Deftones Announce More Tour Dates
Following a two-week sequence of sold-out arena shows, including a double in Los Angeles at the Forum, Deftones have announced an extension of its 2025 North American tour with a second leg.
The first leg kicked off on February 25, and has been met with unanimous critical acclaim.
The next round of dates commences on August 22 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia and continues in arenas across Canada and the United States.
New Documentary Claims Jim Morrison Could Be Alive
The documentary series "Before the End" challenges the theory that Jim Morrison died of a drug overdose and suggests he may have faked his death.
Jeff Finn, the creator of the series, claims that Morrison could be alive and living incognito in Syracuse, N.Y., under the name "Frank" or "Frank X."
Finn presents evidence such as a scar on "Frank's" nose that matches where Morrison had a mole and the emotional reactions of Morrison's ex-girlfriends to a photo of "Frank."
Media outlets worldwide have picked up on the story, with headlines suggesting that Morrison is alive and well in Syracuse, working as a maintenance man.
Syracuse University media studies professor Robert Thompson acknowledges the appeal of the idea but cautions that such documentaries often have credibility issues and that the claim of Morrison being alive in Syracuse is highly unlikely.
Billy Joel's Daughter Reassures Fans
Sailor Brinkley-Cook is reassuring fans that her dad, Billy Joel, is "totally healthy" and will be back on stage soon after postponing his tour for medical reasons.
Joel's daughter mentioned that he is "really upset" about having to delay the concerts but is looking forward to getting back on stage.
The tour postponement is due to Joel needing to recover from recent surgery and undergo physical therapy, with the tour set to resume in July 2025.
Joel had previously postponed a show in Florida in January for a "medical procedure" and expressed disappointment but thanked fans for their understanding.
RINGO: A Primetime Country Starr
Ringo Starr's CBS special, Ringo & Friends at the Ryman, aired last night (Monday). Captured in January over two nights at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, it featured appearances by Jack White, Brenda Lee, Billy Strings, Rodney Crowell, The War and Treaty, Sheryl Crow, Mickey Guyton and Molly Tuttle. Ringo said "The Ryman for me is just a blessing that I can play here. I feel an extra little beat in my heart every time I play here." The show was filmed in conjunction with the release in January of his country album, Look Up.
TEARS FOR FEARS: 40 Years of a Big Chair
Tears for Fears biggest album, Songs For the Big Chair, was released in the U.S. 40 years ago today (Tuesday). It came out here two weeks after it was released in the U.K. and Europe. And while the first single overseas was "Mothers Talk" in August 1984, the first single in the U.S. was "Everybody Wants to Rule the World." The song debuted on the Hot 100 this week in 1985, and it took 13 weeks for it to hit number-one on June 8th, 1985. The second and final week that "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" was at number-one "Shout" was released as the second single and become the duo's second number-one on August 3rd, 1985. It spent three weeks on top. The third single, "Head Over Heels," peaked at number-three in November 1985. The fourth single, a completely new recording of "Mothers Talk," peaked at number-27 in May 1986.
Songs From the Big Chair spent four weeks at number-one on the Billboard 200 chart from July 13th to August 3rd and has sold over five-million copies. It's also been subject to multiple reissues -- a single disc with seven bonus tracks in 1999; a two-disc reissue in 2006 with seven B-sides and 12 seven-inch and 12-inch versions; and box set in 2014 with four CDs and two DVDs. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" has reigned as one of the most popular hits from the 1980s, and it currently has 1.99-billion plays on Spotify. And even with all of that success, the duo's Roland Orzabal believes that he and Curt Smith are completely unknown to fans of just their hits. "I think our music's always been way more famous than we are, you know. I'm sure that a lot of people that could sing you one of our songs and they don't even know who's in the band."
JOHN BONHAM: Immersive Tribute
The statue of the late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham in his hometown of Redditch, England will become immersive this Friday. That's when a QR code installed in the statue will enable you to launch an immersive animation of Bonham that was created using motion capture technology. Matt Green, a local drummer, sat behind the kit to play Zeppelin's “Rock and Roll,” “Good Times, Bad Times” and “Immigrant Song,” and that footage is being combined with a new animation of Bonham. Also included is a local guide that directs people to relevant locations in Redditch tied to Bonham's time there. However, the only way to access it is by visiting the statue, which was erected in 2018 for what would have been Bonham's 70th birthday. And, if you do, then pay a visit to the Redditch Library, where, later this month, it will unveil a "special collection of John Bonham materials from the Library’s Archive and Collections for visitors to view and learn more about John’s life.” Last month, the Redditch Local History Museum installed a display about the history of Bonham.
Bonham was found dead on September 25th, 1980 by Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones
at Jimmy Page's house in Windsor, England following the first day of rehearsals for their U.S. tour. He choked on his vomit following a heavy day of drinking. He was 32.
Kiss Announces 'Asylum'-Era 'Off the Soundboard' Live Album
Kiss is set to release a new live album, Off the Soundboard: San Antonio, TX 12-3-1985, which captures their 1985 Asylum tour. The triple-vinyl album features 18 tracks including hits like "Heaven's on Fire" and "Lick It Up." Fans can pre-order the album and related merchandise on the band's website. Asylum was the first album to feature Bruce Kulick as lead guitarist, and the tour is one of the few Kiss tours yet to be documented with a live album or video.
BAD COMPANY: Not So Fast
Sammy Hagar has posted a video on Instagram of him with Paul Rodgers hanging out in Southern California. He captioned it with, "Paul Rodgers had as much influence on my singing as any singer of my time... Congratulations on [Bad Company making] the Rock Hall ballot ... without a doubt a winner. Free [the band Rodgers was in before Bad Company] also one of my favorite bands." However, in the clip, Sammy mistakenly congratulates Paul on Bad Company being inducted into the Hall of Fame instead of nominated.
SH: "How do you feel about that? It's about time, right? What do you think?"
PR: "Well, it is about time. I mean, it's validation and it's great for a kid from Middlesbrough [England] to reach this pinnacle of my career. Wonderful. Thank you."
We spoke to Sammy about what he said in the video and he recognized his mix-up, adding that he was "just making it well known. They deserve to be in the Hall and they will be." Hagar, who was inducted as a member of Van Halen in 2007, will be casting his ballot for Bad Co., who are third in the Fan Vote behind Phish at one and Billy Idol second. Rodgers also posted a photo of him and Sammy standing next to Sammy's Ferrari, captioning it with, "Wonder why Sammy Hagar can't drive 55? Check out his car!"
Steve Hackett: Genesis Greats, Lamb Highlights & Solo Books Rialto
Steve Hackett's upcoming North American tour will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Genesis album "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway." The tour will feature performances of songs from the album as well as other Genesis classics. Hackett, who was a member of Genesis from 1971 to 1976, will also play solo material during the shows. The tour kicks off in October and includes stops in major cities across the U.S. and Canada. Tickets for the shows go on sale to the general public this Friday, March 14. Tour dates and more info at hackettsongs.com.
Rick Springfield Discovered He Has Brain Damage from an Onstage Fall 25 Years Ago
1980s pop star Rick Springfield recently revealed that he has brain damage from a concert fall that occurred 25 years ago. The injury, sustained in Las Vegas in 2000, has left lasting effects on his health. Springfield emphasized the importance of staying informed about one's health, citing his father's refusal to seek medical attention as a cautionary tale. Despite the challenges, Springfield remains active in his career and maintains a healthy lifestyle to stay youthful.
JOHN 5 Announces Opening Of 'Knights In Satan's Service Museum' Of KISS Memorabilia
Mötley Crüe guitarist John 5 is launching the Knights in Satan Service Museum in Los Angeles, showcasing his personal collection of KISS memorabilia. The museum will be open on select dates in May, with John offering guided tours of over 2,500 pieces he has collected over nearly 50 years. John's passion for collecting KISS memorabilia started at a young age and has allowed him to connect with fans worldwide. With KISS no longer touring, the museum offers a unique opportunity to experience this collection, reminisce about the band's legacy plus the chance to interact with John, ask questions, and hear stories about his collection.
Iron Maiden To Release "Epic" New Book Celebrating Their Career
Iron Maiden is releasing a new book, “Infinite Dreams,” that will explore the bands long-running career. The book will be filled with images of the band’s instruments, stage props, album and single artwork, and more. Bassist Steve Harris will contribute a foreword while frontman Bruce Dickinson will contribute the afterword. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised at some of the stuff that I’ve managed to unearth for this book,” Harris shares with ”Kerrang!,” adding, “I knew I had kept a lot of things from the early days but they have lasted really well and the photography has brought them back to life. I hope the fans are going to love looking at all the stuff presented like this.” The book is expected to drop this fall.
Counting Crows Announce 2025 North American Tour
Counting Crows are taking their upcoming album, "Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets," on the road for a 2025 tour. The trek will take the band across North America, the U.K., and Europe. The North American leg kicks off in Nashville on June 10th, with other stops in Boston, New Orleans and Las Vegas. It wraps up in Englewood, Colorado on August 23rd. Tickets will go on sale for the general public on March 14th.The Counting Crows' "Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets" drops on May 9th.
IN OTHER NEWS
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ guitarist Mike Campbell will perform acoustically with Chris Holt from his band, The Dirty Knobs, and take part in a Q&A on March 19th at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, the day after the publication of his memoir, Heartbreaker.
Dave Mason has added six dates in July to his summer tour – July 11th in Kansas City, Missouri through the 26th in Fayetteville, Arkansas with Boulder, Colorado; Colorado Springs; Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Oklahoma City in between.
Randy Bachman, now touring as BTO (Bachman-Turner Overdrive minus Fred Turner) will release a new song, “60 Years Ago,” on March 28th. Proceeds will benefit The Bridge to Nowhere charity ride, produced in partnership by Brothers of the Fork and Hockey Helps the Homeless. Bachman starts a new BTO tour on April 1st in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The U.S. leg gets underway on July 18th in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
Nirvana's "You Know You're Right" is used in the new trailer for HBO's The Last of Us season two. Watch it on YouTube.