Classic Rock News

In 1973, Leonard Cohen visited the frontlines of the Yom Kippur war in Israel and performed a series of concerts for soldiers. Now, that trip is being turned into a TV series. Variety reports journalist Matti Friedman’s 2022 book about the trip, Who by Fire: Leonard Cohen in the Sinai, is being made into a limited TV series by Keshet International and Sixty-Six Media, which is set to film in Israel in 2024.

“Moving around the front with a guitar and a pick-up team of local musicians, Cohen dived headlong into a global crisis and met hundreds of fighting men and women at the worst moment of their lives,” reads a description of the series. “Cohen’s audience knew his songs might be the last thing they heard, and those who survived never forgot the experience,” the description continues, adding, “The war tour was an electric cultural moment, one that still echoes today, – but a moment that only few knew about, until now.”

The title of the book and series comes from the track “Who By Fire,” which appeared on Cohen’s fourth studio album, 1974’s New Skin for the Old Ceremony, released after the tour. It is inspired by a Yom Kippur prayer.

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Guns N’ Roses‘ fun and games were interrupted by “drone pirates” during a recent show in Gold Coast, Australia.

In a statement posted to his Twitter, frontman Axl Rose called crowd members’ use of drones at the concert “intrusive” and a “distraction,” adding that “people were pissed” about the situation.

“It’s not something we’re all that used to,” Rose writes. “A lot of impulse reactions went thru everyone’s minds after thinking about it (which when [your] live there’s really no time to really sort things out like that) didn’t make much sense.”

“We get that it can [be] ‘fun’ to get [your] drone bootleg vid,” he continues. “But we’d appreciated it if anyone planning to [be] a drone pirate took the fans [and] the band into consideration [and] played [with your] toys somewhere else.”

Guns N’ Roses’ current tour of Australia and New Zealand will wrap up in December.

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[Note Language] While a lot of artists hope to one day be big enough to be asked to headline the Super Bowl halftime show, John Mellencamp already is, but he isn’t interested. 

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer appeared on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live with his daughter Teddi Mellencamp, and when asked if he’d been offered the prestigious gig, he revealed that he had but said no. “I don’t like being on television,” he shared, adding he was only on WWHL because he loves his daughter.

Apparently, Mellencamp doesn’t only have an aversion to the Super Bowl; he doesn’t really like performing altogether. When asked what his favorite song to perform live was, he noted, “I don’t like really singing any of them.” He continued, “live performance for me is a job ‘cause they pay me for leaving home, not for going on stage,” sharing, “I owe it to the audience because they pull me through those songs.”

Mellencamp also talked about his breakthrough album American Fool. He revealed the “record company hated it” after hearing “Hurts So Good,” “Jack and Diane” and “Hand to Hold on To.” He said they wanted him to be the next Neil Diamond, adding he basically just told them “F*** you.”

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A new video for the Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers classic “American Girl” has just been released. The live acoustic version of the song comes from the newly released Live at the Fillmore, (1997) box set.

According to a post on the Petty Instagram account, the black and white clip “realizes Tom’s stated vision of the ‘modern’ American Girl being ‘any kind of woman.’” It also includes a quick cameo from the singer’s granddaughter Everly.

Petty’s daughter Adria Petty directed the video and notes, “In 2017 Tom changed his tour visuals to reflect a wide range of women,” adding, “we are excited to carry on his wishes.” 

Speaking of “American Girl,” Heartbreakers Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench performed a stripped down version of the classic song for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The clip was shot at the band’s recording and rehearsal space, with Tench on piano and singing, backed by Campbell on guitar.

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How’s this for a Metallica Monday?

The metal legends are kicking off the week with two huge announcements. A new album titled 72 Seasons will arrive April 14, 2023, which Metallica will support on the gigantic M72 World Tour, set to run through 2023 and 2024.

72 Seasons is the first Metallica album since 2016’s Hardwired…to Self-Destruct. You can listen to lead single “Lux Æterna” now via digital outlets and watch its accompanying video streaming now on YouTube.

The album’s title refers to the 72 seasons we go through in the first 18 years of our lives, which, as frontman James Hetfield explains, “form our true or false selves.”

The tour, meanwhile, will first launch in Europe next April, followed by a trip to North America beginning August 4 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and concluding November 12 in Detroit, Michigan. A second European leg will kick off in May 2024 before Metallica returns for another North American run, stretching from August 2 in Foxborough, Massachusetts, through September 29 in Mexico City.

Metallica will play two concerts at each city on the tour, and Mexico City gets a total of four shows. For each performance, the metal legends will play a wholly unique set list with no repeats in any city.

Additionally, the openers will vary for each show. Among those providing support include the reunited Pantera, Mammoth WVH, Greta Van Fleet, Five Finger Death Punch, Ice Nine Kills and Architects.

Tickets will first go on sale as two-show packages this Friday, December 2. Single show tickets will be available beginning January 20.

For the full list of dates and all ticket info, visit Metallica.com.

Here’s the 72 Seasons track list:

“72 Seasons”
“Shadows Follow”
“Screaming Suicide”
“Sleepwalk My Life Away”
“You Must Burn!”
“Lux Æterna”
“Crown of Barbed Wire”
“Chasing Light”
“If Darkness Had a Son”
“Too Far Gone?”
“Room of Mirrors”
“Inamorata”

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Just days after Simon & Schuster agreed to refund Bob Dylan fans who thought they were buying a personally signed copy of his recent book, only to find out it was signed using auto-pen, the rock star is apologizing for misleading fans.

“To my fans and followers, I’ve been made aware that there’s some controversy about signatures on some of my recent artwork prints and on a limited edition of ‘Philosophy Of Modern Song,’” he shares on Facebook. “I’ve hand-signed each and every art print over the years, and there’s never been a problem.” 

He then explained that in 2019 he developed vertigo that lasted through the pandemic, which made it “impossible to sign anything.” He adds, “With contractual deadlines looming, the idea of using an auto-pen was suggested to me, along with the assurance that this kind of thing is done ‘all the time’ in the art and literary worlds.” 

Finally he notes, “Using a machine was an error in judgment and I want to rectify it immediately. I’m working with Simon & Schuster and my gallery partners to do just that. With my deepest regrets, Bob Dylan.”

Simon & Schuster has already agreed to refund the $600 fans shelled out for the auto-penned signed books, but it turns out the controversy now extends to more than just the books. Castle Galleries, a UK gallery that sold what was supposed to be “hand-signed” prints of Dylan’s paintings, announced they are giving purchasers refunds. The paintings, “The Retrospectum Collection” and “Sunset, Monument Valley,” were also machine-signed, and while the purchasers can keep the paintings, if they send back the certificates of authenticity, they’ll get refunds, along with a new certificate that declares they were auto-signed.

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Jon Bon Jovi and his son Jesse have made a success of their rosé brand Hampton Water without using Jon’s music to promote the wine, something they don’t ever plan on doing.

During a Q&A with Daily Mail Australia, Jon was asked why they didn’t go with a name like “’bed of rosé,” a nod to his song “Bed of Roses,” and he had a strong opinion about it.

“[We thought] if we were going to do this, we were going to make sure we did it right,” Jon explained. “There’s no family name on the label, there’s nothing to do with any song titles on the label because we needed to respect the profession, if we were going to do this we had to take it seriously.” 

He added, “We worked very hard every day to garner the respect of the industry and to learn and that’s all we’re doing. So the last thing we are going to do is be a celebrity brand. It’s a family business.”

As for how they come up with the name, Jesse shares that one night when he was hanging out with his dad, he offered him “one last glass of ‘pink juice’,” to which Jesse responded, “no one calls it ‘pink juice’ anymore, you’re out in the Hamptons, it’s Hampton Water.” His dad instantly loved the name, with Jesse noting, “Right then and there Hampton Water was born and we’ve been working hard at it ever since.”

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In between all the rock legends who played the Taylor Hawkins concerts in September, it may have been the youngest people onstage who stole the show.

Hawkins’ teenage son Shane memorably took his father’s place on drums to play “My Hero” along with Foo Fighters, while kid music prodigy Nandi Bushell — who went viral after challenging Dave Grohl to a drum battle — joined the Foos for “Learn to Fly” during the concert at London’s Wembley Stadium.

In addition to warming the hearts of countless rock fans, Shane and Nandi became friends, and jammed together backstage during the Wembley show.

Nandi has now shared video of that jam session, featuring her and Shane playing songs including the Foos’ “Everlong” and Nirvana‘s “Smells Like Teen Spirit.”

“Jamming with Shane backstage at Wembley is one of my favorite ever moments,” Nandi writes alongside the clip. “Shane is one of the nicest, friendliest, talented people I have ever met. He is so much fun to be around and has so much energy.”

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Wednesday marked a very special day in Glenn Hughes’ life. The Deep Purple singer shared on social media that he was celebrating his 25th year of sobriety.

“G’mornin everyone ☀️ so full of gratitude, for these past 25 years of clean & sober living,” he shared on Twitter. “I give thx each & every morning, for another day on planet earth. sending love to my sober brothers & sisters, and more importantly to those who are still suffering,” adding, “#loveistheanswer💜.”

In the post, Hughes, who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2016 with Deep Purple, shared a tally of what that 25 years breaks down to: 300 months, or 9,132 days, or 219,150 hours of sobriety.

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With the upcoming Black Friday being the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season, lots of folks are probably starting to think about what to get their loved ones. If there are music fans in your family, Bravado is here to help.

Universal’s merchandise and brand management company has just launched some new exclusive holiday-inspired collections, with items from such artists as The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, The Who, Guns N’ Roses and more. 

Among the items available:

• The Rolling Stones — A Licks snow globe, a black Sixty cardigan and a variety of ornaments, including a diamond anniversary ornament, and Forty Licks, Steel Wheels and No Filter Licks ornaments.
• Black Sabbath — An ugly Christmas sweater that reads “Holidays Bloody Holidays,” ornaments and more.
• Guns N’ Roses — A variety of ornaments, as well as a blue and white Christmas sweater and an Appetite for Destruction corduroy jacket.
• The Who — Socks, vintage T-shirts, sweatshirts and sweaters.
• The Beatles — A Merry Christmas green shirt, a Sgt. Pepper’s green holiday beanie, a holiday sticker set, gift wrapping, various T-shirts and more.
• The Beach Boys — A snow globe photo sweatshirt, a “Little St. Nick” T-shirt and zip hoodie, as well as an ornament and a scarf.

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