Guns N' Roses Announce Tour Dates

Guns N' Roses also recently announced plans for the release of "Appetite for Democracy in 3D". The concert film was recorded during the "Appetite For Democracy" residency at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas last Fall. The release will hit theaters as well as be offered on DVD and Blu-Ray. more on this story

Robert Plant Plans Summer Tour

(hennemusic) Robert Plant has announced a summer tour of North America under the "Robert Plant Presents the Sensational Space Shifters" banner.

The tour is set to kick off at the Palladium in Dallas, TX on June 20, with dates wrapping up July 27 in Brooklyn, NY's Prospect Park.

The band will be playing five festival dates, including Britt in Jacksonville, OR, High Sierra in Quincy, CA, Jambase in George, WA, Portland Blues in Portland, OR, and Forecastle in Louisville, KY.

The Sensational Space Shifters include Justin Adams (guitar, bendir, vocals), John Baggott (keyboards), Juldeh Camara (ritti, kologo, talking drum, vocals), Billy Fuller (bass guitar, vocals), Dave Smith (drums and percussion) and Liam "Skin" Tyson (guitar, vocals). more on this story

Woodstock Icon Richie Havens Dead at 72

(Classic Rock) Folk singer and guitarist Richie Havens has died at the age of 72 after suffering a heart attack, his family have confirmed.

He became a cultural icon in 1969 when he was the first artist to perform at the Woodstock festival, playing for nearly three hours because later acts failed to turn up.

Havens' first album was released in 1965 and he broke through with his third release, Mixed Bag, in 1967. He was noted for his heavy rhythmic style of playing guitar. Nobody Left To Crown, his last record, came out in 2008.

He'd been unwell since undergoing kidney surgery in 2010. More including video of his Woodstock performance.

Iron Maiden Planning New Album

(Classic Rock) Iron Maiden are planning to release their sixteenth studio album next year, according to Swedish website Talarforum.se.

At the end of an interview with frontman Bruce Dickinson they say: "In addition to upcoming tour plans the band to record a new album, which, if all goes as planned, is scheduled for release in 2014."

Some fans feared that 2010′s The Final Frontier would prove to be their last studio release, because many years previously Steve Harris had said Maiden would make 15 albums then stop. The bassist later explained things had changed.

In the Talaforum interview Dickinson recalls a period of time when he was down on his luck, living on the streets of London and carrying all his worldly possessions in a small suitcase. Read what he had to say.

3 Doors Down Cancel Tour Dates Following Fatal Crash Arrest

3 Doors Down have canceled their North American tour dates for this spring after their bassplayer Todd Harrell was arrested late last week on vehicular homicide and drug charges after he was involved in a fatal crash in Nashville, Tn.

As we reported on Monday, Harrell's Cadillac clipped a Ford pickup truck at a high rate of speed and the driver of the truck, 47-year-old Paul Howard Shoulders, was ejected from the truck and was pronounced dead after arriving at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

The band issued the following statement on Monday about the canceled dates: "Out of respect to Paul Howard Shoulders, Jr., and his family, 3 Doors Down has cancelled the band's four scheduled U.S. April / May appearances. They will resume touring May 31 in Moscow, and return to the U.S. for scheduled dates in July." Read the Monday's report for more details about the arrest.

Divinyls Singer Chrissy Amphlett Dead at 53

The Divinyls singer Chrissy Amphlett died at her New York City home on Sunday after a battle with breast cancer and multiple sclerosis. She was 53.

The band was best known in the U.S. for their 1991 Top 10 hit "I Touch Myself." The group had four Top 10 albums in Australia, according to Gibson.

Amphlett's husband and Divinyls drummer Charlie Drayton broke the sad news to fans, "Our beloved Chrissy peacefully passed this afternoon.

"Christine Joy Amphlett succumbed to the effects of breast cancer and multiple sclerosis, diseases she vigorously fought with exceptional bravery and dignity. She passed gently, in her sleep, surrounded by close friends and family, including husband of fourteen years, musician Charley Drayton; her sister, Leigh; nephew, Matt; and cousin Patricia Amphlett ('Little Pattie').

"Chrissy's light burns so very brightly. Hers was a life of passion and creativity; she always lived it to the fullest. With her force of character and vocal strength she paved the way for strong, sexy, outspoken women.

"Best remembered as the lead singer of the ARIA Hall of Fame inductee, Divinyls; last month she was named one of Australia's top ten singers of all time. Chrissy expressed hope that her worldwide hit 'I Touch Myself' would be utilized to remind all women to perform annual breast examinations.

"Chrissy was a true pioneer and a treasure to all whose lives her music and spirit touched."

Rolling Stones Discuss Preparations For Upcoming Tour

(hennemusic) With just over a week away from opening night in Los Angeles, The Rolling Stones are talking about their "50 & Counting" tour in a new video interview with Radio.com.

"I thought that we should continue doing this when the 50th anniversary came up," admits Mick Jagger of the plans to schedule the 2013 shows. "I kept hedging when people asked me, but I knew, the year before."

"Personally, I start preparing about two months before the tour starts," he continued. "So I have to up my fitness level, I have to start singing every day, doing practices and a bit of dancing. I practice in front of mirrors if I can, in a dance studio."

"The process we go through for a tour is 6 weeks of rehearsal," says drummer Charlie Watts, "to have twice as many numbers ready to play and to be twice as fit as you need to be for 2 hours [of live performance]." more on this story

Alice In Chains Lead Uproar Festival Lineup

Alice In Chains have been named as the headliner for this year's installment of the Uproar Festival which will be hitting the road this summer.

The traveling music festival will also feature sets from Jane's Addiction, Coheed and Cambria, Circa Survive, Walking Papers (featuring Duff McKagan), Middle Class Rut, New Politics, Danko Jones, Chuck Shaffer Picture Show as well as local "battle of the band" contest winners.

The tour is set to kick off on August 9th at the Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain in Scranton, PA and will conclude on September 15th at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine, Ca.

"I think it's going to be a fun tour and we're really looking forward to it. It's only going to happen that one time, that way, and you're going to be there," says Jerry Cantrell of Alice In Chains. more on this story

Bob Dylan Announces AmericanaramA Festival of Music Tour

Bob Dylan will be hitting road in late June to launch his 26-date "AmericanaramA Festival of Music" summer tour of North America.

The rock legend will be supported by Wilco and another band on the trek and select dates will also include Richard Thompson Electric Trio and Ryan Bingham.

The tour is set to kick off on June 26th at the Cruzan Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, Florida, and will conclude on August 4th at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, Cal. more on this story

Allman Brothers Announce Shows With Steve Winwood and Grace Potter

(hennemusic) The Allman Brothers Band have announced a short, late summer tour that will include dates with Steve Winwood, and Grace Potter & the Nocturnals.

On the heels of the group's second annual Peach Festival (Aug 16/17), the trek will begin with two "evening with" nights in Chicago on August 20 & 21, followed by ten (10) amphitheater shows – six (6) with Winwood and four (4) with Potter.

"This will be a good little run," says Gregg Allman. "We've always loved Steve and we've been listening to a lot of Grace's stuff, so I imagine we're going to have a bunch of fun together." more on this story

Muse Self Produce New Panic Station Video

(Radio.com) Muse's long awaited "Panic Station" video is here and likely to shock your senses. Matt Bellamy, Dominic Howard and Chris Wolstenhome slid into fluorescent tights and stepped right into what looks like a video game.

Shot in Tokyo, Japan, the video takes a page right out of a modern children's TV show with colorful costumes, alien creatures, and a keyboard-player-attacking octopus. And what music video would be complete without a T-Rex? and unlike most high-profile music videos, Muse did not contract outside help. The band was responsible for the entirety of the process; writing, production, direction and editing was all handled in-house.

"Panic Station" is one of only three studio-recorded songs with swearing in it ("Crying Shame" and "Hidden track"). It also marks the first time Matt has sworn on an album track. more on this story

Van Halen Make Live Return

(hennemusic) Van Halen played their first show of 2013 on Saturday as headliners at Sydney, Australia's inaugural Stone Music Festival. It was the band's very first Australian concert with frontman David Lee Roth.

Van Halen's 20-song, 90-minute setlist was identical to the template of their 2012 shows, opening with "Unchained" and closing with their only #1 single, "Jump."

In what is possibly a career first, the band wore matching outfits: white shirts with black pants and black vests. "What an amazing gig, Sydney!!" tweeted bassist Wolfgang Van Halen after the show. "Thank you so much for fighting through the rain to see us. Can't wait till next time!" Check out video from the show here.

Black Star Riders Plan Fall Tour

(hennemusic) Black Star Riders, the new band formed from the final Thin Lizzy lineup, have announced plans to launch a fall tour of the UK.

The tour will kick off on November 22 Bournemouth, England and is set to conclude on December 14th at the Academy in Dublin, Ireland.

The tour will be in support of the band's debut album, "All Hell Breaks Loose," which is due to be released at the end of May. more on this story

Motley Crue Kick Off Tour With 17-Song Set

(hennemusic) Motley Crue kicked off what they have billed as their most expansive Canadian tour ever on Saturday in Penticton, BC.

The 17-song set opened with "Saints Of Los Angeles," before firing up four classics in a row: "Wild Side," "Shout At The Devil," "Piece Of Your Action" and "Same 'Ol Situation (S.O.S.)."

Bassist Nikki Sixx was revved up for the show, posting, "The band is all rehearsed up and we added a bunch of old school songs to the set. This is the biggest lighting rig we have ever used. We brought in the newest technology and we are really looking forward to opening night. We're feeling strong."

Before the show, Sixx added, "We just killed a version of LOUDER THAN HELL at sound check...I wonder if we should play it live tonight?" Check out video here.

Machine Head Were 'Moved To Tears' Over Audition Video

(Classic Rock) Machine Head have closed public auditions for a new bassist, and the band admit they've been blown away by the quality of applications. But one man reduced some of Robb Flynn's men to tears by submitting a video of him playing the hardest song on the list – with just one hand.

In a statement they say: "A lot of hard work and effort went into each and every submission, with many people bravely making them public for the whole world to see and judge. It took a lot of brass to do that – we earned an even greater respect for our fans in doing so.

"There are some incredible musicians out there, fantastic players who unfortunately did not make an attempt to sing, and thus were ineligible, but you should absolutely keep at it! In fact, in the course of these submissions, it looks like many people have earned a lot of fans in doing so. Congrats!"

Machine Head single out fan Frank Memolo for a special mention: "Many of the men and women who sent in YouTube clips performing, did so with the utmost passion and intensity. But of all the submissions, this man deserves a special mention. He learned and played not only the hardest song of the submission, This Is The End, but played it with only one hand. Check out video of the audition here.

Rush's Neil Peart 'Totally Betrayed' By Biased Article

(Classic Rock) Rush drummer Neil Peart still feels "totally betrayed" by a journalist who interviewed him in the 1970s and portrayed him as a borderline fascist in a subsequent article.

During a conversation with the NME in 1977, Peart was asked about his reasons for basing Rush's song 2112 on the work of libertarian philosopher Ayn Rand.

"I recall that NME interview very well because the conversation was great," Peart recalls in an interview in the forthcoming new edition of Classic Rock. "And we all felt totally betrayed after, because we had a lovely time with the guy. I remember him being so courteous. It was so amicable. As far as I was concerned, we were just having an intellectual conversation. But these things are wide open to misinterpretation, and that was a classic case."

Peart, who has since distanced himself from Rand's writings, added: "I know where I fall politically. And I define it better now: I'm a libertarian, but a bleeding-heart libertarian." more on this story

Brad Wilk and Rick Rubin Discuss New Black Sabbath Album

(Classic Rock) Black Sabbath studio drummer Brad Wilk has discussed his experience of recording new album 13 with Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler.

In a short video detailing how they operated during sessions the Rage Against The Machine drummer says: "I love their sense of humour. None of them take themselves too seriously." And he adds: "The guys are the best at what they do – it's inspiriting to be part of that."

In one scene Wilk is seen discussing one of the band's previous albums, of which bassist Geezer Butler tells him: "We spent more on the cocaine than we did on the studio."

Producer Rick Rubin says of the sessions: "At first there was a little bit of trepidation because they hadn't worked together in 33 years. Once they started making music they felt like the band again." more on this story

Pete Way Doesn't Have A Burning Desire To Return To UFO

(Classic Rock) No matter how much UFO fans might crave his return, bass player Pete Way doesn't expect to rejoin the band any time soon.

"It's not a priority for me at the minute," Way says in an interview in the forthcoming new issue of Classic Rock. "I don't have a burning desire to do it. Have I been asked? Yes, I've been asked but I wasn't in a place to be able to do it when I was asked. I wish them all the best, I do, honestly."

Way, who founded UFO in 1969 with vocalist Phil Mogg, drummer Andy Parker and guitarist Mick Bolton, has spent several periods in and out of the band.

Plagued by health problems, Way was replaced on tour as recently as 2011 by Barry Sparks [Dokken, Ted Nugent, Yngwie Malmsteen etc]. UFO have also utilized the four-string touring services of Rob de Luca [Spread Eagle, Sebastian Bach, Of Earth). more on this story

Mott The Hoople Plan Fall Tour

(Classic Rock) Mott The Hoople will be hitting the road this fall when they launch a five date tour of the UK in November.

Ian Hunter, Verden Allen, Mick Ralphs and Overend Watts will be joined by Martin Chambers of The Pretenders in place of Dale 'Buffin' Griffin, who's too ill to appear.

It's the band's first shows since a set of reunion appearances in London in 2009. It was the first time the original lineup had gathered for 35 years, and as a result, two planned appearances at the Hammersmith Apollo were extended to five, plus a warm-up show in Wales and a charity concert in Scotland. more on this story

B.B. King, Los Lonely Boys and Alejandro Escovedo For Free Blues Fest

B.B. King has been named the headliner of this summer's Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival and admission to the event will be free.

The Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival will take place at the outdoor plaza at Brookfield Place in Lower Manhattan on July 10th and 11th.

King will headline the first night of the festival which will also feature a set from The James Hunter Six. The second night will feature sets from Los Lobos, Los Lonely Boys and Alejandro Escovedo.

"If the first two years proved anything, it's that New York City loves blues music," said Debra Simon, Vice President and Artistic Director of Arts Brookfield. "This festival allows people to check out living legends alongside extraordinarily talented artists set against the beautiful waterfront setting."

Sublime with Rome Tap Pennywise for Summer Tour

Sublime with Rome will be hitting the road this summer for a North American tour that will include headline dates and music festival performances.

The headline tour is set to feature support for Pennywise on most of the dates. On select dates they will be joined by the Descendents and Iration.

Sublime with Rome will also be joining 311's Unity Tour for three stops; two in Florida and one in California.

The festival stops include the Ink & Iron Festival, Kanrocksas, Boonstock, Saturday in The Park and the Harley Davidson 2013 anniversary concert. more on this story

Wednesday 13 Recruits Vampires Everywhere for Too Fast For Blood Tour

Murderdolls frontman Wednesday 13 has recruited Vampires Everywhere to support him on his "Too Fast For Blood! Tour" which is taking place this spring.

The tour is set to kick off on May 13th at the Granada Theater in Lawrence, KS and will conclude on June 07th at the White Rabbit in San Antonio, TX.

Vampires Everywhere frontman Michael Vampire had this to say about the tour: "I'm excited to announce that we will be touring with Wednesday 13 once again on The Too Fast For Blood Tour this May! Get ready for madness beyond any tour you've seen before! See you all on the road real soon!"

Vampires Everywhere! will be touring in support of their sophomore album, Hellbound & Heartless. more on this story

Classic Captain Beyond Concert Set For Release

Purple Pyramid Records have set a May 21st release date for 70s supergroup Captain Beyond's 'Live in Texas October 6, 1973.'

The vintage live recording will be released on both CD and as a Double-LP and will feature liner notes by rock historian Dave Thompson.

"This was an exciting night of music! Captain Beyond at the University of Texas in Arlington... All the best..." says Captain Beyond drummer Bobby Caldwell.

We were sent this background information on the group and the album: One of the most underrated classic rock bands of the early 1970's, Captain Beyond were considered a 'supergroup' of sorts at the time and featured original Deep Purple lead vocalist Rod Evans, former Iron Butterfly guitarist Larry 'Rhino' Reinhardt and bassist Lee Dorman, and ex-Johnny Winter drummer Bobby Caldwell. Although the band only lasted three critically acclaimed albums and several tours of the US and Europe, the band's following is as strong today as it was back in their heyday! Now with the release of this rare sought after concert recording on CD and vinyl for the first time, fans can relive the magic that was Captain Beyond in concert! Recorded just after the release of the group's second album 'Sufficiently Breathless', Captain Beyond 'Live In Texas' captured the band while on tour with King Crimson. more on this story

Michael Monroe Sets Album Release and Premieres New Video

Former Hanoi Rocks frontman Michael Monroe has set an August 26th digital release date for his new studio album, 'Horns And Halos' and has released the first video from the effort.

The video is for the first single 'Ballad Of The Lower East Side'. Michael had this to say about the song, "'Ballad Of The Lower East Side' is about New York, and especially that particular area – what it was way back in the days when I lived there; it shows how times have changed and how it is today. New York has always been an important city for me since I lived there for 10 years, and two members of our band still live there. It's the City of all Cities!"

Monroe recorded the album with bassist Sami Yaffa (ex-Hanoi Rocks/New York Dolls), guitarist Steve Conte (ex-New York Dolls/Company Of Wolves), guitarist Dregen (Backyard Babies, formerly of Hellacopters fame) and drummer Karl 'Rockfist' Rosqvist (ex-Chelsea Smiles/Danzig). Watch the video here.

Peter Frampton Plans Rare Roundhouse Concert

Peter Frampton has announced plans to play a rare UK concert at the London Camden Roundhouse on Tuesday November 5th. Noble sent over these details:

This special one-off UK concert will see Frampton performing songs from his extensive catalogue and he will be performing in support of FCA! 35: An Evening with Peter Frampton, his live 2DVD, Blu-ray and 3CD set of the 35th Anniversary of Frampton Comes Alive! was released last November by Eagle Rock Entertainment.

Planet Rock will run an exclusive 48-hour ticket presale from 9am on Wednesday 24th April via www.planetrock.com. Tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday 26th April from www.kililive.com or by calling 0844 871 8803 and 0844 482 8008.

Singled Out: Dawn of Ashes

Today Kristof Bathory from Dawn of Ashes tells us about the song "Morphine Addiction" from their brand new album "Anathema". Here is the story:

It was around 2012 in the Hollywood area while I was going through a mass amount of personal issues that someone gave me a bag of over a hundred Morphine pills. I have always had an addictive personality and have also had drug issues throughout my past; so pills have always been a weakness for me. This pill addiction eased my mental disorders and also helped towards temporarily creating a fake felicitous persona.

Every day I started popping these pills about 3 or 4 times a day to put myself in a crippled state of mind. I was completely zombified towards reality and showing any bit of emotion, although that wasn't anything new for me. The Morphine pills were extremely damaging towards my nervous system… but during this reckless time, nothing else mattered except for emotionless sex, alcohol, and a pill to shelter my misery.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn more about the album right here!

Heaven Shall Burn Release Hunters Will Be Hunted Video

Heaven Shall Burn have released a new music video for the song "Hunters Will Be Hunted," which comes off their forthcoming studio album.

The video was produced and directed by Film-M and Philipp Hirsch, who were responsible for Heaven Shall Burn's previous videos for "Endzeit" and "Black Tears."

Guitarist Maik Weichert had this to say about the new video, "We are really proud that we could win Denise Rombouts over for the main female role. It was great fun working with such a talented and professional model. She really taught every one of us a lesion when it came down to being tough and keep on working during an ice cold winter day." Watch the video here

Heaven Shall Burn's new album, Veto, is set to be released in North America next Tuesday, April 30th. The band has lineup a number of live performances this spring and summer. more on this story

David Lee Roth Talks Laido on The Roth Show

(hennemusic) Van Halen frontman David Lee Roth has issued the latest episode in his web video series called The Roth Show.

Entitled "Laido Training," the Van Halen frontman discusses his lifelong love and practice of Japanese martial arts.

Roth has converted rooms in his Pasadena, CA mansion into specific-use facilities for formal and casual martial arts training. Check out the episode here.