ShipRocked 2012 Bands Announced

Godsmack, Five Finger Death Punch, P.O.D., Sevendust, Filter, Fuel, Black Stone Cherry, Lit, Geoff Tate (Queensrÿche), Gilby Clarke (ex-Guns N’ Roses) and In This Moment are confirmed for the fourth annual ShipRocked, the ultimate rock music cruise vacation. ShipRocked 2012 embarks from Fort Lauderdale, FL November 27 and provides guests with four days and nights of music and mayhem--along with a little relaxation--onboard the MSC Poesia while sailing the Caribbean. Ports of call include Key West, FL and Nassau, Bahamas (subject to change), with the cruise returning to Fort Lauderdale December 1. Additional bands will be announced in the coming weeks. Monster Energy is set once again to partner with ShipRocked and help fuel the 2012 voyage into the hard rocking seas.

ShipRocked guests will enjoy multiple performances from each band on various stages throughout the ship, artist meet and greets, and Q&A sessions, along with artist-hosted activities including contests, game shows, insane parties, theme nights and more. ShipRocked offers unique opportunities to interact with bands in various settings onboard and in ports of call.

Godsmack’s Shannon Larkin performed on ShipRocked 2011 with his band Another Animal and says, "The whole experience was very unique and very kick ass! I would recommend this highly to bands and fans alike. I made a ton of fond memories and hope to do it again!"

Morgan Rose of Sevendust--who performed on ShipRocked 2010 and 2011--comments: "Being invited to be a part of ShipRocked again is amazing.  We've had an awesome time the past two years. It gives us a chance to be so close to the people, while on tour it's nearly impossible to do that. I hope to see all of our fans on the boat!”

In between the live shows and other events during the music festival at sea, ShipRocked guests will have plenty of opportunities to rest, recharge, feast on all-you-can eat cuisine, or simply kick back on their private balconies overlooking the ocean and star-filled sky. The MSC Poesia from Italy offers luxury cruising at its finest, lavishing its guests with luxurious Italian style, modern amenities, and an abundance of recreational activities and entertainment. Along with swimming pools, whirlpools, a fitness center, and multiple restaurants and bars, the ship also offers a miniature golf course, shuffleboard, tennis court, jogging track, cigar lounge, wine bar, discotheque, Internet cafe, shopping arcade, Vegas-style casino, and a 12,000 square-foot spa. In essence, almost everything a guest could ever want is available onboard the floating resort.

“As rock music evolves, so does ShipRocked,” notes ShipRocked producer Alan Koenig of ASK4 Entertainment. “Our fourth annual voyage is poised to be our biggest and best sailing yet, and we couldn't be more excited to have Godsmack at the helm. SR12 will include some of the biggest names in modern hard rock, as well as a generous helping of new bands to watch out for in the future.  Of course, it wouldn't be a ShipRocked cruise without a few of the amazing artists who have helped make the last three decades sound so good.”

Vacation packages start at only $799 per person (double occupancy) and include exclusive access to all ShipRocked concerts and special events, deluxe stateroom, meals, ship activities, ship entertainment and more. Guests are also able to choose their specific cabin when booking a reservation.

Tickets go on sale to the general public Saturday, March 10 at 10:00 AM ET. Space is limited, so early booking is encouraged to guarantee a cabin. For more information--including travel discounts--and to make a reservation, go to www.GetShipRocked.com  or call 1-888-370-9680.

For the fourth year in a row, the ShipRocked onboard charity auction will benefit Cancer Sucks (www.cancersucks.com), a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding innovative medical research and finding a cure for cancer. The auction will feature one-of-a-kind rock memorabilia from this year’s performers and more. ShipRocked guests have a history of generosity, with previous onboard auctions raising over $100,000 for various charities.

Soundwave 2012 Review

It's that time of year, again. Soundwave is an Australian music festival that attracts big names, across nine stages, and is the must-do event for metal fans locally. Last year I was at the front for Iron Maiden, and this year, I headed off again. The bands do concerts between the event, called Sidewaves. Last year I saw Rob Zombie, this year it was Trivium and Slipknot. They put on an amazing show, as always. Sadly, the Iron Maiden presale was split across two nights, so the night before Slipknot and the night I was in Melbourne before Soundwave, I needed to get up at 3 a.m. to buy tickets. But, I am in the pit for Dallas and Houston, so, well worth it.

This year, I had a plan of what bands to see. Soundwave has two big stages for the main bands, two smaller stages for the metal bands, and then two sheds with smaller stages and one with only one stage. So, for most people, Soundwave goes like clockwork, one stage ends, and the one next to it, starts. Sadly, this year they had barriers between the two main stages, so it was not possible to just slide between them as we did last year. No matter, we had no interest in Saves the Day/Pinkerton, who were truly awful. We were at the front, waiting for Steel Panther. I've never seen them, and they put on a good show, with an amazingly large turnout for that early in the day. I think Steel Panther could tour Australia on their own, no problem. There was a disturbing number of people near us who seemed more excited at the prospect of girls taking their tops off than the band themselves, but everyone got what they wanted, and it was a good show. My friend caught a pick, they say "Please return to Satchel of Steel Panther," which is funny.

Lost Prophets were not as bad as the first band, but that's all the praise I've got for them.

Alter Bridge are brilliant. I notice they play a ton of PRS guitars, which is very cool, and they are just brilliant. I cannot wait for the new Slash CD, Miles just has a great voice, even if he looks like Catweazle.

At this point, I hoped to check out Turasis, but we just didn't make it. We ended up seeing a bit of Coal Chamber, getting some merch and some food, and then being unimpressed enough that we drifted back to the main stage for Bad Religion. Bad Relgion had to end their show 10 minutes early because of something dangerous on the stage. I don't know what it was, but during Limp Bizkit on the stage next to that one, there were people on top of both stages, tying things down.

Limp Bizkit are awful. Sorry, but they are. The only interesting bits where when a girl who was dancing on a raised section that had an exit sign on a pole, invited speculation as to her profession by the way she climbed the pole and hung upside down. The interesting bit was when she got off it, and it fell down in to the crowd. Shortly after, Fred Durst said something about us "all looking out for one another," and then proceeded to tell us about a girl called Jessica who died at a Melbourne Limp Bizkit show about six years ago. They pulled down their banner for one that said "Jessica" and put her photo on the jumbotron. It kind of added to my thoughts of "what moron put a free standing sign on a platform where it could fall on the crowd," especially given the overall added security from last year, and the layers you had to pass through, including passing by public indemnity statements in huge letters, to get to the barrier. The next band was Marilyn Manson, which is who I'd really gone back to the main stage for. His second song was "Disposable Teens," and I tried to get in to that, but the truth is, he seemed very off his face and completely chaotic. We left after three songs. We headed back to the metal stage for Mastadon, but got there too late. We saw Lamb of God and got to the front For Black Label Society. Now, I love Zakk Wylde but, I have to say, BLS songs do all sound the same, especially live, and while they are fun, there's not much there that lifts them above other bands. And, when you get a 40 minute set, surely you can dispense with the 10 minute solo, especially when it's not terribly musical, just the same pattern played fast up and down the neck. Zakk, attend a Slash concert, and listen to how a musical free form solo sounds, but remember, even Slash doesn't do that stuff at a festival when he has limited time.

By this time, Slipknot were playing the main stage, and System of a Down were being set up as headliners. On the metal stage, it was Unearth, Watain and then Machine Head. Much as I love Machine Head, I headed to one of the smaller stages, to see Black Veil Brides. I think the organizers completely misunderstood how popular these guys are. They were playing in a sheep shed that was the size of a bigger club. Most of the bands on these stages seemed to be hardcore punk, Black Flag wannabes, although Turasis did play there earlier in the day. Unlike the main stages, which run like clockwork, this stage was way late. Your Demise played 20 minutes over, despite all their songs sounding the same, and not in a good way. The Cro-Mags played the stage next door while we moved to the front for Black Veil Brides. I remember the Skid Row guys saying they were in to the Cro-Mags in 1990, but for all that, when the singer said "Let's show those metal guys how it's done," I knew I was not in Kansas anymore. They were OK, in a samey, basic sort of way. Black Veil Brides took the stage 20 minutes late, and left 10 minutes early, so they did a 30 minute set, not an hour as advertised. So, we only got six songs, but it was definitely the highlight of the whole festival for me. The place was packed, but I think me and my friend were the only people over 18, and certainly males were very much in a minority. Everyone seemed to know all the songs, and to be very much in to the show. Black Veil Brides look like Motley Crue in 1984 and they even play BC Rich guitars. I bet most people in the audience have no idea who is being referenced, but it made for a very visual show, and they sounded great. After 30 minutes, we were covered in sweat and shuffling out while "The Used" started their set to less than half the people who had been in for Black Veil Brides.

We headed back to the metal stage, and heard Machine Head do "Unto the Locust," which was a win for me. They sounded great. I wished I could have seen them in a Sidewave, if I lived in Melbourne, I'd have been at shows all week. This year's lineup was not the equal of last year, but Black Veil Brides made it for us, and we still had a great time. I'll be back next year.

In Memory: Ronnie Montrose

Guitar genius Ronnie Montrose has died. He was 64. A cause of death has not been released, but Ronnie had been battling cancer for several years.

The Montrose debut - simply called Montrose - is a rock n' roll classic - and I don't think you'll find many folks that will disagree about the album's significance to the genre.

Behold one of the best songs of all time: "Rock Candy."

Metallica Plan Vinyl EP Release

Metallica is not Glam but it's been my experience that even the most hardcore hair metal fans also love Metallica. I attribute that to the 80s connection and also the fact that Metallica has created some awesome songs. Now Metallica has some cool plans to celebrate records - you know, music old school style. The band will release the EP Beyond Magnetic on vinyl in celebration of Record Store Day, which is April 21. You can also buy the record online at the band's official website. Here's all the details. I collect records, so I'll be picking this one up for sure.

March 2, 2012 - Los Angeles, CA - Metallica has announced that its Beyond Magnetic EP, will be released on silver vinyl on Record Store Day, Saturday, April 21, 2012.  Fans can purchase the vinyl at indie record retailers and at www.metallica.com.  Originally released via all digital retailers on December 13th and on CD worldwide on January 30th, the EP features four tracks recorded during the sessions for 2008's 2x-platinum Death Magnetic, the band's fifth consecutive No. 1 album.

Said the members of Metallica of Beyond Magnetic: "During the Death Magnetic album sessions in 2007 and 2008, we originally recorded 14 songs. When it came time to pick the songs for the final album, we decided on 10 songs that you've all come to know over the last three years. Some of you may have heard bits and pieces of those other songs on 'Mission Metallica' (remember 'Mission Metallica'?!) or heard rumors about them during the recording process, and wondered, 'What ever happened to those other four songs???.'  We kept them in the vault and decided to pull them for our 30th anniversary celebration last month, so here are the four leftover tracks from the Death Magnetic sessions. They are ROUGH mixes, unfinished to their original degree of mixing from March '08. These four songs were released as gift to our closest fans, the members of our Fan Club, to enjoy. Now they're being made available to you."

Metallica celebrated its 30th anniversary as a band in December 2011, performing four shows at the Fillmore Theatre in San Francisco, CA, exclusively for members of their fan club, the Metallica Club.

BEYOND MAGNETIC TRACKLISTING:

1. Hate Train
2. Just A Bullet Away
3. Hell And Back
4. Rebel Of Babylon

Additionally, on June 23-24 Metallica will headline Orion Music + More in Atlantic City, NJ at Bader Field.   Orion Music + More was founded by Metallica with their friends at C3 Presents.  Orion Music + More will feature multiple live music stages plus a lifestyle element that reflects each of Metallica's band members many personal interests.  Metallica will headline both nights of Orion Music + More and play "The Black Album" in its entirety one night and Ride The Lightning in its entirety the other.  This will be the only time the band will perform these albums in North America in 2012.   The lineup for Orion Music + More will span multiple musical genres.   From punk to country, over 20 bands will perform, including:  Arctic Monkeys, Avenged Sevenfold, Modest Mouse, The Gaslight Anthem, Cage The Elephant, Fucked Up, Best Coast, Hot Snakes, Titus Andronicus, Gary Clark Jr., Lucero, Roky Erickson, The Black Angels, The Sword, Liturgy, and more to be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets are currently on sale for $150 for a 2-Day Pass including all fees.  Visit www.orionmusicandmore.com to buy tickets.

DVR Alert: Aerosmith on '60 Minutes'

Lara Logan of CBS will air a profile of Aerosmith on 60 Minutes next Sunday, March 11 at 7 p.m. ET. Lara interviewed the band on their last tour and some of that footage will be included in the piece.

Aerosmith is actively recording and apparently the new stuff sounds just like Rocks-era Aerosmith. If this is true, I'll be over the moon. Rocks is my favorite album of all time and while I don't believe lighting strikes twice (yes, I just made an Aerosmith pun), I do believe the Bad Boys of Boston + producer Jack Douglas have what it takes (another pun!) to knock it out of the park record-wise once again.

Aerosmith is supposed to tour starting in June. I'm really hoping the 60 Minutes special will lead to the official tour announcement with dates. I want to plan a trip around an Aerosmith show so I'm hoping for some cool cities to choose from... and quite frankly, the sooner the better.

Alice Cooper Simply Does Not Age

This is insane. I was on YouTube watching some videos a certain Metalboy! emailed me about...and I ended up watching Alice Cooper clips. You know, as you do. And I was struck by something... Alice Cooper does not age. I mean, for sure he is older now than he was back in the day... but man. He still looks the same in the face and his stage mannerisms and moves are just as sharp. It's a little scary, which is apropos, right?

Compare 2011 Alice Cooper vs. 1971 Alice Cooper on "I'm Eighteen."

Farewell Davy Jones

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the passing of Davy Jones, lead singer of the MONKEES. Davy was 66 and died yesterday after a heart attack. Many of my friends happen to be huge MONKEES fans and the band is a part of rock n' roll history.

Davy was the star of what was probably the first-ever pop group created just for a television series. Davy was cute, he was British and he could sing. Basically that's a winning combination in any day and age but especially so in the 1960s.

I love the Brady Bunch episode that features Davy Jones. All Marcia Brady wanted was for Davy to perform at her high school prom! As president of the Fillmore Junior High Davy Jones Fan Club, Marcia really did have reason to brag, right? When Marcia couldn't get a hold of Davy (and really, it is hard to reach a famous musician just randomly on a Tuesday after school), she busts into a recording studio, pleads her case to Davy's manager... and gets no where. By the end of the episode, Davy has showed up on Marcia's doorstep to save the day and cemented the episode as just about the single most popular in the entire Brady Bunch series.

Davy Jones wasn't even old when he died yesterday. He didn't feel well, ended up having a heart attack and basically that was that. He had tour dates planned in the coming months and the MONKEES continued to tour off and on over the years. Relive the joy of "Girl," as performed by Davy Jones on the Brady Bunch.