Def Leppard Unveil New Single “Let’s Go” Plus Track Listing, Cover Art
Def Leppard have unveiled the first song “Let’s Go” from their new album. Check out the cover art for the self-titled album, above.
The mid-tempo anthem sets the stage for Def Leppard’s forthcoming self-titled project, their first since 2008′s Songs from the Sparkle Lounge. Listen to it here.
Elliott posted a photo on Instagram of the track list of 14 songs to the self-titled project. The album is due later this fall.
Iron Maiden’s 2016 World Tour to Start in U.S., Visit China for First Time
Iron Maiden has announced the first run of dates for its 2016 The Book Of Souls world tour.
The metal veterans shared the itinerary for its trek of Australia and New Zealand, and mapped-out details of a global tour which will kick off in the U.S. in late February and will make first time stops ever in China and El Salvador and work its way through Canada, Mexico, Costa Rica, Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Japan and South Africa before embarking on an “extensive” run of European countries.
Posting on their Facebook page, Maiden has only announced tickets on sale for the seven arena shows for Australia in April and May, and also their opening act, The Raven Age, which is led by George Harris, son of Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris.
Frontman Bruce Dickinson said, “Maiden thrive on touring and getting out to our fans, it’s what we do best, so it will be a great feeling to board our new Jumbo Ed Force One with the crew and the gear and head round the globe and get back on stage for you guys,” Dickinson adds. “We haven’t played in Australia and New Zealand for a number of years so it will be a pleasure to play for our Antipodean cousins again, irrespective of who wins the dates with destiny at Twickenham in a few weeks’ time!!”
For those of you without a dictionary at hand, we think Bruce meant to say “our cousins on the opposite side of the world”. Sometimes Bruce is too much of a renaissance man, even for BuzzChic.
Iron Maiden Debut in Top 5 of Billboard 200 Album Chart
In more Maiden news, Iron Maiden’s The Book of Souls sold 75,000 copies its first week here in the U.S. This marks Iron Maiden’s second consecutive No. 4 album on the Billboard 200, with 2010′s The Final Frontier also hitting that spot. In the U.K, The Book of Souls is No. 1. The album also boasts the best first-week U.S. sales since vocalist Bruce Dickinson and guitarist Adrian Smith returned to the group in 1999.
Kiss Is America’s #1 Gold Record Award-Winning Group Of All Time
Speaking of chart toppers, Kiss holds the record, for gold records that is.
Kiss, now celebrating its 40th anniversary, has earned more gold album record awards than any American band in the history of the Recording Industry Association of America’s (RIAA) gold and platinum awards certifications.
In the last 41 years, Kiss has earned 30 gold albums, and 14 platinum albums, with three albums being multi-platinum.
“Congratulations to Kiss — the new gold standard for albums by American bands,” said Cary Sherman, Chairman and CEO, RIAA. “What an extraordinary achievement for an enduring band. Forty years later and the band is still rocking. Congratulations to Kiss on their gold album milestone and continued success.”
Slash’s Brother Apologizes For Calling Axl Rose A “Fat Bastard”
Ash Hudson, (pictured left), brother of former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash, has apologized to the band’s lead singer Axl Rose for calling him a “fat bastard.”
Last Friday, Slash’s brother Albion “Ash” Hudson posted a rant on his private Facebook page (see transcription and screenshot below), knocking fans for constantly asking him if a reunion of the classic Guns N’ Roses lineup will happen and in the process firing off unflattering insults about Axl Rose.
Hudson later posted another comment in which he said, “They [GUNS] were the best of all time, nowhere to go from there. They captured lightning in a bottle. Nothing left to prove. It’s done. Are THE [ROLLING] STONES you grew to love in the ’70s? Fuck no! Now a circus act. You loved Axl when he was beautiful, now he’s Fat Elvis. So move on people. Buy Slash’s [‘World On Fire’] album.”
After the media picked up on Ash’s comments, he posted an apology on Facebook that read:
Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider Calls Out Vince Neil, Scorpions, Judas Priest During Minnesota Show
Twisted Sister have wrapped their touring for 2015, but not without getting in a few jabs at some of their peers first. During the final 2015 US tour stop at Hinckley, MN, Dee Snider used the band’s performance of “I Wanna Rock” to make a few comments about Vince Neil, Scorpions and Judas Priest, as well as explaining why TS are calling it a day.
During the performance, the fans begin to sing along with “I Wanna Rock,” but Snider shuts it down, stating, “I appreciate you guys helping me sing, but I’m not Vince Neil. I can sing man, what’s up? I’m just sayin’, watch.”
With it being the final show of the year, Snider also addressed the elephant in the room, that this was likely the last time the band would perform at the Hinckley, Minn. venue. As has been reported, the group is planning some 2016 touring, then intend on hanging it up.
Snider told the crowd, “Twisted Sister is calling it quits and that’s no bulls–t. None of this Judas Priest, Scorpions fake out tour. No, for real.” He then joked about the reason for hanging it up was that he wanted to eat. “I wanna f–kin’ muffin,” joked Snider. “I know you heard how much I love pancakes.” He added that if the band were to play again, he’d be rather large in size. Watch the fan-filmed performance here.
We Get Mail!
Speaking of Dee headlining the PMRC hearings, this week one of our devoted HOH metalheads sent us this mash note:
Dee, HOH staff and crew,
I’ve been listening to HOH for a while now and really just wanted to say thanks for always playing great music!
Killing some time online, I happened upon some old footage of Dee appearing before a US Senate committee in 1985. Dee, thank you for standing up for musicians, lyricists, and responsible/educated free speech! It certainly is up to parents to monitor what their children are exposed to. Keep rocking!
The C-SPAN produced clip of Dee is about halfway down the page on the right. [View clip here]
Enjoy the trip down memory lane.
Cheers,
Cacey
Europe + Billy Idol Star in New TV Commercials
‘80s rock stars are the new black when it comes to being pitchmen in new TV commercials. Check out Europe reviving their ’80s anthem “The Final Countdown” for a new Geico commercial. Adding some interactive fun, Geico have also given viewers a chance to generate their own Europe-themed countdown online here.
Meanwhile, Bank of America have tapped Billy Idol as their new commercial pitchman. In a pair of new spots, the commercial directors tie-in Idol’s usage of “more, more, more” in his ’80s hit “Rebel Yell” to help promote B of A.
Europe are on tour in Europe (nach!) this fall while supporting their War of Kings album. Billy Idol has a number of fall dates in North America, including stops at Music Midtown and the Austin City Limits Festival.
Check out the hilarious videos, here.
Metallica Announce Limited Edition Budweiser Beer in Canada
This Bud’s for you, Canadian Metallica fans.
The metal vets are teaming up with Budweiser to put their logo on a limited run of the mega-brewery’s flagship beer. The Metallica-branded batch, 91,000 cans in all, is scheduled to arrive in stores starting September 28.
For the Bud-loving Metallica faithful in other parts of the world, this promotion appears to be limited to the Quebec area — it’s taking place to help commemorate the band’s September shows in the city, which close out the local Colisée Pepsi venue and usher in the new Centre Vidéotron.
AC/DC fans raise £45,000 to erect statue of Bon Scott in his hometown
The crowdfunding appeal by DD8Music has in fact raised so much money from AC/DC fans that the extra will go towards a memorial garden – designed by students from Dundee and Angus College – for the singer. The statue, by John McKenna, will be erected in a car park north of Scott’s home town of Dundee, Scotland.
Scott’s statue is set to be unveiled next April, at the annual Bonfest. Scott fronted AC/DC from 1974 until his death from acute alcohol poisoning in London in February 1980, at the age of 33.
Paul Stanley’s Band Soul Station Performs Live For First Time
Paul Stanley’s side gig, Soul Station, played a debut set of covers from Motown, Stax/Volt and Philadelphia International on last Friday at the Roxy in LA. Check them out doing the Temptations‘ “Just My Imagination” and Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back” in the videos here.
Stanley has said that he doesn’t intend to play guitar in this band, and that Soul Station won’t do any Kiss songs, either. “That’s not what this is about,” he added. Among those in the crowd on Friday were comedian George Lopez and Stanley’s long-time partner in Kiss, Gene Simmons.
Fans To Celebrate Black Sabbath’s Album Anniversary In Original Rehearsal Rooms
According to the Birmingham Mail, fifty Black Sabbath fans will take part in a vinyl playback event on Sunday, September 20 featuring the band’s first two albums in a room where the members of Sabbath first starting playing together at Newtown Community Centre, Birmingham, England.
The event called “Ozzy Zig, The Witch + The Warpig” will include a vinyl playback of the band’s first two albums along with some of their musical influences and artifact displays.
The three-hour event has been organized by rock historian Rob Horrocks, who has his own walking tour called “Crossroads of Sabbath” around the band’s native Aston streets.
Horrocks said, “With the 45th anniversary of ‘Paranoid’ coming up, I decided to do an event to raise the profile of the location as a site of relevance in the Black Sabbath story.