Iron Maiden manager wishes ‘nothing but a very sore arm’ to excessive phone users during shows

June 2, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

Leading up to the kickoff of Iron Maiden‘s European tour, the band put out a statement asking fans “not to excessively film the concerts on their phones or tablets” during the shows. Now that the trek is underway, Maiden manager Rod Smallwood reports that many fans have complied with the request — and has some choice words for those who don’t.

“A huge thank you to every one of you who kept your phones down, respected the band and your fellow fans, and embraced the show the way it’s meant to be experienced – in the room with us,” Smallwood writes in an Instagram post. “That was a great boost for us and the band appreciated it greatly. It is so much better when they can see you unencumbered and that drives them on without that distraction.”

Smallwood adds, “For the selfish few that didn’t and just had to keep videoing… I wish you nothing but a very sore arm!”

Maiden’s tour will run into early August. Openers include Halestorm and Avatar, depending on the date.

On This Day, June 2, 1941: Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts is born

June 2, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

On This Day, June 2, 1941…

Drummer Charlie Watts was born in London, England.

After getting his start playing blues and jazz, Watts joined The Rolling Stones in 1963, and remained with the group for 58 years until his death.

Watts, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are the only three members of the band who appear on every Stones album. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with the band in 1989.

Watts played his final show with the Stones on August 30, 2019. It was announced in August, 2021 that he was going to sit out of the Stones’ No Filter tour due to heart surgery. He passed away on August 24, 2021, at the age of 80.

Watts posthumously appeared on The Rolling Stones’ 2023 album Hackney Diamonds. His drumming was featured on two songs, “Mess It Up” and “Live by the Sword,” which were recorded in 2019.

Rod Stewart reschedules Las Vegas show due to illness

June 2, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

Rod Stewart was forced to postpone his Sunday night show in Las Vegas, but did it only about three-and-a-half hours before the concert was scheduled to start, according to The Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Before Rod’s show, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, he wrote on his Instagram Stories, “I am sorry to inform you that I’m not feeling well and my show tonight at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace is being rescheduled to June 10.” He’s still scheduled to perform June 5, 7 and 8.

Rod, 80, recently told AARP Magazine, “When I feel I might be sick enough to cancel a concert, that’s when I go, ‘Maybe I’m getting old.’ Then a couple of days later, bang, I’m back at it again. I enjoy doing concerts more than I did back then. Maybe I’ve come full circle to appreciate how lucky I’ve been.”

Starting June 12, Rod will launch a North American tour that runs through mid-August, after which he’ll return to The Colosseum for more dates. But in between dates, he’ll pop across the pond to appear at the U.K.’s iconic Glastonbury Festival on June 29. Rod has said that Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood, his former bandmate in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame group Faces, will join him for his performance.

Bono on the immersive version of his documentary: ‘(I) was honored to be a lab rat’

June 2, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

Bono’s new Apple TV+ documentary, Bono: Stories of Surrender, is out now, and folks with Apple Vision Pro’s mixed-reality headset can have a unique experience watching it.

The doc is the first feature-length film available on Apple Vision Pro, offering viewers an immersive experience of the film. Bono tells Billboard he “was honored to be a lab rat in their unusual mix of art and science,” referring to Apple.

“A lot of companies, when they get to that scale, they stop innovating,” Bono adds. “And here they are again, ready to do it.”

But for Bono, the experience watching the film may have been a bit too immersive.

“And for the first time, I got to see myself onstage, and realized, ‘What a big a**!'” Bono shares. “That has gotta go! And by the way, are those nose hairs? I’m like, ‘Wow!'”

The doc is a “reimagining” of the U2 frontman’s one-man stage show, Surrender: An Evening of Words, Music and Some Mischief, which Bono launched to promote his 2022 memoir, 40 Songs, One Story.

Bono tells the mag what prompted him to create the show.

“I ended up in the stage play because I didn’t want to do a promotion tour for the book,” he says, “and I thought I’d do something a bit more challenging and a bit more fun — for me, selfishly speaking, and perhaps for the audience.”

Yusuf/Cat Stevens expands ‘Cat on the Road to Findout’ book tour

May 30, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

Yusuf/Cat Stevens has added some more dates to his fall book tour promoting his upcoming memoir, Cat on the Road to Findout.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has added second shows at New York’s Beacon Theatre and Los Angeles’ Dolby Theatre on Oct. 12 and Oct. 22, respectively.

Cat on the Road to Findout: An Evening Of Tales, Tunes, And Other Mysteries kicks off Oct. 2 in Philadelphia and will have Stevens speaking in-depth about his memoir and performing unplugged versions of his biggest hits. The events will also incorporate Stevens’ personal art, illustrations, photos and film.

Tickets for all shows are on sale now. A complete list of dates can be found at CatStevens.com.

Cat on the Road to Findout, due out Oct. 7, will recount Stevens’ rise to fame thanks to songs like “Wild World,” “Father and Son,” “Peace Train” and “Morning Is Broken,” as well as the release of albums like Mona Bone Jakon, Tea for the Tillerman and Teaser and the Firecat. It will also cover his conversion to Islam, his humanitarian work and his later return to music.

In addition to his story, the book will include dozens of Stevens’ drawings and archival imagery.

Cat on the Road to Findout is available for preorder now.

John Mellencamp’s post about lack of ‘Hoosier Hospitality’ at NBA playoffs gets response from Pat McAfee

May 30, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

ESPN’s Pat McAfee has responded to John Mellencamp’s recent Instagram post, in which he seemed to call out McAfee’s attempt to hype up the Indianapolis crowd at Game 4 of the NBA playoffs Tuesday between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks.

During the game, McAfee called out several famous New York Knicks fans in the crowd, including Spike Lee, Ben Stiller and Timothée Chalamet, telling the crowd, “Let’s send these sons of b****** back to New York with their ears ringing.”

Mellencamp said in his post that he was “embarrassed” by McAfee’s speech, although he did not mention him by name. He also said the crowd reaction was “poor sportsmanship” and lacked “Hoosier Hospitality.”

Well, now McAfee’s fighting back.

“What a moment for John Coug yesterday,” he said during his show Friday, ripping apart the rocker’s actual post.

“I don’t know what he thought he was doing with that particular quote tweet,” he said. “John, can’t tell you how bad everything you did here was – the graphic, the quote, the timing. You’re two days late, John. You’re two days late, Bub. … John, shut the f*** up, OK.”

“You try and think you’re gonna bury me? I don’t think so, John. Hey Coug, suck it buddy,” he continued. “Hope I get a chance to see you real soon. I think we’re probably gonna be in the same place pretty soon. I don’t want any of your bullsh**. I don’t like you. I know your name, and I don’t like you.”

It is possible they may see each other at the next playoffs game. The Pacers currently lead the Knicks in the series 3-2, with the next game happening Saturday in Indiana.

The Electric Prunes lead singer James Lowe dies at 82

May 30, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

James Lowe, lead singer of the ’60s band The Electric Prunes, died May 22 at the age of 82, according to a statement posted by his family on the band’s social media pages.

The post says Lowe “passed away peacefully of natural causes,” sharing that he “leaves behind a legacy of sound, love, and boundless creativity.”

Formed in 1965, The Electric Prunes were a psychedelic rock band from Los Angeles that had two popular songs: “I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night,” which peaked at #11 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and “Get Me To The World on Time,” which went to #27.

“I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night” was also prominently featured in the 1972 compilation album Nuggets: Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968, put together by future Patti Smith Group guitarist Lenny Kaye.

The original band split up in 1970. Lowe went on to have a career behind the scenes as a producer, working with Todd Rundgren and others. The original members of The Electric Prunes reformed in the ’90s and released several albums, their first being 2001’s Artifact. They released their last album, WaS, in 2014.

Kaye took to Instagram to pay tribute to Lowe, sharing a picture of them together.

“Rest in Dreaming James Lowe,” he wrote. “So glad I got to see you sing the classic which opened Nuggets, complete with finger cymbals, at the Glendale Wild Honey golden jubilee show. May your Prunes always electrify.”

Carlos Santana teams with Mexican band Grupo Frontera for new single

May 30, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

Carlos Santana has teamed with Mexican band Grupo Frontera for a new track, “Me Retiro,” described as a “heartbreak story” they expect to become the “ultimate multigenerational anthem of despair.”

“When I hear the music and lyrics of this song, it’s about healing people, sharing light, love, and joy with them,” the legendary guitarist shares. “To me, this music is meant to uplift our spirits and align our motives, purpose and intentions toward the highest good of life, people and the planet.”

“Me Retiro” is available now via digital outlets.

Talking about working with Grupo Frontera, Santana offers, “It feels beautiful to share with them; this is just the beginning because we’re going to do more things in the future. We’re achieving something multidimensional—we want a South American tour, a Latino Woodstock.”

Santana is getting ready to hit the road once again. The European leg of his Oneness tour kicks off June 9 in Lodz, Poland. He returns to the U.S. for the latest stint of his Las Vegas residency at the House of Blues on Sept. 17. A complete list of dates can be found at Santana.com.

Cease and desist over Matt Cameron’s teenage KISS cover band lifted

May 30, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

Matt Cameron can now rock and roll all night and party every day without threat of legal action from KISS.

In a 2024 interview, the Pearl Jam and Soundgarden drummer shared that he was in a KISS cover band as a teenager and even had the opportunity to meet Paul Stanley backstage at a concert. Cameron added that he showed Stanley photos of him and his friends dressed as the KISS members, and several months later he received a cease and desist letter from the band’s Aucoin management company.

Several decades later, Cameron has now received a letter from Aucoin’s Roman Fernandez declaring that the cease and desist has been lifted.

“By the power vested in me (which is none), I hereby declare the matter regarding the cease and desist solved, and the pursuant order issued by Aucoin Management, Inc. null and void,” the letter, which Cameron posted to Instagram, reads.

It adds, “Although you may want to check with Doc first,” presumably referring to KISS’ most current manager, Doc McGhee.

The letter also came with a set of Aucoin-related memorabilia.

“CASE CLOSED,” Cameron writes in the post’s caption. “Thank you so much Roman Fernandez for this incredibly thoughtful gift.”

Stevie Nicks’ ‘Bella Donna’ gets high fidelity vinyl reissue

May 30, 2025 by Classic Rock 93.9

Stevie Nicks’ iconic solo album Bella Donna is the latest album to get the Rhino High Fidelity treatment.

The album, Nicks’ solo debut, has just been released on limited-edition, high-end vinyl, with only 5,000 individually numbered copies available.

Released in 1981, Bella Donna was a #1 hit for Nicks and featured three iconic singles: “Edge of Seventeen,” “Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around” with Tom Petty, and “Leather and Lace” with Don Henley.

“What I wanted my whole life was to do this album,” Nicks says in the album’s liner notes. “Making Bella Donna really saved my life.”

The Rhino High Fidelity reissue of Bella Donna is available now for $39.98.

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