Jimi Hendrix Experience drummer Mitch Mitchell was found dead in a Portland, Oregon hotel this morning. The unofficial cause of death has been ruled natural causes. Mitchell along with bassist Noel Redding were “The Experience”, Jimi Hendrix’s brilliant rhythm section from 1966 until 1969. Mitchell was the last surviving member of the band, Noel Redding passed away in 2003 and Jimi died back in 1970. In a statement from the Hendrix estate, Janie Hendrix (Jimi’s sister) said, “We’re all devastated to hear of Mitch’s passing. He was a wonderful man, a brilliant musician and a true friend.”
At a recent awards ceremony a drunk or senile or probably both Jack Bruce fired off a harsh critique of Led Zeppelin’s career. Apparently Jack Bruce forgot it was 2008 and not 1968. Bruce said about Zeppelin’s one-off reunion gig “Fuck off, Zeppelin, you’re crap”. “Everybody talks about Led Zeppelin, and they played one fucking gig — one fucking lame gig — while Cream did weeks of gigs”. He went on to say, “You’ve always been crap and you’ll never be anything else. Cream is 10 times the band that Led Zeppelin is.” Hmmm I wonder if Jack thinks Zeppelin is crap. Bruce is still bitter that Zeppelin and not Cream (as had been scheduled), became the headliner of the Ahmet Ertegun tribute concert at the O2 Arena in London in December 2007. Bruce, obviously realizing he himself is the fucking loser backtracked from his comments by saying “I was just having some fun with the press gallery, really” but then couldn’t keep is old ass quiet by adding, “The thing about Zeppelin is that obviously it’s a little bit of jealousy on my part — or more than a little bit — because the audience was created by Cream and Jimi Hendrix…this sort of very large audience. Then Zeppelin came along and had a very easy ride in that way. We were the pioneers and pioneers don’t always get the recognition they deserve, maybe.” As for Led Zeppelin’s decision to tour with a replacement for Robert Plant, Bruce added “Well, I always thought Robert Plant used the wrong kind of fertilizer, anyway, so I think he might be an improvement…I’m just joking.” Asked about Page vs. Clapton’s guitar gifts, “Let’s face it: Jimmy Page ain’t no Eric Clapton, no matter what anybody thinks,” Bruce said. Bitter much? Seems like the only fertilizer is coming out of ol’ Jack’s mouth.
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.
The Dead reunited for a one time gig last night at Penn State for an Obama benefit. The mixture of drug-lovin’ heads and intense security made for a strange mixture that left many on edge.
No, seriously. Get the Led out of my life. I didn’t think this situation could get any worse, but just take a look at the above picture. Who the F is that you ask? According to Billboard, that just might be the new lead songer of Led Zeppelin. His name is Myles Kennedy and he is the lead singer of Fake Creed. Technically they’re called Alter Bridge, but the band consists of everyone from Creed except that douchebag Scatt Stapp. If this happens and they actually bill themselves as Led Zeppelin, I’m going to snap my vinyl copy of Houses of the Holy in half and slit my wrists with it.
According to AdWeek, Carlos Santana will be appearing in an upcoming Macy’s campaign titled, “Believe”. The campaign will emphasize the spirit of Christmas. Really Carlos? Isn’t it enough that you keep unleashing these awful duet style singles with every shit pop star in the universe? Now you have to shill for Macy’s too? Truly lame mi amigo. Truly lame.
Neil Young has decided to cancel his show tonight at the LA Forum after he was advised that the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) union, Local 33, were planning on picketing his show. The union is in a contract dispute with the Faithful Central Bible Church, who own the venue. I can only imagine what kind of freaks make up that congregation. Neil released a statement saying, “I am extremely disappointed to have to choose between satisfying my fans or backing my brothers and sisters of the IATSE. I will miss playing in Los Angeles and apologize to my fans for the inconvenience this has caused.” Obviously ticketholders are disappointed but you gotta respect for Neil for not crossing the picket line. He’s still proud to be a union man.
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 answer is no. KISS announced their own line of sneakers is now on sale. The set of 4 KISS Vans features a pair for each member with the album covers from their four 1978 solo albums. And if RockHeap catches you wearing a pair, you will get your ass kicked.
Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony are in the studio with guitarist Joe Satriani and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ drummer Chad Smith for a new supergroup called Chickenfoot. Could we get an “I Can’t Drive (My Walker) 55?”
After Yes lead singer Jon Anderson made public his feelings on being temporarily replaced for Yes’s upcoming 40th anniversary tour, due to his illness, YES has remained silent, until now. Bassist Chris Squire is quoted as saying, “We’ve been together longer than most marriages. Jon will always be a member of Yes. I hope he has a full recovery and that he can come back.” Squire also went on to say that he hasn’t actually spoken to Anderson, but has sent him flowers and cards. What??? You dick. How about be a man and call, if you guys have been together for 40 years, don’t you think you owe him at least that?
“The Yes fan base in general has been very frustrated that Yes hasn’t been doing shows for four years,” Squire says. “Of course I wish him a full recovery, and I hope he’ll be well enough to come back at a later date. On the other hand, this might not happen. So we decided to look into, in my own words, getting an understudy for him to fill in.” Well the YES fanbase and RockHeap would like to actually see YES, not some bullshit mishmash and “understudy”. What is this Broadway or rock and roll? Pete was right, Rock is Dead.
Billy Joel and Bruce Springsteen will join forces for a Barack Obama benefit concert at NYC’s Hammerstein Ballroom on October 16th. Tickets range from $500 for the balcony to $2,500 for premium seats to $10,000 for “lounge tickets.” For 10G, i hope there’s some sort of lap dance involved. Needless to say, with prices like these, normal human beings will not be in attendance.
After Janet Jackson’s Titgate scandal back in 2004, the NFL has turned to classic rockers to rock the always insipid and incredibly cheesy and quite lame half-time show. Following in the footsteps of The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, Prince, U2 and Tom Petty, The Boss will pick up the mantle and run with it, as he and The E Street Band will perform live at Super Bowl XLIII’s Halftime show on February 1st 2009, in Tampa Bay.
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.
40 years after the Beatles were banned from playing Israel, Paul McCartney got his Matzo Ball on when he played his first ever concert in Tel Aviv today in front of 40,000 fans. McCartney even busted out some Hebrew to wish the crowd a happy Rosh Hashanah next week. Check the setlist after the jump.
Rumors are a-swirling. Supposedly on Wednesday, there was a vendor convention held by Best Buy in Dallas and at this supposed convention Guns manager Andy Gould told the Best Buy employees that the 62 year in the making Chinese Democracy album will be released on November 25 and sold exclusively at Best Buy. Like we said about AC/DC we are getting sick of this exclusive shit, but enough of that for now. The Guns manager then played 3 tracks. He also confirmed that the track “If The World” would be in the new Leonardo Dicaprio and Russell Crowe movie Body Of Lies, it would close out the movie as the credits role. Now take this rumor with a grain of salt, actually make that a keg of salt. Who knows if it’s bullshit or not, but man that Dr. Pepper is gonna taste sweet. They’re saving me .75 cents. Man, what a great world.
AC/DC has announced it won’t release it’s new album, Black Ice, on iTunes on October 20th. The groups guitarist Angus Young was quoted as saying, “We don’t make singles, we make albums.” Ohhh, excuse us, you have integrity! Hmmm, considering you have also made a deal with the world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart, to be the exclusive seller of this upcoming CD of yours, you’ll excuse us while we vomit on ourselves. Hey Angus and Co., fuck you and your sanctimonious bullshit preaching. Did you ever think about people who don’t live near a Wal-Mart or perhaps all the independent mom and pop record stores out there who will lose business because you slack ass jackals have sold out to the man. So don’t lecture us you dipshit. Maybe we would buy the album if 8 out of the 10 songs didn’t suck.
Steven Tyler of Aerosmith is suing a group of unknown bloggers for impersonating the frontman on the internet. Huh? How exactly do you sue someone who is unknown? In the lawsuit, Tyler complains that bloggers writing as Tyler provided intimate details concerning the singer’s actual life, including discussing the death of Tyler’s mother and impersonating Tyler’s girlfriend. Double huh?? How exactly does this person or persons know such intimate details? This isn’t the first time Tyler was hit by fake blogs. In 2007 Google shut it down. In 2008 Blogspot was the host of the “Fake” Tyler blogs, but those sites have since been shut down. The lawsuit accuses the unknown bloggers of “public disclosure of private facts, making false statements and misappropriation of likeness.” The suit also seeks an injunction to prevent the bloggers return in 2009. Yet again we ask, who exactly is Tyler suing?
