Category : LATEST NEWS

MOTLEY CRUE FRONTMAN VINCE NEIL ON THE BAND’S FAREWELL: “IT’S NOT GONNA BE LIKE A KISS FAREWELL”

Gary Graff of Billboard reports:

Motley Crue frontman Vince Neil says that all the farewell talk surrounding Motley Crue these days “is definitely for real” — and the group even has its exit strategy (i.e. a farewell tour) in place.

I think we’ll start the tour around May — I’m just kind of guessing on that, but in the spring of ’14, and we’ll do one more time around the world and kinda call it quits,” the Crue frontman tells Billboard. “It’s just that time. We’re going out on top. We don’t want to be some band that people are like, ‘Oh, they’re playing a club now,’ that kind of band. We still sell out arenas, have stadium stuff and things like that, so let’s go out when it’s a big deal.”

Neil adds that guitarist Mick Mars’ continuing health issues — he suffers from ankylosing spondylitis, a form of arthritis, and has also had hip replacement surgery — are also a factor. “Touring is tough on him, so this’ll give him some time to relax.”

Neil doesn’t think it will be the last we see of the Crue, though.

“I’m sure in five, 10 years from now we’ll probably do something again together, if other people’s careers don’t get in the way,” he says. “But it’s not gonna be like a KISS farewell to the farewell to the farewell to the farewell tour. It won’t be like that. We’re not going to say farewell and then try to get people to come back again in a little while.”

Neil expects there will be some new Motley Crue music in the future, too — most likely to accompany the film adaptation of the group’s autobiography The Dirt, which is still in development.

“It’s going to come out at some point before our tour starts,” Neil reports. “We’re hoping an early spring kind of thing.”

Neil is currently touring with his solo band, while the Crue is gearing up for September shows in Oklahoma and Miami before starting a 12-date return to The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel/Casino in Las Vegas. Neil promises the shows will be “over the top, even by Motley standards” and even bigger than the group’s first run in Sin City last year.

“The thing about playing in Vegas is you can do so much more because you don’t have to tear it down and build it back up the next day. You can do effects that stay there. So we’re really looking forward to it. You can call it our most dangerous show ever — not danger for us but danger for the crowd. I thought the last residency was cool, but we learned we could do way more than we actually did, so this will be really, really over the top.”

Or, he adds, deeper into the bottom. “Just think of hell, what would happen in hell,” Neil teases.

source: billboard.com

RICHIE SAMBORA REPORTEDLY RELEASED FROM BON JOVI’S TOUR DUE TO MONEY

Michele Amabile Angermiller of The Hollywood Reporter reports:

In what seems to be the messiest divorce in rock, Bon Jovi has reportedly fired lead guitarist Richie Sambora from the band’s current tour.

According to the website RumorFix.com, Sambora’s departure is all about money. Sources say that Sambora was earning in $2 million a month and 20 percent of the profits from the tour, whereas fill-in guitarist Philip “Phil X” Xenidis was earning far less — about $10,000 a month while on tour.

Although Sambora will still collect songwriting royalties and profits from merchandise, the 30-year bandmember is not taking the news well.

“Richie wants to go back onstage — that’s his first love,” a source tells the site. “He’s really upset over the news.”

The 54-year-old musician departed the group in the spring citing a “personal matter,” but has since remained mum on the subject, opting to tweet pictures of himself hanging out with his daughter and talking about his most recent solo album, Aftermath of the Lowdown.

Earlier this month, the Woodbridge, N.J., native shared a new song, Come Back as Me, that seemed to be aimed at Jon Bon Jovi, but the guitarist took to his Twitter feed to dispel those rumors.

“This songs gettin’ some traction, so I would sincerely appreciate any help. BTW this has nothin’ to do with Jon…,” he wrote on August 4th.

A week ago, Bon Jovi pulled out of a booked appearance at the New York State Fair so that the band could play a fundraiser for Governor Andrew Cuomo instead. The cancellation angered local fans. As Binghamton radio host Lee Ann Taylor, of classic rock station 99.1, told The Hollywood Reporter, “The New York State Fair is struggling and Bon Jovi would have been a huge boost for them like Aerosmith a few years back. Choosing politics over the people is becoming a disturbing trend. … The musicians need to remember who put them in the position to go to perform at these fundraisers to begin with.”

additional source: billboard.com

HOOKERS & BLOW ANNOUNCE FALL TOUR DATES

Hookers & Blow, the band led by Guns N’ Roses keyboardist Dizzy Reed and Quiet Riot guitarist Alex Grossi have just confirmed a string of East Coast tour dates beginning October 2nd in New York City at The Bowery Electric.

The band also recently announced Fuck Mondays, a fall residency set to take place at the world famous Whisky A Go Go, every Monday in October. The band hosted a four-show residency in May at the venue with guest musicians that included members of Marilyn Manson, The Cult, Quiet Riot, W.A.S.P., Ignite, Ace Frehley and more.

Hookers & Blow October tour dates are as follows:

10/2 – The Bowery Electric – New York, NY
10/3 – Dingbatz – Clifton, NJ
10/4 – All Stars Rock Bar- Manchester, CT
10/5 – Lucky Dog Music Hall – Worcester, MA
10/6 – Dewey’s Pub- Seymour, CT
10/7 – Whisky A Go Go – Hollywood, CA
10/14 – Whisky A Go Go – Hollywood, CA
10/21- Whisky A Go Go – Hollywood, CA
10/28- Whisky A Go Go – Hollywood, CA

Hookers & Blow recently announced that their exclusive line of new official merchandise is now available exclusively online and in-store at Forgotten Saints LA.

“We are very excited to be taking the Hookers & Blow brand to the next level” says Reed, “The whole concept has become somewhat legendary over the past decade and one thing that has been constant throughout is the demand for merchandise, especially for stuff beyond just the standard black t-shirt”

Hookers & Blow celebrated the unveiling of the merchandise line with a string of July tour dates, including a Hollywood launch party at the Whisky A Go Go on Wednesday, July 24th.

For more information, please visit Hookers & Blow on Facebook.

MEGADETH TO RELEASE “COUNTDOWN TO EXTINCTION: LIVE” ON CD, DVD AND BLU-RAY ON SEPTEMBER 24TH

In November and December of 2012, Megadeth blazed hot on the band’s Countdown To Extinction 20th Anniversary Tour, ripping through their entire double platinum 1992 album from start to finish before performing other classics from their recorded catalog. Recorded and filmed at Los Angeles’ Fox Theatre last December, Countdown to Extinction: Live is a definitive document of the acclaimed, sold-out tour.

In addition to Megadeth’s blistering performance of the entire Countdown To Extinction album, including the essential Symphony Of Destruction, Foreclosure Of A Dream, Sweating Bullets and Skin O’ My Teeth, Countdown to Extinction: Live features all of the other Megadeth classics the band performed at the epic concert, including Holy Wars and Hangar 18 from 1990’s Rust In Peace, Peace Sells from the band’s influential, platinum-certified 1986 album Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?, and Trust from 1997’s platinum certified Cryptic Writings.

Countdown To Extinction: Live will be released on CD, DVD and Blu-ray on September 24th through Capitol.

Countdown To Extinction: Live track listing:

1. Intro
2. Architecture Of Aggression
3. Ashes In Your Mouth
4. Captive Honour
5. Countdown To Extinction
6. Foreclosure Of A Dream
7. Hangar 18
8. High Speed Dirt
9. Holy Wars
10. Peace Sells
11. Psychotron
12. Public Enemy
13. She Wolf
14. Skin O’ My Teeth
15. Sweating Bullets
16. Symphony Of Destruction
17. This Was My Life
18. Trust
19. Outro

LAST IN LINE’S TOURING SCHEDULED SCALED BACK WHILE VIVIAN CAMPBELL GETS TREATMENT FOR CANCER

Last In Line originally planned to deliver many more shows than the low-key tour they’ve just completed – but guitarist Vivian Campbell’s battle against cancer was the contributing factor, says drummer Vinny Appice.

The drummer reports he’s amazed by Campbell’s energy – and as soon as he’s fully recovered they will continue to tour.

He tells Get Your Rock Out, “We were going to play a bunch of festivals, but Viv had to take care of himself. When he gets fully better we’ll book more next year. He amazes me – I’ve played with guys going, ‘I’ve got a cold, I can’t go on…’ But he’s doing chemo, and he’s rocking out. He’s loaded with energy, and God bless him, it’s great. He’s still doing Def Leppard and I’ve got a bunch of other projects. We’re just trying to get past these shows; but we’ve got to continue after that.”

Last In Line is made up of the original lineup of Dio minus late singer Ronnie James Dio, with Andy Freeman filling the metal icon’s shoes.

Asked whether the band have faced negativity Appice says, “You get people who say that, and you get people that love it. The majority of people want to hear these songs – Holy Diver is 30 years old this month and it still sells. People are buying it still, and this is a great chance to see as close as you can to the real thing. We’re not trying to be Dio; we’re just trying to make the songs as good as possible. You’ll see the smiles on our faces. We haven’t played with Viv in something like 25 years, but it gels together because you’re a band. It never goes away.”

Meanwhile, Campbell has updated fans on his health status, saying, “It’s chemo number 10 today. Only two more left after this, then it’s goodbye cancer, welcome back eyebrows – brilliant!”

additional source: classicrockmagazine.com