Thursday, March 22, 2012

Slash Shoots Down Guns N' Roses Rock Hall Reunion Hopes...



Slash: Guns N’ Roses not playing Rock Hall induction

Slash has confirmed the rumours surrounding the possibility of Guns N’ Roses performing at their induction into to Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame next month.

“We’re not playing,” the guitarist tells the Toronto Sun. “I would imagine that they asked us to play but I know that we’re not playing.”

A staff member at Envision Radio Networks leaked the news recently while posting under musical director Paul Shaffer’s twitter account; an Envision management type called the tweet “inadvertent” while not denying its accuracy. 

Calling the music industry recognition “an honour,” Slash added, “Either it hasn’t hit me yet or maybe it’s been so long since I had anything to do with Guns N’ Roses that I just don’t really get it.”

Still, Slash, 46, said he’s definitely attending the event in Cleveland, despite no fondness for dressing up. “It’s a formal, I hate formals,” he said.

The guitarist also expects former GNR drummer Steven Adler, with whom he recently played with on a ballad off Adler’s new band’s upcoming album, to be there too. “I could be positive Steven will be there. Steven wouldn’t miss it,” said Slash.

He just couldn’t speak to the attendance of the rest of the GNR classic lineup, specifically GNR lead singer Axl Rose. “I don’t know. I would assume so but we haven’t talked about it,” he said.

The GNR situation has been talked about since the band’s Rock Hall nomination last fall, with former band members hesitant to commit to anything, not unusual in the GNR universe…even moreso since they are no longer a part of the current lineup. -
Hennemusic.com



Here are some interesting facts about Guns N' Roses



Origins:
Guns N' Roses has gone through many members. Current members are: Axl Rose, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, DJ Ashba, Richard Fortus, Tommy Stinson, Frank Ferrer, Dizzy Reed, and Chris Pitman. Past members include: Ole Beich, Rob Gardner, Tracii Guns, Steven Adler, Izzy Stadlin, Gilby Clarke, Slash, Matt Sorum, Duff Mckagan, Josh Freese, Paul Tobias, and Buckethead.
Guns N’ Roses formed in Los Angeles, CA, in 1985
The band was formed by Axl Rose’s band, Hollywood Rose, and Tracii Guns’s band, L.A. Guns. The Name Guns N’ Roses formed by combining the two names.
Their first performance was on March 26th, 1985
The first tour the band went on was titled the “Hell Tour,” which toured from LA to Seattle, where the band really gelled together.
Tom Zutaut, a Geffen Records A&R executive first saw them play at the Troubadour, which is the same club that The Eagles played at. Zutaut went on to tell other label scouts that GNR sucked, just so he would have more time to sign them.

Press/Music:
Axl Rose wrote “Sweet Child O’ Mine” about his girlfriend and soon-to-be wife, Erin Everly, whom he would eventually divorce. He did not have any kids at the time
Gene Simmons of KISS originally tried to produce the album “Appetite for Destruction.” However, Mike Clink ended up producing it.
Slash’s disinterest in the band began in 1994 when the band was recording a song by The Rolling Stones called “Sympathy for the Devil.” Axl wanted Slash to copy Keith Richards' playing, while Slash wanted an original Guns N’ Roses recording to be done. When Slash discovered that the recently hired guitarist, Gilby Clarke, had copied Slash’s solo and was putting it into the final mixing, he was infuriated. That would be the last recording by the band for about 5 years. Slash then drifted in and out of the band while starting his own project called “Slash’s Snakepit,” named for his extensive collection of snakes.
The album “Appetite for Destruction” underwent an artwork change after the original Robert Williams cover design. William’s cover, a surrealist scene in which a dagger-toothed monster attacks a robot rapist, spawned complaints from many religious groups, and caused some record stores to brown bag, obscure, or refuse to sell the album. This did not appear to impact sales all that much.

Controversies/Trouble:
During the spring of 1988, Guns N’ Roses was invited to the Monsters of Rock festival at Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England. The band would play onstage with Iron Maiden and KISS. During the show, the crowd of over 100,000 people began to jump around and push towards the stage. Consequently, 2 people were trampled to death. The media blamed the band for the tragedy, claiming that the band kept playing even when the crowd became dangerous. This gave the band the title of “The world’s most dangerous band.”
Members of Guns N' Roses were often seen intoxicated on and off stage. While at the American Music Awards, the band was intoxicated and were using many profanities. The members of the band eventually found ways to stop their addictions after Axl threatened to end the band if the heavy drug use did not stop.
During the recording session of Civil War, after 30 takes, drummer Steven Adler was fired due to problems caused by heroin and cocaine addiction. He was then replaced by Matt Sorum.
Performances during the Use Your Illusion World Tour were often filled with riots, late starts, and outspoken rants by Rose. While the band's previous drug and alcohol issues were for the most part under control, Axl was often agitated by lack of security, sound problems, and unwanted filming or recording of the band's performances. He also used the time in between songs to fire off political statements against music critics or celebrity rivals. -Carlini.suite101.com












Tesla...

Music Video of the Day
Tesla
"Love Song"


A power ballad by the band Tesla, from the album The Great Radio Controversy, released in 1989. When the video was placed in heavy rotation on MTV, the song rocketed to number ten on the U.S. charts, becoming one of the group's biggest hits.
The music video was filmed in the band's home town of Sacramento at the former Cal Expo amphitheater. Old 93 Rock banners can be seen hanging in the back ground.
The single and video version removes the classical guitar intro, reducing the song length to about 4:09. -Wikipedia.com


"Love Song" was written by vocalist/ front man Jeff Keith and guitarist/keyboardist Frank Hannon. It is Tesla's greatest success, widely considered to be their signature song, and still getting heavy airplay today. However, it is not their highest-charting single: That would be "Signs," their cover of a Five Man Electrical Band song, which got to #8 on the Hot 100... but only after being re-released. -Songfacts.com


For the Record …

Members include Frank Hannon , guitar; Jeff Keith (born in Texarkana, OK), vocals; Troy Luccketta , drums; Tommy Skeoch , guitar; and Brian Wheat , bass.

Band formed in Sacramento, CA, 1984; originally named City Kidd; signed with Geffen Records, c. 1985; released debut album, Mechanical Resonance, 1986.

Awards: Platinum records for Mechanical Resonance, The Great Radio Controversy, Five Man Acoustical Jam, and Psychotic Supper; gold record for Bust a Nut.

Addresses: Record company—Geffen Records, 9130 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90069.

the encore game with audiences in which performers run offstage until enough applause brings them back out; lead singer Jeff Keith simply tells the audience: “We’re not going to hide behind the amplifiers,” and asks, “Do you want to hear another?”

Breaking the mold has brought Tesla longevity in a genre in which bands either rise rapidly then fade away with similar speed, or become such icons that expectations for them are impossible to meet. “Falling prey to neither the glam image of the early ‘80s, nor the angstdriven grunge trend of the ‘90s, Tesla carved out a niche for themselves as ‘every person’s’ band,” declared RIP magazine. “Performing equally well on their aggressive, power-rock tunes as on their emotionally resonant acoustic ones, the band pleased a growing following who stood by them no matter what was in vogue musically.” -Encyclopedia.com














Wednesday, March 21, 2012

KISS, Mötley Crüe Announce Tour 2012...

Music News


KISS, Motley Crue Announce Summer 2012 Tour, Gene Simmons Disses Rihanna...


Iconic rock bands KISS and Motley Crue announced their 40-date North American summer 2012 tour on Tuesday -- conveniently titled "The Tour" -- but they caused an even bigger stir when KISS frontman Gene Simmons dissed pop star Rihanna.


"We're sick and tired of girls getting up there with dancers and karaoke tapes in back of them," Simmons told the crowd at the press conference, reports Billboard.com. "No fake bull***t. Leave that to the Rihanna, Shmianna and anyone who ends their name with an 'A.'"


Motley Crue's Tommy Lee seconded Simmons' strong opinions, explaining that he's frustrated by the quality of performances -- and artists -- he now sees at award shows. 


"No disrespect to Rihanna, she's a great singer, but we're in a slump for some s**t that has some personality and appeal beyond a bunch of pop stuff that's floating around out there," he told Billboard.com. "I'm glad he said that actually because I don't think I can bear watching another f**king award show that is just a little bit better than 'American Idol.' It's f**king pathetic to watch people go out and f**king karaoke with a bunch of lights and video. It's all completely watered down."


This isn't the first time the KISS frontman has dissed modern pop music. Simmons was not impressed with Madonna's Super Bowl halftime show and publicly claimed that it would be better off with a "real band."


For more information on KISS and Motley Crue's "The Tour," including tour dates and interviews with the rockers, head to Billboard.com.
-Huffingtonpost.com










The rockers will embark on a 40-plus city jaunt simply dubbed “THE TOUR” on July 20 in Manassas, Va., and visit Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood three dates later on July 24.


While the apparently never-retiring KISS (currently Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer) has toured in the past with fellow longhairs Poison (in 2003) and Skid Row (in 2001 for the, ahem, KISS “Farewell Tour”) and the original lineup of the Crue has also rocked stages with Poison (2011) and Aerosmith (2006), this unholy matrimony of fist-pumping glam rock is seen by many ‘80s rock fans as the ultimate pairing.

KISS and Motley Crue did share a stage in 1982 for the “Creatures of the Night Tour,” when the Crue was in its infancy and KISS was dealing with the departure of Ace Frehley and arrival of Vinnie Vincent. -Blogs.ajc.com














Eddie Money...

"Happy 63rd Birthday"
Eddie Money...


Biography...

Born: March 2, 1949

Eddie Money arrived in the late '70s at the height of album rock's popularity. While Money didn't have a remarkable voice, he had a knack for catchy, blue-collar rock & roll, which he delivered with a surprising amount of polished, radio-friendly finesse. He was able to survive in the early MTV era by filming a series of funny narrative videos, something his AOR peers were reluctant to do. However, he wasn't able to resist the temptations of a rock & roll lifestyle, and his popularity dipped in the mid-'80s as he struggled with various addictions. Once he sobered up, he made a remarkable comeback in the late '80s, with singles like "Take Me Home Tonight" and "Walk on Water" reaching the Top Ten. It proved to be Money's last string of hits -- during the early '90s his popularity faded and, aside from very intermittent returns to the recording studio as an independent artist, he retired to the oldies circuit.


Initially, Eddie Mahoney was going to follow in his father's footsteps and become a Brooklyn cop. He attended the New York Police Academy during the early '70s, but at night he sang in rock & roll bands under the name Eddie Money. After a few years, he decided to pursue rock & roll as a career and quit the academy, moving to Berkeley, CA. Money became a regular at Bay Area clubs, where he eventually got the attention of legendary promoter Bill Graham, who signed the singer to his management company. Graham also secured him a contract with Columbia Records, and Money released his eponymous debut in 1977.


During the late '70s, Eddie Money had a handful of album rock hits and wound up crossing over into the Top 40 with songs like "Baby Hold On" and "Maybe I'm a Fool." During the early '80s, Money began to make funny narrative videos, which became staples on early MTV and made "Shakin'" and "Think I'm in Love" hits. His career hit a slump during the mid-'80s as he struggled with various drug addictions, but he made a comeback in 1986 with Can't Hold Back. Featuring the hit duet with Ronnie Spector "Take Me Home Tonight," as well as the Top 20 "I Wanna Go Back," the album became a Top Ten smash, re-establishing Money as a successful blue-collar rocker. Money followed the album in 1988 with Nothing to Lose, which featured the Top Ten "Walk on Water." Two years later, "Peace in Our Time," taken from the 1989 Greatest Hits: The Sound of Money, reached number 11.


"Peace in Our Time" proved to be Money's last big hit. During the early '90s, his audience slowly faded away, as both 1991's Right Here and 1992's Unplug It In were ignored. Columbia dropped him in the mid-'90s, and he spent the remainder of the decade touring the oldies circuit. He returned with a new album, Ready Eddie, in 1999, followed by the soul-inflected Wanna Go Back in 2007. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi. -Starpulse.com


Money in the media:

"Two Tickets to Paradise" has been featured in numerous forms of media including video games, television, and movies. It was featured in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas on the radio station K-DST in 2004, and also in an episode of The Simpsons, to which Homer remarks "excellent guitar riff". It also appeared in the reality show Paradise Hotel. The song also appeared in the film Operation Situation: Code Name Kill.

"Baby Hold On" was featured in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories on the radio station Emotion 98.3 in 2006.

"Shakin'" is featured in the hit video game series Guitar Hero on the Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s edition.

Eddie appears in an episode of the CBS sitcom The King Of Queens, when Doug, Deacon and Arthur hire Money to play a personal concert for just the three of them in Dougs living room.

He makes an appearance in the The Drew Carey Show, as the former husband of Mimi Bobeck.

Two of Money's songs ("Get A Move On" and "Open Up Your Heart") were prominently featured in the movie Americathon. While both appear on the vinyl release of the motion picture soundtrack album, the ballad Open Up Your Heart does not seem to have ever been released on CD or on any of Money's collections.

His song "Think I'm In Love" is featured in both Joe Dirt (2001) as well as Paul Blart: Mall Cop (2009), starring his friend Kevin James. -Lyricsfreak.com


Yes, This is my all time fav from Eddie, ENJOY !!!!






Lita Ford...

Lita Ford
Music Video For Today...
"Falling In And Out Of Love"


Lyrics:
We've changed, a new change of season
Autumn came, we went, I went insane
Never was winter so cold, no
Look away from the homeward road

I'm feeling love in a daydream
Making love first morning light
Walking slowly in the summer rain
Alone I lie, fantasize

I'm falling in and out of love
I'm falling in and out of love
Slip inside my dream
Dream away with me
'Cause I'm falling in and out of love

Like a diamond, never our love would break
But in a heartbeat thrown us both away
Set me free to live my life like a rolling stone
Look away from the homeward road

I'm feeling love in a daydream
Making love first morning light
Walking slowly in the summer rain
Alone I lie, fantasize

Falling in and out of love
I'm falling in and out of love
Slip inside my dream
Dream away with me
'Cause I'm falling in love

Falling in and out of love
I'm falling in and out of love
I'm falling in and out of love
I'm falling in and out of love

Falling in and out of love
I'm falling in and out of love
I'm falling in and out of love
I'm falling in and out of love... 


A lighter side of Lita emerged with the album Lita...
Pop-metal which she had long favoured had let her brake through to mainstream audiences, which set the stage for her most commercially successful album, 1988's Lita. With Sharon Osbourne as her manager, and again produced by herself, the album featured four commercial hits, including "Kiss Me Deadly", "Back To The Cave", "Close My Eyes Forever", and "Falling In And Out Of Love" (co-written with Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe). The ballad "Close My Eyes Forever", a duet with Sharon's husband Ozzy Osbourne, was her only Top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hit, reaching #8. -Wikipedia.com



Random Facts about Lita:

Lita Ford was voted by Reader`s Choice Awards in Metal Edge magazine Best female performer and sexiest female in 1987.

Taking up the guitar at age 11, she joined the all-girl band "The Runaways". "Lita" (1988), her fourth solo album, went platinum, and Guitar magazine voted her Best Female Guitarist (1989). 

Once dated Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe in the mid-1980s. 

Is Italian 

Was a Grammy nominee in 1984 for Best Female Rock Performance, alongside Wendy O. Williams and Pia Zadora. 

Her hit singles as a solo artist include: "Kiss Me Deadly" and "Close My Eyes Forever". 

Was in the all girl rock band the Runaways with Joan Jett. 

In 2005, Lita made a rare guest appearance on the LOU album "The Other Side". The track "I Want To Be Loved" featured Lita on guitar and vocal. 

Ranked #95 on VH1's 100 Sexiest Artists. 
She married former Nitro singer, Jim Gillette on May 13th, 1994. Together they have a son named James Leonard Gillette, who was born on May 13th, 1997. He was 6lbs 10oz and 17 3/4 inches. -Imdb.com












Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Chester Bennington...

"Happy 36th Birthday"
Chester Bennington...



Who was the missing ingredient to Linkin Park's ground-breaking sound? The answer came in the form of a twenty-year-old misfit from Phoenix, Arizona named Chester Bennington. Chester was a vocalist in a locally reknowned band named Grey Daze and was given a mixtape from a band named Xero by a Zomba Music A&R executive in the latter part of 1998. Xero were searching for a new vocalist in the wake of Mark Wakefield's departure and started handing out demo tapes to try and find a replacement. After listening to the tape and liking what he heard, Chester wrote lyrics and recorded them over the tracks, then sent the tape back to the band. On his 23rd birthday in '99, Chester received a phone call from his Zomba contact saying the band were interested to meet him in person to try out for the lead vocalist spot. Chester flew to Southern California and met the Xero bandmates, then proceeded to completely blow them away in the audition. Not only did he impress the band, his performance also intimidated another vying candidate into leaving before his audition! Chester was a shoe-in for the vocalist spot. The band soon renamed themselves to Hybrid Theory and released their first material recorded with Chester on the 'Hybrid Theory EP' soon afterwards in '99. Hybrid Theory would later change their name to Linkin Park.

Bennington is often labeled as the main source of raw emotion found in many of Linkin Park's songs. This stems from a problematic childhood plagued with the divorcing of his parents, sexual molestation, and heavy drug and alcohol abuse. Through writing music, Chester therapeutically released his pent-up frustration and anger. Instead of making the messages of his songs solely about himself, Chester's writing style uses universal emotions and relatable themes instead of situational lyrics to deliver his stories and help others. For this reason, Chester is regarded as a role model for millions of people who can relate to his messages.
Chester has also realized his creativity through a number of musical endeavours besides that of Linkin Park. What initially began forming in 2005, ultimately became Chester working alongside Amir Derakh, Brandon Belsky, Elias Andra, and Anthony "Fu" Valcic of Julien K & Ryan Shuck of Orgy to form the side-project, Dead By Sunrise. The band released their debut album "Out Of Ashes" October 19th 2008 and have played a number of shows in Europe. Chester also performs with his cover band, Bucket Of Weenies from time to time too, a band dedicated to performing classic rock hits. BOW is a collaboration of Chester on vocals, Ryan Shuck on guitar, Mike "Cheez" Brown on bass, Mike Rouse on guitar & Sean Dowdell on drums.
Chester has also devoted his talents to other projects outside of music, which include his very own clothing line in Ve' Cel, a label comprised of edgy designs aimed at embracing uniqueness and individuality in fashion. Chester also has a creative outlet in his tattoo business, Club Tattoo, which is a part-owned enterprise with long time friends Sean Dowdell and Thora Dowdell. -lpassociation.com

Facts about Chester...
Before Grey Daze, when Chester was 15 he played in a band called "Sean Dowdell and Friends" in which he was the lead singer. Currently the only existing evidence of this band is a 3 song tape that includes the following songs: "Painted Pictures" "Kill The Flies" and "God's Afraid".
Chester was the one who came up with the name Linkin Park for his band (taken from the then-name of a park in Santa Monica, California). It was originally supposed to be spelled "Lincoln" but since the band couldn't afford to buy the domain name lincolnpark.com from its owner, they changed the spelling in order to buy linkinpark.com. -Imdb.com



Personal Quotes from Chester~
"What I enjoy most about being in the band is having the opportunity to create and perform music with amazing musicians who have also become closest of friends. I would like to thank all who support us and make all of this possible." 

Chester on high school: "I was a geek who thought I was cool. I didn't hang out with a particular clique, but with different people from different cliques. I was a total nerd, trying to fit in. Luckily, I found music and that was my niche. That sorta took me out of my geekdom. I was never invited to parties as a teenager - I turned up with the popular people. That's where the lyrics to 'Guilty By Association' came from."   -Imdb.com

Just one of my favs...










Skillet...

Skillet
"Monster"
Video for Today...


"Monster" is the second single of the 2009 album Awake by the Christian rock band Skillet, and is the second track on the album. The single went on to become the bands breakthrough single charting at #4 on Mainstream rock charts and #101 on the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 Chart. A radio edit version can be found on the Deluxe Version, which does not include the growling part of the song. It's also the fifth single by Skillet to be released to physical media.
The Single has so far peaked at number #11 on the iTunes Rock charts, #1 on Christian Rock radio, #2 on Christian Hard Rock radio, #20 on the Billboard Rock Songs chart, #7 on the Billboard Heatseeker charts, #4 on the US Active Rock charts, and number #4 on the Mainstream rock charts, making it the most successful single in the band's history. It is also the first single to make the Alternative Songs chart, debuting at #40, peaked at #28. On November 10th it was announced that the song had reached the "Elite 8" on MTV's rotation slot. The song was also the tenth most played halloween song of 2010. -Wikipedia.com




This was the second single from American Christian rock band Skillet's eighth studio album, Awake.
Front man John Cooper explained to StereoTruth.net: "It's a song about being fake and putting on a face for people that's not the real you. But it's basically about the nature of sin and the nature of the divine, which is the duel nature we have as Christians. Everyday we have to strive to throw away the old and be that new person in Christ."
Cooper expanded on the song to Christianity Today magazine: "In a theological sense, the song is about original sin. You are born into the human race, you're guilty or sinful, no matter what you hope to be. "Monster" is about the fact that there is somebody we know we don't want to be. Some people call it the old man or the old self. That guy wants to creep out when you're driving and somebody cuts you off. You wonder as a Christian, how do I keep it at bay? I liken it to the idea of a '50s horror film of this beast inside you coming alive."
This song was used as the theme for the 2009 edition WWE pay-per-view "Hell in a Cell." It is also featured in WWE video game Smackdown vs Raw 2010 and was used in the NBC telecast of Wrestlemania 25, highlighting WWE wrestler Randy Orton's quest to become the WWE champion. -Songfacts.com