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What's Happening In The World of Classic Rock?
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March 11, 2008
Joe Perry Sidelined For Knee Surgery
It appears that the two shows Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry performed with his sons recently may have aggravated an existing problem with one of the 57-year-old rockers knees and forced him to schedule surgery on March 18.
The surgery has resulted in the postponement of a show on April 5 in Niagara Falls, New York.
Perry, has been suffering with a problem knee for around two years and had been putting off treatment to avoid disrupting Aerosmith’s schedule.
February 16, 2008
Guitar Hero Game Helps Fuel Interest In Classic Rock
The rock start wannabe video game “Guitar Hero” has been enjoying enormous popularity in recent years and in addition to providing hours of entertainment for gamers and providing fodder for an episode of South Park, the game is also helping to revive interest in some classic rock groups that the game has featured.
The interest is reflected in a very noticeable increase sales of songs that were chosen to be a part of the game. For example, Cheap Tricks hit song “Surrender” sold 58,000 digital copies during 2006 which soared to 161,000 in 2007.
Other groups benefited as well with Kiss tune “Strutter” increasing from 11,000 copies sold to 63,000. The Pretenders benefited as well, with an increase in sales from 5,000 to 16,000 for their “Tattooed Love Boys.”
Some groups are also noticing an increase in the number of younger people showing up for their classic rock performances, thanks to “Guitar Hero.” Kansas guitarist Rich Williams reports that “the front row of almost every show we did was filled with young teenagers. It’s all due to that. It’s brought us a whole new fan base.”
If any classic group is currently poised to enjoy a resurgence of interest in their music as a result of “Guitar Hero,” Aerosmith has to be that group. It was recently announced that a new version of the game called “Guitar Hero: Aerosmith,” is forthcoming and will feature only the music of the legendary Boston-based rockers.
In addition to the better-known Aerosmith tracks that fans might expect to appear in the game, there will also be some of the group’s more obscure and possibly forgotten songs included as well.
Aerosmith cooperated and contributed extensively to the creation of the new game and even helped developed some of the ideas that will help gamers enjoy the rock star experience. The game is expected to arrive in stores this June.
For more information, visit USA Today.
February 12, 2008
Joe Perry & Sons Talk To Local News Station
Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry invited a Connecticut TV news station into his Duxbury, Massachusetts home recently for a short interview.
This time, it was all about Joe’s sons, Adrian and Tony who have formed their own rock group known as TAB and are already winning over some critics with their first album.
As you might expect, Perry seems quite proud of his rock ‘n’ roll progeny and admits that he often has to "bite his tongue" and keep his comments to himself in order to let the boys find their own way on the path to wherever their musical careers happen to take them.
Perry also admits that 30 years ago he did not expect to see his kids playing rock like their dad and also reveals that he did not expect to still be performing at this age himself.
To check out the video interview, visit NBC 30
January 31, 2008
Aerosmith’s Joe Perry In Interview
A fairly lengthy interview with Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry has appeared on the The Pulse magazine web site.
In the interview, Perry talks about performing with his son’s band and how proud and impressed he is with the work of his boys. He has performed a bit with his sons and has plans to do it again next month 
at the Foxwoods casino in Connecticut.
Perry also discusses how Aerosmith got involved with Guitar Hero 3 and about the how the guys behind the Guitar Hero game are actually rock fans who Perry says think a lot like him, and how Guitar Hero is partly an effort to get good music out there for today’s young people.
As you might expect, there is some discussion of Aerosmith, including what the members of the band have been through in recent years, how they have managed to stay together for so long and their plans to work on their new album this year.
On the lighter side, Perry is asked about his famous (or infamous) appearance with American Idol contestant Sanjaya Malakar on the season finale of the popular talent competition last year.
To check out the text of the entire interview check out The Pulse magazine.
In other Aerosmith news, fans may want to check out Tom Hamilton’s interview on Boston’s local Fox station this morning.
January 12, 2008
Aerosmith’s Steve Tyler Cashes In On Tunes
Some of Aerosmith’s best-known hits will be sold by the groups frontman, Steve Tyler. In a deal that is reportedly worth $50 Million to Tyler, hits like "Love in an Elevator," "Dude Looks Like a Lady," "Janie’s Got a Gun," and "Jaded" will be sold to Primary Wave Music Publishing.
Primary Wave has been on something of a song-collection mission for a
while now and has managed to accumulate the rights to some of the Beatles’ songs by John Lennon, the publishing catalogs of Kurt Cobain, Daryl Hall and John Oates, and Steve Earle.
The motivation for Tyler’s decision to sell the tunes may be due to some new tax laws that have recently taken effect. Previously, a sale like this would impose hefty income taxes on the seller but the change reduces that amount substantially and now imposes a much more reasonable capital gains tax.
How die-hard Aerosmith fans react to this sale remains to be seen. Tyler, of course, has the legal right to sell his material and now Primary Wave will be able to use the tunes as they see fit.
For his part, Tyler says he trusts Primary Wave founder Larry Mestel, to not misuse the music by using it to "sell mattresses." I guess we’ll see.
Check out the Boston Globe for more on this story.
December 2, 2007
Joey Kramer Confirms Aerosmith Album & Tour Next Fall
In a recent online chat-style interview with fans, Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer revealed that the group has plans to have a new album ready for release sometime late next fall with a tour to follow.
He was also asked what his favorite song is from the new album and answered with "Innocent Man," so there’s a sneak peek at one of the song titles anyway.
Asked about his recovery from shoulder surgery, Kramer reports that he is 100% back to normal now.
Some of the other questions answered by Kramer revolved around fast cars, the Boston music scene and a few other Boston-centric issues.
November 19, 2007
More Details on Aerosmith Lawsuit
One of the attorneys on the legal team that has filed a class action lawsuit against Aerosmith on behalf of angry fans in Hawaii is speaking out and providing some details with regard to the lawsuit.
Attorney Brandee Faria states that fans in this case have lost more than would be expected under more normal circumstances. The concert, which was planned for Maui, where only 11 percent of the state’s population resides, created more than the usual travel challenges for fans planning to attend.
According to Faria, this resulted in fans losing far more than the cost of the tickets due to airfare, hotel and car rental expenses.
It is also alleged that Aerosmith canceled the show in favor of a more profitable one that they performed at in Chicago. Furthermore, Faria states that the group "provided no reason at all" when they first canceled and later claimed that logistical problems moving equipment to Hawaii was the cause of the cancellation.
What I found most interesting was Faria’s claim that there were no standard disclaimers on the tickets that inform the ticket holder that the group reserved the right to cancel or reschedule the event.
It is reported that the tickets simply have a notice on the front that reads "No Refunds/ Exchanges,’" and that the show will be performed "Rain or Shine" and on the back it reads "Positively No Refunds."
There is also an allegation that Aerosmith was on Hawaii just a short while after the date of the canceled show to play at a private show for Toyota.
It sure will be interesting to see how this one plays out. Like most other proceedings of this nature, it is likely to be a good long while before it is settled however.
October 23, 2007
Aerosmith In Legal Hot Seat Over Canceled Hawaii Show
This is the first time I can remember hearing about something like this, but with lawsuits over spilled coffee that was “too hot” and $67 Million Pants, I guess I should really not be surprised.
In this particular case, a bunch of fans have joined forces to sue Aerosmith for canceling a concert in Maui that was scheduled for September 26. The angry fans are claiming that they lost money on hotels, car rentals and other travel-related expenses.
According to a news report, some disgruntled fans could be in line to receive triple the amount of their losses in this case — if they are over the age of 62. It is hard for me to picture too many fans over 60 at an Aerosmith concert, so perhaps it will not be as damaging as it could have been for the boys in the band.
I don’t doubt there were some fans over 50 holding tickets for that show, but over 62? If the snubbed concert goers end up winning, I don’t think Aerosmith will be shelling out too many triple-damage amounts.
I have a hard time imagining any judge or jury ruling in favor of something like this, but I guess weird stuff does happen from time to time, so who knows?
You would think all the lawyers associated with a big-name group like Aerosmith, as well as those aligned with the promotion and record companies would have their bases well covered in anticipation of events like this, and they probably do. Aren’t there disclaimers printed on tickets that warn the buyer of cancellations?
I also wonder if there isn’t insurance for things like this and perhaps Aerosmith or their promoters would be covered under these circumstances.
Makes me wonder if Aerosmith will ever plan to do another show in Maui after this. I would not blame them if they turned up their noses at playing there again if they are ever touring down that way again.
Who says classic rock news is all about new albums and celebrity interviews?
September 5, 2007
Aerosmith Books Studio Time For New Album Work
Aerosmith is scheduled to start their studio work on November 1. Their hope is to come out the other end with a new album.
Although their plans sound a bit incomplete, Joe Perry reports that himself and Steve Tyler have “bits and pieces” which they hope they can expand upon for the new material. As long as these guys have been doing this, I suspect they will be able to come up with the goods.
Perry reports that the band is very excited about Rick Rubin’s new role in the “captain’s chair” at Sony music. Perry goes on to say that Rubin’s “heart’s in the right place when it comes to rock ‘n’ roll,” and they report that he will be involved in the new album in some capacity, although it may not be in a hands-on sense.
As A side note, Aerosmith is also working with the makers of “Guitar Hero” on the new “Guitar Hero IV,” which will be dedicated to the legendary rockers.
I personally have no experience with “Guitar Hero” but I’ve heard a lot about it. More, in fact, than any other game I can recall hearing anything about for quite some time.
I’m not into games and don’t pay much attention to them, so if I have heard a lot about “Guitar Hero,” it must be pretty popular. There must be one hell of a lot of air guitarists out there.
For more information, check out the story on Billboard.com.
September 2, 2007
Interview With Aerosmith’s Tom Hamilton
Having just returned from a tour that put Aerosmith in front of fans in some pretty exotic locations, the group’s bass guitarist, Tom Hamilton made himself available for an interview.
Among the things Hamilton said that I found most interesting were regarding the great reception the Boston-based rockers received in places like India, with fans that were obviously very familiar with the group’s work.
I’m always amazed to hear things like that. It always kind of surprises me to hear again about people on the other side of the world, who have a very different culture, and live so differently that we do are so familiar with our music and our movies and whatnot. I guess it demonstrates the enormous power and influence our entertainment industry has all around the world.
Hamilton also talks a little bit about his bout with cancer last year and reports that he seems to be free of it and is in good health these days.
Asked about how the band has managed to stay together for so many years with the original members, Hamilton points to his role within the group as a kind of peace maker and goes on to talk about how everyone has their own important role to play within the group and how that has kept them together for so long.
