Original Rainbow, Elf and Gary Moore Bassist Craig Gruber Dead at 63
Craig Gruber, a longtime former collaborator of Ronnie James Dio‘s, died this week after a bout with prostate cancer. He was 63.
Gruber most memorably appeared on 1975′s Ritchie Blackmore‘s Rainbow, a No. 11 UK smash, after a two-album stint with Elf – which, like the earliest editions of Rainbow, featured Dio as frontman. Elf’s Gary Driscoll, David Feinstein and Mickey Lee Soule rounded out the sessions players for Ritchie Blackmore’s first studio project after leaving Deep Purple.
Phil Rudd Speaks Out About AC/DC Status Following Guilty Plea
This past month Phil Rudd appeared in court charged with drug possession and threatening to kill. On April 21, he pleaded guilty to those charges, and is awaiting sentencing in June. As we previously reported, court documents stated that Rudd’s anger was fueled by the poor showing of his solo album Head Job, which came out in August 2014. He fired several employees after its flop and then apparently asked one of his associates to kill his personal assistant in exchange for a large sum of money, a motorbike and either one of his cars or a house.
In a new interview with Australian television program A Current Affair, Rudd reveals that he has tried to make contact with guitarist Angus Young and is upset about being replaced by Chris Slade for this current AC/DC tour. ”I wrote them a letter, I tried to get in contact with Angus … I’ve had no contact with anybody,” stated Rudd.
He talks further about what got him into trouble with the band, “I was pretty stressed at the time.” Rudd continued, “I got back here and the people who I had working for me for this [album] launch — it was a total f–king disaster. So I was really pissed off.”
Check out the video interview at DailyHeadbanger.com.
Dee Snider’s ‘Strangeland’ Horror Film To Get A Reboot
Emaji Entertainment has acquired the rights to Dee Snider’s “Strangeland”, the 1998 horror film written by and starring Snider.
Dee’s portrayal of portrayal of Carlton Hendricks (a.k.a. Captain Howdy) in the original film created a character that has become a cult horror legend. The project has the working title “Strangeland: Disciple” and is the second film production announced by the company based on a well established horror property.
The 1998 soundtrack included an incredible array of bands — System of a Down, Sevendust, Soulfly, Slipknot, Kid Rock, Coal Chamber, Twisted Sister, Megadeth, Marilyn Manson and Pantera — all handpicked by Snider.
“Music was intrinsic to me in the first one,” said Snider. “We really tried to create the ultimate heavy soundtrack. Music will be important to me again for this film.”
Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne, Duff McKagan Take Part In ‘Let A Bear Sh!t In The Woods’ Campaign
On May 13, artists, comedians and celebrities are coming together. Their goal: to let bears shit in the woods.
The “Let A Bear Sh!t In The Woods” campaign features major celebrities — including Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne, Simon Le Bon, Anthony Kiedis, Moby, Duff McKagan, Steve-O, and Matt Lucas — in a “Spinal Tap”-inspired condemnation of bear bile farming.
The eight stars join fellow celebrities such as Ricky Gervais, Olivia Newton John, Ali MacGraw, and Jimmy Page as Animals Asia supporters in the fight to end bear bile farming.
The Special Guests, the new band featuring Poison members Rikki Rockett (drums), Bobby Dall (bass) and C.C. DeVille (guitar), alongside vocalist/rhythm guitarist Brandon Gibbs (Cheap Thrill, Devil City Angels), will play at the Metal May-hem event on Friday, May 29 at the Ava Amphitheatre at Casino Del Sol in Tucson, Arizona. Also appearing on the bill are Queensrÿche and Quiet Riot.
Girlschool will head out on a North American tour for the first time in 20 years. Their new album, “Guilty As Sin”, is set for release later this summer via UDR Music. Available only at the gigs, will their new EP, “Propaganda!” , a special edition limited to only 300 copies. The EP features two songs from the new album (“Take It Like A Band” and “Come, The Revolution”), plus two re-recorded tracks from their classic “Hit And Run” album –“Kick It Down” and “Watch Your Step”. Rounding out the EP is the girls’ blistering cover of the Bee Gees classic “Staying Alive”.
Rob Zombie launched a Fanbacked campaign auctioning props from Lords of Salem and Halloween 2 to help offset the costs of making his next horror film “31”.
Some of the items on the block include Michael Myers’ knife from Halloween 2, Laurie Strode’s shirt from Halloween 2 and the black pig mask from Lords of Salem. The Myers knife comes straight from Zombie’s personal collection and was used in the film. The Strode shirt is sized small and also comes with a prop book used in the film and an autographed copy of Fangoria featuring the film Halloween. And as for the black pig mask, it’s the one used during the final scene of Lords of Salem. All three items are on the block through 11:59PM on May 10, so get your bids in now right here.
Axl Rose took to Twitter to voice his opinion about seeking a “All Free No Fee” second Mayweather-Pacquiao fight. Rose laid out a series of ten tweets offering potential slogans for a follow-up match and offering the not too subtle suggestions that he and other fans were ripped off by the pay-per-view event. Get a look at a few of his posts below:
Swedish hard rock veterans Europe recently released their new album, ‘War of Kings,’ via UDR Music. This month, they released a new music video for “Days of Rock ‘N’ Roll.”
Lead singer Joey Tempest said, “We simply wanted to make a live video like we used to, uplifting and entertaining and really capture a band and its audience at a peak! The video was shot in Manchester and Wolverhampton on our latest U.K. tour. The song is about the rise and fall… and rise of Rock ‘n’ Roll.”
The ultimate toy for your Man Cave or den? How about a new KISS pinball machine? Stern Pinball, Inc., announced the availability of a new line of KISS pinball machines, honoring one of the most influential and iconic rock bands of all time. Not for those on a budget, the prices range from $5,995 for the Pro to $8,795 for the Limited Edition model.