Happy Friday everyone! Here’s what’s happening in the world of Rock and Roll:
In a statement on Facebook, the band wrote, “Dear European fans, we have some sincerely unfortunate news regarding our upcoming shows February 22 – March 17 and must announce a complete reschedule to this fall. A year and a half of constant touring has been both invigorating and exhausting. Josh currently has a relentless upper respiratory infection that has not yet had the chance to heal. His doctor has required extended rest as the only path to full recovery.”
All ticketholders for the tour are encouraged to hold onto their tickets, which will be honored at the rescheduled gigs. A number of the shows have already been given new dates. Refunds are available at point of purchase for fans not able to attend.
The band added, “We are heartbroken in sharing this setback with you and hope you can understand this painful decision . . . Every show missed will take place, that is a promise. We are tremendously grateful for your patience.”
Greta Van Fleet has been touring in support of its debut album, Anthem Of The Peaceful Army, which debuted at Number Three on the Billboard 200 album chart last fall. It has also reached the Top 10 in Canada, Italy and Germany.
Motley Crue has released a new song called “The Dirt (Est. 1981),” one of several new tunes that the Los Angeles band has recorded for The Dirt, the upcoming Crue biopic that premieres on Netflix on March 22nd.
The Crüe recorded four new tracks for The Dirt last year, working once again with producer Bob Rock, who was behind the boards for the band’s classic 1989 LP Dr. Feelgood. “The Dirt (Est. 1981)” also features a guest appearance by rapper Machine Gun Kelly, who is starring in the movie as Crue drummer Tommy Lee.
Bassist Nikki Sixx spoke with Los Angeles radio station KLOS about writing new Crue music again for the first time in years. He explained, “I said, ‘Why don’t we, let’s write some music.’ And I didn’t think we would ever do anything again together besides this movie. We had kind of called it a day. We got excited about it and talked to the other guys.”
The full trailer for The Dirt was released online earlier this week, giving fans a first look at the cast. It includes Game Of Thrones alumnus Iwan Rheon as guitarist Mick Mars, Daniel Webber as singer Vince Neil, Douglas Booth as bassist Nikki Sixx, and SNL cast member Pete Davidson as record exec Tom Zutaut.
Saint Asonia, the band featuring ex-Three Days Grace frontman Adam Gontier and Staind guitarist Mike Mushok, has signed a worldwide deal with Spinefarm Records and is working on its second LP in an upstate New York studio, with plans to release the disc later this year.
Gontier said in a statement, “This new album is a giant step forward for us in many ways . . . Our goal is to raise the bar on every record, so we’re incorporating a lot of different sounds and instruments on this one. For me, this is the best stuff I’ve written since 2005. I guess you’ll have to hear it to judge for yourself!”
Gontier told us a while back how his lyrics changed in Saint Asonia: “Obviously I’m not a, you know, 17-year-old kid that’s angry at his parents over whatever reason, so I’m, you know, I’m not really writing about that kind of stuff. But I am still writing lyrics about things in my life that I’d like to change, or things that happen in my life that bother me or affect me in certain ways, but not over-the-top and not contrived, for sure.”
Gontier and Mushok joined forces four years ago after the former exited Three Days Grace and the latter’s band, Staind, went on an extended hiatus. Original bassist Corey Lowery was replaced by Adam’s cousin Cale Gontier in 2017, while Staind drummer Sal Giancarelli took over for Rich Beddoe.
The result was their acclaimed self-titled debut, released in 2015, which featured the Top 10 radio tracks “Better Place” and “Let Me Live My Life.”
Finally, Happy Birthday to Halestorm guitarist Joe Hottinger! Weekend, here we come!
