Universal Music Publishing Acquires Worldwide Rights To Twisted Sister’s Catalogue
Cha-ching!! Legendary Twisted Sister frontman and our House of Hair host Dee Snider stopped by Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) headquarters to conclude a worldwide agreement for UMPG to acquire his Snidest Music music publishing catalog of 69 songs, including the classic Twisted Sister rock anthems “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “I Wanna Rock”, reports RadioFacts.com.
UMPG previously administered the copyrights in the US and Canada. The songs in the catalog have been featured in numerous national commercials, films, television and the popular Broadway musical, Rock Of Ages, which currently has residency at the Venetian in Las Vegas.
Twisted Sister have also confirmed reports that the first show of their 40 & F**k It farewell tour will take place at the Graspop Metal Meeting in Belgium next June.
KISS – Paul Stanley And Gene Simmons To Salute The Troops On Veterans Day
Rock & Brews, the family-friendly restaurant brand co-founded by KISS frontmen Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons, will celebrate Veterans Day on November 11 by offering veterans, active military personnel and first responders a complimentary meal throughout the day at all of its restaurants in the United States.
“As proud Americans, it is important to salute the men and women who protect and serve our country,” said Michael Zislis, CEO and co-founder of Rock & Brews. “November 11 is devoted to our veterans, active military and first responders at Rock & Brews, and we hope that they will come in with friends and family to give us a chance to say thank you.”
Rock & Brews locations nationwide partner with local veteran organizations to support veterans and military personnel in their communities throughout the year. To date, the brand has donated more than $100,000 to local veterans in Rock & Brews markets.
Tony Iommi Says Black Sabbath Haven’t Spoken to Bill Ward About Returning
When asked if Black Sabbath’s original drummer Bill Ward was approached about returning to the band, Tony Iommi told Gigwise, “No, to be honest. I don’t know if that’s gonna happen. But who knows? You never know.”
Ward, who played on all of Black Sabbath’s ’70s-era classics, had a public falling out with the group in the run-up to 2013’s reunion album 13. He said they didn’t present him with a “signable contact”; singer Ozzy Osbourne countered by insisting that Ward was in no shape to tour.
Through it all, Iommi and Ward have remained in touch, Iommi says. They even ran into each other at this year’s Ivor Novello Awards. “It was good, it was really great to see Bill,” Iommi recalled. “Bill and I stayed in contact. Not as much as we used to, but we do stay in contact. But it was really nice to see him, and it was just a nice warm feeling to be with Bill again.”
Deep Purple’s Gillan has “No Respect” for Rock Hall of Fame
Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan has branded the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’s committee “bloody arrogant and rude.”
The singer’s scathing attack comes as Deep Purple are nominated for inclusion for a third time, having lost out in both 2013 and 2014.
Gillan tells Classic Rock: “I have no respect for them. They’re the kind of people that having seen A Hard Day’s Night decided that The Monkees would be America’s equivalent to the Beatles. They’ve no idea what goes on in the big, wide world outside of their self-arbitrating surroundings.
“To me, those people are bloody arrogant and rude. I’ve heard that somebody on their committee dismissed us as one-hit wonders. I couldn’t figure out whether that hit was “Hush,” “Kentucky Woman,” “Black Night,” “Strange Kind Of Woman,” “Child In Time,” “Perfect Strangers,” “Knocking At Your Back Door“ or perhaps even “Smoke On The Water.”
“I’m very grateful for the other bands and artists that stood up for us with a view to our induction – that’s nice of them. But I wish that the Hall Of Fame had had the discretion to ask us first. It’s now become a debate in which we are too late to have the final word.”
Mötley Crüe Drummer Tommy Lee Sits Out Fourth Show In A Row
Alice Cooper’s drummer Glen Sobel stepped up to fill in for Mötley Crüe’s Tommy Lee again on Sunday, October 18 in Bangor, Maine. Lee was unable to perform due to tendinitis, and was also forced to miss the shows in Buffalo, NY, Bridgeport, CT and Manchester, NH.
Tommy addressed the crowd in Bangor. Check out the video, here.
Slipknot’s Sid Wilson Injures Foot
Slipknot DJ Sid Wilson, who has been jumping from rafters, railings and venue pinnacles since the band’s inception, has injured his foot and will have to abstain from stunts for a little while.
Wilson famously broke both of his heels at the first show of the 2008 Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival in Auburn, WA and was forced to wear casts on both legs. Despite having casts on both legs, Sid vowed to play all shows on the Mayhem tour, even if it means getting around in a wheelchair.
Asked what his favorite moments were from his many years of plummeting into the crowd, Sid told Loudwire: “Man, I don’t know. There’s so many. Any venue you go to [where] there’s a balcony or some kind of high railing, you can probably pretty much bet that I’ve jumped off of it.”
Def Leppard Extends Tour With Styx and Tesla
Due to overwhelming demand, Def Leppard have extended their North American tour with Styx and Tesla into 2016 and it will commence in Greensboro, NC on January 27.
Tour dates include:
January
21-25 Def Leppard Cruise
27 Greensboro, NC – Greensboro Coliseum
29 Ft.Lauderdale, FL – BB&T Center
30 Orlando, FL – Amway Center
February
2 San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center
3 Lafayette, LA – Lafayette Cajundome
5 Corpus Christi, TX – American Bank Center Arena
6 Hidalgo, TX – State Farm Arena
9 Little Rock, AR – Verizon Arena
10 Bossier City, LA – CenturyLink Center
13 Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
14 Atlantic City, NJ – Boardwalk Hall
16 Brooklyn, NY – Barclays Center
17 Allentown, PA – PPL Center
Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden + Rammstein to Headline 2016 Download Festival
The 2016 Download Festival in Donington Park, England is shaping up to be one of the top metal events of the year. The three headliners announced to date are Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Rammstein.
Sabbath will headline the Saturday bill on June 11 and the show is expected to be a special one as part of Sabbath’s 2016 farewell tour. Ozzy Osbourne stated, “Download is my absolute favorite summer festival. It’s always like coming home. See you all there!”
Iron Maiden will close out the festival on Sunday, June 12. The band’s massive tour in support of The Book of Souls is expected to be one of 2016’s top concert draws.
Bruce Dickinson stated, “Download is a very special place for us. Not just because it’s always great to play on home turf but because there’s a truly unique vibe there, it’s the very heart of England and of Metal, so a fitting place for Iron Maiden! The crowd is always fiercely passionate and the whole band feeds off that famous Donington energy. We aim to deliver a really memorable show for our fans to close the 2016 Festival. Although this is our sixth time headlining at Castle Donington, it’s the first time we’ve been able to land Ed Force One right on the doorstep of the Festival site!”
Ritchie Blackmore’s First Rock Show Confirmed
The first rock-focused concert by Ritchie Blackmore in nearly two decades has been tentatively confirmed. The former Deep Purple and Rainbow leader will play June 18, 2016 at the Monsters of Rock festival in Bietigheim-Bissingen, Germany, according to SWP.de. Tickets go on sale November 6.
Blackmore has said he intends to put on as many as five shows devoted to material from Deep Purple and Rainbow next year in Europe. “I’m now 70, so I just felt like playing some rock ‘n’ roll for a few days,” Blackmore told Billboard. “We’re going to do four or five dates of just playing the old rock stuff, Purple stuff and Rainbow. I’m doing it for the fans, for nostalgia, and the singer I found is very exciting. He’s a cross between [former Rainbow frontman Ronnie James] Dio meets Freddie Mercury. So, this will mean exposing a new singer to the masses, and I’m sure he’ll become pretty famous because of his voice.”
New Megadeth Lineup Performs In Sydney, Australia
Megadeth’s October 18 concert marked the band’s third show with its new lineup, featuring Lamb of God drummer Chris Adler, and Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with Angra.
In an interview with Music Feeds conducted right before the Perth show on October 16, Megadeth mainman Dave Mustaine stated about the band’s new lineup: “If you were going into a pub and someone said, ‘Hey, I’m gonna go see this band that’s only played together twice,’ you’d say, ‘F**k that!’ right? So the excitement on our side is really high because we’ve got something to prove. But then at the same time we don’t have anything to prove. [Laughs]”
Check out the fan-filmed video footage of Megadeth’s October 18 performance in Sydney, Australia, here.
Resurrection Kings Featuring Black Sabbath, Dio, Dokken and Lynch Mob Alumni To Launch Debut Album
Former Dio members Vinny Appice and Craig Goldy have teamed up with ex-Lynch Mob singer Chas West and former Dokken bassist Sean McNabb to form a new band, Resurrection Kings, which will release their self-titled debut album in January 2016.
West reveals that the Resurrection Kings LP has been in the works for roughly five years saying he and Goldy initially hooked up to write original material after performing together in the cover band Hollywood AllStars.
Slash Plans to Start Recording His Next Album in the Spring
While the rumor mill churns out Guns N’ Roses reunion stories, guitarist Slash is busy making plans for his next solo album.
During a recent interview with the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Slash saying he’s “90 percent completed” with the songwriting process and getting ready to line up studio session dates for 2016.
“The stuff for the next record is really great,” enthused Slash. “One of the cool things about this band is that instead of peaking early and burning out, we’ve started at one place and escalated in terms of our creative inspiration. It keeps getting better from record to record, which is a really nice thing to have happen. So yeah, we just seem to get more in a groove the longer we stay together and the harder we work on the road and so on. It just seems to come out in the new material. Next is finishing pre-production on the next album and going into the studio in the spring.”
Aerosmith’s Joe Perry Plans Mainly Instrumental New Solo Album Plus 2015 Reissue of Christmas EP
Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry has revealed via Twitter that he is working on his fifth solo effort, which will be a “mainly” instrumental affair. According to Perry, the follow-up to his 2009 album Have Guitar, Will Travel will “have diversity,” and will include one or two songs with Joe “or another singer” on vocals. No release date has yet been announced for the new album.
In other news, the guitarist’s holiday EP, Joe Perry’s Merry Christmas, is being reissued later this year.
SLAYER – 666 Red Ale Now Available From Nils Oscar Brewery
Slayer have released an officially licensed beer, Slayer 666 Red Ale. The 6.5% ABV beverage is brewed by the Nils Oscar company in Nyköping, Sweden, who offer the following description:
“A unique craft beer based on five different malts for a strong base, where El Dorado and Mosaic hops add an unmistakable character and identity, giving Slayer 666 Red Ale a perfect balance. Red ale is characterized by a deep copper colour, often with a deep reddish hue and a malty sweetness. Most are in balance between malt and hops but Red ales in the American style can have a medium to high bitterness and a big hop aroma.”
Tom Araya was asked by Sweden Rock Magazine if a beer can taste like Slayer, and he replied: “It can taste authentic. So, yes, a beer can taste like Slayer.”
Sammy Hagar To Perform During Halftime At San Francisco 49ers Vs. Seattle Seahawks Game
Legendary rocker Sammy Hagar will perform at halftime during CBS’s “Thursday Night Football” between the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks game on October 22 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
Hagar recently confirmed to Ultimate Classic Rock that he has recorded one new song with his Chickenfoot bandmates, “Before I Die,” and has vowed to continue making music with the supergroup, which also includes guitarist Joe Satriani, bassist Michael Anthony (ex-Van Halen) and drummer Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers).
Metalheads Say The Damnedest Things!
“Man, that’s a tough one, ’cause I feel like I’ve done everything I’ve ever wanted to do. And the last thing I just wanted to do — as a band, too — was I always wanted to play Rock In Rio, and we just played it last [month], so that was pretty amazing. [I can] cross that one off. You know, if you look back on our career of 34 years, we’ve done some pretty cool stuff. I can’t think of anything else that I haven’t done that I still wanna do.”
~ Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil, when asked by I95 radio if there was anything left on his bucket list.