The US has a lot to look forward to this summer when it comes to rock bands touring and that includes those that never split up in the first place. From here in the UK, I can look on envious as Green Day start their world tour (although I will be seeing them in Manchester on October 31) and so do Pearl Jam (who I will see in August).
But there are also those 80s and 90s bands who will not be making it over to these shores in the near future. Blink 182 are one of those bands who are making a comeback this year along with another of my favourite bands, Weezer. No Doubt, who I last saw back in 2002 are touring again.
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Do you ever wish that you had paid to see your favourite band all those years ago, back when they were still together and touring?
Well, there are a number of bands that I wish I had seen. I’ve been fortunate enough to see many bands over the years that many die-hard fans would like to have seen but didn’t get the chance – Live8, for instance, which I went to, back in 2005. I got to see rock legends like The Who and Pink Floyd (who have never played together since and probably never will).
As I read the latest rock news there is certainly a trend for 2009 that is almost impossible to miss – and that is regarding the number of bands reforming and touring again.
In the next article I will look at some of these bands and which I’d love to see.
I got a strange email from Amazon yesterday offering me the chance to pre-order “The Lowdown” from Pearl Jam to be released on 25th May. Like most Pearl Jam fans in the UK I’ve been waiting for news on their new album which is due some time this year. I’m also looking forward to the upcoming concerts in August. After receiving this email I immediately searched for more information to check what it was. I suspected it to be a new compilation CD.
The snippets of information I’ve read here and there do suggest that Pearl Jam will just drop the new album on us with no pre-release promotion – except generated by these rumours – and the album may be finished now after all.
However, this ‘new release’ certainly does not look like what we’ve been waiting for. The label is Sexy Intellectual and rumours on Pearl Jam’s Ten Club forum “The Porch” suggest that it may just be another bootleg album.
There have already been some internet leaks, not least news from an NME reviewer who has listened to the new album and describes it as “punchy,” “raspy” and “honeyed”; make of that what you will.
Here is a pic of this CD cover. More news to follow shortly…
MTV has recently announced that rock giants Kings of Leon are set to perform at the 2009 MTV Movie Awards event on May 31 in the US.
The band are due to play the hit single ‘Use Somebody’ from their album ‘Only By The Night’ at the event to be held at the Gibson Ampitheatre in L.A. Rapper Eminem is also scheduled to make his live comeback at the awards night.
The ceremony will be hosted by comedy troupe and Lonely Island member Andy Samberg and presenters handing out the popcorn statue trophies at the show will include; Denzel Washington, Lil Wayne, Vanessa Hudgens, Cameron Diaz, Jonah Hill, Ryan Reynolds and Will Ferrell.
The Tennessee rockers, who launched their North American tour last month, have sold a huge 673,000 copies of the ‘Only By The Night’ album in the US alone. The band are renowned for their live performances so the evening should be special.
The film, ‘Twilight’ has seven nominations for the MTV awards while Slumdog Millionaire has six nominations.
There are bound to be loads of surprises and A-list stars at the ceremony and it will surely be broadcast sometime on MTV in the UK as well as in the States.
Rock stars may have many reasons to protect themselves and their homes from would-be robbers by installing home security systems, but it seems that no place is really safe from those who are persistent enough to take advantage of the rich and famous.
It was recently reported in the United States that Pearl Jam bassist, Jeff Ament was the victim of a violent robbery outside an Atlanta recording studio where the band were working on their ninth studio album, set for release later this year.
According to the Associated Press, Ament was mugged outside the Southern Tracks Recording studios when three masked men brandishing knives came out of the woods and attacked Ament and band employee, Mark Anthony Smith as they pulled up in a Jeep to the rear of the studio on April 27th.
A police report noted that the men smashed the windows of the rented Jeep and took a Blackberry before demanding money and other items – totalling $3,000 in cash and $4,320 in equipment.
Ament himself was knocked to the ground and his passport was stolen when he tried to run. He was later treated by paramedics for head injuries.
The whole episode was captured on video surveillance cameras but no one has yet been arrested as of yet.
Pearl Jam themselves have declined to comment on the incident. I wish Jeff all the best and a speedy recovery.
As mentioned in two previous posts, Pearl Jam are working on their new album as well as preparing for their mini tour later this summer. I have tickets for the Manchester date in the UK and I am really looking forward to seeing the band live.
The band’s lead singer, Eddie Vedder told Rolling Stone Magazine; “The new record feels good so far — really strong and uptempo, stuff we can sink our teeth into.”
Ever since the rebellion in the sixties, rock ‘n’ roll emerged from the underground and “attitude” was central to the popularity of these new stars. Nowadays, being a rock star is synonymous with the old adage of “sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll” and any sort of bad behaviour on the part of a rocker is generally met with acceptance and feeds their indulgence.
Rock stars and their antics usually get reported through damage to hotel rooms and reports of fire sprinkler systems being set off. Led Zeppelin’s on-tour antics usually involved some sort of bad behaviour in hotels. They were notorious for trashing hotel rooms, filling them with groupies whilst being high on drink and drugs.
Former Zeppelin tour manager Richard Cole described one session: “Couches soared out of shattered windows. A television set followed close behind, exploding on an air conditioning unit more than a dozen storeys below.”
Another well known incident was when rock star, Michael Hutchence, the lead singer of INXS, finally went too far in excess in the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Sydney. He was alleged to have committed suicide as he was found hanging in his hotel room. Another theory was that he had accidentally killed himself attempting auto-erotic asphyxiation to heighten sexual pleasure.
For members of Pearl Jam’s Ten Club, including myself, the pre-sale tickets for the four European dates of Pearl Jam’s upcoming summer tour have been available for purchase since April 30th (27th for members active before April 26th). In a previous post, I was saying how things were quiet on the Pearl Jam front, but this news is great for fans in the UK.
Pearl Jam is bringing their music back to Europe starting August 13th in Rotterdam and ending August 18th at London’s O2 Arena.
The band is also doing a show in Toronto, Canada and two in the United States; Austin, Texas and Chicago, Illinois.
Here are the full European tour dates:
Date - City - Venue
13 Aug - Rotterdam - Ahoy
15 Aug - Berlin - Wulheide
17 Aug - Manchester - MEN Arena
18 Aug - London - 02 Arena
As there are only two UK dates on this current tour, tickets are sure to be in high demand. I purchased my two standing tickets for the Manchester gig in the pre-sale, but the rest of the UK tickets go on general sale from tomorrow morning (Friday) at 9am.
Visit these links for details and to purchase tickets:
Rotterdam- http://www.livenation.nl/
Berlin- http://www.tickets.de/
Manchester- http://www.livenation.co.uk/ and http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk
London- http://www.livenation.co.uk/ and http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk
If, like me, you have been listening to Rock Radio intently this past year you will know that it is fast approaching its first birthday. Rock Radio is Manchester’s first ever classic rock station and it is now inviting its listeners to celebrate with them at the “Monsters of Mock” event on Friday May 8th.
The evening will be held at the Ritz in Manchester, starting at 19:00 and will feature some of the best tribute talent in the UK; Limehouse Lizzy, The Rollin Clones, Rattle & Hum and Fink Ployd.
To see these four bands, plus Rock Radio Presenters banging out the choons till the early hours of Saturday morning it will cost £15 per ticket, plus booking fee (£1.50). Tickets are available from See Tickets and can be booked over the phone or online at: www.seetickets.com.
The event is strictly over 18s only.
You can put yourself in with a chance to win VIP tickets to the Rock Radio first birthday party by submitting your details through the Rock Radio website: www.rockradio.co.uk/manchester.
I’m sure it’s going to be another unforgettable bash, so if you live in the Manchester (UK!) area, then you should consider going to this. I never thought I’d be going to the Ritz (sometimes a 70s Disco themed venue) ever again!