Here We Go Again: Led Zeppelin ‘Confirmed’ For Bonnaroo

Seems like there are quite a few news outlets claiming to have "insider" information these days regarding Led Zeppelin’s plans for their next gig or world tour. Until I see quotes from the band of their official spokespeople, I think we can all take this with a grain of salt.

This time it’s U.K. tabloid newspaper The Daily Mirror that reports news from their "insider" which "confirms" the earlier rumors that Led Zeppelin will perform at Bonnaroo in 2008.

Bonnaroo, for those that do no already know is a music event that takes place in Tennessee during June each year.

According to this report it was Robert Plant who was the hold out up until recently, but has now had a "change of heart" which will allow the group to form up again and head for Bonnaroo next June and perhaps even head out on tour if all goes well.

Until the official word comes from Led Zeppelin about any new plans for shows or tours, we are likely to see these rumors persist as the media outlets scramble to be the first one with the scoop.

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Tags: bonnarroo, Led Zeppelin, reunion, tour

Sacha Baron Cohen As Freddie Mercury In New Movie

That crazy guy most of us know as "Borat" has been tapped to portray the late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in a new film that does not yet have a name.

Cohen reportedly edged out Johnny Depp for the role which makes perfect sense to me. I have a hard time picturing Depp as Mercury and for me, Cohen is a much better choice. I know Depp seems to go for  the unusual roles, but I just don’t see him as a good fit for Mercury.

Mercury was well known as a flamboyant performer who died of an AIDS-related illness in 1991, which brought the group’s activities to a stop for a time until they decided to team up with Paul Rodgers and work together under the banner "Queen & Paul Rodgers."

Just within the last week I caught a 1981 Queen performance from Montreal on the RAVE Channel and although Mercury’s choice of wardrobe for the latter portion of the performance was a bit over-the-top for my choice,  there’s no denying he was a talented performer and fine musician.

The movie should be interesting and one that I will definitely have to check out. As flamboyant and unique as Freddie Mercury was, I think Cohen can pull it off.

Thanks to Spin for the head’s up on this story.

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Tags: freddie mercury, movie, Queen, sacha baron cohen

Interview With Scorpions Frontman Klaus Meine

The more I hear the Scorpions and read their interviews, the more I like those world-famous German rockers. I see a lot of interviews with various rock groups showing up here and there, and if there were an award for the most interviews, I’d have to nominate the Scorpions for the top honors. They really seem to make an effort to stay in touch with their fans on a regular basis.

The latest interview is with lead vocalist Klaus Meine and can be found on the Metal Express Radio website.

Although I cannot count the Scorpions as one of my all-time favorites, one thing I really like about them is that their stuff is just so damn ‘listenable’ for me.

The other day I was having a little trouble deciding what I wanted to listen to. I just wanted a break from my usual selections and decided to load up the player with all of the Scorpions stuff I have — about eight albums worth.

I listened to all of those albums straight through and was hard pressed to find a single track that I really disliked. There might have been two or three I did not care much for but that was it. They’re just good, solid rockers if you ask me.

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Tags: interview, klaus meine, Scorpions

Bon Jovi No Longer Worried About Success

We’ve been hearing some news about Jon Bon Jovi recently, including rumors about the rocker’s interest in New Jersey politics.

The latest from Bon Jovi concerns some recent comments he made regarding his feelings about success in the music business.

Taking to Contactmusic.com, Bon Jovi said, "It’s not about having to prove anything any more. I think we feel that less and less with each album - we know what we have achieved."

Although Bon Jovi the band is not as popular as they once were, they seem to be attracting enough attention from fans to keep touring and that seems to be enough to keep them satisfied.

No longer worried much about the success of new albums, Bon Jovi is more concerned with experimentation and the growth that he feels will come to the group as a result.

In another statement that hints that he may be a little bit concerned about becoming just another oldies act, Bon Jovi says, "It’s important we experiment. Without experimentation there wouldn’t be growth, and you risk becoming something of a nostalgia act, trying to repeat past successes."

Tags: Bon Jovi, comments, jon, quotes

Latest Invasion Brings Aging British Rockers Big Bucks

The year 2007 certainly saw it’s share of classic rock reunion tours. In yet another musical invasion from Great Britain, well-known rockers from a decade or two ago cleaned up nicely by performing in front of fans willing to pay handsomely to see their old favorites onstage once again.

Topping the list of big money-makers is The Police, who managed to collect and impressive $132 Million (give or take a few thousand) by selling tickets to U.S. fans for an average $114 per ticket. (Am I dreaming, or do I remember paying around $20 per ticket just a mere 25 years or so ago?)

Coming in second, but certainly not considering a visit to the welfare office any time soon is Rod Stewart who is taking home about $49 Million, thanks to his adoring fans.

In a close third, Genesis earned about $47 Million for their reunion tour that placed them onstage here in the U.S. for 25 shows.

At the back of the pack, but still showing an enviable profit is Roger Waters of Pink Floyd fame, who managed to stuff his duffel bag with a reported $38 Million or so before heading home to England. I can only just imagine what kind of tax payments these blokes will be making!

Although other contemporary U.S. artists scored well in the earnings competition, it was The Police who take home the award for top-grossing U.S. tour for 2007 and that’s kind of nice to hear for an aging classic rock fan like myself.

Take that, Justin Timberlake!

New York Teacher Rocks Class With Bon Jovi

In what could surely considered an unusual teaching aide, a fourth grade teacher in Westbury, New York is using material from Bon Jovi to teach her students English.

Roxanne Basandella, a teacher at the Drexel Avenue School is a long-time fan of the classic rock group and has found a way to combine her love for their music with her career as a teacher.

Basandella analyzes the lyrics from the group’s songs with her class, checking for correct grammar as well as other things that an English teacher would be looking for, I suppose.

The fun part — apparently for both Basandella and her students — comes when the all sing and dance together.

As unconventional as this seems for an English class, it seems to be working. The kids love it and the teacher gets to sing and dance along with her favorite music at work.

Basandella’s unique teaching methods have also found favor with an organization called the New York State English Council which has rewarded her with the 2007 Elementary School Teacher of the Year award.

Nicely done, Ms. Basandella. It’s always nice to see someone introducing classic rock to the youngsters!

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Jason Bonham Glides Back Down To Earth

The son of Led Zeppelin drum legend John Bonham is beginning to come down off the high that resulted from being part of an event that was one of the most anticipated in rock’s recent memory.

I suppose when you hear things from your kids like "Dad, it’s over now. Stop thinking you’re something special. The toilet’s broken and you’ve got to fix it," you really know it’s over. And for Bonham it appears to be. At least for now.

In a telephone interview with the Sun Sentinel newspaper in Bonham’s adopted home state of Florida, the drummer hard a hard time finding the words to describe the experience of performing onstage alongside the likes of Robert Plant, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones.

Bonham now returns to his "day job" as drummer for classic rock group Foreigner where he seems to have found a comfortable home and even describes Foreigner’s founding guitarist Mick Jones as somewhat of a father figure. At 63 years of age, Jones’ birth date is not too far from that of the elder Bonham, who would be 59 years old.

Speculation remains concerning more Led Zeppelin performances and Jason Bonham either does not know if it will happen or is keeping a tight lid on the news.

It would be hard to imagine him turning down the opportunity to play with his father’s old band mates again so it seems a safe bet that he will be a part of any Zeppelin tour plans that may materialize.

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Cabo Wabo Radio Set To Launch New Year’s Eve

That well-known rock wild man Sammy Hagar is planning to shake things up a little on the virtual airwaves with the launch of his new internet rock radio station.

Named for Hagar’s hangout in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico where the partying never seems to end, Cabo Wabo Radio was built by co-founders Shadoe Stevens and Woody Nelson and, according to Hagar, will feature "high energy new rock, hot rock, cutting-edge, and classic rock around the clock."

The New Year’s Eve party that will coincide with the station’s launch will be broadcast live and will include performances by surprise guest stars and will reportedly have hundreds of special guests from around the world in attendance.

The studios that will serve as home for Cabo Wabo Radio are being constructed behind glass next to the stage at The Cantina where the station will be able to present live performances, interviews with stars and other celebrities from all over.

Potential listeners can check out more information online at Cabo Wabo Radio web site.

Scorpions Rock The Kremlin

Russian President Vladimir Putin may have felt the Scorpion’s sting during a special performance at the Kremlin where Putin and a number of former KGB officials were in attendance.

Although the band may not have been given the complete story when they agreed to perform at a function they were told would be "a very special Christmas occasion," they managed to make their voices heard loud and clear with a performance of their hit song "Winds of Change."

Apparently, the group was not aware that the function would be an internal Kremlin event that was intended to honor the Bolshevik founding of the secret police some 90 years ago.

Performing "Winds of Change," a song that was written after lead singer Klaus Meine visited Moscow a number of years ago and was inspired by changes he sensed that were coming to the Communist Government, may not have been the kind of thing Putin was counting on hearing since he is quoted as saying that the break-up of the Soviet Union was "greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century."

One thing I would be quite certain of is that Klaus Meine and Company would not be in agreement with that sentiment. Rock on, Scorpions!

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Rush’s Neil Peart Wins ‘Drummie’ Award

I’ve always kind of though of Rush as a musician’s band. By that, I mean that I think they have more than the typical percentage of fans that are themselves musicians. I attribute this to the technical excellence each member of the group demonstrates.

As excellent as both Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson are with their chosen instruments, I believe the real stand-out of the group has always been Neil Peart. He’s a long-time favorite of drummers around the world and seems to be universally respected - a real drummer’s drummer.

This distinction has earned Peart an award recently, the "Drummer of The Year" Award as presented by DRUM! Magazine. The award is the result of the magazine’s readership survey that attracted approximately 4000 participants.

Phil Hood, publisher of Enter Music Publishing is quoted as saying: "Neil Peart was on our June cover because we suspected this would be a big album for Rush. Even though our audience skews younger than Rush’s fan base, he’s a huge influence on all drummers, so it’s not surprising he finally won this award from DRUM!’s readers."

Needless to say, I am not surprised to learn that Peart was honored with this reward. More than a few drummers consider him the best rock drummer of all time and I would find it hard to argue with that.

For more on this story and the names of drummers who scored awards in other categories, check out Blabbermouth.

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