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November 18, 2009
Bad Company Announces 2010 U.K. Reunion Tour
It’s not a world tour by any stretch of the imagination, but perhaps it will give fans some reason to wish for something a bit larger in the future. The original members of Bad Company have announced that they will reunite for eight shows in the United Kingdom next April.
It’s been more than thirty years since the original members of Bad Company performed together in the U.K. They also plan to release a new live DVD/CD set in February.
The last time the original members reunited on stage was back during August of 2008 when they performed at the Seminole Hard Rock & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. That show was not your typical reunion, since it was reported at the time that it was done, in part, for legal reasons.
Bad Company frontman Paul Rodgers worked for a while with the remaining members of Queen; a venture that seemed to achieve some measure of success and even resulted in an album. The album, The Cosmos Rocks, was not well received by many critics, and despite a strong showing on some European charts, the album never rose beyond #47 in the U.S.
Although there is no indication of any further plans the group has beyond the short tour next spring, one might speculate that the boys might consider doing something bigger if the spring tour goes well and they find themselves enjoying it. Pure speculation on my part, to be sure.
Currently, the reason given for the reunion tour appears to be fan appreciation. According to Paul Rodgers, the shows are to “thank the fans for keeping the music alive.”
For more, check out Classic Rock Magazine.
May 14, 2009
Queen + Paul Rodgers Part Company
This one isn’t much like the typical rock star departure we so often hear about where a group breaks up or loses a member over “creative differences” or some kind of personality clash. This one appears to be strictly business.
Paul Rodgers, who teamed with Queen back in 2004 will be hitting the road with his old group, Bad Company, for a summer reunion tour.
Rodgers and the remaining members of Queen remain on good terms, and Rodgers does not rule out working with them again some day, mentioning that he would be open to the idea of joining them on stage once again for a charity event or something similar, saying he would be “very much into doing that, for sure.”
After nearly five years, two world tours and an album, Rodgers feels good about what he was able to accomplish with 
Queen and seems especially glad that he was instrumental in providing fans with an experience that was as close to a live Queen event as possible.
Having seen one of their shows on television some time back, it was clear that it was not Rodgers’ intention to bill himself as “the new Freddie Mercury.” Part of the show was a dedication to the late singer, including video footage of him performing with the group before his untimely death in 1991.
The upcoming Bad Company tour, although a bit brief with only ten dates lined up, seems to be a reversal of the comments made by Rodgers last summer when he joined up with Bad Company for a one-night gig at the Seminole Hard Rock & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. A show that was put together to ensure that the group would be able to retain the legal right to be the exclusive owners of the name Bad Company.
At that time, Rodgers indicated that he had no further plans to work with Bad Company and sounded more interested in continuing to work with Queen as well as dedicate some of his efforts to his solo career. Perhaps the guys got along better than they anticipated when they reunited on stage and decided that it felt good enough to do again.
The live DVD of the show from last year at the Hard Rock will be released on August 8, exactly one year after the performance took place.
June 17th marks the start of this summer’s Bad Company tour, which will begin with a show at a familiar venue: The Seminole Hard Rock & Casino. It has been reported that the group will be joined by the Doobie Brothers for select dates.
For more details, visit Billboard.
December 5, 2008
Brian May: No Queen Breakup
The rumor seems to have originated on an Austrian website that reported Queen and Paul Rodgers performed together for the last time when they played in Rio de Janeiro on November 29.
The site in question, www.oe24.at reported that a “cryptic message” on Brian May’s personal web site was an indication that the group was planning to split up. The reason for the split was reported to be due to dismal sales of the group’s recent album The Cosmos Rocks.
The Cosmos Rocks sold only 12,000 copies during the first week of its release and debuted at position number 47 on 
The Billboard 200 Chart.
According to Brian May, who recently posted a response to the report on his website said there are no plans for the group to part company, and he insists that they are just taking a break following their tour.
Replying to a fan from Finland who inquired about the reported breakup, May responded by saying, “Well, I don’t know where anyone got that idea – Roger and Paul and myself haven’t made any decisions whatsoever about the future … We just need a rest!”
November 5, 2008
Classic Rock Briefs For November 5, 2008
Vancouver Plans Special Welcome For AC/DC
I guess the fact that the mayor of Vancouver, B.C. is a former member of a band called Spinal Chord has something to do with the official proclamation that declares November 28 as “AC/DC Day.” The name of the mayor’s former band, Spinal Chord, has more meaning than one might expect. Mayor Sam Sullivan was injured in a skiing accident at the age of 19 and has been a quadriplegic ever since. That has not stopped him from racking up some impressive achievements, however.
The announcement of the proclamation honoring AC/DC came as a surprise to listeners who were tuned into the Jeff O’Neil Show on 99.3 The FOX (CFOX-FM) yesterday when the mayor, who was co-hosting the show delivered the news. I’m sure the boys from AC/DC will appreciate the gesture. Full Story.
Original Members of Queen Believe Freddie Mercury Would Have Approved of Paul 
Rodgers
I suspect that more than a few dedicated Queen fans do not approve of the group’s continuation without original frontman Freddie Mercury, but according to drummer Roger Taylor, Mercury would have been happy with their decision to choose Paul Rodgers as their new frontman.
“Freddie was a huge Paul Rodgers fan. Absolutely adored his voice. He was a different animal, but he would have loved to be able to sing like that,” Taylor said.
The group’s first album since bringing Rodgers into the fold has met with mixed reviews, and since it was released in the U.S. only about a week ago, it’s hard to gauge its success. The Cosmos Rocks appears to be occupying the number 59 slot on the Billboard European Top 100 albums at the moment. Full Story.
Gene Simmons To Play For Charity on Fox Game Show ‘Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?’
He seems to be one of those guys that people either love or hate. Gene Simmons, bass player for rock legends KISS is scheduled to showcase his knowledge of various elementary subjects on the Fox game show Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?
Simmons will be playing for charity, in this case, the Elizabeth Glazer Pediatrics AIDS Foundation, which will benefit from the cash that he will be able to rack up by answering questions culled from elementary school curricula.
The episode featuring Simmons will air on the Fox Network on Friday, November 7 at 8:00 PM, but check your local listings to be sure. Full Story.
October 10, 2008
Classic Rock Briefs For Friday, October 10, 2008
Guns N’ Roses brings ‘Chinese Democracy’ to the holiday season
Billboard is reporting that Gun N’ Roses will finally release Chinese Democracy on November 23. Full Story.
Symphony takes on Pink Floyd
The San Antonio Symphony will be performing some well-known Pink Floyd hits tomorrow at 8:00 PM at the Municipal Auditorium. Singer Randy Jackson (not the American Idol guy) will be the featured vocalist. They plan to tackle such hits as “Money,” “Dark Side of the Moon,” and “Comfortably Numb.” Full Story.
Queen Back in England and in Guitarist
Nearing the half-way mark of their European Cosmos Rocks tour, Queen and Paul Rodgers are returning home to the U.K. tomorrow for a show at Nottingham’s Trent FM Arena. Full Story.
Eagles make ‘Long Road’ trip longer
The Eagles are adding some new dates to their current itinerary, which will take their show into January. Full Story.
