Ex-Journey Drummer Deen Castronovo Says He’d Probably Be Dead If He Hadn’t Been Arrested
This has been a tough year for former Journey drummer Deen Castronovo who was arrested in June and found himself facing a list of charges including rape, sexual abuse, and unlawful use of a weapon. Saying he “hit bottom” after being sentenced to four years’ probation on charges of domestic abuse, Castronovo issued a statement apologizing to everyone hurt by his actions. He attributed his actions to a “drug-induced psychosis level of intoxication” and insisting that under ordinary circumstances, he’s “an easygoing guy who loves being a father and a musician.”
“I quickly realized how dire the situation had become. I made a vow to myself and my family to not only stay sober but to dedicate time telling my story, speaking to promote sobriety, being a good example to my sons and advocating for the rights and assistance of domestic violence victims. I hope by telling my story I can help prevent someone else from making the same mistakes I did.”
On his official status in the band Journey, Castronovo says, “I was fired in August. I was terminated. They haven’t released an official announcement but, yeah, I was fired. I was in treatment at the time and I’m grateful that I was in treatment to be able to process that, because that was heartbreaking. But, Journey has a stellar legacy and I’ve tarnished that, and they did the right thing. They did what they needed to do. They did this because they loved me and they wanted to see me alive. They knew I needed a lot more than just a few months or six months or three months or whatever it was to get this stuff right – because this is not a quick fix.”
32 Killed and 180 injured During Explosive Fire at Metal Nightclub Show in Romania
Update: Goodbye to Gravity guitarists Vlad Telea and Mihai Alexandru, and his girlfriend, Catalina Ionita, were among the 32 people killed in the Colectiv nightclub fire in Romania. Lead singer Andrei Galut is reportedly in serious condition with burns on 45 percent of his body and injuries from smoke inhalation. Bassist Alex Pascu was also reportedly taken to a hospital where he underwent emergency surgery, and Bogdan Lavinius (drums) is also reported to be in the hospital.
The fiery explosion is believed to have happened when a spark onstage ignited some polystyrene decor during the set by Goodbye to Gravity, who were celebrating the release of their new album. Delia Tugui, one of the show attendees and survivors, said in an online posting that club goers and the band were surprised by the fire and how quickly it spread. “The lead singer made a quick joke: ‘This wasn’t part of the program.’ The next second, he realized it wasn’t a joke and asked for a fire extinguisher,” she wrote on her Facebook page. “In 30 seconds…the fire spread all over the ceiling. People rushed to the entrance but it was too narrow, and people panicked. Behind me people stampeded, climbing over each other, to try and get out.”
According to the BBC, on Saturday, 140 people were reportedly still being treated, and the death toll stands at 32. Romania declared three days of national mourning as a result of the nightclub fire.
Upon early reports, the incident is eerily reminiscent of the tragic fire at Rhode Island’s Station night club in 2003, where 100 people were killed during a show by Great White.
Ozzy Osbourne And Son Jack Filming New Show For History Channel
In an interview with Billboard.com, Ozzy Osbourne has revealed that he and his son Jack have been filming in England for a new project for the History channel.
He explains: “[It’s] like a father-and-son spoof on history. We went to Stonehenge and met a guy who thinks he’s the f**king reincarnation of King Arthur. And we went to Bletchley Park to see the machine Alan Turing used to break the German code. We’re going to Mount Rushmore, to the abandoned silos where America used to have their Minutemen missiles and all that. It’s educational for me, actually — history with an Osbourne slant.”
AC/DC Play First Hometown Concert In Five Years
On November 3, AC/DC kicked off their Australian tour in Sydney at ANZ Stadium, the band’s first concert at home in five years. “Tonight together we’re going to make some rock `n’ roll and the party starts right here,” singer Brian Johnson told the crowd.
Check out an Australian TV Eyewitness News report prior to the show, and fan filmed video, here.
Metallica Confirmed to Headline “The Night Before” Concert Preceding Super Bowl 50
Metallica will help celebrate Super Bowl 50 with a headlining set at CBS Radio’s third annual The Night Before concert, scheduled for Saturday, February 6, 2016.
Even though the Super Bowl will take place at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, the concert will be located at AT&T Park in nearby San Francisco.
“How cool is this?” enthused Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich in a statement. “Super Bowl madness, AT&T Park and Metallica all coming together in one over-the-top hometown gig. We are of course beyond psyched and extremely honored to be flying the flag for not only Bay Area music, but for heavy music in general at CBS Radio’s The Night Before 2016 edition. Get your dancing shoes ready, ’cause this is going to be one next-level, uniquely crazy event!”
Lineup Announced For Motörhead Lemmy Kilmister’s All-Star Band at Bass Player Live
Additional musicians have been announced for the Bass Player Live! All-Star Concert and Awards Ceremony to be held on the evening of November 7 at Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA. The event is part of the eighth annual premier live bass guitar event – Bass Player Live! 2015.
As previously announced, Metallica bassist and Jaco film producer Robert Trujillo will be presenting a Bass Player Lifetime Achievement Award to Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister at the concert. Following the presentation, an all-star set honoring Kilmister will feature performances from Robert Trujillo, Rex Brown (Kill Devil Hill, Pantera), Blasko (Ozzy Osbourne), and dUg Pinnick (Grinder Blues, King’s X, Pinnick/Gales/Pridgen) on bass, drummer/musical director Tommy Rickard (Scott Weiland, Linda Perry), vocalists Whitfield Crane (Ugly Kid Joe) and Chuck Billy (Testament), and guitarist Lita Ford.
Def Leppard Release “Let’s Go” Video & Periscope Fan Q&A Video
Def Leppard released their 11th studio album, entitled Def Leppard on October 30. It’s the first new record since 2008’s Songs From The Sparkle Lounge.
On release day, band members Joe Elliott and Phil Collen hosted a Live Fan Q&A on their Periscope channel. For those who missed it, check it and the “Let’s Go” song video out here.
Megadeth – Dystopia Hand-Signed Bundles Available For Pre-Order
Megadeth’s anxiously-awaited 15th studio album, Dystopia, is due out on January 16.
Exclusive hand-signed limited edition bundles that include shirts, guitar picks and other swag along with Vinyl and CDs, are now available for pre-order in the official Megadeth store.
Metallica Overhaul Website, Make Fan Club Free and Reveal Deluxe Vinyl Releases
Metallica have completely redone their website. A post on the site reads, “We’re excited to provide you with a complete digital home for all the latest news and updates, over 30 years of history, photos and videos, and your new Fan Club community as we invite you to become the Fifth Member of Metallica.”
The best part? The fan club is now free! Fans who sign up will have access to exclusive content, contests and merchandise, discounts on merchandise, pre-sale tickets and free downloads. Fans signing up right now will receive a free download of Robert Trujillo‘s animated short ‘Tallica Parking Lot!
Metallica also announced the release of a 16-LP set that will include four shows from the band’s Metallica By Request tour. Last year, Metallica embarked on a unique tour that saw them play different sets each night with the setlist selected by fans who took part in an online vote.
Check out the video teaser here.
Joe Satriani And Robin DiMaggio Team Up On Original Song “Music Without Words”
World-renowned guitarist Joe Satriani and United Nations Musical Director Robin DiMaggio recently teamed up to compose a new song, entitled “Music Without Words,” released on November 4. A portion of all proceeds raised from downloads and streams will be donated to support UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund.
DiMaggio says, “I am sure that when the audience, young and wisely aged, watches this, they will feel the message, whether they just listen to the audio or intensely watch the video.”
Anthrax Bassist Rank Bello Reveals Title Of New Album
On October 26, Anthrax held a private listening session for their new album in Paris, France. During an interview with LoudTV.net, bassist Frank Bello revealed the new album will be entitled For All Kings. “Evil Twin” is the first single.
Check out the video for Evil Twin, here.
Ex-Judas Priest Frontman Tim “Ripper” Owens’ Ohio Club Gets a Bar Rescue
Ripper’s Rock House, an Akron, Ohio live music club owned by Tim “Ripper” Owens, the former Judas Priest frontman, got some major changes on Spike TV’s Bar Rescue. The club was redubbed Tim Owens’ Traveler’s Tavern, but only after an extensive rehab process that focused on a signature wings dish that features sauce flavors from around the world.
“That is crazy,” an emotional Owens said afterward. “I’m excited about the future of the brand, everything about it.”
Owens called in Bar Rescue when he estimated the faltering club was six months away from shuttering, although Owens admitted he’d never studied the books. He didn’t even know what their front-end food costs were.
Consultant Jon Taffer, who offers struggling business owners hard-boiled advice each week on Bar Rescue, tore into Owens’ management style. “No standards; no communication. This is not a jam session!” Taffer blurted at one point. “How moronic is this business?”
The episode of Bar Rescue can be found here on Spike.com.
Foreigner’s “Hot Blooded” Given a Dramatic Reading by Stephen Colbert and Allison Janney
When Emmy Award-winning actress Allison Janney told Stephen Colbert that she employs dramatic readings of ’70s-era pop hits as an acting exercise, he suggested that they recite Foreigner‘s hit song “Hot Blooded” together.
As you can see in the video, Janney borrows a ballpoint pen from the Late Show With Stephen Colbert desk, and dives right into the reading – using the pen as a thermometer prop. After she quite seriously repeats the title twice, Colbert removes his glasses to reply, “You don’t have to read my mind, to know what I have in mind.” Janney manages to hold it together. That is, until Colbert says, “I’ll show you lovin’ like you never knew.”
Check out the hilarious video, here.
Author Martin Popoff Releases New Book “Swords And Tequila: Riot’s Classic First Decade”
Highly respected heavy metal author and BraveWords senior writer Martin Popoff has released a new book documenting one of metal’s previously unsung and tragic tales, Swords And Tequila: Riot’s Classic First Decade.
Says Popoff: “Below is the back cover blurb, but yeah, it’s pretty wild how many people have asked me for a Riot book over the years. So much so that I included a few fan stories in here to pay tribute to the people’s band status of these guys. And you’ll like the price of it, I hope. Remember, I am signing, packing these up and mailing from Canada. Orders will be signed from me to you, so please specify if it’s a present for someone else. Glad to sign as Christmas present for your fave metal buddy!”
Go to martinpopoff.com for descriptions, cover art and ordering info.
Metalheads Say The Damnedest Things!
“Aw, man. The whole thing was a big blur. I always tell people, my Guns N’ Roses experience was like watching somebody else’s movie. If I was to make that movie myself and watch it — I still wouldn’t believe it. [Laughs] Was I really there? Or was it some sort of warped dream? The whole thing was surreal.”
“I felt like I really had no control where I was going. I was being taken on this adventure. It was scary at times. Super highs, super lows. I look at all of that, and I’m just happy we’re all still alive.”
~ Former Guns N’ Roses drummer Matt Sorum, interviewed by the Windsor Star