Classic Rock
Joan Jett Hits Back at “Tough Guy” Ted Nugent: “This is the Guy Who Shit His Pants”
Back in January, racist, conspiratorial COVID-19 denier Ted Nugent took to YouTube to criticize Rolling Stone’s [checks notes] 19-year-old 100 Greatest Guitarists list, where he particularly had a bone to pick with the inclusion of Joan Jett. NME brought Nugent’s one-sided beef to Jett’s attention, who, of course, took his abominable comments in stride. In his video tirade, Nugent said “You have to have shit for brains and you have to be a soulless, soulless prick to put Joan Jett [on the list],” before throwing similar shade to (non-white, non-male) celebrated artists like Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Grandmaster Flash and Patti Smith. When NME told Jett that Nugent didn’t believe she should be on the Greatest Guitarists lists, she shrugged, “Neither should he.” Advertisement Relate...
Graham Nash on His New Live Album, Joni Mitchell, and His “Brothers” in CSNY
Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Amazon Podcasts | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | Radio Public | RSS Graham Nash catches up with Kyle Meredith to talk about Graham Nash: Live, a new release that spotlights a complete run through his first two solo albums, Songs for Beginners and Wild Tales. Related Video The legendary songwriter talks about the relevancy of songs “Military Madness,” “Oh Camil,” and “Prison Song,” and forever being tied to his late ’60s relationship with Joni Mitchell. He also teases a soon-to-be-released solo record. Advertisement Nash goes on to also discuss about the photographs of his Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young bandmates featured in his new book, A Life in Focus. He talks about their enduring f...
Geezer Butler on Working with Rick Rubin on Black Sabbath’s 13: “I Still Don’t Know What He Did”
Geezer Butler is still confounded about Rick Rubin‘s production work on Black Sabbath‘s 2013 album 13. In a new interview with Eddie Trunk, the Black Sabbath bassist offered up a less-than-thrilled recollection of working with the acclaimed producer on what remains the band’s final album. “Some of it I liked, some of it I didn’t like particularly,” Butler said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “It was a weird experience, especially with being told to forget that you’re a heavy metal band. That was the first thing [Rick] said to us. He played us our very first album, and he said, ‘Cast your mind back to then when there was no such thing as heavy metal or anything like that, and pretend it’s the follow-up album to that,’ which is a ridiculous thing to think.” Advertisement Related Video The ...
Les Claypool and Gogol Bordello’s Eugene Hütz Lead All-Star Tribute “Zelensky: The Man with the Iron Balls”: Stream
Ever since Russia began their ongoing invasion of Ukraine back in February, the latter’s president Volodymyr Zelensky has become a household name and a figure of perseverance around the globe. Today, Primus’ Les Claypool and Gogol Bordello’s Eugene Hütz have honored the tenacious leader with a, er, ballsy new anthem called “Zelensky: The Man with the Iron Balls.” Aside from Claypool and Hütz, “Zelensky: The Man with the Iron Balls” boasts some other familiar names: The Police’s Stewart Copeland plays drums, Sean Lennon sings and aids on guitar, Hütz’s bandmate Sergey Ryabtseb plays the fiddle, and Billy Strings joins on the acoustic guitar. The song is backed by a marching band drum beat that will make you want to salute to all the noble steel gonads around the world. Claypool and Hüt...
Eddie Van Halen Left a Seven-Figure Donation to Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation
It goes without saying that the late Eddie Van Halen will continue to influence young musicians for generations to come. And now it’s been revealed that the rock icon left a “transformative” financial contribution to support music education in at-risk public schools via a seven-figure bequest to The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation. Prior to his passing in October 2020, the Van Halen guitarist was very involved with Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, supporting the nonprofit for several years and making appearances at a number of the organization’s events. On Wednesday, April 20th, it was announced that the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s will provided for a huge donation to the foundation. “Eddie’s support and friendship over the years meant the world to us and to his fans. His passion for music...
Rush’s Geddy Lee on Neil Peart’s Final Years: We Had to Be “Dishonest” to Remain “Loyal” to Our Drummer
In a new interview, Rush members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson opened up about the death of drummer Neil Peart and the circumstances surrounding the band prior to his passing in January 2020. Lee and Lifeson spoke with Canadian talk program House of Strombo, discussing numerous topics such as the 40th anniversary of Rush’s seminal album Moving Pictures. When host George Stroumboulopoulos brought up the final years of the band, Lee revealed that Peart wanted to keep his cancer diagnosis a secret, which forced the band to protect his privacy by keeping fans in the dark. “[Neil] didn’t want anyone to know [about his illness],” Lee said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “He just didn’t. He wanted to keep it in the house. And we did. And that was hard. I can’t tell you it was easy, ’cause it was n...
The Who Perform Orchestral Version of “Behind Blue Eyes” on Colbert: Watch
The Who appeared on Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Friday night for a rare late-night TV performance. Appearing remotely from London’s famed Royal Albert Hall, the legendary English rockers ran through their 1971 classic, “Behind Blue Eyes.” Watch the replay below. Accompanied by a full backing orchestra, Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend treated the full auditorium to a stunning new arrangement of the track, which originally appeared on the album Who’s Next. While there’s no guitar solo in this version, the orchestral accompaniment adds a welcome new ambiance. After years of supporting Teenage Cancer Trust in the UK, Friday’s performance on Colbert came in benefit of Teen Cancer America, bringing their philanthropic efforts across the globe. Advertisement Related Video La...
David Bowie Documentary Moonage Daydream Picked Up by Neon, Universal, HBO
Back in November, news broke that director Brett Morgen was making the first-ever fully authorized David Bowie documentary. Now, the film — dubbed Moonage Daydream — has been acquired for release by Neon, Universal, and HBO Documentary Films (per The Hollywood Reporter). Neon will release Moonage Daydream in the United States, and IMAX screenings of the film are expected to follow. Universal is handling the picture’s international release, while HBO holds cable and streaming rights. Described as a “feature-length experiential cinematic odyssey,” Moonage Daydream is narrated by Bowie himself and features never-before-seen footage, performances, and music. Beyond his illustrious music career, the documentary will also delve into Bowie’s work in dance, painting, sculpture...
How to Get Tickets to Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’ 2022 Tour
The Grammy-winning duo of Robert Plant and Alison Krauss are bringing their latest collaborative effort Raise the Roof to new heights with an extended international tour that now covers the West Coast this August. Get tickets here, and read on for more info including pre-sale dates. What Is Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’ Next Tour? The contemporary Americana combo kicks off their summer leg in Canandaigua, New York on June 1st. They’ll make stops at New York City’s Forest Hills Stadium on June 4th, Chicago on June 7th, Philadelphia on June 12th and more, followed by the East Coast closer at the Cadence Bank Amphitheatre at Chastain Park in Atlanta on June 16th. They’ll then immediately head out for a spot at Bonnaroo on June 17th. Advertisement Related Video The European leg begins prompt...
Alice Cooper Announces Fall 2022 North American Tour
Alice Cooper will keep his show on the road this fall with a newly announced set of North American dates. The legendary shock rocker will embark on a month-long outing beginning in early September. Since the concert industry started to open back up last year, Cooper has been a road dog. He embarked on a Fall 2021 trek with support from Ace Frehley, and is currently in the midst of a spring run with openers Buckcherry (with Frehley taking over the support slot for the final three shows). The fall “Detroit Muscle” tour kicks off September 7th in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and runs through an October 8th show in Las Vegas. No opener has been announced yet, but tickets go on sale this Friday at 10:00 a.m. local time via Ticketmaster, with a VIP pre-sale beginning tomorrow (April 12th). Advertise...
Pink Floyd Release First New Song in 28 Years to Benefit Ukraine: Stream
David Gilmour and Nick Mason have released their first new song as Pink Floyd in 28 years. Entitled “Hey, Hey Rise Up!”, it’s out today alongside a music video created by Matt Whitecross. Watch it below. Proceeds from the song and video will benefit the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund. According to a press release, Gilmour and Mason recorded “Hey, Hey Rise Up!” on Wednesday, March 30th. The pair were joined in the studio by bassist Guy Pratt and keyboardist Nitin Sawhney. The song samples an Instagram video by Andriy Khlyvnyuk (of Ukrainian band Boombox), singing the Ukrainian anthem “Oh, the Red Viburnum in the Meadow” in Kyiv earlier this year. Advertisement Related Video “Hey, Hey Rise Up!” marks Pink Floyd’s first original music since the release of The Division Bell in 1994. Their 2014 albu...
How to Get Tickets to The Doobie Brothers’ 2022 Tour
The Doobie Brothers are keeping the long train runnin’ for their extended 50th anniversary tour, which features the reunion of core members Tom Johnston, Pat Simmons, John McFee, and Michael McDonald after nearly 25 years. In a statement, Johnston shared, “We are excited to play more shows in 2022 and will be coming back around to Nashville to wrap things up, which is fitting as that’s where we first announced our 50th anniversary tour back in 2019.” Get tickets here, and read on for more info including pre-sale dates. What Is The Doobie Brothers’ Next Tour? The Doobie Brothers will resume their anniversary tour with an eight-night showcase in Las Vegas’ Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino from May 13th to 28th. They’ll then take it to the streets this summer for a cross...
