Van Halen Expand Summer Tour

Ward spoke with Classic Rock Revisited about his new solo album but also touched on the public back and forth between him and Ozzy Osbourne. Ward maintains that he isn't currently part of Black Sabbath because of the contract terms that were offered him, while Osbourne claims that Ward isn't physically up to the job. Below is an excerpt from the interview:

Classic Rock Revisited: Part of the controversy is that according to certain camps, the rest of Black Sabbath, you are unable to play an entire concert, physically.

Bill Ward: Oh, that's their fear that has nothing to do with me. That is somebody else's fear. That is simply fear and that's all that is. It is not the truth and it has nothing to do with the truth. The only thing that happened to me that is the truth is that I actually got sick on October 18, 2013. Up until that point I was fully capable of playing drums and I could have played multiple world tours, et cetera, et cetera. I just had not signed a contract. Had I signed a contract then I wouldn't have been sick, according to them!

I hate what's going on, it is terrible. It is a good question: Had I signed the contract that was offered to me, which I wouldn't have done, but had I signed it I probably would have been exonerated from health problems! That is crazy. Once you sign, you just don't have health problems.

I would never, ever, ever commit to taking on any type of live commitment, or studio commitment, if I knew there was something going on inside of me which could stop me from doing it. There wasn't a f***ing thing going on inside of me that would stop me from playing in the studio or in a live band rehearsal. It absolutely didn't exist.

Classic Rock Revisited: You're saying this all strictly boils down to money with Black Sabbath.

Bill Ward: In my particular case, when I try to get a sign-able contract, yes.

Classic Rock Revisited: That's crazy.

Bill Ward: The sickness agenda started after I wouldn't sign the contract. You know all the problems of what I was like in 2011, it all started to happen after the event. In 2011, nobody said anything to me about that as they all seemed to be quite happy that I was there. I am getting better with it now, but I was infuriated when I first heard of that as my health was really good. I was playing drums every day and practicing 130 beats per minute for a half an hour on the bass drum. I wasn't walking ten miles, I usually walk ten miles a day but I was walking six to eight miles a day. It is what I would be doing anyway. It is what I am doing now. I am walking on treadmills. I had to rebuild my core after the operation I had.

What happened on October the 18th of 2013 was serious sh*t and I needed surgery. Had I been on tour then, yes, that would have happened. That was something that was unexpected and unforeseeable, as life can be. That would have meant that I would not have been able to continue on with the band for at least five months. It would have taken that amount of time. They have cancelled shows as well when unforeseeable events happen. They say, "He couldn't have done it anyway because he got sick." I think that is a bunch of bullsh*t. These things are unforeseeable and everybody knows that we go in good faith and we know unforeseeable events can happen. Ozzy has had to cancel on multiple occasions because of unforeseeable events since all of this has happened.

Classic Rock Revisited: Should we hold out any hope that Sabbath will reunite with you?

Bill Ward: That statement that I made was actually an olive branch. It was a real olive branch, not a pie in the sky olive branch. I gave exact specifications of what would put me back in the band. I don't f*** around, you know. "You want me back I the band? Then make a public apology about the things that you said about me that weren't true. That's the first thing. The next thing is give me a sign-able f***ing contract."

This contract isn't the Rockefeller of all Rockefeller contracts. I just want something that is decent and fair and what every other person on earth who is playing rock and roll would want.

Costa says: "A few days ago at a show in Virginia a part of a stick that broke off of my snare shot up and hit me in the mouth. This resulted in a cracked crown.

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Jamie Jackson, owner of Freestyle Games (the company that puts out Guitar Hero, and who partnered with Activision for Guitar Hero Live), said, "It's been 10 years since the first Guitar Hero game came out. When you think of it like that, and think about how much the musical landscape has changed since then - that's where we've been able to explore some new types of musical style as well. Guitar music is broader than it's ever been - so we're reflecting that in the range of music on offer."

The band's former frontman Danny Worsnop walked away in January to focus on his other band We Are Harlot. And now AA have announced dates in Manchester and London, but there is still no news on Worsnop's replacement.

The screening will be taking place at 6 pm at the Hotel Gray d'Albion, 38 Rue Des Serbes, Cannes, 06408, France. We were sent these details about the film:

The documentary is an inside look at Frankie Banali's road to recovery after losing his best friend and Quiet Riot lead singer Kevin DuBrow (Brother of Dr. Terry Dubrow on Bravo's "Real Housewives of Orange County") to a drug overdose in 2007 as he forges ahead to conquer his loss, regain his life and put the band back together.

The film also features cameos from Matt Sorum and Stephen Adler (Guns N' Roses), Glen Hughes (Deep Purple), Dee Snider (Twisted Sister), Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne) and Martha Quinn (Original MTV VJ).

Willcock will play with his band GV1 at London's Bar 12 on June 13 - with more dates to be added. GV1 will share the bill with Buffalo Fish, featuring ex-Maiden guitarist Terry Wapram.

Dylla write on Facebook: "Spending the beautiful day on the lake with my boyfriend. Not answering messages or texts or emails, though I thank you all for the kind words and support. It's good to know the music industry never changes.

"For clarification I was told in January in a meeting that the band would be taking a year off and that they would not be using my character in the upcoming storyline, but that I would be invited back in the future if the gigs were right for the character. We both said that we would not say anything publicly about it which is why I never did.

"That is wholly different than finding out via metal news sites and random fan messages that they are indeed using your character and getting someone else to play it, and thus not inviting you back. Basic respect would have thought someone would have cared enough as a friend to let me know this personally before broadcasting it to the world.

"I'm strong but I'm still a girl with feelings. That's just beyond disrespectful and I am very disappointed in you all, no matter what reason you had for being dissatisfied with me you still have a responsibility to handle things in a professional manner and with respect for other people's legacy and feelings.

"I designed that character with Matt Maguire, came up with the name, worked on the costume, developed the entire character because Gwar told me just to make it up and try my best. I tried my best and people liked it. I think Brockie would have been proud.

"Yes, I drink beer. Almost every day. Find me a group of metal musicians who think that is weird. No, I don't perform incapacitated and never have. Yes, I can handle my sh*t. No, I don't do drugs. Yes, I broke my rib and kept singing through the rest of the set and the crowd never noticed. No, I didn't break it because I was drunk, I broke it because I elbow dropped the wrong part of the Mr. Perfect costume trying to put on a good show.

"Anyone who has ever worked in the ring with me knows I constantly injure myself because I am clumsy as f***. Yes, I called fan art "bad"- privately and to my friends on my private page, because it was technically bad, and amazingly so. Was that meant as an insult? No. Anyone who knows me knows I love bad art.

The Swedish band have brought in Olle Ekman from fellow Swedes Deals Death as a temporary replacement for the run of shows, which got underway in Montreal last night.

Following the project's lead single, "Can't Break Me Down", the clip for the track - co-written by Idol, Twin Shadow and Greg Kurstin - was filmed in the California desert by director by Thomas Kirk.

"I went for a concept which very much took the lyrics of 'Save Me Now' and turned them into a surreal story that I felt was as true to the very visual lyrics as possible," explains Kirk. "I loved the image of a bruised cop and a priest trapped inside a car."

The album was recorded between Brussels and London and was produced by frontman Kelly Jones and longtime collaborator Jim Lowe. It's now available to pre-order digitally via iTunes and from the band's official website as a 2CD package. A limited number of signed copies are also available.

Co-produced by Satriani and John Cuniberti, the guitarist recorded the project late last year at Skywalker Sound in Lucas Valley, CA, with keyboardist and guitarist Mike Keneally, drummer Marco Minnemann and bassist Bryan Beller. "I couldn't have asked for a better band to help bring these songs to life," says Satriani.

The guitarist is joined by a second rhythm section for four tracks: drummer Vinnie Colaiuta - who has worked with Frank Zappa, Sting and Paul Simon, among others - and Jane's Addiction bassist Chris Chaney.

Taylor joins the band following the recent departure of drummer Emily Dolan Davies, just a month after she made her live debut with the group; she stepped in to record the group's forthcoming album, "Last Of Our Kind", after a split with original sticksman Ed Graham last fall.

The month-long, 22-date run - which starts in Milan, Italy on September 15 - will see Hughes perform highlights from his extensive career, including music from Trapeze, Deep Purple, Black Country Communion, California Breed and his solo material.

"After being studio bound for the past few months and then touring with California Breed late last year," says Hughes, "where I received the most incredible live audience reaction to my appearances while out with Alter Bridge and Slash, I felt it long overdue for a solo tour of my own.

He'll be joined by Beth Hart, Blues Traveler, Jarekus Singleton and others on the four-day sailing on the Norwegian Pearl from February 15 to 19. The voyage runs from Miami to Cozumel off Mexico's Yucatan peninsula.

Known for their live shows, the group has featured a diverse lineup of guest musicians in the past, including Scott Ian, Joey Belladonna, Charlie Benante, Phil Anselmo, Rex Brown, Kerry King, Dave Lombardo and Chuck Billy.

The clip features a short section from their track Roundabout, while artwork by Roger Dean comes together on screen. It follows a previous teaser, launched earlier this month.

The product was planned after Yes discovered seven complete concerts in their archives, taped in 1972 during drummer Alan White's first tour with Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire and Rick Wakeman.

The track is described as "a journey across a host of ambient, electronic and synth-heavy sounds." It's accompanied by Watching You, featuring Massive Attack's Robert '3D' Del Naja, and Conquistador with techno artist Mike Levy, aka Gesaffelstein.

The Swedish outfit are touring in support of 11th album Siren Charms, launched last year. Gelotte tells Pop Culture Madness: "We were really early when it came to the internet. We had a web page super-early on.

"The address was long and it had numbers and dots and signs and stuff. We had it on our t-shirts when we tours - and we spelled it wrong, so nobody ever found our website."

Since taking the job, Corgan says he's been pulling double shifts as he rehearses with the Pumpkins ahead of their joint End Times Tour with Marilyn Manson, which starts on July 7.

They say: "We've put a lot of work into this to give you as much insight into the band as possible. There's loads of never before seen footage - and the most in-depth interviews we have ever done."

It'll be available to pre-order via 24 Hundred's online store from May 14. Along with a variety of bundle packs the band will also be offering fans a limited number of tickets to see the film ahead of its official release.

And the Arena, Pendragon and Shadowland composer has warned that The Fire And The Quest event is already close to selling out. Nolan tells Prog: "I'm marking 10 years of working on the musicals.

Before recording our first studio album Farm Machine we spent lot of time together planning the tracklist. We already had many heavy rock classics that would surely work on the album. Still we felt something was missing. We had an insuperable need of disarming some ultimate severe piece of heavy metal. After hours of headbanging and drivin' tracktor the outcome was Seek & Destroy by Metallica.

This classic would give the speed needed for the album. Those killer riffs would be tamed by mandolin, banjo, acoustic guitar and so forth. Double bass played with a bow and a drum set with maraca would surely make the music 'ride' to its conclusion.

There was only one issue. We didn't have time for the most important job - practicing. We were superimposed by gigs, home duties and recording sessions. So we managed to sit down and rearrange the song only a day before recording Seek & Destroy.

Since we recorded all the instruments (not vocals) at the same time, there was no room for mistakes or such. Eventually the song was tamed. We're not sure if it's good or bad but you can hear kind of a savage grasp in the track - like wild boars hunted.