Jon Lord Undergoing Cancer Treatment

Jon Lord is seeking treatment for pancreatic cancer in Israel. He is seeing a specialist to deal with his condition, but despite his medical issues, Lord, 70, is hoping to return to work sooner than later. In fact, he hopes to be elbows deep in music again later this year.

Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice spoke to Canadian radio station CIRK K-97 about Lord's illness, reaffirming the idea that his former bandmate will return to music by late spring. In fact, the diagnosis isn't as grim as it might seem, judging from what Paice said about Lord's prognosis and progress.

Paice revealed that Lord "was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, but really early, early stages. And we know it's not a good one - whether there is a good one - but so far all the news from Jon is great." Pancreatic cancer is normally a swiftly developing and deadly form of cancer, but the fact that the disease was caught early certainly bodes well for Lord.

Lord played in Deep Purple from 1968-1976 and then another stint 1984-2002. He's also spent time as a member of Whitesnake, Paice, Ashton & Lord, The Artwoods and Flower Pot Men.

Paice continued, sharing further details, saying, "There are no more cancer cells being produced, and those that are lying dormant are being, hopefully, wiped out as we speak by a brand new treatment which he is over in Israel having right now. So we're already thinking that he may be back working in April or May."

Uriah Heep: "Live In Athens Greece 2011 - Official Bootleg Vol 5" Out In April

Uriah Heep will release the "Official Bootleg Vol. 5 - Live In Athens, Greece 2011" on April 3rd. The CD is ready for pre-order.

Track list:

Overload

Return To Fantasy

Only Human

Book of Lies

Bird of Prey

Stealin`

Rainbow Demon

Free Me

Free `n` Easy

Gypsy

Look at Yourself

July Morning

Easy Livin`

Motörhead: Rockstage 1981; Complete Concert HD

Motörhead Rockstage live at Nottingham Theatre Royal 1981:

Tracks:


Overkill
Too Late Too Late
Shoot You In The Back
Step Down
Jailbait
Leavin' Here
Metropolis
Train Kept a Rollin'
Bomber
Motörhead

Van Halen: HQ Indianapolis Concert Footage Available

Quality fan-filmed video footage of Van Halen's February 22nd performance at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.


The band's setlist was as follows:

01. You Really Got Me
02. Runnin' With the Devil
03. She's The Woman
04. Romeo Delight
05. Tattoo
06. Everybody Wants Some!!
07. Somebody Get Me A Doctor
08. China Town
09. Hear About It Later
10. Oh, Pretty Woman
11. Drum Solo
12. Unchained
13. The Trouble with Never
14. Dance The Night Away
15. I'll Wait
16. Hot For Teacher
17. Women In Love
18. Girl Gone Bad
19. Beautiful Girls
20. Ice Cream Man
21. Panama
22. Guitar Solo
23. Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love
24. Jump

Aerosmith: Steven Tyler Interviewed On `Jimmy Kimmel Live!`; Video Available

Aerosmith singer was interviewed on last night's (Monday, February 27th) episode of ABC-TV's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!". You can now watch video footage of his appearance in three parts below.

Aerosmith began work on its first all-new album since 2001 last year. The band has been working with producer Jack Douglas, who collaborated with them on classic early albums like "Toys In The Attic" and "Rocks".

Steven Tyler will take part in the Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp May 2-6 at the world-famous Playboy Mansion in Holmby Hills, California. Stay tuned!

Bon Jovi: New Song "What About Now" Snippet Posted Online; Video

Bon Jovi frontman Jon Bon Jovi welcomed "Person To Person" into his home for a report on the February 8th edition of the program. Check out the feature below, as well as a demo preview of the new song, 'What About Now', to be included on Bon Jovi's forthcoming new album.

Megadeth: "It Would Be Great' To Play With Hetfield And Ulrich Again," Says Dave Mustaine

Harry of the Minneapolis, Minnesota radio station 93X recently conducted an interview with Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine . You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below.

When asked about the status of his proposed "supergroup" with David Ellefson (bass; Megadeth), James Hetfield (guitar/vocals, Metallica) and Lars Ulrich (drums; Metallica), Mustane said, "Yeah, that was just me talking. I don't think [James and Lars are] interested in doing that. It would be cool, and I've mentioned it to them before. I just think that they're so busy that they don't have time to do something like that. My wife and James' wife are friends, and they talk a lot. From what I know, too, there's a lot of work that those guys do, and they're gone a lot, and they tour a lot, so for them to take on a project like that, I think it would have to really be a labor of love. Of course, David and I would do it, 'cause I think it would be great to play with them again. When I went up there and did the 30th-anniversary thing, I thought it was really cool. Megadeth is doing really fine right now. I'm not in the place to be asking for favors from anybody. I like who I am right now, I'm satisfied with where my career's at. But don't kid yourself, if we got together and played, I imagine it would be really cool. It wouldn't be anything like Megadeth, of course, and it wouldn't be anything like Metallica. But we'll see what happens. Maybe with enough people asking them, they'll buckle. [Laughs]"

Mustaine joined his former Metallica bandmates on stage on December 10th, 2011 for the fourth and final intimate show at the Fillmore in San Francisco as part of the group's week-long celebration of its 30th anniversary as a band for fan club members only. 

Ace Frehley: Working On New Album, New Book

During a brand new interview with I Heart Guitar, original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley spoke about his future plans.

He said, "I've started working on a new album, I'm writing a new book… there are a lot of good things on the horizon. At this point, I think [the next book is] just going to be an extension of 'No Regrets'. There's so much I left out because of the deadline, but after talking with so many different people I've got so many stories that have eluded me over the years. And there just wasn't enough room to put them into 'No Regrets', and I was past the deadline as it was. But I think I'm going to come out with something in the effect of like a 'No Regrets II'. But I also have the idea to put out a guitar book with all my guitar effects, tricks, recording techniques… I've learned a lot of tricks from working with a lot of great producers over the years, and I think I should write a book about it."

Judas Priest: Singapore Footage Available

Fan-filmed video footage of Judas Priest's February 20th performance at Fort Canning Park in Singapore can be seen below.

Regarding Judas Priest's farewell world tour, singer Rob Halfordpreviously said, "We're pulling out all the stops. We've built a brand new stage set, we've got all the effects that people love us for - the lasers, the fire, the bombs, the smoke, new costumes, and the bike. It's just a full-on metal extravaganza."

Slash: New Song "You`re a Lie" Streaming Online

Slash was interviewed earler this week on Australia's long-running rock station Triple M. You can now watch the three-minute chat below (lower).

Slash has released "You're A Lie" to radio today worldwide. The hard-charging song, which is available for streaming in its entirety below (upper) marks the first single off from the forthcoming second studio album "Apocalyptic Love".

"'You're A Lie' is the second song I brought to the band in 2011 during the last tour,” explains Slash. "We worked on it at soundcheck somewhere, I can't remember where. It's gone through some minor changes along the way, mainly the chorus. But for the most part, it's remained true to its original arrangement. I can't wait to play this live."

Bill Ward Pays Tribute To Tony Iommi

Black Sabbath Online reports: 

"This past Saturday was the most recent episode of Rock 50 with Bill Ward. Rock 50 is a show on college radio station WPMD in Cerritos, CA. Once a month, Bill comes in and is the DJ, picks the tunes, and occasionally dispenses some nuggets from his past. 

Bill also will do themed “tributes” to various artists for whatever reason. On this episode, Bill did a tribute to Tony Iommi because of Tony’s recent 64th birthday. Bill talked a little about Tony’s birthday in intro-ing the piece. Bill played several Black Sabbath songs. 

Here’s what was played: 
'Wicked World' 
'Embryo' / 'Children Of The Grave' / 'The Haunting' 
'Johnny Blade' 
'Air Dance' 
'Hand of Doom' 
'Orchid' 

Read the full report at this location. 

Saxon: "Heavy Metal Thunder - Live: Eagles Over Wacken"; Preview Clips Available

Some things just go together...heavy metal and thunder...denim and leather ...Saxon and Wacken. 

They've been old friends for many years now, their harmony collecting an army of thousands upon thousands who view Saxon live as a pilgrimage to the heart of metal music. And when that pilgrimage takes you, repeatedly, to the largest heavy metal festival in the world, Wacken Open Air in Germany, the results will always be electric. 

Aerosmith: "We’re Gonna Have a Vintage Sound", Says Steven Tyler; Hits The Road On June 18th

In a brand new interview with RollingStone.com, Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler spoke about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's long-awaited new album, which is tentatively due later this year:

The band is reteaming with producer Jack Douglas ("Toys in the Attic", "Draw the Line") and, as you would expect, they're bringing back the classic Aerosmith sound. "We’re gonna have a vintage sound, 'cause we’re going to tape and a lot of good things like that," said Tyler. "We’re keeping tracks clean, not a lot of overdubs, and like I said, we’re using Jack to his fullest. So you’re gonna hear some stuff where you might think Aerosmith’s back."

According to Tyler, the sessions so far feel like back in the day. "I’m having such a good time writing again," he said. "You got the songs right now where they're like shells, with no lyrics and no melody, and I get to fill in the blanks like I did with 'Back in the Saddle' when it was just a track."

In even more good news for Aerosmith fans, the band will be hitting the road this summer. "June 18th it starts," Tyler said. "So spread the word."

Richie Sambora: Talks New Solo Album; A Series Of Video Clips Available

Below is some new videos of Richie Sambora recording his upcoming solo album. The release date for the effort is still not set.


According to producer Luke Ebbin the new album will see the light of day this spring:

“Richie and I have worked on and off together for years,” explained Ebbin. “Richie came off the Bon Jovi tour energized and we got together to write a couple of songs. The results were very good, so we kept writing more and decided to go in and record them. The recordings came out great, so Richie decided why not make this a solo record? There are eight songs in the can now, including a co-write with Bernie Taupin. We’ve started round two of sessions and hope to have a full album done by early spring.”

Accept: "Stalingrad"; Title Track Posted Online

April 6th 2012 is the day that the new Accept album "Stalingrad" will be released worldwide, and the album's title track has now surfaced online. 

Accept's previous album "Blood Of The Nations", which was released in August 2010, was a huge success and nominated over 50 times worldwide for the "Hardrock and Metal Album Of The Year" being the most successful album in Accept history. 

"Stalingrad" will be available in stores as a CD, limited CD/DVD, double red LP in Gatefold and an exclusive Blast! Mailorder double LP (white/red) in Gatefold. 
"Stalingrad" track listing:

01. Hung, Drawn And Quartered
02. Stalingrad
03. Hellfire
04. Flash To Bang Time
05. Shadow Soldiers
06. Revolution
07. Against The World
08. Twist Of Fate
09. The Quick And The Dead
10. Never Forget (bonus track)
11. The Galley 
The DVD will include:

OFFICIAL BOOTLEG
Live @ Bang Your Head 2011

01. Princess Of The Dawn
02. Pandemic
03. No Shelter!
Live @ Masters Of Rock 2010
04. Teutonic Terror
05. The Abyss
Video clips:
06. Teutonic Terror
07. Pandemic 

Stautus Quo: "Hello Quo"; Biopic Coming This Year

Often derided but at the peak a great rock n rol band Status Quo’s classic line up have been reunited for a documentary to be released this year.

The band whose late sixties hits are great psychedelic songs before they switched to the Doors ‘Roadhouse Blues’ riff for a series of great twin Telecaster boogie anthems in the seventies have a long and twisting tale to tell.

For updates check the film’s Facebook page

About "Hello Quo" The Movie:

With 128 million worldwide album sales already under their collective belts, two OBE awards, a million neon lit ‘Sold Out’ signs, a record 108 appearances on Top of the Pops, this will never be beaten or even equalled! You’d think that HRH Prince Charles favourite band had nothing more to prove in the field of entertainment… But, they’ve NEVER in all their long and glorious history been seen on a cinema screen…

In October 2012 however all that is about to change when Emmy nominated Director Alan G Parker presents his latest movie ‘Hello Quo!’

Despite previous long form documentaries that have been about them the original Quo, Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt, Alan Lancaster & John Coghlan, known by fans as ‘The Frantic Four’ have never all taken part, not only will they be interviewed in depth this time around, but they will also play live together for the first time in over 25 years! Just for our cameras…

Other interviewees include: Brian May (Queen), Joe Elliott (Def Leppard), Paul Weller (The Jam), Sir Cliff Richard, Noddy Holder & Jim Lea (Slade), Scott Gorham & Ricky Warwick (Thin Lizzy), John ‘Rhino’ Edwards, Andy Bown, Matt Letley & Jeff Rich (Status Quo), Andy Scott & Steve Priest (The Sweet), Chris Tarrent (TV presenter), Midge Ure (Live Aid), Jeff Lynne (ELO), Ginger (The Wildhearts), Steve Diggle (Buzzcocks), The Feeling and for the first time in 40+ years The Harrison Twins (who first appeared as part of ‘The Highlights’ at Butlins with Rick Parfitt in 1962).

The documentary will run to just over 2 hours in it’s full cinema release format and be presented in 3D to the big screen only… A DVD/Blu-ray and TV cut-down will appear in standard 2D format. This is the final word on Quo…

Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt, Alan G Parker & Alexa Morris are already committed to a number of Q&A sessions in big UK cities upon release.

Ozzy Osbourne: "God Bless Ozzy Osbourne"; Full Film

Ozzy Osbourne is one of the most iconic figures in rock and one of the founding fathers of heavy metal, however to many his Madman persona has overshadowed his considerable musical achievements. "God Bless Ozzy Osbourne" tells for the first time the story of his career from the founding of Black Sabbath through to solo stardom and his wider fame beyond.

These were the wild days of his prodigious drug and alcohol intake, of biting the head from a dove at a record company meeting and biting into a bat on stage but also of the tragic death of Randy Rhoads and the reality TV show The Osbournes. The film follows Ozzy s torturous and emotionally fraught journey from excess to sobriety, which Ozzy regards as his greatest accomplishment. Featuring never before seen footage, new interviews with Ozzy himself, his brothers and sisters, his children, his bandmates in Black Sabbath and those who both inspired him and were inspired by him, this is the first film to take viewers inside the mind and psyche of this legendary figure.

AC/DC: "Back In Black"; Classic Album Under Review; Complete Film

"Back In Black" is one of the best selling albums of all time. In this great documentary, you go behind the scenes. Full film available below.

A dedicated team of professionals, including AC/DC aficionado and author Paul Stenning and journalist and author Carol Clerk, review the key factors in the conception and creation of the band.

One of the most important elements in "Back In Black" was the killer production by Mutt Lange, and here experts Tony Platt (engineer and producer) and Simon Davie (Angus Young in top tribute act Dirty DC) give their industry insight into what really made this album buzz. With rare archive performance and interview footage, this film will take you behind the fasade of the official release, in an uncompromising and complete review of one of the best Rock n' Roll albums ever made!

Zakk Wylde: "Bringing Metal To The Children"; Excerpts Available On Facebook

Zakk Wylde - of Ozzy Osbourne and Black Label Society fame - has written the definitive handbook to all things heavy metal, as only he can. 

To view an exclusive excerpt of "Bringing Metal To The Children", on sale April 10th through William Morrow, visit www.facebook.com/WmMorrowbks. 


"Bringing Metal To The Children" is a handbook to all things Heavy Metal. This 'Complete Berzerker's Guide to World Tour Domination' provides tips and tests for the true rocker -- as wild man Wylde invites all who dare onto the tour bus for brain-bursting tales of glory, debauchery, and general mayhem in the dangerous metal universe. With black & white photos throughout and an 8-page color insert, this 320 page hardcover book is a must have for all Black Label Society and metal fans. 

So you've watched the movies "This Is Spinal Tap" and "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" a hundred times each, and now you desire another brilliant opus to tickle your cranial sponge in a similar fashion. Well, look no further, fellow Berzerkers! Golden god Zakk Wylde and his brother-in-metal Eric Hendrikx are about to take you on a Black Label Crusade of World Tour Domination, sharing never-before-told stories of backstage lunacy and Metal-maniacal anecdotes for the aspiring Berzerker like you. 

Why would you need to buy this book about a modern-day Viking who strums his own fiddle for a living? You'd better ask yourself one simple question: Would you rather have us come beat the money out of you, or do you want to give it up the easy and painless way? 

As a twenty-five-year veteran of the Ozzy Osbourne band and Black Label Society, Zakk Wylde has managed not only to stay alive against all odds but has also survived numerous attacks on his life by members of his own band, his wife, his children, his manager, and even his dogs. Among deranged tales of onstage indecent exposure and booze-fueled destruction, Wylde continues your Metal awakening with the sacred founding myths - explaining, for instance, how the forging of Metal in Valhalla begot the Black Label Empire - and lays out the battle-tested rules of the Road. 

For the young Metal Loki, Wylde offers exclusive tips on how not to make it in the business, insights about planning your band's tour and outfitting the Black Vatican recording studio, plus more useful advice on how to set up a shooting range on a tour bus and how to survive a mosh pit. "Bringing Metal To The Children" will make you laugh, weep, vomit - maybe even soil yourself - and if you aspire to new heights of Metal mayhem, get on the bus and get ready for the Metal ride of your life.
 

Black Sabbath: Will Play One Show In America In August

The original lineup of Black Sabbath was set to head out on a reunion tour this year but due to guitarist Tony Iommi's cancer treatment and drummer Bill Ward's contract dispute, it doesn't seem like it is going to happen. Instead, the band will play one date at the U.K.'s Download festival in June. So will Sabbath play in America at all?

Ozzy Osbourne's wife and manager, Sharon, tells VH1 Radio Network's Dave Basner, "They're gonna be doing one show in America this summer but I can't say yet because we can't announce it, the promoters have to, but they are doing one show in August here together."

When asked if that means Ward will be part of the reunited band's lineup for the U.S. concert, she said, "We don't know yet, we really don't know. It's up to Bill. The door is open for him to join us, so it's up to him."

Meanwhile, Sabbath, without Ward, continues to work on its upcoming album in England. Sharon gave VH1 Radio Network an update on how that is going. "It's going good," she said. "They're doing really well in the studio. Gosh, they must've written 15 new songs already and it's going great."

When Bill Ward announced he wasn't taking part in the reunion until he was presented with a "signable" contract, many fans unjustly blamed Sharon for it all. She told VH1 Radio Network why she has nothing to do with Bill's contract. "It's unbelievable," she said. "Everybody has their own manager in Sabbath. They've been doing this a long time and we have an independent team of people that work for everybody because everybody's got their own manager, so we have an independent group of people that have come in to manage the project, and I don't, and I get the blame because Bill doesn't want to play with the band; he doesn't like his deal and I get the blame. It's like, 'Alright, I'm a big girl, I can take it.'"

Aerosmith: Joe Perry To Write Autobiography

Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry has revealed via Twitter and Facebook that he has officially started work on his autobiography which should see the light of day later this year/early 2013. 

Perry spoke with Darryl Sterdan from the QMI Agency about the band's first studio album in seven years, and preparing to return to the road this summer.

“We’re in the middle of a bunch of stuff,” says the 60-year-old rocker from a Hollywood hotel. “I’m out here finishing up the Aerosmith record that we started last summer. Hopefully we’ll have it done in the next month or so. And we’re definitely touring this summer. We’re gonna put tickets on sale in February or March and we’re going on the road in June. Everybody’s lined up. We’re ready.”

About how the new album will sound Perry remarked: "It definitely has a feel like some of the early stuff. We’ve tried to bring that back. People are always asking for something that sounds like the old stuff, but you can’t rewrite 'Mama Kin' or 'Same Old Song and Dance'. All you can do is go in and start from the same place you started when you made those records. So we just went in with (producer) Jack Douglas and we all worked on the record. There’s a song or two that the band helped write, and Tom (Hamilton) wrote and Brad (Whitford) has a track on there. So from that point of view, it’s a lot more like an early Aerosmith record. We were all in the room when we were pulling these songs together and recording them. Every way that we used to make our records, that’s what we did to get this to where it is. Right down to what we’re doing now, which is going over the tracks and bringing them up to speed. Steven is finishing up the lyrics and we’re just going to put the finishing touches on it." 

Slash: "You`re A Lie"; New Song From "Apocalyptic Love" Posted Online; Fourth Studio Webisode

Here`s a preview of the brand new song "You`re a Lie" (Triple M).


For the new album, Slash - along with and his bandmates Myles Kennedy (vocals), Brent Fitz (drums) and Todd Kerns (bass) - teamed with producer Eric Valentine, who also produced the "Slash" disc. All the songs were written together by Slash and Kennedy, and cameras have been rolling throughout the entire making of the album.

The fourth in a series of webisodes featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the making of "Apocalyptic Love" can be seen below.

Motörhead: "I Want To Write A Book About All The Insane Things That Happen On Tour", Says Phil Campbell

RockMusicStar.com has issued an interview with Motörhead guitarist Phil Campbell. An excerpt follows:

Q: Have you ever considered doing a solo album?

A: "Yes, I have thought about it a lot. But I shelved it a couple years ago, because I’ve decided that I want to write a book about all the insane things that happen on tour. So, I’m trying to compile all of those stories and funny situations. So, at this point, I’m working on that. But, I’m a bit lazy, so it’s taken a while. But as far as a solo record, I do have a studio at home, it’s just hard finding the time. With Motörhead, we’ve been working so hard, for so long."

Q: Motörhead has pretty much been on the record, tour cycle non-stop since you joined the band, 28 years ago. Seriously, have you ever had an extended break during your time in the band?

A: "Not really. We have never taken longer than a couple of months off. We will have a little time off when this tour, the Gigantour finishes. And that will be nice. But, we have decided to cut back a little bit, and enjoy the spoils of our hard work, before we get too old."

Read the full interview at this location. 

Jack Blades: "Back In The Game"; Video Premiere

Jack Blades (Night Ranger) premieres the video for "Back In The Game". The song is the first single from Jack Blades' forthcoming album "Rock N' Roll Ride". The video imparts a strong patriotic message of the debt of gratitude owed to the military of this nation.

"Rock N' Roll Ride" is due out on March 27th in North America via Frontiers Records and features contributions from Blades' Night Ranger bandmates Brad Gillis, Kelly Keagy, Joel Hoekstra and Eric Levy, as well as a special guest appearance by Cheap Trick's Robin Zander. Click here to pre-order the physical album on Amazon and here to pre-order the digital album on iTunes.

W.A.S.P.: Live At Kentish Town, London 1986; Full Concert

W.A.S.P. live at the Kentish Town in London October 27th, 1986. What an awesome show!

W.A.S.P. 1986 was Blackie Lawless, Chris Homes, Johnny Rod and Steve Riley.

Setlist:

Inside The Electric Circus
9. 5. N.A.S.T.Y.
Wild Child
I Don't Need No Doctor
Blind In Texas

Y&T: John Nyman Talks Phil Kennemore In New Video Interview

Nikki Blakk of the San Francisco, California radio station 107.7 The Boneconducted an interview with Y&T guitarist John Nymann about the band's participation in the Monsters Of Rock cruise, touring and recording, when the next Y&T album might come out, and late Y&T bassist Phil Kennemore. You can now watch the chat below.

Y&T last year announced the addition of bassist Brad Lang to the group's ranks.

The band's current lineup is rounded out by original guitarist/vocalist Dave Meniketti, along with longtime drummer Mike Vanderhule.

Y&T's first studio album in 13 years, "Facemelter", was released in Europe in 2010. 2012 tour dates.

Styx, Reo Speedwagon, Ted Nugent: "The Midwest Rock 'N' Roll Express"; 30-Date US Tour Announced

Over 80 million albums sold worldwide. 12 Top 10 smash hit singles. Thousands of concerts performed. The time has come for the ultimate convergence of rock's finest from the Midwest. Reo Speedwagon, Styx and Ted Nugent will join forces for "The Midwest Rock 'N' Roll Express" 30-date U.S. tour. Rolling out May 1 in Hidalgo, Texas, tickets for various cities will go on sale starting February 22nd.

"Forget all those TV shows with glee clubs singing Rock songs," exclaims Styx guitarist/singer James "JY" Young. "It's time for mega-platinum Illinois bands Styx and Reo Speedwagon in a battle to the end of the Mayan Calendar with the Motor City Madman!"

"I am a Midwest boy, born and raised with Midwest values," continues Reo Speedwagon singer/guitarist Kevin Cronin. "In the Midwest we work hard, play hard, and rock hard. I am proud to join my brothers in Styx and Ted Nugent to celebrate Midwest rock 'n' roll and represent the greatest rock fans in the world. I am ready to climb aboard the 'Midwest Rock 'N 'Roll Express'! Rock on, baby!"

As Styx singer/guitarist Tommy Shaw proclaims, "It's gonna be a Twang Fest of screaming guitars and big, sing-along choruses that continue to be the soundtrack for the misbehavior of our collective fan base. In other words, a real good time."

Ted Nugent couldn't agree more. "The heart and soul of American R&B&R&R has always gushed forth from the heartland of America. Reo, Styx and The Nuge have always celebrated the power of our special music and on the mighty 'Midwest Rock 'N' Roll Express', the energy, attitude and spirit is more intense than ever. This is the soundtrack for the hardcore."

Check out "The Midwest Rock 'N' Roll Express" at any of the following stops. Ted Nugent hits the stage at 7:00 p.m. at every stop unless noted otherwise.

May 01 - Hidalgo, TX - State Farm Arena
May 03 - Albuquerque, NM - Hard Rock Casino Albuquerque Presents The Pavilion
May 04 - Tucson, AZ - Anselmo Valencia Amphitheatre (no Ted Nugent)
May 05 - Las Vegas, NV - Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino
May 06 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre
May 08 - Denver, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
May 10 - Council Bluffs, IA - Mid America Arena
May 11 - Oklahoma City, OK - Zoo Amphitheatre
May 12 - Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion (no Ted Nugent)
May 13 - Corpus Christi, TX - Concrete Street Amphitheatre
May 17 - Charlotte, NC - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
May 19 - Virginia Beach, VA - Farm Bureau Live Amphitheatre
May 20 - Alpharetta, GA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Jun. 21 - Kansas City, MO - Starlight Amphitheatre
Jun. 22 - St. Louis, MO - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
Jun. 23 - Ft. Knox, KY - Godman Army Airfield
Jun. 24 - Chicago, IL - Charter One Pavilion
Jun. 26 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center
Jun. 28 - Detroit, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
Jun. 29 - Scranton, PA - Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain
Jun. 30 - Cleveland, OH - Blossom Music Center
Jul. 01 - Atlantic City, NJ - Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa Event Ctr
Jul. 03 - Verona, NY - Turning Stone Resort Casino
Jul. 05 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
Jul. 06 - Big Flats, NY - Summer Stage
Jul. 07 - Gilford, NY - Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion

W.A.S.P.: "30 Years Of Thunder"; Dates Announced

W.A.S.P have updated their "30 Years Of Thunder" anniversary tour schedule. The new dates take the band to the UK, Sweden, France, The Netherlands, Belgium, and Portugal. Check out the new dates below:

September
21 – London, UK - The Forum
22 – Edinburgh, UK - HMV Picture House
23 – Newcastle, UK - Academy
24 – Belfast, Ireland - Ulster Hall
25 – Dublin, Ireland - Vicar Street
27 – Manchester, UK - Hmv Ritz
28 – Leeds, UK - Academy
29 – Nottingham, UK - Rock City
30 – Norwich, UK - Waterfront

October
1 – Wolverhampton, UK - Wolfrun Hall
3 – Cardif, Wales - The Great Hall
4 – Bristol, UK – Academy
10 – Hässleholm, Sweden - Qpoolen
11 – Trollhätan, Sweden - Älvhögsborg
12 – Sundsvall, Sweden - Spegelsalen, Stadshuset
13 – Örebrö, Sweden - Kongress
14 – Eskilstuna, Sweden - Lokomotivet

November
2 – Tilburg, The Netherlands - 0 13
3 – Antwerp, Belgium -Trix
4 – Lille, France - Le Splendid
5 – Paris, France - Le Bataclan
6 – Toulouse, France - Bikini
10 – Lisbon, Portugal - Campo Pequeno
14 - St. Etienne, France - Le Fil
15 – Strasbourg, France - La Laiterie 

Tickets go on sale from 9am this coming Friday, February 24th.

Blackie Lawless and co. will play a special two-hour set. The first hour of the show will feature songs from their first four albums: "W.A.S.P.", "The Last Command", "Inside The Electric Circus" and "The Headless Children".

W.A.S.P. will then perform a 25-minute version of "The Crimson Idol" with a movie backdrop, and end with songs from across the rest of their career.

There’s even the promise/threat of a reintroducion of Blackie’s infamous exploding codpiece!

Find out more at www.waspnation.com

Phenomena: "Awakening" Out In March; Cover Artwork, Track List, Musicans Unveiled

Escape Music has announced the release of PHENOMENA's "Awakening" on March 23rd.

The story began in the year 1983, when Tom Galley wrote a couple of short stories with a transcendental background. Backed by record label Bronze, the recordings for the album "Phenomena" started soon which finally hit the stores in 1985. Besides the extra-ordinary concept story both musicianship and the names involved with the project are highlights to mention. Names such as Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple, HTP), drum legend Cozy Powell (Rainbow, Wgitesnake), Don Airey (Deep Purple), Neil Murray (Whitesnake) - the elite of the British Hard Rock scene had joined the project. "Phenomena" received high critical acclaim in the press and extremely good sales.

The second Phenomena album "Phenomena II - Dream Runner" was released in 1987 and was welcomed with a similarly warm response. The musicians around the Galley brothers had changed slightly, so that this album in the end featured contributions from Ray Gillen (Badlands, Black Sabbath), John Wetton (Asia), Scott Gorham (Thin Lizzy) and Max Bacon (GTR), amongst others.

With new label Parachute involved, in 1991 the time was right for "final part" of the conceptional story; "Phenomena III - Inner Visions". Besides Brian May (Queen) and Keith Murrell (Airrace), you'll here also find performances by Michael Sturgis (A-HA) and Scott Gorham (Thin Lizzy). The Complete Works were released in a triple fold out Digipack by Escape Music. 

However, the Phenomena concept continued in 2006 under the banner "PsychoFantasy", (ESM125 ecolbook and 125r regular version) which strictly follows the traditions of its three predecessors. Besides the concept story background, you will once again will find a whole bunch of amazing artists performing on this record: Tony Martin (Black Sabbath), Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple), Keith Murrell (Mama's Boys) - and Mel Galley (Whitesnake, Trapaze).

In September 2010 a new chapter began with a whole host of musicians, and Blind Faith was born to explosive effect. With new vocalists like Robin Beck, Terry Brock (Strangeways) and Rob Moratti (Saga) a whole new world was unveiled and the concept became so fresh again. The rock audience once more were thrilled to hear the latest in this timeless story.

"Awakening" features James Christian (House of Lords), Lee Small (Shy) and Toby Hitchcock (Pride of Lions) as well as familiar faces like Rob Moratti, Terry Brock and Mike DiMeo (Riot, Masterplan). Powerful songs executed by some of the finest rock musicians make this a hugely enjoyable album and it boasts a fine production from Tom Galley and Martin Kronlund.

"Awakening" tracklisting: 

'Smash It Up' - (Lee Small on vocals, Mat Sinner on bass, Magnus Karlsson on lead guitars)
'Reality' - (Toby Hitchcock on vocals and Mike Slamer on lead guitars)
'Homeland' - (Rob Moratti on vocals and Martin Kronlund on all guitars)
'Going Away' - (James Christian vocals and Tommy Denander Martin Kronlund on guitars)
'Gotta Move' - (Ralf Scheepers on vocals and Christian Wolff and Tommy Denander on guitars)
'How Long' - (Lee Small on vocals and Martin Kronlund on guitars)
'Shake' - (Mike DiMeo on vocals and Martin Kronlund on guitars)
'Fighter' - (Terry Brock on vocals and Steve Newman on guitars and backing vocals)
'Dancing Days' - (Niklas Swedentorp on lead vocals with all Coldspell members)
'Stand Up For Love' - (Chris Antblad with JAVA Gospel Choir)