Motley Crue Announce ‘The Final Tour’

 

by Matthew Wilkening January 28, 2014 4:45 PM
Motley CrueDavid Livingston, Getty Images

Motley Crue have officially announced ‘The Final Tour,’ a 72-date farewell trek across the U.S. and Canada that will feature Alice Cooper as their special guest. The band is expected to spend the next two years circling the globe before hanging it up for good.

In keeping with the ‘R.I.P.’ theme, the Crue showed up for the event in a hearse, were greeted at the venue by a New Orleans jazz funeral band playing ‘Dr. Feelgood’ and sat behind tombstones with their names on them at the press conference.

To prove that this isn’t just a temporary measure, with the band or some fraction thereof returning in a few years for a big comeback tour, the group signed a formal “Cessation of Touring Agreement” in front of reporters, which apparently states that all four members agree never to tour again as Motley Crue — unless they all agree to do so.

So . . . doesn’t that mean they could just all agree to come back later? “You guys in the press, you keep looking for the loophole,” laughed bassist Nikki Sixx. “We’re gonna stick to our word.” As for the prospects of a final Motley Crue album, he would only say, “You’ll just have to see.”

Dodge will promote the tour and continue to use the band’s song ‘Kickstart My Heart’ in a series of television advertisements. Director Jeff Tremaine (‘Jackass,’ ‘Bad Grandpa‘) was also on hand to promise that his film version of the band’s infamous biography ‘The Dirt’ will finally hit theaters in 2015, explaining that “our goal is to be shooting it this summer if all things go right.”

There will also be a Motley Crue country tribute record from Big Machine, the record label home to Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts and Taylor Swift. That album is expected to arrive this summer.

Cooper was also on hand and seems excited to tour with his theatrical-rock offspring for the first time. “Real hard rock bands are hard to find these days,” he said in a written statement. “Motley has always gone onstage with one attitude, and that’s to blow the audience away. That’s exactly how we do it. Putting Motley Crue and Alice Cooper together is going to be just what this summer really needs.”

At the press conference, the father of shock-rock also took a moment to gleefully mock modern alt-rock bands: “If your band has an accordion or a banjo in it, it’s not rock, OK? When you get Motley Crue and Alice Cooper together on a tour — that’s gonna be rock at its most extreme.”

Motley Crue 2014 ‘The Final Tour’ Dates

7/2 — Grand Rapids, MI; Van Andel Arena
7/4 — Milwaukee, WI; Summerfest
7/5 — Noblesville, IN; Klipsch Music Center
7/6 — Cincinnati, OH; Riverbend Music Center
7/8 — Columbus, OH; Schottenstein Center
7/9 — Maryland Heights, MO; Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
7/11 — Des Moines, IA;  Wells Fargo Arena
7/12 — Wichita, KS; INTRUST Bank Arena
7/13 — Tulsa, OK; BOK Center
7/15 — Cedar Park, TX; Cedar Park Center
7/16 — Dallas, TX; Gexa Energy Pavilion
7/18 — Albuquerque, NM; Isleta Amphitheater
7/19 — Phoenix, AZ; Ak-Chin Pavilion
7/21 — Los Angeles, CA; Hollywood Bowl
7/22 — Irvine, CA; Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
7/23 — Mountain View, CA; Shoreline Amphitheatre
7/25 — Reno, NV; Reno Events Center
7/26 — Ridgefield, WA; Sleep County Amphitheatre
7/27 — Auburn, WA; White River Amphitheatre
7/29 — Wheatland, CA; Sleep Train Amphitheatre
7/30 — Chula Vista, CA; Sleep Train Amphitheatre
8/1 — Salt Lake City, UT; USANA Amphitheatre
8/2 — Denver, CO; Pepsi Center
8/3 — Kansas City, MO; Sprint Center
8/5 — Sturgis, SD; Sturgis Buffalo Chip
8/6 — Sioux City, IA; Tyson Events Center
8/8 — Tinley Park, IL; First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
8/9 — Clarkston, MI; DTE Energy Music Theatre
8/10 — Toronto, ON; Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
8/12 — Cuyahoga Falls, OH; Blossom Music Center
8/13 — Burgettstown, PA; First Niagara Pavilion
8/15 — Pelham, AL; Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
8/16 — Alpharetta, GA; Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park
8/17 — Tampa, FL; MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
8/19 — Charlotte, NC; PNC Music Pavilion
8/20 — Virginia Beach, VA; Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach
8/22 — Bristow, VA; Jiffy Lube Live
8/23 — Camden, NJ; Susquehanna Bank Center
8/24 — Mansfield, MA; Xfinity Center
8/26 — Saratoga Springs, NY; Saratoga Perf. Arts Center
8/27 — Allentown, PA; Great Allentown Fair
8/29 — Wantagh, NY; Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
8/30 — Holmdel, NJ; PNC Bank Arts Center
8/31 — Darien Center, NY; Darien Lake Perf. Arts Center
10/10 — Oklahoma City, OK; Chesapeake Arena
10/11 — The Woodlands, TX; Cynthia W. Mitchell Pavilion
10/12 — Bossier City, LA; CenturyLink Center
10/14 — Louisville, KY; KFC Yum! Center
10/15 — Nashville, TN; Bridgestone Arena
10/17 — Hollywood, FL; Seminole Hard Rock Live
10/19 — Jacksonville, FL; Veterans Memorial Arena
10/21 — Greenville, SC; Bon Secours Wellness Arena
10/22 — Greensboro, NC; Greensboro Coliseum
10/25 — Atlantic City, NJ; Borgata Event Center
10/26 — Montville, CT; Mohegan Sun Arena
10/29 — Syracuse, NY; The OnCenter Complex
11/5 — Biloxi, MS; Mississippi Coast Coliseum
11/6 — Southaven, MS; Landers Center
11/9 — Moline, IL; iWireless Center
11/11 — Green Bay, WI; Resch Center
11/12 — Madison, WI; Alliant Energy Center
11/13 — Omaha, NE; CenturyLink Center
11/15 — St. Paul, MN; Xcel Energy Center
11/16 — Fargo, ND; FargoDome
11/18 — Edmonton, AB; Rexall Place
11/19 — Calgary, AB; Scotiabank Saddledome
11/21 — Vancouver, BC; Rogers Arena


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Slayer’s Jeff Hanneman Snubbed During Grammy ‘In Memoriam’ Tribute

 

By Jeff Giles January 27, 2014 8:04 AM
Jeff HannemanHerfitz PR / Photo Credit: Andrew Stuart

Any tribute that tries to be as comprehensive as the Grammy Awards’ annual ‘In Memoriam’ segment is bound to leave a few people out. But when the Recording Academy aired its remembrance of the musicians we lost in 2013, rock fans noticed one particularly glaring omission: Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman.

Hanneman’s death last May sent shockwaves through the music world, and although even the most passionate fan understands that someone is always going to get snubbed by these things, it still came as something of a shock to see that the Academy could forget such an influential and respected musician.

Angry fans took to Twitter and Facebook to vent their frustration following the segment — which also left out a number of other rock artists who passed away during 2013, including former Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr, Vixen founder Jan Kuehnemund and former Devo drummer Alan Myers.

It’s certainly unfortunate that the Grammys missed their chance to pay tribute to Hanneman, but fans can console themselves with the knowledge that his uncompromising music stood in proud defiance against establishment institutions like awards shows anyway — and while he may have missed out on a few moments on a screen during a glitzy telecast, his work’s impact will continue to be felt for decades.


Read More: Slayer's Jeff Hanneman Snubbed During Grammy 'In Memoriam' Tribute | http://ultimateclassicrock.com/slayer-jeff-hanneman-grammy-snub/?trackback=tsmclip

Wayne Kramer Set To Release New Album Lexington

Legendary Performer Supports
JailGuitar Doors USA.

Be on the “look out,” for a fantastic new jazz recording by legendary guitarist, Wayne Kramer. 

Every artist that releases an album (or single) would like to believe that what they are releasing is an “event.” In the  instance of LEXINGTONby Wayne Kramer the recording is an event and we’ll explain why. 

“LEXINGTON  could actually be a musical narrative of the second half of my adult life.” -Wayne Kramer- January 2014

Wayne Kramer is songwriter whose reputation writing music for film and television risks supplanting him as one of the world’s stellar guitarists. Wayne was a teenage greaser and leader of the MC5, widely recognized as the prototype for punk rock and heavy metal. In 1969, the MC5 released the incendiary album Kick Out The Jams on Electra Records. After Electra dropped them due to “radical antics,” they released two albums on Atlantic: Back in the USA, produced by Bruce Springsteen’s manager Jon Landau and the masterpiece High Time. Between world tours, Wayne scored Gold and The Living Theatre’s film production of Paradise Now.

Life came crashing down for the revered guitarist when he did time (1976-1978) at Lexington Federal Penitentiary for some bad decisions he made. While there, he was tutored by fellow inmate Charlie Parker’s trumpeter Red Rodney. It was Red who taught Wayne how to read music and the two formed a prison band. 

Upon release, Wayne spent many years wondering: “Why did this happen to me?” During some of those years, Wayne medicated his pain with drugs and alcohol, eventually realizing that these substances got in the way of answering the question that plagued him. Now, with a lengthy chunk of sober years, a solid career scoring music for film and television and an enviable personal life, Wayne has largely if not entirely answered the question: “Why me?” In doing so, he can face some of his demons that he encountered at a low point in his life, namely his incarceration at Lexington. 

Wayne has often stated that: “prison doesn’t change anyone’s life for the better,” yet he acknowledges that he did go to prison at a time when correctional institutions cared more about rehabilitation. Wayne has mentioned that when he played music in prison, he was in the world of music and liberated from the confines of his reality. 

Coming to terms with his past, Wayne has elected to face them head on. In 2009, Wayne co-founded JailGuitar Doors USA with his wife Margaret Saadi Kramer and British troubadour Billy Bragg. The organization provides musical instruments to inmates as a form of rehabilitation. To date, the organization has visited more than 40 prisons and donated more then 400 guitars.  

In addition to spearheading hope through Jail Guitar Doors, Wayne has (as mentioned earlier), recorded his first album in 14 years. The jazz recording is entitled: LEXINGTON. It features such jazz stalwarts as: 

Phil Ranelin- trombone

Dr. Charlie Moore- partner and collaborator

Tigran Hamasyan- piano

Buzzy Moore-tenor sax and oboe

Bob Hurst- upright bass

Eric Gardner-drums

Brock Avery-drums

Doug Lun- bass

Tracks Include:

Chasing A Fire Engine

Arc

13th Hour

Burning Freeze

The Wayne in Spain

Elvin’s Blues

Taking the Cure (V2)

Spectrum Suite

When asked about the album title, Wayne stated: “I had buried my penitentiary experience in my psyche, but after a few years of sobriety I started looking inward into how I became who I am and found that this was a turning point in my life where almost everything that I had experienced intersected — being a musician, politics, crime, ambition, art — and the effects were profound. Once I started digging. Almost at the same time I was hired to score a film for PBS on the very institution I served my sentence in. So this brought everything to the surface and it occurred to me that this could be more than a film score. That this could actually be a musical narrative of the second half of my adult life.”

Johnny Cash's Lost Love Song

 

She Used to Love Me a Lot' is vintage Man in Black

By James Sullivan
January 13, 2014 9:00 AM ET

The Eighties were not kind to the great Johnny Cash. "It was the 'Urban Cowboy' phase,'" Cash's son, John Carter Cash, recently recalled. "It was pop country, and Dad was not that."

10 Things You Didn't Know About Johnny Cash

As the story goes, it took an unlikely pairing (with hip-hop and metal producer Rick Rubin) to right the Man in Black's career. After years of neglect, Cash spent his last decade soaking up the adulation that had pretty much eluded him since the Seventies. During those lost years in between, he hit some undeniable low points; in desperation, he was somehow talked into cutting a novelty single titled "The Chicken in Black." But it wasn't all bleak, as a newly uncovered, previously unreleased album makes plain.

See Johnny Cash and More of Rock's Biggest Rebels

Not long before Columbia Records dropped him from the only label he'd known since 1960, Cash recorded an LP called Out Among the Stars. He hung onto the master tapes, which John Carter recently found among a huge stash of Johnny and wife June Carter's effects. The album, due out March 25th, features duets with June and his old friend Waylon Jennings. John Carter hand-picked the track "She Used to Love Me a Lot," a stout, twangy ballad of regret colored by the mandolin of a young Marty Stuart, to release ahead of the album.

Why Johnny Cash Is One of the Greatest Singers Ever

"I really love this song," he tells Rolling Stone. "The depth that's there reminds me of the real serious stuff that Dad did later in his life. And I truly think it's one of the beautiful undiscovered gems in my dad's catalog."

Source Link: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/johnny-cashs-lost-love-song-20140113#ixzz2qbudFDGU

 

Brian May Does Not Have Cancer

 
Ethan Miller, Getty Images

After undergoing a series of tests, Brian May has been told that he does not have cancer. The Queen guitarist shared the good news on his website yesterday.

“Well, I got a great phone call from my specialist this evening,” May wrote. “He said, ‘I have good news: The result of your prostate biopsy is here, and we did not find any cancer cells.’ So finally, as far as that vital organ is concerned, I am — thank God — in the clear.”

After mocking himself by saying that he celebrated the news with a cup of tea, May gave an update on his newest musical project: an album of previously unreleased Queen material, including the much-ballyhooed duet between Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson. The unnamed track was never finished and, according to May, has never appeared on a Queen bootleg.

“It sounds so fresh, now all carefully transferred into the ProTools environment — but sounding exactly like it did straight off the 24-track tape it was recorded on . . . over 30 years ago,” he wrote. “What’s great is that nobody has got hold of this and leaked it. How brilliant is that? . . . Well, this is something shiny and to all intents and purposes new. And we get the chance to polish it in private, without advice from all and sundry.”


Source Link: http://ultimateclassicrock.com/brian-may-cancer-update/

Olympic Tribute Music to Sochi Winter Games Performed by Karl Jenkins

In light of the dramatic news coming out of Russia lately, anticipation for the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia outshines the dark news of late. For the athletes that will be performing during this historic event their opportunity to achieve excellence and rise above will be a bright visible test of the human spirit.

The official music to be performed during the Opening, Closing and Medal Ceremonies has not been announced by the International Olympic Committee yet but more news about the artists and their songs to be played during the ceremonies will be coming soon.

New age artist Vangelis and his inspiring Chariots of Fire song was a key song played during the London Olympic Games in 2012, so given the inspirational fortitude of the genre, new age music compositions may again be selected for this year’s ceremonies.

Interest in the Olympic Games has never been greater, and for many people the official music is likewise a point of interest. There are tribute songs available you can listen to right now. One tribute song is by Karl Jenkins and his new age group Adiemus. Composed and conducted by Karl Jenkins, Adiemus is a fusion of new age and world music, with choir vocals in many songs.

Adiemus is often compared to Enigma and Deep Forest, and I always felt the young boys choir Libera, directed by Robert Prizeman, should be included too. Regardless of the comparison, Karl Jenkins and the group Adiemus perform uplifting songs designed to rekindle the human spirit, fitting of the athletes goal and their upcoming challenge to light up the world. The self-titled song video by Karl Jenkin’s group Adiemus is one of nine from the Songs Of Sanctuary album.

For more information about the inspiring music of Adiemus visit KarlJenkins.com.

YouTube song video produced by MrFryDeep. Big Stock Photo photo credit – HelleM.

Posted in 2014 Album Review, Inspirational Music, New Age Music | Tags: Adiemus, Karl Jenkins

Source Link: http://www.newagemusicworld.com/olympic-tribute-song-by-adiemus/
 

Christine McVie Back in Fleetwood Mac

Mick Fleetwood announced the news in Maui over the weekend

Mick Fleetwood, Christine McVie and Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac.

David M. Benett/Getty Images

 

The "rumors" may be true: Vocalist and keyboardist Christine McVie has reclaimed her position in Fleetwood Mac, following a 16-year absence. On Saturday, drummer Mick Fleetwood reportedly told the audience at Uncle Willie K's BBQ Blues Fest in Maui, "This is the worst kept secret there is, but Christine McVie will be rejoining Fleetwood Mac." According to Fleetwood Mac News, he made the announcement after Willie and Fleetwood played an acoustic rendition of McVie's Rumours track "Songbird." The band has yet to release the news formally.

Where did Fleetwood Mac's 'Rumours' rank among the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time?
McVie began rehearsing with the band in late 2013 for two shows on the group's European tour. At the time, however, frontwoman Stevie Nicks shrugged off the possibility of a full-scale reunion. "I would say there's no more a chance of that happening than an asteroid hitting the earth," she said. "She is done." Nevertheless, McVie joined the band for a rousing performance of the Rumours cut "Don't Stop" at London's O2 Arena.

Two months later, McVie told The Guardian, "If they were to ask me I would probably be very delighted . . . but it hasn't happened so we'll have to wait and see." And regarding her first appearance with the group after more than a decade away from them, the self-described "music'd out" singer said, "It was amazing, like I'd never left. I climbed back on there again and there they were, the same old faces on stage."

Recently, Nicks told Rolling Stone that if she wants to come back, the door is open. "She started the damn band," she said. 

In other Fleetwood Mac news, Christine's ex, John McVie has undergone cancer treatment, while Nicks has made an appearance on American Horror Story: Coven and even officiated Vanessa Carlton's nuptials with Deer Tick singer-guitarist John McCauley. 

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/christine-mcvie-back-in-fleetwood-mac-20140113#ixzz2qKTPT2I7

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Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks Leaving Allman Brothers

by Michael Gallucci January 8, 2014 8:55 PM

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Rick Diamond / Mark Metcalfe, Getty Images

Enjoy the guitar heroics while you can. Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks are both leaving the Allman Brothers Band at the end of the year.


The group’s two ace guitar players, who’ve helped guide the band over the past couple decades, released a joint statement announcing their departures at the end of 2014. Haynes has been with the Allmans since 1989; Trucks joined a decade later.

“We will be forever grateful for the opportunity and the experience, and for the love, enthusiasm and support of the incredible fans,” they write. “We are both preparing to dig even deeper into our various creative and musical endeavors and, as a result, 2014 will be our final year as part of the band.”
Haynes, in addition to his role in the Allman Brothers, has a solo career and also leads his own band, Gov’t Mule. Trucks co-leads a group with his wife Susan Tedeschi, the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Both outfits released acclaimed new records in 2013, with Gov’t Mule nominated for ‘Album of the Year’ and Tedeschi Trucks for ‘Song of the Year‘ in our currently running fan-voted Ultimate Classic Rock Awards competition.

“As proud as I am of being a member of such a legendary band, I’m even more proud of the music that we’ve made together and of being a part of carrying their original vision into the future,” Haynes says.

“I feel the time has finally come to focus on a single project, which will allow me to spend that rare time off the road with my family,” adds Trucks. “It’s a difficult decision to make, and I don’t make it lightly.”

Haynes and Trucks will both perform onstage with the Allmans through the end of the year, including the band’s annual run of shows at New York’s Beacon Theatre in March.

Here’s Haynes’ statement in full:

I joined the Allman Brothers Band in 1989, at age 28, for a reunion tour with no promise or expectations of it going any further. Based on the success of the tour and the uncanny chemistry between the original members and the new members, we decided to continue and see where it all led. Now, here we are, 25 years later, and it has been an amazing experience. I’ve always said that if I were to join a band that I grew up listening to the ABB would be at the top of that list. The original version of the band was a huge influence on me and I’m sure that the countless hours I spent listening to and studying that music helped shape me as a musician. As proud as I am of being a member of such a legendary band, I’m even more proud of the music that we’ve made together and of being a part of carrying their original vision into the future.

As someone who’s been fortunate enough to juggle a lot of musical projects and opportunities I look forward to maintaining a vigorous schedule which will include many more years of touring and recording with Gov’t Mule in addition to my solo projects and to enjoying more family time as well. Being part of the ABB has opened a lot of doors for me and that’s something I don’t take for granted nor do I take for granted the friendship and musical relationships I have with each of the members. The 45th Anniversary of the ABB is a milestone amidst too many highlights to count and I’m looking forward to an amazing year creating music that only the Allman Brothers Band can create.

And here’s Trucks’:

I got the call to join the Allman Brothers while on tour with my own band at the age of 19.  It was out of the blue and felt surreal.  I leapt at the chance.  This was the music that I had cut my teeth on and it was the distinctive sound of Duane’s guitar that inspired me to pick up the instrument in the first place.

When I started with ABB I didn’t know how long it would last, only that I would let the music lead me and teach me.  Amazingly that led me past the band’s 40th anniversary, to the band’s 45th, and now my 15th year as a member of this incredible band.   Five years ago the 45th seemed like a lofty goal but I thought if we could make it to that milestone it would be a logical time to move on.

While I’ve shared many magical moments on stage with the Allman Brothers Band in the last decade plus, I feel that my solo project and the Tedeschi Trucks Band is where my future and creative energy lies. The Tedeschi Trucks Band tour schedule keeps growing, and I feel the time has finally come to focus on a single project, which will allow me to spend that rare time off the road with my family and children.  It’s a difficult decision to make, and I don’t make it lightly.

I’m proud to have made a small contribution to the masterful music they have created over the past forty years, and will continue to create. Now seems like a good time to go out on a high note with a great 45th anniversary in 2014, and the mutual respect and friendship of the other 6 members of ABB.

There’s no word on who will replace the pair after they leave.

Source Link: http://ultimateclassicrock.com/allman-brothers-warren-haynes-derek-trucks-leaving/