The estates of original ALICE IN CHAINS members Layne Staley and Mike Starr have sold stakes in their publishing rights and master recording income stream to Primary Wave Music.

Primary Wave’s David Weitzman said in a statement: “Primary Wave is pleased to partner with the estates of Layne Staley and Mike Starr to honor their musical legacies as part of the classic era lineup of ALICE IN CHAINS, who created the amazing songs and records that comprise the albums ‘Dirt’ and ‘Facelift’, and the acoustic EPs ‘Jar Of Flies’ and ‘Sap’. These projects represent the greatest works from one of the best artists of the iconic Nineties Seattle-based grunge era.”

Staley’s well-publicized battles with drug addiction brought ALICE IN CHAINS’ career to a virtual standstill in 1996, with his death seemingly putting an end to the band as well. But ALICE IN CHAINS regrouped in 2006 with vocalist William DuVall, who had been part of guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell’s solo backing band. ALICE IN CHAINS has since cut three studio albums.

Cantrell told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that Staley, who died in 2002, was a singular talent. “Layne was a very unique, one-of-a-kind guy,” he said. “There’s, like, a handful of those guys in music, for every generation, that are that unique and that hard to cop, but a lot of people try. [Laughs] But there’s a lot of people that feel the weight of what that guy brought to music and have been influenced by it.”

Mike was found dead in a house in Salt Lake City, Utah on March 8, 2011. Starr, who was a founding member of ALICE IN CHAINS and played on its first two albums, was 44 years old. Police who were called to the scene said that foul play was not suspected, but that drugs were found near the body.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, Starr had struggled with drug problems for years and was dismissed from ALICE IN CHAINS in 1993 due to his addiction. He had been arrested numerous times over the years for DUI, reckless driving, and various drug charges in Los Angeles, Seattle and Salt Lake City. Just a month prior to his death, he was arrested for felony possession of a controlled substance in the latter city.

Starr was featured as a cast member of the third season of the VH1 reality series “Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew” in 2009. Hosted by Dr. Drew Pinsky, the season consisted of eight episodes that followed the real-life experiences of celebrity patients undergoing detoxification and treatment at the Pasadena Recovery Center. However, like fellow rocker participant Steven Adler of GUNS N’ ROSES fame, Starr seemed to struggle once his season on the show was finished.

Every Wednesday starting February 23, former GUNS N’ ROSES guitarist Gilby Clarke will perform live at The Bourbon Room in Hollywood, California. Joining Gilby in his band, dubbed GILBY CLARKE & THE KEEF RICHARDS, will be bassist Sean McNabb (GREAT WHITE, DOKKEN), drummer Jimmy D’Anda (BULLETBOYS, LYNCH MOB) and keyboardist Teddy “Zig Zag” Andreadis (GUNS N’ ROSES, ALICE COOPER). Drummer Kenny Aronoff (JOHN MELLENCAMP, JOHN FOGERTY, CHICKENFOOT) will join GILBY CLARKE & THE KEEF RICHARDS on March 9 and March 16.

Clarke replaced Izzy Stradlin in the GUNS lineup in 1991, during the “Use Your Illusion” tour, and stayed with the band for three years. After exiting GUNS N’ ROSES, Clarke continued as a producer and solo artist, while also playing in SLASH’S SNAKEPIT, ROCK STAR SUPERNOVA, HEART and other acts.

Clarke, along with fellow GUNS N’ ROSES members Slash, Duff McKagan, Steven Adler and Matt Sorum, played three “Appetite For Destruction” songs with Myles Kennedy at the band’s Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in April 2012 in Cleveland, Ohio, although Gilby himself was not inducted as part of the group. Kennedy, who handles lead vocals in Slash’s solo band and ALTER BRIDGE, sang “Mr. Brownstone”, “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “Paradise City”, with “Use Your Illusion”-era member Sorum sitting behind the drum kit on “Brownstone” and the man he replaced in GN’R, Adler, pounding the skins for the other two songs.

A year ago, Clarke addressed his non-participation in GUNS N’ ROSES’ reunion tour, which features three-fifths of the group’s classic lineup — singer Axl Rose, Slash and McKagan — during an interview with “The SDR Show”. He said: “They didn’t ask me to join the band; they asked me to come out and do [a guest appearance] with the band. And it just happened to be the day that I was in Chicago with my daughter. Her band was playing Lollapalooza [in July 2016]. And I’m actually her roadie. I don’t think anybody would know how to tune the guitar if I wasn’t there. Just kidding. But, yeah, it was just bad timing. I just said, ‘Look, I think it’s a great idea. I’m up for it. I just can’t do it today.’ And they literally asked me that day. And I never heard back from them after I said that.”

Gilby also confirmed that he only had a week to learn the entire GUNS catalog when he first joined the band three decades ago. “That’s true,” he said. “They told me on a Monday, that ‘You have the gig,’ and the next week we were flying to Boston for our first show. And I literally had a week. And remember, this is before YouTube. I was glued to their records with the headphones on, trying to learn the catalog. And the last song I learned was a song called ‘Estranged’, which was a really long ballad piece. And if you listen to it, it’s kind of one-dimensional guitar-wise — it really just features Slash. So I was listening to it, and I really couldn’t figure out what I should do in that song. So I went to Dizzy [Reed, GUNS keyboardist]. I go, ‘Hey, man, can you sit down with me, and let’s work on ‘Estranged’.’ I go, ‘I just wanna kind of figure it out.’ And he goes, ‘Oh, well, here’s the music book.’ And he handed me the music book. And I went, ‘There’s a music book? I just spent a week learning every note by ear when I could have just grabbed the freakin’ music book…’ I mean, I read charts — it would have taken me an hour. I was a little pissed off that I didn’t ask. They could have offered it to me.”

Clarke’s new solo album, “The Gospel Truth”, was released in April 2021 via Golden Robot Records.

Gilby released his solo debut, “Pawnshop Guitars”, in 1994.

every Wednesday starting February 23rd LIVE Bourbon Room Hollywood
The Keef Richards with Gilby Clarke Sean McNabb Jimmy D’Anda Teddy Andreadis * Kenny Aronoff will join us in March 9 & 16th

Posted by Gilby Clarke on Thursday, February 3, 2022

Fan-filmed video footage of NILE’s February 5 performance at Haven Lounge in Winter Park, Florida can be seen below.

NILE guitarist/vocalist Brian Kingsland is sitting out the band’s current U.S. tour in order to spend time with his newborn son. Filling in for him is Scott Eames (THY ANTICHRIST, NEVALRA). Featuring support from INCANTATION, SANGUISUGABOGG and I AM, the trek kicked off on February 3 in Nashville, Tennessee, visiting several major cities before wrapping in Spartanburg, South Carolina on March 12.

Last Tuesday (February 1), NILE released the following statement via social media: “Congratulations to Brian Kingsland on the arrival of his newborn son! While Brian takes time for family, veteran metal guitarist Scott Eames will be joining us on Guitar and Vocals. Scott is an exceptionally talented motherfucker who has worked his ass off and earned his spot on stage with NILE. The band is as strong as ever and we are primed and ready to bring Metal to the fans on our upcoming tour starting in Nashville, TN on February 3rd! See you on the road! m/”

Originally hailing from Greenville, South Carolina, international death metal legends NILE have become one of the most revered names in the worldwide heavy metal scene today, combining extreme traditional and technical death metal styles with their trademarked blend of Ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern soundscapes and historical mysticism.

NILE’s ninth studio album, “Vile Nilotic Rites”, was released in November 2019 via Nuclear Blast. The disc was recorded and produced by Karl Sanders at Serpent Headed Studios in Greenville, South Carolina, with the exception of the drums which were recorded at Esoteron Music Studios in Athens, Greece with engineering handled by Jim Touras and George Dovolos. The album was mixed and mastered by Mark Lewis at MRL Studios. For the album artwork, the band returned to artist Michal “Xaay” Loranc who had worked with the band for over 10 years.

Last September, NILE announced that it had signed a worldwide contract with Napalm Records.

Legendary rock band THE WHO has announced a brand new tour for 2022, “The Who Hits Back! The iconic band’s upcoming North American trek promises to be another rock ‘n’ roll knockout, bringing singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist/songwriter Pete Townshend back to U.S. venues two years after their acclaimed “Moving On!” tour, which wowed audiences with a series of sold-out dates. “The Who Hits Back!” tour (see complete list of dates below) will again share the stage with some of the finest orchestras in the U.S. and Canada. Produced by Live Nation, the kick-off date is April 22 in Hollywood, Florida at the Hard Rock Live for the spring leg of the tour and returns in the fall on October 2 in Toronto, Ontario at Scotiabank Arena. Tickets go on sale to the public beginning Friday, February 11 at 10 a.m. local time at LiveNation.com.

American Express card members can purchase tickets in select markets before the general public beginning today, Monday, February 7 at 10 a.m. local time through Thursday, February 10 at 10 p.m. local time. THE WHO’s fan club presale starts Wednesday, February 9 at 10 a.m. local time and runs through Thursday, February 10 at 10 p.m. local time.

THE WHO are hitting most of the cities they were set to play in 2020 with multiple new stops, including shows in New Orleans, Louisiana at the New Orleans Jazz Festival on April 30, and a much-anticipated performance at New York City’s Madison Square Garden on May 26. After a summer break, THE WHO will continue in the fall, including stops in Chicago, Illinois at United Center on October 12, and in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Bowl on November 1. “The Who Hits Back!” tour winds down with two shows in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 4 and November 5 at Dolby Live at Park MGM.

“The Who Hits Back!” tour will feature THE WHO’s full live band comprised of guitarist/backup singer Simon Townshend, keyboardist Loren Gold, second keyboardist Emily Marshall, bassist Jon Button, drummer Zak Starkey and backing vocals by Billy Nicholls along with orchestra conductor Keith Levenson, lead violinist Katie Jacoby and lead cellist Audrey Snyder, passionately delivering THE WHO’s many classics, as well as songs from their most recent album, titled “Who”.

Commenting on “The Who Hits Back!” tour, Daltrey says: “Pete and I said we’d be back, but we didn’t think we’d have to wait for two years for the privilege. This is making the chance to perform feel even more special this time around. So many livelihoods have been impacted due to COVID, so we are thrilled to get everyone back together — the band, the crew and the fans. We’re gearing up for a great show that hits back in the only way THE WHO know how. By giving it everything we got.”

THE WHO’s wildly successful 2019 “Moving On!” tour brought the band’s iconic brand of incomparable rock through 29 cities, including a rollicking sold-out show in Boston’s historic Fenway Park, and a memorable Seattle show where PEARL JAM frontman Eddie Vedder joined them onstage for a rousing version of “The Punk And The Godfather” The tour generated the most unanimous outpouring of acclaim from critics and fans of any live rock show in 2019, winning raves across North America for the orchestral dynamic as well as the duo’s cathartic rock firepower and intimate acoustic numbers. “They’re not getting older. They’re getting better. You better, you better, you bet.” hailed the Worcester Telegram, with Pollstar magazine affirming “Daltrey is in peak form, and so is Townshend, lavishing his trademarked windmill guitar motion.”

“The Who Hits Back!” tour dates:

Spring

April 22 – Hard Rock Live – Hollywood, FL*
April 24 – VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena – Jacksonville, FL
April 27 – Amalie Arena – Tampa, FL
April 30 – New Orleans Jazz Festival*
May 03 – Moody Center – Austin, TX
May 05 – American Airlines Center – Dallas, TX
May 08 – the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion – The Woodlands, TX
May 10 – Paycom Center – Oklahoma City, OK
May 13 – FedExForum – Memphis, TN
May 15 – TQL Stadium – Cincinnati, OH
May 18 – TD Garden – Boston, MA
May 20 – Wells Fargo Center – Philadelphia, PA
May 23 – Capital One Arena – Washington, D.C.
May 26 – Madison Square Garden – New York City, NY
May 28 – Bethel Woods Center of the Arts – Bethel, NY

Fall

Oct. 02 – Scotiabank Arena – Toronto, ON
Oct. 04 – Little Caesars Arena – Detroit, MI
Oct. 07 – UBS Arena – Belmont Park, NY
Oct. 09 – Schottenstein Center – Columbus, OH
Oct. 12 – United Center – Chicago, IL
Oct. 14 – Enterprise Center – St. Louis, MO
Oct. 17 – Ball Arena – Denver, CO
Oct. 20 – Moda Center – Portland, OR
Oct. 22 – Climate Pledge Arena – Seattle, WA
Oct. 26 – Golden 1 Center – Sacramento, CA
Oct. 28 – Honda Center – Anaheim, CA
Nov. 01 – Hollywood Bowl – Los Angeles, CA
Nov. 04 – Dolby Live at Park MGM – Las Vegas, NV
Nov. 05 – Dolby Live at Park MGM – Las Vegas, NV

* Not a Live Nation date