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Day in Rock Report for 02/15/2016


Update
Due to a request from numerous readers we will be experimenting with a new format for the daily report. Instead of waiting until the next morning to publish new stories, we will post them as the stories develop. The Day in Rock and Day in Pop reports will be broken down into two sections: the top stories and latest stories. Any stories that are published during the day after our normal publishing time of 8:00am EST (including weekends) will be included in the next day's report so that readers that read the reports early in the morning will not miss any stories. With that in mind, we have included the stories from the weekend update at the end of today's report

Today's Top Stories

Rolling Stones Tour Worker Killed In Robbery Attempt

(hennemusic) The Rolling Stones have reportedly increased security on their South American tour after a gig worker was killed following a show in Buenos Aires on February 10.

The Evening Standard reports the band are under 24-hour armed guard after 55-year-old Pedro Luis Tabares was killed in an attempted robbery after the group's second of three concerts at the Estadio Unico stadium.

Tabares and his boss were transporting proceeds from drink sales at the concert venue when they were targeted by robbers in an attempted heist. A 31-year-old Colombian, named as Jhon Alexander Bobadilla Vega, was later arrested. Read more here.

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Eagles Of Death Metal Frontman Speaks Out On Paris Terrorist Attack

(Classic Rock) Eagles Of Death Metal frontman Jesse Hughes has told of the moment he thought he'd be shot dead by a terrorist in Paris. And he's reflected on the bravery of the people he saw as they died when gunmen invaded Le Bataclan on November 13 last year.

They killed 89 people in the venue, while a further 41 lost their lives in related attacks across the city. Hughes tells Sweden's TV4 that the massacre began after "the very last note of the song, almost like a diabolical syncronicity."

He says: "I knew exactly what was going on. I think I might have been the only one in the whole theatre who knew instantly. I saw a couple of girls go down and then we were able to get off the stage. I didn't see my girl, Tuesday, and I went to the backstage area. When I opened up a hallway there was a dude at the end of it, holding a gun.

"He didn't see me. The door shut behind me and I was trying to back up, like very very sneaky. But he noticed me. I thought I was dead - I waited for the shots to hit me."

But as the terrorist pulled his rifle from his back, the barrel struck the doorframe above his head, giving Hughes time to escape. "I opened the door and he started firing and his rounds shot the door behind me," he remembers.

He'd previously told how audience members had done their best to protect their friends. Now he says: "I didn't see a single coward. I just saw people doing some of the most beautiful things a person can do. For lack of a better way to describe it, my friends died beautifully. They died very well, with great courage." Read more here.

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The Doors Reunite For Ray Manzarek Tribute Event

(hennemusic) Surviving members of The Doors - guitarist Robbie Kreiger and drummer John Densmore - reunited in Los Angles on February 12 for a performance tribute to their late bandmate Ray Manzarek and several videos from the show have been posted online.

Billed as "A Celebration For Ray Manzarek", the show at the Fonda Theatre took place on what would have been the keyboardist's 77th birthday; he passed away from bile duct cancer in Rosenheim, Germany in 2013 at the age of 74.

With all proceeds from the event going to benefit Stand Up To Cancer, Friday's concert saw Krieger and Densmore joined by a cast of guests including Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters, Warren Haynes of Gov't Mule, Exene Cervenka and John Doe of X, Annika Rose of Breaking 27, Rami Jaffee, Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots, Krieger's son Wayne, and Jane's Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins, among others.

Lead vocals were shared among several artists throughout the show, including: Hawkins on "Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)" and "Love Me Two Times", Haynes on "When The Music's Over", Krieger's son Wayne on "Break On Through (To The Other Side)", Doe on "Riders On The Storm", and a shared ensemble vocal on the night's finale "Light My Fire."

"A Celebration For Ray Manzarek" marked the first time Krieger and Densmore shared the stage together in over 15 years. Check out the videos from the show here.

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Sense Field Headlining All-Star Jon Bunch Memorial Concert

An all-star memorial concert for Jon Bunch, who sang for Reason to Believe, Sense Field, Further Seems Forever, War Generation during his career, will be taking place next month.

Bunch passed away earlier this month. The special show will raise funds for Bunch's 12-year-old son Jack and will be taking place on March 20th at the Yost Theatre in Santa Ana, CA and will be headlined by his former Sense Field bandmates.

Guest vocalist will include Richie Birkenhead (Youth of Today, Into Another), Garrett Klahn (Texas Is The Reason), Kenny Vasoli (The Starting Line), Popeye (Farside), Jeff Caudill (Gameface), Walter Schreifels (Rival Schools, Quicksand), Sam Velde (Obliterations, Night Horse), Zoli Teglas (Ignite) and Matt Caughthran (The Bronx, Mariachi El Bronx).

Event organizers Casey Jones had the following to say, "With the passing of Jon, we, his friends and family decided to give him a proper send-off. A memorial concert has been arranged in Jon's honor, featuring the artists he most admired, including many that he shared stages with around the world throughout his vibrant career.

"We know that Jon would have been proud to be celebrated through song, and all proceeds will go to support the fund set up for his son, Jack." Learn more about the fund here.

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Latest News

Nikki Sixx's Sixx A.M. Announces New Single And Tour Plans

(Classic Rock) Sixx A.M. will release new single Rise in March and have asked fans to help them compile a US tour schedule. The track will appear on the first volume of a double album due out later this year. It'll be the band's fourth album and the follow-up to 2014's Modern Vintage.

Mainman Nikki Sixx says: "We are not a political band, but we are extremely reflective. During the making of this album, we were under the same media siege as the rest of the world, so Rise came out of that and hopefully reminds people that we all have a voice."

Guitarist DJ Ashba adds: "Rise is a message of empowerment. It will take on a personal meaning to everyone who hears it, but the message is the same. Whether it's an individual trying to overcome their own struggles, or a nation as a whole, we can all rise above the negativity, if we stand up for what we believe in."

Meanwhile, in a video message to fans, frontman James Michael reveals the band will launch a headline tour in the spring. He says: "We want you to help us decide where we should play, so head on over to sixxammusic.com to demand that we come to your city." Watch the video here.

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Glenn Hughes Reschedules U.S. Tour Following Surgery

(hennemusic) Bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes Bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes has been forced to reschedule his upcoming US tour due to delays in his recovery from last month's dual knee replacement surgeryhas been forced to reschedule his upcoming US tour due to delays in his recovery from last month's dual knee replacement surgery.

Originally set to begin on March 2 in San Jose, CA, the US run will now start on August 9 in Annapolis, MD. All rickets remain valid for the rescheduled dates.

"I am sorry to say that some recent setbacks in my recovery from knee operations are the reason that I can't get out to see everyone as soon as I had hoped," says Hughes. "I want to make sure I give my fans the best live experience possible and promise it will be worth the wait. I can't wait to see everyone at the shows."

The tour will see Hughes perform highlights from his extensive career, including music from Trapeze, Deep Purple, Black Country Communion, California Breed and solo material. Read more including the rescheduled dates here.

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Gene Simmons Confirmed For HeavyCon

(Classic Rock) Gene Simmons is the first of a series of stars set to appear at the inaugural HeavyCon, which takes place at London's Excel from September 30 to October 2. The Kiss bassist will appear at the convention on October 1 and 2.

Says TeamRock Executive Director Alexander Milas: "There aren't many better-known figures in the rock world than Gene Simmons. As a founding member of KISS it's impossible to summarise his contributions, but it's really his off-stage persona - arguably even bigger than what he does in makeup - that makes him such a beloved figure in our world. It'll be an honour to welcome him through the doors of HeavyCon later this year - the only rock and metal convention of its kind. Game on!"

HeavyCon is a unique opportunity for fans of rock and metal to immerse themselves in the world they love at the first-ever show of its kind. Rock and metal's living legends - plus stars-in-the-making and key figures from behind-the-scenes - will be in attendance at the ultimate fan convention alongside gear, stage props and memorabilia that have shaped the last five decades of rock. Read more here.

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The Scorpions Expand 'Return To Forever' For New Edition

(hennemusic) The Scorpions will release an expanded tour edition of 2015's "Return To Forever" on April 22 in North America. The package presents seven bonus tracks alongside the original record, plus two brand-new live DVDs presenting two complete concerts from last year.

The set includes the band's open air gig at the French Hellfest Festival in June, and their show at the Barclays Center in New York featuring an impressive guest performance on "No One Like You" by twelve-year-old guitarist Brandon Niederauer.

The April release is in sync with The Scorpions Las Vegas residency this spring. "Blacked Out In Vegas" is a five-night run in May at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, where they'll be joined by special guests Queensryche. Read more here.

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Paul Stanley Still Connected With Former KISS Bandmate Ace Frehley

(Classic Rock) Paul Stanley says recording a track for Ace Frehley's upcoming solo album was a "terrific" experience. The Kiss mainman teamed up with his old bandmate for a cover of Free's Fire And Water which appears on Frehley's Origins Vol.1.

And Stanley says despite the public spats between the pair down the years, seeing the guitarist do well in his career gives him pleasure. Stanley tells the Guns, Gold & Rock N' Roll Radio Network: "Ace was doing an album of covers, songs that influenced him and that he loved, and called me.

"For all the bickering and stuff that we may say about each other, we go back to a very magical time. We started this together. So in spite of whatever we may say from time-to-time, or things that get blown up, we are a family - a dysfunctional one - but nonetheless a family.

"So Ace said, 'Would you do something on the album?' I said, 'Sure. Of course.'" Stanley continues: "If he succeeds, it only makes me happy. I don't want to see anybody fail - especially somebody who I'm close to. Even if I don't speak to him weekly, even monthly, we're connected in a way that will go to the end." Read more and watch the full interview here.

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Steve Hackett To Look Back At 40-Year-Career At Special Event

(Prog) Steve Hackett is to discuss his 40-year career at an event in Leicester next month. In Conversation With Steve Hackett will be staged at the city's Sue Townsend Theatre on March 4 as part of this year's De Montford University's Cultural Exchanges Festival.

The former Genesis man will take part in a one-on-one interview with local film-maker and academic Paul Gosling of Crooked Hand Productions. The pair have collaborated in the past, most recently on the video for the guitarist's track Love Song To A Vampire from his 2015 Wolflight album.

Gosling says: "We're very excited to be helping De Montfort University's Arts And Festival Management students to stage this exclusive event with Steve.

"We're busy preparing some previously unseen video footage to screen as part of the evening and rehearsing with students from the BA Hons Dance course, who will be performing to Corycian Fire from Steve's latest album. It will be a unique experience."

Following the interview, Hackett will take part in a Q&A session with audience members. Read more here.

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Empty Yard Experiment Announce Debut UK Headline Tour

(Prog) Empty Yard Experiment have announced their first-ever headline tour of the UK. The Dubai-based outfit comprising of members from Serbia, Iran and India, will hit the road next month for a handful of dates, which includes an appearance at the TeamRock-sponsored HRH Prog Fest, Hafan y Mor, Wales, on March 19.

The band tell TeamRock: "We're thrilled to be coming back to British shores - especially since the warm welcome we received in 2014 promoting our second album Kallisti.

"Beside stopping by cities we didn't make it to last time, we'll also be sharing the stage with legends such as Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson and Soft Machine at HRH Prog. Rubbing shoulders with such prog luminaries and playing to much bigger crowds is something we're particularly excited about and can't wait to make the journey over." See the dates here.

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Gandalf's Fist Recruit Actors For Upcoming Concept Album

(Prog) Gandalf's Fist have named Gremlins star Zach Galligan, Early Doors actor Mark Benton and Doctor Who cast member Tim Munro among the spoken-voicer performers who'll appear on their next concept album.

The Clockwork Fable, a three-disc work, will also feature Paul Barnhill, Bill Fellows and Paul Kavanagh, plus returning artist Alicia Marsh. A list of musical guests will be unveiled soon.

Frontman Dean Marsh says: "We're over the moon to announce Mark Benton has become a part of our weird and wonderful world. He has been instrumental in getting this album to the level it is, so we'd like to send him a massive thanks."

The band's sixth release, described as "a steampunk tale of deception and discovery," is set in the underground dictatorship of Cogtopolis, where The Primarch sits as absolute ruler and The Aperture, long-sealed, is the only means of escape." Read more here.

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The Qemists Streaming New Song 'Anger'

(TeamRock Radio) The Qemists have made their new single Anger available as a stream exclusively through TeamRock. The track - which was premiered on TeamRock Radio last week - is taken from the Brighton quintet's forthcoming album Warrior Sound, which will be released on March 4 through the Amazing Records Co.

The single features a guest vocal appearance from Crossfaith frontman Kenta Koie. Say the band: "Collaborating with people from around the world is something paramount to the joy in what we do. I think to be able to spend time and appreciate people for who they are and the cultures they represent, to enjoy a unifying musical experience with them, that's not only an honour but a pleasure.

"The initial idea for the track was always to be strong, hard hitting, but yet offer great bounce and energy for a live audience at a tempo we don't often work at. We felt it was just the right instrumental for Crossfaith. It's awesome when an artist brings a strong sense of identity, direction and raw talent to a project, and thats exactly what Ken brought to the table with his vocals on Anger." Stream the song here.

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Letlive Announce European Tour

(TeamRock Radio) Letlive have revealed a run of European tour dates - with four UK shows scheduled in April. The band will play Manchester Sound Control, two dates at the London Dome and Kingston Fighting Cocks from April 21-24.

They'll then hit Eindhoven Dynamo in the Netherlands, Hamburg Hafenkland and Cologne MTC in Germany, before playing Groezrock Festival in Belgium on April 30.

Letlive also set off on their US trek with The Wonder Years and Microwave next month. The announcement comes in the run-up to the release of their fourth studio album If I'm The Devil on June 8. Their last record was 2013's The Blackest Beautiful, which launched via Epitaph.

Letlive frontman Jason Aalon Butler previously said of If I'm The Devil: "It might take some people by surprise, but in a good way. I'd say this is a better rendition of ourselves." See the tour dates here.

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Lost Society Release 'Hangover Activator' Video

(TeamRock Radio) Lost Society have released a video for Hangover Activator. It's taken from their Braindead album, which was released last week on Nuclear Blast and is the follow-up to 2014's Terror Hungry.

"For us, touring has always been about having the time of our lives with our buddies and playing the most killer shows that we possibly can," say the band. "This music video is all about that! Hangover Activator is the ultimate touring song and the video portrays it perfectly - it's all about the craziness and the adrenaline rush! We always really want to document all of our shows and trips so we can treat our fans to cool videos such as this one right here.

"Big up to our video team for putting together this video. Every time we watch this video, we just get really excited that we have so many amazing and crazy fans that energise us at shows. This one is for you all, thank you for coming to the shows, and we'll see you in a town near you very soon!! We're absolutely stoked that the mighty Metal Hammer UK is going to be premiering this video - big up to the folks over there!" Watch the video here.

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Darling Waste Stream New Song 'Hurt Before' For Valentine's Day

(High Road) Cleveland, Ohio Emo group Darling Waste celebrated Valentine's Day with the released of a new single entitled "Hurt Before". We were sent over the following comments about the track from singer Lance Waste:

"This song is by far the most personal song on the new album and I don't say that lightly because this album is pretty intensely personal It's a song about trying to let yourself be open and vulnerable again after life has beaten you down over and over. I just want to be a person that 15 year old me would be proud of."

"Hurt Before" is off the band's upcoming full-length (release date and title TBA) and was one of the quickest songs that the band finished. "I was driving away from a studio session and after hours of recording music, my head and ears hurt, so I don't listen to music in my car," says Lance. "I was driving in silence when I realized I was singing 'Hurt Before' in my head. Before I was even aware of it's existence, the first verse and chorus were written. My phone was dead and I didn't have a pen, so I turned my car around and raced back to the studio, singing the song over and over so I wouldn't forget any of it. The song was completely written in my head by the time I got back. I sat down at the piano and recorded myself figuring out the piano part. The song was born, written and recorded in under twenty minutes." Stream the song here.

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Stories from this weekend

Delta Deep (Def Leppard and Stone Temple Pilot) Announce Tour

Delta Deep, the blues-based band featuring Phil Collen (Def Leppard) and Robert DeLeo (Stone Temple Pilots), have announced a spring tour of the Eastern U.S.

The Sugar Shack Tour is set to kick off on March 28th in Washington, DC at the Howard Theatre and will conclude on April 8th in Bay Shore, NY at the YMCA Boulton Center.

The group will be launching the tour in support of their forthcoming live album "Sugar Shack" which was recorded during their recent west coast tour. A release date was not revealed in the announcement. See the tour dates and the album tracklisting here.

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Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson To The Rescue

(Classic Rock) Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson has come to the rescue of an endangered turtle after it washed up on a beach in Jersey with a broken shell and a nasty infection.

Dickinson's personal Eclipse jet flew Terri the turtle from the New Era Veterinary Hospital on the largest of the Channel Islands to a sanctuary in the Canaries after a crowdfunding campaign raised more than �6500 for the cause.

The jet proved a much cheaper alternative than the �22,000 originally needed to fly Terri to rehab. New Era Veterinary Hospital says: "Terri the turtle is doing well in Gran Canaria, is eating more and will hopefully be strong enough to be released in the next few weeks. We couldn't have got her to this point with a massive amount of help from everyone and for that we are so very grateful." Read more here.

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Brian Wilson Adds Several More Dates To Pet Sounds Tour

Beach Boys legend Brian Wilson has added several of new dates to his forthcoming world tour to that celebrated the 50th anniversary of the landmark Pet Sounds album.

Wilson has added numerous North American dates including a hometown show in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Bowl, as well as shows in Atlanta, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, and several new dates throughout Florida. H also added second nights in Nashville, San Francisco, Burlington, VT, and a third night in London.

The tour will be kicking off on March 26th Auckland, New Zealand at the Auckland Civic Center and he has dates scheduled until October 15th in Sacramento, CA where he will be performing at the Sacramento Comm. Center Theater. See the dates here.

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Sleeping With Sirens' Justin Hills Forced To Sit Out Tour

(TeamRock Radio) Sleeping With Sirens bassist Justin Hills has announced he'll miss the band's upcoming European tour. The group will kick off the 13-day trek in Amsterdam on February 19 without Hills, who reports he's taking a step back to deal with family issues. Touring guitarist and keyboard player Alex Howard will replace him in the lineup.

Hills says: "Due to personal/family matters, I unfortunately won't be able to make it to this next tour in the UK and Europe. It's really important for me to be home with my family at this time.

"I hope all of you can understand that I'm needed here right now. I will be back on the road with the boys after this tour and I can't wait for you guys to hear what we have in store the rest of the year." Read more here.

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Former Allman Brothers Band Tour Manager Releases Book

Insight Editions have released Kirk West's new photography book which chronicles forty years of the Allman Brothers' history and is entitled "Les Brers: Kirk West's Photographic Journey with the Brothers."

Here is the official synopsis: "This oversized coffee-table book contains a collection that will stand the test of time as the definitive visual history of the Allman Brothers Band. As the Allman Brothers' tour manager for more than twenty-five years and a photographer for more than forty, Kirk West was granted unprecedented access to the legendary band, capturing photos from every moment of the Allman Brothers' history, including rare images of all the solo projects and side bands, both short-lived and hugely successful. Documenting the Brothers from 1973 to their final performance at New York's Beacon Theatre in 2014, West's photography captures intimate behind-the-scenes moments as well as the larger-than-life energy of their live performances.

"In addition to more than 350 images-all published here for the first time-Les Brers contains essays written by New York Times best-selling author Alan Paul (One Way Out: The Inside History of the Allman Brothers Band), former tour manager for the Rolling Stones and the Grateful Dead Sam Cutler, and Hittin' the Note magazine publisher and editor John Lynskey, as well as a foreword by guitar legend Warren Haynes, offering an unprecedented glimpse at one of rock's most celebrated and storied bands."

Order your copy here.

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Metal Musician's Stolen Jacket Turns Up In Macy's Display

(TeamRock Radio) A Portland metalhead's long-lost jacket has mysteriously appeared in a Ralph Lauren display in Macy's flagship store in New York. The vest, given to Mangled Corpse and Maniak bassist Meshach Babcock by a childhood friend, was customised with band patches and his own handwriting.

But the one-of-a-kind jacket was stolen from the backstage area while his group played at a Battle Of The Bands show in Oregon City High School three years ago.

Babcock had given up hope of finding it, until last week, when his friend saw that Nasty Savage had shared a photo of a sleeveless denim jacket with their patch stitched on it in a glass case in Macy's.

He tells Katu News: "I got a message from my friend Sergio saying, 'Meshach, I think I've found your vest.' I looked at the picture and there's no question - it's my vest, all the patches are completely the same." Read more and see a photo of the vest here.

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Crossing Rubicon (Ex-All That Remains) Release New Album

Crossing Rubicon, which features former All That Remains star Jeanne Sagan, have released their brand new studio album "No Less Than Everything."

The band's camp describes the twelve track album as "a throwback to metal of the 80's and early 90's mixed with modern rock". Frontman Scotty Anarchy had the following to say:

"There were a lot of people that thought I was crazy for walking away from my career and pursuing this record, and there were a lot of people who believed in me, both were my inspiration during the recording process. I did this to prove the first group wrong and to inspire both." Check out the band's Facebook for more information here.

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Masterplan's Roland Grapow Looks Back At Helloween

Sleaze Roxx just published a two part interview with Masterplan and former Helloween guitarist Roland Grapow and the site sent over several excerpts from the conversation focused on his former band:

On looking back to when Grapow first joined Helloween after the Keeper albums: "But then, when I joined the band, I was totally free and without any pressure to be honest. But then, when we started songwriting, of course, I wanted to do a good job and wanted to be the best for the band. I found that I was maybe one third of the main songwriters. The other was like Michael Kiske and Weiki. They went to a different direction totally. I was shocked and surprised - like these ballads we had and 'Heavy Metal Hamsters.' And then 'Windmill' which was on the 'Chameleon' album, which was supposed to be on the 'Pink Bubbles [Go Ape]' already. The producer Chris Tsangarides was like, 'What's going on here? The new guy is the only guy that writes heavy metal songs.' [Laughs]

"That's why I was confused. They had a lot of problems there. But it was not about me. It was about Michael Weikath and Michael Kiske. They wanted to go somewhere else like the Queen direction, which we did on the next album. But you can imagine - I was the oldest guy in the band but I was the new guy. I was very shy. I could not speak English at that time. So especially talking to Chris Tsangarides and management, Sanctuary� I forget the name - the Iron Maiden management! So I was really always behind listening and analyzing and thinking 'Something is not right here [laughs].'"

On Helloween's 'Chameleon': "I think it's something that the band needed to do. I know that a lot of people hated it in the beginning but a lot of people now - they're 20 years older - and they just realize it's like a good rock album with heavy metal guys playing rock and all these instruments that we had."

On Michael Kiske changing and leaving the band: "Michael Kiske wanted to sort of keep this kind of style for the next album. He wanted to follow this path and he really wanted to go away. And because he changed - there was something going on in his kind of mind. I don't know what it was but he changed. He went at that time vegetarian - everything at once. He changed let's say in three months, he tried to change so much and everybody was confused. He was always talking. I mean, he is a really strong character. You can talk and try to make a discussion with him. It will take hours because you can't change his opinion! You know, if he has an opinion, he's hard to change. You know his story about heavy metal. He is now back a little bit but it wasn't easy [laughs]."

On his diminishing songwriting contributions around Helloween's 'Better Than Raw' album: "I think that the album is pretty good to be honest. I mean, my impact is still there as a guitar player. And I helped on the Uli Kusch songs and I worked very close to the songwriting with the other guys but I was a little bit out of batteries. I don't know what it was. I wasn't really inspired anymore. Like I said, it started at around the time of 'Time Of The Oath.' I had lots of fun anyways - a lot - but I only wrote one song! And then for 'Better Than Raw', I contributed two to three ideas, and then Andi Deris said, 'That's crap! [laughs]' He did not like it and slowly, the band started talking behind my back. 'This guy is not working for us anymore 100%. He's just into his solo albums which are really good.' You know, they really liked it. Deris said to me: 'Why are you not presenting these great songs to us? [laughs]' That's why we had big trouble after 'Better Than Raw.'" Check out the full part one of the interview here.

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Warren Haynes Named Ramblin' Man Fair Headliner

(Classic Rock) Warren Haynes has been confirmed as the headline act for the blues stage at this year's Ramblin' Man Fair. And it's been announced that the Gov't Mule man and former Allman Brothers Band member will be joined at the festival at Maidstone's Mote Park on July 23-24 by Supersuckers, Simo, Tax The Heat and Sons Of Royalty.

Haynes released his latest album Ashes & Dust last year, admitting it was a departure from his more recognizable style. He told The Blues Magazine: "It's more song-based, coming from the storytelling, Appalachian music tradition. I grew up in Asheville. Bluegrass, Celtic, folk and mountain music is everywhere so I was exposed to it from an early age.

"My father was a singer, he had a beautiful voice, and he was influenced by that kind of singing which carried over to Hank Williams, Bill Monroe and Ralph Stanley." Read more here.

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The Rocket Summer Tap ex-Paramore Star Josh Farro For Tour Support

The Rocket Summer have announce a North American spring tour which will feature support on several of the dates from Farro, the new project formed by former Paramore guitarist Josh Farro.

The Zoetic Tour is being launching by The Rocket Summer in support of their forthcoming album, Zoetic, which is set to be released on February 26, 2016 via Aviate Records.

The extensive tour will be kicking off on March 11th at Walter's Downtown in Houston, TX and is scheduled to conclude on May 19th at the Bottom Of The Hill in San Francisco, CA. See the tour dates here.

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Classic Bob Dylan Halloween Concert Set For 5.0 SACD Release

(Glass Onyon) Audio Fidelity has announced that they will be releasing "The Bootleg Series Vol. 6 Bob Dylan Live 1964 Concert at Philharmonic Hall" on Hybrid multichannel 5.0 SACD. A released date was not revealed in the announcement.

The 2-CD set will include a 56-page book and was mastered by Steve Hoffman and Stephen Marsh at Stephen Marsh Mastering. We were sent the following details:

This 5.0 SurroundSound mix of Bob Dylan's October 31, 1964 "Halloween" show at New York's Philharmonic Hall is a complete recording and has never been released in this format until now. This 2-CD Audio Fidelity collection presents the entire concert from the original Columbia Records (SONY) master tapes. The package also includes a 56-page book filled with historical photographs and informative notes. The Halloween concert of 1964 had been previously bootlegged on vinyl and CD, but those releases were incomplete and taken from poor dubs off the soundboard tapes.

This 1964 concert is the first all acoustic live performance to enter Bob Dylan's discography. This recording certainly has its share of firsts and highlights, including the only known live version of "Spanish Harlem Incident," the premiere of the songs "Gates of Eden" and "If You Gotta Go, Go Now."

Here is Dylan as an eager-to-please 23 year old with nothing between him and his audience but a guitar and a harmonica. His voice is in top form throughout the 19 song set and when Joan Baez joins him on stage the voltage only increases.

In marked contrast to the tight-lipped living legend of the mid-'70s, here is Dylan as entertainer, joking and bantering with the crowd and he proves to be a very masterful performer.

While much has been made of the later electric performance of the 1960s, it is here that you can see how good Dylan really was. He shows all the budding facets of his art up to this time, from the protest songs, the more introspective material and the radical new direction he was pursuing.

Of course, as with all Audio Fidelity hybrid multichannel releases the SACD is compatible on all standard players and includes the 2-track stereo mix layer as well. See the tracklisting here.

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The Treatment Stream New Song 'The Devil'

UK hard rockers The Treatment are giving fans an advanced taste of their forthcoming album "Generation Me" with the released on an online stream of the new song "The Devil".

The new album is set to be released on March 18, 2016 via Frontiers Music SRL and will be the group's first release to feature new frontman Mitchel Emms and guitarist Tao Grey.

The band recorded "Generation Me" with producer Laurie Mansworth and recruited Tony Newton to mix and Ade Emsley to master the album, which is the follow up to 2014's heralded Running With The Dogs album. Stream the new song here.

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Coheed And Cambria Launching U.S. Tour Next Week

Coheed And Cambria will be hitting the road next week to launch a new U.S. headline leg of their tour in support of their 2015 release "The Color Before The Sun".

The band will be supported on the tour by Glassjaw and Silver Snakes with the trek scheduled to kick off with two nights in Boston on February 22nd and 23rd at the House of Blues and will conclude on March 27th in Denver, CO at Fillmore Auditorium.

The Color Before The Sun, the band's first non-concept album, was released in October of last year and gave the band their 6th consecutive Top 10 Billboard charting album. See the tour dates here.

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Earthless Stream New Song and Announce North American Tour Dates

As Earthless continue work on their fourth album, they have announced new North American tour dates for this spring and have also released an online stream of a brand new song called "End to End".

The track is featured Baker Skateboards-curated sampler and features a rarity for the largely instrumental group-- vocals from guitarist Isaiah Mitchell. Check it out here.

The new dates follow the band's appearance at this year's Levitation Chicago Festival on March 12th and the eight date trek will be kicking off on March 14th in Toronto and include stops in Montreal, Boston, Brooklyn, New York, Philadelphia, Washington D.C. before wrapping up in Columbus, OH on March 21st. See the tour dates here.

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The Qemists Explain Long Wait For New Album

(TeamRock Radio) The Qemists say the six-year wait for their third album is down to the amount of time they needed to perfect their sound before hitting the studio. The new album, "Warrior Sound" is set to be released on March 4 via Amazing Records.

As for why they kept fans waiting for so long for the follow-up to 2010's Spirit In The System, The Qemists tell The Alt Show: "We like to take our time and get things right. The first album did take five years to make. The way that we work, we don't just go in and record, we design all our sounds too.

"So when you design the snare sound before you can think about programming or recording, there is a lot more work to do. It's not a case of jumping into the studio for a couple of months to record the songs. It doesn't take six years, so that's a bit of an excuse." Read more here.

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Basement Guitarist Reflects On Difficult Writing Experience

(TeamRock Radio) Basement guitarist Alex Henery says the transatlantic writing process for last album Promise Everything has put him off ever doing it again. The Ipswich band put out their third full-length on January 29, but the long-distance writing sessions proved challenging.

Henery tells TeamRock: "It was really hard. The next record we want to focus on being all in the same room. No internet, no distractions, just all of us in one place and just writing. That really excites me.

"It was interesting to record like this, but it was stressful because you can't just stay in the same room - you can't just jam out ideas. A lot of the writing took place in the studio and in the practices that we had before and leading up to recording.

"We work well under pressure, so we made it work - but it's not something I really want to do again." Henery, who works as a freelance videographer, has returned to the UK for Basement's European trek in support of the album. And he reports there are only slight differences between the crowds they've played to around the world. Read more here.

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Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown Hit The Road With AC/DC

Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown hit the road late last week as a support band on AC/DC's 2016 North American tour in support of the legendary band's "Rock Or Bust" album.

The tour kicked off on February 11 in Fargo, ND at Fargo Dome and is scheduled to conclude on April 4th in New York City at the famed Madison Square Garden.

Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown are touring in support of their recently released The Wayside EP and have previously shared the stage with Billy Gibons, B.B King, Jeff Beck, ZZ Top, Aerosmith, as well as a recent performance onstage with Chris Cornell for the 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi premiere. See the tour dates here.

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October Tide Announce New Album 'Winged Waltz'

October Tide have announced that they will be releasing their brand new eight-track 5th studio album, entitled "Winged Waltz", on April 22nd via Agonia Records.

"Winged Waltz" was recorded, mixed and mastered in Wing Studios (Demonical, Centinex, Diabolical) in Sweden and produced by Sverker Widgren and will be in a variety of formats including digipack CD, regular black gatefold LP, gold LP with gold logo patch (limited to 113 hand-numbered copies), black t-shirt with white and silver print, grey t-shirt with gold print, and digitally.

Frontman Alexander H�gbom had the following to say about the effort, "This is undoubtedly the best and most emotionally charged material October Tide has created, in my opinion.

"I know how much hard work Fredrik (guitars) has put into making this album and you can really feel the thought behind it all. I almost injured myself physically and was close to pass out a couple of times during the recording of the vocals. I gave it all to match the intense music and those powerful lyrics and I'm very happy with the result". See the tracklisting here.

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