Bon Jovi denounces online ticket scalpers
Mood:  accident prone
Now Playing: City of New York refuses to do anything to stop free ticket scalping
Topic: Hair Metal
Rocker Jon Bon Jovi is furious tickets for his band's free concert in New York this weekend are being sold for huge profit on the internet. The 60,000 tickets for the gig in Central Park were handed out to fans at no cost, but thousands have made their way onto online auction sites - selling for up to $1,000.

And the singer is fuming about the city's lack of response, after mayor Michael Bloomberg refused to enforce strict guidelines prohibiting third party sales on Wednesday.

Bon Jovi writes on the band's website: "We have always had the best interest of the fans at heart, and repeatedly... tried to educate (sponsor) MLB (Major League Baseball) and New York City about the fairest and easiest distribution of tickets. As I said before, 'No good deed goes unpunished.' There are reports in the media about tickets being scalped for... the free concert. I for one am not surprised, but our organization is sorely disappointed."

The posting was subsequently removed within hours without explanation.

A spokesperson for Bon Jovi has denounced the ticket-sellers as "lowlifes", adding: "It's a bad enough thing to suck money out of paid concerts. It takes unmitigated chutzpah to scalp free tickets."

Courtesy of www.starpulse.com

Tesla's Comin' Atcha Live to be released on July 15
Mood:  energetic
Now Playing: From www.teslatheband.com
Topic: Hair Metal

After 25 years, 12 albums, over 2,500 shows, over 16 million albums sold worldwide, Tesla is stronger than ever. Continuing on that momentum, Tesla--Jeff Keith (vocals), Frank Hannon (guitars), Brian Wheat (bass), Troy Luccketta (drums) and Dave Rude (guitar)-- will release their third DVD, Comin' Atcha Live! 2008, on July 15 on the band's Tesla Electric Company Recordings label (in partnership with Ryko Distribution).

"This DVD marks a new era creatively for Tesla because we put it all together ourselves, capturing the band's concert and life on the road," says lead guitarist Frank Hannon. "Nowadays, we are more involved in every aspect of our music career than ever before. We are very excited about the creative results and it really shows in the new DVD."

It's Tesla's first DVD in 17 years (since 1991's Five Man Video Band) and is filled with over two hours of live music, over an hour of special behind-the-scenes footage and never-before-seen material, including footage of Tesla interacting with fans, giving viewers a personal tour of Seattle, and an up-close look at their touring equipment and guitars.

Comin' Atcha Live! 2008 also marks the world premiere of "Dear Pvt. Ledbetter," a new song written in honor of the troops from the band's forthcoming album, which is currently being recorded at bassist Brian Wheat's studio, J Street Recorders with producer Terry Thomas (who was behind the boards on the band's 1994 Bust A Nut album) and will be released this September. More details to be announced in the coming weeks.

The DVD was filmed at the Myth Nightclub in Maplewood, Minnesota on February 22. At the sold-out show, Tesla treated fans to numerous classics such as "What You Give," "Signs," "Modern Day Cowboy," "Love Song" and "Little Suzi."

Tesla has been non-stop touring all around the world the past 12 months in support of their two-disc critically acclaimed Real To Reel covers album. After taking their current hiatus from the road to record the new album of all original material, they're getting right back out on the concert trail. Their 2008 worldwide tour started June 6 in Solvesborg, Sweden, at the Sweden Rock Festival. After the European dates conclude on June 27, they'll start a U.S. trek on July 12, lasting throughout the summer and well into the fall. Their summer trek includes a stop in Pryor, OK on July 13 as part of Rocklahoma.

Remaining Tour Dates:
Sat 7/12 Boerne, TX South Texas Rockfest
Sun 7/13 Pryor, OK Rocklahoma
Sat 7/19 Waukesha, WI Waukesha County Fair
Sun 7/20 Cadott, WI Chippewa Valley Rock Fest

VH & DLR?
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: Could Van Halen possibly tour with David Lee Roth in 2007?
Topic: Hair Metal
MelodicRock.com is reporting that Van Halen will likely tour in 2007 with David Lee Roth as frontman.

Citing "information from a highly placed source," the site states that negotiations are currently underway to reunite Van Halen with their original frontman for a tour in 2007 that will take place in America and possibly other territories.

It is not presently clear if Van Halen's upcoming touring plans will include bassist Michael Anthony, who has apparently had a falling out with guitarist Eddie Van Halen.

In a recent appearance on "The Howard Stern Show," Eddie hinted that the bassist slot would be filled by his son Wolfgang, although this has not yet been officially confirmed.

Van Halen last toured in 2004 with Sammy Hagar, but the tour ended on a sour note and Hagar has not talked to Eddie Van Halen since.

Not To Worry Says GN'R Promoter
Mood:  not sure
Now Playing: GN'R gig dates are recieving poor ticket sales, but thats not what is causing the cancellations.
Topic: Hair Metal
Charles Runnells of News-Press.com reports that Guns N' Roses was supposed to begin the Southern leg of its "Chinese Democracy" tour on Oct. 20th in Jacksonville, but that show was rescheduled for Oct. 31st. Then, its Nashville show Sunday was canceled.

But, those changes weren't because of poor ticket sales or singer Axl Rose's mood, said John Stoll, president of West Palm Beach promoter Fantasma Productions Inc.
The head Gunner just got hung up in the recording studio.

"He was putting the finishing touches on the new album," Stoll said. 'But now Axl's in town (in Miami), and he has been rehearsing for two days.'

Guns N' Roses were set to start the Southern tour in Sunrise on Tuesday night.
Because of the Nashville cancellation, the group added another stop in Puerto Rico, Stoll said.

Ticket sales have been strong throughout Florida — the Sunrise show was almost sold out Tuesday morning — but the Estero show has lots of good seats left, said Jeff Hickox, regional marketing manager for Beasley Broadcast Group.

The concert is the centerpiece of K-Rock's 20th-annual Birthday Bash. The radio station is part of the Beasley Group.

Germain Arena is about 60 percent sold out for the show, Hickox said, but the radio station had hoped for more. The arena can hold 8,300 people for concerts.

"Ticket sales aren't what we thought they'd be," Hickox said. Still, Hickox said that isn't unusual. Many big shows don’t sell out until the last minute, and there are always a lot of walk-up sales at the box office the day of the event.

Krokus = Spinal Tap
Mood:  accident prone
Topic: Hair Metal
IT'S ONLY ROCK'n'ROLL, BUT I LIKE IT!!! (or "a day in the life of a rock band on tour" )

It's Friday, October 20th at 9:48PM in Denver/Colorado and my cell phone (Natel) rings in the other room. Glued to the TV for a "must see" show, I ignore it. 10 minutes later it rings again. I ignore it again. My wife Donna is more curious than I and checks who's number is coming up. She shouts from the other room "it's a 455 number". I shout back "it's an out of state number I do not recognize, most probably a solicitor" and further ignore it.

All day KROKUS was on my mind. Wondered how they were doing on tour. So, as I was laying on the couch, reflecting on life during a commercial break, I started thinking "...hmm, 41 is the country code for Switzerland, 49 is the country code for Germany, could this 45 be a country code of a Scandinavian country in Europe?" KROKUS plays Scandinavia, could it be that the boys in the band are calling me? But then it's slightly past 6:00 AM in Europe, no way they would be calling at this hour, since they most likely went to bed sometime around 2:00 AM and everyone would be sleeping in the bunk of their tour bus, curtains shut. Oh well, nice thought. Wish them well.

5 minutes later the phone rings again. Same number. This time curiosity gets the best of me and I pick up the phone. On the other end, a voice (that I recognize) says: "Peter, it's Marc". To my response: "Wow, great to hear from you" he adds: "Well it's sort of an emergency. I'm calling from the gas station at the Tuelso Nord exit in Denmark because our tour bus left without me towards the German border. The people here were nice enough to let me borrow the phone, since mine is in the tour bus. Along with everything else including my passport. Even if one of the band members wake up, they will think I'm sleeping in my bunk with curtains closed and won't wake me up most probably until 1:00 PM. All I have with me is my wallet and that had one of your "Globe Club" business cards in it with your phone number".

Am I dreaming this or is it for real? Must be real, because they played Friday night in Copenhagen/Denmark and they are slated to play Flensburg/Germany the next day (today). Can't resist asking how this all happened. Marc explains. The tour bus driver Andrea stops at the Tuelso Nord exit gas station to use the bathroom and to get a cup of coffee. Marc was awake and used the opportunity to step off the bus himself stretching a little, then heading for the bathroom himself, without telling the driver, assuming she would drink the coffee inside the truck stop/gas station (instead the driver took it on board, driving towards the German border). On his way out, Marc was recognized by a couple of KROKUS fans, involving him into a conversation and asking for autographs. Accommodating as he is and focused on his fans, he did not realize at this time that the tour bus had taken off without him.

I assure Marc that the "Globe Club" is the right place and the only phone number he really needs in his wallet, since we work "globally" [Denmark to Denver to Denmark/Germany] and will get a hold of someone or flag the tour bus down, one way or the other. Knowing that I have 3 hours until the bus should hit the border, I get to work. The easiest would have been to get a hold of one of the other band members in the bus. I call them all and leave messages on their voice mails. Don't have the number for the bus driver (the only one awake!). Next step: International Directory Assistance. After 2 hang-ups and an answering machine message in Danish I look for alternatives. Next step: authorities! I call the German Police Department emergency line in Flensburg (since I have no clue what border in Denmark they could be using), asking them to assist me with a telephone number for the Border Control in Denmark. I figured they could alert their officers to stop a blue Fairline tour bus!

Travelling with the singer's passport but without him. I call all band members in the bus again, hoping one might hear a ring. In the meantime Marc calls back 2 times, inquiring about my progress while local gas station employees hold him hostage and enjoy having a Rock'n'Roll personality stranded at their usually boring work place (the good part about Marc's Rock status was that they also let him use the phone to call the USA multiple times - we hope the employer is as understanding when he sees his next phone bill). Marc suggests calling the tour bus office somewhere in Germany for them to get a hold of their driver. Through the Internet I find their web site and since they won't open until 9:00 AM in the morning, I send an e-mail, hoping someone will show up for work early (does anybody still do that???).

Finally, hours later, our drummer Stefan gets up in the tour bus to use the bathroom and sees a message on his charging cell phone. The bus stops to regroup and recoup from the shock. A solution is found. They let me know that the tour manager will get a rental car and drive back about 350 kilometers to the Tuelso Nord gas station to pick up Marc "the voice" Storace.

As I call back Marc to let him know the good news, I can't help to think back to 1980 when I immigrated from Switzerland to the USA. Their then Swiss Manager Harry Sprenger visited me in Denver/Colorado and I still can vividly see him in my mind standing in my living room in Denver/Colorado, receiving a collect phone call from a Thommy Kiefer [Thommy Kiefer was a founding member of KROKUS, somewhat of a cult figure for the fans and his 30th anniversary of his passing approaches this Christmas], who was stranded at a gas station somewhere in the good 'ole USA while the tour bus was gone, headed towards Tennessee for a gig that night. Deja-Vu? WOW!

Whereas in the 80's for Thommy it definitely was "sex, drugs & rock'n'roll", for Marc in 2006 it was "coffee, fans & rock'n'roll". For me, it's only rock'n'roll, but I like it!!!

Rock On, Peter

Courtesy of www.krokusonline.com

Chinese Democracy Out On "A Tuesday"
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: It's Coming. "There are ten Tuesdays left before January ? it will come out on one of them."
Topic: Hair Metal
In the new issue of Rolling Stone Magazine, writer Brian Hiatt reveals what he's discovered about the long-awaited Guns N' Roses album "Chinese Democracy."

The article begins with this elusive quote from the band's manager Merck Mercuriadis, in which he essentially retreads stuff we already know: "The album will come out this year. There are ten Tuesdays left before January — it will come out on one of them."

Following the band's headlining show in San Bernadino, California, on September 23rd, frontman Axl Rose threw a party at his mansion and played the full album in his poolroom for visitors, including his friend Sebastian Bach, former singer of Skid Row.

"It was mind-blowing," says Bach, who is opening for Guns N' Roses on their upcoming North American arena tour. "It's a very cool album — it's badass with killer screams, killer guitar riffs, but it's got a totally modern sound. The word for it is 'grand.' It’s fucking epic. He's reinvented himself yet again."

The album includes some tracks that have been played live or leaked onto the Internet, including the poppy "Better" and the hard-hitting "I.R.S."

"There's this one song called 'Sorry' that's almost like doom metal with Axl singing really clean over this grinding, slow beat that is fucking mean," says Bach. "I cannot get it out of my head."

Veteran engineer Andy Wallace, who mixed Nirvana's "Nevermind," is working on the project, according to a source close to the band. "We're absolutely delighted with the mixes," the source told Rolling Stone.

On October 2th4, the band will begin its North American tour in Miami. Two dates — November 10th in New York and November 2th0 in Halifax, Nova Scotia — are already sold out, according to Mercuriadis. Additional U.S. dates will be added in early 2007, and the band will return to the States in the summer as well, he says.

Though a source told Rolling Stone that the album is due November 21st, Mercuriadis declined to confirm this. "I don't know that we will announce a release date," he says. "You just might walk into your record shop one Tuesday and find it there."

GN'R Collector's Box
Mood:  cool
Topic: Hair Metal
This DVD Collectors Box is a 2 disc set which tells the complete and extraordinary story of Guns N Roses using never-before-seen performance and interview footage, interviews with close friends, fellow band mates, family members, music biz colleagues, and close collaborators who know them best. It features numerous location shoots, unpublished photographs and a whole host of other features. Extras include digital interactive discography, interactive quiz and did you know section. Guns N Roses created a unique sound and image that nobody has matched since. This DVD goes behind that legendary story. It's a Guns N Roses collectors item of the highest order.



SKU#: DVDIS005
UPC: 823564508092
SRP: $24.95
BOX LOT: 30
RUN TIME: 120mins
LABEL: CHROME DREAMS
STREET DATE: 2007-01-30



Courtesy of mvdb2b.com

Skid Row Prepares For Release
Mood:  happy
Now Playing: Tour dates from Skid Row w/o Bach.
Topic: Hair Metal
Two decades into their impressive rock 'n' roll career, SKID ROW are proud to announce their first ever CD release party for the album "Revolutions Per Minute" due out October 24th on SPV / Steamhammer. Presented by True Music & Eddie Trunk, the HARD ROCK HALLOWEEN BASH featuring SKID ROW will be held at the all new Hard Rock Cafe, Times Square NYC on October 29th. Doors open at 7PM, music starts at 8. There will be special surprise guests, a costume contest with killer prizes and much more. This is event is FREE to all listeners of Friday Night Rocks with Eddie Trunk! Just listen to Eddie Trunk Friday night's 11pm - 2am eastern on Q104.3 to reserve your spot on the guest list. You can hear this show anywhere in the world by going to www.q1043.com and clicking on "Listen Live".

Only two other bands have had the honor of breaking in the new HARD ROCK CAFɠwith a live performance; VELVET REVOLVER and MOTLEY CRUE.

The CD release party is also the launching pad for the "Revolutions Per Minute" tour, with special guests KINGS X, presented by VH1 Classic and Gibson guitars. The tour, which will also have NASHVILLE PUSSY on select dates, officially kicks off on Halloween night. A full list of confirmed dates can be found at www.skidrow.com

SKID ROW "Revolutions Per Minute" Tour

10/20 Pensecola, FL - Interstate Fair
10/21 Daytona, FL - Biketoberfest- Broken Spoke
10/27 Jim Thorpe, PA - Penn's Peak
10/28 Burgettstown, PA - Pepsi Cola Roadhouse
10/29 New York, NY - Hard Rock Cafe Times Square
Record Release Party! Presented By Budweiser True Music & Eddie Trunk

Skid Row "Revolutions Per Minute" Tour w/ Kings X
11/01 St. Petersburg, FL - The State Theater
11/03 Atlanta, GA - Centerstage Atlanta
11/10 Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance
11/11 Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
11/12 Bedford, NH - Marks Showplace
11/16 Glendale Heights, IL - Double Vision
11/18 Warren, MI - The Ritz
11/22 Dallas, TX - Galaxy

***more dates to come, visit www.skidrow.com for updates***

Courtesy of www.skidrow.com

Breaking News!! Breaking News!!
Mood:  vegas lucky
Now Playing: Can it be that GN'R will release Chinese Democracy... Late November?
Topic: Hair Metal

Hate to be a rumor-spreader, but we can all hope, right?:

RollingStone.com reports: "From the annals of We'll Believe It When We See It: A friend of ours with a retail source has told us that the long awaited Guns N' Roses album, 'Chinese Democracy,' has gotten a firm release date of November 21st.

Under normal circumstances we'd laugh at such an assertion — after all, this album has reportedly cost more than $13 million and has been 'due out' since 1998. But whenever somebody has actually managed to get Axl to speak in the past few months, he's said it's coming out before the end of the year. Plus, there was that GN'R tour announcement the other day that alluded to a release date some time in the next two months. Dare to dream, folks. Dare to dream."

Gun N' Roses' "Greatest Hits" collection, which was originally issued in March of 2004, was certified triple-platinum on April 11th, 2006 by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for shipments in excess of three million copies. The CD sold 12,000 copies in the United States last week alone (week ending October 1), bringing the total number of copies sold since its release to 3.19 million, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Sebastian Bach, Damnocracy... And Chinese Democracy
Mood:  a-ok
Now Playing: An interview with Sebastian Bach
Topic: Hair Metal
After reconnecting with Axl Rose this past spring, Sebastian Bach will be the opening act for the upcoming Guns N' Roses stateside tour that gets started Oct. 20th in Jacksonville, Fla. Bach tells Billboard.com it's been one wild ride ever since.

"Just like the rest of the world, I had not been in touch with him in a long, long time and there was a point five years ago [when] I wondered if I'd ever see him again in my life," Bach says. "I was really good friends with him."

After jumping on stage with Rose to join in on the GNR classic "My Michelle" three times during the band's New York run in May, Bach says he approached the reclusive singer about opening for his band on a few of its European dates.

"I said, 'I love doing "My Michelle" with you but if you really, really, really want to help me out, can my band, like, open for you?'" Bach says. "He's not really super-effusive. He doesn't gush like I do. My emotions are pretty upfront. But I could tell in some way he was trying to help me out and the phone was silent. Then he said, 'If we could work something out, we'll do it. That would be a lot of fun.'"

That fun carried over to the European summer dates, which even found Bach filling in for an ailing Rose on "Nightrain" and "Paradise City" at Guns N' Roses' last London show in July.

As for his erstwhile band Skid Row, from which he was dismissed nearly a decade ago, Bach says there is absolutely no communication between him and his former bandmates. While he has no regrets about what happened with the '80s rock outfit, the New Jersey resident admits he'd like to see the band's platinum-selling VHS videos (1991's "Oh Say Can You Scream" and 1993's "No Frills Video" and "Roadkill") released on DVD at some point.

Bach says his experience this past year with Damnocracy, the all-star hard rock band formed on the VH1 reality show "Supergroup" with Ted Nugent, Scott Ian, Evan Seinfeld and Jason Bonham, reminded him why it's best to be a solo act. "I'm going to control this one," Bach says. "This is working because I don't have to wait around for the Foreigner tour or some hunting expedition."

While a new album, tentatively titled "Angel Down," already written, Bach, who recently split from Artemis Records, is currently shopping the album with some "major labels," he says. He hopes to have the project out next year.

Among the new tracks that could get stage time for Bach's GNR sets are "Stuck Inside" and "Take You Down With Me." Naturally, he'll also be performing his Skid Row hits, as well as the track "Blade," which he recorded as a member of progressive metal band Frameshift for its 2005 album "Absence of Empathy." And with news that Guns N' Roses' Nov. 10th show at Madison Square Garden has sold out, Bach can hardly hide his enthusiasm.

"I've been waiting to do this and it's just an unbelievable feeling for me to do 36 dates with Guns N' Roses now as a solo artist," he says. "And selling out the Garden is just blowing my mind."

source: John Benson of billboard.com