Some musicians get so absorbed in their own work that they don't spend much time listening to other artists.  Not Ron Wood.  The Rolling Stones and Faces veteran is a big fan of a lot of other musicians.  Many will be showcased in a weekly radio show Wood will debut on UK airwaves Friday (4/2).  The Ronnie Wood Show will feature '...a playlist that comes straight from his heart  ...music that he loves and is passionate about, all accompanied by his uniquely fascinating stories, experiences and memories', according to the producers.  Wood plans to bring guitars with him to the recording sessions to demonstrate elements of some songs during shows.
PRNewswire.com

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Expectations it would be the final time Quadrophenia gets done live and reports that Pete Townshend could soon quit performing to preserve what little hearing he  has left insured a packed house at Royal Albert Hall Tuesday (3/30) for the closing concert of the Teenage Cancer Trust benefit series.  The crowd got the added benefit of Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam as the voice of the Godfather.  A five piece horn section and several other musicians and singers augmented the core of the band, which now includes Zak Starkey, drumming with enough energetic abandon to impress even the most avid Keith Moon fan.  Tom Meighan of Kasabian did justice to the roles he played, even donning the outfit and lugging luggage during Bell Boy. Check him out with Vedder here.
Telegraph.co.uk  Rollingstone.com

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What better than a song from Ozzy Osbourne when you need something 'high energy and irreverent to sell the madness of a prison riot'?  That was the thinking of Peter Lenkov, writer and executive producer of CSI: NY, the hit crime series.  Ozzy, who did some time behind bars on a burglary rap as a teenager, chirped 'Well, now that's something I know about' when told CBS wanted to use the song Let Me Hear You Scream in the April 14 episode titled Redemptio.  Scream is the title chosen for the album after fans gave the original title a smack-down. (story)
MusicNewsNet.com
 
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A comment Mick Jagger made during an interview almost made Altamont a festival that never happened.  Many if not most of those who went would end up wishing it had not.  The original plan had been to stage the concert in Golden Gate Park. San Francisco officials, alerted by the Jagger remark, quickly intervened to block it.  From that point forward, virtually anything that could go wrong did, starting with the choice of Altamont Speedway as the new site.  As tour manager for the Stones, Sam Cutler was ring side as chaos began to take over.  You Can't Always Get What You Want takes readers behind the scenes as Cutler recounts a sequence of events that make it a miracle that things did not end up even worse than they did at the 1969 concert.

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In a move sure to get a rise out of the Hendrix estate, Kaleidoscope has announced plans to release a DVD May 3 containing 11 minutes of footage of Jimi Hendrix getting his rocks off.   The company's claim that the segment produced from an 8mm film supposedly bought at auction three years ago is the real reel deal is being bolstered by Cynthia 'Plaster Caster', the famous groupie that made her name by obtaining plaster cast molds of Rock star's privates.  See her here.
NME.com
 
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Roger Daltrey nixed a movie that would have cast Mike Myers as Keith Moon a few years ago. Recently, The Who front man told the Daily Star that he is convinced that the only way to avoid another situation where a writer goes '...off on a complete tangent from what we've agreed because they don't know what it feels like to be in a band' is for him to stay engaged by '...someone sitting me down long enough with a writer to get it right.' That will happen if Daltrey gets his way.  Roger also revealed plans to write his own bio, which he says will have plenty of stories '...that people have never come near to discovering.'  The Who take the stage at Royal Albert Hall Tuesday (3/30) to perform Quadrophenia in a benefit for the Teenage Cancer Trust.
DailyStar.co.uk

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Bun E. Carlos will no longer be keeping the beat for the Cheap Trick while the group is on tour.  A very brief statement on the band web site states simply that Carlos, (born Brad Carlson) remains a member of the band but, will 'currently' not accompany the group on the road .  Carlos started the group Tinted Windows with former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha in 2009.  No reason for the decision was given other than to say it was not related to any health issue.  Carlos has reportedly had back problems in the past.
CheapTrick.com

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The concert U2 streamed on YouTube from the Rose Bowl will get a full fidelity HD release on DVD June 3. The band plans to include the entire 25 song concert set from Pasadena streamed live to a record setting global audience in October. (story).  U2 recently completed work on a remix disc of songs from No Line On The Horizon and reportedly has plans for another album of new material to be released this year.
LATimes.com  

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After rejecting an offer to reunite Led Zeppelin at the Download Festival (story)  for a single set that almost certainly would have earned him more money that an entire tour on his own, Robert Plant has announced a dozen dates with some of the musicians he recorded with in Nashville during the closing weeks of 2009 (story).  The tour opens July 13 at the Orpheum Theater in Memphis and includes stops in Little Rock (7/15), Tulsa (7/16), Albuquerque (7/18), Phoenix (7/20), Tucson (7/21), Dallas (7/23), Houston (7/24), Austin (7/26), Mobile (7/28), Clearwater (7/30) and Miami (7/31).  The Band Of Joy will include Buddy Miller, Darrell Scott, Byron House, Marco Giovino and Patty Griffin.
NJ.com

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Other than his appearance at the Detroit Auto Show and getting in a round of golf with Tiger Woods last summer (story), there hasn't been much of anything about Bob Seger to report. That changed with a Friday (3/26) phone call to a radio station by the man himself to say that he is lining up some tour dates for later this year.  The expected fall return to the road will be the first Silver Bullet Band tour since a limited number of dates the band did three years ago.
BobSeger.com

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The Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas is closing in on its 20th anniversary and Chickenfoot, the band fronted by Cabo founder Sammy Hagar, plans to rock the house for two nights - and to make both shows free.  The festivities start with an also no cover  kick-off party on Thursday, April 22.  The Foot, featuring Hagar and fellow Van Halen veteran Michael Anthony, Joe Satriani and Chili Pepper Chad Smith, plans to tear things up both Friday and Saturday nights.  Admission will be first come, first serve, according to the Chickenfoot web site.  The band also hopes to log some studio time in April to start work on its second album.
Chickenfoot.us   ClassicRockMagazine.com

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40 years after his death, Jimi Hendrix remains a commanding presence.  Valleys of Neptune, a collection of high quality studio recordings put out earlier this month (story), is outselling releases by a lot of contemporary artists. Based on the number of posthumous Hendrix releases, it is apparent a recorder was nearly always on when Jimi picked up a guitar.  Janie Hendrix, the family member that directly oversees the selection and production of material from the Hendrix archives, reveals that even more material has come to light than the estate was aware existed.  She tells the UK's Daily Record of the discovery of '...a huge vault of unreleased tapes - audio and video - from floor to ceiling.'  By her estimate it contains a decade worth of recordings that have never been heard.
 DailyRecord.co.uk
 
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The two month period between the birthday of John Lennon and the date he was gunned down in New York will mark the start and end dates for a series of cultural programs in Liverpool celebrating his life and music.  Organizers hope events presenting music, art and poetry of the Beatle will draw thousands of additional tourists to the city the band was formed in 50 years ago.  Lennon would have turned 70 on October 9.  December 8 of this year marks the 30th anniversary of his death.  The Lord Mayor of the city in making the announcement said Lennon's '...enduring message of peace is as important now as ever and continues to be an inspiration'.  He called the events a good way to '...allow us to remember him as a man, celebrate his music, and his overall contribution to our city.'
News.bbc.co.uk

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You probably would not have recognized him and may not have even known his name, but if you love Rock music you have undoubtedly seen his photos.  When it came to capturing spontaneous moments that became character defining images for dozens of iconic performers, no photographer came close to Jim Marshall.  Credited with countless album covers and portraits, Marshall was most highly regarded for his mastery of live action.  Trust, the title of a recently published book featuring more photos from his remarkable archive, had a lot to do with why Marshall managed so often to be in the right place at just the right time.  Marshall passed away in his sleep at 74 in New York Wednesday (3/23).
RollingStone.com

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Andy Copping gave it a shot, but got shot down when he tried to get surviving members of Led Zeppelin to play the Download Festival this year.  The festival director confirmed the offer to Xfm in a recent interview, saying every festival floats an offer for 'loads of money' to Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones or their management fully expecting to get turned down, '...but everyone has a stab at it.'  Copping's coup this year was getting Aerosmith signed before the band had gone public with the news they had reconciled with Steven Tyler. (story)  He says he is 'more than happy' with this year's June 11-13 lineup, which also includes AC/DC, Them Crooked Vultures (with John Paul Jones), Billy Idol and Stone Temple Pilots.
Xfm.co.uk

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Billy Gibbons delivers video message on the ZZ Top web site relaying the band's solidarity to the Chilean people and announcing the group will do a benefit concert in Santiago in May.  Our thanks to 411Mania.com for the heads-up on this - and for having someone better qualified than Rock Insights to translate the message, which was delivered in Spanish.  After riding into view on a funky bicycle, Gibbons dismounts to say. 'The whole world knows about the effects caused by the earthquake that happened in your beautiful country.  We know that the Chilean spirit can never be broken and that right now it is stronger than ever.  ZZ Top will be in Santiago on May 18 at the Movistar Arena.'
411Mania.com   ZZTop.com

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Some initial dates were revealed Tuesday (3/23) for a US theater tour featuring acoustic sets from Neil Young and Bert Jansch.  Young and the Scottish picker he credits as being one of his biggest musical influences have dates in Louisville (5/26), Atlanta (5/29), Spartanburg, SC (5/30) and consecutive nights on stage at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville (6/1&2) lined up.  The Twisted Road tour is expected to add more dates in the near future.  It will mark the first time Young has mounted an all acoustic tour in more than a decade.
RollingStone.com

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The expanded reissue of Exile On Main Street (story) has brought back a long departed Stone.  ContactMusic.com reports that Mick Taylor, who exiled himself from the Rolling Stones two years after 1972 release of the album, returned to the studio with Mick Jagger to help him prepare the remastered disc.  The Daily Express quoted one source as saying Taylor may have added some new guitar work to the project.  Taylor signed on as guitarist after Brian Jones quit the band in June of 1969. Less than a month later Jones was found dead in the swimming pool of his home.  Ron Wood was recruited to share guitar duties with Keith Richards after Taylor left.

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Glenn Hughes promises that the publication of The Life, Near Death and Rebirth of a Rock Star: Deep Purple & Beyond will qualify as '...a literary event' and that readers of his Rock bio will '...never read anything like it.'  The pre-publication hype doesn't stop there.  The Black Sabbath, Deep Purple veteran goes on to proclaim himself 'the Voice Of Rock' and claims he has spent more than a a million dollars on cocaine.  A 3 song EP will be included in a limited edition run of the book.  Hughes recently formed a band with Joe Bonamassa, Jason Bonham and a member of Dream Theater.
(story)
Foruli.co.uk
 
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Backstreets, the magazine covering Springsteen and the Jersey shore music scene, will return to print in April.  An extended break in publication left many readers thinking the ink and paper days for the 'zine had come to an end 30 years after first appearing as a handout during a Springsteen concert in Seattle.  But Backstreets.com announced Saturday (3/20) that the presses will roll out a Spring edition in April and a Summer issue of Backstreets will be ready by the time bikinis are back on the boardwalk in Asbury Park.
Backstreets.com

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The Allman Brothers Band annual residency in New York drew to a close Saturday night (3/20).  The series was forced to find a new home after the Beacon Theater opted to lock-in a Cirque du Soleil series during the same time frame the Allmans had booked the venue for an extended run of shows for several years running. (story)  The band also reduced the number of shows this year, attributing the cut to an 'unforeseen familY matter.'  Unlike last year when the band was joined by Eric Clapton and several other luminaries, special guests this year included mostly musicians affiliated with the band. It still produced some great sets.  Check out One Way Out from the closing night here.

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Even if Genesis had played at the Rock Hall Of Fame induction ceremony Monday (3/15) (story), Phil Collins would not have been behind the drums.  That is not even an option for Collins, who has been experiencing debilitating problems with his hands for several months now. (story)  Collins updated VH1 on his situation, saying, '...I can't even write my name, let alone play the drums.'  He also revealed he will have surgery on a wrist and elbow Monday (3/22) in the hope it will improve dexterity and reduce the discomfort he has had to put up with.
WeWillRockYouBlog.com  VH1.com

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After a lot of years spent alternating between blues and rock, former child guitar prodigy  Joe Bonamassa appears ready to commit himself to Rock - and to join a band.  Bonamassa used his St. Patrick's Day concert in Riverside, CA to give an audience an idea of what he has in store when he invited the other members to join him for an encore.  Black Country, which has already logged studio time with producer Kevin Shirley, consists of Deep Purple and Black Sabbath veteran Glenn Hughes, Derek Sherinian from Dream Theater on keys, and drummer Jason Bonham, who filled his father's role in Led Zeppelin and was also in Foreigner for a time.  The group cranked out an original and a version of Deep Purple's Mistreated.    NightwatchersHouseOfRock

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Tom Scholz took exception to what he claims were unfounded reports that Brad Delp's former wife held him somehow responsible for her husband's 2007 suicide.  Court papers filed Wednesday (3/17) name two of the newspaper's reporters.  In addition to claims the assertions were untrue, the  documents filed in the civil action by the founding member of Boston say the account run by the paper resulted in '...emotional stress, embarrassment and humiliation'. The suit serves notice that Scholz believes he is entitled to an award of damages plus statuatory interest, and requests that the case be heard by a jury.
Boston Globe  Boston.com

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Jay Lane, one of the members of Bob Weir's Ratdog that made the transition to Furthur, the band that reunited Weir with Grateful Dead bass player Phil Lesh, has decided to exit to join re-join Primus.  Lesh released a statement on his onw web sit confirming Lane's decision and wishing him the best, saying 'I will miss Jay's enthusiasm and ebullience; he's a great guy to hang and play music with.' Joe Russo will continue keeping the beat for Furthur.
WelcomeToNow.net

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He was never a big star - and that suited Alex Chilton just fine.  Chilton, who burst on the scene when the Box Tops had a run of hits in the 60's, went on to form Big Star, a band that laid down a path that hundreds of guitar driven power pop bands would follow to bigger success than Big Star ever achieved.  Chilton, who professed to have no interest in fame,  said in a 1987 AP interview, 'What would be ideal would be to make a ton of money and have nobody know about you.'  Though not famous in the widely recognized sense, Chilton was a hero to a lot of musicians and fans, including plenty that considered the chance to see Big Star live at SXSW in Austin Saturday the highlight of the festival. If Big Star plays, it will be a tribute concert. Alex Chilton died of an apparent heart attack at 59 in New Orleans Wednesday (3/17).
LATimes.com

Stones In Exile, a behind the scenes look at the making of the landmark 1972 album by the Rolling Stones, is coming to DVD.  The June release will coincide with the reissue of the album with bonus material.  The fall will bring one of the best concert films ever made to DVD.  Ladies And Gentlemen... The Rolling Stones.  The fully restored film shot during the Exile On Main Street US tour was put together from four shows in Texas, and was one of the first movies presented with Quadraphonic sound, an early form of what would evolve into full surround sound.
Eagle Rock Entertainment

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Severe weather added to the mounting problems Axl Rose has encountered during the Guns N' Roses tour.  Torrential rains in the Rio de Janeiro area contributed to the collapse of a portion of the massive stage at Apoteose Stadium Sunday (3/14) (Photo).   Injuries in the near disaster were reportedly few and not severe, and did not involve fans or performers.  The news follows reports that fans attending a private party in a San Paulo club the group was supposed to play Thursday (3/11) staged a near-riot when told GNR would not appear.  A concert two nights later in the city was almost stopped after bottles thrown from the crowd pelted the stage during the band's first song.
ContactMusic.com

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Lottery players in New Mexico will be scratching images of sheet music and amps on instant win tickets in a bid to score up to 50k.  The Land of Enchantment joins two states much closer to the Bad Boys From Boston's home state.  New Hampshire and Rhode Island introduced Aerosmith lottery games last fall. (story)  Tickets sporting variations of the Aerosmith logo designed around the song Dream On and the albums Just Press Play and Permanent Vacation will be featured in New Mexico.  Partial proceeds from the sale of the $5 tickets will help fund the New Mexico Legislative Lottery Scholorships program.
AerroForceOne.com
 
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Whether it was the expectation he would perform with Genesis or the idea of being inducted with ABBA that kept Peter Gabriel from attending the Rock Hall Of Fame ceremony Monday (3/15) in New York is unclear.  What is clear is that a quick trip across the pond would have been easy to arrange had he wanted to be at the Waldorf Astoria.  Fans that waited for the long overdue induction of Genesis ended up with Watcher Of The Skies and No Reply At All done by... Phish.  The Hall loses more credibility and the induction ceremony becomes more of a charade every year.  There were some good moments, but the highlights of the evening were Iggy Pop giving the finger to the whole affair and Anni-Frid Lyngstad delivering the guarantee that ABBA will never perform together again.

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A Winnipeg charity stands to end up with a good size donation after getting Neil Young and hockey great Bobby Orr to sign a custom made guitar designed using Winnipeg Jets graphics.  the Amadeus Steen Foundation's work on behalf of children's health programs in Manitoba.  The guitar goes under the gavel Aug 18 during the foundation's annual gala in Winnipeg.  Former Jet skater Thomas Steen started the foundation in 2006 with his then wife to honor a son that died at the age of two months early in the couple's marriage.  WinnipegFreePress.com
 
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The Show Of Peace, the large-scale festival slated to take place in the Olympic stadium in Beijing, has reportedly been delayed until the fall.  Organizers of the event, originally scheduled for mid April, had released a long list of artists 'invited to attend' but may only gotten firm commitments from a much shorter list of performers. (story)  Jimmy Page was supposedly among the ones planning to play.  The event, if it comes off at all, will apparently not take place until October.
TheBeijinger.com

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With anticipation running high for the return of Paul Rodgers to Bad Company (story), a couple of new projects will get fans primed for the reunion. Forever Free (3/27), a double DVD set packed with archival video, and interviews that chronicle the brief but intense history of Free, the band Rodgers fronted before Bad Co formed, a group he describes as so '...hell-bent on what we did. I didn't care if I lived or died, but for the band'. Performances from the Beat Club and the Isle of Wight highlight the collection. The Very Best of Free & Bad Company (4/6) puts 15 tracks from both bands on a combo best of CD.  A deluxe edition bulks up with bonus material from The Firm (with Jimmy Page), The Law and songs from Rodgers solo albums.
 
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Want to find out how much punishment your iPhone or iPod Touch can take?  Download the Hit Hard app Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer just put out.  You can pound your phone or Touch through 15 levels of beats laid down by Kramer to measure your rhythmic chops against him and virtual drummers worldwide.  The top scoring app beater each month gets a prize - this month (3/10) an autographed Zildjian cymbal with a pair of Joey Kramer Signature Series drum sticks is on the line.  Full details are on his web site.
JoeyKramer.com

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One of the more unusual venues Led Zeppelin played took place at a swimming facility in November of 1971.  The concert was staged at St. Matthews Baths Hall in Ipswich, England.  No record of the show having been recorded exists, but a fan claims to have come across a CD produced from a tape of the concert in a recent  car trunk sale in the town.  If it proves legit, it will bring a smile to every pack-rat that spends time pawing through endless stacks of vinyl and cassettes at rummage, garage and estate sales.
ClassicRockMagazine.com

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The search term 'trophy craftsman' proved particularly rewarding for Stuart Allcock, who received a phone call inquiring about repairs to a Grammy award that was in three pieces after having been dropped. The award turned out to be one of the ones U2 collected for the Johsua Tree, the 1987 release that won Album Of The Year at the 1988 Grammy awards and has sold more than 25 million copies. Taunton told The Mirror he was 'dizzy' when he realized the inquiry was really from the band.  He managed to restore the piece, but admits he was disappointed to discover that the gramophone sporting award is actually made of iron.
Mirror.co.uk

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The Allman Brothers Band opened its annual run of Big Apple shows in unfamiliar surroundings  Thursday (3/11) with a visual dis of the venue that had played host to the band over a 20 year span.  A backdrop during the opening set at the United Palace Theater displayed a circle with a diagonal line through it imposed over a photo of the Beacon Theater, which ousted the group in favor of a Cirque du Soleil booking.  In a stroke of sweet, southern revenge, bad preview notices for a Chicago warm-up of the Cirque show scheduled for the Beacon, prompted officials to change producers - causing delays that will push the NYC start date to the end of April.  The Allmans hit a snag too, the band announcing that several of their shows have been cut. (story)
NYPost.com   NYTimes.com

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A bid to have the statue of Jimi Hendrix moved from Capitol Hill in Seattle to the park named in his honor has been derailed.  A proposal by a group lobbying to expand and improve the park in the neighborhood the legendary guitarist was raised in (story) to relocate the statue from the space it occupies at Broadway and Pine had been facing mounting objections.  The decision was reached after the Hendrix estate consulted with the owner of the statue, which depicts Hendrix leaning back on his knees wailing on his famously inverted Fender Strat.
KOMOnews.com

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A crowd of rowdy fans without tickets tried to storm barriers surrounding a Metallica concert being staged for 30,000 in Simon Bolivar Park in Bogota, Colombia Wednesday (3/10).  Police were well equipped to deal with possible trouble.  1,500 cops met the challenge with water cannons and tear gas, dispersing around 600 fans and arresting 168 after a battle that went on for the better part of an hour.  A handful of officers suffered injuries, one reportedly suffering a stab wound in the melee.  The concert was the first Metallica show in Colombia since the late 90's.  Similar disruptions marked the band's earlier concerts in Santiago, Chile and Guatemala.
Spinner.com

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The 31 year-old Australian fan injured when his wheel chair pitched into the mosh pit during a Feb. 27 AC/DC concert in Brisbane, Australia plans to take legal action against the venue.  Terry Watson lost the sight in one eye after his face made impact with a control stick on his motorized wheel chair when it tipped into the mosh pit. The man's father said his son did not blame the band for the accident, which he said happened because the handicapped seating area lacked a safe enough barrier to prevent the chair from going over the edge after a friend accidentally knocked into the chair and caused it to surge forward. (story)
South-EastAdvertiser.whereilive.comm.au

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Gene Simmons either believes KISS could blow away the Rolling Stones and U2 if they dared share a stage for a battle of the bands stadium show, or knows claiming it would generate a lot of coverage.  The always over-the-top Simmons let loose the challenge during an interview on XFM radio in the UK, saying of Jagger and Bono, 'You come on up on that stage with us, baby.  Show me what you got, and then we'll show you what the big boys do.'  Bruce and Bono are probably too busy counting earnings to consider or even notice.  Between them, Springsteen and U2 did nearly 90 sold out concerts in 2009.
Spinner.com

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Legal action initiated by Pink Floyd against EMI over the online sale of individual songs from albums has brought a court decision in the band's favor.  The London High Court ruled Thursday (3/11) that the label's contention that the contractual restriction against the sale of individual tracks applied only to physical forms of music and did not extend to digital downloads got no traction with the court.    EMI was immediately ordered to pay more than $60,000 in court costs. A damage award to the band is also expected to be announced at a future date.  Given the fact it involves one of the best selling bands in history, it could be massive.
Iol.ie
 
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Hard-core fans happily add any and every release by a favorite artist to their collection.  Fans seeking to limit purchases to the few gems among the landfills worth of unworthy material from artists no longer around to protect their legacy get burned when low or no standards are applied to what gets released.  Plenty of  recordings Jimi Hendrix would probably rather had never seen the light of day got churned out before Janie Hendrix, the guitarist's step-sister, stepped in decisively to insist future releases of archived material measure up to higher standards.  Valleys of Neptune, is a good example of why.  Other versions of all but one song on it have come out before, but few equal the quality of the takes on this disc.  More info.


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The Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame will honor members of Rush during an induction ceremony March 28 in George Weston Hall of the Toronto Centre For the Arts.  The gala will include renditions of Tom Sawyer, The Spirit of Radio and Subdivisions performed by special guests, including Primus veteran Les Claypool (The Spirit of Radio).  Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee and Neil Peart are all expected to be on-hand for the ceremony.  The trio remains at or near the top of the list of groups overdue for recognition by another Hall of Fame in a city also on the shore of a Great Lake.
Cansong.ca

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After a year and a half of turmoil and strife, friends say Ron Wood is in a much better place thanks to Ana Araujo.  According to the Daily Express, the 30 year-old Brazilian model that sported body paint in the 2007 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue has helped the Stones guitarist kick booze and even has the 62 year-old Wood contemplating marriage.  Wood split with his wife of 24 years last fall (story), and ended a stormy relationship with Ekaterina Ivanova after an altercation with  her landed him in jail. (story)
Express.co.uk

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A royalties dispute will put EMI up against one of the label's most dependable sources of income.  Pink Floyd is taking the entertainment giant to court over the way the company calculates what the band is paid for online sale of its substantial catalog.  One issue is the sale of individual songs from albums, something a representative of the group claims is 'expressly prohibited'.  EMI contends that restriction is not applicable to online sales.  Only the Beatles catalog moves more product than Pink Floyd for the label.
Telegraph.co.uk

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The film Jonathan Demme shot during the Chrome Dreams II tour hits theaters March 19.  The 13 song performance, dubbed Neil Young Trunk Show, leads off with the previously unreleased song Sad Movies and includes versions of Cinnamon Girl, Oh Lonesome Me, Like A Hurricane and Cowgirl In The Sand.  Demme earned high acclaim for Heart Of Gold, his 2006 concert film of Young.  Get a preview of Trunk Show here.
VintageVinyl.com   Undercover.com.au

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A strong finish in last year's Yukon Challenge proved that Newton Marshall was more than a novelty.  The Jamaican born musher, who had not seen snow until arriving in Minnesota to train for that race, is now taking on the big dog - the 2010 Iditarod.  A big crowd was on hand Sunday (3/7) in Willow, Alaska as Marshall and his team hit the trail for leg one of the marathon dash across the frozen tundra.  Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville enterprises help sponsor the Jamaican sledder.
Jamaicadogsled.com

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Alabama State House Bill 336 will decide the official state song of Alabama.  The committee in charge of picking the song to put before the legislature has two leading contenders: Stars Fell on Alabama, a song from the 30's more than 100 artists have recorded, including Pascagula, native Jimmy Buffett, and Lynyrd Skynyrd's southern anthem Sweet Home Alabama.  Alabama, the state song since 1931, has just about no support - hardly surprising, since more than 90% of the state's residents can't identify it as the state song.  If the committee vote Tuesday (3/9) is for the Skynyrd tune it could include a recommendation to omit lyrics some think portray the state as too red neck and conservative.
TimesDaily.com

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T Bone Burnett is producing a new album for Leon Russell that pairs the legendary Oklahoma musician with Elton John and Neil Young.  Billboard reports Elton and Russell have written several of the 15 songs being considered for the album, which Neil Young, drummer Jim Keltner and Booker T. Jones will play on. Russell made an unannounced appearance on keyboards with the Zac Brown Band during the Grammy awards show Jan. 31.
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An unspecified 'unforeseen family matter' has caused the Allman Brothers to cancel several nights of the band's annual residency in New York.  The series, which had been moved to the United Palace in upper Manhattan due to a scheduling conflict at the Beacon Theater, will still include a run of 7 shows between March 11 and 20.  Ticket holders for concerts scheduled to take place between March 22 and 27 are being advised to get refunds, suggesting the band has no plans to reschedule those shows.
AllmanBrothersBand.com

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Friday (3/5), the New York Historical Society special exhibit on the Grateful Dead opens in New York City.  The display of memorabilia and artifacts that chronicles the long, strange trip of the West Coast band that did many of its best shows in the Big Apple remains open until July 4.  Items included in the exhibit range from stage props, instruments and amplifiers to posters, handbills, original album artwork, and even guest lists for backstage access. Most of what is on display comes from the new archive dedicated to the Dead on the University of California Santa Cruz campus. (story).  $12 covers admission at 170 Central Park West.
NYHistory.org

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The ocean view house on a 17 acre compound a half hour south of Boston that Aerosmith drummer Joey Kramer built in 2003 finally sold.  After more than a year and a half on the market and a $2 million price reduction, the 4 bedroom house in Marshfield, MA with a recording studio, guest house and 3 garages for Kramer's car collection was bought by a commercial real estate developer for a reported $2.7 million.
WSJ.com

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An electrifying film of Jimi Hendirx  culled from two 1969 concerts at Royal Albert Hall is ready for release, but won't become available until Janie Hendrix, the guitar great's stepsister, resolves a dispute with The Times of London.   The newspaper was sued for having featured segments of the concerts on a free CD it made available to readers in 2006.  A court has ruled in favor of the Hendrix estate in the matter, but it will be weeks before the case is finalized with the announcement of the settlement terms.
PostChronicle.com

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The March 21 episode of Cold Case on CBS is one Pink Floyd fans should make a point of catching. Flashover has Case crime team members trying to solve the disappearance of Nick Vera by examining his obsession over an earlier arson case. Writer Greg Plageman noted that the band's music being '...so sonically and texturally rich it demands your attention' made it perfect for an episode that followed the character's slide into 'a personal abyss'.  Earlier episodes have included soundtracks featuring music from Bruce Springsteen, Bob Seger, Santana, Bob Dylan, Pearl Jam, the Doors, U2 and John Lennon.
Floydianslip.com

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The AC/DC march across Australia has claimed another victim.  The tour, which already has seen one man suffer a heart attack and a woman go into premature labor, suffered a third calamity Saturday (2/27) during the second sold-out concert in Brisbane.  A 31 year-old quadriplegic suffered injuries and lost vision in one eye after a friend accidentally hit the joystick on his wheelchair, causing it to nosedive into the mosh pit.  The impact caused his face to hit a metal prong, resulting in damage to his right eye.  The man's father said his son does not blame his friend for the injury, saying an effective barrier at the front of the handicapped seating area would have prevented the accident.
Courier Mail  News.com.au

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Hundreds of hours of candid interviews went into telling the life story of Texas guitar legend Johnny Winter.  Raisin' Cain: The Wild And Raucous Story of Johnny Winter will be published May 1.  Nearly 60 photos from his personal collection help chronicle his rise to acclaim, his battles with drugs, and the remarkable life of a man who was a hero and mentor to many great guitarists throughout his life in music.  Recognized as one of the great innovators and best players of his time, Winter continues to rack up honors and tour extensively.  But the road to success was not an easy one for an albino from the southwest.  Winter calls the book '...very realistic and exactly what happened.'
Music Industry News Network

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Paul McCartney will do headline sets at one of the oldest and one of the newest festivals in the UK this summer.  Sir Paul and his band close things out on June 13 at the Isle OF Wight festival. McCartney is also slated to deliver the closing set on the final night of the Hard Rock Calling festival June 27in London's Hyde Park.  The first Isle of Wight festival was staged in 1968.  Hard Rock Calling made its debut in 2006.
VirtualFestivals.com

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There is no denying the talent of Carlos Santana.  But Carlos curbed the enthusiasm of fans eager to hear the kind of incendiary riffs that made him a Rock legend by overloading recent releases with pop leaning materail.  The next project just might recapture their interest.  Versions of Sunshine Of Your Love, Little Wing, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Fortunate Son, Can't You Hear Me Knockin' from the Stones and Smoke On The Water are included in the yet to be titled release expected out late this spring.  The guitarist promises Billboard "...when you hear this, you're gonna do 'Damn!' because it sounds so powerful, with vitality and vibrancy."
Billboard.com

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The Rock Hall Of Fame resides in a stunning structure on the shore of Lake Erie in Cleveland.  But the building has limited storage space, a problem the Hall will address by housing its extensive archives in a new building at Cuyahoga Community College, about 2 miles southeast of the museum. The 22,500 square foot building, which is now complete, is receiving the museum's archived materials from offsite storage spaces the Hall has leased.  The collection of photos, videos, contracts, press kits, posters, flyers, business records, manuscripts, lyrics, letters and other music documents will open to scholars, researchers, educators and fans once the entire collection has been inventoried and catalogued.
RockHall.com

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Vince Gill joined Eric Clapton during an acoustic set at the Sommet Center in Nashville Saturday night (2/27).  The unannounced appearance found the Rock and Country stars pickin' and grinnin' on Nobody knows You When You're Down & Out, Running On Faith, I've Got A Rock & Roll Heart and Layla.  Gill, who is one of the guitar greats joining EC at the Crossroads Festival June 26 in Chicago (story), returned later in the evening to join Eric on Crossroads.
CMT.com

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