Classic Rock 93.9

When Peter Gabriel recently announced his new album, i/o, he said he’d be dropping a new song with each full moon. For March’s full moon he’s shared the new track “Playing for Time,” which he wrote and produced.

“’Playing for Time’ is a song that I have been working on for a long time and have performed live, without lyrics, so some people may be familiar with it,” Gabriel shares. “It’s been an important song for me. It’s about time, mortality and memories and the idea that each of us has a planet full of memories which get stashed inside the brain.” 

This is the third track Gabriel has released from i/o, his first new album in 20 years. He’s already shared “The Court (Dark-Side remix)” and “Panopticom.”

So far the album does not have an exact release date but it is expected to come out this year.

And now fans in the U.S. and Canada are going to get to see Gabriel perform his new music this fall. He’s added 12 new North American dates to his i/o – The Tour, kicking off September 8 in Quebec City, Canada. The first U.S. date scheduled is September 14 in Boston, with the tour hitting Philadelphia, New York, Chicago, Seattle and San Francisco before wrapping October 13 in Los Angeles. More U.S. dates are expected to be announced.

Tickets for the North American leg go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. local time. You can find a complete list of dates at petergabriel.com.

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U2 is releasing their new album, Songs of Surrender, on March 17, featuring reworked and rerecorded classics. But fans are anxious for new material from the band, and in an interview with Rolling Stone, guitarist The Edge says they’ve “been busy” working on that.

“Even leading up to the lockdown, we had a lot of interesting stuff, some of which is almost finished,” he says. “We’re kind of spoiled for choice. There’s an embarrassment of riches of new material.”

Bono previously described what they were working on as a “guitar album.” Edge says he thinks it’s time for “a resurgence of interest in guitar,” noting it’s “been in the wilderness for a little while” with regard to streaming music charts. 

“I think it would be wonderful and very welcome for us to make some music that is more driven by guitar. That is the intention,” he says. “That isn’t to say we are turning into AC/DC, but we will find a way to use the instrument in a fresh way as much as possible. It’s still my first love for me as an instrument.”

As for when fans can expect it, Edge says he would love to get it out “as soon as possible,” adding, “we’ve been busy and very inspired creating new stuff.”

Meanwhile, U2 has certainly had quite a career and there are likely plenty of stories to tell, and it sounds like Edge is open to telling them on the big screen.

“I definitely could see that coming at some point. Why not?” he says, when asked if they’d do a biopic. “There’s been some great ones recently. It will have to be the right moment, the right team. But I wouldn’t rule it out.”

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Netflix is getting ready to delve into the story of disgraced rock ‘n’ roller Gary Glitter. Variety reports the streaming service is working on a new documentary about Glitter, who was convicted of child sexual abuse and other sexual offenses. 

Tentatively titled Hunting Gary Glitter, the documentary will talk to journalists who covered the case and helped bring Glitter to justice, as well as some of his victims. It will include never-before-seen photos and archival footage, dating back to his early life up until his conviction.

Glitter, born Paul Gadd, was convicted of possessing child porn in 1999, then convicted again in 2006 of child sexual abuse. In 2015 he was convicted on charges of attempted rape, unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 13 and four counts of indecent assault. He was sentenced to 16 years in prison, but was released from jail in February 2023 after serving half his sentence.

And the Netflix doc may not be the only one we get about Glitter. Amazon Prime Video and the U.K.’s ITV are also reportedly working on docs about him.

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John Mellencamp is bringing his legacy to Indiana University. In case you missed it, it was announced during the recent Mellencamp Symposium on the Bloomington campus that the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer would donate his archives to the school. 

The collection will feature photographs, instruments, significant memorabilia and more, covering not only his music and artistry, but his social activism and philanthropy.

“John’s impact on music and American culture is immense,” IU President Pamela Whitten shares. “On behalf of Hoosiers everywhere, I am exceptionally proud of John’s lifelong association with IU and deeply grateful to him for selecting the university as the permanent home for his archives.” She adds, “His collection will be an incredible resource for arts scholars and a clear source of inspiration to our students. We are thrilled to honor him and celebrate his many contributions to music, art and IU.” 

Mellencamp will be commemorated on the Bloomington campus with a sculpture that’s recently been commissioned to “symbolize the strong connection Mellencamp has to his southern Indiana roots.” There will be an exhibition of the rocker’s art at the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University, debuting in the 2023-24 academic year.

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Gary Rossington, guitarist and last surviving original member of Lynyrd Skynyrd, passed away Sunday at the age of 71. The news prompted several artists to take to social media to pay tribute to the legendary guitarist.

“Gary Rossington’s loss is especially profound to us as we’ve spent countless hours in his company on tour and elsewise,” ZZ Top‘s Billy F. Gibbons shares. “We facilitated getting Lynyrd Skynyrd on the bill with ZZ Top at a South Carolina date way back at the start of the band’s rise in ’73 and that was the start of an enduring friendship.”

He adds, “Gary’s extraordinary ability as a guitarist was nothing less than inspirational. It’s an old cliché about somebody who has paid their dues to call them a survivor and in this case it is literally true. He was the last of the breed and will be missed.”

Peter Frampton adds, “This cannot be! My heart breaks for Dale Rossington and the entire Skynryd family today. We have been friends since first touring together in the 70s. We will miss you my friend.”

Other tributes include:

Metallica’s James Hetfield – “RIP Brother Gary. Thank you for bringing me so much joy with your guitar playing and songwriting in one of my all time favorite bands, Lynyrd Skynyrd.”

Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine – “Saddened to hear about the passing of the great Gary Rossington of Lynyrd Skynyrd. The last surviving original member of the legendary band. Rest in Peace, Gary.”

Paul Rodgers – “Yesterday we lost our musical brother Gary Rossington, a man we all loved. Our thoughts are with his love Dale, their family and his many friends and fans. I am numb…this cuts deep.”

Bret Michaels – “I send this with all of my heart, prayers & condolences to the family, friends & fans of Gary Rossington. On behalf of my family, he brought a lot of great music & many great memories to so many people. May he rest in peace.”

John 5 – “Ever since I was a kid I have loved #LynyrdSkynyrd & Gary’s guitar playing. I was fortunate to make a lotta great music with Gary & the boys. We stayed friends for many years. I will miss you. Rest in peace brother. #GaryRossington #RIP.”

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Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe are currently on their joint world tour, and Def Leppard is giving fans a peek at what goes on behind the scenes. The band shared a tour diary shot during their recent shows in Mexico City and Monterrey, Mexico. 

The clip shows fans gathering for the concerts, the band at soundcheck, rehearsing backstage, performing for the crowd and more.

Joe Elliott shares that the Mexico City concert was for a crowd of 55,000, which is the largest audience they’ve ever played for in Mexico. “It was spectacular. It’s the only way I can describe it,” he says. “It was the first stadium show we’ve done since we finished in the states … it’s a different world down here … it was absolutely unbelievable.”

The Def Leppard/Mötley Crüe world tour hits São Paulo, Brazil, on Tuesday. A complete list of dates can be found at defleppard.com.

(Video contains uncensored profanity.)

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John Fogerty is the latest artist to reach the Billions Club on Spotify. Fogerty’s Creedence Clearwater Revival classic “Have You Ever Seen The Rain” has now reached over 1 billion streams on the streaming service.

“I am honored and humbled that my song has been loved by so many for all these years. I’m just so grateful,” Fogerty shares. “Ironically, I wrote this song about my band breaking up, but today, the song has found new meaning for me. I love to dedicate it to my family because they are the rainbow that comes from rain falling on a sunny day.” 

Spotify’s Billions Club currently has over 400 songs, including classics like Queen’s “Another One Bites The Dust” and Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” CCR also lands at three on the list of the most overall monthly Spotify listeners of bands from the ‘60s. The only two bands ahead of them are The Beatles and Fleetwood Mac.

Released in January 1971, “Have You Ever Seen The Rain,” written by Fogerty, was featured on the band’s sixth studio album, Pendulum. It peaked at eight on the Billboard 200 album chart and became the group’s eighth record to be certified Gold. 

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Gov’t Mule is extending their time on the road this year. After confirming dates for a spring tour, Warren Haynes and the gang have announced they’ll be headed out this summer, with the tour featuring a celebration of Pink Floyd‘s classic The Dark Side of the Moon.

The 12-date Dark Side of the Mule tour, with special guest Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening, will feature a full Mule set. It’ll be followed by the band’s Dark Side tribute performance, which debuted in Boston on Halloween 2008 and was released as a live album in 2014, earning the band a Grammy nod. The Mule’s tribute is their way of joining in on this year’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of the iconic record.

“This all started so organically with what we thought would be a one-time Halloween performance,” Haynes shares. “Since then, Dark Side of the Mule has grown into something else.” He added, “It’s a blast to perform this material but our intent is to do it for one final tour in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Dark Side. Don’t miss it!”

The Dark Side of the Mule tour is set to kick off July 22 in Atlantic City, New Jersey, wrapping August 19 in Holmdel, New Jersey. Presale tickets go on sale March 7 at 10 a.m., with the general sale set for March 10 at 10 a.m. local time.

A full list of tour dates can be found at mule.net.

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Nita Strauss is back in Alice Cooper‘s band.

The guitar virtuoso will join the “No More Mr. Nice Guy” outfit on the road for his 2023 tour after announcing she was leaving his live lineup last summer to play in Demi Lovato‘s band.

“She’s back!” Cooper declares in a press statement. “Nita asked for a leave of absence to work with someone else, something I always encourage my band members to do. I like them to challenge themselves and try new things.” 

Cooper adds that he’s “thankful to my old friend Kane Roberts,” who filled in for Strauss in 2022. Roberts previously played with Cooper in the ’80s.

Upon announcing her hiatus from Cooper’s band last year, Strauss called her previous eight years with the group “the experience of a lifetime,” adding, “I don’t know what the future will hold after this, but I am forever thankful.” She later clarified to Louder that her absence from the band wasn’t necessarily permanent.

Cooper’s 2023 tour include headlining dates in April and May, followed by shows with Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard and with Rob Zombie in the summer.

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The Black Crowes have spent the past two years celebrating their debut album, Shake Your Money Maker, and now they are continuing that celebration with a new live album. The Black Crowes: Shake Your Money Maker Live features the best performances from their 2021-22 reunion tour in which they played their debut album in order in its entirety.

“The Black Crowes are proud to present an audio document of our Shake Your Money Maker Tour from the last two years,” Chris Robinson shares. “From where it all began to where we’re going and all that was in between. Hail hail rock ‘n roll!”

Dropping March 17, The Black Crowes: Shake Your Money Maker Live will be available digitally, on CD and on vinyl. It will feature the entire album played live, selective hits and two bonus tracks of the band covering The Rolling Stones’ “It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It)” and Velvet Underground’s ‘Rock & Roll.” They’ve also shared the first track from the record, a live recording of the album’s opening track, “Twice as Hard.”

The album is available for preorder now. 

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