Metallica have released a video of their performance of classic track For Whom The Bell Tolls.
It was filmed at New York’s Webster Hall on September 27th – a show that was exclusively set up for the band’s Fifth Members fan club. It also took place on the 30th anniversary of bassist Cliff Burton’s death. Watch it below.
Metallica are gearing up for the launch of their highly anticipated 10th album Hardwired… To Self-Destruct, which will be released on November 18th on their own Blackened Recordings label.
The Winery Dogs have shared a short tour documentary showcasing the band’s performance in Mexico City from earlier this year. Watch it below.
Singer and guitarist Richie Kotzen, bassist Billy Sheehan and drummer Mike Portnoy were on the road in May in support of the trio’s second album Hot Streak. And in the clip, filmmaker Nico Merkin follows the band around the city, showing them onstage, meeting fans and conducting promotional work.
Portnoy says, “Great video recap of The Winery Dogs in Mexico. The upcoming live Blu-ray/DVD from Santiago should be out early 2017.”
Reflecting on what makes The Winery Dogs tick in the clip, Kotzen says, “It’s an interesting combination. Billy has a way of playing the bass that’s very unique – he incorporates the kind of lines on the instrument that a bass normally wouldn’t do. Because I sing, every move that I make when I write is, ‘How can I sing over that? What’s the melody?’ I look at it from that angle so it kind of keeps things in a more basic format. I think some of the crazy stuff – the over the top wild stuff comes more from the other two guys which is what makes it kind of unique. Not to say I don’t bring crazy stuff, because I do.”
The Winery Dogs have no plans for the remainder of 2016, although Portnoy continues to have a number of projects on the go. He recently announced that he’ll perform Dream Theater’s Twelve-Step Suite at next year’s ProgPower USA.
Portnoy and The Neal Morse Band are gearing up for the launch of the album The Similitude Of A Dream, which will be released on November 11th, while Sheehan continues work with Mr. Big and Kozten works on a new solo album.
Rock legends UFO have announced a US tour with very special guests Saxon, beginning March 9th in Houston, TX and continuing into early April.
UFO, with their long standing line up of Phil Mogg (Vocals), Paul Raymond (Keyboards / Guitar), Andy Parker (Drums), Vinnie Moore (Guitar) and Rob De Luca (Bass), are back in the US after a phenomenally successful sold out tour in early 2016. They are currently working on their 22nd studio album after the last studio release A Conspiracy of Stars in 2015.
Saxon are touring on their latest release Battering Ram together with the new double live album set Let Me Feel Your Power (out October 28th in North America), both on the UDR Music label. After great success with both US headline shows and dates with Judas Priestover last few years, the band are back as part of this great package. Saxon are Biff Byford (Vocals), Paul Quinn (Guitar), Nigel Glockler (Drums), Doug Scarrett (Guitar) and Tim “Nibbs” Carter (Bass).
UFO’s Phil Mogg states, “We are polishing the guitars, cleaning up the drums, I have a new front tooth, and our crew have bought themselves fresh mascara, some new tunes, and an airline ticket to the USA, to be joining our old pals Saxon on what will be a celebrational tour of all our favorite places. Look forward to seeing you there! Kisses, UFO.”
Saxon’s Biff Byford adds, “It’s great to be back on the road with UFO. The last time we toured together was in the 80’s so it should be fun and a unique package for the fans. See you in March. Keep the faith.”
Special guest on all shows is Jared James Nichols.
UFO & Saxon US Tour Dates:
March 9 – Houston, TX / Scout Bar
March 10 – Dallas, TX / Gas Monkey Live
March 11 – San Antonio, TX / Alamo City Music Hall*
March 14 – San Diego, CA / House Of Blues
March 15 – San Francisco, CA / The Independent
March 16 – Los Angeles, CA / Belasco
March 18 – Anaheim, CA / The Grove
March 19 – Las Vegas, NV / House Of Blues
March 21 – Denver, CO / Summitt Concert Hall
March 24 – Sioux City, IA / Anthem @ Hard Rock Casino
March 26 – St. Charles, IL / Arcada Theater
March 28 – Cleveland, OH / House Of Blues
March 29 – New York, NY / BB Kings
March 30 – New York, NY / BB Kings
April 1 – Jim Thorpe, PA / Penn’s Peak
April 2 – Allston, MA / Brighton Music Hall
*Saxon to close
Tickets are available from all usual agents and outlets.
Actor Norman Reedus, better known as Daryl Dixon on The Walking Dead, joined Anthrax on stage last night at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, jamming on guitar during the band’s classic Indians. Anthrax’s Frank Bello and Scott Ian are both huge fans of the show – in 2015, Ian appeared in an episode playing one of the zombies, and unfortunately met a horrible demise with a metal pole through his head.
Before last night’s show, Bello and Ian dropped by The Walking Dead set, hanging out with Reedus and the show’s director/special effects artist Greg Nicotero.
Anthrax is current on tour with Slayer and Death Angel, upcoming dates are below.
October:
6 Varsity Theatre, Baton Rouge, LA*
7 Gas Monkey Live, Dallas, TX
8 ACL at the Moody Theatre, Austin, TX
10 Fillmore, Denver, CO
11 The Complex, Salt Lake City, UT
12 Rev Hall, Boise, ID*
13 The Wilma Theatre, Missoula, MT
14 The Hill event Center, Idaho Falls, ID*
15 Revolution Concert House, Garden City, ID
16 Knitting Factory, Spokane, WA* (offer)
17 ENMAX Centre, Lethbridge, AB
19 S. Okanagan Cvents Centre, Penticton, BC
20 Abbotsford Centre, Abbotsford, BC
21 Hawthorn Theatre, Portland, OR*
22 Discovery Park, Elverta, CA (w/Aftershock)
23 Reno Events Center, Reno, NV
22 Aftershock Festival, Sacramento, CA
25 Orpheum Theatre, Flagstaff, AZ*
26 Top Deck, Famington, NM* (offer)
27 El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso, TX**
Jimmy Page’s guitar solo on Led Zeppelin’s Stairway To Heaven has been voted the greatest ever by Classic Rock magazine.
His work on the 1971 track was voted number one by a panel of critics, bands and readers in the new issue of Classic Rock magazine which features the 100 Greatest Guitar Solos.
But despite the plaudits, Page says it’s not his best but “it’s pretty damn good.”
Jimmy Page tells Classic Rock, “Is Stairway To Heaven my best Zeppelin guitar solo? No, but it’s pretty damn good. The solo was done very quickly – in actual fact there were already layers underneath, the bottleneck you can hear was on before the solo.
Anyway, I just said, ‘Roll it,’ took a deep breath, that’s what I usually do, and then go. I had a couple of cracks at it because you didn’t have as many options as you would have now. Back then you had 16 tracks and could only put guitar solos down where the vocal wasn’t.
“You’d save maybe three tracks to lay guitar solos into which meant you could have two or three cracks at it and then choose the best.”
He adds: “If everyone else says it’s my best solo then that’s great, that’s good, but there are others that I prefer.”
When asked if there’s a particular solo that has given him trouble, Page said, “I don’t dread it, but the one that was testy, to say the least, to try and replicate, or at least to get a mean average of all the guitar parts on the record, was Achilles’ Last Stand. I really set myself a challenge to try and do that onstage with one guitar.”
Other solos to feature in the top 10 include Pink Floyd’s Comfortably Numb, Eagles classic Hotel California, Black Sabbath’s Paranoid and Prince’s Purple Rain. See the top 10 below.
The full list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Solos features in the new issue of Classic Rock magazine.
Classic Rock’s 100 Greatest Guitar Solos Top 10:
1. Jimmy Page/Led Zeppelin – Stairway To Heaven
2. David Gilmour/ Pink Floyd – Comfortably Numb
3. Don Felder and Joe Walsh/Eagles – Hotel California
4. Allen Collins/Lynyrd Skynyrd – Freebird
5. Jimi Hendrix/The Jimi Hendrix Experience – All Along The Watchtower
6. Eddie Van Halen/Van Halen – Eruption
7. Brian May/Queen – Killer Queen
8. Slash/GN’R – Sweet Child Of Mine
9. Prince/Prince And The Revolution – Purple Rain
10. Tony Iommi/Black Sabbath – Paranoid
Quiet Riot is very pleased to introduce Seann Nicols (formerly of Adler’s Appetite) as their new vocalist starting in 2017. The band are currently in the studio with Seann recording their forthcoming full-length album of all new material, to be released on Frontiers Records in early 2017. They will also be releasing a music video that will be the first Quiet Riot music video since 1989. The band begin their tour on January 27th in Medina, Minnesota and will continue their touring schedule around the globe.
Vocalist Jizzy Pearl, who is departing to concentrate full-time on his solo career, will finish the 2016 tour dates through December. Frankie Banali says the departure is amicable. “Quiet Riot thanks Jizzy for a great three years and we wish him the very best.”
Quiet Riot is a rock and roll phenomenon. Famously described as the first heavy metal band to top the pop chart at #1 on Billboard magazine, the Los Angeles quartet became an overnight sensation thanks to their monster 1983 smash album Metal Health. After several member changes, and three years after the untimely passing of original lead singer Kevin DuBrow in 2007, Frankie Banali, an original member of the 1982 Metal Health classic line up, continued the musical legacy of the band along with bassist Chuck Wright who has been in and out of the band since 1982, and guitarist Alex Grossi who has been in the band since 2004.
 as their new vocalist starting in 2017. The band are currently in the studio with Seann recording their forthcoming ... )
