HAVE A GREAT 2015!!

 

• I probably went to the fewest shows ever this year - time and money.
• There were a few bands I probably would have like to seen this year - but they didn't hit the metroplex. Like, you know, Stone Roses who barely made it to the states.
• There is a new concert venue being built in Irving - I think bigger than Nokia but smaller than Starplex.
• Jack and Dave were on a tear this year - it doesn't look like they are going to stop either.
• Casey Kasem STILL hasn't been buried.
• And once again just a few, but not all, we have lost in the last year - some very recently. But their music lives on.....

Final Update of the Year

• I will however have my retrospective look at the year soon.
• At this point Scott Stapp is missing - the police have tried to help him but no one can locate him.... 
• It is one thing for a pop band or country artist to cover rock hits, it is another thing for a rock band or performer to cover such, what Joe Cocker did with covers (among his other work) was truly unique - and he was so well respected by his peers.
• 7 lawsuits have now been filed against the the South by Southwest festival and it's organizers stemming from the results of a drunk driver smashing through the barricades. Basically the suit states inadequate safety measures were provided. I am not taking a position on this but - just how far do you have to go when planning an event? If they did not provide regulated safety measures that is one thing - but if they are sitting in a planning meeting:

So IF an individual is driving drunk,  and evading police, and drives through barricades, while there is a crowd and kills or injures someone - yeah what is our safety protocol for that? Ok next on the agenda hot air balloons.....

• And below a few more Christmas songs - including Jimmy Fallon's latest - and probably the ONLY time I will ever post One Direction in a video.

Joe Cocker Dead

Hopefully him and Belushi are having a good laugh right now......

A few years old - but there are girls, several special guests including Uncle Ted and Sammy - did I mention girls?

• I thought that I might have missed the Scott Stapp bus due to my lack of keeping this blog updated. Let's just say that I was oh so wrong - in this article he is defending himself against (allegedly) plotting to assassinate the president.
• Lynyrd Skynyrd has hit a new low - they are special guests on the season finale of The Voice along with Fall Out Boy. 
• I completely do not understand this but Jerry Only is talking about a reunion of The Misfits including Glen Danzig. Wolfgang Von Frankenstein commented that he would welcome this as well - Wolfgang was part of a tour with Danzig a year or two ago. However Danzig had recently launched a lawsuit over merchandising rights and has repeatedly said that he wants no part of a Misfits reunion.
• Things the RRHOF does right - SRV is in, including leading the public vote.
• Things the RRHOF does wrong - Green Day is in as well. 
• First off I don't consider Green Day a "punk" band - they may have been "pop-punk" at one point but their songwriting moved beyond that with the release of Warning. I enjoy a few gems from their early years and American Idiot is pretty freaking good but are they really hall worthy?
• Other inductees include Lou Reed, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts and The Paul Butterfield Blues Band.
• And why not just Joan Jett? This could technically include her contributions to the Blackhearts, The Runaways and her solo career.
• Man I need to find some Christmas stuff to post - it will be here and gone before you know it.

Tuesday Updates

• And what better way to return than to mark a new chapter in one of the longest feuds in rock history. Creedence Clearwater Revisited is now suing John Fogerty for violation of their previous agreement - which basically says John can not make disparaging comments towards the Revisited camp, which he apparently has. Legally they are suing for "alleged malfeasance and settlement agreement breach".
• KISS seems to be complaining about everything that happens to them, the latest being their "mistreatment" during their performance at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. They really don't give any details - they are becoming the Morissey of their genre - good thing they aren't vegans.
• Two Rolling Stone collaborators died last week. Saxophonist Bobby Keys and keyboardist Ian McLagan passed on back to back days last week.  Bobby was extensively involved with the Stones in both the studio and touring. Ian became involved after The Faces dissolved in the 70's.
• Yesterday was the anniversary of John Lennon, Dimebag and Marty Robbins death(s). I did an extensive write up last year on the history of music in December if you so which to peruse.

SOOOOO....

I just flat don't have time to even look at anything right now. Hope to be back next week with some Christmas posts.....

But - Scott Stapp has apparently went off the deep end.....

Pre-Christmas Music Time Updates

• On Friday we can FINALLY listen to Christmas music. And shame on anybody playing it before then - you know who you are.....
• There is just very little in the way of major music news right now so - thanks to Alan Cross and A Journal of Musical Things for some of the info below.
• The Foo Fighters are launching a tour in 2015 - and they are going back to the old "line up and get your wristband system" - at least that is the release for one of the Canadian shows. There are no Texas dates as of yet.
• Man all of a sudden U2 is getting all kinds of backlash for that free album release. Quick name the longest running band still playing with their original lineup.
• Faith No More has released a new song, I can't embed it but here is a link. Hell-o Moth-er-fuck-er.
• Oh yeah - apparently Stevie Wonder isn't blind.

Blackboard Jungle Updates

On this day in music history, in 1955, after being included the opening credits for the film Blackboard Jungle, the song Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley & the Comets went to #1 on the UK charts, having already achieved that feat several months earlier in the US. Although the origins of Rock and Roll began much earlier, including Alan Freed broadcasting beginning in 1951 and eventually coining the term a few years later, Rock Around the Clock was the first #1 rock hit. The song entered the charts six more times - until 1974!

Originally dismissed as a fad by the older generation by the end of the decade Elvis was ruling the charts, Motown Records was formed, Buddy Holly was dead and the British Invasion was around the corner - and the rest, as they say, is history.

Tuesday Updates

• We have a new entry to the Battle of the Dueling Bands - not a band that I am particularly fond of but nevertheless...
• While heading out of Austin the Dropkick Murphy's bus was involved in a fatal traffic accident - while headed up I-35 a pedestrian jumped out in front of their bus in an apparent suicide. They subsequently cancelled their Tulsa show citing various factors including time and mental state of their bus driver.
• Late last week Richard Branson denied ever offering $800 million for a Zeppelin reunion. The Ticket did the math on this, based on 36 date tour and it just doesn't add up.

Dueling Band List

• Micheal Malinin (drummer) vs. Goo Goo Dolls
• Spirit vs. LED ZEPPELIN
• Glenn Danzig vs. The Misfits
• Wu-Tang Clan vs. Wu-Tang Clan
• Black Flag vs. Flag
• Oren Kaplan vs. Eugene Hutz (Gogol Bordello)
• The Turtles vs. SiriusXM
• Bun E. Carlos & David Frey vs. Cheap Trick
• Pandora/Spotify etc.  vs. Musicians
• Scott Weiland vs. STP
• Former Vandenburg members vs. Adrian Vandenberg
• J. Geils Band vs. John Geils/Francesa Records
• Live vs. Ed Kowalcyzk
• Kyuss & Kyuss Lives!
• Current version of Beach Boys vs. any former Beach Boy who is not in the current version
• John Fogerty vs. Creedence Clearwater Revival

• It has been almost a year and KISS still won't shut up about their RRHOF induction......
• I doubt very seriously that Robert Plant tore up an $800 million contract for a Led Zeppelin reunion tour "in front of stunned promoters". Whether or not their was an offer for such is questionable - but I am sure if there was he just simply declined.
• According to sources, it was to be a 3 city tour, with a 12 night stand at each location. There would have been only one US date on the bill on the east coast. That sounds strange right there - the biggest money draw would have been in the United States.
• With that being said wherever they played would have drawn people from all over.
• Brett Michaels underwent kidney surgery last week and has been in and out of hospitals for the last two weeks. I dug out this older article on his health issues - if he has nine lives he has used up at least four of them.......
• Big Bank Hank has passed on to the great Hotel Motel in the sky.
• AND here's a video in honor of such featuring a bunch of white people who can't dance - but they do dress well! I used to know every word to this song.

Well, Well, Well

• Charges against Phil Rudd have been reduced to basically (my interpretation) attempted murder. I would put my money on him still not being in the band, but there is a little more to the story than appears. Here is a nifty timeline for Mr. Rudd - thanks to Ultimate Classic Rock:

May 19, 1954: Phil Rudd (full name: Phillip Hugh Norman Witschke Rudzevecuis) is born in Melbourne, Australia.

1973: He forms Buster Brown with future Rose Tattoo singer Gary “Angry” Anderson.

December 1974: After recording one album (‘Something to Say’) with Buster Brown, Rudd auditions for and joins AC/DC. Over the next decade, the group become international superstars.

April 1983: Rudd parts ways with AC/DC after recording his drum parts for the album ‘Flick of the Switch.’ Reports vary as to whether he quit or was fired, but drug and alcohol abuse, as well as personality conflicts with guitarist Malcolm Young, have been cited as factors for his departure.

1994: He rejoins AC/DC after being invited to several informal jam sessions by Malcolm and Angus Young. Beginning with 1995′s ‘Ballbreaker,’ Rudd has appeared on every studio album and tour since that time, including the upcoming 2014 release ‘Rock or Bust.’

Oct. 7, 2010: Rudd is caught by police with 25 grams of cannabis aboard his boat in Tauranga, New Zealand. He is convicted for possession of marijuana that December, but in April of 2011 the conviction was wiped from his record after it was argued that it would keep him from traveling abroad for AC/DC tours.

July 2011: He branches out into a new venture by announcing that he will open a seafood restaurant in Tauranga called “Phil’s Place.”

July 2012: Three employees at Phil’s Place are fired following an incident in which his dinner order was delivered to his airport hangar instead of his boat. Rudd reportedly verbally abused the staff and kicked the back door and a garbage can. He is subsequently sued for wrongful termination, and the restaurant is closed until April 2013.

March 5, 2014: The drummer is accused of lying when he fails to mention his 2010 marijuana conviction on his application for a New Zealand pilot’s license. A judge clears him of the charge due to insufficient evidence.

March 11, 2014: The Employee Relations Authority rules in favor of the former employees in the wrongful termination case stemming from the July 2012 incident. Rudd is ordered to pay $72,000 New Zealand dollars, the equivalent of more than $55,600 in U.S. dollars.

Aug. 29, 2014: Rudd releases his first-ever solo album, ‘Head Job,’ which features the single, ‘Repo Man.’

Oct. 4, 2014: AC/DC film videos for two songs from ‘Rock or Bust’ without Rudd. Singer Brian Johnson explains that a “family emergency” kept the drummer from attending the shoot.

Oct. 16, 2014: AC/DC raises eyebrows by posting a new group photo without Rudd on their Facebook page. The band offers no official explanation for the omission.

Nov. 5, 2014: Rudd is charged with attempting to procure a murder, possession of methamphetamine, possession of cannabis and threatening to kill after police searched his home in Mauta, New Zealand.

Nov. 6, 2014: AC/DC issue a statement that offered no comment on the arrest, but declares that “Phil’s absence will not affect the release of our new album ‘Rock or Bust’ and upcoming tour next year.”

Nov. 6, 2014: The procuring-murder charge — the most major charge — against Rudd is dropped due to what his lawyer termed “insufficient evidence.” The other charges remain.

 

 

Thursday Updates

• It looks like AC/DC is about to lose another member. Phil Rudd has been arrested and charged with "attempting to procure murder" which basically means hiring a hit man to take, in this case, two unidentified men out. I swear he was involved in another minor incident recently but I could be thinking of someone else. He has also been charged with drug possession.
• In addition he had recently missed some AC/DC assignments, including a publicity shot. Phil has been the main drummer for AC/DC since their heyday but did leave the band for 11 years before returning.
• Chris Slade is available - the only reason he left was because of Rudd's return. According to Wikipedia he currently has a couple of projects going but nothing major. It does cite one of them as an "AC/DC tribute band" - is it really a tribute band if you were actually in the band?
• This kind of technically only leaves Angus as an "original" member......
• Wayne Static's death has been reported to be non drug related. It was stated he had been drug free since the forming of Static-X - he passed three days before his 49th birthday.
• Anyways tonight is King Diamond - this will be a first for me. It the next to last date before he hits Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin this weekend.

See more HERE.

Friday Updates

• In typical Allman Brothers fashion their final show included three sets with the last being a five song set after midnight. With that being said do you know how long a five song set by them can be-it would have been awesome.
• Phil Collins has officially donated his Alamo collection to the Great State of Texas and will be repaid with a museum in his honor. It was the largest collection of Alamo memorabilia held by a private collector.
• Grace Slick's birthday was yesterday - after a brief reunion with Jefferson Airplane she retired stating that any rockers over 50 should do the same - I think in some cases she may have had this right.
• Which leads me to Starship featuring Mickey Thomas - yes they are still around - with absolutely no ties to either Jefferson Airplane or Jefferson Starship (which is also still around with legacy members). And how do I know this?
• The 80's cruise headlined by Huey Lewis and the News! The only reason to be on this cruise is you could have the rest of this ship to your self wherever these bands are NOT playing. With the exception of Kool & the Gang this is terrible. If you were a kid/teen in the 80's Huey Lewis was akin to having your Dad form a band and getting played on MTV. I did however enter to win a free cabin.....

• It is a good thing I am not a "professional" blogger. Sometimes this thing has to take a back seat.
• I do have the ability to "monetize" this blog - which I guess means ads that I would get paid for? It might be an interesting experiment but I am not expecting much.
• In the ultimate beat down of modern day country concerts - Kenny Chesney and Jason Aldean at the Death Star-They are both actually on separate tours right now but will do ten dates together-this is worse than Garth Brooks.
• Song subjects (all of them): bad liquor/beer, trucks, tractors, "best" girl, and Chesney will do his best lame Buffet imitation with some songs about beaches.
• Prince will give us a brief break of bad musical performers on SNL this Saturday - and he is going to do it in the form of a single uninterrupted 8 minute "jam" session.
• You get about 2-3 decent acts a year on SNL, and about one good surprise act that you weren't sure what to expect. And if you don't believe me you can check out the last few years acts here.

R.I.P. Jack Bruce

RRHOF Fan Voting

Stevie Ray is still leading the way by almost 26% but NIN is on his butt. Vote here.

Stevie Ray Vaughan 25.96%

Nine Inch Nails 22.62%

Kraftwerk 8.18%

Joan Jett & the Blackhearts 7.89%

Green Day 7.74%

Bill Withers 6.38%

Sting 3.69%

The Paul Butterfield Blues Band 3.56%

Lou Reed 3.55%

The Smiths 2.63%

War 1.91%

The Spinners 1.62%

N.W.A 1.58%

The Marvelettes 1.46%

Chic 1.23%

 

Ranker (not RRHOF) voting below

The 2015 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominees

• That nut Travis Meeks got himself arrested as a fugitive from justice. Briefly reunited former member Jesse Best's FB post: "What's the best thing about playing in The Louisville Crashers? Not having to worry about your singer being picked up on an outstanding warrant when you arrive at the gig." 
• This chick's got some great comments in this article on the 15 Most Hated Bands of the Last 30 years. I have admittedly listed to some of these bands along the way and don't think everything they do is bad, and I have also hated some since the beginning - and everything they do is bad. A good friend of mine still refers to the time we saw DMB as the Kenny G concert from all the damn saxophone we heard. Among the gems:

Listening to even one song by Creed invokes a sea of nausea, as if your brain is fried from watching “Two and a Half Men” reruns for 24 hours. As Spin magazine put it, they’re like “Nickelback before there was Nickelback.”  

•  Your final song from Glen Campbell, battling the final stages of Alzheimer's - Holy shit.....

Interesting.....

Friday Updates

• Katy Perry has been announced for the Super Bowl halftime show - We need you more than ever Timberlake......
• And your RRHOF inductees have been announced. Rightfully so Stevie Ray Vaughn leads the fan voting at 17.25%. Regardless of what you think of the Hall cast your vote for the proper inductees to get in. FYI Chic is rightfully in last place.

• Unfortunately the search still continues for Dave Mustaine's mother-in-law - they put it in a harsh light at the end of this article.
• Need some advice - ask the wise one:

Ask DIO

• I haven't had time to listen yet but Mr. Plant has decided to share an entire concert with us:

Mustaine's mother in law missing....

CBS News 8 - San Diego, CA News Station - KFMB Channel 8

Contest! Contest!

What do these sound like OR who's songs sound like these.....

Skip to the :44 mark