Steven Tyler Begins New Gig- That Leppard Metal Show- Against Me! Cancel- Kings Of Leon Mini Tour- Riot Reunion- The Ataris Preview- Rancid- Apostasy Lose Member- more

Fat Wreck Chords has announced plans to release a split 7" from NOFX and Seattle, WA's The Spits. more -

Rush Proclaimed Live Legends

The Rolling Stone linked Rock and Roll Hall of Lame have once again snubbed Rush by refusing to nominate them for induction, but a much more credible music magazine will honor the band this year. Gibson has the details: Rush will be honored at the 2010 Billboard Touring Awards. The trio of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart will receive the Legend of Live award on November 4 in New York City.

According to Billboard.com, the award "honors groups or individuals who have made significant and lasting contributions to live music and the touring business, and acknowledges the recipients' commitment to the art of performing live and reaching fans through the concert experience." Previous recipients include Ozzy Osbourne, the Allman Brothers Band and Elton John.

"With a remarkable body of live work over the years, altering the course of rock music and raising the bar as to what can be done onstage, along with the band's continued commitment to playing live, we think Rush are uniquely deserving of this award," said Ray Waddell, Billboard's executive director of content and programming, touring and live entertainment. "From the early days in the bars and clubs of Toronto to stadiums, amphitheaters and arenas around the world, Rush have epitomized professionalism and the spirit of live rock 'n' roll, and they boast some of the most passionate and loyal fans in rock." - more on this story

Rob Halford's Fame Was Almost Fatal

Rock Radio reports that Halford's fame almost proved fatal: Judas Priest frontman Rob Halford was nearly responsible for the death of his solo bandmate and producer Roy Z, after Z feared he was having a heart attack in their studio.

Halford tells MTV: "Roy turns to me and goes, 'I have to stop – my heart's racing. I'm really freaking out here'." An ambulance was called, but once the crew realized Halford's identity their haste in taking Z to hospital abated considerably.

"They took Roy out of the room and I sat alone for a little bit. A paramedic came in and says, 'We want to take him to hospital, just to check him out.'" recalls Halford. "Then he goes, 'Hang on – you're the metal god!' He left the room and returned with half a dozen paramedics. They took pictures and I signed autographs while Roy was just waiting." - more on this story

The Who Have Big Plans for Next Year

Pete Townshend's hearing issues won't stop The Who from rocking in 2011 according to frontman Roger Daltrey. hennemusic has the details:

"We're in the planning stages for next year…we are planning on doing something," Daltrey said. "I can't really talk about specifics yet, but it will be based around a past work."

But wait...there's more: "Pete is writing…you never know when that might turn up," Roger added. "So, between now and then, there might be a new album, plus Quadrophenia, and Tommy, and those things we haven't visited for a while. That will be fun." - A lot more from Roger here

Ozzy Fart Ban

HeadbangerNYC sent over this update for us today: Ozzy Osbourne was once banned from his daughter Kelly's school in England after farting and falling asleep in the middle of a parent/teacher interview.

Kelly was horrified when her dad decided to join mom Sharon for a meeting with school officials about her grades because Ozzy is known for passing gas and dozing off in public.

Kelly revealed during an appearance on "The Wendy Williams Show" earlier today (September 29), "It was me, my mom, my dad, my teacher at the table. All he kept doing is lifting his (butt) cheek (from the chair), and then he fell asleep!" -

Sneak Peek of Bret Michael's New Reality Show

Vh1 have posted a "sneak peek" at Bret Michaels new reality series for the network, Bret Michaels: Life As I Know It.

Here is part of their pitch for the show, followed by a link to check out the preview: VH1 is giving viewers a backstage pass into the life of rock icon, Bret Michaels in the new docu-series, "Bret Michaels : Life As I Know It " premiering on Monday, October 18th at 10PM ET*. The half-hour series will give fans a never-before-seen look into Bret's family life – the real center of his world from which he draws his unsinkable strength.

After the lights have dimmed on stage and the music stops for the night, Bret rolls off the tour bus right into the loving arms of his daughters Raine and Jorja, who affectionately refer to him as "Poppa Rocka." But raising two little girls and being a rock god doesn't always go hand-in-hand, and now fans can get a peek at what keeps Bret going. Is it the hoards of wild fans, the glory of super stardom, or is it the unconditional love from his family? Watch as Bret juggles life on the road, his career, raising two kids and managing his on again off again relationship with their beautiful mom, Kristi. - sneak peek here

The Song That Makes Men Cry The Most

(Gibson) A recent U.K. poll has named R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts" "the song that makes men cry the most." The 1992 hit from the alt-rock legends topped 10 tear-jerkers by the likes of Eric Clapton, U2 and Bruce Springsteen, according to Spinner.com.

The survey was organized by PRS for Music, a company that collects and pays royalties to more than 70,000 members. "A well-written tear-jerker is one that people can relate to and empathize with," PRS for Music chairman Ellis Rich said in a statement. "It is this lyrical connection that can reach deep down emotionally and move even the strongest of men."

R.E.M. drummer Bill Berry is the one mostly responsible for "Everybody Hurts," which appeared on the band's multi-platinum album Automatic for the People. Berry has said that he aimed the lyrics at teenagers. - Check out the Top 10 songs that make men cry

As Tall As Lions Retiring

As Tall As Lions bid their fans "A Sort of Farewell" this week via a blog post on their Myspace page. Here is what they had to say:

"After eight years of music, friendship, laughter, adventure, bliss, blood, sweat, tears, and everything else that goes along with it, As Tall As Lions are retiring for the foreseeable future.

"There is no sadness on our side, and we hope there is none on yours. We will be playing a handful of shows across the country to try and give everyone an opportunity to see us one last time." - more on this story

Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong Makes Broadway Debut

(Gibson) Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong made his Broadway acting debut Tuesday night, portraying the character of St. Jimmy in the production American Idiot, a musical based on Green Day's 2004 album of the same name.

Armstrong is filling in for the role's primary actor, who was forced to take a brief leave of absence for personal reasons, according to RollingStone.com.

The production, which has been struggling during its Broadway run, played to the first of what most expect to be consecutive packed houses thanks to Armstrong's presence in the cast. Making his appearance 30 minutes into the show, he sang, danced and stayed in character throughout his time onstage. - more on this story

Alice Cooper Comments on Rock Hall Nomination

Alice Cooper has issued the following statement about his nomination to the Rock Hall of Fame for next year's induction.

On behalf of Dennis (Dunaway), Neal (Smith), Michael (Bruce) and the late, great Glen Buxton, we are honored to be nominated for induction in to the Hall. Anytime you are nominated in your chosen profession, it's definitely a compliment to be recognized.

It's hard to fathom possibly being in the same club as artists who inspired us originally, like the Beatles, the Stones, the Beach Boys, the Who, the Yardbirds, and Chuck Berry, and to be nominated the same year as legendary artists like my personal favorite songwriter of all time, Laura Nyro, as well as Donovan, who sang on our "Billion Dollar Babies" record, and our good friends in Bon Jovi, is a great feeling. - more on this story

Springsteen Looks Back On His Darkness

(Gibson) With Darkness on the Edge of Town set for re-release in a little over a month, Bruce Springsteen took the opportunity to look back on the landmark album. In a new interview with The Guardian, The Boss reminisced about those touch-and-go days following the sweeping success of Born to Run.

"The whole force of Darkness… was a survival thing," he recalled. "After Born to Run, I had a reaction to my good fortune. With success, it felt like a lot of people who'd come before me lost some essential part of themselves. My greatest fear was that success was going to change or diminish that part of myself."

He continued, "People thought we were gone. Finished. They just thought Born to Run had been a record company creation. We had to reprove our viability on a nightly basis, by playing, and it took many years. You had to be very committed. One thing we did well after Born to Run was, I said: 'Woah.' I got on Time and Newsweek because I decided to be. But I was very frightened at the train and how fast it was going when we got on." - more on this story

Black Country Communion Hit The U.S. Charts

Black Country Communion's self-titled debut album enters the Billboard Top 200 Chart at No. 53 this week. The album also hit #18 on the Rock Albums Chart and #6 on the Indie Chart.

In the UK, the album charted at #13 in the Official UK Top 40 Album Chart, #1 in the Official UK Top 40 Rock Album Chart and #2 in the Official UK Top 40 Indie Album Chart.

Black Country Communion is the English-American rock supergroup featuring vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, Black Sabbath, Trapeze), drummer Jason Bonham (Led Zeppelin, Foreigner), keyboardist Derek Sherinian (Billy Idol, Dream Theater) and blues rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa. - more on this story

Five Finger Death Punch Box Set

Five Finger Death Punch's debut, Way of the Fist, will be reissued as a deluxe box set on November, 23rd.

The Way of the Fist: Iron Fist Edition celebrates the landmark album for the metal genre that has sold over 425,000 copies and continues to scan over 1,000 copies a week three years after its original release.

The Iron Fist Edition box set features the original 13 album tracks with all-new artwork, a brand new in-depth documentary DVD: The Legend of The Fist Vol. 1 (featuring never-before seen footage and interviews spanning 5FDP's career), a bonus CD with 11 B-sides and rarities, 5FDP trading cards, and an exclusive poster and calendar. - more on this story

Brain Tumor Won't Stop Charlatan From Touring?

(Gibson) After the recent revelation that Charlatans drummer Jon Brookes was suffering from a brain tumor, it comes as a bit of a surprise and relief for fans of the Britpop band to hear that Brookes is on the mend and will apparently rejoin the band soon.

Speaking with BBC Newsbeat, frontman Tim Burgess said that the drummer might even return to the tour as early as November.

"He wants to go to Australia, which is in six weeks time," Burgess said. "I think that's the most realistic way to look at everything." - more on this story

A Night of Blues With Buddy Guy and Jimmie Vaughan

The Blues returns to Trenton on October 23 for one night with legends Buddy Guy and Jimmie Vaughan, and the young Blues queen Shemekia Copeland at Patriots Theater at the War Memorial.

"I am excited to be on the same bill with Jimmie and Shemekia," Guy said. "I've done shows with them before and am looking forward to it as much now as I did the first time."

With his new album, "Living Proof," available next month, Guy takes a hard look back at a remarkable life. At age 74, he's a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, a major influence on rock titans like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, a pioneer of Chicago's fabled West Side sound, and a living link to that city's halcyon days of electric blues. He has received five Grammy Awards, 23 W.C. Handy Blues Awards (the most any artist has received), the Billboard magazine Century Award for distinguished artistic achievement, and the Presidential National Medal of Arts. Rolling Stone ranked him in the top 30 of its "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time." - more on this story

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock Hits Stores With Soundgarden Bonus

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock hit stores this week. For those who haven't picked it up yet, here is a little encouragement: The first album from Soundgarden in over 10 years, Telephantasm, will be bundled with one million Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock launch units.

Here is the run down on the new game: Featuring the largest on-disc set-list ever in a Guitar Hero' game, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock's furious finger-fretting rock music collection is headlined by some of the largest bands in rock and includes original tracks, re-records and bands making their Guitar Hero debut.

With the all-new, rock inspired guitar controller, gamers will embark on an epic journey from the halls of punk music to the lava fields of rock treachery in the first ever Guitar Hero story-driven Quest Mode narrated by KISS front man Gene Simmons. - more on this story

Bare Bones Bryan Adams

Bryan Adams is going Bare Bones for Decca Records. The label has announced a November 16th release date for the new live collection.

Here is what they have to say about it: Recorded in spring of 2010 during his "Bare Bones Tour," the disc captures a raw Adams, featuring only his distinctive voice and guitar, accompanied on select songs by keyboardist Gary Breit, lending a newfound appreciation and perspective to what many consider some of the most beloved songs in pop/rock music.

Inspired by his experience recording "MTV's Unplugged" in the 90's, Adams decided to revisit performing his material pared down once again in 2008. With a consistently loyal following on the road, Adams continued playing live shows with these new spare arrangements in 2010, and as an experiment decided to start recording them for a possible record. Comments Adams, "as the tour rolled across the USA and Canada, many people were asking for a recording of the songs as they had just heard in the show. So in response to that, I decided to record a few shows to see if a recording was even interesting… I like the way the songs carry themselves warts and all, bare-boned, without the original arrangements of a full band or an orchestra." He continues, "These recordings only have the voices and handclaps of the fans in the audience and the ambience of the room to lift them." - more on this story

Dream Theater and Lou Reed Among Hall of Fame Inductees

Dream Theater and Lou Reed are just two of the notable names included in the Long Island Music Hall of Fame class of 2010. Here is the official word along with the full list of inductees:

The Long Island Music Hall of Fame (LIMHoF) is proud to announce its Third Induction Award Ceremony and Fundraising Gala, which will take place on Tuesday, November 16, 2010, at the famed Oheka Castle in Huntington, NY.

Major stars from the Latin, hip-hop, classical, metal, gospel, folk, jazz, rock 'n roll, and oldies worlds will be joined by past inductees and celebrity presenters at the ceremony. - full list

Bonded By Blood Kick Off Tour With New Singer

Bonded By Blood have recruited Mutants Of War's Mauro Gonzales to front the band on all 2010 North American tour dates following the departure of Jose Barrales, who has left the band to pursue a new career path.

The band has given a brief statement on the situation: "After 5 long years of hard work and dedication our vocalist and friend Jose Barrales has decided to part ways with the band due to personal and financial reasons. We all wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors! We have, however, moved forward and found a great replacement for the upcoming tours. He is a friend, fan and a great singer named Mauro Gonzalez from local band Mutants of War. We have been rehearsing with Mauro non-stop for the upcoming 2010 calendar and can't wait to hit the road! Refreshed and recharged Bonded By Blood is ready to crush your face in like never before! Be sure to catch us all at our upcoming tour dates with Early Man/Evile and Overkill/Forbidden/Gama Bomb!"

Bonded By Blood's North American tour - which starts today, September 30th in Tulsa, Oklahoma - will go ahead as planned with the newly recruited frontman. - more on this story

My Chemical Romance Score Radio Hit and Announce Album Details

(Reprise) My Chemical Romance's new single "Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)," is the most added track at Alternative Radio this week according to both Mediabase and BDS.

"Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)" is the first new original music to be released by My Chemical Romance since October 2006. Now available from all digital retailers, "Na Na Na" is also currently No. 1 on iTunes' Alternative Songs chart.

The track is the first single from My Chemical fourth studio album Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, which will be released by Reprise Records on November 22nd, 2010. My Chemical Romance have also announced the album's track-listing. - more on this story

Crowbar Mini Tour and Reissues

Crowbar are taking a small break from recording their next record and are hitting the road for a handful of dates this fall.

This news comes on the heals on the announcement that eOne Music will be reissuing Crowbar, Live +1 and Time Heals Nothing on October 5th, 2010.

These three records are the band's core titles and have influenced many of today's major metal acts including Lamb Of God and Hatebreed. - more on this story

Bowie Changed The Killers' Brandon Flowers Life

Killers frontman, and solo artist, Brandon Flowers is just one musician praising the genius of David Bowie in the new issue of NME. Paul Weller, Mark Ronson and others are celebrating the work of the Thin White Duke, whom Flowers said, "Changed my life."

Former Jam singer Weller said that his new solo record, Wake Up the Nation, owes plenty to Bowie's music. "Low, which is the first of his 'Berlin' albums, has always been my favorite record, and even more so recently the more I've listened to it," Weller said. "I think that slightly experimental edge of that record is in the music that I'm making currently."

Musician/producer Ronson has a more personal memory of the rock legend. "I remember seeing him one time when I was playing bass in a friend's band who opened for The Strokes," Ronson said. "He stood and watched from the side of the stage. He was anointing the new coolest kids." - more on this story

Andrew W.K. To Destroy Build Destroy Some More

Andrew W.K. will return to the Cartoon Network for another round as host of Destroy Build Destroy.

The new shows will kick off on October 6 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT as Andrew W.K. serves as the master of the mayhem as two teams, with the guidance and assistance of professionals, compete by destroying large structures using wrecking balls, human destroyers and real explosions.

Each week brings new challenges to build from the debris, with strategy, wits and teamwork determining which team's creation out-performs the other. Destroy Build Destroy was created by Dan Taberski and produced by Idiot Box & Mess Media. Dan Taberski and Scott Messick are executive producers for the series. - more on this story

Sodom New Year

Sodom's new album, In War And Pieces, will hit North American stores on January 11, 2011 from SPV/Steamhammer.

The album is due out in Europe on November 22nd in the following formats: regular CD, two-CD digipack, double vinyl, two-CD digipack with lanyard.

"In War And Pieces"was produced by Waldemar Sorychta, who has previously worked with Tiamat, Moonspell, Lacuna Coil and Sentenced, among many others. - more on this story

KCRW Mix Up Bowie

KCRW DJs have remixed David Bowie's "Golden Years". Why? Read on: David Bowie's hugely influential 1976 album, Station To Station, was released this week by Virgin/EMI in expanded Special Edition (3CD and digital download) and limited Deluxe Edition (5CD+DVD Audio+3LP) packages.

To celebrate the release, four DJs from Los Angeles public radio station KCRW (89.9 FM and KCRW.com), Jeremy Sole, Anthony Valadez, Eric J Lawrence, and Chris Douridas, have each remixed the album's lead single, "Golden Years." Station To Station was recorded in Los Angeles, so it was fitting for some of KCRW's leading tastemakers to take on the task. Each DJ took a unique path in recreating, deconstructing or re-imagining the classic song.

"Reinterpreting a timeless classic like 'Golden Years' certainly wasn't taken lightly by our DJs," said KCRW Music Director and DJ Jason Bentley. "It's an incredible honor and a massively intimidating challenge at the same time. It's important to note that two of our four featured DJs – Eric J Lawrence and Chris Douridas -- had no previous experience with remixing, yet they all brought a fresh perspective to the song and had fun doing it." - Check out the remixes here

Abba Stars Ponder Reunion

(Gibson) Abba's two lead singers, Anni-Frid Lyngstad, better known as Frida, and Agnetha Faltskog, have discussed singing together again.

According to the U.K.'s Daily Express Frida, 65, said recently: "It would be great to do something with Agnetha. If we did, it would be hard to avoid all the pressure because of ABBA. It could never be low-key."

They have not sung together since ABBA broke up in 1983. Before that, the Swedish group were one of the top-selling acts in the world, selling over 37 million albums worldwide. The group were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year. - more on this story

John Lennon's Early Years Going On Display With This Boy Exhibit

Hollywood's Mr Musichead Gallery will present an exhibit of rare images that capture John Lennon's childhood. The exhibit titled "This Boy - John Lennon In Liverpool" will run the first ten days of October – the month that marks the 70th anniversary of Lennon's birth. The launch of the exhibit will be on Friday October 1st coinciding with the West Coast Premiere of the new film "Nowhere Boy" that depicts John Lennon's childhood in the era shown in the photos.

Most of the 30 images in the exhibit have never been publicly exhibited and some have never been seen in any venue or format. They show the young Lennon from early childhood through the earliest performances of his first band The Quarrymen and the evolution of that band as first Paul McCartney and then George Harrison joined the group and it evolved into the Beatles. The exhibit is curated by Beatles scholar Martin Lewis and Rod Davis of the Quarrymen in association with The Paley Center for Media (New York).

There will be an opening reception on Friday October 1st at 2:00pm – 4:00pm that is open to the public. Special guests at the reception will include Lennon's closest childhood pals Rod Davis, Len Garry & Colin Hanton – the still-active founding members of The Quarrymen; Sam Taylor-Wood (the director) and Aaron Johnson (the star) of "Nowhere Boy"; and Beatles scholar and exhibit co-curator, Martin Lewis. - more on this story

Cirque du Elvis The Album

Legacy Recordings, in cooperation with Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. and Viva ELVIS by Cirque du Soleil, announces the release of Viva ELVIS - The Album, a 21st century celebration of Elvis and his music, featuring the voice of the king in a whole new context. Viva ELVIS - The Album will be available everywhere on Tuesday, November 9.

Produced and arranged by Erich van Tourneau, with assistant producer and assistant arranger Hugo "Wedge Montecristo" Bombardier, Viva ELVIS - The Album is a multi-faceted audio extravaganza creating a larger-than-life musical portrait of Elvis through newly re-imagined versions of "Blue Suede Shoes," "That's Alright," "Heartbreak Hotel," "Love Me Tender," "King Creole," "Bossa Nova Baby," "Burning Love," "Can't Help Falling In Love" and "Suspicious Minds" as well as instrumental interludes based on "Memories" and "You'll Never Walk Alone" (piano interlude).

Three of the tracks on Viva ELVIS including "Suspicious Minds," the album's first single, were mixed by Grammy Award winning producer Brendan O'Brien (Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen). Four of the album's tracks were mixed by Serban Ghenea with the remaining five mixed by Robert Meunier & Erich van Tourneau. - more on this story

Disneyland For Music Fans, But Better

(Gibson) The Hot Press Music Show, a Dublin exhibition going by the tag line, "Disneyland for music fans, but better," opens this Saturday, October 2.

According to the Irish Independent, several Irish luminaries from the music world will appear, including Bob Geldof, U2 producer Steve Lillywhite and legendary Irish songwriter Paul Brady.

Phil Lynott's mother, Philomena, will open an exhibition of the Thin Lizzy frontman's memorabilia on Saturday. The collection includes Lynott's bass guitar collection, clothing, portraits, press articles, lyrics, tour jackets and even his Manchester United shares. For more information on the event, go to www.rds.ie. -