Smart or Desperate?

Bands can't tour and making money is hard these days. Now Steel Panther has a new idea when it comes to earning cash: record custom versions of their famous songs for fans.

For $7,500 you can have your own custom Steel Panther tune with the exact lyrics you choose. I can't imagine dropping that kind of scratch on something like this, but for wealthy folks looking for cool gift ideas, I suppose this would work. What do you think?

Farm Aid Is Happening... At Home

Like other concerts during this pandemic, Farm Aid will now occur virtually. The 35th anniversary event will happen this Saturday, Sept. 26, from 8 – 11 pm EDT, and will include performances from more than 20 artists. AXS TV will broadcast Farm Aid 2020 from 8pm – 11pm EDT. You can also watch online or listen on Sirius XM radio.

The lineup includes Willie Nelson and The Boys, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, and Dave Matthews, plus Black Pumas, Bonnie Raitt and Boz Scaggs, Edie Brickell with Charlie Sexton, Brandi Carlile, Chris Stapleton, Jack Johnson, Jamey Johnson, Jon Batiste, Kelsey Waldon, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, Margo Price, Nathaniel Rateliff, Norah Jones and many more. Free entertainment for Saturday night and you can donate to help a great cause!

We are thrilled to announce #FarmAid2020 On the Road will take place on September 26! Join us for our 35th anniversary with a virtual at-home festival experience. https://t.co/472H7Xm96G pic.twitter.com/Flam1hlJzj

— Farm Aid (@FarmAid) September 1, 2020

Nikki Sixx Says 'I'm Listening'

September is Suicide Prevention Month. Tune in to the special "I'm Listening" radio show on Wednesday, September 23 to hear Nikki Sixx open up about mental health issues.

Nikki will be part of the special two-hour broadcast. Other musicians, athletes and actors will also participate. With more people than ever worldwide facing new diagnosis of either depression, anxiety or both, this special is coming at just the right time.

Need help? Call the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to 741-741 to speak with a counselor.

💕 @NikkiSixx 💕 opens up about mental health on #ImListeningLIVE. Tune in to any https://t.co/aOZ86oxStM station on Wednesday, September 23 at 6 PM.

🎧: https://t.co/NGTOWw5uHL
🗣️: https://t.co/Sukx1Kv2TS pic.twitter.com/TKT6eu8XEH

— I'm Listening (@imlistening_org) September 17, 2020

Sebastian Bach Covers 'Sweet Cheater'

Sebastian Bach is back with another quarantine cover. This time it is RATT's "Sweet Cheater." I get the boredom and love Bach's intensity on this one and he really matches Stephen Pearcy's voice very well! Eric loved this and howled all the way through with laughter.

Also, someone get me that Aerosmith shirt!

An Animated 'Crazy Train' And Documentary Re-Release

I was not expecting a new video for Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train," but here we are in 2020. The Prince of Darkness himself has dropped a new clip for the song and this time, it is all animated. The video is actually pretty cute. We're coming up on 40 years of Blizzard of Ozz in the US. The anniversary just passed for the UK release. Randy Rhoads forever!

Want more? There's a documentary re-release via YouTube of 30 Years After the Blizzard. Watch fast - this HD version is only available for a week via YouTube.

Whitesnake Announce 'Love Songs' Package

Whitesnake will package all their ballads together and release Love Songs on November 6. The songs are from the period between 1987 and 2011 and will be remastered. The package will be available as a CD or double LP vinyl. 

The track listing:

1. "Love Will Set You Free"
2. "The Deeper the Love"
3. "All I Want, All I Need"
4. "Too Many Tears"
5. "Can't Go On"
6. "Is This Love"
7. "With All of My Heart"
8. "Summer Rain"
9. "Your Precious Love"
10. "Now You're Gone"
11. "Don't You Cry"
12. "Midnight Blue"
13. "Easier Said Than Done"
14. "Yours For the Asking"
15. "Let's Talk It Over"

Coming November 6th, we’re excited to announce two offerings for LOVE SONGS, it will be available on 1-CD or via a red, 180-gram, 2-LP set.⁣
⁣⁣
⁣The album will feature all your favorite Whitesnake love songs and power ballads, including “The Deeper the Love,” “Is This Lo… pic.twitter.com/dg1GGV3R5l

— Whitesnake (@Whitesnake) September 17, 2020

2021 Tour Cancellations...

A sad and expected (by me, at least) report from my friends at MetalSucks that tour cancellations are already starting for 2021. Monster Magnet called off their early 2021 run. It was rescheduled once already and I think they made the right call here to just refund money to their fans. MetalSucks writes:

Monster Magnet, to their credit, aren’t deluding themselves that concerts will be possible in January. Even if shows are miraculously allowed to take place by then — amidst what is expected to be a winter resurgence of Covid-19 on top of the fact that the disease never went away in many places to begin with — what would those shows even look like? High-level tours can’t make a profit without big-money “anchor dates” in cities like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles subsidizing small-dollar-earning or loss-bearing shows in less populated markets, and those places won’t be hosting shows any time soon. What’s more, bands and venues alike can’t make the dollars work if they’re limited to 25% or even 50% capacity. And all that assumes fans will be willing to venture out to enclosed, poorly-ventilated venues to begin with.

Click the Tweet below to read the entire article.

The 2021 Tour Cancelations Have Already Begun… Buckle In. https://t.co/oQtRRMMD78

— MetalSucks (@metalsucks) September 17, 2020