Classic Rock News

Mötley Crüe’s Nikki Sixx marked his 24th year of sobriety on Wednesday, sharing a post on social media in which he reflected on how sobriety has “completely transformed” his life.

“Sobriety isn’t just about eliminating substances; it’s about the ability to be honest with yourself and those around you,” he wrote. “Over the past 24 years of sobriety, I’ve experienced profound joy, but not without significant challenges. Through this journey, I’ve learned how to navigate adversity with grace and how to be truly selfless.”

He added, “We’re not here solely for ourselves; we’re here to serve those who are still struggling.”

Sixx writes that when people are unable to be honest with themselves “more often than not, they fail and end up hurting those around them. Honesty can be frightening, but it’s also liberating.”

He then recalled a lesson he learned from a sponsor after a fellow addict had died.

“He said, ‘Some people have to die to teach the rest of us how to live.’ That broke my heart—and reminded me just how important this journey really is,” he shared. “A friend recently gave me a copy of Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations. One quote that struck me deeply was: ‘Practice what seems impossible.’ I like that. I accept that challenge.”

Mötley Crüe recently released a new take on their classic track “Home Sweet Home” featuring Dolly Parton. It will appear on their upcoming compilation album, From the Beginning, dropping Sept. 12.

On the same day they’ll kick off a new Las Vegas residency at the Dolby Live theater, with dates confirmed through Oct. 3. A complete schedule can be found at MotleyCrue.com.

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Queen’s performance at Live Aid in 1985 is often considered one of rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest live performances, but it turns out they could have missed out on the gig had Brian May not talked frontman Freddie Mercury into it.

In a new interview with the U.K.’s Radio Times, May shares that they were hesitant to sign on since at the time they weren’t on tour. He notes, “It seemed like a crazy idea, this talk of having 50 bands on the same bill.”

He says while Roger Taylor was on board, he, Mercury and John Deacon weren’t so sure, but May quickly changed his mind after tickets went on sale.

“I said to Freddie: ‘If we wake up on the day after this Live Aid show and we haven’t been there, we’re going to be pretty sad,” May says. “He said: ‘Oh, f*** it, we’ll do it.'”

But the band didn’t take the stage without first getting advice from Live Aid founder Bob Geldof.

According to May and Taylor, Geldof told them, “Don’t get clever. Just play the hits – you have 17 minutes.”

Queen wound up wowing fans with a set filled with hits, as well as an infamous “Ay-Oh” call and response with the audience. Taylor says he knew they did a good job during “Radio Ga Ga,” noting, “It did seem that the whole stadium was in unison.”

He adds, “But then I looked up during ‘We Are the Champions,’ and the crowd looked like a whole field of wheat swaying.”

Queen is set to mark the 40th anniversary of Live Aid on July 13: they’ll show their set on their YouTube channel for 24 hours starting at 6:41 p.m. BST, the same time Queen took the stage at Wembley Stadium.

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Ozzy Osbourne and Billy Idol guitarist Billy Morrison have released a stripped-down mix of their collaborative song “Gods of Rock N Roll.”

The track originally dates back to 2015, and was rerecorded by Ozzy and Morrison 10 years later alongside a choir and 61-piece orchestra, plus fellow Idol guitarist Steve Stevens. This new stripped mix features just Ozzy’s vocals alongside the orchestra.

“It is an absolutely unique and emotional mix and I can’t wait for you all to hear it,” Morrison says.

The updated recording is accompanied by a lyric video, which is streaming now on YouTube.

You can hear the full version of “Gods of Rock N Roll” on the deluxe version of Morrison’s latest solo album, The Morrison Project. The record also includes another Ozzy collaboration called “Crack Cocaine.”

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Foreigner is revisiting their multi-Platinum album 4 with a new super deluxe edition.

Foreigner 4 Deluxe, dropping Sept. 12, is a five-disc CD/Blu-Ray package that includes newly remastered stereo and Atmos remixes of the album. There’s also a whole host of extras, including five previously unreleased songs, early and alternative versions of tracks, instrumentals, and live performances recorded on tour between 1981 and 1982.

Foreigner founder Mick Jones shares that recording 4 “took the better part of two years,” noting the band and producer Mutt Lange felt it “was something that just had to be right.” He adds, “This package, and particularly the stunning Atmos mixes present a spectacular culmination of one of the most exciting periods of my life.”

The deluxe edition will also be released digitally, while the remastered and remixed album will get a vinyl release. All versions are available for preorder now.

Released in 1981, as the album’s title suggests, 4 was Foreigner’s fourth studio album. The title also refers to the band now being a foursome following the departure of Ian McDonald and Al Greenwood.

The album spent four weeks at #1, thanks to top-five hits “Waiting for a Girl Like You” and “Urgent,” as well as the classic tune “Jukebox Hero.” The album has gone on to sell over 10 million copies worldwide and has been certified six-times Platinum in the U.S.

To celebrate the release, Foreigner has announced dates for the Foreigner 4 Deluxe Tour, which will feature original lead singer Lou Gramm joining the band for some songs. The tour kicks off with two nights, Dec. 3 and Dec. 4, in Port Chester, New York, and runs through Dec. 13 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

A complete list of dates can be found at ForeignerOnline.com.

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Judas Priest has shared a cover of Black Sabbath‘s “War Pigs” ahead of Saturday’s massive Back to the Beginning concert, which will feature the reunion and farewell of the original Sabbath lineup.

Beyond being a Sabbath classic, “War Pigs” is especially meaningful for Rob Halford and company, who have long used it as intro music for Priest concerts.

“We are honored to show our love for Ozzy [Osbourne] and Black Sabbath with our homage of ‘War Pigs’ – a song we play at every show around the world that fans sing along to –  reinforcing their love as well for the legendary Prince of Darkness,” Priest says.

You can listen to Priest’s take on “War Pigs,” which passes the eight-minute mark, streaming now on YouTube.

Back to the Beginning, which takes place in Sabbath’s hometown of Birmingham, England, will bring together Ozzy, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward for the first time in 20 years for one final show. It will also mark Ozzy’s final live performance ever.

Along with Sabbath and Ozzy, the Back to the Beginning bill includes Guns N’ Roses, Metallica, Slayer, Tool, Pantera, Gojira, Halestorm and Alice in Chains, among many others. Halford was also invited to take part, but couldn’t make it due to scheduling conflicts.

“I was absolutely gutted,” Halford told Metal Hammer.

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Foo Fighters have premiered a new single called “Today’s Song.”

The track marks the first original material from Dave Grohl and company since their 2023 album, But Here We Are.

“Over the years, we’ve had moments of unbridled joy, and moments of devastating heartbreak,” Grohl says. “Moments of beautiful victory, and moments of painful defeat. We have mended broken bones and broken hearts. But we have followed this road together, with each other, for each other, no matter what. Because in life, you just can’t go it alone.”

Grohl then goes on to mention past Foos members including guitarist Franz Stahl and drummers William Goldsmith and Josh Freese, the latter of whom was just fired from the band in May, as well as the late Taylor Hawkins.

“It should go without saying that without the boundless energy of William Goldsmith, the seasoned wisdom of Franz Stahl, and the thunderous wizardry of Josh Freese, this story would be incomplete, so we extend our heartfelt gratitude for the time, music, and memories that we shared with each of them over the years,” Grohl says. “Thank you, gentlemen.”

“And… Taylor. Your name is spoken every day, sometimes with tears, sometimes with a smile, but you are still in everything we do, everywhere we go, forever,” he continues. “The enormity of your beautiful soul is only rivaled by the infinite longing we feel in your absence. We all miss you beyond words. Foo Fighters will forever include Taylor Hawkins in every note that we play, until we do finally reach our destination.”

“Today’s Song” is out now via digital platforms.

As for who will be the new Foo Fighters drummer, that has yet to be announced. The band will return to the road for a tour of Asia in October.

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Phil Collins’ blockbuster solo album No Jacket Required is getting a special vinyl reissue in celebration of its 40th anniversary.

No Jacket Required (Fully Tailored), dropping Sept. 12, is a four-LP box set featuring a remastered edition of the original album, along with a three LPs of bonus material, including B-sides, and live and rare performances that are getting their vinyl debut.

Among those bonus recordings is a live, stripped down version of the #1 hit “One More Night,” as well as Collins’ Live Aid performance of “Long, Long Way to Go.”

On the same day, a Blu-Ray audio disc will be released featuring the original 1985 mix of the album, along with a Dolby Atmos, 5.1 surround sound mix and stereo mix by producer Steven Wilson.

Both are available for preorder now.

No Jacket Required, Collins’ third studio album, was released in May of 1985, and went to #1 in 11 countries, including the U.S. It featured four hit singles: “Sussudio” and “One More Night,” which both went to #1; “Don’t Lose My Number,” which went to #4; and “Take Me Home,” which peaked at #7. 

The album won three Grammy Awards, including album of the year, and was a huge commercial success for Collins, earning him a Diamond certification by the RIAA. 

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A new photo exhibit highlighting the Grateful Dead is coming to Los Angeles in July.

An American Beauty: Grateful Dead 1965–1995 is set to open at the David Kordansky Gallery. Timed to coincide with this year’s 60th anniversary of the iconic band, the exhibit will feature photos curated by photographer Jay Blakesberg and his daughter, Ricki Blakesberg.

The exhibit will include 28 large photos and 32 smaller prints highlighting the band’s 60-year career. According to the description, the exhibit “provides many windows into the core of the Grateful Dead experience, in which the energy between the performers and the audience was constantly feeding off each other.”

“An American Beauty: Grateful Dead 1965–1995 is not just a celebration of the band— it’s a visual journey through three decades of cultural evolution, community, and creativity,” says Jay.

An American Beauty: Grateful Dead 1965–1995 will open on July 15. Opening day will feature a panel discussion with Jay, as well as well-known Dead photographers Ron Rakow, Rosie McGee and others. 

In addition to the exhibit, there will be an accompanying coffee-table book featuring 275 photographs from well-known Dead photographers. It will be released Aug. 1, to coincide with Jerry Garcia’s birthday, and will be available for preorder starting July 12.

More info on the exhibit can be found at davidkordanskygallery.com.

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Queen is continuing their celebration of the upcoming 40th anniversary of Live Aid by raising money for charity with a new line of Live Aid merch.

The new official limited-edition Live Aid + Queen merchandise includes two T-shirts — one featuring Queen’s Live Aid set list and one with a picture of the band — as well as a poster, all of which were designed and overseen by Brian May, Roger Taylor and Live Aid co-founder Bob Geldof.

Proceeds from the sales will benefit Queen’s Mercury Phoenix Trust, which raises funds for the fight against HIV/AIDs, as well as the Band Aid Trust, which raises money to eradicate hunger and poverty in Ethiopia and other countries.

All items are available for preorder and will ship on July 11.

This is just one way Queen is marking the Live Aid anniversary. As previously reported, on July 13, the actual 40th anniversary of the event, Queen will show their Live Aid set on their YouTube channel for 24 hours starting at 6:41 p.m. BST, the same time Queen took the stage at Wembley Stadium.

Live Aid, organized by Geldof and Midge Ure, took place at London’s Wembley Stadium and Philly’s John F. Kennedy Stadium. The benefit concerts raised more than $150 million for Ethiopian famine relief.

CNN is also set to mark the anniversary with the new four-part docuseries Live Aid: When Rock ’n’ Roll Took On the World, premiering July 13 at 9 p.m. ET. The docuseries features interviews with Geldof, as well as U2’s Bono, Sting, Phil Collins and others, along with “rare archival footage” of Live Aid performances and backstage.

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Here’s something we can’t make up: Ozzy Osbourne makeup.

The Prince of Darkness has announced a collaboration with the company Jolie Beauty, which is based in Black Sabbath‘s hometown of Birmingham, England.

“We’re not slowing down, this collab’s a one-way ticket on the Crazy Train,” reads a post on the Jolie Beauty Instagram. “No brakes. No rules. Just pure, unfiltered rock ‘n’ glam mayhem.”

The exact details of the collection have yet to be revealed, but you can sign up for more info via JolieBeauty.co.uk.

Perhaps Ozzy will be sporting Jolie Beauty makeup when he takes the stage for Black Sabbath’s Back to the Beginning reunion/farewell concert, taking place Saturday in Birmingham. The show will mark Ozzy’s final live performance of his career.

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