Author Archives : Dana

OZZY OSBOURNE TO CELEBRATE FIVE DECADES OF PERFORMING WITH FAREWELL WORLD TOUR THAT WILL LAST INTO 2020

On his upcoming farewell world tour, Ozzy Osbourne–Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee and Grammy® winning singer and songwriter–will celebrate more than five decades as a performer (both as a solo artist and as lead singer of Black Sabbath which formed in 1968). This tour, expected to take Ozzy around the world with dates into 2020, will mark the end of global touring for the legendary artist, though he will continue to perform select live shows.

“People keep asking me when I’m retiring,” OZZY says. “This will be my final world tour, but I can’t say I won’t do some shows here and there.”

The tour will begin in 2018 with a show in Mexico, before heading to South America for Ozzy solo shows in three countries. Next up, a six-week European leg of headlining solo dates and festival performances that’s set to start on June 1st in Moscow, Russia The beloved rock icon will subsequently headline a North American concert tour produced by Live Nation, details of which will be revealed in 2018.

For these dates, Ozzy will be joined by longtime collaborators Zakk Wylde (Guitar), Blasko (Bass), Tommy Clufetos (Drums) and Adam Wakeman (Keyboards).

5/5 Mexico TBA
5/8 Santiago, Chile TBA
5/11 Buenos Aires, Argentina TBA
5/13 São Paulo, Brazil TBA
5/16 Curitiba, Brazil TBA
5/18 Belo Horizonte, Brazil TBA
5/20 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil TBA

6/1 Moscow, Russia Olympiisky
6/3 St. Petersburg, Russia Ice Palace (Ledovi Dvorets)
6/6 Finland TBA
6/8 Solvesborg, Sweden* Sweden Rock Festival
6/10 Donington, UK* Download Festival
6/13 Prague, Czech Republic* Airport Letnany
6/15 Paris, France* Download Festival
6/17 Italy* TBA
6/20 Halden, Norway* Tons of Rock Festival
6/22 Copenhagen, Denmark* Copenhell Festival
6/24 Dessel, Belgium* Graspop Metal Meeting
6/26 Krakow, Poland* Impact Festival
6/28 Oberhausen, Germany* König-Pilsnet Arena
6/30 Madrid, Spain* Download Festival

7/2 Lisbon, Portugal Meo Arena

*Produced by Live Nation

CARMINE AND VINNY APPICE TO PERFORM AT 2018 HALL OF HEAVY METAL HISTORY CELEBRITY INDUCTION CEREMONY

Famed drumming brothers Carmine and Vinny Appice will perform songs from their first and newly released joint studio album Sinister, at the 2018 Hall of Heavy Metal History Celebrity Induction Ceremony, January 24th. The event will be hosted by Legendary Television /Radio personality Eddie Trunk.

Sinister is a masterful collection of 13 tunes, and has numerous high profile musicians on all tracks.

“Carmine has been singing lead and background for years. He´s a very good singer and I´m glad he sang one number on this record,” says Vinny Appice. “We cannot wait to take the album on the road! Heavy drums and heavy songs. It will kill,” says Carmine Appice.

“We are so excited to have Carmine and Vinny Appice perform some of the songs from their Sinister album, at the 2018 Hall of Heavy Metal History Celebrity Induction Ceremony,” says Hall of Heavy Metal History President Pat Gesualdo. “Vinny was inducted into the Hall in 2017, and Carmine is going to be inducted in 2018.”

The Appice Sinister album is available through SPV/Steamhammer as CD digipack, double gatefold vinyl, download, and stream.

To find out more information about this event, and to view a list of this year’s inductees, please click here.

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO CLIPS REVEALED FROM DIMEBAG DARRELL’S “DIMEVISION VOL. 2: ROLL WITH IT OR GET ROLLED OVER” DVD/CD

Metal Blade Records recently announced the follow up to 2006’s poignant Dimebag Darrell video memorial set, Dimevision Vol 1: That’s The Fun I Have, dubbed Dimevision Vol 2: Roll With It Or Get Rolled Over – another true celebration of Dimebag and how he lived his life. The DVD/CD set – which will include more raw footage, true gems and classic moments – will hit retailers on November 24th. The set will also include five previously unreleased demos, picked from a vast catalog Dimebag accrued since longtime girlfriend Rita Haney gave him his first 4-track in 1984. Dimebag’s personally-written lyrics, dates and notes on those tracks will also be included.

Dimevision Vol 2: Roll With It Or Get Rolled Over continues in the same vein as Dimevision Vol 1: That’s The Fun I Have with the inclusion of hilarious video segments that will bring back great memories for any fan of Dimebag Darrell and his bands. Following up on last week’s release of the CPAP machine fitting clip (see above). Rita Haney and Co. have revealed another clip – this time showcasing a few of Dime’s favorite costumes and funny personas (see below).

Rita Haney comments, “Exclusively from Dimebag’s own Props Room at The Fortress. C’mon over and getcha pull off some new items…just posted! Here comes your chance to own a piece of Dimevision History. Props and custom-made costumes (by Dime’s own hand) available now in our PledgeMusic store only. Extremely limited. Red stiletto chair, along with many more items will be uploaded all weekend…So keep checking back – or you may miss your chance to own one of Dime’s favorite tees or hats.”

Pre-orders for Dimevision Vol 2: Roll With It Or Get Rolled Over are now available via Metal Blade at metalblade.com/dimevision/.

A PledgeMusic campaign has also been launched to support the release of the set, also acting as a pre-order. The PledgeMusic campaign includes an assortment of rare items to buy, including props and costumes that belonged to Dimebag and that you can see in his home videos/Dimevision volumes, rare stage clothing, and other merchandise. Visit the PledgeMusic page here.

Going into making Dimevision Vol 2: Roll With It Or Get Rolled Over, Rita Haney worked in collaboration with Daryl “Bobby Tongs” Arnberger, who was not only one of Dimebag’s closest friends both on and off the road, but also worked as an official videographer for Pantera, Damageplan and a plethora of A-list musicians, from Slipknot to Dolly Parton, along with film editor Rob Fenn. After cataloguing hundreds of tapes, they chose 43 segments to create Dimevision Vol. 2.

“He had a unique way of seeing things, and he always lived with a video camera,” says Haney. “No matter where we went he was always capturing what was going on, and myself and others around him were filming a lot too. In putting out these videos I just want people to see the way he was, 24/7. What you saw on stage and backstage, that was how he lived.”

Haney adds, “There were some really touching, deep, heavy and emotional moments in the first one, where he’s talking about himself to the camera while in the shower. Filming himself like that was something he did a lot, and you’d have no clue until you’re looking through the tapes and come across them, and when you do the goosebumps crawl all over you. People that love and know Darrell are going to be touched by what he has to say, because it’s him telling you for the first time.”

SINGER ROBERT PLANT ON HIS EARLY LED ZEPPELIN VOCALS: “I REALLY SHOULD HAVE SHUT THE F&$K UP”

Singer Robert Plant has revealed that he’s not a fan of some of his early vocals with Led Zeppelin.

Plant who recently released his latest studio album Carry Fire, tells the Guardian, “I realized that tough, manly approach to singing I’d begun on You Better Run wasn’t really what it was all about at all. Songs like Babe I’m Gonna Leave You… I find my vocals on there horrific now. I really should have shut the f–k up.”

Plant also reports that he was “basically tutored” by Alison Krauss on their landmark 2007 album Raising Sand stating, “She’s a very precise singer who’s done more duets than you can shake a stick at, and I was thinking, ‘Help, I’m a rock singer, no matter what I do.’ But, of course, I’m not – I’m just a guy that sings songs.”

Plant will head out on tour in support of Carry Fire later this month, with dates planned across the UK and North America. Find a full list below.

Robert Plant 2017/2018 tour dates

Nov 16: Plymouth Pavilions, UK
Nov 17: Bristol Colston Hall, UK
Nov 20: Wolverhampton Civic Hall, UK
Nov 22: Llandudno Venue Cymru, UK
Nov 24: Newcastle City Hall, UK
Nov 25: Liverpool Oympia, UK
Nov 27: Glasgow SEC Armadillo, UK
Nov 28: Perth Concert Hall, UK
Nov 30: Manchester O2 Apollo, UK

Dec 2: Belfast Ulster Hall, UK
Dec 6: Sheffield City Hall, UK
Dec 8: London Royal Albert Hall, UK
Dec 11: Portsmouth Guildhall, UK
Dec 12: Birmingham Symphony Hall, UK

Feb 9: Raleigh Memorial Auditorium, NC
Feb 11: Charlotte Ovens Auditorium, NC
Feb 12: Norfolk Chrysler Hall, VA
Feb 14: New York Beacon Theatre, NY
Feb 16: Boston Orpheum Theatre, MA
Feb 17: Toronto Massey Hall, ON
Feb 20: Chicago Riviera Theatre, IL
Feb 22: Minneapolis Orpheum Theatre, MN
Feb 24: Denver Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre, CO
Feb 26: Phoenix Symphony Hall, AZ
Feb 28: Oakland Fox Theater, CA

Mar 2: Los Angeles Orpheum Theatre, CA

Read the entire article at the Guardian.

additional source: Classic Rock via teamrock.com

DRUMMER VINNY APPICE DISCUSSES THE RIFT BETWEEN RONNIE JAMES DIO AND VIVIAN CAMPBELL, SAYS “WE ALL FELT THE SAME WAY [AS VIVIAN]”

Drummer Vinny Appice recently spoke with Canada’s The Metal Voice, where he discussed the strained relationship between singer Ronnie James Dio and guitarist Vivian Campbell. Campbell, Appice and Ronnie James Dio worked together on the first three Dio albums — 1983’s Holy Diver, 1984’s The Last in Line and 1985’s Sacred Heart. Highlights from the interview appear below (as transcribed by blabbermouth.net).

Appice explains, “There were some business problems within the band. We were promised to be sharing in things, and we gave it up for the first album and tour, because, okay, it costs a lot of money to launch the thing and Ronnie is putting in his money and whatever. But then it never happened. We were doing tours in arenas. Back then, one of the tours grossed eight million dollars — that was in those dollars; that’s probably eighty million dollars [in today’s money]. But we got nothing out of it — [we only got] salaries and stuff — so what was promised never happened. And Vivian really… he called [Ronnie] on it and the management, so that kind of became bad blood with Ronnie. But we all felt the same way — that we’re not getting what we were promised and we should be doing better than we’re doing. Somebody’s making a lot of money here, and it wasn’t us. So that’s what happened with Viv. And then Ronnie and Viv didn’t see eye to eye, and then finally Ronnie said to me, ‘I’m gonna fire Viv.’ I’m, like, ‘What?’ I just was in shock. And I kind of mentioned [to Ronnie] that that’s not a great idea, ’cause it’s the sound of his band. And [Ronnie] decided that he can go on without [Vivian]. So that’s what happened.”

According to Appice, Dio lost part of its musical identity once Vivian was removed from the group’s lineup. “Whenever you’ve got something that works with a band that’s magical with the people in it, you don’t do that. It’s part of the sound…The magic’s within certain people in bands, and it really works, and then you change them around and it’s not the same. Nowadays it’s different — there’s all these bands out with one original member or no members that were original; they just own the… somebody owns the name and it’s a commercial enterprise and they go out and play. But they’re good. Now it’s a different music business. But back in the day, when you’re writing the stuff that’s becoming classic rock or is in the history books, then that’s where it’s important to not make the changes.”

When asked for his opinion of 1987’s Dream Evil, the first full-length album to be recorded without Campbell. “You know, but it’s a good album, but it just lost the rawness of the band. And that’s because of two things. One of ’em is more keyboards got into the music. We weren’t really a keyboard band. On Holy Diver, [then-DIO bassist] Jimmy Bain played the Rainbow In The Dark thing, and sometimes Ronnie played some backing chords on a couple of songs, and that was it; we were a guitar band. So as the tours went on, we got a keyboard player, which was Claude Schnell, and Claude’s a great keyboard player and a great person, [and] the keyboards worked their way into the music more. So that kind of smoothed it out; it didn’t have that rawness. And then [Vivian’s replacement] Craig Goldy played a little bit of a different style than Viv. So I think the direction of the band just changed. And also, on top of all that, Ronnie started taking more control over everything, as in being a producer. Before, we did what we wanted to do and everybody’s ideas were counted in, and that’s what made it a great band. Then it became less of that and more of Ronnie driving the ship. All those things combined kind of made the band a little less vicious, I would say… [Ronnie] just became more [in] control of things. And the rawness… The stuff wasn’t raw anymore; it was smoothed out, I think, with the keyboards and stuff. So the music just changed to not being as mean as it was and heavy.”

In related news, the Appice brothers released their new album, Sinister, on October 27th. Listen to audio samples from the album, here.

SAMMY HAGAR TELLS EDDIE TRUNK HE’S “OVER” THE IDEA OF REUNITING WITH VAN HALEN

Sammy Hagar says there is no chance of any sort of Van Halen reunion after Eddie and Alex Van Halen snubbed him on his 70th birthday.

Hagar reported in March that he would consider hooking up with his old bandmates again – but only if bassist Michael Anthony and vocalist David Lee Roth were involved.

He reiterated those comments in August, saying that if he, Roth, Anthony, Eddie and Alex Van Halen were to hit the road together, it would give fans “one of the greatest rock setlists of all time.”

But after celebrating his 70th birthday in October, without receiving a message from either of the Van Halen brothers, Hagar says that shows him that they’re not interested in any sort of reunion.

He told Eddie Trunk, “People say, ‘What’s going on with Van Halen?’ Absolutely nothing. I have no idea – I haven’t heard from the guys. To me, they made a real strong statement by not wishing me a happy birthday for my 70th – especially amongst the fact that so many people have died. A week before that, Tom Petty died Tom Petty’s birthday was the next Thursday after mine, and he was still a young man, as far as I’m concerned.”

Hagar continued, “With all those people dying, if somebody turns 70, that’s a monumental thing. You would think if they ever wanted to be friends, it would be so easy. And even if they didn’t wanna be friends, it’s just something that would be the right thing to do.”

Hagar also reports that his Chickenfoot bandmate and former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony didn’t receive a message from the brothers when his young grandson died earlier this year and adds, “I don’t know what’s wrong with those two brothers.

For them not to do anything for Michael and then again on my birthday. All that says to me is that it’s over, man. Those guys do not want to be friends – and if they don’t want to be friends, then we certainly ain’t gonna do a reunion. I would love to do it for the fans, I really would – but other than that, no. I’m over it, man.

We’ve got to be friends before we can do any kind of business together. To me, it’s put the nails in the coffin.”

Hagar’s Chickenfoot released their latest album Best + Live earlier this year, while he also launched a video for his track No Worries in April from This Is Sammy Hagar: When The Party Started, Vol.1.

additional source: Classic Rock via teamrock.com