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Wednesday's Playlist
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Billy Thorpe Dies Overnight
from melodicrock.com
RIP BILLY THORPE - AUSTRALIA'S PREMIERE ROCK LEGEND AND CONSUMMATE ROCK N ROLLER:
Australian vocalist/guitarist/rocker/legend Billy Thorpe died overnight Oz time after suffering a massive heart attack. Billy was only 60 and was still touring regularly. I had the great pleasure of seeing Billy live 2 or 3 times now, last time being as support for Alice Cooper a year or so ago.
A true rock legend and as Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs, he was the pioneer of the Oz Pub Rock scene, which as those that have followed this scene closely, will know how important his roll was in shaping this countries musical heritage. R.I.P. Billy.
One of the many local reports circulating today about Billy' untimely death and one of the best can be seen here: www.theage.com.au
posted by Paul Dickinson at 9:18 AM | Email Us
Tuesday's Playlist
Thursday's Playlist
Friday, February 23, 2007
Prize Dumpster Winners 2/23/07
Our lucky winners this week are:
Paula Bailey of Black River Falls
Lisa Artac of Greenwood
Your "cheap & highly superficial" prizes are on the way!
posted by Paul Dickinson at 9:18 AM | Email Us
Wednesday's Playlist
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Too Good To Be True...Van Halen Tour
From melodicrock.com
VAN HALEN TOUR POSTPONED:
Yes, it is 100% true that the Van Halen 2007 tour has been indefinitely postponed. Details are a little thin on the ground and no one is talking on the record, but I did manage to talk to my contact who originally told me of the re-union plans in October last year.
Despite what little has been said publicly so far, it seems there are issues beyond paperwork and contracts that need to be ironed out. Van Halen has always been a volatile mix of personalities and 2007 is no different. Basically those involved in putting this tour together won't commit further until all issues are dealt with, hence the postponement of current plans.
I am told though, that this postponement should be just that - a temporary situation that can be sorted so that the dates that had been arranged can be re-booked and announced down the track somewhat. The band is unlikely to comment beyond the fact the tour will (at this stage) start later than originally planned.
The line-up for this tour remains Eddie, Wofgang & Alex Van Halen and frontman David Lee Roth.
For the record - here is what Pollstar has posted regarding the news:
"It's true. The Van Halen tour that was never officially announced is now officially postponed indefinitely, sources told Pollstar. The rumored tour took on an air of reality after a trade magazine announced that original singer David Lee Roth was about to sign on the dotted line, and that was soon followed by a press release via Eddie Van Halen's spokeswoman-slash-girlfriend. Unfortunately, the worldwide frenzy of a VH reunion was too good to be true, at least for the present day.
However, there was a lot of paper getting inked and Pollstar understands that a tour announcement might not have been far off."
And this forwarded to me from a regular contact:
"I work in radio and here's exactly what came across our "prep" service this morning from Premier Radio Network...
We learned last night from a source close to the band that Van Halen's reunion tour with David Lee Roth has been "indefinitely postponed." While Eddie, Alex, Dave and Eddie's son Wolfgang (replacing bassist Michael Anthony) have been rehearsing, their plans are now up in the air. We were told that when Eddie's girlfriend (and spokesperson) announced the reunion on February 2nd, there was no signed deal between the band, Roth and tour promoter Live Nation.
A Van Halen best-of highlighting the Roth years has also been scrapped by Rhino. A source at the label tells us they were unable to make a deal for the planned release.
Regardless of all this drama, Van Halen will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in New York on March 12th.
The last time Van Halen toured with David Lee Roth was in 1984. The last time Van Halen toured was in 2004 with Sammy Hagar.
We were unable to reach representatives for the Van Halen brothers last night. Roth's spokeswoman declined to comment."
posted by Paul Dickinson at 9:18 AM | Email Us
Tuesday's Playlist
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Monday's Playlist
Monday, February 19, 2007
Friday's Playlist
Friday, February 16, 2007
Prize Dumpster Winners 2/16/07
This weeks winners are:
Carole Hohenstein of Black River Falls
Carson Doriot of Medford
Thanks for registering!
posted by Paul Dickinson at 9:42 AM | Email Us
Rockfest 2007, Van Halen, Rush Updates
from melodicrock.com
ROCK FEST ANNOUNCES FIRST ARTISTS FOR 2007 SHOW:
World famous Rock-Fest in Wisconsin, USA has announced the first details of some of the acts appearing at the festival this year:
Thursday July 19 - Dennis DeYoung, The Mick Fleetwood Band, Deep Purple, Boston.
Friday 20 - Uncle Kracker, Grand Funk Railroad, Godsmack.
Saturday 21 - Cross Canadian Ragweed, Collective Soul, Chicago.
Sunday 22 - Corey Stevens, 3 Doors Down.
More acts and details to be announced. Keep up to date at: www.rock-fest.com
EDDIE VAN HALEN & DAVID LEE ROTH BOTH TALK:
Two new Van Halen related interviews have found their way online today. Eddie Van Halen is interviewed in the upcoming Hit Parader magazine, the text of which has already appeared in multiple places online. So if you haven't seen, here goes:
"EVH is easily one of the top 5 in guitar virtuosos of the 20th century. This only makes the last several years of the band's existence seem tragic. With so much talent kept on hold because no singer could get his act together to work with Eddie, much time has been wasted. Now, Van Halen fans can rejoice the original band (with one minor adjustment) is returning this summer for a North American amphitheatre tour. We spoke to Eddie about what fans can expect."
Hit Parader - So how does it feel to be back?
Eddie Van Halen - Back where? I haven't gone anywhere.
HP What have you been up to since your 2004 was tour with Sammy Hagar was cut short?
EVH Oh, just writing, recording. Jamming with my kid and Al (Ed. Alex Van Halen, Eddie's brother and Van Halen's drummer). My son Wolfie, the kid's a natural. Started on guitar. Moved to bass last year, and we've just been jamming it up.
HP Did you know from the outset that you would be getting Dave back in the band?
EVH Y'know, it didn't really matter who it was. It could be Dave. It could be someone else. We actually had a couple of people come up to the house and sing. It could have been them.
HP Or Hagar?
EVH Nah. After the last tour, I realized that was sort of a mistake.
HP What happened?
EVH We just wanted to play. Couldn't get it together with Dave, though we'd sure tried. So Sam called Al and that set into motion. I was the last one. I said sure. Then we got Sobolewski in, though I didn't really want to (Ed.- Sobolewski is bass player Michael Anthony's real last name). Anyway, it just fell apart. Nobody was on speaking terms. And Hagar and the bass player were just using the press coverage to sell tequila or hot sauce. It was below the belt.
HP So no chance on getting Anthony back in the band?
EVH Why? He hasn't played on a Van Halen record in years. We've not spoken. I don't mean to slight him, he's a good player. But there hasn't been that vibe or closeness for years. Plus now he's off playing with the enemy. (laughs)
HP You mean Hagar? Their band, "The Other Half"?
EVH Yeah, what's with that? They're out there selling hot sauce and tequila and playing all the songs I wrote. It's kind of sad.
HP So how did Roth enter the picture? I've been under the impression that you two haven't gotten along for years?
EVH We wanted to play music again. Wolfie came to me last year and told me how much he loved those old songs. They were easy to learn and fun to play. So we've been jamming them for ages now, and I just sort of looked at Al and said, "Forget it, get Dave in here!" So we called him.
HP Just like that?
EVH No, it wasn't just like that. There were lots of lawyers and things to go through. (laughs)
HP Did Anthony contact you?
EVH No, but my agent, who is also my girlfriend, told me she'd heard that Hagar was trying to contact me. I don't know what the hell he wants.
HP So cancer-free, going into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame, a tour with Roth? That's a big turnaround.
EVH Yeah, it's great. But I don't think we're all going to play at the Hall of Fame. I can't imagine us all trying to share the stage together. Frankly, I don't want to play with everyone.
HP What about a new album?
EVH Yeah, maybe. I've got so much music. The name Van Halen, the family legacy, is going to go on forever. Passed on. My kid is a natural. I'm going to have him play on a solo record at some point.
HP And new music with Roth?
EVH Well, that's what we hope. We all sound great. You have no idea. And there's more than enough new music. But one thing at a time. We haven't even rehearsed that much yet.
David Lee Roth has also spoken out - this time to Rolling Stone. From Rolling Stone:
Van Halen recently announced that they'd be touring together with their original frontman David Lee Roth for the first time in twenty-three years. Roth spoke exclusively to our Brian Hiatt about burying the ax with Eddie, playing the old favorites with a different attitude and the possibility of a permanent VH reunion. He also dropped more metaphors than we ever thought humanly possible.
Read highlights from the interview, which will appear in its fully-realized form in the next issue of Rolling Stone, which hits stands everywhere February 23rd:
On his first post-reunion jam with Eddie: "Eddie and I wrote the songs, every note, every syllable, as if we invented a language that only we can speak. It was an easy, natural thing…When you speak a language that you both created, it's natural to go, “I know you.” So it was very easy. There wasn't any stumble at all. I just showed up, and twenty minutes later, it was the usual, “How's the wife, how's the kids, let's play.” When you're born to do that language, you speak it naturally. I never forgot it."
On how rehearsals are going: "The chemistry is combustible. There's an explosive sound there that is, I think, perhaps…unless you were there, which most folks weren't, than you may have forgotten. This is really sophisticated, smart stuff. Everybody's at the top of their game in terms of…it's not just intangible things. My voice is arguably better than it was when I left the band back when. I love what I do, perhaps for some different reasons now than I did, more so than I did. It's a privilege to do what I do for a living."
On whether or not the reunion will be permanent: "God willin', and the creek don't run dry, just like Grandma Roth used to say. Barring any act of God or Ferrari…yeah. I have hope and faith, and that's more than just the name of a couple of strippers from Albuquerque."
RUSH RETURN WITH SNAKES & ARROWS; ROCK LEGENDS' FIRST ALL NEW ALBUM IN FIVE YEARS:
Anthem/Atlantic recording group Rush has unveiled details of its upcoming new album, entitled Snakes & Arrows. The renowned rock trio's first new collection of original material in nearly five years, the album will be released on May 1st.
Snakes & Arrows was recorded in the fall of 2006 with Grammy Award-winner Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Velvet Revolver) and Rush co-producing. The album's first single, Far Cry, will impact at rock radio outlets nationwide in mid-March.
Rush - Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart - will trumpet the release of Snakes & Arrows with a full-scale North American tour, the band's first since 2004's "An Evening with Rush 30th Anniversary Tour." Further details about this summer's tour dates will be announced in the coming weeks.
Since releasing its self-titled debut album in 1974, Rush has been universally regarded as one of the most inventive and exciting groups in rock, famed for Lee, Lifeson, and Peart's virtuoso musicianship, epic soundscapes, and dramatic lyricism. The band's extraordinary body of work - which includes such acclaimed works as 1976's 2112, 1981's Moving Pictures, 1996's Test For Echo, and 2002's Vapor Trails - has achieved worldwide sales exceeding 35 million units.
For additional information, please visit: www.rush.com.
PS. No arguments here with any of the above, but the guys omitted one album from their discography highlights - Hold Your Fire. That record folks, is another masterpiece!
posted by Paul Dickinson at 9:17 AM | Email Us
Thursday's Playlist
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Wednesday's Playlist
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Tuesday's Playlist
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Pat Benatar Dates Announced
from melodicrock.com
PAT BENATAR AND NEIL GIRALDO ON THE ROAD:
Rock N' Roll superstars Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo are on the road in March for the final leg of their Polyamnesia - Off the Rock tour!
One of the most dynamic and popular vocalists in rock history, Pat, along with husband/producer/long-time collaborator Neil Giraldo, can claim four Grammys, seven platinum/three gold albums and 15 Top-40 singles. Breaking rules and blazing trails for a generation of female rockers, Pat Benatar's influence is undeniable. Fans can expect to hear all-time rock anthems such as "Heartbreaker," "Hit Me With Your Best Shot," "Hell Is For Children," "Shadows of the Night," and "Love Is A Battlefield."
March tour dates are:
15 Warner Theater, Torrington, CT
16 House of Blues, Atlantic City, NJ
17 Seneca Niagara Casino, Niagra Falls, NY
19 Indiana University, Indiana, PA
21 Community Theater, Morristown, NJ
22-23 BB Kings Blues Club, New York, NY
24 Bergen PAC, Englewood, NJ
26 The Whiting, Flint, MI
27 Oneida Casino, Green Bay, WI
28 Potawatomi Casino, Milwaukee, WI
30 Osage Million Dollar Elm Casino, Tulsa, OK
31 Winstar Casino, Thackerville, OK
And look for Pat and Neil on their 2007 USA Summer Tour (beginning 7/2 at the Marin County Fair in San Rafael, CA).
posted by Paul Dickinson at 9:23 AM | Email Us
More on The Police Tour
from melodicrock.com
THE POLICE ANNOUNCE WORLDWIDE CONCERT TOUR:
Los Angeles, CA. Monday, February 12, 2007: Following an electrifying rehearsal performance at The Whiskey on Los Angeles' Sunset Strip, The Police today confirmed their highly-anticipated concert tour will begin on May 28th in Vancouver, playing arenas, some stadiums & making some special appearances throughout North America. Some of the North American tour highlights announced include a headline performance at this year's July 16th Bonnaroo Festival, an appearance at Boston's historic Fenway Park on July 28th and two Madison Square Garden performances in New York City on August 1 and 3. Concert dates were also confirmed in Seattle, Denver, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas, New Orleans, St. Louis, Toronto and Montreal.
Arthur Fogel, Live Nation Chairman of Global Music, also announced that the tour will continue this fall with dates in the UK and Europe, including appearances in Holland, Germany, Italy and France with additional countries to be announced. Additional dates in Mexico, South America, Japan, Australia and New Zealand are anticipated. “The anticipation and excitement to see The Police is overwhelming and I am absolutely thrilled to be a part of bringing the band to their fans worldwide,” said Mr. Fogel.
In 1977, The Police stormed the music scene by blending reggae, punk, jazz and rock. Sting, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers created an unmistakably nuanced sound filled with evocative melodies, infectious lyrics and rock & roll swagger. The Police dominated the top of the charts and radio airwaves worldwide with five #1 albums and a succession of top 10 hit singles. In the six years they were together, The Police became one of the world's most famous bands, earning six Grammy Awards and countless fans around the globe.
The North American tour is presented by Best Buy, the leading consumer electronics retailer with nearly 1,000 retail locations in the United States and Canada. "The Police Live in Concert is one of the most anticipated musical events of this decade," said Gary Arnold, senior vice president of entertainment for Best Buy. "We are proud to be able to help bring this event to music fans and to be able to offer our best customers a chance to experience this incredible tour."
In the United States, members of Best Buy's Reward Zone program will have the opportunity to access tickets prior to the general public. To qualify for the presale, participants need to be 18 years old or older and must have a current Reward Zone program membership that was activated by February 1, 2007. Presale tickets will be sold through Ticketmaster on a first come first served bases. Complete details of the Reward Zone program presale can be found at www.bestbuy.com/thepolice . Information about the Canadian concert dates can be found at www.bestbuy.ca/thepolice
Special guest Fiction Plane will join The Police for the North American portion of the tour. Known for their high-energy live shows, this dynamic rock trio will be releasing their 2nd full length album in May. Fiction Plane are: Joe Sumner (Bass); Seton Daunt (Guitar); Pete Wilhoit (Drums). Additional support artists will be announced in the coming weeks.
A portion of the proceeds from this tour will be donated to WaterAid, an international NGO founded in 1981 and dedicated to reducing poverty by improving access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene education. Working in 17 of the world's poorest countries, WaterAid and its partners have already helped over 10 million people gain access to water and sanitation and is committed to helping to reduce by half the proportion of people living without these basic necessities of life by 2015.
The Police World Tour is produced by The Next Adventure, A Live Nation Company in association with RZO Entertainment, Inc and Gillett Entertainment Group.
North American Tour Itinerary 2007 (thus far...) 28-May Vancouver, BC GM Place
06-June Seattle, WA Key Arena
09-June Denver, CO Pepsi Center
15-June Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena
16-June Manchester, TN Bonnaroo Festival
18-June Phoenix, AZ US Airways Arena
26-June Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
30-June New Orleans, LA New Orleans Arena
02-July St. Louis, MO Scottrade Center
22-July Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
25-July Montreal, PQ Bell Centre
28-July Boston, MA Fenway Park
01, 03-Aug New York, NY Madison Square Garden
Additional North American concert dates in Chicago, Columbus, Detroit, Edmonton, Hartford, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia, Tampa, San Francisco's Bay Area, Minneapolis/St. Paul and the Washington/Baltimore area will be announced in the next few weeks.
Additional cities and venues to be announced soon.
For complete tour & ticket information, fan club memberships and more visit: www.thepolicetour.com
posted by Paul Dickinson at 9:19 AM | Email Us
Monday's Playlist
Monday, February 12, 2007
Friday's Playlist
Friday, February 09, 2007
Prize Dumpster Winners 2/9/07!!!
This weeks winners are:
Chris Yach of Wisconsin Rapids
Phillip Benzbhawel of Thorp
Enjoy your cheap & highly superficial prizes!
posted by Paul Dickinson at 9:23 AM | Email Us
Thursday's Playlist
Wednesday's Playlist
Tuesday's Playlist
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Friday's Playlist
Friday, February 02, 2007
Prize Dumpster Winners 2/2/07!!!
This weeks winners are:
Mary Britten of Granton
Dave Olson of Black River Falls
Your "Cheap & Highly Superficial" prizes are on the way!
posted by Paul Dickinson at 4:46 PM | Email Us
Thursday's Playlist
Wednesday's Playlist
Thursday, February 01, 2007
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