Hard Rock
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...
Brian Johnson Has “Been Told Not to” Discuss AC/DC’s Future Plans
Brian Johnson has apparently been told to not to speak about AC/DC’s future plans, including whether or not the band will tour again. The singer was very guarded in a new interview with Eddie Trunk on Sirius XM’s Trunk Nation, refusing to answer some questions about the band’s touring and recording plans. Johnson hasn’t performed with AC/DC since departing their 2016 “Rock or Bust Tour” due to hearing loss, and the band hasn’t played live since September 20th of that year (when Axl Rose had filled in on vocals). When asked by Trunk if AC/DC would perform live again, Johnson replied [as transcribed by Blabbermouth]: “I’m not answering that. Why should I? First of all, there’s five members in this band, and to ask one member isn’t fair.” Advertisement Related Video Johnson returned to AC/DC ...
Beyond the Boys’ Club: Pioneering Rocker Leather Leone
Beyond the Boys’ Club is a monthly column from journalist and radio host Anne Erickson, focusing on women in the heavy music genres, as they offer their perspectives on the music industry and discuss their personal experiences. Erickson is also a music artist herself and has a new EP and single out, “Last Love,” with Upon Wings. The latest edition of Beyond the Boys’ Club features an interview with Leather Leone. Throughout the 1980s, Leather Leone was a strong voice in metal music. From her early days in Rude Girl to her high-profile performances with guitar icon David T. Chastain’s band Chastain, Leone was one of the pioneers for women in heavy music. After a long break away from the music scene, Leather is as active in the industry as ever. She recently released her third solo album, We...
Fix Stuff: Fred Durst and Limp Bizkit Offer to Help Elon Musk Run Twitter
If you’re worried about the future of Twitter under the guidance of soon-to-be-former CEO Elon Musk, worry no more! Fred Durst and his merry band of Limp Bizkit mates are here to save the day. The nu-metal frontman has offered his services to the multibillionaire mogul in the form of a … tweet. It’s been a rough go of it in the two months since Musk closed the deal on the purchasing Twitter for $44 billion. Under his guidance, the company has laid off half its staff, instituted an $8-per-month blue verification check mark, and banned some journalists from the platform, among other lowlights. Most recently, he promised to step down as CEO as soon as he finds “someone foolish enough to take the job.” But never fear, y’all! Durst and company are ready to do their part to turn it all around. “...
