Classic Rock News

INXS is set to receive a prestigious honor in their native Australia.

The band — brothers Andrew, Jon and Tim Farriss, Garry Beers, Kirk Pengilly and late frontman Michael Hutchence — is set to receive the Ted Albert Award for Outstanding Services to Australian Music at the 2026 APRA Music Awards.

The press release announcing the honor notes, “INXS are not just part of Australia’s musical history — they helped write the global playbook.”

“INXS are truly one-of-a-kind,” Jenny Morris, chair of APRA, says. “From their compelling and timeless songwriting to their intoxicating performances, few bands have ever left people happily gasping for more the way INXS do.”

She adds, “Michael is as much of a presence in our lives today as the day we lost him, and of course the same goes for the band,” noting, “The legacy of INXS lives on. They remain as relevant as ever, continuing to inspire new generations and bring that unmistakable Aussie spirit to fans around the world.”

Formed in Sydney in 1977, INXS has sold over 75 million albums worldwide. Their breakthrough album, 1987’s Kick, peaked at #3 on the Billboard 200 Albums chart and produced four top-10 singles: “Need You Tonight,” “New Sensation,” “Never Tear Us Apart” and “Devil Inside.”

The 2026 APRA Music Awards will be held April 29 in Sydney.

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Bob Dylan has added some more dates to his 2026 North American tour.

The 84-year-old Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has added seven new shows to his schedule, beginning July 10 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The additions include stops in Pittsburgh; Philadelphia; Boston; Gilford, New Hampshire; and Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Jimmie Vaughan and Brittney Spencer will join Dylan as special guests on select dates.

Tickets for all new shows go on sale Friday

Dylan launched his latest North American tour on March 21 in Omaha, Nebraska, with dates confirmed through July 25 in Vienna, Virginia. His next show is Thursday in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

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

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Joe Perry sounds hopeful that Aerosmith isn’t over for good.

Fans have been wondering about the future of the band ever since they canceled their Peace Out farewell tour in 2024 due to frontman Steven Tyler’s continued vocal problems. Now, in a new interview with Billboard to promote the recently released Legendary Edition of Aerosmith’s 1973 self-titled debut album, Perry noted that there’s still a possibility of more Aerosmith in the future.

“The band is still kind of definitely not in touring mode, but there are certainly other options, so we stay in touch,” he tells the mag, adding about the band’s future, “You never know.”

“It’s just been in the last six months that Steven’s started to get comfortable with singing; he literally had to take a year off before he was able to start stretching his vocal cords, and you’re always worried about reinjuring it,” he continues. “I learned a long time ago that everything we do is fragile … so we just take it day by day. You hope for the best.”

Perry adds, “You just have to have the confidence and have that vision of positive in front of you. You can’t do it unless you envision it.”

Aerosmith did give fans a sign of hope for more music this past September, releasing a new EP, One More Time, with Yungblud.

Perry has also been keeping himself busy with other projects. He went on tour with The Joe Perry Project in 2025, and in August, he’ll hit the road with Hollywood Vampires on a U.K. and European tour.

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Former Iron Maiden vocalist Blaze Bayley has shared his reaction to being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame along with the metal icons.

“It’s crazy, really!” Bayley tells Metal Hammer. “When I started out, I just wanted to be like Ronnie James Dio, and Dio is in the Heavy Metal Hall of Fame and so am I. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is another level entirely, it’s not really ‘rock’n’roll’ as we think of it, it’s the music business hall of fame because it has everybody. So it’s absolutely wild!”

Bayley sang on Maiden’s 1995 and 1998 albums, The X Factor and Virtual XI, respectively, during frontman Bruce Dickinson’s six-year absence from the band. He’s being inducted alongside the classic Maiden lineup — Dickinson, bassist Steve Harris, guitarists Dave Murray and Adrian Smith, and drummer Nicko McBrain — as well as guitarist Janick Gers, who joined in 1990, and early members Paul Di’Anno, Clive Burr and Dennis Stratton. 

“I’ve had so many messages saying congratulations,” Bayley says. “It’s a really big deal for a lot of people; for me, I just feel so lucky to be considered in the same breath as some of the other artists on there. Multi-platinum artists!”

The 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony takes place Nov. 14 in Los Angeles and will air on ABC and stream on Disney+ in December. It remains to be seen if Maiden will take part in the event. The band members have been dismissive of the Rock Hall in the past, though manager Rod Smallwood posted a message in response to the induction news reading, “It’s always nice to be recognised and honoured for any achievements within the music industry.”

Disney is the parent company of ABC News. 

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Some of Phil Collins’ children, including two who are acclaimed actresses, have taken to Instagram to congratulate him on his Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction.

Lily Collins, star of Emily in Paris, wrote on her Instagram Story, “You did it! Couldn’t be more proud of you, Dad. What an incredible achievement and SO insanely deserved. Love you to the moon and back.” Lily is Phil’s daughter with his second wife, Jill Tavelman.

Meanwhile, Phil’s other daughter, Canadian actress Joely Collins, wrote on Instagram, “So incredibly proud of you Dad for being inducted into the @rockhall. WAY TO GO!!!!! (Finally!).” Joely, who Phil legally adopted, is the daughter of his first wife, Andrea Bertorelli.

Phil’s son Nic Collins, who took over drums for his father on the final Genesis tour, wrote on Instagram, “So proud of you dad. Incredibly deserved and long overdue. You’re my hero!” Nic is Phil’s son with his third wife, Orianne Cevey. 

In the comments of Nic’s post, Jason Bonham, son of legendary Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, wrote, “Next to my Dad Phil is my Drum Hero . I’m so glad that he will be inducted into the Hall of Fame.” Lily added, “BEYOND.”

On his Instagram Story, Nic’s brother, Matthew Collins, posted a picture of Phil and wrote, “So proud of you.”

In all, Phil has five children: Lily, Joely, Nic, Matthew and Simon Collins. Simon is the son of Phil and Andrea.

The 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place Nov. 14 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, and will be recorded for broadcast in December on ABC and Disney+.

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Tedeschi Trucks Band recently released their sixth studio album, Future Soul, and according to guitarist Derek Trucks, their aim was to try something different this time around.

The band’s previous studio offering — a conceptual quadruple album called I Am the Moon, recorded during the COVID-19 lockdown — left a lot of room for sonic exploration. In contrast, Future Soul is a decidedly song-focused record, forgoing the extended jams for a tighter and more angst-filled collection of 11 songs.

“We felt like the curveball this time would to be like short and sweet, concise,” Trucks tells ABC Audio, “instead of doing four albums, do one.”

He says to do that, he and his wife and bandmate Susan Tedeschi brought on producer Mike Elizondo and went into the record thinking, “Let’s try to find some different sounds.”

“It felt much more, I believe, aggressive,” he says. “Especially the drum sounds and everything. And it makes you lean a little different and play a little different.”

As for the writing process, the former Allman Brothers Band guitarist says when the band gets together, ideas and sounds start floating around. But he notes, “There’s always a few songs in everyone’s back pocket.”

“It was a really fun record to make,” Trucks says. “I’ve never done a record quite like that, where it was just every song felt like it would probably be the best song on other records, which was fun.” 

Tedeschi Trucks Band are currently on tour and play Fort Worth, Texas, on Wednesday. They are also booked to play New Orleans Jazz Fest on May 3. A complete list of tour dates can be found at TedeschiTrucks.com.

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Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi are among the artists set to perform at the two-night concert event Music America: The Songs that Shaped Us, put on by the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music at Monmouth University in New Jersey.

The concert event, celebrating America’s 250th anniversary, will take place June 4 and 5 at the OceanFirst Bank Center on the Monmouth campus and will have the artists performing “landmark songs” from American music history in a variety of musical genres.

Other artists on the bill include Jackson Browne, Gary Clark Jr., Kenny Chesney, Rosanne Cash, Dropkick Murphys, Darlene Love, Nils Lofgren, Stevie Van Zandt, Public Enemy, Mavis Staples and Dion, with The Disciples of Soul serving as the house band.

“Music America: The Songs that Shaped Us is a journey through American music history,” said Robert Santelli, executive director of the Springsteen Center and the concerts’ executive producer. “The concerts reflect everything the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music stands for: the power of music to bring people together, the rich and diverse treasury of American music as a mirror of our national culture, and the inspiration to think about our shared history in these divisive times.”

The concerts will take place just days ahead of the official opening of the Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music on June 7.

Tickets for both shows go on sale April 21 at 12 p.m. ET at springsteencenter.org.

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KISS is giving fans an update on their planned avatar show, which was first unveiled during their final concert at New York’s Madison Square Garden in 2023.

Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and their manager, Doc McGhee, were interviewed for Pollstar, and in the article it’s revealed that the show is expected to launch in a “bespoke theatre” in Las Vegas in 2028.

When describing the experience, Simmons notes, “Show is not the right word. When you are parachuting into a volcano, I would call it a show.” He notes, “These are semantics, but you know, I’m not anti-semantic.”

“This will be a must-see. It’s a new form of entertainment, it’s very immersive,” McGhee adds. “In today’s technology, you can do almost anything. It’s like we’re at The Jetsons.”

Simmons says the show will feature KISS’ “iconic face personas,” including The Demon and the Starchild, with Stanley noting that with regards to songs, fans should expect “all the classics through the years and some surprises.”

And Simmons may have given away some of those surprises, explaining, “You’re gonna get all that stuff, and also new songs,” adding the tunes were “written by us. We have songs done.”

“It will be a true immersive experience that really magnifies the band and the iconic nature of what we’ve built for 50 years,” Stanley says. “It’s very different from anything else that’s been out there.” He notes, “This will be virtually seeing us. My avatar looks just like me, not a cartoon or an artist rendition. The great thing about being an icon is you can stay young forever.”

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Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell has new music to share.

The rocker and his band The Dirty Knobs — guitarist/keyboardist Chris Holt, bassist Lance Morrison and drummer Steve Ferrone — have announced that their fourth studio album, Mission of Mercy, will be dropping June 12. It will feature guest appearances by The B-52s’ Kate Pierson and Morgane Stapleton.

As a preview of the record, the band has released the album’s first single, “I Remember,” to digital outlets.

“‘I Remember’ is a song written on the piano instead of the guitar,” says Campbell. “The Dirty Knobs turned my demo into a great rock track that has an ethereal, jam-like quality to it, which I really like. I can see it being a great song to play live.”

The 12-track Mission of Mercy is available for preorder now.

Following the release of the album, Mike Campbell and The Dirty Knobs are set to hit the road on a summer tour, which launches July 7 in Minneapolis. Campbell is also booked for a special concert on Sept. 12 in Atlanta, where he’ll pay Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers hits backed by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Campbell and The Dirty Knobs will also open for Chris Stapleton on Oct. 2 in Bristow, Virginia.

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

Here is the track list for Mission of Mercy:
“No Regrets”
“Let Me Back In My Dream”
“My Mama Told Me”
“I Remember”
“More Than Gold” (feat. Morgane Stapleton)
“Mission of Mercy”
“Bongo Mania” (feat. Kate Pierson)
“Wrecking Ball”
“Done To Me”
“Armageddon”
“Vicious Hangover”
“Vagrant”

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Blondie drummer Clem Burke passed away in 2025, but his life story is about to be told in a posthumous memoir, The Other Side of the Dream (My Life In and Out of Blondie).

According to the description, Burke began writing his memoir over 20 years ago, but had often put it aside due to his commitments to Blondie. “When cancer treatment and illness forced his retirement, completing the book became a priority, which he did shortly before he died,” the description reads.

The book, with a foreword by comedian Fred Armisen, follows Burke from the streets of New York to stardom in Blondie. The book explores “the explosive punk scene that gave rise to Blondie, the creative partnerships that defined their music and the challenges of navigating fame in a constantly evolving industry.

The description notes, “This is Clem’s story, in his own words.”

The Other Side of the Dream (My Life In and Out of Blondie) will be released in the U.S. on Sept. 8. It available for preorder now.

Burke joined Blondie in 1975, shortly after they formed in New York City. He appeared on all of their records, the last one being 2017’s Pollinator. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Blondie in 2006.

Burke passed away April 6, 2025, at the age of 70.

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