This Week’s SHAZAM Winner!!
Congrats to Kristin Long in Holiday, TX who listens to KYYI – The Bear 104.7, 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.
Happy Birthday to our Fearless Host with the Most – Dee Snider (March 15)
METAL NEWS
Metallica’s Lars Ulrich Blasts Trump’s Border Wall on Mexican TV
When asked his thoughts on President Trump’s plans for a “great wall,” the drummer told Las Estrellas TV network, “I don’t think the world needs any walls. I think we need to bring people together.”
”Metallica travels all over the world, and through music we try to bring people together,” he explained to host Paola Rojas. “So whether we’re in Mexico or whether we’re in Asia or whether we’re in Europe or whatever, we encourage as many different people from as many different backgrounds to come together and share music and life and culture and all these experiences.”
“Being one Danish guy, being asked an opinion, I don’t think any walls are necessary, and I think that, increasingly, as far as Metallica traveling all over this beautiful planet, we break down barriers with music.”
Bang Your Head!
The reformed Quiet Riot + Bobby Blotzer’s Ratt exchange band members and dominate the 80s hair metal band news (and snark attacks!) this week.
Frankie Benali, Seann Nichols (left) and James Durbin (right)
Quiet Riot Vocalist Seann Nicols Replaced by “American Idol” Alumnus James Durbin
American Idol alumnus James Durbin has replaced Seann Nicols as the singer of Quiet Riot. Nicols, formerly of Adler’s Appetite, was with Quiet Riot just a few months and recorded the vocals for the band’s upcoming album Road Rage, due out April 21.
“After doing all of five live shows [with Nicols], it became apparent to everybody that it really wasn’t going to work,” Quiet Riot drummer/bandleader Frankie Banali told Billboard. “There were some serious creative and personal differences. I’m not the type of person who will stay in a bad marriage for the kids — the kids in this case being Quiet Riot. It was unanimous it could not go any further.”
The frontman change does, of course, create an odd situation for Road Rage. “There’s no comfortable thing about this situation,” acknowledges Banali. “I think the record turned out great. But it’s not that band anymore, so we have to deal with it. Is it troublesome? Absolutely. Is it risky? Absolutely. Is it the right thing to do? Absolutely!”
Bobby Blotzer’s Ratt Adds Ex-Quiet Riot Singer Seann Nicols
Just days after former Adler’s Appetite singer Seann Nicols was fired from Quiet Riot, he appears to have landed a new gig as lead singer of Bobby Blotzer’s version of Ratt. Prior Ratt singer Joshua Alan quit the group in February.
Blotzer posted on the Ratt Facebook page about the changeover, saying: “This other lead singer guy sent me his voice singing over our Ratt songs with Pearcy’s voice pulled out and him singing in place. Well, fking Hell, I was quite astonished to be honest. I stuck it out with the other singer, my word is real. But he knew there was someone in the wings. And the guy I met over the phone in July, ended up with our fellow touring band guys in Quiet Riot. Cool, way to go, I thought (also not knowing why our ex-bandmate Mr J. Pearl was gone from QR).
“But, the music business is an incestuous small world. So, there you go. There is still a war waging but I’m not going to get into those specifics. I will, though, give you a little taste of what I was sent on the road in July 2016. I wish I had future vision then. Check this out. Ratt along with Seann Nicols at the helm = Cya in Ft. Yates on the 18th.”
Frankie Banali’s Wife Says Quiet Riot’s Former Singers Were Unprofessional A-holes
Regina Russell Banali and Frankie Banali – photo from Regina Russell’s facebook page.
The film producer and wife of Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali has weighed in on the band’s new singer, James Durbin, calling him “a real frontman in every sense of the word.”
Regina Russell Banali, who wrote and directed the Quiet Riot documentary “Well Now You’re Here, There’s No Way Back: The Quiet Riot Movie,” said on her Facebook page:
“I don’t weigh in on Frankie’s band business often, but I just have to say FINALLY after many false starts (post Kevin DuBrow) with singers that were unprofessional, unjustifiably ego- and power-driven, think they know everything about the music biz even through they have done NOTHING, or just plain assholes, the band have James Durbin. He is not only talented but also a pro, that is motivated, positive, and grateful for the opportunity. He finished fourth place on ‘American Idol’ and has his own following and made a name for himself. Yet he also knows his role and doesn’t have a drop of ‘Lead Singer Disease.'”
“They don’t make old-school rock stars like they used to and it’s harder than ever to find a real frontman in every sense of the word, but James is it. (He is also 28 and HOT. Am I right, ladies?) QUIET RIOT shows are going to be FUN again!
“I am so happy for Frankie Banali and Chuck Wright and Alex Grossi. Congratulations, boys!”
Oh, Snap!
ON TOUR
Guns N’ Roses Sold Over 350,000 Tickets In Australia & New Zealand
Besides selling a whopping 353,000 tickets during its recent tour of Australia and New Zealand, the band also became the first international act to sell out the 74,000-capacity MCG in Melbourne.
GNR is coming back to the US and Canada this summer for at least another 15 stadium dates starting on July 27 in St. Louis. Check out tour dates on the HOH website.
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts Join Boston’s North American Hyper Space Tour
Boston‘s 2017 Hyper Space Tour has added more than 20 extra dates with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.
“I am thrilled to have Joan and her band on tour with us this summer,” said Boston leader Tom Scholz. “Not only is she an amazing rock and roll performing artist, but even more exciting to me is that she is a fellow vegetarian and shares compassion for animal welfare.”
See all the tour dates on the HOH website.
Def Leppard Release Video from “And There Will Be A Next Time – Live From Detroit” Concert Film
The footage includes behind-the-scenes interviews from Def Leppard’s 2016 tour with singer Joe Elliott, guitarist Phil Collen and a few members of the Def Leppard team. The concert film “And There Will Be A Next Time – Live From Detroit,”, was released on February 10.
Said frontman Joe Elliott: “I had this idea that we should film one of the shows from the 2016 tour because apart from the ‘Viva Hysteria’ shows, we hadn’t actually had a live performance filmed since 1988. With a new album out that was being so well received, it was just a case of where to do it. From the second the house lights went down, we could see the sun setting from the stage, and the energy from the crowd just seemed to intensify. It was a good choice and a great way to document Def Leppard in 2016.”
NEW RELEASES
Anthrax Announce New York City Beer Crawl for Their New Brew “Wardance”
Anthrax will celebrate the release of the band’s very own craft beer, Wardance, on March 28 with a New York City “beer crawl”. Band members, along with Chuck Williamson, owner and head brewer of Butternuts Beer & Ale Brewery, will be on hand over the course of the evening at five different New York City bars to drink a few pints of the pale ale and celebrate with all in attendance. Entry into all five bars is free and will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.
KISS Announce Their Own “KISS Destroyer Cola”
KISS announced that they are yet again expanding their merch empire with the addition of a new soft drink called KISS Destroyer Cola, along with matching t-shirts and tin signs.
“Rocket Fizz will be bottling and distributing worldwide KISS soda pops, beginning with the KISS Destroyer Cola. Rocket Fizz will also be producing KISS and Rocket Fizz co-branded t-shirts and tin signs.
“The KISS Destroyer Cola will be available in all Rocket Fizz stores in 1-3 weeks. When you feel like you want to ‘rock and roll all nite and party every day’ stop by a Rocket Fizz and pick up a super duper cool KISS soda pop, tin sign, and t-shirt!”
Metalheads Say The Damnedest Things
“When I came back to the band in 2005, honestly, at that time I didn’t even know we were even gonna do a record, but we did The Formation Of Damnation record and the next thing I know, we’re touring with Motorhead and Heaven and Hell and Judas Priest. That was an amazing tour — the ‘Metal Masters’ tour. […] I’ve been here now longer than I was the first time around. And, you know, it’s going really well.”
“Here’s where it gets to be a slippery slope: I’m not sure I want to be an aging metal guy. I’m still in a decade which is… I’m not in my 50s — I’m in my 40s — which is longer than I thought I’d be playing this music, because it’s such ‘youth’ music. So you can’t say never, but I just feel like I don’t wanna be one of these guys that are going forever in between taking Geritol. But, you know, who knows? Right now it’s working.”
~ Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick on being a 40-something metalhead
Last Week’s Third Dee-Gree
PAT TRAVERS – “Snortin’ Whiskey”
OZZY OSBOURNE – “Bark At The Moon”
WHITESNAKE – “The Deeper The Love”
Answer: All feature Tommy Aldridge on drums.