March Forth! I always love doing that when it’s the Fourth of March!….I loved it that the first thing I watched this morning was this short video clip of an acoustic guitar jam from Jason Newsted and Mike Mushok (Staind guitarist.) (Thanks Blabbernouth & Pulse Content!) It was filmed on Jase’s front porch in Walnut Creek, CA. Just gives Monday a whole new vibe! But it does make me wonder, what are the boys up to????….I dunno how many of you remember Mad Season. It was a band from the mid-90’s formed by Alice in Chains’ frontman Layne Staley, Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready, Duff McKagan of Guns N’ Roses, and then Screaming Trees drummer Barrett Martin. They put out an album in ’95 called Above. Pulse Content reports now, the band, obviously minus Layne, have created a brand new band together. According to Billboard, the yet-to-be-named project will recruit a number of different singers for an album McCready hopes to release on his own new label, Hockeytalker Records. The only vocalist named so far as a possible participant is Killing Joke‘s Jaz Coleman. McCready and Martin have already been working together recently on the reissue of the sole album from Mad Season, 1995’s Above, which featured them along with singer Layne Staley and bassist John Baker Saunders, both now deceased. McCready explained the basis of the new project came from abandoned demos for the second Mad Season album, which was originally supposed to go out under the name Disinformation: “Duff McKagan and Barrett and I went and we kind of re-recorded and put some of the Disinformation sessions together again, so we’re sending out the music that has come from these sessions to different singers and we just got two ideas back from Jaz Coleman from Killing Joke, and it’s really cool. So we’re gonna do something with that — I’m not sure if it’s gonna be called Mad Season or what.” McCready wants to put at least some of the material out on 45 rpm vinyl singles, depending on when the singers return it. The reissue of Above, due out April 2nd, will contain the original album, an unreleased track called “Locomotive,” a remix, and three songs written and sung by former Screaming Trees singer, Mark Lanegan. that were originally intended for the sophomore album. In addition to his Mad Season-related projects, McCready is getting back into the studio soon with Pearl Jam to continue work on a new album. We’ll be speaking with Mr McCready and you will hear him soon on hardDrive and hardDrive XL…..Our Tremonti Wish You Well Contest winner Ken Gillette, a listener of 100.5 The Buzz out of Gainesville, is heading to LA to hang out tomorrow night with the band and get all the VIP love from the band. Meanwhile, Mark’s other band, Alter Bridge, will regroup in the studio in April to finish writing songs for its fourth album. Mark and singer Myles Kennedy did some initial songwriting earlier in the year, with Tremonti saying the sessions produced “about five songs,” adding they are all “kind of real high-energy, just real fun rock/metal.”Recording is slated for the summer, with a North American tour in the works for September. We like that!….Loudwire reports an all-star lineup has been constructed for the 2013 Rock Against MS charity concert. Slated for March 27 at Hollywood’s Whisky Au Go-Go, the benefit will feature Lemmy Kilmister (Motorhead), John 5 (Rob Zombie / ex-Marilyn Manson), Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple), Billy Morrison (Billy Idol), Steven Adler (ex-Guns N’ Roses / Adler), Kenny Aronoff (Chickenfoot), Ginger Fish (Rob Zombie / ex-Marilyn Manson), Wayne Static (Static-X), Tommy Victor (Prong), Phil Buckman (Filter), Jack Russell (Great White), Jeff Pilson (Foreigner), Jeff Young (ex-Megadeth) and Marky Ramone (Ramones). Multiple Sclerosis is a serious autoimmune disease, and a mass of musicians are coming together to help longtime music publicist Nancy Sayle, who was struck with Primary Progressive MS in 2009. This type of MS is a severe form of the disease, with only 10 percent of the afflicted having been diagnosed with this variation. In addition, Sayle also came down with a pituitary brain tumor in 2012. After learning of her condition, Steve Stevens (guitarist for Billy Idol), along with his wife Josie, came up with the idea to stage a benefit concert. There will also be an auction featuring a guitar lesson with Steve Stevens and signed guitars from Rick Springfield and Paul Gilbert, among other items up for bid. Tickets for the 2013 Rock Against MS concert are being offered anywhere between $35 – $150. To purchase tickets for the charity gig, head over to Ticketfly. ….From the “Whatever Happened To...” File comes Bento, a new band fronted by former Silverchair singer Ben Gillies. Check out his new album, Diamond Days, and single “Words of Love” here: https://www.facebook.com/wearebento And check out stuff here. ….Was thinking about doing a special edition of hardDrive on One Hit Wonders. Anyone got some suggestions of what songs we should play??? You know, from bands who only made it big with one song and never had a follow up song or never hit it big and should or could of? Send ’em in to me via the email link on the home page or post ’em on our Facebook: harddriveradio ….Since we mentioned Jason Newsted, what do you know? Today’s his 50th Birthday! Many more Jase!
