Classic Rock News

Elton John is a bi-coastal guy: Sunday night, he was rocking the crowd at LA’s Dodger Stadium on his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour, and Tuesday night, he was singing in the middle of New York City’s Fifth Avenue.

This holiday season, Elton’s partnered with famed department store Saks Fifth Avenue for a curated holiday collection, proceeds from which will go to The Elton John AIDS Foundation. The collection is available to shop now and as part of the partnership, Saks is donating $1 million to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

That’s why Elton was the store’s special guest Tuesday night as Saks unveiled its famous holiday windows. Fifth Avenue was shut down as a grand piano was rolled out into the middle of the street, and Elton’s husband David Furnish and their sons Zachary and Elijah took their seats. Elton himself then appeared, sat down at the piano and thanked Saks CEO Marc Metrick for the million-dollar donation.

“This will help turbo charge our mission to end AIDS and it means a great deal to me to have your support –thank you so much,” said Elton. “I’m so thrilled to kick off the holiday season tonight and be a part of this spectacular and iconic window unveiling and light show.”

He then invited Metrick, David and the kids to join him for “the exciting part” — they counted down to the unveiling.

The entire front of the Saks building was then illuminated with a dazzling light show, as Elton performed his signature hit, “Your Song.”  Fireworks erupted from the top of the building, and even after Elton left, the display continued, soundtracked to Elton hits like “Step Into Christmas.”

You can watch the whole thing now at Saks Fifth Avenue’s website.

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Bonnie Raitt is set to help Brandi Carlile celebrate motherhood next May. The singer is one of several artists who have signed on for Brandi’s new Mothership Weekend festival, taking place May 12 to 14 aka Mother’s Day weekend, in Miramar Beach, Florida. 

“This is a celebration of matriarchy through rock & roll,” Brandi shares on Instagram. “Bring the kids, bring your wife, bring your mom, or just come alone and you’ll immediately find yourself surrounded by family.” 

Bonnie is booked to perform Sunday, right before Brandi’s headlining spot, with Fancy Hagood also on Sunday’s bill. Brandi also headlines Friday, on a bill that includes Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats and Danielle Ponder, with Hozier headlining Saturday’s bill with Mavis Staples, The Milk Carton Kids and Katie Pruitt. 

Tickets go on sale December 5 through the festival’s website.

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Tuesday marked the 25th anniversary of the death of INXS frontman Michael Hutchence. The singer’s suicide at age 37 certainly came as a surprise to many, including his U.S. manager, Martha Troup, who says on the day of his death he was discussing his plans for the future. 

“He wanted to start a publishing company. And he wanted to get an apartment in New York,” she tells the New York Post. “That’s what he said to me.” But, she says a few hours later he sounded different in a message he left. “He goes, ‘Things aren’t good, you know?’ And then the next one was like, ‘Hey, are you there?’” she says. “In the second one, it was more like he was tired. It was, like, almost sadness I heard in his voice.” He was found dead only hours later. 

Troup calls Hutchence magical, noting, “He was the quintessential rock star. He was mesmerizing. He had a sensuality about him.” But she says he was also shy and sensitive: “He had his ups and downs, and he had his insecurities.”

Troup says that before his death the rocker was making plans for an Australian tour, but she was concerned because “he just seemed out of sorts.” She suggested cancelling the tour, but he insisted he couldn’t cancel, saying, “I would never do that to the fans in Australia.’”

Meanwhile, friend Dorothy Carvello still believes Hutchence didn’t mean to kill himself. “I’m not sure that he really intended to do that,” she tells the Post. “I think it was a rash act that happened in the heat of the moment, whatever happened. Because think about it — no [suicide] note. And for somebody whose job was to write words, I always found that strange.”

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Van Morrison is ready to bring some Christmas cheer to his home city. The singer is set for two very special performances in Belfast, Ireland.

The intimate “jazz club” shows, dubbed Life Ain’t No Dress Rehearsal, are set for December 4 and 5 at Belfast’s Europa Hotel. Morrison is set to perform his many hits as well as tunes from his most recent albums. 

The shows are the last two Morrison has booked for 2022. He does have 2023 dates set to kick off March 13, in support of his upcoming album Moving on Skiffle, which drops March 10 in Milton Keyes, England.

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When you buy a ticket to a concert, you are expected to stay in the audience. A Black Crowes fan found that out the hard way. The band was playing a gig in Melbourne, Australia, when someone in the audience decided to crash the stage and wound up getting a guitar in the face. 

In fan-shot video posted to YouTube by Greg Valentine, the band’s about to play their Shake Your Money Maker track “Stare It Cold” when the crasher jumped onstage and ran toward bassist Sven Pipien. Security quickly jumped in, and Chris Robinson tried to push the crasher off stage with his mic stand, but the man somehow got around them. That’s when Rich Robinson stepped in, took his guitar and slammed it into the guy near his face and neck. Chris then started swinging his mic stand toward the man, who was quickly pushed off stage.

It doesn’t end there though. The video shows Chris and Rich screaming at the fellow before the band launched back into the song and continued on with the show.

The concert was the final night of the band’s Shake Your Money Maker tour of Japan and Australia. “We came, we saw, we rocked!” they shared on Instagram. “Thanks to all of our friends and fans in Japan and Australia. We had a blast. See ya soon ;)”

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Journey’s Neal Schon is speaking out for the first time since it was revealed he is suing bandmate Jonathan Cain over their company Nomota’s finances, including an American Express card Cain took out. 

“The only comment I’ll make at this time is it’s all very unfortunate and tried for over a year to attain all our corporate records for Nomota with many personal e-mails to Jon as well as many legal letter stating it’s my legal right to see all but I was left with no choice but to take it legal,” he writes on Facebook. “There’s much more … since I filed I’ll be following my attorneys advice and not speak until we are in court where I’ll not have a problem at all. It is what it is. “

Schon is arguing that “millions of Journey funds have flowed through” that Amex card, which Cain set up without his knowledge. And while Cain has told him he’d have access to it, he has yet to be added to the card.

In a separate Facebook post, Schon’s wife, Michaele, claims that since 2020, Cain’s wife, Paula White, was added to Journey’s bank account “against Neal’s wishes.” She also accuses Cain and his wife of trying to harm the band, noting it’s “Neal Schon who keeps Journey alive.”

Schon added in a tweet, “Yeah it’s a bit deeper then just a card.”

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Metallica has announced a stream of their upcoming Helping Hands benefit concert.

The show, which takes place December 16 in Los Angeles, premieres live at 5:30 p.m. PT on Paramount+; it will also simulcast on Pluto and MTV’s YouTube channel.

Jimmy Kimmel will host the night, and viewers who tune in from the beginning will get to watch Greta Van Fleet‘s opening set. Metallica also teases “special guests and presentations” as well as “a few surprises before we hit the stage.”

Helping Hands, which supports Metallica’s All Within My Hands charity foundation, first launched in 2018. The show features a rare acoustic set by the metal legends.

For more info, visit Metallica.com.

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Annie Lennox is spearheading a new fundraising effort to fight against gender bias. The newly inducted Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has just launched the Circle Music Icons Auction, with proceeds going to her non-profit The Circle.

“Ahead of the global 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, I am delighted to have brought together some of the world’s greatest female artists for a very special auction to help raise funds for the vital work o f@TheCircleNGO,” the Eurythmics star shares on Instagram. “I have long believed that music can build bridges and bring people together and it is wonderful to see these phenomenal female artists stand side by side with women and girls around the world facing and fighting gender-based violence.”

Fans can bid on such items as handwritten lyrics to “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This),” signed by Annie, along with handwritten lyrics to other songs, including Alicia Keys’ “Fallin’,” Billie Eilish’s “Your Power,” Brandi Carlile’s ‘Right On Time” and Angelique Kidjo’s “Agolo.”

Lennox adds, “The auction proceeds will enable The Circle to support our grassroots partners helping women and girls to build lives free from abuse and fear, and advocate for long-term change to end the violence that will affect 1 in 3 women in their lifetime.”

Fans have until December 5 to place a bid on one of the auction items. In addition, there is a sweepstakes that runs until December 15; those interested can contribute $10 to enter and possibly win an item.

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Ringo Starr has always done his best to spread “peace and love,” and now, he’s found another way to do it.

Starting Wednesday, the former Beatle is selling a collection of 500 life-sized sculptures of his “Peace and Love” hand symbol. Money raised from the sale will go to the Lotus Foundation, which funds, supports and promotes charitable projects aimed at advancing social welfare in a variety of areas, including homelessness, cancer, substance abuse and more.

The sculptures are available for purchase at Julien’s Auctions and come in bronze (250) and stainless steel (250). The limited-edition hand symbols are all signed by Ringo and come with a Certificate of Authenticity. They’re packaged in a Ringo “Peace & Love” box and weigh 3.5 pounds.

As for how much they will set you back, the stainless-steel sculpture sells for $5,000, while the bronze goes for $2,000.

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Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine wants to play another Big 4 concert, and he thinks it’s up to Metallica to make that happen.

Metallica and Megadeth make up half of the so-called “Big 4” of thrash metal, alongside Slayer and Anthrax. All four groups took the stage together for a run of shows between 2010 and 2011, including one at New York City’s Yankee Stadium.

While Metallica, Megadeth and Anthrax have stayed active, Slayer called it quits in 2019. However, Mustaine still feels that another Big 4 concert is possible.

“I really think it’s time for the guys in Metallica to step up, and us do one last round, see if we can get Slayer to come out of retirement and do a ‘Big 4 passing of the torch’ to the new Big 4,” Mustaine tells Songfacts.

As for who would be a part of that new Big 4, Mustaine says that “would remain to be seen,” but mentions bands including Lamb of God and Trivium.

“I think it would be really cool symbolically if we did something at like, the LA Coliseum, even if it’s one show and that’s it,” Mustaine says of the potential concert. “Slayer is from Los Angeles, so it would probably make it more convenient for them to go home at night. I personally have been hoping for this for a while, and I keep asking and asking and asking.”

“They’re just not into it,” he adds, presumably referring to Metallica. “But that’s up to them.”

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