Rat Rock News

Slash Adds More Date to His Upcoming Tour

Thu, 28 Jun 2012 09:55:00 GMT

Slash is extending his tour into the fall. The guitarist is hitting the road with Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators in support of his second solo album, "Apocalyptic Love," which he also recorded with Kennedy and the band. They've added 18 new shows, which follow their slate of summer dates. The July and August concerts will feature Monster Truck as the opener, while the September and October shows will feature Foxy Shazam. In addition, the fall dates will feature an unsigned band discovered through a Guitar Center competition. Slash will launch the trek in Portland, Oregon on July 12th, just a couple of days after he receives his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Slash 2012 Tour Dates
July 12 - Portland, Oregon, at the Roseland Theater July 13 - Seattle, Washington, at the Paramount Theatre July 14 - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre July 16 - Edmonton, Alberta, at the Northern Alberta Jubilee July 17 - Calgary, Alberta, Canada, at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium July 19 - Medicine Hat, Alberta, at the Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre July 20 - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, at the TCU Place July 21 - Winnipeg, Manitoba, at the Burton Cummings Theatre July 23 - Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium July 25 - Belleville, Ontario, Canada, at the Empire Square Live July 26 - London, Ontario, Canada, at Harris Park
July 27 - Montreal, Quebec, Canada, at the Olympia Theater July 29 - Quebec City, Quebec, Canada, at the Agora de Quebec July 30 - Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada, at the Centre-Casino Moncton July 31 - Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, at the Cunard Events Centre August 2 - Boston, Massachusetts, at the House of Blues August 3 - Montclair, New Jersey, at the Wellmont Theatre August 4 - Huntington, New York, at The Paramount
August 7 - Dubuque, Iowa, at the Diamond Jo Casino-Mississippi Moon Bar
August 8 - St. Louis, Missouri, at The Pageant August 10 - Sturgis, South Dakota, at the Buffalo Chip Campground September 4 - San Diego, California, at the House of Blues September 5 - Phoenix, Arizona, at the Celebrity Theatre September 7 - Austin, Texas, at Stubbs September 8 - Dallas, Texas, at the House of Blues September 9 - Houston, Texas, at the House of Blues September 11 - New Orleans, Louisiana, at the House of Blues
September 12 - Atlanta, Georgia, at the Tabernacle September 16 - Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom September 18 - New York, New York, at the Hammerstein Ballroom September 19 - Cleveland, Ohio, at the House of Blues September 21 - Cincinnati, Ohio, at Bogart's September 22 - Detroit, Michigan, at the Fillmore September 23 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada, at the Sound Academy September 25 - Indianapolis, Indiana, at the Egyptian Room September 28 - Chicago, Illinois, at the Riviera Theater September 29 - Springfield, Missouri, at the O'Reilly Family Events Center October 2 - Oakland, California, at the Fox Theater October 3 - Los Angeles, California, at The Wiltern

Aerosmith Delays Latest Record

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 10:08:00 GMT

Aerosmith's new album has hit another delay. Frontman Steven Tyler tells that "Music From Another Dimension" won't be hitting stores on August 28th as previously announced, but is now set to arrive in stores on November 6th. He explains that the group decided to hold their album back because several other artists are scheduled to put out albums in late August, and Aerosmith doesn't want to "step on their release dates."
This is the second delay for Aerosmith's album. "Music From Another Dimension" was originally expected to arrive in conjunction with the start of the band's "Global Warming Tour," which got under way earlier this month. In April the band announced that the disc would be coming out in August. "Music From Another Dimension" is Aerosmith's long-awaited follow up to their 2004 effort, "Honkin' On Bobo." The album features the band's new single "Legendary Child."

Black Keys Looking for Gold in Law suits

Tue, 26 Jun 2012 12:45:00 GMT

The Black Keys could soon bring in a little more gold thanks to a pair of lawsuits. Reports say Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney have filed two separate federal complaints against Pizza Hut and Home Depot. The musicians claim the pizza makers used their song "Gold on the Ceiling" without obtaining the proper rights, while arguing that the hardware retailers did the same with "Lonely Boy." Both tracks come from last year's album "El Camino," which was co-produced by the duo's fellow complaintiff, Danger Mouse. The Keys are seeking damages and an immediate end to the airing of the commercials in question.
A spokesperson for Pizza Hut says they are unaware of any issue, but they still plan to investigate the band's claim. Likewise, Home Depot says they're still reviewing the complaint, adding that they consider respect for intellectual property to be "enormously important."

Red Hot's Chili Peppers' Long Line of Singles

Tue, 19 Jun 2012 09:56:00 GMT

The RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS are releasing 18 previously unheard songs over the next six months . . . as nine two-song singles.

The songs were recorded during the sessions for their last album, "I'm with You", which came out last August. (--In other words, these are fairly new songs. They do NOT span the Peppers' near 30-year career.)

The singles will be released digitally, and as seven-inch vinyl records.

The first one is coming out on August 14th, and will have songs called "Strange Man" and "Long Progression". The second one is coming on September 11th, the third will be out October 2nd, and so on.

Guitarist JOSH KLINGHOFFER says, quote, "[They're] songs that seemed to want to pair up and take a later train. Keep your eye on them, they're up to something."

It's unclear exactly what that means . . . but we do know that if you collect all the vinyl singles, you'll be able to somehow "combine the covers to create a larger piece of art." Maybe that's what he's referring to.

There's no word how much the singles will run you.

Secret Van Halen Plans Revealed.

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 09:40:00 GMT

Van Halen is looking ahead to next year. Guitarist Eddie Van Halen tells us that once the band wraps up their trek this month, they'll resume the tour in Japan in November. He adds that the group will "possibly do something special" in 2013, but he "can't talk about it." Eddie's remark has led to a rash of rumors and speculation that Van Halen will play the halftime show at Super Bowl 47 in New Orleans next February. However, neither CBS, which will air the game, nor the NFL have made any announcement about the upcoming event.
Eddie also says everything is fine with the group, even though they recently scrapped the second leg of their reunion tour with founding frontman David Lee Roth. Eddie echoes the singer's earlier explanation for the change of plans, saying the group simply "bit off more than we could chew." He explains that Van Halen started the tour earlier than they wanted to so they could perform at New York's Madison Square Garden before the venue closed for renovations, and that "threw the schedule out of whack." He adds that most of the cancelled stops were for cities the band has already visited. Van Halen has six more dates left to the trek, in support of their latest album, "A Different Kind of Truth." The band will be in San Diego, California Thursday night.

Ratfest 2012 is upon us!

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 12:09:00 GMT

Get Ready for Ratfest!!! At the PNC Bank Arts Center on August 24th. Shinedown headlines the festivities along with Godsmack, Staind and Papa Roach and that's just on the main stage. Bands like Redlight King & P.O.D. populate the side stages. Tickets on sale:Thursday for Club Rat Members (10am to 10pm) Friday for the regular folks. We'll see you at Ratfest 2012.

Axl gets Robbed!

Thu, 07 Jun 2012 12:15:00 GMT

An arrest has been made in connection to Axl Rose's stolen jewelry. Earlier reports said the Guns N' Roses rocker was fuming over the disappearance of three gold-and-diamond necklaces after a concert in Paris. Now, Billboard.com reports a woman has been arrested after returning the stolen trinkets which are estimated to be worth 200-thousand-dollars. The unidentified woman says she attended a private concert following the band's stadium show but claims she does not know how she came into possession of the jewelry. The investigation is still open and Guns N' Roses will continue on with their European tour.

Neil Young Headlines a Book Expo?

Wed, 06 Jun 2012 09:51:00 GMT

Neil Young is one of the biggest attractions at this week's BookExpo America. The rocker is appearing at the event Wednesday in conjunction with his upcoming memoir, "Waging Heavy Peace." For "A Conversation with Neil Young" Neil will take part in a Q-and-A session to discuss his book before an audience. Patti Smith is slated to conduct the interview. BookExpo describes "Waging Heavy Peace" as "a kaleidoscopic view" of Young's "personal life and musical creativity." BookExpo America currently under way at the Javits Center in New York City. "Waging Heavy Peace" is expected to arrive in stores this fall.
The BookExpo appearance follows the arrival of Young's latest album. "Americana" marks a reunion of Neil with Crazy Horse, and features rocked-out versions of vintage folk standards and classics.

Volbeat Hits The Road

Thu, 31 May 2012 09:47:00 GMT

The Danish metal band Volbeat will hit the road June 18th in Toronto, Canada, with opening acts Hellyeah and Iced Earth. The tour, dubbed "From Beyond Hell/Above Heaven Summer Tour," will wrap up July 19th in Baltimore. Volbeat recently released the single "Still Counting," the follow-up to "A Warrior's Call." The songs are found on Volbeat's latest album "Beyond Hell/Above Heaven," which hit number one on the sales charts in Denmark, Finland and Sweden. The hard rock supergroup Hellyeah -- featuring members of Mudvayne, Pantera, Damageplan and Nothingface -- will release its third album, "Band of Brothers," on July 17th. Iced Earth is promoting "Dystopia."

3 Doors Down, Down One Guitarist

Thu, 24 May 2012 11:53:00 GMT

Founding member Matt Roberts is parting ways with his 3 Doors Down bandmates. The group announced on its website Wednesday that the guitarist decided to leave to focus on his health. Roberts has been suffering from circulation problems and other issues over the past few years, and he says the band's busy touring schedule has only made the situation worse. He adds that 3 Doors Down will always have a special place in his heart, and frontman Brad Arnold says he "will be welcomed back with open arms" if he decides to return.
3 Doors Down is currently on tour, and the band says the trek won't be interrupted by Roberts' departure. They're set to take the stage next in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Friday, May 25th.