Christmas music already on the tv and everywhere you turn! Hello, it’s NOT EVEN THANKSGIVING YET! Sheesh!…….Metallica has announced that its IMAX 3D concert film, Metallica Through The Never, will arrive on DVD, Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray, video on demand and digital on Jan 28th, 2014 through Metallica’s own label, Blackened Recordings. Formats will include a standard two-disc package on DVD, Blu-ray and 3D Blu-ray, as well as special expanded versions. The DVD and both Blu-ray editions will include extensive behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the film, an 80-plus minute long documentary on its creation, various interviews with the cast and crew and other never-before-seen content. Fans will also be able to purchase a limited-edition deluxe package containing a piece of the actual stage used in the film, a lithograph print autographed by all four band members and more. Nice!….Was reading the new Revolver with Black Sabbath on the cover. (Weird picture…) Anyhow, Ozzy Osbourne told the magazine that reuniting with Black Sabbath didn’t cause him to relapse back into drug and alcohol abuse last year. Ozzy explained, “It wasn’t Black Sabbath. I’m an alcoholic. It’s my disease. If I don’t go to these AA meetings, I tell myself, ‘You can have a line of that. You can smoke that or whatever.’ Next thing you know, I’m f***ing on my own somewhere in L.A. I don’t know why. I’m my own worst enemy.” Ozzy added, “The idea of having one drink or one joint or one line of coke or whatever, my whole f***ing life caves in. It’s a bad thing. I haven’t drunk now for maybe nine months.” Poor Ozzy! I have know him since the 80’s. Seen him age gracefully (with a little help from science) and God bless him, he’s like bionic or something!…hardDrive XL’s associate producer Bill sent this to me last week. Sevendust has launched a campaign to crowdfund the recording of a new acoustic album. The band is asking fans to help with the financing of the project through early pre-ordering via PledgeMusic. The group posted this message: “We keep hearing from so many of you that you want a studio acoustic album and another full acoustic tour and we’ve been dying to do it. We are now finally in a position to get you another really special acoustic record with new 7Dust songs and special remakes of older ones that we gather your input on and present you with a worthy acoustic record.” Every order will come with a download of the record plus access to exclusive bonus content. As with other PledgeMusic campaigns, there are different tiers of donations that will offer fans more rewards for the more they contribute. In addition to a variety of signed items like CDs, posters, drum sticks, drum heads, cymbals, road-used guitars, guitar cabinets, a $2,000 contribution will win you a private dinner with the band, while a $10,000 donation will get a private acoustic concert at your home. Also available are a studio visit and barbecue with a listening party or a Skype guitar lesson with Clint Lowery and John Connolly. Cool stuff!…..A friend on Facebook posted a fan-filmed video of Pearl Jam doing The Who‘s “Baba O’Riley”. Looked so amazing! But my friend Don went to their show on Saturday in LA. He reported the band opened a two-night stand in Los Angeles on Saturday night (Nov 23rd) with a three-hour, 31-song set that featured no less than eight songs from the band’s classic 1991 debut, Ten, as well as rarities like “Footsteps,” “I Got Id,” “Long Road” and “State Of Love and Trust.” The group also covered the Ramones‘ “I Believe In Miracles” and the Who‘s “Baba O’Riley” and delivered half a dozen cuts from new album Lightning Bolt. Singer Eddie Vedder had one fan removed from the front row for being too aggressive, and later slow-danced with another fan who somehow found his way onstage. The band played Los Angeles again on last night and head to Oakland on Tuesday (Nov 26th). I am bummed I missed this tour. Really bummed….Here’s something else I would like to see: Late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham will be honored at the Bonzo Bash NAMM Jam 2014, scheduled to take place on Jan 23rd at the Observatory in Santa Ana, California. The event will feature a roster of musicians gathering together to perform Zeppelin songs, ending with a percussion jam honoring Bonham. Nearly 30 drummers are confirmed to participate including Korn‘s Ray Luzier, Stephen Perkins of Jane’s Addiction, Anthrax‘s Charlie Benante, Xavier Muriel of Buckcherry, Jason Sutter from Marilyn Manson and Chris Cornell‘s bands, plus many more…..Happy 49th today to Mark Lanegan of Screaming Trees and Queens of the Stone Age and Happy 48th to Rancid’s Tim Armstrong!
