Category : LATEST NEWS

GUNS N’ ROSES ANNOUNCE FALL 2109 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES

Guns N’ Roses is bringing its outrageously successful Not In This Lifetime tour back to the U.S this fall — and for the first time in 2019.

With fans hungry for more GN’R, today the band revealed eight new dates across the United States, starting September 25th in Charlotte, North Carolina. The shows include two back-to-back nights on Friday, November 1st and Saturday, November 2nd, in Las Vegas at the legendary Colosseum at Caesars Palace, GN’R’s most intimate venue since the 2017 performance at the Apollo Theater.

Pre-sale for the new dates starts on June 18th at 10 a.m. local time, with V.I.P. packages available then. General sale begins on June 21st at 10 a.m. local time.

These eight shows join a previously revealed run of major festivals that will bring the band to cities across the United States, along with two colossal stadium dates in Mexico. The wide range of festivals GN’R will hit include Louder Than Life, Austin City Limits, Exit 111 and Voodoo Music + Arts Experience.

Tour dates:

Sep. 25 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center 
Sep. 28 – Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life 

Oct. 1 – Jacksonville, FL – VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena 
Oct. 4 – Austin, TX – Austin City Limits 
Oct. 7 – Wichita, KS – INTRUST Bank Arena 
Oct. 11 – Austin, TX – Austin City Limits 
Oct. 15 – Lincoln, NE – Pinnacle Bank Arena 
Oct. 13 – Manchester, TN – Exit 111 
Oct. 18 – Guadalajara, MX – Estadio Jalisco 
Oct. 20 – Tijuana, MX – Estadio Caliente 
Oct. 23 – Oklahoma City, OK – Chesapeake Energy Arena 
Oct. 25 – New Orleans, LA – Voodoo Music + Arts Experience 
Oct. 29 – Salt Lake City, UT – Vivint Smart Home Arena 

Nov. 1 – Las Vegas, NV – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace 
Nov. 2 – Las Vegas, NV – The Colosseum at Caesars Palace

Guns N’ Roses’ Not In This Lifetime tour began in April 2016, and after 159 shows in 41 countries, it played its last date at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on December 8th, 2018.

Not In This Lifetime is now believed to be the second-highest-grossing tour of all time, having generated more than $500 million since it began three years ago.

DAVE MUSTAINE IS BATTLING THROAT CANCER

Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine has announced that he has been diagnosed with throat cancer.

He wrote on his Facebook page:

“I’ve been diagnosed with throat cancer. It’s clearly something to be respected and faced head on — but I’ve faced obstacles before. I’m working closely with my doctors, and we’ve mapped out a treatment plan which they feel has a 90% success rate. Treatment has already begun.

Unfortunately, this requires that we cancel most shows this year. The 2019 Megacruise will happen, and the band will be a part of it in some form. All up to date information will be at megadeth.com as we get it. Megadeth will be back on the road ASAP.

Meanwhile, Kiko [Loureiro, guitar], David [Ellefson, bass], Dirk [Verbeuren, drums] and I are in the studio, working on the follow up to Dystopia — which I can’t wait for everyone to hear.

I’m so thankful for my whole team — family, doctors, band members, trainers, and more.

I’ll keep everyone posted.

See you soon, Dave Mustaine”

Megacruise is scheduled to set sail on October 13th. For more information, please click here.

MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST RELEASES VIDEO FOR NEW SONG “ROCK STEADY,” ALBUM “REVELATION” TO BE RELEASED ON SEPTEMBER 20TH

Michael Schenker’s Michael Schenker Fest project will release its second studio album, Revelation, on September 20th through Nuclear Blast.

The official video for the disc’s first single, Rock Steady, can be seen below.

“This song almost did not make it on the album,” says Michael Schenker. “It developed from a ‘maybe’ into a definite, after we swapped things around like an added solo, psychedelic pieces, the lyrics, the slide plus all the other goodies and sprinkles. It turned out to be a party song telling my story, capturing many aspects of music. It was originally a song for guest musicians to be featured on the album, the ones I had in mind were Ronnie Wood and Mick Jagger; it had that kind of feel. Ronnie actually introduced his family to me in my dressing room in Hammersmith back in the ’80s and I’ve heard he’s a fan! So, I had asked my son Taro to knock on Ronnie’s door, since they both live in Barcelona, and tell Ronnie to bring Mick with him. The Beatles and The [Rolling] Stones were two of the first bands I got into. I had the pleasure to jam with Paul McCartney on an MSG album. Ronnie and Mick would have closed the cycle, but when Ted [McKenna, drums] passed away we had to focus on other things instead. We ended up scrapping the whole guest idea.”

Revelation will be released on a variety of different formats and is ready for pre-order now. It will be available as CD-digipak, 2LP (different colors) as well as a limited box set including CD-digipak, 2LP (red+black splatter), puzzle, poster 60×30, photo cards. 

Revelation track listing (CD-digipak, 2-LP, digital):

1. Rock Steady 
2. Under A Blood Red Sky 
3. Silent Again 
4. Sleeping With The Light On 
5. The Beast In The Shadows 
6. Behind The Smile 
7. Crazy Daze 
8. Lead You Astray 
9. We Are The Voice 
10. Headed For The Sun 
11. Old Man 
12. Still In The Fight 
13. Ascension

Bonus:

14. Armed And Ready (live) 
15. Bad Boys (live) 
16. Rock Bottom (live)

“Based on the fun that we had recording Resurrection, the success of the album and the surrounding tours we undertook that were just fantastic, I was deeply inspired to make a start on writing new songs for a new Michael Schenker Fest album,” said Schenker. “It is even a step up from Resurrection, with amazing input from all singers and all musicians. I could not ask for a better result. The songs are blazing, snappy, energetic, melodic and with drummers like Simon Philips and Bodo Shopf, we got amazing results. This time we even managed to record three great mid-tempo songs with all singers involved, singing their hearts out.”

Regarding the title, Schenker said, “The album title and cover concept expresses things that have happened in my past as well as what is still happening at the present time. It’s about passion and purity versus greed and corruption. There is much to say. It’s about time I let people know about some of this.”

Besides the four vocalists — Gary Barden, Graham Bonnet, Robin McAuley and Doogie White — Schenker also reveals a guest singer on one track. “An incredible thing happened; we had this song that was ready to be worked on and Michael Voss suggested Ronnie Romero from Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, who Voss had worked with in the past, to sing on this song as a guest,” Michael said. “What came out of it was classic. Amazing vocals with blazing music that absolutely rocks.”

He continued, “We are ready to present this unique album to the world and I am very much looking forward to getting this album out there. Our label Nuclear Blast is totally happy with this record and I was especially happy getting a message from Markus Staiger, the founder of Nuclear Blast, saying how much he loves this album.”

Michael Schenker Fest recently completed a U.S. tour.

ALTER BRIDGE TO RELEASE SIXTH STUDIO ALBUM, “WALK THE SKY,” ON OCTOBER 18TH

For over 15 years, Alter Bridge has been a band known for blurring the line between hard rock and heavy metal. Building upon the sound that has won the band worldwide critical acclaim and a devoted global fan base, the band returns with their sixth studio album, Walk The Sky. The album is scheduled for worldwide release on October 18^th through Napalm Records. The fourteen-track opus marks a creative highpoint for the quartet comprised of Myles Kennedy on vocals/guitars, Mark Tremonti on guitars/vocals, Brian Marshall on bass and Scott Phillips on drums. Walk The Sky is a complete career retrospective drawing upon elements from each of the band’s previous releases to create something new from the band.

Recorded in a way never done before, the album was born from complete song ideas created by Kennedy and Tremonti. These songs would then be worked on by the entire band to create the fourteen songs that would make Walk The Sky the listening experience it is. This varies from the band’s previous method going back to their sophomore release Blackbird where Kennedy and Tremonti would combine individual ideas and riffs alongside producer Michael “Elvis” Baskette to form some of the band’s most revered songs. From the opening vocal melody on One Life to the moving finale of Dying Light, Alter Bridge have created a formidable addition to their music catalog. Songs like Godspeed, Native Son and Walking On The Sky are sure to be early additions to the live set. Forever Falling also marks a lead vocal return from Tremonti with Kennedy taking the chorus as done previously on the Fortress favorite Waters Rising. The first single Wouldn’t You Rather is quintessential Alter Bridge and will released in two weeks. 

Walk The Sky track listing:

1. One Life                                                        
2. Wouldn’t You Rather                                
3. In The Deep                  
4. Godspeed                                     
5. Native Son                                    
6. Take The Crown                                         
7. Indoctrination                                                            
8. The Bitter End                                                            
9. Pay No Mind                                
10. Forever Falling                                                           
11. Clear Horizon
12. Walking On The Sky
13. Tear Us Apart
14. Dying Light

The album is now available for pre-order at https://smarturl.it/WalkTheSky.

Alter Bridge will be heading out on a worldwide tour beginning in September. The tour will begin in the United States before heading over to Europe to close out 2019. The European headline dates scheduled for November and December will feature Shinedown, Sevendust and The Raven’s Age. The North American dates will be announced in the near future. The band has also been announced as part of the inaugural Exit 111 festival in October and as a headliner of the sold-out 2020 sailing of Shiprocked.

Alter Bridge European Tour Dates (Featuring Shinedown, Sevendust and The Raven’s Age):

Nov-12 DEN, Copenhagen – KB Hall
Nov-14 FIN, Helsinki – Ice Hall Black Box
Nov-16 SWE, Stockholm –  Hovet
Nov-17 NOR, Oslo – Sentrum Scene
Nov-19 GER, Hamburg – Sporthalle
Nov-20 GER, Berlin – Columbiahalle
Nov-22 GER, Leipzig – Hause Auensee
Nov-23 POL, Warsaw – Hala Kolo
Nov-26 GER,Cologne – Palladium
Nov-27 GER, Munich – Zenith
Nov-29 AUT, Vienna – Gasometer

Dec-1 SWI, Zurich – Halle 622
Dec-2 ITA, Milan – Mediolanum Forum
Dec-4 SPA, Barcelona – St. Jordi Club
Dec-6 POR, Lisbon – Sala Tejo
Dec-7 SPA, Madrid – Vistalegre
Dec-9 FRA, Paris – Olympia
Dec-10 HOL, Amsterdam – AFAS Live
Dec-12 BEL, Brussels – Cirque Royal
Dec-14 ENG, Nottingham – Motorpoint Arena
Dec-15 ENG, Manchester – Manchester Arena
Dec-17 SCO, Glasgow SSE – Hydro Arena
Dec-18 ENG, Birmingham – Birmingham Arena
Dec-20 WAL, Cardiff – Motorpoint Arena
Dec-21 ENG, London – 02 Arena

Alter Bridge line-up:

Myles Kennedy on vocals/guitars
Mark Tremonti on guitars/vocals
Brian Marshall on bass
Scott Phillips on drums

For more info visit:
www.alterbridge.com
www.facebook.com/alterbridge
Twitter: @alterbridge

 

FORMER FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH DRUMMER SWORN IN AS INDIANA RESERVE OFFICER

Musician and former Five Finger Death Punch drummer Jeremy Spencer is joining his “brothers” in blue as a way to give back to his home state of Indiana.

The 46-year-old rock star, who left the popular heavy metal band in 2018, was sworn in as a reserve officer with the Rockport Police Department Monday in an effort to “serve the community” and “help out my brothers,” Spencer wrote in an Instagram post.

“I’m still a resident of Las Vegas, Nevada, but it’s an honor to be able to come back to this area when I can and serve the community as a reserve police officer and help out my brothers.”

Fans seemed to respond positively to Spencer’s sudden career change.

“You are already missed by many metal heads like myself, my friend,” one user commented on his post, “but this right here is the most selfless thing you could do.”

Not exactly the avenue of exploration I was expecting you to travel down but I think it’s fantastic,” another person commented. “This makes me admire you even more. Stay safe when you do work.”

Spencer, originally from Boonville, left home at just 19-years-old to pursue his career in music but now, over 20 years later, he’s returning for a new “experience.”

“You just see the impact that they have on everyone’s life. It’s so important,” Spencer told WFIE. “Life’s about experience, so to me this was great.”

He added that he intends to use his experience on stage to help him on the field.

“I’m basically taking what I did in the band and just applying it to this, and trying to do the best I can.”

Spencer hasn’t retired from music entirely despite his departure from the band last year, telling the local station he’ll be working on a few new projects while working part time with the police department.

Spencer joined Five Finger Death Punch in 2005 and retired from the band in 2018 after undergoing surgery on his back.

additional source: The Associated Press and foxnews.com

“BIG BALLS – RARE AND UNSEEN AC/DC IMAGES FROM 1976-1981” AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER

Rufus Stone Limited Editions has announced the publication of Big Balls – Rare And Unseen AC/DC Images From 1976-1981.

In 1976, AC/DC came to the U.K. for the first time to begin the Lock Up Your Daughters tour of small venues, sponsored by Sounds magazine. Photographers Dick Barnatt and Michael Putland worked closely with the band in the U.K. at this time, extensively shooting them onstage and off. A collection of pictures from The Nashville Rooms and the Marquee kickstarts this beautiful, limited-edition, coffee-table book of images from 1976 to 1981. Legendary photographers Dick Barnatt, Michael Putland, Fin Costello and George Bodnar have opened their archives to provide these amazing visual essays of the band between 1976 and 1981, culminating in the headlining performance at the second Monsters Of Rock festival at Castle Donington in front of a crowd of 75,000 fans. 

Former AC/DC bass player Mark Evans, who features in many of these shots and was pivotal to the bands most important period, provides a unique introduction and has personally signed each copy of the book.

Big Balls is a 288-page coffee-table book showcasing AC/DC through the most spectacular part of their incredible career. Each copy is numbered from 1 to 750 and comes in a black, material covered slipcase making this a unique, unofficial collector’s item for all fans of the band.

The book will be £199 ($253.09 US) plus worldwide shipping but will be on pre-sale for £175 ($222.56 US) plus delivery until the end of July 2019. Each book ordered in this period will also come with a FREE “No Wuckin’ Furries” T-shirt available in either Large, X-Large or XX-Large. The book is strictly unofficial and can be pre-ordered at this location.