Last night in Los Angeles, Van Halen gave critics and industry types even more reason to be optimistic about the upcoming U.S. tour. The band played for over an hour at Henson Studios in Hollywood, including three new cuts from ‘A Different Kind of Truth‘ amongst the greatest hits set list.
Paul McCartney will be honored as the 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year at a special event on Feb. 10 that will celebrate the former Beatle‘s exceptional artistic achievements as well as his philanthropic work. And the list of celebrities expected to pay homage is not only long, but impressive.
Former Mountain guitarist Leslie West heroically rolled onto the stage of New York’s BB King Blues Club Tuesday night (Jan. 31) to perform in public for the first time since he was forced to have his lower right leg amputated as a result of diabetes complications.
Former Pink Floyd rocker Roger Waters has already announced a bunch of dates for his ‘The Wall’ North American summer trek, which is scheduled to kick off May 1 in Houston and run through a July 14 gig in Philadelphia. But one show that has not yet been revealed is a much-rumored stop at Boston’s Fenway Park, where ‘The Wall’ would fit in quite nicely next to the ballpark’s famed 37-foot-tall wall in left field known as the Green Monster. It almost seems like destiny that ‘The Wall’ would be performed next to the wall.
Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell has revealed that the British rockers plan to mount a U.S. tour this summer, although cities and dates have not yet been revealed. “We’re gonna go out again this summer,” Campbell recently told Frankie DiVita, radio personality for 96.7 KCAL. “We don’t know the exact details yet, but we’ll be out in America this summer.”
Lynyrd Skynyrd have signed on host and curate the 2012 Simple Man Cruise, a floating rock ‘n’ roll party set for Oct. 27-31 on Norwegian Cruise Line’s newest luxury liner, the Pearl. The cruise, which sets sail from Miami, will feature about a dozen different bands rocking the ship, including Skynyrd, the Doobie Brothers and up-and-coming Southern rockers like Blackberry Smoke and the Dirty Guv’nahs.
It’s one of the worst-kept secrets in all of New Jersey. Every year, the Light of Day organization holds a benefit concert at the Paramount Theater in Asbury Park to raise money for the fight against Parkinson’s disease, and (almost) every year Bruce Springsteen is a super secret unannounced special guest. It’s the reason this year’s show sold out in minutes — even when tickets had a face value upwards of $400.
As the lineup for the 2012 Experience Hendrix tribute tour has expanded, so has the number of dates for the annual concert trek honoring the late, great Jimi Hendrix.
This year’s edition is now up to 21 dates, including recently added concert stops in Florida and Colorado, plus a second show in Austin, Texas.
Velvet Revolver covered Pink Floyd‘s ‘Wish You Were Here’ as part of a special four song, one-off reunion concert in West Hollywood, Calif. last night (Jan. 12).
Much like they did for the 2007-08 reunion tour, Van Halen has crossed genres in selecting an opening act for their 2012 tour. According to Rolling Stone, none other than Kool and the Gang will open select shows when things kick off on Feb. 18 in Louisville, Ken.
While the choice is somewhat of a head-scratcher, the unconventional pairing could be a lot of fun, depending on which set Kool bring, the funk of the ’70s (check out ‘Spirit of the Boogie‘) or the less memorable R&B of the ’80s (‘Joanna‘).
Bruce Springsteen has announced on his official website that he and the E Street Band will be embarking on a 2012 world tour in support of a brand new album, ending months of feverish speculation by his fans.
October 31, 2011 