OZZY & BLACK SABBATH: Is the Fourth Time the Charm?

Sharon Osbourne insists that husband Ozzy and Black Sabbath's reunion on July 5th in their hometown of Birmingham, England -- Back to the Beginning -- will be the last. She tells the BBC, "Ozzy didn't have a chance to say goodbye to his friends, to his fans, and he feels there's been no full stop. This is his full stop." The original Sabbath lineup last performed on October 18th, 2005, when they were inducted into the U.K. Music Hall of Fame. The previous "final shows" took place on:

·November 15th, 1992, at the finale of Ozzy's No More Tours in Cosa Mesa, California when Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward joined him for “Black Sabbath,” “Fairies Wear Boots,” “Iron Man” and “Paranoid.”

·December 22nd, 1999, in Birmingham for the finale of their run of Last Supper shows.

·February 4th, 2017, in Birmingham, the last show on The End tour.

OZZY: Back to the Throne

When Ozzy Osbourne took the stage for his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last October, he was seated on a throne. That's most likely what he'll do for his last show on July 5th in Birmingham, England as he says he can no longer walk. Appearing earlier this week on Ozzy's Boneyard he said, "I have made it to 2025. I can't walk, but you know what I was thinking over the holidays? For all my complaining, I'm still alive. I may be moaning that I can't walk but I look down the road and there's people that didn't do half as much as me and didn't make it." And his wife Sharon tells The Sun, "[Ozzy's] very happy to be coming back and very emotional about this [show]. "Parkinson's is a progressive disease. It's not something you can stabilize. It affects different parts of the body and it's affected his legs. But his voice is as good as it's ever been." And Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi tells NME, "This will do him good, to do this show. It really will. That’s what it’s all about: he wants to get out and do something.

Back to the Beginning is an all-day festival set for July 5th in the band's hometown of Birmingham, England. The show will also feature a solo set by Ozzy, plus sets from Metallica,

Slayer, Pantera, Halestorm, Alice in Chains, Lamb of God, Anthrax and Mastodon. Also set to perform that day is a super group of musicians put together by musical director Tom Morello -- Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins, David Draiman of Disturbed, Duff McKagan and

Slash of Guns n' Roses, Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit, former Ozzy guitarist Jake E Lee, Jonathan Davis of Korn, ex-Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing, Lzzy Hale of Halestorm, Mike Bordin of

Faith No More, Rudy Sarzo, Sammy Hagar, Two of Sleep Token, Papa V Perpetua (Tobias Forge) of Ghost, Wolfgang Van Halen and Zakk Wylde. All profits from the show will go to Cure Parkinson’s, Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Acorn Children’s Hospice. Tickets go on sale Friday February 14th

LED ZEPPELIN: Four Year Wait Is Over

The wait is over, at least for Led Zeppelin fans who live in a town that has an IMAX theater. That's because their documentary, Becoming Led Zeppelin, will open on IMAX screens in close to 200 theaters today (Friday, February 7th). The film tells the story of how the band came together, but, according to Allison McGourty, the film's writer and producer, it wasn't easy to make due to the lack of footage from those early days. “We spent five years flying back and forth across the Atlantic scouring attics and basements in pursuit of rare and unseen film footage, photographs and music recordings. Then we transferred each piece of media with custom techniques, so that in IMAX, these 55-year-old clips and music would look and sound like they came out of the lab yesterday.”

Becoming Led Zeppelin, which premiered in 2021 in Italy at the Venice Film Festival and in Colorado at the Telluride Film Festival, before producers added more material, takes us up to their second album, Led Zeppelin 2. Included in the film is:

·Unreleased footage of them performing at the Atlanta Pop Festival on July 5th, 1969

·Home footage from 1968 of John Bonham and his family

·"A never-before-heard interview with John Bonham,” which according to LedZepNews.com is "misleading," as "the interview heard throughout the film and included in the trailer is a 1972 Australian radio interview with Robert Plant and Bonham that has been widely available for years, including online and through vinyl bootlegs." And, in one section he's actually talking about The Beatles at Shea Stadium, but producers will make you think he's referring to Zeppelin.

The film will open in theaters nationwide next week, on Friday February 14th.

DEF LEPPARD: Getting Closer to New Music?

Last October, Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen said the band continues to explore making new music. "Yeah, we’re constantly working, even on tour in hotel rooms and that. Me and [singer]

Joe [Elliott], we just go, 'I’ve got this idea, come down in the room.' We’re singing it on the phone and getting the ideas across. At some point, there’ll be new Def Leppard music."

And now Collen has posted three photos of him singing into a microphone in what appears to be a hotel room with the caption, "Something's brewing..." Def Leppard's latest song, a cover of Ben E. King's "Stand By Me," was released last week to benefit FireAid. Their last album was 2022's Diamond Star Halos, and they also released another standalone song last year, “Just Like ’73” featuring Tom Morello on guitar.

Travis Barker Brings His Annual 5k To New Orleans

Travis Barker will be running for a good cause today. The Blink-182 drummer's Run Travis Run 5k is taking place in Audubon Park In New Orleans. Money raised from the event will go towards relief for the Los Angeles wildfires. According to a press release, "Run Travis Run' promises to be a funk quick 5k run through the park with surprises along the way." There will also be an after party with a DJ, local food trucks, drinks and more. All proceeds will be donated to the LAFD Foundation and the Anti-Recidivism Coalition.

SPRINGSTEEN, KILLERS, TALKING HEADS: Record Store Day Rarities on Tap

Rarities from Bruce Springsteen, The Killers, Talking Heads, Sam Fender and more are featured among the over 325 releases slated for Record Store Day on April 12th. You can check out the full list at RecordStoreDay.com. Here are a few of the top releases coming out.

The Doors - Strange Days 1967 - A Work In Progress - LP. This is an album of early alternate mixes from the Strange Days sessions, before the overdubs were complete.

Liam Gallagher - Acoustic Sessions - LP. This features stripped-back versions of tracks from his 2019 album Why Me, Why Not alongside Oasis classics “Cast No Shadow”, “Sad Song” and “Stand By Me."

David Gilmour - Between Two Points - 12-inch. This includes includes the album version of the song, an exclusive live version recorded during Gilmour’s sold-out run at London’s Royal Albert Hall, and two versions of a brand-new Balearic-influenced remix by Rob Gentry.

Grateful Dead - On A Back Porch Vol. 1 - LP. This is a live compilation drawn from 1969, 1973, 1977, 1989 and 1991.

Jethro Tull - Songs From The Vault: 1975-1978 - 2-LP. This contains rarities and out-takes from the recording sessions which produced the albums Minstrel In The Gallery, Too Old To Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young To Die!, Songs From The Wood and Heavy Horses.

Elton John - Live At The Rainbow Theatre - LP. Elton John and Ray Cooper’s 1977 performance at London’s historic Rainbow Theatre is released for the first time.

Judas Priest - Live In Atlanta '82 - 2-LP. This concert was only available as part of the 50 Heavy Metal Years of Music box set.

The Killers and Bruce Springsteen - Encore At The Garden - 12-inch. Springsteen joined The Killers on stage at Madison Square Garden on October 1st, 2022 and this EP has all three songs.

Geddy Lee - The Lost Demos - 12-inch. This features two previously unreleased solo songs recorded during the writing sessions for his 2000 solo debut, My Favorite Headache.

John Lennon - Power To The People - Live at the One-To-One Concert, New York City, 1972 - EP. This features three previously unreleased performances from the two shows Lennon did on August 30th, 1972.

Nick Mason's Saucerful of Secrets - "Echoes (Live)" - 12"-inch. This features a take on the Pink Floyd classic recorded on August 1st, 2024 at the Centennial Hall in Frankfurt, Germany.

Rage Against the Machine - Live On Tour 1993 - 2-LP. This is a compilation of live recordings from the band’s first world tour.

Keith Richards & The X-Pensive Winos - Live 3.10.22 -12-inch. This has three previously unreleased live tracks recorded in 2022 with the X-Pensive Winos at the sixth annual Love Rocks NYC benefit concert in New York City.

Sting - 3.0 Live - 2-LP. This 17 track set includes four songs Sting has never before released as live versions.

Talking Heads - Live on Tour - 2-LP. This was recorded at the Agora in Cleveland on December 18, 1978 and published as a promo LP for radio broadcast in 1979.

War - Why Can't We Be Friends 50th Anniversary Collector's Edition - 3-LP. This features the original album on one LP with unreleased bonus tracks filling out the other two LPs.

Scott Weiland - "I Know It's Too Late" - 7-inch. This is an unreleased track from sessions for Weiland’s 2008 solo album, Happy In Galoshes, and will appear on an upcoming deluxe reissue of the album.

AC/DC: High Postage

AC/DC are the latest act to be honored with a series of stamps from England's Royal Mail.

The 12 stamps are being issued in commemoration of their first album, 1975's High Voltage.

Eight of them show the band in concert -- two with Bon Scott on vocals, five with Brian Johnson, and one of just Angus Young by himself. The other four feature the covers of High Voltage, Highway To Hell, Back In Black, and their last one, 2020's Power Up. The stamps go on sale from February 18th with details at Shop.RoyalMail.com/Special-Stamp-Issues/AC/DC.

AC/DC are the eighth band to be honored by the Royal Mail following The Beatles in 2007, Pink Floyd in 2016, Queen in 2020, The Rolling Stones in 2022, Iron Maiden in 2023, and The Who and Spice Girls in 2024. In 2018, AC/DC were honored with stamps in their native Australia, but instead of them featuring their Australian album covers, they featured the U.S. editions of High Voltage and Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. Also included was '74 Jailbreak, which was never released in Australia.

Pete Townsend Announces Complete Studio Albums Box Set

Pete Townshend is releasing a box set that will contain all his solo studio albums. “Pete Townshend The Studio Albums” is an 8-CD box set, featuring newly remastered tracks, new art, rare photos, and more. The collection includes “Who Came First,” “Rough Mix,” “Empty Glass,” “All The Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes,” “White City (A Novel),” “The Iron Man: The Musical,” and “Psychoderelict.” The upcoming release will also include a music-only version of “Psychoderelict.” The box set drops on March 28th.

ALLMAN BROTHERS: Remnants Reunion

The remnants of The Allman Brothers Band will reunite for two shows at New York's Madison Square Garden on April 15th and 16th. Calling themselves The Brothers, original member Jaimoe along with Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks, Oteil Burbridge and Marc Quiñones last played together at their first reunion at the Garden in 2020. Joining them will be former Allman Brothers keyboardist Chuck Leavell, plus keyboardist Reese Wynans from Stevie Ray Vaughan's Double Trouble, and drummers Joe Russo and Isaac Eady. Tickets go on sale February 14th and there is a limit of eight per show. The Allman Brothers' final concert was held on October 28th, 2014, at the Beacon Theatre in New York.

Billy Joel and Sting to rock Citi Field for a historic one-night-only concert this summer

Billy Joel and Sting will perform together for a one-night-only concert at Citi Field August 25th. This marks the first time the two iconic musicians will perform at Citi Field, showcasing their greatest hits. Both artists have a special connection with the Mets, with Joel having closed Shea Stadium in 2008 and Sting performing with The Police in 1983. Tickets go on sale next Friday Feb. 14.

Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan Outlaw Music Festival Tickets On Sale Today

Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan are gearing up to hit the road together once again this summer. The two music icons will headline the tenth anniversary edition of the Outlaw Music Festival. The 35-date tour will kick off May 13th in Phoenix, Arizona. At age 91, Nelson and the 83-year-old Dylan will be joined by a rotation of acts at each date including Billy Strings, Sheryl Crow, Wilco and Turnpike Troubadours. Tickets go on sale today.

Neil Young "Hopes" New Album Comes Out In April

Neil Young "hopes" his album with his new band The Chrome Hearts will be out in April. Young posted the news this week on his official website. He said he wrote all of the songs on the not-yet-titled album in November and December. Young added that he and The Chrome Hearts recorded "song after song" at Shangrila in Malibu. The longtime studio was spared from damage during January's Southern California wildfires.The album is expected to include "Big Change," which Young debuted last month. If you can't wait until April, an unreleased 1977 Neil Young album is coming out next week. "Oceanside Countryside" is set for a Valentine's Day release next Friday.

Jimi Hendrix copyright dispute to proceeds to trial as Sony loses appeal

A legal battle over the rights to Jimi Hendrix's music is heading to trial after a U.K. appeals court rejected Sony Music's attempt to dismiss a lawsuit filed by his former bandmates. The estates of bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell claim ownership of a share of the rights to three albums created by the Jimi Hendrix Experience. The court upheld a decision that the dispute must be resolved at trial, with the case scheduled to proceed in December. Sony had argued that Redding and Mitchell signed away their rights in a 1973 settlement, but the court ruled that the case should go to trial, likening it to the involvement of bandmates in other successful groups like Queen.

U2 makes $300K gift to UNLV

U2 has made a generous donation of $300,000 to the UNLV College of Fine Arts, specifically for the School of Music. The donation, revealed in the College of Fine Arts newsletter, will establish the U2: UV Music Scholarship and Experiential Fund provide music majors with access to a stellar music education, experiential learning opportunities, and support for international performances. The donation was the result of a mystery donor who contacted the university after researching the College of Fine Arts, and most of the funds will go towards scholarships and international performance experiences for students.

IN OTHER NEWS

The official Doors anthology book, Night Divides the Day, in conjunction with their 60th anniversary, is now available for pre-order through the band’s online store. It will be published on May 13th.

Paul McCartney and Paul Simon will appear on SNL 50: The Anniversary Special, which airs on NBC February 16th.

Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton and his new band, Close Enemies, will release a second single, “Inside Out,” on February 28th.

Michael Stipe has been added to the Tibet House U.S. Benefit Concert on March 3rd at Carnegie Hall in New York City. He joins previously announced performers Patti Smith, Orville Peck and Allison Russell.

Flea and John Frusciante of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Devo and Gary Numan have contributed unreleased tracks to Los Angeles Rising, a new compilation to raise money for Sweet Relief and its efforts to help musicians affected by the L.A. wildfires. The compilation is available on Bandcamp.

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