Classic Rock News

Given that their latest album is a three-part rock opera, it would be hard not to call The Smashing Pumpkins ambitious. During an interview with Apple Music, frontman Billy Corgan shares that his ultimate ambition for the Pumpkins is to be “standing on the top of the heap of our generation.”

In achieving that goal, Corgan feels that Kurt Cobain was his “greatest opponent.”

“I will go down always as saying Kurt was the most talented guy of our generation,” Corgan says of the late Nirvana icon. “Kurt had so much talent, it’s, like, frightening. It was like a John Lennon level of talent … or Prince.”

“But Kurt’s not here, sadly,” Corgan continues. “So I looked around, I was, like, ‘Alright, well, I could beat the rest of them for sure.'”

Later in the interview, Corgan says, “When Kurt died I cried, because I lost my greatest opponent.”

The Smashing Pumpkins’ three-act rock opera, ATUM, is out now.

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Queen is offering fans a chance to get their hands on something pretty unique. The band is selling what they are calling a “Taylored” Spinner Cymbal Ring, made of sterling silver and featuring an outer spinning band constructed from one of drummer Roger Taylor’s personal cymbals.

Each ring is individually numbered and features the “Jolly Roger” logo on the inside. It is also engraved with “hearing secret harmonies” in Taylor’s handwriting, comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by Taylor and a photo of the drummer taken by his daughter.

The ring will be available for preorder starting May 30, with the item shipping by July 28.

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Stevie Nicks is extending her time on the road. The two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has added a second leg to her solo tour. 

“Thank you to everyone who’s come out to see us so far, I’ve been having such a great time on the road,” Nicks shares on Instagram. “We are so happy to announce that we are adding 13 more shows to my 2023 tour! I hope I see you out there.”

The new dates kick off August 8 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and include shows in Houston, Austin, Pittsburgh, San Diego and Los Angeles. The last new date is set for December 5 in Palm Desert, California, although the tour wraps December 15 in San Francisco, California. 

Tickets for the new shows go on sale Friday, May 19, at 10 a.m. local time.

Nicks’ next concert is happening Tuesday, May 16, in Knoxville, Tennessee. She’s also set to play Nashville with Billy Joel on Friday, May 19. A complete list of dates can be found at stevienicksofficial.com.

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KISS bassist and co-founder Gene Simmons’ prowess with the ladies has been the subject of rumors for years, particularly the claim that he has slept with over 5,000 women. Well, now he’s setting the record straight.

“I’ve heard all about those numbers,” he tells The Sun when asked about the rumors. When pushed about whether they were true, he responded “confirmed.”

“For me, an insane heterosexual male, party means girls. I was like a vulture, waiting on the sidelines until all the guys got drunk,” Simmons, who says he doesn’t drink, shares. “But the prettiest girls didn’t get drunk so I’d walk in and choose whichever — as you Brits say — birds I liked.”

Simmons and his KISS bandmates are getting ready to say goodbye to the road, with the U.K./European leg of their End of the Road tour kicking off June 3 in Birmingham, England. As for why they are finally ready to give it up, Simmons says, “It’s the end of the touring band because we have enough self-respect. We don’t want to be like boxers who stay in the ring too long.”

He notes, “If I was in the Rolling Stones, who are great by the way, I could strum a guitar wearing sneakers and T-shirt and it would be fine. I admire Mick Jagger for pushing the limits but I can’t keep doing it with 40lb of studs and armor and eight-inch heels.”

A complete list of KISS’ End of the Road tour dates can be found at kissonline.com.

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Rod Stewart‘s daughter Ruby has made him a grandfather again.

Ruby, Rod’s daughter with his ex-girlfriend Kelly Emberg, announced on Mother’s Day that she and her fiancé, Jake Kalic, had welcomed a baby boy, Otis Stewart Kalic, on May 9. “I can’t remember what life was like before you….But nothing else matters now that you’re here,” Ruby wrote on Instagram.

Rod’s ex-wife Rachel Hunter and her daughter, Ruby’s half-sister Renee, both congratulated Ruby in the comments.

But it turns out that Rod actually became a grandfather for the third time, not thanks to Ruby, but thanks to his and Hunter’s son, Liam. Liam and his partner, Nicole Artukovich, announced that their son, Louie Mark Roderick Stewart, had arrived on May 12. Since Ruby’s baby was born on May 9, Otis is Rod’s second grandchild, while Louie is his third.

As for his first grandchild, that’s Delilah, who’s 11. Her parents are Rod’s daughter Kimberly — from his first marriage, to Alana Hamilton Stewart — and actor Benicio Del Toro.

We hope Rod has a scorecard to keep track of his growing family.

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Sting fans will want to make their way to Philadelphia this September.

The Police frontman and frequent collaborator Shaggy are throwing their very own festival — the One Fine Day festival — taking place September 9 at The Mann Center, Fairmount Park.

Sting and Shaggy will team up for what’s being described as “a joint-set of combined greatest hits.” The festival will feature two stages, with a lineup that also includes Thundercat, G-Love and Special Sauce, Kofee and Tank and the Bangas.

“I love how Shaggy and I effortlessly push each other to the creative edges,” Sting shares. “After having made the 44/876 album together and recording an album of Frank Sinatra covers in a reggae style, a day of hits and musical adventures in one of our favorite cities seemed like the next illogical step!”

A Sting presale kicks off Tuesday, May 16, with the general sale set for Friday, May 19. More info and a complete lineup can be found at sting.com.

This isn’t the only chance Sting fans have to catch him onstage this year. He’ll kick off the North American leg of his My Songs tour on June 1 in Vienna, Virginia. 

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A pub band playing a cover of Green Day‘s “Basket Case” was very surprised when Billie Joe Armstrong happened to be in the audience.

In a video posted to Green Day’s YouTube, titled “When you walk into a pub and the cover band starts playing your song,” you can see Armstrong walk onto the stage from the crowd and start singing along.

According to the BBC, the cover band is called Borderline Toxic, and they were playing at a London pub called Slim Jim’s Liquor Store.

“Eleven-year-old me panicked,” Borderline Toxic singer Kerry Glass tells BBC Newsbeat. “I think I did three circles just running around the stage until [Armstrong] was like, ‘Come on, sing with me.'”

After Green Day posted the video, Glass says she’s been receiving messages from old friends and classmates sharing their excitement.

“People that used to go to rock clubs when we were younger have got in touch and been like, ‘Oh my god, Kerry, that’s amazing,'” Glass shares. “That’s been the nicest thing.”

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On This Day, May 15, 1975 … 

In El Paso, Texas, Fleetwood Mac launched their first tour with new members Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks.  

The set list included several songs from Buckingham and Nicks’ 1973 album, as well as the future classics they contributed to the band’s 1975 self-titled album, like “Rihannon,” “Landslide” and “Monday Morning.”

Nicks and Buckingham were in a romantic relationship that ended in 1977, although they remained with the band and wrote songs inspired by the breakup, including “Silver Springs,” “Go Your Own Way” and more.

Although they would both leave Fleetwood Mac at various points in their careers, all members who appeared on 1977’s Rumours reunited in March 1997 for a live concert, The Dance, which was released as an album.

Buckingham left the group once again in 2018, although reports claimed he was fired because of a disagreement over touring. He later sued the group, and the suit was settled out of court. Fleetwood Mac went on to tour without him, replacing Buckingham with The Heartbreakers’ Mike Campbell and Crowded House’s Neil Finn.

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It looks like Mick Jagger’s youngest son has inherited some of his dance moves. 

The rock star’s girlfriend, Melanie Hamrick, proved just that by sharing a video on Mother’s Day of their 6-year-old son, Deveraux, dancing. 

“My wonderful, wild, sweet, beautiful Dev!! I am beyond blessed and thankful to be his Mama!” she wrote next to the clip. “Happy Mother’s Day!!!”

In the clip, Deveraux is jumping around, doing splits and more, all to the Imagine Dragons track “Warriors.”

Deveraux is The Rolling Stones frontman’s eighth child. Mick has four children — 25-year-old Gabriel, 31-year-old Georgia May, 37-year-old James and 39-year-old Elizabeth — with Jerry Hall. There’s also 51-year-old Jade with ex-wife Bianca Jagger; 52-year-old Karis with actress Marsha Hunt; and 23-year-old son Lucas with Luciana Gimenez.

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Foo Fighters are teasing another new song off their upcoming album, But Here We Are.

The unnamed track is set to premiere Wednesday, May 17. In a 25-second clip posted to the Foos’ Facebook Monday, you can hear Dave Grohl sing the lyrics, “I woke up and walked a million miles today/ I’ve been looking up and down for you/ All this time it still feels just like yesterday/ That I walked a million miles with you,” which certainly seems like it could be about late drummer Taylor Hawkins.

But Here We Are, the first Foo Fighters album since Hawkins’ death in March 2022, is due out June 2. It also features the lead single “Rescued,” which just hit #1 on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart.

Foo Fighters will launch their first tour following Hawkins’ passing May 24 in Gilford, New Hampshire. A new drummer has yet to be officially announced.

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