Classic Rock
The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger, Keith Richards Pay Tribute to Charlie Watts
The music world was shaken today when we learned of the death of Charlie Watts, the longtime drummer for The Rolling Stones. There has been an outpouring of reactions to the passing, with celebrities and peers from Paul McCartney to Questlove sharing messages. Now, two of his surviving bandmates have also paid tribute to Watts. In separate Instagram posts, both Mick Jagger and Keith Richards shared images in memory of their longtime bandmate. The former posted an image of a smiling Watts in action, a fitting way to remember the steady stickman known for his constant beaming behind his kit. It’s also nice to know this is how Jagger choose to remember him, rather than the time Watts punched Jagger for calling him “my drummer.” Richards, meanwhile, posted an image of Watts’ drum set with a “C...
Charlie Watts’ 10 Best Rolling Stones Drum Moments
The Rolling Stones recorded legacy spans nearly 60 years, and drummer Charlie Watts was there for it all. He anchored the band’s rhythm section with a gift for pocket and groove, always wearing one of the brightest smiles in the business. Watts also held an uncanny gift for balancing simplicity and showmanship, never getting in the way of the song unless it called for a spotlight on the drummer. Sadly, the legendary stickman passed away at the age of 80 on August 24th, but his legacy lives on through the iconic songs he left behind. Among the tributes that have poured in since news of his death, The Roots drummer Questlove called Watts “the heartbeat of rock & roll.” Advertisement Related Video Listening back to The Stones’ hits after the news of Watts’ passing makes you realize how vi...
Dead & Company Play Grateful Dead’s Entire 1969 Woodstock Set: Watch
On Monday night, Dead & Company played a concert at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts — AKA the site of the 1969 Woodstock festival. To celebrate the occasion, the group played the entirety of the Grateful Dead’s setlist from that iconic moment in history. Check out some footage from their performance below. As usual, the surviving members of the band were joined by John Mayer for last night’s gig, which is part of their ongoing 2021 tour. After opening with a few Grateful Dead covers like “Hell in a Bucket” and “Easy Wind,” they broke out six other songs before Bob Weir grabbed the microphone to update audience members about the band’s plan for the evening. “Fifty years ago, right here, we tried this little sequence,” he said. “And it didn’t work so well for us, so we’re going to t...
Wolfgang Van Halen: “I’m Not F**kin’ Playing ‘Panama’ for You Guys”
Wolfgang Van Halen has some choice words for those requesting that his band Mammoth WVH cover Van Halen songs. The son of the late Eddie Van Halen insists that he’s “not f**king playing ‘Panama’ for you guys.” Mammoth WVH are back opening for Guns N’ Roses after missing a few shows due to a member of the group’s touring personnel (not a band member) testing positive for COVID-19. Wolfgang and company have also been playing headlining dates on GN’R’s off days. Inevitably, Mammoth WVH’s first tour has been greeted with some fans who apparently don’t realize that the band plays entirely original music, written and recorded by Wolfgang and culled from the outfit’s self-titled debut album. They’re not a Van Halen tribute act. Advertisement Related Video One user commented on Wolfgang’s Facebook...
Paul McCartney to Reveal Never-Before-Seen Beatles Lyrics in Upcoming Book
Paul McCartney has revealed the 154 songs detailed in his career-spanning book, The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, due out November 2nd. Check out the full list below. One highlight from the two-volume collection is the handwritten lyrics to an unrecorded Beatles song, “Tell Me Who He Is.” The never-before-seen lyrics were unearthed from a notebook believed to date back to the early 1960s. The Lyrics includes songs from McCartney’s solo work and years in the Beatles and Wings, such as “Blackbird,” “Live and Let Die,” “Hey Jude,” “Band on the Run” and “Yesterday.” The collection contains handwritten lyrics alongside previously unpublished photos, drafts, and drawings. Each song features commentary by McCartney about his creative process. Advertisement Related Video In the anthology’s foreword...
Aerosmith to Unveil Previously Unreleased Recordings Under New Deal with Universal Music
Aerosmith have inked a new deal with Universal Music Group, bringing the legendary band’s entire recorded output and personal archives under the umbrella of one label. UMG announced the news today (August 23rd), offering details on the massive licensing deal. Universal is now the home of the band’s complete catalog. The label will also spearhead all future audio-visual projects and merchandising. Perhaps most importantly for fans, the deal gives UMG access to the band’s “Vindaloo Vaults” — the personal archives of Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Tom Hamilton, Joey Kramer and Brad Whitford. They will each help curate their own collections, and the archival material will be used in future releases to offer up previously unreleased music, rare photos, video footage, artwork, journals, setlists, and ...
David Lee Roth Responds to Gene Simmons’ Insults with 18 Middle Fingers
David Lee Roth has responded to recent insults by KISS‘ Gene Simmons by posting the same image 18 times on Instagram. Simmons recently lamented DLR’s current performance abilities in a new interview with Rolling Stone. While confirming that Roth was no longer providing support on KISS’ farewell tour, the KISS singer-bassist initially praised the Van Halen frontman, but then made disparaging remarks about the singer. “It bears noting that during Dave’s heyday, nobody did what he did,” began Simmons. “He was the ultimate frontman. Not Plant, not Rod Stewart, nobody. He took being a frontman way beyond anything.” He continued, “And then, I don’t know what happened to him… something. And you get modern-day Dave. I prefer to remember Elvis Presley in his prime. Sneering lips, back in Memphis, y...
Rush Announce Canadian Golden Ale Beer, Share Fun Promo Clip with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson: Watch
Rush are getting into the beer business. The legendary prog-rock band has announced Rush Canadian Golden Ale, in collaboration with Toronto’s Henderson Brewery. The genesis of the beer started when Geddy Lee was handed an Iron Maiden Trooper Ale after a Rush concert during their R40 tour. The singer-bassist jokingly wondered aloud why Rush didn’t have their own beer. From there, the wheels were set in motion, leading to the partnership with Henderson Brewery. Guitarist Alex Lifeson, who has been dubbed the band’s “Beer Scientist,” stated, “Rush Canadian Golden Ale is golden in color with a dense ivory head. It has an earthy aroma with hints of orange-peel, pine and spicy rye. While the emphasis is on refreshment, there are elements of pine, rye spice and a citric hop flavor that add to the...
Rush Announce Canadian Golden Ale Beer, Share Fun Promo Clip with Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson: Watch
Rush are getting into the beer business. The legendary prog-rock band has announced Rush Canadian Golden Ale, in collaboration with Toronto’s Henderson Brewery. The genesis of the beer started when Geddy Lee was handed an Iron Maiden Trooper Ale after a Rush concert during their R40 tour. The singer-bassist jokingly wondered aloud why Rush didn’t have their own beer. From there, the wheels were set in motion, leading to the partnership with Henderson Brewery. Guitarist Alex Lifeson, who has been dubbed the band’s “Beer Scientist,” stated, “Rush Canadian Golden Ale is golden in color with a dense ivory head. It has an earthy aroma with hints of orange-peel, pine and spicy rye. While the emphasis is on refreshment, there are elements of pine, rye spice and a citric hop flavor that add to the...
Hall & Oates Perform “Rich Girl” on Kimmel: Watch
Hall and Oates are amidst a lengthy US amphitheater tour alongside UK new wave outfit Squeeze and Scottish singer-songwriter KT Tunstall. To drum up promotion for the outing, John Hall and Daryl Oates appeared remotely on Wednesday night’s edition of Jimmy Kimmel Live and performed their classic track “Rich Girl.” Watch the replay below. Hall and Oates’ US tour with Squeeze and Tunstall runs through early October. Check out the full schedule below, and grab tickets via Ticketmaster. [embedded content] Advertisement Related Video Hall and Oates 2021 Tour Dates:08/19 — Noblesville, IN @ TCU Amph at White River State Park *08/21 — Auburn Hills, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre *08/23 — Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center *08/26 — Tinley Park, IL @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheater *08/28 — Milwa...
Neil Young Withdraws from Farm Aid 2021, Citing “The Covid Pandemic Surging”
Less than a month after Farm Aid 2021 was announced, one of the founders of the fundraiser, Neil Young, has withdrawn from the concert over concerns about COVID-19. In a statement on the Neil Young Archives, the venerable songwriter wrote, “My soul tells me it would be wrong.” Young is a Farm Aid board member alongside Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, and Dave Matthews, all of whom are expected to perform. “While I respect Willie, John and Dave’s decisions to stick with it and play, I am not of the same mind,” Young wrote. “It is a tough call.” As he explained his thinking, “I find myself wondering whether Farmaid will be safe for everyone with the Covid pandemic surging. I worry about that. I don’t want to let anybody down, but still can’t shake the feeling that it might not be safe for ev...
Nikki Sixx Is “So Happy” That Mötley Crüe “Decided to Not Tour During this Pandemic”
While many bands have pushed ahead with their scheduled 2021 tours (lots of which had already been rescheduled from 2020), Nikki Sixx is “so happy” that Mötley Crüe postponed their reunion tour once again. Now that COVID-19 cases are rising due to the Delta variant, the bassist said he’s “100%” satisfied with the band’s decision to wait another year. Other big rock bands like Guns N’ Roses and Foo Fighters have kicked off summer tours, but acts like Mötley Crüe, Rage Against the Machine, and Deftones have delayed their outings until 2022. Sixx is glad to be in the latter group of bands, taking to Instagram to share a graphic that reads: “I’m so happy we decided to not tour during this pandemic… 100%.” He added, “Not a hard decision to make when so many people’s lives are at risk. I MISS IT...
