Classic Rock News

The upcoming Power Trip festival is bound to be a good time, and AC/DC is giving fans yet another way to enjoy themselves. 

The rockers, who’ll be hitting the stage for the first time in seven years, just announced they’re launching their very own bar outside the festival, where those headed to the shows can stop by for a drink and a fun time.

The AC/DC High Voltage Dive Bar will be open October 5-8 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. It’s located in Indio, California, about 10 minutes away from the Empire Polo Grounds, where the festival is taking place. The bar’s Instagram page notes it will close early, at 9:30 p.m., on October 7, when AC/DC takes the stage.

“It’s the ultimate way to connect and plug in with fellow AC/DC fans over the weekend and check out iconic AC/DC props and exclusive merch,” reads the bar’s website.

Power Trip kicks off October 6, with performances from Iron Maiden and Guns N’ Roses, followed by Judas Priest and AC/DC on October 7, wrapping with Tool and Metallica on October 8. Complete details can be found at powertrip.live.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Queen’s Brian May has hit out at researchers who seem to have discovered that listening to the band’s music could help release insulin and keep diabetes under control in patients.

The guitarist shared an article originally posted in Forbes about the discovery, explaining on Instagram that while he’s happy “We will Rock You can be good for your health,” he’s not happy scientists “tortured mice” in order to test their theory.

“It’s now well known that many drugs and procedures that work in mice or rats do NOT work in humans,” he writes. “And, ethically, causing pain to one species to cure the ills of another is clearly unjustifiable. So the laws requiring tests on animals MUST be changed.”

He adds, “I’m horrified that these scientists could gaily make these unfortunate animals suffer to prove a point that should have been made using human volunteers. Then I would have been smiling.”

Finally, May concludes, “It’s so easy to gloss over the disgusting way we treat animals. It has to stop. It’s high time that scientists became responsible for what they do. Time they took responsibility for the way they behave,” adding, “I will NOT be celebrating this news tonight.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

While nothing can quite compare to 1985’s all-star charity concert Live Aid, someone is going to try and recreate that feeling in the theater.

Deadline reports Live Aid organizer Bob Geldof is working on a stage musical about the legendary concerts, titled Just For One Day. It’s scheduled to run at London’s Old Vic Theatre from January 26 to March 30.

Live Aid took place in both London and Philadelphia, and featured performances by such huge stars as Queen, U2, The Who, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Elton John and more.

The show, directed by & Juliet’s Luke Sheppard, is expected to feature several of the songs performed during the concerts. Sheppard tells Deadline that while Geldof will be a character in the musical, it won’t have “people dressing up as the artists and doing it as a tribute — we’ve moved very far away from that.” He notes, “It’s all the extraordinary music from that day, but it’s sung by this fierce generation of musical theater artists, who just blow the roof off.”

Sheppard says Just For One Day will put the historic concerts “in the hands of the people who made it, who were there, who experienced it,” adding, “So, it’s Live Aid for the people essentially, as opposed to a kind of tribute act version of the show.”

So far, Sheppard hasn’t confirmed which songs will be used in the musical, although with a nod of his head, he did suggest to Deadline that Queen’s “We Are The Champions” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” could be in it.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Roger Waters is denying recent accusations made against him in a new documentary that aims to prove he’s antisemitic.

The documentary was released by the Campaign Against Antisemitism. In a new post to his website, Waters says he initially didn’t feel he needed to respond but notes, “now that the attacks are in circulation, I want to put my response on record.”

“All my life I have used the platform my career has given me to support causes I believe in,” he explains. “That is why I am active in the non-violent protest movement against the Israeli government’s illegal occupation of Palestine and its egregious treatment of Palestinians. Those who wish to conflate that position with antisemitism do a great disservice to us all.”

Waters criticizes the makers of the film, noting they’ve faced scrutiny because their “core purpose is waging partisan political campaigns against critics of the state of Israel.”

According to Rolling Stone, the doc, The Dark Side of Roger Waters, features interviews with The Wall producer Bob Ezrin and Waters’ saxophonist Norbert Stachel, claiming Waters made antisemitic remarks in front of them.

“Truth is, I’m frequently mouthy and prone to irreverence, I can’t recall what I said 13 or more years ago,” Waters explains. “If I have upset the two individuals who appear in the film I’m sorry for that. But I can say with certainty that I am not, and have never been, an antisemite – as anyone who really knows me will testify.”

He argues the film’s “seriously misleading in many respects,” noting it’s “a flimsy, unapologetic piece of propaganda that indiscriminately mixes things I’m alleged to have said or done at different times and in different contexts, in an effort to portray me as an antisemite, without any foundation in fact.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Rush’s Geddy Lee is heading out on tour this fall but without his instruments.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer just announced North American dates for My Effin’ Life In Conversation, which will have the rocker discussing his upcoming memoir, My Effin’ Life, due out November 13.

The shows will see Geddy reading and expounding on excerpts from the book. He will also answer fan questions during a Q&A moderated by a yet-to-be-announced special guest.

The tour kicks off Monday, November 13, at the Beacon Theatre in New York City before moving on to such cities as Philadelphia, Boston, Cleveland, Seattle, Los Angeles and more. It wraps December 7 in Toronto, Canada. A complete list of dates can be found at rush.com. 

A Citi presale for tickets kicks off Tuesday, October 3, at 12 p.m. local time and will be followed by a general onsale Friday, October 6, at 10 a.m. local time. Each ticket purchased comes with a copy of Geddy’s book, plus $1 from each ticket will be donated to the Neil Peart Memorial At Lakeside Park fund, which is raising money in order to commission a public work of art in honor of the late Rush drummer.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Eddie Vedder and Sammy Hagar joined The Killers onstage during the “Mr. Brightside” outfit’s headlining set at the Ohana Festival on Friday, September 29.

According to setlist.fm, the Pearl Jam frontman joined Brandon Flowers and company for a cover of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers‘ “The Waiting,” while the ex-Van Halen vocalist took the stage to perform his former band’s song “Why Can’t This Be Love.”

The Killers posted photos from their Ohana performance on social media alongside the caption, “Life’s a beach. Thanks Ohana!”

Vedder, who founded Ohana, performed his own headlining set on Saturday, September 30, while Foo Fighters closed out the festival on Sunday, October 1. Dave Grohl and company’s set included a one-verse cover of the Led Zeppelin classic “Stairway to Heaven.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

On This Day, October 2, 1982…

Genesis reunited with ex-singer Peter Gabriel and ex-guitarist Steve Hackett for a benefit concert at the Milton Keynes Bowl in Buckinghamshire, England.

It was the first time either had played with the band since their departures from Genesis: Gabriel left in 1975 and Hackett in 1977. It was also the last time Gabriel performed any of the band’s songs. 

The beneficiary of the concert was Gabriel, who was close to financial ruin after the failure of his World of Music, Arts and Dance (WOMAD) Festival. The money bailed him out, and he went on to stage the festival for the next 40 years.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Foo Fighters have made their summer 2024 plans. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers just announced dates for their new Everything or Nothing at All stadium tour.

The tour, in support of their 11th studio album But Here We Are, kicks off with a two-night run at Citi Field in Queens, New York, July 17 and 19, and hits such cities as Boston, Cincinnati, Denver, San Diego, Los Angeles and more, before wrapping August 18 in Seattle, Washington.

Special guests on the 12-date trek include Pretenders, Mammoth WVH, L7, The Hives, Amyl and The Sniffers and Alex G.

A Citi card presale kicks off Tuesday, October 3 at 10 a.m. local time, with the general on sale set for Friday, October 6 at 10 a.m. local time. 

Foo Fighters still have several dates on the books for 2023. Their next show is happening October 3 in Phoenix, Arizona. A complete list of dates can be found at FooFighters.com.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

This Barbie is a Gold Dust Woman.

Yes, Mattel has launched a Stevie Nicks Barbie Doll, which is available now. She’s dressed in a black outfit inspired by the one Stevie wore on the cover of Rumours, and also wears platform boots and a crescent moon necklace. She even comes with a ribbon-festooned tambourine.  Her flowing blonde hair is styled in bangs, and she’s wearing smoky eye makeup.

Stevie showed off the doll to fans while onstage at New York’s Madison Square Garden on Sunday night, October 1, and then presented it to an audience member.

The doll costs $55 and is available at Target, Walmart and other stores.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Grateful Dead just released the 50th anniversary deluxe reissue of their album Wake of the Flood and is giving fans a unique way to enjoy it. 

Dead Heads can now go to the band’s website to explore Playing In The Band: Wake of the Flood, described as “an interactive mixing board” that allows them to jam along with classics on the album like “Eyes of the World,” “Stella Blue” and “Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo.”

Playing In The Band gives fans a chance to play around with the contributions of each band member. They can press solo to listen to each artist’s specific performance and even mute them in order to fill in using their own instrument.

And the Dead has even more Wake of the Flood goodies to share with fans. On October 15, exactly 50 years after Wake of the Flood was released, over six hours of never-before-heard material from the album’s recording sessions will stream as a YouTube Live exclusive event.

Released in 1973, Wake of the Flood was the first album released on the band’s own record label, Grateful Dead Records. Featuring new members Keith and Donna Godchaux, it was also the first album released following the death of founding member Ron “Pigpen” McKernan and the temporary departure of drummer Mickey Hart.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.