Away Team

Former GUNS N’ ROSES bandmates STEVEN ADLER and DUFF MCKAGAN will be presenting the “Riff Lord” award at the REVOLVER GOLDEN GODS AWARDS SHOW.

The fourth annual REVOLVER GOLDEN GODS AWARD SHOW presented by Epiphone® will take place Wednesday, April 11, at Club Nokia in Downtown Los Angeles. For the first time ever, the event will be broadcast live in its entirety on Xbox LIVE, as well as on the Xbox and Revolver Facebook pages.

The 2012 REVOLVER GOLDEN GODS AWARDS SHOW will feature one-of-a-kind special performances and collaborations that honor both the past, present and future of heavy music. The night’s hard-rocking musical performances will include sets by MARILYN MANSON (in his first U.S. performance in nearly three years); iconic GRAMMY-winning guitarist SLASH featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators; EVANESCENCE; SIXX:A.M. featuring Nikki Sixx of MÖTLEY CRÜE, James Michael, acclaimed rock producer and songwriter, and DJ Ashba of GUNS N’ ROSES (in their first performance in almost four years); and 2011 Best New Band Golden God Award winner BLACK VEIL BRIDES, who will perform their only U.S. show of 2012 so far.

Adler, McKagan, Slash, singer Axl Rose and guitarist Izzy Stradlin will all be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame next month in Cleveland, along with later GUNS N’ ROSES members, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and drummer Matt Sorum.

Steven Adler’s new band, simply called ADLER, will be releasing their debut single “The One That You Hated” April 10th on iTunes.

In addition to Steven, ADLER features Lonny Paul (ADLER’S APPETITE) on guitar and Jacob Bunton (LYNAM, MARS ELECTRIC) on vocals/guitar. The group has been recording its debut album in Los Angeles with producers Jeff Pilson (former DOKKEN and current FOREIGNER/TOOTH AND NAIL bassist) and Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STEEL PANTHER, ADRENALINE MOB).

ADLER’s CD will feature guest appearances by ROB ZOMBIE/ex-MARILYN MANSON guitarist John 5 and Steven’s former GUNS N’ ROSES bandmate Slash (guitar).

For More Info click here.

It’s almost impossible to find a modern day hard rock/heavy metal band that doesn’t list Thin Lizzy as an influence.
So the band couldn’t have picked a better time to launch an arena tour, opening for Judas Priest on their farewell “Epitaph Tour.”

Comprised of a kick ass line-up featuring such Phil Lynott-era Lizzies as guitarist Scott Gorham, drummer Brian Downey, and keyboardist Darren Wharton, as well as Guns N’ Roses guitarist Richard Fortus, former Almighty singer/guitarist Ricky Warwick, and bassist Marco Mendoza, Lizzy is aiming to bring the house down each night.

Understandably Lizzy is looking forward to teaming up with metal legends Priest and Black Label Society this fall.
“One of the big perks of being a member of Thin Lizzy is that sometimes we get to share the stage with other bands that have helped to shape the music we hear today,” explains Warwick. “Judas Priest helped define a genre and I am really looking forward to seeing them on tour.”

Thin Lizzy became one of rock’s top bands during the 1970′s, on the strength of the hits “Jailbreak,” “The Boys Are Back In Town,” “Dancing in the Moonlight,” and “Waiting for an Alibi,” Lynott‘s poetic-yet-tough lyrics, and the highly influential dual guitar attack of Gorham and which ever second guitarist he was paired up with at the time (Brian Robertson, the late Gary Moore, Snowy White, or John Sykes). Lizzy split up in 1983, before Lynott passed away in 1986.

However, Lizzy‘s stature has continued to grow over the years, as their songs have been covered by a wide variety of artists, including Metallica (“Whiskey in the Jar“), Smashing Pumpkins (“Dancing in the Moonlight“), Bon Jovi (“The Boys Are Back In Town“), Sade (“Still in Love with You“), the Foo Fighters (“Bad Reputation“), and Mastodon (“Emerald“), among other rock bands.

Gorham especially is looking forward to Lizzy‘s triumphant return to the States. “We love playing in the USA and it will be great to show the rest of the States what we are made of. We are all fired and ready to kick some ass!”

JUDAS PRIEST, THIN LIZZY, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY dates:
12 October AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX.
14 October Concrete Street Amphitheater, Corpus Christi, TX.
15 October The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston, TX.
16 October Allen Event Center, Dallas, TX.
18 October Ava Amphitheater, Tucson, AZ.
19 October Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre, San Diego, CA.
21 October AZ State Fair, Phoenix, AZ.
22 October San Manuel Amphitheater, San Bernardino, CA.
23 October Hard Rock, Las Vegas, NV.
25 October Gibson Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, CA.
26 October Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA.
29 October WaMu Theater, Seattle, WA.
30 October Rogers Arena, Vancouver, BC.
1 November Shaw Conference Center, Edmonton, AB.
2 November Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, AB.
4 November Maverik Center, Salt Lake City, UT.
5 November 1STBANK Center, Denver, CO.
12 November The Venue at Horseshoe Casino, Chicago, IL.
13 November Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI.
18 November Izod Center, East Rutherford, NJ.
22 November Air Canada Centre, Toronto ONT

Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser, the 24 year-old Ukranian duo known as 2CELLOS became an overnight internet sensation with their self-made music video of themselves performing Michael Jackson‘s “Smooth Criminal” on their cellos. With “Smooth Criminal” racking up over 5 million views on YouTube, Sulic and Hauser have premiered the video for the next 2CELLOS single on VEVO: A rocking rendition of the Guns N’ Roses worldwide hit, “Welcome to the Jungle.”

Of the new single Sulic says: “Covering “Welcome to the Jungle” was a real challenge but that one we were up for! We chose this song because we thought that it could sound like a whole symphony using only our 2 cellos. We’re really proud of it and think it rocks!”

The 2CELLOS debut self-titled album will be released this summer on July 19th via Sony Masterworks, and the duo will kick off a European summer tour opening for Elton John on June 8th at Cardiff International Arena in Wales.

2CELLOS is now available for pre-order on the 2CELLOS website. Each pre-order of the CD comes with a free 11″ x 17″ poster/calendar. An instant MP3 download of “Smooth Criminal” will be included with pre-order of either the CD or MP3 version of the album. The debut album features Sulic & Hauser‘s unique spin on hits by Guns N’ Roses, U2, Coldplay and Kings of Leon among others.

“We grew up with Michael Jackson, U2 and Nirvana. The melody and structure of their songs really inspired us to arrange them for 2 cellos. Bands like Coldplay, Kings of Leon and Muse also write songs with those similar melodic qualities – so we had a great time digging in and making them part of this album too,” says Luka Sulic.

2CELLOS Tracklisting:
1. Where The Streets Have No Name (U2)
2. Miserlou / Pulp Fiction Theme (Dick Dale)
3. Use Somebody (Kings of Leon)
4. Smooth Criminal (Michael Jackson)
5. Fragile (Sting)
6. The Resistance (Muse)
7. Hurt (Trent Reznor/Johnny Cash)
8. Welcome To The Jungle (Guns N’ Roses)
9. Human Nature (Michael Jackson)
10. Viva La Vida (Coldplay)
11. Smells Like Teen Spirit (Nirvana)
12. With or Without You (U2)














For more 2CELLOS click here.

Canadian heavy metal legends ANVIL have signed a new recording contract with The End Records.

As recently announced, the band is currently recording their upcoming album, entitled Juggernaut Of Justice, at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606 in Northridge, California with famed producer Bob Marlette (BLACK SABBATH, AIRBOURNE, FILTER, ATREYU, ALICE COOPER).

Juggernaut Of Justice is due to be released in spring 2011. Prior to the release of the new album, The End will be releasing the definitive Anvil anthology. The collection will be comprised of classics old and new, with some surprises, and will showcase the band’s entire career spanning back to 1978.

Anvil, considered a major influence for a generation of hard rockers including METALLICA, SLAYER, ANTHRAX and GUNS N’ ROSES, was the subject of 2009’s award-winning rock documentary, Anvil! The Story of Anvil. The globally revered film has made the group – founding members singer/guitarist Steve “Lips” Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner, and bassist Glenn Five (the “new guy” with 15 years in the band) – a household name.

Lips commented, “I must say that this is by far the best Anvil ever. There will be a few new surprises including Glenn 5‘s first lead vocals in Anvil‘s history. The production that Bob Marlette has done far surpasses anything we’ve done in the past. The excitement within the band is over the top and we can’t wait to unleash this amazing cd to the fans.”

Reiner concurs, “The new album is pure Anvil with a new fresh kick, very exciting. Looking to rocking with The End, putting the music where it belongs – in everybody’s ears and face!”

Anvil are currently planning a world tour for 2011 in support of Juggernaut Of Justice. Details will be announced shortly.









For more ANVIL click here.

When Ozzy Osbourne parted ways with long time guitarist Zakk Wylde in early 2009, many people thought he was losing it.  When he replaced him with a relative unknown, people thought he’d pulled a page from his Diary of a Madman.  The key word here is “relative” unknown;  you see, Gus G. had already forged a name for himself within the inner circles of rock via his band Firewind.  In fact, what most of those doubters didn’t realize is that Gus was already well on his way to being considered one of the great guitarists of our time, not only by his fellow axemen, but also garnering the distinction of being named one of the Top 3 Guitarists in the World by Japanese magazine Burrn!  Approximately a year and a half later Gus G. is out “burning” up the stage every night with The Prince of Darkness, and did I mention he’s a comic book hero too?  Here’s how it all went down when I had Q&A with the man destined to become a living legend…

AWAY-TEAM:  Congratulations on the release of the new Firewind album, “Days of Defiance”, which by the way is a fantastic album…

GUS G.:  Thank you very much!

AWAY-TEAM:  …and also on being named the new guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne…

GUS G.:  Thank you very much. Thanks.

AWAY-TEAM:  …we’ll talk some more about that, but first I want to talk a little about Firewind.  I’ve described your sound with Firewind as sort of a “melodic speed metal”, that harkens back to the days of the great 80′s metal bands.  If you had to describe Firewind’s sound to someone who has never heard you before, how would you describe it?

GUS G.:  I would say it’s melodic heavy metal, yeah.  Ya know people like to put tags on music, like I know for example we’ve been tagged as a power metal band, and that’s not the case.  We almost feel like it’s a bad thing to be called a power metal band these days, because it’s not fashionable.  But I’m thinking we are not even power metal,  just because we sound “European” or we have fast double bass on some of our songs, that doesn’t mean anything.  I think it’s just, our roots come from traditional rock or heavy metal, like you said from the 80′s and the 70′s.  We’re just like a traditional heavy metal band, but with modern elements.

AWAY-TEAM:  There were a few influences that were highly discernable on the album.  For example, there seemed to be a lot of Iron Maiden in songs like “Chariot” and “SKG”, and a great deal of Scorpions sound in the track “Broken”.  Who were your strongest musical influences growing up?

GUS G.:  Well, you’ve actually named two of them.  I mean, um, we’re all big Maiden fans, and you can tell that on a song like “Chariot”.  I love the ballads that the Scorpions made, and I guess it’s natural for me to write a bit in that vain as well.  So some of the stuff I do will remind you a bit of early Scorpions.  Uh, you know, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, all of the great bands of the 70′s and 80′s really.  Thin Lizzy.  These are the bands that we really look up to.

AWAY-TEAM:  So what was the first song or album that you heard that made you pick up a guitar and start playing?

GUS G.:  Actually it was Peter Frampton, the album Frampton Comes Alive.  My dad had the album at home, and he was playing it, and when I heard him do the talk box thing in the song “Do You Feel Like I Do” I was like “Wow, the guitar sounds like a robot”.  So then I wanted to play the guitar.  I must’ve been about 9 years old or so, and that’s when I asked my dad to get me a guitar.  He got me a guitar and about a year later I started taking lessons.

AWAY-TEAM:  Earlier this year you guys (Firewind) were featured in an issue of the Eternal Descent comic book series.  Comic book artists often take artistic liberties when drawing a real life person into a fictional world.  What, if anything, would you change about your character in the comic book if you were the artist?

GUS G.:  Oh I don’t know, my imagination is not that wild to be honest. (laughs)  So I can’t see myself in a comic book, so I left that up to the artist who’s a really talented young guy Llexi Leon.  He made it super cool man, we all had super powers.  I think mine, because I have a flame tattoo on my right hand, he turned that into a super power so whenever I would get pissed off or anything my hand would go on fire, and my guitar as well. (laughs)

AWAY-TEAM:  (laughs)

GUS G.:  And I would just burn the fuck out of people or something.  So that was pretty cool.  Plus he made me a little bit more muscular which was cool. (laughs)

AWAY-TEAM:  (laughs) So let’s talk a little bit about the Ozzy gig.  How did you actually land the job?

GUS G.:  It was a year and a half ago, when his management sent me an email asking me if I’d be interested in the gig, and if I’d go out and audition.  And that’s how it happened.

AWAY-TEAM:  So you actually had to audition for him?  What songs did you have to play?

GUS G.:  Um, ya know, a bunch of his classic songs like “Bark at the Moon”, “Crazy Train”, “I Don’t Know”, “Suicide Solution”, “I Don’t Wanna Change the World”, “Paranoid”, stuff like that, ya know.  We went in there and did about six or seven songs.

AWAY-TEAM:  So now, you’ve gotten the job, and you come in during the middle of the recording of the Scream album; for someone like yourself who’s used to having a large amount of control over what goes into an album, what was the creative process like?  Did they give you as much freedom as you’re used to? Or did they just say ‘Here you go, play it like this.’?

GUS G.:  No, they didn’t tell me how to play really.  They told me “Do what you gotta do as a guitar player.  We need alot of your guitar in there.”  Because when I walked in all the songs were already written of course, but the guitar work had been done by Kevin Churko the producer, who is not really a guitar player so it sounded a little bit weird.  Ya know what I mean?  Like very processed and stuff.  So they were like “Make it as real sounding, and as heavy as possible.  Just do what you do.  We want Gus on there.”  So like I said, while alot of these songs were not my songs, I thought it was very challenging to be involved in a different project for once.  And try to make my mark as a guitar player on songs that I didn’t write.  And secondly, it was cooler than ever because I got to play on an Ozzy Osbourne album.

AWAY-TEAM:  With that being said, you’re following in the footsteps of some legendary guitarists in guys like Tony Iommi, Randy Rhoads, and Zakk Wylde.  Those guys all had their own unique sound, when your playing their songs do you try to put your own stamp on them? Or is it more like, those guys were so good it’d be sacrilege to change their sound?

GUS G.:  Well, as a fan I don’t like to change stuff they did.  Because we’re not just talking about anybody’s song, this is the bible of heavy metal man.  This is what shaped the sound of hard rock and heavy metal for all the rest of us to follow.  So it’s not like I’m gonna go in and do my own version of “Crazy Train” or my own version of “Paranoid”, ya know.  That’s not gonna happen.  But you know, Ozzy and Black Sabbath songs, these songs came from jams mainly, and there’s always a little room for the guitar player to do his own little fills and tricks here and there.  I definitely do my own thing, but without really interfering with the song composition if you know what I mean.

AWAY-TEAM:  Zakk Wylde  has been highly complimentary of you, in the media especially.  Have you had a chance to meet or talk with him yet?

GUS G.:  No.  I never got to meet him, and I would really like to.  I really want to thank him for saying all of these great things about me, because it means alot to me.  I mean Zakk Wylde is an icon, and someone I always looked up to growing up.  He was one of my guitar heroes, and just to hear a guy like that saying all those great things about me is amazing.  It’s awesome, and I really appreciate all of his support.  He’s really cool with me about that.  He’s really given me the platform I need to go out there and do my thing.  He’s been very nice, and I’ve always had the best thoughts about Zakk, ya know.

AWAY-TEAM:  That’s really cool to hear.  Now, your first show with Ozzy was last year at Blizzcon; what was the moment you stepped back and realized “Holy shit! I’m really Ozzy’s guitarist!”?

GUS G.:  (laughs) Yeah, that was definitely the gig where I was thinking about all of that.  Even the rehearsal, everyday I was like “What the fuck? Where am I?” And that didn’t really end after Blizzcon, it still goes through my mind every other day.  I’m like “Wow! Look how things turned out!”  This is not something you can expect to really happen in life.  It’s beyond any biggest honor a guitar player can have in heavy metal and hard rock.  I mean, I was happy I was playing with my band, and when this came along I was like “Wow! Really???”  When they called me for the audition I went in there and was like “I’ve got nothing to lose.  At least I can jam with ’em and it’s a story I can tell my children one day.”  But who would’ve ever thought that I would be in his band, and working with Ozzy for over a year now.

AWAY-TEAM:  You mentioned being a fan, as a fan what was your all-time favorite Ozzy or Sabbath song?

GUS G.:  You know, that is a problem actually, because he has so many great songs, I just love ‘em all man.  I love doing the Ozzy stuff on stage, I love doing the Sabbath stuff.  He has so many great songs on all of his albums.  I mean, I love the Diary of a Madman stuff, I love the stuff from The Ultimate Sin that we’re doing.  There’s more songs that I love that we’re not even doing, ya know.  We’re playing two and a half hour sets every night, and to fit it all in we need at least four to four and a half hours to fit all of this material in there.  He has so many classic songs that you just can’t possibly fit in everything.

AWAY-TEAM:  So what was the most challenging song to learn?

GUS G.:  Uh, I don’t know.  You know all of his guitar players had some very interesting stuff in there.  I really cannot seperate one guy from another because everybody was unique in their own way.  Like Jake E. Lee, he was special, he was doing all these weird chords and playing around with harmonics and stuff.  Randy, he had all this classical influence and mixed it with heavy rock stuff, and it’s also very interesting to play that stuff.  And of course Zakk, his technique was at another level.  And then you’ve got Tony Iommi, who’s super, super heavy and bluesy and just plays freeform.  So you really need to be a well rounded guitar player to play all these different styles.  But for me it’s really a natural thing, because those are the kind of guitar players I grew up listening to.  I come from that school of guitar, ya know?

AWAY-TEAM:  With the extensive touring schedule you have planned with Ozzy, Firewind  has sort of taken a back seat for now.  Do you foresee yourself pulling the same type of double duty with Firewind on future Ozzfest’s as Zakk did with Black Label Society?

GUS G.:  You know, in a festival, I could see it happening in a festival.  We just confirmed a festival for the summer in France, called Hellfest and we’re headlining with Ozzy and Firewind is also gonna be on the bill.  So that’s gonna be the first double duty gig for me.  I wouldn’t really go out and do it if it was like an arena tour, or a headline tour with Ozzy because I wouldn’t really want to compromise the tour by being tired or anything, playing back to back.  But in some sort of situation where I play with Firewind, and then I get a few hours to rest and go play with Ozzy, I would love to do that.  What we’re doing with Firewind right now is, we’re doing our gigs in between the Ozzy tours.  Because we have a few months off here and there from the touring; and actually the reason we’re not doing that many gigs with Firewind is we’re covering alot of ground by doing alot of special gigs.  Covering alot of major territory, we were just on the East Coast a couple of weeks ago.  We did New York, Montreal, Washington, D.C., Virginia…and we’re gonna go to Japan in Januray, we’re gonna go to England.  So we’re covering alot of ground even though we’re not doing 150 dates or something.

AWAY-TEAM:  That actually kinda answers my next question.  How do you plan to balance and be able to put your heart and soul into both projects?

GUS G.:  I guess I just answered that, didn’t I? (laughs)  Obviously Firewind has a new album as well, and I would want to promote that too.  You know with Firewind we’ve been touring extensively for the last four years or so, and we’ve played like every fucking club on earth.  So we thought this was an opportunity for us to do special gigs, in bigger cities, in bigger venues and be able to promote those gigs better.  So actually the fact that I’m so busy with Ozzy has actually worked in our favor, because we were able to better handle our promotion, and better handle the gigs that we are doing.  It makes it more special both for us, and for our fans.

AWAY-TEAM:  Slash is going to be joining you in January for the second leg of the tour.  Can we expect to see you guys on stage together at all?  Maybe doing the song Ozzy recorded with him for his album? Or just a good old fashioned guitar battle?

GUS G.:  Well, I don’t know Slash personally.  I’m looking forward to meeting him.  I hear from everybody that he’s the sweetest guy, and I’m a big fan of his as well.  I grew up with Guns n Roses, and I love his new solo album.  I will definitely be on the side of the stage watching him as a fan, I don’t know if I’m gonna get to jam with him, but I’m definitely gonna be there to watch the show.

AWAY-TEAM:  I read in Rolling Stone that this tour could include full performances of the Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman albums, in honor of their 30th anniversary.  Is there any truth to that?

GUS G.:  No.  It’s rumor.  We haven’t rehearsed a full album to be honest.  I don’t know if something’s gonna change before the tour starts, and we’re gonna go into rehearsals and play alot.  But nothing like that, that I’ve heard of right now.

AWAY-TEAM:  Well Gus, thank you so much for your time.  It’s been a great honor to speak with you. 

GUS G.:  Thanks man.

AWAY-TEAM:  Good luck with the new album, and the tour, and I look forward to seeing you when you make your way to Florida in February.

GUS G.:  Yeah man, I’m looking forward to it, we’re doing three shows there.  I actually have some family down there, my uncle lives in Miami, so I’m looking forward to coming back to Florida, I haven’t been there in years.

AWAY-TEAM:  Excellent, I’m looking forward to it as well.

GUS G.:  See you there.

For more Firewind, including tour dates and to purchase music, visit http://www.firewind.gr/

For more Ozzy Osbourne, including tour dates and to purchase music, visit http://www.ozzy.com/us/home

Special thanks to Gus G. for so graciously giving me his time, and to Josh Eldridge at Century Media for making it all happen.

“Fades Like A Photograph“, the new video from FILTER, has been released. The clip was shot by Mark Racco (NIRVANA, GUNS N ROSES, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS).

“Fades Like A Photograph” comes off FILTER‘s fifth studio album “The Trouble With Angels” released on August 17 via Rocket Science Ventures.













For more FILTER click here.

A new trailer for “Lemmy“, the long-awaited documentary examining the life and career of MOTÖRHEAD frontman and rock icon Lemmy Kilmister, can be viewed below.

“Lemmy” premiered in March 2010 during the South by Southwest at the historic Paramount Theatre in Austin.

“Lemmy” directors/producers Greg Olliver and Wes Orshoski spent three years following Kilmister around the globe — from his Hollywood home to the hockey arenas of Russia.

“Lemmy” features appearances by such high-profile Kilmister friends/peers as METALLICA, Dave Grohl, Ozzy Osbourne, Slash, Billy Bob Thornton and pro wrestler Triple H.

Hailed as a godfather of heavy metal, 64-year-old Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister has established himself as the living embodiment of rock and roll over the past four decades. After stints with popular Mersey beat band THE ROCKIN’ VICKERS and influential psychedelic rockers HAWKWIND, and even a brief time spent as a member of Jimi Hendrix‘s road crew, Lemmy formed MOTÖRHEAD in 1975.

Going on to record such influential metal classics as “Overkill“, “Ace of Spades” and “Bomber“, the Grammy Award-winning MOTÖRHEAD and Kilmister‘s fusion of punk and metal registered a major influence on such bands as METALLICA, GUNS N’ ROSES and NIRVANA.

2010 marks the 35th anniversary of the birth of MOTÖRHEAD, which features Kilmister, guitarist Phil Campbell and drummer Mikkey Dee.









For more MOTORHEAD click here.

From Duff McKagan‘s blog on Seattle Weekly:

First, I must say that there is really nothing that I would or could change about my story thus far in the context of the bands I have been in . . . or how I have conducted myself and bandmates’ reactions to certain situations. It is what it is (and it has been what it has been).
HOWEVER! Because SW’s REVERB Local Music Festival is coming up (Oct. 9, Ballard), it may be helpful if I could perhaps dispense a few dos and don’ts to new and up-and-coming rock bands.
Believe me, I have walked into a few brick walls in my times of rock-and-roll madness. I’ve matriculated sometimes only because this person or that showed me how to walk AROUND that same virtual brick edifice. On that note, here are 10 tips to muse on, mixed in with time bombs to hopefully avoid!

1. If you are one of those people who got into music for the chicks and drugs and not the passion of a song and the power of musical moments, go home. Wankers.

2. Don’t smoke crack on a leased private jet. The smell gets into EVERYTHING!

3. Like the people in your band. Or at least use the animosity within your band as a springboard for great fucking art!

4. Have a kick-ass band name. Unless your band is so good that your band name is THAT secondary, choose a name that means something to the band and has some sort of imagery that is a reflection of the music. Let’s face it, the band name MUSE is kinda lame. But once you see or hear the band, the name is the last thing you think about.

5. Don’t sign a deal that ties you up with one particular manager. There is no real upside for the artist here. If a manager believes in you and can get you good tours and nice licensing deals, etc., well, then just give the manager commissions on that stuff. Trust me. Not signing a deal keeps a manager hustling FOR the artist.

6. Don’t get addicted. Drugs and alcohol can seem sexy and fun–for a while . . . until you can’t live WITHOUT them. Then it’s all dumb and terrifying.

7. Watch how the business works around you. Ask questions constantly and never be embarrassed to do so. “How much does a T-shirt cost to make?” or “What does publishing really mean?” are just two examples.

8. From the start, try to ascertain that you and your bandmates have the same goals. Back when Guns N’ Roses first started, there WAS a different lead guitar player and drummer. When Axl, Izzy, and myself booked a punk-rock style tour of the West Coast in 1985, and these two other guys didn’t want to leave the comfort of L.A., we went and found guys who DID! Thankfully and serendipitously, we found Slash and Steven Adler!

9. Get used to being away from cozy shit and the safety of home. Bring your teddy bear if you need to. And get Skype.

10. Don’t be an asshole to other bands. If you are good and stay around for a while, being an asshole PERIOD is going to make life very hard for you.

For more on DUFF McKAGAN click here.

JANE’S ADDICTION said Monday it has parted ways with its latest bass player, former GUNS N’ ROSES member Duff McKagan , five months after announcing his addition to the oft-vacated post.

McKagan, 46, performed a few concerts with the band, and worked on new material for its first album in seven years, but musical differences cut short his tenure.

“Hey we wanted to thank Duff for helping us write songs for our new record,” the band said via email. “We love the songs we worked on with him — and the gigs were a blast — but musically we were all headed in different directions. From here Duff is off to work on his own stuff so we wish him all the best.”

Jane’s Addiction has been through five bass players since it formed in 1985, while the rest of the quartet’s lineup is unchanged.

for more JANE’S ADDICTION click here.

Making its first U.S. concert appearance in four years — and playing its only U.S. show in 2010 — GUNS N’ ROSES has been officially recruited with DAUGHTRY to join the inaugural Rock ‘N Rev Festival and cement its assault on the legendary Sturgis Rally‘s 70th-anniversary celebration in Sturgis, South Dakota, at the newly constructed Rock N’ Rev Amphitheater at Monkey Rock USA.

GUNS N’ ROSES will headline the fifth and final night of the festival, as it moves to the Brand New Rock ‘N Rev Amphitheater at Monkey Rock USA in Sturgis, adjacent to its original location. L.A.’s notorious rock ‘n’ roll bad boys have combined forces with HDlogix and DC3 Global for this rare and very special appearance on home soil to bring the “full-out rock ‘n’ roll spectacle” (Spin) of their 2010 “Chinese Democracy World Tour” to Sturgis and finish off the hijacking of the world’s biggest, baddest biker event, Monday, August 9 through Friday, August 13, 2010.

GUNS N’ ROSES‘ final night performance, immediately following previously announced August 13 headliner ALICE IN CHAINS, is the ultimate climax to five full nights of undeniable rock ‘n’ roll bedlam, and now gives the Rock ‘N Rev Festival six of the most explosive, multi-platinum American Active Rock Bands of 2010. DAUGHTRY, supporting its second consecutive #1 album, will join 3 DOORS DOWN, HINDER and others on Aug. 12, the fourth night of the Rock N’ Rev Festival.

“We are truly blessed to be able to announce the addition of GUNS N’ ROSES at this historic moment in the band’s history, along with DAUGHTRY, just as we relocate the Rock ‘N Rev Festival to our own amphitheater at Monkey Rock USA,” said DC3‘s co-founder, Daniel E. Catullo III. “Monkey Rock’s vision to create a nationally recognized brand among the world’s top motorcycle rallies is a perfect fit for us, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome them as our partners.”

Tickets for the Rock ‘N Rev Festival are $45 per day, general admission ($150 for a five-day pass), and on sale now through Ticketmaster.com and rocknrevfestival.com and at all Ticketmaster locations, or by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also will be available in person beginning August 5, 2010 on location at the festival’s on-site box office.

For more information on exclusive VIP packages ($150 for a single day, $300 for all five days or $1,000 five-day platinum packages), including backstage access to a VIP area to special, air-conditioned tents with private bars, motorcycle parking, luxury bathroom facilities and more, go to rocknrevfestival.com.

Rock ‘N Rev Festival lineup:
Monday, August 9
GODSMACK
THREE DAYS GRACE
HELLYEAH
POP EVIL
DARLING STILLETOS
Hosted By Jim Rose and Performances by Jim Rose and The Jim Rose Circus

Tuesday, August 10
CREED
SKILLET
THEFT
SHAMAN’S HARVEST

Wednesday, August 11
STONE TEMPLE PILOTS
WOLFMOTHER
EAGLES OF DEATH METAL
CAGE THE ELEPHANT
SWAYBACK
Hosted By Jim Rose and Performances by Jim Rose and The Jim Rose Circus

Thursday, August 12
3 DOORS DOWN
DAUGHTRY
HINDER
BAD CITY
SWEET CYANIDE
Hosted By Jim Rose and Performances by Jim Rose and The Jim Rose Circus

Friday, August 13
GUNS N’ ROSES
ALICE IN CHAINS
CHARM CITY DEVILS
REV THEORY
Hosted By Jim Rose and Performances by Jim Rose and The Jim Rose Circus

For more info go here.

On the heels of his solo album debut as #1 Rock Album and performing at some of the largest European outdoor Festivals, Slash launches his U.S. Summer tour.
The U.S. dates will feature vocalist Myles Kennedy who was also part of the European tour and received strong critical praise at shows like the Download Festival which had over 100,000 fans and Rock-Am Ring which had more than 70,000 concert-goers. Audiences in Europe were treated to a career-spanning Slash set list of songs from the new album which Kennedy provides vocals for two songs, along with Slash classics from Guns N Roses like “Sweet Child O’ Mine”, “Paradise City” and numerous Velvet Revolver, and Slash’s Snakepit favorites.

Confirmed dates:
Aug. 29 – San Francisco, CA – The Warfield Theater
Aug. 31 - Aspen, CO – Belly Up
Sept. 1 – Denver, CO – Ogden
Sept. 2 - Kansas City, MO – Voodoo Lounge
Sept. 4 - Mount Pleasant, MI – Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort
Sept. 5 – Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theater
Sept. 6 – Clear Lake, IA – Surf Ballroom
Sept. 8 – Chicago, IL -Riviera Theater
Sept. 9 – Windsor, ON – Caesars Windsors – The Colosseum
Sept. 10 – Toronto, ON – Kool Haus
Sept. 11 – Belleville, ON – Empire Theater
Sept. 14 – New York, NY – Terminal 5
Sept. 15 – Boston, MA – House of Blues
Sept. 18 – Norfolk, VA – The Norva
Sept. 20 – Atlanta, GA – Center Stage
Sept. 22 – Council Bluffs, IA – Harrah’s – Stir Cove
Sept. 23 – Medina, MN – Medina Entertainment Center
Oct. 2 – Seattle, WA – Showbox at the Market
More dates to be announced.

For all SLASH related news, dates, and tickets visit his website here.

ADLER’S APPETITE, featuring original GUNS N’ ROSES drummer Steven Adler, has announced their summer tour.

Fresh off recent appearences on VH1′s That Metal Show and Sober House, Steven and company are hitting the road this summer in support of Adler‘s tell-all biography, My Appetite For Destruction: Sex, Drugs & Guns N’ Roses, which is set for a July 27th release through Harper Collins.

The tour will also mark the debut of new original material from the band, which includes guitarists Alex Grossi (ex-QUIET RIOT) and Michael Thomas (FASTER PUSSYCAT), bassist Chip Z’nuff (ENUFF Z’NUFF) and vocalist Rick Stitch (LADYJACK). “We are really looking forward to getting back out there and playing some new material,” says Adler. “As much as we love doing all the old GN’R stuff, which of course we will contiune to do, it will be nice to show the fans that there is so much more to this band than what people have seen“.

Supporting Adler’s Appetite on the tour will be Texas-based ANCHORED, whose new single, ‘Dirty In Texas‘, will drop on June 15th.

Confirmed shows are as follows:
June
12 – Glass Cactus – Grapevine, TX
13 – BFE Rock Club – Houston, TX
14 – Lone Star Sports Bar – Temple, TX
July
9 – Brixton – Redondo Beach, CA
10 – Galaxy Theatre – Santa Ana, CA
11 – Canyon Club – Agoura Hills, CA
12 – Club Vegas – Salt Lake City, UT
13 – The Railyard – Billings, MT
15 – Frequency – Madison, WI
16 – The Back Bar – Janesville, WI
17 – Bada Brew – Crest Hill, IL
18 – Festa Italiana – Milwaukee, WI
21 – Hayloft – Mt. Clemens, MI
22 – Market Block Party – Syracuse, NY
23 – Ram’s Head Live – Baltimore, MD
24 – The Cube – Newark, DE
26 – Bowery Electric – New York, NY
27 – Mill Creek Tavern – Philadelphia, PA
28 – The Bell House – Brooklyn, NY
29 – Hard Rock Cafe – Pittsburgh, PA
30 – Montage Music Hall – Rochester, NY
31 – Showcase Live – Foxboro, MA.
August
1 – City Limits – Sanford, ME
5 – Dingbatz – Clifton, NJ
6 – The Underground – Sandusky, OH
7 – McGuffy’s House Of Rock – Dayton, OH
8 – Cosmic Charlies – Lexington, KY
10 – Mill Creek – Appleton, WI
11 – Clyde Iron Works – Duluth, MN
12 – International Raceway – Brainerd, MN
13 – Reverb – Cedar Falls, IA
14 – Elko Speedway – Elko, MN
15 – Phoenix Lounge – Harrisburg, SD
19 – Union Station – Colorado Springs, CO
20 – Roadhouse – Dacono, CO
25 – Cedardome – Milton, WA
26 – Hayley’s Bar & Grill – Everett, WA
September
3 – Canyon Club – Augoura Hills, CA

For more information on ADLER’s APPETITE visit their official website here.

The legendary Slash of Guns -n- Roses fame was rushed by a crazed fan during the guitarists’ performance in Milan, Italy on Thursday night (June 10).  Though Slash  was not hurt, his guitar took quite a beating.  Amazingly, Slash only managed to miss a couple of notes, when he was attacked during his infamous guitar solo from the G-n-R smash hit “Sweet Child of Mine”.  Fans captured this amazing display of showmanship in the footage below.  (The incident happens at approximately 1:18 of the clip)

Slash enlisted Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge) on vocals as they performed the following setlist:

01. Ghost
02. Mean Bone (SLASH’S SNAKEPIT)
03. Nightrain (GUNS N’ ROSES)
04. Sucker Train Blues (VELVET REVOLVER)
05. Back From Cali
06. Beggars & Hangers On (VELVET REVOLVER)
07. Civil War (GUNS N’ ROSES)
08. Rocket Queen (GUNS N’ ROSES)
09. Fall To Pieces (VELVET REVOLVER)
10. Dirty Little Thing (VELVET REVOLVER)
11. Nothing To Say
12. Starlight
13. Solo, Godfather Theme
14. Sweet Child O’ Mine (GUNS N’ ROSES)
15. Rise Today (ALTER BRIDGE)
16. Slither (VELVET REVOLVER)
17. By The Sword
18. Communication Breakdown (LED ZEPPELIN)
19. Paradise City (GUNS N’ ROSES)

For additional footage and photos of the incident, visit Musica Metal at http://musicametal.blogosfere.it/2010/06/slash-le-foto-del-concerto-a-milano-10062010.html