This Week’s SHAZAM Winner!!
Congrats to Brian Jacobson who listens to WHMH Rockin’ 101, 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
Journey, Yes, ELO and the Cars Among 2017 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees
The full list of nominees for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame‘s class of 2017 are Bad Brains, Chaka Khan, Chic, Depeche Mode, ELO, the J. Geils Band, Jane’s Addiction, Janet Jackson, Joan Baez, Joe Tex, Journey, Kraftwerk, MC5, Pearl Jam, Steppenwolf, The Cars, Zombies, Tupac Shakur and Yes.
Artists are eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled for April 2017, with a taped presentation following later on HBO.
Fans will again be able to help determine who goes in by voting at the Rock Hall’s website. The polls are open now and close at 11:59 PM ET on December 5. Their votes are combined into a single ballot that joins hundreds of others submitted by artists, historians, and music industry insiders — including every living Rock Hall inductee. Chicago claimed the fan vote last time around. Voting is limited to one ballot per day.
Arena Football League’s L.A. KISS Have Folded
According to The Orange County Register, the Arena Football League’s L.A. KISS, faced with dwindling attendance and concerns about the league’s viability, has ceased operations.
“As I understand, (The KISS) won’t be involved in any football moving forward,” AFL Player’s Union Executive Director Ivan Soto said on Monday.
The L.A. KISS, named after the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame band led by co-owners Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, became the third AFL team to fold and the fifth to leave the league for the newly formed Indoor Football League in just the past week. That leaves just four teams in the AFL; less than half the number that started the 2015 season.
KISS players and season ticket-holders remain completely in the dark. No official announcement about the team’s status has been made by the team or the league. Calls made to KISS officials over several days were not returned. When pressed about the future of the KISS, a spokesperson for the league referred only to a recent release that said the AFL was “focused on solidifying its foundation for the long term.”
“This Is Spinal Tap” Co-Creator Harry Shearer Files $125 Million Lawsuit For Unpaid Royalties
Harry Shearer, who played bassist Derek Smalls in the legendary mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap, has filed a $125 million lawsuit against French media group Vivendi for unpaid royalties.
According to the New York Daily News, actor Harry Shearer is suing the Vivendi Entertainment Group and its StudioCanal division, claiming the company committed fraud in an attempt to conceal revenues earned.
Shearer – who co-created the fictional heavy metal group with Christopher Guest and Michael McKean – alleges Vivendi manipulated its accounting transgressions between itself and music companies in an effort to prevent the film’s creators from pocketing all of the money they are owed.
Despite the obvious success of Spinal Tap’s endeavors, the creators and band members have reportedly received next to no royalties from Vivendi, which acquired the rights to This Is Spinal Tap in 1989. According to Harry Shearer, the film’s four creators were paid a total of $98 between 1989-2006 for soundtrack sales and just $81 in merchandising royalties from 1984-2006.
Shearer spoke about the lawsuit in a clip posted via Twitter. View it here.
Sammy Hagar to Headline Rock Legends Cruise VI in 2018
Sammy Hagar is confirmed to headline Rock Legends Cruise VI, sailing February 15-19, 2018. Yes, more than a year away. Rock Legends Cruise VI will be the first cruise Hagar has headlined.
Rock Legends Cruise VI will set sail from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Cozumel, Mexico aboard the gorgeous Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas, the 4-night itinerary will include a lineup of more than 20 legendary artists, 60+ live shows, artist meet-and-greets, Q&A’s, acoustic sets and more. Along with the music, Sammy is bringing the style of the islands on board with the addition of Sammy’s Seashore Bar Rum, which will feature tropical drinks made with his award-winning rum.
“I am thrilled that we have been able to sway Sammy Hagar away from the Cabo Wabo Cantina to headline his first-ever rock-themed cruise,” stated Pam Myers, president of the Native American Heritage Affiliation. “He is not only a legendary rocker and partier; he additionally brings a shared vision for giving back. So it is an awesome match having him on the one charity-based rock cruise on the seas.”
Tickets are on sale now at rocklegendscruise.com.
Metallica Fans Launch Drive to Make World’s Biggest Flag
A group of South American Metallica fans are asking others to help them make the world’s biggest flag in support of Metallica. The “Flag ‘Em All” campaign started by Jonas Rivero in Uruguay has now spread to involve fans from all over the world. Metallica flags are being sent to Rivero who is stitching them together to create a mega flag and he hopes to attract the attention of the band.
Rivero said, “Flags are coming from all the continents, travelling the globe, with just one goal – to create the biggest Metallica flag ever to be made by fans.”
“We want to show that our love and passion for the band are stronger than any religion, ideology or nationality. One single flag that will symbolize our love and commitment to the band.”
To find out more about the project, visit the Flag ‘Em All Facebook page.
Slash’s Guitar From First Guns N’ Roses Show For Sale
A guitar played by Slash during the early days of Guns N’ Roses is expected to fetch up to $80,000 at auction. The metallic red BC Rich Warlock guitar goes under the hammer at Julien’s Auctions in Los Angeles on November 5.
Slash bought the guitar in 1984 from the Hollywood Music Store in West Hollywood and used it live for the first time at Madame Wong’s West in Santa Monica, California, on June 16, 1984 where he performed with pre-GNR group Hollywood Rose alongside Axl Rose and Steven Adler.
He later used it during the first ever Guns N’ Roses show with the classic line up of Rose, Adler, Izzy Stradlin and Duff McKagan at the Troubadour in West Hollywood on June 6, 1985.
Slash has signed the body of the guitar and also drawn his signature skull and crossbones logo and written “R&FnR.” It comes with a letter of authenticity also signed by Slash.
Check out the auction details, here.
TALKING HEADBANGERS
Sharon Osbourne Says “Ozzy’s a dirty dog, but he’s my dirty dog”
Asked how her relationship during an interview on U.K. television show Good Morning Britain on Monday, Sharon replied: “I have come through and definitely out the other side. It makes you realize firstly how short your life is, how precious your love is and your family. And it’s like, ‘You know what’, my hubby, a dirty dog as I call him – he might be a dirty dog but he’s my dirty dog! I’ve known him since I was 18 and I’m 64. Can you believe it? Everything is good. Everything is on track. I’m blessed, I have a blessed life, I’m very lucky to be doing what I do.”
Sharon has been getting some grief online with her somewhat eccentric behavior on U.K. talent show The X Factor, on which she is a judge. She forgot the name of one of her acts, Saara Aalto, three times, but the 64-year-old refuted claims she had been drinking.
“I was thinking about something else. I wish I could come up with a better excuse,” she laughed. “And as far as names; I am the worst in the world, and my head was totally in another country. I think I was in Lapland actually. It’s just me, I’m a bit dotty. But drinking, no thank you.”
“Listen you trolls on Twitter, I have seen too many careers destroyed, family members destroyed from alcohol – this missus ain’t going there.”
Jon Bon Jovi Tells His Side Of Richie Sambora Split
Jon Bon Jovi says the only contact he’s had in three years with Richie Sambora has been via social media. Sambora left the band on short notice in 2013, although Bon Jovi has since said there’s no bad feelings between them.
But the episode kicked off a period of Bon Jovi’s life that he says has been so dark that he can’t begin to describe it. He tells the Mirror: “Everything was great and we were just coming off a break – but he never came back to work. It was a shock.”
“There was never a fight. There was never an argument. It certainly wasn’t about money. He has since reached out on social media, which was very kind. But we never saw him again. Nobody.”
ON TOUR
Grandma Steals The Show Rocking Out To AC/DC’s Highway To Hell
Scottish outfit Badboys were performing their final song at The Spree Music Festival in Paisley, Scotland, when they noticed the crowd’s attention was turned to the “rocking gran” beside the stage. Bassist Billy Kinnear’s daughter Alba, 10, managed to capture her on video.
Kinnear said, “She was amazing and we couldn’t believe the moves that she was coming away with. We were all shouting from the stage, ‘Look at her, she’s awesome!’ She stole the show. As we say in Badboys, ‘You’re as old as you rock’ – and boy, can she rock! With moves like that, she must have been a rocker back in the day. “We’d love to know the gigs that she’s been to. It was such a great buzz. It made our day and everyone else’s.”
Stryper’s To Hell with the Devil Tour Anniversary Tour Off To Big Start
Stryper report that they have seen record crowds at the first eight show of their 30th Anniversary To Hell with the Devil Tour which they kicked off last month. The tour is scheduled to run until November 21, when it wraps up in Raleigh, NC and will be the last chance for fans to see them before they go on indefinite hiatus.
Frontman Michael Sweet shared his excitement about the trek so far, “We’re only eight shows in and it’s incredible. The fan response has been overwhelming. It’s amazing that thirty years later, we’re still here. And it’s even more amazing that the fans are still here. We’re totally humbled by it.”
The tour features the band’s trademark yellow and black costumes and includes two sets including the performance of the entire To Hell With The Devil album as well as a second set featuring other hits and fan favorites.
NEW RELEASES
Alice Cooper’s Band Releasing Their Own Album
Alice Cooper’s band will release their own record without the frontman. Guitarists Tommy Henriksen, Nita Strauss and drummer Glen Sobel say the album was recorded in hotel rooms using computers – with Sobel insisting that spending “crazy amounts of money” and working in studios to make music is “old-school.”
Sobel said, “It’s all of us in the Alice band minus Alice. We’ve been chipping away at this. It’s not quite done, but it’s getting there.
“I think the most cool, amazing thing about this is that it will demonstrate how you can make a record on basically almost no budget. We’ve used Pro Tools, we’ve been recording guitars, vocals in hotel rooms.
“I spent just one day in a real studio knocking out drums in Los Angeles. People don’t have to spend crazy amounts of money on making records these days – that’s so old-school.”
Sobel continues: “If you’ve got a good set of gear, if you can tune your instruments well and sing in tune and play well, and have a good producer’s ear, you can make a decent record.”
Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan Unboxes “The Vinyl Collection 1979-1982”
Deep Purple legend Ian Gillan’s The Vinyl Collection 1979-1982 will now be released on October 21 via Demon Records.
Gillan – The Vinyl Collection houses together all five UK studio albums by the legendary rock powerhouse. All have been recreated as first pressing replicas, so Future Shock has the original 12×12 booklet and Glory Road contains the bonus LP, For Gillan Fans Only.
Check out this video where Gillan unboxes the records and tells you more about them.
Rush Release “Time Stand Still” Official Theatrical Trailer
The Rush: Time Stand Still documentary is coming to over 430 theaters nationwide in North America on November 3. The DVD/Blu-Ray will be released on November 18.
This special theatre event of Rush: Time Stand Still, narrated by Paul Rudd, is a night for our passionate and loyal fans to watch together and provides an intimate look into the band’s sold-out R40 tour and the unique relationship we have with all the fans.
In addition to the documentary, fans will also get first viewing exclusive extras including Rush: A Salute to Kings – a 20-minute in-depth discussion with Gene Simmons (KISS), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Ann & Nancy Wilson (Heart), Scott Gorham (Thin Lizzy), and the band’s producer Nick Raskulinecz as they share their unique stories about Rush over the last 40 years.
Tickets for Rush: Time Stand Still can be purchased beginning Friday, October 7, online by visiting www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices. Fans throughout the US will be able to enjoy the event in more than 430 select movie theaters through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network. For a complete list of theater locations visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).
Check out a newly released trailer here.
Foghat Issue Vinyl Version of Under The Influence LP
On October 21, the group’s own label, Foghat Records, will be issuing a double/180-gram vinyl edition of their latest release, Under The Influence. Additionally, select indie record stores will be giving away posters with purchase, and select stores are throwing listening parties for the LP along with tastings of Foghat Cellars Wines.
“A couple of things I love about new vinyl releases is the re-emergence of an old art form – i.e.: album cover art and the return of high-quality analog audio played through great old stereos being pulled from the garage and resurrected,” says the band’s guitarist, Bryan Bassett. “It’s black, it’s shiny, it’s beautiful and some really nice noises come out of it! And you can actually read the liner notes and see the photos!” adds drummer, Roger Earl.
Since its initial release on June 24, Under The Influence has already proven to be the most successful Foghat release in years.
Original Judas Priest vocalist Al Atkins Releasing New Solo album “Reloaded”
Al Atkins is the co-writer of several Judas Priest songs which are included on the band’s first two albums, Rocka Rolla, Sad Wings of Destiny and Victim of Changes.
His new album is a collection of tracks from the last four decades, with songs Al has either written or performed from his days in Judas Priest to his current music. It features a special guest appearance of Ian Hill of Judas Priest, who performed on the original recordings of some of the classics like “Victim Of Changes” from the Sad Wings Of Destiny album. Apart from Judas Priest, Ian Hill has never recorded with anyone outside of the band until now.
It also features John McCoy (ex-Gillan), Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear) in a duet with Al on “Victim Of Changes”, a solo from Roy Z. (Halford, Bruce Dickinson), Japanese guitarist Tsuyoshi Ikedo from Unviel Raze, Stu “Hammer” Marshall of Death Dealer, Chris Johnson from Holy Rage, Rob Allen on drums and long time friend and collaborator guitarist and producer of many of Al’s albums, Paul May.
Reloaded is available to pre-order only on PledgeMusic, here.
Metalheads Say The Damnedest Things
“I left Iron Maiden, not by choice I was fired. They said I wasn’t good enough. I said ‘is Bruce coming back’ and they said ‘yes’. I think what was happening at the time, was that world wide CD sales have gone down. EMI had closed all their manufacturing facilities around the world. The record business was shrinking. Different record companies were starting to come together in different partnerships. So really, I think it was more of a business decision that Bruce came back at the time. I was just gutted at the time and I think it took me about four years really before I kind of accepted what had happened.”
~ Blaze Bayley on being fired as interim lead singer of Iron Maiden 1994 to 1999