GEOFF TATE DISCUSSES HIS “THE WHOLE RYCHE STORY ACOUSTIC TOUR” AND MEETING MEATLOAF

Ruben Mosqueda of Sleaze Roxx spoke with singer Geoff Tate. Portions of the interview appear below.

Sleaze Roxx: As stated, you’re back in North America on The Whole Ryche Story Acoustic Tour. I assume this taps into the entire Queensrÿche back catalog?

Geoff Tate: Yeah. If you can believe this, we’re performing 35 years worth of music in two hours. Or should I say an overview [laughs]?

Sleaze Roxx: I’ve not looked online for the setlist because I like to be surprised. I guess you’ve averaging at least one song from each [Queensrÿche] album?

Geoff Tate: That’s right. We designed it that way. There’s a lot of storytelling which takes place between songs. I call them tidbits or inspirations on what was going on in my life at the time that the song was written or recorded or what might have inspired the song. I’m been receiving great feedback from the fans about the show. I don’t know if it’s my expertise in storytelling or the presentation of the song [laughs]? It’s a fun show. It’s all acoustic. We have two acoustic guitars, a violin, a percussion instrument called a ‘cajon.’ Everyone in the band sings too… It’s a pretty rich sound. The acoustic performance is a return to the origins of the song. Most people don’t know this but most of my songs were either written on acoustic guitar or piano.

leaze Roxx: Geoff, do you recall who the first famous person that you met? What was that like?

Geoff Tate: Good question. Let me think. You know I don’t think I met anyone famous until I had a little bit of fame myself. I think that was good in the sense that I was always sensitive in how I would approach them. I wasn’t much into doing the ‘cold call’ so to speak. I wasn’t about walking up to someone introducing myself and striking up a conversation. I’m just not wired that way [laughs]! So when I would meet famous people, it was in a professional environment — a show or an event of some sort. I’d be introduced to them by someone — either a mutual friend or someone in the industry. It was different because then, each person would know who the other person is. You’re both there and there’s a reason why you’re both there.

I do have an interesting story for you. I was at a golf tournament a few years ago in Miami [Florida]. I walked into the bar with a group of friends. I walked up to the bar to order a drink and I saw [singer] Meatloaf standing at the bar. He was ordering a drink. I was there to get another drink. We struck up this conversation without being introduced. We talked about the care of his voice. I’m sure you’re familiar with the story. He’s had very publicized problems with his voice. He fought back and changed his entire health regime to get his voice back. I was very curious as to how he did that. He was very forthcoming about the procedure that followed. He just opened up and started talking about it. If it were me and someone started asking about my voice like that, I think I would have found the nearest exit relatively quickly! Then again, I think at that point, we were both inebriated enough that maybe it didn’t matter [bursts into laughter]?

Read more at Sleaze Roxx.

source: sleazeroxx.com

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HOW JAZZ GUITARIST DJANGO REINHARDT HELPED TO SHAPE BLACK SABBATH’S SOUND

Hardeep Phull of the New York Post reports:

Jazz lovers know that gypsy guitar virtuoso Django Reinhardt was one of the genre’s stars during the ’30s and ’40s — a fact that will be celebrated on today at the 10th annual Django a Gogo tribute concert at Carnegie Hall.

But decades later (and well after his own death in 1953), Reinhardt’s lightning fingers inadvertently helped inspire the first notes of heavy metal.

During the mid-1960s, a young British guitarist named Tony Iommi (later of Black Sabbath) was working his last day at a factory when a freak accident tore off the tips off his middle fingers. He thought his budding career as a musician was over, until his foreman visited him in the hospital and told him about Reinhardt, who himself relearned to play guitar after a fire in 1928 left two of his fingers paralyzed. “It really inspired me to really get on with it, and start trying to play,” Iommi told VH1 in 2015.

One of Iommi’s innovations was to detune the guitar, making the strings softer for his fingers, but also giving the guitar a darker, more aggressive tone. That would later become a hallmark of Black Sabbath, and define the sound of heavy metal.

“All the great artists and guitar virtuosos listen to Django,” Stephane Wrembel tells The Post. “He basically invented the foundation for modern guitar.” Wrembel, himself a gypsy jazz musician who has worked with Woody Allen on films such as “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” and “Midnight in Paris,” started Django a Gogo 10 years ago. Back then, it was a smaller event held at Barbes, in Brooklyn, but has now expanded across the country. Friday’s event is the first to be held at Carnegie Hall, and will feature jazz heavyweights such as Al Di Meola and Larry Keel.

But Wrembel insists that Reinhardt’s music isn’t just something for music scholars and historians to marvel at. “You don’t have to be a musician to love Django,” he says. “If you are, his technique blows your mind. If you’re not, you have a good time with it anyway!”

source: nypost.com

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QUIET RIOT REPLACE SINGER SEAN NICOLS WITH JAMES DURBIN

Although vocalist Seann Nicols – who previously fronted Adler’s Appetite under the name Sheldon Tarsha – sang on the entirety of the forthcoming Quiet Riot album Road Rage, scheduled for release April 21st via Frontiers Music, he has been relieved of his duties after performing only five shows with the band.

Seann Nicols has been replaced by American Idol finalist James Durbin, who recently partnered with Quiet Riot guitarist Alex Rossi under the moniker Maps To The Hollywood Scars. The pair issued a five-song EP last month through New Ocean Media.

German website Rocks-Magazine.De broke the news via an interview with Quiet Riot drummer and sole original member Frankie Banali. The translation reads as follows:

“Seann has done a great job on the record, but a band is not just talented – you have to get together.”

According to Banali, the customary artistic and personal differences have led to the unanimous decision that an amicable separation is in the interest of the band. “We had to make the best decision for Quiet Riot. If there are problems so early in the co-operation, it’s better to pull the emergency brake.” Over the last six years, the group has worn four singers – including Love/Hate frontman Jizzy Pearl.

As a successor to Seann Nichols, Quiet Riot have already committed James Durbin. The 28-year-old has been known in North America since his final participation at the American Idol talent show, where he joined Judas Priest in 2011. According to Banali, Durbin had long been his first choice for the singer post, “When I wrote the material for Road Rage with my songwriting partner Neil Citron, James was my favorite. Because he had other commitments, I had to look for a replacement, and Seann Nichols was the third on my candidate list. Of course, I would prefer James to be heard on Road Rage – but you can only work with the people who are currently available.”

The plans for a video clip have been rejected by Quiet Riot as a result of these recent developments, “The dilemma is that I should ask James to move his lips to the vocals of another. I do not want to put him in an unpleasant situation, which could give the fans a wrong impression. But I’ve already started writing new songs for an album with James, which will be released next year.”

additional source: Brave Words

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THIRD ANNUAL “RIDE FOR RONNIE” MOTORCYCLE RALLY & CONCERT SET FOR SUNDAY, MAY 7TH TO BENEFIT RONNIE JAMES DIO STAND UP AND SHOUT CANCER FUND

The third Annual Ride For Ronnie Motorcycle Ride and Concert, benefiting the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund, will take place on Sunday, May 7th, 2017.

Riders will assemble for a continental breakfast at Harley-Davidson of Glendale with kickstands up at 11AM. The ride will take them through the streets of Los Angeles County to Los Encinos Park in Encino, where they will be treated to an afternoon of live music, raffle and live auction, food trucks and more. Last year’s Ride For Ronnie event raised over $50,000 for the cancer charity.

This year’s live entertainment in the park will be provided by Lynch Mob, Eddie Money, Rough Cutt, Dio Disciples, The Loveless, Sonia Harley and No Small Children.

A silent auction will be conducted at one of the exhibit booths throughout the afternoon, while live auctions, featuring one-of-a-kind rock collectibles,will be held during intervals between artist performances.

Food trucks will be on site throughout the day. Those participating include Slammin’ Sliders, G’s Taco Spot, Greenz on Wheelz and Archie’s Ice Cream. Sponsors lending their continued support to the Ride For Ronnie are Harley-Davidson of Glendale, Law Tigers and Ninkasi Brewing Company. New sponsors to the event this year include Bigg Time Entertainment and LA’s rock radio station, 95.5 KLOS.

Both riders and concert-goers can purchase their tickets by visiting: diocancerfund.org.

Pre-Registration Prices:

$35/rider (includes concert admission)
$10/passenger (includes concert admission)
$25 concert admission only

Day of Event Prices:

$40/rider (includes concert admission)
$10/passenger (includes concert admission)
$30 concert admission only

2017 Ride For Ronnie Motorcycle Ride and Concert and Schedule

Sunday, May 7, 2017

Ride:

9:00am – 10:45am: Rider Check-In & On-Site Registration
9:00am – 10:30am Continental Breakfast
Kickstands up at 11:00am

Harley Davidson of Glendale
3717 San Fernando Rd., Glendale, CA 91204

Concert:

11:30AM – Gates open
11:45AM- 5PM Concert

Los Encinos State Historic Park
16756 Moorpark Street Encino, CA 91436

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PUNKY MEADOWS DISCUSSES TURNING DOWN KISS, AEROSMITH AND THE NEW YORK DOLLS

Greg Prato of Alternative Nation spoke with Angel guitarist Punky Meadows, portions of the interview appear below.

Alternative Nation: Is it true that you were asked to join New York Dolls, Aerosmith, and Kiss at various points?

Punky Meadows: With New York Dolls, Leber and Krebs…David Krebs managed Aerosmith, Nugent, AC/DC, and the Scorpions, I had done an album called BUX with Mickie Jones – the bass player from Angel – and Ralph Morman, who later sang with Joe Perry Project. We did an album up in Boston, and Jack Douglas produced that album, who produced Aerosmith. David Krebs always liked Mickie and I a lot, so we were just putting Angel together, and David called me up and said, “Listen, I’d like to put you and Mickie into the New York Dolls. I think you’d be great in that.” I said, “We have a new band called Angel. I’d really like you to hear this band.” So, we basically turned down the New York Dolls because I was so into Angel, and we went with an organization out in California. But I stayed friends with David, and when Brad Whitford and Joe Perry left Aerosmith, David again called me and said, “Hey, I think you’d be great in Aerosmith.” This was after Angel pretty much was over, but Gregg [Giuffria] and I were still hawking some revamped Angel stuff and were shopping a deal, so I said, “David, Gregg and I are shopping a deal right now.” And he said, “Well, if you change your mind…” but I didn’t. And I was also asked to play with Michael Bolton at one time, too. When Michael first came out, he was wearing leather and was heavier in the beginning, and David said, “I think you’d be a great addition to Michael Bolton.” I turned that down, as well. And then the KISS thing, around the same time David asked me to join Aerosmith, Ace [Frehley] and Peter [Criss] had left, and KISS had a cattle call out in Los Angeles, looking for a guitar player. And Barry Levine, who was our photographer for Angel and Casablanca Records, Barry was also the photographer for KISS, and they were all good friends. So KISS was recording down at the Record Plant, I think in LA, and Barry said, “Hey, how about Punky Meadows playing in KISS?” And Gene [Simmons] said, “Wow, that’s a great idea!” Gene was always a big fan of mine, as was Paul [Stanley]. Gene, Paul, and Ace first saw Angel at a club called Bogie’s in DC – they came down after they played the Capitol Centre – and freaked out. That’s kind of how we got our record deal with Casablanca in a roundabout way, because when we were shopping a deal with Angel, our manager called Neil Bogart and said, “Hey, I’ve got this band called Angel. We’re looking for a deal, and Gene and Paul saw Angel and loved it.” Neil said, “KISS is playing at Anaheim Stadium this weekend. Maybe I’ll get Angel to open for KISS, so I can get to see the band and what I think of them. Let me call Gene and I’ll call you back.” So Neil calls Gene up and calls us back, and he says, “I’ll tell you what – I’ll sign the band sight unseen, because Gene said, ‘There is no way Angel will ever open up for KISS’!” But we did play for Neil Bogart, and we got our record deal. But getting back to me playing with KISS, Gene and Paul were at the studio recording, and Barry said, “What about Punky?” And Gene said, “That would be a great idea.” So Barry called me up and said, “Gene wants you to come down and send him a couple of tunes. Gene is going to give you a call.” So Gene calls me up, and says, “We’re looking for somebody to replace Ace, and we’d love for you to come and sit in. Why don’t you learn just one side of the Alive! album – I don’t care what side it is.” So I said OK. So I learned one side – I can’t remember what side it was of the Alive! album, it may have been the first side. I went down to SIR Studios where they were rehearsing. When I walked in, they were playing Communication Breakdown by Led Zeppelin – it was Paul, Gene, and Eric Carr. So I plugged in and played, it sounded really good, so Gene said, “Look, you got the gig. Let’s talk business.” I said, “Well, y’know Gene, I’m right now with Gregg. We’re shopping a deal. I have to think about it.” So, as soon as I said that, Gene got so insulted and offended, that he just stood up, and said, “Come on, Paul, let’s go.” So Gene and Paul just stormed out of the place! I sat with Eric Carr for about half an hour, and talked. Then I went home and Barry called, and said, “Hey Punky, what happened? Paul and Gene came back with their mouths to the floor, and Gene said, ‘No one has ever turned down KISS!’ They were going to offer you $160,000 a year, plus points.” I said, “Well Barry, that sucks, because I didn’t turn them down, I just didn’t say yes right away because I had to let Gregg know – Gregg was my partner, too.” So that’s how that turned out. I guess I insulted Gene and Paul so bad because I didn’t say yes right away. Gene has a big ego, and rightly so – he’s in one of the best bands, ever. And Gene and I were always really good friends – he’d come to our concerts. I actually had a pose where I would point to the neck of my guitar, and Gene saw me do that at the club Bogie’s, and he mimicked that pose of me, and said, “Punky, that’s classic.” I remember we went to LA, signed to Casablanca, and KISS were playing Long Beach, so they invited us all down. I had never see KISS live, that was the first time I saw them live. We went down, and of course, Ace was up there, doing my move. The guys in Angel were like, “He’s stealing your move, man!” So I went backstage afterwards, and Ace said, “Hey man, I stole your move. I hope you don’t mind it – it’s just cool.” And I said, “It’s cool dude. I’m flattered.” But KISS and Angel were on the same label, so we respected each other a lot.

Alternative Nation: What can fans expect at your upcoming shows?

Pinky Meadows: We did BB Kings last year – last June – and it was sold out. That was our very first show we’d done together. It was fun and exciting but also nerve-racking, because we’d never played in front of anybody. It came off really well. This next show is going to be even better, because we’re well-rehearsed now, and we’re going to be touring out west. We’re going to be playing in Las Vegas, San Diego, and also the Whisky in LA. And we’re doing BB Kings, and Poughkeepsie, New York, too. We’re going to kick ass. We do stuff from Fallen Angel and a bunch of classic Angel songs, too. We’ve got two female background singers too, that are really great. That’s what’s fun about doing a solo thing – you do what you want to do. I love vocals, and on my Fallen Angel record, there are a lot of vocals on that record. I mean, I love the Eagles – great vocals. On Fallen Angel, I wanted to have a lot of vocals, so there are a lot of background vocals. It’s going to be a fun show, a good party, a good time.

Read more at Alternative Nation/a>.

To view Meadow’s tour dates, and to watch a video for Straight Shooter,please go here.

source: alternativenation.net

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WENDY DIO AND JEFF PEZZUTI DISCUSS RONNIE JAMES DIO’S HOLOGRAM

Sari Cohen of AXS spoke with Wendy Dio and Jeff Pezzuti, the CEO of Eyellusion, about Ronnie James Dio’s hologram.

AXS: Jeff, tell me about Eyellusion and what your mission is with the company?

Jeff Pezzuti: Eyellusion is the only hologram entertainment company solely focused on the live music market. We address full end-to-end hologram production needs, from streaming of live or pre-recorded shows to full digital re-creation of artists who have passed away. We’re working with an expanding roster of artists to help open up new revenue streams, expand touring capabilities and meeting fan demand. The Eyellusion team brings decades of global music industry and live touring experience, combining deep expertise with cutting-edge production and hologram display capabilities. Eyellusion’s mission is to ensure legacies and music giants of today get passed to the next generation. With the uncertainty of the current radio format, creating a new revenue stream for artists will allow more people to see their favorite artists, in any genre, in a live setting.

AXS: Tell me about your journey so far?

JP: Our debut production was the Ronnie James Dio hologram performing at Wacken 2016 with the Dio band, consisting of the guys he played with the last 17 years. We’re in production on a full Ronnie James Dio hologram tour that will play worldwide starting later this year. Beyond our work on the Ronnie James Dio hologram, we are in serious talks and contract negotiations with many other major artists and management and hope to have more to share on that front in the near future.

AXS: Can you tell me how you and Wendy came together and how your individual strengths make you such a great team?

JP: We’re huge Ronnie James Dio fans at Eyellusion. I reached out to Wendy to discuss our idea about putting Ronnie back onstage via hologram, in a way that would really honor his music. I flew to L.A. to meet with her at her office – she was on board almost right away – and the rest is history. Wendy and I complement each other well. Another key member of our team is Todd Singerman of Singerman Entertainment. He’s been a huge asset to the company.

AXS: Wendy, can you share with me what this whole experience has meant to you? What do you hope fans and future fans can take away from the hologram experience?

Wendy Dio: This is an amazing experience, for the fans who knew and loved Ronnie and for the ones that never got a chance to see him in a live concert. Ronnie is back on stage with the Dio Band, keeping his music and his memory alive.

AXS: What’s the latest news on the upcoming tour?

JP: The tour is currently being routed and we are hoping to make an announcement for an end of year kickoff in the coming months. This is not just about the U.S. It is truly a world tour. Ronnie’s fans are spread around the world and we intend to bring this exciting show to as many as we can. The show will not only feature Ronnie and his band but also live singers like Tim “Ripper” Owens [Judas Priest] and others to complete the overall show vision. The show will feature effects and stage design that Ronnie made famous in the ‘80s and will also incorporate new technology into what will be some pretty awesome special effects. It will be a fun experience for all ages, and a way to experience the incredible catalog [Rainbow/Black Sabbath/Dio] that Ronnie made famous. We will feature both the expected songs, as well as some crowd favorites that will be surprises.

Read more at AXS.

source: axs.com

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