Day in Rock 2010 Rewind: Top Stories From January

Here are the top stories from this week's Day in Rock and the top Day in Rock digest stories

Metallica Fans Riot

A Metallica concert in Chili turned unruly as fans reportedly rioted at the venue. BW&BK has this report: As reported earlier by Laht.com, a policeman was injured and 120 people arrested during a concert by Metallica before more than 50,000 fans in the Chilean capital, authorities said Wednesday.

Police said most of the arrests took place when hundreds of fans without tickets tried to force their way into Santiago's Club Hipico horse-racing grounds for Tuesday night's concert.

The detainees were arrested for offenses such as disorderly conduct, drug possession and drinking in public, police said. Prosecutors will decide on Wednesday [??] whether to prosecute the rowdy fans. - more on this story

Paul Rodgers Approached To Replace Steven Tyler in Aerosmith

If he was good enough to replace Freddie Mercury in Queen, why shouldn't Paul Rodgers replace Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler. At least that was what Joe Perry might have been thinking when he approached the veteran singer at an event late last year.

Classic Rock broke the news on Wednesday; here is part of their report: Classic Rock can confirm that Paul Rodgers was invited to be Aerosmith's new frontman. This happened at the Classic Rock Roll Of Honour in London last November, when Aerosmith's troubles with singer Steven Tyler were just beginning to surface.

The awards were a star-studded affair. Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry and Rodgers were among the multitude of high-profile rockers in attendance... Classic Rock's Jerry Ewing, who was sitting at the table, overheard Perry make a direct approach to Rodgers about replacing Tyler in Aerosmith.... "Perry is starting to tell Rodgers that they have problems with Tyler and that they intend to carry on regardless – and how great it would be if Rodgers took the slot, and would he be interested in trying out?" - more on this story

Former Guns N' Roses Guitarist Hospitalized After in Hit and Run Accident

One time Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clark was reportedly hospitalized after a hit and run accident. Blabbermouth has the report: According to former MTV "Headbangers Ball" host Riki Rachtman, ex-Guns N' Roses/Rock Star Supernova guitarist Gilby Clarke was hospitalized Sunday (January 10) after he was the victim of a hit-and-run motorcycle accident.

"Some a**hole turned in front of [Gilby when] he was on a bike," Riki wrote on his Twitter page. "His leg's busted up pretty bad. It was a hit-and-run."

After visiting Gilby in the hospital earlier tonight, Rachtman wrote, "Gilby's got some good breakage in that leg. He is in good spirits considering." - more on this story

Van Halen Jump Suicide Controversy

It is doubtful that Van Halen were thinking of suicide when they came up with their 1984 hit "Jump," but it has now been tied to a suicide controversy in the UK. BW&BK reports: According to Dailymail.co.uk, a radio DJ has been condemned by mental health charities after he played the song Jump as police were trying to talk down a suicidal woman from a motorway bridge.

Steve Penk received a request from a listener for the hit Van Halen track after four lanes of the M60 were closed while police attempted to deal resolve the situation.

The controversial presenter told listeners on his breakfast show he was playing the song to 'emphathise' with frustrated drivers, but moments later the woman jumped from the 30ft bridge. - more on this story

Slash and Axl Offered Hundreds of Millions for Guns N' Roses Reunion

Not surprisingly, Slash has shot down the idea of reuniting the classic lineup of Guns N' Roses with Axl Rose. That's nothing new but what is new is that they have reportedly been offered "hundreds of millions" to reform, according to a report from Metro.co.uk.

Why Slash won't cash in on such a payday? The UK news site reports that Slash: told GQ magazine: "During that last tour it was like an ongoing exercise in how we could bond the least, it just got worse and worse."

The pair have not spoken for 13 years, but Slash said: "It got to a point off stage where it was impossible for us to even be in the same room together and create any music. - more on this story

Lenny Kravitz Confirms Michael Jackson Collaboration

(Music Radar) Lenny Kravitz has confirmed that the recently leaked Michael Jackson song Another Day was indeed a collaboration between himself and the King Of Pop.

Speaking in a video, which you can watch at the full story link, Kravitz says that his copy of the track has been "locked up in a vault" since the pair recorded it, adding that the shortened version that leaked on 2 January via Jackson fansite MJStar is unmixed.

Kravitz reveals that he wrote, produced and played all the instruments on Another Day, calling the collaboration "one of the most amazing musical experiences that I've ever had". - more on this story

One of the Andrew W.K.'s Speaks Out About Identity Controversy

Before anyone complains, that headline was our way of poking a little fun at the Andrew W.K. conspiracy theory. Last week was an extremely slow news week due to the holidays, so a story about Andrew W.K. being a record company creation, and a "Bewitched" like lead actor switched without telling anyone, got a lot of coverage. Does it really matter in the grand scheme of things? Not really, as long as we can still party! Then again, a cynic may suspect that this new controversy was a deliberate creation as well. If that's the case, it is working. That being said, we were sent the following today addressing the semi-controversy:

Andrew W.K. spoke to ongoing allegations that he is either part of a conspiracy or a victim of a huge spider's web of corporate entertainment plots. In an unedited personal statement, Andrew has stated the following in response to the claims made against him: "Since 2001, I have been accused of being part of a conspiracy in which I knowingly entered into a contract with creative directors called Steev Mike, who proceeded to invent a new identity for me to perform under. I'm here to say this is simply not true and a gross exaggeration of easily explainable and common-place music industry practices. Of course I work with people who choose not to include their whole names or real names in the credits, or who aren't on stage with me during my shows - but taking advice and guidance from other people doesn't mean I'm a victim of mind-control. That's like science fiction! Andrew W.K. is about partying and doing what you want! We want fun, and that really is what I am about.

These lies have unfortunately been with me since my career started - critics were saying I had to be a fake puppet for the record industry because I appeared over night. These simple untrue allegations have grown over the years to the point now where I have to defend myself. I have done many interviews and talks where I have explained the nature of how I got into music, and I admitted that I did work with people. But people have still taken what I said and tried to call me a liar and a fake. What alarms me most about these accusations is that they remind me of witch trials: The kind of people who accuse me of being a talking head for some secret conspiracy to corrupt people's morals are the same people who claim MTV and Cartoon Network are owned by secret rulers of the world out to poison kid's brains, or that pop stars like Beyonce or Lady Gaga are part of some occult society, or that companies like McDonald's, Coca-Cola, or Hollywood are secretly promoting hidden plans. Or that the President of the USA is just a figure head and reading a script given to him by a secret world power. Come on! - more on this story

Godsmack Frontman To Pay Millions for Car Crash Settlement

It apparently pays to be involved in a car crash with a major label rock star, especially for the lawyers! The Eagle Tribune reports that Godsmack frontman Sully Erna has reached a multimillion-dollar court settlement agreement over a lawsuit from a 2007 car crash that he was involved in. Now it's up to a judge to finalize the deal.

Eagles Tribute report: Lindsay Taylor, 27, and her parents, Elaine and Jeffrey, sued Erna for the April 11, 2007, three-car crash on the ramp from Interstate 93 south to Route 213 east.

Taylor rode in the back seat of a Toyota Camry driven by Eric Sargent, which was hit by the 41-year-old rock star's Hummer. Taylor suffered a severe traumatic brain injury, according to court documents.... Erna claimed that part of the responsibility laid with Sargent — he argued that Sargent first rear-ended a Honda Odyssey driven by Maureen White of Londonderry - more on this story

Soundgarden Reunite

There was big news over the holiday weekend that Soundgarden have decided to reunite. If you missed the report, here it is again for you: This reunion is a little funny considering how we just recapped some of Chris Cornell's comments where he liked a Soundgarden reunion to "playing the back of Chinese restaurant" in this report. Be that as it may, it appears that 2010 will see a reunion from the legendary Seattle rockers.

Chris Cornell announced the reunion plans via a post on twitter and also linked to a website setup for the regrouping. He wrote the following on Twitter on Thursday:

"The 12 year break is over & school is back in session. Sign up now. Knights of the Soundtable ride again!" The sign up part is at the website located at - http://www.soundgardenworld.com/

New Jimi Hendrix Album To Feature 12 Previously Unreleased Studio Tracks

Experience Hendrix LLC and Sony Music Entertainment's Legacy Recordings launch their monumental 2010 Jimi Hendrix Catalog Project on Tuesday, March 9, with the release of Valleys of Neptune, a newly curated album of 12 fully realized studio recordings, more than 60 minutes of music never commercially available on a Jimi Hendrix album.

Centered around tracks recorded during a pivotal and turbulent four-month period in 1969, Valleys of Neptune unveils the original Jimi Hendrix Experience's final studio recordings, as the group lays down the foundation for its follow-up to Electric Ladyland, alongside the guitar superhero's first sessions with bassist Billy Cox, an old army buddy he'd recruited into his new ensemble.

Valleys of Neptune provides an essential, compelling, and up-til-now largely unseen view of what Jimi Hendrix was up to musically in the critical period between the release of Electric Ladyland in October 1968 and the 1970 opening of his own Electric Lady Studios in Greenwich Village, the state of the art facility where he would begin his final project, the ambitious double album First Rays of the New Rising Sun. - more on this story

Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page Taking Radical New Approach

(Rock Radio) Guitar hero Jimmy Page has promised his new solo album will be "radical", and also says he has no hard feelings against Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant for not going ahead with a reunion tour in 2008.

Page has recently begun work on his first new record in 22 years. It's rumoured to have come about after the one-off Zep show at London's O2 Arena proved to be just that. When Plant refused to take part in a tour, Page, bassist John Paul Jones and drummer Jason Bonham – son of John – planned a tour anyway, but it fell apart. Now Page, 66, promises a new approach to his music on his upcoming album.

He says: "I think it's very important to make musical statements with new material, and that's exactly what I plan to do over the forthcoming year. Musically it will be a different picture in quite a radical frame, I hope. I'd like to try some ambitious projects." - more on this story

A New Supergroup Is Born

Remember that Supergroup that producer Kevin Shirley hinted at and was taken way out of context to include Jimmy Page and Aerosmith? The details of the actual group are now known and it does have a Led Zeppelin connection.

Nightwatcher had this from Jason Bonham (son of Zeppelin legend John Bonham): "I just literally went into the studio last week for two days with one person I'd done an album with before, very quickly, and then the other was a friend of my father's I got to meet later on, Joe Bonamassa and Glenn Hughes, and we're working on a new project with a working title of Black Country," Bonham says. "We just went in with [producer] Kevin Shirley and played riffs and just jammed for two days. And that's really exciting."

Bonham says the new group, which takes its name from the industrial area in England that he and Hughes -- best known for his work with both Deep Purple and Black Sabbath) come from -- is in fact a band. "We're actually recording an album, literally in that process of jamming it out and editing and putting together and going, 'Yeah, that's really cool,'" he says. " Joe just wanted to play guitar so with Glenn on bass and vocals, it's a power trio." - more on this story

Zeppelin Star Beat Paul McCartney Out Of Them Crooked Vultures Gig

Paul McCartney reveals in a new interview that when he learned about the Them Crooked Vultures supergroup he asked to play bass in the band, only to find out that Led Zeppelin's John Paul Jones had already landed the gig.

McCartney told the Daily Mail that Dave Grohl told him the plans for the group when they were out to dinner after last year's Grammy Awards.

"We went out for a bite to eat afterwards and Dave told me he was starting this band with Josh [Homme of Queens of the Stone Age]," McCartney said. "I asked him who was playing bass and he rather sheepishly told me he'd approached John [Paul Jones]. So you read it here first; Paul McCartney was nearly the bass player in Them Crooked Vultures." -

Avenged Sevenfold Frontman Says Goodbye to Late Bandmate

Avenged Sevenfold frontman M. Shadows paid tribute to his friend and bandmate, James "The Rev" Sullivan, in a new online post. The A7X drummer died on December 28. Here is part of that tribute:

"Jimmy was my best friend, as he was best friends with many other people including the members of Avenged Sevenfold. He was hands down the greatest person I have ever known. I told him I loved him everyday. He demanded your love and was never afraid to give it back. I have walked side by side with Jimmy, everyday, for the last 18 years of my life. I have no memories before Jimmy, and it's going to be damn hard to move forward without him here. It still doesn't seem real. He was my best friend, songwriting partner, band mate, confidant, and most importantly, he was my brother. The crazy thing about Jimmy was that everyday was a crazy story. We have told our favorite Jimmy stories for the last 2 weeks and never have we repeated ourselves. This guy was magical.

"The out pour of art from his soul was unlike the world has ever seen. Unless you spent a day with Jimmy, or 18 years, it's impossible to explain, so I'm not going to try. He inspired people in different ways. He wasn't just a drummer, he honestly didn't care so much for the technical side of drums, cause he could play anything he wanted. He was all about creating beautiful songs, original fills and hopefully touching people with his art and mind. He told all of us for years, including his parents, that he knew two things in life. He wanted to be a rockstar, and that he wasn't going to live past 30 years old. He was right on both accounts, but I know Jimmy, and if he knew how much pain this would cause for the ones he left behind, he would have done anything he could to stick around a little longer" - more on this story

The Scorpions Announce Retirement

German hard rock legends The Scorpions have announced that at the end of their upcoming world tour they will be retiring. The tour will be in support of their new album, "Sting in the Tail," which is set for release on March 19th. The band made the announcement on their website as well as releasing a couple of previews from the new album. Here is the announcement:

It was always our pleasure, our purpose in life, our passion and we were fortunate enough to make music for you - whether it was live on stage or in the studio, creating new songs.

While we were working on our album these past few months, we could literally feel how powerful and creative our work was – and how much fun we were still having, in the process. But there was also something else: We want to end the Scorpion's extraordinary career on a high note. We are extremely grateful for the fact that we still have the same passion for music we've always had since the beginning. This is why, especially now, we agree we have reached the end of the road. We finish our career with an album we consider to be one of the best we have ever recorded and with a tour that will start in our home country Germany and take us to five different continents over the next few years. - more on this story

Serj Shoots Down System of a Down Reunion Hopes

Serj Tankian tells Billboard that he has a busy 2010 ahead of him but fans shouldn't expect to see the return of System of a Down. The reunion buzz started earlier this month with SOAD bassist Shavo Odadjia posted a short and sweet question for fans on Twitter, "Are u guys ready for System???"

Billboard interviewed Serj about the live version of his Elect The Dead solo album that was recorded with the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra. But they of course asked him about the reunion buzz and he essentially killed it.

He tells Billboard.com, "We always have offers to play, from festivals and stuff, but we have not decided to do anything as of yet. - more on this story

New Found Glory Guitarist May Have Cancer

Chad Gilbert from New Found Glory told fansthat he is having surgery to remove half of his possibly cancerous thyroid. He posted a Twitter link to the following blog statement (However, nothing has been posted on the band's official site):

"Two weeks ago when I went to the Doctor with pneumonia.. they found some nodules in my thyroid , and one of them is a little bigger then a quarter. They did a biopsy and the report came back that there are some suspicious cells in the cyst. So due to the size and to be safe, Today at 2:45 I am having surgery and getting half of my thyroid removed. Immediately after removing it they will observe it and see if it looks like a cancer. If they find anything they will remove the rest of my thyroid. The odds are in my favor for it to be nothing which keeps me positive going in…

"I am only planning on missing the first three shows of this tour, and my good friend Anthony Raneri from the band Bayside will be filling in for me until i make it back out. Thanks again for all the love and support and I hope to see you all super soon. " - more

Metallica Comment on The Discovery of The Body Of Missing Fan

Metallica posted this statement on their website on: We are profoundly saddened by the news of the discovery of Morgan Dana Harrington's body

Our most sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of Morgan Dana Harrington, the 20 year old Virginia Tech student who was last seen while attending our concert at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, VA.

Sadly, Morgan's body was found yesterday ending her family's three month vigil hoping and praying for her safe return. Mere words cannot express the anguish and grief that we know her parents Dan and Gil are feeling, and our thoughts are with them. - more on this story

Motorhead, Danzig, Wildhearts, New York Dolls, Hanoi Rocks Supergroup

(Rock Radio) The Wildhearts frontman Ginger has been unveiled as a member of Hanoi Rocks singer Michael Monroe's new band.

The five-piece features Monroe on vocals with Ginger on guitar plus guitarist Todd Youth (Danzig, Motorhead) bassist Sami Yaffa (Hanoi Rocks, New York Dolls) and drummer Jimmy Clark (Blackhearts, Deborah Harry). Both Yaffa and Clark were also members of a previous Monroe band, Demolition 23.

They'll play their first run of gigs in the USA in March before heading to Finland and Sweden in April. Then they'll appear at London's Islington Academy on April 9. - more on this story

Ratt Drummer Reportedly Arrested on Felony Charge

Metal Sludge is reporting that Ratt drummer Bobby Blotzer was arrested last month on a felony charge. The site does admit that they have not confirmed what the charges were for, but report on what they were rumored to be along with the information they found in public records. Here is part of their report:

It seems that Bobby Blotzer of the band RATT was arrested for a felony. This is a fact, but we don't have the exact charge pinned down yet. Rumor on the street is that it is alleged that this was a domestic assault on his girl friend

The public record shows he was arrested and booked into the Santa Clarita Valley sub station on December 17th @ 1:35pm, and held on $ 50,000.00 bail for a Charge Level (F) Felony. - more on this story

Fall Out Boy Frontman Recording Solo Album

Fall Out Boy frontman Patrick Stump had fans guessing when he revamped his website this week. Since FOB seem to be MTV's favorite rock band, they quickly caught up with him to find out what it's all about. Here is part of their report:

Patrick Stump is working on a new album. "I'm working on an album," the Fall Out Boy singer told MTV. "I'll be writing/producing/performing everything myself. Stay tuned."

Stump — who has produced for the likes of Cobra Starship, Gym Class Heroes and the Cab — wouldn't reveal any additional details about his mysterious new album. But he updated his Web site again on Thursday (January 28), this time with a video that showed him playing drums, guitar, organ and horns (among other things) on a rather funky track - more on this story