Norma Jean Robbed

"We know that things like this happen but we love music and playing for you guys. Yes we're really bummed out, but really looking forward to the rest of this tour. Please check the dates and come out. Love all you guys! Still love Chicago."

Pearl Jam Shave Fan's Head On Stage

(hennemusic) Pearl Jam played a request before frontman Eddie Vedder shaved a fan's dreadlocks off during their show in Spokane, Washington on Saturday, and video of the event has surfaced.

Jambase reports Vedder noticed a fan holding a sign that said that he would shave his head in exchange for the band performing "Brain Of J", the opening song from their 1998 album, "Yield."

Eddie brought the man on stage, who told him he wanted to headbang with the dreads one last time and, after a short discussion, Pearl Jam agreed and launched into the tune with the fan headbanging throughout the song.

Vedder then cut off the dreads while the rest of the band vamped on a blues progression. Watch video here.

Metallica Won't Be Holding Orion Festival Next Year

(Radio.com) The two-day Orion Music + More Festival, curated by heavy metal legends Metallica, will not be returning to Detroit's Belle Isle next year (the site of the 2013 edition) and will take 2014 off altogether, according to event promoter C3 Presents.

According to the Detroit News, the same C3 Presents spokesperson said that the festival could very well return in 2015, although there is no indication that it will set up shop in Detroit if and when it does.

This year's event was held over the weekend of June 8-9, pulling a somewhat modest 20,000 attendees per day, despite headlining sets from Metallica and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Among this year's performers was an eclectic mix that included Deftones, Bassnectar, Rise Against and Dropkick Murphys. Metallica also performed a secret set on a side stage billed under the alias DeHaan. more on this story

Cream Collaborator Martin Sharp Dies

(Gibson) Artist Martin Sharp, who designed the covers for Cream's Disraeli Gears and Wheels of Fire albums and helped to define the iconography of psychedelic rock, has died aged 71.

Sharp began his career in the 1960s as a contributor and art director for Oz, a revolutionary satirical magazine run by Richard Neville. He designed album covers and concert posters for the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Donovan and Bob Dylan, and co-wrote the lyrics to Cream's "Tales Of Brave Ulysses."

''He was a fully-charged non-stop rocket in his younger years but it always continued on,'' Neville said, adding that Sharp was "an outsider but also an insider ... At core he was an artist beyond repute in my opinion, but not an artist necessarily certified by the academy."

Sharp died of emphysema at his Bellevue Hill home and art studio in New South Wales, Australia on Sunday. more on this story

Rod Stewart Says That '2015 Is Earmarked for The Faces'

(Radio.com) If you're a fan of Rod Stewart's late-'60s and early-'70s eras, there's some good news and some bad news. Stewart called in to WZLX (a Radio.com station) and spoke with Carter Alan earlier today (Dec. 2) to talked about two potential reunions.

So, let's start with the bad news: his much-hyped reunion with Jeff Beck. Not happening: "Well, we seem to have lost contact with each other, sadly. Jeff's manager was the guy who was getting us together, but he's fired the manager since then, so that conduit has been closed off."

Which leads us to the good news: "I think we have got much more of a chance of getting the Faces back together, in fact, Ronnie [Wood]'s office is talking to my people, and we're ear-marking 2015." So it appears that the Jeff Beck Group/Faces reunion tour that he was talking about earlier this year was just a good idea.

Listen to the entire interview at WZLX's website here more on this story

Zakk Wylde's Evil Twin' Nick Catanese Leaves Black Label Society

(TeamRock Radio) Black Label Society rhythm guitarist Nick Catanese has left the band, it's been announced. Known as 'The Evil Twin' for his chemistry with mainman Zakk Wylde, he'd been part of the band since its formation in 1998.

In a brief statement BLS say: "We have amicably parted ways with longtime guitarist Nick, and wish him the very best in his future musical endeavours."

They haven't named a replacement but promise they'll make an announcement soon. The band are currently working in Wylde's studio on their next album, due for release early next year.

The former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist spoke to TeamRock Radio after being named Metal Guru 2013 at the Classic Rock Awards in November. Check it out here.

Bullet For My Valentine 'Raising Hell' In New Video

(TeamRock Radio) Bullet For My Valentine have released the video for new track Raising Hell. It's a taster of what to expect from their next album, due next year, which frontman Matt Tuck promises it'll delver an "edgier, heavier sound."

Tuck had this to say about the new track, "Raising Hell is a beast of a tune which is definitely taking the next chapter of Bullet into a more intense, thrasher style of metal.

"We're super happy how it came out, especially as it was self-produced, and can't wait to get the ball rolling on the next album." Watch the new music video here.

Scorpions Release 'Dancing With The Moonlight' Unplugged Video

(Classic Rock) To coincide with Scorpions' new MTV Unplugged release today (December 2) in the UK, the band have leaked footage of new song Dancing With The Moonlight from the performance.

Scorpions were filmed at an open-air show in Athens, Greece, in September, where they played three shows in three nights at the city's Lycabettus Theatre.

Frontman Klaus Meine says of the recording: "We played here many years ago. It is a beautiful place. I can remember that even back then the fans climbed on to the surrounding rocks. Of course we played some of the greatest classics this time, but we also performed a few new songs as well as material that we had never played live up to then. Those are songs which are very popular with the fans but which somehow never made it on to the set lists."

MTV Unplugged: Scorpions Live In Athens is available now on DVD, Blu-ray and CD. Watch the new video here.

Neil Young's Live At The Cellar Door Streaming Online

(Classic Rock) Classic Rock has premiered Neil Young's upcoming Archive Performance Series installment Live At The Cellar Door. The album was recorded during his six-night solo run at The Cellar Door in Washington DC from November 30 to December 2, 1970.

It includes a rare version of Cinnamon Girl performed on piano instead of guitar, plus renditions of tracks from After The Gold Rush, and Buffalo Springfield numbers Expecting To Fly, I Am A Child and Flying On The Ground Is Wrong.

Also included are early versions of songs which would appear in later albums, including Old Man, released two years late, and Bad Fog Of Loneliness, which didn't surface until 2007.

Live At The Cellar Door is released on December 9 via Reprise Records and it'll be available in digital, CD and 180g vinyl formats. Stream it here.

Former Nightwish Singer Anette Olzon Releasing Solo Debut

(TeamRock Radio) Anette Olzon, the singer who was fired from Nightwish last year, will be releasing her first-ever solo album in early 2014, she has confirmed.

Shine has been under production since 2009, but includes songs written more recently. She'd planned to release it some time ago but postponed it due to her commitments with Nightwish.

Olzon says: "The overall message of the album is that life can be really dark and filled with hardship and sadness – but you can always choose to see some light coming through, to make you stronger and full of life, making you shine, no matter what." more on this story

Transatlantic Release Their Video Debut

(Classic Rock) Transatlantic, the supergroup featuring Mike Portnoy ex of Dream Theatre, Marillion's Pete Trewavas, former frontman Neal Morse and the Flower Kings leader Roine Stolt, have launched their first-ever music video.

It's taken from upcoming fourth album Kaleidoscope, which becomes available for pre-order via InsideOut Records on December 27.

Drummer Portnoy tells Classic Rock: "Here it is: the very first Transatlantic music video! We shot it this past September in London, the day after the Progressive Music Awards. What a beautiful setting it was to shoot in!

"Picking a song to do a video for wasn't easy as most Transatlantic songs are about 30 minutes long… But Shine was a cool choice as it's such a beautiful piece with all four of us sharing the vocals. Enjoy!" Watch the video here.

Metallica and Iron Maiden To Headline Sonisphere Festival

(hennemusic) Metallica and Iron Maiden will headline the UK's Sonisphere Festival next summer. The July 4-6 event will mark the very first time both bands have appeared together on a British bill, and the only concerts either act will play in the U.K. next year.

As for Iron Maiden, the Sonisphere appearance will mark the final show of the band's "Maiden England" world tour, which launched in June 2012. By the time it's over, the group will have played 102 shows in 32 countries to well over two million fans.

"We all grew up in England well aware of the importance of the legendary concerts at Knebworth, and scarily, it all seems quite recent!," says Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson. "Without being clichéd, it really is an honor and privilege to return to play there with the purpose of celebrating some of the finest moments in British rock history from inspirational bands like Pink Floyd, The Who, [Led] Zeppelin, The [Rolling] Stones and Genesis."

"This will be the last concert of our 'Maiden England' tour and it is very fitting to end a long and hugely enjoyable tour in our own backyard," he continued. "We have tweaked the 'Maiden England' setlist a bit to make it more representative of our whole '80s era and to give the fans something a bit different, especially as this will be the last of our three tours with an historical perspective. If you are there on the day, it is highly likely that you will hear some of these songs played live for the very last time ever. So on an occasion like this, a celebration and the end of a chapter, you can be sure we will do our utmost to give our fans one hell of a show and go out with all guns blazing." See what Metallica had to say.

Megadeth To Rock Jimmy Kimmel

(hennemusic) Megadeth announced that they will perform on ABC-TV's Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday, December 16. The program airs at 11:35 PM EST / 10:35 PM CST.

The band are currently playing dates on their Super Collider US tour with openers Fear Factory and Nonpoint. Megadeth have been on the road since the late spring release of their new album, "Super Collider."

The project debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 album chart in June with opening week sales of 29,000 copies. Watch the music video for the title track here.

Directions Pixies Could Go With Their Next Bass Player Named 'Kim'

(Radio.com) News came down over the weekend that alt-rock pioneers Pixies dismissed bassist Kim Shattuck from the group, a mere four months after she was hired to replace founding member Kim Deal.

Shattuck, the longtime leader of pop-punk outfit The Muffs, announced the move via her social media channels with this message: "Super disappointed to learn that my time with the Pixies ended today. Amazing experience. Looking forward to focusing my attention back on the Muffs and our upcoming new album. All the best to everyone."

With an extensive tour scheduled for the beginning of the year, the Pixies can't waste any time looking for a replacement. So, we decided to lend a hand and offer up some possibilities to take over for Deal and Shattuck.

And since they will apparently only hire musicians with the same first name, we spent time sweating over the supercomputers at Radio.com headquarters, punching in algorithms, and weighing some potentially earth-shaking selections (Kim Kardashian? Kim Jong Un? Kimmy Gibbler from Full House?) before finally coming up with five potential options to fill the gaping hole in Pixies' lineup. In our most wildly speculative 5 Directions series yet, here's our suggestions:

1) Kim Gordon: This choice might seem a little too on the nose, that's why she's our number one pick. Like the Pixies, Kim Gordon survived the rise and fall of the post-Nevermind alt-rock explosion with her dignity intact, and she knows quite well how to handle a band full of alpha males thanks to her long tenure in Sonic Youth. If her bass playing chops don't convince you, think about the breathy sexuality that her voice would bring to songs like "Gigantic" or "U-Mass." Try as she might, Kim Deal could never make a listener weak in the knees like Gordon can.

2) Kim Coletta: Another female bassist that has logged time in a band full of dudes (in her case, the pioneering D.C. post-punk quartet Jawbox), Coletta's strength lies in the meaty tone she wrests out of a bass guitar, one that would sound so nice sandwiched between the slashing chords ripped out by Pixies' guitarists Joey Santiago and Black Francis. She also makes some of the most awesome bass faces this side of Este Haim.

3) Kim Thayil: This pick is, of course, presupposing that Thayil, otherwise known as the lead guitarist for Soundgarden, can play the bass guitar. But considering his mastery of the six-stringer, there's little doubt that he can take on the rhythm parts that Kim Deal left behind. If nothing else, Thayil's no nonsense view of the world will come in handy to keep Black Francis' ego in check. See two other possibilities.

Badfinger's Joey Molland Releases New Solo Album

(Classic Rock) Badfinger icon Joey Molland has released his fourth solo album, Return To Memphis, which sees him exploring his musical roots. His old band – which he keeps alive via Joey Molland's Badfinger in the US – recently made headlines for the first time in decades when their track Baby Blue was used in the final episode of TV series Breaking Bad, and climbed to the top of the download charts.

But Molland has gone in a different direction with his latest work, recorded at Royal Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. "The album is quite a departure for me," he says. "The sound is very different: the treatment of the songs, the song content and the production all make for a much simpler approach."

Producer Carl 'Blue' Wise brought in a classic Memphis three-piece rhythm section and female backing vocalists. "It's a really simple-sounding record," says Molland. more on this story

Axel Rudi Pell Says Dio Still Pushes Him To Write Music

(Classic Rock) Axel Rudi Pell says he remains driven to create music by Ronnie James Dio, three years after the iconic Dio, Rainbow and Black Sabbath frontman's death.

The German guitar virtuoso believes the late singer's presence is strong on 15th album Into The Storm, which features former Rainbow and Black Sabbath drummer Bobby Rondinelli. Pell says: "There hasn't been one day of my life when I haven't been pushed by Ronnie's spirit to write something mystical."

There may have been something of Dio in the way Rondinelli was brought in after the amicable departure of long-term sticksman Mike Terrana. "Bobby hard heard a lot about me," says Pell. "He fell in love with the songs head over heels. I didn't have to tell him what to do – he did everything right first time." more on this story

Nuno Bettencourt Performing Extreme Hit On The Voice

(hennemusic) Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt will perform the band's 1991 hit, "More Than Words", on NBC's reality singing competition The Voice tonight, December 3.

Bettencourt will be joined by contestants Cole Vosbury, Will Champlin and James Wolpert for the performance on the series' weekly results show, which airs Tuesday at 9:00 PM EST.

"More Than Words" appeared on the Boston band's sophomore effort, "Extreme II: Pornograffitti." The song reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, helping push the album to double-platinum status. more on this story

Selim Lemouchi & His Enemies Streaming Debut Album Online

(Prog) Selim Lemouchi & His Enemies have launched debut album Earth Air Spirit Water Fire via Prog. It's the first work of guitarist Lemouchi since the demise of occult outfit The Devil's Blood. He says he's been on a journey of discovery in the meantime, leading to new depth of meaning in his latest music – some of which he didn't originally realise.

He tells Prog: "We very much were treading water with three or four hours of demos and several hours of improvised music. I saw definite cohesion between some of the songs, and they turned into the first EP and later into several other albums that I'm working on at the moment.

"But these five songs, while expressing more or less equal parts of my personality, had nothing to do with each other; or so it seemed. I delved deeper into them and found their oneness in the album you hear."

The album was recorded with the assistance of ten other musicians – including Lemouchi's sister Farida, also of The Devil's Blood – but Lemouchi is convinced he can deliver an effective live set at the album launch on December 7 at the Temporary Arts Centre in Eindhoven, Netherlands.

"We've been rehearsing steadily for several weeks, and this week we shall start with the last round of group rehearsals," he says, "We have 11 people working to attain the sound I hear in my mind. We're going to perform all parts of the record, while allowing each part to morph or evolve as it might seem appropriate at that particular moment." Listen to the album here.

Nightwish's Tuomas Holopainen Would Surprise Fans With Magazine

(Classic Rock) Nightwish mainman Tuomas Holopainen has revealed his passion for blues rock icon Gary Moore. In the exclusive video he explains why Moore would be among the musicians featured if he was made guest editor of Classic Rock for one issue.

And despite an obsession with fellow Finns Battle Beast, he says that his edition might surprise those who only know him for his symphonic rock output.

Nightwish – who recently confirmed temporary frontwoman Floor Jansen as a permanent addition – today released live DVD Showtime, Storytime. Meanwhile, Holopainen is completing work on his concept album The LIfe And Times Of Scrooge, based on cartoon character Scrooge McDuck. It's due out in April. Watch the interview here.

Chris Robinson 'Pleasantly Surprised' With No. 1 Blues Hit

(The Blues 19-year-old guitarist Chris Robinson is reeling after the experience of his debut single reaching number one in the iTunes blues chart, which has led to one of his heroes checking out his work.

The self-penned instrumental track, Lipstick On Her Cigar, marks the launch of his career as a professional musician. Robinson tells Peterborough Today: "I was pleasantly surprised; I didn't expect it. I'm really proud to see that other people like it."

He's already been tipped for success after being named one of the best young guitarists in the world today by producer and photographer Robert Knight. more on this story

Ozzy Osbourne Tribute On His 65th Birthday

(Gibson) Ozzy Osbourne is 65 years old on December 3. Old enough to qualify for a free bus pass in his native U.K, but still rebellious enough to be a rock hero to millions.

John "Ozzy" Osbourne remains one of rock's most unlikely stars. He admits he "can't really sing." He says he can't play any musical instruments – you probably wouldn't want to hear him try. In Black Sabbath, he rarely even writes the words he wails – bassist Geezer Butler is the band's lyricist.

Yet Ozzy's been fortunate enough to work with some of guitar's greatest heavy-riffing talents, more of whom later. One thing Ozzy does do well is entertain, onstage and off. He certainly gives "good quote." Here are just a few pearls of wit and wisdom from his I Am Ozzy autobiography and beyond…

Ozzy in his own words: "Never in a million years did I think I'd end up making a career out of singing. I didn't think it was possible. As far as I knew, the only way I could make any dough was to go and work in a factory, like everyone else in Aston [Birmingham]. Or rob a [expletive] bank."

"I don't consider myself a great singer - but I have a connection with the audience. There's the artist, and then a void and the audience; but I like to be part of the audience. I'd like to be them, and I'd like them to be me for an hour and a half."

"One of the few good things about being dyslexic is that when I say I don't read reviews, I mean I don't read reviews."

"Of all the things I`ve lost, I miss my mind the most."

On Black Sabbath's music: "What is this? It`s music to get a brain seizure by."

"I got rabies shots for biting the head off a bat but that`s OK - the bat had to get Ozzy shots."

On The Osbournes TV show: "I knew it was time to get off of reality TV when someone asked me if I sang as well as acted."

"The funny thing about getting married in America was that we needed to get a blood test before they'd give us a licence. I wouldn't have been surprised if the bloke from the lab had called back and said, 'Mr Osbourne, we appear to have found some blood in your alcohol.'"

When asked about how long his adolescence lasted, Ozzy quipped: "It will be over around the year 2083, I think."

"I love the smell of armpits in the morning. It's like victory."

"Sometimes I'm scared of being Ozzy Osbourne. It could be worse... I could be Sting." A lot more.

Of Mice & Men Release 'You're Not Alone' Lyric Video

(TeamRock Radio) Of Mice & Men have released a lyric video for their track You're Not Alone. It's taken from upcoming album Restoring Force, due on January 28th in North America and the 27th in the UK.

Frontman Austin Carlile recently said of the follow-up to 2011's The Flood: "We wanted it to bring equilibrium back to our band and music. We're letting everyone know that we're here to stay: we're Restoring Force."

They will be launching a UK tour in April with Issues and Beartooth to support the new album. Check out the dates and watch the new lyric video here.

Robert Plant And Friends Jam Led Zeppelin Classic "Whole Lotta Love"

(hennemusic) Robert Plant has posted the fourth episode in his new 8-part web series, "Zirka", which documents his 2003 trip to perform in Mali and the Festival In The Desert.

Plant appeared at the famed festival alongside Ali Farka Toure, Tinariwen and many others. In the latest episode, Plant and friends jam the Led Zeppelin classic "Whole Lotta Love" in one of the tents.

Watch episode 1 of "Zirka" here, episode 2 here, and episode 3 here and you can watch the latest episode of the series here.

Singled Out: Eat the Gun's Loner

Today Hendrik Wippermann from Eat the Gun tells us about the song "Loner" from their brand new album "Stripped To The Bone," which is being released today by SPV in North America. Here is the story:

"I walk alone, wherever I go, I'm a loner" goes the chorus line of the song. It's a feeling that most people know, being lonely although you're obviously not.

The song is about following your dreams which has become quite a tough challenge these days. Without entangling in a philosophic approach or general complaint about "how hard life can be in a world that has gone so bad", the basic idea behind the song is about being aware of the things that happen around you. As musicians we (the band) know exactly what it takes to follow your dreams. It means that you have to do the best you can because it's so easy to fail in this business. You have to be on the watch all the time because there are loads of traps to walk into and people trying to tell you what to do for the wrong reasons.

On the other side a musicians' life is so different from the "ordinary" lives most people live. That's mainly what causes a feeling of living the life of a loner, who walks through life on his own which is not necessarily a state of great happiness. I think everyone who has the chance to do what they're good at for a living can be grateful, no matter if you're a musician, a nursery teacher or the owner of a whole-grain bakery.

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