Good morning Radicals! Hope you’re all happy and healthy. If you’re unplugging from the world today to reconnect with your community, then you’re in good company!
A number of notable rock musicians spoke up over the last day or so as the protests and violence stemming from the killing of George Floyd created major unrest in the U.S.
System Of A Down singer Serj Tankian and Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose both blasted Donald Trump, with Tankian blasting Trump over reports that he did not want to make a speech and had retreated to a bunker beneath the White House.
Tankian wrote, “Run Donny run into your bunker. You may be the first US President to do so out of fear of your own citizens. A real leader would address the nation properly and a real man would go face the protestors on the streets in person. But like other corrupt undemocratic leaders in the past, you’ve realized they are not your people as you are not really our President.”
Axl Rose blasted Trump for blaming the unrest on what the former reality TV host called the “lamestream” media, writing, “Lamestream media ISN’T doing everything within their power 2 foment hatred n’ anarchy, that’s U! As long as we get what Ur doing, that Ur FAKE NEWS n’ a truly bad, repulsive excuse 4 a person w/a sick agenda, we can work past U w/whatever it takes 2 a better, stronger future!!”
Guns bassist Duff McKagan, meanwhile, took a more measured approach, musing that he could not understand how racism still exists. He wrote, “I am not a black man..so I can’t even pretend to understand what it’s like….but even MORE, I can’t understand what it’s like to be a racist white dips**t. I don’t get it. I will never ‘get’ it. Thankfully, I grew up different. Police training and vetting of new and old officers has to change radically…Peace to all of us. #justiceforgeorgefloyd”
Slipknot drummer Jay Weinberg and singer Corey Taylor spoke out for change, justice and an end to oppression. Weinberg wrote, “Black lives matter. Systemic racism exists. White privilege is real…It’s time to speak up against police brutality and the perpetrators of systemic racism, and to become an ally to those who do not experience the same freedoms that we who share in our white privilege do.”
Corey Taylor, who has said he is staying off social media for his sanity, signed on briefly to remark, “Several roads have brought us to this point. Only one road is going to lead us out of here. We HAVE to take the road together. Fight injustice. Fight racism. Fight oppression.”
Five Finger Death Punch guitarist Zoltan Bathory has condemned the destruction and violence that has broken out across the country in response to the death of George Floyd, who died after former officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for nearly 10 minutes while Floyd was handcuffed.
Bathory, a longtime supporter of law enforcement , wrote on Instagram, “Being a long time supporter of 1st responders — I got a few messages asking ‘if I still support them after all this…Yes… I support the constitution, truth, justice, human rights and our civil liberties and I support all those who defend it.”
He continued, “I support the kind of police, who — just like the rest of us — are disgusted by the actions of that POS murderer and his colleagues who were assisting or standing idle — they tarnished the badge, violated the oath — and without a question they murdered George. No sane person can watch that video without disgust and absolute f**king rage. Justice needs to be served 1000% to its full extent for all involved.”
Bathory added, “However, don’t let politically motivated goons hijack your emotions, push you where you should not go, and divide this nation even further. Focus on the guilty and focus on the problem — and the solution of the problem. Beating up innocents, robbing their stores, setting communities on fire have nothing to do with justice, and certainly isn’t done in the honor of George Floyd.”
Although protests were largely peaceful as demonstrators marched in the streets from Los Angeles to New York, there were widespread reports of looting and confrontations with the police in cities across the United States. Donald Trump has now threatened to send the U.S. military into streets after he remained largely out of sight for several days beforehand.
Grey Daze, the late Chester Bennington‘s pre-Linkin Park band, has posted a video of a teenage Bennington singing Nirvana‘s “Polly.” The video shows a group of people sitting around and jamming, with a curly-haired Bennington nodding and singing along to the song.
Grey Daze’s album honoring Bennington, Amends, is due out June 26th. Amends features newly recorded music with remastered vocals from the two long out-of-print LPs Grey Daze released independently.
Bennington himself and his music with Grey Daze could perhaps be the focus of a live tribute at some point, since drummer Sean Dowdell has no interest in taking Grey Daze on tour: “If we were to do anything, it would be in a tribute fashion, where we would bring in a couple of guest singers to sing the songs like Chester, for Chester and in honor of Chester. I would not want to try to replace him as a singer and go out and do a big tour and try to pass it off as the new Grey Daze. That’s not really interesting to me.”
The album was made with the blessing of Chester’s widow, parents and family. Guests on the LP include Korn‘s Brian “Head” Welch and James “Munky” Shaffer plus Bush‘s Chris Traynor and others, as well as Chester’s 23-year-old son Jaime.
For this year’s Record Store Day, the surviving members of Soundgarden have teamed with singer Brandi Carlile to record new versions of “Black Hole Sun” and “Searching With My Good Eye Closed.”
The tribute to late Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell will be released as a 12-inch on September 26th, part of a three-day Record Store Day celebration that was reconfigured after the pandemic scrapped the regular late April event.
The songs were recorded at Seattle’s London Bridge Studio, a legendary place that hosted both Soundgarden and Carlile early in their careers, along with many other Seattle music luminaries.
Carlile wrote about recording her early demos there with her band, saying, “Soundgarden were just gods to us back then. Total pioneers and unreachable to us in every way. We went about making our demos and cleaning the studio when we couldn’t afford the bill never knowing that in November of 2019 we would go back to London Bridge and RECORD TWO SONGS WITH THEM!!”
Carlile posted a number of pictures from the studio, as well as a video of Soundgarden’s Kim Thayil shredding through a guitar solo.
It was a long time coming, but the heavily promoted 30-date “Stadium Tour” featuring the reunited Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, Poison, and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts has FINALLY been postponed. Lagging behind nearly every artist that has iced its summer dates, the bands issued a statement yesterday (June 1st), explaining the trek has been officially pushed back to 2021.
Opening night had been set for June 18th in Jacksonville, Florida at TIAA Bank Field. Concert-goers seeking a refund can log on to livenation.com/refund
The tour’s rescheduled dates will eventually be posted at: livenation.com/eventstatus
In a joint statement to fans, all four acts posted the message:
We wanted to continue to communicate with our fans and update you with valid information as it becomes available. The official decision has been made to move all 2020 North American stadium tour dates into the summer of 2021. The new stadium dates are being rescheduled. Your tickets will be honored for all postponed shows and refund policy information will be made available shortly.
Stay tuned, be safe and we will see you next year. – Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, Poison & Joan Jett & The Blackhearts.
Finally, let’s wish a Happy Birthday to Matt Keane of Bring Me The Horizon and Seth Trimball of Shallow Side! Have a great day!
