The co-writer of Rex Brown’s memoir has once again disputed the former PANTERA bassist’s claim that the book contains passages that were published without Rex’s consent.

Four years after “Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera” was released in 2013, Brown was publicly critical of the way his autobiography turned out, saying in interviews that the book’s publication is partly to blame for the deterioration of his relationship with another former PANTERA member, the band’s late drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott.

“There was a bunch of shit in my book that was not supposed to be in that book, and I went through ten different edits and they put it in there anyway, and it left a fucking bit of sour in some people’s mouths,” Rex told the “Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk” radio show in an August 2017 interview.

Brown’s “Trunk Nation” comments echoed those he made during an online chat a month earlier. Asked what inspired him to write his memoir, Rex said: “That was just at a time where someone had come to me about a book offer and I said, ‘I don’t really wanna do one.’ But I had a lot of stuff, being one that really didn’t ever say anything to the press or… To me, it’s all about the songs, about the jam.” He continued: “It was [written] at a time of my life, and some of the stuff that was said in there shouldn’t have been printed; it was taken off the cuff. But I think, in general, that’s where I was at that time.”

Earlier this month, Brown’s “Official Truth, 101 Proof” co-writer, Scottish author Mark Eglinton, addressed Brown’s claims during an appearance on “Drag The Waters: The Pantera Podcast”. Asked if there was any truth to Brown’s assertion that the book included “shit that was not supposed to be” there, replied (hear audio below): “That’s not true. And I said so at the time [in an August 2017 tweet]. And the agenda for [Rex saying] that was that I think Rex was talking to Phil [Anselmo, ex-PANTERA singer], and perhaps Vinnie at the time, [about] the possibility of getting back together to do something. And I think he needed to distance himself from what was in the book — simple as that. And I think that he was quite happy to throw me and the publisher under the bus by saying that.”

He continued: “I’m loyal to everyone I work with, but when I’m put in that position, I have to stand up for myself, and I also have to stand up for the publisher, because, at the end of the day, I’ll work with other people, and I have done. And I would never want anyone to think that I would put something in a book that they didn’t sign off on. I would never do that. I make it very clear that anything that goes in there, they must sign off on. And I knew it was signed off. So I’m afraid that that was just wishful thinking and an attempt to sort of distance himself, maybe in retrospect, from some of the things he said. But everything that was in that book was signed off.”

In a 2013 interview with MetalSucks, Anselmo was asked for his opinion of “Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera”. He said: “Honestly, [Rex’s] assessment of me [in the book] — I don’t care. Egotistical, self-centered, everything is always about me. Y’know what? I’m a lead singer and he’s a bass player. That’s his perception. So I’m fine with it. I don’t hold any fucking grudges. But I think he did take some angry swipes and I don’t need to be specific. There is a great deal of mythology when it comes to his ‘quitting’ DOWN. That particular chapter is a little disturbing.”

Anselmo also commented on the fact that Vinnie Paul was at times painted in a very negative light in Rex’s book.

“I’m not sure that type of beating [on Vince] was necessary,” Anselmo said. “Vince is a difficult guy and was always a different type of guy. But did he deserve that type of beating? I don’t think so. It’s a shame.”

He continued: “Rex has many faults, just like anyone else. But it sure seems like he wants to put fault on other people to take away from his humanity. We’re all full of faults. Maybe it’s easier for some of us to admit.”

Brown defended his comments about Vinnie Paul during a 2013 interview with the “Energize With Lonn Friend” podcast. After revealing that he sent his book to Anselmo and Vinnie Paul, the bassist said: “Apparently, Vinnie isn’t very flattered by it. Vinnie, then, he can write his own fucking book, you know. With Philip, I haven’t heard any rebuttals, but I didn’t say anything in the book that wasn’t already out there, you know what I’m saying?!”

He added: “I think the reason they haven’t talked to me is ’cause it is the fucking truth. And sometimes you don’t wanna tell the truth. And I didn’t go out of my way to maliciously hurt any individual. But at the same time, if you’re gonna tell the truth, by God, you’d better be on the skinny. And I think Mark Eglinton, that did this thing with me, he really just kind of…. He put me down… You know how you have your dreams that you had in high school when you’re just… you’re in your underwear. That’s the way I felt with this book. If [you’re] not [being completely truthful in your memoir], I think it’s all a bunch of charade… And why would you wanna do that?”

Asked about the way he was depicted in “Official Truth, 101 Proof”, Vinnie Paul told “Rover’s Morning Glory”: “All I can say is that… I’ll refer to Philip’s comment about Rex’s book. A bunch of mythology, man. We don’t know where he came up with all this. More power to him, man.”

On page 172 of “Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera”, Brown had the following to say about Vinnie Paul: “You need to understand that Vinnie is just a strange person — that’s all there is to it — and it’s either his way or the highway. I think he got most of that asshole-ishness from his old man, because in many ways they are very much alike. Vinnie was always all about the ‘party, party, party!’ and ‘eat that pussy!’ type of shit — to the extent that he thought he was fucking David Lee Roth. And him a drummer, can you imagine? But the truth is that he only got laid maybe one out of ten times and that’s if he was lucky. Being in a platinum-selling band is meant to be a head start when you’re trying to score with chicks, but he negated that by having no idea whatsoever how to treat or approach a woman. He’d just walk up and immediately start groping them, so it was no surprise that his strike rate was so pitiful. He acted like meeting him was a sexual audition and that just turned them off straightaway.” He continued: “And as if that wasn’t bad enough, when he didn’t get laid (ninety percent of the time, I’d estimate) he was the most miserable fucking guy on the planet. I just couldn’t live with him. He’d walk in the room in the morning and I’d just know. He’d be all snappy and pissed off with everyone and there was nothing anyone could do to change his mood. That became really boring.”

In November 2017, late PANTERA guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott’s longtime girlfriend Rita Haney criticized Brown’s book as full of inaccuracies and described the PANTERA bassist’s portrayal of Vinnie Paul as “pretty hateful.” In an interview with Metal Forces, Haney stated about “Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera”: “Good lord… It’s not good to write a book when you don’t remember things, and you have other people telling you in your ear, ‘This is how it went down,’ when it didn’t. I got to chapter three, and I felt like I needed to get a highlighter out for things I knew were incorrect. [Laughs] I know where Rex is today, and where is head is. I know he regrets a lot of the things that are in that book. It’s kind of a… I don’t know. How can you write a book when there’s shit you don’t remember?”

Haney also commented on the fact that “Official Truth” seemed to paint Vinnie Paul in a particularly unfavorable light.

“It seemed [to be a] potshot, like, ‘Let’s try to take some potshots and stab at you,'” Rita said. “And yeah, it was pretty hateful. It’s the pot calling the kettle black. How can you throw stuff out there when you’re just as guilty or guilty of worse things? Some of the stuff is not yours to tell, or yours to judge. And yeah, it was pretty shitty, I would say. I know [Rex] has regrets about that. If he doesn’t, he needs to.”

Vinnie Paul died in June 2018 at the age of 54 in his sleep at his home in Las Vegas. The official cause of death was dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease.

Dimebag, who was Vinnie Paul’s brother, was shot and killed by a crazed gunman while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at a Columbus, Ohio rock club in December 2004.

Rex Brown image credit: BUILD Series
Listen to “Mark Eglinton” on Spreaker.

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ALTER BRIDGE guitarist Mark Tremonti spoke to “The Jasta Show” about his plans to make a new album with his TREMONTI solo project.

“I’m gonna record in November and December and then just kind of sit on it until it’s ready to go,” Mark said (see video below). ‘Cause we still have a lot of ALTER BRIDGE touring to do. Hopefully with COVID, we’re pretty much just pushing pause when it all started, and we can just push play again and continue to tour the way it needed to be. And then maybe come out with a TREMONTI record late next year.”

TREMONTI’s next disc will once again be recorded at Studio Barbarosa in Gotha, Florida with producer Michael “Elvis” Baskette, who has previously worked with ALTER BRIDGE and SLASH, among others.

Earlier in the month, Tremonti told Myglobalmind that he was “14 songs deep” into the songwriting process for the new TREMONTI LP. “I would get to about 20 songs before deciding which ones will make the final cut,” he explained. “It’s not a question of which songs are good or bad; it’s which work and have a good dynamic range.”

Speaking about the musical direction of the new TREMONTI material and how it compares to ALTER BRIDGE, Mark said: “It has heavier elements, and it definitely has some of the moody, atmospheric stuff like ALTER BRIDGE. The TREMONTI band’s rhythm section stands apart from ALTER BRIDGE, and any type of speed metal that I bring into TREMONTI might not necessarily fit into ALTER BRIDGE. Our vocal couldn’t be any more different. Myles is a seasoned tenor, and I’m almost a baritone. That’s the big difference in how the two bands sound different.”

TREMONTI is comprised of Mark on vocals/guitars, Eric Friedman on guitars, Ryan Bennett on drums and Tanner Keegan on bass.

The band’s fourth album, “A Dying Machine”, was released in June 2018 via Napalm Records. The disc was produced by Michael “Elvis” Baskette, who had helmed all previous TREMONTI albums along with ALTER BRIDGE’s last five long-players.

TREMONTI’s third album, “Dust”, was released in April 2016 via Fret 12.

“Dust”, which was recorded during same sessions as 2015’s “Cauterize”, featured Wolfgang Van Halen on bass.

Although Wolfgang Van Halen was part of TREMONTI’s touring band in 2013 and played on “Dust” and “Cauterize”, he sat out TREMONTI’s tour schedule because of commitments with VAN HALEN.

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A dual distortion circuit that offers independent bass boost and diode toggle switches.

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Mesa reflect on the calm before the end with dreamy new EP Glow.
The post Full EP Steam & Interview: Mesa – “Glow” appeared first on Decibel Magazine.

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In a new interview with “Talking With Mark Strigl”, MOTÖRHEAD guitarist Phil Campbell was asked if he had any plans to take his current project, PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS, out on the road in support of its upcoming album, “We’re The Bastards”. He responded (hear audio below): “We’ve got plans. We’ve got festivals booked. Whether they’re gonna happen or not is in the lap of the gods. Actually, we had our busiest year ever booked this year, and everything got canceled [because of the coronavirus pandemic]. The only time I’d been on stage, I jammed with HAWKWIND twice. I did a couple of songs at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and a couple of songs in Cardiff with them. That was in January. So, we’ve got festivals booked for next year. And we’ve got a British and European tour booked for later on next year.”

He continued: “I’m kind of optimistic. I like to think some small miracle will happen and everyone can be safer… It’s not just a touch of flu going about. Healthy people are getting knocked out with this thing. But the other way to think of it as well, when things do get back to normal, it’s gonna put such a smile on everyone’s faces — the fans, the artists, the road crews. There’s gonna be severe partying going on for a good few months, I should imagine then. So we’ll wait and see. But yeah, we’re trying to book up stuff.”

Campbell also confirmed that he has been in contact with his longtime MOTÖRHEAD bandmate Mikkey Dee after the Swedish drummer recently tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

“I spoke to him the other night,” Phil said. “Him and his wife did get COVID, and he was pretty flat on his back. Luckily, I don’t think it affected their lungs. But he said he felt the worst that he’s ever been in his life. And Mikkey is really strong — he gets through anything — so it must have been pretty bad to put him down. Luckily, they pulled through.”

This past July, Dee said that he was “sick for about one month” and he lost lost 15 pounds after testing positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

“We’re The Bastards” will arrive on November 13 via Nuclear Blast.

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In a new interview with the “Meet Me For Coffee” podcast, MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson, who launched a boutique coffee brand called Ellefson Coffee Co. a few years ago, was asked how he takes his coffee. He responded (see video below): “Now I’m drinking it with extra-thick oat milk. For years, I drank it with half & half, and I’d never had any real dairy issues.

“I have a doctor friend of mine, who says, ‘Look, all humans are lactose intolerant, because you’re not supposed to drink the milk of another species.’ [Laughs] He said, ‘Look, some people, it hits you right away, sometimes the middle of your life, sometimes never, but just know that humans are lactose intolerant to a cow’s milk.’ And I just started noticing kind of an acid reflux thing, ’cause I do a lot of interviews, I talk a lot, I sing, of course. So I found the oat milk keeps it real clean. And I don’t like thin oat milk, ’cause I like it to be kind of nice and creamy. I did go through a phase a couple of years ago where I was just drinking it black. And I actually don’t mind that so much now, especially now that I’ve been tasting different coffees.

“A lot of our [Ellefson Coffee Co.] artist roasts that we do — [there’s one] for me and Frank Bello [ANTHRAX]; we do one for SKID ROW; Eddie Ojeda from TWISTED SISTER; we roast for these artists — and generally those are a darker… Roast In Peace is our dark roast. But it’s kind of a modest dark roast — it’s not too bitter or anything. The artist roasts tend to be a little bit darker in that they’re actually more of an Italian coffee. So what I found when I was flavor matching some of the stuff was that when you taste it without any cream or anything in it, it has one flavor. And then when you put milk or any additive to it like that, it changes literally the chemical balance of it.

“My chef friend Jon-Paul Hutchins is an instructor at Cordon Bleu, so he really knows coffee. He knows food. He knows how to blend wine, coffee, desserts, all the fish, all these things. So he was there, and he really walked me through the process. And he said, he goes, ‘So now you notice when you put the cream in, that would work really well with the crème brûlée. Not so much with a chocolate cake, but a crème brûlée.’ And I was, like, ‘Wow!’ It just opened my eyes to a whole other dimension of coffee.

“As you travel the world, and, of course, the Italians, they’re very particular about their coffee, and they serve very small, little quick shots that you can just pop ’em back. And it’s more of that — it’s kind of more just like a quick ‘bang, let’s get going.’ Not so much sitting down to enjoy a big 12- or 16-ounce cup of coffee, like we do in Canada and the U.S.”

In early 2017, David opened the first brick-and-mortar Ellefson Coffee Co. shop in his former hometown of Jackson, Minnesota. The shop has since permanently closed.

Ellefson explained his relationship with coffee and mission on the Ellefson Coffee Co. web site. “My love for coffee has accompanied me around the world for my entire musical career,” he said. “Just like the spirit of a culture or the melody of a song, the enjoyment of coffee brings people together and creates harmony among us. The beans in this bag are traceable to their global origin and exemplify the spirit and culture of the people who grew them. It is my aim to bring this roast to our tables and awake our taste buds, fire up our rock n roll spirits and continue the global fellowship of music, art and coffee. May you Roast In Peace!”

Ellefson grew up on a farm in Jackson but has lived in Scottsdale, Arizona since 1994.

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Stephen Pearcy’s upcoming sixth solo album will include a few songs which were originally written “with RATT in mind.”

Tentatively due in 2021, the follow-up to 2018’s “View To A Thrill” will feature 13 tracks which were composed as a collaboration between Pearcy and his longtime guitarist Erik Ferentinos.

On Tuesday (October 20), Pearcy tweeted: “New Stephen Pearcy (his 6th) solo record due 2021 TBA with co-writer, lead guitarist Erik Ferentinos. With all (13) songs written by the pair, Pearcy is finishing working on lyrics. A few songs were written with @theRATTpack in mind.”

This past July, Ferentinos, who has played with Pearcy for nearly two decades, told All Music/All Bands about the musical direction of Stephen’s next album: “The new record will have the ’80s rock sound that fans have come to expect from us with a few surprises thrown in for good measure. There are some heavy bangers on there that the RATT fans will love. I try to keep it edgy, but I want us to have a hit. I’m always trying to top what we’ve done so far, with catchier riffs and melodies to get more fans interested in our music.”

Stephen’s most recent release was the “All That I Want” solo single, He told Marci Wiser of the 95.5 KLOS radio station: “I didn’t know where that song was gonna end up — a RATT song or solo — so I decided it’s just gonna be put out there.”

Asked if the track will appear on a full-length album at some point in the future, Pearcy said: “No. It’s just a song. That’s all I do is write with Erik Ferentinos, a co-writer friend of mine, been in my band forever, solo band. And it’s all good. We just write and if we feel it fits to be heard, we put it out.”

As for the lyrical inspiration for “All That I Want”, Pearcy said: “It’s a relationship song, and it just felt right for the times. Everybody’s locked up, and what’s really important to you? Your partner — somebody close to you, somebody to dig, love.”

This past March, Pearcy released another new solo song called “Making Crazy”.

Pearcy’s fifth solo LP, “View To A Thrill”, came out in November 2018 via Frontiers Music Srl. The follow-up to 2017’s “Smash” was produced by Matt Thorne and Pearcy and was mixed and mastered by Thorne and Ferentinos.

Pearcy and bassist Juan Croucier are the sole remaining original members in RATT’s current lineup, which made its live debut in July 2018 in Mulvane, Kansas. Joining them in the band are drummer Pete Holmes (BLACK ‘N BLUE, RATT’S JUAN CROUCIER) and guitarist Jordan Ziff (RAZER).

Pearcy told Sleaze Roxx that Erik was briefly considered for a position in RATT before Ziff and now-former RATT guitarist Chris Sanders (BRITNY FOX, KNIGHT FURY) came along. “He’s literally been in my band for years, in my solo band,” he said. “He’s a big part of my life, my solo records, the mixing, the engineering, just everything. I mean, we’re like a team when I go in to do my solo records with Matt Thorne in the studio, and Erik and myself. We get in there and there is no stopping us, so I wanted to keep that a little separate, but he’s always ready to go at any moment. He’s a total professional.”

RATT hasn’t released any new music since 2010’s “Infestation” album.

New Stephen Pearcy (his 6th) solo record due 2021 TBA with co-writer, lead guitarist Erik Ferentinos. With all (13) songs written by the pair, Pearcy is finishing working on lyrics. A few songs were written with @theRATTpack in mind. https://t.co/eYrBPUo57i pic.twitter.com/0CX3MIuaj0
— STEPHEN E PEARCY (@StephenEPearcy) October 21, 2020

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In a new interview with the 93X radio station, SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor was asked how he and his wife Alicia celebrated their first anniversary as a married couple on October 6. He responded (see video below): “It was weird. It was our first date night in eight months. We hadn’t gone out. [Laughs] And it was weird dressing; we were gonna have to be presentable and not in our sweats. It’s such a weird normal now. So we went out.

“Obviously, we’re in [Las] Vegas, so it was pretty easy to find a spot,” he continued. “We went to Nobu, which is one of our favorite suchi places. They had the booths set up in a way where it’s naturally distanced, so you don’t have to worry about that. But you have to keep your mask on right up until you get the drink. They were, like, ‘You have to keep the mask on till you get the drink.’ I was, like, ‘Whatever. I might just wear this while I’m eating the damn thing.’

“So it was still a reminder that it’s a little weird out there,” Corey added. “But it was great. We had a great time.”

Alicia Taylor is a professional dancer and a member of the all-girl dance group CHERRY BOMBS. The couple began dating after the breakup of the singer’s eight-year marriage with Stephanie Luby, whom he wedded in November 2009. Corey was previously married from 2004 to 2007 to a woman named Scarlett, with whom he shares a son. The rocker also has a daughter from an earlier relationship.

This past May, Alicia opened up about her relationship with Corey during an interview with Portable Trevor. Speaking about how their marriage is working out so far, Alicia said: “He’s just the best human ever. And when I say that, I really mean it. And I’m not just saying that ’cause he’s my husband — he really is the best human. He is kind, he’s an amazing father, he’s an incredible friend, he’s a kick-ass bandmate — he’s just there for everyone in his circle. And he’s there when I need him, and he’s supportive, and he’s genuine. I mean, in our industry, you don’t see that a lot, and I was kind of leery of it when we first met — I was, like, ‘There’s no way this guy is… He’s just a ‘Rico Suave’ smooth talker.’ But he really is that good in here [points to her heart]. And he’s incredibly intelligent, so we can sit and talk about things for hours, about anything. And it’s just really fun to hear his thoughts on it… And he’s a lot of fun. He’s a big, ol’ goober. We can sit there and laugh and laugh and laugh. And he’s a blast. I not only love him, but I like him. And I think that’s so important when you’re with somebody — you have to like each other as people.”

Asked how she and Corey first met, Alicia said: “We’ve been acquaintances since 2011-ish, ’12-ish. This was back in my Atlanta Falcons cheerleader days… I used to go to STONE SOUR shows, because I was an Atlanta Falcons cheerleader, and my concert buddy, best friend worked at the head office at the Atlanta Falcons… and I would just be there for Jay to hang out with. So that’s how we were introduced. But we never really talked. And then when I started CHERRY BOMBS, videos of us started circulating around, like people in our industry. And I saw him again, and he was, like, ‘Aren’t you that girl that runs that dance group that just did the tour and stuff?’ And I said, ‘Yeah.’ And he was, like, ‘Oh, that’s super rad, super cool.’ So we started talking about what I do and those sort of things, and we kind of left it at that. And then fast forward to early springtime 2017, he reached out to me and was, like, ‘Hey, I know you’re doing really big things with the BOMBS. I’m really digging it. It’s awesome. I wanna know if you’d be interested in going on tour with STONE SOUR and STEEL PANTHER.’ And I was, like, ‘Yeah. Duh.’ So we started collaborating on this tour, and then throughout that summer, we were just kind of, like, ‘Okay, he’s really cool, and we’re really feeling each other.’ But it was, like, ‘No. We can’t do this. We’ve gotta be professional. We’re gonna be on tour together.’ So we went on tour, and then, at the end of it, he was, like, ‘Can I take you on a date?’ And I was, like, ‘After this tour, yeah.’ And we went on a date after our tour.”

According to Alicia, timing played a big role in her relationship with Corey.

“People will be in and out of your life at different times, but a lot of times, it just comes down to when it’s right,” she explained. “So for us, he had been going through his stuff, and I was so focused on my company and what I wanted to do. So we made it happen. We dated. I lived in my own apartment for a year before we moved in together. We waited nine months before I met his daughter. We wanted to do everything the right way — we didn’t wanna push too fast or anything like that. So, yeah, we really wanted to take things slow and really build a relationship from a friendship. That was really important.

“I feel like when you come into a relationship, most of the time you really wanna try and get yourself together, so you’re two whole people becoming one,” she continued. “So, for me, I was in a really good spot. I had a great job, all my stuff was in order, my career was booming, I was also a freelance makeup artist at the time, I was really happy. I was just in a really good place. So, for me, I was fine. He had his own stuff that he was really… And I think that’s why during that summer, when we were first flirting with one another, the timing was not right at all. He was going through a huge depression, and for those that follow him, you can read about his interviews and things like that — he’s definitely an open book about that. And was really needing to find himself. And so he took the time to, ‘I need to work on me. I need to do this for me,’ and then really kind of honed that in.”

She added: “During the first part of our tour, we really didn’t talk at all — we really didn’t even see each other at all or anything like that. Because I think it was really important for him to find himself again and do all that. And honestly, even at the beginning of our relationship, he was working really hard at that too — taking care of himself mentally, physically, emotionally. And what I told him at the time was that, ‘It may not be great for you to jump into a relationship right now, but I’m telling you that you need to do the work for yourself, but I’m also telling you that you don’t have to do it alone. I’m not gonna do it for you — I’m not gonna do any part of it — but I will be your cheerleader, and I will be here for you, and I will just kind of be that pillar of strength for you during this time, just to let you know that you’re not alone. And that was kind of how we treated our relationship in the beginning… And as time passed… I don’t know if you’ve ever gone through a really big crazy depression or anything like that, but when you feel yourself come out of that, you can see it — it’s in your skin, it’s in your face, your friends notice that you look so much better, and you become so much brighter and lighter to be around. He definitely achieved that for sure, and he did a great job. He worked his ass off for his happiness.”

Corey has called Alicia “my best friend, “my confidant, “my push and pull, my warm kiss and my welcome home.” He said: “She’s everything I ever wanted and more, all rolled up into the most beautiful woman in the world to me.” He added: “I thought I was lucky in life. But I never knew what it was like to REALLY be lucky… til I found her.”

Corey released his debut solo album, “CMFT”, on October 2 via Roadrunner Records.

Top photo courtesy of Corey Taylor’s Instagram

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Joe Bonamassa spoke to Danny Stoakes about the coronavirus pandemic, which has brought many businesses across the globe to a screeching halt. Asked what he thinks the future holds for live music once the COVID-19 crisis has subsided, the acclaimed guitarist, who was calling from Nashville, where he has a home, stated (hear audio): “Who knows? Nobody has a crystal ball. All I know is that I’ve had many conversations with my friends, many conversations with my family, I’ve listened to a lot of podcasts, I’ve watched people on television, and everybody does not know definitively what’s gonna happen — they just don’t. And if they say they do, they’re probably making it up. It’s a lot of speculation.

“Who knows what the music business is gonna look like in two years, five years, 10 years?” he continued. “I mean, things have changed in the last five years that I never thought I’d see change. Now that livestreaming and Zoom and everything else, you’re gonna see a hit on the commercial real estate market, where offices are just not gonna reopen, because companies figured out, ‘Why are we paying all this overhead and supplying coffee for two hundred employees when they can make their own coffee at their own house and just get on a computer screen and we can do the exact same thing?’ Concerts are a little bit different, because you can livestream a concert, and it doesn’t matter if you have that wonderful Macintosh poweramp and all the speakers in the world in your house, you don’t get that kinetic energy and that connection with the band, and the band does not get the connection with the audience. So that’s what gives me hope that concerts are gonna come back; they just may look a little different in the short term. But you never know.

“All these sea-change events in the world always have ramifications,” Joe added. “We went through the terrorist attacks in 2001, on September 11th, and things changed, and we just accepted it. We now have to take our shoes off at the airport. It changed, and we’ve been doing it for 20 years. So there’s gonna be a sea change, there’s gonna be things that are gonna be changing and permanent that we didn’t think [would ever happen before the pandemic].”

Last month, Bonamassa sold over 17,000 tickets to his livestreamed concert from Ryman Auditorium, where he played his new studio album “Royal Tea” (recorded at Abbey Road Studios in London) in its entirety, a month before its release on October 23, along with fan favorites from his recent 20th-anniversary album, “A New Day Now”, which is his 23rd No. 1 album.

Following the ticketed event, the concert is in the works to be broadcast on public television and will be available on DVD at a later date.

“Royal Tea” was inspired by Joe’s British heroes Jeff Beck, JOHN MAYALL & THE BLUESBREAKERS, Eric Clapton, LED ZEPPELIN and CREAM. These ten original tracks were co-written by Joe and a cast of homegrown notables including former WHITESNAKE guitarist Bernie Marsden, ex-CREAM lyricist Pete Brown and national-treasure piano man Jools Holland.

“This whole adventure,” admitted Joe, “was a bucket-list thing for me.” This album reconnects the 43-year-old with the guitar-slinging kid from upstate New York, who stumbled across the best of British blues music in his dad’s vinyl collection — whose influences have shaped him to be the player he is today. “I would have been about 12 years old, and it was the sound I heard in my head. Like, ‘Okay, I’m in. That’s what I want to be.'”

He added: “Writing this record in London has done its job. It really does sound inherently British. Bernie and I, we finish each other’s sentences. We’re cut from the same cloth.” Bonamassa’s long-standing producer Kevin Shirley and regular touring band flew in for the recording sessions, which included Anton Fig (drums), Michael Rhodes (bass) and Reese Wynans (keys).

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