"We apologize profusely, this is really unfortunate, but Billie got rushed to the hospital last night due to illness," said bassist Mike Dirnt in a video posted on the band's website. "The doctors don't think it's a good idea for him to play today. This sucks, we really, really were looking forward to playing in Bologna as the highlight of our tour."

Guitarist Brad Whitford now reveals the band � without Tyler � seriously considered their options at the time. Clearly the band realized the challenge they were facing in trying to replace an iconic frontman like Tyler. "It's impossible to fill Steven's shoes, that's not gonna happen," said the guitarist, although he went to say that the band "spoke to a couple of people that were semi-interested," including the Red Rocker, Sammy Hagar.

Starship was performing a concert with Boston and Survivor in Norfolk, Neb and Abrahamian collapsed following the show according to road manager Scott Harrison, reports Mercury News .

The move follows Tate's failed attempt to force his former bandmates to stop using the Queensryche name after they sacked him. When a judge ruled against him he stated it meant both parties could employ the title.

Lucker kept fans informed during the weekend via his Twitter account. He told them on Saturday that he had a double IV to his heart installed and that he was at Orange Coast Memorial hospital under intensive IV antibiotics.

On Sunday he told fans how he ended up in the hospital, "had an ambulance come to my house. I woke up inside of it because everyone thought I was dead... Apparently I just passed out & had a nap."

He reports: "My right eye suddenly blurred at about 11,000ft. I kept it quiet � I didn't want to be the guy who held up the group. Pride plays a factor and pride is dangerous in those slippery, steep and treacherous places. At 12,000ft both my eyes went blurry and nausea was overcoming me. At about 12,800ft a guide from another climb came up to me and announced he thought I had a cerebral edema, and 'could die soon if he doesn't get down very quickly.'

To start the week in which Freddie's memory is celebrated with Freddie For A Day on his birthday, September 5, on Monday, September 3 the creators of Angry Birds released an all-new animation of Freddie the Angry Bird riding his bicycle to the famous Queen track "Bicycle Race." The video is streaming on Rovio's YouTube channel here

The pair had a musically successful, but personally difficult, relationship in Dio between 1982 and 1986, when Campbell was fired. He went on to play with Whitesnake before replacing Steve Clark in Def Leppard in 1992.

"Thank you for all of your cool comments!," posted Eddie on Friday. "Hanging out, taking it easy and following the doctors orders."

The band had this to say: We apologize to our great and loyal fans in Australia and New Zealand. We have had 2 amazing tours of Australia in the past and were looking forward to going back for a third.

"Oh, my story is insanely insane," he is quoted as telling the music industry magazine. "I think I could do a hell of a book. I could make (Motley Crue's) 'The Dirt' look clean if I wanted to."

The vocalist/bassist's line-up of the group, known as Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash, is about to go to court with guitarist Andy Powell, who trademarked the name several years ago. Powell is the only original member of his line-up of his rival group.

Sammy & The Wabos would open the show, followed by The Other Half (including former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony); a Montrose tribute set would be next, and then the evening would wrap up with Chickenfoot.

Hagar's September 1 show at the Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harvey's in Stateline, Nevada was the first event with the new format. For the Montrose tribute set, Hagar was joined by the band's Denny Carmassi and Bill Church, with Joe Satriani sitting in; Carmassi stuck around for the closing portion with Chickenfoot.

In terms of production and content, the 2012 live show closely mirrored the original 1988 concert video of the same name, shot on the "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son Tour."

The acclaimed axeman shocked fans by leaving the thrash giants just as they were enjoying a new lease of life with vocalist John Bush, and turning instead to a career as a watchmaker.

Spitz tells Hodinkee: "I had been living on a tour bus since I was 14 years old, and played in bands with others of equal skill set � but they were much older and I was.

"I excelled at what I was doing and Anthrax soon hit and was playing sold-out colosseums for years.

Satriani explains: "We started our first tour and we were threatening to play it. I don't think Sammy wanted to do it � he'd never really memorised the lyrics. Somebody printed them up and threw them on the stage. At the beginning of the song you hear me starting up Bad Motor Scooter because that's what was on the setlist.

Jaroszewicz will be filling the void left by drummer Kerim "Krihm" Lechner who left group. The PRP> had the following statement which they report was issued by Lechner about his departure.

Total Film says Stop Making Sense is its No.1 choice because: 'The rock gig is deconstructed as Jonathan Demme captures the innovative staging of a Talking Heads gig, from solo performance to full band to David Byrne dancing in an oversized suit.

I only had a few months between my Spring/Summer tour and my fall tour in 2011. In that time, I needed to figure out the concept for what would eventually become the "Atlanta" album, then write and record it. I gave myself four weeks to write the songs for the album. Every weekday, I'd get up in the morning, and then I'd bang my head against the wall all day, hoping that a song would fall out. After a few weeks of non-stop writing, I started to go a little bit crazy. One morning, I had a song idea that refused to get finished. Hour after hour after hour went by and I just couldn't work it out. Eventually, I decided to take a break and hop in the shower, because I was starting to smell a little bit hobo-esque. While I was in the shower, all the sudden a melody hit me, so I started humming. Then words just popped into my head. I got out of the shower singing, dried off, then sat down at the keyboard, and played "In My Bones" all the way through. It was like the song had been sitting out there in the ether, waiting for me to reach out and grab it. That doesn't happen to me very often, but when it does, I'm always amazed. To me, that song feels like it always existed and was just waiting for the right moment to reveal itself to me.

The event was curated by rapper, songwriter, record producer and entrepreneur Jay-Z, who named the 2-day festival after one of his collaborative tracks with Kanye West.

KISS have offered up front row footage of their opening number, "Detroit Rock City."The classic track is featured on the band's latest reissue, "Destroyer: Resurrected," the group's 1976 multi-platinum, landmark album that has been newly remixed from the original master tapes by the album's original producer, Bob Ezrin.

The band brought along its extensive, career-spanning stage from the recent 8-show run in Mexico City, which featured a variety of props and effects used over the past 30 years.

The Canadian rockers are currently gearing up to kick off their North American tour, which begins September 7 in Manchester, NH.

Fans can now watch Panther's performance of "Asian Hooker." The band was captured in concert in London, England in 2010 for the set, which was directed by Daniel E. Catullo III, who has previously worked with artists like Rush, Chickenfoot, Godsmack and Alter Bridge.