AC/DC To Retire?

I watched the story about AC/DC and their "imminent retirement" surge all over the Internet yesterday. An Australian radio station broke the story that was apparently "confirmed" by all sorts of other news outlets, with tons of theories that Malcolm or Angus Young (or both) were very ill. Billboard is reporting that a retirement probably isn't imminent, citing lack of official comments from band sources or management. 

Further adding to the confusion, The Sydney Herald reports that Malcolm Young is now unable to play his instrument "but there's been no explanation why."

AC/DC is set to record a new album this year. I guess time will tell what happens.

What do you think? I'm glad I got to see the band on their Black Ice tour.

Update on Wednesday, April 16, 2014 at 10:01AM by Allyson B. Crawford

Here's an update from Billboard. AC/DC Frontman Denies They're Quitting, Confirms Member Has 'Debilitating Illness'

Special Version of 'Dream On' Recorded For Boston Marathon Coverage

Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry teamed up with the Southern California Children's Chorus for a special version of "Dream On."

The new version will be featured on an ESPN special in advance of the Boston Marathon. The song will be part of the E:60 series, during a segment entitled "Dream On: Stories on Boston's Strongest," focusing on last year's terrorist attack that killed three and injured over 250.

The Boston Marathon is set for April 21. You can watch coverage on NBC Universal Sports. 

Dave Mustaine, San Diego Symphony Rock

Happy Monday!

The other day Dave Mustaine performed with the San Diego Symphony. The clips are online now and I have to admit the concert looked darn cool. Plus I've never witnessed a proper orchestral audience hoot and really cheer before -- but the folks in San Diego sure did when Mustaine came on the stage.

I really do love when musicians take risks. I've been following Mustaine's build up to this symphonic endeavor and I'm glad it came off without a hitch.

Twilight of the Gods

Today's blog comes to us from the regular poster HIM.

Internet reading isn’t continuous.  You pick one topic, swerve to another, and then leap to the next.  So reading about Deep Purple’s California Jam (1974) reissue led me . . . to this. In a certain sense, it is so time-locked in amber as to be cringe-worthy.  The mustache-less Iommi.  The fat-faced Osborne looking more like Kelly than John (nee Ozzy).  The pants-so-tight-it-looks-like-a-thong Butler.  The thunder pounding Ward.  This was Sabbath.  No, it isn’t Glam.  But it was Sabbath.  Ward is gone, furloughed in a purgatory of potential albums and wand-waving artistic displays. Butler still keeps the doom-laden beat.  Iommi, fighting the good fight against cancer, still traces riffs across the board like a mystic. Ozzy?  He is there.  Sounding better than he should on the latest release and sounding hit-or-miss (charitably) on their latest outing. Actually, that is a lie.  He sounds as shopworn, as depleted, as confused as he ever has.  His best days are behind him.  No buckets of water, or "God Bless You All," or prescription Lennon glasses can hide that fact.

Like Diamond Dave, people forgive Ozzy a host of sins.  But there is a difference. As the California Jam shows, the young Ozzy was the Ozzy of his albums—rough and hoarse, yet paradoxically tuneful and powerful; a singer capable of replicating the songs live. He was a spark that moved Sabbath forward. Notice, for instance, the purely spontaneous moment—the smile that crosses Iommi’s face—that Ozzy shares with his guitarist.  Even when he strained to hit the high (and they are pretty low) notes, Ozzy was in the pocket.

That Sabbath, like Ward, is gone.  Still, 13 stands as one of the best returns to form of recent years.  But the form is slower, slower than even the Sabbath of old would like to admit (no odd “Am I Going Insane?” or plaintive “Junior’s Eyes” or gritty “Dirty Women”).  The point is important. The new album--or CD, or e-release--recycles tended hedgerows, reminding us of the past.  Where a Different Kind of Truth made us feel young, 13 reminds us that we aren’t.  Perhaps that is the perfect coda to a band that made doom and gloom feel so alive: their energy and spirit, forty years past, still provides a jolt when we need it.

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KISS, Def Leppard To Hire Veterans For Tour

Whatever you think about the guys in KISS or Def Leppard, this is a pretty classy move. I received this press release yeserday from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Rock Bands KISS and Def Leppard Commit to Hire Two Veterans as Roadies as Part of U.S. Chamber Hiring 500,000 Heroes Program

NEW YORK, NY—Rock bands KISS and Def Leppard today announced their commitment to hire two veterans as roadies for their 2014 summer tour as part of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and Capital One’s Hiring 500,000 Heroes campaign. The bands made their hiring announcement live on the NBC Today Show in New York after deciding jointly to dedicate their upcoming summer tour to the military community. Following a nationwide search, two veterans will be chosen to support the bands’ production team on the 42-city North American tour. 

This will be the second time KISS has carried out a nationwide search for a veteran roadie. Two years ago, Army veteran and longtime KISS fan Paul Jordan was chosen to join a summer tour after a review of 1,900 applications sent in from coast to coast. He went on to tour 44 cities with the band, helping with the set up and breakdown at each stop. Looking back after the tour closed, Jordan said, “I know now that life exists after military service. You just have to find something you’re passionate about and go get it. There is a world of opportunity out there.”

"It is our privilege to draw attention to the obligation we all have to the brave men and women who volunteer to risk their own lives to protect the liberties and freedom that we all take for granted. We should all jump at any opportunity to provide any assistance needed by our warriors. Heroes deserve jobs!" said Paul Stanley, lead vocalist/guitarist of KISS.

“Having our own wounded warrior in Rick Allen, we’ve always had a close tie with the military,” said Joe Elliott, lead vocalist of Def Leppard. “To carry on and further our contribution by giving a little back, and hopefully helping fulfill a dream or two, we’re more than happy to show our support.”

KISS and Def Leppard announced the 2014 summer tour last month during a press conference at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. Both groups have agreed to donate $2 of every ticket sold to various military nonprofits, including Hiring Our Heroes, the USO, Project Resiliency/The Raven Drum Foundation, Augusta Warrior Project, and Wounded Warrior Project.

“We are thrilled to work with KISS, Def Leppard, and all of the great partners teaming up to find two veterans for this amazing opportunity,” said Eric Eversole, executive director of Hiring Our Heroes. “Our team saw firsthand how much Paul Jordan’s life changed when he toured with KISS. We applaud both bands for their continued dedication to the military community, and we hope others are inspired to follow their lead and hire military members and their spouses.”

Veterans who wish to apply for the positions can go to Military.com/Heroes for more information. All applications must be received by Friday, May 9th at 11:59 p.m. Military.com will work with KISS and Def Leppard to select the final two veterans.

 

Hiring Our Heroes launched in March 2011 as a nationwide initiative to help veterans, transitioning service members, and military spouses find meaningful employment. Working with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s vast network of state and local chambers and other strategic partners from the public, private and nonprofit sectors, Hiring Our Heroes has helped hundreds of thousands of veterans and military spouses find meaningful employment. The goal of the Hiring 500,000 Heroes campaign with Capital One is to engage the business community in committing to hire half a million veterans and military spouses by the end of 2014.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation (USCCF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce dedicated to strengthening America’s long-term competitiveness by addressing developments that affect our nation, our economy and the global business environment.

Has Steel Panther Jumped The Shark?

Steel Panther just released a video for their song "Gloryhole" from the album All You Can Eat. Not much offends me, but this clip is pretty over-the-top, even for Steel Panther. It's definitely not safe for work. Watch at your own peril.

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Night Ranger Readies New Work

Night Ranger just released a new electronic press kit (EPK) for their upcoming album High Road. The album will be released on the Frontiers label soon. I'm definitely looking forward to this one.

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