Asides

Def Leppard/Styx/Foreigner summer tour dates announced

I caught Def Leppard a few years ago when they toured with Cheap Trick and I’ve got to admit the British hard rockers sounded nearly as good in 2005 as they must have back in 1983. With a lineup that has been in tact since  1992 when Vivian Campbell (Dio/Whitesnake) joined following Steve Clark’s death, Def Leppard  will join other big ’80s names Styx and Foreigner this summer on a tour of outdoor sheds across the U.S. heartland. If you’re keeping track at home, Styx features original members James Young and Tommy Shaw while Foreigner features original member Mick Jones (also of note: Foreigner’s singer is Kelly Hansen, ex-Hurricane singer, and their drummer is Jason Bonham).

Dates (and there are a LOT of them) after the jump.

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Gruff Rhys – Candylion

Gruff Rhys - CandylionGruff Rhys – Candylion (Team Love Records)
By Eric Rottmayer
I would never claim to be a Super Furry Animals fan. In fact, you might say that I passed quick judgement on the Welsh superstars after only hearing a couple of songs here and there. Unfortunately, I missed out on an obvious diamond in the super furry rough, lead-singer and songwriter Gruff Rhys. I even remember hearing his unforgettable name a few years back when he released his first solo album, Yr Atal Genhedlaeth, but his music still flew far above my head. So a few months ago I was randomly watching music videos on YouTube, as we all do, and I came across the song and video for “Candylion”, the title track and single from Rhys’ most recent solo effort.

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When interviews go bad

Found this over on the Blind Melon message board. Blind Melon’s Shannon Hoon is being interviewed on-air in a TV studio and doesn’t take kindly to the questions being asked. Based on things Shannon says during the interview, it sounds like the interviewer had spoken to the band before going on air, had discussed with them the questions he was going to ask, and then once the cameras went on, went with a whole new line of questioning. Now, having interviewed Shannon myself a few times and knowing him a little bit better than the average rock journalist, I know that he didn’t really like to be asked about his connection with Guns N’ Roses. Yes, Blind Melon got a break when Shannon appeared in GN’R’s “Don’t Cry” video, but Shannon wanted Blind Melon to stand on their own merits – not as “the band with the singer who was in a Guns N’ Roses video”.

If you’ve got links to other on-air videos that go bad, post ’em in the comments section.

Burning Brides new album due in stores June 19

If you were planning on picking up the Burning Brides third album, Hang Love, in a few weeks, you’ll have to wait just a bit longer as the release date has been pushed to June 19. But judging by the three streaming tracks on the band’s site, the wait will be worth it. Having given each of the tracks multiple listens over the last 24 hours, I can’t really pick a favorite though I’m definitely digging the Queens of the Stone Age/Alta May vibe of the title track, “Hang Love”. The only tour dates currently listed on the band’s site are 4 residency dates in Los Angeles at the Echo though the trio will surely hit the road once Hang Love hits stores. QOTSA’s Era Vulgaris hits stores a week before Hang Love. Maybe if we collectively keep our fingers crossed, the two bands will hook up on a nationwide tour.

White Lion to open for Poison/Ratt this summer?

 

One thing you’ll just have to accept is that I love ’80s hair metal. The Poison/Ratt summer tour isn’t terribly exciting news as Poison seems to hit outdoor sheds every summer with a different opening band in tow. I caught the Poison/Vince Neil/Skid Row tour a few years ago and got my share of Poison, enough to last me for a few more years. Even the prospect of seeing Ratt with a majority of it’s original members doesn’t really do much for me. But then MetalSludge.com reported this week that White Lion will be added to the bill and all of a sudden my interest level shot through the roof. The reality is that of the 4 guys in the White Lion picture above, only one of them (Mike Tramp, singer) is still in the band so it’s a good possibility that the White Lion on this tour is really nothing more than Mike Tramp backed by a bunch of nobodies playing White Lion’s greatest hits. But, I’d still like to see that as I only saw White Lion once or twice “back in the day”.

 

“Wait …. Wait … I never had a chance to love you ….”