Axl Rose Explains Guns N' Roses Riot Sparking Cancelation

According to Philadelphia news stations, the 2002 incident included an opening act at the First Union Center that performed for two hours before the show was called off, reportedly "due to health issues." more on this story

Mustaine Talks Metallica and Megadeth Supergroup Hopes

Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine spoke with Minneapolis' 93X about his hoped for supergroup with Megadeth bassist David Ellefson and Metallica's James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich.

Dave explained that is was just wishful thinking, "Yeah, that was just me talking. I don't think [James and Lars are] interested in doing that. It would be cool, and I've mentioned it to them before. I just think that they're so busy that they don't have time to do something like that. My wife and James' wife are friends, and they talk a lot. From what I know, too, there's a lot of work that those guys do, and they're gone a lot, and they tour a lot, so for them to take on a project like that, I think it would have to really be a labor of love.

"Of course, David and I would do it, 'cause I think it would be great to play with them again. When I went up there and did the 30th anniversary thing, I thought it was really cool. Megadeth is doing really fine right now. I'm not in the place to be asking for favors from anybody. I like who I am right now, I'm satisfied with where my career's at. But don't kid yourself, if we got together and played, I imagine it would be really cool. It wouldn't be anything like Megadeth, of course, and it wouldn't be anything like Metallica. But we'll see what happens. Maybe with enough people asking them, they'll buckle." Check out the full interview

Van Halen's Roth Slams Today's Current Bands

(hennemusic) This week, Van Halen play two nights at Madison Square Garden, and the New York Post caught up with David Lee Roth for an update on the band's tour in support of "A Different Kind Of Truth."

"We're doing a lot of tunes that don't usually get out of the deck and Edward is more lucid now than any time in my memory," explains Roth. "I'm his biggest fan. I still remember the first time I saw him playing in a backyard party in Pasadena in high school. He was great then and he's great now. We've come full circle."

Roth was asked how the pop world changed since VH started in the 70s. "These days, I see too much cheerleading and not enough stagecraft, and what I'm seeing isn't worth cheering for," replies Roth. "The questions I want to ask most of my colleagues are: Can you even do the whole song from beginning to end? Can you do it onstage like you did it in the studio? Do you float like a butterfly or sting like a pre-recorded bee?" more on this story

Buffalo Springfield Reunion Tour in Doubt

(Gibson) Given their less than harmonious history, last year's Buffalo Springfield reunion was some feat. The shows went well, all members (Neil Young, Stephen Stills and Richie Furay) had a good time and a full tour was scheduled for last fall. That was then delayed to 2012, and now the reunion dates look in doubt.

Furay told WBAI-FM in New York: "Your guess is as good as mine. I doubt in 2012 that there will be, but I'm never gonna say never. Listen, the reunion that we did last year came out of nowhere, it was nowhere on my radar. When I got the call from Neil I was really surprised. Then when we got together and we did the Bridge School Concert it was so much fun, that we decided, 'Let's go on, let's do a few more shows.'

"I think everybody had it planned in their mind, 'cause I was actually told. 'We're doing this 30 day tour,' and you know, Neil is just fickle, and even though it boils down to all three of us making a decision, without the three of us, really there can't be anything that would even resemble a Buffalo Springfield. I gotta say that we probably lost a little bit of our momentum; that isn't to say it couldn't be picked up again, but I certainly don't see anything happening this year." more on this story

Ace Frehley Plans New Album and Book

(hennemusic) Former KISS guitarist Ace Frehley is busy these days with a few projects including a new album and a new book.

"I've started working on a new album, I'm writing a new book… there are a lot of good things on the horizon," Frehley tells I Heart Guitar. "At this point I think it's just going to be an extension of [his 2011 book] 'No Regrets.' There's so much I left out because of the deadline, but after talking with so many different people I've got so many stories that have eluded me over the years. And there just wasn't enough room to put them into 'No Regrets,' and I was past the deadline as it was. But I think I'm going to come out with something in the effect of like a 'No Regrets II.'"

"But I also have the idea to put out a guitar book with all my guitar effects, tricks, recording techniques," adds Ace. "I've learned a lot of tricks from working with a lot of great producers over the years, and I think I should write a book about it!" more on this story

Slash Teams Up With Betty White For Zoo

(hennemusic) Slash has had a long association with the Los Angeles Zoo, and he's now filmed a new commercial for it with Betty White.

The new ad is to promote the March 8 launch of the zoo's new attraction, called The Lair, which will feature "60 species of weird, rare and endangered amphibians, invertebrates and reptiles."

Renowned animal lover White has long helped raise funds and awareness for the zoo, while also serving as a C-Chair on the board of trustees for the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA). Check out the commercial here.

Motorhead's Lemmy Loses His Voice

One of the most recognizable voices in hard rock Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead has been silenced.

The band announced yesterday that LEmmy lost his voice, forcing the group to cancel their appearance at last night's Gigantour stop in Denver.

The band said of the cancelation, "Lemmy has lost his voice and has decided to give it the night off. Things should be OK for the last 3 shows of the tour. more on this story

Steven Tyler Back in the Saddle With Aerosmith

(hennemusic) Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler was a guest on Jimmy Kimmel's show Monday night. Tyler was on hand to talk about his experience at Elton John's Oscar's viewing party, plug his American Idol gig, and the upcoming Aerosmith record.

"February, March, April, May is Idol," began Tyler, "June 15th to 18th we hit the road." As for keeping up his band duties in relation to Idol, Steven says it's a non-issue, "they [the band] were bummed that I didn't tell them [he was doing the show] first." As for getting past that, he says "I think so; it brought up Aerosmith's sales 270%. I mean, Idol's the biggest show on TV."

"Everyone's getting along," adds the singer about the band. "No secret: I had a lot of foot operations, I was back on drugs, again. We did a tour with ZZ Top – I fell off the stage because of that, and the guys were angry with me, and rightfully so. But I'm back and I'm on fire." Check out the interview here.

Daughtry Returning to American Idol and Add Tour Dates

Daughtry will play their new single "Outta My Head" during the March 15 episode of American Idol.

The song is the third single off of the band's third album, Break The Spell, and the follow-up to the album's singles "Crawling Back To You" and "Renegade."

Daughtry is also announcing a second round of dates for thier "Break The Spell 2012 Tour," which kicks off March 20 in Buffalo, NY and continues through May 1st in New York, NY. Shortly after, the band will begin the second leg of its intimate theater tour, starting on May 10 in Indianapolis, IN and wrapping on June 13 in Austin, TX. more on this story

Kenny Chesney Rocks Springsteen on Fallon

(hennemusic) Bruce Springsteen week on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon continued Tuesday with musical guest Kenny Chesney.

Fallon is dedicating a series of programs to The Boss to mark the March 6 release of his new album, "Wrecking Ball."

Night 2 of Springsteen week saw Chesney perform Springsteen's 1985 hit, "I'm On Fire," from Bruce's "Born In The USA" album. Check it out here.

Coheed And Cambria To Rock Small Theaters

Evil Ink Comics tells us that Coheed And Cambria will be heading South this spring, performing in small theaters, in cities where they have either never played, or not played in many years.

Cities such as Chattanooga, TN, Gainesville, FL and Lexington, KY will be anchored by Hangout Festival in Gulf Shores, AL and The Beale Street Music Festival in Memphis, TN.

The band plans to use the run to break in Josh Eppard, their original drummer (who played on their first three studio albums), who will be behind the kit for the first time since his departure in 2006. The band will test out new material from their forthcoming 6th studio album, due out this Summer. Support will be Moving Mountains and Pianos Become the Teeth. more on this story

Fastway Releasing First New Album In 20 Years

MVD have set an April 10th release date for the first new Fastway album in over 20 years, Eat Dog, Eat.

They sent over these details: After the shows of 2007, Fast Eddie Clarke (ex-Motorhead) and Toby Jepson (ex-Little Angels) began casually working on ideas and over time managed to gather enough for a full blown record. Toby took on the role of producer and also played bass and sang all the main vocals. Eddie and Toby were joined on the drums by Matt Eldridge whom has long been Toby's drummer of choice.

The record was created at Chapel Studios with Ewan Davies as the engineer and mixer. Toby says: "We have collaborated closely on all aspects of the recording, specifically wanting to create a performance based, un-apologetically raw album that was song driven and above all made with passion. This we did, eschewing multi layered, heavily edited recording in favour of the simple 'warts and all' dynamics. I think the results are real. We hope you do to." more on this story

Hank III Releasing Long Gone Daddy in April

Curb Records have set an April 17th release date for the new Hank III Project 'Long Gone Daddy.' Here is what they had to say about it:

"Tidy" is not a word often associated with the against-the-grain work of Hank III, but it's a fitting way to describe the way "Long Gone Daddy" packages up a full-bodied sampling of his career, style and influences.
Due April 17 on Curb Records, this 10-song collection could have been titled "Long Gone Granddaddy" for the shuffling country blues flavor of not just the Hank Williams covers but of much of the batch.

Grandpa's contributions, title track "I'm A Long Gone Daddy" and "Neath A Cold Gray Tomb of Stone," are complemented by fiddle and steel-drenched songs written by generations he influenced, including Merle Haggard ("The Bottle Let Me Down"), Johnny Cash ("Wreck of the Old 97") and Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson ("Good Hearted Woman"). more on this story

Jimi Hendrix's Death Ranked Most Untimely

(Gibson) A list on Ranker.com suggests that of all the rock stars who have passed away, Jimi Hendrix's death was the most untimely. The website, which showcases lists created and voted on by visitors, has published a list that ranks "Rock Stars Whose Deaths Were The Most Untimely."

The folks who created the list are careful to point out that this isn't a list of the greatest dead musicians, but stars who could have continued to create a wealth of great new music had they not died. Hence, Hendrix, Kurt Cobain and Janis Joplin (who all died young, at 27) currently are in the Top 10, while Elvis Presley (who died at age 42) is placed closer to #30.

Artists on the list (which includes 46 people) include Buddy Holly, Keith Moon, Duane Allman, Otis Redding, Bob Marley, John Lennon, Randy Rhoads, Gram Parsons, Sam Cooke, Ian Curtis, Amy Winehouse and Bon Scott. more on this story

Noel Gallagher Names His Price To Judge X Factor

(Gibson) Talking about future plans to Britain's RadioTimes.com, Noel Gallagher again talked about his offer from Simon Cowell to be a judge on The X Factor.

He said, "I reckon it would have to be a million pounds after tax. If he puts a million pounds in my bank, I'm in."

But, in case Cowell should think of revisiting the deal, Gallagher admitted he wasn't entirely serious.

"I say that tongue-in-cheek," he said. "I hope he doesn't put a million pounds in my bank account because I don't really want to do it." more on this story

Children Collide Lose A Member

Crucial Music sent over word that Children Collide have parted ways with drummer Ryan Caesar after recently completed their third album 'Monument'.

Recorded at Melbourne's Red Door Sounds with Paul 'Woody' Annison, the album will be released on April 20.

Caesar has played with the band since early 2007, the fourth drummer since Children Collide's inception in 2004. more on this story

Johnny Rotten Wants Cake Fight With Queen for Sex Pistols Anniversary?

(Gibson) John Lydon, back in fine form with new Public Image Ltd music, has spoken out about his old band the Sex Pistols to Britain's NME.com.

It's been 35 years since the punk band stunned the nation with their single "God Save The Queen," that came out at the same time as the Queen's Silver Jubilee in 1977.

When NME asked if he'd like to talk to Her Majesty about the controversy, the irreverent Lydon replied: "Oh yes, but I well know what I'd do. I'd have a cake fight." more on this story

Rare KISS and Prong Auction To Help C.C. Banana

Rock & roll comic C.C. Banana has recently in the process of recording a solo album (in commemoration of his 10th anniversary) when his family was struck by severe financial hardship, brought on by the sudden decline of an ailing family member. As a result, he is now on the verge of losing the house he has lived in since birth.

In effort to save the family home, SplitScreen Entertainment is organizing a series of auctions on behalf of C.C. Banana, including autographed items from his rock & roll friends and heroes. This week's spotlight auctions include a Schecter guitar signed by the members of Prong and the exceedingly rare Kiss remote control van.

The guitar is a Schecter Diamond Series Omen-6 in Walnut Satin and is signed by Prong frontman Tommy Victor, as well as the entire "Power of the Damager" era lineup. It was won by C.C. Banana during the 2007 Eddie Trunk Halloween Bash at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City, which featured a return to the stage by founding Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley after a 6-year absence. C.C. Banana won the guitar by entering the annual costume contest dressed as "Ace Peeley, the Psycho Citrus." A prized trophy of his collection, C.C. is now parting with the guitar in the face of his current emergency. more on this story

F*** The Facts Crossing The Pond

F*** The Facts are heading over to Europe for headlining tour in support of their latest album, Die Miserable.

Guitarist Topon Dos commented on the upcoming run: "It's been a couple of years since we've last been to Europe, so we're excited not only to finally get back over there, but to also have the opportunity to play some countries like Finland and Hungary for the first time. We've been ripping through a bunch of songs from our new album Die Miserable recently, so you can expect to hear a lot of newer tunes. See you soon!"

Additionally, the band was recently nominated for Canada's 2012 Juno Awards in the Metal/Hard Music Album of the Year category and Sirius XM's Indies Metal Artist/Group of the Year category. more on this story

Couple Name Baby After Guitar

(Gibson) A Gibson guitar enthusiast in Waukesha, Wisconsin (birthplace of Les Paul) loves the historic guitar brand so much that he's named his new baby Gibson.

Mike Weber told the Waukesha Freeman newspaper, "I was talking to some co-workers about baby names before we even started trying for a baby and someone suggested Gibson – I loved it."

In the evenings Weber would play his Gibson Les Paul in front of his wife Crystal's stomach during the pregnancy and on the anticipated day of delivery, February 7, Mike put on his Gibson Les Paul shirt, especially for the occasion. Little Gibson Weber, a boy, was born the next day. He said: "I wore the shirt for a full 30 hours. It was a little funky, but it was worth it." more on this story