Classic Rock News

The lineup for the 2022 edition of the Allman Brothers Band-founded Peach Music Festival has been unveiled, and The Black Crowes and Phish singer/guitarist Trey Anastasio‘s solo band are among the acts that have been confirmed as headliners.

The 10th anniversary event will take place over four days, June 30-July 3, at its usual location, Montage Mountain in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

More than 50 artists will be performing at this year’s festival, with the bill also including founding Allman Brothers Band drummer Jaimoe, Jason Bonham’s Led Zeppelin Evening, reggae legends The Wailers and Steel Pulse, G. Love, and Duane Betts — son of original Allman Brothers singer/guitarist Dickey Betts.

Jaimoe will be playing with a collective dubbed Jaimoe and Friends, while The Wailers will perform the late Bob Marley‘s classic hits compilation Legend in its entirety. In addition, a group called Trouble No More will celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Allman Brothers’ 1972 album Eat a Peach. Trouble No More’s lead singer is Lamar Williams Jr., whose late father played bass with the Allmans from 1972 to 1976.

With the festival scheduled just before July 4, the four-day bash will conclude with a spectacular fireworks display on Sunday, July 3.

To purchase tickets and packages, and to check out the latest information about the fest, visit ThePeachMusicFestival.com.

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You can watch now Foo Fighters‘ trip to Fraggle Rock without an Apple TV+ subscription.

As previously reported, Dave Grohl and company appear on an episode of the new Fraggle Rock: Back to the Rock series, which brings back the beloved music-loving puppets created by the late Jim Henson. The series premiered on Apple TV+ in January, but the streamer has now released a clip of the Foos’ performance.

The video, which you can watch now on YouTube, finds the “Everlong” outfit playing an original song, fittingly titled “Fraggle Rock Rock.” The tune also appears on the Back to the Rock soundtrack, which is out now.

By the way, Fraggle Rock isn’t Grohl’s first foray into the wacky world of Henson’s creations. He also had a cameo in the 2011 The Muppets movie, and guested on a 2015 episode of the ABC sitcom The Muppets.

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In case you missed it, U.S. figure skater Nathan Chen won the gold medal Wednesday night at the Winter Olympics in Beijing in the men’s singles competition, delivering a thrilling free skate program set to a medley of cover versions of Elton John songs, including “Rocket Man” and “Bennie and the Jets.”

Now, the “Rocket Man” himself has extended congratulations to the 22-year-old athlete via his social media pages.

“Congratulations Nathan Chen for winning Gold skating to ‘Rocket Man’ in the free skate finals in Beijing,” Elton writes.

The British pop-rock legend also points out that Chen is featured in new episodes of the Olympic Channel series From the Top, which Elton executive-produced for his Rocket Sports production company.

Nathan appears with singer/actress Hayley Kiyoko in three segments of the program, which pairs Olympic athletes and music artists together and features them discussing their journeys to success. You can check out the episodes at Olympics.com.

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It may have been a long time since Anthony Kiedis made a new friend, but it took no time at all for Red Hot Chili Peppers to make an impact with their new song, “Black Summer.”

The track, the lead single off the upcoming RHCP album Unlimited Love, has debuted at number three on Billboard‘s Rock & Alternative Airplay chart, a career-best start for the “Under the Bridge” outfit.

“Black Summer’s” bow is also the highest debut on Rock & Alternative Airplay since Green Day‘s “Father of All…” also entered the ranking at number three in 2019.

Rock & Alternative Airplay, which first launched in 2009, measures “radio airplay audience impressions” across rock, alternative and adult alternative-formatted stations.

Red Hot Chili Peppers will release Unlimited Love, their first record since guitarist John Frusciante rejoined the band in late 2019, on April 1. They’ll launch a world tour in support of the record this summer, with the U.S. leg kicking off in July.

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Sting is the latest rock legend to cash in by selling the rights to his music.

MusicWeek reports that Sting has sold his entire songwriting catalog to Universal Music Publishing Group in a deal that’s worth a reported $250 million.  The deal is for Sting’s solo songs, as well as songs by The Police, and includes hits like “Roxanne,” “Every Breath You Take,” “Fields of Gold,” “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic,” “If I Ever Lose My Faith in You,” “Desert Rose,” “Message in a Bottle” and many more.

MusicWeek reports that the deal is similar to the one Bob Dylan made, in that it includes the rights to the publisher and the writer shares of the songs.  It means Sting’s songs are now in the same place as his entire recorded music catalog: Universal Music Group.

In a statement, quoted by MusicWeek, Sting says, “It is absolutely essential to me that my career’s body of work have a home where it is valued and respected — not only to connect with longtime fans in new ways but also to introduce my songs to new audiences, musicians and generations.”

He adds, “Throughout my career, I have enjoyed a long and successful relationship with UMG as my label partner…so it felt natural to unite everything in one trusted home, as I return to the studio, ready for the next chapter.”

Bruce Springsteen, Paul Simon and the estate of David Bowie recently made similar deals regarding their catalogs.

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Fleetwood Mac‘s Rumours was released 45 years ago this past week, and in conjunction with the anniversary, drummer Mick Fleetwood reflected on landmark 1977 album with Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe.

Part of the interview focused on the volatile dynamic between the band mates during the making of Rumours.

While working on the album, all five members were dealing with romantic conflicts, as Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham were breaking up, Christine McVie and John McVie had just divorced, and Mick had broken up with his wife.

“[The] five of us were in a state of flux…a lot of pain. And this creature known as Fleetwood Mac and what we were doing became the safe harbor in a way, I believe,” Mick noted. “Was it a complete healing? No, but it has those elements to it, certainly in the complete chaos.”

Having said that, Fleetwood suggested that before the band members had the opportunity to work out their conflicts, the success of Rumours — described by Mick as “the wave of what this body of work created” — drew away their attention.

Fleetwood maintained that the fallout of those conflicts, particularly between Nicks and Buckingham, continues to the present day. Of course, tensions between the two led to Lindsey being fired in 2018.

“[E]specially for Stevie and Lindsey, I don’t think [things] certainly are…resolved fully,” Mick said, “and I wish they were and I visualize those moments as the years trickle by somehow, but I truly, somewhat sadly think…that will go into the rainbow somewhere and never really change.”

Rumours spent 31 weeks at #1 on the Billboard 200, featured four top-10 hits — “Go Your Own Way,” “Dreams,” “Don’t Stop” and “You Make Loving Fun” — and has sold over 20 million copies in the U.S.

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Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson‘s new band Envy of None has launched a contest offering a fan the chance to win one of Lifeson’s new Epiphone Les Paul Axcess Standard signature guitars.

Fans can enter the giveaway by using a QR code that’s printed on a ticket located on the inside of one of the CDs from in the Deluxe Edition of Envy of None’s self-titled debut album, which is due out on April 8. In addition, fans outside of the U.K. can enter by simply sending their full name, postal address and email address to “EON Giveaway, Snapper Music, 52 Lisson Street, London, NW1” by July 11, 2022 — the contest’s closing date. Visit KScopeMusic.com/EONGiveaway for more details.

The Alex Lifeson Epiphone Les Paul Standard Axcess guitar, which was released in June 2021, was based on a similar model on which Lifeson collaborated with Gibson in 2015. The instrument features special modifications requested by Lifeson, including alterations to the pickups and a vibrato setup.

Lifeson’s Epiphone Les Paul Standard Axcess guitar is available for a list price of $899.

As for Envy of None, Lifeson is joined in the band by bassist Andy Curran of the veteran Canadian rock group Coney Hatch, guitarist/keyboardist Alfio Annibalini and singer-songwriter Maiah Wynne.

The album is an 11-track collection that offers up a wide sonic palette, with influences including alternative rock, synth rock and experimental rock mixed with melodic pop. It includes a song titled “Western Sunset,” which Alex wrote as a tribute to late Rush drummer Neil Peart.

Envy of None can be pre-ordered now, and will be issued in multiple formats, including digitally, on CD, on LP and as a deluxe limited-edition collection featuring a blue-vinyl LP, a two-CD set and a booklet.

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Billie Joe Armstrong‘s stolen car has been found.

Over the weekend, the Green Day frontman posted an Instagram message asking for information about his missing vehicle, a 1962 Chevy II that he called “near and dear to all our hearts” and a piece of the band’s “family for over 30 years.” In a follow-up post Wednesday, Armstrong revealed that the car has been safely recovered and “all in one piece.”

“FOUND MY CAR!!” Armstrong wrote. “False alarm…turns out I forgot where I parked it…KIDDING! Truth is the person that stole it left it parked. Joy ride? Maybe…who knows. We live in desperate times.”

The punk rocker and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee added, “Thank god it’s all in one piece. No damage.”

Armstrong also thanked everyone who helped with the search.

“Love you all,” he wrote, alongside a trio of prayer-hands emojis.

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Chicago, Billy Idol, Metallica and The Zombies are among a variety of artists that are taking part in a new charity initiative called F-COVID.

Created by the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund charity organization in partnership with fundraising platform Fandiem and concert database Bandsintown, F-COVID seeks to raise money for musicians and music industry professionals that continue to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The campaign is raffling off a number of unique prizes, including an electric guitar autographed by Chicago and two tickets to an upcoming U.S. show by the band; a set list signed by Idol from a September 2021 concert he played in Port Chester New York; two tickets to Metallica’s upcoming sold-out February 25 show in Las Vegas; and a pair of tickets to one of The Zombies’ 2022 stateside concerts, plus a virtual hang with founding members Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone.

The more you donate to the initiative, the more entries you’ll receive in the raffle.

Other artists participating in the initiative include Nine Inch Nails, Social Distortion, Wilco, Imagine Dragons, Darius Rucker, Marcus King and Kesha.

“The pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the music industry, shutting down touring, festivals, and live performances,” a press release reads. “Though we are finally seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, the financial damage from missing two years of touring and work is unprecedented. Sweet Relief created the F-COVID fundraising campaign to help provide immediate assistance to artists and crews who have been financially devastated by the pandemic.”

For more info, visit Fandiem.com.

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Foo Fighters were among the winners at Tuesday’s Pollstar Awards, hosted by the concert industry publication Pollstar.

Dave Grohl and company were honored with the Best Rock Tour prize at the ceremony, which celebrated the return of live music in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Variety, Grohl sent in a statement to accept the award, which read in part, “F*** COVID. Live entertainment will always survive, and it will always be vibrant.”

Other winners included Garbage, who opened for Alanis Morissette‘s 25th anniversary Jagged Little Pill tour, for Best Support/Special Guest Act and Tour, and Eddie Vedder‘s Ohana Festival for Music Festival of the Year in the under 30,000 attendance category. Texas’ Austin City Limits won Music Festival of the Year, over 30,000 attendance.

Harry Styles took home the night’s top prize: Major Tour of the Year.

For the full list of winners, visit Pollstar.com.

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