Classic Rock News

A new trailer has just been released for the upcoming documentary Squaring the Circle (The Story of Hipgnosis), which tells the story of the art studio known for some of the most iconic album covers in history.

The studio, run by Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey “Po” Powell, created album covers for artists like Sir Paul McCartney, Led Zeppelin, Def Leppard, Genesis and particularly Pink Floyd, including their classic The Dark Side of the Moon.

The trailer for the Anton Corbijn-directed film includes interview clips from the likes of McCartney, Roger Waters, Nick Mason, Peter Gabriel, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and Noel Gallagher.

The movie, which had its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, is set to open in New York on June 7 and Los Angeles June 16, expanding nationwide on June 20.

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Sting is set to give a special live performance at the U.K.’s 2023 Ivor Awards, taking place May 18 in London. 

As previously reported, The Police frontman will be given the Ivors’ highest honor during the ceremony: he’ll become a Fellow of the Ivors Academy. Previous artists who’ve been named Fellows include Sir Paul McCartney, Peter Gabriel and Kate Bush. 

“Of all the awards in the world of music, The Ivors are for me, the most prestigious. Songwriting is a skilled craft and The Ivors Academy are its guild,” Sting previously said about the honor. “So, I am delighted and honored to be offered this Fellowship of the Academy, joining and acknowledging this extraordinary group of fellow songwriters, and all of those who went before us.”

The Ivors, which have been handed out since 1956, are the most prestigious music honor in the United Kingdom. They celebrate excellence in British and Irish songwriting, and are peer awards, voted on by other British and Irish songwriters and composers.

This year’s nominees include Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran, Kate Bush and Glass Animals.

The 2023 Ivors ceremony will be broadcast on the Amazon Music UK channel on Twitch, with artists RAYE and Matilda Mann also performing. The telecast will also include a live red carpet and backstage interviews.

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The B-52s wrapped what they said would be their farewell tour in January, but they aren’t saying goodbye to performing just yet. The band returns to Las Vegas Friday, May 5, for the first of 10 shows — and according to Cindy Wilson, it may be the last chance to see them live.

Wilson tells USA Today the “clock is ticking” on their performing career, telling fans to “come see us while you can.” She does say, “It’s hard to let go completely, so when something does come up, and as long as everybody wants to do it, we will,” but notes “it’s definitely at the end of our career.”

The Las Vegas shows at the Venetian Theatre are happening throughout May, August and September, and Wilson just can’t wait to see their fans. 

When asked what her favorite thing about performing is, she shared, “It’s the crowd, your audience, and sharing that emotion and happiness in the here and now.”

She added, “Hearing ‘Dance This Mess Around,’ with all this dark stuff going on, it can be so healthy to just shake your booty.”

Regarding that “dark stuff,” Wilson is particularly upset about all the hate being directed toward drag queens these days. “We’ve been around a long time and a lot of drag queens have said we’ve inspired them and they’ve inspired us right back,” she says. “It’s outrageous what is going on with making trans people and drag queens scapegoats. I wouldn’t want to be in the world without drag queens.”

Tickets for The B-52s’ Las Vegas residency are on sale now.

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Grateful Dead fans will once again have the chance to head to the theaters to see their favorite band on the big screen.

The 11th annual Meet-Up At The Movies screening will take place in select theaters worldwide on June 22 and 24, where Deadheads will get to enjoy the band’s June 22, 1991, concert at Chicago’s Soldier Field, the first time they ever played the venue.

The concert features the Dead’s Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart, along with Bruce Hornsby and Vince Welnick on keyboards, taking the place of Brent Mydland, who had passed away a year earlier. 

In addition to performances of songs like “Shakedown Street,” “Playing In The Band” and “Terrapin Station,” fans will be treated to bonus content, including an introduction by Grateful Dead archivist David Lemieux, plus the Good Ol’ Grateful Deadcast Presents: Here Comes Sunshine 1973, which focuses on the band’s upcoming 17-CD box set, which drops June 30.

“We are thrilled to partner with Rhino once again to bring the Grateful Dead ‘Meet-Up’ to movie theaters all around the world,” says Kymberli Frueh, of Trafalgar Releasing. “This is one of our most requested events and we are pleased to keep bringing Deadheads together in local cinemas year after year.” 

Tickets for this year’s event go on sale Thursday, May 11. More info can be found at MeetUpAtTheMovies.com.

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Dee Snider was supposed to perform at SF Pride next month, but has lost the gig after supporting Paul Stanley’s recent tweet in which he suggested gender confirmation treatment for children has been “turned into a sad and dangerous fad.” 

The original plan was for the Twisted Sister track “We’re Not Gonna Take It” to be the unofficial song of the SF Pride Parade & Celebration, with Snider performing. But after he retweeted Stanley’s post, adding that it was “well said,” SF Pride changed course. 

SF Pride noted in a statement, “Dee has always been a vocal supporter of LGBTQ+ rights,” but shared that they were “heartbroken and angry” by Dee’s support for Stanley’s post. 

“The message perpetuated by that tweet casts doubt on young trans people’s ability to self-identify their gender,” they said. “Transgender people, particularly transgender women and children of color, are disproportionately affected by hate and violence. And with transphobia proliferating and becoming more and more enshrined in law throughout the country — we have to stand up for the most impacted among us.”

SF Pride and Dee “mutually agreed to part ways,” with SF Pride adding they “appreciate Dee seeing this as a teachable moment and a reminder that even allies need to be educated to ensure that they are not casually promoting transphobia.”

Finally, they share, “To all our allies — we want to call you in — not call you out.”

The SF Pride Parade & Celebration takes place June 24 and 25.

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Sheryl Crow was just announced as one of this year’s inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and it sounds like Stevie Nicks had a feeling it was going to happen. 

“Yes, you can call me psychic,” the two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Famer writes on Instagram, noting she had been listening to Crow’s music for the past four days.

Nicks then congratulated Crow on the honor, sharing, “I am so proud of you. It’s a very elite club for us women.” She added, “I found out at 4 o’clock this morning and had to dance around my room for you.”

The post prompted a response from Crow, who gave Nicks credit for her honor.

“If it were not for you, Stevie Nicks, there would be no me,” she commented. “You inspire me and you make me want to inspire others. I love you and I’m blessed to know you.” 

Nicks is the first woman to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame twice. She was inducted in 1998 as a member of Fleetwood Mac and then again in 2019 as a solo artist.

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On This Day, May 4, 1989 …

Stevie Ray Vaughan kicked off his In Step Tour, which would turn out to be his final tour ever.

The trek, with his band Double Trouble, launched at the Orpheum Theatre in Vancouver, British Columbia, and was supposed to consist of six legs. It was cut short after Vaughan and four others died in a helicopter crash following his East Troy, Wisconsin, concert on August 27, 1990. 

Vaughan’s musical legacy lived on following his death, with a series of posthumous releases contributing to sales of over 15 million albums in the U.S. He and Double Trouble were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2015.

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We’re constantly hearing about how concert tickets are way too pricey these days, but Live Nation is now offering fans a chance to see their favorite artists at a bargain price.

The concert promoter will launch its annual Concert Week next week, offering up $25 all-in tickets to over 3,800 shows this summer.

Music fans will have a whole host of concerts to choose from, including shows from artists like Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe, Bryan Adams, Rod Stewart, Bret Michaels’ Parti-Gras, The Doobie Brothers, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Foreigner, Gov’t Mule, Lynyrd Skynyrd and ZZ Top, Santana and more.

Concert Week ticket sales run from May 10 to 16, or while supplies last. There will also be Verizon and Rakuten presales beginning May 9 at 10 a.m. To purchase tickets, fans can go to LiveNation.com/ConcertWeek, search for their show and then look for “Concert Week Promotion.”

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The Who’s rock opera, Tommy, was turned into a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical in the early ’90s, and now it’s going to hit the stage yet again.

A new reimagining of Tommy, featuring a cast of 28, a nine-piece band and brand new staging, is set to open at Chicago’s Goodman Theatre in June. The new production is being reimagined by the creators of the original production, director Des McAnuff and The Who’s Pete Townshend. 

“It’s at once an honor and a joy to again collaborate with Pete to realize the power and pertinence of The Who’s Tommy today,” McAnuff shares. “While the music remains as glorious as ever, our world years later is unimaginably and irrevocably changed. As a result, there’s so much more we all can recognize—and celebrate—in our protagonist’s evolution, as a collective deeper understanding of mental health has sharpened our lens.” 

He adds, “Tommy Walker’s triumph over devastating childhood trauma, to enlightened leadership, to ultimately recognizing the folly in which he’s surrounded himself is an amazing journey to discover anew.”

Rehearsals for the new production have already started, with previews set to begin June 13 and opening night set for June 26. The production runs through July 23. Tickets are on sale now.

Based on The Who’s 1969 album and 1975 film, the original production of Tommy opened at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, California, on July 1, 1992. It opened on Broadway on April 22, 1993, and closed on June 17, 1995. It won five Tony Awards, including Best Direction for McAnuff and Best Original Score for Townshend.

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