Tom Cruise Takes On Def Leppard and Guns N' Roses For Rock of Ages

We were sent this background information: Directed by Adam Shankman (Hairspray), New Line Cinema's Rock of Ages is the film adaptation of the smash hit, five-time Tony nominated Broadway musical which tells the story of small town girl Sherrie and city boy Drew, who meet on the Sunset Strip while pursuing their Hollywood dreams. Executive Music Producer Adam Anders (Glee) helps tell the rock 'n' roll romance through cast versions of heart-pounding hits of Def Leppard, Poison, Journey, Twisted Sister, Bon Jovi, Joan Jett, Foreigner, Night Ranger, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Whitesnake, and more. more on this story

Watch Wolfgang Van Halen Take Over Vocals For David Lee Roth

(hennemusic) During the New York stop in late February/early March, Eddie Van Halen hooked up with Esquire magazine for a rare interview session. Now, some video of the band's MSG soundcheck has surfaced online, thanks to someone associated with Esquire, according to their YouTube posts.

As David Lee Roth skips the pre-show ritual in order to save his voice for the show, it's up to the Van Halen family to perform the daily soundcheck routine, with Wolfgang often filling in on vocals for the absent Roth.

In the first clip, as the band pounds through their classic "Unchained," viewers can hear Wolfgang handling the lead vocals in addition to his role as bassist. Check out video here.

Nickelback Answer Criticism With Humor

(Classic Rock) Nickelback have taken another crack at trying to escape the label of world's most hated band in a light-hearted YouTube clip where they comment on messages left on their music videos.

Responding to a fan who asks: "How the f**k can you be so epic?" frontman Kroeger responds: "We work on our epicness. We went to epic school. We graduated with honours. Ryan has his masters in epicness."

Then they encourage followers: "To comment on our comments on your comments, leave a comments. It's an upward spiral – that sounds painful." More including the video.

Black Sabbath Set For Intimate Hometown Show

(Gibson) Black Sabbath will play an intimate homecoming show at O2 Academy in Birmingham on Saturday, May 19 as a warm-up for their headlining set at this year's Download Festival. The band also plans to play at this year's Lollapalooza festival, which runs from August 3 to 5 at Grant Park in downtown Chicago.

Sabbath have not yet confirmed whether original drummer Bill Ward will be part of the reunion, but Ozzy, guitarist Tony Iommi and bass player Geezer Butler have been working on a new album in London. The album will be their first full-length recording together in 33 years.

The band's original touring plans were put on hold when Iommi was diagnosed with cancer. The original European dates have been replaced with "Ozzy & Friends" concerts, which will feature Ozzy's core band of guitarist Gus G, bass player Blasko and drummer Tommy Clufetos, as well as special guests Zakk Wylde, Slash and Geezer Butler. more on this story

Halestorm Summer Tour and Dates With Avenged Sevenfold

Halestorm have lineup a string of North American tour dates with Avenged Sevenfold next month and will follow it up with a summer headline tour.

The band is currently out on the road with Godsmack and Staind on the Mass Chaos 2012 tour which will conclude on May 16th.

The headline tour is set to kick off in late June and will feature support from New Medicine & Emphatic. more on this story

Deep Purple Tap Bob Ezrin For New Album

(hennemusic) Deep Purple guitarist Steve Morse has confirmed some of the plans for a new album by the rock legends.

"In a couple of weeks," Morse tells Glide magazine, "Deep Purple has a writing session and we're producing an album with Bob Ezrin, who's done KISS, Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, Alice Cooper, and he also worked on the last Kansas album, when I was with Kansas. So he's one of my favorite producers and that's going to be our studio album. It's probably going to be more of an extravaganza."

Purple have been talking on and off for some time about their reluctance to do a new project while they continue their endless touring cycle, but Morse says the band is aware that time is moving forward without new music. more on this story

Ronnie Montrose's Final Message To Fans

(Classic Rock) Ronnie Montrose's widow has revealed a message he wrote to his fans soon before committing suicide in March.

A tribute concert was held at the weekend starring former Montrose bandmate Sammy Hagar alongside Joe Satriani, Neal Schon and Steve Smith of Journey fame, Ricky Phillips of Styx, Mr Big's Eric Martin, Kiss men Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, Jimmy DeGrasso of Y&T and many others.

During the show Montrose's widow Leighsa, who managed her husband, displayed his note, entitled Words Of Musical Expression From Ronnie. "Music is one of the most powerful and precious gifts we all share," he wrote. "The best that any of us can do is try to connect with the core of what it is that drives us to express ourselves through any creative medium we choose, and bring as much of ourselves as we can to that process." Read the rest here.

Jack Russell Rules Out Great White Reunion

(Classic Rock) Jack Russell is determined never to return to Great White – and he says the band bearing the name is fake anyway. He's incensed that none of his bandmates called while he was near death in hospital.

he tells 95.5 KLOS there's no chance they'll ever reunite: "I would never do that," he states. "Not after what they've done to me. They're not my friends. They haven't been for a long time apparently.

"There's my group, then there's the fake. Jack Russell is great white. Any band in the world, you change the singer, you change the sound of the band. You can't call what they're doing now Great White. It's not." more on this story

Jack White Tops Adele

(hennemusic) Jack White's debut solo album, "Blunderbuss," has debuted at #1 on the UK album charts.

The Official Charts Company reports White toppled the mighty Adele this week, outselling her massive "21" album by more than two copies to one, moving the UK singer to the #2 spot.

White debuted material from the album last Monday night (April 23) in London at his first ever solo show in the country. more on this story

Smashing Pumpkins Set New Album Release

(Gibson) The new Smashing Pumpkins album, Oceania, will be released on June 19 via EMI Label Services/Caroline Distribution.

The album will be the first full-length release to feature the current Smashing Pumpkins lineup of Billy Corgan, drummer Mike Byrne, bassist Nicole Fiorentino and guitarist Jeff Schroeder.

The album is a part of the band's sprawling Teargarden By Kaleidyscope project, an ongoing 44-song concept album that is being released one song at a time for free, with batches of songs gathered as EPs. At the end of the project a box set is planned which will incorporate all of the tracks as well as an art film and making-of documentary of the process. more on this story

Beatles Yellow Submarine Hitting The Big Screen

The Beatles' classic 1968 animated feature film, Yellow Submarine, will be hitting the big screen this month.

On May 5 at the famed Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City, Yellow Submarine will start its theatrical campaign with an 8pm screening.

Currently out of print, the film has been restored in 4K digital resolution for the first time by Paul Rutan Jr. and his team of specialists at Triage Motion Picture Services and Eque Inc. Due to the delicate nature of the hand-drawn original artwork, no automated software was used in the digital clean-up of the film's restored photochemical elements. This was all done by hand, frame by frame. The restored film will be released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 5 (June 4 internationally), and the film's songtrack album will be reissued on CD on the same date. more on this story

Dee Snider Not Motivated To Write For Twisted Sister

(Classic Rock) Dee Snider insists he's perfectly capable of writing new Twisted Sister material, but he simply doesn't want to. Instead the singer is happy to explore other creative outlets including recording his new Broadway-inspired album and writing his autobiography.

Confronted with the allegation that he and Twisted Sister aren't releasing new music because he's lost the ability to write it, and instead "hides behind" his other output, Snider is firm in his response.

"I do know I can write," He tells BraveWords. "The reason why I don't is simply because I don't think the market is there, and I don't feel motivated. I don't feel passionate about it." More from Dee here.

KISS' Peter Criss Releasing Autobiography

(hennemusic) This fall, original KISS drummer Peter Criss will release his autobiography, "Makeup To Breakup."

Due October 23, publisher Scribner says, "from sex, drugs, and rock 'n roll to multiple brushes with death, 'Makeup to Breakup' will be Peter Criss' unvarnished and eye-opening life story."

"I am so blessed that I am finally going to write my autobiography, and I hope you enjoy the ride," Criss said in the release. "The best of all is I get to share my true feelings of my love for God, family, friends and fame. It's been a wonderful life." Check out the cover here.

Richard Marx Collaborates With Chris Daughtry and Chad of Nickelback

(Gibson) Richard Marx will release Inside My Head, a 2-CD album of rare and new material alongside a disc of re-recorded greatest hits, on June 1 in Europe.

The album's first single, "Wouldn't Let Me Love You," will be released digitally on May 1 and can be exclusively streamed in full on Frontiers Records' webradio site.

The first CD of Inside My Head features two bonus tracks as well as collaborations with Chris Daughtry, Chad Kroeger of Nickelback, Matt Scannell of Vertical Horizon, Jason Wade of Lifehouse, Fee Waybill of The Tubes and guitarist/producer Dann Huff. more on this story

Slayer, War and Civil Defiance Supergroup Philm Webcast and Chat

The new supegroup Philm have lineup a webchat today (May 1st), a free webcast on May 16th and a record release show.

Philm will be releasing their debut album, Harmonic, on May 15th and will be playing a hometown record release show on May 15 at The Viper Room in Hollywood.

The band, featuring Dave Lombardo (Slayer), Pancho Tomaselli (WAR) and Gerry Nestler (Civil Defiance), will be taking fan questions today, May 1, at 1 pm pacific/4 pm eastern here.

The free webcast performance on May 16 at 7 pm pacific/10 pm eastern, recorded at Bob Weir's TRI Studios and streamed directly via TriStudios.com and Yahoo Music (music.yahoo.com).

Gotthard Painstaking Singer Audition

(Classic Rock) Gotthard's new singer Nic Maeder found himself travelling between Switzerland and Australia several times during his eight-month audition period.

That's how long it took them to decide he was the man to replace Steve Lee, after his death in a motorcycle crash in 2010. But basis Marc Lynn says they had to be certain about their decision, because they wouldn't get the chance to change it.

Maeder tells Crank It Up: "It took those guys a long time to make up their minds. It went on for probably eight months. I was living in Australia at the time, and I made the trip three times that year."

Lynn adds: "It was a long process, but the decision had to be the right one. We're not a band who works the easy way. more on this story

B Sides

Jack White's Full New York Concert Streaming Online

(hennemusic) Jack White was live in New York and around the world via a concert webcast Friday night.

In support of his newly-released solo debut, "Blunderbuss," White played a show at the iconic Webster Hall in New York City. The event, part of the "Unstaged" series, was directed by the legendary Gary Oldman.

White performed with both his female and male bands during the career-spanning 21-song set – check out a behind the scenes look at the event plus a full concert replay here.

Ghost Adventures Made Motley Crue Singer A Believer

(hennemusic) Motley Crue singer Vince Neil is now a believer in paranormal experiences after his appearance in the season finale of "Ghost Adventures."

"After what we experienced, I now really believe in this paranormal phenomena," Vince tells pal Robin Leach at the Las Vegas Sun.

"We experienced unexplained, first-hand encounters, including scratch marks on one woman's back, cold sensations, voices and knocking," continues Neil. "Zak, Nick and Aaron documented the multiple EVPs and unexplained events. But when we went into Room 908, we really had the shocking, overwhelming physical experience of our lives." more on this story

Carlos Santana's Celestial Ambitions

(Classic Rock) Carlos Santana may have spent nearly 50 years recognised as one of the world's leading guitarists but there's one more thing he'd like to achieve with his instrument.

The multi-award winning pioneer, named the fifteenth-best axeman of all time by Rolling Stone, would love to experiment with what he calls "celestial" soundscapes, and he believes only two other musicians have been there before him.

Santana tells Music Radar: "Like Jimi Hendrix before he went to the National Anthem, or before he played Wild Thing. There was a celestial texture he achieved and the only other person who got to that same place was Stevie Ray Vaughan. Here it comes: celestial supersonic textures." He expands on it here.

Jane's Addiction Give Fans Twisted Tales

(hennemusic) Jane's Addiction have released a lyric video for "Twisted Tales," a track from their latest album, "The Great Escape Artist."

In a couple of weeks, Jane's kick off the second leg of their "Theatre Of The Escapists" tour.

The tour begins on May 7th and bring the band to intimate venues - most of which are classic theatres. more on this story

Arch Enemy Debut New Guitarist In New Video

Arch Enemy have released their new music video for their song "Under Black Flags We March".

The track comes from the band's latest studio album, Khaos Legions, which was released in June of 2011.

This video marks the cinematic debut of Arch Enemy's newest guitarist Nick Cordle, who recently joined the band after Christopher Amott's departure last month. Watch it here.

John Mayer Gets The Lick Library Treatment

Lick Library sent over word that they have released a new Learn To Play John Mayer double DVD set of over three hours of guitar lessons. Here are the details:

John Mayer's playing has been likened to the legendary blues guitarist Eric Clapton for his laid back, harmonically astute smooth blues sound.

Learn to Play John Mayer provides note for note lessons to five songs; the uniquely tuned Neon from the platinum selling Room For Square Album and the contagious, mid tempo Bigger Than My Body from John's second album Heavier Things. Next come the bittersweet Slow Dancing In A Burning Room, the easy going bluesy Gravity and the melancholic Stop This Train from the Grammy award winning Continuum album. more on this story