Acey Slade, FDCs Plan Vinyl Release

I have some news to pass along from friend of BBG!, guitarist Acey Slade. He's teaming up with the FDCs for a vinyl release to celebrate national record store day. I fully support record store day and I'm glad so many artists are doing special projects like this to bring attention to the nearly-lost medium known as vinyl. Here's the details:

In celebration of NATIONAL RECORD STORE DAY on Saturday, April 21st 2012, renegade punk rock label DELERICT RECORDS are teaming up with TRASHPIT RECORDS to release a brand new split 7" single featuring New York's techno alternative rockers ACEY SLADE & THE DARK PARTY with underground Kings of Schtick JD & THE FDCs. The Double A Sided Coloured Vinyl 7" will feature the new FDC Single 'Burn This City Down' backed with 'Suicide Lullaby' from The Dark Party. Both tracks have been fully remastered in preparation for their vinyl debuts and promise some stunning artwork which has become a trademark of TrashPit Records releases.  

FDC Leader and Frontman Jamie Delerict commented on the reasons behind the partnership and the old school vinyl approach.

"Personally, my music hasn't appeared on vinyl since 1998. Delerict Records last pressed a couple of 7" records way back in 1996, so this is LONG overdue! I've had a longstanding relationship with Rob and Trashpit for nearly a decade and the FDCs have a lot of history with Acey and his band too. It's a natural fit!"

The Split 7" Single will be available to pre-order from APRIL 1st from either www.jdandthefdcs.com or www.thedarkparty.co.uk 

The single release will also tie in with the premiere of the new JD & THE FDC's Promo Video for 'Burn This City Down' directed by Free Running Films.

If you don't know The Dark Party, check out the song "Baby, The Stars Shine Brightly"

Mad Max, 'Rocklahoma'

Yes kids, Mad Max wrote a song about Rocklahoma. Yeah, that Rocklahoma. Mad Max is a German band that was formed in the very early 80s. They broke-up and then reformed years ago and played Rocklahoma in 2009 and 2010. I was at each one of those events and I honestly don't remember watching Mad Max. I'm sure it was a side stage situation where other bands were playing at the same time.

The band will release Another Night of Passion next week which is the sequel to the 1987 release Night of Passion.

You can check out the entire song over at Noisecreep.

The Sweet -- Live Review

Anyone who loves our form of music, just has to love The Sweet. Who do people think bands like Def Leppard and Motley Crue were trying to be, when they started? The Sweet, of course. If none sounded quite like them, it's because none could sing that high, or layer that many harmonies without losing something. The Sweet did not have this problem. Everyone knows "Ballroom Blitz" of course but I've been buying all their back catalogue and finding all sorts of treasures in there. So, I was super excited to hear they were touring Australia, even though I knew two of them are dead. Turns out the lead guitarist is the only original member. The band's website boasts that they still play to sellout crowds, which is a bit disingenuous when they play small rooms that hold 400 odd people, but, for all that, those 400 people were very excited to be waiting to hear the Sweet on a Wednesday night.

We were not disappointed. The new singer does not sound anything like the original but, he can certainly sing (and why wouldn't you hire ring ins who can do the job?) Andy Scott also did a lot of secondary vocals on the original recordings, such as "We just don't know WHAT to do," in "Blockbuster," so it's a bit odd to suddenly have the band sound JUST like the record, instead of a cover band, but it was clear that Andy in particular, still has his pipes and can handle all the higher harmonies that their music requires.

The Sweet are the sort of band where it's easy to forget how many "hits" they have. Several of these were compressed in to medleys, to make them all fit in one set. Songs like "Co-co and Poppa Joe" are probably best treated that way, but I think Wig Wam Bam and Little Willy deserved a full hearing. Before the show, I spent $30 on two CDs (one new, one live) and a program. The live CD was basically their set, except they also did "Peppermint Twist" (I'm not sure why), and "Action" (thankfully, that's my favorite Sweet song).

They apparently did a cover of "Am I Ever Gonna See Your Face Again" in 1992, which, as any regular readers will know, is by my favorite Aussie band, the Angels. Rick Brewster, who wrote the song, now lives in Tasmania, so they pulled him out to do the song as an added bonus for the Hobart crowd. It was quite amusing to see they probably thought of this last minute, as no-one in the band knew the words, and Rick had to take over at one point. It was definitely an added bonus.

The new CD is mostly covers, and because some are obscure, and there's no credits on there so it's hard to know what songs were new. The songs include "You Spin Me Round" (as done by Dead or Alive in the 80s), "Because the Night" (as done by Keel in the 80s) and "Blitzkreig Bop." They did "Gold On The Ceiling" live, and I think it's theirs. It's a good song. The CD is worth getting if you get a chance.

So, I can add The Sweet to my list of bands that I've seen in their current form, although I wish I'd seen the originals.  I bought a Sweet live CD, obviously bootlegged, on Amazon, and I think they sound better now than they did back in the day... probably because they can't afford to buy drugs anymore. Either way, if you get a chance to see the Sweet, I'd say it's worth it, and if you don't own Desolation Boulevard, and Give Us A Wink (the latter almost entirely for "Action"), then you need to buy them now.

Joe Perry Wishes Steven Tyler A Happy Birthday

Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry surprised Steven Tyler on American Idol tonight. Steven's birthday is March 26, and the show wanted to commemorate the event. It was cool seeing Joe... and immediately after the performance, drummer Joey Kramer tweeted something along the lines of "See, I told you we like each other." Here's the clip:

M3 Lineup Change Means No Cinderella

On Tuesday night, a rumor started circling Facebook that Cinderella was off the M3 lineup and L.A. Guns was in. Well, now all of that is official. Yesterday, the M3 promoters sent out this message to ticket holders:

There have been some changes to this year’s M3 line-up and we want to fill you in. Unfortunately, we just learned that Cinderella is unable to perform as their lead guitarist, Jeff LaBar, is currently receiving attention for an unspecified medical condition and the band will be off the road through mid June. We wish Jeff well.

We are glad to report, however, that we’ve added LA Guns and Great White to the bill – and there’s another exciting addition. There will be an unforgettable M3 All-Star Jam with many artists from this year’s festival joining onstage showcasing their talents in this one-time only epic event.

We look forward to seeing you May 11 and 12th!

So there you have it: Cinderella out, L.A. Guns and Great White, in. In case there's any confusion the L.A. Guns is Phil Lewis' version and the Great White version is the one with Terry Ilous on vocals. What are your thoughts on this change? Personally, I don't think there's a real headliner anymore, but maybe I'm way off base.

This Is Epic On Many Levels

Did you watch the Motley Crue/KISS tour announcement press conference? It's pretty epic... on many levels. I cackled quite a few times, for different reasons. I'll let you form your own opinions. Watch.

Kiss, Motley Crue Tour Announcement Today

LOS ANGELES, CA (March 20, 2012) – Rock ‘n Roll doesn’t get any bigger than this! KISS and MÖTLEY CRÜE... On the same stage... On the same night. This spectacle of spectacles announced today, KISS and MÖTLEY CRÜE are uniting to launch THE TOUR of 2012. The summer's biggest, baddest rock tour will level 40+ cities nationwide starting July 20^th. The Live Nation promoted tour will go on sale beginning Friday, March 23rd at Ticketmaster.com and LiveNation.com.   Both bands will have fan club pre-sales beginning Wednesday, March 21^st at 10am.

Citi® cardmembers will also have access to presale tickets beginning Wedneday, March 21st at 2pm local time through Citi's Private Pass® Program. For complete presale details visit www.citiprivatepass.com.

With combined album sales of almost 200 million, KISS and MÖTLEY CRÜE are more than just iconic; they remain today as the dominant powerhouses of rock music tallying 30+ chart-topping hits, countless sold out tours and awards and accolades from around the world. Known for their elaborate and spectacular stage shows, each band plans to give fans the ultimate summer concert experience with the most impressive lighting and sound production ever and their signature over-the-top pyrotechnics. This is the first time KISS and MÖTLEY CRÜE will share a stage since 1982. 

KISS consists of Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer. MÖTLEY CRÜE consists of Vince Neil, Mick Mars, Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee.

These veterans of the music business are still at the height of their popularity. KISS is the juggernaut of them all, with 3,000 licensed merchandise products, including the KISS golf course in Las Vegas and a new album. KISS has broken box office records set by The Beatles and Elvis. MÖTLEY CRÜE is the first rock band in history to have just completed an epic sold-out Las Vegas residency at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The band is best known for continuing to reinvent not only their live show (with mind blowing elements such as Tommy Lee’s 360 drum roller coaster) and music (brand new song due out this spring), but remain on the cutting edge via social media interaction.  MÖTLEY CRÜE’s New York Times bestselling book The Dirt is currently being adapted into a major motion picture.  Last month, the band was featured in one of the highest rated Super Bowl ads of all time for the KIA Optima.

For tickets & VIP packages, including opportunities to meet KISS and MÖTLEY CRÜE, please visit www.KISSonline.com or www.Motley.com

KISS AND MÖTLEY CRÜE THE TOUR:

DATE              CITY                                       VENUE 

Jul 20              Bristow, VA                             Jiffy Lube Live

Jul 21              Virginia Beach, VA                  Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach

Jul 22              Raleigh, NC                            Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek

Jul 24              Atlanta, GA                             Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood

Jul 25              Charlotte, NC                          Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

Jul 27              West Palm Beach, FL             Cruzan Amphitheater

Jul 28              Tampa, FL                              1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre

Jul 31              Pelham, AL                             Oak Mountain Amphitheatre

Aug 3               Houston, TX                            Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

Aug 4               Dallas, TX                               Gexa Energy Pavillion

Aug 7               Albuquerque, NM                    Hard Rock Casino Presents The Pavilion

Aug 8               Englewood, CO                      Comfort Dental Amphitheatre

Aug 10             Phoenix, AZ                            Ashley Furniture HomeStore Pavilion

Aug 11             Las Vegas, NV                        Mandalay Bay Arts Center

Aug 12             Chula Vista, CA                      Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre

Aug 14             Irvine, CA                                Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

Aug 16             Concord, CA                           Sleep Train Pavilion at Concord

Aug 18             Auburn, WA                            White River Amphitheatre

Aug 19             Ridgefield, WA                        Sleep Country Amphitheater

Aug 24             Grand Junction, CO               Rock Jam

Aug 26             Tulsa, OK                                BOK Center (on-sale 3/30)

Aug 27             Maryland Heights, MO           Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

Aug 29             Minneapolis, MN                     Minnesota State Fair (on-sale 3/31)

Aug 31             Cincinnati, OH                        Riverbend MusicCenter

Sep 1               Noblesville, IN                         Klipsch Music Center

Sep 2               Pittsburgh, PA                         First Niagra Pavilion

Sep 4               Nashville, TN                          Bridgestone Arena

Sep 5               Clarkston, MI                          DTE Energy Music Theatre

Sep 7               Tinley Park, IL                         First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre

Sep 8               East Troy, WI                          Alpine Valley Music Theatre

Sep 11             Allegan, MI                              Allegan County Fair (on-sale 5/5)

Sep 12             Cleveland, OH                        Blossom Music Center

Sep 13             Toronto, ON                            Molson Canadian Amphitheatre

Sep 15             Darien Center, NY                  Darien Lake Performing Arts Center

Sep 16             Mansfield, MA                         Comcast Center

Sep 18             Scranton, PA                          Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain

Sep 19             Camden, NJ                           Susquehanna Bank Center

Sep 21             Holmdel, NJ                            PNC Bank Arts Center

Sep 22             Wantagh, NY                          Nikon at Jones Beach Theater

Sep 23             Hartford, CT                            Comcast Theatre