Man, today John Lennon would have turned 72! I can’t even fathom seeing him as he aged. I would always remember that young, slim figure. He was my favorite Beatle, and I have never been affected so by a group as I was by the Beatles. In 1964, they were MY Everything! Woke up to them, went to bed to them, had their faces plastered on my wall, even did some shoplifting at the local Woolworth when the Beatles bubblegum cards came out. Oh yes, they were my addiction! Had the dolls, which my Mother sold at a garage sale when I went away to college! Mortified I was!….Today I will spend a good portion with another band who influenced my musical tastes. Going to a screening of “Celebration Day,” the 2007 concert film of the 2 hour Led Zeppelin show at the O2 Arena in London. The show was a tribute to Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. It was the first time the band had performed live in 27 years! TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS! Imagine what the rehearsals must’ve been like, eh? Anyway, there will be a press conference with the three original members and replacement drummer Jason Bonham, son of the long departed John. I think I saw the band 5 times in my life before they split. Each show was remarkable. Will share experience tomorrow….Big news of the day: Green Day announced late yesterday (Oct 8th) the band was canceling its scheduled performance at the Voodoo Music and Arts Experience in New Orleans on Oct 27th. No specific reason was given, but it’s likely that it is tied to frontman Billie Joe Armstrong‘s recent entrance into rehab. In a statement, drummer Tre Cool said, “Canceling shows is something we rarely do. We never want to let our fans down, and we are grateful for all of you being understanding during this time.” Meanwhile, bassist Mike Dirnt spoke to BBC Radio One about Armstrong, who sought treatment for substance abuse last month following his profanity-filled meltdown at the I Heart Radio festival in Las Vegas on Sep 21st. Dirnt confirmed the band had canceled all promotional appearances for its new album Uno! because “we had to put the life of our friend in front of everything.” Dirnt explained the pressure surrounding the arrival of the new album played a role in Armstrong’s breakdown, saying, “It was a tremendous undertaking . . . it catches up with you a little bit. We definitely jumped off a moving train.” He added, “There were signs of things hitting the fan — we hadn’t slept in forever.” The bass player revealed he hasn’t seen Armstrong “in weeks” since the frontman entered rehab, the longest stretch in the past 20 years he has not spent time with his bandmate. Dirnt said he was confident Armstrong would recover and added the band was “getting ready for the next phase,” which involved the arrival of a second new album, Dos!, on Nov 13th.We wish Billie Joe a quick recovery!…3 Doors Down and Daughtry are teaming up for their first co-headlining tour together. The trek kicks off on Nov 17th in Tunica, Mississippi, with dates scheduled into mid-December. The opening act for the entire 19-date jaunt, with the exception of a handful of shows, will be P.O.D. Daughtry is promoting its latest album, Break The Spell, while 3 Doors Down will be out behind its upcoming Greatest Hits package. The Nov 19th release will feature three brand new tracks in addition to nine of the group’s biggest songs. The tour kickoff will be an event for The Better Life Foundation, the charitable organization run by 3 Doors Down that raises funds to help families throughout the Gulf Coast region. P.O.D., who are touring behind their latest album Murdered Love, will not be appearing from Nov 27th through Dec 3rd. An opening act for those shows will be named shortly. See Road Rage for all the dates and new dates for Muse….Congrats to Mick Thompson of Slipknot who married his long-time sweetie Stacey Riley last Friday, Oct 05th. We wish the couple many years of happiness! And Slipknot are already confirmed as the headliners for next June’s Download Festival at the lovely Castle Donington venue. The date is Jun 14, 2013 for those who plan their excursions in advance…Happy 54th to Ministry’s Al Jourgensen, Happy 39th to Evanescence’s Terry Balsamo and Happy 37th to Sean Ono Lennon.
