Today's Day in Rock Stories

Guns N' Roses Star Launches New Supergroup

In the past, Hammett has gone on record to name Schenker as one of the greatest influences on his guitar playing, recalling that when he first heard UFO's Force It at the age of 15, he "set out to learn as many Schenker solos as possible while trying to write heavy riffs just like UFO."

The Metallica guitarist recently got to collaborate with his hero on a new song from the upcoming Michael Schenker album Resurrection with his new band Michael Schenker Fest. Stream the track here.

The reason original bassist D'arcy Wretzky is not taking part in the Pumpkins reunion album has nothing to do with the remaining band members. "James Iha, Jimmy Chamberlin, and William Corgan haven't played a show with D'arcy Wretzky for over 18 years. But it's not for a lack of trying," said Smashing Pumpkins in a press statement.

They continued: "For despite reports, Ms. Wretzky has repeatedly been invited out to play with the group, participate in demo sessions, or at the very least, meet face-to-face, and in each and every instance she always deferred. We wish her all the best, and look forward to reconnecting with you all very soon."

"This is how the rumor of the '27 club'--the idea that there is something fateful, myth-worthy, or even cursed about turning 27--began," reads the book's synopsis on Amazon.

We were in the middle of writing the songs for our new album, "Along Came a Spider." Johnny, our lead guitarist, was messing around with a riff and needed me to come up with vocals to get things moving along. We usually start that way or with a vocal line. This time the riff came first. I listened and then came up with the chorus vocal "I'm not here to change your mind but I will rip your heart out." A lot of times, I'll come up with something and end up changing it many, many times, but this time the line stuck for both of us. And it was funny -- to me anyway. The initial thought started as a f*** you to naysayers. I'm sure many people can relate.

But, as the verses developed, the concept went another direction. Not consciously. Instead, Johnny started riffing and I grabbed onto one of the ideas that made me think of AC/DC's "Let There Be Rock." Not the riff itself, but some vibe about it. Anyway, AC/DC is always a great inspiration for me so all was good in the land of Spider Rockets' song creation! So instead of "In the beginning," I began with "This is the story�" The rest came pretty easily. We've all met the crazy chick who doesn't know when to stop and will pull every dirty trick to entrap a guy. And we've all met the stupid guy who's willing to give it all away no matter the cost just to get some.

So, the song evolved into the story of when these two flawed characters meet. No surprise, but it is a recipe for disaster. In the earlier versions of the song, we even had blood curdling screams (from the guy). We did the usual Spider Rockets thing of moving parts around a few dozen times. The blood curdling screams were nixed, too, to make for a tighter song without distractions.

Bottom line, the song is about two people that totally deserve each other. After all, for some this is romance�.

When writing for the next release, Matthews told Radio.com why you won't hear anything political on the album. "I really try to talk about things in my songs, my children, or talk about friendship, love of family, love of the world, love of each other because I don't want to sink as low as the politics or the leaders, so called leaders of the country."

The band have revealed details for a new North American trek, which will be Part 2 of their 30 Anniversary Show, and is set to kick off on April 10th in Louisville, KY.

Due March 9, Kennedy recorded the album with producer and longtime Alter Bridge associate Michael "Elvis" Baskette. The rocker reveals the project is inspired by the loss of his father when he was a child.

"It's probably the closest thing to a full-on concept record that I've ever written," Kennedy tells Metal Wani. "I mean, the story is congruent throughout the entire... It basically tells a story from start to finish, and it documents when my father passed away when I was a kid and basically what happened after that with my mom, my brother and I - it tells that story. So it's a full-on concept from start to finish."

Upon closer inspection, however, both acts represent their own inimitable take on no-nonsense, straightforward rock and roll. Styx were a hard-driving, Midwestern prog-rock band long before the ballads and "Mr. Roboto" took over. Joan Jett has always personified rock at its most stripped-down and essential.

"They help foster kids that are in dire need of finishing their education, providing funding for summer camps and lessons, even new clothes - all the things a lot of us take for granted," McCready told Rolling Stone about connecting with the organization ten years ago when he volunteered to help them wrap holiday presents.

Vocalist Tak Kitara had this to say, "In the last couple years each one of us have had major hardships in our lives that have hit us deeply in various ways. Physically and emotionally we have been beat down and broken.

The 28-date tour is scheduled to kick off on March 1st in Mankato, MN at What's Up Lounge and will be concluding on April 7th in Lincoln, NE at Duffy's.

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