Today's Day in Rock Stories

Guns N' Roses Reunion Is Really Lame Says Def Leppard Guitarist 2016 In Review

Roth recently returned with the online show and a new episode features a somber song called "Ain't No Christmas." The lyrics and the mood of the song led some to question if he was singing about parting ways with Eddie Van Halen and the band.

One person that saw that possible correlation was Van Halen Rising author Greg Renoff who wrote on his blog, "Roth's vocal performance here is mournful and somber. His lyrics express feelings of bitterness and regret," Renoff wrote. "My take is that the lyrics provide a commentary on Roth's recent months with Van Halen and perhaps a window into the future of Van Halen." He then posed the question "Is Roth singing about a lost love? Or is he speaking about Edward?"

"We were faced with a hard decision when we heard about the Hall Of Fame inductions," explains singer Ian Gillan. "It was a surprise to us that [current members] Steve Morse and Don Airey did not qualify as inductees.

"Ian Gillan, Ian Paice and Roger Glover decided upon the offer of a compromise which has been agreed with the Hall Of Fame and enables us to turn up on the night. Deep Purple inductees will accept the awards and then the living breathing Deep Purple will perform.

"It should be stressed that there is no slight intended nor any desire to upset anyone regarding this decision; it is purely a mark of respect to Steve and Don. I spoke with David Coverdale last week and he expressed complete understanding of the way it was being handled. Thanks, David. You're a gent.

Outside of this event, there are no circumstances under which a 'reunion' could or would take place. So, let's all get up there, shake hands, smile for the cameras and get it done with dignity and respect for all the existing and past members of a very special family."

Taylor tells BBC Radio 1's Daniel P Carter: "If you'd asked me a year ago I would have said 'no.' But just now, I'm just starting to� I'm 42. And as willing as my will is, I'm just beat up, man. I might as well be 60 in Slipknot years."

But he doesn't think he'd ever fully retire. "I might step away from Slipknot at some point, just because the way the music is, that energy, I don't know if I could do that into my 50s.

Billed as "A Celebration For Ray Manzarek", the show at the Fonda Theatre took place on what would have been the keyboardist's 77th birthday; he passed away from bile duct cancer in Rosenheim, Germany in 2013 at the age of 74.

With all proceeds from the event going to benefit Stand Up To Cancer, Friday's concert saw Krieger and Densmore joined by a cast of guests including Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters, Warren Haynes of Gov't Mule, Exene Cervenka and John Doe of X, Annika Rose of Breaking 27, Rami Jaffee, Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots, Krieger's son Wayne, and Jane's Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins, among others.

Lead vocals were shared among several artists throughout the show, including: Hawkins on "Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)" and "Love Me Two Times", Haynes on "When The Music's Over", Krieger's son Wayne on "Break On Through (To The Other Side)", Doe on "Riders On The Storm", and a shared ensemble vocal on the night's finale "Light My Fire."

Bowie declined--stating after he watch the film, that is was not "his thing." Grohl remembered a night around 1997 when he played a 50th birthday celebration for Bowie at Madison Square Garden.

"About two years ago, I got approached by this movie to do a song for the movie, so I thought, 'Maybe I'll have someone else sing, I'll do the music and then have another vocalist.' And then I thought, "Maybe I'll ask and see if David would want to do it.'

The concert, in the city's Olympia venue, was the band's first full-length show in France since the terror attack during their performance at the Bataclan in November, during which 89 people were shot dead.

Hughes had vowed to "finish the show" before it took place, but he admitted: "I don't want to fall to pieces in front of everyone. It's overwhelming. I just don't want to let anyone down."

EODM were joined on stage by co-founder Josh Homme, who hadn't been present in November. The band opened with I Only Want You, then stopped partway through for a moment of silence. They didn't perform Kiss The Devil, the track they'd just completed when the Bataclan massacre began.

Posting a picture of her head injuries, Olzon says: "I got beaten down and robbed by a junkie on my way home from my car. She hit me hard and I fell onto the stony street on my head. I'm shaken and bruised.

"The worst thing of all was that were were two adul men standing feet away, watching me get beaten, doing nothing. Thank God a girl ran after, and finally two real men took the junkie down. She is now with the police."

"One sweet Lady has passed on," wrote Jefferson Airplane co-founder Marty Balin on Facebook. "I imagine that she and Paul woke up in heaven and said 'Hey what are you doing here? Let's start a band.'"

"She was a real sweetheart with a terrific contralto voice coming from a solid folk background," posted Airplane bassist Jack Casady on Facebook. "Listen to how she made the three part harmonies of 'JA Takes Off' (first album) sound so thick � her wonderful tone between Paul's and Marty's."

He woke up in bed one night in 1969 to see an indefinable creature at the foot of his bed, and later recounted the experience to bandmates Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward about it.

Butler says in a new interview: "I woke up in a dream world and there was this black thing, staring at me. It just lasted a second, but it freaked me out. I told Ozzy, Tony and Bill about it - it was pretty scary at the time. I think that's what inspired Ozzy to come up with the lyrics that open the song: 'What is this thing that stands before me?'"

And although he's admitted to finding a copy of the 1968 record in his collection, he insists that he'd never listened to it. Spirit released Taurus three years before Led Zep launched Stairway, after the bands had toured the US together. Spirit bassist Mark Andes launched legal action two years ago, saying he wanted recognition for the work of late guitarist Randy California.

Page said in a California court declaration last week: "Prior to hearing a recording of Taurus in 2014 in connection with this matter, I have never heard Taurus or even heard of it. I am very good at remembering music and am absolutely certain that I never heard Taurus' until 2014."

The band revealed the following details about the special reissues of the landmark albums, "A while back you may remember that we reached out to you for a little help as we began putting together reissues of both Kill 'Em All and Ride the Lightning. We are psyched to announce that the releases you've been helping us assemble will finally be hitting the streets on Friday, April 15 just in time for Record Store Day!

A statement from staff at University Medical Center, where the Children's Hospital is based, says: "Last week, one of our patients, Dilan Kohn, got his final wish. The critically ill 17-year-old desperately wanted to meet and hang out with the rock'n'roll musician, Gene Simmons, from the band Kiss.

"Mr Simmons had not only been Dilan's idol, but also his inspiration growing up. Mr Simmons was sent an email request last Thursday afternoon and flew into Vegas the next morning. He showed up with a big bag full of signed memorabilia just for Dilan.

"The two hung out, shared stories and laughed together for well over an hour while staff looked on with tears in their eyes. Thank you Mr. Simmons for making this wish come true just in time.

The guitar icon - who was featured momentarily during Sunday's Super Bowl 50 broadcast - took to Facebook to thank the companies for his inclusion before suggesting a local Bay Area lineup could have delivered "real live" entertainment for fans on site and tuned in around the world.

"Dear NFL/CBS, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you both for including me as a part of your Super Bowl entertainment," Santana writes. "I do feel compelled to point out to you that the Halftime Show should have included some of the local iconic bands that the World would have loved to see perform. Bands like Metallica, Steve Miller, Journey and yours truly. We would have rocked the Half Time Show and done the SF Bay Area proud.

"This is just an invitation for you to consider iconic bands as part of your Half Time entertainment. Real live music, real live vocals, and give the audience real live chills."

Dickinson's personal Eclipse jet flew Terri the turtle from the New Era Veterinary Hospital on the largest of the Channel Islands to a sanctuary in the Canaries after a crowdfunding campaign raised more than �6500 for the cause.

Anthrax launched a limited edition of their Ugly Hanukkah Sweater last November through online retailer Rockabilia.com, who are also being sued. Frankie Blydenburgh, a Minnesota-based buyer for Rockabilia.com, tells the Detroit Free Press:

"This is the first I've heard that there's any issue with it. It's up to the merchandising companies we buy from to get the items cleared and make sure there's no copyright issues."