George Thorogood and the Destroyers have canceled their upcoming tour as Thorogood deals with some health issues.
“George has been diagnosed with a very serious medical condition that will require immediate surgery and quite a few weeks of recuperation and healing,” the band shares. “You, our fans, mean the world to us, and we know this news is not want you wanted to hear, but rest assured George Thorogood & The Destroyers will be back.”
They add, “We’ll keep you updated as we know more.”
The tour of the U.S. and Canada was supposed to kick off April 27 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and wrap May 21 in Big Flats, New York. Fans who have tickets will be receiving refunds for the canceled dates.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer has announced a 22-date Endangered Species tour, which kicks off May 17 in Davenport, Iowa, and hits such cities as Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Hartford, Annapolis and more.
“There is nothing quite like performing live. I love it!” Mason shares.
The tour also includes two nights with the Steve Miller Band: June 24 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and the tour closer on June 28 in Boston, Massachusetts.
And fans can expect a lot more from Mason this year. He’s set to release his memoir, Only You Know and I Know, in late 2023, and will also be releasing new music later in the year.
In more evidence that time is, indeed, a flat circle, the year is 2023 and people are arguing over a Kirk Hammett guitar solo.
Hammett’s shredding on the new Metallica single “Lux Æterna” has inspired a wide range of reactions, including from YouTubers who record their own version of the solo with video titles such as “Metallica ‘Lux Æterna’ But the Solo Doesn’t Suck.”
As Hammett tells Total Guitar, he’s unconcerned with the criticism.
“Yeah, my f****** friends down the street could probably play a better solo than ‘Lux Æterna’ — but what’s the point?” Hammett says. “For me, what’s appropriate is playing for the song and playing in the moment.”
“I could string together like six or seven three-octave arpeggios in 16th notes, sit there every day and practice it and go, ‘Hey, look what I can do!'” he continues. “But where am I gonna put it? That won’t work in any Metallica song!”
While not everyone is on board with Hammett’s “Lux Æterna” solo, at least some people are — the single hit #1 on Billboard‘s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart. And hey, at least there’s a solo at all.
“Lux Æterna” is the lead single off Metallica’s upcoming album 72 Seasons, due out Friday. The metal titans are celebrating the record’s upcoming arrival with a weeklong residency on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Peter Frampton’s retirement from the road didn’t last long.
Back in 2019, Frampton set out on what he said would be his final tour ever, revealing that he’d been diagnosed with a degenerative muscular disease that would eventually stop him from playing guitar. Well, apparently that hasn’t happened yet, because he’s decided to hit the road again.
Frampton just announced a new set of dates for what he’s calling the Never Say Never tour, which kicks off June 21 in Hubert Heights, Ohio, and wraps August 19 in Sandy, Utah.
“At the end of every Finale Tour show I did say, ‘Never Say Never’ and I am always full of hope for the impossible,” Frampton shares. “I’m very pleased to let you know that I am feeling strong and my fingers are still roaming the fretboard.” He adds, “Every note I play now has more meaning and soul. I love playing live and this fighter wants to stay in the ring for as long as he can.”
Ticket presales for most shows begin Wednesday, April 12, at 10 a.m. local time. A complete list of dates can be found at Frampton.com.
Joe Perry has some new music to share. The Aerosmith guitarist is dropping the new album Sweetzerland Manifesto MKII on May 26.
The album, being released digitally and on vinyl, is a companion to Perry’s previous release, 2018’s Sweetzerland Manifesto. It will include six new tracks, and alternate vocals and mixes. It features guest appearances by The Black Crowes‘ Chris Robinson, Stone Temple Pilots’ Robert DeLeo, Cheap Trick‘s Robin Zander, New York Dolls’ David Johansen and more.
“We had so many songs and with everything going on with TheVampires, Aerosmith, COVID, not touring, and touring, this music kept riding along for me,” Joe shares. “I tend to think in terms of albums. The first one had a vibe, and MKII is a little more rocked out. I almost prefer it.”
He added, “It’s one of those records I can play from front-to-back live.”
And to give fans a taste of what to expect, Perry has dropped the first single from the record, “Fortunate One,” which he wrote with sons Tony and Roman and features Robinson on vocals.
Here is the track list for Sweetzerland Manifesto MKII:
“Fortunate One” – featuring Chris Robinson (The Black Crowes) and Robert DeLeo (Stone Temple Pilots)
“Quake” – featuring Gary Cherone (Extreme/Van Halen)
“I’ll Do Happiness” – featuring Terry Reid
“Aye Aye Aye” – featuring Robin Zander (Cheap Trick)
“Man with a Golden Arm” – Instrumental
“Time Will Tell”
“I Wanna Roll” – featuring David Johanson (NY Dolls)
“Suck It Up” – featuring Robin Zander (Cheap Trick) and Robert DeLeo (Stone Temple Pilots)
“Goes His Own Way” – featuring Terry Reid
“Won’t Let Me Go” – featuring Terry Reid
Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy
Foo Fighters have announced another batch of headlining U.S. shows.
The six-date run spans from August 4 in Spokane, Washington, to October 5 in El Paso, Texas. The Breeders will support on select dates.
Tickets go on sale Friday, April 14, at 10 a.m. local time. A presale begins Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET. For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit FooFighters.com.
Along with the headlining shows, Foo Fighters lead the bill for the just-announced 2023 edition of Eddie Vedder‘s Ohana Festival, taking place September 29 to October 1 in Dana Point, California.
The Pearl Jam frontman himself will also be an Ohana headliner, along with The Killers. Others on the bill include HAIM, Pretenders, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Glen Hansard, Japanese Breakfast, The War on Drugs, Lucius, Dhani Harrison and The Chicks.
Tickets go on sale Thursday, April 13, at 10 a.m. PT; a presale for members of Pearl Jam’s Ten Club is open now. For the full lineup and all ticket info, visit OhanaFest.com.
Foo Fighters are making their live comeback this year following the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins in March 2022. Their first show back is scheduled for May 24 in Gilford, New Hampshire. A new drummer has yet to be announced.
Billy Idol is ready to rock Las Vegas again. The singer has announced a new set of dates at The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan Hotel.
Billy Idol: Live in Las Vegas will consist of five new shows, October 20, 21, 25, 27 and 28.
Tickets go on sale Saturday, April 15, at 10 a.m.
The news comes as Idol is currently on the road on a spring tour, which is set to hit Hollywood, Florida, on Tuesday, April 18. A complete list of tour dates can be found at BillyIdol.net.
Eddie Van Halen married One Day at a Time actress Valerie Bertinelli eight months after meeting her at a concert in Shreveport, Louisiana.
They welcomed their first and only child, Wolfgang, in 1991, but the marriage didn’t last and Bertinelli filed for divorce in 2005. Despite the end of their marriage, the pair remained close over the years. In fact, Bertinelli and Van Halen’s second wife were both at his side when he died in 2020.
As for Wolfgang, he went on to follow in his father’s footsteps. He performed with his dad in Van Halen from 2006 to 2020 and also fronts his own project, Mammoth WVH, which released their self-titled debut in 2021.
Sting‘s My Songs tour, which has essentially been going on since 2019, will return to North America this fall.
The tour, which highlights material from Sting’s entire catalog, both solo and with The Police, starts September 5 in Toronto and is set to wrap up October 12 in Arkansas. However, it’s billed as Leg 1, so it’s likely Sting will be returning at some point. Opening all dates will be special guest Joe Sumner aka Sting’s eldest son.
Sting’s fan club members can access a presale via Sting.com starting April 12. The general on-sale date is Friday, April 14, at 10 a.m. local time via Sting.com.
Sting’s My Songs tour began in 2019 and toured through Europe, Asia and North America, but of course was canceled in 2020. It resumed in the fall of 2021 and included Sting’s debut Las Vegas residency at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace. It continued around the world in 2022, with a second run of Las Vegas shows that June.
The set list has changed from year to year, but has always included hits like “King of Pain,” “Every Breath You Take,” “Fields of Gold” and “Desert Rose.”
Sting’s already been to Australia and Asia this year, and has done a third run in Vegas. He’ll perform in Sacramento, California, on April 11 and 12 before heading back to Europe.
Metallica kicked off its weeklong residency on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday, by sitting down for an interview, followed by a performance of “Lux Æterna,” the first single from their new album, 72 Seasons, out Friday, April 14.
In addition to the new album, the group — singer/guitarist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo — talked about some of their other projects, including their marching band competition which invites bands of all levels to come up with unique performances of Metallica songs, with over $150,000 in prizes up for grabs for the winners.
“The fact that we get to play and love what we do and someone takes that and puts that…in their own sense, then they get their whole audience pumped up for their team to play…it’s double cool,” Hetfield told Kimmel.
They guys will also be doing something a little different for their upcoming tour, in which they’ll play “two nights in every city, two completely different shows, no repeats” which, according to Ulrich, “helps us avoid falling into autopilot.”
The metal legends also discussed their popularity with younger fans, thanks in part to the use of their song “Master of Puppets” — which they’ll perform in its entirety on Wednesday — in an episode of Netflix’s Stranger Things, and their own kids following in their footsteps.
“Maybe one day we’ll…hand the keys to [Metallica] to them.”
The Kimmel residency continues through Thursday, leading up to Friday’s release of 72 Seasons.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. ET on ABC.
