This Week’s SHAZAM Winner!!
Congrats to Nathan Lopez in Holland, MI who listens to Rock 101.7 WMRR, 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
Greg Lake of Emerson, Lake & Palmer Dead at 69
Emerson, Lake & Palmer singer, bassist and guitarist Greg Lake died December 7 after “a long and stubborn battle with cancer.” He was 69.
The news was confirmed on Lake’s official Twitter account by Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s longtime manager Stewart Young, who posted: “Yesterday, December 7th, I lost my best friend to a long and stubborn battle with cancer. Greg Lake will stay in my heart forever, as he has always been. His family would be grateful for privacy during this time of their grief.”
Carl Palmer, now the sole living member of Emerson, Lake and Palmer, said, “It is with great sadness that I must now say goodbye to my friend and fellow bandmate, Greg Lake. Greg’s soaring voice and skill as a musician will be remembered by all who knew his music and recordings he made with ELP and King Crimson.”
He added, “I have fond memories of those great years we had in the 1970s and many memorable shows we performed together. Having lost Keith this year as well, has made this particularly hard for all of us. As Greg sang at the end of Pictures At An Exhibition, ‘death is life.’ His music can now live forever in the hearts of all who loved him.”
Yes keyboardist Geoff Downes said: “Very sad about Greg Lake. I had the privilege of working with him on several projects. His great talent will be sorely missed by all. Another genius has passed away. 2016 has truly been an annus horribilis in musical history.”
Greg Lake was a founding member of King Crimson, which also included his school friend Robert Fripp. Their 1969 album In the Court of the Crimson King, which Lake produced, was an instant hit and became a prog-rock classic.
In 1970, after King Crimson toured the U.S. with the band The Nice, Lake became friends with that band’s keyboard player, Keith Emerson, and the two decided to leave their respected bands and form a prog-rock “supergroup,” Emerson, Lake and Palmer, with drummer Carl Palmer. With ELP, Lake contributed bass, acoustic and electric guitar and vocals. The band’s melding of classical and rock sounds, on albums such as Pictures at an Exhibition, was Lake’s proudest achievement, as he told ABC Radio in September. The influential trio would go on to release nine studio albums between 1970 and 1994. Lake and Emerson also released one album in 1986 with drummer Cozy Powell as Emerson, Lake & Powell.
“One of the things we decided to do was to try and draw more upon our European roots, our own roots, for inspiration,” Lake said. “I think you’ll find that after ELP there were tons and tons of rock bands that incorporated European-influenced music. I think overall that would be my biggest reflective joy in those records, that it did throw open the floodgates to be able to simply appreciate classical music, for example.”
ELP last played together in July 2010 at London’s High Voltage music festival.
ELP’s Keith Emerson died this March when he committed suicide after battling depression and a degenerative nerve issue.
Dee Snider Shows Support for Standing Rock Protestors With New “So What” Video
Dee showed his support for the thousands of men and women at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota who are protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline through the power of video. In the video for his song “So What,” Dee and his son and video director Cody Blue Snider spotlight the faces of the courageous men, women and children that are fighting for their land and offer a glimpse at the resistance and tribulation they are faced with as they stand their ground. The song can be found on Dee’s new solo album, We Are The Ones.
Not one to shy away from any political or social cause that he wholeheartedly believes in, Snider said to The New York Post’s Page Six: “To see U.S. government state and local authorities, along with hired private security, use this type of extreme violent force against unarmed American citizens in peaceful prayer is the saddest, most disturbing thing I have ever experienced. I’m glad we were there to capture the truth for all to see.”
The Standing Rock protest was resolved this week in favor of the protestors.
Megadeth and Dave Lombardo To Appear on “Late Night With Seth Meyers”
Megadeth will be one of the guests on Late Night With Seth Meyers on NBC on Thursday, December 15, while current Suicidal Tendencies and former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo is sitting in with the house band.
Meyers’ former Saturday Night Live cast-mate Fred Armisen drummed with the house band when the Late Show launched, but due to his other commitments, Meyers has employed a number of rock drummers to do week-long residencies.
Ronnie James Dio, Lemmy Kilmister, Randy Rhoads Among 2017 Hall of Heavy Metal History Inductees
The Hall of Heavy Metal History, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the legacy of the legendary metal musicians who are often forgotten has announced its 2017 inductees.
The inductees include: Ronnie James Dio (Wendy Dio accepting the induction), Rudy Sarzo (bass, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake), Frankie Banali (drums, Quiet Riot), Lemmy Kilmister (bass / vocals, Motörhead, special guest accepting induction), Ross “The Boss” Friedman (guitars, Manowar), Vinny Appice (drums, Black Sabbath, Dio), Don Airey (keyboards, Deep Purple), Andy Zildjian (President/CEO of Sabian Cymbals) and Randy Rhoads (guitar, Ozzy Osbourne, Quiet Riot, Rhoads family accepting the induction).
There will also be a 33rd anniversary induction of Quiet Riot’s Metal Health album, the first metal record to ascend to No. 1 on the Billboard 200. More inductees including artists and music industry executives are expected to be announced. The enshrinement will take place on January 18 at the Anaheim Expo Center in Anaheim, Calif.
Tickets can be purchased from the Hall of Heavy Metal History website and proceeds will be donated to the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund.
Muralist Wanted to Paint Motörhead Wall at Lemmy’s Lounge at the Roxy in L.A.
In celebration of the late Lemmy Kilmister’s legacy, the owners of the Roxy in Los Angeles, CA have kindly agreed to allow the painting of a celebratory mural commemorating the life of Lemmy and Motörhead on the side wall of The Roxy Theater, which faces the patio area of the Rainbow Bar & Grill. The patio will now be known as “Lemmy’s Lounge”, which is where Lemmy’s statue is located.
Motörhead’s management are seeking a local LA muralist/painter that is interested in the opportunity to provide their services to paint this immortal artwork in celebration of Lemmy’s life. Interested artists are asked to submit their info at Lemmyslounge.com by December 24.
UK Manor House with a recording studio used by Black Sabbath Up For Sale
A house with a recording studio that was used by Black Sabbath, Freddie Mercury and Hawkwind has gone up for sale.
Gasplant in Capel Iwan, Carmarthenshire, has been listed for £1,100,000 and it comes with an illustrious rock history.
The home’s recording studio, which is now a holiday cottage within the Manor grounds, was used throughout the 1970’s by the world’s top musicians, including Queen front-man Freddie Mercury and Midlands rockers Black Sabbath. The studio was also used by Genesis to record The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway and residents of the nearby town still recall music coming from the manor in the glory days of rock and roll.
Read the full story at WalesOnline.co.uk.
ON TOUR
Guns ‘N Roses Announce over 30 Stadium Dates for Europe & North America on 2017 Tour
Guns N’ Roses and their massively successful Not In This Lifetime tour continue to show no signs of slowing down as the legendary band storms into 2017 with more than 30 stadium shows lined up across Europe and North America.
Starting on May 27, 2017 at Dublin’s Slane Castle, the tour rolls into 18 cities across the UK and Europe, including shows scheduled in London, Paris, Madrid, Vienna, Copenhagen and more. Following the European leg, the band will once again return to North America for even more stadium dates starting on July 27 at the Dome At America’s Center in St. Louis, MO and including 15 more cities across the US and Canada, including Denver, Vancouver, Edmonton, Montreal, Minneapolis, Miami and more.
Tickets go on sale beginning Friday, December 9 in Canada and Europe, and Saturday, December 10 in the United States.
Check out tour dates on the HOH website.
Def Leppard, Soundgarden To Headline Monster Energy Carolina Rebellion in May
Soundgarden (Friday), Def Leppard (Saturday) and Avenged Sevenfold (Sunday), will headline the 7th annual Monster Energy Carolina Rebellion, taking place May 5, 6 and 7 at Rock City Campgrounds at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, NC.
Monster Energy Carolina Rebellion pre-sale tickets and layaway packages, as well as hotel, camping and VIP packages, are on sale now at CarolinaRebellion.com
Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow Announce UK Tour in 2017
Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow will be returning to tour the UK in June 2017. The very special opening night will see them headlining the second annual Stone Free Festival at The O2, London, which will be Blackmore’s first London show since 1995.
Check out tour dates on the HOH website.
TNT Confirm New 2017 Tour Dates
TNT have already confirmed a few shows to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their classic album, Tell No Tales, with more planned after their new album release.
Confirmed shows include 6 gigs in Norway and an appearance at the Monsters of Rock Cruise on February 2 through 7.
Testament Announce 2017 North American Tour With Sepultura + Prong
“After four successful tours through Europe over the last six months, we are looking forward to touring across North America,” said front-man Chuck Billy. “We’ll have a new headlining set list with tracks from The Brotherhood of the Snake and how cool is it that we will be sharing the stage with our brothers in metal, Sepultura and Prong?! See ya’ in the PIT!”
Check out tour dates on the HOH website.
NEW RELEASES
Queensrÿche Premiere New “Hellfire” Music Video
Queensrÿche released a new music video this week for their song “Hellfire”, which spotlights the Malaysian passenger flight crisis in 2014.
Vocalist Todd La Torre said of the video: “’Hellfire’ is a depiction primarily based on the tragic events surrounding the Malaysian airline flight MH17. Despite the storyline’s foundation, the lyrical and visual narrative transcends into other pertinent, global subject matters. Civil unrest, guerrilla warfare, media propaganda, and social inequalities are just some examples of the multifaceted issues marbled throughout “Hellfire”. A poignant illustration of an unfortunate yet timeless reality.”
New Iron Maiden Book Now Available
Celebrated rock author Neil Daniels has released his new book, Iron Maiden – Playing With Madness: A Collection Of Writings On The Beast, on Amazon.com.
Daniels offers a collection of his writings on the band chronicling their entire history. This book is a reference tool for die-hard fans with tour dates, set lists, discographies, reviews, interviews and much more. There are contributions from some of the world’s top metal writers as well as ex-Iron Maiden members and former personnel. This is not a biography but a headbanging guide to the band’s incredible career and legendary status in heavy metal as one of the genre’s biggest bands.
Deep Purple Release Second Video for Upcoming Studio Album “inFinite”
Rock legends Deep Purple will issue their first single from the upcoming InFinite album on January 20, reports Darker Than Blue. The title of the new single, as well as format details, will be revealed soon.
The band have also released another new 30-second video for their upcoming studio album, inFinite, due out in 2017. The new trailer includes a short sample of new music.
Metalheads Say The Damnedest Things
“Lemmy, who wore one pair of black pants for 25 years, was an unabashed speed freak until his final days. In the 1970s, when (false) rumors spread that Keith Richards had had his blood drained and replaced with newer, healthier blood, Lemmy’s manager reportedly considered the same procedure for his client.
According to Lemmy, they took him to a doctor, who found his blood so awash in drugs, he was told not to mess with it.
“He took a blood test,” Lemmy said. “We went back a week later for the results and he said, ‘Whatever you do, don’t give him whole blood, it will probably kill him!’ My blood at the time had evolved into some sort of organic soup — all kinds of trace elements in it.” (For the record, while Lemmy told this story many times over the years, his manager denied it.)”
~ from recently released book Lemmy: The Definitive Biography by Mick Wall