METALLICA: Build a Blood Drive
Metallica have teamed up with the Red Cross to hold blood drives at all their M72 tour stops this spring. Fans can sign up for an appointment to give blood at RedCrossBlood.org/Metallica. The band says, "At many of these stops, the drives will occur inside the venues while the road crew builds the stage! Everyone who comes to give blood at these drives will receive a limited-edition T-shirt, while supplies last." The first blood drive is in Liverpool, New York from April 14th through the 18th. Then the tour kicks off April 19th in Syracuse, New York and runs through June 29th in Denver.
AC/DC to launch first North American tour in nine years
AC/DC is set to kick off their first North American tour in nine years, starting this Thursday April 10th in Minneapolis. The Pretty Reckless will be joining them as support for the tour, which will run through May and include stops in cities like Dallas, Pasadena, and Las Vegas. This tour marks AC/DC's first stateside trek since 2016 and their first North American tour in support of their latest album, "Power Up." Fans can still purchase tickets to select dates through Ticketmaster or find deals on sold-out dates via StubHub.
Doobie Brothers To Perform Special Album Release Concert
The Doobie Brothers are celebrating the release of their new album "Walk This Road," with a special concert event. "A Special Evening With The Doobie Brothers Live In Concert," will take place June 6th at New York City’s Irving Plaza, the same day as the album's release. The iconic lineup of Tom Johnson, Patrick Simmons, John McFee, and Michael McDonald will take the stage to play some of the legendary band's biggest hits along with selections from the new project. Tickets for the show go on sale this Friday at 10AM Eastern.
Billy Joel Film Opens Tribeca Film Festival
An HBO original two-part documentary called, "Billy Joel: And So It Goes" will open the Tribeca Film Festival in New York this summer.The announcement was made by the festival's CEO and co-Founder Jane Rosenthal. This year's Festival line up hasn't been announced yet, but organizer's say it will be soon. The Festival will run from June 4th through the 15th. Festival goers can buy passes and tickets at TribecaFilm dot com.
Creed Adds Stops To Summer Of 99 Tour
Creed are adding five more dates to their upcoming 2025 "Summer of '99 tour" due to high demand. The band has added new shows between August 23rd and the 30th. They're taking place in Michigan, Ohio, Rhode Island, Manchester, New Hampshire and Canada. Mammoth WVH and Hinder will join Creed for the first show of the new dates while the rest will feature support from Daughtry and Mammoth WVH again.Tickets for the new shows are available to purchase now.
AEROSMITH: 50 Years of Toys
Today (Tuesday, April 8th), marks the 50th anniversary of Aerosmith releasing their third, and breakthrough album, 1975's Toys in the Attic. Produced by Jack Douglas, it contains such classics as "Walk This Way," "Sweet Emotion," "Big Ten Inch Record" and the title track. In his memoir, Rocks: My Life In and Out of Aerosmith, Joe Perry writes, "Our first two albums were basically comprised of songs we'd been playing for years live in the clubs. With Toys, we started from scratch. Making this record, we learned to be recording artists and write songs on a deadline. In the process, we began to see just what Aerosmith could accomplish. With everyone throwing in ideas, Toys was our breakthrough. That breakthrough was facilitated by [producer] Jack Douglas ... In the studio he moved into the slot of the sixth member of the band."
And Douglas adds, "Aerosmith was a different band when we started the third album. They'd been playing Get Your Wings on the road for a year and had become better players - different. It showed in the riffs that Joe and Brad [Whitford] brought back from the road for the next album. Toys in the Attic was a much more sophisticated record than the other stuff they'd done." Toys peaked at 11 on the Billboard 200 and is their most successful album, having sold more than nine-million copies in America.
IDOL, STANLEY & STEFANI: Another Day at Work
Paul Stanley and Billy Idol are reprising their roles in two more commercials for Workday, the AI platform for managing people, money and agents. Also including Gwen Stefani, the "Rock Star" campaign features the three of them dressed in business attire while they try to navigate the corporate world -- refusing to believe that Workday's AI agents are making people "rock stars." playfully contrasting the worlds of rock and business, you see the three singers attending meetings, engaging in small talk with colleagues in the office, and grappling with corporate jargon.
Gwen says, "You think AI agents can handle your tasks? Watch me handle my agent!"
Stanley comments, "So you corporate types think you're rock stars? That's as ridiculous as us being corporate types! When your weekend routine involves smashing guitars on stage, a boring office job just doesn't compare…" And Idol adds, "You think that using AI to help you get work done is challenging the status quo? How about trashing hotel rooms?!" The two commercials, titled "Carmen the Rock Star," and "Goodnight Rock Stars," are debuting at The Masters golf tournament now through Sunday. You can watch both on YouTube. In 2023, Stanley and Idol appeared in a Workday ad along with Ozzy Osbourne, Gary Clark Junior and Joan Jett.
STING: And Two Weeks Later
In case you can't get this Saturday's Record Store Day vinyl Deluxe Edition of Sting's new album, 3.0 Live, don't stress. He's just announced that a standard version will be released on CD, vinyl and digitally on April 25th. Among the nine songs on the album are "Message in a Bottle," "Englishman in New York," "Fields of Gold," "Driven to Tears," "Synchronicity II," "Every Breath You Take," and "Roxanne." The exclusive, limited-edition Record Store Day Deluxe Edition gets you eight extra tracks, including such Police classics "Can’t Stand Losing You,” "Fortress Around Your Heart," and "Wrapped Around Your Finger."
Kiss' Vegas Show to Feature Sebastian Bach, Tommy Thayer and More
Longtime KISS lead guitarist Tommy Thayer will join founding members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley for a performance without makeup at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas as part of the three-day "KISS Army Storms Vegas" event celebrating the KISS fan club's 50th anniversary. The event will feature appearances by Thayer's former band BLACK 'N BLUE, Sebastian Bach, and tribute acts MR. SPEED and KISS NATION. The event will include question-and-answer sessions with Stanley, Simmons, and KISS's longtime manager Doc McGhee, as well as special appearances by Kiss Army founders Bill Starkey and Jay Evans. KISS had previously announced that Stanley and Simmons, along with "special guests," would play at least one show "unmasked" at the event.
BLONDIE: Clem Burke Dead
Blondie drummer Clem Burke has died at age 70. The band issued a statement saying that Burke died from cancer. It reads, "Clem was not just a drummer; he was the heartbeat of Blondie. His talent, energy and passion for music were unmatched, and his contributions to our sound and success are immeasurable. Beyond his musicianship, Clem was a source of inspiration both on and off the stage. His vibrant spirit, infectious enthusiasm and rock-solid work ethic touched everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. "We extend our deepest condolences to Clem’s family, friends and fans around the world. His legacy will live on through the tremendous amount of music he created and the countless lives he touched. As we navigate this profound loss, we ask for privacy during this difficult time. Godspeed, Dr. Burke."
·Clem Burke was born Clement Bozewski on November 24th, 1954 in Bayonne, New Jersey.
·Burke learned his trade behind the drum kit by playing in various Jersey cover bands and Bayonne's Saint Andrew Bridgemen Drum and Bugle Corps in his teens.
·Debbie Harry and Chris Stein recruited Burke when they were first starting Blondie and he finally joined the band in early 1975. He also brought in bassist Gary Valentine when the original bassist, Fred Smith, left to join Television.
·Burke played on every studio album released during Blondie's original run from 1976 to 1982. He joined Harry and Stein in reforming the band in the late 90s and played an all of their studio albums from 1999 to 2017.
·During Blondie's hiatus Burke found himself as an in-demand drummer. He played on albums by Pete Townshend, Iggy Pop, Joan Jett and Bob Dylan.
·Burke also joined various bands during this time. He was a member of Eurythmics for their 1986 album and tour for Revenge. He was a member of The Romantics from 1990 to 2004. And he joined fellow New Jersey natives Dramarama from 1991 to 1994.
·Burke was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006 all with the rest of Blondie. He also did a couple of fill ins for other Rock Hall acts -- in 1987 he did two shows for the Ramones under the name Elvis Ramone. And in 2021 he did a fill in for The Go-Go's when their drummer Gina Schock was recovering from surgery.
·In 2013 he formed The Empty Hearts with Cars' guitarist Elliot Easton, Romantics' singer and guitarist Wally Palmar, and bassist Andy Babiuk from The Chesterfield Kings. They released two albums -- 2014's The Empty Hearts and 2020's The Second Album.
A number of musicians have paid tribute to Burke, including Duran Duran, Devo, The Go-Go's, The Romantics and more.
The Beatles' former drummer Pete Best announces retirement
Pete Best, the original drummer for The Beatles, has announced his retirement at the age of 83. Best drummed for the band from 1960 to 1962 during their formative years in Liverpool and Hamburg. He continued to operate The Casbah Coffee Club, where the Beatles first gained attention, and recently converted it into a Beatles-themed Airbnb. Best also performed with his own groups, The Pete Best Combo and The Pete Best Band, after leaving The Beatles.
OZZY, ZAKK: A Wholesome Moment From the Road
With Ozzy Osbourne's time on stage coming to an end on July 5th at the Back to the Beginning show, it's no suprise that people have asked his long-time guitarist Zakk Wylde to share some road tales. In an interview with Metal Hammer Wylde was asked for his most "wholesome" memory about his longtime boss, and not surprisingly it involved a fun drinking tale. Wylde said, "I remember we played the Budokan in Tokyo. I’d always have a bag of beer with me, just in case anywhere we were going didn’t have beer. So, Oz comes in the room after the gig. He goes ‘Zakky, Zakky… you got any beers?’ I go, ‘Yeah, but I’m not giving you one here. You’re going to get us fired! Mum’s [Sharon Osbourne] right across the hall – she’s going to come and see the two of us drinking, is that going to be good?’" "[Ozzy] goes, ‘Alright, tell you what, I’ll meet you in the bathroom.’ So I go in the bathroom, I’m waiting. All of a sudden, I hear the door open. He comes in the stall right next to me, and I push a Kirin or Asahi under there. I hear the ‘psssst’ of the can, then ‘glug, glug, glug!’ He downs it in one, puts the can down, pushes it back under and goes, ‘Thanks, Zakk. I’ll see you at dinner.’ We were like a couple of naughty school kids! It was hilarious!”
ELTON JOHN: Hope He Believes in His Guardian Angel
Elton John continues to struggle with vision problems. He tells The Times of London, "I can’t see the telly! I haven’t been able to see anything since last July. I can’t read. I can’t see my boys playing rugby and soccer...“It has been a very stressful time because I’m used to soaking it all up. It’s distressing. You get emotional, but you have to get used to it because I’m lucky to have the life I have. I still have my wonderful family, and I can still see something out of [my left eye]. So you say to yourself, just get on with it.” But he adds that at 78 he's "feeling better than I have ever been. [Losing my eyesight] is a bastard, but we’ll get over it. There is a lot more to do.” One of his next projects is "a new, banging dance tune and I want to do an album of pop songs because pop is so good at the moment with people like Chappell Roan and Charli XCX.” He says the song is in the can. It would be a follow-up to his last pop collaboration, 2022's "Hold Me Closer" with Britney Spears.
IN OTHER NEWS
David Bowie's daughter Lexi Jones quietly released her debut album, Xandri, last week.
Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden says that a "completely remixed, re-imagined, re-engineered with additional parts" version of his 1994 solo album Balls to Picasso will be out in time for his North American solo tour that starts on August 22nd.
Sammy Hagar has posted more photos and videos from his Maui vacation, including one of him hanging out with Mick Fleetwood, Steven Tyler and Alice Cooper at Cooper’s manager Shep Gordon’s house reading Peter Green’s lyrics to Fleetwood Mac’s “Rattlesnake Shake.” And Steven Tyler also posted a photo of the gathering.
The Pretenders will release a new live album called Kick 'Em Where It Hurts on June 13th that was recorded on the band's 2024 theater tour. It'll be available for download and streaming, with vinyl copies for sale only through the band's webstore. Check out "Time the Avenger" from it on YouTube.
Gene Simmons took his family to IHOP and he posted a photo of them in front of the IHOP sign, captioning it with, “No, they did not pay me to post this.”