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Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Paul McCartney, Kanye West and Jon Bon Jovi will perform at a special "12.12.12" Concert for Sandy Relief at Madison Square Garden next month, according to organizers.
The Who, Roger Waters, Billy Joel and Alicia Keys have also signed up for the December 12 event, which its producers said is shaping up to be a showcase of rock royalty.
"The response from the entertainment community to help those most affected by Hurricane Sandy has been nothing short of astounding," the Madison Square Garden Company, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment and The Weinstein Company said in a joint statement.
"We expect to announce additional legendary performers in the near future and we are confident that the event will ensure those in need will not be forgotten, and vital aid will be directed to rebuilding our communities along the East Coast."
More than 130 people were killed when the superstorm pummeled the east coast of the United States late last month. Thousands more were left homeless as the storm tore through areas of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, causing an estimated $50 billion in damage.
Donations raised from the one-night event concert will go to the Robin Hood Relief Fund, which will provide money and materials to groups helping people hardest hit by the storm.
The organizers of the concert also produced the 9/11 benefit The Concert for New York City in 2001, which raised more than $30 million.
A concert and telethon on NBC earlier this month raised almost $23 million for people affected by the storm.
31 Aralık 2012 Pazartesi
AC/DC's iTunes Debut Sells 48,000 Digital Albums, 696,000 Songs
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One of the longest hold-outs from iTunes, AC/DC finally reached the digital retailer last week.
The iconic rock band's entire catalog, along with two iTunes-exclusive box sets, became available on Monday, Nov. 19. In the week ending Nov. 25, the band's 25 albums moved 48,000 downloads while its songs shifted 696,000 in the U.S. according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Its biggest selling album, digitally speaking, was the band's classic Back in Black, with 15,000 -- more than 10,000 ahead of its second-biggest title, Highway to Hell (a little under 5,000). Coming in third for the week was the brand new Live at River Plate (4,000), followed by High Voltage (just under 3,000) and Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (2,000).
In terms of song downloads, "Thunderstruck" led the way for AC/DC last week, selling 85,000. It debuts at No. 16 on Digital Songs and No. 1 on Hard Rock Digital Songs. On the latter tally -- viewable on billboard.biz -- the entire top 12 positions are owned by AC/DC tunes. The band's second biggest seller last week was "Back in Black" (68,000), followed by "You Shook Me All Night Long" (64,000), "Highway To Hell" (50,000) and "TNT" (40,000). There were 14 AC/DC songs that sold at least 10,000 last week.
Unlike the Beatles' arrival on iTunes in 2010 -- which was heralded with great fanfare and a TV marketing campaign -- AC/DC's entrance to iTunes seemingly dropped out of the sky without hype. Even though there weren't TV commercials touting the iTunes debut (as there was for the Beatles), one could hear the song "Back in Black" in at least two different TV commercials over the busy Thanksgiving shopping weekend. It soundtracked spots for the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops II as well as Black Friday ads for Walmart.
To compare, when the Beatles catalog arrived, it sold a combined 119,000 digital albums and 1.42 million songs.
Of course, comparing anything to the Beatles is difficult, since the band exists in its own realm of superstardom. That week, the Fab Four's best selling digital album was Abbey Road (16,000), followed by its stereo box set with 13,000. The Beatles' biggest song download that week was "Let It Be" (63,000), followed by "Here Comes the Sun" (55,000), "In My Life" (45,000), "Hey Jude" (38,000) and "Come Together" (38,000).
For a perhaps better side-by-side comparison, we turn to another former hard-rockin' holdout from iTunes: Led Zeppelin. The week its music bowed in the store way back in 2007, its combined albums moved 47,000 (with 33,000 of that for its then brand-new Mothership greatest hits album) while its songs shifted 300,000.
Following Mothership, Led Zep's second-largest selling album that week was the iTunes-exclusive box The Complete Led Zeppelin, with 5,000 sold. In third place was Led Zeppelin IV with 2,000.
As for Led Zeppelin's biggest song downloads that week, unsurprisingly, the iconic "Stairway to Heaven" was its best-seller, with 31,000. At Nos. 2-5 were "Kashmir" (21,000), "Over the Hills and Far Away" (16,000), "Black Dog" (15,000) and "Immigrant Song" (14,000).
Led Zeppelin bowed in the iTunes Store almost exactly five years ago, when download sales weren't as potent as they are today. Thus, seeing AC/DC start with a much larger volume isn't that shocking. (Year to date download album sales stand at 103.46 million -- 39% of the overall market. For the full year of 2007, downloads amounted to 50 million -- or 10% of the market.)
The iconic rock band's entire catalog, along with two iTunes-exclusive box sets, became available on Monday, Nov. 19. In the week ending Nov. 25, the band's 25 albums moved 48,000 downloads while its songs shifted 696,000 in the U.S. according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Its biggest selling album, digitally speaking, was the band's classic Back in Black, with 15,000 -- more than 10,000 ahead of its second-biggest title, Highway to Hell (a little under 5,000). Coming in third for the week was the brand new Live at River Plate (4,000), followed by High Voltage (just under 3,000) and Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (2,000).
In terms of song downloads, "Thunderstruck" led the way for AC/DC last week, selling 85,000. It debuts at No. 16 on Digital Songs and No. 1 on Hard Rock Digital Songs. On the latter tally -- viewable on billboard.biz -- the entire top 12 positions are owned by AC/DC tunes. The band's second biggest seller last week was "Back in Black" (68,000), followed by "You Shook Me All Night Long" (64,000), "Highway To Hell" (50,000) and "TNT" (40,000). There were 14 AC/DC songs that sold at least 10,000 last week.
Unlike the Beatles' arrival on iTunes in 2010 -- which was heralded with great fanfare and a TV marketing campaign -- AC/DC's entrance to iTunes seemingly dropped out of the sky without hype. Even though there weren't TV commercials touting the iTunes debut (as there was for the Beatles), one could hear the song "Back in Black" in at least two different TV commercials over the busy Thanksgiving shopping weekend. It soundtracked spots for the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops II as well as Black Friday ads for Walmart.
To compare, when the Beatles catalog arrived, it sold a combined 119,000 digital albums and 1.42 million songs.
Of course, comparing anything to the Beatles is difficult, since the band exists in its own realm of superstardom. That week, the Fab Four's best selling digital album was Abbey Road (16,000), followed by its stereo box set with 13,000. The Beatles' biggest song download that week was "Let It Be" (63,000), followed by "Here Comes the Sun" (55,000), "In My Life" (45,000), "Hey Jude" (38,000) and "Come Together" (38,000).
For a perhaps better side-by-side comparison, we turn to another former hard-rockin' holdout from iTunes: Led Zeppelin. The week its music bowed in the store way back in 2007, its combined albums moved 47,000 (with 33,000 of that for its then brand-new Mothership greatest hits album) while its songs shifted 300,000.
Following Mothership, Led Zep's second-largest selling album that week was the iTunes-exclusive box The Complete Led Zeppelin, with 5,000 sold. In third place was Led Zeppelin IV with 2,000.
As for Led Zeppelin's biggest song downloads that week, unsurprisingly, the iconic "Stairway to Heaven" was its best-seller, with 31,000. At Nos. 2-5 were "Kashmir" (21,000), "Over the Hills and Far Away" (16,000), "Black Dog" (15,000) and "Immigrant Song" (14,000).
Led Zeppelin bowed in the iTunes Store almost exactly five years ago, when download sales weren't as potent as they are today. Thus, seeing AC/DC start with a much larger volume isn't that shocking. (Year to date download album sales stand at 103.46 million -- 39% of the overall market. For the full year of 2007, downloads amounted to 50 million -- or 10% of the market.)
Rolling Stones Add Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, Black Keys To Final '50' Show
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The Rolling Stones have invited Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga and the Black Keys to their final "50 and Counting" concert, celebrating an astounding half-century as a band, being held Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. The concert will be telecast live pay-per-view in a Ken Ehrlich-produced special called One More Shot.
"We're excited these extraordinary artists have agreed to help celebrate our 50th Anniversary as we share the night live with our fans all over the world," the band said in a statement. "Now the fun begins of trying to figure out the best songs to perform together."
May we humbly suggest "Honky Tonk Woman" for Gaga, a dirty/bluesy "Midnight Rambler" with the Keys and take-your-pick with The Boss.
Fresh off a triumphant debut in Brooklyn on Saturday, where the band gave the borough a 2-hour onslaught of hits spanning five decades, the Stones next play the 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief on Wednesday before starting their 2-show stint in Newark on Thursday.
"People ask us why we're still doing this," Jagger said to the Brooklyn audience late in the show over the weekend. "It's for you."
"We're excited these extraordinary artists have agreed to help celebrate our 50th Anniversary as we share the night live with our fans all over the world," the band said in a statement. "Now the fun begins of trying to figure out the best songs to perform together."
May we humbly suggest "Honky Tonk Woman" for Gaga, a dirty/bluesy "Midnight Rambler" with the Keys and take-your-pick with The Boss.
Fresh off a triumphant debut in Brooklyn on Saturday, where the band gave the borough a 2-hour onslaught of hits spanning five decades, the Stones next play the 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief on Wednesday before starting their 2-show stint in Newark on Thursday.
"People ask us why we're still doing this," Jagger said to the Brooklyn audience late in the show over the weekend. "It's for you."
Quadrophenia Documentary To Air On BBC America As Who Tour Continues In 2013
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One of rock’s most powerful and legendary bands, the Who will be celebrated when The Who: Quadrophenia-Can You See The Real Me? airs Friday, January 4 at 10:00 PM (ET/PT) on BBC America. Originally screened earlier this year as a one-night in-theater event, the documentary takes fans on a riveting ride back to the 1970s when the Who's creative musical genius was taking the world’s music stage by storm. The Who: Quadrophenia-Can You See the Real Me? gives fans an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look into one of rock’s most influential bands and the creation of their celebrated album, Quadrophenia originally released in October 1973.
The Who kicked off their critically acclaimed Quadrophenia And More Tour, in early November. The trek features the Who performing their iconic 1973 double album Quadrophenia in its entirety, along with a selection of Who classics. Founding members Roger Daltrye and Pete Townshend are being joined by Zak Starkey (drums), Pino Palladino (bass), Simon Townshend (guitar/backing vocals), John Corey (keyboards), Loren Gold (keyboards/backing vocals) Reggie Grisham (horns), JG Miller (horns) and Frank Simes (musical director, keyboards/backing vocals) for the tour.
The 2012-2013 AEG Live-promoted Quadrophenia And More Tour features the Who performing on a sleek, stripped-down stage with 10 musicians on board, a sophisticated lighting rig and multiple screens that provide footage of world events from World War II to the present day, concentrating on popular culture and the history of the band, including live footage from throughout their storied career. The visuals tie in closely to the Quadrophenia album and movie, particularly the themes of disillusionment, teen angst and rebellion, plus social issues--both from the ‘60s and now--as well as the beach and ocean that are pivotal in Quadrophenia. Tickets for the tour will be available at www.aeglive.com
The Who’s 2013 tour dates are as follows:
Mon - 1/28 - Anaheim, CA - Honda Center
Wed - 1/30 - Los Angeles, CA - STAPLES Center
Fri - 2/1 - Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena
Sat - 2/2 - Reno, NV - Reno Events Center
Tue - 2/5 - San Diego, CA - Valley View Casino Center
Wed - 2/6 - Glendale, AZ - Jobing.com Arena
Fri - 2/8 - Las Vegas, NV - The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Sun - 2/10 - Las Vegas, NV - The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tue - 2/12 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
Thu - 2/14 - Tulsa, OK - BOK Center
Sat - 2/16 - Louisville, KY - KFC Yum! Arena
Sun - 2/17 - Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center
Tue - 2/19 - Hamilton, ON - Copps Coliseum
Thu - 2/21 - Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum
Fri - 2/22 - Atlantic City, NJ - Boardwalk Hall
Sun - 2/24 - Manchester, NH - Verizon Wireless Arena
Tue - 2/26 - Providence, RI - Dunkin’ Donuts Center
The Who kicked off their critically acclaimed Quadrophenia And More Tour, in early November. The trek features the Who performing their iconic 1973 double album Quadrophenia in its entirety, along with a selection of Who classics. Founding members Roger Daltrye and Pete Townshend are being joined by Zak Starkey (drums), Pino Palladino (bass), Simon Townshend (guitar/backing vocals), John Corey (keyboards), Loren Gold (keyboards/backing vocals) Reggie Grisham (horns), JG Miller (horns) and Frank Simes (musical director, keyboards/backing vocals) for the tour.
The 2012-2013 AEG Live-promoted Quadrophenia And More Tour features the Who performing on a sleek, stripped-down stage with 10 musicians on board, a sophisticated lighting rig and multiple screens that provide footage of world events from World War II to the present day, concentrating on popular culture and the history of the band, including live footage from throughout their storied career. The visuals tie in closely to the Quadrophenia album and movie, particularly the themes of disillusionment, teen angst and rebellion, plus social issues--both from the ‘60s and now--as well as the beach and ocean that are pivotal in Quadrophenia. Tickets for the tour will be available at www.aeglive.com
The Who’s 2013 tour dates are as follows:
Mon - 1/28 - Anaheim, CA - Honda Center
Wed - 1/30 - Los Angeles, CA - STAPLES Center
Fri - 2/1 - Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena
Sat - 2/2 - Reno, NV - Reno Events Center
Tue - 2/5 - San Diego, CA - Valley View Casino Center
Wed - 2/6 - Glendale, AZ - Jobing.com Arena
Fri - 2/8 - Las Vegas, NV - The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Sun - 2/10 - Las Vegas, NV - The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Tue - 2/12 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
Thu - 2/14 - Tulsa, OK - BOK Center
Sat - 2/16 - Louisville, KY - KFC Yum! Arena
Sun - 2/17 - Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center
Tue - 2/19 - Hamilton, ON - Copps Coliseum
Thu - 2/21 - Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum
Fri - 2/22 - Atlantic City, NJ - Boardwalk Hall
Sun - 2/24 - Manchester, NH - Verizon Wireless Arena
Tue - 2/26 - Providence, RI - Dunkin’ Donuts Center
Justice Collective's Charity Single Wins Christmas No. 1 Title
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The U.K.'s much sought-after Christmas No. 1 crown was won on Sunday (December 23) by the Justice Collective's cover of the Hollies' 1969 hit "He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother." Emeli Sandé's "Our Version Of Events," already the bestselling artist album of 2012, climbed back 4-1.
The Justice Collective is an all-star aggregation of artists, mainly but not entirely from Liverpool, gathered by producer Guy Chambers to raise funds for the legal battles still being endured by the families of 96 Liverpool Football Club fans killed in the infamous 1989 tragedy at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield.
The track features contributions from such local heroes as Sir Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden (Gerry & the Pacemakers), Holly Johnson (Frankie Goes To Hollywood), Melanie Chisholm (Spice Girls), Peter Hooton (The Farm), John Power (Cast) and Rebecca Ferguson plus other notables including Robbie Williams, Paloma Faith, Glenn Tilbrook (Squeeze), Mick Jones (Clash, Big Audio Dynamite et al) and Beverley Knight.
The Justice Collective is an all-star aggregation of artists, mainly but not entirely from Liverpool, gathered by producer Guy Chambers to raise funds for the legal battles still being endured by the families of 96 Liverpool Football Club fans killed in the infamous 1989 tragedy at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield.
The track features contributions from such local heroes as Sir Paul McCartney, Gerry Marsden (Gerry & the Pacemakers), Holly Johnson (Frankie Goes To Hollywood), Melanie Chisholm (Spice Girls), Peter Hooton (The Farm), John Power (Cast) and Rebecca Ferguson plus other notables including Robbie Williams, Paloma Faith, Glenn Tilbrook (Squeeze), Mick Jones (Clash, Big Audio Dynamite et al) and Beverley Knight.
27 Aralık 2012 Perşembe
Video Clips from LA BOHÈME - Central City Opera's 2012 production
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Central City Opera's La Bohème continues through August 12th. To whet your appetite, enjoy these snippets from the production.
From Act One, an excerpt of "O soave fanciulla" with Mimi & Rodolfo:
From Act Two in the Café Momus:
From Act Three with Marcello & Mimi:
Glimpses of Central City Opera's 2012 production of LA BOHÈME
Music by Giacomo Puccini
Libretto by Giacosa and Illica
Based upon Henri Murder's 1849 novel SCÈNES DE LA VIE BOHÈME
Conductor: John Baril
Director: Kevin Newbury
Assistant Director: R. B. Schlather
Scenic Designer: David Korins
Costume Designer: Jessica Jahn
Lighting Designer: David Martin Jacques
Wig/Makeup Designer: Dave Bova
Associate Conductor: Adam Turner
Musetta: Deborah Selig
Marcello: Troy Cook
Rodolfo: Eric Margiore
Mimi: Elizabeth Caballero
Colline: Ryan Speedo Green
Schaunard: Chris Carr
Alcindoro: Thomas Goerz
Performed by the Central City Opera Festival Orchestra
Visit the La Bohème website for more information.
From Act One, an excerpt of "O soave fanciulla" with Mimi & Rodolfo:
From Act Two in the Café Momus:
From Act Three with Marcello & Mimi:
Glimpses of Central City Opera's 2012 production of LA BOHÈME
Music by Giacomo Puccini
Libretto by Giacosa and Illica
Based upon Henri Murder's 1849 novel SCÈNES DE LA VIE BOHÈME
Conductor: John Baril
Director: Kevin Newbury
Assistant Director: R. B. Schlather
Scenic Designer: David Korins
Costume Designer: Jessica Jahn
Lighting Designer: David Martin Jacques
Wig/Makeup Designer: Dave Bova
Associate Conductor: Adam Turner
Musetta: Deborah Selig
Marcello: Troy Cook
Rodolfo: Eric Margiore
Mimi: Elizabeth Caballero
Colline: Ryan Speedo Green
Schaunard: Chris Carr
Alcindoro: Thomas Goerz
Performed by the Central City Opera Festival Orchestra
Visit the La Bohème website for more information.
Guns N' Roses - Concert Review
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The following Guns N' Roses review was written by TDWenger of Listen Up Denver. I'm posting his review here because, to be completely honest, I didn't stay for the duration of the GNR marathon show. Keep reading and you'll understand why...
The Scene: The scene at the Guns N’ Roses show at the 1st Bank Center was pretty much what I thought it might be. There were plenty of aging metalheads in leather and old tour t-shirts with big haired ladies in tight outfits on their arms and they were rubbing shoulders with well dressed suburban couples in their late 30′s out to relive their glory days with songs like “Welcome To The Jungle” and “Paradise City.” Sure there were some younger folks who came out to catch a glimpse of a fading legend, but the average age in the arena was pushing 40 for sure. It was an interesting crowd to say the least and the variety of people that turned out for a walk down memory lane was a clear testament to the wide reach of GnR’s material in the late 80′s and early 90′s.
Guns N’ Roses: First off, I’ve got to admit that the main reason I headed out on a Sunday night to catch this show was because I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to catch an Axl Rose meltdown. While they do seem to be fewer and farther between than just a few years ago, it’s by no means unheard of these days. For better or worse, Axl didn’t fly off the handle and instead decided to be surprisingly professional. Guns N’ Roses was scheduled to take the stage at 11pm (yes you read that right, 11pm . . . on a freakin’ Sunday) and at the stroke of the hour, the lights went down and the theme song from Dexter came pumping from the PA. Within seconds, the lights came up and guitarist DJ Ashba appeared in silhouette against a giant LED screen emblazoned with a GnR logo. As he launched into the opening riff from “Chinese Democracy,” an array of pyrotechnics exploded around the stadium sized stage, Axl and the rest of the band appeared, and we were off on quite an interesting ride.
Though the opener was a lot less than it could have been, the band followed it up with a trio of tunes from Appetite For Destruction as if to say to the mom’s and dad’s who had to go relieve a babysitter “there, you got what you came for, you can go now.” I’ve got to admit that Rose’s voice sounded pretty impressive on what I thought would be the defacto opener “Welcome To The Jungle,” and as he pushed into “It’s So Easy” and “Mr. Brownstone” I thought we might be in for surprisingly good show.
Unfortunately, what followed was an on again, off again set that was in desperate need of an editor. With solo after gratuitous solo, the band stretched . . . and stretched . . . and stretched the show out to three full hours, not bidding us goodnight until 2am. Axl has publicly bragged about how long the show is on this tour, and I’ve got to say that this is NOT the hit filled powerhouse set that will leave you begging for more in the wee hours of the morning. Rather, there were moments where it was downright boring as the band slogged through track after track from Chinese Democracy, and a slew of poorly chosen teases and covers like ”Baba O’Riley,” “Another Brick In The Wall,” and even “The Theme From The Pink Panther.” What it all added up to was a whole bunch of filler, much of which was totally unnecessary at 1am on a Sunday night. Axl and his band could have put on a polished, and really quite good, 90 minute show that focused on a few tracks from Chinese Democracy and the rest of the hits that people came to hear, rather than forcing us to sit through song after song that should have been left on the cutting room floor. Editing certainly doesn’t seem to be Mr. Rose’s strong suit.
While that lack of editing was a major blow to the musical portion of the night, it served to make the visual side of things very interesting. The stage set up was so big that it could have been left over from GnR’s days of touring stadiums with Metallica. With two levels, five video screens, enough acreage to raise a couple hundred head of cattle, an arsenal of pyrotechnical effects, and a dizzying array of lights hanging overhead, the set-up rivaled any of the biggest bands touring today. Frankly, with a rig like this, I have no idea how the band is going to clear any money from this tour. The small arena might have been two-thirds full and there was plenty of room to move around on the floor or to find a seat to wait out some of the slower moments of the evening.
While there were plenty of those slow moments, songs like “Live And Let Die,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” and “November Rain,” delivered just about everything I was hoping for. The three guitarists that are touring with this band in an effort to duplicate the guitar heroics that Slash pulled off on his own, did an admirable job and most of legendary solos were played note for note. There is no lack of talent in this band, and while at times it seemed like we could have been at a Vegas show due to the exorbitant production values, for the most part these guys proved their worth as musicians, as opposed to actors.
The two and half hour set wrapped up with a version of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” that went on for what seemed like an eternity as Axl begged the sparse crowd to sing to him, followed by a high energy take on “Nightrain” which allowed Rose to put his singing prowess on display once again as he hit all the notes and growls in the powerhouse tune. After a brief encore break, the band came back and closed the show with a self indulgent 30 minute mini-set that featured at least 3 drawn out instrumentals that did nothing to advance the show. By the time they got to “Patience” and “Paradise City” much of the crowd was poised to hit the parking lot but Axl had one last surprise in store for us when confetti cannon’s by the soundboard exploded, filling the air with millions of pieces of red paper.
The marathon show was nothing short of over-the-top . . . in every way. From the stage set-up, to the three guitar attack, to the three hour set time, to the 34 song setlist, Axl did it his way, so it was more than fitting that the walk-out music for the evening was Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” When all was said and done I would say that ended up enjoying about half the show and on the drive home I did my best to figure out how to get that other hour and half of my life back. I have one word for you Axl: “Edit.”
Energy: B-
Sound: C
Musicianship: A-
Stage Presence: A-
Set / Light show: A
Overall: B
The following Guns N' Roses review was written by TDWenger of Listen Up Denver. I'm posting his review here because, to be completely honest, I didn't stay for the duration of the GNR marathon show. Keep reading and you'll understand why...
The Scene: The scene at the Guns N’ Roses show at the 1st Bank Center was pretty much what I thought it might be. There were plenty of aging metalheads in leather and old tour t-shirts with big haired ladies in tight outfits on their arms and they were rubbing shoulders with well dressed suburban couples in their late 30′s out to relive their glory days with songs like “Welcome To The Jungle” and “Paradise City.” Sure there were some younger folks who came out to catch a glimpse of a fading legend, but the average age in the arena was pushing 40 for sure. It was an interesting crowd to say the least and the variety of people that turned out for a walk down memory lane was a clear testament to the wide reach of GnR’s material in the late 80′s and early 90′s.
Guns N’ Roses: First off, I’ve got to admit that the main reason I headed out on a Sunday night to catch this show was because I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to catch an Axl Rose meltdown. While they do seem to be fewer and farther between than just a few years ago, it’s by no means unheard of these days. For better or worse, Axl didn’t fly off the handle and instead decided to be surprisingly professional. Guns N’ Roses was scheduled to take the stage at 11pm (yes you read that right, 11pm . . . on a freakin’ Sunday) and at the stroke of the hour, the lights went down and the theme song from Dexter came pumping from the PA. Within seconds, the lights came up and guitarist DJ Ashba appeared in silhouette against a giant LED screen emblazoned with a GnR logo. As he launched into the opening riff from “Chinese Democracy,” an array of pyrotechnics exploded around the stadium sized stage, Axl and the rest of the band appeared, and we were off on quite an interesting ride.
Though the opener was a lot less than it could have been, the band followed it up with a trio of tunes from Appetite For Destruction as if to say to the mom’s and dad’s who had to go relieve a babysitter “there, you got what you came for, you can go now.” I’ve got to admit that Rose’s voice sounded pretty impressive on what I thought would be the defacto opener “Welcome To The Jungle,” and as he pushed into “It’s So Easy” and “Mr. Brownstone” I thought we might be in for surprisingly good show.
Unfortunately, what followed was an on again, off again set that was in desperate need of an editor. With solo after gratuitous solo, the band stretched . . . and stretched . . . and stretched the show out to three full hours, not bidding us goodnight until 2am. Axl has publicly bragged about how long the show is on this tour, and I’ve got to say that this is NOT the hit filled powerhouse set that will leave you begging for more in the wee hours of the morning. Rather, there were moments where it was downright boring as the band slogged through track after track from Chinese Democracy, and a slew of poorly chosen teases and covers like ”Baba O’Riley,” “Another Brick In The Wall,” and even “The Theme From The Pink Panther.” What it all added up to was a whole bunch of filler, much of which was totally unnecessary at 1am on a Sunday night. Axl and his band could have put on a polished, and really quite good, 90 minute show that focused on a few tracks from Chinese Democracy and the rest of the hits that people came to hear, rather than forcing us to sit through song after song that should have been left on the cutting room floor. Editing certainly doesn’t seem to be Mr. Rose’s strong suit.
While that lack of editing was a major blow to the musical portion of the night, it served to make the visual side of things very interesting. The stage set up was so big that it could have been left over from GnR’s days of touring stadiums with Metallica. With two levels, five video screens, enough acreage to raise a couple hundred head of cattle, an arsenal of pyrotechnical effects, and a dizzying array of lights hanging overhead, the set-up rivaled any of the biggest bands touring today. Frankly, with a rig like this, I have no idea how the band is going to clear any money from this tour. The small arena might have been two-thirds full and there was plenty of room to move around on the floor or to find a seat to wait out some of the slower moments of the evening.While there were plenty of those slow moments, songs like “Live And Let Die,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” and “November Rain,” delivered just about everything I was hoping for. The three guitarists that are touring with this band in an effort to duplicate the guitar heroics that Slash pulled off on his own, did an admirable job and most of legendary solos were played note for note. There is no lack of talent in this band, and while at times it seemed like we could have been at a Vegas show due to the exorbitant production values, for the most part these guys proved their worth as musicians, as opposed to actors.
The two and half hour set wrapped up with a version of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” that went on for what seemed like an eternity as Axl begged the sparse crowd to sing to him, followed by a high energy take on “Nightrain” which allowed Rose to put his singing prowess on display once again as he hit all the notes and growls in the powerhouse tune. After a brief encore break, the band came back and closed the show with a self indulgent 30 minute mini-set that featured at least 3 drawn out instrumentals that did nothing to advance the show. By the time they got to “Patience” and “Paradise City” much of the crowd was poised to hit the parking lot but Axl had one last surprise in store for us when confetti cannon’s by the soundboard exploded, filling the air with millions of pieces of red paper.
The marathon show was nothing short of over-the-top . . . in every way. From the stage set-up, to the three guitar attack, to the three hour set time, to the 34 song setlist, Axl did it his way, so it was more than fitting that the walk-out music for the evening was Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” When all was said and done I would say that ended up enjoying about half the show and on the drive home I did my best to figure out how to get that other hour and half of my life back. I have one word for you Axl: “Edit.”
Energy: B-
Sound: C
Musicianship: A-
Stage Presence: A-
Set / Light show: A
Overall: B
I'm Going Back To School
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The last few weeks have been very busy for me as I interviewed and landed a new job at the School of Rock. I can't begin to describe what a great Holiday gift this is for my family. I could easily detail my months and months (and months) of unemployment, the hundreds of cover letters I wrote and resumes I sent, the dozens of interviews I had (but was never left standing at the end), blah, blah, blah... but I'd much rather look to the future and the work I'll be doing for School of Rock. There are 75+ SOR's across the country including three in Colorado. I'll be working to open new franchises across the country, and eventually internationally. So here's a little breakdown on what the SOR is all about:
We believe the best way to learn music is to play music. We take students from the lesson room to the stage, developing both their confidence and musicianship with programs designed for all skill levels.
School of Rock teaches guitar, bass, vocals, keyboards, drums and combines weekly private music lessons and group band rehearsals to prepare students to take the stage in front of live audiences in an authentic concert setting.
To date our students have played thousands of concerts, to more than 100,000 people, at such legendary venues as CBGB's, The Trocadero, The Knitting Factory, The Whiskey, The Roxy, The Experience Music Project, The Big Easy and BB King's Blues Club in Times Square. We have also had the great fortune to be able to perform at music festivals from Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits, to Zappanale in Bad Doberan, Germany.
We believe the best way to learn music is to play music. We take students from the lesson room to the stage, developing both their confidence and musicianship with programs designed for all skill levels.
School of Rock teaches guitar, bass, vocals, keyboards, drums and combines weekly private music lessons and group band rehearsals to prepare students to take the stage in front of live audiences in an authentic concert setting.
To date our students have played thousands of concerts, to more than 100,000 people, at such legendary venues as CBGB's, The Trocadero, The Knitting Factory, The Whiskey, The Roxy, The Experience Music Project, The Big Easy and BB King's Blues Club in Times Square. We have also had the great fortune to be able to perform at music festivals from Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits, to Zappanale in Bad Doberan, Germany.
Jerry Gaskill of King's X Suffers Heart Attack
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Details are sketchy at this hour, but Facebook reports are coming in that King's X drummer Jerry Gaskill has suffered a heart attack.
From Dug Pinnick: Jerry had a heart attack last night. He was operated on and is in stable condition at the hospital. Were all waiting for more info. I will keep you posted.
From Russell Arcara: Prayers are needed at this time for my very dear friend Jerry Gaskill He has suffered a heart attack and is in the ICU at this very moment. My FB friends are powerful prayers and he needs our continuous prayer. His family and I would be extremely grateful!!!!!
It goes without saying how much of a talent Jerry is - all KX fans are hoping that this situation isn't life threatening and that he'll make a full recovery. Selfishly, I'd love to see him perform in Denver in two short months, but if I had to put money down I'd say he'll be resting and the tour will either be postponed or a replacement drummer will be brought in to play their upcoming dates.
Get well soon, Jerry!
From Dug Pinnick: Jerry had a heart attack last night. He was operated on and is in stable condition at the hospital. Were all waiting for more info. I will keep you posted.
From Russell Arcara: Prayers are needed at this time for my very dear friend Jerry Gaskill He has suffered a heart attack and is in the ICU at this very moment. My FB friends are powerful prayers and he needs our continuous prayer. His family and I would be extremely grateful!!!!!
It goes without saying how much of a talent Jerry is - all KX fans are hoping that this situation isn't life threatening and that he'll make a full recovery. Selfishly, I'd love to see him perform in Denver in two short months, but if I had to put money down I'd say he'll be resting and the tour will either be postponed or a replacement drummer will be brought in to play their upcoming dates.
Get well soon, Jerry!
DLR: I'm Eddie Van Halen's Biggest Fan
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The 2012 Van Halen tour is only a few shows in and the fan reviews continue to be strong.
VH have been dropping some rarely-played gems in the setlists and mixing things up a little as they settle into the start of the trip.
This week, VH play two nights at Madison Square Garden, and the New York Post caught up with David Lee Roth for an update on the band’s tour in support of “A Different Kind Of Truth.”
“We’re doing a lot of tunes that don’t usually get out of the deck and Edward is more lucid now than any time in my memory,” explains Roth. “I’m his biggest fan. I still remember the first time I saw him playing in a backyard party in Pasadena in high school. He was great then and he’s great now. We’ve come full circle.”
Asked what sets VH apart from other bands, Dave says “We throw a sick party, and if you get invited, you gotta go. For starters, on this tour Kool and the Gang are opening our shows, and that’s full circle for us because we used to play ‘Hollywood Swinging’ in five-sets-a-night-beer-bars. And the first three songs on our new record are thunder-funk. What we’re giving is the best of the old and the new — think of it like watching ‘Dragnet’ on your iPad.”
Roth was asked how the pop world changed since VH started in the 70s.
“These days, I see too much cheerleading and not enough stagecraft, and what I’m seeing isn’t worth cheering for,” replies Roth. “The questions I want to ask most of my colleagues are: Can you even do the whole song from beginning to end? Can you do it onstage like you did it in the studio? Do you float like a butterfly or sting like a pre-recorded bee?”
The 2012 Van Halen tour is only a few shows in and the fan reviews continue to be strong.
VH have been dropping some rarely-played gems in the setlists and mixing things up a little as they settle into the start of the trip.
This week, VH play two nights at Madison Square Garden, and the New York Post caught up with David Lee Roth for an update on the band’s tour in support of “A Different Kind Of Truth.”
“We’re doing a lot of tunes that don’t usually get out of the deck and Edward is more lucid now than any time in my memory,” explains Roth. “I’m his biggest fan. I still remember the first time I saw him playing in a backyard party in Pasadena in high school. He was great then and he’s great now. We’ve come full circle.”
Asked what sets VH apart from other bands, Dave says “We throw a sick party, and if you get invited, you gotta go. For starters, on this tour Kool and the Gang are opening our shows, and that’s full circle for us because we used to play ‘Hollywood Swinging’ in five-sets-a-night-beer-bars. And the first three songs on our new record are thunder-funk. What we’re giving is the best of the old and the new — think of it like watching ‘Dragnet’ on your iPad.”
Roth was asked how the pop world changed since VH started in the 70s.
“These days, I see too much cheerleading and not enough stagecraft, and what I’m seeing isn’t worth cheering for,” replies Roth. “The questions I want to ask most of my colleagues are: Can you even do the whole song from beginning to end? Can you do it onstage like you did it in the studio? Do you float like a butterfly or sting like a pre-recorded bee?”
20 Aralık 2012 Perşembe
AC/DC's iTunes Debut Sells 48,000 Digital Albums, 696,000 Songs
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One of the longest hold-outs from iTunes, AC/DC finally reached the digital retailer last week.
The iconic rock band's entire catalog, along with two iTunes-exclusive box sets, became available on Monday, Nov. 19. In the week ending Nov. 25, the band's 25 albums moved 48,000 downloads while its songs shifted 696,000 in the U.S. according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Its biggest selling album, digitally speaking, was the band's classic Back in Black, with 15,000 -- more than 10,000 ahead of its second-biggest title, Highway to Hell (a little under 5,000). Coming in third for the week was the brand new Live at River Plate (4,000), followed by High Voltage (just under 3,000) and Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (2,000).
In terms of song downloads, "Thunderstruck" led the way for AC/DC last week, selling 85,000. It debuts at No. 16 on Digital Songs and No. 1 on Hard Rock Digital Songs. On the latter tally -- viewable on billboard.biz -- the entire top 12 positions are owned by AC/DC tunes. The band's second biggest seller last week was "Back in Black" (68,000), followed by "You Shook Me All Night Long" (64,000), "Highway To Hell" (50,000) and "TNT" (40,000). There were 14 AC/DC songs that sold at least 10,000 last week.
Unlike the Beatles' arrival on iTunes in 2010 -- which was heralded with great fanfare and a TV marketing campaign -- AC/DC's entrance to iTunes seemingly dropped out of the sky without hype. Even though there weren't TV commercials touting the iTunes debut (as there was for the Beatles), one could hear the song "Back in Black" in at least two different TV commercials over the busy Thanksgiving shopping weekend. It soundtracked spots for the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops II as well as Black Friday ads for Walmart.
To compare, when the Beatles catalog arrived, it sold a combined 119,000 digital albums and 1.42 million songs.
Of course, comparing anything to the Beatles is difficult, since the band exists in its own realm of superstardom. That week, the Fab Four's best selling digital album was Abbey Road (16,000), followed by its stereo box set with 13,000. The Beatles' biggest song download that week was "Let It Be" (63,000), followed by "Here Comes the Sun" (55,000), "In My Life" (45,000), "Hey Jude" (38,000) and "Come Together" (38,000).
For a perhaps better side-by-side comparison, we turn to another former hard-rockin' holdout from iTunes: Led Zeppelin. The week its music bowed in the store way back in 2007, its combined albums moved 47,000 (with 33,000 of that for its then brand-new Mothership greatest hits album) while its songs shifted 300,000.
Following Mothership, Led Zep's second-largest selling album that week was the iTunes-exclusive box The Complete Led Zeppelin, with 5,000 sold. In third place was Led Zeppelin IV with 2,000.
As for Led Zeppelin's biggest song downloads that week, unsurprisingly, the iconic "Stairway to Heaven" was its best-seller, with 31,000. At Nos. 2-5 were "Kashmir" (21,000), "Over the Hills and Far Away" (16,000), "Black Dog" (15,000) and "Immigrant Song" (14,000).
Led Zeppelin bowed in the iTunes Store almost exactly five years ago, when download sales weren't as potent as they are today. Thus, seeing AC/DC start with a much larger volume isn't that shocking. (Year to date download album sales stand at 103.46 million -- 39% of the overall market. For the full year of 2007, downloads amounted to 50 million -- or 10% of the market.)
The iconic rock band's entire catalog, along with two iTunes-exclusive box sets, became available on Monday, Nov. 19. In the week ending Nov. 25, the band's 25 albums moved 48,000 downloads while its songs shifted 696,000 in the U.S. according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Its biggest selling album, digitally speaking, was the band's classic Back in Black, with 15,000 -- more than 10,000 ahead of its second-biggest title, Highway to Hell (a little under 5,000). Coming in third for the week was the brand new Live at River Plate (4,000), followed by High Voltage (just under 3,000) and Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (2,000).
In terms of song downloads, "Thunderstruck" led the way for AC/DC last week, selling 85,000. It debuts at No. 16 on Digital Songs and No. 1 on Hard Rock Digital Songs. On the latter tally -- viewable on billboard.biz -- the entire top 12 positions are owned by AC/DC tunes. The band's second biggest seller last week was "Back in Black" (68,000), followed by "You Shook Me All Night Long" (64,000), "Highway To Hell" (50,000) and "TNT" (40,000). There were 14 AC/DC songs that sold at least 10,000 last week.
Unlike the Beatles' arrival on iTunes in 2010 -- which was heralded with great fanfare and a TV marketing campaign -- AC/DC's entrance to iTunes seemingly dropped out of the sky without hype. Even though there weren't TV commercials touting the iTunes debut (as there was for the Beatles), one could hear the song "Back in Black" in at least two different TV commercials over the busy Thanksgiving shopping weekend. It soundtracked spots for the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops II as well as Black Friday ads for Walmart.
To compare, when the Beatles catalog arrived, it sold a combined 119,000 digital albums and 1.42 million songs.
Of course, comparing anything to the Beatles is difficult, since the band exists in its own realm of superstardom. That week, the Fab Four's best selling digital album was Abbey Road (16,000), followed by its stereo box set with 13,000. The Beatles' biggest song download that week was "Let It Be" (63,000), followed by "Here Comes the Sun" (55,000), "In My Life" (45,000), "Hey Jude" (38,000) and "Come Together" (38,000).
For a perhaps better side-by-side comparison, we turn to another former hard-rockin' holdout from iTunes: Led Zeppelin. The week its music bowed in the store way back in 2007, its combined albums moved 47,000 (with 33,000 of that for its then brand-new Mothership greatest hits album) while its songs shifted 300,000.
Following Mothership, Led Zep's second-largest selling album that week was the iTunes-exclusive box The Complete Led Zeppelin, with 5,000 sold. In third place was Led Zeppelin IV with 2,000.
As for Led Zeppelin's biggest song downloads that week, unsurprisingly, the iconic "Stairway to Heaven" was its best-seller, with 31,000. At Nos. 2-5 were "Kashmir" (21,000), "Over the Hills and Far Away" (16,000), "Black Dog" (15,000) and "Immigrant Song" (14,000).
Led Zeppelin bowed in the iTunes Store almost exactly five years ago, when download sales weren't as potent as they are today. Thus, seeing AC/DC start with a much larger volume isn't that shocking. (Year to date download album sales stand at 103.46 million -- 39% of the overall market. For the full year of 2007, downloads amounted to 50 million -- or 10% of the market.)
Rolling Stones Add Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, Black Keys To Final '50' Show
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The Rolling Stones have invited Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga and the Black Keys to their final "50 and Counting" concert, celebrating an astounding half-century as a band, being held Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. The concert will be telecast live pay-per-view in a Ken Ehrlich-produced special called One More Shot.
"We're excited these extraordinary artists have agreed to help celebrate our 50th Anniversary as we share the night live with our fans all over the world," the band said in a statement. "Now the fun begins of trying to figure out the best songs to perform together."
May we humbly suggest "Honky Tonk Woman" for Gaga, a dirty/bluesy "Midnight Rambler" with the Keys and take-your-pick with The Boss.
Fresh off a triumphant debut in Brooklyn on Saturday, where the band gave the borough a 2-hour onslaught of hits spanning five decades, the Stones next play the 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief on Wednesday before starting their 2-show stint in Newark on Thursday.
"People ask us why we're still doing this," Jagger said to the Brooklyn audience late in the show over the weekend. "It's for you."
"We're excited these extraordinary artists have agreed to help celebrate our 50th Anniversary as we share the night live with our fans all over the world," the band said in a statement. "Now the fun begins of trying to figure out the best songs to perform together."
May we humbly suggest "Honky Tonk Woman" for Gaga, a dirty/bluesy "Midnight Rambler" with the Keys and take-your-pick with The Boss.
Fresh off a triumphant debut in Brooklyn on Saturday, where the band gave the borough a 2-hour onslaught of hits spanning five decades, the Stones next play the 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief on Wednesday before starting their 2-show stint in Newark on Thursday.
"People ask us why we're still doing this," Jagger said to the Brooklyn audience late in the show over the weekend. "It's for you."
Rolling Stones End Anniversary Tour With All-Star Blowout In Newark
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Mick Jagger has sung the words "This could be the last time" hundreds of times – yet the line had a special resonance tonight. The Rolling Stones’ December 15th show in Newark, New Jersey was the final gig of their 50th anniversary tour, their first live performances in five years. And with no shows scheduled for 2013, many fans had to be wondering if tonight meant it’s all over now.
But whatever the future holds for the World’s Greatest Rock & Roll Band, they blew it out tonight, rampaging from classic to classic in true Stones fashion – through the past, darkly. The Stones treated this show as a lavish celebration loaded with special guests, from Lady Gaga torching up "Gimme Shelter" to Bruce Springsteen strapping on a guitar for "Tumbling Dice."
Yet all eyes were on Jagger, a cosmic blur of hips and ribs and lips, attacking each song with an unbelievably ruthless rocks-off energy, whether he was shimmying through "Honky Tonk Women" or strumming his guitar for "Dead Flowers," in its first appearance of the tour. (It was a fan selection, as voted via the band’s new smartphone app.) For most of the show, he wiggled in the same skintight outfit he wore on the Stones’ 1969 tour: black drainpipe trousers, clingy long-sleeve T-shirt, Cuban-heel boots. In his case, actually, it might have been the *exact* same outfit – no doubt the old one still fits. (How does this man do it? Zumba? Tantric Pilates? Or just generally getting his ya-ya’s out?)
Keith Richards played heroic amounts of guitar all night, especially in "Gimme Shelter" and "It’s Only Rock & Roll," and though he mostly glowered over his guitar at the back of the stage, he took the mike to rasp through a Mick-free interlude of "Before They Make Me Run" and "Happy." Ron Wood looked gratifyingly hale, dancing around and resuming his mischievous-schoolboy role, while Charlie Watts drummed with his unflappable gravitas.
The brisk pace of the show didn’t leave much room for ballads or idle chit-chat. Mick whisked the guests on and off the stage so fast that at one point he joked that he felt like David Letterman. Lady Gaga did a spectacularly soulful duet on "Gimme Shelter," teetering in a striped jumpsuit and platform heels that could have come straight from the inner sleeve of Tattoo You. The Black Keys sat in for Bo Diddley’s "Who Do You Love," while the Freddie King tribute "Going Down" became a metallic blues jam featuring Gary Clark Jr. and John Mayer, who played extended solos with Wood and Richards.
Jagger told the crowd that some of the Stones’ guests had flown thousands of miles to be there in New Jersey, from exotic locales like Russia, Norway and Saskatoon. Then he added, "Our next guest just had to walk here." And with that, Bruce Springsteen came on for "Tumbling Dice," the undisputed highlight of the night. Springsteen traded verses with Jagger while playing guitar, grinning broadly, busting out his Otis Redding moves as he grunted "You got-ta roll me!" over and over.
For guitar freaks, another highlight had to be the showcase for Mick Taylor, who played with the Stones in the Sticky Fingers/Exile on Main Street years between Brian Jones and Ron Wood. All three guitarists jammed on "Midnight Rambler," as Jagger honked along on harmonica. Even as the Stones stretched the song way past the ten-minute mark, luxuriating in all the sex-and-doom longeurs, there was still a restless twitch in the music. Like the rest of the show, it was a moment that seemed to encapsulate the band’s whole history.
But even on a momentous occasion like this, it wouldn’t be the Rolling Stones’ style to get sentimental. And true to form, they stuck to their hardass sense of menace. Five of the first six songs they played touched explicitly on the theme of death, and the one that didn’t – the show-opening "Get Off Of My Cloud" – was the ultimate Stones ode to flipping off the human race and zoning out into your own private dream-world. As always, the Stones didn’t offer any easy comfort tonight – just mean guitars, high energy, and plenty of satanic majesty.
But whatever the future holds for the World’s Greatest Rock & Roll Band, they blew it out tonight, rampaging from classic to classic in true Stones fashion – through the past, darkly. The Stones treated this show as a lavish celebration loaded with special guests, from Lady Gaga torching up "Gimme Shelter" to Bruce Springsteen strapping on a guitar for "Tumbling Dice."
Yet all eyes were on Jagger, a cosmic blur of hips and ribs and lips, attacking each song with an unbelievably ruthless rocks-off energy, whether he was shimmying through "Honky Tonk Women" or strumming his guitar for "Dead Flowers," in its first appearance of the tour. (It was a fan selection, as voted via the band’s new smartphone app.) For most of the show, he wiggled in the same skintight outfit he wore on the Stones’ 1969 tour: black drainpipe trousers, clingy long-sleeve T-shirt, Cuban-heel boots. In his case, actually, it might have been the *exact* same outfit – no doubt the old one still fits. (How does this man do it? Zumba? Tantric Pilates? Or just generally getting his ya-ya’s out?)
Keith Richards played heroic amounts of guitar all night, especially in "Gimme Shelter" and "It’s Only Rock & Roll," and though he mostly glowered over his guitar at the back of the stage, he took the mike to rasp through a Mick-free interlude of "Before They Make Me Run" and "Happy." Ron Wood looked gratifyingly hale, dancing around and resuming his mischievous-schoolboy role, while Charlie Watts drummed with his unflappable gravitas.
The brisk pace of the show didn’t leave much room for ballads or idle chit-chat. Mick whisked the guests on and off the stage so fast that at one point he joked that he felt like David Letterman. Lady Gaga did a spectacularly soulful duet on "Gimme Shelter," teetering in a striped jumpsuit and platform heels that could have come straight from the inner sleeve of Tattoo You. The Black Keys sat in for Bo Diddley’s "Who Do You Love," while the Freddie King tribute "Going Down" became a metallic blues jam featuring Gary Clark Jr. and John Mayer, who played extended solos with Wood and Richards.
Jagger told the crowd that some of the Stones’ guests had flown thousands of miles to be there in New Jersey, from exotic locales like Russia, Norway and Saskatoon. Then he added, "Our next guest just had to walk here." And with that, Bruce Springsteen came on for "Tumbling Dice," the undisputed highlight of the night. Springsteen traded verses with Jagger while playing guitar, grinning broadly, busting out his Otis Redding moves as he grunted "You got-ta roll me!" over and over.
For guitar freaks, another highlight had to be the showcase for Mick Taylor, who played with the Stones in the Sticky Fingers/Exile on Main Street years between Brian Jones and Ron Wood. All three guitarists jammed on "Midnight Rambler," as Jagger honked along on harmonica. Even as the Stones stretched the song way past the ten-minute mark, luxuriating in all the sex-and-doom longeurs, there was still a restless twitch in the music. Like the rest of the show, it was a moment that seemed to encapsulate the band’s whole history.
But even on a momentous occasion like this, it wouldn’t be the Rolling Stones’ style to get sentimental. And true to form, they stuck to their hardass sense of menace. Five of the first six songs they played touched explicitly on the theme of death, and the one that didn’t – the show-opening "Get Off Of My Cloud" – was the ultimate Stones ode to flipping off the human race and zoning out into your own private dream-world. As always, the Stones didn’t offer any easy comfort tonight – just mean guitars, high energy, and plenty of satanic majesty.
Top Artists Adjust To New World Of YouTube Bootlegs
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From Rolling Stone
"Most of the artists have kind of conceded to it," says Josh Grier, attorney for Ryan Adams, Wilco and Fountains of Wayne, all of whom have live shows on YouTube. "Metallica might be inclined to take a stand, but it would be a serious legal expense, and just manpower. I expect that everybody, slowly but surely, is going to accept it – as a recording group, your live material is going to be up there. Or join the club and just see if you can get advertising attached to all of it and get revenue-share for everything."
Until recently, many major artists fiercely opposed the spread of any type of concert footage or audio. Bruce Springsteen famously criticized bootleggers throughout the 70s and 80s. Performers were historically concerned about losing creative control or having to live with gaffes or other spontaneous happenings – like when Paul McCartney fell on his face during a recent performance of "The End" in St. Louis, and footage appeared on YouTube within a week. They also were worried about bootleggers unfairly making money off their work.
But attitudes have changed, in part because the DVD market for live concerts has become less lucrative, with the exception of top-tier stars like Adele. "We tried to put out a Fountains of Wayne special edition recently – they made a lot of videos through the years that didn't get much play," Grier says. "Adam [Schlesinger, the band's co-songwriter] just said, 'They're all on YouTube.' And I looked, and yeah, they were."
As for shaky fan-camera footage, Grier says it's more of a curiosity than a threat to a band's revenue stream when people want to check out, say, Lou Reed performing the Velvet Underground's "Pale Blue Eyes" with Pete Townshend at a pub in 2007. Still, some acts, including Springsteen, ask ushers to police the audience to ensure nobody brings in cameras or even shoots cell-phone video. It's almost an impossible task. "The idea that someone is shooting with cameras at festivals – that's very, very hard to control," says John Peets, manager of the Black Keys. "It's a new world out there. Our concern is more, if we put this out, we need to make sure it's of a certain level. That's the line we're trying to control, more than slapping down people at a show."
The concert industry's general philosophy in recent years has evolved into "If you can't beat them, join them." Bonnaroo has been live-streaming the sets of top performers since roughly 2003, when its partner was AOL, and while the occasional headliner asks not to participate, most do. "You just can't stop it when everyone has a mobile device," says Jonathan Mayers, co-founder of Superfly Presents, the Manchester, Tennessee, festival's promoter. "If you can't control it, use it as a marketing device – go with it."
"Most of the artists have kind of conceded to it," says Josh Grier, attorney for Ryan Adams, Wilco and Fountains of Wayne, all of whom have live shows on YouTube. "Metallica might be inclined to take a stand, but it would be a serious legal expense, and just manpower. I expect that everybody, slowly but surely, is going to accept it – as a recording group, your live material is going to be up there. Or join the club and just see if you can get advertising attached to all of it and get revenue-share for everything."
Until recently, many major artists fiercely opposed the spread of any type of concert footage or audio. Bruce Springsteen famously criticized bootleggers throughout the 70s and 80s. Performers were historically concerned about losing creative control or having to live with gaffes or other spontaneous happenings – like when Paul McCartney fell on his face during a recent performance of "The End" in St. Louis, and footage appeared on YouTube within a week. They also were worried about bootleggers unfairly making money off their work.
But attitudes have changed, in part because the DVD market for live concerts has become less lucrative, with the exception of top-tier stars like Adele. "We tried to put out a Fountains of Wayne special edition recently – they made a lot of videos through the years that didn't get much play," Grier says. "Adam [Schlesinger, the band's co-songwriter] just said, 'They're all on YouTube.' And I looked, and yeah, they were."
As for shaky fan-camera footage, Grier says it's more of a curiosity than a threat to a band's revenue stream when people want to check out, say, Lou Reed performing the Velvet Underground's "Pale Blue Eyes" with Pete Townshend at a pub in 2007. Still, some acts, including Springsteen, ask ushers to police the audience to ensure nobody brings in cameras or even shoots cell-phone video. It's almost an impossible task. "The idea that someone is shooting with cameras at festivals – that's very, very hard to control," says John Peets, manager of the Black Keys. "It's a new world out there. Our concern is more, if we put this out, we need to make sure it's of a certain level. That's the line we're trying to control, more than slapping down people at a show."
The concert industry's general philosophy in recent years has evolved into "If you can't beat them, join them." Bonnaroo has been live-streaming the sets of top performers since roughly 2003, when its partner was AOL, and while the occasional headliner asks not to participate, most do. "You just can't stop it when everyone has a mobile device," says Jonathan Mayers, co-founder of Superfly Presents, the Manchester, Tennessee, festival's promoter. "If you can't control it, use it as a marketing device – go with it."
Ted Nugent Blames Connecticut Tragedy On Political Correctness, Moral Decline
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With the issue of gun control more hotly debated than ever following Friday’s tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut, it should be no surprise that Ted Nugent – a board member of the National Rifle Association and staunch Second Amendment supporter – would make his opinion known.
The rocker, outdoorsman and political activist penned an editorial for the Washington Times in which he blamed the massacre that left 20 children dead on political correctness out of control and a decline in moral values.“The ugly and dangerous truth is that we live in an embarrassing, politically correct culture that exalts and rejoices in the bizarre; aggressively promotes an ‘anything goes’ value system; and vilifies, condemns and mocks traditional societal values and customs at every opportunity,” Nugent wrote.“We’ve embraced a culture of contempt that attacks the very institutions that make for a healthy and strong society, and then we’re shocked when it spirals out of control. The only thing I’m shocked about is that anybody is shocked.”Nugent also accused anti-gun proponents of using the mass shooting to further their agenda.“Some blabbermouths already are using the Connecticut school massacre to promote their anti-gun agenda even though more gun laws won’t prevent a psychotic from getting a gun and killing us,” he wrote.
The rocker, outdoorsman and political activist penned an editorial for the Washington Times in which he blamed the massacre that left 20 children dead on political correctness out of control and a decline in moral values.“The ugly and dangerous truth is that we live in an embarrassing, politically correct culture that exalts and rejoices in the bizarre; aggressively promotes an ‘anything goes’ value system; and vilifies, condemns and mocks traditional societal values and customs at every opportunity,” Nugent wrote.“We’ve embraced a culture of contempt that attacks the very institutions that make for a healthy and strong society, and then we’re shocked when it spirals out of control. The only thing I’m shocked about is that anybody is shocked.”Nugent also accused anti-gun proponents of using the mass shooting to further their agenda.“Some blabbermouths already are using the Connecticut school massacre to promote their anti-gun agenda even though more gun laws won’t prevent a psychotic from getting a gun and killing us,” he wrote.
16 Aralık 2012 Pazar
Springsteen, McCartney To Perform Concert For Sandy's Victims
To contact us Click HERE
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Paul McCartney, Kanye West and Jon Bon Jovi will perform at a special "12.12.12" Concert for Sandy Relief at Madison Square Garden next month, according to organizers.
The Who, Roger Waters, Billy Joel and Alicia Keys have also signed up for the December 12 event, which its producers said is shaping up to be a showcase of rock royalty.
"The response from the entertainment community to help those most affected by Hurricane Sandy has been nothing short of astounding," the Madison Square Garden Company, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment and The Weinstein Company said in a joint statement.
"We expect to announce additional legendary performers in the near future and we are confident that the event will ensure those in need will not be forgotten, and vital aid will be directed to rebuilding our communities along the East Coast."
More than 130 people were killed when the superstorm pummeled the east coast of the United States late last month. Thousands more were left homeless as the storm tore through areas of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, causing an estimated $50 billion in damage.
Donations raised from the one-night event concert will go to the Robin Hood Relief Fund, which will provide money and materials to groups helping people hardest hit by the storm.
The organizers of the concert also produced the 9/11 benefit The Concert for New York City in 2001, which raised more than $30 million.
A concert and telethon on NBC earlier this month raised almost $23 million for people affected by the storm.
The Who, Roger Waters, Billy Joel and Alicia Keys have also signed up for the December 12 event, which its producers said is shaping up to be a showcase of rock royalty.
"The response from the entertainment community to help those most affected by Hurricane Sandy has been nothing short of astounding," the Madison Square Garden Company, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment and The Weinstein Company said in a joint statement.
"We expect to announce additional legendary performers in the near future and we are confident that the event will ensure those in need will not be forgotten, and vital aid will be directed to rebuilding our communities along the East Coast."
More than 130 people were killed when the superstorm pummeled the east coast of the United States late last month. Thousands more were left homeless as the storm tore through areas of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, causing an estimated $50 billion in damage.
Donations raised from the one-night event concert will go to the Robin Hood Relief Fund, which will provide money and materials to groups helping people hardest hit by the storm.
The organizers of the concert also produced the 9/11 benefit The Concert for New York City in 2001, which raised more than $30 million.
A concert and telethon on NBC earlier this month raised almost $23 million for people affected by the storm.
AC/DC's iTunes Debut Sells 48,000 Digital Albums, 696,000 Songs
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One of the longest hold-outs from iTunes, AC/DC finally reached the digital retailer last week.
The iconic rock band's entire catalog, along with two iTunes-exclusive box sets, became available on Monday, Nov. 19. In the week ending Nov. 25, the band's 25 albums moved 48,000 downloads while its songs shifted 696,000 in the U.S. according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Its biggest selling album, digitally speaking, was the band's classic Back in Black, with 15,000 -- more than 10,000 ahead of its second-biggest title, Highway to Hell (a little under 5,000). Coming in third for the week was the brand new Live at River Plate (4,000), followed by High Voltage (just under 3,000) and Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (2,000).
In terms of song downloads, "Thunderstruck" led the way for AC/DC last week, selling 85,000. It debuts at No. 16 on Digital Songs and No. 1 on Hard Rock Digital Songs. On the latter tally -- viewable on billboard.biz -- the entire top 12 positions are owned by AC/DC tunes. The band's second biggest seller last week was "Back in Black" (68,000), followed by "You Shook Me All Night Long" (64,000), "Highway To Hell" (50,000) and "TNT" (40,000). There were 14 AC/DC songs that sold at least 10,000 last week.
Unlike the Beatles' arrival on iTunes in 2010 -- which was heralded with great fanfare and a TV marketing campaign -- AC/DC's entrance to iTunes seemingly dropped out of the sky without hype. Even though there weren't TV commercials touting the iTunes debut (as there was for the Beatles), one could hear the song "Back in Black" in at least two different TV commercials over the busy Thanksgiving shopping weekend. It soundtracked spots for the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops II as well as Black Friday ads for Walmart.
To compare, when the Beatles catalog arrived, it sold a combined 119,000 digital albums and 1.42 million songs.
Of course, comparing anything to the Beatles is difficult, since the band exists in its own realm of superstardom. That week, the Fab Four's best selling digital album was Abbey Road (16,000), followed by its stereo box set with 13,000. The Beatles' biggest song download that week was "Let It Be" (63,000), followed by "Here Comes the Sun" (55,000), "In My Life" (45,000), "Hey Jude" (38,000) and "Come Together" (38,000).
For a perhaps better side-by-side comparison, we turn to another former hard-rockin' holdout from iTunes: Led Zeppelin. The week its music bowed in the store way back in 2007, its combined albums moved 47,000 (with 33,000 of that for its then brand-new Mothership greatest hits album) while its songs shifted 300,000.
Following Mothership, Led Zep's second-largest selling album that week was the iTunes-exclusive box The Complete Led Zeppelin, with 5,000 sold. In third place was Led Zeppelin IV with 2,000.
As for Led Zeppelin's biggest song downloads that week, unsurprisingly, the iconic "Stairway to Heaven" was its best-seller, with 31,000. At Nos. 2-5 were "Kashmir" (21,000), "Over the Hills and Far Away" (16,000), "Black Dog" (15,000) and "Immigrant Song" (14,000).
Led Zeppelin bowed in the iTunes Store almost exactly five years ago, when download sales weren't as potent as they are today. Thus, seeing AC/DC start with a much larger volume isn't that shocking. (Year to date download album sales stand at 103.46 million -- 39% of the overall market. For the full year of 2007, downloads amounted to 50 million -- or 10% of the market.)
The iconic rock band's entire catalog, along with two iTunes-exclusive box sets, became available on Monday, Nov. 19. In the week ending Nov. 25, the band's 25 albums moved 48,000 downloads while its songs shifted 696,000 in the U.S. according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Its biggest selling album, digitally speaking, was the band's classic Back in Black, with 15,000 -- more than 10,000 ahead of its second-biggest title, Highway to Hell (a little under 5,000). Coming in third for the week was the brand new Live at River Plate (4,000), followed by High Voltage (just under 3,000) and Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (2,000).
In terms of song downloads, "Thunderstruck" led the way for AC/DC last week, selling 85,000. It debuts at No. 16 on Digital Songs and No. 1 on Hard Rock Digital Songs. On the latter tally -- viewable on billboard.biz -- the entire top 12 positions are owned by AC/DC tunes. The band's second biggest seller last week was "Back in Black" (68,000), followed by "You Shook Me All Night Long" (64,000), "Highway To Hell" (50,000) and "TNT" (40,000). There were 14 AC/DC songs that sold at least 10,000 last week.
Unlike the Beatles' arrival on iTunes in 2010 -- which was heralded with great fanfare and a TV marketing campaign -- AC/DC's entrance to iTunes seemingly dropped out of the sky without hype. Even though there weren't TV commercials touting the iTunes debut (as there was for the Beatles), one could hear the song "Back in Black" in at least two different TV commercials over the busy Thanksgiving shopping weekend. It soundtracked spots for the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops II as well as Black Friday ads for Walmart.
To compare, when the Beatles catalog arrived, it sold a combined 119,000 digital albums and 1.42 million songs.
Of course, comparing anything to the Beatles is difficult, since the band exists in its own realm of superstardom. That week, the Fab Four's best selling digital album was Abbey Road (16,000), followed by its stereo box set with 13,000. The Beatles' biggest song download that week was "Let It Be" (63,000), followed by "Here Comes the Sun" (55,000), "In My Life" (45,000), "Hey Jude" (38,000) and "Come Together" (38,000).
For a perhaps better side-by-side comparison, we turn to another former hard-rockin' holdout from iTunes: Led Zeppelin. The week its music bowed in the store way back in 2007, its combined albums moved 47,000 (with 33,000 of that for its then brand-new Mothership greatest hits album) while its songs shifted 300,000.
Following Mothership, Led Zep's second-largest selling album that week was the iTunes-exclusive box The Complete Led Zeppelin, with 5,000 sold. In third place was Led Zeppelin IV with 2,000.
As for Led Zeppelin's biggest song downloads that week, unsurprisingly, the iconic "Stairway to Heaven" was its best-seller, with 31,000. At Nos. 2-5 were "Kashmir" (21,000), "Over the Hills and Far Away" (16,000), "Black Dog" (15,000) and "Immigrant Song" (14,000).
Led Zeppelin bowed in the iTunes Store almost exactly five years ago, when download sales weren't as potent as they are today. Thus, seeing AC/DC start with a much larger volume isn't that shocking. (Year to date download album sales stand at 103.46 million -- 39% of the overall market. For the full year of 2007, downloads amounted to 50 million -- or 10% of the market.)
Rolling Stones Add Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, Black Keys To Final '50' Show
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The Rolling Stones have invited Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga and the Black Keys to their final "50 and Counting" concert, celebrating an astounding half-century as a band, being held Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. The concert will be telecast live pay-per-view in a Ken Ehrlich-produced special called One More Shot.
"We're excited these extraordinary artists have agreed to help celebrate our 50th Anniversary as we share the night live with our fans all over the world," the band said in a statement. "Now the fun begins of trying to figure out the best songs to perform together."
May we humbly suggest "Honky Tonk Woman" for Gaga, a dirty/bluesy "Midnight Rambler" with the Keys and take-your-pick with The Boss.
Fresh off a triumphant debut in Brooklyn on Saturday, where the band gave the borough a 2-hour onslaught of hits spanning five decades, the Stones next play the 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief on Wednesday before starting their 2-show stint in Newark on Thursday.
"People ask us why we're still doing this," Jagger said to the Brooklyn audience late in the show over the weekend. "It's for you."
"We're excited these extraordinary artists have agreed to help celebrate our 50th Anniversary as we share the night live with our fans all over the world," the band said in a statement. "Now the fun begins of trying to figure out the best songs to perform together."
May we humbly suggest "Honky Tonk Woman" for Gaga, a dirty/bluesy "Midnight Rambler" with the Keys and take-your-pick with The Boss.
Fresh off a triumphant debut in Brooklyn on Saturday, where the band gave the borough a 2-hour onslaught of hits spanning five decades, the Stones next play the 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief on Wednesday before starting their 2-show stint in Newark on Thursday.
"People ask us why we're still doing this," Jagger said to the Brooklyn audience late in the show over the weekend. "It's for you."
Deep Purple To Release New Studio Album In 2013
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Deep Purple have officially announced a new studio album set for release next year. The as-yet-untitled follow-up to 2005's Rapture Of The Deep is set for release in late April 2013.
After being written mainly in Europe, the disc was recorded and mixed in Nashville, Tennessee, with producer Bob Ezrin.
Song titles will include "Out Of Hand," "Hell To Pay," "Weirdistan," "Uncommon Man" and "Above And Beyond," the last of which being a tribute to the band's longtime keyboard player Jon Lord, who passed away earlier this year.
As for the lack of a title, Ian Gillan had this to say earlier this month: "The title of our new album is still a question mark to all of us ... We have recorded a new album, and it's a fantastic collection of songs. At the moment that's the only affirmative point we can offer ...”
Fans can keep up to date on the new album by way of a new website launched in support of the release at http://www.deeppurple2013.com.
After being written mainly in Europe, the disc was recorded and mixed in Nashville, Tennessee, with producer Bob Ezrin.
Song titles will include "Out Of Hand," "Hell To Pay," "Weirdistan," "Uncommon Man" and "Above And Beyond," the last of which being a tribute to the band's longtime keyboard player Jon Lord, who passed away earlier this year.
As for the lack of a title, Ian Gillan had this to say earlier this month: "The title of our new album is still a question mark to all of us ... We have recorded a new album, and it's a fantastic collection of songs. At the moment that's the only affirmative point we can offer ...”
Fans can keep up to date on the new album by way of a new website launched in support of the release at http://www.deeppurple2013.com.
Inside Abbey Road Events Scheduled For March 2013
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Following the glowing critical and public response to the series of unique events held at London’s legendary Abbey Road Studios earlier this year, a new series of talks will be held in the famous Studio Two for six special days in March 2013.
Brian Kehew and Kevin Ryan (authors of Recording the Beatles), will give their second series of talks on Abbey Road Studios’ rich history and continued success.
Kehew and Ryan’s talk will explore the studios’ decades of landmark recordings, celebrating the technology and sonic creativity that lead to epoch-defining music from artists such as Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Adele and of course, the Beatles.
With over 20 years of research into EMI history, they have uncovered many secrets of the Studios and have worked with Abbey Road to preserve and illuminate the Studios' immense history and ongoing legacy. The talks will explore the history and the present day action at Abbey Road Studios with rare archive photos, film and audio, showing changes to the studio and equipment. They will illustrate Abbey Road Studios’ long progression through all kinds of music, from classical to rock and beyond, plus the methods used to record in each style/period.
These events will also give more focus to the more recent hits recorded, mixed and mastered at the studios, and artists who currently use the studios to create new and innovative music. They will also explore the studios’ rich experience in film scoring and even demonstrate how sound and images are synched for some of the biggest movies ever made such as Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The King's Speech, Prometheus and the new James Bond film, Skyfall.
If all that wasn’t enough, the authors will bring the authentic, classic sound of the past to life with demonstration of a vintage 4-track mixing console and tape machine, as well as the studio’s legendary echo chamber, used on countless classic recordings. The popular display of original instruments, microphones, and studio hardware used to create classic tracks at Abbey Road, will be making a welcome return.
Visitors will be allowed early entrance with time to explore and take photographs in the famous Studio Two, where seminal acts like the Beatles, Oasis, the Hollies, the Shadows, Pink Floyd and Kate Bush recorded their music.
More recently, Elbow recorded their theme for the 2012 Olympics in this legendary studio and artists such as Brian Wilson, Paul Simon, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Ryan Adams, Laura Marling and Feist laid down performances for the Live From Abbey Road television show.
Inside Abbey Road events schedule:
Friday 8th March
Session 1: doors open 2pm / event starts 3pm
Session 2: doors open 7pm / event starts 8pm
Saturday 9th March
Session 1: doors open 10am / event starts 11am
Session 2: doors open 3pm / event starts 4pm
Sunday 10th March
Session 1: doors open 10am / event starts 11am
Session 2: doors open 3pm / event starts 4pm
Friday 15th March
Session 1: doors open 2pm / event starts 3pm
Session 2: doors open 7pm / event starts 8pm
Saturday 16th March
Session 1: doors open 10am / event starts 11am
Session 2: doors open 3pm / event starts 4pm
Sunday 17th March
Session 1: doors open 10am / event starts 11am
Session 2: doors open 3pm / event starts 4pm
For more information, check out the official Inside Abbey Road: The Best Studio In The World.
Tickets on sale now at http://www.seetickets.com/tour/abbey-road-studios.
Brian Kehew and Kevin Ryan (authors of Recording the Beatles), will give their second series of talks on Abbey Road Studios’ rich history and continued success.
Kehew and Ryan’s talk will explore the studios’ decades of landmark recordings, celebrating the technology and sonic creativity that lead to epoch-defining music from artists such as Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Adele and of course, the Beatles.
With over 20 years of research into EMI history, they have uncovered many secrets of the Studios and have worked with Abbey Road to preserve and illuminate the Studios' immense history and ongoing legacy. The talks will explore the history and the present day action at Abbey Road Studios with rare archive photos, film and audio, showing changes to the studio and equipment. They will illustrate Abbey Road Studios’ long progression through all kinds of music, from classical to rock and beyond, plus the methods used to record in each style/period.
These events will also give more focus to the more recent hits recorded, mixed and mastered at the studios, and artists who currently use the studios to create new and innovative music. They will also explore the studios’ rich experience in film scoring and even demonstrate how sound and images are synched for some of the biggest movies ever made such as Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The King's Speech, Prometheus and the new James Bond film, Skyfall.
If all that wasn’t enough, the authors will bring the authentic, classic sound of the past to life with demonstration of a vintage 4-track mixing console and tape machine, as well as the studio’s legendary echo chamber, used on countless classic recordings. The popular display of original instruments, microphones, and studio hardware used to create classic tracks at Abbey Road, will be making a welcome return.
Visitors will be allowed early entrance with time to explore and take photographs in the famous Studio Two, where seminal acts like the Beatles, Oasis, the Hollies, the Shadows, Pink Floyd and Kate Bush recorded their music.
More recently, Elbow recorded their theme for the 2012 Olympics in this legendary studio and artists such as Brian Wilson, Paul Simon, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Ryan Adams, Laura Marling and Feist laid down performances for the Live From Abbey Road television show.
Inside Abbey Road events schedule:
Friday 8th March
Session 1: doors open 2pm / event starts 3pm
Session 2: doors open 7pm / event starts 8pm
Saturday 9th March
Session 1: doors open 10am / event starts 11am
Session 2: doors open 3pm / event starts 4pm
Sunday 10th March
Session 1: doors open 10am / event starts 11am
Session 2: doors open 3pm / event starts 4pm
Friday 15th March
Session 1: doors open 2pm / event starts 3pm
Session 2: doors open 7pm / event starts 8pm
Saturday 16th March
Session 1: doors open 10am / event starts 11am
Session 2: doors open 3pm / event starts 4pm
Sunday 17th March
Session 1: doors open 10am / event starts 11am
Session 2: doors open 3pm / event starts 4pm
For more information, check out the official Inside Abbey Road: The Best Studio In The World.
Tickets on sale now at http://www.seetickets.com/tour/abbey-road-studios.
12 Aralık 2012 Çarşamba
Springsteen, McCartney To Perform Concert For Sandy's Victims
To contact us Click HERE
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, Paul McCartney, Kanye West and Jon Bon Jovi will perform at a special "12.12.12" Concert for Sandy Relief at Madison Square Garden next month, according to organizers.
The Who, Roger Waters, Billy Joel and Alicia Keys have also signed up for the December 12 event, which its producers said is shaping up to be a showcase of rock royalty.
"The response from the entertainment community to help those most affected by Hurricane Sandy has been nothing short of astounding," the Madison Square Garden Company, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment and The Weinstein Company said in a joint statement.
"We expect to announce additional legendary performers in the near future and we are confident that the event will ensure those in need will not be forgotten, and vital aid will be directed to rebuilding our communities along the East Coast."
More than 130 people were killed when the superstorm pummeled the east coast of the United States late last month. Thousands more were left homeless as the storm tore through areas of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, causing an estimated $50 billion in damage.
Donations raised from the one-night event concert will go to the Robin Hood Relief Fund, which will provide money and materials to groups helping people hardest hit by the storm.
The organizers of the concert also produced the 9/11 benefit The Concert for New York City in 2001, which raised more than $30 million.
A concert and telethon on NBC earlier this month raised almost $23 million for people affected by the storm.
The Who, Roger Waters, Billy Joel and Alicia Keys have also signed up for the December 12 event, which its producers said is shaping up to be a showcase of rock royalty.
"The response from the entertainment community to help those most affected by Hurricane Sandy has been nothing short of astounding," the Madison Square Garden Company, Clear Channel Media and Entertainment and The Weinstein Company said in a joint statement.
"We expect to announce additional legendary performers in the near future and we are confident that the event will ensure those in need will not be forgotten, and vital aid will be directed to rebuilding our communities along the East Coast."
More than 130 people were killed when the superstorm pummeled the east coast of the United States late last month. Thousands more were left homeless as the storm tore through areas of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, causing an estimated $50 billion in damage.
Donations raised from the one-night event concert will go to the Robin Hood Relief Fund, which will provide money and materials to groups helping people hardest hit by the storm.
The organizers of the concert also produced the 9/11 benefit The Concert for New York City in 2001, which raised more than $30 million.
A concert and telethon on NBC earlier this month raised almost $23 million for people affected by the storm.
AC/DC's iTunes Debut Sells 48,000 Digital Albums, 696,000 Songs
To contact us Click HERE
One of the longest hold-outs from iTunes, AC/DC finally reached the digital retailer last week.
The iconic rock band's entire catalog, along with two iTunes-exclusive box sets, became available on Monday, Nov. 19. In the week ending Nov. 25, the band's 25 albums moved 48,000 downloads while its songs shifted 696,000 in the U.S. according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Its biggest selling album, digitally speaking, was the band's classic Back in Black, with 15,000 -- more than 10,000 ahead of its second-biggest title, Highway to Hell (a little under 5,000). Coming in third for the week was the brand new Live at River Plate (4,000), followed by High Voltage (just under 3,000) and Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (2,000).
In terms of song downloads, "Thunderstruck" led the way for AC/DC last week, selling 85,000. It debuts at No. 16 on Digital Songs and No. 1 on Hard Rock Digital Songs. On the latter tally -- viewable on billboard.biz -- the entire top 12 positions are owned by AC/DC tunes. The band's second biggest seller last week was "Back in Black" (68,000), followed by "You Shook Me All Night Long" (64,000), "Highway To Hell" (50,000) and "TNT" (40,000). There were 14 AC/DC songs that sold at least 10,000 last week.
Unlike the Beatles' arrival on iTunes in 2010 -- which was heralded with great fanfare and a TV marketing campaign -- AC/DC's entrance to iTunes seemingly dropped out of the sky without hype. Even though there weren't TV commercials touting the iTunes debut (as there was for the Beatles), one could hear the song "Back in Black" in at least two different TV commercials over the busy Thanksgiving shopping weekend. It soundtracked spots for the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops II as well as Black Friday ads for Walmart.
To compare, when the Beatles catalog arrived, it sold a combined 119,000 digital albums and 1.42 million songs.
Of course, comparing anything to the Beatles is difficult, since the band exists in its own realm of superstardom. That week, the Fab Four's best selling digital album was Abbey Road (16,000), followed by its stereo box set with 13,000. The Beatles' biggest song download that week was "Let It Be" (63,000), followed by "Here Comes the Sun" (55,000), "In My Life" (45,000), "Hey Jude" (38,000) and "Come Together" (38,000).
For a perhaps better side-by-side comparison, we turn to another former hard-rockin' holdout from iTunes: Led Zeppelin. The week its music bowed in the store way back in 2007, its combined albums moved 47,000 (with 33,000 of that for its then brand-new Mothership greatest hits album) while its songs shifted 300,000.
Following Mothership, Led Zep's second-largest selling album that week was the iTunes-exclusive box The Complete Led Zeppelin, with 5,000 sold. In third place was Led Zeppelin IV with 2,000.
As for Led Zeppelin's biggest song downloads that week, unsurprisingly, the iconic "Stairway to Heaven" was its best-seller, with 31,000. At Nos. 2-5 were "Kashmir" (21,000), "Over the Hills and Far Away" (16,000), "Black Dog" (15,000) and "Immigrant Song" (14,000).
Led Zeppelin bowed in the iTunes Store almost exactly five years ago, when download sales weren't as potent as they are today. Thus, seeing AC/DC start with a much larger volume isn't that shocking. (Year to date download album sales stand at 103.46 million -- 39% of the overall market. For the full year of 2007, downloads amounted to 50 million -- or 10% of the market.)
The iconic rock band's entire catalog, along with two iTunes-exclusive box sets, became available on Monday, Nov. 19. In the week ending Nov. 25, the band's 25 albums moved 48,000 downloads while its songs shifted 696,000 in the U.S. according to Nielsen SoundScan.
Its biggest selling album, digitally speaking, was the band's classic Back in Black, with 15,000 -- more than 10,000 ahead of its second-biggest title, Highway to Hell (a little under 5,000). Coming in third for the week was the brand new Live at River Plate (4,000), followed by High Voltage (just under 3,000) and Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (2,000).
In terms of song downloads, "Thunderstruck" led the way for AC/DC last week, selling 85,000. It debuts at No. 16 on Digital Songs and No. 1 on Hard Rock Digital Songs. On the latter tally -- viewable on billboard.biz -- the entire top 12 positions are owned by AC/DC tunes. The band's second biggest seller last week was "Back in Black" (68,000), followed by "You Shook Me All Night Long" (64,000), "Highway To Hell" (50,000) and "TNT" (40,000). There were 14 AC/DC songs that sold at least 10,000 last week.
Unlike the Beatles' arrival on iTunes in 2010 -- which was heralded with great fanfare and a TV marketing campaign -- AC/DC's entrance to iTunes seemingly dropped out of the sky without hype. Even though there weren't TV commercials touting the iTunes debut (as there was for the Beatles), one could hear the song "Back in Black" in at least two different TV commercials over the busy Thanksgiving shopping weekend. It soundtracked spots for the video game Call of Duty: Black Ops II as well as Black Friday ads for Walmart.
To compare, when the Beatles catalog arrived, it sold a combined 119,000 digital albums and 1.42 million songs.
Of course, comparing anything to the Beatles is difficult, since the band exists in its own realm of superstardom. That week, the Fab Four's best selling digital album was Abbey Road (16,000), followed by its stereo box set with 13,000. The Beatles' biggest song download that week was "Let It Be" (63,000), followed by "Here Comes the Sun" (55,000), "In My Life" (45,000), "Hey Jude" (38,000) and "Come Together" (38,000).
For a perhaps better side-by-side comparison, we turn to another former hard-rockin' holdout from iTunes: Led Zeppelin. The week its music bowed in the store way back in 2007, its combined albums moved 47,000 (with 33,000 of that for its then brand-new Mothership greatest hits album) while its songs shifted 300,000.
Following Mothership, Led Zep's second-largest selling album that week was the iTunes-exclusive box The Complete Led Zeppelin, with 5,000 sold. In third place was Led Zeppelin IV with 2,000.
As for Led Zeppelin's biggest song downloads that week, unsurprisingly, the iconic "Stairway to Heaven" was its best-seller, with 31,000. At Nos. 2-5 were "Kashmir" (21,000), "Over the Hills and Far Away" (16,000), "Black Dog" (15,000) and "Immigrant Song" (14,000).
Led Zeppelin bowed in the iTunes Store almost exactly five years ago, when download sales weren't as potent as they are today. Thus, seeing AC/DC start with a much larger volume isn't that shocking. (Year to date download album sales stand at 103.46 million -- 39% of the overall market. For the full year of 2007, downloads amounted to 50 million -- or 10% of the market.)
Rolling Stones Add Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga, Black Keys To Final '50' Show
To contact us Click HERE
The Rolling Stones have invited Bruce Springsteen, Lady Gaga and the Black Keys to their final "50 and Counting" concert, celebrating an astounding half-century as a band, being held Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. The concert will be telecast live pay-per-view in a Ken Ehrlich-produced special called One More Shot.
"We're excited these extraordinary artists have agreed to help celebrate our 50th Anniversary as we share the night live with our fans all over the world," the band said in a statement. "Now the fun begins of trying to figure out the best songs to perform together."
May we humbly suggest "Honky Tonk Woman" for Gaga, a dirty/bluesy "Midnight Rambler" with the Keys and take-your-pick with The Boss.
Fresh off a triumphant debut in Brooklyn on Saturday, where the band gave the borough a 2-hour onslaught of hits spanning five decades, the Stones next play the 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief on Wednesday before starting their 2-show stint in Newark on Thursday.
"People ask us why we're still doing this," Jagger said to the Brooklyn audience late in the show over the weekend. "It's for you."
"We're excited these extraordinary artists have agreed to help celebrate our 50th Anniversary as we share the night live with our fans all over the world," the band said in a statement. "Now the fun begins of trying to figure out the best songs to perform together."
May we humbly suggest "Honky Tonk Woman" for Gaga, a dirty/bluesy "Midnight Rambler" with the Keys and take-your-pick with The Boss.
Fresh off a triumphant debut in Brooklyn on Saturday, where the band gave the borough a 2-hour onslaught of hits spanning five decades, the Stones next play the 12-12-12 Concert for Sandy Relief on Wednesday before starting their 2-show stint in Newark on Thursday.
"People ask us why we're still doing this," Jagger said to the Brooklyn audience late in the show over the weekend. "It's for you."
2013 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductees Announced
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The new class of inductees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has been announced, and it includes rockers, the Queen of Disco, a group of hip-hop pioneers and a band whose fans have long been clamoring for the honor.
In the performer category, Heart, Albert King, Randy Newman, Public Enemy, Rush and Donna Summer will receive the prestigious induction. Lou Adler and Quincy Jones will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award, which is given to non-performers.
A few of those selected to be part of the 2013 group had been nominated before, but none have had the fan support for entry into the hallowed Hall of Fame as first time nominees Rush. The band had been eligible for nomination for the past 14 years.
Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson said after the group was nominated back in October that the honor meant a great deal to his group's fan base.
"For our fans, it's very, very important, and we feel great for them," he said. "We're at the next stage and we'll see if we're actually inducted. If so, we'll support it in every way we can for our fans."
To be eligible for a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nomination, artists had to have released their work at least 25 years prior to appearing on the ballot. That means this year's group released their first single in 1987 or earlier.
For the first time since 1993, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held on the West coast. The 28th annual event is scheduled for April 18 and will be held at the Nokia Theatre L.A. in Los Angeles, California.
The ceremony will be open to the ticket-buying public, and will air on HBO at 9 p.m. on May 18.
In the performer category, Heart, Albert King, Randy Newman, Public Enemy, Rush and Donna Summer will receive the prestigious induction. Lou Adler and Quincy Jones will receive the Ahmet Ertegun Award, which is given to non-performers.
A few of those selected to be part of the 2013 group had been nominated before, but none have had the fan support for entry into the hallowed Hall of Fame as first time nominees Rush. The band had been eligible for nomination for the past 14 years.
Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson said after the group was nominated back in October that the honor meant a great deal to his group's fan base.
"For our fans, it's very, very important, and we feel great for them," he said. "We're at the next stage and we'll see if we're actually inducted. If so, we'll support it in every way we can for our fans."
To be eligible for a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nomination, artists had to have released their work at least 25 years prior to appearing on the ballot. That means this year's group released their first single in 1987 or earlier.
For the first time since 1993, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held on the West coast. The 28th annual event is scheduled for April 18 and will be held at the Nokia Theatre L.A. in Los Angeles, California.
The ceremony will be open to the ticket-buying public, and will air on HBO at 9 p.m. on May 18.
Sandy Benefit Concert Aims For 2 Billion Viewers Worldwide
To contact us Click HERE
Tonight's (December 12) commercial-free benefit concert at Madison Square Garden in New York will be seen both around the world and around the World Wide Web.
The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Paul McCartney, Bon Jovi, The Who, Roger Waters, Billy Joel, Eric Clapton, Kanye West and many other artists will perform at the benefit to the Robin Hood Relief Fund and victims of Hurricane Sandy. The broadcast will be accessible by an estimated 2 billion people worldwide, according to the concert's website
http://www.121212concert.org.
U.S. television viewers will have a difficult time missing the event. The broadcast will be carried on 34 channels, from AMC to VH1 Classic. Even pay channels HBO and Showtime 2 and the newsy Bloomberg will carry the broadcast.
But not all networks will carry the event. Fox will air a two-hour semi-final of "The X-Factor." NBC, CBS and ABC will carry on with their normal Wednesday evening schedules. The benefit concert will air on the CBS station WLNY in-TV in New York and the CW station in Philadelphia, however. A handful of local PBS stations in New York and New Jersey will also carry the broadcast.
The live webcast will be carried by 30 different websites, including YouTube, MTV.com, MySpace, Yahoo, Yahoo, Vevo, AOL, Hulu, People.com and BMI.com.
In the U.S., free tickets to view the simulcast in movie theaters will be given away at select theaters in storm-affected areas. Simulcasts can be viewed around the country at Cinemark Theaters for the price of a regular Child admission. All of the proceeds will go toward the Robin Hood Relief Fund. A full list of broadcasters and participating theaters can be found at the concert's broadcast page http://www.121212concert.org/broadcast.
The broadcast will also be seen in countries around the world. MTV and VH1 will carry the telecast in Canada, Latin America, the U.K., France, Australia and dozens of other countries. Numerous channels will carry the concert in Japan, Korea, Tawain, India and Africa.
Social media will also play a role in raising support for relief efforts. Foursquare has created a "Be Robin Hood #121212concert" badge for users who check in using the #121212concert hashtag. Samsung Galaxy will donate $10 to the Robin Hood Relief Fund on behalf of each of the first 25,000 unlocked badges.
The Twitter hashtag #121212concert is sure to be a trending topic throughout the day. Sponsored by Chase, the hashtag on Twitter's trend section in the U.S. as well as the U.K., Mexico, Japan, Canada, Italy and many other countries.
Shazam will make it easy for its 250 million users to help. Proceeds from music purchased through the music identification app during the concert will be donated to the Robin Hood Foundation Relief Fund. Shazam users can also use the app to donate directly to the charity during the broadcast.
The Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Paul McCartney, Bon Jovi, The Who, Roger Waters, Billy Joel, Eric Clapton, Kanye West and many other artists will perform at the benefit to the Robin Hood Relief Fund and victims of Hurricane Sandy. The broadcast will be accessible by an estimated 2 billion people worldwide, according to the concert's website
http://www.121212concert.org.
U.S. television viewers will have a difficult time missing the event. The broadcast will be carried on 34 channels, from AMC to VH1 Classic. Even pay channels HBO and Showtime 2 and the newsy Bloomberg will carry the broadcast.
But not all networks will carry the event. Fox will air a two-hour semi-final of "The X-Factor." NBC, CBS and ABC will carry on with their normal Wednesday evening schedules. The benefit concert will air on the CBS station WLNY in-TV in New York and the CW station in Philadelphia, however. A handful of local PBS stations in New York and New Jersey will also carry the broadcast.
The live webcast will be carried by 30 different websites, including YouTube, MTV.com, MySpace, Yahoo, Yahoo, Vevo, AOL, Hulu, People.com and BMI.com.
In the U.S., free tickets to view the simulcast in movie theaters will be given away at select theaters in storm-affected areas. Simulcasts can be viewed around the country at Cinemark Theaters for the price of a regular Child admission. All of the proceeds will go toward the Robin Hood Relief Fund. A full list of broadcasters and participating theaters can be found at the concert's broadcast page http://www.121212concert.org/broadcast.
The broadcast will also be seen in countries around the world. MTV and VH1 will carry the telecast in Canada, Latin America, the U.K., France, Australia and dozens of other countries. Numerous channels will carry the concert in Japan, Korea, Tawain, India and Africa.
Social media will also play a role in raising support for relief efforts. Foursquare has created a "Be Robin Hood #121212concert" badge for users who check in using the #121212concert hashtag. Samsung Galaxy will donate $10 to the Robin Hood Relief Fund on behalf of each of the first 25,000 unlocked badges.
The Twitter hashtag #121212concert is sure to be a trending topic throughout the day. Sponsored by Chase, the hashtag on Twitter's trend section in the U.S. as well as the U.K., Mexico, Japan, Canada, Italy and many other countries.
Shazam will make it easy for its 250 million users to help. Proceeds from music purchased through the music identification app during the concert will be donated to the Robin Hood Foundation Relief Fund. Shazam users can also use the app to donate directly to the charity during the broadcast.
11 Aralık 2012 Salı
Opera, Orchestra and the Magic of Figaro:
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A Remarkable 10-year-old Girl Takes the Stage
This blog post was written by Maestro Tom Jensen of Inside the Orchestra
We see tens of thousands of kids each year with Inside the Orchestra, but at Iowa Elementary School in Aurora last Monday, one charming fifth grader named Kaiya stood out from all the rest.
Kaiya is not your ordinary 10-year-old. During our concert, she sang along with Chad Reagan, our baritone from Central City Opera. Kaiya knew the Italian lyrics from 'Largo al factotum' the "Figaro" aria we showcase at every program. She knew all the words, and the orchestra members took note!!! Later, when we were doing the guest conductor portion of the show, cellist Wayne Templeman literally jumped out of his seat telling me to call on this little girl who was conducting a three pattern with her body and soul!
Needless to say, Kaiya was a brilliant conductor. I had to find out who this person was and where she found her passion for music at such a young age. As it turns out, Kaiya plays guitar. Her father is her instructor and she refers to him as a "master" guitarist. She loves chords and one of her favorite bands is Metallica (Really? A fifth grader who is in to a heavy metal band??) Kaiya started guitar at age seven, so she has been playing for three years. She practices one to two hours each day, owns three guitars - one of which is a Gibson, which I believe she favors. She discovered the opera aria from a TV show and watched it over and over memorizing the lyrics.
Kaiya loves all kinds of music and wants to learn the piano, clarinet and the tuba. Wow! The best part is that Kaiya wants to be a composer. I believe with the nurturing from her remarkable father and her Iowa Elementary music teacher, Ms. Peacock, she will achieve her goal.
For the third year, Central City Opera is partnering with Inside the Orchestra to introduce opera and orchestra to elementary school children across Colorado. Check out Central City Opera's calendar for Tiny Tots Inside the Orchestra (ages 6 and under) performance dates in January.
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| Upcoming Maestra Kaiya |
This blog post was written by Maestro Tom Jensen of Inside the Orchestra
We see tens of thousands of kids each year with Inside the Orchestra, but at Iowa Elementary School in Aurora last Monday, one charming fifth grader named Kaiya stood out from all the rest.
Kaiya is not your ordinary 10-year-old. During our concert, she sang along with Chad Reagan, our baritone from Central City Opera. Kaiya knew the Italian lyrics from 'Largo al factotum' the "Figaro" aria we showcase at every program. She knew all the words, and the orchestra members took note!!! Later, when we were doing the guest conductor portion of the show, cellist Wayne Templeman literally jumped out of his seat telling me to call on this little girl who was conducting a three pattern with her body and soul!
 | |
| Central City Opera singer and Maestro Jensen |
Kaiya loves all kinds of music and wants to learn the piano, clarinet and the tuba. Wow! The best part is that Kaiya wants to be a composer. I believe with the nurturing from her remarkable father and her Iowa Elementary music teacher, Ms. Peacock, she will achieve her goal.
For the third year, Central City Opera is partnering with Inside the Orchestra to introduce opera and orchestra to elementary school children across Colorado. Check out Central City Opera's calendar for Tiny Tots Inside the Orchestra (ages 6 and under) performance dates in January.
Guns N' Roses - Concert Review
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The following Guns N' Roses review was written by TDWenger of Listen Up Denver. I'm posting his review here because, to be completely honest, I didn't stay for the duration of the GNR marathon show. Keep reading and you'll understand why...
The Scene: The scene at the Guns N’ Roses show at the 1st Bank Center was pretty much what I thought it might be. There were plenty of aging metalheads in leather and old tour t-shirts with big haired ladies in tight outfits on their arms and they were rubbing shoulders with well dressed suburban couples in their late 30′s out to relive their glory days with songs like “Welcome To The Jungle” and “Paradise City.” Sure there were some younger folks who came out to catch a glimpse of a fading legend, but the average age in the arena was pushing 40 for sure. It was an interesting crowd to say the least and the variety of people that turned out for a walk down memory lane was a clear testament to the wide reach of GnR’s material in the late 80′s and early 90′s.
Guns N’ Roses: First off, I’ve got to admit that the main reason I headed out on a Sunday night to catch this show was because I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to catch an Axl Rose meltdown. While they do seem to be fewer and farther between than just a few years ago, it’s by no means unheard of these days. For better or worse, Axl didn’t fly off the handle and instead decided to be surprisingly professional. Guns N’ Roses was scheduled to take the stage at 11pm (yes you read that right, 11pm . . . on a freakin’ Sunday) and at the stroke of the hour, the lights went down and the theme song from Dexter came pumping from the PA. Within seconds, the lights came up and guitarist DJ Ashba appeared in silhouette against a giant LED screen emblazoned with a GnR logo. As he launched into the opening riff from “Chinese Democracy,” an array of pyrotechnics exploded around the stadium sized stage, Axl and the rest of the band appeared, and we were off on quite an interesting ride.
Though the opener was a lot less than it could have been, the band followed it up with a trio of tunes from Appetite For Destruction as if to say to the mom’s and dad’s who had to go relieve a babysitter “there, you got what you came for, you can go now.” I’ve got to admit that Rose’s voice sounded pretty impressive on what I thought would be the defacto opener “Welcome To The Jungle,” and as he pushed into “It’s So Easy” and “Mr. Brownstone” I thought we might be in for surprisingly good show.
Unfortunately, what followed was an on again, off again set that was in desperate need of an editor. With solo after gratuitous solo, the band stretched . . . and stretched . . . and stretched the show out to three full hours, not bidding us goodnight until 2am. Axl has publicly bragged about how long the show is on this tour, and I’ve got to say that this is NOT the hit filled powerhouse set that will leave you begging for more in the wee hours of the morning. Rather, there were moments where it was downright boring as the band slogged through track after track from Chinese Democracy, and a slew of poorly chosen teases and covers like ”Baba O’Riley,” “Another Brick In The Wall,” and even “The Theme From The Pink Panther.” What it all added up to was a whole bunch of filler, much of which was totally unnecessary at 1am on a Sunday night. Axl and his band could have put on a polished, and really quite good, 90 minute show that focused on a few tracks from Chinese Democracy and the rest of the hits that people came to hear, rather than forcing us to sit through song after song that should have been left on the cutting room floor. Editing certainly doesn’t seem to be Mr. Rose’s strong suit.
While that lack of editing was a major blow to the musical portion of the night, it served to make the visual side of things very interesting. The stage set up was so big that it could have been left over from GnR’s days of touring stadiums with Metallica. With two levels, five video screens, enough acreage to raise a couple hundred head of cattle, an arsenal of pyrotechnical effects, and a dizzying array of lights hanging overhead, the set-up rivaled any of the biggest bands touring today. Frankly, with a rig like this, I have no idea how the band is going to clear any money from this tour. The small arena might have been two-thirds full and there was plenty of room to move around on the floor or to find a seat to wait out some of the slower moments of the evening.
While there were plenty of those slow moments, songs like “Live And Let Die,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” and “November Rain,” delivered just about everything I was hoping for. The three guitarists that are touring with this band in an effort to duplicate the guitar heroics that Slash pulled off on his own, did an admirable job and most of legendary solos were played note for note. There is no lack of talent in this band, and while at times it seemed like we could have been at a Vegas show due to the exorbitant production values, for the most part these guys proved their worth as musicians, as opposed to actors.
The two and half hour set wrapped up with a version of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” that went on for what seemed like an eternity as Axl begged the sparse crowd to sing to him, followed by a high energy take on “Nightrain” which allowed Rose to put his singing prowess on display once again as he hit all the notes and growls in the powerhouse tune. After a brief encore break, the band came back and closed the show with a self indulgent 30 minute mini-set that featured at least 3 drawn out instrumentals that did nothing to advance the show. By the time they got to “Patience” and “Paradise City” much of the crowd was poised to hit the parking lot but Axl had one last surprise in store for us when confetti cannon’s by the soundboard exploded, filling the air with millions of pieces of red paper.
The marathon show was nothing short of over-the-top . . . in every way. From the stage set-up, to the three guitar attack, to the three hour set time, to the 34 song setlist, Axl did it his way, so it was more than fitting that the walk-out music for the evening was Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” When all was said and done I would say that ended up enjoying about half the show and on the drive home I did my best to figure out how to get that other hour and half of my life back. I have one word for you Axl: “Edit.”
Energy: B-
Sound: C
Musicianship: A-
Stage Presence: A-
Set / Light show: A
Overall: B
The following Guns N' Roses review was written by TDWenger of Listen Up Denver. I'm posting his review here because, to be completely honest, I didn't stay for the duration of the GNR marathon show. Keep reading and you'll understand why...
The Scene: The scene at the Guns N’ Roses show at the 1st Bank Center was pretty much what I thought it might be. There were plenty of aging metalheads in leather and old tour t-shirts with big haired ladies in tight outfits on their arms and they were rubbing shoulders with well dressed suburban couples in their late 30′s out to relive their glory days with songs like “Welcome To The Jungle” and “Paradise City.” Sure there were some younger folks who came out to catch a glimpse of a fading legend, but the average age in the arena was pushing 40 for sure. It was an interesting crowd to say the least and the variety of people that turned out for a walk down memory lane was a clear testament to the wide reach of GnR’s material in the late 80′s and early 90′s.
Guns N’ Roses: First off, I’ve got to admit that the main reason I headed out on a Sunday night to catch this show was because I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to catch an Axl Rose meltdown. While they do seem to be fewer and farther between than just a few years ago, it’s by no means unheard of these days. For better or worse, Axl didn’t fly off the handle and instead decided to be surprisingly professional. Guns N’ Roses was scheduled to take the stage at 11pm (yes you read that right, 11pm . . . on a freakin’ Sunday) and at the stroke of the hour, the lights went down and the theme song from Dexter came pumping from the PA. Within seconds, the lights came up and guitarist DJ Ashba appeared in silhouette against a giant LED screen emblazoned with a GnR logo. As he launched into the opening riff from “Chinese Democracy,” an array of pyrotechnics exploded around the stadium sized stage, Axl and the rest of the band appeared, and we were off on quite an interesting ride.
Though the opener was a lot less than it could have been, the band followed it up with a trio of tunes from Appetite For Destruction as if to say to the mom’s and dad’s who had to go relieve a babysitter “there, you got what you came for, you can go now.” I’ve got to admit that Rose’s voice sounded pretty impressive on what I thought would be the defacto opener “Welcome To The Jungle,” and as he pushed into “It’s So Easy” and “Mr. Brownstone” I thought we might be in for surprisingly good show.
Unfortunately, what followed was an on again, off again set that was in desperate need of an editor. With solo after gratuitous solo, the band stretched . . . and stretched . . . and stretched the show out to three full hours, not bidding us goodnight until 2am. Axl has publicly bragged about how long the show is on this tour, and I’ve got to say that this is NOT the hit filled powerhouse set that will leave you begging for more in the wee hours of the morning. Rather, there were moments where it was downright boring as the band slogged through track after track from Chinese Democracy, and a slew of poorly chosen teases and covers like ”Baba O’Riley,” “Another Brick In The Wall,” and even “The Theme From The Pink Panther.” What it all added up to was a whole bunch of filler, much of which was totally unnecessary at 1am on a Sunday night. Axl and his band could have put on a polished, and really quite good, 90 minute show that focused on a few tracks from Chinese Democracy and the rest of the hits that people came to hear, rather than forcing us to sit through song after song that should have been left on the cutting room floor. Editing certainly doesn’t seem to be Mr. Rose’s strong suit.
While that lack of editing was a major blow to the musical portion of the night, it served to make the visual side of things very interesting. The stage set up was so big that it could have been left over from GnR’s days of touring stadiums with Metallica. With two levels, five video screens, enough acreage to raise a couple hundred head of cattle, an arsenal of pyrotechnical effects, and a dizzying array of lights hanging overhead, the set-up rivaled any of the biggest bands touring today. Frankly, with a rig like this, I have no idea how the band is going to clear any money from this tour. The small arena might have been two-thirds full and there was plenty of room to move around on the floor or to find a seat to wait out some of the slower moments of the evening.While there were plenty of those slow moments, songs like “Live And Let Die,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” and “November Rain,” delivered just about everything I was hoping for. The three guitarists that are touring with this band in an effort to duplicate the guitar heroics that Slash pulled off on his own, did an admirable job and most of legendary solos were played note for note. There is no lack of talent in this band, and while at times it seemed like we could have been at a Vegas show due to the exorbitant production values, for the most part these guys proved their worth as musicians, as opposed to actors.
The two and half hour set wrapped up with a version of Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” that went on for what seemed like an eternity as Axl begged the sparse crowd to sing to him, followed by a high energy take on “Nightrain” which allowed Rose to put his singing prowess on display once again as he hit all the notes and growls in the powerhouse tune. After a brief encore break, the band came back and closed the show with a self indulgent 30 minute mini-set that featured at least 3 drawn out instrumentals that did nothing to advance the show. By the time they got to “Patience” and “Paradise City” much of the crowd was poised to hit the parking lot but Axl had one last surprise in store for us when confetti cannon’s by the soundboard exploded, filling the air with millions of pieces of red paper.
The marathon show was nothing short of over-the-top . . . in every way. From the stage set-up, to the three guitar attack, to the three hour set time, to the 34 song setlist, Axl did it his way, so it was more than fitting that the walk-out music for the evening was Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” When all was said and done I would say that ended up enjoying about half the show and on the drive home I did my best to figure out how to get that other hour and half of my life back. I have one word for you Axl: “Edit.”
Energy: B-
Sound: C
Musicianship: A-
Stage Presence: A-
Set / Light show: A
Overall: B
I'm Going Back To School
To contact us Click HERE
The last few weeks have been very busy for me as I interviewed and landed a new job at the School of Rock. I can't begin to describe what a great Holiday gift this is for my family. I could easily detail my months and months (and months) of unemployment, the hundreds of cover letters I wrote and resumes I sent, the dozens of interviews I had (but was never left standing at the end), blah, blah, blah... but I'd much rather look to the future and the work I'll be doing for School of Rock. There are 75+ SOR's across the country including three in Colorado. I'll be working to open new franchises across the country, and eventually internationally. So here's a little breakdown on what the SOR is all about:
We believe the best way to learn music is to play music. We take students from the lesson room to the stage, developing both their confidence and musicianship with programs designed for all skill levels.
School of Rock teaches guitar, bass, vocals, keyboards, drums and combines weekly private music lessons and group band rehearsals to prepare students to take the stage in front of live audiences in an authentic concert setting.
To date our students have played thousands of concerts, to more than 100,000 people, at such legendary venues as CBGB's, The Trocadero, The Knitting Factory, The Whiskey, The Roxy, The Experience Music Project, The Big Easy and BB King's Blues Club in Times Square. We have also had the great fortune to be able to perform at music festivals from Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits, to Zappanale in Bad Doberan, Germany.
We believe the best way to learn music is to play music. We take students from the lesson room to the stage, developing both their confidence and musicianship with programs designed for all skill levels.
School of Rock teaches guitar, bass, vocals, keyboards, drums and combines weekly private music lessons and group band rehearsals to prepare students to take the stage in front of live audiences in an authentic concert setting.
To date our students have played thousands of concerts, to more than 100,000 people, at such legendary venues as CBGB's, The Trocadero, The Knitting Factory, The Whiskey, The Roxy, The Experience Music Project, The Big Easy and BB King's Blues Club in Times Square. We have also had the great fortune to be able to perform at music festivals from Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits, to Zappanale in Bad Doberan, Germany.
Jerry Gaskill of King's X Suffers Heart Attack
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Details are sketchy at this hour, but Facebook reports are coming in that King's X drummer Jerry Gaskill has suffered a heart attack.
From Dug Pinnick: Jerry had a heart attack last night. He was operated on and is in stable condition at the hospital. Were all waiting for more info. I will keep you posted.
From Russell Arcara: Prayers are needed at this time for my very dear friend Jerry Gaskill He has suffered a heart attack and is in the ICU at this very moment. My FB friends are powerful prayers and he needs our continuous prayer. His family and I would be extremely grateful!!!!!
It goes without saying how much of a talent Jerry is - all KX fans are hoping that this situation isn't life threatening and that he'll make a full recovery. Selfishly, I'd love to see him perform in Denver in two short months, but if I had to put money down I'd say he'll be resting and the tour will either be postponed or a replacement drummer will be brought in to play their upcoming dates.
Get well soon, Jerry!
From Dug Pinnick: Jerry had a heart attack last night. He was operated on and is in stable condition at the hospital. Were all waiting for more info. I will keep you posted.
From Russell Arcara: Prayers are needed at this time for my very dear friend Jerry Gaskill He has suffered a heart attack and is in the ICU at this very moment. My FB friends are powerful prayers and he needs our continuous prayer. His family and I would be extremely grateful!!!!!
It goes without saying how much of a talent Jerry is - all KX fans are hoping that this situation isn't life threatening and that he'll make a full recovery. Selfishly, I'd love to see him perform in Denver in two short months, but if I had to put money down I'd say he'll be resting and the tour will either be postponed or a replacement drummer will be brought in to play their upcoming dates.
Get well soon, Jerry!
DLR: I'm Eddie Van Halen's Biggest Fan
To contact us Click HERE
The 2012 Van Halen tour is only a few shows in and the fan reviews continue to be strong.
VH have been dropping some rarely-played gems in the setlists and mixing things up a little as they settle into the start of the trip.
This week, VH play two nights at Madison Square Garden, and the New York Post caught up with David Lee Roth for an update on the band’s tour in support of “A Different Kind Of Truth.”
“We’re doing a lot of tunes that don’t usually get out of the deck and Edward is more lucid now than any time in my memory,” explains Roth. “I’m his biggest fan. I still remember the first time I saw him playing in a backyard party in Pasadena in high school. He was great then and he’s great now. We’ve come full circle.”
Asked what sets VH apart from other bands, Dave says “We throw a sick party, and if you get invited, you gotta go. For starters, on this tour Kool and the Gang are opening our shows, and that’s full circle for us because we used to play ‘Hollywood Swinging’ in five-sets-a-night-beer-bars. And the first three songs on our new record are thunder-funk. What we’re giving is the best of the old and the new — think of it like watching ‘Dragnet’ on your iPad.”
Roth was asked how the pop world changed since VH started in the 70s.
“These days, I see too much cheerleading and not enough stagecraft, and what I’m seeing isn’t worth cheering for,” replies Roth. “The questions I want to ask most of my colleagues are: Can you even do the whole song from beginning to end? Can you do it onstage like you did it in the studio? Do you float like a butterfly or sting like a pre-recorded bee?”
The 2012 Van Halen tour is only a few shows in and the fan reviews continue to be strong.
VH have been dropping some rarely-played gems in the setlists and mixing things up a little as they settle into the start of the trip.
This week, VH play two nights at Madison Square Garden, and the New York Post caught up with David Lee Roth for an update on the band’s tour in support of “A Different Kind Of Truth.”
“We’re doing a lot of tunes that don’t usually get out of the deck and Edward is more lucid now than any time in my memory,” explains Roth. “I’m his biggest fan. I still remember the first time I saw him playing in a backyard party in Pasadena in high school. He was great then and he’s great now. We’ve come full circle.”
Asked what sets VH apart from other bands, Dave says “We throw a sick party, and if you get invited, you gotta go. For starters, on this tour Kool and the Gang are opening our shows, and that’s full circle for us because we used to play ‘Hollywood Swinging’ in five-sets-a-night-beer-bars. And the first three songs on our new record are thunder-funk. What we’re giving is the best of the old and the new — think of it like watching ‘Dragnet’ on your iPad.”
Roth was asked how the pop world changed since VH started in the 70s.
“These days, I see too much cheerleading and not enough stagecraft, and what I’m seeing isn’t worth cheering for,” replies Roth. “The questions I want to ask most of my colleagues are: Can you even do the whole song from beginning to end? Can you do it onstage like you did it in the studio? Do you float like a butterfly or sting like a pre-recorded bee?”
8 Aralık 2012 Cumartesi
Encore Screenings Of Led Zeppelin's Celebration Day Being Added
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Following the worldwide success of Led Zeppelin's Celebration Day, the cinema concert event which presented live footage of the band’s 2007 reunion concert at London’s O2 Arena, there has been an enormous response from fans – 1.7 million fans have visited the fan’s website.
The film was screened in 15,000 cinemas around the world for a strictly limited engagement on Wednesday, October 17, 2012. Fans who were unable to attend the original tribute concert for Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun in 2007, when more than 20 million fans applied for the 18,000 available tickets in a worldwide lottery, finally had the opportunity to see it as if they had front row tickets. The film earned $2 million in a single night and was a phenomenal success.
Omniverse Vision, the UK-based distribution company that released Celebration Day, a two-hour-plus tour de force of Zeppelin’s signature blues-infused rock ‘n’ roll, has been working with online marketing specialist Distrify to track the response from fans online via an interactive platform on the Led Zeppelin website. With 100,000 hits a day, including 46,000 searches for show times and 4,000 requests for local screenings, Distrify has been able to compile the information needed for Omniverse Vision executives to agree to schedule encore performances in select markets to meet the demands of Led Zeppelin’s fans. There has been overwhelming interest in additional screenings from the U.S., the UK, Japan, Brazil, Canada, Italy, Germany, France, Mexico and Australia.
For younger fans, this film may be the first time that they will see founding members John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, along with Jason Bonham, son of the late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, together on stage. For older fans, this might be their last chance to see these iconic rockers perform 16 songs from their iconic catalog. The band made it all too clear in press conferences announcing Celebration Day that there were no plans for a reunion tour. The set list for the cinema concert event includes:
1. Good Times Bad Times
2. Ramble On
3. Black Dog
4. In My Time Of Dying
5. For Your Life
6. Trampled Under Foot
7. Nobody’s Fault But Mine
8. No Quarter
9. Since I’ve Been Loving You
10. Dazed And Confused
11. Stairway To Heaven
12. The Song Remains The Same
13. Misty Mountain Hop
14. Kashmir
15. Whole Lotta Love
16. Rock And Roll
Celebration Day will be presented in high definition with surround sound in movie theatres for an encore performance on Tuesday, November 13. Tickets are limited.
For a list of theatres and show times, please refer to the Led Zeppelin website.
Celebration Day will then be available in multiple video and audio formats on November 19, 2012 from Swan Song/Atlantic Records.
The film was screened in 15,000 cinemas around the world for a strictly limited engagement on Wednesday, October 17, 2012. Fans who were unable to attend the original tribute concert for Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun in 2007, when more than 20 million fans applied for the 18,000 available tickets in a worldwide lottery, finally had the opportunity to see it as if they had front row tickets. The film earned $2 million in a single night and was a phenomenal success.
Omniverse Vision, the UK-based distribution company that released Celebration Day, a two-hour-plus tour de force of Zeppelin’s signature blues-infused rock ‘n’ roll, has been working with online marketing specialist Distrify to track the response from fans online via an interactive platform on the Led Zeppelin website. With 100,000 hits a day, including 46,000 searches for show times and 4,000 requests for local screenings, Distrify has been able to compile the information needed for Omniverse Vision executives to agree to schedule encore performances in select markets to meet the demands of Led Zeppelin’s fans. There has been overwhelming interest in additional screenings from the U.S., the UK, Japan, Brazil, Canada, Italy, Germany, France, Mexico and Australia.
For younger fans, this film may be the first time that they will see founding members John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, along with Jason Bonham, son of the late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, together on stage. For older fans, this might be their last chance to see these iconic rockers perform 16 songs from their iconic catalog. The band made it all too clear in press conferences announcing Celebration Day that there were no plans for a reunion tour. The set list for the cinema concert event includes:
1. Good Times Bad Times
2. Ramble On
3. Black Dog
4. In My Time Of Dying
5. For Your Life
6. Trampled Under Foot
7. Nobody’s Fault But Mine
8. No Quarter
9. Since I’ve Been Loving You
10. Dazed And Confused
11. Stairway To Heaven
12. The Song Remains The Same
13. Misty Mountain Hop
14. Kashmir
15. Whole Lotta Love
16. Rock And Roll
Celebration Day will be presented in high definition with surround sound in movie theatres for an encore performance on Tuesday, November 13. Tickets are limited.
For a list of theatres and show times, please refer to the Led Zeppelin website.
Celebration Day will then be available in multiple video and audio formats on November 19, 2012 from Swan Song/Atlantic Records.
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