Journey was forced to postpone the last four concerts of their spring North American tour because an unspecified member of the group tested positive for COVID-19, and now those dates have been rescheduled for March 2023.
The concerts, which were to have taken place on May 10 in Washington, D.C.; May 11 in Hartford, Connecticut; May 13 in Toronto; and May 16, in Quebec City, Canada, are now scheduled for next year on March 1, March 4, March 12 and March 9, respectively.
Toto, who served as Journey’s support act for the band’s entire spring 2022 tour leg, will also open those four 2023 shows. Heart‘s Ann Wilson had been announced as the opening act for the Toronto and Quebec City concerts before they were postponed.
As previously reported, Journey will release a new studio album titled Freedom on Friday, July 8.
The band also has a dozen upcoming 2022 concerts scheduled, including four special symphonic shows in Las Vegas — on July 15, 16, 22 and 23. Visit JourneyMusic.com for more info on the group’s tour schedule.
Former Pink Floyd singer/bassist Roger Waters kicked off his long-delayed This Is Not a Drill Tour of North America last night at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.
As seen in fan-posted videos and photos, Waters and his band performed in the round on a rectangular stage that featured massive video walls.
In pre-tour announcements, Waters hinted that the shows would feature plenty of the pointed social and political commentary he’s known for, and that was the case. As the concert began, a message ran across the screen notifying the crowd, “If you’re one of those ‘I love Pink Floyd but I can’t stand Roger’s politics’ people, you might do well to f*** off to the bar right now.”
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazettealso reports the video screens bombarded the audience with provocative messages, film clips and images that focused on issues, including the evils of war, racial injustice, corporate greed, political corruption, gun violence and reproductive, trans and Palestinian rights. At one point, Waters fired a fake automatic rifle at the crowd.
Waters’ two-set show featured over 20 songs and included multiple-song segments from Pink Floyd’s classic 1970s albums The Wall, Wish You Were Here and The Dark Side of the Moon. In the middle of his first set, Roger introduced a brand-new tune called “The Bar,” which he reprised later in the concert.
Waters also played two songs from his most recent solo album, 2017’s Is This the Life We Really Want?: the title track and “Déjà Vu.”
Roger’s backing band features guitarists Jonathan Wilson and Dave Kilminster, keyboardist/guitarist Jon Carin, bassist Gus Seyffert, keyboardist Robert Walter, drummer Joey Waronker, sax player Seamus Blake, and backing vocalists Shanay Johnson and Amanda Belair.
Here’s the show’s full set list:
Set 1
“Comfortably Numb” (Acoustic)
“The Happiest Days of Our Lives”
“Another Brick in the Wall, Part 2”
“Another Brick in the Wall, Part 3”
“The Powers That Be”
“The Bravery of Being Out of Range”
“The Bar” (New song)
“Have a Cigar”
“Wish You Were Here”
“Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts VI-IX)”
“Sheep”
Set 2
“In the Flesh”
“Run Like Hell”
“Déjà Vu”
“Is This the Life We Really Want?”
“Money”
“Us and Them”
“Any Colour You Like”
“Brain Damage”
“Eclipse”
“Two Suns in the Sunset”
“The Bar” (Reprise)
“Outside the Wall”
Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Earlier this week, Guns N’ Rosespostponed a scheduled show in Glasgow, Scotland due to an unspecified “illness” and “medical advice.” Now, frontman Axl Rose has revealed he’s been battling vocal issues.
In a statement posted to Twitter Thursday, the “Welcome to the Jungle” rocker says, “I’d like to thank everyone [for] their well wishes! It’s greatly appreciated!”
Rose — who, in keeping with his band’s branding, replaces the word “and” every time with “n'” and “are” or “our” with “r” — adds that he’s “been following [doctor’s] orders, getting rest, working [with] a vocal coach n’ sorting out r sound issues.”
“Seems good so far,” he adds. “Thanks again [for] everyone’s concern! At the end of the day it’s about giving u the fans the best of rselves n’ the best time we can give u n’ that’s all I, the band n’ crew r focused on.”
GN’R plans to return to the stage Friday, July 8 in Munich, Germany.
Metallica‘s “Master of Puppets” is the latest recipient of the coveted post-Stranger Things bump.
According to Billboard, the title track off the metal legends’ 1986 album has seen a 400% increase in streams since it was used in the season four finale of the Netflix sci-fi series.
While that certainly is a major bump, “Master of Puppets” still has a long way to go if it hopes to match the resurgence of Kate Bush‘s “Running Up That Hill,” which soared all the way to the top five of the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 after its use in an earlier episode of Stranger Things’ fourth season.
Metallica previously commented on Stranger Things‘ use of “Master of Puppets,” which is heard during a significant scene involving the Dungeons and Dragons-loving character Eddie Munson, sharing that they were “beyond psyched” about the song’s placement.
“We were all stoked to see the final result and when we did we were totally blown away,” they said.
Meanwhile, Metallica took to TikTok to defend any newcomers who might’ve just discovered the band’s music through Stranger Things, declaring, “FYI — EVERYONE is welcome in the Metallica Family.”
After Carlos Santana collapsed on stage Tuesday during his band’s concert in Clarkston, Michigan, the group immediately postponed the show scheduled for the next night in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania.
Now, the new date for the Burgettstown concert, which will be held at Star Lake Pavilion, has been confirmed for Friday, August 4.
While the original show was supposed to have featured Santana performing with Earth, Wind & Fire as part of their Miraculous Supernatural joint tour, the new date will just be a Santana concert. All tickets purchased for the June 6 date will be honored at the August 4 show.
On Wednesday, Carlos’ wife, Santana band drummer Cindy Blackman Santana, shared an update on her husband’s health via Facebook.
“Hi Everyone! Carlos & I thank you so much for your prayers, love, care & concern for him!” she wrote. “Please know that he’s resting and doing very well! He was diagnosed with heat exhaustion & dehydration…it was 100 degrees on stage and 114 under the lights so that coupled with not enough water is what caused the issue. He’ll be as good as new soon! Thank you again and we love you!”
The next Santana concert is scheduled for Friday, July 8 in Noblesville, Indiana and is slated to feature Earth, Wind & Fire.
Visit Santana.com to check out the group’s full itinerary.
Manny Charlton in 1979; Peter Noble/Redferns/Getty Images
Manny Charlton, founding guitarist of the Scottish rock band Nazareth, has died, according to a Facebook post from his grandson. A cause of death was not given. Charlton was 80.
Charlton was Nazareth’s guitarist, producer and co-songwriter from 1968 to 1990, and played on the band’s most successful albums, including 1975’s Hair of the Dog, which was RIAA-certified Platinum in the U.S. and featured the group’s biggest hit, a cover of “Love Hurts,” originally made famous by The Everly Brothers in 1960.
Charlton produced Guns N’ Roses‘ early demos, but bowed out of producing their debut album due to commitments with Nazareth. The album, ultimately recorded with producer Mike Clink, went on to sell an estimated 30 million copies globally and became the biggest-selling debut of all time. GN’R recorded “Hair of the Dog” for their 1993 all-covers album, The Spaghetti Incident?
After Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover produced several early Nazareth albums, Charlton took over for Hair of the Dog, and remained the band’s producer until 1983, a period during which they released some 17 studio albums.
Charlton went on to release numerous solo projects, including 2014’s Hellacious, which featured guest appearances from original GN’R drummer Steven Adler, as well as Def Leppard/Dio guitarist Vivian Campbell, Vanilla Fudge‘s Tim Bogert and others.
Here’s wishing Ringo Starr a very happy 82nd birthday filled, of course, with peace and love!
As previously reported, the former Beatles drummer is marking the occasion with the latest installment of his annual “Peace and Love” birthday celebration. This year’s event will feature Ringo gathering privately in Los Angeles with wife Barbara, some of his All Starr Band mates and several other celebrity friends to give a “Peace and Love” salute at noon local time.
Taking part in the celebration will be All Starr Band members Steve Lukather, Edgar Winter, Colin Hay, Warren Ham and Gregg Bissonette, as well as Benmont Tench, Richard Marx, Matt Sorum, Jim Keltner, Ed Begley Jr., Linda Perry, Diane Warren, and the late Roy Orbison‘s sons Roy Jr. and Alex.
As usual, Ringo is asking everyone to join in by saying or thinking “Peace and Love,” and/or flashing a peace sign, at noon local time wherever they are in the world.
As part of this year’s celebration, Artemis Music Space Network, with help from the International Space Station, will transmit Starr’s message across the planet, and into Earth’s orbit and outer space.
At noon, Ringo will signal the Artemis Mission Control Center in Houston, Texas, to beam his message and music — including his 2021 single “Let’s Change the World” — to the International Space Station, which will relay peace-and-love messages and music down to the planet and out to the stars.
The event will kick off with a number of musical performances paying tribute to Ringo.
Meanwhile, “Peace and Love” celebrations are taking place in many locations around the world, including at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. In addition, a special Starr playlist will be played today in over 10,000 Starbucks stores.
Steve Perry and Neal Schon in 2017; Kevin Mazur/WireImage for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
As Journey prepares to release its latest studio album, Freedom, this Friday, founding guitarist Neal Schon reveals he’s working on becoming friends again with the group’s famous former lead singer, Steve Perry, who parted ways with Journey in 1998.
In a new interview, Schon tells Vulture that he and Perry have had the chance to connect more since he recently took a more active role in Journey’s business dealings.
“We’re talking and getting to know each other again — though not trying to get together musically again,” Schon says. “But he’s learning who I am now, through a portion of our business that I’m kind of controlling now. I’m talking about a Journey trademark that I’ve obtained, as we’ve never owned our own trademark.”
Schon continues, “All these years, many people lied to us [with regard to Journey’s business]. My wife and I finally got to the bottom of it after investigating for years. We were fought hard by everybody, but we managed to obtain the trademark. So we’re talking about that and figuring out the future of that, but we’re talking.”
Schon says that he and Perry were “very, very tight” during Perry’s early years with the band.
“I have great memories of when Steve and I first met,” he notes. “We hung out all the time, man. We were like brothers. We were crazy. We spent a lot of nights out way too late doing things we shouldn’t be doing. Drinking and whatnot … But bottom line, we had a really good time for many, many years … He was a really funny guy.”
Schon also mentions how well he got along with Perry during the 2017 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, adding, “I hope that we can become even better friends in the future.”
After Whitesnakecanceled the remainder of the European summer leg of its Farewell Tour because various band members had taken ill, frontman David Coverdale reports that he’s back home and trying to get well.
“Still not 100% but, very happy to be home,” Coverdale wrote in a Twitter message posted Tuesday. “Being sick in a hotel, on tour, just ain’t the ticket…I hope You & Yours Are Well, Wherever You Are…Know You Are Appreciated & Loved…XXX.”
The tweet is accompanied by four images, including ones with messages that read “When all else fails take a nap” and “Keep healthy and stay safe,” and another showing a drawing of a pair of hands holding a rose and captioned, “For you.”
Last week, before Whitesnake officially announced that the rest of the European shows had been canceled, the band reported that the 70-year-old rocker had been “diagnosed with an infection of the sinus & trachea” and that his doctor had recommended “5 days of no singing and bed rest.”
During the trek, drummer Tommy Aldridge and guitarist Reb Beach also battled illness.
Whitesnake is now scheduled to return to the stage for the North American leg of its Farewell Tour, which kicks off August 17 in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, and is plotted out through an October 21 performance in Las Vegas. Most of the shows will feature the band supporting The Scorpions.
Emerson, Lake & Palmer‘s third studio album, Trilogy, was released 50 years ago today.
The album is the famed British prog-rock trio’s highest-charting studio effort in the U.S., peaking at #5 on the Billboard 200. Trilogy includes the band’s most successful single, the Greg Lake-penned “From the Beginning,” which reached #39 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Trilogy was produced by Lake and also features three instrumentals, the Keith Emerson compositions “Fugue” and “Abaddon’s Bolero” and an arrangement of Aaron Copland‘s “Hoe-Down” from the 1942 ballet Rodeo. Copland gave ELP permission to adapt the piece, which was slightly retitled “Hoedown.”
“Hoedown” became a popular song for ELP to perform live.
Trilogy has been certified Gold by the RIAA for sales of 500,000 in the U.S.
Here’s the full Trilogy track list:
“The Endless Enigma (Part 1)”
“Fugue” (Instrumental)
“The Endless Enigma (Part 2)”
“From the Beginning”
“The Sheriff”
“Hoedown” (Instrumental)
“Trilogy”
“Living Sin”
“Abaddon’s Bolero” (Instrumental)
