Archive for December, 2011

MÖTLEY CRÜE IN SIN CITY THE WORLD’S MOST NOTORIOUS BAND LAUNCHES LAS VEGAS’ FIRST-EVER HARD ROCK RESIDENCY FEBRUARY 2012 AT THE JOINT AT HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO TICKETS ON-SALE NOW

Posted in Artist Watch, News, Releases with tags , , , , , , , , , , on December 5, 2011 by Randy

Three decades after beginning its iconic journey of debauchery and decadence, MÖTLEY CRÜE has announced plans to invade Las Vegas with the city’s first-ever hard rock residency: MÖTLEY CRÜE IN SIN CITY.  The world’s most notorious band will he heading to the world’s most notorious city where they will perform an extended runstarting February 3 through 19–at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Tickets are on sale at www.motley.comwww.thejointlasvegas.com, www.ticketmaster.com and the venue box office. VIP seating and packages will also be available. The shows are produced by AEG Live.

2012’s MÖTLEY CRÜE IN SIN CITY show is sure to leave the loud impression that what happens in Vegas will be heard around the world.  Vocalist VINCE NEIL, guitarist MICK MARS, bassist NIKKI SIXX and drummer TOMMY LEE have big plans for MÖTLEY CRÜE IN SIN CITY to create a never-been-done before and incredibly interactive Vegas experience. Exact details about the show—expected to supersede the band’s high standard of production—are being kept under wraps for now to keep an element of surprise for fans.  The engagement falls during a holiday-packed time in the calendar year: Super Bowl Sunday, Valentine’s Day and President’s Day.

“It is a dream come true for me especially living in and loving Las Vegas,” says singer Vince Neil.  “I am thrilled that a guy like Piers Morgan would help kick it off!”  Adds drummer Tommy Lee, “I don’t know about you, but when I think of Mötley Crüe I think of filthy sex, drugs, a REALLY big show and way too much fun… sounds like Las Vegas doesn’t it?  A match made in heaven!”

“We are very excited to announce our upcoming partnership with legendary rockers Mötley Crüe,” said Paul Davis, vice president of entertainment at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. “The one-of-a-kind production will be the most unique, interactive, fan-driven concert experience the band has ever created. Mötley Crüe is a perfect fit for the Hard Rock and we can’t wait for this unforgettable residency to begin!”

Adds Bobby Reynolds, Vice President of Booking for AEG Live Las Vegas, “We’re thrilled that Mötley Crüe is creating their most notorious show ever and bringing it to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in notorious Las Vegas.  This concert experience is going to represent what the fans love most about Mötley Crüe, the Hard Rock and Las Vegas: good times, rock n’ roll and a stage show like no one has ever seen before!”

Tickets, starting at $45 (plus applicable service fees) will be available Saturday at 10am at the Hard Rock Box Office, www.motley.com, www.thejointlasvegas.com, or www.ticketmaster.com. Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is also offering ticket and room bundles via www.hardrockhotel.com.

 

MÖTLEY CRÜE IN SIN CITY dates at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Las Vegas:

Friday, February 3

Saturday, February 4

Sunday, February 5

Wednesday, February 8

Friday, February 10

Saturday, February 11

Sunday, February 12

Tuesday, February 14

Wednesday, February 15

Friday, February 17

Saturday, February 18

Sunday, February 19

Check out the MÖTLEY CRÜE IN SIN CITY sizzle reel at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWUCJewyAXE

For more information, please visit: www.motley.com

Follow the band:

@thevinceneil

@MrMickMars

@nikkisixx

@MrTommyLand

MEGADETH RECEIVE THEIR TENTH GRAMMY NOMINATION FOR “BEST HARD ROCK/HEAVY METAL PERFORMANCE” OF THE NEW SONG ‘PUBLIC ENEMY #1’ FOUNDER DAVE MUSTAINE TO APPEAR ON VH1 CLASSIC’S THAT METAL SHOW THIS SATURDAY 12/3

Posted in All Metal, Artist Watch, News, Releases with tags , , , , , , , , on December 2, 2011 by Randy

MEGADETH–who wrap a tour of South America tonight (12/1) in Costa Rica–have received their tenth Grammy nomination for their latest effort. The group–singer/guitarist DAVE MUSTAINE, drummer SHAWN DROVER, guitarist CHRIS BRODERICK and bassist DAVID ELLEFSON–got a “Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Performance” nomination for their new single “Public Enemy #1” off their latest album TH1RT3EN (Roadrunner Records).  The “Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Performance” category is, eerily, category #13.

Of the nomination, MEGADETH founder DAVE MUSTAINE says, “In such uncertain times, it’s just an honor to be recognized by our peers, and anything above that is remarkable.”  Check out the song’s video here: http://youtu.be/qHMUyHZi440 or their performance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” here: http://youtu.be/JgXEnIhCMsI“Public Enemy #1” actually marks the second Grammy nomination for music from TH1RT3EN, as the song “Sudden Death” was first unveiled in the 2010 video game “Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock” and received a “Best Metal Performance” nod.

The band’s 13th album, the appropriately titled Th1rt3en, was released November 1 and debuted at #11 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and #1 on the Billboard Hard Rock chart. The album also landed on international charts including Top 10 placements in Argentina, Finland, Korea and Japan.

While promoting the critically praised TH1RT3EN, MUSTAINE stopped by the VH1 Classic’s studios to chat with That Metal Show. A sneak peek of the episode–which will air this Saturday, 12/3 at 11/10pm CT–can be seen here: http://www.vh1.com/video/misc/715864/that-metal-show-season-9-episode-3-dave-mustaine.jhtml#id=1675201.

In other MEGADETH news, the group will again launch their acclaimed GIGANTOUR in 2012. The tour also features MOTÖRHEAD, VOLBEAT and LACUNA COIL, all personally picked by MUSTAINE.  It will kick off January 26 in Camden, NJ.  Before wrapping February 28 in Denver, CO, the tour will make stops all across the U.S. and Canada including a January 28 show in New York and February 24 in Los Angeles (full itinerary below).  The new www.gigantour.com website is now up and running featuring the latest news and video for all performing artists as well as a look back to previous tours. Tickets are available via the website as are MEGADETH Ultimate VIP Packages. Packages include meet ‘n greet photo op with MEGADETH band members, priority access general admission ticket, pre-show refreshments, specially designed MEGADETH t-shirt, exclusive lithograph, laminate and more. Packages are limited.

In a three-out-of-four star CD review, USA Today’s Brian Mansfield wrote, “The material stretches from tunes that sound like snarly, early Alice Cooper to politically minded thrash, a wide-ranging approach that should give all the group’s fans something they like…(11/1/11)” while Billboard’s Gary Graff called the record “a ripping, muscular exercise in hard-hitting rage ‘n roll…Th1rt3en shows they’re not ready to rust in peace quite yet (11/5/11).” Dan Epstein of Revolver raved “…from the opening blast of ‘Sudden Death,’ there’s no mistaking the innate Megadeth-ness of it all…the two Daves are now once again churning up acres of scorched earth together the way they used to do in the band’s prime.  But the album also marks drummer Shawn Drover’s third recorded outing with the group, and guitarist Chris Broderick’s second, which may be why Th1rt3en swings and swaggers like no Megadeth album in recent memory…Megadeth’s best and most vital album of the 21st century…(Nov/Dec 2011).”

 

 

GIGANTOUR 2012 Tour Dates:

DATE   CITY VENUE
Thu 1/26 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center
Fri 1/27 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
Sat 1/28 New York, NY Theater at Madison Square Garden
Sun 1/29 Lowell, MA Tsongas Arena
Wed 2/1 Glens Falls, NY Glens Falls Civic Center
Thu 2/2 Quebec City, QC Colisee Pepsi Arena
Fri 2/3 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
Sun 2/5 Kingston, ON K-Rock Centre
Tue 2/7 Oshawa, ON General Motors Centre
Wed 2/8 Hamilton, ON Copps Coliseum
Thu 2/9 Auburn Hills, MI Palace of Auburn Hills
Fri 2/10 Chicago, IL Aragon Ballroom
Sun 2/12 Milwaukee, WI Eagles Ballroom
Tue 2/14 St. Paul, MN Myth
Thu 2/16 Saskatoon, SK Prairieland
Fri 2/17 Edmonton, AB Shaw Conference Centre
Sat 2/18 Calgary, AB Big 4 Building
Mon 2/20 Abbotsford, BC Abbotsford Ent & Sports Centre
Tue 2/21 Kent, WA Showare Center
Thu 2/23 San Jose, CA Events Center
Fri 2/24 Universal City, CA Gibson Amphitheatre
Sat 2/25 Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theatre
Sun 2/26 Albuquerque, NM Tingley Coliseum
Tue 2/28 Denver, CO The Fillmore Auditorium

DREAM THEATER NOMINATED FOR THEIR FIRST GRAMMY AWARD FOR BEST HARD ROCK/METAL SONG

Posted in Artist Watch, News, Releases with tags , , , , , , , on December 1, 2011 by Randy

As they continue to tour in support of their acclaimed album A DRAMATIC TURN OF EVENTS (Roadrunner), progressive hard rock icons DREAM THEATER have received their first-ever Grammy nomination for the album’s first single “On The Backs Of Angels” in the Best Hard Rock/Metal Category. The band–James LaBrie (Vocals), John Myung (Bass), John Petrucci (Guitar and Vocals), Jordan Rudess (Keyboards and Continuum) and new member Mike Mangini (Drums)—released this statement:

“2011 has been quite an amazing year for us.  We watched ‘A DRAMATIC TURN OF EVENTS’—our eleventh studio album—enter the Top Ten in 14 countries around the world including the U.S.  And now we land our first-ever Grammy nomination [for the song “On The Backs of Angels” in the Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance category]. It’s the icing on the cake–we’re honored and thrilled, no doubt about it.  It took us a while to receive this Grammy attention–and we’ve done it on our own terms musically, so it feels particularly sweet.  What keeps you going as a musician is the love and support from the fans–they are always there for us on this crazy adventure.  So we give them a big shout-out as we celebrate our Grammy nomination.  See you all on the road…and let’s all keep dreaming big.”

Meanwhile, after wrapping their U.S. dates on December 4 in Mesa, AZ, the band will perform three nights in Mexico (Monterrey December 7, Guadalajara December 9 and Mexico City December 10). In early 2012, they head overseas for a European concert tour starting January 23 in Finland and wrapping on February 26 in Portugal.

Here are some critical soundbites from the media about A DRAMATIC TURN OF EVENTS.

“The group’s members are clearly enjoying a rediscovered melodicism and experimentation in their songwriting.  Dream Theater digs in with impressive might into hook-heavy twisting journeys like ‘Bridges In The Sky,’ ‘Breaking All Illusions’ and ‘Outcry,’ yet also softens into a vulnerability never heard before on songs like ‘Far From Heaven’ and ‘Beneath The Surface’…Fans, rejoice: The spirit carries on, every much intact.”
–Chuck Taylor, BILLBOARD, October 15, 2011

“Produced by Petrucci and mixed by Grammy Award winner Andy Wallace (Nirvana, Rage Against the Machine), it’s an album that keeps revealing its many splendors even after repeated listens. Its nine cuts run the gamut from grinding; progressive metal (‘On the Backs of Angels,’ ‘Build Me Up, Break Me Down’) to mind-numbing musical workouts (‘Lost Not Forgotten,’ ‘Outcry’) to a surprisingly stripped-down yet altogether moving ballad (‘Far from Heaven’).”
–Joe Bosso, GUITAR WORLD, November 2011

“’Spine-tingling’ is a term that can be applied to the whole of the album… Dream Theater’s stunning new masterpiece, which sees the band – Petrucci, LaBrie, bassist John Myung, keyboardist Jordan Rudess and new drummer Mike Mangini – performing at the top of their game. Mixed by Grammy Award winner Andy Wallace (Nirvana, Rage Against The Machine), it’s a sonic wonder that keeps revealing surprises even after multiple spins.”
–Joe Bosso, MUSICRADAR.COM, August 17, 2011

“Dream Theater returns with A Dramatic Turn Of Events. Marking the debut of new drummer Mike Mangini, the album is an evocative collection of fully-realized soundscapes  that stands alongside landmark Dream Theater albums like Images And Words and Scenes From A Memory with an even greater prestige, ambition and cunning. It strikes the perfect balance between the bands’s intimate history with all that is heavy, progressive and melodic, each element fully realized. Over twenty-five years since their formation, Dream Theater continues to cultivate, curate and protect their status as worldwide niche tastemakers on this their eleventh studio album, which was produced by the band’s own John Petrucci and mixed by sonic magician Andy Wallace.”
DRUMHEAD, September 2011

www.dreamtheater.net

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dream-Theater/7677942180

www.myspace.com/dreamtheater

HARRIET TO RELEASE DEBUT EP TELL THE RIGHT STORY ON JANUARY 31, 2012

Posted in Artist Watch, New Music, News with tags , , , , , , on December 1, 2011 by Randy
“I SLEPT WITH ALL YOUR MOTHERS” CURRENTLY PREMIERING AT PASTEMAGAZINE.COM
November 30, 2011 – Los Angeles, CA – Harriet, a new Los Angeles-based band fronted by former Dawes member Alex Casnoff, today announced the details of their debut EP, titled Tell The Right Story, which will be self-released on January 31, 2012. The EP’s gripping opening track “I Slept With All Your Mothers” is currently premiering at PasteMagazine.Com.

LISTEN TO “I SLEPT WITH ALL YOUR MOTHERS” HERE

Inspired largely by classic storytelling and the spectacle of the movies, Tell The Right Story weaves eerily romantic ballads with unwavering anthems, and features classic elements of Americana and folk music contrasted with futuristic electronic samples and beats.

“I wanted it to feel big… cinematic. I wanted every song to be a movie, ” said Casnoff. “I wanted it to feel like an occasion. I wanted it to feel like a wedding.”

Casnoff was formerly a member of notable Los Angeles bands Dawes and PAPA, bands both named after grandfathers. In flipping the tradition, Casnoff decided to name the band after his grandmother, Harriet. After touring the country for years with his prior bands and with a growing arsenal of his own songs, Casnoff stepped into the studio in June 2011, armed with his nicest suit and a bottle of fine tequila, to record what would become Tell The Right Story. The result is a striking collection of songs that draw on the influence of classic American singer-songwriters, film, electronic music, and Casnoff’s experience as a touring musician.

“I may have seen every gas station in the country, but the America I feel indebted to is not in the past, at least not that far. I am a product of my time. We make music about the retro-future. Music about coping. Anti motivational motivational music.”

Harriet is Alex Casnoff, Aaron Folb (bass), Henry Kwapis (drums), and Adam Gunther (guitar). Tell The Right Story was produced by Sean O’Brien and recorded in Los Angeles and Sacramento. Live dates will be announced shortly.

www.harrietmusic.com