'Rocket Queen' Live

This rules. That is all.

Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie and the Murderdolls Team Up for Tour

I wish this tour was coming near me. I love Halloween and I'm a big fan of Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie. What better way to celebrate the most macabre of holidays? Here's a release:

HOLLYWOOD, CA (September 15, 2010) – The masters of musical mayhem have paired up yet again to embark on a three week tour of debauchery. Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper have returned to destroy a city near you on The Halloween Hootenanny Tour with special guests Murderdolls. The tour kicks off in Los Angeles at the Gibson Amphitheatre on Thursday, September 30th and will criss-cross the USA with a tour de force of ghoulish delights for your aural pleasure, giving the fans a show of a lifetime.

In other Zombie news, fans will soon get the ultimate interactive experience as their hero is joining forces with Universal Studios Hollywood to create the new 3D maze, "Rob Zombie’s House Of 1000 Corpses: In 3D ZombieVision." As part of the Halloween Horror Nights event, fans will be treated to a nightmarish world of carnage and chaos Rob Zombie-style based upon Zombie’s cult hit film "House Of 1000 Corpses." Vampire buffs also got a treat when the track "What" from Rob Zombie’s latest release HELLBILLY DELUXE 2 appeared in an episode of the smash HBO series "True Blood."

Zombie addicts can also look forward to the release of the special edition of HELLBILLY DELUXE 2 set to street on Friday, September 24th. This deluxe version of HD2 will feature 3 brand new tracks called "Everything Is Boring," "Michael" and "Devil’s Hole Girls And The Big Revolution," as well as a re-imagining of "The Man Who Laughs." Additionally, the package will include a brand new video for "Mars Needs Women" (shot during the Gruesome Twosome tour with Alice Cooper), a live version of Cooper’s classic "School’s Out" performed with Cooper and a 30-minute DVD featuring a tour documentary entitled "Transylvanian Transmissions," along with all-new expanded artwork.

With more than 15 million albums sold, 7 Grammy nominations, the helming of 5 major motion pictures and dozens of music videos under his belt, Rob Zombie is a force to be reckoned with in today’s entertainment landscape. Zombie’s unique meld of horror and hard rock has influenced his sound as a musician, and more recently his vision as a director and writer.

The Halloween Hootenanny Tour Featuring The Gruesome Twosome with special guests Murderdolls:

SEPTEMBER

30 Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheatre

OCTOBER

1 San Diego, CA Harrah’s Rincon

2 Tucson, AZ Anselmo Valencia Amphitheater

4 Salt Lake City, UT USANA Amphitheatre

6 Kansas City, MO Independence Event Center

7 St. Charles, MO The Family Arena

8 Bloomington, IL U.S. Cellular Coliseum

12 Binghamton, NY Broome County Arena

14 Portland, ME Cumberland County Civic Center

15 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun

16 Worcester, MA DCU Center

19 Roanoke, VA Roanoke Performing Arts Theater

20 Nashville, TN Nashville Municipal Auditorium

For more information, please click on www.robzombie.com or www.myspace.com/robzombie.

So Who Can’t Be Replaced?

Yesterday’s discussion about Quiet Riot reforming with a new singer got me to thinking…is everyone replaceable? I always say everyone is replaceable at a “normal” job. Of course, lead singer or show-off guitarist is not the most normal job in the world.

I mean, AC/DC is more successful now than they were with their original singer. Def Leppard kept right on even after Steve Clark died and many argued he was the most talented member of the band. The Rev in Avenged Sevenfold was so much more than your run-of-the-mill drummer and yet the band soldiers on, with a number 1 record and sold out shows.

So maybe every musician can be replaced. Sure, there’s no replacement for John Lennon or Elvis but maybe there are people just as good. Maybe we just haven’t found them yet. Or maybe rock n’ roll is a casualty of globalization just like everything else: a worldwide labor pool means the next best singer or guitarist could be in Manhattan or Milan.

So I dare you. Tell me just who can’t be replaced.

Quiet Riot Returns – Your Opinions?

So drummer Frankie Banali has announced plans to resurrect Quiet Riot.  This after saying Quiet Riot was done forever after the surprising death of singer Kevin DuBrow.  Interestingly, the singer is unknown – which sort of makes me wonder why Frankie just didn’t form a new band but whatever. I guess he figures it will be easier to make some bucks using the Quiet Riot name. I don’t believe in the term scab. That’s not fair to anyone involved. Fair or otherwise, the singer is most usually the focal point of any band. With Quiet Riot, Kevin was definitely the star. I’m conflicted.

Here’s some of the official press release about the announcement:

After the tragic passing of co-founding Quiet Riot singer Kevin DuBrow in 2007, many figured that the band was over. But while going through the vaults of vintage video material for an upcoming documentary of the band's history, the spark was reignited once more for drummer Frankie Banali to kick Quiet Riot back in gear. The easy part was filling the guitar and bass slots — as former members Chuck Wright (bass) and Alex Grossi (guitar) promptly signed on. However, having to fill DuBrow's large shoes was no small task.

A longtime fan of heavy metal, singer Mark Huff came to Banali's attention while fronting a California-based Van Halen tribute band (that focused on the "Sammy Hagar era"). A true Cinderella story, Huff auditioned via a cattle call audition, promptly blew Banali away, and got the gig. After getting the blessing from DuBrow's mother to carry on with Quiet Riot (and to celebrate her son's music), the group was ready to rock once more.

Okay. So this Mark Huff impressed Banali. But do we want to hear a new singer in the Quiet Riot spot? As we all know, it is near impossible to replace a lead singer. Sure Van Halen did it (for awhile at least). It seems to be working for Alice in Chains. Skid Row continues to plod along…but Quiet Riot? I don’t know. It’s one thing to replace a singer that quit or was fired. It’s another to replace someone who died…out of the blue…and out of the band’s zenith.

I’m sure this means Quiet Riot 2.0 will be booked at all the Glam fests next summer. M3 anyone?

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Naturally, Quiet Riot is embarking on a tour…you know, like, soon. The dates haven’t been announced, but when they are, I’ll post here.

Gotta admit, this one shocked me.

Hear a sample track with Mark Huff on vocals. Thoughts?

Let's Talk About Kill Hannah!

Would you consider Kill Hannah a Glam band? They are probably alternative by record-label designation but they sure look and sound Glam to me. Of course, I'm thinking of a mix of 70s T. Rex or Bowie and Motley Shout at the Devil-era Glam. This isn't Faster Pussycat by any stretch of the imagination.

Kill Hannah formed in 1993 and since that time has had a slew of member changes (also a hallmark of many Glam bands!)

While Kill Hannah would probably fit in on the road with Motley Crue or even Def Leppard, it seems like the band most normally tours with emo or alternative acts like The Smashing Pumpkins and Chevelle. (Kill Hannah has toured with HIM and Papa Roach, though, further strengthening my thesis that they are a Glam band).

Don't know Kill Hannah? Get familiar.

The Cherry Bombz - 'House of Ectasy'

A little more quasi-obscure Glam for you this weekend. Today, the Cherry Bombz. The band once featured Andy McCoy of Hanoi Rocks. (Actually, Andy formed the band after Hanoi disbanded in the mid-80s). The Cherry Bombz released a couple records with some very rockin' songs! Here's one of my faves: "House of Ecstasy"

Jade - 'I'm Not Yours'

If you want obscure Glam, here you go: Jade. I know nothing about this band except they formed in the early 80s in Canada. I have to admit really enjoying the tune “I'm Not Yours” – in fact, Jade sounds way better to me than, say, Vixen.

I was able to dig up Jade's Myspace...the page bio has some interesting facts. Jade was involved with Roadrunner Records even. Go to the Myspace, check out the bio and listen to some tunes.

Here's “I'm Not Yours:”