This Week’s SHAZAM Winner!!
Congrats to Gareth Courtney in Ida, Michigan who listens to 104.7 WIOT and is this week’s Shazam contest winner, scoring a House of Hair t-shirt!
Be sure to Shazam the House of Hair Request of the Week when you hear it each week. Whip out your cell phone and open the Shazam app to get info on the song and register to win an official House of Hair t-shirt, too! One winner will be chosen randomly each week.
METAL NEWS
Guns N’ Roses Guitarist Bumblefoot’s Cancer Has Returned
Former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal has revealed that his bladder cancer returned last month – less than three years since his official diagnosis.
The guitarist says he underwent immediate surgery to remove two tumors from his bladder, after he showed doctors a “pee video” of his problem to push for further examination when they initially dismissed his concerns.
Bumblefoot tells Loudwire: “I would go to different doctors and I would say, ‘This ain’t normal.’ They’d say, ‘Oh you’re just getting older, it’s your prostate.’ I’ve never heard of anyone hitting 40 and pissing blood. Everyone just kept writing me off.”
He adds: “I made a video to show the doctors what was going on. I kept the video as a reminder to not let things go. I’m glad I did.” Bumblefoot says that he’ll need re-checks every three months over the next two years due to the likelihood of cancer recurrence.
He continues: “It’s how you take care of yourself that makes a big difference on how these things will hit you. […] There are worse things out there. I’m happy to be making music, to be doing what I set out to do 40 years ago with great people, for great people. It doesn’t matter if you’re sick or well, as long as you’re happy and living well, that’s all that matters.”
Bumblefoot’s supergroup project Art Of Anarchy will launch a single next month, followed by an album next year.
Aerosmith’s Joey Kramer Says No Farewell Tour Planned
Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer says that there are no plans for a farewell tour as far as he knows, but he has confirmed that the Aerosmith will hit the road next year.
Kramer said: “As far as I know there is no farewell tour.” When asked why Tyler had announced send-off plans, he replies: “Because it was something we were talking about, and he has a habit of projecting on things that haven’t been completed yet.”
Mötley Crüe Being Sued By Photographers Over Tour Merch
According to a report from TMZ, Mötley Crüe made out like bandits on its farewell tour by ripping off two famous rock ‘n’ roll photographers – putting their work on all sorts of tour swag.
Says TMZ: “The Crüe rode off into the sunset with the 2014-15 tour, and sold a bunch of gear with classic images of the band from its heyday in the ’80s. Barry Levine and Neil Zlozower say they took those photos, and the band never got their permission use their pics.
“In their lawsuit Levine and Zlozower say Motley Crüe hawked t-shirts, crop tops, stickers, vests, flags, patches…and even baby onesies featuring their famous photos – but they got bupkis out of the deal.
“The photogs say Crüe hauled in its biggest merchandise sales ever during the final tour, and they’re suing to get a slice of that pie.”
Check out the photos in question at TMZ.
Bret Michaels Robbed At Hampton Beach Casino
Poison singer Bret Michaels says he had items stolen from his dressing room at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom where he played this past Thursday in New Hampshire. He took to Facebook to ask for the items to be returned by the perps, who were seen on surveillance video, offering leniency, but then threatening criminal charges.
Dio Disciples Working On Original Studio Album in 2017
In addition to taking their hologram of Ronnie James Dio on tour next year, Dio Disciples are working on an album of original material with an eye on a summer 2017 release.
Former Dio member guitarist Craig Goldy said, “At the moment, the goal is to have an album written and recorded and have it out by the summer of 2017. The idea is to have songs written by people that were in the [Dio] band or close to the [Dio] family. Also, the other criteria is that the songs would be done in a manner which Ronnie would approve.”
The Dio Disciples guitarist also confirmed that the band is currently in negotiations with a record label to release the album. The band features a rotating cast of musicians with the current members listed as singers Tim “Ripper” Owens, Joe Retta and Oni Logan, guitarist Craig Goldy, bassist Bjorn Englen, keyboardist Scott Warren and drummer Simon Wright.
NEW RELEASES
Meat Loaf’s “Bat Out of Hell” Being Made Into a Musical for 40th Anniversary
Just in time to celebrate its 40th anniversary, Meat Loaf’s famed 1977 rock opera Bat Out of Hell is being made into a musical scripted by Jim Steinman, the man who wrote all the songs on the best-selling album.
The storyline for Bat Out of Hell: The Musical is described as “a romantic adventure about rebellious youth and passionate love, set against the backdrop of a post-cataclysmic city adrift from the mainland.”
Steinman will incorporate the songs that helped make the first album such a global phenomenon, including “Paradise by the Dashboard Light,” “You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth (Hot Summer Night),” “Bat Out Of Hell,” and “Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad,” plus others such as “I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)” from Bat Out of Hell II.
Previews for the Bat Out of Hell: The Musical production begin February 17, 2017, at Manchester Opera House in England and will eventually play in Canada. Casting is currently underway in the U.K.
Meat Loaf himself is not directly involved in the production, say his U.S. and U.K. publicists. His latest album, Braver Than We Are, comes out September 16 in the U.S.
Iron Maiden’s “Illustrated History of the Beast” Book Update Due In October
Neil Daniels’ book, Iron Maiden – The Ultimate Illustrated History Of The Beast is getting an update on October 1.
The book is the first-ever complete, illustrated retrospective of the band. It includes the band’s entire history, with a complete, up-to-date discography. The stories behind the band’s formation, roster changes, recordings through 2015’s The Book Of Souls, and tours through 2016 are complemented with nearly 500 images, including live performance and candid off-stage photographs, and memorabilia, including handbills, gig posters, backstage passes, buttons, ticket stubs, and, of course, Eddie, Iron Maiden’s iconic Derek Riggs-created mascot.
Reissues of Riot’s “Fire Down Under” and “Restless Breed” Albums Due Out This Month
On September 23, Fire Down Under will be available on digi-CD with two bonus tracks (“Misty Morning Rain” and “You’re All I Needed Tonight”) as well as on three different versions (180g black/artic white marbled/yellow with orange spots) of vinyl.
Restless Breed will be available on digi-CD with a bonus 6-song Riot Live EP from 1982, as well as in three different versions (180g black/red opaque/violet blue marbled) of vinyl.
The vinyl versions include a free poster and the digi-CDs get you poster booklets.
Pre-Order your copies now here.
Testament Release “Brotherhood Of The Snake” Lyric Video
Testament have released a lyric video for the title track of their upcoming 11th album Brotherhood Of The Snake.
And along with streaming the song, the band have revealed the final track-list and opened pre-orders for the album, due for release on October 28.
Guitarist Eric Peterson says: “We took some time to do Brotherhood Of The Snake – and it shows. Different influences came in. Normally, there are a few straight ahead thrash songs. We haven’t had this many thrash tracks since The Legacy. It’s a new era. Everybody played hard. Frontman Chuck Billy really surprised me and belted out stuff that’s more melodic over the heavy speed metal riffs. It blended really well together.”
ON TOUR
Metallica Announce 2016 Fall Latin America Tour
Metallica this week announced their South American tour plans:
“It’s on!!! As we put the finishing touches on Hardwired…To Self-Destruct we’re also getting ready to hit the road for the first of many headlining shows around the world. To kick it all off we’re returning to five cities we know will absolutely rock hard with all kinds of crazy Metalli-love and get this tour started right! First up we travel to Latin America with stops in Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Colombia, Guatemala and Costa Rica. All the dates and ticket information, including presales for the Fifth Members, is here. We can’t think of a better place to get the juices flowing and set the table for many more shows to come!
We are beyond excited to get out there, visit all of you and test out some of the new songs live. Keep watching here for many more announcements in the coming weeks!!”
The shows will take place prior to the release of the new album, which arrives November 18.
Tour dates are here.
Y&T Touring Europe To Play “Cool Gems”
Y&T are back to rock Europe and the UK for 32 shows in two months.
Dave Meniketti says, “We know the fans are always asking us to play tunes that we haven’t always had the opportunity to play for years; so we decided to work on some cool gems from Y&T’s deep catalog of songs to make certain we give you a special and different show from previous years. Because we took some time off this summer, we are especially energized and excited to bring that special Y&T energy, passion, and enjoyment to every single one of these shows. Please come join us–especially now, as the world needs the positive energy that we can all make happen together. See you very soon!”
Iron Maiden’s Steve Harris Announces British Lion Tour
Iron Maiden leader Steve Harris will tour Europe in November and December with his band British Lion.
Harris said: “On this tour we’ll be making our first visits to Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Ireland. We’ve got a really strong show lined up, including plenty of songs not on the British Lion album.
“The whole band is really excited and can’t wait to get on the road again. We’ll be looking to record some [2017] shows to add to the recordings we already have.”
In the UK magazine Classic Rock, Harris says “Stylistically, the band is more mainstream rock than metal, very British sounding, very 70s-influenced and quite commercial… but good commercial. There’s all kinds of stuff going on, with nods to The Who and UFO and some classic British rock bands, but it’s not the progressive rock band some might be expecting.”
Metalheads Say The Damnedest Things
“The only unknown is the physical element of it. If the arms and legs and knees and shoulders and throats, the backs, the necks – if all that stays intact, there’s no reason we shouldn’t be able to do this for a significant amount of time longer.”
Comparing his hopes of longevity with the Rolling Stones’ career, he says: “I love the Stones more than anybody else on this planet. What we do, I’d like to argue, is slightly more physically demanding in terms of the energy that goes into it.
“Songs like Battery, Master Of Puppets or One have this insane physical energy and demand. If you can’t play it at the demand it deserves, it’s better not to play it.
“That’s the only unknown – I think mentally we could do this for another 100 years.”
~ Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich on how he wants the band to keep touring and recording until their bodies give out.