Classic Rock News

We’re about to learn a lot more about Devo: a new documentary on the band is currently in the works.

Devo is described as the “first-ever fully authorized film” on the band, who formed in 1973 in the aftermath of the Kent State massacre and went on to have a huge hit in 1980 with “Whip It.” It’s directed by Chris Smith, who previously directed the Netflix docs Frye and Tiger King.

The film will include archival footage and interviews, in order to tell the story of the band’s “evolution from hippie artistes to art-rockers with a message, to their unexpected mainstream success as a hit rock band and the pioneers of the MTV age.” 

“DEVO was a huge influence on me,” Smith shares. “Their approach to music, film, video and art was something I had never seen before and was one of the truly formative artistic influences that showed me there were entirely new ways to look at things.”

So far there’s no word on when Devo will be released.

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Here’s a unique experience few Beatles fans will want to pass up. Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp’s upcoming summer session will give participants a chance to jam with the iconic band’s original drummer Pete Best.

Best will take part in The Camp from July 13 to 16 in New York, with Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton and Rolling Stones bassist Darryl Jones also confirmed for the weekend, along with “more surprise guests.”

“I am looking forward to jamming with and meeting all the amazing campers and sharing stories and licks!,” Best shares. 

As most Beatles fans know, Best was the Beatles first drummer and performed his first show with them in August of 1960. He was fired from the group in 1962, before the band gained worldwide success, and was replaced by Ringo Starr.

Now in its 27th year, Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy Camp offers music fans a once-in-a-lifetime chance to perform with their musical heroes. More information on how to sign up can be found at rockcamp.com.

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Bruce Springsteen has added another honor to his list of achievements. The Boss was at the White House Tuesday where President Joe Biden honored him with the National Medal of Arts, which “honors exemplary individuals and organizations that have advanced the arts in America.”

“The work of our honorees is as diverse as the nation that celebrates with them today, but common threads weave them together in many ways,” Biden said at the ceremony. “The pursuit of excellence, the drive to create, the yearning to connect and the boldness to be truth tellers, bridge builders and change seekers.” He added, “Above all you are masters of your craft.”

When it came to Bruce, who received the customary chants of “Bruuuce,” Biden tried to claim him for Delaware instead of New Jersey, which drew laughs. “Bruce Springsteen a poet, troubadour a chronicler of American life, resilience and hope,” Biden said, noting the rocker’s many achievements including the “love of millions of fans across generations.”

In announcing the honor, the National Endowment of the Arts called Springsteen, “one of our greatest performers and storytellers,” adding, “Bruce Springsteen’s music celebrates our triumphs, heals our wounds, and gives us hope, capturing the unyielding spirit of what it means to be American.”

This isn’t the first time Springsteen has been honored in Washington, D.C. He was previously recognized with the Kennedy Center Honors in 2009, and President Barack Obama honored him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2006.

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Green Day‘s Billie Joe Armstrong has teamed up with Gibson for a new version of his signature Les Paul Junior guitar.

The instrument is described as an “exceptional guitar to rock out on, whether you play rock or punk” with “everything you need for great tone with no frills to get in your way.”

“The single cut ’50s Les Paul Jr has been the root of my guitar tone for over 20 years,” Armstrong says. “Ever since I bought ‘Floyd,’ my 1956 Sunburst Jr, in the early 2000s I have been addicted. It’s a simple, raw, and powerful guitar that has a sound that just can’t be beat! Plug it straight into any tube amp, crank it and it will roar!”

Armstrong’s Les Paul Junior comes in silver mist and vintage ebony gloss finishes, and costs $2,199. For more info, visit Gibson.com.

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Journey’s Neal Schon is giving fans a taste of his live show with a new album coming in May. 

Journey Through Time, dropping May 19, is a recording of a 2018 benefit concert at The Independent in San Francisco, California. Schon was joined for the performance by his Journey and Santana bandmate Gregg Rolie, along with Journey/Bad English rocker Deen Castronovo on vocals and drums, Marco Mendoza on bass and John Varn on keyboards and vocals.

The 21-song set features songs from the entire Journey catalog including such classics as “Separate Ways,” “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin,” “Wheel in the Sky” and “Lights,” along with early Journey tracks like “Journey,” “Look into the Future,” and “Next.” 

The live show, which took place February 9, 2018, raised money to help those affected by fires that hit the North Bay Area of San Francisco in October, 2017.

Journey Through Time is being released as a 3CD+DVD set and is available for preorder now.

Here’s the Journey Through Time track list:

“I’m Gonna Leave You”
“Look into the Future”
“Kohoutek
“Daydream”
“La Do La”
“Line of Fire”
“Walks Like a Lady”
“Feelin’ That Way”
“Anytime”
“Lights”
“Still They Ride”
“Separate Ways”
“Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’”
“Wheel in the Sky”
“Patiently (Medley)”
“Trial by Fire (Medley)”
“Stay Awhile (Medley)”
“Mystery Mountain”
“Of a Lifetime”
“Just the Same Way”
“Lovin’ You Is Easy”

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Def Leppard is giving fans another look at their life on the road. The band just shared the third installment in their ‘Behind the World Tour’ diary, this time highlighting stops in Chile and Brazil. 

The episode kicks off with the band at a Santiago cemetery for a photo shoot with photographer Ross Halfin, and later features footage of the band at another photoshoot in São Paulo with some of their tourmates in Mötley Crüe. 

There’s also lots of footage of the band on and off stage at both gigs, as well them enjoying Mötley’s set. The clip also shows Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott meeting a fan in São Paulo who gives him a small model she made of him based on an old photo taken by Halfin.

Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe are set to resume their World Tour May 22 in Sheffield, England. You can find a complete list of tour dates can be found at defleppard.com.

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Steve Hackett is ready to celebrate his career with Genesis with a new North American tour. Genesis Revisited: Foxtrot and Fifty + Hackett Highlights Tour will have the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer performing Genesis’ 1972 album Foxtrot in its entirety, plus other songs from Hackett’s catalog. 

Hackett shares, “I’m thrilled to be bringing my Genesis Revisited: Foxtrot at Fifty + Hackett Highlights tour to the USA and Canada in the autumn, and very much look forward to seeing you all then!”

The tour is set to kick off October 3 in Montreal, Canada. It hits the States October 5 in Ithaca, New York, with shows confirmed through November 18 in Los Angeles, California.

A complete list of tour dates and ticket information can be found at hackettsongs.com.

Released in October, 1972, Foxtrot was Genesis’ fourth studio album, and contained such classic songs as “Watcher of the Skies” and the epic 23-minute track “Supper’s Ready.” 

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Peter Gabriel is extending his North American i/o – The Tour, adding 13 new dates to the trek. Added cities on the tour include Washington, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, St. Paul, Palm Springs, Denver, Austin, Dallas and Houston. 

The tour is set to kick off September 8 in Quebec, Canada and will now run through October 21 in Houston, Texas.

A special presale for the new shows starts Tuesday, March 21 for members of Gabriel’s fan club. The general on sale begins Friday, March 24 at 10 a.m. local time.

A complete list of Peter Gabriel tour dates can be found at petergabriel.com.

The tour is in support of Gabriel’s forthcoming new album, i/o, which is due out sometime this year. He’s been releasing a new song from the album each month to coincide with the full moon, with the latest release being “Playing for Time.”

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As previously reported, Roger Waters‘ concert in Frankfurt, Germany has been cancelled by the local government due to the rocker’s outspoken political beliefs, and now several of his fellow musicians are coming to his defense. 

A Change.org petition has been created to try and get the government to reverse its decision on Waters’ tour stop, and it already has close to 12,000 of the 15,000 signatures requested, with artists like Eric Clapton, Peter Gabriel, Tom Morello and Waters’ Pink Floyd bandmate Nick Mason among those who’ve signed.

“We artists, musicians, writers, and other public figures and organizations are deeply disturbed by the recent efforts by German officials to discredit and silence musician Roger Waters,” reads the petition. “Officials in Germany, concert organizers, and music platforms must not succumb to the pressure of those individuals and groups who would rather see Waters’ music removed than engage with the issues his music highlights.”

Other artists who’ve signed the petition include actor Susan Sarandon, music producer Brian Eno, directors Ken Loach, Terry Gilliam and Julian Schnabel and more.

Waters is currently on his This Is Not a Drill tour, which is set to hit Barcelona, Spain on Wednesday. The concert in Frankfurt is scheduled for May 28.

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Red Hot Chili Peppers are headed to Chicago this summer. The band has been confirmed to headline Lollapalooza 2023, taking place August 3-6 at Grant Park.

Other headliners of the weekend include The 1975, Billie Eilish, Lana Del Rey, Kendrick Lamar, ODESZA, Karol G and TOMORROW x TOGETHER. 

A ticket pre-sale begins this Thursday, March 23, at 10 a.m. CT. For the full lineup and all ticket info, visit Lollapalooza.com.

Red Hot Chili Peppers kick off a North American tour on March 29 in Vancouver, BC. They have several other music festivals booked for the year, including the Hangout Music Festival in Gulf Shores, Alabama May 19, Bottlerock Festival in Napa Vally, California May 28 and Sound on Sound in Bridgeport, Connecticut September 30. Check out a complete list of dates at redhotchilipeppers.com.

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