Classic Rock News

Rod Stewart is cleaning house: He’s auctioning off a collection of fine art, furniture and decorative objects that he evidently has lying around his U.K. mansion for thousands of pounds.

This is the third time Rod’s sold off his stuff through the U.K. auctioneer Sworders. The sale, which goes live on December 12, includes things like mirrors, side tables, couches, chairs, engravings, paintings and rugs. While you could pick up some items for as little as 200 pounds — that’s about $253 — some items, like a nautical painting from 1912, are priced at as much as 15,000 pounds — about $19,000.

The director of Sworders, John Black, tells the U.K. paper The Sun, “I think you’ll agree, we all feel the need for a declutter once in a while, and that sentiment is no different for Sir Rod. He has accumulated many things over his lifetime and has decided it is again the time to have a bit of a clear-out.”

Perhaps, Rod doesn’t need all that furniture in his house because he’s rarely there: He has a busy touring schedule booked for 2024, including his final shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in July and August.

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France’s 2024 Hellfest has gotten more hellish with the addition of Metallica.

The metal legends have joined the lineup as a headliner, as has Avenged Sevenfold. Previously announced artists on the bill includes Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, The Offspring, Megadeth, Royal Blood and Iron Maiden‘s Bruce Dickinson.

Other new Hellfest additions are Tom Morello, Corey Taylor and Mr. Bungle.

Hellfest 2024 takes place June 27-30. For more info, visit Hellfest.fr.

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On November 28, 1974, John Lennon surprised fans by joining Elton John onstage at Madison Square Garden for what would be Lennon’s last major concert appearance. Well, it turns out Lennon really didn’t want to take the stage alone. 

Elton’s songwriting partner Bernie Taupin tells ABC Audio Lennon wanted him to come out with him, but he refused. 

“I said, ‘To do what? What am I going to do? Just stand there, you know, like a wallflower?’” he shared. “I said, ‘I can’t do that. This is where you’re on your own.’ And that’s when he was propelled onto the stage. And the rest is history.”

Lennon eventually dragged Taupin out, but Bernie doesn’t think anyone noticed.

“Nobody could have cared less that I was on there,” he said. “I mean, I was just one of many and he was the one in the limelight and much deservedly so.”

Lennon’s appearance was the result of losing a bet with Elton over “Whatever Gets You Thru the Night,” which features Elton on backing vocals. Elton bet Lennon the song would go to #1 and if he won, Lennon would have to join him onstage.

Well, the song did hit #1, becoming Lennon’s only solo #1 single in his lifetime. He made good on the bet, performing three songs with Elton: “Whatever Gets You Thru the Night,” plus The Beatles tracks “I Saw Her Sanding There” and “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” 

Bernie recounts the night in his memoir, Scattershot: Life, Music, Elton and Me, telling ABC Audio, “That was such an important part of our lives and our careers and my interaction with John in general, that it was necessary for me to include that.” He added, “It was my fly on the wall part of that situation.”

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Paul McCartney is ready to show us his comedy chops, with a planned appearance in the upcoming sequel to the legendary mockumentary This is Spinal Tap.

Rob Reiner, who directed and co-wrote the original film, revealed the news during an appearance on the RHLSTP with Richard Herring podcast, noting that McCartney’s not the only big name appearing in the flick. 

“We’re making a sequel. We’re going to start shooting at the end of February,” he shared. “Everybody is back, Paul McCartney is joining us and Elton John and a few other surprises, Garth Brooks.” 

Released in 1984, the mostly improvised This is Spinal Tap was a satire of traditional rock documentaries and followed a fictional heavy metal band, played by Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer. It was a hit with critics and movie fans, and in 2002 it was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry.

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A new video has been released for the late Jimmy Buffett’s latest tune, “Like My Dog,” from his posthumous release, Equal Strain on All Parts.

The clip, created in collaboration with the ASPCA to encourage pet adoption, features never-before-seen footage of the rocker with his pooches. It also features adorable dog videos shared by his fans on social media using #likemydog.

“The dedication and humanity Jimmy Buffett put into his music crossed over into his love for animals, especially pets and wildlife,” Matt Bershadker, ASPCA president & CEO, shares. “This collaboration honors Jimmy’s legacy and animal advocacy and reflects our shared commitment to help vulnerable dogs find safe and loving homes.” 

Released on November 3, Equal Strain on All Parts was recorded while Buffett was battling Merkel cell skin cancer, which claimed his life on September 1 at the age of 76. The album features guest appearances by Paul McCartney, Emmylou Harris, Preservation Hall Jazz Band and Angélique Kidjo.

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For a band that’s played a show in Antarctica, it’s hard to believe that there are still parts of the world where Metallica hasn’t performed. Saudi Arabia is one such place, but that will no longer be the case in just a few weeks.

The metal legends have joined the lineup for the 2023 Soundstorm Festival. Their set, scheduled for December 14, will mark Metallica’s first concert in Saudi Arabia and the first time a hard rock band has played Soundstorm.

“We’re not done with 2023 just yet,” Metallica says. “An amazing opportunity has just come our way to perform at a major festival that we have never played in a part of the world we rarely get to visit.”

For more info, visit Metallica.com.

In other Metallica news, the band has been honored by music tech organization SoundExchange with the SoundExchange Hall of Fame Award. The title recognizes the “Enter Sandman” outfit as one of the most streamed acts in SoundExchange’s 20-year history.

“Metallica is considered one of the greatest rock bands of all time, and for good reason,” says Michael Huppe, president and CEO of SoundExchange. “They have built and rebuilt themselves, continually honing their epic sound with each album and constantly expanding their appeal without abandoning their roots. Metallica is a once-in-a-lifetime success story. Recognizing Metallica with a SoundExchange Hall of Fame Award is an honor.”

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Peter Gabriel has unveiled the final track from his upcoming album, i/o, which drops Friday, December 1. The latest is the song “Live and Let Live,” which has Gabriel singing about “forgiveness, tolerance and optimism.”

“Now, I know if we look at what’s happening in the Middle East now or in Ukraine, all sorts of places around the world where there’s still violence and brutality, to walk around with a bunch of flowers, preaching forgiveness seems trite and pathetic, maybe,” Gabriel shares. “But in the long run, I think people have to find a way.”

He adds, “‘Peace only happens when you respect the rights of others’ is a quote from the Peace University in Costa Rica and I think that’s a really important message for me and for my life. You either belong to that hurt or you free yourself and forgiveness is clearly a super effective way of freeing yourself.”

As he’s done with all the other songs he’s released from i/o, Gabriel is sharing several different remixes of “Live and Let Live.” All three remixes — Tchad Blake‘s (Dark-Side Mix), Mark “Spike” Stent‘s (Bright-Side Mix) and Hans-Martin Buff’s Atmos mix (In-Side Mix) — will be released simultaneously.

You can listen to “Live and Let Live” now via streaming services.

i/o, Gabriel’s first album of new material since 2010’s Scratch My Back, is available for preorder now.

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After three postponed shows due to Paul Stanley’s bout with the flu, KISS returned to the stage in Indianapolis on Saturday, November 25, and Stanley sure was glad to be back. 

Footage of a Q&A with fans during soundcheck was posted to social media, showing Stanley joking, “It’s good to be standing up.”

“I’ve done shows with cracked ribs, I’ve done shows with a 102 fever,” he told the crowd, adding of his recent illness, “I was wondering if it was my time.” 

Stanley’s flu forced KISS to cancel shows in Canada, as well as Knoxville, Tennessee. Their next show is happening Monday, November 27, in Rosemont, Illinois, with the tour set to wrap with two nights at New York’s Madison Square Garden on December 1 and 2. A complete list of dates can be found at kissonline.com.

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Dolly Parton’s first rock album, Rockstar, had a great debut on the charts.

The album, which features guest appearances by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Steven Tyler, Stevie Nicks, Sting, Steve Perry, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts and more, debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200 Album chart.

Rockstar is now Dolly’s highest-charting album and her third career top 10, following 2014’s Blue Smoke and 1987’s Trio with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris; both albums debuted at #6.

Not only that, Rockstar also debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart, selling 118,500 copies. Her previous bestselling album was 1993’s Slow Dancing with the Moon, which sold 50,500 copies in its second week in release.

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Queen discusses their approach to encores in the latest episode of their weekly YouTube series, Queen the Greatest Live.

“I think audiences these days are aware the encore isn’t really the old-fashioned kind, which was, ‘Oh, that was so wonderful, we actually want more,’” Roger Taylor shares. “It’s built into the show. You’re expecting to play it. They’re expecting to hear it.”

But even though fans expect it, Brian May says the encore is necessary for the band to continue to give fans what they expect.

“You have to go off and refresh at that point because you’ve given everything and you’re like a wet rag at the end of what we’ve done after 2 1/2 hours,” he says. “You know, you need to go off, change your clothes and take a deep breath for that final push.” 

Taylor notes that there’s no question the encore will always be a fan favorite. “It would feel quite weird if they’d come to a show and we hadn’t played them. So it’s not a secret,” he says.

Early in their career, encores included “Jailhouse Rock” and “In the Lap of the Gods…Revisited,” but since 1977, the go-to songs have been “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions.” 

“It’s a big question, which we do ask ourselves. You know, what do you want to have in people’s heads as they go out?” May says. “And I think it’s fulfillment. It’s like good sex. You know, you want to come out of it thinking, ‘Yeah, that was everything it should have been.’”

Next week on Queen the Greatest Live: “Jailhouse Rock.”

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