Classic Rock News

Def Leppard & Mötley Crüe bringing The World Tour Down Under

Ross Halfin

Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe are extending their The World Tour once again. The bands just announced they will be bringing the trek to Australia in November.

“After getting back on the road this past summer, we’re beyond thrilled to bring this massive tour to a global audience including some special dates in Australia!” Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliott shares.

The two bands will head Down Under for three shows: November 8 in Brisbane, November 11 in Sydney and November 14 in Melbourne. Tickets go on sale Thursday, June 8.

The Def Leppard/Mötley Crüe stadium tour is currently in Europe. It returns to the U.S. on August 8 in Columbus, Ohio. A complete list of dates can be found at defleppard.com and motley.com.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


New Queen 3D photo exhibit opening in London

Phil Dent/Redferns

A new Queen photo exhibit is set to open in London this week.

Queen Will Rock You in 3D will open at London’s Proud Galleries on June 2 to coincide with the return of the band’s musical We Will Rock You, playing at the London Coliseum.

The exhibit, which runs through September 23, tells the band’s history using photos taken by guitarist Brian May with his own stereoscopic (3D) camera lenses.

The exhibit features photos taken onstage, on the road and more, some of which are being shared with the public for the first time. Many of them show the rarely seen private side of the band's late frontman, Freddie Mercury, as viewed by his close friend and bandmate May. It also features fan-shot footage of the current Queen lineup with Adam Lambert, as well as the musical.

Tickets for the exhibit are on sale now

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DSL Dire Straits Legacy announces U.S. dates

Mauricio Santana/Getty Images

Dire Straits fans are going to have a chance to enjoy their music live this fall.

DSL Dire Straits Legacy has announced a new tour that will kick off in September. DSL is made up of original Dire Straits band member Alan Clark; former Dire Straits musicians Danny CummingsMel CollinsPhil Palmer and Jack Sonni; and Italian musicians Marco CavigliaPrimiano Di Biase and Cristiano Micalizzi.

Clark shares, “We do this, we play the music of Dire Straits because we love it ... and we made it!”

The tour is set to launch in Snoqualmie, Washington, on September 15, with dates confirmed through September 30 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. A complete list of dates and ticket information can be found at dslegacy.com.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Bruce Springsteen takes a tumble during Amsterdam show

Xavi Torrent/Redferns

Bruce Springsteen has more energy than most 73-year-olds, but even he shows his age now and again.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer is currently touring Europe with The E Street Band and, in case you missed it, a now viral video on TikTok shows him taking a stumble onstage at Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam over the weekend.

The Boss was performing the Letters To You track “Ghosts” when he missed a step coming back from the audience, but he wasn’t down for long. While he laid on his back for a few seconds, guitarist Nils Lofgren took his guitar away while members of the crew helped him back on his feet.

Bruce was quick to joke “Good night, everybody,” although the show did go on. In fact, he treated the crowd to a 29-song set that featured such hits as "Born to Run," "Glory Days," "Dancing in the Dark," "Thunder Road" and more.

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band’s tour continues in June, with the next show scheduled for June 11 in Landgraaf, Netherlands. A complete list of tour dates can be found at brucespringsteen.net.

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Extreme releases new 'Six' track “Other Side of the Rainbow”

earMUSIC

Extreme is set to drop their sixth studio album, aptly titled Six, on June 9, and now they’ve just shared another track from the record.

The latest single is “Other Side of the Rainbow,” the fourth song they’ve released from the album, following “Rise,” “Banshee” and “#REBEL.”

“Every once in a while, we’ll harness some kind of magic, and I think we did on this one,” frontman Gary Cherone says. “It’s a universal theme. It’s about restoring someone’s faith in love...we feel that it’s the perfect marriage of lyrics and melody.”

Six is available for preorder now.

Extreme is set to launch a U.S. tour in support of Six beginning August 2 in Portland, Maine. Living Colour will also be on the bill. A complete list of dates can be found at extreme-band.com.

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Apology The Beatles sent to young girl in 1963 sells for over $14,000 at auction

ABC

An apology note The Beatles wrote to a schoolgirl back in 1963 has sold at auction in London. 

According to The Mail, the band wrote the letter to a young girl named Diana after canceling a visit to see her on the Isle of Wight.  

Diana’s aunt worked for Paul McCartney’s cousin Bette Robbins; the band had planned to visit Robbins after their April 1963 show in Southsea, Portsmouth, and Diana was supposed to get to meet them. Unfortunately, the band had to cancel to return to London for some TV and radio appearances.

But The Beatles made it up to her with an apology note signed by all four members on a Parlophone publicity card, with Paul adding, “To Diana, lots of love, from The Beatles. Sorry we couldn't be there to see you!”

And that apology proved profitable. After holding onto it for almost 60 years, it was recently sold at auction at London’s Bonhams auction house, where it went for over $14,000.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


Foo Fighters open new DC club with Scream reunion

ABC/Randy Holmes

Foo Fighters are used to playing stadiums and arenas, but they returned to the club Tuesday night to help open the new Washington, D.C., venue The Atlantis, a replica of the city's 9:30 Club.  

Consequence reports the band treated the crowd of about 450 to a two-hour, 22-song set that opened with a hardcore reunion of Dave Grohl and his Scream bandmate Pete Stahl covering Bad Brains’ “At The Atlantis.”

The rest of the set included such Foo classics as “This Is A Call,” “My Hero,” “Best of You” and “Everlong,” along with a performance of The Colour and the Shape track “New Way Home” for the first time since 2011. The show also featured Grohl’s daughter Violet Grohl on “Shame Shame” and “Rope” and 9:30 Club owner Seth Hurwitz on drums for “Big Me.”

And the band's late drummer, Taylor Hawkins, was once again remembered during the show, with Grohl dedicating “Aurora” to him. He also thanked their fans for helping them carry on following Hawkins' death in March 2022.

Foo Fighters are headed overseas for their next set of shows. They play Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park in Germany on June 2 and 4, respectively. They return to the States June 14 for a show in Rogers, Arkansas. A complete list of dates can be found at foofighters.com.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


KISS bringing End of the Road Tour to the Middle East

ABC/Donna Svennevik

KISS has added one more show to their End of the Road Tour. The rockers just announced they're headed to the Middle East, headlining a one-night-only show on Friday, October 13, at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena.

A KISS fan presale will kick off June 5 at 10 a.m. GST, with a general on-sale happening Tuesday, June 6, at 10 a.m. GST. More information about tickets can be found at coca-cola-arena.com

KISS kicks off the U.K./European leg of their End of the Road Tour on June 5 in Birmingham, England. The tour is set to wrap for good on December 1 and 2 at New York’s Madison Square Garden. A complete list of KISS dates can be found at kissonline.com.

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On This Day, May 31, 1948: Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham was born

On This Day, May 31, 1948...

John Bonham was born in Redditch, Worcestershire, England.

In 1968 he joined Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page and bass player John Paul Jones to form Led Zeppelin, which went on to become one of the most legendary rock bands of all time.

They released their self-titled debut album in 1969, and went on to release eight studio albums, featuring such classic tunes as “Stairway to Heaven,” “Kashmir,” “Dazed and Confused,” “Good Times Bad Times” and more.

Bonham was a member of Led Zeppelin until his death on September 25, 1980 at the age of 32. Led Zeppelin disbanded following his death, although the remaining members did reunite a few times, the last time in 2007 at the Ahmet Ertegun tribute concert at the O2 Arena in London, with Bonham’s son Jason Bonham, behind the drum kit.

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Guns N’ Roses announces support acts for North American tour

Courtesy Live Nation

Guns N’ Roses is heading out on their 2023 World Tour next week and they’ve lined up a diverse group of artists to join them on their North American leg.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers just announced the support acts joining them on the tour, including The PretendersAlice in ChainsThe WarningDirty Honey and country star Carrie Underwood on select dates.

The World Tour is set to kick off June 5 in Tel Aviv, Israel, and hits North America on August 8 in Moncton, Canada. The first U.S. show happens August 11 in Hershey, Pennsylvania.  

And the North American leg just got bigger, with two just added shows - August 18 in Pittsburgh and October 14 in Seattle. The general on sale for Pittsburgh is happening Friday, June 2 at 10 a.m. local time, with Seattle going on sale Friday June 9 at 10 a.m. local time. 

A complete list of dates and openers can be found at gunsnroses.com.

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Wake Me Up: The Rolling Stones team with up Keurig for iced coffee kit

ABC/ Ida Mae Astute

The Rolling Stones want to help their fans wake up in the morning. The band has teamed up with Keurig for a new limited edition “Start Me Up” iced coffee kit.

The kit features all you need for a Rolling Stones morning, including a custom-designed K-Iced Brewer with the band’s Hot Lips logo, a matching tumbler and a special K-Cup coffee Pod blend, which is described as having “electrifying notes of strawberry” to give fans the “uncapped energy of The Rolling Stones.”

“We’re thrilled to be branching into the iced coffee space with Keurig,” the band said in a statement, according to Rolling Stone. “We’ve collaborated to bring this limited-edition product to life and give fans a new way to fuel their day.”  

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers are even helping set the morning mood, hand-picking songs for a branded Spotify playlist to enjoy with the iced cup of Joe.

The “Start Me Up” iced coffee kit goes on sale June 6 for $139.99, with a 10-count of the K-Cup Pod and the tumbler, also sold separately for $10.99 and $12.99, respectively. Those interested can sign up for more info at Keurig.com.

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Tool’s Maynard James Kennan shows off his KISS fandom

Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

Tool frontman Maynard James Kennan is letting his KISS fandom fly, showing off his collection of posters and memorabilia on social media.

“Everyone has their coping mechanisms. As a child growing up in 70's Ohio, mine was @kissonline,” he writes on Instagram next to a video showing his haul. “I had ALL the posters but at some point I thought I'd lost them. Recently found them all rolled up in a chest I'd forgotten about in the attic.”

One of those items was what he calls “the Holy Grail of KISS posters,” an early poster with the note "New On Casablanca Records and Tapes." He says, "The back has all four autographs.”

He continues, “All this rediscovered joy was punctuated this weekend when I was able to play not once, but twice, on the same festival as @kissonline with @puscifer and @toolmusic. And in Ohio no less.#fullcircle“

Maynard then reminded fans that Puscifer is currently on tour, telling them, “Life is Short. Regret Sucks. Come see us while you still can.”

Puscifer's tour hits Rochester, New York, on Tuesday, May 30. A complete list of dates can be found at puscifer.com.

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Musicians union upset David Byrne & Fatboy Slim musical features no musicians

Al Pereira/Getty Images

A musical with a score by David Byrne and Fatboy Slim is getting pushback from a musicians union, because it doesn’t use a live band. 

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians is unhappy that the show Here Lies Love plans to use a prerecorded track, as it has in previous runs of the show.

“A show with no live music and just pre-recorded tracks is absolutely an existential threat to Broadway- and is a cultural threat to musical theater worldwide,” Local 802 President and Executive Director Tino Gagliardi says. He suggests that “by using just pre-recorded tracks it not only cheapens the art it’s putting jobs and livelihoods at risk.” 

Local 802 says their agreement with the Broadway League requires any musical in a Broadway theater to have at least 19 musicians. The show has reportedly asked for a “special situation” stipulation to bypass the rule. Adrian Bryan-Brown, a spokesperson for the production, says the "process is ongoing," adding they "will continue to work in good faith with the union to move through the steps of the contractual process."

Hear Lies Love originally played at New York’s Public Theater 10 years ago, and had runs in London and Seattle. It’s described as a “disco pop” musical that puts audiences in an immersive setting, with standing room tickets so the audience can dance through the show. Its story is a dramatic telling of the Philippines' former first lady Imleda Marcos' rise to power and then her hard downfall. 

The musical will begin preview performances at the Broadway Theatre on June 17 and then open July 20.

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Protester with Israeli flag rushes stage at Roger Waters’ Frankfurt show

Mark Wieland/Redferns

Roger Waters' This Is Not A Drill tour has been met with a lot of controversy in Europe, and it turns out his show in Frankfurt, Germany, didn’t go off without a hitch this weekend.

Fan-shot footage shows protesters in the audience holding up the Israeli flag, and another protestor rushing the stage and pulling out the flag. 

As previously reported, Waters opted to leave out certain elements of his show for the Frankfurt audience, including his wearing of a coat that some felt looked like an SS costume. He said he made “this small — but, I hope, significant — gesture” because the venue where the show took place is the site of where over 3,000 Jews were detained and abused in November 1938 before being sent to concentration camps.

Waters' This Is Not A Drill tour continues through Europe. It hits Birmingham, England, on Wednesday, May 31. A complete list of dates can be found at rogerwaters.com.

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AC/DC’s Brian Johnson shares “eagerness” to get back onstage

Jason Squires/WireImage

AC/DC is one of the big-name rock acts set to headline the upcoming Power Trip festival in Indio, California, and it sounds like they're raring to go.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Famers never got to tour behind their 2020 album, Power Up, because of the COVID-19 lockdowns, and frontman Brian Johnson says they can’t wait to finally get to play it live.

“I’m so excited because three years ago we did get together (before) ‘Power Up’ the album came out,” he tells the Fuelling Around podcast. “We started to rehearse in Amsterdam. Phil (Rudd) was back on drums ... Honestly, I’ve never heard the band so tight.”

And it sounds like Power Trip may be just the beginning, with Johnson noting, “The most important thing about it all is the eagerness we all feel, the juices are running again.” 

As for the festival itself, Johnson says, “I think it’s just a statement to say that rock 'n' roll is a legitimate form of music.” The lineup includes Ozzy OsbourneMetallicaGuns N’ RosesTool and Iron Maiden.

“It’s going to be in a beautiful valley, near Coachella, but I don’t get involved in that kind of thing,” he says. "I just like to turn up, get up and just rock my little socks off until I drop.”

Power Trip is going down October 6 to 8 in Indio, California. Tickets are on sale now.

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.


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