PAUL STANLEY: 'The Story Of KISS Really Is A Story Of A Friendship Between Two People'
During an appearance on the CBS talk show “The Talk”, Paul Stanley discussed KISS’s new A&E documentary “Biography: KISStory”, which is set to premiere with a two-night event on June 27 and June 28 from 9 p.m. ET to 11 p.m. ET.
“I think that this documentary really humanizes us, particularly Gene [Simmons, KISS bassist/vocalist] and I, because the story of KISS really is a story of a friendship between two people,” Paul said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). “We met when we were living at home. We were young teenagers with this great ambition. And this is really our story. We were there in the beginning, and we’re there to wrap it up. So we’ll go out on the farewell tour that we’ve been on prior to the pandemic, and we’re doing it bigger than ever. So, it’s terrific. It’s a great bookend.”
Asked how KISS managed to come back from almost hitting rock bottom, Stanley said: “Look, I’m a big believer that when somebody is drowning, you try to save them. But when they start pulling you down with them is when you cut them loose. You’re always gonna find out how much something means to you by how hard you’re willing to fight to bring it back or to retain it. So it was sheer determination. And did we make some wrong turns in our journey? Yeah, but we always wound up getting back on the right path. And I just have to say kudos to all our fans who stood by us. And likely some of them left discouraged at some point, and over time we won them back.”
Directed by D.J. Viola, “Biography: KISStory” chronicles the band’s five decades in the business as founders Stanley and Simmons reflect on their historic career. Current members Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer as well as guests Dave Grohl (NIRVANA, FOO FIGHTERS), Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE), manager Doc McGhee, music producer Bob Ezrin (ALICE COOPER, PINK FLOYD) and more tell the wild story of the most successful and influential band in the world.
“Biography: KISStory” is a Leslie Greif production, produced for A&E Network by Critical Content and Big Dreams Entertainment with Leslie Greif and Jenny Daly serving as executive producers and D.J. Viola serving as director. Elaine Frontain Bryant and Brad Abramson serve as executive producers for A&E Network. A+E Networks holds worldwide distribution rights for “Biography: KISStory”.
KISS last played a full show this past New Year’s Eve in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The event broke Guinness world records for highest flame projection in a music concert and for most flame projections launched simultaneously in a music concert.
Guest co-host @PaulStanleyLive discusses the ‘humanizing’ upcoming documentary “Biography: KISStory.” pic.twitter.com/3mgVDf7i8J
— The Talk (@TheTalkCBS) June 17, 2021
Full EP Stream: Waerloga “Liar / Enemy” 7-Inch
Mysterious American black metallers Waerloga delight our mid-’90s black metal preferences with new EP, “Liar / Enemy.” Streaming now!
The post Full EP Stream: Waerloga “Liar / Enemy” 7-Inch appeared first on Decibel Magazine.
RICK ALLEN Remembers Watching VAN HALEN Open For BLACK SABBATH In 1978: 'They Should Have Been The Headliner'
DEF LEPPARD drummer Rick Allen, who has been expressing himself in recent years through his artwork, spoke to Pat’s Soundbytes Unplugged about his “Legends” series, which consists of lifelike-yet-impressionistic portraits of musicians who have influenced him, from Jimi Hendrix to Freddie Mercury to John Lennon.
On the topic of how he gets the inspiration for his “Legends” paintings, Allen said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I remember over a year ago now losing Neil Peart [of RUSH], so it was obvious. My way of paying homage to one of the greatest drummers of all time was to paint him, and that’s exactly what I did. And then the same with [VAN HALEN guitarist] Eddie Van Halen more recently.”
Allen went on to reflect on the first time he heard VAN HALEN’s music back in 1978, shortly after the release of the band’s debut album.
“My best friend, he calls me and he says, ‘I want you to come and listen to this record,'” Rick said. “So I go to his house and listen to ‘Van Halen I’ for the first time and was completely blown away. A couple of months later, they’re coming through town with BLACK SABBATH — they’re opening for BLACK SABBATH. And quite honestly, VAN HALEN owned that show. The BLACK SABBATH camp, you could see the wheels kind of coming off. But, yeah, VAN HALEN, they should have been the headliner.
“And then, I moved to the States in ’91, became really good friends with Steve Lukather from TOTO,” he continued. “He called me one night and he said, ‘We’re having a get-together. We’d love for you to come. I’d love to introduce you to my friend Eddie Van Halen.’ So [as] this huge VAN HALEN fan from way back, I actually got to meet him. [He was] very unassuming. You wouldn’t have thought he did what he did for a living, and especially play guitar like he does. So, again, my paying homage to Eddie was, really, to paint him. And my thoughts really went out to his family and, obviously, all of his fans worldwide.”
Last month, Allen told CBS12 that he “really looked up to” Eddie Van Halen as a musician. “I think he changed guitar playing forever,” he said. “I think between him and Jimi Hendrix, they inspired other musicians. It’s just a massive loss.”
As for his painting of Eddie, Rick said: I just wanted to capture that smile. He just seemed to be in his element. It’s really paying homage to him. And I really felt for his family as well, of course.”
In a 2018 interview with The Hype Magazine, Allen, who started painting at an early age before he ever picked up the drums, stated about his use of light or some sort of bright object in his art: “Reality is very difficult to do, but it’s my attempt to painting the object or whatever it is. It’s a study of how the light bounces off of the object. Some of the more recent pieces — there was one that I did of [late DEF LEPPARD guitarist] Steve Clark; then there was one I did of John Lennon; I did one of Jimi Hendrix, the ‘Legends’ pieces — that, to me, was a study at how you’re really not painting the person’s face, you’re painting how the light bounces off of the person. If you look closely at some of the pieces, they make no sense when you look at them up close. When you stand back and you start to view it from a distance, it’s almost like your mind fills in the blanks and it creates the illusion of reality.”
Two years ago, Rick told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution about his artistic process with his paintings: “I take a photograph I really like of the person, and I’ll poster-ize it and sketch the poster-ization onto the canvas, and that’s when I can come up with my whites, blacks and grays. After I do the under painting, I’ll start to choose colors. When I do the ‘Legends’, I normally listen to the music of the artist I’m painting.”
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MAN ON MAN Feat. FAITH NO MORE Keyboardist RODDY BOTTUM: First Live Appearances Announced
MAN ON MAN, the project featuring FAITH NO MORE keyboardist Roddy Bottum and his boyfriend Joey Holman, will make its live debut on August 26 at Elsewhere Zone One in Brooklyn, New York. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 18 at 10 a.m. MAN ON MAN will also perform at the Riot Fest in Chicago on Saturday, September 18 and will participate in a virtual pride celebration, Dreamstage, on June 26.
MAN ON MAN released its self-titled debut album on May 7 via Polyvinyl Records in the U.S. and Big Scary Monsters in Europe.
“Man On Man” is infused with indie-rock distortion and soaked in gay pop confidence while still maintaining the acerbic and pure sense of humor Bottum and Holman both share. M.O.M.’s music videos take their magical collaboration to another level with otherworldly cinematographic dimension, and, of course, the subversive playfulness of two gay lovers unmistakably flirting with their audience and each other. Upon the release of their debut single, “Daddy”, their video (chock full of the pair dancing seductively in their white briefs) was removed from YouTube for violating their “sex and nudity policy.” At this moment, the band solidified their political visibility as queer artists who are not okay with being silenced or removed from history because of their age or size. Bottum told Rolling Stone: “There’s enough representation in the gay community of young, hairless pretty men.” Roddy and Joey’s love for each other and their own bodies, histories, and truths are what make this project so tender and lovable.
MAN ON MAN’s music transcends both genre or decade, creating a timeless appeal for so many kinds of listening. The varied influences and textures of the record are a meditation on the myriad of emotions of lockdown, as well as this particular moment in their own lives, collectively and independently. The shoegaze whirlpools of “Stohner” transition into the square wave synths of “1983” with ease, while tracks like “It’s So Fun (To Be Gay)” open us up to a new type of queer anthem for the 2020s.
It is hard not to be captivated with MAN ON MAN’s story. When we fall into their world, which was self-produced with mix support by Grammy Award-winning producer Carlos de la Garza (M83, PARAMORE, JIMMY EAT WORLD) and Mike Vernon Davis (FOXING, GREAT GRANDPA), we witness MAN ON MAN’s deep intensity of falling in love while mourning, and the epic collaboration of two lovers that traverse the map of a COVID road trip.
MAN ON MAN is more than a band, it is a partnership of two beautiful queers who are committed to creating a language that is both musical and visual, and that transcends what we know of gay music at exactly the cultural moment we need them. As individuals, lovers, sons, community pillars, and human beings, M.O.M. are a womb to be reckoned with.
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THE DEAD DAISIES Announce 'Like No Other' Summer/Fall 2021 U.S. Tour
THE DEAD DAISIES will embark on a U.S. tour in the late summer/early fall. Support on the “Like No Other” trek will come from the “rock and roll comedian” Don Jamieson.
The dates are as follows:
Sep. 10 – Apollo Theatre – Rockford, IL
Sep. 11 – The Forge – Joliet, IL
Sep. 13 – Pieres – Fort Wayne, IN
Sep. 14 – Agora Theatre – Cleveland, OH
Sep. 17 – Showplace Theater – Buffalo, NY
Sep. 18 – The Landis Theater – vineland, NJ
Sep. 20 – Sony Hall – New York, NY
Sep. 22 – Elevation 27 – Virginia Beach, VA
Sep. 24 – Culture Room – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Sep. 25 – Janus Landing – St. Petersburg, FL
Sep. 27 – Pops – Sauget, IL
Sep. 29 – Granada Theatre – Dallas, TX
Sep. 30 – Rock Box – San Antonio, TX
Oct. 02 – Warehouse Live – Houston, TX
Oct. 03 – Come Take It Live – Austin, TX
Oct. 05 – The Marquee Theatre – Phoenix, AZ
Oct. 07 – The Ramona Main Stage – San Diego, CA
Oct. 09 – El Rey Theatre – Los Angeles, CA
Oct. 10 – Goldfield Placer – Sacramento, CA
Oct. 12 – Alberta Rose Theatre – Portland, OR
Oct. 15 – Neptune Theatre – Seattle, WA
Later this month, THE DEAD DAISIES will be dusting off the cobwebs by playing a series of warm-up dates where they finally get to showcase the band’s new lineup which is eager to perform its first new music for fans since 2018.
Said bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes: “We couldn’t play for you in 2020 and we’re really looking forward to seeing you in June/July for our ‘Get Out Of The House’ shows and then hit as many stages around the world as possible throughout the rest of the year. Love is the answer and music is the healer. Let’s rock ‘n’ roll together.”
“Get Out Of The House” tour dates:
Jun. 23 – Boca Raton, FL @ Boca Black Box
Jun. 25 – Nashville, TN @ The Mercy Lounge
Jun. 26 – Chattanooga, TN @ The Signal
Jun. 30 – Detroit, MI @ The Token Lounge
Jul. 02 – Columbus, OH @ The King of Clubs
Jul. 03 – Louisville, KY @ Diamond Concert Hall
Jul. 07 – Battle Creek, MI @ The Music Factory
Jul. 09 – Angola, IN @ The Eclectic Room
Jul. 10 – Harrison, OH @ Blue Note
Influenced by 1970s rock, THE DEAD DAISIES have gone from strength to strength since their debut album in 2013, releasing five studio LPs and playing live to a growing army of fans worldwide. The band’s current lineup includes Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION) on bass/vocals, Doug Aldrich (DIO, WHITESNAKE) on guitar, Tommy Clufetos (BLACK SABBATH, OZZY OSBOURNE) on drums and David Lowy (RED PHOENIX, MINK) on guitar.
THE DEAD DAISIES’ latest album, “Holy Ground”, was released in January. Recorded at La Fabrique Studios in the south of France with producer Ben Grosse, the LP is the band’s first to feature Hughes, who joined the group in 2019 as its new bassist and vocalist, replacing John Corabi (MÖTLEY CRÜE) and Marco Mendoza (THIN LIZZY).
Drummer Deen Castronovo announced his exit from THE DEAD DAISIES in January, two days after the band’s publicist revealed that Clufetos will rejoin THE DEAD DAISIES when they hit the road in support of “Holy Ground”. Clufetos previously toured with THE DEAD DAISIES in 2015.
So thrilled to announce we’re kicking off the LIKE NO OTHER US TOUR in Sept 21 ?? Looking forward to busting out & delivering a monstrous dose of ROCK! Can’t wait to see you all!?⚡️??
Check out the new dates here:https://t.co/0Pq4JiAaR2#TheDeadDaisies #LikeNoOther #USA pic.twitter.com/nOjwNDqWty
— The Dead Daisies (@TheDeadDaisies) June 17, 2021
Read more » Video Premiere: Lilim – ‘Top Locks’
Toronto metal-punk band Lilim debut new video for “Top Locks.”
The post Video Premiere: Lilim – ‘Top Locks’ appeared first on Decibel Magazine.
FOO FIGHTERS To Release Collection Of BEE GEES Covers For 'Record Store Day'
FOO FIGHTERS’ will release “Hail Satin” exclusively for Record Store Day on July 17. The 10-track LP will contain the band’s covers of five BEE GEES classics — “You Should Be Dancing”, “Night Fever”, “Tragedy” and “More Than A Woman” plus Andy Gibb’s “Shadow Dancing” — as well as five FOO FIGHTERS’ tracks from the “Medicine At Midnight” album recorded live at the band’s 606 studio. The limited-edition vinyl will be packaged “era-appropriately in a dazzling rainbow mylar sleeve.”
“For optimal results, listen with exposed chest hair and little gold spoon necklace (If you know, you know…),” FOO FIGHTERS said.
FOO FIGHTERS previously performed “You Should Be Dancing” for the Jo Wiley’s BBC show and “Shadow Dancing” for the Rock N’ Relief livestream.
Frontman Dave Grohl explained how the “You Should Be Dancing” cover came about, saying: “We’ve been going down to our studio every day and filming things and recording things, and this one day we had our list of things we were supposed to do and it said, ‘Record a cover song for Jo.’ And while we were having this conversation, somebody said, ‘Hey, have you seen that BEE GEES documentary?’ And I was like the last person on earth — the only person that hadn’t seen it! So I was, like, ‘Why don’t we just do a BEE GEES song?’ And someone was just, like, ‘Okay… how do you wanna do it?!’ And I said: ‘Well, let’s do it like the BEE GEES.'”
He continued: “We started recording the instrumental track, and then I thought, ‘Okay, well, I’m gonna go out and sing it…’ and let me tell you, I have never, ever in my life sung like that, but it was the easiest song I have ever sung in my entire life! I sang the song, and it was like six minutes and I was done. I should have been singing like this for the last 25 years!’
“Hail Satin” track listing:
Side A – The DEE GEES:
01. You Should Be Dancing
02. Night Fever
03. Tragedy
04. Shadow Dancing
05. More Than a Woman
Side B – Live At 606:
01. Making A Fire
02. Shame Shame
03. Waiting On A War
04. No Son Of Mine
05. Cloudspotter
A list of participating record stores is available at the Record Store Day site.
Photo credit: Magdalena Wosinska
Introducing…the Dee Gees!!!
HAIL SATIN – coming to a local record store & dance party near you July 17th!!! https://t.co/tBmhSkPpMm #RSDDrops #RSD21 @recordstoreday pic.twitter.com/j0g6Kh5jSj
— Foo Fighters (@foofighters) June 17, 2021
Read more » Fight Fire with Fire: ‘Scum’ vs. ‘Horrified’
It’s an early-grindcore showdown as we try to figure out what album is better: Napalm Death’s Scum or Repulsion’s Horrified.
The post Fight Fire with Fire: ‘Scum’ vs. ‘Horrified’ appeared first on Decibel Magazine.
How Does YNGWIE MALMSTEEN Keep From 'Retreading The Same Ground' With His Music? He Responds
In a new interview with the WSOU 89.5 FM radio station, legendary Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen was asked if he ever feels like he is “retreading the same ground” with his songwriting, and if so, how he prevents this from happening. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “No, I don’t. There are some artists who want to almost be trendy in a way. One great artist that I actually happen to love, David Bowie, who was amazing, he would try to go in different directions and so on, and that’s fine. But then you have other people like AC/DC and ZZ TOP and Eric Clapton — you name it — that [have] done the same thing forever, which is what they do, and they do it better than anybody else.
“The way I see myself is somebody who’s playing music from the soul, basically. I don’t try to play something. I don’t try to write something, I don’t try to be something that I’m not.
“What you hear on this new album is exactly what I’m about; it’s what I do,” he said, referencing his upcoming LP, “Parabellum”. “I don’t try to follow something; I don’t try to angle it one way or another. No, I don’t. This is art. It’s like being a painter or an author. You lock yourself into a room and something comes out of you — completely independent of the outside.
“I don’t listen to anything. I don’t follow anything. The only thing that I do when I make music is basically to make sure it’s undiluted. I don’t wanna dilute or distract the art that comes from within, basically. I’m very artistic and very spiritual, almost, in that sense, because it comes from me, it comes from inside, but maybe from somewhere else first. I don’t know. I just know that I don’t try to be something I’m not; I’m just doing what I’m doing. And that’s nothing to do with, ‘Oh, did you listen to what they did on the radio?’ No, I don’t. I couldn’t care less. I only live once, and I’m gonna make the music that I mean, and not follow something, and I don’t try to be something that I’m not. So, no. And I don’t ever think in those terms.
“For instance, if you asked me to write a country-and-western song, I could do it right now,” Yngwie added. “How long do you want it to be? Two and a half minutes? Three minutes? Do you want two choruses or one chorus? Which bridge do you want? I could write you a death metal song, I could write you a reggae song — I could write any piece of music that you want. My knowledge of music is that complete. I could write anything in any style. I could play any kind of guitar solo, I could play slide — whatever you want. I could do that. I have an extremely wide palette of knowledge when it comes to music. But the music that I put out, the music that I make with my name on it is from my soul. And I mean that. And especially this one, because it’s so undiluted. There’s no distraction on this, there’s no compromise — there’s nothing. This is just what I create. And people can love it, people can hate it; that’s secondary to me. The most important thing is that this is real. It’s the real thing, and it’s the only thing that I want. I don’t want anything else.”
“Parabellum”, will be released on July 23 via Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group. Only four of the songs on the LP feature vocals. The album title is Latin, translating as “Prepare For War”.
After working with some of the top hard singers of the past four decades, Yngwie now handles much of the lead vocals himself in his own band, backed by a lineup that includes keyboardist Nick Marino, bassist/vocalist Ralph Ciavolino and drummer Brian Wilson.
Earlier this week, Yngwie announced a month-long fall 2021 U.S. tour. Support on the trek will come from former MARILYN MANSON and current ROB ZOMBIE guitarist John 5.
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