Former Alice Cooper Guitarist Hospitalized

An update to the original story adds that Steve's heart has since reverted to its normal rhythm after 19 hours. more on this story

Mike Portnoy Reportedly Has Onstage Meltdown

Former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy reportedly had a meltdown onstage during Portnoy / Sheehan / Macalpine / Sherinian show in Manila, Philippines on November 6th.

BW&BK posted a video with what they call Portnoy's onstage rant/rap and also offered Portnoy's side of the story:

"Not to excuse my actions, but at least to explain the situation: This PSMS tour has been VERY difficult on all of us in terms of gear and production. The only way we have been able to make it to such far away places such as Manila, Russia, Israel, Indonesia, etc (where it is normally VERY expensive to tour unless you are a 'name' band that has been around for many years) is we've have had to make concessions by using supplied gear and local techs at each show.

"Granted, WE agreed to these terms and are willing to make it work - however, on at least a half dozen occasions on this tour we have been incredibly frustrated to arrive at the venue only to find the band's gear requirements were simply blatantly ignored (wrong keyboards, wrong amps, Zildjian cymbals, etc) AND were not setup and ready for us as was supposed to be the case and what the promoters had promised. " Read the rest of his statement and see video of the incident here.

Guitarist From Paul McCartney's Wings Suffers Heart Attack

(Gibson) Henry McCullough, who played guitar in Paul McCartney's band Wings, is critical condition following a heart attack he suffered on Monday (Nov. 5).

In an interview with the BBC, McCullough's sister Rae Morrison expressed her anxiety about the situation: "We really are very worried for him. His sister is on her way home from Florida and his brother is coming home from Glasgow [Scotland]."

The Nortstewart, Northern Ireland native was a member of Wings for roughly a year and a half during the early 1970s, and he played on 1973's Red Rose Speedway album. He also totes credits playing with Joe Cocker and performed with him at the legendary Woodstock festival in 1969. more on this story

Journey Postpone Several Concerts For Medical Reasons

(hennemusic) Journey have postponed a series of concerts following news that singer Arnel Pineda is under doctor's not to perform for the next week.

The band advised fans that Pineda has been diagnosed with severe laryngeal and esophageal inflammation and requires some down time to recover.

The tour will resume on Friday, November 16 at BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. more on this story

Rolling Stones Concert Film Coming to TV and Theaters

The concert film featuring a classic Rolling Stones show is set to be premiere on Directv's Audience Network on November 10th and will also be screened in theaters. We were sent these details:

The twelve-part series continues with the broadcast of its third film, The Rolling Stones Charlie Is My Darling - Ireland 1965, which will premiere on Saturday, November 10th at 9pm ET/PT. The film joins the documentaries, Battle for Brooklyn and Big Boys Gone Bananas!* in the Something to Talk About series. From award-winning and acclaimed writers and directors, each documentary featured will include a special, hosted introduction and will conclude with a filmmaker interview that provides insight into the making of the documentary. The films will also be available on DIRECTV on Demand, DIRECTV Everywhere, on home video and via electronic sell-thru.

The Rolling Stones Charlie Is My Darling – Ireland 1965's broadcast run on Directv's Audience Network is scheduled to air shortly after the film's theatrical release. The program will be hosted by journalist and iconic pop-culture newscaster Kurt Loder and features a post film discussion between former Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters founder, Dave Grohl and legendary music producer, the Rolling Stones first manager and the film's producer, Andrew Loog Oldham. more on this story

Promoter Reacts To Tragedy Outside of Linkin Park Concert

The promoter of Linkin Park's concert in Cape Town, South Africa has issued a statement about the death of a fan and injury of several others outside of the stadium where Linkin Park performed on Wednesday night.

Big Concerts released the following statement about the collapse of sponsor's advertising tower outside Cape Town Stadium:

Following the regrettable incident at Cape Town Stadium this evening, Big Concerts would like to express our deepest sympathies and condolences to the injured persons and in particular the family of the fan who tragically passed away from injuries sustained when an advertising tower collapsed outside the stadium from gusting gale force winds. We would like to thank the City of Cape Town, the South African Police Services, and all the medics, doctors, and disaster risk personnel for their swift and professional response to this accident. more on this story

Pearl Jam Launch Instant Classic Series

(hennemusic) Pearl Jam have launched a new series of live recordings under the title, "Instant Classic."

On September 30th, Pearl Jam returned for the first time in seven years to Missoula, MT to play a show.

Shortly after finishing the show, the band declared it an "Instant Classic" and asked that it be made available quickly to the fans and for a limited time at a special price. more on this story

Gun N' Roses Residency To Help Relief Efforts

(hennemusic) The Hard Rock Hotel & AEG Live are teaming up in support of the Red Cross during the remainder of the Gun N' Roses "Appetite For Democracy" residency shows at The Joint.

While attending the show, text "REDCROSS to 90999" to donate $10. Both Hard Rock Hotel & AEG Live will match donations, up to $5,000.

The companies are asking fans to do their part to help those in need in the areas directly affected by Hurricane Sandy. more on this story

Rush's Alex Lifeson Voted Greatest Canadian Guitarist

(hennemusic) Canada's national broadcaster, CBC Radio, have named Rush's Alex Lifeson as the Greatest Canadian Guitarist in a new in-house poll.

November is Guitar Month at CBC Music, and the company put together a list of the 25 greatest Canadian guitarists ever. The list was assembled by a panel of CBC producers and hosts, who compiled all of the nominations and ranked the guitarists accordingly.

The list spans several genres and generations. Some were chosen for their raw talent, others for their musical impact and some for their ingenuity. There are a few surprises and a few omissions. In fact, there are many amazing guitarists who belong on this list, but there are only 25 spots. If your favourite guitar player isn't on the list, the CBC can assure you they were probably number 26 this time around. See who else made the list.

Jon Bon Jovi Goes Solo For New Al Pacino Movie

Jon Bon Jovi contributed two new original songs to the forthcoming Stand Up Guys soundtrack which will be released digitally on Tuesday, December 4th and in stores on January 8, 2013.

The tracks, "Not Running Anymore" and "Old Habits Die Hard," are the first songs Bon Jovi has written and performed as a solo artist for a film since Young Guns II, which earned him the Golden Globe for Best Original Song and an Academy Award nomination and #1 single, with "Blaze of Glory", almost twenty-two years ago.

Also included on the soundtrack are songs by Baby Huey, Gary Clark, Jr., Charles Bradley feat. Menahan Street Band, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Sam and Dave, and Muddy Waters. more on this story

Aaron Lewis To Premiere New Solo Video This Weekend

Staind frontman Aaron Lewis will premiere his new music video for the country solo song "Forever" this weekend.

World Premiere during CMT's "Big New Music Weekend" starting Friday, Nov 9 at 6am ET/PT and running throughout the weekend.

"'Forever' is a pretty honest song about how lonely it can get out on the road," explains Lewis. "But realizing at the end of it, it really was all just doubt and when you walk through the door and see your wife and kids, it all goes away." more on this story

Aerosmith Producer Discusses New Album

(hennemusic) Aerosmith fans looking to find out how the band's just-released, decade-in-the-making studio LP, "Music From Another Dimension!", was created can listen to exclusive excerpts from producer Jack Douglas discussing the real-time-recording of the album ahead of the release of a forthcoming record producers anthology, "Behind The Boards: The Making Of Rock & Roll's Greatest Records Revealed", due in December from Hal Leonard Books.

Among other commentary, Douglas declared excitedly at the top of his conversation on the making of the band's new LP that "I was looking to get back to the truth in both sound and the band themselves, breaking it down to the raw sound that we used to get, which is two guitars, bass and drums, vocals, an occasional keyboard, an occasional lead over the two rhythms going. And then truth in sound. I mean, we recorded to tape; the processing is all old analog 2 bear, so we're really looking to get back to where we were in the '70s in feel. So that's what we're doing, trying to make a true album. Some of the albums during the 1990s, some were very successful and some were made that feel like they were trying to sell to a young audience."

"On this record, we want to do two things: we want to go to the fanbase, and really the hardcore fans who let us know all over the world what kind of record they want to hear, so that's what we're doing," added Douglas. "And then, Steven [Tyler] has created so many new fans with 'Idol', and so many people have gone back to listen to the early stuff that even the kids want to hear that kind of thing again. So we're just having a blast, and when you make a record that's about the truth, and true, it's always more fun, because you don't have the pressure of trying to be something you're not on the record." A lot more including audio clips here.

REO Speedwagon Going Nashville

(Gibson) Are the guys of REO Speedwagon going country? Strange as it may sound, it appears REO are trading in their classic rock sounds for something with a tad more twang. According to The Tennessean, the band recently took a trip to Nashville to record the first song for the group's upcoming studio album. REO Speedwagon frontman Kevin Cronin even co-wrote the track, called "Nothing We Can't Rise Above," with country-music producer Chris Lindsey and Journey keyboard player Jonathan Cain.

"I got turned on by this title, and Jon Cain had written something in a political way, and when I heard it, I went to a different place with it," Cronin said about the song. "I tend to like to write about relationships [and what makes them] work or fall apart, so that's the direction the song took."

Cronin says he felt totally comfortable in the Nashville scene. After all, he recorded his first album with REO in Nashville in 1972. "Kids with loud music coming to Nashville didn't make a lot of sense back then," he said, "but I've always loved Nashville. As a songwriter, this is my home away from home." more on this story

Journey and Whitesnake Map Out Tour

Journey announced this week that they will be teaming up with Whitesnake for a tour of the UK next spring.

The trek will be the first time that the two big selling rocks bands will have shared the stage together.

They have selected Thunder to support the eight dates UK tour which will take place in May. more on this story

Engineer Explains Rush 2112 Reissue

(hennemusic) Rush are releasing a Super Deluxe CD/BD reissue of their 1976 masterpiece, "2112," on December 18.

Sound engineer Richard Chycki talks about the origins of the project in his online blog. "Let's go back in time a bit to late December 2004," writes Chycki. "I had just finished a 19-hour studio day working with Rush (for the first time) on a Tsunami Relief Charity which was broadcast on CBC in Canada, also late 2004. When I first met with Alex [Lifeson] in early 2005 about the possibility of doing more work together on R30, our first conversation veered off to a coffee laden all out bond-fest about how exciting 2112 would be remixed in 5.1. Our second subject was the mixing of R30 – go figure."

"In a nutshell, this concept has been in stasis for quite some time," he continued, "and it's a pinnacle moment with such a revered artist (and with my gratitude meter completely pinned) that we finally see this project come to light." more on this story

Richie Sambora Donating Concert Proceeds To Hurricane Sandy Relief

Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora will be using an upcoming solo concert in Los Angeles to raise funds for Hurricane Sandy relief.

The hurricane his Sambora's home state of New Jersey hard and on Thursday, Sambora announced that he plans to " donate all profits from the ticket sales to his Nov 13th solo concert @ Fonda Theater in LA, to the American Red Cross Hurricane Sandy Fund."

He has also created some special VIP ticket packages for the show that he is selling on his website. The concert is part of his tour in support of his new solo album, "Aftermath Of The Lowdown." More details about the show here.

Spiritual Beggars Plan Spring Album Release

Spiritual Beggars are planning a Spring 2013 release for the new studio album they are currently working on.

The band has also announced that they will be appearing at the 2013 Roadburn Festival Afterburner, on April 21 in Tillburg, Holland.

"Back in the early '90s, Roadburn founder Walter Hoeijmakers was one of the very first supporters Spiritual Beggars had in Europe," says bandleader Michael Amott. "His unbridled enthusiasm for our music back then when most people didn't 'get it' meant so much to us. It's a great feeling to now play his fantastic festival and celebrate the staying power of Spiritual Beggars and the Roadburn concept together! We're releasing a new studio album and celebrating our 20th anniversary as a band in 2013, and I really can't think of a better way to start the party than at the esteemed Roadburn Festival!"

Mud Morganfield To Give Jools Holland The Blues

Blues star Mud Morganfield is set to appear on BBC Two's "Later with Jools Holland" airing in the UK on Tuesday November 20 and Friday 23, amidst his upcoming UK tour. His camp sent over these details:

The invitation to play on the long-running TV show came from the host, himself, acclaimed pianist Jools Holland, who caught Mud's performance at the London Blues Festival in June and offered him the slot after seeing Morganfield play. Holland also joined Mud and his band onstage at the Festival for a fantastic rendition of Mud's legendary father's signature song, "Got My Mojo Working."

"I am ever so grateful for the blessing," said Mud Morganfield about being on the TV show. "Here I find myself again in a great moment of my life. I am thrilled and overwhelmed, to say the least, to appear on the Jools Holland show. This is what an artist lives for: awards, write-ups in magazines, being on stage with great people and having fun in the blues. To add to all these great things, I represent the blues that my farther passed down to me. I thank Mr. Holland and everyone else who made this happen." more on this story

Vanna Announce 2012 Home For The Holidays Tour

Vanna will be spending the days between Christmas and New Year's on the road for their annual "Home For The Holidays" Tour.

This year, the tour features Lionheart, as well as an eclectic mix of bands from the Northeast with the likes of Lions Lions, State Champs, and Foreign Tongues.

When asked about the tour, lead vocalist Davey Muise said, "There is nothing like coming home after a long year of touring to all of your friends and family and playing at venues we don't really get to throughout the year on other tours." He also adds about the lineup, "It is exciting to have such a mixed lineup. We are friends with everyone on the tour and we wouldn't want to spend the holidays any other way". more on this story

Singled Out: Heavy Glow

Today Heavy Glow frontman and songwriter Jared Mullins tells us about their new single "Mine All Mine," which is now streaming on their website. Here is the story:

I wrote this song after touring an abandoned prison one day. The prison had been shut down for a while and had been notorious for housing capitol offenders, murderers and the like. It was musty, dank, and dark as the tour guide waltzed us through the warden's chambers, kitchen area etc. If only prison walls could talk...Well, they did. I noticed a lot of the individual cell walls had writing from prisoners carved into the walls. Very cryptic stuff, but it stuck with me. Crazy phrases etched in stone like "mine is all the wine that matters" and other hair-brained rants of crazed-mad-men. I noticed almost all of the carvings were talking about the prisoners themselves and the light went off: most of these guys were self-obsessed. So the lyrics are all a collection of quotes and lines I remember reading on the walls of those prison cells.

I wrote the music for this song while singing in the shower one day. The main riff came up and it just kind of went from there. Initially the song was more of a British riff-rock type thing but we switched some things up to make it more melodic and dynamic.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn about the special release tour dates where you can buy the special vinyl release right here!

Soundgarden Tease Been Away Too Long Video

(hennemusic) Soundgarden have issued a preview of their new video for "Been Away Too Long." The track is the lead single from the band's "King Animal" album, due out next Tuesday.

"'Been Away Too Long' is a song that reminds me of our 'Down on The Upside' period," says singer Chris Cornell, "but, in some ways, having kind of a different energy from anything we've ever done."

"Chris played us his demo and most of the music was pretty much intact and we all really were excited," adds drummer Matt Cameron. "That was one of the tracks where Chris had to shoehorn the vocals into what we considered the correct arrangement. We were all curious 'how's this one going to sound.'" Check out the tease here.