in which tour insiders confided the band members “hate each other” and are “arguing like mad.” Even former VH singer Sammy Hagar weighed in, saying, “I’m surprised it took this long. I predicted this was going to happen a lot sooner … They’re hard people to get along with, those brothers.”
Not so, counters Roth. That slew of postponed dates was simply a matter of sanity.
“The band is winning, but the schedule has been sidelined for unnecessary roughness,” he explains, adding that since the tour is going to run for about two years, the break is necessary to prevent the guys from turning into robots of themselves.by shauna wright

In other words: no drama. Nothing to see here. Move along.

Black Sabbath Name Tommy Clufetos As New Drummer

Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler has written an open letter to fans regarding the status of the band, and in the process he has confirmed who will be taking over the drum kit now that Bill Ward is officially out of the legendary metal group.
Butler made it known that Tommy Clufetos, currently of Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osbourne‘s solo band and a one-time member of Rob Zombie‘s touring outfit, has stepped in for Ward as Sabbath prepares to perform three shows this year, including hometown gig in Birmingham, England.

It was only a few days ago that Ward officially declared himself out of the band after months of contract negotiations that eventually didn’t work out. In Butler’s letter, the bassist also expresses remorse over Ward not being part of the Sabbath reunion. Read the entire letter, as posted on Butler’s official website, below:by spencer kaufman

I feel sad to see the Sabbath reunion becoming a bit of a soap opera on the internet. It has been a very tough year for us as a band, having announced our reunion plans, only for Tony to be diagnosed with lymphoma, leaving us no choice but to postpone the proposed Sabbath tour, and then for Bill to go public on his site about an un-signable contract. None of us knew how Tony was going to respond to his intensive chemo therapy, and radiotherapy. Ozzy and myself flew to England to be with Tony, and on his “good” days, we’d meet at his home studio and put ideas together for the upcoming album, all sitting down together, no drummer involved, just 3 of us quietly putting together ideas. We thought that when we had enough songs together for a full band rehearsal, we’d move back to L.A and put the whole thing together with Bill. Unfortunately, to our surprise, Bill issued a statement on his site saying he’d been offered an un-signable contract. He hadn’t told any one of us he was having contractual problems, and frankly those things are worked out between our representatives, and never between the four of us let alone in public. We had the idea of keeping just one show in this year, hoping that Tony would be well enough for that show, and that things with Bill would be sorted. As you may expect, a one off show at Donnington Festival (Download) costs an absolute fortune to stage, involving over 50 people, transport, air fares, hotels, meals, agents, promotors, accountants, lawyers etc, so none of us, expected to make much money from it- it was a one off Sabbath show for the fans, before we go into recording the new album. Apparently, this wasn’t acceptable to Bill’s representatives, they wanted an amount that was so unrealistic that it seemed to have been a joke. So we resigned ourselves to doing Download without Bill, hoping he’d change his mind and at least make a guest appearance. We started rehearsals a few weeks ago with Tommy Clufetos, the drummer who will be on the Ozzy and Friends Tour. Brilliant drummer and good bloke. It was decided we’d better do a warm up show, to break the ice since we haven’t played together live. The O2 Academy was available in Birmingham, where we were rehearsing, so we decided on that, and to make a donation to Help For Heroes Charity, since we’d be ironing out any glitches we may have. Then Bill put out a further statement saying he’d been ready to play the Birmingham show , but he was expected to have to do it “for free”- well, I think that’s basically how you raise money from gigs for charity – you play them “for free”.
All I am saying is that there are two sides to everything. I do hope to play with Bill again some day. For whatever reason; it wasn’t meant to be this time. Bill’s made his decision, and I have to respect that. Hopefully this painful year will be worth the wait for the new Sabbath album and end in joy and happiness for all.
Stay frosty,
Geezer

Sammy Hagar On Van Halen Postponement

One of the reasons for Sammy Hagar’s longstanding appeal is that nobody onstage has as much fun as he does. Now, he’s got even more reason to smile after hearing the news that Van Halen has postponed more than 30 dates on their 2012 tour.
“I’m surprised it took this long,” Hagar told the Associated Press. “I predicted this was going to happen a lot sooner.
Hagar was speaking from Atlantic City, N.J., where Chickenfoot played at the House of Blues on Friday (May 18) night. Before the show, Hagar donated $10,000 to Atlantic City’s St. Nicholas Roman Catholic Church for its food pantry, something he tries to do in every city he plays.
Although the band is citing exhaustion as the reason for the postponement. Hagar has a different take. They’re hard people to get along with, those brothers,” he continued. “Otherwise I’d still be in the band.”

No such issues are apparent for Chickenfoot, which is currently on tour behind its new album, ‘III.’ They even welcomed back drummer Chad Smith for a surprise encore at Wednesday’s show at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston. Kenny Aronoff has been taking over the drummer’s stool while Smith has been busy with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.by dave lifton

Bono Cashing In On Facebook Stock

 Bono! it looks like he will follow no more, at least not in terms of financial portfolios, thanks to some shrewd investment in Facebook. The U2 frontman is one of many who cash in once Facebook goes public Friday (May 18) with their Initial Public (Stock) Offering (IPO).
It looks as though Bono will then become the richest man in the rock world, a spot previously held for many years by Paul McCartney. The “cute” Beatle is also the shrewd one, with an estimated worth of 665 million pounds…that’s over one billion dollars!
Bono is already high atop the list of well to do rockers, earning (according to Nasdaq) a reported $195 million from record and ticket sales in the past two years alone. He will out run that amount by some distance once Facebook goes public. In 2009, his ‘Elevation Partners’ equity firm bought 2.3% of Facebook for $90 million, an investment that will be worth over $1.5 billion when all is said and done.

In 2009, Facebook stock was worth around $9 billion. By June of 2011, it had skyrocketed to $23 billion, and by the end of 2011, it was valued it at $50 billion.by dave swanson

Joe Bonamassa On David Letterman MAY 21st 11:30 PM

Problems For Van Halen?

With no official word from the Van Halen camp about the reasons behind yesterday’s sudden postponement of over 30 dates on their summer 2012 tour schedule, speculation has set in, some of it focused on the reportedly testy relationship between David Lee Roth and his bandmates.
Rolling Stone quotes a tour insider as saying that the band members “hate each other,” with another stating that, “The band is arguing like mad. They are fighting.” After ruling the rock world together for much of the late-’70s and early-’80s, the original members of Van Halen famously spent much of the last three decades apart, trading occasional barbs via the pressbefore reuniting sans bassist Michael Anthony for a highly successful tour in 2007.
The band has been on the road since February in support of their first album with Roth in 28 years, ‘A Different Kind of Truth.’ Just last week they added several new dates to their summer tour plans, making the news from yesterday all the more puzzling.
In one of his few recent interviews in support of the new album and tour, Roth spoke highly of his bandmate, guitar wizard Eddie Van Halen, telling the Los Angeles Times, “There’s an old Russian saying: ‘There’s no more lines in that guy’s stomach.’ It means somebody got fat and slow. There are still a lot of lines in Eddie’s stomach.”

Van Halen returned the favor last month in Esquire, declaring of Roth, “We never really hated each other. I think the press blew that out of proportion… if we argued — you know, now it’s always about, about the structure of a song. It’s never personal. We’ve never on a personal level not gotten along.”by ultimat classic rock staff

Stone Temple Pilots August 27th & 29th 2012 the Paramount Huntington NY

Since the moment they appeared on the scene in the early 90′s, Stone Temple Pilots dominated the decade from start to finish, racking up 15 singles on the Billboard Top Ten, winning a “Best Hard Rock Performance” GRAMMY in 1994 for for “Plush,” and having their five albums sell more than 35 million copies worldwide. Of all their peers, STP alone had sustained commercial success, earning greater critical acclaim with each release, building a body of work that remains popular and its enduring acclaim has only highlighted the absence of the band, who quietly went their separate ways after the turn-of the millennium release of Shangri-La Dee Da.

Ronnie James Dio Missed Still 2 Years Later

It was two years ago today (May 16) that legendary metal vocalist Ronnie James Dio lost his battle with stomach cancer. After one of the most heartbreaking losses in metal history, there have been countless tributes for the late singer as well as a constant discussion between metalheads of how truly incredible Dio was. With a career spanning 43 years, Ronnie James Dio fronted the legendary bands Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath and Dio while also playing with his Sabbath brothers as Heaven and Hell. To celebrate the life of the man with a truly golden voice, we offer you Five Amazing Ronnie James Dio Vocal Performances:source official ronnie james dio page

Great White's Jack Russel In Boat Accident

Great White singer Jack Russell recently found himself involved in a boat crash of all things, but in this case he was happy not to be the cause of the trouble.
The singer told Metal Sludge that he and his wife were kicking back aboard their boat when they heard a huge boom. It was another drunken sailor who had collided into the rear of their vessel. Russell says, “I went onto the back deck and this drunk guy in a sailboat had crashed into the back of our boat. Fortunately the damage to ours was minimal and he had insurance. I took his info and had him shove off before Harbor Patrol showed up. No sense in him going to jail. After all, his boat suffered some serious damage.”

Russell says he and his wife shared a laugh afterward, as he joked, “I’m just glad it wasn’t the other way around.” He adds, “It’s nice to be sober again. Until next time, remember don’t drink and sail.”
The singer and the remaining members of Great White have been at odds ever since Russell left to address his health issues. After hearing he wasn’t welcome back and that the group had replaced him, he formed his own version of the band called Jack Russell’s Great White and the two acts are currently battling over who owns the rights to the moniker.

Great White are known for their 1989 hit ‘Once Bitten, Twice Shy,by chad childers

Velvet Revolver Have A Singer?

After revealing recently that he would be open to reuniting with Velvet Revolver, singer Scott Weiland has apparently taken his position behind the microphone for the band that had yet to replace him.
It’s been over four years since Scott Weiland parted ways with Velvet Revolver and their 2008 split was anything but civil. Despite how ugly things got on the band’s last tour together, they reunited for a one-off benefit performance in Hollywood this past January and proved that patching up the differences they once had was not impossible. According to a new report they have done just that.
Scott Weiland tells ABC News Radio that he is once again the vocalist for the supergroup comprised of himself and former members of Guns N’ Roses. “We’ve all grown a lot,” explains Weiland. “We’re able to put egos and differences and old…conflicts aside and so that’s really cool.”
In addition to touring with Stone Temple Pilots this year, Weiland says that Velvet Revolver is going to hit the road as well. “Slash’s solo album gets released [on May 22] and so he’s gonna do some touring on that and then we’re gonna go and do some [Velvet Revolver] shows in the later part of summer into early fall.”
The band released two albums — ‘Contraband’ and ‘Libertad’ — during their initial five year run, and Weiland reveals that despite having just rejoined the band — they are already beginning work on the third. “They gave me a couple of songs and myself and [guitarist] Dave [Kushner] and [bassist] Duff [McKagan] are gonna be getting together for a song writing session next week.”

Velvet Revolver spent the years following Weiland’s exit unsuccessfully searching for his replacement, while all members worked on other projects.by tree riddle

Kid Rock Raises One Million Dollars

Performing a benefit concert with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra on Saturday night (May 12) at the Fox Theatre, according to Kid Rock Surely never before worked with vocalists who drop liberal F-bombs and sing about prostitute, pimps, drugs and debauchery. The orchestra may play Aaron Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man," but the terrain of Rock's song is little more, well, common in the rawest sense of the word.
And it's highly unlikely any previous DSO guest has ever referred to music director Leonard Slatkin as "badass," as Rock did on Saturday.

But the pairing, which raised $1 million for the DSO -- still feeling the after-effects of a six-month 2010-11 musicians' strike as well as a challenging economy in general -- worked well. The two-hour and five-minute show, during which Rock and his Twisted Brown Trucker band performed 11 of his songs with the DSO as well as a three-song encore set on their own, added layers of orchestral bombast and spice to a repertoire more stylistically diverse than, say, Metallica's "S&M" set list and proving that the orchestra could rock and that Rock's songs, at least those played with the DSO, were sturdy enough to support a little bit of sophistication. Rob Mathes' complementary arrangements gave the DSO a prominent place in the music without trying to upstage the songs, making a batch of familiar sound richer, fuller and fresher.
"I think the good idea is to let the audience hear the band rock and use the orchestra to enhance what the band is doing," Mathes, whose voluminous credits include musical director for the Kennedy Center Honors, told Billboard.com. "I want to use the orchestra as another member of the band -- albeit an extraordinary one -- and let them shine in their glory at times but not just let them be this carpet over everything." Mathes, who had worked with the DSO's Slatkin on previous projects, studied a number of live tapes from concerts by Rock and his Twisted Brown Trucker band and also attended a concert in Tampa "so I could really write the orchestra to the way they play live, not just on record."
STORY: Kid Rock Teams With Detroit Symphony Orchestra for Benefit Concert
Rock sported a tuxedo while Slatkin and the orchestra musicians donned his trademark black fedoras for the opening "Devil Without a Cause," which included the late Joe C. rapping via tape about his 10-foot you-know-what while a scrim featuring his photo hung over the DSO. Rock changed garb quickly -- "You didn't really think I was wearing a tuxedo all night, did you?" he said -- a ran through a repertoire during which the orchestra added bold, Mahler-esque stabs marked "Bawitdaba" and "Rock N Roll Jesus" and bulked up the main riffs of "You Never Met...," "All Summer Long," "Born Free" and "Cowboy," with the latter mixing tastes of Americana fiddle flare with Gershwinesque grandeur. Mathes borrowed from Al Green's Memphis soul on the ballad "Rock On," while melodic counterpoints enriched "Purple Sky" (a favorite of Rock's mom, which he dedicated to her for Mother's Day) and "Picture." The DSO also introduced songs such as pro-Detroit paean "Times Like These" and "Born Free" with specially created intros.
The DSO also played "opening act," showcasing five of classical music's "greatest hits" and earning a standing ovation for Rossini's "Overture to William Tell" finale and arena-style chants of "DSO! DSO!" at the end of its set. Rock and Twisted Brown Trucker, meanwhile, finished the night with "Son of Detroit," "Wasting Time" and the appropriate "God Bless Saturday." The concert was recorded and filmed, though no determination has been made for a release yet.
The full Kid Rock/Detroit Symphony Orchestra set list:
Devil Without A Cause
You Never Met a Motherfucker Quite Like Me
All Summer Long
Cowboy
Rock On
Purple Sky
Picture
Bawitdaba
Times Like These
Rock N Roll Jesus
Born Free

Encores:
Son of Detroit
Wasting Time
God Bless Saturday

Donald “Duck” Dunn, Passed Away

Donald “Duck” Dunn, who played on hundreds of rock and soul classics as the bassist for Booker T. and the MGs, and later as a session player, passed away Sunday morning at the age of 70. Steve Cropper, the MGs guitarist, broke the news on his Facebook page at approximately 12:30AM Eastern time.
“Today I lost my best friend, the world has lost the best guy and bass player to ever live,” Cropper, his lifelong friend, wrote. “Duck Dunn died in his sleep Sunday morning May 13 in Tokyo Japan after finishing 2 shows at the Blue Note Night Club.”
Born in Memphis in November 24, 1941, Dunn started playing bass at the age of 16. “I tried the guitar but it had two strings too many,” he wrote on his website. “It was just too complicated, man! Plus, I grew up with Steve Cropper. There were so many good guitar players another one wasn’t needed. What was needed was a bass.”
Cropper and Dunn soon formed a band, The Royal Spades, which grew into the Mar-Keys. The mother of the band’s saxophone player, Charles “Packy” Axton, was Estelle Axton, who owned the fledgling Satellite Record label. Shortly after their song ‘Last Night’ became a national hit, the label changed its name to Stax.
In 1964, Cropper convinced Dunn to join Booker T. and the MGs after original bassist Lewie Steinberg departed. As the house band for Stax, they provided the music for some of the greatest southern soul music ever recorded. Virtually every song recorded by Otis Redding, Sam and Dave, Albert King, Eddie Floyd, William Bell, Rufus Thomas and many others for Stax bears their distinct groove, with Dunn holding down the low end.
After Booker T. and the MGs disbanded in 1971, Dunn became a highly sought-after session bassist for those looking for a bit of that Memphis magic. He appeared on records by Rod Stewart, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Bill Withers, Muddy Waters, Neil Young (on ‘Are You Passionate?, and many others. A discography, which probably isn’t complete, is on his website. Movie lovers were able to put the face to the sound when he appeared as himself in the 1980 movie ‘The Blues Brothers.’
As a member of Booker T. and the MGs, Dunn was elected to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1992, and received a Lifetime Achievement Grammy award in 2007.

Dunn is the second Memphis soul great to pass away this year — Andrew Love, who played tenor saxophone with Dunn on those Stax classics, died on April 12. Our deepest condolences go out to his family and the countless musicians who knew and worked with him over the years.by dave lifton

James Hetfield Calls Dave Mustaine a "Big Mouth"

Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine has never been afraid to speak his mind, which has has gotten him in hot water quite a bit over the years, and several times recently. For years he feuded with his ex-bandmates in Metallica, but they recently patched things up.
Mustaine has recently said he would love to play with James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich again, and talked about putting together a supergroup with them. Now, Hetfield doesn’t sound like he’s too interested in that possibility.
A special edition of Metallica’s fan club magazine ‘So What!’ is being published in conjunction with ‘Metal Hammer’ to commemorate the band’s 30th anniversary concerts in December of 2011 at the Fillmore in San Francisco. Mustaine played with Metallica during the final show, sitting in for several songs from the band’s 1983 debut ‘Kill ‘Em All.’

According to Metal Injection, in an interview in ‘So What’ magazine, Hetfield discussed the reconnection with Mustaine and his penchant for talking. “I see him healthier now. I see him as less of a bitter guy. But I do see a lot of stuff in the press with him talking about jamming with us and making an album. All this other crazy stuff. I read it and say to myself, ‘Hold on. This is the Dave that we kind of wanted to forget about. You know, the big mouth that wants to just go-go-go.’ But there is an authenticity about him when he speaks. He doesn’t think too much before he does. He just goes off the cuff. Plus, when he says stuff like that, it’s well-intended.”chad bowar source

Wolfgang Van Halen Talks Life After Eddie Retires

While Eddie and Alex Van Halen may be pushing 60 (currently 57 and 58-years-old respectively), it seems like the band’s legacy will carry on long after the brothers are finished. Eddie’s song, Wolfgang Van Halen, who’s been the band’s bass player since 2007, says he’ll keep playing the new and old songs the legendary rock band is famous for.
“It kind of falls on my shoulders,” the Van Halen bassist tells Esquire. He adds that the band has demos of material cut over the last three years, plenty to fill future albums. “I thought it would be really fun if dad and I just sat down and started jamming and see if we came up with something together, instead of him writing something and me putting my spin on it.”
Eddie Van Halen also partook in the interview with his 21-year-old son, who’s been the band’s bassist since he was 15-years-old. Wolfie says they’ve rehearsed almost daily since then, aside from the two long tour stretches. So far he’s only added bits and pieces to the new music, which he categorizes as a total collaboration.
On the road Wolfgang has plenty of responsibilities to attend to. “I kind of come up with the set lists. When we’ve got a song that we haven’t done, it’s like, we should probably run through this before the show and figure out like the count of it. Because dad, for some reason, counts in odds. He’ll land on three instead of four.”
“He still, to this day, does not know the lyrics to ‘Beautiful Girls.’ You know how we go, ‘Top of the world, beautiful girls’? He has it written down on his pedal board. On the last tour I used to have to go [mouths lyrics]. You were at sound check yesterday when we were practicing ‘Full Bug’ and he was like, ‘I don’t know when to stop!’ So I had to go over there and was just like, ‘Now!’by billy dukes

Scott Weiland Eyes Return to Velvet Revolver

Scott Weiland has been one of the most unpredictable frontmen in rock for the past two decades. In a new interview, he not only reveals that he hopes to release a new Stone Temple Pilots album, he also admits he would like to rejoin Velvet Revolver at some point down the road. It’s official, hell has frozen over.

Weiland returned to STP after a nasty split with Velvet Revolver, who’ve yet to find a  replacement for the erstwhile vocalist. The group reconvened for a one-off performance at a recent benefit, which Weiland surprisingly reveals may not be the last time. “Yeah, I definitely would, some time,” Weiland tells Rolling Stone of possibly rejoining VR. “If Maynard [James Keenan] can do it with A Perfect Circle and Tool, then there’s no reason why I shouldn’t go and do it with both bands.”
The STP vocalist recently contributed a new solo song called ‘Breathe’ to the soundtrack for the blockbuster film ‘The Avengers.’ “I thought that it fit the idea – I haven’t seen the film yet, but just thematically, it fit,” says Weiland. “It’s probably the most commercial sort of song, the poppiest song, that I’ve put out on any of my previous solo records.”
After indicating that another solo effort may be on the horizon, Weiland expressed his excitement for Stone Temple Pilots’ upcoming 20th anniversary tour for their debut album, ‘Core.’ “We’re going to play the album in its entirety,” Weiland says of the tour. “I think it’ll be really fun, because the one thing that I got tired of was sort of playing the same basic set list every night. It was like, ‘the hits.”
Stone Temple Pilots have reportedly been toying with the notion of releasing a new album for the past couple of years, but have yet to do so. “I’m sure that will happen,” says Weiland. “Although it’s odd because we used to tour to promote our records, and now we put out records to promote tours. Which is the way of the world, though.”by tree riddle

Eddie VanHalen Donates 75 Guitars

If you’ve ever doubted the power of paying it forward, let this photo ease your mind.
Back in January, guitar ace Eddie Van Halen dug deep into his own collection and donated 75 guitars to music programs in the L.A. area. In coordination with Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, the guitars would find their way into the loving hands of music students whose schools were short on funds and not able to provide instruments.
Today on Twitter, Eddie Van Halen posted the photo above. Full of gratitude, it shows a whole music room full of students at the Garfield High School in Los Angeles, Calif. playing guitars. In the background they’re holding up a sign thanking Mr. Van Halen for his contributions and seemingly proving that they’re being put to good use. Judging by the poses, we’re pretty sure that tyke in the second row is ready to launch into the guitar solo from ‘Eruption’ at any moment, but we can’t be quite sure.
Van Halen, who credits music for keeping him off of the streets and out of trouble when he was younger, knows the value of music education on a deeply personal level, and now, thanks to his donation, he’s helping cultivate the future Eddie Van Halens of the world.
The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, whose name might sound familiar, was indeed inspired by the Richard Dryefuss movie of the same name. Founded by composer Michael Kamen in 1996 ,the charity has been supporting under-funded music programs across the country since its inception.

Eddie Van Halen continues his trek across the country and back again with the reunited and re-invigorated Van Halen.by Mary Ouellette