JUDAS PRIEST, PANTERA, RANDY RHOADS: Featured in New Hulu Doc Series
Judas Priest, Pantera and the late Randy Rhoads are the focus of episodes in a new Hulu series called Into the Void: Life, Death & Heavy Metal. All eight episodes in the documentary will premiere on September 22nd. Hulu says it explore "the epic struggles and the cultural impacts made by Heavy Metal’s most compelling artists. Their intensely personal stories about finding success offer an intoxicating combo of volume and distortion delivered via pulsating tales of murder, addiction, rebellion and redemption." Members of Judas Priest and Pantera plus
Sharon Osbourne are interviewed for the series. Check out a trailer on YouTube now.
JOHN FOGERTY: A Nashville Night
John Fogerty was presented with BMI's Troubadour Award Monday night in Nashville.
On hand to honor him in song were:
·Jesse Welles - “Have You Ever Seen the Rain”
·Rival Son singer Jay Buchanan - "Fortunate Son"
·War and Treaty - “I Put a Spell on You” and “Born on the Bayou”
·Billy Gibbons and Mexican-American vocalist La Marisoul - “Green River” sung in English and Spanish
·Lainey Wilson - “Proud Mary”
Typically, the honoree doesn't perform, but Fogerty and his and his sons Shane and Tyler did Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Up Around the Bend” and “Bad Moon Rising,” along with “The Old Man Down the Road.” In addition to Billy Gibbons, two other Troubadour Award
honorees were on hand — John Oates and Robert Earl Keen. Since his affiliation with BMI in 2005, Fogerty has been named a BMI Icon in 2010 and was presented with the BMI Board of Directors Award in 2023. He’s also received 13 BMI Million-Air certificates, recognizing his songs that have surpassed over one million radio airplays, which collectively have had over 64 million broadcast performances.
BLACK CROWES: New Box Contains "Lost" Album
The Black Crowes will release Amorica: Super Deluxe Edition on November 14th. The three CD or five LP set includes a remastered version of the original 1994 album; an unreleased album called Tallest, the Marie Laveau Sessions, which is seven unreleased recordings from 1992 in New Orleans, and Live at AIR Studios, which has four previously unreleased live tracks from 1994. Tallest features songs recorded for an album called Tall that the band eventually abandoned in early 1994 before regrouping to make Amorica later that year. Tallest includes band new mixes of nine songs done for Tall but doesn't include the songs the band re-recorded for Amorica.
PINK FLOYD: They Are All Here
Pink Floyd's ninth album, 1975's Wish You Were Here, was released 50 years ago this Friday, September 12th, 1975, and the band will be marking the anniversary, but exactly how remains to be seen. When the album was released, it was wrapped in black plastic with a sticker saying what it was. So, as a tip of the hat to that packaging, they have posted a photo of the plastic wrap on their socials, and streaming sites such as Amazon, Apple and Spotify are displaying all their albums with that plastic motif and a label describing what they are. Stay tuned for an official announcement this week.
David Gilmour Refuses to Play This Beloved Pink Floyd Song for Tragic Reason
Pink Floyd's iconic "Echoes" from their 1971 album Meddle remains a beloved classic among fans and critics alike, despite its unconventional 23-minute length. Guitarist and singer David Gilmour revealed in a 2016 interview he won't perform the song live without late bandmate Richard Wright, who passed away in 2008. Wright's contributions to the song, including the piano intro and chord structure, were significant, and he played a key role in shaping the track's sound. The song's distinctive guitar sound, created by a mistake with a wah-wah pedal, has become a defining element of the track. Despite its enduring popularity, Gilmour has chosen to honor Wright's memory by not performing "Echoes" without him.
Foo Fighters Back In Studio
"Foo Fighters assemble!" That's what Foo Fighters posted on social media as they got together in frontman Dave Grohl's 606 Studio in Los Angeles. The post also said "Make sure you're subscribed to the newsletter for info you won't want to miss...just sayin'."There's no word when or if they're recording a new album, but it would be their first with Ilan Rubin at drums.The former Nine Inch Nails drummer replaced Josh Freese, who joined Nine Inch Nails after he was fired by Foo Fighters.The last Foo Fighters album was "But Here We Are" in 2023.
KISS: Alive! and 50
50 years ago, yesterday -- September 10th, 1975 -- KISS released their breakthrough album,
Alive!. Captured at shows that year in Detroit, Cleveland, Davenport, Iowa and Wildwood, New Jersey, the two-record set contains a cross-section of 16 songs from their three previous studio albums -- KISS, Hotter Than Hell and Dressed to Kill. The first single, "Rock and Roll All Nite," followed on October 14th, 1975 and is the version that still gets played on radio to this day. The album title is a tip of the hat to 1972's Slade Alive! While many live albums are contractual obligations, Alive! was a last ditch effort to save the band's fledgling label, Casablanca, as well as a way to finally capture how the band really sounds as their studio albums failed to capture that intensity. However, due to that high intensity, producer Eddie Kramer had to re-record numerous parts of it, except for Peter Criss' drum tracks. Even the audience tracks were amplified, something Gene Simmons says they wanted. "The crowd was mixed way up. Record companies and everybody were saying, 'Well this is crazy. You can barely hear the music.' We said, 'No. That's about the right combination. 50-percent audience and 50-percent us."
Eddie Kramer recently said he spent 46 days earlier this year mixing the tapes for a 50th anniversary edition. "Fortunately, they found all the bloody tapes. And so we spent all this time restoring them, transferring them, and then I mixed every single show that actually contributed to the final one, plus all the rehearsals that Gene [Simmons] and Paul [Stanley] said, 'We gotta record in the afternoon,' which they did, thank God, because we were able to capture some fantastic performances. But what you hear is that those guys were serious about getting this record out and making it sound fantastic." Kramer also mixed the album in Dolby Atmos.
Universal has yet to announce a release date, but it is expected to be out in time for KISSmas.
Last year, in an interview with Guitar World, Kramer said capturing KISS live had its challenges.
"It was hard because they were always jumping around, and we had to do a bunch of work on the album after the fact (overdubbing), but that's how it was. The band may deny it, but the fact remains that on Alive!, we had to fix a bunch of stuff... "So, while it's not totally 'live,' it's a great creation of the live sound of KISS from that time. There were just bits we had to fix for obvious reasons, like the guys being on stage in six-inch boots, bombs going off and rockets and flames shooting to God knows where. It takes a lot of work to keep in time and tune while jumping up and down. They can do it now, but in those days, not so much."
And last month, during an appearance on the Broken Record podcast, Paul Stanley said, "Alive! really captured the essence of the live experience. Now, that couldn't have happened without us going in the studio and enhancing it and surrounding you with people… Live albums were boring for four hours. You didn't even know they were live until the end of the song where you heard some clapping. But for KISS, we wanted an album that immersed you in the experience, which means being surrounded by people, which means bombs going off that are deafening, which means fixing any mistakes or a broken string. Snobs or purists may have looked down their nose at that idea, but the truth is that album is still considered, if not the greatest, one of the greatest live album ever. Not because everything was live, but because it captured the live experience."
Alive! peaked at number-nine on the Billboard 200 album chart and stayed on the chart for 110 weeks. And, despite selling over nine-million copies worldwide, the RIAA has only certified it for 500,000 copies sold in the U.S. It has not been re-certified since December 4th, 1975, three months after its release on September 10th. SoundScan figures from 2007 add another 258,000 in U.S. sales between 1991 and 2006, making it the band's fourth best-selling pre-1991 album.
THE DOORS: A "Risky" Celebration
Robby Krieger has announced the special guests for A 60th Anniversary Doors Celebration at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles on October 30th and the 79-year old guitarist "better be careful." Topping the list is Jane's Addiction singer Perry Farrell who lost his cool on stage last September in Boston when he punched guitarist Dave Navarro, bringing an end to their tour and the band. Also taking part are Kevin Martin from Candlebox, John Doe from X, Deryck Whibley from Sum 41, Robert DeLeo from Stone Temple Pilots, Carmine Appice from Vanilla Fudge, former Guns N' Roses drummer Stephen Adler and many others with more to be announced. In addition to playing The Doors' greatest hits, Krieger will also play their 1970 album, Morrison Hotel, in its entirety.
The Greek Theater show will cap off The Doors’ 60th Anniversary celebration, which Krieger kicked off earlier this year with five sold-out shows at the Whisky A Go-Go, the legendary venue where the band was discovered by Elektra Records president Jac Holzman and producer Paul A. Rothchild.
Twisted Sister Announces 50th Anniversary Reunion Tour
Last year, Twisted Sister singer Dee Snider said, "As a result of all the bands retiring and dying, the offers get bigger and bigger for the holdouts to come back… Is it there yet? No. Is it getting close? Yeah. Is there talk amongst us, like, 'Well, in the event that the numbers do get there, and they sure as hell seem to be going in that direction, how are we gonna do this?' So, there's a little bit of that conversation…” Well, they've been showed the money as Twisted Sister just announced that they will hit the road next year in support of their 50th anniversary.
Founding guitarist and their manager Jay Jay French says, “Beginning on February 2nd, 1976 in a little bar called The Turtleneck Inn in Hunter, New York, Dee Snider, Eddie Ojeda and I have called ourselves Twisted Sister and stood shoulder to shoulder for nearly five decades, through multiple personnel changes and thousands of performances. We are proud to celebrate a milestone that once felt unthinkable: a 50-year anniversary!! We have created a music and performance legacy that has and will continue to inspire millions of fans around the world. Twisted Forever, Forever Twisted!” And Snider adds, "If you're lucky enough to be in a band that people still want to see after fifty years(!), how can you not answer the call? In 2026, Twisted [bleeping] Sister will hit stages around the world because WE STILL WANNA ROCK!!"
Twisted Sister last toured in 2016 with Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy in place of the A.J. Pero who died in 2015. For next year's tour they've turned to their former drummer
Joe “Seven” Franco who last recorded and performed with the band in 1987 for the Love Is for Suckers album and tour. Playing bass will be Russell Pzütto in place of Mark "The Animal" Mendoza. Their last performance was on January 26th, 2023 when they are inducted into the Metal Hall of Fame at The Canyon club in Agoura Hills, California. They performed "You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll," "Under the Blade" and "We're Not Gonna Take It."
THE WHO: Who Knew?
Director Spike Lee did something last week he never did before. He went to see The Who.
He writes on Instagram, "This past August 30th in the year of our Lord, I was at the 'World’s Most Famous Arena,' Madison Square Garden, to see / witness my first Who concert.
"I gladly forked over an arm and a leg for first two seats... My credo is 'front row or no go.'
"I grew up a Who fan and Who's Next is one of my all time favorite albums. "When I did [1999 film] Summer of Sam, I licensed two songs off the Who's Next album -- 'Won't Get Fooled Again' and 'Baba O'Riley.' This was also the first time ever Peter Townshend had licensed that for film or commercials. "Backstage [at the Garden show] I asked Peter, 'Why did he let me license those classic songs in my film?' He answered, 'I dig your films.' I was jumping around the room. The great Peter Townshend digs my films. From there I went to Roger Daltrey’s dressing room and got the same love. "It was all love. "Riding home I thought of the chaotic state of the United States of America" -- and with that Lee posted part of the lyrics to "Won’t Get Fooled Again”.
𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘪𝘱 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯
𝘛𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘸 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯
𝘚𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥
𝘗𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘶𝘱 𝘮𝘺 𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺
𝘑𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘥𝘢𝘺
𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺
𝘞𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯
𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯, 𝘯𝘰, 𝘯𝘰
The Who bring their farewell tour, The Song Is Over, to Atlantic City, New Jersey on Friday.
In other Who-related news, Roger Daltrey will headline the 30th anniversary edition of the
Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp, January 29th through February 1st in Miami. Others appearing at the camp include Who tour guitarist — and Pete's brother — Simon Townshend, drummer
Vinny Appice, and Whitesnake guitarist Joel Hoekstra.
Roger Daltrey headlining 30th anniversary Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp in January
Roger Daltrey of The Who will be participating in Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp's 30th-anniversary celebration in Miami Jan. 29-Feb. 1, 2026. Along with Simon Townshend, campers will have the opportunity to perform alongside the rock legends and other special guests. The camp offers masterclasses, Q&As, open jams, and more for aspiring musicians to connect with their musical heroes. Registration is open now at rockcamp.com.
Sting Announces "The Last Ship" Expanded Edition
Sting will release “The Last Ship (Expanded Edition)” on December 5th, featuring five new recordings ahead of a 2026 international tour of his musical. The stage production will be performed in Paris, Amsterdam, and Brisbane, with more cities to be announced. The album, available digitally and on 2 CD and 2 LP, builds on the 2013 deluxe edition with fresh material. Inspired by Sting’s hometown shipbuilding community in Wallsend, the work explores themes of home, loss, and resilience. “I literally grew up in the shadow of the yard,” Sting reflects in a statement, calling the project a tribute to the people who shaped him. The expanded edition also features new liner notes by Barney Norris.
Supertramp Fans Await Reaction From Supertramp Co-Founder
Supertramp fans are still waiting to hear from Roger Hodgson about the death of fellow band co-founder Rick Davies. The band and a friendship formed when Hodgson answered Davies' ad in "Melody Maker" that said "Genuine opportunity!" In a 1982 interview, Davies said friction is "inevitable" in a creative process and compared their relationship to "two people painting a picture on the same canvas." Davies added that it was becoming more difficult to "work around it" and Hodgson left Supertramp in 1983. Davies died over the weekend following a lengthy battle with cancer.
Everclear To Release 30th Anniversary Edition Of "Sparkle And Fade."
Everclear is continuing to celebrate the 30th anniversary of "Sparkle and Fade." The band is set to release an anniversary edition this Halloween.The expanded release features remastered versions of all 14 original tracks, plus alternate versions, fan favorites and original demos. It also includes cover songs that were recorded around the same time as the album, including Tom Petty's "America Girl." The 30th anniversary release of "Sparkle and Fade" is available for pre-order now. It will be out digitally and on vinyl on October 31st.
MUMFORD, BLINK-182: Headed to Spring Training
Mumford & Sons, Twenty One Pilots and Blink-182 are heading to spring training next season.
All three acts are headlining the baseball-themed Innings Festival in Tempe, Arizona February 20th through the 22nd at Tempe Beach Park and Arts Park. Other acts on the bill include Goo Goo Dolls, Myles Smith, Grouplove, Marcy Playground, Cage the Elephant, Lord Huron,
Sublime and Switchfoot. Tickets go on sale today (Thursday). Former baseball players taking part in the festival include Jake Peavy (leading an "all-star jam"), Tori Hunter, Ryan Dempster,
Mark Grace and Brandon Crawford. The Extra Innings Festival, which is set for February 27th and 28th at the same venue, will announce its lineup in a couple of weeks.
Is Wolfgang Van Halen F---ing With a Former Bandmate on New 'I Really Wanna' Song?
Wolfgang Van Halen appears to be targeting David Lee Roth in Mammoth's new single "I Really Wanna," with lyrics and visuals hinting at their strained relationship. The song showcases Van Halen's musical talents as he sings and plays multiple instruments. Clues in the video suggest Roth as the subject, referencing past conflicts between the two. The track is part of Mammoth's upcoming album "The End," set for release on Oct. 24.
JOHN & RINGO: Honor One of Their Heroes
It's no secret that the late Carl Perkins was a favorite of The Beatles as they covered five of his songs -- "Matchbox," "Honey Don't," "Your True Love," "Blue Suede Shoes," and "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby." On the forthcoming John Lennon box set, Power to the People, there's an unreleased version of Lennon doing "Honey Don't" on acoustic guitar on September 10th, 1971 in his suite at the St. Regis Hotel in New York. It's from the soundtrack to an experimental 1971 film Lennon made with his wife Yoko titled Clock. Footage of that performance has been now posted on YouTube. Power to the People will be out on October 10th, the day after he
would have turned 85.
Ringo Starr, who sang "Honey Don't" on 1964's Beatles For Sale, tells us he covered a Carl Perkins song on his next country album, for which he finished his parts. "[My producer] T Bone [Burnett] sort of likes the idea that my first recordings with The Beatles were Carl Perkins songs. I love Carl Perkins.” The album, the follow-up to this year's country effort, Look Up, will be out next year.
IN OTHER NEWS
Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks have shared another track from the Buckingham Nicks reissue, which comes out September 19th. Check out "Frozen Love" on YouTube.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' "American Girl," INXS's "Don’t Change," and AC/DC's "Sin City" have been covered by Everclear on Sparkle and Fade 30th Anniversary Remastered Deluxe Edition, which will be out on October 31st as a two-record set and digitally.
Mike Campbell of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and his band The Dirty Knobs will go on a brief tour in support of his memoir. A Semi-Acoustic Evening With Mike Campbell and The Dirty Knobs – Songs and Stories From Heartbreaker starts December 3rd in Santa Barbara, California and wraps up December 11th in Los Angeles. Tickets go on sale Friday.
Dave Edmunds' wife Cici has posted another update on his recovery from a heart attack this summer. She says, "Dave is doing ok. He has good days. Then some really difficult days. I’m aware this road to recovery is going to be tough and difficult in every way. And it will take a long time. But I wanted to let everyone know how much your posts have helped. Thank you from the bottom of my heart." As for her own health issues, she says, "I’ve had cyber knife treatments in the hope it will keep the tumors from getting worse (larger, spreading). I’m still on home visit, but I’m hoping I’ll gain enough strength and weight to go through with the surgeries I so desperately need to have done. Dave is having tweaks on his devices and he seems to be fairing better most days..."
A flash mob of 30 musicians, including a full opera choir. recently took over a street in Paris to perform Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." Check out the video on YouTube. Queen started recording the epic song on August 24th, 1975.
Former Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain has teamed up with Modern Drummer for a new podcast called Metal Sticks. Check out the first episode on YouTube.