Mari Kawaguchi tells the Daily Mail that the Emerson, Lake & Palmer star killed himself because he feared that he was no longer good enough as a musician and was 'tormented with worry' about upcoming concerts in Japan as nerve damage to a hand had affected his playing.
"His right hand and arm had given him problems for years," said Kawaguchi. "He had an operation a few years ago to take out a bad muscle but the pain and nerve issues in his right hand were getting worse. He had concerts coming up in Japan and even though they hired a back-up keyboard player to support him, Keith was worried.
"He read all the criticism online and was a sensitive soul. Last year he played concerts and people posted mean comments such as, 'I wish he would stop playing.' He was tormented with worry that he wouldn't be good enough. He was planning to retire after Japan."
"He didn't want to let down his fans," she added. "He was a perfectionist and the thought he wouldn't play perfectly made him depressed, nervous and anxious." Read more
here.
The band reportedly donated an autographed drumhead to an auction for a benefit concert for the water contamination crisis in Flint, Michigan that reveals the lineup, according to Blabbermouth.
The site has published a photo of the drumhead which features signatures from Rose, Slash and Duff along with keyboard player Dizzy Reed, drummer Frank Ferrer and guitarist Richard Fortus. See the photo here).
The reunion shows will be the first Guns N' Roses performances to feature Axl, Slash and Duff in over twenty years. They last performed together at River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina on July 17, 1993.
The band will be kicking off their reunion shows with two shows at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on April 8th and 9th. The concerts will also feature support from Alice in Chains.
They will then headline this year's Coachella music festival in Indio, Ca on April 16th and 23rd. In between the Coachella dates, they will play two shows at Foro Sol in Mexico City on April 19th and 20th.
The band revealed the initial dates for their So Long, Farwell Tour which will be kicking off on May 5th in Portland, OR at Roseland. The band has announced dates that run through August 6th in Sayreville, NJ at the Starland Ballroom. They have not announced any dates for month of July but advised fans that additional dates will soon be announced.
Shortly after the band announced their final tour plans they revealed that they will be reuniting with drummer Tony Thaxton for the upcoming dates. They had this to say about outgoing drummer Claudio Rivera, "Now we want to take this moment to thank Claudio Rivera for all of his hard work over the last few years.
"We can't even begin to convey the importance of Claudio's presence in the band. He stepped up at a time when we needed not only a great drummer, but also a great person who could help us focus our energy on making music.
"We were able to write a great record together and play insanely fun shows. His positivity was definitely felt and appreciated by all of us. We love him and wish him all the best in the future. For now, stay tuned, friends. We'll be announcing more tour dates very soon!"
See the announced dates here.
Hammett reveals in a new interview with AltPress that the band has been working with Greg Fidelman (Slayer, Black Sabbath, Slipknot, System Of A Down, Adele).
The guitarist says, "We're pretty much doing it with Greg Fidelman."
But he then adds, "He is in the mix. As far as what the final outcome will be, I don't know. We have not brought in any [other] producer and it looks extremely [unlikely] we'd bring one in this late into the project."
Hammett then explains how Fidelman's approach differs from other producers, "The title 'producer' itself is a bit ambiguous. It differs from person to person. You can call Rick Rubin a producer, but he's not the [same] type of producer as Bob Rock, who is there for every note. At the same time, Rick Rubin gets stuff done.
"Greg Fidelman is a different type of producer in that he's with the engineer always looking to try and move the project forward. And that's different from, say, Dr. Dre, who is the type of producer who is actually making backing tracks, producing music, writing music. In the hip-hop world, Dre is a producer. It's so ambiguous. If you go by the traditional term, we're doing it with Greg, pretty much."
As for Fidelman's credits, AltPress named a number of projects that he either produced, mixed of engineered including Metallica's last studio album "Death Magnetic," as well as material from Slayer, Black Sabbath, Slipknot, System Of A Down and Hammett added, "He did the first Adele record, bro! He's done all sorts of stuff. Greg is a real pleasure to work with. Even though he can be a bit of a taskmaster, he listens to you. He's super-flexible. He knows how to crack the whip without f***ing pissing people off."
Hammett also revealed that he has begun writing a movie script. Read about that and more
here.
The rock supergroup, featuring Sammy Hagar (Van Halen, Montrose), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Michael Anthony (Van Halen), and Joe Satriani, will now be playing two shows at Harrah's Lake Tahoe this spring.
The previously announced show will be taking place on May 7th and now the band has made it a full weekend affair with the addition of the second show at the venue on May 8th.
We were sent the following ticket information for the new show: "Tickets for newly added show on May 8th will go on sale Friday, March 18 at 10:00 AM PST via Ticket Master. Fans will have an opportunity to get advance tickets during the pre-sale beginning Tuesday, March 15 at 10:00 AM PST. Get your tickets using the pre-sale code FOOTSOLDIER at www.ticketmaster.com.
The two iconic acts have revealed the initial dates for the trek which will be kicking off on June 3rd in Albany, NY at the Times Union Center and they have announced dates that run through August 21st in Murphys, CA at the Ironstone Vineyards Amphitheatre.
The announced dates also includes shows in Holmdel (NJ), Wantagh (NY), Lancaster (PA), Philadelphia, Gilford (NH,), Clarkston (MI), Woodlands (TX), Englewood (Co), Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
See the tour dates here.
At this point there is no indication if the bands plan additional shows together. The Dillinger Escape Plan confirmed the apparent one-off concert with a Facebook post that featured an event poster and said, "Damn, Philadelphia, it appears the word is out.
"You guys know how it goes. May 5th see you there. Don't even gotta say 'be ready' cause YOU ALREADY NYAOW. Tickets onsale March 25th at 12pm EST."
Mastodon followed up with their own post announcing "Philly! We're playing the Electric Factory on May 5 with The Dillinger Escape Plan!" Tickets will be available
here.
Franklin broke the news with the following tweet on Monday, "Sadly Blue Murder's keyboard player Nik Green left us last night, after a brave battle w/ cancer. A gentle soul & huge talent. RIP my friend".
He then followed up with additional tweets featuring photos: "... Still can't believe he's gone. His contribution to Blue Murder was huge. Rest In Peace Nik."
He also shared a photo of himself and Green puckering their lips with the caption "Nik Green (Blue Murder's keyboard player) & I. Japan, 1989. We shared so many laughs, silly faces & great music. RIP" See the tweets
here.
The eight part series Soundbreaking: Stories From The Cutting Edge Of Recorded Music will be broadcast on PBS stations across the U.S. on November 14-23, 2016 at 10:00 p.m. ET.
The series will feature appearances from more than 150 music artists, including interviews with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Elton John, Barry Gibb, Roger Daltrey, Lindsey Buckingham, Joni Mitchell, Tom Petty and more.
Martin died on March 8 at the age of 90. But prior to his death he made the following comments about the series, "Music is the only common thread and universal language that binds us together regardless of race, nationality, age or income.
"And, recorded music is how we experience it and what makes it accessible. Soundbreaking afforded me the opportunity to tell the story of the creative process of so many of the artists I have worked with throughout my life."
The first two episodes of the series will be screened at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas as part of the Festival's "24 Beats Per Second" line-up. Watch the trailer for the series
here.
The band has expanded their 2016 touring plans with the addition of several new shows including two headline concerts at both the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
The newly announced European dates will include two nights at the Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam, two nights in Paris at Le Zenith, and three nights at the Roundhouse in London.
The group will also be playing two concerts at Palacio De Los Deportes in Mexico City in October. They additionally announced that they will be headlining the Les Nuits des Fourvieres in Lyon, France on June 1st.
The new dates are in addition to the group's previously revealed music festival appearances. These will be final live dates for the band for this year, according to the announcement.
See the tour dates here.
The U.S. tour is scheduled to kick off on July 20th in Southhaven, MS at the Landers Center and will conclude almost a month later on August 18th in Detroit at the DTE Energy Music Theater.
Shinedown frontman Brent Smith had the following to say about the trek: "I've always envisioned the Carnival of Madness as more than just a music festival. It is a celebration of rock music where the lines between those on stage and those in the audience are blurred.
"Where everyone is sharing in this amazing moment. Truly experiencing the power of rock music together. This year, we've gathered artists from across the rock spectrum to bring the most dynamic Carnival of Madness to date. Come join us."
See the tour dates here.
The festival will be taking place on June 18th in Chattanooga, TN and follows the group's previously announced Sugar Shack Tour this spring across the eastern U.S.
The Sugar Shack Tour's east coast leg will be kicking off in Washington D.C. on March 28th at the Howard Theatre and will be concluding on April 8th at the YMCA Boulton Center For The Performing Arts in Bay Shore, NY.
The lineup for the band is rounded out by Debbi Blackwell-Cook (Michael Buble & Gregory Hines) and Forrest Robinson (India.Arie, Joe Sample & The Crusaders, TLC).
See the tour dates here.
The Taste of Chaos tour had been on ice for half-a-decade and staged a one-off event last October in Southern California, but now it will return this summer as a full fledged tour.
The lineup for the trek will also include support from The Early November. Saosin (with Anthony Green) will also be appearing at most of the stops on the tour.
Fans in a handful of markets will also be treated to special guests including Saves The Day in Holmdel, Motion City Soundtrack in Wantagh, The Starting Line in Philadelphia.
The tour will be kicking off in Chicago on June 3rd at FirstMerit Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island and will wrap up on July 16th in San Bernardino, CA at the San Manuel Amphitheater.
See the dates here.
The three-month run begins June 17 in Northfield, OH, with shows ending September 4 in a co-bill date with Santana, Journey and Doobie Brothers at AT&T Park in San Francisco, CA.
On April 8, Miller will be inducted into the Rock Hall alongside Cheap Trick, Deep Purple, Chicago and N.W.A. at the Barclays Center in New York, with the event filmed for broadcast by HBO in the spring.
"We know that our fans made our nomination into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame happen!," says the guitarist. "Thank you for your support! Yup... The time has come when your cries to 'Put the Steve Miller Band in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!' have been heard!" See the tour dates
here.
The tour is scheduled to kick off on April 18 at TLA in Philadelphia, PA and will include shows the following cities: Wednesday, April 20 at 9:30 Club in Washington, DC, Thursday, April 21 at Webster Hall in New York, NY and Friday, April 22 at Paradise Rock Club.
They had this to say about the trek, "We started our journey in these clubs and expect to see a ton of friends at these special shows. It's always been about songwriting and reaching who people who love music like we do. We now get to do things the way we always wanted and we'll play all of our favorites and our newest songs that GC lovers will be stoked on."
The band is currently working on the new album, their sixth studio effort and had this to say, "The new album is like our previous albums in that it's for people who love music and are constantly motivated and trying to live a rad life. Everyone has something to prove to themselves, waking up every day and deciding to change their life for the better and help others do the same. GC has always been about doing this together, motivating each other, finding the unity and energy that exists in taking life's challenges and coming out on the other side. It's about being inspired and excited to be both who you are and who you want to be."
Good Charlotte expects to release the new album this summer via their indie label MDDN. The release date, title and single's title details are still to be revealed.
The new western U.S. leg includes single shows in Oregon (Portland) and Washington (George) as well as four concerts in cities spread across California (Irvine, Chula Vista, Wheatland and Mountain View).
The full summer tour will kick off on June 10th in Charlotte, NC at the PNC Music Pavilion and will now conclude with the Mountain View, CA concert on July 30th at the Shoreline Amphitheatre.
The shows will feature two sets of music from the Grateful Dead's vast catalog performed by original Dead members Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann and Bob Weir, who will be joined by John Mayer, Allman Brothers' bassist Oteil Burbridge; and "Fare Thee Well" and RatDog keyboardist Jeff Chimenti.
See the tour dates here.
The trio of guitarist Dean DeLeo, bassist Robert DeLeo and drummer Eric Kretz announced the audition process early last month with "the intent for Stone Temple Pilots to continue on, to evolve, and to do what we do� make music!"
"We've received an outlandish amount of people sending stuff in," said Dean. "You know, thousands upon thousands. We just want one! So Robert and Eric and I are definitely up for the task and we'll see what we come up with.
"You know, I promise you one thing: we're not gonna settle. This person has to be really, really great. You know, we had the fortune of being in a band with one of the greats - twice! You know, Chester included. So we're not gonna settle." Read more
here.
Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Peter Criss, and Ace Frehley enlisted the help of Canadian producer Bob Ezrin to help out in the writing and recording of Destroyer. Ezrin played an integral part in shaping their song ideas in to rock classics, as well as instilling a work ethic that Paul and Gene in particular has held on to for their entire career.
"The thing I always loved about Destroyer is it pushed the envelope and pushed the parameters of what we could do. It pushed us to the limit and yet everything stayed true to us because it was all comfortable, there was nothing forced or contrived," Stanley said in Kiss' authorized biography Kiss: Behind The Mask (p. 114).
Ezrin share writing credits on eight of the album's ten songs. Bringing Ezrin on board helped push the band members to new levels both as musicians and songwriters. "Every one of them were punching above their weight class on Destroyer. This was really a huge leap forward for all of them. Gene's bass playing was so impressive on Destroyer; it was really reaching beyond what he had ever played before. And he practiced and practiced. And Ace's guitar playing was so much more controlled and lyrical. And Paul's [guitar playing] too -- you know, I think Paul always had a lyrical style, he just didn't have as much of an outlet in some of the older stuff. Paul's vocals - I think he grew up as a singer at the moment we were doing Destroyer, said Ezrin during an interview with KissFAQ.
Destroyer contain some of KISS' biggest songs and live favorites. The Stanley-penned but Simmons-sung "God of Thunder" is certainly the one song I wait for every time I go to a Kiss show! An anecdote about that song is that the kids you hear in the intro are actually Ezrin's sons.
Ezrin was able to experiment quite a bit in the studio, helping the band create some of their most ambitious songs ever, like for example "Great Expectations." The song, which Gene Simmons says was written on bass, uses orchestrations borrowed from Beethoven, and a children's choir (the Brooklyn Boys Choir).
Looking back at Destroyer's track list you automatically assume that songs like "Detroit Rock City," and "Shout it Out Loud" were monster hits, but that was actually not the case. Destroyer did reach gold status just a month after its release, buoyed by the success of Alive, but it quickly lost ground after that. But as most of you already know, that would quickly change once radio stations picked up on the b-side to "Detroit Rock City" - "Beth." The song, which was recorded with drummer Peter Criss on vocals, became the band's first Top 10 hit in the US. Read more
here.
The announced dates will be kicking off on July 19th at The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, NY and conclude with Beck's previously announced special 50th anniversary show at the Hollywood Bowl on August 10th. More dates are still to be announced.
Beck has also lined up two solo headlining shows. The first one will take place Mashantucket, CT at Foxwoods Resort Casino on July 22nd and the second one will be in Bethlehem, PA at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center on July 24th.
See the tour dates here.
Joined by guitarist & vocalist John Mitchell (Lonely Robot, It Bites), drummer Craig Blundell (Steven Wilson) & bassist Nathan King (Level 42), 'Falling Satellites' is the band's first album in 8 years & the follow-up to the acclaimed 'Experiments In Mass Appeal'.
Comprising 11 songs, the final 6 forming a 32-minute long suite, this album also sees a guest appearance from Grammy-nominated guitar legend Joe Satriani, who Godfrey played with on the G3 tour in 2012. Jem had this to say about the album:
"It's been a long time coming, but we got there in the end. I think this is our strongest album to date and moves the sound forwards whilst still referencing what's gone before. It's also great to have finally co-written some songs with John in a Frost* context. The end results were better than either of us could have imagined, we just can't wait to get out and play it all live now."
The album will arrive on limited edition CD digipak (incl. 2 bonus tracks), gatefold 2LP + CD & digital download.
See the tracklisting here.
Shawn "Clown" Crahan of Slipknot had this to say, "I celebrate Knotfest Japan as a high watermark of my legacy. We began plotting our return the moment we got on the plane home.
"Japan holds a special place in all of our hearts, and it's beating, brutal, and beautiful. We can't wait to get back, because we've got some (sic) surprises for you."
More details are expected to be released soon.
Pearl Jam, Ten Club and MusiCares are all working together to spread the word on Hearing Health. During each show of the band's Spring tour, fans are encouraged to visit the MusiCares table to pick up a pair of limited edition PJ X MusiCares earplugs.
According to Alternative Nation, a suggested donation will be requested to receive the limited edition case and pair of earplugs. Fans are also encouraged to take photos with their plugs inside their ears and post them on social media with the hashtag #pjcares and tagging @pearljam and @musicares. Read more
here.
The album also the first to feature new vocalist Alex Shom and drummer Matt Unkovich. Guitarist Scott Kay says of Dogswamp: "We're excited to release our first offering for 2016, and our first song with our new members, Alex and Matt.
"It's aggressive as always, but we wanted to experiment with a more conventional song structure. We hope you dig it." Watch the new music video
here.
Click here to read today's full Day in Rock report
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