KISS has reportedly sold their catalog, brand name and IP to Swedish company Pophouse Entertainment Group in a deal estimated to be over $300 million, it was announced Thursday.
This isn’t the first time the band has partnered with Pophouse, which was co-founded by ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus.
When the band’s current lineup — founders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons as well as guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer — took the stage at the final night of their farewell tour in December at New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden, they ended by revealing digitized avatars of themselves.
The cutting-edge technology was created by George Lucas’ special-effects company, Industrial Light & Magic, in partnership with Pophouse…The ways in which KISS’ avatars will be utilized has yet to be announced, but Pophouse CEO Per Sundin says fans can expect a biopic, a documentary and a KISS experience on the horizon.
An avatar show is scheduled to launch in the second half of 2027 — but don’t expect it to look anything like ABBA Voyage, Sundin told the AP. And fans can expect it to launch in North America.
Sundin says the goal of the purchase is to expose KISS to future generations— which he believes sets Pophouse apart from other acquisitions of music catalogs.
“The record companies, the three big ones that are left, they’re doing a fantastic job, but they have so many catalogs and they can’t focus on everything,” he says. “We work together with Universal (Music Group) and KISS, even though we will own the artists rights, and we’re doing it in conjunction with Kiss. But yes, we bought all rights, and that’s not something I’ve seen that clear before.”
“I don’t like the word acquisition,” Gene Simmons tells the AP over Zoom, assuring the band would never sell their catalog to a company they didn’t appreciate.
“Collaboration is exactly what it’s about. It would be remiss in our inferred fiduciary duty — see what I just did there? — to the thing that we created to abandon it,” he continued. “People might misunderstand and think, ‘OK, now Pophouse is doing that stuff and we’re just in Beverly Hills twiddling our thumbs.’ No, that’s not true. We’re in the trenches with them. We talk all the time. We share ideas. It’s a collaboration. Paul (Stanley) and I especially, with the band, we’ll stay committed to this. It’s our baby.”
And within that: no more live touring, for real. “We’re not going to tour again as Kiss, period,” he says. “We’re not going to go put the makeup on and go out there.”
Canadian rock band Coney Hatch is thrilled to announce that its live album, Postcard from Germany will be available on vinyl for the first time ever through Anthem Records. The limited-edition vinyl pressing will be available for purchase on April 20th, as part of Record Store Day. Each album has been autographed by the band, with only 300 units available.
Recorded LIVE at HEAT Festival in Ludwigsburg, Postcard from Germany also features two newly recorded releases, It’s About A Girl and Heaven’s on the Other Side.” A Cream Vinyl with Turquoise Splatter Variant will be a Record Store Day exclusive.
“Canada is going to love the stunning turquoise vinyl of Postcard from Germany by Coney Hatch, as much as we enjoyed pressing it here at Microforum Vinyl in Toronto,”says Noble Musa, Sales & Marketing for Microforum.”It is always a very special experience to be able to work with Canadian bands to create exclusive Canadian pressings for Canadian music fans.”
“It’s always a blast collaborating with classic Canadian bands,” adds Ryan Kerr, Operations Manager for Record Store Day Canada. “The Record Store Day Canada release with Coney Hatch is no exception. For the first time ever, we are bringing Postcard from Germany on vinyl on April 20th, as part of Record Store Day. We have loved the band for years, so this vinyl is definitely for the fans, by the fans.”
“So cool to have Coney Hatch part of Record Store Day for the first time ever,” says Coney Hatch bassist Andy Curran. “We’ve been a band for 40 plus years and ticked a lot of boxes …but not this one. We had a blast going to see our limited-edition vinyl being pressed real time at Microforum. It’s come full circle to when we started with vinyl releases, I guess everything old is new again.”
The band recently visited the Microforum facility to have a look at the test pressings of vinyl hot off the presses. You can view the visit here.
Postcard from Germany tracklist:
1. It’s About A Girl (Studio 2022)
2. Heaven’s On The Other Side (Studio 2022)
3. We Got The Night
4. Stand Up
5. Blown Away
6. Boys Club
7. She’s Gone
8. This Ain’t Love
9. Wrong Side Of Town
10. Girl From Last Nights Dream
11. Fantasy
12. Fallen Angel
13. Don’t Say Make Me
14. Devil’s Deck
15. Monkey Bars
Record Store Day, the global celebration of the culture of independent record stores, takes place this year on April 20th, as it has annually for the last 17 years. Once again, the moment has arrived to unveil the remarkable lineup of titles awaiting enthusiasts during the cherished annual celebration of independent record stores worldwide. This year’s Record Store Day raises the bar yet again with its unparalleled magnitude, artistry, and diverse array of releases.
For more information, logos, full list of participating stores please visit: recordstoredaycanada.ca.
I Want To Know What Love Is, Cold As Ice,Hot Blooded, Juke Box Hero, Urgent, and more Top 10 hits than Journey. Today (April 2nd) Foreigner, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominated band behind these iconic songs, announced the next leg of their farewell tour this fall, with special guests Loverboy and Lita Ford on select dates.
After one last show with Styx and John Waite in Memphis on September 20th, the tour is set to continue on September 23rd, at West Virginia’s Charleston Civic Center. Foreigner will be joined by Loverboy, one of the 80’s biggest hit-makers, and Lita Ford, the queen of rock and heavy metal. The spectacular shows will thrill audiences with stellar performances of more than 20 combined chart-topping songs. Tickets go on sale on April 5th at 10am CT at Ticketmaster.com or Foreigneronline.com, and Foreigner will be offering their own exclusive pre-sales beginning April 3rd at 10am CT at Foreigneronline.com. The full routing can be found below.
Leader and founder of Foreigner, Mick Jones said, “Many years ago, I wrote a song called Feels Like The First Time and today we are launching the next leg of our last worldwide tour. We will be presenting a show that I know will have the same enthusiasm as our very first appearances. The tour started last summer in America and we hope to get to every place that we have played over the last several years. While I’m sure our fans will have mixed feelings about the end of the road for the band, I know our shows are going to delight audiences everywhere.”
Says Foreigner lead singer Kelly Hansen, “The time has come. We have more or less lived our lives on the road for almost twenty years. We have always strived to give you our best and we intend to finish this the same way. Foreigner has a brilliant and increasingly demanding catalog of songs to sing and I refuse to give them less than they deserve. So, we’re going to finish strong. I want to make it very clear how grateful and appreciative we are to our audiences all over the world who have supported this band. I’m sure there may be occasions when we’ll do some special appearances, but I think the time is coming for us to live off the road. Thank you all so much.”
“I remember how cool the last time we toured with Foreigner was in 1982. We played to massive stadiums – New Orleans, Kansas City, Day On the Green in Oakland, JFK in Philly – and we’re back together again, 41 years later. It’s going to be the Tour of Fall ’24!” said Paul Dean of Loverboy.
“It’s not very often you get a chance to play on the same stage as one of your all-time favorite bands…and how many hit songs can you play on the same stage every night of a tour?….. it’s going to be amazing…. I can’t wait.” Said Mike Reno of Loverboy.
Says Lita Ford, “As a young guitarist in The Runaways days, who could forget how Foreigner ruled the airwaves, you just couldn’t hear them enough. Such badass songs that really hit home with everyone. I will be getting my inspiration from Foreigner to set the mood and the energy for each show. Great rock n roll NEVER dies.”
Foreigner will continue its long-term initiative with the GRAMMY Museum Foundation to invite choirs to open the show with a live a cappella Pitch Perfect performance of Classic Rock songs. Foreigner will join radio partners across the country to create a contest for local choirs to win donations to their music programs. One winning choir will be selected at each show, and that choir will receive a grand prize of new musical equipment. For more details please go to foreignerchoirs.com.
Mick Jones continues to elevate Foreigner’s influence and guide the band to new horizons with his stylistic songwriting, indelible guitar hooks and multi-layered talents while lead singer Kelly Hansen, one of rock’s greatest showmen, has led Foreigner into the digital age inspiring a whole new generation of fans. Bassist Jeff Pilson; Michael Bluestein on keyboards; guitarist Bruce Watson; Chris Frazier on drums and guitarist Luis Maldonado provide an unprecedented level of energy that has resulted in the re-emergence of the astounding music that speaks to Foreigner‘s enduring popularity. Foreigner has an extraordinary streaming and radio audience. Click here for an overview of Classic Rock artists’ stats.
With more Top 10 hits than Journey and as many as Fleetwood Mac, ten multi-platinum albums, Foreigner is universally hailed as one of the most popular rock acts in the world with a formidable musical arsenal that continues to propel sold-out tours and album sales, now exceeding 80 million. Responsible for some of rock and roll’s most enduring anthems including Juke Box Hero, Cold As Ice, Hot Blooded, Waiting For A Girl Like You, Feels Like The First Time, Urgent, Head Games, Say You Will,Dirty White Boy, Long, Long Way From Home and the worldwide #1 hit, I Want To Know What Love Is, Foreigner still rocks the charts more than 40 years into the game with massive airplay and continued Billboard Top 200 album success. Streams of Foreigner’s hits are approaching 15 million per week.
With their trademark red leather pants, bandanas, big rock sound and high-energy live shows, Loverboy has sold more than 10 million albums, earning four multi-platinum plaques, including the four-million-selling Get Lucky, and a trio of double-platinum releases in their self-titled 1980 debut, 1983’s Keep It Up and 1985’s Lovin’ Every Minute Of It. Their string of hits includes, in addition to the anthem Working for the Weekend, such arena rock staples as Lovin’ Every Minute of It,This Could Be the Night, Hot Girls In Love, The Kid is Hot Tonite, Notorious, Turn Me Loose, When It’s Over, Heaven In Your Eyes and Queen Of The Broken Hearts.
Lita Fords’s career began in 1975 as a founding member and guitarist of the groundbreaking all female group the Runaways. The group’s hard rock / punk edge spawned hits like Cherry Bomb and Queens Of Noise.” In 1983 Lita launched her career as a solo artist with her début album Out For Blood establishing her as the premier female performer in rock and Heavy Metal. Lita quickly followed up in 1984 with the release of Dancin’ on the Edge which earned her a Grammy nomination in the Best Female Rock Vocal Performance category. The album produced the world charting single Fire In My Heart and the U.S. Billboard top 50 charting hit Gotta Let Go. The song, along with the video being in MTV’s top rotation, began to make Ford a household name and face.
After a record-breaking 2023 with over 70,000 fans from across the U.S. in attendance, Rocklahoma returns on August 30th-September 1st to Rockin Red Dirt Ranch in Pryor, Oklahoma–just outside Tulsa–with its biggest lineup yet!
America’s Biggest Labor Day Partywill feature headlining performances from Avenged Sevenfold and Evanescence (Friday), Disturbed and A Day To Remember (Saturday), and Slipknot and Lamb of God (Sunday), along with a huge lineup of top rock and metal bands including Halestorm, Mastodon, Anthrax, Skillet, Clutch, Nothing More, Kerry King, Coal Chamber and Tom Keifer,among others. 2024 marks the Rocklahoma debut appearance for Avenged Sevenfold, and return headlining slots for both Disturbed and Slipknot. Rocklahoma is hosted by Eddie Trunk.
David Draiman of Disturbed said, “Disturbed is coming back to headline Rocklahoma this year. Fresh off our sold out North American and Australian tour and our #1 song Don’t Tell Me, featuring our friend and icon Ann Wilson of Heart, we are firing on all cylinders right now. We can’t wait to bring it to Oklahoma this upcoming Labor Day Weekend. Along with our brothers and sisters in Slipknot, Avenged Sevenfold, Evanescence, Halestorm and so many others, we will cya there…”
“Rocklahoma is a call to arms, a celebration of not only music but also of our differences and what makes us all the same,” exclaimed Lzzy Hale of Halestorm. “We are so grateful to be returning to the stage, and cannot wait to see our old friends, and welcome the new ones into our Rock ’n Roll family!”
The Rocklahoma 2024 lineup features: Slipknot, Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold, Evanescence, A Day to Remember, Lamb of God, Halestorm, Mastodon, Anthrax, Skillet, Clutch, Nothing More, Kerry King, Coal Chamber, Badflower, Pop Evil, Giovannie & The Hired Guns, Bad Wolves, Tom Keifer, Winger, Faster Pussycat, Vixen, Set It Off, The Warning, Kim Dracula, Tim Montana, Austin Meade, The Plot In You, Des Rocs, Oxymorrons, Holy Wars, Any Given Sin, Enuff Z’nuff, Atomic Punks, Eva Under Fire, Another Day Dawns, Raven’s Banquet, Skarlett Roxx, Surge, Eyebolt, Dime Store Riot, Color of Chaos, and Ten Cent Revenge.
In other exciting developments for the festival, Danny Wimmer Presents (DWP), the largest independent live event producer in the United States, has acquired Rocklahoma and will continue to work with the original Rocklahoma creators Pryor Creek Music Festivals, with many key stakeholders remaining involved in 2024 and beyond. “This marks a significant milestone for Rocklahoma,” expressed Dave Giencke, Founder & Vice President, General Manager of PCMF. “With DWP‘s esteemed reputation for curating exceptional music festivals, we are optimistic about the bright future ahead.” “We are thrilled to welcome Rocklahoma into the DWP family,” said Danny Hayes, CEO of DWP. “This festival has established itself as a premier music festival destination, and we are committed to elevating its experiences even further.”
The 2024 Rocklahoma festivities kick off with the campgrounds opening on August 25th, and all festival attendees with a weekend pass are invited to theAugust 29th official Rocklahoma Pre-Party presented by DEB Concerts at The Roadhouse on the festival grounds, featuring performances from Tom Keifer, Faster Pussycat, Skarlett Roxx and Eyebolt. The Roadhouse will also feature food trucks, a full-service bar, and a great place to hang with friends throughout Rocklahoma.
Rocklahoma weekend VIP and General Admission passes–as well as camping and glamping add-ons–go on sale Friday, April 5 at 10:00 AM Central Time at Rocklahoma.com. Passes start as low as $10 or 10% down on layaway. Prior to the public onsale, fans can gain access to the Rocklahoma presale to secure the guaranteed lowest price by signing up for the Rocklahoma newsletter here.
Limited quantities of Groupie, Roadie, and Rockstar Reserved VIP Packages, along with ultra VIP packages including the Big Shot Porch, Big Shot Penthouse, and Garage Cabana VIP packages are also available. Please visit Rocklahoma.com for details and to purchase passes. Note: All weekend passes are for Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Single day passes will be available in the coming weeks.
Rocklahoma is known for the best festival campgrounds in the U.S., featuring multiple options throughout the festival site, including “glamping” opportunities. The campgrounds are a unique part of the Rocklahoma experience and will be open from Sunday, August 25 through Tuesday, September 3. “Glamping” sites are open Thursday, August 30 through Monday, September 2. General Admission, VIP camping, and VIP glamping packages are available at checkout and are only available as an add-on to festival admission passes. Information on camping add-ons can be found at rocklahoma.com/camping.
Now in its 18th year, Rocklahoma was established in 2007 as a destination music experience and has grown to become a cornerstone in the rock music festival circuit, drawing fans from all over the globe to experience its unrivaled rock and roll party atmosphere. Rocklahoma is a haven for the rock community and a celebration where fans can escape the everyday and revel in the spirit of music. The festival showcases the best rock artists performing on three stages, with a wide range of onsite camping amenities and unparalleled VIP packages that live up to the festival’s motto of “Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Rock.” The festival also features the annual Miss Rocklahoma competition.
Rocklahoma is located just 45 minutes northeast of Tulsa, at 1421 West 450 Road in Pryor, OK. Rockin Red Dirt Ranch is a premier destination for a multi-day festival and includes onsite camping with access to restrooms and shower houses, a general store for campers, VIP reserved seating, hospitality areas, and much more.
t’s been almost 30 years since Sebastian Bach was ejected from Skid Row…after the departure of [the band’s latest singer] Erik Grönwall – their third vocalist in the last decade, naturally the conversation has returned to whether they’ll ever reunite with Bach. And naturally, the singer has some opinions on that front.
Speaking…ahead of the release of Child Within The Man – his first solo album in a decade – Bach admitted there’s still unfinished business with his former band.
“For me, doing three albums with Skid Row, I was just getting started,” he tells Hammer’s Paul Travers. “I didn’t think it would be over and done with so quick.”
Pressed on whether he can see the band actually ever agreeing to a reunion – having apparently already failed to reunite back in 2016 – Bach explains he feels it’s something he wants to do for the fans.
“I can definitely see that happening considering they play the same songs I play,” he explains. “When I get a substantial royalty check for an album I did with musicians that I haven’t been in the same room with since 1996, I feel like a piece of s-it. Because we should be giving something back to the fans that have made this great life possible.”
Bach’s forthcoming solo album, Child Within The Man, is due to be released May 10th through Reigning Phoenix Music. Listen to the first single, What Do I Got To Lose?, here, and the second song, Everybody Bleeds, here.
Joe Satriani and Steve Vai have released the official music video for the first of their three-part collaboration track, The Sea Of Emotion. Directed by Joe‘s son Z.Z. Satriani, the clip recalls the beginning of Satriani and Vai‘s 50-year-long friendship. The result is described as “a whole lot of awesomeness and a trip back to the ’70s.”
Satriani said of the song’s inspiration, “When Steve and I decided the time had finally come for us to collaborate on an album, I immediately thought of our humble beginnings, where we came from, and our teenage rock ‘n’ roll hopes and dreams. To anybody else, it may look like just a field, part of the sprawling Carle Place Public School complex, but for some of us, back in the early ’70s, when the sun went down and the moon came up, [that field] became The Sea Of Emotion. We would hang out there late at night and share our deepest thoughts. The memories we shared at that location so long ago became the inspiration for a musical journey in three parts. Each part of the song has little reminders of what we were so into musically back then, including a chord sequence that Steve and I would sometimes jam over during guitar lessons.”
Vai added, “As young teenagers, we would sit overlooking this magnificent field and wax on generously for hours about the meaning of life and many other deep, rich discussions. We deemed this field The Sea Of Emotion: 50 years later, it has been memorialized in melody and groove.
“Connecting with Joe on this track, and the other music we are working on, is perhaps the most rewarding musical collaboration I’ve ever engaged in,” he continued.
“Although we’ve toured and recorded jams together through the decades, for this music we are intimately bringing together our melodic impulses and playing techniques and creating something that is bigger than the sum of its parts.”
Joe and Steve performed The Sea Of Emotion, Pt. 1live for the first time at the start of their joint tour on March 22nd at the Hard Rock Live in Orlando, Florida, visit here for tour dates.
 Foreigner, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame nominated band behind ... )
