Triumph’s Mike Levine expecting to have fun with band mates during Q&A before virtual documentary screening

Triumph’s Mike Levine expecting to have fun with band mates during Q&A before virtual documentary screening
Courtesy of nugs.net

Triumph: Rock & Roll Machine, the 2021 documentary about the Canadian power trio Triumph, gets its global streaming premiere via the nugs.net platform tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET. The event will begin with an exclusive live Q&A session with the band’s three members — singer/guitarist Rik Emmett, drummer/singer Gil Moore and bassist/keyboardist Mike Levine.

Levine tells ABC Audio that the Q&A will last about 25-to-30 minutes, and he, Emmett and Moore will be together at Gil’s Metalworks Studios near Toronto, where they’ll answer fan-submitted questions.

“[We’re going to] try and not laugh our way through, ’cause we’re really good at that when the three of us get together,” the 72-year-old rocker says. “We’re gonna try and be serious. I’m not sure it’ll work.”

The movie profiles the Toronto-based rockers’ rise to popularity during the late 1970s and ’80s, the fallout from Emmett’s unexpected split with the group in the late 1980s, and the band’s surprise 2019 reunion performance during a special invite-only event.

Part of the film is dedicated to some longtime Triumph fans who share their backstories as they prepare to attend the event, not knowing the band’s intends to perform.

Levine says he and his band mates were “really ecstatic” about how the movie turned out, noting, “[A]s opposed to just a straight documentary…I think it’s more of a film, myself, because it touches you emotionally. It’ll make you laugh or it’ll make you cry…and documentaries usually don’t do that kind of thing.”

Tickets for the event cost $19.95, and are available at nugs.net/Triumph. Those who purchase tickets can stream the documentary on demand for 48 hours after pressing “play.” On-demand access will be available through May 30.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Lindsey Buckingham postpones his first European solo tour as he recovers from COVID-19

Lindsey Buckingham postpones his first European solo tour as he recovers from COVID-19
Steve Jennings/WireImage

Lindsey Buckingham was supposed to launch his first-ever solo tour of Europe in Dublin, Ireland, this Tuesday, May 17, but the former Fleetwood Mac singer/guitarist has had to postpone the trek because he recently contracted COVID-19 and hasn’t recorded yet.

A message on Buckingham’s social media sites shared the bad news, saying, “It is with great sadness that we are announcing the postponement of Lindsey’s European tour which had been due to begin next week. Along with other members of his band and crew, Lindsey contracted COVID-19 at the end of his latest North American tour, forcing that to end prematurely. Unfortunately he’s still recovering and has no choice but to move the upcoming tour to a later date.”

The note continues, “This is heartbreaking for Lindsey, he was so excited to come to Europe for the first time as a solo artist this spring. We’re currently working on rescheduling the dates and hope to have some news to share on that very soon.”

The 11-date tour had been scheduled to run through a June 2 performance at Denmark’s Heartland Festival 2022.

Late last month, Lindsey announced that the last few shows of his spring 2022 North American tour had to be canceled because of a COVID outbreak in his touring party, which we now know included him.

The canceled concerts included an April 28 show in Tysons, Virginia; and April 30 gig in Louisville, Kentucky; and a May 1 performance at the Beale Street Music Festival in Memphis, Tennessee.

Buckingham continues to promote his latest solo album, a self-titled collection that was released in July 2021.

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The Who chooses local band to open for them Sunday at their first Cincinnati concert since 1979 tragedy

The Who chooses local band to open for them Sunday at their first Cincinnati concert since 1979 tragedy
Rick Kern/Getty Images for The Who

This Sunday, The Who will play their first concert in Cincinnati since the band’s infamous December 1979 show at the Riverfront Coliseum, where 11 young people lost their lives as fans rushed the doors of the venue before the event.

Sunday’s Who performance will be the first concert ever at Cincinnati’s new TQL Stadium, and the British rock legends have chosen a very special opening act for the show: a local band named Safe Passage, with a personal connection to the tragic 1979 event. Two of Safe Passage’s members, Walt Medlock and Mike Simkin, were friends with three of the victims of the tragedy — Stephan Preston, Jackie Eckerle and Karen Morrison — and attended the same high school, Finneytown.

Safe Passage performs at an annual benefit for the P.E.M. Memorial — named after Preston, Eckerle and Morrison — which helps fund three scholarships each year for graduating seniors at Finneytown High School.

In an interview with local ABC-TV affiliate WCPO, Medlock notes, “We will be the first band to perform ever at TQL Stadium,” while Simkin adds, laughing, “And we happen to be opening with a little band called The Who.”

Regarding his band being asked to perform with one of the world’s most famous groups, Simkin says, “It was an almost like Godzilla walking down your street, something that’s so unreal, it’s just hard to believe.”

Adds Melock, “This is an amazing chance to live that for 25-30 minutes, I’ve got to thank The Who management.”

Safe Passage, whose set list usually includes some Who songs, will be playing a mix of originals and covers on Sunday.

Meanwhile, The Who will donate some proceeds from the Cincinnati the concert to the P.E.M. Memorial.

First up for The Who will be a show on Friday, May 13, in Memphis, Tennessee.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Hulu announced as livestream platform for Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza & Austin City Limits festivals

Hulu announced as livestream platform for Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza & Austin City Limits festivals
Courtesy of Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits Music Festival

Music festivals are coming to Hulu in a big way.

The Disney-partnered platform announced Thursday that it’ll be livestreaming the Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits festivals this year and in 2023. According to a press release, the news “marks the first time that a platform has had streaming rights to all three of these iconic live events.”

Hulu subscribers will be able to watch select sets from all three festivals live at no additional cost, as well as additional behind-the-scenes footage.

“Hulu and Live Nation are both committed to delivering exceptional entertainment to fans, so we are thrilled to be collaborating with them, again, as we expand our offering to include these three legendary festivals,” says Hulu president Joe Earley. “Each event is unique, but all three bring people together for incredible music, artistry, and experiences, which we are fortunate to be able to share with Hulu subscribers.”

The specific artists and livestream schedules will be announced in the weeks leading up to the festivals.

Bonnaroo takes place June 16-19 in Manchester, Tennessee, and its lineup includes Stevie Nicks among its headliners. Lollapalooza, which will be held July 28-31 in Chicago, will feature headlining sets from Green Day, Metallica and more. Red Hot Chili Peppers are among the headliners for Austin City Limits, which takes place October 7-9 and 14-16 in Austin, Texas.

Disney is the parent company of ABC News.

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“Ecstatic” Kelly Osbourne announces pregnancy

“Ecstatic” Kelly Osbourne announces pregnancy
Steve Granitz/WireImage

The Osbourne family will soon be adding a new member.

Kelly Osbourne, the daughter of Ozzy and Sharon, has announced that she’s expecting her first child.

“I know that I have been very quiet these past few months so I thought I would share with you all as to why,” Kelly, 37, writes in an Instagram post. “I am over the moon to announce that I am going to be a Mumma.”

“To say that I am happy does not quite cut it,” she adds. “I am ecstatic!”

Kelly’s post, which includes photos of her holding up images from an ultrasound, was also shared by her mom.

“My [heart] could not be more full!” Sharon writes. “So excited to share the beautiful journey ahead with you.”

Slipknot‘s Sid Wilson, who was confirmed to be in a relationship with Kelly earlier this year, posted an ultrasound photo, as well.

Kelly’s announcement is an especially bright bit of news amid a tough few weeks for the Osbourne family, which saw Ozzy, Sharon and Kelly herself test positive for COVID-19.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

New Fanny doc, featuring Joe Elliott, Todd Rundgren and other stars, to be screened in US theaters soon

New Fanny doc, featuring Joe Elliott, Todd Rundgren and other stars, to be screened in US theaters soon
Courtesy of Film Movement

Fanny: The Right to Rock, a 2021 documentary about the pioneering all-female band Fanny that includes appearances by Def Leppard‘s Joe Elliott, Todd Rundgren and other rock stars, will be shown in select U.S. theaters in the coming weeks, starting on May 27 in New York City.

The film tells the story of Fanny, a group formed in the late 1960s in Sacramento, California, by two Filipina-American sisters, Jean and June Millington — who played bass and guitar, respectively — along with keyboardist Nickey Barclay and drummer Alice de Buhr. The documentary looks at the various obstacles that the band dealt with — including issues of race, gender and sexuality — as they worked to achieve success in the music business during the 1970s.

The movie includes interviews with the Millington sisters, de Buhr, and with later members Patti Quatro and Brie Darling, as well as with Elliott, Rundgren, Bonnie Raitt, ex-Doobie Brothers guitarist Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, Go-Go’s bassist Kathy Valentine, The B-52sKate Pierson, The Lovin’ Spoonful‘s John Sebastian, Runaways singer Cherie Currie and David Bowie touring guitarist Earl Slick and bassist Gail Ann Dorsey.

Fanny released five studio albums between 1970 and 1975, including 1973’s Mothers Pride, which was produced by Rundgren. The band scored its biggest hit in 1975 with the single “Butter Boy,” written about Bowie, who was a big fan of the group. The song reached #29 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1975, although Fanny had broken up by that time.

A few years ago, the Millington sisters and Darling reunited to form a group called Fanny Walked the Earth, which released a self-titled album in 2018.

To check out a list of confirmed screenings of Fanny: The Right to Rock, visit FilmMovement.com.

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Rolling Stones vinyl box set featuring replicas of band’s early singles and EPs due out in June

Rolling Stones vinyl box set featuring replicas of band’s early singles and EPs due out in June
ABKCO Records

A new limited-edition vinyl box set featuring reproductions of 18 singles and EPs that The Rolling Stones issued during the first few years of their career will be released on June 10 in commemoration of the band’s 60th anniversary this year.

The Rolling Stones Singles 1963-1966 boasts 18 seven-inch vinyl discs recreating singles and EPs originally released on the Decca and London Records labels in the U.K. and the U.S. The tracks were all remastered by Grammy -winning engineer Bob Ludwig, and each disc is housed in a “period-correct” picture sleeve.

The collection also includes a poster, five photos cards and a 32-page book with liner notes by Rolling Stones expert Nigel Williamson, as well as rare photos and other historic images.

The box set’s discs span from the band’s 1963 debut single, featuring a cover of Chuck Berry‘s “Come On,” through the U.S. version of the band’s 1966 hit single, “19th Nervous Breakdown.”

Other well-known Stones songs features on the single replicas include “I Wanna Be Your Man,” “Not Fade Away,” “It’s All Over Now” and “Time Is on My Side,” “Heart of Stone,” “The Last Time,” “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Get Off of My Cloud” and “As Tears Go By.”

The box set also features three EPs — 1964’s The Rolling Stones and Five by Five, and 1965’s Got Live If You Want It! Five by Five features songs that The Stones recorded at Chicago’s famed Chess Studios, while Got Live If You Want It! was the band’s first collection of in-concert performances.

A companion vinyl box set, The Rolling Stones Singles 1966-1971, is due out next year.

You can pre-order The Rolling Stones Singles 1963-1966 box set now at ABKCO.com. Here’s the full track list:

“Come On” (released June 1963)
Side A: “Come On”
Side B: “I Want to Be Loved”

“I Wanna Be Your Man” (released November 1963)
Side A: “I Wanna Be Your Man”
Side B: “Stoned”

The Rolling Stones E.P. (released January 1964)
Side A: “Bye Bye Johnny,” “Money”
Side B: “You Better Move On,” “Poison Ivy”

“Not Fade Away” (released February 1964)
Side A: “Not Fade Away”
Side B: “Little by Little”

“Tell Me” (released June 1964)  
Side A: “Tell Me”
Side B: “I Just Wanna Make Love to You”

“It’s All Over Now” (released June 1964)
Side A: “It’s All Over Now”
Side B: “Good Times, Bad Times”

Five by Five E.P. (released August 1964)
Side A: “If You Need Me,” “Empty Heart,” “2120 South Michigan Avenue”
Side B: “Confessin’ the Blues,” “Around and Around”

“Time Is on My Side” (released September 1964)
Side A: “Time Is on My Side”
Side B: “Congratulations”

“Little Red Rooster” (released November 1964)
Side A: “Little Red Rooster”
Side B: “Off the Hook”

“Heart of Stone” (released December 1964)
Side A: “Heart of Stone”
Side B: “What a Shame”

“The Last Time” (released February 1965)
Side A: “The Last Time”
Side B: “Play with Fire”

Got Live If You Want It! E.P. (released June 1965)
Side A: “We Want The Stones,” “Everybody Needs Somebody to Love,” “Pain in My Heart” “Route 66”
Side B: “I’m Moving On,” “I’m Alright”

“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” (U.S. version, originally released June 1965)
Side A: “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”
Side B: “The Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man”

“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction)” (U.K. version, released August 1965)
Side A: “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”
Side B: “The Spider and the Fly”

“Get Off of My Cloud” (U.S. version, released September 1965)
Side A: “Get Off of My Cloud”
Side B: “I’m Free”

“Get Off of My Cloud” (U.K. version, released October 1965)
Side A: “Get Off of My Cloud”
Side B: “The Singer Not the Song”

“As Tears Go By” (released December 1965)
Side A: “As Tears Go By”
Side B: “Gotta Get Away”

“19th Nervous Breakdown” (U.S. version, released February 1966)
Side A: “19th Nervous Breakdown”
Side B: “Sad Day”

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The Who’s ‘The Who Sell Out’ and ‘Tommy’ albums being reissued on half-speed-mastered vinyl in July

The Who’s ‘The Who Sell Out’ and ‘Tommy’ albums being reissued on half-speed-mastered vinyl in July
UMe

Limited-edition black vinyl versions of The Who‘s first third and fourth studio albums, 1967’s The Who Sell Out and the band’s landmark 1969 rock opera, Tommy, will be released on July 6 as the second installment of a recently launched series of half-speed-mastered vinyl editions of the band’s records.

Both albums were mastered at London’s Abbey Road Studios by longtime Who engineer Jon Astley and cut for vinyl by acclaimed engineer by Miles Showell. The discs will be packaged in sleeves replicating the albums’ original designs, and will come with certificates of authenticity.

The Who Sell Out is noteworthy for being one of the first rock concept albums. It featured the band parodying the British pirate radio stations that were popular at the time, and included fake commercials written and recorded by the group that connected some of the songs. The album only reached #48 on the Billboard 200, but it included The Who’s first U.S. top-10 hit, “I Can See for Miles.”

Tommy is widely regarded as one of the most important albums in rock history, a double-disc collection that tells the story of a “deaf, dumb and blind kid” who becomes a pinball champion and then a spiritual leader. Tommy peaked at #7 on the Billboard 200 and features many enduring Who songs, among them “Pinball Wizard,” “I’m Free” and “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” which includes the famed “See Me, Feel Me” segment.

The Who launched their half-speed mastered-vinyl series earlier this month with reissues of their first two U.K. studio albums: 1965’s My Generation and 1966’s A Quick One.

You can pre-order the half-speed-mastered The Who Sell Out and Tommy LPs now.

Here’s The Who Sell Out‘s full track list:

Side 1
“Armenia City in the Sky”
“Heinz Baked Beans”
“Mary Anne with the Shaky Hand”
“Odorono”
“Tattoo”
“Our Love Was”
“I Can See for Miles”

Side 2
“Can’t Reach You”
“Medac”
“Relax”
“Silas Stingy”
“Sunrise”
“Rael (1 and 2)”

And here’s the full track list of Tommy:

Side 1
“Overture”
“It’s a Boy”
“1921”
“Amazing Journey”
“Sparks”
“The Hawker”

Side 2
“Christmas”
“Cousin Kevin”
“The Acid Queen”
“Underture”

Side 3
“Do You Think It’s Alright?”
“Fiddle About”
“Pinball Wizard”
“There’s a Doctor”
“Go to the Mirror!”
“Tommy, Can You Hear Me?”
“Smash the Mirror”
“Sensation”

Side 4
“Miracle Cure”
“Sally Simpson”
“I’m Free”
“Welcome”
“Tommy’s Holiday Camp”
“We’re Not Gonna Take It”

Copyright © 2022, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Red Hot Chili Peppers drop off ’Billboard’ Music Awards

Red Hot Chili Peppers drop off ’Billboard’ Music Awards
NBC

Red Hot Chili Peppers are no longer performing at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards.

The show announced Wednesday that the “Under the Bridge” outfit had to drop off due to “unforeseen circumstances.” The performance was set to be RHCP’s first on the BBMAs in 23 years.

In place of the Peppers, contemporary rocker Machine Gun Kelly has joined the performers lineup, marking his BBMA debut.

Previously announced performers include Florence + the Machine, as well as Silk Sonic, Megan Thee Stallion, Travis Scott, Ed Sheeran, Miranda Lambert and Mary J. Blige, among others.

The 2022 Billboard Music Awards will air this Sunday, May 15, on NBC.

Red Hot Chili Peppers are scheduled to kick off a world tour in support of their new album, Unlimited Love, on June 4 in Seville, Spain. The North American leg of the trek gets underway July 23 in Denver.

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The Rolling Stones’ 1972 double album ‘Exile on Main St.’ was released 50 years ago today

The Rolling Stones’ 1972 double album ‘Exile on Main St.’ was released 50 years ago today
Interscope

Today marks the 50th anniversary of the release of The Rolling Stones‘ classic 12th U.S. studio album, the double-disc Exile on Main St.

The 18-track collection found the British rock legends diving deep into their American roots-music influences, including the blues, country, gospel and, of course, early rock ‘n’ roll.

Exile on Main St. was the second in a streak of eight consecutive Stones studio albums that reached #1 on the Billboard 200, spending four weeks atop the chart in June and July of ’72. The record yielded two hit singles, “Tumbling Dice” and the Keith Richards-sung “Happy,” which peaked, respectively, at #7 and #22 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Other standout tracks on the album included “Rocks Off,” “Sweet Virginia,” “Loving Cup,” “All Down the Line” and “Shine a Light.”

Many tracks on Exile on Main St. were recorded in the U.K. between 1969 and 1971, at London’s Olympic Studios and Mick Jagger‘s Stargroves country house, but much of the album came together after The Rolling Stones relocated to France in 1971 as British tax exiles. While the band members were in France, the bulk of the recording was done a makeshift studio set up at a villa called Nellcôte that Richards rented near the city of Nice.

While at Nellcôte, Richards reportedly struggled with heroin addiction, causing the sessions to drag on for months. Overdubs, vocals and other additions were recorded later in Los Angeles’ Sunset Sound at sessions overseen by Jagger.

Exile on Main St. was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2012, and was ranked at #14 on Rolling Stone‘s 2020 list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time.”

Here’s the album’s full track list:

LP 1

Side A
“Rocks Off”
“Rip This Joint”
“Shake Your Hips”
“Casino Boogie”
“Tumbling Dice”

Side B
“Sweet Virginia”
“Torn and Frayed”
“Sweet Black Angel
“Loving Cup”

LP 2

Side A
“Happy”
“Turd on the Run”
“Ventilator Blues”
“I Just Want to See His Face”
“Let It Loose”

Side B
“All Down the Line”
“Stop Breaking Down”
“Shine a Light”
“Soul Survivor”

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