Classic Rock
AC/DC’s Brian Johnson Quashes Rumor That Bon Scott Wrote Lyrics for Back in Black
AC/DC singer Brian Johnson has closed the book on long-running rumors suggesting his late predecessor Bon Scott penned lyrics for Back in Black. For years, hardcore AC/DC fans have wondered whether Scott wrote lyrics for the seminal 1980 album, being that he passed away only months before the album was recorded and released. Songs like “Hells Bells,” “Have a Drink on Me,” and of course the legendary title track certainly share some of the imagery and themes of Scott’s lyrics. But Johnson insists that it was he himself who penned the words. Johnson laid the rumors to rest in Chapter 22 of his new memoir, The Lives of Brian: “It was me at the end of the pen, writing every night and every morning, with only the title to work with. That’s what happened. That’s the truth and I really hope that ...
Ozzy Osbourne to Perform Virtually as Part of “Ozzfest” at Metaverse Music Festival
Ozzy Osbourne is set to perform virtually for the “Ozzfest” portion of the second annual Metaverse Music Festival, which takes place online November 10th through the 13th. The Metaverse Music Festival (MVMF) will be hosted in Decentraland, the largest user-owned and operated virtual social world. Presented by digital asset platform Kraken, this year’s MVMF will feature 100-plus artists virtually performing across curated community genre stages that utilize new, Web3-enabled immersive virtual concert experiences. That said, the festival is free for all and can be attended even if you have don’t have a VR headset. As an example, the main attraction for this year’s MVMF is the “Tower of Babel” stage, which is set in a futuristic cyberpunk city. Here, attendees can watch headliners such as Uni...
Iron Maiden Bring the “Beast” to Newark, New Jersey: Recap, Photos + Video
Iron Maiden are set to wrap up their extensive “Legacy of the Beast World Tour,” with the latest North American leg having kicked off last month in El Paso, Texas. The ongoing run made a stop in Newark, New Jersey, at a packed Prudential Center on Friday (October 21st), featuring support from Within Temptation. The worldwide outing, which began in 2018, comes to an end at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, on October 27th, with tickets available here for the last couple shows. Iron Maiden are on the road in support of their 17th studio album, Senjutsu, and the UK heavy metal legends made sure to bring a few new tunes to Jersey, kicking off their 15-song set with the album’s title track, while also showcasing “Stratego” and “The Writing on the Wall.” Fans pumped their fists in the air as the b...
How to Get Tickets to Joni Mitchell’s 2023 Concert at the Gorge
After making a surprise public appearance on stage with Brandi Carlile at this year’s Newport Folk Festival, Joni Mitchell has announced that she will perform an entire concert at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington on June 10th, 2023, marking her first publicly-announced show in two decades. Since the gig will be the first time fans can buy tickets to an advertised Mitchell performance since 2000, you can expect a ton of folks trying to score seats to the event. Read on to see how to get tickets yourself to Joni Mitchell’s 2023 concert. What Is Joni Mitchell’s 2023 Concert? Mitchell’s concert will come as part of Carlile’s “Echoes Through the Canyon,” a two-night event at the Gorge taking place on June 9th and 10th. Carlile will headline night one before leading a backup band for...
Original Alice Cooper Band Is Working on More New Music
The original Alice Cooper group has been collaborating together in recent years, and more new music is on the way. In a new interview, Cooper revealed that he’s once again recording with guitarist Michael Bruce, bassist Dennis Dunaway, and drummer Neal Smith (all from the band’s ’60s and early ’70s heyday), and they have about a dozen new songs in the works. Previously, the three appeared on two songs on 2021’s Detroit Stories — “Social Debris” and “I Hate You” — and also on select tracks on 2017’s Paranormal. “We’re working pretty close right now,” Cooper told Ultimate Classic Rock during a Q&A session at the Motor City Comic Con this past weekend in Detroit. “We wrote, like, 12 songs together [for future projects].” Advertisement Related Video Cooper didn’t have an ETA for when the n...
Jack Black Sings to Young School of Rock Fan with Terminal Illness in Heartwarming Video: Watch
Jack Black recently serenaded a young School of Rock fan receiving end-of-life care with an impromptu performance of a song from the film. The actor and Tenacious D singer-guitarist was in attendance at the Layla Paige and Friends Walk for TrinityKids Care, a fundraiser event for a hospice program providing end-of-life care to children in Southern California. A video from the October 8th event sees Black being introduced to Abraham, a 15-year-old receiving palliative care for a rare mitochondrial disease called Pearson syndrome. A huge School of Rock fan, Abraham tells Black that his favorite song from the film is “In the End of Time.” Black then gets down on a knee, level with Abraham, and busts into an impromptu rendition of the song, much to the delight of the young fan. Advertisement “...
How to Get Tickets to Journey’s “Freedom Tour 2023”
Journey are preparing to head out on their massive North American “Freedom Tour 2023,” and for the band that practically wrote the motto for a guaranteed good time, fans will want to secure tickets fast. The group will be supporting their first album in 11 years, July’s Freedom. Get tickets here, and read on for more details including pre-sale dates. What Is Journey’s Next Tour? The “Freedom Tour 2023” spans 38 cities across North America and begins on February 4th in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Journey will spend the first week on the East Coast between Virginia and North Carolina, then they’ll head south via Lexington, Kentucky and Knoxville, Tennessee. They’ll play Austin’s Moody Center on February 22nd, Jacksonville’s Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena on February 26th, and Washington, D.C.’s...
Syd Barrett Documentary Have You Got It Yet? to Explore Pink Floyd’s Troubled Genius
Pink Floyd’s original, troubled frontman is the subject of Mercury Studios new documentary, Have You Got It Yet? The Story of Syd Barrett and Pink Floyd. As Deadline reports, the film was co-directed by Roddy Bogawa and the late Storm Thorgerson, co-founder of Hipgnosis and designer of some of rock’s most iconic album covers, including pretty much every Pink Floyd record from 1968’s Saucerful of Secrets through the greatest hits collection The Best of Pink Floyd: A Foot in the Door (2011). Thorgerson died in 2013 at the age of 69 of cancer. According to a statement, “The film was completed by Bogawa with StormStudios photographer Rupert Truman and producer Julius Beltrame after Storm’s untimely death.” Thorgerson went to high school with Barrett and Roger...
Neil Young Announces Harvest 50th Anniversary Reissue, Shares Live Version of “Heart of Gold”: Stream
Neil Young will celebrate the 50th anniversary of his fourth studio album, Harvest, with a deluxe reissue out on December 2nd via Reprise. Available on 3xLP or 3xCD, the box set will come with the original album; three studio outtakes; a previously unreleased BBC solo performance recorded on February 23rd, 1971; and a documentary called Harvest Time. Also included are a hardbound photo book, posters, and liner notes by photographer Joel Bernstein. The outtakes included in the reissue are “Bad Fog of Loneliness,” “Journey Through the Past,” and “Dance Dance Dance.” Meanwhile, Harvest Time features footage from Young’s “Harvest Barn” sessions in Northern California along with recording sessions in Nashville and London. Advertisement Related Video Pre-orders are ongoing. Scroll onwa...
Queen Unearth Lost Freddie Mercury Song “Face It Alone”: Stream
Queen have unearthed a previously unreleased song featuring Freddie Mercury. Entitled “Face It Alone,” the track was originally recorded during the band’s 1988 sessions for their album The Miracle. Surviving Queen members Roger Taylor and Brian May discovered the song while working on a forthcoming reissue of The Miracle. “We’d kind of forgotten about this track,” admitted Taylor, “but there it was, this little gem. It’s wonderful, a real discovery. It’s a very passionate piece.” You can stream “Face It Alone” via a newly released lyric video below. “Face It Alone” will also appear on Queen’s forthcoming archival box set, The Miracle Collector’s Edition, alongside several other unreleased recordings, demos, spoken word segments between band members, and more. Due out on November 18th...
Highway to Spell: AC/DC Inspire New Children’s Alphabet Book
Rock heroes AC/DC have inspired a new children’s alphabet book, The AC/DC AB/CD High-Voltage Alphabet, due for release on November 11th in the band’s native country of Australia. The book was designed and produced by Paul McNeil and is targeted at pre-schoolers who are learning their ABCs. Each letter features a reference to the band, and the viewable page samples on the publisher’s website are downright adorable. “A is for Angus [Young], who thinks it’s good luck, to wear a school uniform, and walk like a duck,” reads the page for the initial letter of the alphabet. The facing page features a cartoon caricature of the iconic guitarist. Meanwhile, bassist Cliff Williams gets the third letter of the alphabet: “C is for Cliff, who plays on the bass, likes only 4 notes and has a nice face.” A...
Ozzy Osbourne Slow Dances with Wife Sharon on Her 70th Birthday: Watch
Sharon Osbourne had a star-studded party for her 70th birthday over the weekend, with the highlight being a heartwarming slow dance with husband Ozzy. The Prince of Darkness — who is having difficulty walking following a major neck surgery and amid his ongoing battle with Parkinson’s disease — ditched his cane for the romantic moment. The party featured a Great Gatsby-esque theme, with attendees such as Zakk Wylde, Korn’s Jonathan Davis, and Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello looking dapper. Ozzy and Sharon’s children Jack, Kelly and Aimee were also at the party, as were a number of grandchildren. Video footage shared by Sharon on Instagram shows her and Ozzy walking out to the dance floor. A very pregnant Kelly cues the band to play James Arthur’s “Say You Won’t Let Go,” as they hand ...
