Classic Rock News

Dave Mason is spending some more time on the road next year. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer just announced dates for his 2023 Endangered Species Tour.

“At 76 years of age, I’m still loving performing live concerts,” he shares on Instagram. “I feel grateful for that, and to tell you the truth it surprises the hell out of me. I’ve been doing it for over 60 years and the love is still there.” 

He adds, “I’m a ‘rare bird’, so to speak, sticking to the tour life and to music, and you’re invited to join me in 2023! No fireworks, no flashing lights, no go-go dancers, no special effects. Just great songs and a promise of a heart filled performance.”

The tour is set to kick off January 19 in Atlanta, Georgia, and wrap February 20 and 21 in Chicago, Illinois. Tickets are on sale now. 

Following the tour, fans can look forward to Mason’s previously announced memoir, Only You Know and I Know, which is due for release in May.

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When Robert Plant and Alison Krauss first collaborated on their 2007 album, Raising Sand, it resulted in them winning the 2009 Grammy for Album of the Year. It took 14 years for them to come together again for 2021’s Raising the Roof. So, why did it take so long to reunite? 

In an interview with Billboard, Plant insists it was really just a matter of scheduling.

“I’m not in control of my own time, I just find the momentum in a project and go with it,” Plant shares, noting “if I’d finish something and I was really looking forward to doing something fresh, maybe Alison was in the middle of one of her projects, and that’s how it was.” He adds, “It was no negotiation except for with the calendar and with time.”

Of course, coming together did prove to be a success once again, with their latest up for three Grammy Awards. So, with the huge amount of success they’ve had working together, is it possible we’ll see another album from the pair? 

“I can’t see any reason why not,” he says. “I suppose if we wait another 14 years it could be a bit dicey for me, to be honest. I might find it a little bit difficult hitting a top C.” He adds, “But we can say it really works well, and we enjoy each other and that’s a great thing — so it seems like a great idea.”

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The Killers fans were transported to the ’70s for a bit during the band’s concert at Sydney’s Qudos Bank Arena on Monday.

The band is known for throwing in covers during their sets. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, this show was no exception, although this time The Killers brought out America’s Gerry Beckley for a performance of his band’s classic track “Sister Golden Hair.”

“Sister Golden Hair,” written by Beckley, was featured on America’s 1975 album, Hearts, and went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts. It was their second single to reach number one, following “A Horse with No Name.”

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Just 16 months after Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts passed away, his wife, Shirley Watts, has died at the age of 84.

“It is with great sadness that Seraphina, Charlotte and Barry announce the death of their much-loved mother, grandmother and mother-in law Shirley Watts,” reads a statement from her family, according to Variety. “Shirley died peacefully on Friday December 16 in Devon after a short illness surrounded by her family.” It added, “Reunited now forever with her beloved Charlie.”

Charlie and Shirley wed in 1964, before the Rolling Stones took off, and were together until his death on August 24, 2021. She met the future Rock & Roll Hall of Famer when they were both students at the Royal College of Art, where Charlie was studying graphic design. He was only a part-time jazz musician at the time.

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Van Halen and Melissa Etheridge are among the artists to be featured in a new MTV music docuseries that will give fans a different look at their favorite artists.

MTV’s Family Legacy, debuting in 2023, will give some new insight into a host of famous musicians using exclusive footage and new interviews from their children, giving a fresh perspective on the artists.

In addition to Van Halen and Etheridge, other artists set for season 1 include Linkin Park, Backstreet Boys, *NYSNC, Boyz II Men, TLC, Biggie Smalls, Sean “Diddy” Combs and Brandy.

And while the series doesn’t premiere until next year, fans are getting a preview of what to expect starting Monday with an MTV’s Family Legacy special airing as part of their “We Speak Music” programming.

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Although he was born Paul Hewson, most people know him as U2’s Bono thanks to the nickname Bonovox, given to him by a friend when he was very young — although that wasn’t the first nickname he was given. Bono confirms to Virgin Radio UK that his good friend once gave him a much longer name, but apparently it didn’t stick.

“I’ve been called a lot of things over the years,” he shares. “I was 3 years old, [my friend] was 4, and we had a sort of street gang into our teens and I had many nicknames. I’m very pleased that I qualified to Bono, though even that is tricky in some quarters.”

As for why he and The Edge decided to stick with their nicknames when they became famous, Bono explains, “The really significant thing is, I suppose, that we decided to be called by those names when we went out into the public because it implies a kind of intimacy with your audience, which is nice.” 

He adds, “Some people will occasionally come up to me and say, ‘Hey, Paul, how are you doing, Paul?’ as if that’s getting close. The last person to call me Paul was my dad, and he’s dead. So don’t call me Paul.”

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Rick Anderson, bassist and co-founding member of the band The Tubes, passed away Friday, according to a post on the band’s social media pages. He was 75.

“We lost our brother on 12/16/22,” reads the post. “Rick brought a steady and kind presence to the band for 50 years. His love came through his bass.”

The Tubes formed in San Francisco in 1972. They released their eponymous debut album in 1975, which featured the song “White Punks on Dope,” which was later covered by Mötley Crüe. They are probably best known for their hit track “She’s A Beauty” from their album Outside Inside. The song peaked at 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1983.

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Pink Floyd gave their fans an early Christmas present this weekend. Rolling Stone reports that without much fanfare, the band released 18 concert recordings from their Dark Side of the Moon era to streaming services, along with some alternative tracks from the album.

The newly released concerts took place between January and December 1972. The recordings include a four-night stand at London’s Rainbow Theater, which took place February 17 to 20, 1972. There are also three U.S. shows, in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.

This isn’t the first time Pink Floyd has quietly released a set of live concerts to streaming services. Last year they uploaded 12 unreleased concerts, all recorded between 1970 and 1972, without any previous warning. In both that instance and this latest one, it appears the release is the band’s way of extending their copyright to the recordings.

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Dave Grohl and Greg Kurstin have released the first song for this year’s edition of The Hanukkah Sessions.

For the last two years, the Foo Fighters frontman and the producer have shared covers of Jewish artists for each of Hanukkah’s eight nights. With the first night of the holiday taking place Sunday, the pair kicked off The Hanukkah Sessions 2022 with a rendition of the Blood, Sweat & Tears track “Spinning Wheel.”

The performance, which was filmed during a last-minute concert in Los Angeles earlier this month, features Grohl on drums, Kurstin on keyboards and director Judd Apatow on lead vocals, accompanied by a horn section. You can watch it streaming now on YouTube.

The LA concert took place at the tiny Largo club and, according to Variety, featured guests including Beck, Karen O of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Pink and Tenacious D‘s Jack Black.

The last two Hanukkah Sessions spawned covers of artists including KISS, Beastie Boys, Bob Dylan, Drake, Lisa Loeb, Ramones, Amy Winehouse and Billy Joel.

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Looks like Billy Joel may have picked up a bug on his recent trip to Australia: He’s had to postpone his final concert of the year.

On Instagram, Billy, who’s 73, wrote, “I’m disappointed to share that I’m under doctor’s orders for vocal rest due to a viral infection so unfortunately, I must postpone my Monday, December 19th concert at Madison Square Garden to June.”

He added, “I’m so sorry to let you know so close to show day, but I was hoping to be closer to a full recovery by now. Sadly, that hasn’t happened. I look forward to seeing you in the New Year.”

The show has been rescheduled for June 2, 2023 and all tickets for Monday’s show will be honored that night.

Billy’s next scheduled show is January 13 at Madison Square Garden, as part of his ongoing once-a-month residency there.

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