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Day in Rock Report for 01/07/2016



Scott Weiland Death Details Released By Police

(Classic Rock) Scott Weiland's body was stiff with rigor mortis by the time his tour manager found him, an investigators' report has revealed. Bloomington Police have released details of the 911 call placed by roadie Aaron Mohler on December 3, after Weiland's wife had called him to express concern at not having heard from her husband. He was declared dead at the scene.

Members of his band The Wildabouts told officers that the frontman had been drinking heavily and taking several types of drugs in the days leading up to his death.

The report says Mohley entered Weiland's tour bus bedroom, and tried to shake him awake. When that failed he removed a pillow from under his head, then realised the singer wasn't breathing. He called drummer Joey Castillo for help before calling for an ambulance. Mohler said on the line: "I think he's dead. He's not moving. He's stiff. He's hard as a rock right now. There's no breath, there's no nothing."

Band members reported that Weiland had been drinking large quantities of vodka and tequila, that he'd been taking cocaine during the previous week and he'd taken MDA in the last two or three days. Read more here.

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Steely Dan's Donald Fagen Arrested After Domestic Incident

(Classic Rock) Steely Dan frontman Donald Fagen has been arrested for allegedly assaulting his wife at their New York home and was formally charged with on Tuesday (January 5).

The alleged incident took place at the couple's Upper East Side apartment on Monday night. Fagen, 67, is accused of shoving Libby Titus onto a marble window frame.

According to the New York Times, Fagen appeared at Manhattan Criminal Court and was charged with assault in the third degree, a misdemeanor, and harassment and a violation. Read more here.

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Peter Cetera Now Open To Chicago Rock Hall Reunion Jam

(Classic Rock) Former Chicago singer and bass player Peter Cetera has offered to perform a track with his former bandmates at their Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction in April.

Robert Lamm announced last month that the former vocalist and bassist had agreed to play at the ceremony - but later apologised, saying that the invitation had been "emphatically declined."

Now Cetera has revealed the contents of an email that reads: "As a finale, we can walk onstage together one last time as a group, I'll strap on the bass, and we can do 25 Or 6 To 4 in the key of E. I believe it would make for one fantastic Hall of Fame moment and satisfy those who have always wanted some sort of reunion.

"In the end, this should go a long way towards healing old wounds and showing solidarity on that night. At least I hope so!" Read more here.

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Guns N' Roses Reunion Was Not A Surprise To Slash's Bandmates

(Classic Rock) Slash solo band bassist Todd Kerns says he's excited about his colleague reuniting with Guns N' Roses - no matter how it affects their own band. The reunion was confirmed this week, with two US festival appearances set to take place in April, and the chance of warm-up shows and a 25-date tour to be added.

Kerns admits he and the other members of the Conspirators had to keep quiet about the news, even though they'd known for many months. He says in his blog: "That thing that everyone had wished for but never thought possible was quietly - and not so quietly - cooking under our very noses. To be this close to a history of rock'n'roll moment has been nothing short of incredible.

"As Slash's bro I think this is a very exciting and important chapter for him. I suppose him wholeheartedly to dive into this experience. How it affects me really isn't the point - this thing is bigger than all of us. I think it's a healthy thing for the individuals involved as well as the great gift they are giving to the world. I accept that gift thankfully." Read more here.

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David Lee Roth Solo Band Reunion Plans Up In The Air

(Classic Rock) Billy Sheehan says that he remains hopeful that the David Lee Roth band will make their abandoned reunion happen - but he admits no firm plans are in place.

Roth's planned reunion with the lineup from his debut solo album Eat 'Em And Smile was set to take place in Hollywood last November, but was pulled at the last minute on safety grounds as the venue was deemed to be overcrowded.

Bassist Sheehan was due to perform with vocalist Roth, guitarist Steve Vai and drummer Greg Bissonette and keyboardist Brett Tuggle - as well as Steel Panther vocalist Michael Starr, who they had tapped up to take part while they waited to see if Roth would show.

When news that Roth would appear broke, the venue quickly filled and the fire marshall stepped in to shut the event down. In the days after the cancellation, The Winery Dogs and Mr Big bassist Sheehan said it would happen sooner or later.

Now he says that although the various members are willing to play together for the first time in 30 years, there are no plan as it stands. Sheehan tells The Double Stop Podcast: "There is no actual plan, but there is a willingness. I would sure love to play with him, and so would Steve, Gregg and Brett. Hopefully it will happen."

Sheehan has also given more detail on the abandoned show, saying the band were less than 60 seconds away from pulling back the curtain and going on stage. Read more and listen to the full interview here.

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Push To Have New Heavy Metal Element Named After Lemmy

(Radio.com) A Motorhead fan has created a petition to have an actual heavy metal named after the iconic Lemmy Kilmister. According to the Change.org petition, started by U.K. Motorhead fan John Wright, scientists recently discovered four new elements that have been added to the periodic table of elements.

The petition asks that the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) name one of them "Lemmium," after the late-bassist and singer. Wright states, "Heavy rock lost its most iconic figure over Christmas with the sudden and unexpected death of Ian 'Lemmy' Kilmister. Lemmy was a force of nature and the very essence of heavy metal. We believe it is fitting that the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry recommend that one of the four new discovered Heavy Metals in the Periodic table is named Lemmium. An astrological object (a star) has been named Lemmy to meet the IUPAC naming recommendations."

The IUPAC has rules when it comes to naming elements. They are named after "a mythological concept, a mineral, a place or country, a property or a scientist." In the statement above, Wright explains that Lemmy has a star named after him and therefore meets the qualifications to have a true heavy metal as a namesake. Read more here.

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David Bowie Releases 'Lazarus' Video

(Classic Rock) David Bowie has released a video for his track Lazarus. It's taken from 25th album (Blackstar), which is set to be released tomorrow (Jan 8) - Bowie's 69th birthday.

Producer Tony Visconti recently said the follow-up to 2013's The Next Day was a deliberate departure, adding: "We were listening to a lot of Kendrick Lamar. We wound up with nothing like that - but we loved the fact Kendrick was so open-minded.

"He threw everything on there, and that's exactly what we wanted to do. The goal in many, many ways was to avoid rock'n'roll." Lazarus is the title of a musical play based on 1976 movie The Man Who Fell To Earth, in which Bowie starred. Watch the video here.

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The Offspring's Music Rights Sold For $35 Million

(Radio.com) A music rights company, Round Hill, bought the rights to most of The Offspring's music for around $35 million. The purchase includes all of the music The Offspring recorded while on Columbia Records.

Epitaph Records will keep ownership of their early albums including Smash and Ignition. Smash was the best-selling album in The Offspring's catalog. Billboard reports one album is in the gray area of the deal.

As of now, it's unclear whether Ixnay on the Hombre was included in Round Hill's purchase. The album was released on Columbia Records everywhere but Europe where Epitaph distributed the project. Read more here.

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Metal Church Announce New Album and Release 'No Tomorrow' Video

(Classic Rock) Metal Church will release their latest album XI on March 25, it's been confirmed. The band have also released a video for album track No Tomorrow.

It's the follow-up to 2013's Generation Nothing and the first since 1993's Hanging In The Balance to feature vocalist Mike Howe. He returned to the fold last year, replacing Ronny Munroe.

Guitarist Kurdt Vanderhoof says: "Sometimes I still can't believe it myself. No one would have ever thought Mike would return after his departure almost two decades ago."

Howe adds: "At first I struggled with the decision to come back, but after hearing the riffs that Kurdt was writing, I just couldn't resist. The music called to me and I wanted to be part of it." Watch the video here.

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Abbath Streams New Song 'Ashes Of The Damned'

(TeamRock Radio) Abbath has released a stream of the track Ashes Of The Damned. It's taken from the former Immortal man's self-titled debut solo album, set for release on January 22 via Season Of Mist.

Late last year, drummer Kevin 'Creature' Foley and touring guitarist Per Valla parted ways with the band, leaving Abbath and bassist King Ov Hell as the only original members of the group.

Sticksman Gabe Seeber of The Kennedy Veil has been brought into the lineup for the band's upcoming run of shows, which kicks off at London's The Forum on January 23. Stream the song here.

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Falling In Reverse Changing Music Direction On New Album

(Radio.com) Born of the metal scene, Falling In Reverse has long been known as a core band with catchy lyrics. But it appears the band may be making a departure from their roots in heavy guitar rock.

In a new interview with Alternative Press, frontman Ronnie Radke explains that they'll be more focused on "feeling" than sonics on the new album expected this year.

"It's a huge left turn. It sounds like nothing we've ever done. Every song is very vibey, There's more feeling in it instead of a lot of metal. We're trying to make the sound that we've never done before. We're challenging ourselves now more than we ever have in the weirdest ways possible, because you would think writing the craziest solo or riffs would be the challenging part. But the challenging part is trying to stick to a theme and not go all over the place like we would normally do." Read more here.

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Rolling Stones Release Video of 'Shattered' Performance

(hennemusic) The Rolling Stones have released a video of a performance of "Shattered" as featured on their latest project "From The Vault: Live In Leeds Roundhay Park 1982." Release last November, the project captures the finale of the band's 1982 European tour in support of "Tattoo You."

The fourth single from 1978's "Some Girls", "Shattered" reached No. 31 on the US Billboard Hot 100 while the album went on to become the group's best-selling record in the States with more than 6 million copies sold.

Initially previewed with footage of "When The Whip Comes Down", the Live At Leeds concert was pianist Ian Stewart's last show before his passing in 1985 and the group's final live performance for 7 years.

The Leeds project marks the latest release in the Stones "From The Vault" series following "Brussels Affair (Live 1973)", "Hampton Coliseum (Live 1981)", "L.A. Forum (Live 1975)", "Live At The Marquee (Live 1971)" and "Tokyo Dome (Live 1990)." Watch the video here.

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The Who Stream Video Of Classic Song Performance At Hyde Park

(hennemusic) The Who have released a video of their performance of "Pinball Wizard" from their recently released concert film "The Who: Live In Hyde Park." The project captures the band at the famed London venue last year as they delivered the final UK concert appearance of their 50th anniversary farewell tour before 65,000 fans.

The concert footage is rounded out with interviews featuring Townshend and Roger Daltrey, as well as Iggy Pop, Robert Plant, Johnny Marr and more. "It's a good gig," says Pete Townshend. "You draw from all over the country but a London crowd is always a good crowd."

The Who will return to live action with a February 13 show at London's Wembley Arena and then begin a series of rescheduled dates for their The Who Hits 50! North American tour starting February 27 in Detroit, MI.

The trek was postponed following news that Daltrey had been diagnosed with a case of viral meningitis. Watch the video here.

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Lynyrd Skynyrd Release Live 'Sweet Home Alabama' Video

(hennemusic) Lynyrd Skynyrd have released a video of a 2014 performance of "Sweet Home Alabama" from their latest package, "Pronounced 'Lĕh-'n�rd 'Skin'n�rd & Second Helping - Live From Jacksonville At The Florida Theatre."

Released last October, the set captures the legendary Southern rock band playing their first two studio albums - 1973's "Pronounced 'Lĕh-'n�rd 'Skin-'n�rd" and 1974's "Second Helping" - live in their entirety for the first time before a hometown crowd over a pair of concerts last April.

The biggest single in the band's history, "Sweet Home Alabama" was the second track issued from "Second Helping." The album peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard 200 album charts while the single hit No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Lynyrd Skynyrd kick off their 2016 live schedule January 29 with a one-off casino show in Thackerville, OK. Fans are hoping for the return of founding member and guitarist Gary Rossington to the lineup following a heart attack on October 8.

The band cancelled a few shows at the end of 2015 to allow time for Rossington to regroup from the setback, from which he is expected to make a full recovery. Watch the video here.

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Motorhead Classic Hits U.S. Charts Following Lemmy's Death

(hennemusic) Motorhead's 1980 classic, "Ace Of Spades", has debuted on the US charts following the December 28 death of leader Lemmy Kilmister. Billboard magazine reports the group's signature song enters multiple Billboard charts for the first time: No. 8 on Hard Rock Digital Songs, No. 12 on the Hot Rock Songs and No. 24 on Rock Streaming Songs.

All three charts have been added to Billboard in recent years, so the debuts are a reflection of the fact that these weren't available earlier in Motorhead's career.

The band's 2015 album, "Bad Magic", also re-entered the Hard Rock Albums chart at No. 11 after a three-month absence, and the Top Rock Albums chart at No. 37. Read more and watch the video here.

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Joe Bonamassa Wanted Blues And Desperation For New Album

(Classic Rock) Joe Bonamassa has revealed the name he'd planned for his second album of all-original material - but his label say it's changed since he spoke. The follow-up to 2014's Different Shades Of Blue is to be released on March 25, after recording sessions were completed in Nashville last year.

He'd said the record was originally set to be called Blues And Desperation, but representatives later reported that the final name wouldn't be revealed until later this month.

Bonamassa told the Morning Call: "It's bluesy. It's big, and it's got a cool title. It was written in Nashville and recorded mostly as a power quartet - two drums, bass and guitar. It was a lot of fun." Read more here.

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Vinyl and Streaming Sparked Music Biz Uptick In The UK

(Classic Rock) The resurgence of vinyl sales and a massive rise in streaming numbers in 2015 helped the retail value of the music business rise in Britain for the first time in more than 10 years.

Sales of vinyl rose 64% to 2.1 million and HMV says it sold a turntable every minute over the Christmas shopping period. Meanwhile, trade body the BPI says 26.8 billion songs were streamed last year, a rise of 82%.

The overall value of the music business, which includes physical sales and a percentage of streaming service subscriptions, rose from �1.03billion in 2014 to �1.06bn - the first increase since 2004. Read more here.

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Hey! Hello! Release 'Automatic Love' Video

(Classic Rock) Hey! Hello! have released a video for Automatic Love. The track is also featured on the free CD accompanying the new issue of Classic Rock, which is out today.

"The video is a deliberately stark introduction of the new line up, complete with new vocalist Hollis," say the band. "We didn't want anything flash, and preferred to let the music be the main focus. It's raw, it's loud and sounds like the weekend.

"This is the sound of partying, sex, trouble, fun, hangovers and extreme behaviour of all persuasions, take from that what you will. We're bringing rock'n'roll back in 2016, and you better believe we mean that 100%."

The band have also confirmed a series of dates for April (below). The shows have been rescheduled from December, when guitarist Ginger Wildheart was diagnosed with acute clinical depression, and are preceded by Ginger's annual birthday performance at London's Forum, on April 1. Classic Rock 219, which features Automatic Love on the cover CD, is on sale now. Watch the video here.

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Motionless In White Plan Biggest Release Of Their Career

(TeamRock Radio) Motionless In White say they're feeling the pressure to deliver on the follow-up to 2014's Reincarnate. No release date has been given for what will be their fourth album - but frontman Chris Motionless has revealed it won't be launched on their longtime label Fearless Records.

He tells AltPress: "Knowing this release is going to be on a new label, arguably, it will be the biggest release of our career. Every release we've put out has been bigger than the last.

"Knowing we hit no.9 on Billboard with Reincarnate put us in an upward trajectory. This new record has to be better than Reincarnate, which, to me, is going to be a really hard thing to accomplish considering I absolutely love Reincarnate."

He continues: "There's a lot of pressure to try to top everything we've ever done before and write the best record of our career." Read more here.

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Snarky Puppy Announce Family Dinner Volume Two

(Prog) Snarky Puppy will release Family Dinner - Volume Two on February 12 via GroundUP/Universal Music Classics. The band have been working with several guest artists on the follow-up to 2014's Grammy-winning Family Dinner Volume One, including singer Becca Stevens, Big Ed Lee, Knower and Salif Keita.

Bandleader Michael League says: "The Family Dinner concept came out of our desire, as a band, to work with vocalists and composers whom we greatly admire.

"It began as an after-hours concert series on Friday nights in New York City. After about a year of performances with many artists, we recorded the first Family Dinner album with eight guests in Roanoke, Virginia, at the Jefferson Center for the Performing Arts."

He adds: "In Volume Two, we changed the setting to New Orleans, Louisiana - in the thick of Mardi Gras - in order to support The Roots of Music foundation, which empowers the youth of the city through music education, academic support, and mentorship while preserving and promoting the unique cultural and musical heritage of jazz's birthplace. We also changed the format of our collaborations by not only inviting guest vocalists, but guest instrumentalists as well."

The band have also issued a trailer for the album. View it here.

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