R.E.M.’s Peter Buck and Patti Smith Group’s Lenny Kaye have been added to a benefit concert being put on by Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, according to a post on the R.E.M. official Instagram page.
The third annual Revival — Celebrating Georgia’s Historic Theatres benefit will take place May 13 and feature Collective Soul, Mother’s Finest, Drivin N Cryin and Jet Black Roses, along with special guest David RyanHarris and host Kevin Kinney.
The event, which will also include an auction, raises money to help preserve Georgia’s historic theaters, as well as expand the Fox Theatre’s education programs.
There’s only a week left to go in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame fan vote, and it looks like some artists need to get a boost before voting closes.
Only the top five artists selected by the public will be considered part of the Fan’s Ballot. As of Friday, April 21, only three rock artists land in that category: Warren Zevon at three with over 572,000 votes, Iron Maiden at four with over 404,000 and Soundgarden at five with over 381,000 votes.
The artist currently leading this year’s list is George Michael, with over 911,000 votes, followed by Cyndi Lauper with 826,000 votes.
Nominees needing help to jump up the list include Rage Against the Machine, Joy Division/New Order, The White Stripes, Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, The Spinners, Kate Bush, Missy Elliott and A Tribe Called Quest.
But there’s still time to make your voice heard. Voting is open until April 28. To cast your vote go to vote.rockhall.com.
Metallica‘s new album, 72 Seasons, has debuted at #1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart.
The record is the metal legends’ fourth chart-topper across the pond, following 1991’s Black Album, 1996’s Load and 2008’s Death Magnetic.
“Number 1 in the U.K.? Spectacular!” Metallica tells Official Charts. “We’re grateful. Thank you, U.K. — we can’t wait to see you!”
In the U.S., Metallica currently has a streak of six-straight #1 albums on the Billboard 200, from the Black Album to 2016’s Hardwired…to Self-Destruct.
Metallica’s world M72 tour in support of 72 Seasons stops in the U.K. in June for the 2023 Download Festival. The outing comes to the U.S. in August.
Julian Lennon continues to try to raise awareness of the many issues plaguing the environment, and he’s doing so with a brand new project. The singer and his White Feather Foundation have joined forces with Future Youth Records for a new EP that will raise funds for environmental issues.
The Think Earth 23 EP, dropping Sunday, April 23, for Earth Day, features a cover of Lennon’s 1991 track “Saltwater,” written about our world’s climate issues. Artists on the tune include Toto keyboardist Steve Porcaro, Wings guitarist Laurence Juber, The Mars Volta bassist Eva Gardner and Jim Keltner, a session drummer who worked with Julian’s dad, John Lennon.
The EP also includes a remix of “Save Me,” from Lennon’s 2022 album, Jude, by German youth artist Josh Heitzler.
“I always try to do something special on Earth Day one way or another,” Lennon tells People. “I tend to go with my gut on these things. And this was one of those project ideas that I thought, ‘Okay, well I kind of like this,’” adding, “Especially considering it was about a lot of the kids and their involvement in not only environmental and humanitarian issues, but the arts too, and music.”
Lennon’s White Feather Foundation, which he founded in 2007, will donate proceeds from the EP to its Save the Mirning Sea Country Campaign to “help preserve critical biodiversity and protect a sacred Aboriginal culture.” Future Youth Records will use its share to help young artists as they “inspire environmental change and social justice through music.”
The Rolling Stones have shared a newly restored music video for “Child of the Moon,” the Mick Jagger and Keith Richards-penned track that was a B-side to the hit “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.”
Originally shot in 1968 as a promotional film, the clip, directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, features all five original members of the band, along with actress Dame Eileen June Atkins. The moody video, shot on a farm near Enfield, outside north London, is now being released in both a standard color and a 4K resolution black and white version.
“Child of the Moon” is the latest restored video released by the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers and ABKCO Music & Records. They previously shared restored videos for “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” “We Love You,” “Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow?” and “2000 Light Years From Home,” with more coming this year.
Metallica‘s 72 Seasons video saga has come to an end.
Since dropping their much-anticipated new album Friday, April 14, the metal legends have premiered a new visual every day to accompany a different song off the record. The four prerelease tracks — lead single “Lux Æterna,” “Screaming Suicide,” “If Darkness Had a Son” and the title track — also got videos.
Now, Metallica’s premiered the video for the final 72 Seasons song, album closer “Inamorata.” You can argue whether they saved the best for last, but they certainly saved the longest — the epic “Inamorata” lasts 11 minutes and 10 seconds, a personal record for Metallica.
You can watch the “Inamorata” video, an animated, hallucinatory journey through a desert, streaming now on YouTube.
While every 72 Seasons song now has its own video, Metallica is not quite done with the album’s visual side. Each 72 Seasons video is also being released in American Sign Language, or ASL. The ASL edition of the title track is out now, and the remaining 11 videos will premiere April 25.
John Mellencamp is back with new music. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer is set to release the new album Orpheus Descending on June 2, and just dropped its first single “Hey God.”
The 11-track album is Mellencamp’s 25th studio release, and is being described as “one of his most personal records to date,” featuring songs that “focus on social issues Mellencamp continues to passionately advocate for.”
In the meantime, Mellencamp is currently on the road with his Live and In Person tour, which hits St. Louis, Missouri on Friday, April 21. A complete list of dates can be found at Mellencamp.com.
Here is the track list for Orpheus Descending:
“Hey God”
“The Eyes of Portland”
“Land of the So Called Free”
“The Kindness of Lovers”
“Amen”
“Orpheus Descending”
“Understated Reverence”
“One More Trick”
“Lightning and Luck”
“Perfect World”
“Backbone”
Roger Waters is finally releasing physical copies of his 2022 digital release The Lockdown Sessions. CD and vinyl copies of the six-song recording are due out June 2.
The release features songs Waters recorded and filmed at home during COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020 and 2021, along with “Comfortably Numb 2022,” which he recorded during his 2022 This Is Not a Drill tour.
In addition to “Comfortably Numb 2022,” the release features performances of Pink Floyd tracks like “Mother” and “Vera” from The Wall, and “Two Suns in the Sunset” and “The Gunner’s Dream” from The Final Cut. It also features “The Bravery of Being Out of Range,” from Waters’ solo album Amused to Death.
Waters explained that he originally had an idea to record an album of all the encores he did on tour, but the COVID lockdowns got in the way. That’s when he shifted plans. As for the new version of “Comfortably Numb,” he said he added it to the end, “as an appropriate exclamation point in closing this circle of love.”
Waters is currently in Europe on his This Is Not a Drill tour. He plays Budapest, Hungary on Sunday, April 23. A complete list of dates can be found at RogerWaters.com.
Genesis frontman and drummer Phil Collins landed his first-ever solo number one with “Against All Odds (Take A Look at Me Now).”
The track was featured in the romantic thriller Against All Odds, which starred Jeff Bridges, Rachel Ward and James Woods.
In addition to being number one, the song was nominated for an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a Grammy.
Collins went on to have 14 top-10 solo hits and six more solo number-one songs: “One More Night,” “Sussudio” and “Separate Lives,” featuring Marilyn Martin, which were all released in 1985; 1988’s “Two Hearts” and “Groovy Kind of Love”; and 1989’s “Another Day in Paradise.”
Queen is back with the latest installment of their YouTube series Queen The Greatest Live, with this week’s episode taking another look at their iconic stage wear — this time with a special performance of the track “Ogre Battle.”
The performance is from their 1975 Christmas Eve show at the Hammersmith Odeon, which was broadcast live on BBC TV and radio, and eventually released as A Night At The Odeon.
The concert featured an ambitious production from the band, including elaborate lighting that flooded the stage in a green glow. And the band went for it with their look, as well, with Freddie Mercury in a chest-baring white satin catsuit and Brian May in a winged cape. The pair also wore contrasting nail colors, Mercury with black and May with white.
“The black and white stuff we got into – it’s all designed to be dramatic,” May explained in a previous episode. “It’s designed to accentuate our movements and accentuate the moods of the songs.”
