
MESHUGGAH Postpones U.S. Tour, Reveals Bandmember Is Undergoing Treatment For 'Skin Condition'
MESHUGGAH has postponed its previously announced U.S. tour, originally planned for early 2022, to September/October 2022. The new dates will kick off on September 16 in Worcester, Massachusetts and conclude on October 16 in Atlanta.
The Swedish extreme tech-metal pioneers announced the postponement in a social media post earlier today. They wrote: “We regret to inform that MESHUGGAH will have to reschedule their U.S. headline tour.
“While the ongoing pandemic has been throwing various curve balls on us all the past year, ultimately delaying the completion of the upcoming MESHUGGAH studio album – there are other concerns that have forced us to make this unfortunate decision. Determining factor is the need to prioritize the physical health of one of the band members who is currently undergoing medical treatment related to a skin condition on his hands, hindering him from rehearsals and from all in all playing his instrument. While we are optimistic for his future recovery we know it will not be possible for him and the band to be ready to perform already in February 2022.
“With these shows now moving, CONVERGE will unfortunately no longer be able to do the tour. However we are grateful that TORCHE will still be performing with us. Another special guest to replace CONVERGE and to complete the bill is to be announced.
“Tickets will remain valid from the original dates, please contact your ticket provider with any queries.”
MESHUGGAH summer/fall 2022 tour dates:
Sep. 16 – Worcester, MA @ Palladium
Sep. 17 – Philadelphia, PA @ Franlin Music Hall
Sep. 18 – New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
Sep. 20 – Silver Springs, MD @ The Fillmore
Sep. 24 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theatre
Sep. 25 – Columbus, OH @ Express Live
Sep. 27 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE
Sep. 28 – Detroit, MI @ Royal Oak Theatre
Sep. 29 – Chicago, IL @ Radius
Sep. 30 – Minneapolis, MN @ Myth Live
Oct. 02 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
Oct. 04 – San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield Theatre
Oct. 08 – Riverside, CA @ Riverside Municipal Auditorium
Oct. 09 – Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium
Oct. 10 – Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
Oct. 12 – Dallas, TX @ The Factory in Deep Ellum
Oct. 13 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
Oct. 15 – Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live
Oct. 16 – Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre
Earlier this year, MESHUGGAH entered Sweetspot Studios in Sweden to record its ninth studio album.
MESHUGGAH’s latest album, “The Violent Sleep Of Reason”, came out in 2016 and resulted in a “Best Metal Performance” Grammy nomination for the song “Clockworks”. The disc was produced by the band and was engineered by Tue Madsen of Puk Studios in Kaerby, Denmark.
In October 2020, MESHUGGAH drummer Tomas Haake confirmed to Knotfest.com’s “Mosh Talks With Beez” that the band had spent much of the downtime during the COVID-19 pandemic working on fresh material.
Regarding the musical direction of the new MESHUGGAH songs, Tomas said: “Of course, we have a certain framework that we still wanna sound like MESHUGGAH, we wanna have that signature sound, we want people to be able to — even if they haven’t heard the song [before] — in the best-case scenario, it’s, like, ‘Oh, that’s gotta be MESHUGGAH,’ even if it’s a brand new thing. So hopefully that’s something we’re aiming at. But with that said, as far as the music goes, we try to [do] kind of the opposite of what AC/DC has been doing for 40 years. So we’re not trying to write the same album over and over. And whether we succeed with that or not, that’s more up to our fans and other people, but that’s definitely the aim. We try our best to kind of find new grips within the framework of what we’re supposed to be, I guess. ‘Cause we don’t wanna really step out of that either. We’re not looking to be another band all of a sudden or something that we haven’t been or that is not true to kind of what we’re doing.”
Haake said that MESHUGGAH has fared better during the coronavirus-related music shutdown than most other artists.
“We know a lot of bands that just had their album out or just finished something and were just about to go on tour, and this [pandemic] happened,” he said. “So, of course, we feel with ’em — that’s no fun. We were fortunate enough [in that] we just kind of finished the tour run for [MESHUGGAH’s last album] ‘The Violent Sleep Of Reason’, so we’re just writing. We played a lot the last few years, so we had a good amount of cash in the bank to keep us afloat for a while, so we’ve been really fortunate in all this compared to a lot of bands that are just — they’re done. What are they supposed to do?”
We regret to inform that MESHUGGAH will have to reschedule their U.S. headline tour, originally planned for early 2022,…
Posted by Meshuggah on Tuesday, December 21, 2021
Read more »
SAMMY HAGAR Says He Was Asked To Join PANTERA As Replacement For PHILIP ANSELMO
SiriusXM’s Jose Mangin recently interviewed Sammy Hagar in the limo which was gifted to Jose from the estates of PANTERA founders “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott and Vinnie Paul Abbott. Jose has worked hard to restore the car and plans to take it all across the country and have epic hangs and chats with all of his buddies to reminisce about his dear friends, whom many of us still hold so dear.
In an interview clip which was posted on December 8, which marked the 17th anniversary of Dimebag’s death, Sammy recalled a time when he was supposedly approached by PANTERA’s then-manager about joining the band, apparently as the replacement for Philip Anselmo.
“How about if I tell you something crazy. I don’t believe it; I don’t believe it’s true,” Sammy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). “But PANTERA had a manager. This was before I actually became friends with Vinnie. And [the manager] said PANTERA, he said, want me to be the lead singer of the band. And he asked me, ‘Would you be interested?’ And I said, ‘No, not after [my split with] VAN HALEN [in 1996]. I’m not gonna join another band, especially covering for somebody else,’ and this and that. And I brought it up to Vinnie one time. He didn’t remember it. But I don’t know if there’s any truth to that.”
This is not the first time Hagar had discussed being offered the singer gig in PANTERA. Back in 2011, he told Forbes: “I was asked at one time to be in MÖTLEY CRÜE. I was asked at one time to be in PANTERA by their managers. I was asked to be in VELVET REVOLVER when Scott Weiland quit and went back to the STONE TEMPLE PILOTS. I was waiting to be asked to be in LED ZEPPELIN to say no, since they were the greatest band on earth and no could replace Robert Plant. I was asked to be in AEROSMITH and I said no.”
He continued: “Certain bands and certain frontman singers are more difficult to replace than others. Steven Tyler and that band have stayed together for 40 years and you don’t to walk into something like that. They had one moment years ago, when they replaced Joe Perry, but it’s still always been Steven at the front of AEROSMITH. You don’t replace that.
“When I came into VAN HALEN, it was easy because Dave [Lee Roth] wasn’t a great singer, but he was a good frontman,” Hagar explained. “In those times, I was selling out the same arenas they were, so it was like the combination of two forces and it worked but it’s a rare thing. We were all lucky that the fans accepted it and it got bigger. I would avoid bands that are going to break up pretty soon.”
In a 2015 question-and-answer session at the DFW Acura Performance Showroom in Dallas, Texas, Vinnie Paul said that VAN HALEN was “a huge influence” on him when he first started playing drums. “Eddie and Alex [Van Halen] inspired me and my brother [Dimebag] so much,” he said. “It was really just unbelievable the parallels that we had between ourselves.”
In a lasting sign of deep respect, Eddie Van Halen donated the black-and-yellow tape-striped guitar pictured on the back cover of “Van Halen II” to be buried with Dimebag.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Sammy’s Beach Bar Cocktail Co. (@sbbcco)
Read more »
METALLICA's 40th-Anniversary Shows To Stream On Demand Exclusively On 'The Coda Collection'
Fans who missed METALLICA’s pair of 40th-anniversary concerts this past weekend can enjoy rebroadcasts of both shows on-demand exclusively on The Coda Collection this Christmas weekend in the U.S. and on Amazon Prime internationally.
The shows will be available to stream from Friday, December 24 at 9 a.m. PT / 12 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. GMT / 2 a.m. JST through Monday, December 27 at 8:59 p.m. PT / 11:59 p.m. ET / 4:59 a.m. GMT / 1:59 p.m. JST.
For information on how to stream both shows, click here.
Following the initial viewing period, both concerts will return to the The Coda Collection and Prime Video with enhanced bonus footage and additional exclusives as part of an extensive partnership between The Coda Collection and METALLICA, which will include a full slate of concert films, documentaries, and additional content spanning the band’s career arriving on the channel exclusively throughout 2022.
Additionally, fans can now stream METALLICA’s “Cunning Stunts” and “Orgullo, Pasión, Y Gloria: Tres Noches En La Ciudad De México” films exclusively on The Coda Collection, with more titles to be announced next year.
The Coda Collection is available to Amazon Prime members in the U.S. now for $4.99 per month with a free seven-day trial.
To explore The Coda Collection and to sign up for a free seven-day trial, visit www.codacollection.co.
The two sold-out shows were part of METALLICA’s “San Francisco Takeover”, a four-day citywide celebration of the band’s 40th anniversary that also included a film festival, photo exhibit and curated lineup of smaller venue shows featuring other acts.
The 40th-anniversary shows marked METALLICA’s return to Chase Center for the first time since the September 2019 “S&M²” concerts that also served as the venue’s grand opening.
Formed in 1981 by guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, METALLICA has become one of the most influential and successful rock bands in history, having sold nearly 120 million albums worldwide and generating more than 2.5 billion streams while playing to millions of fans on literally all seven continents. The band’s several multi-platinum albums include “Kill ‘Em All”, “Ride The Lightning”, “Master Of Puppets”, “… And Justice For All”, “Metallica” (commonly referred to as The Black Album), “Load”, “Reload”, “St. Anger”, “Death Magnetic” and “Hardwired… To Self-Destruct”, released in November 2016 and charting at No. 1 in 32 countries.
METALLICA’s awards and accolades include nine Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, multiple MTV Video Music Awards, and its 2009 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. In June of 2018, the band was awarded one of the most prestigious musical honors in the world: Sweden’s Polar Music Prize.
On Thursday, San Francisco mayor London Breed presented Ulrich and bassist Robert Trujillo with a special declaration marking December 16 as “Metallica Day” in the city.
“When you talk about San Francisco,” Breed said at the news conference, “you talk about cable cars and then you talk about METALLICA.”
Read more »
ANTHONY KIEDIS And DEXTER HOLLAND Were Surprise Guest Performers At Last Night's 'Above Ground' Benefit Concert
Anthony Kiedis (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS) and Dexter Holland (THE OFFSPRING) were the surprise guest musicians who performed last night (Monday, December 20) at the third “Above Ground” benefit concert founded by guitarists Dave Navarro (JANE’S ADDICTION) and Billy Morrison (BILLY IDOL) at the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, California. They joined an all-star bill that included Perry Farrell (JANE’S ADDICTION), Etty Lau Farrell, Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT), Mark McGrath and Franky Perez. The event was host Dr. Drew Pinsky and included an art installation by Risk Rock.
Following previous successful events in 2018 and 2019, while sitting out in 2020 due to COVID-19, the evening celebrated the vinyl album as an art form, with the performance of two seminal albums in their entirety, while at the same time raising awareness and funds for the treatment of mental health. Throughout the event, there was an art installation from multi-talented fine artist, sculptor and graffiti pioneer Risk Rock.
Proceeds from the event will be donated to MusiCares, the leading music charity that acts as a safety net for the music community.
“MusiCares has literally saved more than a few of our friends from dying,” said Navarro and Morrison. “Their role cannot be overstated, and we have precious few organizations that actively step in to help people on the brink. On the frontline, finding and paying for beds in treatment, arranging therapy and counseling, and actually speaking up on a public level about the importance of mental health are all reasons why we continue to do what we can to draw attention to this subject.”
Navarro and Morrison, with an array of special guests, performed two musically/culturally seismic albums: Lou Reed’s 1972 album “Transformer” and THE SEX PISTOLS’ 1977 release “Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols”.
In 2018, the “Above Ground” guest musicians performed 1980’s “Kings Of The Wild Frontier” by ADAM AND THE ANTS and the 1967 self-titled album by THE VELVET UNDERGROUND & NICO. In 2019, they tackled David Bowie’s 1972 effort “The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars” and THE STOOGES’ 1969 self-titled debut LP.
Read more »
ZZ TOP Sells Catalog For Reported $50 Million
Global music company BMG and global investment firm KKR today announced that they have acquired the entire music interests of American rock icons ZZ TOP. According to Variety, BMG paid a sum sources place at around $50 million.
The transaction marks the latest significant music rights deal the two companies have struck together since announcing in March 2021 that they would join forces in the fast-growing market for music IP.
The ZZ TOP agreement includes a buyout of the band’s publishing catalogue and their income from recorded royalties and performance royalties. Previously, BMG served as co-publisher and administrator of ZZ TOP’s publishing catalog.
In 1971, Billy Gibbons (guitar, vocals), Dusty Hill (bass, keys, vocals) and Frank Beard (drums) released their debut album ZZ TOP’s first album. They would go on to release a total of 15 albums throughout the course of their 50-year career including the commercial breakthrough “Tres Hombres” (1973), platinum-certified “Degüello” (1979), gold-certified “El Loco” (1981), smash-hit diamond-certified “Eliminator” (1983), five-times-platinum-certified “Afterburner” (1985), and the platinum-certified “Recycler” (1990) and “Antenna” (1994).
Selling over 50 million albums worldwide, ZZ TOP have earned four gold, three platinum, two multiple-platinum album certifications, and one diamond album. Known for their distinctive look and unabashed blues-rock inspired sound, the success of the group was driven by six No. 1 rock singles and eight Top 40 hits including rock music staples “La Grange”, “Tush”, “Cheap Sunglasses”, “Gimme All Your Lovin'”, “Legs”, “Got Me Under Pressure” and “Sharp Dressed Man”, among many others.
In 2004, the group was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and their recently released documentary “That Little Ol’ Band From Texas” received a nomination for “Best Music Film” at the 2021 Grammy Awards.
ZZ TOP manager Carl Stubner of Shelter Music Group said: “We are proud to continue working with and expand our long-standing relationship with BMG. This new deal ensures ZZ TOP’s remarkable legacy will endure for generations to come.”
BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch said: “This deal is a testament to the success, staying power and continuing musical relevance of ZZ TOP, but also to the power of our partnership with KKR. This agreement furthers our vision of providing artists and songwriters not just a financial exit, but also a vehicle committed to respecting and treasuring their artistry.”
Jenny Box, partner at KKR, said: “We are excited to invest in ZZ TOP’s iconic music and we look forward to collaborating with BMG and ZZ TOP to further amplify the reach of their catalogue.”
KKR is investing in the catalogue through its private credit investment funds and vehicles and will own its interest in the music through its recently launched Chord Music Partners platform. Latham & Watkins LLP served as advisor to KKR on the transaction.
Read more »
RICHARD Z. KRUSPE's EMIGRATE Drops 'Always On My Mind' Music Video Featuring RAMMSTEIN's TILL LINDEMANN
EMIGRATE, the side project of RAMMSTEIN guitarist Richard Z. Kruspe, has released a music video for its cover of the classic song “Always On My Mind”, featuring a guest appearance by RAMMSTEIN singer Till Lindemann. Check it out below.
“Always On My Mind” is taken from EMIGRATE’s fourth album, “The Persistence Of Memory”, which came out on November 5.
“The Persistence Of Memory”, which was named after a Salvador Dalí painting, features the following tracks:
01. Rage
02. Always On My Mind (feat. Till Lindemann)
03. Freeze My Mind
04. I’m Still Alive
05. Come Over
06. You Can’t Run Away
07. Hypothetical
08. Blood Stained Wedding
09. I Will Let You Go
As a member of RAMMSTEIN, the music world’s most explosive live act, Kruspe has been part of a ground-breaking global success story that continues to build and to ignite; along the way, he’s turned his attention to a number of parallel projects, such as constructing a studio (and a home) in his native Berlin, but it’s his decision to launch the EMIGRATE setup that has given him the greatest chance to satisfy creative instincts outside of the parent group.
The first EMIGRATE album appeared in 2007 (a self-titled record that went Top 10 in Germany, with single/video “My World” appearing on the soundtrack to the third “Resident Evil” movie); “Silent So Long” followed in 2014, featuring guest vocals from such high-profile artists as Marilyn Manson, Jonathan Davis, Peaches and the legend that will always be Lemmy. EMIGRATE’s third album, “A Million Degrees” came out in November 2018 and was described as “less a successor to ‘Silent So Long’ and more a re-booted take on the overall concept, continuing Kruspe’s desire to craft something personal.”
“I really want the freedom to collaborate with different people and to explore different kinds of music,” Kruspe explained when “A Million Degrees” was first released, “to express myself as both a writer and a singer away from deadlines, timelines and other such restrictions. The idea is to keep experimenting and to keep challenging myself. Plus, EMIGRATE works in an organic way, so musicians can come and go, and it’s still okay, it’s positive…”
RAMMSTEIN’s seventh, untitled album came out in May 2019 via UME/Spinefarm in Europe and Caroline Records in the U.S.
RAMMSTEIN will bring its full-scale stadium production to North America for the first time ever in the summer of 2022.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Emigrate (@emigrateofficial)
Read more »
NEW FOUND GLORY's CHAD GILBERT Undergoes Surgery To Remove Tumor Of Adrenal Gland
Guitarist Chad Gilbert of the long-running pop-punk band NEW FOUND GLORY has been diagnosed with pheochromocytoma, a rare type of tumor that develops in the adrenal glands, small glands on the top of the kidneys.
A week after his diagnosis, the 40-year-old musician underwent successful surgery to remove the tumor and has since credited his wife and the hospital staff with saving his life.
Gilbert, who co-founded NEW FOUND GLORY in 1997, detailed his ordeal in an Instagram post which included a post-operation photo of him lying apparently sedated in his hospital bed.
He wrote: “For the last 14 days I’ve been living in the hospital having cancer removed. Here’s the timeline of my unexpected journey:
“On December 5th, my wife found me unresponsive in bed. I’d been waking up drenched in sweat the last few days and we thought I was sick. Not being able to wake me, she called 911 and performed CPR and mouth to mouth. Apparently I was doing something called ‘agonal breathing’ and was minutes from death. I woke up with 7 paramedics surrounding my bed. I was so confused. My blood sugar somehow dropped to 20 and if my wife hadn’t found me, I would’ve fallen into a coma or died. The paramedics took me to the ER in an ambulance. They couldn’t figure out why my blood sugar kept dropping or why my blood pressure kept skyrocketing, even with blood pressure medication in my system. I was hooked up to two different drips I couldn’t be separated from. The next day, an amazing endocrinologist visited me and asked a bunch of questions about my health. It honestly felt like she was an angel from heaven. She told me based on all my symptoms that I have a very rare tumor called a Pheochromocytoma! It’s a tumor that grows on your adrenal gland and messes up all of your hormones. It was eating all my glucose, changing my hormones, and raising my blood pressure. I couldn’t survive without IVs until this tumor was removed.
“12/6 I received a CT scan which showed some alarming news. My tumor was malignant and had grown from my adrenal gland onto my liver. It was huge. Which made my Pheochromocytoma even more rare since they usually are benign.
“12/8, three days since my amazing wife saved me from dying in bed. I was transported to a major hospital and moved into the ICU. I got an MRI which showed that the tumor was in fact one growth and had not spread to other parts of my body. Now that my miracle doctor, cancer doctor, and incredible surgeon had all the info they needed, they scheduled my surgery for Monday, 12/13.
“Now it’s 4 days until surgery. This is when so much personal growth occurred. Looking back on the timing of all of this, the incredible people put in my life to save me, the hospital staff whom I have the highest respect for, the way they took care of me while caring for an entire intensive care unit… I just can’t believe the strength these nurses have.
“My wife Lisa and my mom were the driving forces of my positivity. The only cure for a pheochromocytoma is surgery, one of my worst fears. But if surgery went well, all the glucose consumption, high blood pressure, and any other hormonal changes would immediately go away.
“When I got to pre-op, the surgeon drew the size of the tumor on a dry erase board to clarify how intense, large and dangerous my surgery was gonna be. But still reassured us he’s done many way more difficult. So grateful for him! The surgery was predicted to be 4 and a half hours but he finished it in two. The tumor wasn’t attached to anything tricky so they basically cut it out and peeled it off. But man this scar is insanely big. I couldn’t grasp how large the tumor was until now.
“I was sedated and drugged up and don’t remember anything from surgery day. My surgeon came in the next morning and let us know he got it all out!! Now we just needed the pathology report to make sure no cancer got in the lymphnodes.
“The joy and excitement from all the nurses and and doctors involved was super emotional. I didn’t have a lot of family and friends around since it all happened so fast. But the hospital staff became that extra support and family, giving me cards and little gifts.
“The night of the 15th I was moved from the ICU to the Cancer Center. There I recovered from surgery! I’ll know about future treatments in a few weeks but for now I’m able to come home!!!
“It’s Sunday, December 19th. Yesterday was the first time I got to smell fresh air since December 5th. I’m home with my wife and baby and so thankful to be alive!!”
This is not Gilbert’s first cancer scare. Back in 2010, he underwent thyroid surgery to remove a suspicious lump. While he was recovering from that operation, guitarist Anthony Raneri of BAYSIDE stepped in for Gilbert on NEW FOUND GLORY’s tour.
Earlier this month, NEW FOUND GLORY gave fans an early Christmas gift — a brand new holiday album, “December’s Here”, out now via Hopeless Records. NEW FOUND GLORY is helping fans get into the holiday spirit with eleven original songs, including recent singles “Somber Christmas” and “Holiday Records”.
Earlier this year, NEW FOUND GLORY released a new deluxe album, “Forever And Ever x Infinity…And Beyond!!!” “Forever And Ever x Infinity…And Beyond!!!” featured six new songs that the band wrote and recorded during the pandemic, including latest singles “Backseat” and “The Last Redeye”.
NEW FOUND GLORY recently wrapped the “Pop Punk’s Still Not Dead” tour, which featured support from LESS THAN JAKE, HOT MULLIGAN and LØLØ.
NEW FOUND GLORY is Gilbert, Jordan Pundik (lead vocals), Ian Grushka (bass guitar) and Cyrus Bolooki (drums).
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Chad Gilbert (@xchadballx)
Read more »
KISS's TOMMY THAYER: 'My Legacy Will Be A Guy Who Came In, Worked Hard, And Was The Glue That Kept The Band Together'
In a new interview with Guitar World, KISS guitarist Tommy Thayer was asked what he thinks his legacy will be with KISS. He responded: “I don’t know if many people realize this, but I’ve been the lead guitarist in KISS longer than any other KISS guitar player. But I will always be known as ‘the new guy’ though — no matter what happens. I’m ‘the Ronnie Wood’ of KISS.
“My legacy will be a guy who came in, worked hard, and was the glue that kept the band together for a long period of time,” he continued. “I think the kind of character and personality that I have is that of a team player and somebody who can bring people together and bind things together.
“And I think the reason that we’ve done so well and so consistently in the last 20 years is because of the personalities, the give and take, and the ability to keep everybody happy… and keep working together on a professional level.
“It works well. I’ll probably be that guy that has been in the band longer than anybody else besides Gene [Simmons] and Paul [Stanley], that kept things together, and was the glue that made it work.”
Nearly three years ago, Thayer admitted to Argus Leader in an interview that his addition to KISS in 2003 as the replacement for Ace Frehley was met with some backlash from the band’s fans. However, now that he has been in KISS even longer than Frehley’s combined years, he said that he has become more comfortable in the lead guitar role.
“I have to be honest, when I first came into the band, there was some pressure,” Thayer said. “It was kind of a no-win situation when you’re replacing somebody like that. There’s a lot of fans who are unhappy with this and I understand. They followed the band for a long time and it’s hard to see things like that change sometimes. After a few years went by, I got more confident and more comfortable in the situation, as time goes on, it continues to be a growing experience and something that I get more used to.”
Back in October 2018, Frehley told Yahoo! Entertainment that he had “nothing bad to say about Tommy… You know, it’d be one thing if Tommy would have invented his own character, invented his own guitar solos,” he said. “But unfortunately, he’s copying everything I do, note for note. There’s not much leeway for anybody to say what he’s doing is original. I don’t know how I could handle that, you know? I don’t think I could step into a situation and be somebody else. It’s almost like being a robot. Poor Tommy. My heart bleeds for him.”
Thayer told Rolling Stone magazine that he had no discomfort about wearing Frehley’s makeup. He explained: “First of all, I didn’t have any input on that. That was a decision that those guys made. There was not even a conversation about it, because I think it was so obvious, that they weren’t going to introduce new characters 30 years into the band. I never thought that there should be some new designs or something. I thought that would have been ridiculous. And the only thing is, you’ve got a lot of push-back from some of the diehards. And that’s understandable. Hey, you know, if you lived in the seventies and KISS was your favorite band, and that’s what you grew up with, and suddenly there’s another guy wearing that makeup, I can understand how some people, it might not have appealed to them as much. But as time as gone by, a lot of people have changed their mind.”
Back in 2015, Thayer refused to criticize Frehley after Ace spoke out against Tommy in an interview, describing him as “just a guy up there copying me and trying to move like me and trying to sing like me and trying to play like me.”
Thayer told Australia’s The Herald: “I don’t want to get into a back-and-forth, but I’m sure you can kind of assess what you think when you hear all that.
“I think [Ace] had every opportunity in the world to continue in KISS and be in KISS as long as he did the right thing, but it worked out better for me and he has to lead his life,” he continued.
“As far as the jabs and all that, he can say that stuff and I’m not going to say anything bad about him. I just wish all the best to everybody in whatever they’re doing.”
Read more »
Signed OZZY OSBOURNE Coat Among Items Added To JULIEN'S AUCTIONS' 'MusiCares Charity Relief Auction'
Julien’s Auctions has announced additional marquee items added to the celebrity lineup of instruments, memorabilia, wardrobe, artwork, and more to be sold at MusiCares Charity Relief Auction taking place live in Beverly Hills and online at juliensauctions.com on Sunday, January 30, 2022.
This official Grammy Week event precedes the 64th annual Grammy Awards telecast. Proceeds will benefit MusiCares, the leading music industry charity, which provides the music community a support system of health and human services across a spectrum of need including physical and mental health, addiction recovery, unforeseen personal emergencies and disaster relief.
Headed to the auction is a Keith Richards signed Gibson ES-335 in Ebony that includes a one-of-a-kind four second video authenticating his signature taken at Germano Studios. The Gibson ES-335 is the cornerstone of the Gibson ES line-up. From its inaugural appearance in 1958, the Gibson ES-335 set an unmatched standard. With impeccable sounds across its wide-ranging tonal palette, the ES-335 can be found in the hands of jazz, blues, and rock players all over the globe. SKU ES33500EBNH1 S/N: 211310255. Donated by Gibson Gives (estimate $6,000 – $8,000).
Another highlight hitting the auction stage will be from another music legend from the most important band in rock history: Paul McCartney. THE BEATLES legend is offering a signed sunburst Hofner brand B-Bass Hi Series violin bass guitar (estimate: $4,000 – $6,000). McCartney helped make the Hofner violin bass guitar famous by the 1960s, as it was one of his main bass guitars that he played with THE BEATLES, notably at the Apple Rooftop concert and the “Let It Be” album recording sessions.
BTS kicked off the initiative with the auction announcement of their custom made ensembles (estimate: $30,000 – $50,000), worn in their unforgettable performance of their smash hit song “Dynamite” filmed from Seoul, South Korea at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards ceremony that aired on March 14, 2021, will additionally be offering to the auction an Epiphone brand 56 Les Paul Pro ebony electric guitar signed by the band members RM, Jin, SUGA, j-hope, Jimin and V on the body, and Jung Kook on the pickguard (estimate: $4,000 – $6,000). Another previously announced BTS item on offer is a group of three unique rings worn by j-hope (estimate: $2,000 – $4,000).
MusiCares Person Of The Year 2022 honoree Joni Mitchell’s work will also be showcased in the auction with her offering of the artist proof print of her original oil painting of music icon Jimi Hendrix (estimate: $2,000 – $4,000). This artist’s proof will be signed and framed by Joni Mitchell. “I have always thought of myself as a painter derailed by circumstance,” she said in 2000. “I sing my sorrow and I paint my joy.”
Other sensational highlights include (with estimates):
* Bono’s handwritten lyrics to U2’s new song “Your Song Saved My Life” from the upcoming “Sing 2″ animated movie coming out in December starring Scarlett Johansson, Bono, Reese Witherspoon and others ($4,000 – $6,000).
* Gene Simmons’s two limited-edition pieces of original artwork: Immortal, a 30 x 22 inches red, silver and black hand pulled screenprint signed and numbered AP 3/50 framed ($1,000 – $2,000) and Skull Candy, a 21 x 35 inches mixed media multiple silk screen and giclee print of a skull suspended in a shadow box frame signed and numbered AP 3/35 framed ($1,000 – $2,000).
* A class white Gibson brand ES-355 Bigsby VOS electric acoustic guitar donated by Gibson Gives and signed by Tom Petty when he was being honored as MusiCares Person of the Year in 2017. Petty has played a number of various Gibson brand guitars and bass instruments throughout his career, including acoustic-electric models like the ES 355. The guitar is accompanied with a Tom Petty and THE WILDFLOWERS 9LP DTC Ultra Deluxe edition box set complete with a unique and hand-made necklace by Maria Sarno, a lyric book with illustrations by Blaze Brooks (exclusive for the set), a litho print of photo of Tom Petty, a 7” of “You Don’t Know How It Feels”, tour program, stickers and more. Only 500 box sets were published ($6,000 – $8,000).
* A gold Gibson ES-335 electric acoustic guitar signed by Harry Styles with the inscription “All my Love” and a heart symbol, “Watermelon Sugar” (2019, 2020) 7″ pink colored record single inscribed “All my love to you Treat people with kindness” signed by Styles and three-color Polaroid-like photographs from the photo shoot for the song’s music video ($3,000 – $5,000).
* A black leather knee-length coat signed by Ozzy Osbourne four times in white marker on the back of the inside of the jacket ($1,000 – $2,000).
* Chris Stapleton’s handwritten lyrics of “Broken Halos” inscribed on a polar white Fender Player Telecaster guitar ($2,000 – $4,000).
* A special item donated by the Chris Cornell Estate.
The star-studded pieces join a dazzling array of previously announced one-of-a-kind items being offered at this exclusive charity auction from music legends including Dave Gahan, DEPECHE MODE, deadmau5, Demi Lovato, Dolly Parton, James Hetfield, Jason Aldean, Jeff Beck, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Lionel Richie, Machine Gun Kelly, Slash, Scott Weiland, Tim McGraw and more. A lucky music fan will also have the chance to win at the auction The Ultimate 64th Grammy Awards Telecast experience which includes two platinum-level seats to the telecast on Monday, January 31, 2022 at Staples Center in Los Angeles (estimate: $10,000 – $20,000).
The auction will start closing in real time and in lot order for live bidding at 1:00 p.m. Pacific Time on January 30, 2022.
Julien’s Auctions public exhibition and live auction location
Julien’s Auctions
257 N. Canon Drive
Beverly Hills,
CA 90210
Exhibition: Monday, January 24 – Friday, January 28, 2022
11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time
Free to the public
Julien’s Auctions live and online auction
Sunday, January 30, 2022
Read more »
ORIANTHI To Film Concert DVD In Los Angeles
Australian musician, singer and songwriter Orianthi will film a concert DVD on January 8, 2022 at the Bourbon Room in Los Angeles. The set will be released at a later date via Frontiers Music Srl.
Orianthi announced the DVD filming in a video message on social media. She said: “We’re shooting a live DVD at the Bourbon Room here in L.A. So if you guys are in town, come on by. You’ll be on the DVD, ’cause we’re shooting the crowd too. It’ll be so much fun playing brand new tracks with my band… Buy tickets now if you wanna be part of it. The Bourbon Room here in L.A. Shooting a DVD for Frontiers Records. So it’s gonna be fun.”
Orianthi’s first new studio album in seven years and her first new music as a solo artist in six years, “O”, came out in November 2020 via Frontiers Music Srl.
In April 2020, Orianthi told the “Australian Rock Show” about her fourth solo album: “I’m so excited about this record — really excited. “We did it in 28 days in Nashville. [I made the record with] Marti Frederiksen, who’s a dear friend of mine, an amazing songwriter, producer. I just go out to Nashville, where my management is at, and I love it over there. I made actually my last record too, with Dave Stewart there, at Blackbird [studio]. There’s some kind of energy in Nashville — it’s just a great feeling when you get there. So many musicians are there. And we just jumped right into the studio. Marti and I wrote and recorded, in 28 days, all the songs. And, yeah, it was just a great, fun experience.”
Regarding the musical direction of her latest material, Orianthi said: “This record is not too much of a departure from my past stuff, but it is different. So I think people will get what they sort of expect, with that heavy riffage and big solos, but there’s a lot of different sounds going on and textures, with drum loops and synths. It’s not just staying with one tone throughout the whole record… There’s some heavy tracks on there. There’s some lighter tracks [and] bluesy tracks. As I said, it’s different, but it’s kind of what people were sort of expecting.
“The thing is you have to keep on evolving and changing,” she explained. “You don’t make the same record over and over again; I would just bore the hell out of myself and everyone else. So I wanna keep on changing.”
Born in Australia, Orianthi was inspired to learn guitar at a young age after discovering her father’s vinyl collection. She rose to international fame at age 24 after the release of her hit single “According To You” and a high-energy performance backing Carrie Underwood at the 2009 Grammy Awards. Although she had already been invited to jam with the likes of Carlos Santana and Steve Vai, mainstream audiences had not previously heard of this captivating guitar prodigy.
Her recognition increased even further when Michael Jackson called with an offer to be his guitarist for his dates at the O2 Arena in London. Although the concert series was not to be, the release of the behind-the-scenes documentary “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” showcased Orianthi’s masterful playing as well as her creativity and collaboration.
Live dvd filming ! Los Angeles at the bourbon room -8th January. Tickets available now https://t.co/OO5UeC5WKf pic.twitter.com/7gTlefeUOd
— orianthi (@orianthi) December 21, 2021