BIG AC/DC NEWS!
Axl Rose Confirmed as Brian Johnson’s Replacement
AC/DC have confirmed their Rock Or Bust tour will resume next month with Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose on vocals. Rose will perform on the European leg of the tour and for the 10 rescheduled U.S. dates.
The Aussie giants say: “AC/DC band members would like to thank Brian Johnson for his contributions and dedication to the band throughout the years. We wish him all the best with his hearing issues and future ventures. As much as we want this tour to end as it started, we understand, respect and support Brian’s decision to stop touring and save his hearing.
“We are dedicated to fulfilling the remainder of our touring commitments and are fortunate that Axl Rose has kindly offered his support to help us fulfill this commitment. The European stadium tour dates begin on May 7 in Lisbon, Portugal and run through June 12 in Aarhus, Denmark as previously announced.
“Following this European run of dates with AC/DC, Axl Rose will head out on his Guns N’ Roses Not In This Lifetime summer stadium tour. The 10 postponed U.S AC/DC shows will be rescheduled and announced imminently, also with Axl Rose.”
AC/DC’s Angus Young Joins Guns N’ Roses at Coachella
AC/DC guitarist Angus Young joined Guns N’ Roses in a surprise appearance onstage at Coachella to perform two of his own band’s songs – “Whole Lotta Rosie” and “Riff Raff.” Still using the throne he borrowed from Foo Fighters star Dave Grohl as he recovers from a broken foot, Axl Rose introduced his new bandmate about two-thirds of the way into Guns N’ Roses’ headlining set: “Since I can’t run around for you, we’re going to bring out a friend to put a little life into things for us. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Angus Young!”
Check out the fan-filmed show footage, here.
Brian Johnson – “I Had No Choice But To Stop Performing On Stage”
Brian Johnson says he’s “crushed” to no longer be fronting AC/DC and insists he’s not retired. The vocalist was ordered to stop touring last month or risk going deaf. Johnson issued a new statement outlining his health issues in greater detail, saying he can’t imagine a future without being in the band.
Check out Johnson’s statement in full here.
Injured List
Shoulder Surgery Prevents Paul Stanley From Playing Kiss Benefit Show
Shoulder surgery has prevented Paul Stanley from performing an intimate show with Kiss. “Tore my bicep tendon. Surgery reattached it with a screw and stitches to anchor in place. Not much I can do now!” he wrote on Facebook and Twitter, before adding: “Thanks to my AMAZING doctor I WILL be great & ready to rock WAAAAYYYY before the tour!”
Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer donned classic stage makeup and costumes to play a four-song set last Friday to benefit multiple sclerosis research. Kiss was the headlining act at the 23rd annual Race to Erase MS fundraising gala held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The event raised more than $250,000 toward finding a cure for the nervous system disorder.
Stanley says he expects to be fully recovered and able to embark on the Freedom to Rock tour of North America, which kicks off on July 7 in Boise, Idaho.
Ace Frehley Hospitalized for Exhaustion and Dehydration
Former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley has been diagnosed with exhaustion after being hospitalized on Friday.
Frehley cancelled a sold out show at the Chance in Poughkeepsie, New York Saturday night after being seen by doctors in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. After extensive testing, it was determined that Ace’s symptoms were due to exhaustion and dehydration.
Frehley’s staff say he’s heading home to rest and is expected to make a full recovery
On Tour
Vince Neil, Bret Michaels, Lita Ford & More Confirmed for SIRIUSXM’S Hair Nation Festival
SiriusXM’s Hair Nation Festival is set for Saturday, September 17 at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre in Southern California.
Rock fans from around the globe are invited to re-live the filth of the Sunset Strip for one night only. The current music lineup is as follows: Vince Neil, Bret Michaels, Yngwie Malmsteen, Kix, Slaughter, Lita Ford, Vixen, Britny Fox, BulletBoys, Faster Pussycat, LA Guns’ Phil Lewis and Tracii Guns, Loudness, Junkyard, Vain, Tuff, Bang Tango, Pretty Boy Floyd, Odin, Gabbie Rae, and Circus of Power. The festival will be hosted by Eddie Trunk.
Vince Neil says, “I can’t wait to perform back in Southern California where it all started for me. This is a big kick ass event and I’m gonna pull out all the stops on this one. What a great lineup, in a great venue…see you in September. Be there!”
General Admission and VIP tickets for SiriusXM’s Hair Nation Festival go on sale Friday, April 22 at 10:00 AM PT. Information and pricing on all packages and experiences is available at www.HairNationFest.com.
For up-to-date information, go to:
www.HairNationFest.com
www.facebook.com/HairNationFestival
www.twitter.com/HairNationFest
www.instagram.com/HairNationFest
Thin Lizzy Anniversary Shows – Aerosmith’s Tom Hamilton, Priest’s Scott Travis Added to Lineup
Thin Lizzy has announced Aerosmith’s Tom Hamilton will be playing bass on the forthcoming Anniversary shows planned for 2016-2017. Hamilton will join guitarists Scott Gorham and Damon Johnson, together with lead vocalist Ricky Warwick and keyboard player Darren Wharton.
Tom Hamilton said, “I’m really psyched to be playing these shows with Thin Lizzy during my downtime with Aerosmith this summer. It’ll be great to rock out to their classic songs onstage.”
Previously announced Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee has been replaced by Judas Priest drummer Scott Travis on all shows except August 6 in Sweden, where Europe drummer Ian Haugland will be on the drum stool.
Mikkey Dee said, “Unfortunately, due to circumstances that will be announced very soon, I cannot play the six shows with Thin Lizzy in 2016 and 2017. As a lifelong fan of the band, I truly wish I could have been a part of this, but the reason will be revealed as soon as possible. I wish my great friends Scott Travis and Ian Haugland all the best with these shows and I know they will kick ass!”
On his appointment, Judas Priest’s Scott Travis adds: “First of all, let me offer a sincere thank you to Brian Downey and Thin Lizzy for allowing me to sit in with the band! Thin Lizzy are undisputed legends and to be a small part of their lineage is a humble honor for me. I hope to do the position good. It’s gonna’ be a blast!”
All shows are currently on sale at ThinLizzyBand.com.
Metallica Manager Peter Mensch – “YouTube, They’re The Devil”
Peter Mensch, the manager of bands including Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Muse, says YouTube is killing the record industry.
“YouTube, they’re the devil,” he told a BBC News documentary on the music business. “We don’t get paid at all.”
He said the site’s business model, in which artists make money by placing ads around their music, was unsustainable.
“If someone doesn’t do something about YouTube, we’re screwed,” he said. “It’s over. Someone turn off the lights.”
Mensch’s arguments echo concerns raised in the annual report of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), which was released last week.
Study Finds Live Music Reduces Stress
A scientific study has found the first evidence that suggests listening to live music can reduce stress levels.
Researchers from the Centre For Performance Science in London took saliva samples from 117 volunteers at two difference concerts. They discovered lower levels of glucocorticoids, progesterone and cortisol – all related to human stress – in the samples taken after the shows.
Lead researcher Daisy Fancourt says: “This is the first preliminary evidence that attending a cultural event can have an impact on endocrine activity.”
The organization notes that the experiment surrounded “relatively calm classical music” performances and that more research will be needed to “ascertain whether other genres of music elicit different effects.”
BuzzChic say, “Hell Yeah, live Metal reduces stress – just ask any true Headbanger!”
New Releases
“Louder Than Love” Film with Lemmy, Alice Cooper and Slash Coming to DVD in June
“Louder Than Love – The Grande Ballroom Story,” a documentary starring Lemmy, Alice Cooper and Slash will be released on DVD on June 10.
Directed by Tony D’Annunzio in 2012, the film has been screened at more than 35 film festivals around the world and will be issued on DVD later this year.
New Bio “Scott Weiland: Memories of a Rock Star” Released
Check out the newly released biography of the late Scott Weiland, “Scott Weiland: Memories of a Rock Star.” It features nearly 30 all-new interviews conducted exclusively for thie book, including members of bands that toured with Stone Temple Pilots (Megadeth, Meat Puppets, Blind Melon, etc.), worked with Scott (Scott’s autobiography co-author David Ritz, video directors Kevin Kerslake and Josh Taft, producer/engineer Chris Goss, etc.), or were friends and/or admirers of Scott’s music (Richard Patrick, Bob Forrest, Matt Pinfield, etc.).
“Fans most likely will learn something new – some little tidbit from behind the scenes that they had never heard before, as many of those interviewed don’t seem to have shared their stories on the topic of Scott Weiland previously. This book is definitely something to pick up and put on your reading list.” – Screamer Magazine
Team HOH Goes on a Headbanger Road Trip to Y &T Show
Team HOH all got together (less Dee Snider) to hang out and headbang at the recent Y&T show at The Canyon in Agoura Hills, CA.
L to R: Aaron Leigh (bass), Dwight Kuhlman, Dagny Taggart, Dave Meniketti (lead vocals/lead guitar), Pam Edwards, John Nymann (guitar), Chris Lindsley, Mike Vanderhule (drums)
MetalHeads Say The Damnedest Things
“We were a lethal live band, if not the best, one of the greatest live acts in the world. We learned our craft playing in the bars and we learned early on if you want to make more money you have to build up a following.
How do you build up a following? Any time you play in front of a lot of people, you need to blow them away and just be the best that you can be. So we started to really concentrate in annihilating our fellow bands. Not that we didn’t like them personally, but it’s like when two baseball teams go on the field, one of them wants to win. […]So we started looking at it as a sporting event and less as a musical event.
So when we play shows today, when we play with Metallica or any of these bands, our job is to wipe the floor with these groups. I mean, that’s what we do. That’s the only thing that makes me happy. It’s not a musical statement; it’s truly one of victory. I want to walk off stage and know that you think you saw the greatest show on earth. There may very well be a better guitar player or better singer but we’re gonna make sure you don’t think that.”
~ Jay Jay French on Twisted Sister, interviewed by RockCellarMagazine.com.