Hard Rock
Slipknot Finally Confirm Identity of “Tortilla Man”
It wasn’t exactly the best-kept secret, but Slipknot have finally officially confirmed the identity of the band member affectionately known as “Tortilla Man.” His name is Michael Pfaff, as most fans had already figured out. Slipknot revealed Pfaff’s identity with an Instagram post today (March 16th) promoting the percussionist’s “Ask Me Anything” session on Reddit. The musician is seen in a photo holding a sign that says, “I am Michael Pfaff.” In 2019, Pfaff replaced longtime member Chris Fehn, who was ousted from the group after suing his bandmates over financial matters. It didn’t take too long for fans to name Pfaff, as he is a member of fellow Slipknot percussionist Shawn “Clown” Crahan’s side project Dirty Little Rabbits. His identity was further cemented when an unmasked photo of him...
Alice Cooper’s Coopstock 2 Fest to Feature Rob Halford, Scott Stapp, Larry the Cable Guy, Mike Mills, and More
The 2022 edition of Alice Cooper’s fundraising Coopstock festival boasts an eclectic lineup of performers. In addition to headliner Cooper, the one-day event also features Judas Priest’s Rob Halford, Creed’s Scott Stapp, R.E.M.’s Mike Mills, Larry the Cable Guy, and more. Coopstock 2 takes place April 30th at the Las Sendas Golf Club in Mesa, Arizona, with proceeds benefiting Alice Cooper’s Solid Rock Teen Centers in Mesa and Phoenix. Joining the aforementioned acts on the bill are Ed Roland of Collective Soul, Danny Seraphine of Chicago, Adrian Young of No Doubt, Chuck Garric of the Alice Cooper Band, comedian Gary Mule Deer, country band Sixwire, and actor Patrick Warburton (David Puddy on Seinfeld). Also performing will be young South Korean jazz musician Yohan Kim, as well as members o...
Greta Van Fleet Kick Off 2022 Tour in Michigan: Recap + Setlist
Greta Van Fleet opened their “Dreams in Gold” tour in Kalamazoo on Thursday (March 10th), kicking off the run in their homeland of Michigan with the first of five dates in the state. With support from the Rival Sons and Velveteers, Greta Van Fleet left the Wings Event Center with a distinct taste of rock and a night to remember. First, The Velveteers took to the stage, opening with “Motel #27.” The Colorado trio, led by singer Demi Demitro, set the mood for an energetic evening; Demitro thrashed appropriately as she sang about a hazy and uneasy world of loving. Next was Long Beach, California’s Rival Sons, who also held their own in a competition of which opener could wow fans the quickest. For those unfamiliar with the five-piece, they are old enough to have a few grays, and cool enough t...
Ghost Are Sponsoring a NASCAR Car Set to Race This Weekend in Phoenix
Ghost and NASCAR aren’t exactly two peas in a pod, but that isn’t stopping the Swedish metal band from sponsoring a car at the United Rentals 200 race at Phoenix Raceway this Saturday (March 12th). The car is being driven Bayley Currey, a member of the NASCAR Xfinity Series team JD Motorsports. Appropriately, it’s the No. 4 car, matching up nicely with current Ghost frontman Papa Emeritus IV. “I’m ready to rock,” said Currey in a press release as he prepares to take the wheel this weekend. “I’m excited about this one, and I know the boys at the shop are excited about this one too, we have a lot of metal fans on our team. Once we heard a deal was imminent, we started working on the cars to Ghost songs. With Ghost on my car, I am ready to take on the world.” Advertisement Related Video The r...
Alice in Chains, Breaking Benjamin and Bush Team Up for 2022 US Tour
Alice in Chains and Breaking Benjamin have announced a co-headlining 2022 US tour, with special guests Bush. The 30-city trek will run for two months from early August through early October. The outing kicks off in Breaking Benjamin’s home state of Pennsylvania with an August 10th show in Burgettstown, and wraps up October 8th in Mansfield, Massachusetts. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday (March 11th) via Ticketmaster, with a pre-sale beginning Tuesday (March 8th). “We’re looking forward to finally hitting the road again this summer,” remarked Alice in Chains drummer Sean Kinney. “It’s been too long and we can’t wait to get outdoors and share a night of music with our fans again.” Advertisement Related Video Breaking Benjamin frontman Ben Burnley added, “We are so extrem...
Robert Fripp and Toyah Support Ukraine with Neil Young and Living Colour Covers: Watch
During the course of the pandemic, King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp and his singer wife, Toyah Willcox, have been distracting music fans with lighthearted and eye-catching covers of iconic rock tunes. This week, the couple took a more serious tone as they turned their attention toward the war in Ukraine, performing Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World” and Living Colour’s “Cult of Personality.” For their latest “Sunday Lunch” performance, Robert and Toyah take on Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World.” While the original may have been an indictment of American policies under the George H. W. Bush administration at the time Young released the song in 1989, it’s clear that the Robert and Toyah are focusing on Russia’s current attack on the freedom of the Ukrainian people right now. In the...
Black Label Society Announce Spring 2022 US Tour
Black Label Society have announced a Spring 2022 headlining tour with support from Nita Strauss and Jared James Nichols. The outing kicks off April 30th in San Diego and runs through a May 21st date in Indwood, West Virginia, with Zakk Wylde and company hitting smaller markets across the Midwest and South. Strauss and Nichols will open most dates, with Black Stone Cherry playing in place of Strauss at the final two shows. Buy tickets via Ticketmaster. Commented Strauss, who also plays lead guitar in Alice Cooper’s band: “We will be hitting the road at the end of April in support of the almighty BLACK LABEL SOCIETY!!!! Can’t wait to share the stage with these titans of guitar Zakk Wylde and Jared James Nichols… the blonde guitar brigade is coming!” Advertisement The trek will lead up to Bla...
Ghost Unleash New Song “Twenties” Ahead of Upcoming Album Impera: Stream
Ghost have shared “Twenties,” the latest single from their forthcoming album, Impera, arriving March 11th. “Twenties” delivers a heavier and more propulsive sound than previous single “Call Me Little Sunshine.” It also boasts ominous lyrics that ring poignant given the “historical events unfolding on the world stage (however incidental),” as the press release put it. The opening stanza is chilling: “Listen up, hatchet man,” sings Papa Emeritus IV (aka Tobias Forge). “Send controls for the heart of the land / Kill ’em all / It is time / You’re the next in the chain of command.” The song drops a day before Ghost wrap up their co-headlining US tour with Volbeat. The final concert is tomorrow (March 3rd) in Anaheim, California, and concludes a thrilling run of shows that saw the live premiere ...
Marilyn Manson Sues Evan Rachel Wood for Defamation, Calls Abuse Allegations a “Malicious Falsehood”
Marilyn Manson has filed a defamation lawsuit against his ex-fiancée Evan Rachel Wood, claiming that her abuse allegations amount to a “malicious falsehood.” Within the suit, the rocker insists that Wood and her “romantic partner” Ashley Gore (aka Illma Gore) forged an FBI letter to make it seem like there was a federal investigation of Manson and that his “alleged victims” were in danger. The singer’s lawsuit comes just over a year after Wood named Manson as her abuser, setting off a series of further assault claims by several other women. In the weeks that followed, Manson was dropped from his record label, eliminated from movie roles, and lambasted by former collaborators like Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor and Limp Bizkit’s Wes Borland. Per the lawsuit, which was obtained by Consequence...
Halestorm Announce Spring 2022 US Tour with Stone Temple Pilots, Mammoth WVH, and Black Stone Cherry
Halestorm have announced a headlining Spring 2022 US tour in support of their upcoming album, Back From the Dead. They’ll be joined on the road by Stone Temple Pilots, Wolfgang Van Halen’s Mammoth WVH, and Black Stone Cherry on select dates. The brief outing kicks off May 10th in Billings, Montana, and circles back to Missoula, Montana, for a tour-closing May 30th show. Tickets go on sale beginning Friday (March 4th) via Ticketmaster, with pre-sales beginning as early as today (March 1st). The bill offers further evidence of just how big Halestorm have become, with frontwoman Lzzy Hale and company topping a lineup that includes rock veterans Stone Temple Pilots. Late last year and for a few shows at the beginning of this year, Halestorm co-headlined a US arena tour with Evanescence. Advert...
Danzig Announces Spring 2022 US Tour with Cradle of Filth and Crobot
Danzig has announced a Spring 2022 US tour featuring support from Cradle of Filth and Crobot on all dates. The brief two-week jaunt will include one special show that will find Danzig performing 1990’s Danzig II: Lucifuge in full. The tour kicks off May 5th in Reno, Nevada, and runs through a May 19th show in Austin, Texas. Fans who attend the May 7th show in Ontario, California, will be treated to the full Danzig II: Lucifuge performance, as well as an additional opening set by Tiger Army in the direct support slot. No ticket information has been released yet, but keep checking back here to find out when they’ll become available. Advertisement Related Video While Danzig did play a few one-off shows and festival gigs in 2021, the outing will mark the first proper tour for the band sin...
Robert Fripp and Toyah Are Right on Time with The Black Keys’ “Lonely Boy”: Watch
It’s more Sunday fun from King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp and his singer wife Toyah Willcox, who deliver a very timely rendition of The Black Keys’ “Lonely Boy.” Toyah busts out a revealing white bodysuit for the couple’s take on The Black Keys’ chart-topping rock hit, as they play up the whole time aspect of the song’s lyrics. Unlike Black Keys’ singer Dan Auerbach’s complaint that he has a love who keeps him waiting, Robert and Toyah are always right on time with their “Sunday Lunch” performances — hence a giant clock prop, a hand-drawn clock poster, and a large yellow watch. Robert even gets in on the vocal action, singing the last line of the performance — or at least attempting to sing (now we know why he leaves the vocals to others in King Crimson). And for extra fun, the pair th...
