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December 1, 2008
Classic Rock Briefs For December 1, 2008
Drummer Michael Lee Dies At The Age of 39
Probably recognized most for his work with Led Zeppelin’s Robert Plant, drummer Michael Lee has died at the age of 39. Lee was tapped to be a part of Plant’s solo band and remained with Plant when he reunited with Jimmy Page in 1994. He was also on both albums that resulted from that reunion, No Quarter: Jimmy Page And Robert Plant Unledded and Walking Into Clarksdale.
Lee was also known for his work with other groups including Echo & The Bunnymen, Little Angels, The Cult and Thin Lizzy, as well as for his playing in bands for several theatrical performances.
It was reported that Lee died as the result of a seizure after being out the night before and reporting that he was not feeling well. Former Queen frontman Freddie Mercury and KISS drummer Eric Carr also passed away on the same date, November 24.
Live Earth Event Cancelled
As a result of the recent terrorist attack in the Indian city of Mumbai, it has been decided to cancel the Live Earth concert that was to take place there.
Major rock acts such as Bon Jovi and Roger Waters of Pink Floyd were scheduled to perform.
Tour Rider From Van Halen Tour Revealed
Although there were no reports of requirements for M&M’s candies with the brown ones removed, the tour rider for the recent Van Halen tour does contain a few interesting details that may hint at the state of the personal relationships between the members of the band.
Frontman David Lee Roth was required to have a dressing room that was as far away as possible from the dressing rooms of the other group members. Roth’s dressing room was also required to be lacking any carpeting or rugs in order to facilitate his martial arts activities that are presumably part of his preparation for his performance.
Not surprisingly, a “study room” was also called for, where bass player Wolfgang Van Halen could spend time with a tutor. Being 16-years-old at the time of the tour’s starting date, private tutoring may have put a slight damper on his new rock star status, but his continued education was obviously considered important enough to add a private tutor to the tour.
Although no request was made for any alcoholic beverages in any dressing room, it appears that Eddie Van Halen’s on-stage cooler was stocked with a modest selection of wine. Full Story.
November 21, 2008
Classic Rock Briefs For November 21, 2008
Sammy Hagar Answers Questions From Boneheads
Well, that’s hw San Francisco radio station KSAN, “107.7 The Bone” refers to their listeners, many of whom were probably pleasantly surprised to hear a surprise visit from Sammy Hagar who dropped by the studios to talk about his current activities and answer call-in questions from fans.
In addition to getting his voice heard live on the Bay Area radio station, Hagar’s visit was also filmed by someone who is known, affectionately I presume, as “Baby Huey,” who wielded the “Huey Cam” to capture Hagar’s visit for fans to enjoy. You can check out the station’s website for the interview and video.
Roger Waters And Bon Jovi on Live Earth Roster
The city of Mumbai (formerly Bombay), the financial capital of India will host the Live Earth event next month with Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters and Bon Jovi scheduled to perform. Along with the veteran rockers, Bollywood actors Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Hritik Roshan are expected to be in attendance to lend their support to the effort.
Former U.S. Vice President and former Presidential candidate Al Gore, who is credited as the founder of the Live Earth events is also expected to be present. Full Story.
October 17, 2008
Scorpions Have Rocked The Planet
Whether you consider their albums sales in excess of 80 million or the impressive number of locations around the world where they have performed as their most impressive accomplishment, the Scorpions are surely a band that has gone global.
When your hear reports of children on the banks of the Amazon River singing one of your songs, I suppose it is safe to assume you have made it, and that satisfaction has not come for these German rockers without logging a lot of miles and playing a lot of shows for their fans across the globe.
In addition to venues you would expect them to appear at in Europe and North America, they can lay claim to having performed at some exotic locations that a lot of other well-known rockers are unable to match. Among them is a show in Shillong, the capital of a state in India that is near the Himalayas, where the townspeople where all given the day off in honor of the event.
They have also performed during a snowstorm in the notoriously frigid Siberia where the temperature hovered around –10 degrees at the time. “With music there are no borders,” says lead singer Klaus Meine.
Although the Scorpions have an impressive list of accomplishments to be proud of, Meine says that he is most proud of the success that their song “Winds of Change” has achieved. The song has come to be viewed as an anthem of peace when the group has performed at various locations in the Middle East.
“People in Beirut told us they had only an hour of electricity a day but listening to our music gave them strength. That’s what music can do,” Meine says.
The Scorpions are scheduled to appear at Wolverhampton Civic Hall in the U.K. on Sunday.
For more, head on over to The Birmingham Mail.
