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At least they’ve dropped the farewell tour bullshit. Kiss kicks off the Kiss Alive 35 tour, in Detroit……Rock City, to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the classic live album, Kiss, Alive.
Click through for tour dates.
Both Chicagoland newspapers, The Sun Times and The Tribune, are reporting that Bruce and the gang will perform their quintessential, E Street Blockbuster, 1975’s Born To Run, in it’s entirety at his Sept. 20th United Center show. No word if they plan to do any more albums during the rest of the tour. We’re praying for Lucky Town or Human Touch. Or not.
Tramps like us…
“Due to unforeseen medical reasons, the “In The Present Tour,” featuring Yes’ Steve Howe, Chris Squire, and Alan White is cancelling shows through February 24″. Good. End this sham of a tour right now. The lead singer is Benoit David. The keyboardist is Oliver Wakeman. Stop. It. Now.
A possible Faces reunion is a story we’ve been following very closely here at the Heap. And nothing would make us happier. I’m sure our minds could be changed, but right now, we’re higher on this reunion than on the debacle that has become the Zep reunion tour. Ronnie Wood was quoted in Rolling Stone saying, “We had a few fantastic rehearsals last week and we’re ready to go. It’s like no time has passed by.” Wood went on to say, “We just have to sort out when and where and drop all of the management egos and just do what we can. We know we can do it. It’s just a matter of getting everyone’s availability sometime next year.” He also mentioned some possible new studio work, as well as having guest bassists to fill Ronnie Lane’s spot. Holy shit, is basically all we can say about a tour in 2009. The Heap is feeling very psyched.
Apparently Jimmy Page does have a shred of self respect and reverence for Led Zeppelin. Through his management company QPrime, Page has issued the following statement about his new “project”. “Whatever this is, it is not Led Zeppelin,” “Not without the involvement of Robert Plant.” Oh really? Thanks for the heads up Jimmy. Rockheap has an idea, why not dig up the corpse of David Coverdale and call it Coverdale/Page Part 2, since that went over so well. What? Coverdale is still alive? That makes it even easier. Page, Jones and Bonham have been holding rehearsals with singers including Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler. Word on the street is that experiment didn’t turn out too well. Myles Kennedy, lead singer of Alter Bridge also known as fake Creed, is also a possibility. A suggestion on what to call this mockery…Led Shitlin.
After a massively successful reunion tour last year featuring Genesis’ most popular line-up, the band is setting it’s sites on a full scale reunion featuring original lead singer/freakshow Peter Gabriel and guitarist Steve Hackett. Genesis is releasing a box set of Gabriel-era reissues and the band hopes to bring it’s reluctant and reclusive original lead singer back in the fold. “We’ve never said never about it, you know,” Genesis keyboardist Tony Banks told Billboard. “I know Phil (Collins) would be quite happy with the idea of just playing the drums; it would be quite fun for him. Mike (Rutherford) and I are certainly happy to do it. I know Steve (Hackett) is keen as well. I think it’d be down to Peter (Gabriel) more than anyone else.” Gabriel first suggested the idea of a Genesis reunion back in 2004, when he wanted the group to play the classic album The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway live. When Genesis finally did reunite, Gabriel being Gabriel, decided to work on a solo album. “I think we should do this before one of us dies; we’re not getting any younger, to quote one of the songs, so maybe one day it’ll happen,” Hackett said of a reunion. Gabriel was too busy speaking Klingon to a tree in his backyard to comment.
We’re hearing that Steven Tyler has been auditioning for the Zep reunion tour and is indeed a leading candidate. I’m not sure who this information makes me hate more - Page, for even considering this, Plant, for being such a pompous moron, or Tyler, for just sucking so damn much. Check out the above video for a possible preview of this trainwreck.
The rumor mill has been in overdrive these past few weeks, with every rumor taken for fact “Zeppelin will tour this year”, “Page, Jonsey and Bonhnam will tour without Plant”. RockHeap Rules!”(OK that one is fact). But all these rumors came to a Hindenburg type ending twith this release: “Robert has no intention whatsoever of touring with anyone for at least the next two years,” a statement on Plant’s official website reads. “Contrary to a spate of recent reports, Robert Plant will not be touring or recording with Led Zeppelin. Anyone buying tickets online to any such event will be buying bogus tickets.”
Plant then added “It’s both frustrating and ridiculous for this story to continue to rear its head when all the musicians that surround the story are keen to get on with their individual projects and move forward,” Plant said. “I wish Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham nothing but success with any future projects.” Plant is currently on tour with Alison Krauss to promote their album Raising Sand. Wow, that sucks. Nothing more we can say.
On the verge of launching their 40th anniversary tour this summer; YES lead singer Jon Anderson suffered a severe asthma attack and was diagnosed with acute respiratory failure and the dates were cancelled. ‘Nuf said. Reschedule the tour for 2009 when Anderson is healthy. Especially given the fact that he has been the lead singer for 40 years and is only sick, not dead. If you’re a YES fan, this would suck, but better he’s healthy and you would see them next year. Now comes news that YES will in fact go on with the 40th Anniversary tour without Jon Anderson. Say what? In what’s become a disturbing and quite frankly, lazy and lame ass trend, YES has turned to You Tube. They have hired Benoit David, a singer for a YES tribute band, to fill in for Anderson touring the tour. Anderson has posted the following on his website in response:
Disappointed, and very Disrespected
Disappointed that, with the exception of one phone call from Alan, none of the guys have been in touch since my illness, just to find out how I am doing, and how we will foresee the future for YES. And disappointed that they were not willing to wait till 2009 when I’m fully recovered.
And I feel very disrespected, having spent most of this year creating songs and constant ideas for the band, spending time with Roger Dean creating a stage design, also working with VH1 and Sirius and XM Radio to help promote the welfare of YES.
Getting sick was not “on my radar”, and I thank my own angel Janeee and my family for helping me through this difficult time, and the many well wishers, friends and fans alike, for understanding that ”things happen”.
Of course I wish the guys all the best in their ’solo’ work, but I just wish this could have been done in a more gentlemanly fashion. After all YES is a precious musical band.
This is not YES on tour…
I send best wishes to one and all,
Jon Anderson
September 2008
We couldn’t agree more with Anderson. The whole point of the 40th Anniversary tour is to celebrate YES. Why would you want to tour without your lead singer? On top of that you have your keyboardists son sitting in as well. Rick Wakeman’s son Oliver will be handling his father’s duties. Where the hell is Tony Kaye? So only 3/5 of the members are YES. Then to do this without Anderson even knowing, while he is sick, that is the definition of low. How fucking greedy can you be that you can’t wait for six months until he recuperates? Hiring a lame ass cover band hack to fill in. I mean what self respecting YES fan would give their hard earned money to see this abortion? To Chris Squire, Alan White and Steve Howe, RockHeap says shame on you, you backstabbing, money grubbing pieces of un-cool dog shit. Jon Anderson might be a fruity elf wanna be, but damn if he’s not the soul of YES.
AC/DC have scheduled the North American leg of their upcoming Black Ice world tour, the band’s first since 2001. How Angus still fits in his school boy outfit still amazes us and creeps us out. The “Rock N Roll Train” opens in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania on October 28th and wraps up on December 18th in Charlotte, NC (more North American dates will be added soon). AC/DC will then take the train to South America, Asia and Europe before returning to the U.S. for a run through stadiums in the summer of 2009. Tickets go on sale September 20th. Click below to see all the dates.
All star metal band Big Noize will rock the troops in Iraq and Kuwait in September. The tour includes a show on September 11 which will mark the 7th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US. The band is made up of Vocalist Joe Lynn Turner (Deep Purple/Rainbow/Yngwie Malmsteen), Bassist Phil Soussan (Ozzy Osbourne), Guitarist Carlos Cavazo (Quiet Riot), Drummer Simon Wright (ACDC, Dio) and Keyboardist Alex Bubenheim. They will play in Kuwait on Sept. 5 and in Iraq on Sept. 7, 8, 10 & 11.
The AARP is sponsoring an air guitar/lip-sync contest on conjunction with Foreigner. The contest is open to all ages but limited to the following Foreigner anthems: “Cold As Ice”, “Hot Blooded”, “Juke Box Hero”, “Feels Like The First Time” and “Too Late”. The winner will be selected by a combo of judges and site users, and will receive one of Mick Jones’ guitars. The organization is also sponsoring Foreigner’s current tour. Which sound about right, considering the tour itinerary is made up of theme parks, casinos, state fairs and vineyards.
Metallica have completed mixing their new album, Death Magnetic, and announced the first leg of their North American tour, which starts October 21st in Glendale, Arizona and ends January 31st in Newark, New Jersey. Check out all the dates after the jump.
At a touring panel yesterday, their management announced that AC/DC are planning on embarking on a massive 18-month world tour starting in October in support of their first new album, since 2000’s Stiff Upper Lip. The new album will be sold exclusively in the States at Wal-Mart, Expect the first single to be out some time next month.
According to The Who’s website, Pete & Roger and the 67 other musicians who accompany them on stage will be launching a fall tour. The tour kicks off at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit on Oct. 21st. More dates to follow, providing Pete & Roger don’t kick the crap out of each other first. The Who were recently honored by VH-1 during their annual “Rock Honors” award show. Look for commentary on Rockheap after the show airs on July 17th on VH-1 and M-HD at 9pm.