We start the day sharing an email I got from Soundgarden with their new video for “By Crooked Steps”! It reads, “Conceived and directed by our friend and fan Dave Grohl, depicts the “Crooked Steps” gang cruising around the tough streets of LA, reeking havoc on the DJ scene. Dave said about approaching the band to direct the video, “I had an idea. I got a copy of the record and the third song ‘By Crooked Steps’ was a signature, instantly recognizable Soundgarden song,” and the rest was history.” The official video can be seen here …..Ah love is in the air! Tool guitarist Adam Jones proposed to his girlfriend Korin with a unique ringside event at the WWE Royal Rumble showdown in Phoenix on Sunday night (Jan 27th). According to Loudwire, just before the Royal Rumble went on the air at 8:00 p.m. ET, a message appeared on the WWE’s giant “titantron” video screen, saying, “Korin, Adam Jones wants to ask you something… ‘Will you marry me?’” With cameras surrounding them, Jones produced a ring and waited for Korin’s answer — which luckily for him was “yes.” Jones is an avid WWE fan and once performed the national anthem at the WWE SuperSlam 2011. Just before Christmas, Tool’s webmaster posted the band may be “more than halfway” finished writing the music for their fifth studio effort. The webmaster wrote he heard some new music without vocals. adding, “Dare I say that it sounded like . . . Tool (some of it reminiscent to earlier Tool stuff, with other parts pushing the envelope), and I assume that it will sound even more like Tool once the vocal melodies, etc. have been added.” Now isn’t that nice on so many levels?….Nice how things sort of work themselves out when everyone is sober? Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler said in a new interview with California radio station KCAL-FM that the band’s new album — the first in 34 years to feature Butler, guitarist Tony Iommi and singer Ozzy Osbourne — is also the first that the original members of the band have made while completely sober. Butler explained, “None of us have been drinking or doing drugs or anything. It’s a bit more professional in that way. We stuck to a schedule: every day we’d go in at one o’clock and finished at six. Five hours a day and that’s it.” Now maybe they can see their way into bringing Bill Ward back into the fold and we can call it a very nice day!…..Pulse Content reports Mission To Lars, the documentary about a learning-disabled young man named Tom Spicer and his quest to meet Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich, will be released on DVD in Europe on April 8th, with a 30-minute interview with Ulrich included as a bonus feature. The film follows Spicer as he goes on the road with the help of his brother William and sister Kate to meet his hero, taking the trio from the U.K. to Los Angeles and Las Vegas as the trip becomes more chaotic and complicated. The film’s website described the story by saying, “What starts out a dream soon becomes a nightmare as Tom’s disabilities, a dysfunctional family, and heavy metal’s labyrinthine backstage world thwart the mission at every turn. But as they get closer to Lars, Tom the man starts to shine.” Ulrich saw a rough cut of the film last year, commenting, “I thought it was deeply moving . . . (It’s) a great testament to the importance of music and what it means to different people.” All profits from the film will go to Mencap, the U.K.’s leading learning disability charity, which works with the learning-disabled and their families. Tom Spicer has Fragile X Syndrome, which is described as a sort of autism….Celebrating his 59th today is Handsome Dick Manitoba of the Dictators. He also owns a nice pub in Alphabet City. Knew that band when they were coming up in the late 70’s (I worked with Ross the Boss‘ then wife Jane!). Ah, the good ole days at CBGB’s! Wonder what happened to ole Jane!
Tuesday, Jan 29
