Hard Rock
Godsmack Singer Sully Erna Apparently Once Dated Lady Gaga
One sings about “Bad Religion,” the other sings about “Bad Romance.” According to Godsmack drummer Shannon Larkin, frontman Sully Erna once dated pop superstar Lady Gaga. While appearing on the 2020’d podcast, Larkin was asked by the host (who appeared to have some inside knowledge) about Erna’s relationship with Gaga. “I don’t think [it’s] a secret,” responded Larkin. “I don’t think Sully would bum out if people knew he dated Lady Gaga. I mean, she’s hot, and she’s mega talented.” The drummer went on to say that, unlike certain other rock stars, Erna didn’t go out of his way to publicize the relationship. “He’s not Tommy Lee or whatever, or whoever the guy is now… What I mean by that is — Travis Barker, Tommy Lee, whatever — is dudes that have public girlfriends that are super famous...
The Strokes’ Fab Moretti and Tool’s Danny Carey to Sit in with Seth Meyers’ 8G Band
Late Night with Seth Meyers has booked a couple of high-profile drummers to sit in with the 8G Band this month. The Strokes’ Fab Moretti and Tool’s Danny Carey will bring their talents to the nighttime NBC talk show for one week each. Fans can catch Moretti starting tonight (January 9th) and running through Thursday (January 12th). The Strokes’ stickman previously filled the 8G Band drum seat for a week in 2016. Carey will jump behind the kit on January 23rd and stick around through January 26th. Like Moretti, the Tool drummer also previously performed with the 8G band in 2016. Advertisement Related Video The Strokes have been working on a new album with legendary producer Rick Rubin. The forthcoming LP will be the follow-up to 2020’s The New Abnormal. As of now, the band has a handful of ...
Robert Fripp and Toyah Take on The Offspring’s “The Kids Aren’t Alright”: Watch
With a new year upon us, King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp and his singer wife Toyah Willcox are still serving up their “Sunday Lunch” performances. In the latest edition of the popular YouTube series, the couple cover The Offspring’s “The Kids Aren’t Alright.” Fripp nails the anthemic guitar riff, as Toyah dances behind him, singing the song’s bleak lyrics and waving a wind-blown silk scarf around. At one point the scarf comedically drapes over Fripp’s head while he’s still playing guitar. “The Kids Aren’t Alright” appeared on The Offspring’s 1998 album, Americana, and hit No. 6 on the Alternative Rock chart and No. 11 on the Mainstream Rock tally. Advertisement Related Video While no dates or cities have been announced, Toyah and Robert are planning to take their “Sunday Lunch” pe...
Billy Idol Gets Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame: Watch the Ceremony
Billy Idol received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Friday (January 6th). Fellow punk legend Henry Rollins and renowned visual artist Shepard Fairey delivered speeches to honor the legendary rocker. Rollins spoke first, praising Idol for his work as lead singer of the UK punk band Generation X, as well as his multi-platinum solo career. “Billy Idol has rock ‘n’ roll in his veins, and punk rock in his DNA,” said the one-time Black Flag singer. “He’s the real thing, and maybe that’s why we’re here today, ’cause decade after decade he has remained himself. And it takes a lot of guts and a lot of integrity.” Fairey spoke next, mentioning how he worshiped Idol after first seeing the “White Wedding” music video on MTV. “I was in love,” said the artist. “I wanted to be Billy Idol. Billy w...
Alien Ant Farm Singer Dryden Mitchell Charged with Battery for Touching His Crotch with Fan’s Hand
Alien Ant Farm singer Dryden Mitchell has been charged with misdemeanor battery for allegedly using a fan’s hand to touch his own crotch during a concert in Florida. The incident happened a couple months ago, but charges were just filed on December 30th. According to The Daily Mail, Mitchell grabbed the hand of a 45-year-old male fan and placed it onto his crotch while performing their hit cover of Michael Jackson’s “Smooth Criminal” in Fort Lauderdale on October 29th. In video posted to YouTube (watch below), it appears that the fan raised his hand in the air toward Mitchell, who then pulled it into his privates for a brief second before the fan pulled his hand away. A police report obtained by Rolling Stone reads, “The lead singer of the Alien Ant Farm band, Dryden Mitchell, was on the s...
Dee Snider: Robert Plant and Ronnie James Dio Not “Great Frontmen” Despite Being “Great Singers”
Dee Snider stirred up an ongoing Twitter debate just before the new year when he claimed that he doesn’t consider Robert Plant and the late Ronnie James Dio to be great frontmen. The Twisted Sister vocalist explained that he admires both rock legends as singers but insisted that they lacked excitement onstage as performers. It all started when Snider praised late drummer Cozy Powell, who was bandmates with Dio in Rainbow and played on select tracks on Plant’s debut solo album, Pictures at Eleven. When a fan tweeted at Snider that Dio was the second best frontman after Freddie Mercury, Snider responded, “You are confusing singing with performing. There is a huge difference between a great frontman & a great singer. Ronnie was one of the greatest singers of all time, but as a frontman, h...
Devin Townsend: Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger “Is a Phenomenally Intelligent Human Being”
Prog rocker Devin Townsend has high praise for Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger in a new interview, calling his fellow Canadian “a phenomenally intelligent human being.” Kroeger previously made a surprising guest spot on Townsend’s Empath album in 2019. When asked by Ultimate Guitar about the collaboration, Townsend was quick to speak highly of Kroeger, who has faced an exaggerated amount of criticism over the years for his work in Nickelback (Townsend had previously called Kroeger a “functioning genius” back in 2019). That said, Townsend admitted in the new interview that the two lead a different lifestyle. “Chad’s brilliant,” Townsend said. “Chad is a phenomenally intelligent human being. But he’s a rockstar, too, on levels that you and I will never participate in. And so there’s go...
John Dolmayan: System of a Down “Should Have Moved On” Without Serj Tankian in 2006
It’s now been 17 years since System of a Down released a new studio album, and drummer John Dolmayan thinks they may have been better off moving on without singer Serj Tankian at the time the band went on hiatus in 2006. While System of a Down continue to be an active band, playing sporadic shows and releasing a pair of surprise singles in 2020, the multi-platinum act’s internal conflicts have been well documented. A few years back, Tankian and guitarist-vocalist Daron Malakian each opened up about the creative differences that led to a dearth of new music from the acclaimed metal band. In the summer of 2018, Malakian told Kerrang! magazine, “If everyone got together and was ready to play ball, I have an album ready. If it was up to me, System would have never gone on hiatus. … To be hones...
Billy Idol to Receive First Hollywood Walk of Fame Star of 2023
Billy Idol will receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this week, making him the first honoree of 2023. The ceremony was originally set to take place this Thursday (January 5th), but heavy rain in the forecast has led to it being rescheduled for Friday (January 6th). “There will be lots of rebels yelling for their favorite rock star Billy Idol when he receives his well-deserved Walk of Fame star,” stated Ana Martinez, producer of the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “Since the beginning of his career Billy Idol has held the hearts of many of his fans who finally will be able to visit his star and witness his induction into the Walk of Fame.” The music icon has certainly had a legendary career, first as lead singer of the UK punk band Generation X in the late ’70s and then as a multi-platinum ...
Iggy Pop Was Once Approached About Fronting AC/DC
Iggy Pop has revealed that he was once approached about becoming the frontman of AC/DC. “They had a manager many years ago, when I hadn’t re-formed The Stooges, I hadn’t moved to England,” Iggy told the New York Times. “And this guy said, ‘Are you interested in joining AC/DC?’ They were looking for a singer.” Though it’s not clear exactly when he was asked to join the band, the timeline likely puts the encounter around the time AC/DC formed in 1973 or perhaps when original frontman Dave Evans departed and when Bon Scott took over as lead singer — sometime around 1974. Related Video “I listened to their record. I thought, I can’t fit that bill,” Iggy admitted. “I wasn’t, like, ‘Ugh, I don’t like them.’ It was quite well made. They do careful work, but I’m not what they needed.” Advertisemen...
David Lee Roth: Working with Eddie Van Halen Was “Better Than Any Love Affair”
David Lee Roth and the Van Halen camp haven’t always seen eye to eye, but the singer recently offered some touching remarks while reflecting on his longtime bandmate, the late Eddie Van Halen. Roth opened up about his working relationship with the guitar legend on his The Roth Show podcast earlier this week. DLR famously left Van Halen in 1985 to pursue a successful solo career, and multiple failed attempts to patch things up would eventually give way to Roth rejoining the band in 2007. Roth and Eddie Van Halen appeared to be on good terms when Eddie passed away in 2020. “My dear departed Ed,” Roth said on his podcast (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “Boy, I miss him. I had a ball with Ed. Walt Disney once said, ‘You know what? My love affair with Mickey Mouse was better than any love aff...
Ranking Every Ozzy Osbourne Solo Album from Worst to Best
Welcome to Dissected, where we disassemble a band’s catalog, a director’s filmography, or some other critical pop-culture collection in the abstract. It’s exact science by way of a few beers. This time, we follow Ozzy Osbourne’s solo career from the masterful Blizzard of Ozz to what, for now, remains his last solo disc, 2022’s Patient Number 9. The man born John Michael Osbourne in Birmingham, England, on December 3, 1948, didn’t become the Prince of Darkness overnight. First rising to fame as the vocalist for Black Sabbath — the first heavy metal band — Ozzy Osbourne became as notorious for his drinking and drug habits as he was for his singing. Ozzy hit a turning point in his life when touring with Black Sabbath in 1979. His habit was bad, and maybe worse, every night a young, hotshot ba...
