Frances Bean Cobain reflects on 30th birthday: “20-year-old Frances wasn’t sure that was going to happen”

Posted on August 18, 2022 by Josh Johnson

David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Happy birthday, Frances Bean Cobain! The daughter of the late Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love celebrates turning 30 Thursday.

In an Instagram post reflecting on the milestone occasion, Cobain shares, “20-year-old Frances wasn’t sure that was going to happen.”

“At the time, an intrinsic sense of deep self loathing dictated by insecurity, destructive coping mechanisms & more trauma than my body or brain knew how to handle, informed how I saw myself and the world,” Cobain writes. “Through a lens of resentment for being brought into a life that seemingly attracted so much chaos and the kind of pain tied to grief that felt inescapable.”

Cobain then mentions an unspecified “event on a plane” that she experienced, which she says, “brought me closer in proximity to death.” However, Cobain feels that what happened “catapulted me towards running at this lived experience with radical gratitude.”

“I’m glad to have proven myself wrong & to have found ways to transform pain into knowledge,” Cobain shares.

“Entering this new decade I hope to stay soft no matter how hardening the world can feel at times, bask in the present moment with reverence, shower the people I am lucky enough to love with more appreciation than words could ever do justice & hold space to keep learning, so the growth never stops,” she continues. “I’m happy to be here & I’m happy you’re here too.”

Jane’s Addiction posts video featuring original bassist Eric Avery

Posted on August 17, 2022 by Josh Johnson

Is Jane’s Addiction hinting at a reunion with Eric Avery?

In a tweet Wednesday, the “Been Caught Stealing” rockers posted a video featuring Avery jamming on a bass alongside frontman Perry Farrell. Sadly, the video doesn’t feature the audio from the session, just the hiss of static feedback.

Avery is an original member of Jane’s Addiction and played with the group through their 1991 breakup. He eventually rejoined Jane’s from 2008 to 2010, but he didn’t play on either of the band’s reunion records, 2003’s Strays and 2011’s The Great Escape Artist.

If Avery is indeed back in Jane’s, that raises the question of what becomes of Chris Chaney, who’s played bass in the band since 2011. There’s also uncertainly surrounding guitarist Dave Navarro, whose “long bout” with COVID-19 forced Jane’s to scrap their set at this year’s Welcome to Rockville festival. Jane’s was also set to play Lollapalooza last month, but was quietly removed from the lineup. In both cases, Jane’s was replaced by the reunited Porno for Pyros, which is also fronted by Farrell.

Meanwhile, Farrell recently told Spin that new Jane’s material is in the works, and the band is set to embark on a U.S. tour with The Smashing Pumpkins in October.

Stay tuned.

Dave Grohl joins Beck and Tenacious D for Seals & Crofts cover during charity concert

Posted on August 17, 2022 by Josh Johnson

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

Dave Grohl made a surprise appearance at a Los Angeles charity concert Tuesday put together by director Judd Apatow in support of the Victims First organization.

According to the L.A. club Largo, which hosted the show, the Foo Fighters frontman joined Beck and Tenacious D to make “yacht-rock musical sound effects” during a cover of the Seals & Crofts song “Summer Breeze.” Also onstage were actor John C. Reilly and producer/frequent Grohl collaborator Greg Kurstin.

You can watch footage of the performance via the Largo Instagram.

The show marked one of Grohl’s first public appearances following the unexpected death of Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins in March. Grohl performed for the first time since Hawkins’ passing in June during Paul McCartney’s headlining Glastonbury set.

Grohl and the rest of Foo Fighters are holding a pair of Hawkins tribute concerts, taking place September 3 in London and September 27 in Los Angeles. As was announced Wednesday, the London concert will stream live via Paramount+ and MTV Brand YouTube channels.

Taylor Hawkins London tribute concert to stream live on Paramount+

Posted on August 17, 2022 by Andrea Dresdale

If you can’t make it to London’s Wembley Stadium to see the star-studded Taylor Hawkins tribute concert, you’ll be able to watch the entire thing on Paramount+.

The September 3 show will stream live on Paramount+ starting 11:30am EDT and globally on MTV Brand YouTube Channels. It’ll also be available on-demand that day on Paramount+.

Don’t have that streaming service? CBS TV will air an hour-long version of the concert that night a 9 p.m EDT. MTV will then air the one-hour special internationally, and follow that up with an extended two-hour special in September.

The London tribute to the late Foo Fighters drummer, who died earlier this year in Colombia, has added Travis Barker, The Pretenders‘ Martin Chambers, Josh Freese, Violet Grohl, AC/DC’s Brian Johnson, Justin Hawkins of The Darkness, Kesha, The Struts‘ Luke Spiller, Lars Ulrich and Taylor’s son, Shane, to a lineup that includes Chrissie Hynde, John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin, Rush‘s Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, Queen‘s Brian May and Roger Taylor, Krist Novoselic, Josh Homme, Liam Gallagher, The Police‘s Stewart Copeland, Nile Rodgers of Chic, Wolfgang Van Halen, Hawkins’ side project Chevy Metal, Nandi Bushell, Chris Chaney, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock and more.

Meanwhile, the U.S. tribute concert, scheduled for September 27 at the Kia Forum in LA, has added Sebastian Bach, Barker, Black Sabbath‘s Geezer Butler, Def Leppard‘s Phil Collen and Joe Elliott, Freese, Violet Grohl, Ulrich and Taylor’s son Shane to a bill that already included Miley Cyrus, Pink, Gene Simmons, Chad Smith, Heart’s Nancy Wilson, Joan Jett, Alanis Morissette and many of the same guests as the London show.

Postponed Incubus concerts caused by Brandon Boyd’s injured back

Posted on August 16, 2022 by Josh Johnson

Over the last few days, Incubus has postponed a trio of shows due to “unforeseen circumstances.” Now, frontman Brandon Boyd has revealed that his injured back is to blame.

In a video posted to his Instagram Story, Boyd shares, “Fortunately nobody has COVID, everyone is healthy and happy. I just threw my back out a few days ago and I’ve never had an experience like this before.”

“I couldn’t, as of the past few days, really do anything, other than just sort of lay there and wait,” he continues. “Today I could take some deep breaths, I’m definitely heading in the right direction. So we’re gonna be back in the saddle, so to speak, sooner than later.”

Boyd also thanks Incubus’ “amazing listeners and supporters,” and apologizes for “any inconvenience this may have caused for you guys coming to the shows.”

Incubus has been on tour with Sublime with Rome. The affected shows include last Saturday and Sunday’s scheduled stops in Maryland Heights, Missouri, and Tinley Park, Illinois, respectively, as well as Tuesday’s date in Rogers, Arkansas.

Report: Metallica’s James Hetfield & wife Francesca divorce after 25 years of marriage

Posted on August 15, 2022 by Josh Johnson

Metallica frontman James Hetfield and his wife, Francesca, have split after 25 years of marriage, TMZ reports.

According to the gossip site, James filed for divorce earlier this year in Colorado, his current state of residence. TMZ notes that “the filing was never reported” and that the now-former couple “kept it out of the spotlight.”

James and Francesca married in 1997. They have three children together, including son Castor, who plays in a band called Bastardane.

Metallica played a pair of stadium headlining shows in Buffalo, New York, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, over the last few days. The group’s next scheduled show is at New York City’s Global Citizen Festival in September.

Live albums capturing Dio’s 1983, 1987 Donington performances due in September

Posted on August 12, 2022 by Matt Friedlander

A pair of archival live albums capturing metal legends Dio performing at the Monsters of Rock festivals in Donington, England, in 1983 and 1987, respectively, will be released September 23 on CD and as limited-edition two-LP vinyl sets.

The CD and two-LP versions of both albums — Dio at Donington ’83 and Dio at Donington ’87 — will come packaged with a 3D lenticular print of the cover art, while the LP sets will feature an exclusive etching on Side D. Standard single-LP editions of both albums will also be available.

Dio at Donington ’83 features the Ronnie James Dio-led band performing in support of its debut album, Holy Diver. The group’s set featured renditions of four songs from Holy Diver, as well as select tunes from Ronnie’s stints with Rainbow and Black Sabbath, including Rainbow’s “Stargazer” and “Man on the Silver Mountain,” and Sabbath’s “Heaven and Hell” and “Children of the Sea.”

Dio’s 1983 lineup featured drummer Vinny Appice, bassist Jimmy Bain, keyboardist Claude Schnell and future Def Leppard guitarist Vivian Campbell.

Dio at Donington ’87 captures the band performing shortly after the release of its Dream Evil album. Dio’s set included three songs from Dream Evil, the title tracks of their Holy Diver and The Last in Line albums, and select Black Sabbath and Rainbow tunes.

Dio’s 1987 lineup featured Appice, Bain, Schnell and guitarist Craig Goldy.

Dio at Donington ’83 and Dio at Donington ’87 can be preordered now. Recordings of the two concerts were previously released together in a single package in 2010.

Here’s the full Dio at Donington ’83 track list:

“Stand Up and Shout”
“Straight Through the Heart”
“Children of the Sea”
“Rainbow in the Dark”
“Holy Diver”
Drum Solo
“Stargazer”
Guitar Solo
“Heaven and Hell”
“Man on the Silver Mountain”
“Starstruck”
“Man on the Silver Mountain (Reprise)”

And here’s the full Dio at Donington ’87 track list:

“Dream Evil”
“Neon Knights”
“Naked in the Rain”
“Rock ‘n’ Roll Children”
“Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll”
“The Last in Line”
“Children of the Sea”
“Holy Diver”
“Heaven and Hell”
“Man on the Silver Mountain”
“All the Fools Sailed Away”
“The Last in Line (Reprise)”
“Rainbow in the Dark”

Sammy Hagar reflects on recording ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’ title song

Posted on August 12, 2022 by Matt Friedlander and Matt Wolfe

Sammy Hagar was among the many well-known artists who contributed original songs to the soundtrack of the classic teen comedy-drama Fast Times at Ridgemont High, which premiered 40 years ago this Saturday.

Hagar wrote and recorded the movie’s title song, a riff-heavy rock tune that Sammy notes was one of a series a tunes he recorded specifically for films around that time.

“They just would send me the script of the movie, and I would read…through it,” Hagar explains to ABC Audio. “And they didn’t ask me to write the title track. I just wrote a song called ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High.’ So…lyrically, I just kind of mimicked what was going on in the movie. You know, just a bunch of high school kids messing up…and trying to get laid, basically.”

The Red Rocker says having one of his songs as the title track of a popular movie then felt like he’d hit the “big time.”

Hagar notes that he always enjoyed writing songs for films, explaining, “I loved having a theme. For a songwriter, the first thing you need to have, after you have the [music]…I needed a title, a subject. ‘What am I writing about?’ And when they would hand that to you in a script in a movie…I just said, ‘Oh, yeah. Boom! I know what to do.'”

Meanwhile, Hagar says one of the cool things about his “Fast Times” song was getting to work with a soundtrack musician who was experimenting with synthesizers, and who added an effect that Sammy described as sounding “like a knife being sharpened.”

“It was so advanced [at the time],” Hagar notes. “It was really cool…You know, no one had ever heard anything like that before.”

Rush’s Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson reunite to perform at ‘South Park’ 25th anniversary concert

Posted on August 11, 2022 by Matt Friedlander

Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Comedy Central

Rush‘s surviving members, singer/bassist Geddy Lee and guitarist Alex Lifeson, reunited Wednesday night at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado, at a concert celebrating the 25th anniversary of the popular animated comedy show South Park.

Lee and Lifeson made a surprise appearance, joining their longtime friends Primus for a performance of Rush’s classic 1977 song “Closer to the Heart” while South Park co-creator Matt Stone sat in on drums.

This marked the first time Lee and Lifeson have played together in public since longtime Rush drummer Neil Peart‘s death from brain cancer in January 2020.

Before Lee and Lifeson hit the stage, a video featuring South Park-style cartoon
versions of them was shown in which they humorously discussed what they could do to help Stone and South Park co-creator Trey Parker celebrate the 25th anniversary.

“[Should we] send them some free Rush beer?” Lee poses. “Or even worse, we could show up and jam with them, eh?” Lee and Lifeson then hit the stage, to wild applause.

Rolling Stone reports the concert included full sets from Primus and Ween, and Stone joined in on various instruments for renditions of original South Park songs.

The show was filmed for South Park: The 25th Anniversary Concert special, which premieres on Comedy Central this Saturday, August 13, at 10 p.m. ET and will be available to stream on Paramount+ starting August 14.

Stone is a lifelong Rush fan, and the band has been referenced in South Park numerous times, including the 2011 episode “Royal Pudding” that features the prog-rock legends performing at a vigil after the princess of Canada was kidnapped.

Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi reunite to play Black Sabbath songs at Commonwealth Games

Posted on August 9, 2022 by Josh Johnson

Ozzy Osbourne and Tony Iommi staged a mini Black Sabbath reunion Monday at the closing ceremony for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, a sporting event held in the metal legends’ hometown of Birmingham, England.

They took the stage together for the first time since Sabbath played their farewell show in 2017. The performance began with Iommi rocking the iconic “Iron Man” riff as Ozzy got the crowd pumped up, before transitioning into a rendition of “Paranoid.”

You can watch footage of the performance — which also featured Ozzy solo band members Tommy Clufetos and Adam Wakeman on drums and bass, respectively — via the Commonwealth Games Instagram.

In addition to the reunion with Iommi, the show marked Ozzy’s first live performance since he appeared on the 2019 American Music Awards alongside Post Malone and Travis Scott.

The Prince of Darkness had originally scheduled a tour for throughout 2019, which was postponed to early 2020 due to health issues before being pushed to later in the year after Osbourne suffered a fall and required surgery. Then, of course, came the COVID-19 pandemic, which has, so far, postponed Ozzy’s live dates to 2023.

Meanwhile, Ozzy and Iommi will reunite again on the former’s upcoming solo album, Patient Number 9, due out September 9. The two play together on songs called “Degradation Rules” and “No Escape from Now.”