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March 18, 2010
Boston’s Tom Scholz In New Legal Battle
It’s been a while since we’ve heard any Boston news, and unfortunately this latest development isn’t something for fans to be excited about, like the announcement of a new album release or something. Even so, news is news, and it is clear that founder Tom Scholz does not care much for people saying things about him that he says are not true.
In a new lawsuit that has been filed in Suffolk County Superior Court, Scholz and his legal team are accusing Beantown newspaper The Boston Herald of libel. According to court documents, Scholz is accusing Herald reporters Gayle Fee and Laura Raposa “falsely reported that Mr. Delp’s ex-wife blamed his suicide on Mr. Scholz.”
The suit goes on to say that Delp’s ex-wife stated under oath that she did not make any statements blaming Scholz for Brad Delp’s suicide.
Legal documents usually make for pretty boring reading, but often contain tidbits of information that may not have been widely disseminated before. Like all lawsuits, the content of this one is based on what the plaintiff claims is true, and it is up to the court to sort it out and and decide what the truth actually is.
The first portion of the suit lays out the evidence that Scholz and his attorneys are using to build their case upon, while the second portion describes the damage they say has been inflicted on Scholz. This is described in part as “…emotional stress, embarrassment and humiliation, the nature of which no reasonable person could be expected to endure and for which Mr. Scholz is entitled to recover.”
No specific amount is mentioned in the lawsuit, instead, it states that Scholz is asking the court to “…award him damages against the Defendants in the amount determined by the jury, plus statutory interest.” The suit does indeed state that a trial by jury is “demanded,” which I can only presume is the usual way such things are stated within the context of a lawsuit.
Perhaps the outcome of this lawsuit will signal the end of the drama that resulted from disputes among some of the original members of the group, and have dragged on for years. Maybe that’s just wishful thinking, but it would be nice to be able to talk about something positive regarding Boston, a group that earned its place as one of the most successful rock acts to ever emerge from the region.
The entire lawsuit can be viewed on the Boston Globe website.
March 17, 2010
Caffeine Catches Up With Dave Grohl
Much has been said throughout history about “too much of a good thing,” and for Them Crooked Vultures drummer Dave Grohl, the “good thing” of choice is coffee.
Whether coffee is good or bad for you is something best left to doctors and nutritionists to debate, but Grohl’s reported five-pot-a-day intake pushed his body a bit past its ability to deal with that much caffeine. Who the heck wouldn’t be bouncing off the walls, or perhaps ceilings with that much caffeine in them?
Being the fun-loving and crazy guys that rock stars tend to be, the guys from the Vultures put together a little video recently that featured a caffeine-crazed Grohl screaming for “fresh pots,” hammering away at lightning speed on his drum kit, and playing some kind of 4-stringed instrument that looks like it may be some variation of the mandolin or something.
The video is amusing, and probably the kind of thing you would expect from crazy rock musician types. Hey, who doesn’t like to have a little fun once in a while and act a bit silly in the process?
Apparently things went from silly to decidedly more serious when Grohl had to be rushed to the doctor after suffering from the effects of too much caffeine. The incident unfolded just two weeks after the video was shot.
According to a few quick tidbits dredged up on the web, too much caffeine can lead to symptoms such as nervousness, gastrointestinal disturbance (ouch!), muscle twitching, rambling flow of thought and speech, and rapid heartbeat.
It is also said that caffeine overdoes can be fatal in some cases, but Grohl was probably nowhere near the level it would take to actually kill him. Let’s hope so, anyway!
The video entitled “Fresh Pots!” can be enjoyed below, and we’re glad to hear that Grohl came through his ordeal just fine and has reduced his intake of coffee as a result.
March 16, 2010
Led Zeppelin Far From Deflated
As one of the most influential rock groups of all time, Led Zeppelin will likely be listened to and talked about for decades to come. Sometimes it seems as if they might be as popular today as they were back in the 1970’s – even though they are no longer together!
Beyond the reunion rumors that flare up every so often, the name Led Zeppelin manages to stay in the news on a pretty regular basis these days. Most recently, the discovery of an alleged unknown recording of a Zeppelin show from 1971 is making headlines.
Vic Kemp is the lucky fan in the U.K. who made the discovery while attending what’s described as a “car boot sale,” an event which those of us in the U.S. would likely call a flea market. Kemp was browsing through some CDs at the event when the fellow who was selling them said he might have something that Kemp would be interested in.
The item in question was a CD that was marked with a felt-tipped pen and dated 1972. As it turned out, the date was a bit off, but that probably doesn’t matter much to Kemp. For just two or three pounds (somewhere between $3 and $5) Kemp took home a recording of a 1971 concert by Led Zeppelin at a location known as St. Matthews Baths Hall.
Although some fans are underwhelmed by this news, and say this bootleg CD has been around for years, some media outlets have been touting this as a major discovery. Whether or not it is, it’s got Led Zeppelin in the headlines again.
We’ve also recently heard some surprising news that R&B singer Mary J. Blige is a Led Zeppelin fan. She even recorded her own versions of two Led Zeppelin classic recently, “Stairway to Heaven” and “Whole Lotta Love.” Blige said that she has been a fan since she was a kid, and that the group’s music has always moved her. The two tracks are on the international version of her album, Stronger with Each Tear.
Another celebrity talking about Zeppelin these days is former pro wrestling star Jesse Ventura. These days the former Minnesota governor is keeping busy with his TruTV show Conspiracy Theory with Jesse Ventura, and promoting his new book, but he took some time recently to sit down for an interview, during which he was asked whether he preferred the Beatles or Led Zeppelin.
Ventura’s answer, apparently delivered without hesitation was Led Zeppelin. “Led Zeppelin of course! Led Zeppelin is my favorite band of all time and the Rolling Stones are a close second,” Ventura reportedly responded.
March 11, 2010
Ron Wood Works Towards Sobriety – Considers Marriage
The drama that was Ron Wood’s life seems to have subsided. The Rolling Stones guitarist is said to be working hard to stay sober, and is “desperate to give up for good.” There’s some high-powered support for Wood, which is being credited as a great help to him.
Including on Wood’s support team are fellow Rolling Stone Mick Jagger, long-time friend and former Faces band mate Rod Stewart, as well as pop star Elton Jon. Jagger reportedly calls Wood regularly to check up on him, and offer encouragement.
Perhaps even more encouragement and support comes by way of Wood’s new girlfriend. Wood has been seeing 30-year-old Ana Arujo since around the beginning of the year, and it is said that the Brazilian beauty has had a very positive influence on his life. So positive in fact, that is is being reported by the Daily Express that Wood is considering marrying her.
Wood split not long ago from Ekaterina Ivanova, ending a tumultuous affair that certainly kept the two in the spotlight, and did not seem to do much good for Wood’s struggles with addiction. The affair ended after a particularly nasty fight between the two that resulted in the police being called to the scene.
In other Rolling Stones news, a recent story in Rolling Stone magazine quotes guitarist Keith Richards regarding the possibility of a new Stones album in the not-too-distant future.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if we did some recording later this year,” Richards said. “I don’t know how the rest of them feel about roadwork at the moment. Maybe we’ll search for a different way for the Stones to go back on the road.”
In contrast to Ron Wood, Richards seems to have no problems with the relationship he has with alcohol. After rumors that he had given up drinking, Richards had this to say: “Listen, the rumors of my sobriety are greatly exaggerated. And we’ll leave it at that.”
Leaves little doubt why actor Johnny Depp chose Richards to model certain characteristics of his Pirates of The Caribbean character, “Captain Jack Sparrow” after Richards.
March 9, 2010
Foreigner, Jethro Tull, Kansas and Styx Prep For Summer Tours
As the Sun begins to banish the bitter winter chill and eat away at the snow here in the northeast, the newswire continues to deliver word of more classic rock groups who are set to offer their U.S. fans another opportunity to catch them live.
Three classic rock powerhouses – Foreigner, Kansas, and Styx have teamed up for something they are calling the “United We Rock” tour. All three groups are well-known for their fair share of hit singles that blared from countless car stereos during the 1970’s and 1980’s.
Today, classic rock radio stations continue to pump out those same hits, keeping those classic favorites alive, and bringing a new generation of fans into the classic rock fold. Although the crowds at these up-coming shows will likely feature a good number of graying heads (for those of us who still have hair!), there are sure to be many fans who were not yet born when these groups were at the top of their game, and packing stadium-sized venues full of screaming fans.
Although only a handful of dates have been announced so far, the summer tour dubbed “United We Rock” is set to open on June 3rd in Kansas City. This one should be one of the top classic rock tickets of the summer. The tour heads west after the debut show to finish out the month of June, and more dates will be announced soon, including stops in Boston and Chicago.
A press release from the tour quotes Styx guitarist James “JY” Young as saying “These three bands represent the more rocking side of the classic rock genre. With the countless great rock songs each band will be performing, this is going to be a guitars-a-blazin’ good time had by all.”
British rock veterans Jethro Tull are said to be planning a new album in addition to a summer U.S. tour. Starting on June 11th in Miami, the tour will then take the group north to Boston, Chicago and Toronto, among others.
Tull’s plans for a new album will end an 11-year drought for the group, one that is remembered for iconic hits such as “Aqualung,” “Locomotive Breath,” and “Living In The Past.”
Regarding the new album, enduring frontman Ian Anderson says, “I have sent material over to America where the band are working on it. That’s kind of how it works these days but they seem to like what I am doing.”
No release date for the new material has yet been announced, but it is probably a bit too early in the process. Perhaps there’s a chance they will showcase a taste of their new work while on tour.
So far it looks like the summer of 2010 is looking pretty good for classic rock fans. It is probably reasonable to assume that more tour news is on the way. The market is obviously still hungry for the genre, and other recent reunion plans are bound to translate into more live shows for classic rock fans across North America.
More on these tours is available at Live Daily.
