Is Aerosmith ‘09 Tour Becoming Van Halen ‘08 Tour?

Having just begun their much-anticipated summer tour with ZZ Top, Boston rockers Aerosmith have postponed two shows due to an “artist injury.” The show at Cincinnati’s Riverbend Music Center was called off Wednesday night and the group issued a statement yesterday announcing that Sunday’s show in Virginia Beach has been postponed as well.

One cannot help but think of similar events a little over a year ago when Van Halen abruptly started postponing shows and eventually began offering similar explanations regarding the health of one of the band members.

Virginia-area fans seem to be having a run of bad luck where big classic rock acts are concerned since the Charlottesville show was the first one that was postponed by Van Halen last year and Virginia Beach was the second show to be axed by Aerosmith this time.

Photo Credit: Chris Gampat

Although the explanation provided by Aerosmith for the postponements is a bit vague and no doubt has fans wondering what’s ailing who, at least they announced a reason in pretty short order, unlike Van Halen, who were suspiciously mum about why they were suddenly calling off shows. That led to speculation that included rumors of a barroom brawl, as well as a lot of talk about the state of Eddie Van Halen’s sobriety.

Eventually, Van Halen released information that revealed it was indeed Eddie Van Halen’s health that was behind the tour’s abrupt halt, but insiders (including Eddie Van Halen’s ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli) were adamant in their statements that claimed his problems had nothing to do with drug or alcohol abuse. As far as I know, the details of his medical problems at that time were never made public.

As we all know, Van Halen did indeed return to the road and finish up what turned out to be a very successful tour – something we can probably expect from Aerosmith once the medical issues are resolved.

It’s understandable that fans would be upset about cancellations after spending their time and money, and in some cases, even showing up at the event only to discover that it had been postponed. I suppose this is the kind of thing that fans may have to anticipate when the acts they are going to see are comprised of people that have been performing since Nixon was President – and maybe even longer than that!

Even though Aerosmith has publicly announced that the postponements are due to an injury, there are rumors circulating that suggest poor ticket sales may be the real culprit. The reason for the speculation about poor ticket sales? According to AntiMusic, high ticket prices for Aerosmith’s home-town show in Boston kept fans away and resulted in about 3,000 empty seats in the 10,000-seat venue.

That turn of events reportedly led Live Nation to send reps out onto the lawn and start offering inside seating to fans for an additional $20. With tickets for the good seats demanding a cool $233 a pop at that show, I can easily understand why there might be a noticeable number of them empty when the Bad Boys From Boston were about to take to the stage.

I admit I’m not a huge Aerosmith fan, but when I ask myself if I would be willing to part with $233 to see one of my favorite classic rock acts, I’m still coming up with the same answer. No way.

Even if money was no object, I think I would still ‘object’ to those prices (the English language is sometimes an amusing plaything). Asking for that kind of money to see these guys – especially in this economy – is just crazy, and frankly, comes across as a bit arrogant.

While money is likely not a problem for anyone within the ranks of Aerosmith, that’s certainly not the case for the vast majority of their fans. Maybe the time they have on their hands during this break in their tour would be best spent thinking a little more about their fans and less about that next new Harley or vacation home.

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Tags: Aerosmith, Cincinnati, Postponed, tour, Virginia Beach

Who Knew? A Queen-Michael Jackson Connection

As millions of fans around the world mourn his untimely passing, it has come to light that Michael Jackson had become friends with Queen’s late singer Freddie Mercury during the 1980’s. As described by Brian May, the two met up when Jackson would go to see Queen in concert and the two eventually ended up recording some material together at Jackson’s home.

The recordings have never been released, but there is bound to be a lot of curiosity among fans of Jackson as well as Queen fans about how those tracks came out. There is no word on whether they will ever be heard by the public or who is actually in possession of the recordings at this time.

May also says that the legendary Queen hit “Another One Bites The Dust” may have never achieved its number one status if it were not for Michael Jackson. Having heard the song at one of the group’s shows during “The Game” tour Jackson suggested that it be released as a single. The rest, as the well-worn saying goes, is history.

Jackson’s extraordinary talent was not lost on Brian May. On his personal blog he writes: “I think he qualifies as a great artist; he devoted his whole body and soul to his art. It’s as if, with all the changes he introduced to his body, his art actually became his body and his persona.”

You can read all of Brian May’s comments on his blog at BrianMay.com.

Tags: Brian May, freddie mercury, Michael Jackson, Queen, Recordings

Tommy DeCarlo Audio Interview

From the way Tommy DeCarlo talks about his experience as the lead vocalist for legendary rock group Boston, the appreciation he has for the opportunity has not diminished at all. The former Home Depot employee recently talked to the folks at Melodicrockconcerts.com for about 36 minutes and shared some of his memories from the amazing journey has been on since he was discovered after posting some of his vocal performances on the internet.

You can tell that talking to DeCarlo is not like talking to a veteran rock star, and that’s kind of cool, since he sounds more like the guy next door than the guy on stage in front of screaming fans. Originally from Utica, New York, it’s easy to tell from his accent that he’s not native to the North Carolina home he shares with his wife and wife and two kids.

Although it’s not entirely clear what DeCarlo’s future with wind up being, he’s enormously grateful for the experience he had working with the band while touring with Styx last year. Spending time on the road with them evolved into a friendship with the guys from Styx that continues today. DeCarlo described his recent reunion with Styx at one of their shows as like seeing family.

Boston founder Tom Scholz is said to be working on new material, something DeCarlo would surely be interested in if he is invited to participate. Asked whether he would be willing to go on tour with Boston again, he jokingly says “Let me see. Let me think about that,” and then delivers a very decisive “Yes, I would love to.”

Despite the uncertainty of his future with Boston, DeCarlo is not sitting just around his house waiting for the phone to ring. He has involved himself in some of his own projects and reveals that he has been working with some writers and producers and doing jingles, which gives him some valuable experience in the studio. He describes it as a “great little gig,” and is something that probably allows him to continue to enjoy freedom from his old job at Home Depot.

Although I don’t know the exact details of Tommy DeCarlo’s employment status today and whether or not his musical endeavors earn him enough to pay the bills, I think the thought of returning to Home Depot after touring with Boston would be pretty tough on just about anyone. However, if it had to be done, DeCarlo strikes me as the kind of guy that has the humble, unassuming attitude that would allow him to put that orange apron right back on again and go back to helping customers navigate around the store.

I really kind of doubt that’s something he’s going to have to worry about though.

There’s a lot more in the interview which can be listened to at Melodicrockconcerts.com.

Tags: Audio, Boston, interview, Tommy DeCarlo

Alice Cooper: Shock Rocker For Christ

It may seem like an odd combination. A shock rocker whose acts often included murder scenes dramatized on stage, fake guillotines, electric chairs, blood as well as lyrics that included subjects like necrophilia. But don’t let the on-stage Alice Cooper fool you into thinking he is some kind of disciple of Satan. In face, Cooper bristles whenever he is accused of being satanic.

Cooper’s true beliefs are actually quite contrary to anything remotely satanic. Cooper describes himself as a a Christian who says he has dedicated his life to Christ. Vincent Damon Furnier, who later changed his name to Alice Cooper, was raised Christian, but really did not embrace his faith until alcoholism threatened to end his marriage. After attending church with his wife Sheryl during his struggle with addiction during the 1980’s, he admits that he chose the path of Christianity more out of fear of going to Hell than anything else.

Although this is the first time Cooper has publically spoken at length about his faith, he has no desire to become a celebrity Christian. “I’m a rock singer. I’m nothing more than that. I’m not a philosopher. I consider myself low on the totem pole of knowledgeable Christians. So, don’t look for answers from me," he says.

Cooper’s Christian beliefs have influenced his infamous shock rock shows by eliminating anything that might encourage promiscuous sex and drinking. “I was one thing at one time, and I’m something new. I’m a new creature now. Don’t judge Alice by what he used to be. Praise God for what I am now,” Cooper proclaims.

Some very well-known personalities from the world of music have also decided to embrace Christianity according to Cooper, “The ones that you would think are the furthest gone are the ones that are more apt to listen.”

Fellow shock rocker Marilyn Manson is obviously not one of those people. Cooper believes that Manson’s 1996 album Antichrist Superstar was pointed directly at him, and theorizes that Manson had a negative Christian experience earlier in his life and thinks he may have been involved with some “less-than-Christian-Christians" that influenced his thinking regarding Christianity.

Like many other religions, there are various Christian groups that branch out and come to their own conclusions about how their faith should be put into practice. Cooper has found himself a target of some Christians who do not believe he should be mixing his professional career as a shock rocker with his faith, but he dismisses their accusations.

“It has also gotten me in trouble with the staunch Christians who believe that in order to be a Christian you have to be on your knees 24 hours a day in a closet somewhere. Hey, maybe some people can live like that, but I don’t think that’s the way God expected us to live, he says.”

Despite all the craziness going on in the world today, Alice Cooper remains optimistic and believes that “humanity is craving for answers directly born of awareness.” He goes on to say that, “Even the addicts are saying, ‘It doesn’t matter how many drugs I take, I’m not fulfilled. This isn’t satisfying.’ There’s a spiritual hunger going on. Everybody feels it. If you don’t feel it now, you will. Trust me. You will… Drinking beer is easy. Trashing your hotel room is easy. But being a Christian, that’s a tough call. That’s rebellion."

For more on this story visit The Morung Express.

Tags: Alice Cooper, Christian, God, Marilyn Manson, Satan

Heart’s Wilson Sisters Broaden Their Horizons With Children’s Book

You may know them as the rocking sisters of the veteran rock act Heart, but sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson are set to make a name for themselves as authors as well. They are in the process of finishing up work on a children’s book that is based on their 1978 album Dog & Butterfly. Admittedly not one of my favorite Heart albums, but it does sound like a great inspiration for a children’s book.

Ann and Nancy Wilson may be writing a book, but that does not mean they have any career-changing plans. They are also in the process of working on a new album, although they are uncertain about its completion date.

“We’re recording with just a real woodshed, small acoustic element, people playing together at the same time and (in) the same room — like what they used to call a hootenanny,” Nancy Wilson says. “There’s no ProTools feel to it at all. We’re just sitting around playing guitars together and going for a performance that is on the spot.”

That’s the kind of talk I lake to hear coming from Heart, since I think that is the kind of environment where they really shine. Their 1976 album, Dreamboat Annie, which remains one of my favorite albums of all time, was recorded on a 16-track Ampex tape machine coupled with a used tube-driven console that was purchased from United Studios who was in the process of upgrading their own consoles to the newer solid-state versions at the time.

The sound they coaxed out of that old set-up over thirty years ago amazes me to this day. One of the best-sounding albums I have ever heard. That’s what makes Wilson’s comments about keeping the process of recording the new album simple so intriguing.

Returning to the present day and getting back to the new album, Nancy Wilson reports that they have about eight songs that they are really pleased with and that three basic tracks have been recorded so far. It’s interesting to note that in addition to recording in Los Angeles, some recording has been done in various hotel rooms during the course of the group’s tours. I’m very interested to find out what a new Heart album will sound like.

Some of the material from the new album may be debuted live this summer. Heart is scheduled for a number of dates into September, including nine shows they are opening for Journey.

Thanks to Billboard for the news.

Tags: Ann, Children's Book, Heart, Nancy, New Album, tour, Wilson