nme.com

Music file-sharing website The Pirate Bay has been sold.

It is set to be transformed into a legal music site that sees artists and record labels get paid for the downloads they provide.

The Sweden-based website - whose four founders and hosts were sentenced to a year in jail and fined for copyright infringement offences in April - will be acquired by Swedish software company Global Gaming Factory X AB in August.

The Pirate Bay has been sold for 60 million Swedish SEK (£4.7 million), Global Gaming Factory X AB revealed in a statement.

Hans Pandeya, CEO of Global Gaming Factory X AB said that another new change would be faster downloads and increased sound quality for users.

"In order to live on, The Pirate Bay requires a new business model, which satisfies the requirements and needs of all parties, content providers, broadband operators, end users, and the judiciary," he explained.

"Content creators and providers need to control their content and get paid for it," he added. "File-sharers need faster downloads and better quality."

In their own statement, The Pirate Bay chiefs claimed that the ethos of the site would not change despite its new legal status.

"A lot of people are worried," they said. "We're not and you shouldn't be either! The right people with the right attitude and possibilities keep running the site.

"It's time to invite more people into the project, in a way that is secure and safe for everybody. We need that, or the site will die.

"The old crew is still around in different ways. We will also not stop being active in the politics of the internet - quite the opposite."

Labels: guitar news

sleazeroxx.com

On June 30th, 2009, legendary rocker Slash, will take the stage in Kristiansand Norway, backed by an unforgettable lineup of performers, sure to make this year's Quart Festival a once in a lifetime, historic rock event.

For the opening night of the festival, Slash has invited friends and fellow rockers Ozzy Osbourne, acclaimed rock drummer Jason Bonham, John 5, Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood and Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas, among others, to join him on stage to perform some of music's greatest rock n roll hits: Sweet Child o' Mine, Crazy train and BlackDog, just to name a few. Never again will you be able to see this lineup of people perform such an epic and momentous show.

This is also one of the only shows Slash will be performing this summer, as he has specifically taken time off of recording his new solo album to do Quart Festival. Dont miss the chance to see an outstanding show, one night only, at The 2009 Quart Festival.

Labels: Guitar News Daily, Slash

wishtv.com

BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) - Investigators in Bartholomew County say burglaries are on the rise. On Sunday evening thieves hit three separate locations, all of them churches.

Detectives collected DNA and fingerprints from two of the scenes. But they have no suspect descriptions.

At Dove Ministries Baptist Church, Pastor Mike Newlin teaches his congregation that everything is beautiful, but something very ugly happened there overnight.

"They broke into my office and took my computer," Pastor Newlin explained.

The outside door shows signs of a forced entry. Along with a computer, someone stole four guitars, a mixing board and a new dvd projector; items worth more than $4,000.

Six-year-old Malachi Parks wants his guitar back, "Somebody stole it. Now I can't play it. Now I can't have a guitar anymore to play."

"Shows me what the world is coming to. People are losing their jobs. When they run out of money, what are they going to do," said Pastor Newlin.

Newlin's church wasn't the only one hit overnight. Columbus Police say someone broke into Mount Pleasant Christian Union and Mount Carmel Church of God.

"Timing and geography suggest they are connected. Two of them are on the west side of Columbus. The other is on the southeast side of town," Captain Greg Duke with the Bartholomew County Sheriff's department said.

While police investigate, Newlin plans to keep preaching, and praying. Not just for his congregation but for whoever committed broke into his church.

"Keep preaching the word, keep preaching the word. God will take care of it. God will take care of it. They will get theirs in the end," Pastor Newlin said.

Columbus Police are also investigating a burglary at a fourth church. This one happened two weeks ago at the Shiloh Baptist Church on State Road 46.

Anyone with information on the break-ins should call the Bartholomew County Sheriff's department at 812-379-1650.

Labels: guitar crime, Guitar News Daily

Labels: Guitar building; engineering

Labels: Endless Bummer; Soundtrack

tennessean.com

The wildly popular 'Rock Band' video game series is getting a Music City makeover with the 'Rock Band Country Track Pack.'

The disc features 21 country songs to be played with the game's instrument controllers (drums, guitar, bass and microphone), including songs by Kenny Chesney, Dixie Chicks, Willie Nelson, Shania Twain, Brad Paisley and Keith Urban.
Advertisement

The pack hits stores on July 21st for the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, Wii and Playstation 2 consoles.

Labels: Charlie McCoy Country Music Hal, Guitar News Daily, Rock Band

people.com

Vicki Sheff Cahan of www.people.com reports that guitar virtuoso Eddie Van Halen is no longer a solo: Saturday night he married Janie Liszewski, his girlfriend of three years.

The ceremony took place in the garden of his seven-acre estate in the hills above Studio City, Calif., starting at 7 p.m., when Liszewski walked down the aisle to Van Halen's "When It's Love," performed by the Sonus Quartet.

The 54-year-old groom's 18-year-old son, Wolfgang, served as best man, while brother Alex Van Halen, an ordained minister, officiated at the 20-minute, nondenominational service. Among the 100 guests: Van Halen's ex-wife, Valerie Bertinelli (they divorced in 2006, after 25 years of marriage.)

The bride, 39, was given away by her mother under the watchful eye of Kano, the 15-year-old Pomeranian who walked Liszewski down the aisle. This was her first marriage and Van Halen's second.

Liszewski wore a champagne and pink custom-designed Hanna Hartnell gown with matching Bulgari earrings and bracelet. Her sister, Jennifer, served as maid of honor. Eddie and Wolfie dressed casually in Sy Devore cotton pants, un-tucked buttoned-down shirts and flip-flop sandals - as did the bride and wedding attendants.

The couple wrote their vows and designed the rings - Janie's, a platinum band beside a nearly three-carat diamond engagement ring; Ed's, a gold band with yellow diamonds.

Non-Alcoholic Bar
At 7:30 guests were served appetizers such as mini hamburgers and corn dogs, roasted garlic-parmesan, French fries, and an assortment of nonalcoholic beverages from the lemonade bar. Later on, diners were treated to organic fare such as heirloom tomatoes, baby arugula salad, Niman Ranch Filet Mignon, orange and rosemary glazed grilled chicken, Mojito-marinated prawns and grilled vegetables.

The simple, elegant wedding cake was layered with white chocolate, strawberries, whipped cream and decorated with white hydrangeas. The bride and groom toasted with non-alcoholic French Sparkling Apple Cider and Sparkling Pear Juice honoring Eddie's year and a half of sobriety.

The evening's entertainment ranged from an aerial tissue performance to a contortionist in a clear plastic ball on top of the pool. After dinner, Ed chose Joe Cocker's "You Are So Beautiful" as the traditional first dance. Next came Janie's choice, Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time," as she invited the guests to join them. DJ KMP provided the rest of the music as the bride and groom boogied into the night.

As the party ended, each guest received Calvin Klein and Kate Spade vases and flowers. They were also treated to old-fashioned-style candy, including ring pops, candy necklaces, pop rocks, wax lips and custom printed M & M's.

The couple plan to honeymoon in New York, Germany and the Netherlands, where Eddie was born.

Labels: Bob Bogle Guitar News Daily, Eddie VanHalen, Weds

gibson.com
It appears the good folks at ToneFreq.info and GearTrap.com weren't satisfied with last year's record-setting attempt to build the world's largest pedalboard. Even though they succeeded - and had a great time doing it - they're at it again, this time going for broke as they prepare to break last year's record on July 16, 2009 in Nashville, Tenn.

"It started out as a laugh, but now it's become a reality," said event organizer Aljon Go. "I just wanted to push the technology as far as it could go and see how insane it can get. This extraordinary pedalboard is far from practical, but every pedal is operational. This has become a celebration of the advancements in guitar technology and innovation. It will be a great party. What a great time to be a guitarist!"

As it did last year, this year's event will also feature a silent auction to raise money and awareness for the National Kidney Foundation of Middle Tennessee. The event will be held at The Rutledge in downtown Nashville, and will feature performances from the bands Flight Case for Sushi, Philos and JonesWorld, in addition to guitar clinics from leading clinicians Bart Walsh, Tony Pasko and Bryan Lionman.

The event, which coincides with Summer NAMM 2009, will also feature a host of sponsors, all of whom will be on hand to help assemble the monster pedalboard, and answer questions about their products. Among the sponsors are Pedaltrain, Visual Sound, Creation Audio Labs, George L's Musical Products, D' Addario/Planet Waves, Mighty Bright Music Lights, CoreX2, Bullet Cable, Eventide, Retro-Sonic/Vintage Vibes, Mad Professor Amps and Effects, Bourns, Farley's Music Essentials, Music Connection Magazine, Vox and Dungeon Promotions.

Doors will open at 6 p.m., and the silent auction and music starts at 7 p.m. Admission is $7, or $5 with a valid NAMM badge. Companies or individuals interested in donating products for the charity event and silent auction should contact Kristen Hoetzel at Gopher Entertainment Group by July 10.

Labels: Guitar News Daily, NAMM, Nashville, Party, pedalboard

gibson.com
During the height of mid-’60s Beatlemania, the guitars most frequently associated with George Harrison on tour and TV/film appearances were the Gretsch Country Gentleman, Rickenbacker 360/12 and the Epiphone Casino that both he and John Lennon wielded on their final 1966 world tour and sessions for the epochal Sgt. Pepper’s album. Harrison had also played a cherry-finish ’64 SG Standard during the Rubber Soul/Revolver era, an instrument that shows up in promo films for "Paperback Writer," "Rain" and "Lady Madonna."

But in August of 1968, Eric Clapton gifted Harrison with a 1957 Les Paul Standard, now factory refinished to cherry red, that already had an impressive rock history " and would soon reach even greater heights. Harrison immediately dubbed his new crimson Les Paul ‘Lucy’ in honor of red-headed comedy icon Lucille Ball, then quickly put it to work recording the White Album outtake, "Not Guilty." Within weeks George also appeared playing it in the Beatles promotional film for the single "Revolution," which initially aired on David Frost’s U.K. TV show, and later on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour stateside.

In September, it would perform what remains one of the Beatles’, and rock’s, most iconic solos " but not in the hands of George Harrison. After the initial session for "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," Harrison admitted in a 1974 Crawdaddy interview, that because of ongoing tensions with main songwriters Lennon and McCartney he "went home really disappointed because I knew the song was good."

"The next day I brought Eric Clapton with me [to the studio]. He was really nervous. I was saying, 'Just come and play on the session, then I can sing and play acoustic guitar.' Because what happened when Eric was there on that day " it helped, because the others would have to control themselves a bit more. Eric was nervous saying, 'No, what will they say?' And I was saying, 'F**k 'em, that's my song!'"

Harrison also admitted he lacked confidence in his own guitar work during the era, explaining that "I'd played sitar for three years. And I'd just listened to classical Indian music and practiced sitar " except for when we played dates, studio dates " and then I'd get the guitar out and just play, you know, learn a part for the record. But I'd really lost a lot of interest in the guitar."

"[Eric and I] used to hang out such a lot at that period, and Eric gave me a fantastic Les Paul guitar, which is the one he plays on ["While My Guitar Gently Weeps"]. So it worked out well."

Harrison used ‘Lucy’ frequently during the final studio dates for the White Album and the subsequent, haphazard Get Back/Let It Be recordings that followed in January, 1969, then played it extensively that summer on the Beatles swan song, Abbey Road. That’s ‘Lucy’ wailing on the middle of "The End’s" trio of brief guitar solos. George also took the crimson Les Paul on the road briefly with Bonnie and Delaney Bramlett later that year.



















Harrison and ‘Lucy’ during Let It Be

As the legend goes, ‘Lucy’ was originally a late-’50s Les Paul Goldtop that had made its way to the Lovin’ Spoonful’s John Sebastian, and then McCoys’ mainstay Rick Derringer, who’d sent it off to Gibson’s Kalamazoo factory for refinishing.

Decades later, Rick would recall "I loved playing it, but my dad " who’s always loved a guitar looking real good " used to comment on how it was kind of beat up. It was a very, very used guitar, even when I got it. But it played great. So I figured that since we didn’t live far from Gibson’s factory in Kalamazoo, the next time the group went there I’d give it to Gibson and have it refinished. I had it done at the factory in the SG-style clear red finish that was popular at the time."

Yet Derringer noted that the instrument "just didn’t feel the same " it had changed into an altogether different guitar" after refinishing. So Rick traded it for a sunburst finish Les Paul at Dan Armstrong’s guitar shop in Manhattan, which is where Eric Clapton purchased it not long after.

But memories - especially those of veteran, hard-living rock stars - can be notoriously cloudy, while legends - particularly those surrounding the Beatles - tend to take on a life of their own, regardless of evidence to the contrary. Which is just what we encountered trying to track down photos documenting Harrison’s cherry-refinished Les Paul Standard in its original state. Which led us to wonder: Was ‘Lucy’ really a Goldtop in her first incarnation? Several pieces of circumstantial and visual evidence cast some doubts on the instrument’s generally accepted heritage.

The serial number on the rear of the instrument’s headstock - #7-8789 - does indeed correspond with a Goldtop that was shipped from Gibson’s Kalamazoo factory in December 1957. But, as noted in Anthony Babiuk’s and Tony Bacon’s exhaustive reference book Beatles Gear, experts who’ve examined the instrument note that the style and typeface of ‘Lucy’’s serial number don’t match other instruments of its vintage.

While John Sebastian did indeed own a Goldtop, and is pictured playing it on the cover of his well-received Real Live John Sebastian concert album, that record was released in 1971, years after he had supposedly given the ax up to Derringer. Yet during the Lovin’ Spoonful’s ’60s prime, Sebastian frequently played what appears to be a similar vintage Les Paul Standard with a sunburst finish. It shows up on the cover of the band’s "Summer In the City" single, some concert shots, and a 1966 television clip of their biggest hit, "Daydream."
















The Lovin’s Spoonful with John Sebastian - and ‘Lucy’?

Rick Derringer was most frequently pictured playing an ES series during the McCoys’ "Hang On Sloopy" heyday. But a grainy, amateur snapshot taken at a 1967 dance featuring the band shows Derringer playing what appears to be a Les Paul Standard that appears very similar to the one Sebastian was documented using with the Lovin’ Spoonful the previous year - or is it the sunburst model Rick says he acquired from Dan Armstrong’s shop?


















Perhaps only ‘Lucy’ knows for sure - and she’s not talking.

The fabled red Les Paul was stolen from under the bed of George Harrison’s Beverly Hills home during a burglary in the early ’70s. Eventually it ended up at the Guitar Center in Hollywood, where a musician from Mexico purchased the instrument for $650. After a complex set of negotiations involving a third party and a trip to Mexico, ‘Lucy’ was eventually returned to Harrison in exchange for a ’58 sunburst Les Paul and a Precision bass.

"[‘Lucy’] got kidnapped and taken to Guadalajara," George would later muse, "and I had to buy this Mexican guy a Les Paul to get it back." His beloved ‘Lucy’ Les Paul would remain a prized part of George Harrison’s collection until his death in 2001.

Labels: Crimson Les Paul, George Harrison, Guitar News Daily, Rick Derringer, The McCoys

modernguitars.com

Fretlight FG-451
Optek Music Systems, Inc., the makers of the Fretlight guitar, has announced the release of a new PC interface, Fretlight Studio, for its Fretlight series of electric and electric-acoustic instruments. Fretlight Studio combines four previously separate software packages (M-Player, Improviser, Lesson Player and Video Player) into a single application that serves as a gateway to the four modular features. This means that Fretlight users can play songs, take video lessons, practice chords and scales or improvise a solo from one screen. "We wanted to accomplish two things for our customers with this release,” says Rusty Shaffer, president and CEO of Optek Music Systems. “First, we wanted to simplify the interface for our key Fretlight applications, and second, we decided to make this software package free to our customers,” a savings of nearly $100 according to Optek. A Mac version of Fretlight Studio is expected later this year, but until then, the separate Fretlight software modules are now free to Mac users.

The Fretlight system shows you where to put your fingers to play a particular note, scale, chord, or song, by using glowing LED lights in the fretboard that mean "press here." The Fretlight guitar connects to a PC or Mac through a USB port and software (now the Fretlight Studio application) controls the LEDs.
The Fretlight System

The Fretlight System

Intended to function primarily as a learning device, the Fretlight system consists of the Fretlight guitar and four basic software instructional modules: M-Player, designed to teach a particular song; Improviser, an aid to learning what notes are associated with various chord progressions; Lesson Player, which serves as a guitar learning tutor; and Video Player through which instructional material is presented in video format. The software system is expandable. Students can purchase additional songs and other learning packages through the Fretlight Store. Again, all four of these modules are now combined into the single Fretlight Studio application.

Optek offers a number of Fretlight guitar models, each of which is designed to serve as both an integral part of the Fretlight learning system and a fully functional and commercially viable electric or acoustic-electric guitar. Prices range from approximately USD $400-900, depending upon the model. The full line is available from Optek's Fretlight Store.

Labels: Fretlight guitar, Guitar News Daily, Optek Music Systems

thaindian.com/
"High School Musical" star Vanessa Hudgens has revealed that she injured her fingers while trying to learn to play the guitar for her new movie 'Bandslam'.

Hudgens, 20, said that with her fingers being so small, she ended up bandaging them after each guitar lesson.

"I learned how to play the guitar for 'Bandslam' - and I got to rock out at the end! "Contactmusic quoted her as saying.

"It really hurts your fingers though, and I had the worst calluses. My hands are tiny too so I was doing crazy things with my fingers," she added.

Labels: Guitar News Daily, Vanessa Hudgens

nme.com

"I was on my way from Poland to Berlin following a show. At 1am I got the news and was immediately saddened,- he said. "I remembered being six years old and seeing the Jackson 5 on our black and white TV. His brothers were cool but he had a halo around him.

"Superstar at 12. What promise. He had magic! It was by chance that I recorded and rearranged his song 'Billie Jean' and have been amazed at the response it gets when I perform it every night. He was amazingly talented and largely misunderstood.

"I hope that the media will be kind and celebrate the genius instead of cashing in on the tabloid angles that made him a prisoner. I think he deserves that."

Labels: Chris Cornell, Guitar News Daily, Michael Jackson

wenn.com
Kurt Cobain bass sold for $43,750

A bass guitar once owned by a young Kurt Cobain sold at auction in New York on Tuesday for over $40,000.

The tragic Nirvana star's Sears model bass guitar was used to record his early demos, according to the authenticity certificate.

It was among the highlights to go under the hammer at a Christie's pop and rock memorabilia sale.

A collector bought the guitar for $43,750.

Other top items included a 1967 Official Beatles Fan Club poster signed by all members of the Fab Four, a pair of late AC/DC star Bon Scott's lyric-strewn notebooks and the handwritten lyrics of Bob Dylan's With God On Our Side, which fetched a staggering $25,000.

The auction also featured items of memorabilia relating to the Velvet Underground and Madonna.

Labels: bass, Guitar News Daily, Kurt Cobain

billboard.com
Spinal Tap is "Back From the Dead." At least according to the title of the group's new album. The June 16 release commemorates the 25th anniversary of the cult-classic film "This Is Spinal Tap."

David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean), Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) and Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) have "revisited and reimagined" their 1984 soundtrack compositions. They've also included six new songs on the album, which will be released on their independent the Label Industry Records.

Retail distribution and marketing of physical product will be handled by Artist2Market. Global digital distribution will be supervised by INgrooves, which handled releases for Dolly Parton, the Crystal Method and Thievery Corporation; the company is also overseeing digital marketing for the album and its accompanying promotional video content.

INgrooves founder/CEO Robb McDaniels says the group recognizes the importance of a digital presence. "They were determined to have digital drive the release process and the creative process because they feel their fans are hanging out in the digital world," he says.

The INgrooves marketing campaign features digital tie-ins, including an iPhone application with exclusive videoclips, pictures and a fan wallpaper; a YouTube promotion (starting June 22) that allows fans to compete to make the best fan-generated music videos of the band's hit songs; Spinal Tap video channels with promotional clips and unreleased footage; and custom voice tones from each band member.

"They've been very open to all our ideas," McDaniels says. "Their fan demographic skews toward 35- to 50-year-olds, but the challenge is to reach new fans as well."

The album includes the newly interpreted Tap classics "Hell Hole," "Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight," "Big Bottom," "(Funky) Sex Farm," "Stonehenge," "Gimme Some Money" and "(Listen to the) Flower People." iTunes will offer an exclusive version of "Sex Farm" while Amazon will carry its own version of "Flower People." A free download of the previously unreleased "Saucy Jack"-from Hubbins' unfinished musical about Jack the Ripper-can be found on spinaltap.com.

New Spinal Tap songs include "Warmer Than Hell," "Short and Sweet" (with guests Phil Collen, Keith Emerson, John Mayer and Steve Vai), "Celtic Blues" and "Jazz Oddyssey." Through e-mail-and in character-Guest says the new songs "were chosen by our ability to learn them. We all write everything, although some of us write some stuff more than others."

The album, billed as a "perfect combination of loudness, vulgarity and a pinch of evil," was produced by CJ Vanston. "He's got great ears," Guest says. "He hears loud the way most producers hear soft."

Noting the tracks are louder because they're digital, Guest adds, "We've always burned with the desire to have people hear these songs as they were meant to be heard-with performance royalties flowing to us."

The physical release will include a pop-up diorama package that unveils three 12-inch action figures of the band along with a proportionally sized Stonehenge. The group will also release an 11-inch, limited-edition vinyl album.

The group also recorded a track-by-track commentary exclusively for iTunes. "We sent them into the studio to a do three- to five-minute commentary," McDaniels says. "Instead they turned in a 60-minute track-by-track. They did it in one take and it's spot on."

Touring acoustically in recent months on the Unwigged & Unplugged tour, McKean, Guest and Shearer will appear on "The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien" (June 15) and at the United Kingdom's Glastonbury Festival (June 27). A "one night only world tour" is set for June 30 at Wembley Arena in London. (The album's European release date is June 23.)

Videoclips from the original movie are on YouTube and Daily Motion, among other outlets, and a Blu-ray version of the movie is due July 14.

Shearer (as Smalls) says the group intends to stay active. "There are no chapters in this book, only page numbers," he writes in an e-mail. "There will be many future projects."

Labels: Guitar News Daily, Spinal Tap

nme.com

Wilco's former guitarist, Jay Bennett, died of a drug overdose, according to coroner's reports.

Illinois coroner Duane Northrup determined that the 45-year-old multi-instrumentalist died from an overdose of fentanyl, a drug that is commonly prescribed to treat chronic pain, reports the Associated Press. His death is being treated as an accident.

Bennett, who had been due to have a hip replacement later this year, was declared dead after being found unresponsive at his Illinois home on May 24.

Bennett played with Wilco from 1994 to 2001, leaving the Americana band because of a fall-out with band leader Jeff Tweedy.

Shortly before his death, he sued the band for $50,000 (£33,000), claiming he was owed royalties for albums he worked on while in the band.

Labels: Bob Bogle Guitar News Daily, Jay Bennett, Wilco

wenn.com
Soundgarden are in talks to launch a comeback, according to Shinedown rocker Brent Smith.

The band split in 1997 and former frontman Chris Cornell recently admitted he would "never count out" the idea of a reunion, after previously insisting there was no chance they would get back together because it would never live up to his expectations.

He said, "My fear would be that we wouldn't tap into the greatness we felt when we were on our game."

However, a mini-reunion of former bandmates Kim Thayil, Ben Shepherd, and Matt Cameron at a gig in Seattle, Washington, in March forced Cornell to rethink his future - and now Smith reveals plans have been set in motion.

He tells Britain's Kerrang! magazine, "There's talk of a reuniting of Soundgarden in the States soon. I know actually someone specific who told me that, who is actually specifically in their organisation. Kinda told me that they're talking about it."

Cornell went on to form Audioslave after Soundgarden split, before carving out a solo career for himself.

Labels: Guitar News Daily, Soundgarden

nme.com
Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and The White Stripes' Jack White have hit out at the popular 'Guitar Hero' video game.

Speaking at a press conference in Los Angeles on Friday (June 19) for 'It Might Get Loud', the forthcoming documentary film that chronicles their musical careers, the two renowned guitarists said they don't believe video games are an ideal way for people to be exposed to music or learn to play instruments.

"It's depressing to have a label come and tell you that ['Guitar Hero'] is how kids are learning about music and experiencing music," White said. He added that although he doesn't try to dictate "which format people should get their music in-if you have to be in a video game to get in front of them, that's a little sad."

Page added that he can't imagine that people are really learning anything significant about playing instruments by playing video games.

"You think of the drum part that John Bonahm did on Led Zeppelin's first track on the first album, 'Good Times Bad Times'," he said. "How many drummers in the world can play that part, let alone on Christmas morning?"

Meanwhile, White's latest band, The Dead Weather, are gearing up to play a series of London gigs this week, as previously reported.
.

Labels: 'Guitar Hero' Guitar News Daily, Jack White, Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin, The White Stripes

mirror.co.uk

A vintage guitar which once belonged to Rolling Stone Mick Taylor is expected to fetch £100,000.

"Little Mick", guitarist with the band from 1969 to 1974, sold the 1959 Gibson Les Paul standard guitar to music guru John Scates in 1969.

Jamie South, for auctioneers Gardiner Houlgate, believes the rare instrument will exceed £100,000.

He said: "A guitar like this is of priceless value to enthusiasts of 70s music."

The guitar will be auctioned at a Central London hotel this October.

Labels: guitar, Guitar News Daily, Rolling Stones

gibson.com
Epiphone Guitar has announced their support in the launch of Cleveland Rocks, a community arts project that celebrates the unique artistic excellence and diversity of the city of Cleveland. Featuring Epiphone Les Paul guitars that are to be artistically designed by Ohio based visual artists and celebrities, this project will serve as an artistic reminder and display of Cleveland’s lush musical heritage and unwavering commitment to music that Rocks! Cleveland is the home of rock-n-roll, given the distinction of being the city which originally coined the phrase by Alan Freed. Once completed, the guitars will be exclusively exhibited at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, and subsequently auctioned off to raise funds for three local non-profit organizations: the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the Greater Cleveland Film Commission, and The Cleveland Music School Settlement.

"We have launched similar projects in various cities over the past few years with great success. Cleveland has always been a city with rich traditions, diverse communities and an extraordinary amount of community support," said Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar, parent company of Epiphone. "We are very excited about hosting this public arts project and supporting the three organizations that will benefit while drawing national attention to one of the best cities in America."

"Since Alan Freed hosted the first rock and roll concert here in Cleveland in 1952, this city has had a long, rich and storied musical heritage. By partnering with our great friends at Gibson, Epiphone, The Greater Cleveland Film Commission, and the Cleveland Music School Settlement, this program allows us to leverage the talents of the Cleveland arts community to support the award-winning educational programs here at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It also offers a unique opportunity to promote our history while at the same time providing support to our cultural assets," said Terry Stewart, President and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.

"I am very excited for this opportunity to work with Gibson and Epiphone Guitar to bring a unique fundraising event into Cleveland. We at the film commission look forward to working with the artists who will be painting guitars and the very deserving people at the Rock Hall and Cleveland Music School Settlement. Working with the local creative talent to bring fresh ideas from four great organizations together to benefit our great city is sure to bring major benefits in many ways, and we at the film commission are honored Gibson and Epiphone have chosen to work with us," said Ivan Schwarz, Executive Director of The Greater Cleveland Film Commission.

Once completed, the guitars will be exclusively exhibited at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in the Fall of 2009. A gala auction event conducted by world-renowned Julien’s Auctions will be held at the conclusion of the exhibit with all proceeds benefitting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, the Greater Cleveland Film Commission and the Cleveland Music School Settlement. The project is administered through the Gibson Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Gibson Guitar, which is dedicated to improving the quality of life through its support of the arts, education, health & welfare and environmental causes worldwide.

In the coming weeks Cleveland Rocks will announce its official "Call for Artists" and steering committee selections. The steering committee will be comprised of the "Who's Who" in the city of Cleveland. Along with Epiphone Guitar and the Gibson Foundation, the steering committee will help to determine what artwork makes its way onto one of these incredible guitars.

Individuals, organizations or corporations interested in sponsoring a Cleveland Rocks guitar can contact the organizers by calling 1-800-444-2766 ext. 2121 or by emailing clevelandrocks@epiphone.com. All sponsor benefits and levels are outlined on the official website or can be customized to suit a sponsor's interests and requirements. Each guitar will be sponsored and corporate partners have the ability to help decide on the design and artistry of the sculpture. The concept will have a huge impact in the community and provide enormous publicity and promotion for the popular City of Cleveland, as well as provide another interesting opportunity to attract tourists from around the world.

For more information on Cleveland Rocks, please visit ClevelandRocks.Epiphone.com.

Labels: Cleveland Rocks, Epiphone, guitar, Guitar News Daily

WENN.COM
Rocker Alice Cooper once had a scare when he found a boy in his daughter's bedroom, while she was taking a shower.

The School's Out hitmaker's kid Calico was a teenager when Cooper thought she was up to no good with a new pal.

He tells TheRockRadio.com, "There's this really good-looking guy sitting on her bed and she's taking a shower. I look at the guy... and he goes, 'Oh hello Mr. Cooper! Cali and I were just trying on clothes.' I went, 'Either this guy is really good or he's really gay.'

"Calico looked at me and she says 'We were trying on dresses.' He was gay and it was a relief to me!"

Speaking out on Father's Day, Cooper admits he set his three kids a tough task when it came to rebelling against him when they became teenagers: "There was no way to rebel because what are they going to do, dye their hair black and wear black lipstick? I invented that, remember? My daughter put it perfectly in her yearbook. She said, 'I couldn't really rebel because my mom and dad were cooler than my friends.'"

Labels: Alice Cooper, Guitar News Daily

detnews.com

His hair band's album might have been called "Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich," but ex-Warrant lead singer Jani Lane is deep in debt to the IRS, public records show.

Lane, 45, who was busted late Wednesday in California for suspicion of DUI, owes $121,024 in federal income taxes, records show.

The Ohio native's former band peaked in 1990 with the suggestive hit Cherry Pie, but Lane later left the band. He rejoined last summer for a short-lived reunion but they have since parted ways.

What's owed:
The IRS filed a $121,024 lien against Lane and his ex-wife on April 4, 2005 in the Summit County (Ohio) Recorder's office. According to this lien, Lane owes income taxes from 1996 to 2003.

His side:
Lane's manager did not return repeated phone calls and e-mails seeking comment.

Labels: Guitar News Daily, Jani Lane, Warrant

roadrunnerrecords.com
Master guitarist and composer Steve Vai brought his Alien Guitar Secrets master class to this year's London Guitar Show (as part of the London International Music Show 09), which was held June 11-14, 2009 at ExCel in London, England. During the event, Vai sat down with MusicRadar to talk Alien Guitar Secrets, playing live, and beef yoghurt. Watch the chat below.

Steve Vai has just released his famed "Naked Tracks" on CD for the first time. Previously sold on Vai.com and iTunes as downloads only, Vai wanted to give his fans and players of all ages something special - an excellent practice tool for any guitarist.

Commented Vai: "Through the years, whenever I would mix my records I would usually do a mix of specific songs without the lead guitar. This allowed me to play along with the track or make loops to jam to, and because I figured perhaps some day maybe others would like to do the same. Voila! We have arrived at some day!"

"Naked Tracks" is housed in a special limited-edition digipack box set. This series of play-along CDs is designed to help create an atmosphere of focus so you can shred yourself into a personally-induced inspirational nirvana. Included in the set are five CDs featuring backing tracks from the following albums:

* "Passion And Warfare"
* "Sex & Religion"
* "Alien Love Secrets"
* "Fire Garden"
* "The Ultra Zone"
* "Alive In An Ultra World"
* "Real Illusions: Reflections"

You can download the liner notes, transcripts, tab, lead sheet and scores all available soon at www.vai.com/nakedtracks. Here Vai will give the various parameters regarding the key, scale, time signature and more of each track as well as guitar solo transcripts and tabs.

Steve Vai is one of the most influential guitarists of our time. The "Naked Tracks" box-set is a testament to his vanguard approach and creative mindset. This box set is a must-have for the aspiring guitarist, the seasoned guitarist and for all Steve Vai collectors.

Labels: Guitar News Daily, Naked Tracks, Steve Vai

contactmusic.com
VAN HALEN star EDDIE VAN HALEN has confessed he has to work hard to maintain his guitar-great reputation - because sobriety has robbed him of his skills.
Van Halen tells Spinner.com he's "re-learning" how to play the guitar because he isn't as "loose" as he was when he was boozed up.
The rocker, who completed a spell in rehab in 2007, explains, "It takes me a good hour to loosen up my fingers... after two and a half, three hours, you kind of get into a zone that I'm kind of relearning because I'm not drinking anymore. When I used to drink, it would get me there quicker. It's kind of the zone where you're not thinking.
"God's not gonna give you nothing if you don't practice or play. So, after a couple, three hours, God says, 'OK, he's ready. I'll throw him a bone.' And God's got a sense of humour, too - sometimes he gives me s**t, 'cause not everything I do I like."

Labels: EDDIE VAN HALEN, Guitar News Daily

One of the most iconic guitars in rock, initial sales of the Flying V made it look to be an instant loser. Born from a design frenzy at Gibson by designs Ted McCarty that also produced the Explorer and the Moderne, the V was was no loser... just a late bloomer. The Flying V, for all its unique looks, was simply ahead of its time... by almost ten years. Gibson first manufactured prototypes of the guitar in 1957. Production guitars were made of korina wood, a trademarked name for limba, a wood similar to but lighter in color than mahogany. Initial production ended in 1960 due to lack of demand, though occasional instruments continued to trickle out until about 1963. But, like the 1959 Les Paul and Stratocaster, high-visibility players like Jimi Hendrix brought a resurgence of this instrument in the late sixties.

Gibson reissued the guitar in mahogany in 1967, updating its design with a bigger, more stylish pickguard, and ditching the original bridge, which had the strings inserted through the back, in favor of the stopbar tail piece more commonly associated with Gibson models.

Rock n' Roll Baby!

Labels: Gibson Flying V, Guitar News Daily

jam.canoe.ca
TORONTO - Nestled in the volume of depressing statistics in the documentary, I Need that Record: The Death (or Possible Survival) of the Independent Record Store, is a line that captures the essence of "bricks and mortar" record sales.

A music head who's been patronizing a small record shop that's about to close for good says, "There's an endless supply of music, but not an endless supply of good people."

I have fond memories of making the pilgrimage from Scarborough to the Record Peddler on Queen East throughout the '80s hoping it had the latest from The Redskins, The Jam, Aswad or the Screaming Blue Messiahs.

Friendships were struck up with the guys that ran the place and with other customers who despised Top 40 music as much as I did.

The Peddler is long gone, but stores like Soundscapes on College St. and Mike's Music on the Danforth are still flying the flag for independents in spite of hard economic times.

Twenty-two-year-old Brendan Toller, who wrote and produced I Need that Record, says he was inspired to make the film after the closing of Record Express, a store he visited regularly in his teens.

He clearly remembers buying albums such as London Calling by The Clash, Tonight's the Night by Neil Young, and Tim by The Replacements.

"The sense of discovery and the wide tastes and styles of the employees was a great thing to take in at 15, 16, 17," Toller says. "I can remember the year my friends and I really got into the Stooges. They just killed any interest I had in The Ramones, The Clash, or the Pistols because I thought, 'This was it, these guys were the originals.'

"I swore off all other punk rock basically."

Toller recalls one of his fondest memories of the spot.

Noticing that he and his friend Jeff were scoping out an MC5 disc, one of the store employees got chatting with them and suggested they check out a British punk group called The Damned. He cranked it on the stereo and the two were floored.

"Problem was we both didn't have any money," Toller says. "So, we decided that Jeff was going to go back the next day to buy it and I'd copy it. He went and it wasn't there! We were pissed. And then we found out our friend Sean picked it up hours before.

"A lot of good lessons in there," he adds. "The importance of discovery, community, and buying the record you need as soon as you can!"

Thoroughly researched and featuring interviews with indie record store owners and musicians, I Need that Record packs a ton of stats in its 77-minute running time.

Two of the most depressing numbers are these: More than 3,000 record shops have closed across the United States over the past 10 years, and that downloading is growing 100% a year amongst kids.

"That means a whole generation is growing up with music as a totally digital experience," Toller says. "Lines of text and glowing screens instead of big album art, and tiny computer speakers or ear-buds instead of sound systems that young males used to brag about.

"Not to say digital music and its portability, ease, and ability to share isn't awesome, but that's really going to impact things 20 years down the road," he adds. "I do think some of these kids will graduate to record stores and albums. But, I also think that record stores can stay alive if they really make it a place to hang out.

"Music is a great medium for gathering, discussion, and discovery," Toller says. "Teens always have a need to get away from their parents and we need other places besides the movies, the mall, and chain stores if we're going to keep creativity alive."

NOTE: I Need that Record screens Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at the NFB on John St. For more info on North By Northeast, go to nxne.com.

Labels: Guitar News Daily, I need That Record, Movie, Record Stores

Gallagher slams money-grabbing fans
WENN.COM
Noel Gallagher has hit out at 20,000 Oasis fans who demanded a refund after a troubled gig - branding them "cheeky" for wanting their money back.

The Wonderwall hitmakers' homecoming show in Manchester, England earlier this month was plagued with sound difficulties and meant the band spent long periods of time off stage.

When the set resumed, Gallagher and his brother Liam promised all 70,000 people in the crowd a refund.

Around 20,000 gig-goers have since applied to get their ticket money back - and Gallagher is astounded so many people took him up on the offer.

He writes on his blog, "So you were genuinely disappointed? I don't recall seeing a 20,000 gap in the crowd. Cheeky c**ts! Tsk... some people."

Labels: Guitar News Daily, Noel Gallagher, Oasis

uncut.co.uk

David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash have been inducted into the US US Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York this week (June 18).

CSN are only the second-ever group to be inducted together (out of 350 inductees), after Queen, listed separately as well as together.

The group, who are celebrating the 40th anniversary since their Woodstock debut performance helped celebrate at what was the 40th ceremony of induction for the Hall of Fame.

Other honours in the 2009 ceremony went to artists including Tom Jones, Bon Jovi and Jason Mraz who picked up a special award as a 'future inductee tip.'

Labels: CSNY, Guitar News Daily

onlineathens.com
Vintage guitar taken from church



Jackson County sheriff's deputies are searching for a burglar who broke into the Church of God's Prophecy in Braselton and stole almost $9,000 in computer and musical equipment sometime between the church's Sunday and Wednesday services.

The burglar broke in through a first-floor window of the church, in 100 block of Ednaville Road, broke into the pastor's office and stole his $8,000 1951 Gibson electric guitar and about $1,000 in computer equipment, deputies said.
Originally published in the Athens Banner-Herald on Saturday, June 20, 2009

Labels: 1951 Les Paul, guitar crime, Guitar News Daily

azcentral.com
The new Musical Instrument Museum recently purchased one of Gibson's original Les Paul "Goldtop" guitars valued at about $35,000.

Museum officials did not disclose what they paid for the instrument. The museum, under construction on Tatum Boulevard just south of Loop 101, bought the guitar from collector Lynn Wheelwright of Clearfield, Utah.

Introduced in 1952, the Les Paul is today considered one of the most iconic of all guitar designs, acoustic or electric.

"Les Paul did not create the electric guitar, and he did not have much to do with the design of Les Paul guitars," said Matthew Hill.

But Paul, who still regularly performs in New York City, was a well-known performer in the early days of the electric guitar. He endorsed and used guitars named for him.

"This guitar is familiar and unfamiliar at the same time," said Hill, who is working on his doctorate with an emphasis on electric guitars.

Early Les Paul guitars, up until 1958 were known as "Goldtops" because of their metallic gold finish.

This instrument is one of the earliest known examples - almost certainly within the first 60 made - and differs significantly from later versions.

Some differences include a thicker body, a lack of binding on the neck, a different headstock angle, different pickup mounting, and, most significantly, a distinctive "trapeze" style tailpiece in which the strings wrap underneath the bridge rather than over it.

Hill said the tailpiece was not popular with most musicians, although Paul liked it.

The museum, which opens next spring, will display the guitar in one of three orientation galleries. The exhibit takes a familiar instrument, the guitar, and will show 25 variations, some familiar and some unusual, Hill said.

"What makes this museum different is that we are the first to present western and non-western instruments on an equal footing," Hill said. "We make no distinctions between high art and folk art. All is equal, because humans engage in music universally."

Labels: 1952 Gold Top Les Paul, Arazona, Gibson, Guitar News Daily

That is right, once again the heat in the oven of mp3 sharing gets turned up a notch. Here is the news in the words of fellow podcaster and friend of the Bliss, Greg Kot.

Don't forget to check out his blog with the Chicago Tribune at:
http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/turn_it_up/

and his podcast here:
http://soundopinions.org/

Last year, in ordering a new Internet-piracy trial for Jammie Thomas-Rasset, U.S. District Judge Michael J. Davis called the $222,000 in fines imposed by a jury on the defendant for making 24 copyrighted songs available on her computer hard drive "unprecedented and oppressive."

Wonder what Davis thinks now?

On Thursday, another jury in Duluth, Minn., again found the 32-year-old Brainerd, Minn., woman guilty in U.S. District Court of infringing 24 copyrights controlled by the four major record labels. Only this time it awarded damages of $1.92 million or $80,000 per song --- nearly nine times the amount of the earlier verdict, and considerably more than the minimum amount set forth by copyright law of $750 per song.

Thomas-Rasset made history in 2007 by becoming the first accused infringer to take the music industry to court in its five-year legal campaign against music piracy. Most of the 30,000 lawsuits filed by the Recording Industry Association of America were settled out of court, with the consumers purging their files, agreeing to stop file-sharing and paying fines ranging from $3,000 to $5,000.

Thomas-Rasset lost her court case, but Davis later declared a mistrial because he had made some mistakes in his instructions to the jury.

Just as she had in the first trial, Thomas-Rasset asserted her innocence. But her claims were undermined by the prosecution, which linked the infringing files to her computer and user name, and demonstrated that she had disposed of a hard drive containing the incriminating files two weeks after legal proceedings began.

Though the guilty verdict was not surprising, the amount of the damages certainly was. It raised serious questions on two fronts: It clearly seemed well beyond any reasonable expectation that Thomas-Rasset would ever be able to pay it (after the trial, she said, "It’s like squeezing blood from a turnip"), and it implies that the plaintiffs suffered nearly $2 million in losses from her use of 24 files that could be purchased for $24.

So while ostensibly handing a decisive victory to the music industry in its war against file-sharers, the verdict also served to highlight the disconnect between the law and the new ways in which consumers are discovering music.

As Davis stated in his 44-page ruling last year ordering a new trial, "The defendant is an individual, a consumer. She is not a business. She sought no profit from her acts... The court does not condone Thomas’s actions, but it would be a farce to say that a single mother’s acts of using [file-sharing software] Kazaa are the equivalent, for example, to the acts of global financial firms illegally infringing on copyrights" to profit.

Davis' pleas for perspective went further. He urged Congress "to amend the Copyright Act to address liability and damages to peer-to-peer network cases." After all, he said, Thomas-Rasset was only acting "like countless other Internet users. Her alleged acts were illegal, but common."

By Greg Kot with the Chicago Tribune

nme.com
A dead body has been discovered by the cleaning crew at the Bonnaroo Festival, which took place last weekend.

The body is a man in his 20s, and is thought to be from Alabama. He was found dead in a tent on Tuesday (June 16).

Police are awaiting the autopsy results, but Sheriff Steve Graves told The Tennessean that there were no signs of trauma. The man was last seen alive at 3pm on Monday.

As previously reported, Trent Reznor told the crowd during Nine Inch Nails’ set at the festival that the performance was their last-ever in the US.

Phish performed two nights over the three-day event, and were joined by Bruce Springsteen for one set. Springsteen also headlined one night of the festival.

Labels: Body, Bonnaroo, Guitar News Daily, Nine Inch Nails

cybergrass.com
Champaign-Urbana, Illinois
The return of Krannert Center for the Performing Arts' biennial guitar festival Ellnora - The Guitar Festival at Krannert arrives September 10-12, 2009. This newly renamed, three-day, round-the-clock guitar extravaganza will emerge with over 30 guitarists, scores of musical collaborators, innovative engagement events, 11 free performances, and global perspectives on all things guitar.


Propelled by the extraordinary success of the Wall to Wall Guitar Festival in 2005 and 2007, the 2009 festival promises an astonishing collection of genres and artists, the return of the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, a Guitar Hero gaming station, community engagement programs with Dan Zanes and Friends, and numerous opportunities to delve deeper into this truly international instrument through commentaries, discussions, and interactive workshops-all assembled by Krannert Center's director Mike Ross and his staff in collaboration with the festival's artistic advisor, David Spelman. Spelman, the founder/director of the New York Guitar Festival, also launched the Adelaide International Guitar Festival in South Australia in 2007 and has served as the artistic advisor for all three biennial Krannert Center festivals.

Plans to rename the festival, now dubbed Ellnora | The Guitar Festival at Krannert Center, first began as the Center embarked on preparations for this third biennial event. The festivals in 2005 and 2007 had served as microcosms of the Center's strong commitment to diversity, quality, and distinctiveness in programming. In approaching its latest incarnation, the staff realized that the first party had grown into an internationally recognized arts event and were concerned that it might be confused with other endeavors that had "wall to wall" in their titles. The decision to change the name also rested on a desire to better reflect the festival's distinctiveness and the unique micro-urban setting of Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. This examination ultimately led organizers back to the inception of the Center in the 1960s, when philanthropists Herman and Ellnora Krannert first envisioned the multifaceted facility that has become a leading university-based performing arts center. Key to that vision was Mrs. Krannert's captivating plan to utilize the central lobby as a crossroads for audiences, artists, academics, and community members to meet, mix, and mingle in celebration of the arts. Ellnora Krannert's exceptional foresight has continued to lead the Center in the more than 40 years since. It was with this lineage in mind that the Wall to Wall Guitar Festival was reborn as Ellnora-to honor the philosophy, philanthropy, and powerful leadership of the Center's first patron.

The 2009 artist roster includes Ani DiFranco, the Keb' Mo' Band, the Derek Trucks Band, Bill Frisell's Disfarmer Project, The National, Chicha Libre, Junior Brown, The Jerry Douglas Band, Dan Zanes & Friends, Alex de Grassi, the Leni Stern Quartet, the Frank Vignola Trio, the Brasil Guitar Duo, Debashish Bhattacharya, The Long Count, The Sisters Euclid, Nigel North, Paul Galbraith, the Brazilian Guitar Quartet, Erin McKeown & Natalia Zukerman, the Jake Hertzog Trio, Richard Julian & Jim Campilongo, the Laurie Morvan Band, and Luciana Souza & Romero Lubambo.

Regular updates will be posted at EllnoraGuitarFestival.com. Single tickets and festival passes go on sale July 16 at 10am. Festival passes include all eight events; passes must be purchased by August 2 for priority seating. Festival pass prices range from $80 for students to $192 for standard admission.

Labels: Champaign Illinois, Guitar Festiva, Guitar News Daily

mtv.com

Nike Denies Copying Van Halen's 'Frankenstein' Guitar Design
Eddie Van Halen is suing the company for using a pattern similar to his iconic guitar on Dunk shoe line.



Van Halen are suing Nike over an alleged design similarity between Eddie Van Halen's iconic "Frankenstein" guitar and a new line of the sportswear company's sneakers, according to reports. But in a statement to Footwear News, Nike has now called the lawsuit without merit.

"Based on the information provided to us, we have not infringed on any rights held by Mr. Van Halen," the statement read. "Nike's Dunk shoe design is not substantially similar to any of the Van Halen designs, and Nike has not referenced the 'Van Halen' name or image as part of any marketing campaign or promotional material associated with the shoe."

ELVH, Van Halen's company, filed a cause of action for copyright infringement complaint last Friday in a Los Angeles court against Nike, alleging that the design of some Dunk Low sneakers matches that of Van Halen's famous guitars.

In 2001, the group copyrighted the crisscrossing red, black and white pattern that Eddie created in the late '70s for his hybrid version of Gibson and Fender electric guitars. He's continued to use the design on subsequent guitars. The trim on the side of the Nike Dunks features a red background with black and white crisscrosses.

Earlier in the spring, Van Halen released a line of sneakers featuring the Frankenstein design through a licensing deal with a New Jersey-based merchandising company.

ELVH contends that the similar Nike design caused Van Halen "irreparable harm and damage" and asks for the seizure and destruction of all the sneakers, confiscation of the profits and damages.

Lawyers for Van Halen told Footwear News that they had no comment besides the filed complaint, and they declared their preference "to try cases in court."

Labels: Bob Bogle Guitar News Daily, Nike, Van Halen

I know I feel safer....

theage.com.au

MELBOURNE-BASED musician Steve Lucas has been called many things in his 30-year music career, but never a "potential terrorist". But that's what happened to the singer of punk band X yesterday morning when he boarded a Virgin Blue flight from Sydney to Melbourne with three guitars.

The problem was that his Epiphone electric guitar, which is cased in a coffin-shaped case, was attached to a guitar strap decorated with empty bronze bullet cartridges.

The guitars passed through security and on to the plane, but when the captain was alerted that there was something in the cargo that resembled bullets, all of Lucas' guitar cases were removed from the plane.

He said he was ordered to the front of the plane three times and asked to sign a docket saying he had prohibited goods.

"I recently toured around the country with the strap and there was no problem. They are obviously dummy shells. But they decided to confiscate all three off me and then they ended up going all the way to Canberra."

Lucas was fuming because he started a weekly residency at the city venue Toff in Town last night and couldn't rehearse until his instruments turned up at 3pm.

"When I called the complaints line, they said it was considered that I was potentially a terrorist," he said. "I had three guitars with me, it's pretty obvious that I am a musician. It was a fair overreaction from what is supposed to be the laid-back, rock'n'roll airline. It was virgin' on the ridiculous."

Labels: guitar crime; guitar news; XOX Handle, Guitar News Daily, Steve Lucas

austin360.com

Remember all those oversized, decorated guitars that were around town in 2007 as Gibson's "Austin Guitar Town" project? They were sold at auction to raise money for Austin charities.

Austin businessman Milton Verret paid $120,000 for eight of the guitars, but has just announced that he's donating them to the city of Austin. Mayor Will Wynn will accept the donation during his final City Council meeting at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow. The "Big Guitars" will remain on display at City Hall until they are moved to their permanent Austin locations in a couple months.

The artists and their permanent venues include:
"Music Capital" by Sharon Roy Finch, Austin City Hall.

"Austin Music Flows" by Debra Prather Samples, Austin Bergstrom International Airport.

"Keep Austin Weird" by Sara Hickman, Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"La Guitarra" by Delfin Escalante, Mexican-American Cultural Center.

"Piece of My Heart" by Tracie Sutton, Zachary Scott Theatre.

"Por Vida" by Kathy Marcus, Daugherty Arts Center.

"Livestrong" by David Minder, Austin Convention Center.

"Musician" by Howard Weliver, George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center.

Labels: art, Austin, Giant Guitars, Guitar News Daily

chicagotribune.com
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - A workshop at Purdue University next week will give high school students a taste of college life while providing them with one heck of a souvenir -- an electric guitar.

Students at the High School Guitar Workshop will create their own solid-body electric guitars using advanced manufacturing technology.

The $650 registration fee covers guitar materials and the cost of lodging in dorms and food at dining halls. Workshop director Mark French says students will get a chance to explore Purdue in the evenings to get a feel for life on campus.

Older guitar aficionados will get their chance to make a custom guitar at a workshop in July featuring experts from Purdue, Taylor Guitars and Fender Guitars. That workshop costs about $1,300.

Labels: Guitar News Daily, Guitar Workshop, Perdue

nme.com

Detroit duo prepare 'revealing' tour DVD

The White Stripes have announced plans to release a film documenting their 2007 Canadian tour.

The Detroit duo are to unveil "revealing" handheld camera footage of the band on the road throughout their jaunt which saw them play every province in the country.

A release date or title for the project is yet to be revealed.

"When we started, we just didn't know what we were doing, so we just said, 'Film everything, see what happens'," Jack White told Canadian Press.

He added: "I don't think we would want film ourselves like this. I'm pretty anti-reality television and all that ridiculous peeking behind the curtain sort of aspect of entertainment these days.

"But in this case, I don't think it really has that ridiculousness to it. It does have an insight into some of the things that got created and how we went about making a tour like that happen."

During the 'Icky Thump' tour, the pair played a one-note concert in St John's, Newfoundland, dined on raw caribou meat in Iqaluit and performed 'Wheels On The Bus' and 'Hotel Yorba' on a public bus.

"It seems to be much more than a concert film," White explained. "I think Meg (White, drums) and I gave away a lot more than we ever would have imagined we would want to."

Labels: Guitar News Daily, Jack White, White Stripes

acefrehley.com
Former Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley has announced that he has finished recording his newest solo album 'Anomaly'.

Ace states, "Earth People! How are you? I'm happy to say that my new album "Anomaly" is finished! Mixed, mastered...Done!!!!!

It clocks in as one full hour of new music. I'm waiting for my distribution company to get me solid release dates that we can decide on. I want 'Anomaly' to be available to you in every store around the world that sells CDs these days (and that number is shrinking).

Digitally, 'Anomaly' will be available on iTunes with an exclusive bonus, album only track. Believe me, as soon as we decide on the release date you'll be the first to know. But for now, the 'official' track listing for 'Anomaly' is on the www.acefrehley.com/news news page. Talk to you soon."

Anomaly track listing:
01. Foxy & Free
02. Outer Space
03. Pain In The Neck
04. Fox On The Run
05. Genghis Khan
06. Too Many Faces
07. Change The World
08. Space Bear
09. A Little Below The Angels
10. Sister
11. It's A Great Life
12. Fractured Quantum
13. The Return of Space Bear (Dedicated to Tom Snyder) - iTunes Exclusive album only track

Labels: ACE FREHLEY, ANOMALY, Guitar News Daily

wenn.com
Rocker Eddie Van Halen is taking Nike bosses to court amid allegations they copied his signature black, red and white guitar design for a new range of sneakers.

The Van Halen frontman filed a federal lawsuit in a Los Angeles court last Friday, accusing brand executives of copyright infringement in regards to their Dunk Lows line of tennis shoes.

Van Halen, who is suing via his company ELVH Inc., claims Nike designers failed to ask his permission to use the streak pattern which has featured on his electric guitars since 1978 and was trademarked in 2001.

The legal papers allege the sports brand's shoes are doing "irreparable harm and damage" to his colourful design.

Van Halen is seeking general and punitive damages for the infringement, in addition to profits made to date from the Dunk Lows.

And he's demanding Nike cease all production on the shoes - calling for "the impoundment and destruction of all footwear".

Van Halen actually has his own range of sneakers, which he designed with manufacturers Converse.

Labels: Nike, Van Halen

filmmusicmag.com

Canadian soundware developer Wavelore Instruments has announced the release of their long-awaited Pedal Steel Guitar virtual instrument for Native Instruments’ Kontakt software sampler.

The new version of Pedal Steel Guitar uses the advanced Kontakt Script Processor programming to allow independent bending of discrete pitches on a single MIDI channel. This allows users to craft their own original pedal steel guitar licks intuitively and in real-time. Users are afforded the opportunity to set up their own controllers for various expressive factors like the volume pedal, vibrato speed/depth, release sample control, and neck position selector.

Pedal Steel Guitar uses eight-way round-robin samples per note for natural sounding repetitions, convolution-based amp modeling for flexible tone, and in depth programming for complete control over playing style. A full-color 22 page PDF user’s guide illustrates and explains everything from loading and playing the instrument to advanced editing.

Available now as a download from www.wavelore.com. MSRP is $299 USD. A free crossgrade is available on request for those who purchased the original release for TASCAM’s GVI sampler.

Labels: Guitar News Daily, Pedal Steel, Wavelore

Labels: pixies; box set

Labels: Gene Simmons, Kiss

Labels: guitar news; guitar crime

pastemagazine.com



In the spirit of capitalism, the success of an artist is sometimes followed by some sort of product endorsement. The noisy experimentalists of Sonic Youth were the last people we'd expect to see this from, but fear not; they're not hocking any awful cologne or overpriced sneaks.
Lee Ranaldo and Thurston Moore, guitarists and founders of the iconic crew, are known for paring down their guitars to the bare necessities to find that volatile Sonic Youth sound. Enter Fender, who has swooped in and turned the pared-down instruments into the totally epic-sounding Fender Sonic Jazzblaster (from Ranaldo) and Jazzmaster (from Moore).

The guitars are manufactured to Ranaldo and Moore's personal specifications, from the location of the Fender signature (on the back of the headstock) to the custom-voiced pickups. Both guitars are electronically streamlined, with no rhythm circuit and a one-volume knob. "Lee and Thurston have always heavily modified their Jazzmaster guitars," says the description on Fender.com, "simplifying and stripping them down to the essence, leaving just a three-way switch and a volume knob." Although both guitars share similarities, Ranaldo and Moore's hand-tooled customizations of bridges, pickups, frets and the pickguard make them each unique.

According to Moore and Ranaldo, they even used the prototypes in the recording of their new album, The Eternal. "We couldn't wait to get our hands on these axes," they say on the Fender site. "The prototypes of our Fender models have already been thrust into action during the recording of our latest album, and have already begun to acquire the scrapes and scarz of live performance."

Check out how you, too, can shred like those Sonic dudes on the Fender website.

Labels: Daily, Fender, guitar news, Sonic Youth

seattletimes.nwsource.com

Bob Bogle - co-founder of legendary Tacoma garage-rock band, the Ventures, and the architect behind the distinctive guitar sound of early hits "Walk, Don't Run" and "Perfidia" - has died.

Mr. Bogle, a resident of Vancouver, Wash., was 75 when he died on Sunday. He suffered from Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and had been too frail to play with the Ventures in his waning years. But he lived long enough to see his band inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2008.

Mr. Bogle became ill over the weekend and was taken to a hospital where he died, according to Ventures co-founder Don Wilson, Mr. Bogle's friend and musical collaborator for more than five decades.

"Even though you know it's gonna happen, when it does, it's like a bomb dropping on you," said Wilson, who lives in Sammamish.

"Boy, I tell you, he's the brother I never had," he said. "And he is much more than any brother could be. He and I were partners for, like, 52 years. And to tell you the honest truth, we had never, ever had an argument in all that time - never."

Friends, peers and admirers recalled the lack of ego that accompanied Mr. Bogle's virtuosity.

"He was a very creative, talented person," said Buck Ormsby of the Fabulous Wailers, the Tacoma band that paved the way for the Ventures with their 1959 hit "Tall Cool One."

"He looked like he was so relaxed in everything he did," Ormsby said. "... And he was a great guy, just one of the nicest guys you'll ever want to meet."

Seattle radio disc jockey Mark Christopher spearheaded a campaign to get the long-overlooked Ventures into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when he was with Seattle oldies station KBSG-FM.

"It was just a privilege to meet him and just an honor to know that he did get into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and saw that before his time," Christopher said. "That was a biggie for me. I just wanted to make sure the guys, because they were getting older, at least got to see something like that before their time came."

Wilson recalled selling cars in Seattle in the late '50s, when Mr. Bogle walked into his dealership one day. Wilson was struggling to make commission. And when he learned that Mr. Bogle worked construction, Wilson asked if he could get him a job.

"That's why we started working together," Wilson said. "And then we found out that we each knew a few chords on the guitar, you know, and we had a lot of free time on our hands. But neither of us owned a guitar."

The two men bought a pair of guitars and a chord book at a downtown Tacoma pawnshop in 1958, aspiring only to find easier work headlining local nightclubs. But fate had so much more in store for them.

The Ventures scored their first hit with a remake of a Chet Atkins song called "Walk, Don't Run" in 1960. It would become one of the most influential songs in rock history, sparking a remarkable run that saw the Ventures chart with 38 albums between 1960 and 1972 en route to more than 100 million records sold.

"That song started a whole new movement in Rock 'n' Roll. The sound of it became 'surf music' and the audacity of it empowered guitarists everywhere," said Creedence Clearwater Revival's John Fogerty, as he inducted the Ventures into the rock hall of fame last year. "Every guitar player on this planet knows what I'm talking about."

While Nokie Edwards eventually took over as lead guitarist for the ventures, Wilson recalled how Mr. Bogle laid the foundation for the Ventures' innovative sound.

"If you listen to 'Walk, Don't Run' and 'Perfidia,' the lead guitar is just totally unique," Wilson said. "He used that vibrato bar - they call it a whammy bar - and he used it like nobody else.

"Nobody had heard anything like it. That was why 'Walk, Don't Run' was such a monster hit. I run across so many people, guitar players - famous ones - and they say the first song I learned was 'Walk, Don't Run'."

Funeral arrangements are pending. Wilson expected services to be held on Thursday or Friday.

Labels: Bob Bogle Guitar News Daily, Ventures

reuters.com

Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford hopes to rejoin his bandmates early next month after a head injury prevented him from playing on their newly launched tour, fellow guitarist Joe Perry said on Sunday.

Whitford, 57, is recovering from surgery for internal bleeding after he apparently banged his head while getting out of his Ferrari about a week before the tour began last Wednesday in St. Louis.

"It built up pressure and gave him this whoopin' headache," Perry told Reuters. "He's not prone to getting migraines, so knew something was wrong. He went right in, they did what they had to do, and now he's getting better."

The target date for Whitford's return is July 7, when the band is scheduled to play a show in Raleigh, North Carolina, Perry said. Subbing for him is Bobby Schneck, who has played with Green Day and Weezer.

Rocking out with Aerosmith can be hazardous for your health. Four out of five group members have disclosed major medical problems in the last three years, including Perry who has been plagued by a bad knee ever since he fell off a stage in Dallas 25 years ago.

He underwent knee-replacement surgery in March 2008, but was "devastated" to learn around Christmas that the area had become infected, like a "rotten grapefruit," he said, and he would need to go through the whole procedure again.

The various ailments and touring obligations mean the band has not released an album of original material since 2001's "Just Push Play." Perry said the band has recorded about 15 songs for the next disc and hopes to pick up the thread in the studio sometime after the current tour ends in the fall.

The third stop on the tour will be on Tuesday at the Comcast Center in suburban Boston. The band has been playing its classic 1975 album "Toys in the Attic" in its entirety, with the notable exception of the closing track "You See Me Crying."

Perry said the song is too difficult for vocalist Steven Tyler to sing right now, but Tyler hopes he will be able to do it after a few more shows. At any rate, the band expects to swap out "Toys in the Attic" in about two weeks, and play all the tracks from its 1976 follow-up "Rocks," Perry said.

Labels: Aerosmith, Brad Whitford, Guitar News Daily

mercurynews.com

Dick Dale

No amount of pain. No amount of worry. No amount of bad news could prevent the anointed "King of the Surf Guitar" from his music.

No, Dick Dale, the man behind "Miserlou" of Pulp Fiction fame, inevitably finds his safe place behind his Fender Stratocaster.

"My music soothes the beast," Dale said. "It makes one forget who they hate and who they are afraid of and for the moment, takes away all of one's problems, making them laugh, dance, sentimentally bringing happiness. It is like a good medicine. It opens the doors to one's soul so I can make them feel better."

It's an early afternoon interview as the 72-year-old left-handed guitar wizard relaxes at home in Southern California a few days before a West Coast Tour that brings him to Moe's Alley on June 21.

Dale is grateful for every gig - every breath, actually - since being told he had three months to live - some 40 years ago. After some serious surgery for rectal cancer, the illness went into remission, returned and now looks tamed.

When the cancer first struck, "I was down to 110 pounds and then I went to Hawaii to feel sorry for myself and play my guitar," Dale said.

He took up karate while on the islands "and I trained and fasted and ate different foods and I lived," Dale said.

A "couple of years ago" a business associate encouraged Dale to return for testing because his cancer symptoms returned.

"I did and they told me what I already knew," Dale said. "So I went
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in for six weeks of three doses of radiation and chemo and then stopped for six weeks to settle the body down."

Because medication "slows the healing down, I took the train of pain," Dale said.

An eight-hour operation later, Dale credits surgeon Gary Hoffman in Beverly Hills "as the reason I am back on the road."

Back and, though he wouldn't say better than ever, count on the trademark hyper-energy of one left-handed guitarist.

"The cancer was cut out but now I am putting up with what one has to be thankful for, the gift of seeing every day," Dale said.

In his mind, "I am no different than I was before," Dale said. "I just go out and make people laugh. That is the best healer."

Dale remains close to his 17-year-old son, Jimmy, who plays drums for the band that often opens for Dale since he returned to performing this year in San Bernardino.

"My son already plays better than me," Dale said. "I enjoy watching him please others and, at the same time, keeping his strength that he has now to continue to walk the straight path in life, sharing and showing the way for other young minds and souls to follow. I have told him, 'Your body flows your mind. Don't infect your mind.'"

Dale, an opponent of recreational drug use, said a message he tries to convey to teenagers is "to go home and hug your parents and tell them, 'Thank you mom and dad for coming into my room every time I coughed and sneezed because you worried so much about my health.'"

No matter how big you get, Dale added, "your parents will always see you as their little 5-year-old and will always want to hug you. But you think you are too big and grown up to be hugged anymore. So hug them and tell them how much you love them every day of their life."

Dale said that he has told his son he was "all right and that I will never leave him. He says, 'I know, dad, you're a fighter.'"

Not like he's ready to call it quits. There are more tours and, undoubtedly, honors to come.

"When I die, it will not be in a rocking chair. It will be in one big explosion on stage in body parts," Dale said.

That final concert, he hoped, would be in Hawaii.

"Surf's up," Dale said.

If you go

Dick Dale

Where: Moe's Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz

When: 8:30 p.m., June 21

Tickets: $20-$25 (21 and older)

Info: Call 479-1854 or visit www.moesalley.com

Labels: cancer, Dick Dale, Guitar News Daily

This week Sunday Extra takes a look at an over looked classic, the Ovation Breadwinner.

The Ovation Breadwinner was launched towards the end of 1972 at a price of $349. It a body shape that was designed to resemble an axe and to be comfortable to use seated in the studio. It featured a 2 octave 24 fret mahogany necks. Initially it was available in white and was fitted with large single coil pickups. An upgraded version was displayed at the autumn 1974 NAMM show - and from then it featured double-coil 12-pole pickups that were "20dB quieter than Humbuckings".

Breadwinner 1251

Available 1972-79

Pickups single coil until 1975, 12-pole double coil thereafter

Scale 24 3/4"

Body Mahogany body, length 39 1/2", width 14 1/2", depth 1 5/8"

Neck Bolt-on two-piece Honduras bound mahogany neck, with ebony, diamond-shaped dot inlaid fingerboard

Width at nut 1 11/16"

Electrics and controls FET preamp, 1 volume and tone control, mid-range switch, pickup selector switch

Hardware 12:1 machineheads, brass bridge. Chrome plated throughout.

Finishes Textured finish - 1251-5 Black, 1251-6 White, 1251-7 Tan, Red and Blue (until 1976)

The pickups and active circuitry of the Breadwinner are designed to give a very wide tonal range. The series II pickups are described as follows...
"These pickups are not just another copy of the Humbucking pickups, but instead were designed by Ovation engineers to give you the quietest full-range pickups to date. These sensitive pickups have bright, sustaining treble and full, clean, rich bass that will deliver some real raunchy sounds"

The controls consist of a volume and tone potentiometer, pickup selector switch and band rejection filter to cut mid range. This is how the circuitry is described in the 1975 solid-bodies catalog...
"This is where we have it all together - we've built in FET preamplifier that has simplified controls and delivers the fullest, widest range of sound - and all right where it belongs - at your fingertips. The circuitry also has a band rejection filter and is volume compensated on all controls. All controls are isolated in th circuitry so that changes in vilume or amplifier impedance have no effect on the tone control."

I have always been a fan of these odd balls of the guitar world. Check one out if you get a chance.

Labels: Guitar News Daily, Ovation Breadwinner

sealynews.com
Jazz era icon and Sealy native Huey Long, 105, passed away Wednesday, June 10 of natural causes.

He is perhaps best known as a member of the Jazz band The Ink Spots, playing the guitar and performing the group's hit songs at venues nationwide, including the Apollo Theater. But to his daughter, Anita Long, he was simply known as the best father a daughter could ask for.

"He was always a giving person," she said. "He loved people and he really did have a way of engaging with each individual that he would come in contact with. That was something that was amazing."

And Long treated everyone with respect and like a human being, regardless of where they came from, who they were, or whether they were rich or poor.

"He was really an accepting person," Anita Long said. "Somehow, he would always make that individual feel special."

Reaching out over his 80-year career through music, Huey Long made sure to use his talents to uplift U.S. service men and women, performing for soldiers during the Korean War. In 1965, he decided to further spread his joy of music by opening his own teaching studio in New York.

"It brought a lot of enjoyment to (my) life," Long was quoted as saying in a Sealy News article from Feb. 8, 2008. "Music has so much to do with the true souls of people and their true essence. It's kind of like molding their character. I think it was necessary for me to teach music because it was something that I knew."

Although Long's successful career took him to new places and exciting heights, his musical roots began down-home in Sealy, where he grew up.

He learned to play the piano and guitar by ear thanks to the help of his sister, Willie, and two brothers, Robert and Sam, all of whom were musically inclined. Long was also influenced by the ragtime piano players and blues guitar players prevalent in and around Sealy at the time.

Eventually, though, the walls of the small farm community could no longer contain his desire to learn about every facet of music and, joined by his brother Sam, Long moved to Houston. And it was there that Long began to make history.

At first, he set up shop as a shoe shiner on the sidewalk in front of the Rice Hotel, using some of the money he earned to purchase a guitar. Trucks loaded with musicians and a person on a megaphone would drive around town announcing public dances and promoting their music.

One such band, the Frank Davis Louisiana Jazz Band, gave Long his big break in 1925. From there, he performed with a string of other Jazz bands before joining the legendary Ink Spots in 1944.

Long's music career and time with the Ink Spots is memorialized in his autobiography, "The Huey Long Story," as well as in the Ink Spots Museum, located at 117 E. 20th St. in Houston. Anita Long helped her father open the museum - which was his lifelong dream - after she moved to Houston from San Jose, Calif. to help take care of him in his old age.

"Dad had such a strong will to the very end," she said.

And in the very end, she was there, faithfully holding her father's hand.

"I think I've been blessed by the opportunity to serve him," she said, adding, "I would never trade any of these memories for anything."

As the last of her immediate family, she is faced with not only honoring the memory of her father, but also with mounting funeral expenses.

Any well wishers whose lives have been touched by Huey Long’s music and legacy, may make greatly appreciated memorial contributions to the effort by calling Anita Long at (713) 677-9736 or by sending an e-mail to inkspotsmuseum@gmail.com.

For more information about Huey Long, his life and career, visit the museum's Web site at www.inkspotsmuseum.com.

Labels: guitar news, Huey Long, The Ink Spots

bangkokpost.com

Siam City Hotel and the Thailand Guitar Society are organising the "Asia International Guitar Festival and Competition 2009" featuring Southeast Asia's finest assembly of international guitar players, guitar makers and guitar enthusiasts during June 18-21.



The ‘‘Asia International Guitar Festival and Competition 2009’’ offers masterclasses, guitar exhibits, competitions and concerts by world-renowned guitarists at Siam City Hotel during June 18-21.

Boasted to be the biggest and most vibrant event for classical guitar aficionados and music lovers throughout Asia, the festival, now in its third year, will cover masterclasses, guitar exhibits, competitions and concerts by acclaimed guitarists from Argentina, Japan, Thailand and Europe.

There's a varied programme each day, culminating in a concert by one of the guitar maestros.

Festival goers will be treated to "Fiesta Latina", a classical guitar variety concert featuring all guitarists playing together, on the opening night, June 18 at 8pm.

The night will see world-class participants such as Hugo Geller of Argentina, Ermanno Bottiglieri of Italy and Leon Koudelak of the Czech Republic. Players from Thailand include the award-winning Woratep Rattana-umpawan and upcoming sensation Ekachai Jearakul, first prize winner at the 2007 International Classical Guitar Competition in Russia.

Adding excitement to the repertoire with their unique energetic style are the entertaining Maria Duo of Japan, Yoko Fujimori and Shinobu Saguwara, while Fuenglada Prawang will join the cast with her resounding soprano vocals.

The Spanish-inspired programme incorporates a wide range of styles, from passionate pieces by Spanish composer Isaac Albeniz, to the dramatic compositions of Villa-Lobos and the fast-paced virtuosic works of the modern Cuban composer Leo Brouwer.

The Maria Duo will finish the show with short pieces by M. Rodriguez and Brazilian composer Zequinha de Abreu, featuring tango and bossa nova rhythms.

The festival will also help enhance the educational development of classical guitar students in Thailand. Without having to go overseas, they have the chance to compete at an international level and to observe the talents of world-class guitarists both as players and performers.

Masterclasses start each day at 9:30am, followed by an afternoon class at 2pm on June 18, while the competition which covers both junior and senior categories is scheduled for June 19-20 at 1pm with the final round on June 21 at 2pm. Each winner can take their pick of custom-made guitars by international luthiers.

Each day will culminate in a live concert at 8pm. Performers include Minoru Inagaki on June 19, Roman Viazovskiy of Ukraine on June 20 and Hugo Geller on June 21.

All concerts will be performed in the hotel's Rattanakosin Lounge with tickets priced at 600 baht (400 baht for students), inclusive of a coffee break.

Tickets for observers of masterclasses and competitions cost 200 baht. To book seats, contact Siam City Hotel on 02-247-0123 ext 1912 and 1944. For more information, please visit http://www.thailandguitarsociety.com.

Labels: Guitar Festival, Guitar News Daily, Thailand Guitar Society

tennessean.com

Since rock hero Elvis Costello is back in Tennessee for Bonnaroo/Ryman sets (this weekend and Tuesday, respectively), the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum (222 Fifth Ave. S., 291-6749) is taking the opportunity to host the wildly eclectic singer-songwriter for a live interview on Monday, June 15 at its Ford Theater.

Costello created his latest, roots-rooted album, Secret, Profane & Sugarcane, here in Nashville with Alison Krauss and Robert Plant producer T-Bone Burnett at the helm and a collection of Music City's top country musicians (Emmylou Harris, Jerry Douglas) in the mix. That album's just more in a long line of Costello Nashville connections, though, and his museum discussion aims to shed some light on that country history, which includes a collaboration with George Jones in 1979 and his 1981 country-minded set, Almost Blue.
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The discussion is at 3 p.m. Monday, and admission is included with museum admission, and is free to CMHOF members. Tickets are still available for Costello's Tuesday show at the Ryman.

Labels: Elvis Costello, Guitar News Daily

Labels: Green guitars

Labels: KISS; Mr. Potato Head

ap.org

SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) - Rock and Roll Hall of Famer James Burton hopes to fill an auditorium where Elvis once played with guitarists strumming and picking two Presley favorites.

The stunt at the 3,293-seat Municipal Auditorium during the James Burton International Guitar Festival in August is a try for the Guinness Book of World Records.

Guinness lists the world's largest guitar ensemble as 1,802 participants led by Andreas Vockrodt and the band Party Blues in B-flat in Leinfelden-Echterdingen, Germany, on June 26, 2007.

The festival's Web site says they'll be playing "Hound Dog" and "That's All Right, Mama."

This year's festival is a tribute to Elvis Presley, who made Burton his guitarist and bandleader from 1969-1977.

Information from: The Times, http://www.shreveporttimes.com

Labels: Elvis, guitar news, James Burton

usatoday.com

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani hasn't commented much on his legal tangle with Coldplay, but he has plenty to say about his new band, Chickenfoot. The latest in a line of supergroups to pop up recently, the act features former Van Halen vocalist Sammy Hagar and bassist Michael Anthony and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith.

While Satriani's plagiarism suit is pending -- he claims Coldplay's song "Viva La Vida" incorporates "substantial original portions" of his 2004 instrumental "If I Could Fly" -- he and Chickenfoot are making an impression. Radio programmers quickly embraced the band's first single, "Oh Yeah," from its self-titled debut (released June 5 on Best Buy's Redline Entertainment), and a nine-date Road Test tour of theaters sold out in minutes. To further whet fans' appetites, the album was available at Amazon for $3.99 June 5-8. Chickenfoot is returning to North America in August for more tour dates.

Billboard: Why did you sign with Best Buy's label, Redline?

Joe Satriani: It was (Redline senior entertainment officer) Gary Arnold that made the deal feel right. Gary and Best Buy showed true commitment to getting the music to as many people as possible, leaving no retail or Net opportunity untapped. They have been very supportive of our efforts to use the Web to show people what the band is all about, previewing the new tracks and creating a community of Chickenheads. While this is a one-album deal, I see no reason to look elsewhere when we come back with record No. 2.

Billboard: Is the band looking at this as a long-term project?

Satriani: I think so. From the creative side of it, we're feeling like we've got a few records in us. We have to figure out how we're going to work it out schedule-wise, since everybody has something else to do, and nobody's interested in disrupting anyone else's schedule. But we just figured it'll work itself out, so we're just doing it one record and tour at a time.

Billboard: What size venues will Chickenfoot play in August?

Satriani: If we have a choice of arenas or (multiple shows) in the theater, we'll take the theater. It seems like an important thing to do, otherwise we look like your typical supergroup, where famous people get together and play the biggest venues and then get out of town, and we don't like that approach. So since no one's really in it for the money, we don't have to sort of do that smash-and-grab mentality.

Billboard: To avoid scalping, tickets weren't made available to secondary ticketing agents. How has that worked out for fans?

Satriani: We tried to get the tickets that were available to the fans as quickly as possible. But the response was overwhelming; all these shows sold out within minutes. I think that the most motivated people bought the tickets, and I haven't heard of any negative stories about that.

Billboard: What is it like to write and record with a band after working as a solo artist for so long?

Satriani: It certainly is liberating to have so much talent to take advantage of. On a purely musical level, I can write a vague sketch and the bass player and the drummer will fill it up with amazing stuff. And I can count on Mike and Chad to just go way over the top or think really deep into a groove ... Knowing Sam and how deep his musicianship is, I would say, "Well, I'm just going to write it and see what happens, because I know he's going to react to this," and sure enough, he would respond immediately.

Billboard: Hagar has said that you're tired of being a solo artist. Is that true?

Satriani: We had to show up to something, and I said, "You know what? I just want everyone to know I'm really embracing the idea of being the sort of mystery guitar player, the guy who shows up late, doesn't do the interviews." Because I realized, "Wow, I don't carry all that responsibility anymore, and I'm going to take advantage of it." So I guess it's not that I'm tired of being a solo artist. I guess it's just that it's so much fun to have three other crazy individuals to pick up all the slack. And so like today, I can hang out in my hotel room or bum around the city because I'm not the primary focus of the band.

Labels: Chad Smith, Chickenfoot. Guitar News, Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony, Sammy Hagar

Rock Star Fight!!!!


WENN.COM
Gene Simmons has refueled his war of words with guitar great Carlos Santana, urging the Smooth hit maker to retire.

The Kiss rocker and Santana have been waging a public battle for the past five years, ever since the guitarist criticized Simmons in an interview, accusing the glam rocker of hiding his lack of talent behind costumes and theatrics.

He said, "He's not a musician, he's an entertainer... A musician doesn't need the mask and the mascara."

And now Simmons has stoked the flames of the rock stars' feud, taking aim at Santana's lack of theatrics onstage.

Commenting on Santana's new Las Vegas show on a local news show on Thursday, Simmons snarled, "I'm sick and tired of these bands like Carlos Santana looking at his shoes and thinking that's a rock concert... Get off the stage."

Labels: Carlos Santana, Gene Simmons, guitar news, Kiss

billboard.com
SPIN magazine is going crazy with its July issue, celebrating the 25th anniversary of Prince's "Purple Rain" with a comprehensive oral history of the film and album and a free downloadable tribute that features nine bands doing song-for-song covers of the record's classic tracks.

Dubbed "Purplish Rain," the nine song tribute album boasts a real coup: Apollonia, the one-time Prince protege who starred in the film, contributes a cover of "When Doves Cry" that she recorded with Greg Dulli and his band, the Twilight Singers. Other cover versions on the album include Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings doing "Take Me With U," Of Montreal's take on "Computer Blue," a punk-mariachi version of "I Would Die 4 U" and Lavender Diamond's rendition of the title track.

The Apollonia/Dulli duet is currently streaming at SPIN.com, and the full downloadable album will be available when the magazine hits the streets on June 23. The album download is free, but a clue from the magazine article will be required for access.

"We approached a bunch of bands, and we got nine who were really into it," Doug Brod, SPIN's Editor told Billboard.com. "All these bands did it for free - they paid for all of their recording time and they mastered all the tracks themselves." Unlike several other Prince cover records that have run afoul of The Artist's wishes, SPIN cleared all of the tracks and are covering the royalty expenses.

The 10-page oral history was compiled and written by Brian Raftery, who spoke to most of the key participants in the original project, including Wendy and Lisa, other members of the Revolution and the Time, Bob Cavallo (the film's producer and Prince's manager at the time), director Albert Magnoli, and the original screenplay writer William Blinn. Prince and the Time's main man Morris Day did not participate.

"We did a full court press to get Prince himself involved," said Brod. "He's a pretty tough guy to get a hold of, and he doesn't dwell much on nostalgia."

Labels: prince, purple rain, spin

billboard.com
Trent Reznor is taking a break from social networking. As one of the more prolific users of Twitter, blogs and other social networking constructs, Reznor, in his latest post laments the degradation of the experience by spammers and trollers. Social networking certainly allows artists to get closer to fans, but Reznor writes, that's not always a positive thing.

"I watched some of you get more engaged because you started to realize there's a person (flaws and all) back there, and I watched some of you recoil in horror because I'm not what you projected on me. All expected. I'm not as concerned about "breaking" your idea of NIN at this point. It is what it is and I am what I am. The relationship between artist and fan is changing if you haven't noticed, along with the way we consume and experience music and even communicate since the internet arrived.The problem with really getting engaged in a community is getting through the clutter and noise. In a closed environment like nin.com a lot of this can be moderated away, or code can be implemented to make it more difficult for troublemakers to persist. It's tedious and feels like wasted energy doing that shit, but some people exist to ruin it for others - and they are the ones who have nothing better to do with their time. Example: on nin.com, there's 3-4 different people that each send me between 50 - 100 message per day of delusional, often threatening nonsense. We can delete them, but they just sign back up and start again. Yes, we are implementing several changes to address this, but the point is it quickly gets very old weeding through that stuff."

His Twitter account will now be a one-way communication source of NIN only official news, not personal updates from the man himself.

Labels: Nine Inch Nails, Trent Reznor, Twitter

nme.com

Misfits have announced a run of US shows, set to kick off on August 7 in Milwaukee, WI.

After three shows in the summer, the band will head east for two gigs in Massachusetts.

The group's most recent album, 'Project 1950', was released in 2003.

Misfits will play:

Milwaukee, WI Modjeska Theatre (August 7)
Detroit, MI Harpo's (8)
Chicago, IL House of Blues (9)
Plymouth, MA Memorial Hall (October 16)
Worcester, MA Palladium (17)

Labels: Guitar News Daily, misfits

Labels: Bowling; Bad Religion, NOFX; punk news

Labels: Guitar news; Billy Talent

canoe.ca
TORONTO - It looks like another big break for Anvil.

The Toronto heavy-metal band has been selected to open two shows for Australian hard-rockers AC/DC.

Anvil will open for AC/DC at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., and Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., next month.

The band had languished in obscurity for decades until former roadie Sacha Gervasi released a documentary about the group earlier this year called "Anvil! The Story of Anvil."

The film is still screening across North America, with an expanded release expected.

Anvil is also scheduled to headline England's Download Festival on Saturday and will play in Winnipeg and Calgary later in June.

Labels: AC/DC, Anvil, Guitar News Daily

www.blackcrowes.com.

THE BLACK CROWES will release their new studio CD, Before the Frost... on September 1, 2009.

A second album, titled ...Until The Freeze, will be given away for free exclusively through a unique download code which is included in Before The Frost... as a "thank you" to their fans for two decades of continued support.

Before the Frost..., and its corresponding free album ...Until The Freeze, were recorded over a series of five nights at Levon Helm Studios in Woodstock, NY. Although both are studio albums, all the new material was performed and recorded in front of an intimate audience of the band's fans, making them a part of The Black Crowes musical history.

The innovative technique of inviting fans into the studio as part of the process during recording is a rare experience.

Before the Frost... features eleven new and previously unreleased Black Crowes songs including Good Morning Captain, I Ain't Hiding, Been a Long Time (Waiting on Love), and other original songs that will serve to spotlight the bands ability to make emotional connections through their music. The free album ...Until The Freeze is a nine-song collection featuring eight new original Black Crowes songs plus a cover version of the Stephen Stills classic So Many Times.

A limited edition vinyl release of Before The Frost...Until The Freeze, featuring all 20 tracks, will also be available on September 1, 2009.

Chris Robinson conceived the concept of Before the Frost...Until The Freeze. "I think we fulfilled a musical commitment to continue on the golden road of artistic independence. Approaching 20 years into our careers, we still are ambitious enough to push ourselves to create something unique that we have never done before."

As The Black Crowes approach the upcoming 20th anniversary of their release of one of rock's most influential records, Shake Your Money Maker, which produced such hits as Jealous Again, She Talks To Angels and Hard to Handle, they are time and again hailed as one of Rock and Roll's best live acts.

Before The Frost... (CD Track Listing)
Good Morning Captain
Been A Long Time (Waiting On Love)
Appaloosa
A Train Still Makes A Lonely Sound
I Ain't Hiding
Kept My Soul
What Is Home
Houston Don't Dream About Me
Make Glad
And The Band Played On
Last Place That Love Lives

...Until The Freeze (Free Download Album Track Listing)
Aimless Peacock
Shady Grove
Garden Gate
Greenhorn
Shine Along
Roll Old Jeremiah
Lady Of Avenue A
So Many Times
Fork In The River

Before the Frost...Until The Freeze was produced by Paul Stacey and will be released through The Black Crowes label, Silver Arrow Records and Megaforce Records.

Labels: Black Crows, Guitar News Daily

www.starpulse.com
The line-up for music video director Floria Sigismondi's biopic about teenage punk act The Runaways is complete - child star Alessandra Torresani has signed on to play hellraiser Lita Ford.

"Cherry Bomb" will also feature Twilight star Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett, Dakota Fanning as singer Cherie Currie and Stella Maeve as tragic drummer Sandy West, who died in 2006.

Thrilled Torresani fought for the Ford role and is thrilled to be playing the guitarist: "She's the most incredible woman. I'm getting to meet her very soon, so that'll be amazing. I'll get to hear all her old stories."


She tells MTV News, "I learn the guitar starting (Monday), so that'll be interesting. I'm very nervous about it."

Stewart is already mastering her guitar skills and bonding with Jett, who thinks she's the perfect choice to play her on the big screen.

The rocker says, "When her hair is cut and with the right make-up, Kristen should make a really good me... She has the passion for it (music), which you can't really be taught."

Labels: Cherie Currie, Jone Jett, Lita Ford, The Runawats

allaoutjazz.com
Gibson Guitar to Sponsor 26th Chicago Blues Festival at Grant Park June 12-14

Gibson Guitar, the world's premier musical instrument manufacturer and leader in music technology, announced its sponsorship of the 2009 Chicago Blues Festival. The Chicago Blues Festival is the largest free blues festival in the world and remains the largest of Chicago's music festivals. During three days on six stages, more than 640,000 blues fans prove that Chicago is the "Blues Capital of the World." Past performers include Bonnie Raitt, Ray Charles, B.B. King, the late Bo Diddley, Buddy Guy and the late Koko Taylor. Gibson Guitar will be the exclusive guitar sponsor for the festival and the title sponsor of the Crossroads Stage.

Gibson's longstanding history and tradition in crafting the worlds finest musical instruments has been integral in the success of many a blues legend of the past and present. Gibson guitars have helped to inspire the tone of blues greats such as B.B. King, T-Bone Walker, Albert King, Carl Weathersby, Johnny Winter and Joe Bonamassa. Gibson is honored to take part in events such as the Chicago Blues Festival, which will continue to shape and influence the blues greats of tomorrow.

The Chicago Blues Festival kicks off June 12 through June 14 in Grant Park. This free and critically acclaimed event showcases the talents of Blues musicians known throughout the world. Always rooted in the struggle, the music often is as uplifting as it is entertaining. Each day of the fest tells a different story about life, loss, independence and freedom and this year they will celebrate the life and work of Robert Nighthawk on the centennial of his birth. In tribute to Nighthawk, you can be a part of the "Art of Slide Guitar" session featuring Jeremy Spencer, Lil Ed, John Primer & Elmore James Jr. Daily Festival hours are from 11am to 9:30pm.

The Gibson Guitar Crossroads stage located on Jackson and Lake Shore Drive in Grant Park will provide music fans with the ultimate guitar experience. The "state-of-the-art" Gibson Custom Shop trailer will be on-site during the festival. The trailer is an interactive museum where fans of the brand and guitar enthusiasts alike will be able to admire guitars from Gibson's illustrious history. Individuals can test out all time favorites like the ES-335 as well as new models like the Gibson USA Raw Power Series. Gibson staff will be on-site to talk with the public about current models and, of course, reminisce about the classics.

Best Buy and Gibson Guitar will be hosting a special guitar promotion to showcase Best Buy's new Musical Instrument Division. Consumers will be able to register for a chance to win a customized Gibson SG at the Best Buy tent and the Gibson Custom Shop trailer. Drawings to win the guitars will take place at each of the Chicago area Best Buy Musical Instruments locations the following weekend.

For more information please visit www.gibson.com or www.chicagobluesfestival.us

About Gibson Guitar:
Gibson is known worldwide for producing classic models in every major style of fretted instrument, including acoustic and electric guitars, mandolins, and banjos. Gibson's HD.6X-PRO Digital Guitar, the Gibson Robot Guitar and Gibson's Dark Fire represent the biggest advances in electric guitar design in over 70 years. Founded in 1894 in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and headquartered in Nashville since 1984, Gibson Guitar Corporation's family of brands now includes Epiphone, Dobro, Kramer, Steinberger, Tobias, Echoplex, Electar, Flatiron, Slingerland, Valley Arts, Maestro, Oberheim, Baldwin, Sunshine Piano, Take Anywhere Technology, J&C Fischer, Chickering, Hamilton, and Wurlitzer. Visit Gibson's website at www.gibson.com.

Labels: Blues, Chicago, CMA Music Festival, Gibson, Guitar News Daily

nme.com
Singer David Lee Roth will be the only vocalist to appear in the game, an Activision spokesman told Rolling Stone. Also, current bassist Wolfgang Van Halen -- the son of guitarist Eddie Van Halen -- will take founding bassist Anthony's place in the game.

A trailer for the videogame premiered at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles last week, and according to E3 reports, only songs originally sung by Roth will appear in the game, including 'Jump', 'Hot For Teacher' and 'Panama'.

The band members will reportedly start out sporting early '80s fashions with big hair and spandex trousers, and will evolve to become the more modernised versions of themselves.

Labels: Guitar Hero, Guitar News Daily, VanHalen

nme.com
Ted Nugent originally gained fame in the 1960s as the frontman of Detroit garage band The Amboy Dukes. Now he has been honoured by the US National Rifle Association for his support of the right to bear arms.

The star was awarded with the 2009 'Defender of Freedom Award' by the NRA at the 138th Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Phoenix, AZ.

Nugent was presented with the gong last month in recognition of his support the of US Constitution and The Bill of Rights. He has served on the Board of Directors of the NRA since 1995. He is a keen huntsman and has written several books including 'God, Guns & Rock 'n' Roll' and 'Kill It and Grill It'.

Labels: Guitar News Daily, NRA, Ted Nugent

http://www.musicradar.com

Jack White really is the hardest working man in show business. Not content with busying himself with the imminent release of The Dead Weather's rather excellent debut LP Horehound and a host of production duties and guest appearances, White apparently plans to start work on a solo album this year.

Speaking to Music Connection, White also had plenty to say about the modern reliance on Pro Tools in the recording environment:

"I think Pro Tools is highly inappropriate to record music. I think it should be used in films or on documentaries. I think for recording music and wanting it to be soulful it's just the biggest mistake you can make.

"It's too easy to correct mistakes, it's too easy to fix things. We hear this sort of clean, plastic perfection that's been applied to all the tracks. That is not the kind of music we grew up loving and listening to and wanting to be a part of. It becomes regimented and exactly, perfectly in time and perfectly in tune, and that just doesn't exist in the real world."

"I think Pro Tools is highly inappropriate to record music."
Jack White

Asked if he had any advice for aspiring musicians, White remarked: "Get away from Pro Tools. Get away from sounding like everybody else. Get away from trying to find the right mathematical equation that will get your song on the radio.

"If the songs aren't pure to begin with and they can't make it by being recorded on a 4-track, then they shouldn't be there in the first place. And it's gonna end up being the same plastic, churned out, assembly line kind of music."

cmt.com

Before you leave wherever you are to come to Nashville for the CMA Music Festival, don't forget to pack all those instruments collecting dust in your basement. School kids will gladly take them off your hands and make some pretty nice music with them. So if you're driving to Music City, throw them in your trunk. If you're flying, there are some specific guidelines on how to bring them along. The Nashville Alliance for Public Education is making it all happen for you to make the donation. And all you need to do is drop the instruments off at the Hall of Fame Park during the festival anytime between Thursday and Sunday (June 11-14). If you go on Thursday, Jimmy Wayne will be there helping to collect the instruments. Which is just one more way the stars connect with fans throughout festival week.

Labels: CMA Music Festival, Jimmy Wayne, Nashville

examiner.com

Born Lester William Polfus in Waukesha, Wisconsin on June 9, 1915, Les Paul is known by many as simply the person a Gibson guitar is named after, but there's much more to the Wizard of Waukesha then that.
Although the belief that Paul invented the electric guitar is today regarded more myth then fact, it can't be disputed that he had a important role in its development. Rickenbacker marketed an electric guitar that looked like a frying pan, made of cast aluminum, in 1932. It was created by George Beauchamp in 1931, however he wasn't awarded a patent until 1937.
Paul was dissatisfied with the electrics at the time and in 1939 (although some sources put the year as 1941) he took telephone parts for the pickup and attached everything to a four-by-four wood board. When he appeared in public with it, the audience didn't know what to think. As Paul puts it, "You come in with a four-by-four, people look at you like you're freaked out." To make it visually more appealing, Paul cut apart a Spanish-style guitar and glued it to "The Log" (pictured).
The solid body guitar solved two issues Paul had with the electrics that were on the market at the time. It eliminated feedback, which is what happened when hollow-body electric guitars resonated with the amplified sound. It increased sustain (the length of time the string vibrates) because the strings' energy wasn't dissipated by having to generate sound throughout the body of the guitar.
Gibson Guitars however, turned him down, calling his invention "a broomstick with pickups." It wasn't until Leo Fender started to successfully market his version of the solid-body electric, the Broadcaster, in 1948 that Gibson realized their folly and finally marketed their own solid-body electric in 1952, the Les Paul, ironically with very little input from Paul himself.
Paul became interested in music at age 8 when he first picked up a harmonic. By the tender age of 13, Paul was playing semi-professionally as a country music guitarist. In the 1930s, he had moved to Chicago and was playing regularly on WLS radio. He soon formed a trio (which included Chet Atkins brother, Jimmy) and moved to New York where they became regulars on the Fred Waring Radio Show.
He's played along side many greats in the music field such as Bing Crosby, Louis Armstrong, the Andrew Sisters, Rudy Vallee, and Kate Smith. He's played every genre of music including country, jazz, hillbilly (where he performed under the names Hot Rod Red and Rhubarb Red), and rock.
His interest in electronics led him to building the first 8-track tape recorder. This allowed him to record a new part as he played a recorded part, pioneering multitrack recording and a process he called "sound on sound" recording, known today as overdubbing.
In 1988 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and in 2005 was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame. He and his wife, Mary Ford, were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1978.
Paul remains active in music and released an album in 2005 called Les Paul and Friends "America Made World Played" featuring Paul performing songs with Kenny Wayne Sheppard, Eric Clapton, Sam Cook, Edgar Winter, Peter Frampton, Billy Gibbons (of ZZ Top), Neal Schon, Jeff Beck, and Johnny Rzeznik (of the Goo Goo Dolls), to name just a few.
His innovative and inventive style on guitar has inspired generations of guitarists. As Jimmy Page said, "He's the man who started everything. He's just a genius."
Paul is the godfather of rock legend Steve Miller.

Labels: Les Paul

nme.com
Sonic Youth are set to perform a free show in New York City tomorrow (June 9) to celebrate the release of their new album 'The Eternal'.

The band will play at the Apple store in Soho on Prince Street at 9pm, with doors opening at 7.30pm.

Passes to the event can be obtained at the store today, and one non-transferable pass per person (with photo ID) will be granted on a first come, first served basis - ID is also required.

The band are scheduled to play the United Palace Theater in New York on July 3, as part of a North American tour which kicks off June 27 in Chicago.

The dates are:

Chicago, IL Vic Theater (June 27, 28)
Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre (29)
Toronto, ONT Massey Hall (30)
Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory (July 2)
New York, NY United Palace Theatre (3)
Washington, DC 9:30 Club (6, 7)
Richmond, VA The National (8)
Knoxville, TN Bijou Theater (10)
Nashville, TN War Memorial (11)
Birmingham, AL Sloss Furnaces (12)
Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse (13)
Dallas, TX House of Blues (15)
Tulsa, OK Cain's Ballroom (16)
St. Louis, MO Live on the Levee (FREE) (17)
Kansas City, MO Uptown Theater (18)
Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall (20)
Minneapolis, MN First Avenue (21)
Boise, ID Knitting Factory (23)
Seattle, WA Capitol Hill Block Party (25)
Portland, OR Roseland Ballroom (28)
Salt Lake City, UT Twilight Music Fest (30)
Denver, CO Ogden Theater (31)
Oakland, CA Fox Theater (August 2)

Labels: Sonic Youth

nme.com
Former Stone Roses bassist Mani has said the band will reform if they are offered enough money.

His comments come just three months after both Ian Brown and John Squire publically stated that the Manchester band will never play together again.

"Ian and John have to get it sorted out and take it from there," Mani told The Sun.

"For all the morals and principles that people have, you wave fucking £20m in front of somebody and they change their mind. You'll see how their philosophies soon change."

Despite still harbouring hopes that the band will play together again one day, Mani admitted he's "very nearly given up" on trying to orchestrate a reunion.

The bassist added that whatever the future holds for The Stone Roses, he's still happy playing in Primal Scream.

"If it doesn't happen, it's no skin off my nose as I'm in Primal Scream and having the time of my life."

Labels: Guitar News Daily, Stone Roses

billboard.com

It seems surprising to some fans, but Little Steven Van Zandt says Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are as well-suited to play massive festival dates as anyone else.

"I love that fact that we're playing to, I don't know, probably half of the audience who maybe never even heard of us -- certainly never heard us. That's nothing but fun and nothing but exciting," Van Zandt said during conference call with reporters regarding the group's June 13 stop at the Bonnaroo Music and Art Festival. Springsteen and company will also play the Glastonbury Festival in England on June 27.

"I'm hoping we do a whole lot more of these, and I think what I'm expecting...is just, I hope, a lot of young people that have never seen us before, and it's going to be fun."

Van Zandt said he's happy to see summer festival culture growing in North America -- "In Europe it's a festival almost every week in almost every country," he noted -- and dubbed it "a way of balancing out what has been a kind of isolated generation or two between computers and video games and that sort of thing."

As for Bonnaroo itself, Van Zandt said the E Street Band, with its lengthy and heavily improvised shows -- and some songs chosen off the cuff from fan requests -- fits in well with the "jam band" vibe that's still associated wtih the festival.

"We change things a lot normally," he noted. "Every night is different...There is a very wide variety of songs that we've done over the years that Bruce has written over the course of...30, 35 years. There's a lot of stuff to pick from. And then on top of that we build in a certain amount of spontaneity right into the show...The last two weeks we played Ramones, Clash and Tommy James...and all kinds of fun sort of bar band type songs.

"It just loosens everybody up and keeps the thing fresh. There's nothing like playing a song you've never played before and never rehearsed before 20,000 people. It's just kind of an immediate sort of electric sort of joke that kind of keeps everybody very awake."

Van Zandt does see something missing from Bonnaroo, however -- the garage rock that he champions on his syndicated radio show "The Underground Garage," with his Wicked Cool Records label and, he hopes, on a TV show in the near future.

"I took a quick look at the (Bonnaroo) list. I didn't see anybody that we play regularly in our format," he said. "I think as the genre starts to expand here...more young people will be starting to get to know this garage rock world. I think it's probably going to be the next generation that really embraces it. It's a little bit underground right now, still.

"So maybe in the next couple of years, Bonnaroo will start to have a underground garage stage or tent or some kind of garage rock day or some part of the festival. Maybe we can work something out in the future."

Labels: Bonnaroo, Bruce Springsteen, E Street Band, Guitar News Daily

nme.com


He'll be replaced by Green Day, Weezer collaborator

Aerosmith guitarist Brad Whitford has announced that he will be sitting out part of the band's 'Guitar Hero' tour while he recovers from recent surgery.

Filling in for Whitford will be Bobby Schneck, who has performed with Green Day, Weezer and Slash.

"Aerosmith -- Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Tom Hamilton and Joey Kramer -- regret any inconvenience to their fans and thank everyone for their support," the band said in a statement released today (June 8).

The extensive North American tour, which features special guests ZZ Top, will hit St Louis' Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre on Wednesday (June 10).

Labels: Aerosmith, Bobby Schneck, Brad Whitford, Guitar News Daily, Guitariest, y

Labels: Nirvana; guitar news

Labels: iPhone; guitar apps; guitar news

ap.org
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kyle Busch has always bucked the system, embracing the notoriety that comes with being NASCAR's newest bad boy.He doesn't care if race fans dislike him -- and boy, do they ever -- and he makes no apologies for knocking people out of his way en route to Victory Lane. His rejection of conformity is genuine, and Busch does everything he can to avoid being grouped as just another politically correct NASCAR driver shilling for a sponsor.
So if he's aware of the growing backlash surrounding his guitar-smashing celebration after a Nationwide Series win at Nashville, it's doubtful Busch even cares.
But this time, even his most ardent supporters wonder if Busch went too far.
See, it wasn't just any guitar that Busch whacked three times against the ground before tossing the chipped steel instrument aside. No, it was a revered Gibson Les Paul guitar that had been hand painted by longtime NASCAR artist Sam Bass and has become the symbol of Nashville Speedway.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Kyle Busch Carl Edwards Hendrick Motorsports Joe Gibbs Racing Nascar Brad Keselowski Bass initially said he was stunned Saturday night to see Busch climb from his car, accept the trophy, then attempt to destroy it. But he had softened after speaking to Busch in Victory Lane, where the driver explained that Nashville had frustrated him for so long, he had promised his crew that if he ever claimed one of the coveted guitars, he'd smash it and share the pieces with the entire team.
On Monday, however, Bass told NASCAR Scene he was heartbroken to see Busch destroy the trophy.
"It was stunning, absolutely stunning to see that thing destroyed within seconds of him getting it," Bass told Scene. "It's his trophy, he can choose to do with it what he wants. But I'm not going to lie about it. If he had asked me, 'Hey, I'm thinking about destroying that trophy guitar whenever I win it, what do you think?' Of course I would have told him, 'No! Please don't. Let us give you a prop guitar."'
Busch's celebration was not meant to be disrespectful toward Bass, the speedway, sponsors or fans. Instead, it was sincere emotion from a driver who had flirted several times with victory at Nashville, only to come up empty in seven previous tries.
After finally breaking through for a dominating win, the smashing of the guitar was, in Busch's mind, nothing more than an exorcising of demons.
Only nobody else sees it that way.
"I've got a lot of respect for Sam Bass and those people at Gibson that make those beautiful trophies," said three-time Nashville winner Carl Edwards. "You definitely will not see me smashing one of them."
Brad Keselowski, either. So thrilled to earn one of the guitars last June, he carried it all over the garage during post-race inspection and then fell asleep cradling it during the plane ride home. His JR Motorsports team has the photos to prove it.
But the 24-year-old Busch doesn't think like that, and the big picture often escapes him. His antics used to be attributed to a lack of maturity, which ultimately cost him his job at Hendrick Motorsports two years ago this week.
After landing on his feet at Joe Gibbs Racing, he seemed to smooth his rough edges and settle into his own skin while rolling to 21 victories and leading the Sprint Cup Series standings for most of the regular season. But when his championship hopes crumbled in the opening Chase to the championship race, it became clear Busch is still a work in progress.
And there have been some rough patches this season, too. He embarrassed his crew by abandoning his car on the race track after they cost him a Nationwide win at Bristol, and after any sort of setback he's stormed out of tracks without commenting several times.
That edge is the essence of the Busch, and it's what makes him one of NASCAR's best drivers.
Without it, he maybe doesn't win as often or perhaps loses the hunger to race in every event he can find. With it, he offends people at every turn.

Labels: Gibson, Guitar News Daily, Guitar-smashing, Kyle Busch

billboard.com

Rock singer Bret Michaels had a run-in with some stage scenery at the Tony Awards.

Michaels, star of the reality show "Rock of Love," took to the stage with his hair-metal band Poison during the telecast's opening production number, featuring performances from the season's Broadway musicals.

They performed "Nothin' But a Good Time" with the cast of "Rock of Ages," and as Michaels exited the stage, a descending set piece smacked him on the head and knocked him to the ground.



Tonys spokeswoman Christina Stejskal says the rocker "missed his mark."
Click Here!

Though it looked it, he did not break his nose. Stejskal did not immediately know the extent of his injury.

"Rock of Ages" celebrates 1980s hair music and features songs by Journey and other bands. It stars Constantine Maroulis as an aspiring rock star.

Labels: Bret Michaels, Guitar News Daily, Poison, Rock Of Ages, Tony Awards

cnn.com

She was a call girl working the streets of Sin City. He's a guitarist in a heavy metal band. They found commonality in their Christian faith and Friday evening, the two were married in a Las Vegas, Nevada, ceremony broadcast live via the Web.

Annie Lobert, who founded Hookers for Jesus, and musician Oz Fox of the Christian band Stryper said their "I do's" at the Church of South Las Vegas in front of an applauding crowd and an audience on the Internet. The wedding had been widely touted on several Christian Web sites.

Lobert, 41, walked up to the stage in a white strapless gown, gloves and veil. Earlier this week, she wrote on her MySpace blog: "I am getting married. It's about time."

Stryper Guitarist Weds Hookers For Jesus Founder


She had worked as a prostitute for 11 years, making as much as $500 an hour. She said she hit rock bottom when she overdosed on cocaine and everything went black, according to an ABC interview posted on her Web site. She asked Jesus to help her and became what many jokingly call a "porn-again Christian."

Lobert says her mission now is to save the souls of women who sell their bodies. She often spends time at night on Las Vegas streets handing out Bibles to prostitutes and seeking to convince them there is a better way to make a living.

The Hookers for Jesus Web site describes the organization as "an international, faith-based organization that addresses the realities of human sex trafficking, sexual violence and exploitation linked to pornography and the sex industry."

Before he administered the vows, Pastor Benny Perez said Lobert was a shining example of Christ's love for everyone.

Fox, 47, is a longtime member of Stryper, which stands for Salvation Through Redemption, Yielding Peace, Encouragement and Righteousness. The band's albums include "Reborn: and "In God We Trust."

Labels: Guitar News Daily, Ox Fox, Stryper

sundaymercury.net

Lorne Jackson of SundayMercury.net reports that perhaps the name of the band is at fault, with its hellish hints of demonic rituals.

Whatever the reason, Black Sabbath have always been viewed as a group capable of sneaking up on the supernatural.

Now Tony Iommi, the lead guitarist with the Brummie rockers, has admitted that it's all true - he has seen a ghost. And he wasn't alone when it happened.

However, being a rock god ravaged by time and the trauma of hard-living, it's not surprising that he remembers the ghost, but not who he was with at the time.

Though the 61-year-old does recall it being a fellow band member - either lead singer and future reality TV star Ozzy Osbourne or bass guitarist Terry "Geezer" Butler.

Back in the early 70s, the group were holed-up in Clearwell Castle, in the Forest Of Dean, to take part in a writing session for a new album, which would eventually be released as Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, in 1973.

Which is when the ghost made its entrance. "We definitely saw one," says Tony in an interview with Guitarist magazine. "We were setting up the gear in the dungeons and were the only people there.

"It was myself and Geezer, or myself and Ozzy, and we were walking down the hallway and we saw a cloaked figure coming towards us.

"We thought, who is that? It walked into a room, and we followed it to see who it was and there was nobody there.

"The room was an armoury with all the weapons on the wall, and there was nothing else in there.

"We told the people about it who owned the castle; we thought they'd think we were mad, but they just said, 'Oh yes, that's the castle ghost'."

Tony has certainly lived a remarkable life, and not just because he spotted a spirit.

From the early days of his career in music, he has always been a bloke who could beat the odds.

In 1965 he was working in a factory when he lost the tips of his two middle fingers in a machine press accident. Digits that were essential for a budding guitarist.

The 18-year-old didn't give up. Eventually he made his own artificial fingertips, and re-invented his guitar style to accommodate his infirmity.

The new style he created came to be known, the world-over, as Heavy Metal.

Tony was also instrumental in creating Black Sabbath's most famous song, Paranoid, the idea of which he came up with while the rest of the band had gone for lunch.

It was recorded in no more than half an hour, yet it went on to become a song that epitomised the hulking hammer sound of Heavy Metal.

The Aston-born strummer also reveals that he is working on his autobiography.

"I've been working on it for ages," he says. "It seems to be taking forever because of everything else going on."

However, he says it's important that he finishes the book eventually, as he believes no other biography has captured the spirit of the band.

"I don't think one book on Sabbath has got it right, yet," he explains. "They come up with all this bull****, but you can only get the right story from the people who were there."

Labels: Black Sabath, Ghost, Guitar News Daily, Tony Iommi

wenn.com
Woodstock was billed as '3 Days of Peace & Music'

The remains of a guitar Pete Townshend famously smashed to pieces at Woodstock is to go on show in London.

The splintered Gibson SG Special was wrecked onstage by the rocker during The Who's set at the notorious 1969 festival in New York.

It will be shown at a Hard Rock Cafe in London next month (along with other artifacts from Woodstock, including Jimi Hendrix's vest, a jacket worn by Joe Cocker, a festival poster, and souvenir T-shirt).

Labels: Gibson SG, Guitar News Daily, Hard Rock, Pete Townsend, Woodstock; social networking

The most famous Steinberger design is the L-series instrument, sometimes described as shaped like a broom, boat oar, or cricket bat. Initially produced as an electric bass and later as a guitar, the instrument was made entirely of the Steinberger Blend, a proprietary graphite and carbon fiber mix in two pieces: the main body and a faceplate. It had no headstock for tuning, tuning instead at a redesigned tailpiece using micrometer-style tuners and special strings with a ball at both ends. This design quickly became known as headless. The rationale for the overall design was the elimination of unnecessary weight, especially the unbalanced headstock, and the use of modern materials, such as graphite, for their advantages over older materials.

The all-synthetic construction gave a very smooth sound and feel, immediate note attack, and very even tonal response. Depending upon the preferences of the listener, this was either a good thing, as it made the instrument sonically clean, or a bad thing, as it made the instrument sound synthetic and unnatural. Steinberger was and still is proud of this dichotomy and one of their slogans was "We don't make 'em like they used to."

Another innovation created by Ned Steinberger for some of these instruments was the Trans-Trem, a patented transposing tremelo assembly that detuned the strings in tensional parallel, so that the entire tuning of the instrument could be changed immediately with one knob, and chords played during tremelo use (up or down) stayed in perfect tune. Additionally, the Trans-Trem had a small stepped stop, which allowed the Trans-Trem to essentially act as a capo. Bass and guitar versions were available.

Labels: Guitar News Daily, Steinberger

canoe.ca

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Officials in Gainesville have renamed the city's downtown plaza after rock 'n' roll legend and former Florida resident Bo Diddley.

Diddley died in June 2008.

Officials honored him Friday by unveiling a mural and renaming the downtown space the Bo Diddley Community Plaza.

Diddley lived in Archer, a few kilometres southwest of Gainesville, and played at the plaza in 2006.

Diddley's family plans to unveil his tombstone in Bronson, also southwest of Gainesville, at 10 a.m. Sunday.

Diddley's grandson Garry Mitchell thanked the city at Saturday's ceremony, and he and other family members gave city officials one of Diddley's guitars.

"Gainesville's been really good to my granddad," Mitchell said.

"Thank you for your encouragement and your prayers. Long live Rock and Roll!"

Labels: Bo Diddley

nme.com
Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger in bid to save cinema


The Rolling Stones' Mick Jagger has backed a campaign to re-open the Walthamstow EMD cinema in London, where his band played in the 1960s.

The derelict venue was bought in 2003 by the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, although planning permission to develop it has been refused, reports BBC News.

Now Jagger, who played at the venue in 1964 when it was known as the Granada, has voiced his support for a campaign to allow it to be opened again.

"Cinemas and live venues like the Granada where the Stones played in the early days, learning our craft on the way, are the lifeblood of our cultural history," he said.

He added: "They helped launched British popular music on to a world stage and should continue to function as places of entertainment and enjoyment.

"It's heartbreaking to hear about such a beautiful, important historical building and centre of entertainment being lost to the local community. I fully support the campaign to keep it open and provide film, music and the arts for generations to come."

A Facebook group where supporters of the campaign can sign up to has been set up on the social networking site.

Labels: Mick Jagger, The Rolling Stones, Walthamstow

nme.com

Juliette Lewis will join on outing which kicks off in August

The Pretenders have announced details of their North American tour, which kicks off August 4 in Rama, Ontario.

The tour, which features Cat Power and Juliette Lewis on select dates, will continue to support the release of the band's album 'Break Up The Concrete'.

Following the tour, Cat Power will head to the studio to record her new album, due to be released next year, while Juliette Lewis is hitting the road in advance of the release of her upcoming record 'Terra Incognita', which comes out September 1.

The dates so far are:

Rama, ON Casino Rama (August 4, 5)*
Wallingford, CT Chevrolet Theatre (7)+
Hampton Beach, NH Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (8)
Asbury Park, NJ Stone Pony Summerstage (9)
New York, NY Central Park Summerstage (10)
Boston, MA Bank of America Pavillion (12)
Upper Darby, PA Tower Theatre (13)
Washington, DC Warner Theatre (14)
Harrisburg, PA The Forum (15) +
Columbus, OH LC Pavillion Outdoor (16)
Chicago, IL Aragon Ballroom (18)
Council Bluffs, IA Harrah's Council Bluffs- Stir Cove (20)
Littleton, CO Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield (22)
Salt Lake City, UT Red Butte Garden Ampitheatre (23)
Troutdale, OR Edgefield Ampitheatre (25)
Vancouver, BC Malkin Bowl (26)
Redmond, WA Marymoor Ampitheatre (27)
Saratoga, CA The Mountain Winery (29) x
Pala, CA Pala Casino- Starlight Theater (September 1)
Los Angeles, CA The Greek Theatre (3)
Rancho Mirage, CA Agua Caliente Casino (4)

* Pretenders only
+ Pretenders with Juliette Lewis
x Pretenders with Cat Power

Labels: Guitar News Daily, The Pretenders

Labels: guitar news; nascar

Labels: Guitar record; guitar news

So how does the opening track go?
I brush my teeth in the morning
I brush my teeth at night,
I brush my teeth in the afternoon
and it makes me teeth feel alright

nme.com
Ziggy Marley announces series of kids' shows

Ziggy Marley has announced a series of shows in support of his new kids album 'Family Time'.

The former Melody Makers member will perform several kid-friendly shows throughout the US, kicking off tomorrow morning (June 6) in Los Angeles at Club Nokia. He'll then play cities including Boulder, Chicago and New York, concluding in Saratoga, California on August 6.

Marley's family-themed album features several notable collaborators including his mother Rita Marley, sister Cedella Marley, and his three-year-old daughter Judah Marley.

Paul Simon, Willie Nelson and Jack Johnson also contributed to the album, as well as actress Jamie Lee Curtis, who narrates two stories.

The dates of the kids' shows are:

Los Angeles, CA Club Nokia (June 6)
Boulder, CO Boulder Theatre (12)
Chicago, IL House of Blues (14)
New York, NY Blender Theatre at Gramercy (27)
Saratoga, CA Mountain Winery (August 8)


One of the most popular rock acts of the past 20 years, RATT's brand of guitar-driven melodic rock helped shape the LA metal scene. The band boasts a deep catalog of hits including smashes like "Round and Round," "Lay It Down," "You're In Love," "Lack of Communication" and "Wanted Man" which are beloved by fans the world over. The band has gone on to sell millions of albums worldwide. With 1984's mega-platinum debut Out of the Cellar celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the band is looking forward to starting a new chapter with new music to complement the impressive legacy they have established over two-plus decades.

To date, the Grammy-nominated EXTREME have released five albums, plus a greatest hits set--selling over 10 million records worldwide. They also achieved a #1 hit single, "More Than Words"--from their 1990 multi-platinum album Extreme II: Pornograffitti--on the Billboard Hot 100, which they followed with the Top Five "Hole Hearted." Although these two acoustic hits brought the band great mainstream success, the band's trademark sound has always been more a mix of hard rock funk--fueled by guitar virtuoso Nuno Bettencourt's signature style, Gary Cherone's resonant vocals and socially conscious lyrics, Pat Badger's rock solid bass, and the hard hitting Kevin Figueiredo on drums. Extreme has recently been introduced to an entire new generation of fans with the inclusion of their song "Play With Me" in the popular video game Guitar Hero as well as "More Than Words" featured in hit movies Forgetting Sarah Marshall and The Love Guru.

Labels: Jack Johnson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Paul Simon, Willie Nelson, Ziggy Marley

Labels: guitar edge; premier guitar; guitar news

sleazeroxx.com
Celebrated rock pioneers RATT and EXTREME have teamed up to bring you this summer's most rockin' tour lineup. The tour, which will feature sets from both bands with Ratt closing kicks off on July 12 in Amarillo, TX and runs through August 7th in Hampton Beach, NH. It will cross the U.S. and cover 16 markets, with more to be announced soon. In celebration of the 25th anniversary of their landmark debut Out Of The Cellar, RATT will be playing the album in its entirety.

Both bands are excited about the double bill. "Warren DeMartini and Nuno Bettencourt on same stage, same night?? 'Nuff said, we'll see you there!" says RATT's Bobby Blotzer. EXTREME's Nuno Bettencourt concurs, "One hot summer night. Two bands fully loaded with musicianship. Mix in one part memorable songwriting. Add nine ounces of passionate performers. Throw in three well respected guitarists. Add a touch of West Coast raunch and a hint of East Coast funk. And you get yourself a recipe for one night of unforgettable rock and roll."

Ratt is currently in the studio recording its first new record in over 10 years with famed producer Elvis Baskette. The band announced its new partnership with Loud & Proud/Roadrunner Records earlier this year. The album is planned for release this fall.

EXTREME recently released their first new album in thirteen years Saudades de Rock (pronounced "sow-dodge") which is a groundbreaking record that reaffirms the beloved, Boston-bred foursome's stature as innovators in the world of rock & roll.

Over the past two years, RATT has toured the world in support of their releases Tell The World - The Very Best Of Ratt and their first ever DVD, Videos from the Cellar- The Atlantic Years. During this time, the current lineup of Stephen Pearcy, Warren DeMartini, Bobby Blotzer, Robbie Crane and Carlos Cavazo played shows in Australia, Colombia and Peru for the first time in their careers. Their mega-hit "Round and Round" was prominently featured in the Oscar nominated 2008 film The Wrestler, and the band will be headlining ROCKLAHOMA this July.

Labels: Extreme, Guitar Net Daily, Ratt

nme.com
Iggy Pop has expanded on comments he made about the current state of rock music, singling out and Limp Bizkit for criticism.

On a recent YouTube video to promote his new jazz-influenced album, 'Preliminaires' (watch it by clicking below), he railed against "crappy music" by "idiot thugs with guitars".

Now the singer has revealed some of the acts he was referring to.

"Anyone from Smashing Pumpkins to " what's the one with Fred Durst?" he said in an interview with The Sun's Something For The Weekend section, referring to Limp Bizkit.

"There are a million billion of them," he added, "and people think they're gods, man."

He added that the video message he released was unscripted.

"I took great pains not to think first," he said, "because the thing I can't stand is a rock star who thinks he's got brains. They're always so damned dull!"

Labels: Iggy Pop. Limp Bizkit, Smashing Pumpkins

sleazeroxx.com

'Stuck Inside Utopia' begins August 25, 2009 and continues its run through the end of the year.

The shows will feature over two hours of music culled from the forthcoming new release and the band's deep catalogue. Widely known for varying their nightly set lists performing new material, deep album cuts, rarities and covers in addition to their hits, THE BLACK CROWES, consistently deliver a fresh and unpredictable live show.

Chris Robinson, lead singer for the Black Crowes: "The Black Crowes fearlessly continue to search for the self made utopian ideals that makes rock and roll music the last true real American adventure."

Critical acclaim and popular success has seen THE BLACK CROWES sell over 20 million albums worldwide. They are time and again hailed as one of Rock and Roll's best live acts.

THE BLACK CROWES are: Chris Robinson (vocals), Rich Robinson (guitar, vocals), Steve Gorman (drums), Sven Pipien (bass), Adam MacDougall (keyboards) and Luther Dickinson (guitar).

Tickets go on sale for most dates on June 12, 2009 and are available at the box office and through www.ticketmaster.com. Tickets on sale now for Wolftrap in Vienna, VA and The Melody Tent in Hyannis, MA.

Labels: Black Crows, Guitar News Daily

nme.com
Poison, Dolly Parton for 2009 Tony Awards

Poison are set to perform at the 2009 Tony Awards, which are set to take place in New York City this Sunday (June 7).

The band will be joined by the cast of 1980s musical 'Rock Of Ages', which features their hits 'Nothing but a Good Time' and 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn'.

Dolly Parton will also appear at the ceremony alongside the cast of '9 to 5', which recently opened on Broadway. Parton wrote the music for the musical, and appeared in the movie version in 1980.

Liza Minnelli is nominated for a Tony for 'Liza's at the Palace' while Elton John got a nod for composing 'Billy Elliot', according to Variety.

Labels: Guitar News Daily, Poison, Tony Awards

tennessean.com

Nashville melodic-rock crew AutoVaughn came out on top in Fender guitars' recent "Fender Road Worn Competition," which pitted 5,000-plus bands against each other for the chance to win a prize package that included a "fully customized" 2008 Toyota Tundra and matching trailer stocked with Fender gear and Gretsch drums, a $1,500 fuel allowance and another $15,000 in straight loot.

The contest stretched over four months of online voting at www.getroadworn.com, starting on Jan. 15 and culminating with AutoVaughn's win on May 30.
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More on AutoVaughn here.

Labels: AutoVaughn, Fender

modbee.com

Stolen guitar recovered through internet search


A stolen $2,500 bass guitar that turned up for sale on the Internet was returned to its owner after Modesto police posed as potential buyers, police said.

The instrument, a Stambaugh bass, was stolen from a Jeep Cherokee on May 24 in the 500 block of Capistrano Drive, said police spokesman Sgt. Brian Findlen. The bass guitar's owner went online and found the instrument listed for sale on Craigslist for $1,000, with pictures of the guitar posted on MySpace. The owner alerted police. The owner confirmed that the custom-made guitar was his by looking at the photos on MySpace.

Officers contacted the person who posted the Craigslist ad and posed as potential buyers. Officers set up a meeting at the Jack in the Box on Yosemite Boulevard and Santa Cruz Avenue.

Police arrested Andrew Arnold, 20, on suspicion of burglary, possession of stolen property, conspiracy to commit a crime and probation violation.

Two 15-year-old boys, who police said were suspected co-conspirators of Arnold's, were arrested on suspicion of burglary, possession of stolen property and conspiracy to commit a crime.

Labels: guitar crime, Guitar News Daily

southernillinoisan.com

Southern Illinois Guitar Seminar June 8-12

SIUC hosts 28th annual Summer Guitar Seminar next week

CARBONDALE -- Southern Illinois University Carbondale"s School of Music goes unplugged this summer with the 28th annual Summer Guitar Seminar.

The seminar is June 8-12, with sessions running from 9 to 11 a.m. and again from 2 to 4 p.m. daily. A performance, free and open to the public, featuring advanced students in the class, is set for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 11, at the Old Baptist Foundation Recital Hall. That is also the site for the guitar seminar.

The acoustic, classical guitar seminar is open to all ages, with two levels of instruction. Performer I is for advanced guitarists who already have a substantial performance repertoire. Registration is $200.

Performer II is appropriate for beginning guitar players who want to build a strong technique and improve their musicianship. Performer II participants also receive an extra session, from 11 to 11:30 a.m. Registration is $150.

Joseph Breznikar, professor of guitar at SIUC, established the camp to promote classical guitar playing and to provide a support structure as well as in-depth, professional instruction for classical guitar enthusiasts. A tireless proponent of his students' hard work, Breznikar is a distinguished recording artist and composer. His performance venue credits include the John F. Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, the White House, Yale University, and other locations in New York City and in Europe.

Breznikar advances new compositions for classical guitar as well as teaching a deep repertoire of works from the golden age of classical guitar. His recordings include "Twelve American Etudes for Guitar," "Cascade: A Rhapsody for Guitar and Chamber Orchestra," and "George Harrison Remembered: A Touch of Class." For more information, visit www.breznikar.com.

To register for the camp, contact Kaylyn Gimber at klyn44@siu.edu.

Labels: Guitar News Daily, Guitar Show, Seminar, Southern Illinois

tennessean.com
Country music pioneer Chet Atkins leads this year's pack of inductees to the Musicians Hall of Fame, heading up a list that contains numerous Nashville-connected musical figures, including country star Charlie Daniels, bassist Billy Cox, Monument Records founder Fred Foster and progressive rock group Toto.

This year's inductees were announced Tuesday afternoon at the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in downtown Nashville. Also to be inducted is surf guitar innovator Dick Dale, multi-instrumentalist Victor Feldman and Motown musical arranger Paul Riser.
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As a guitarist, producer and label executive, Atkins is cited as one of the most influential figures in modern music, cultivating a signature finger-picking guitar technique as well as a production style that soon became known as the "Nashville Sound."

Daniels is a Grammy-award winning performer and songwriter best known for his hit "Devil Went Down to Georgia."

Producer and songwriter Foster is the founder of the Nashville-based label Monument label, and helped guide the careers of Roy Orbison, Dolly Parton and Kris Kristofferson.

Cox is a Nashville bassist best known for his work with Jimi Hendrix. The pair formed a band called the King Kasuals in the early 1960s and Cox later joined Hendrix on stage at the Woodstock festival.

Formed in Los Angeles in 1977, Toto is best remembered for hits like "Hold the Line" and "Africa." Original bassist David Hungate has lived in Nashville and worked as a session musician since leaving the band in the early '80s.

The musicians will be officially inducted at the 2009 Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum Awards Show, to be held at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center on October 12. Inductees are nominated nationally by the Musicians Union (which has a membership of over 90,000) and a select list of music industry professionals.

Labels: Billy Cox, Charlie Daniels, Chet Atkins, Dick Dale, Musicians Hall of Fame Guitar News Daily

nme.com
Sex Pistols, Def Leppard men to re-release album

Deluxe edition of Man Raze 'Surreal' is out next week


Def Leppard guitarist Phil Collen and Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook's group Man Raze are set to re-release their debut album, 'Surreal', as a deluxe edition on June 9.

The album will contain five previously unreleased tracks, 'You're So Wrong', 'Low’ (Live in Burbank 08) , 'Turn It Up' (Deep Dub) , 'Runnin’ Me Up' (Instrumental Dub) and 'Can't Find My Own Way'- Live Acoustic (Gary Crowley show - UK) .

The deluxe album precedes the announcement of the band's North American tour, details of which will be unveiled shortly.

Collen and Cook's longtime friend Simon Laffy rounds out the trio on bass, as well as handling much of Man Raze' production duties.

Labels: Man Raze, Paul Cook, Phil Collen

Michael Anthony Disputes Eddies' Claim That He Quit VanHalen

MusicRadar.com

Joe Bosso of MusicRadar.com reports: "I never quit Van Halen," says bassist Michael Anthony, who is now part of the red-hot supergroup Chickenfoot. "No way. And the funny thing is, I don't even know why the subject is coming up anymore."

The reason stems from a recent interview guitarist Eddie Van Halen gave to Rolling Stone - the guitarist was asked if he had heard Chickenfoot, which in addition to Anthony, includes former Van Halen singer Sammy Hagar.

"I'm too busy doing my own thing," Van Halen said, who then, completely unprovoked, went into this tirade: "The funny thing is that everyone who quits the band always claims they got fired by me. Hey, I'm not the bad guy here.

"When Hagar left the band, Mike went with him," Van Halen continued. "Then when we get back together with Dave, and all of a sudden, he wants back in. It's like, 'No, dude, you quit the band.' So my son became the bass player. But we didn't give Mike the boot to have my son play."

Anthony disputes Van Halen's claims

Michael Anthony, speaking exclusively to MusicRadar, disputes Van Halen's assertions. "Why would I have quit Van Halen? It never happened. And what's weird is, he was being asked about Chickenfoot, whether he had heard us or not, and suddenly he launches into this thing about me quitting the group. What does one thing even have to do with the other?"

Anthony, who says he had to take a pay cut and sign away his rights to the Van Halen name and logo to take part in the 2004 tour the group did with Sammy Hagar, admits that he was stunned to find himself out of the band when they announced their 2007 reunion tour with singer David Lee Roth - an arena run that saw Eddie's son, Wolfgang, on bass.

"I found out about that tour like everybody else did - in the press," says Anthony. "I had no idea. At that point, I kind of sighed and went, 'Whatever. If this is what Eddie wants to do, he's going to do what he wants to do.' If he wants me out of the band and for Wolfgang to play bass, what was I going to do about it?

Even so, the bassist wants to make one thing clear: "I never 'quit.' I never once said, 'I'm out of here.' It never happened. That's the weird thing right now, for Eddie to be trying to paint himself as 'not the bad guy.'

"You know, it's weird to be talking about all of this right now," he continues, "because I'm in such a good place with Chickenfoot. The album we made, the shows we're doing, everything we're all about - we're having a blast. And the fans are digging it and they're responding."

Anthony offers Van Halen some advice

"Eddie says he hasn't heard Chickenfoot, and I believe him, because it's true, he doesn't really listen to anything," says Anthony. "But instead of trying to rewrite the past and talk shit or whatever, he should see what we're doing and go into his studio and make some music. Make music, have some fun. Don't just talk - do!

"Ultimately, all's well that ends well," he says. "I just find it odd that I'm put into a situation where I'm forced to defend myself. Everything is great in my world and I couldn't be happier with the group I'm in. But I don't want people to think I quit Van Halen, because I didn't. It never happened."

MusicRadar has contacted Eddie Van Halen's management for a response. We are currently awaiting a reply.

Labels: Eddie, Michael Anthony, Van Halen

myspace.com/litaford

Can a beautiful woman whose family comes first be a hard rock icon and guitar star as well as a wife and mother of two boys? Sure, if she's Lita Ford. After a 15-year hiatus from the rock'n'roll scene during which she married, moved to a remote Caribbean island, and started a family, the guitarist, singer and songwriter returns to the stage this summer to give her many fans a taste of her new album to be released this fall, Wicked Wonderland, and bring back to them the music that made her the Queen of Heavy Metal.

The album sizzles with the adult libidinal passion that Lita has found in her marriage to Jim Gillette, former lead singer of the band Nitro. Lita's maturity and family life has anything but dampened her rock'n'roll fire, and in fact ignited her most fiery set of songs and brought even further force and finesse to her guitar playing.

As she has from the start of her career with The Runaways through her many accomplishments as a solo artist, Lita continues to blaze trails for women in rock'n'roll. Now it's as "a great wife and a pretty cool mom that just happens to be a rock star," as she describes herself today.

Over some three decades of rocking as hard as any man, Lita forged a legacy of hit songs, best-selling albums and sizzling live performances. But after marrying fellow rocker Gillette, she set stardom aside to excel in another endeavor. "I needed to raise my sons and I needed to get them to the point where it was okay for me to travel," she explains as she now hits the road again. "I didn't want to travel with two little infants."

Instead, Lita and Gillette made their home on a small tropical island where she focused on rearing and home schooling the couple's sons, James (now 12 years old) and Rocco (age seven). She devoted herself to family with the same focus and drive that made her a musical legend. "When you have a husband and two boys to take care of, you never have any spare time," Lita explains. "I know there are a lot of other moms out there that know exactly what I am talking about."

Just as Lita pioneered new modes for women in rock music, her unique family life demonstrates how high love and devotion to a husband and children can be as dynamic and cutting edge as her musical endeavors. She resumed her musical career after the decision was put to a family vote, with both of her kids in favor of her rocking again. As they said to her, "Mom -- you're Lita!"

"This album is what got me to leave the island life behind," she explains. "It gave me an excuse to take my family all over the world. They love it and are very supportive and behind me every step of the way."

Plus their travel together offers an extension of the boys' home schooling as she plays festivals and other select dates in America and Europe this summer. "Now it's educational to take them out and show them places like Sweden and Italy and tour all through the United States."

And even her stage shows are a family affair. Gillette serves as road manager and joins his wife on some songs to sing backup vocals and a few duets. James -- a budding guitarist and singer -- and Rocco also join in on the fun during her sets. "They throw balloons into the audience and get the audience to sing along. 'I can't hear you!' Stuff like that," Lita reports.

With Gillette and the boys all sporting Mohawk haircuts and Mom rocking out in leather outfits and stiletto heel boots, the foursome hardly appear to be the average parents and kids on their summer travels. But as Gillette notes, "even though we look like 'The Addams Family,' we operate more like 'Leave It To Beaver.'"

"When we meet somebody, they're not sure what to make of us," Lita observes. "We're an abnormal family, but we're very tight."

Now that she is back in musical action, Lita would like to continue being an inspiration and role model for other women who rock. "I hope to set the path for even more female guitarists," she says. "Bet we'll be seeing a lot in the future."

Labels: Lita Ford

nme.com
Jimi Hendrix's roadie says guitarist's manager murdered him

Jimi Hendrix's former roadie James 'Tappy' Wright has claimed that the late guitar legend was murdered by his manager Michael Jeffrey.

In his new book 'Rock Roadie', Wright claims that Jeffrey told him he plied Hendrix with pills and alcohol in order to kill him and claim on the guitarist's life insurance.

Hendrix died in September 1970. His body was found in a room at London's Samarkand Hotel booked by Monika Dannemann, whom Hendrix had known for a matter of days.

Jeffrey allegedly made the confession to Wright in 1971, two years before he was killed in a plane crash.

Writing of the admission, Wright says: "I can still hear that conversation, see the man I'd known for so much of my life, his face pale, hand clutching at his glass in sudden rage."

Jeffrey is quoted by Wright as telling him: "I was in London the night of Jimi's death and together with some old friends... we went round to Monika's hotel room, got a handful of pills and stuffed them into his mouth...then poured a few bottles of red wine deep into his windpipe."

The manager was allegedly worried that Hendrix was about to sack him. He had recently taken out a life insurance policy worth $2 million (£1.2 million), with Jeffrey as beneficiary, reports the Mail On Sunday.

"I had to do it. Jimi was worth much more to me dead than alive," Jeffrey is quoted as telling Wright. "That son of a bitch was going to leave me. If I lost him, I'd lose everything."

At the time of Hendrix's death, a coroner recorded an open verdict, stating that the cause was "barbiturate intoxication and inhalation of vomit".

Labels: guitar crime, Guitar News Daily, Jimi Hendrix

The surviving members of the Beatles unveiled new details about their upcoming "Rock Band" videogame at the E3 videogame conference in Los Angeles.

Joined by Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr disclosed 10 of the 45 songs expected in "The Beatles: Rock Band" when it comes out Sept. 9.

The tracks are "I Saw Her Standing There," "I Want To Hold Your Hand," "I Feel Fine," "Taxman," "Day Tripper," "Back In The USSR," "I Am The Walrus," "Octopus's Garden," "Here Comes The Sun" and "Get Back."

Additionally, they said the entire "Abbey Road" album will be available for purchase and download, as will other tracks from the band's catalog, after the game's release, and "All You Need Is Love" will be released exclusively for Xbox 360 users as a downloadable song the day the game hits retail shelves. The proceeds of the single will be donated to Doctors Without Boarders.

Different venues played by the Beatles will be recreated for the game, including the Cavern Club in Liverpool (where they got their start), the Ed Sullivan Show, Shea Stadium and the Budokan in Japan.

The game will take fans into the studio experience after the band stopped touring through "artistic visual expressions known as Dreamscapes, intended to transport players to the imaginative environments that capture the essence of The Beatles' genre-busting musical and fashion transformations during their later years," according to the release.

From a gameplay perspective, the release will break from existing music-based games that allow for only one singer, and add three-part vocal harmonies. Content will also include previously unreleased recordings of the bandmates talking between takes during studio sessions recorded at Abbey Road.

A demo version of the game is available for attendees of the E3 conference to play.

Labels: Beatles, Guitar News Daily

billboard.com

Pearl Jam was indeed recording a Target commercial under the direction of Cameron Crowe last week at Seattle's Showbox theater, Billboard confirms. But there's more to the story than an exclusive retail relationship.

While it has been known that Pearl Jam are no longer under contract after 18 years of recording for Sony-affiliated labels, there has been only speculation about who would release their next album and how. Kelly Curtis, who has managed Pearl Jam since day one, conducted a wide-ranging interview with Billboard on Sunday night, confirming that the band's next release - rumored to be called "Backspacer" and currently scheduled for an early fall release - would come without a U.S. label, but a consortium of partners, including Target as the "big box" retail partner.

"We'll have a lot of partners," said Curtis, who confirmed that deals were also finished or in the works with an online retailer, a mobile partner, a gaming company and with a network or possibly networks of indie retail stores. "Target ended up allowing us to have other partners. We'll be able to take care of all levels of the Pearl Jam fan...We wish we could tell the whole story right now, but all the deals aren't done. Target was cool enough to realize that little independent record stores are not their competition." Curtis was also quick to note that the album would be for sale via Pearl Jam's fan club, Ten Club.

News of the Target commercial taping first broke last week on antiquiet.com, which is also hosting a bootleg recording from the Target taping of a song that Curtis confirmed was called "The Fixer." While a first single hasn't been definitively chosen from the new album yet, the song is in the running. An official first single will likely be released in July.

Curtis said that the Target commercial was only one reason for the Showbox session; with singer Eddie Vedder on tour supporting his solo work for the next month, "we had a narrow window to get some footage," says Curtis. "We shot three or four songs that night." Curtis said that some of the footage may be used for a project that Cameron Crowe is working on in connection to the band's 20th anniversary.

Pearl Jam will play at least one new song tonight on the debut of "The Tonight Show" with Conan O'Brien. "That was booked months ago," said Curtis. "We didn't even know if the album was going to be finished when we booked it. It isn't like we're releasing a single after the show or anything." And while blogs are rampant with speculation that the band will play "The Fixer," Curtis said the band was still kicking around "two or three songs, all of them new" to perform.

Curtis also confirmed that the band would tour to support this latest album, and that internationally, the album would be released via Universal Music Group.

"I make decisions around the band's business that are consistent with their overall philosophy," said Curtis, "which is to sell music in a way that's accessible and affordable to their fans, on every distribution platform that their fans access music, and in a way that takes care of the little guys.

"Everyone's making assumptions because Target is a big corporation," said Curtis. "Its important to remember we just got out of this 18 year relationship with Sony, and I'm pretty sure they are a bigger corporation than Target. We have the freedom to pick our partners and more control when we've ever had before. We're excited to choose who we're in business with."

Curtis says it was important to him and to the band to redefine the notion of an "exclusive" retail partnership. "I appreciate the efforts of bands like AC/DC and Radiohead," says the manager, alluding to two of the bands that have self-released albums recently. "But I wanted our plan to be multi-dimensional to address old and modern ways of fans accessing music. It will allow all of our fans to have the same access."

"This is an ongoing experiment," said Curtis. "Every time we do something it's new for us, and were not trying to tackle the whole world at once. All we've been searching for forever is independence and control over our own stuff. The way of releasing records is changing every day. This is the best way we could do it ourselves in America. Right or wrong, we'll figure that out and make it better the next time."

Labels: Pearl Jam, Sony, Target

ultimate-guitar.com
Rockers around the world will be excited to hear that the wait is finally over! Daisy Rock Guitars proudly announces that new 2009 Daisy Rock White Lightning Rock Candy Classic, Honey Velvet and Purple Velvet Rock Candy Special, and Atomic Pink and Black Sparkle Siren electric guitar models are now available and shipping.

Expanding the successful Rock Candy Series with the new and exciting Rock Candy Classic guitar in a striking White Lightning finish, this axe features a thin, lightweight sycamore body with contour top, a 22-fret, 24 3/4" scale set-in "Slim & Narrow" rock maple neck design that fits the smaller hand perfectly, and is topped with a rosewood fingerboard with star inlays. The Rock Candy Classic has a fully adjustable Tune-o-matic bridge with string thru body design for added sustain and Grover tuners for rock solid tuning, plus Duncan Designed humbuckers with a master tone-tap for wicked tone and sonic versatility. In addition to the new White Lightning finish, Rock Candy Classic guitars are also available in Atomic Pink, Diamond Sparkle, and Rainbow Sparkle finishes for a retail price of $579 each and a street price of around $399.

The newest members of Daisy Rock’s best-selling line of guitars are the Rock Candy Special line. The new Rock Candy Special guitars offer comfort and style for guitarist looking for a high quality instrument with a unique and elegant image. The Rock Candy Special is designed with Daisy Rock’s signature features: light weight construction, Daisy Rock’s "Slim & Narrow" neck design, and a gorgeous finish. Guitar Player magazine says the Rock Candy Special "plays like a dream and its light weight will make wearing it through three-set gigs feel like you’re dancing with an angel." In addition to the luxurious quilted finish, the Rock Candy Special features black binding, star fretboard inlays, a sycamore body with quilted maple contour top, a mahogany neck, and a rosewood fingerboard. Top-quality components include Duncan Designed Humbuckers [HB-103], a Tune-O-Matic bridge with string thru-body design for endless sustain, a Master Tone-Tap for sonic versatility, and Grover tuners for rock solid tuning. The Rock Candy Special guitars are available in Honey Velvet or Purple Velvet finish for a retail price of $709 and a street price around $499.

Daisy Rock introduces two new sparkle finishes into its Siren guitar line for 2009"Atomic Pink and Black Sparkle"to compliment the existing lineup of elegant pearloid top Siren’s in Vivacious Violet and Black Ice finishes. These smokin’ new guitars boast a gorgeous sparkle top and a hot body shape with a sleek white binding and oval inlays. When you pick up the Siren, you’ll immediately notice its lightweight body, slim neck, and unique shape. The Siren offers a Sycamore body, maple neck, and a rosewood fingerboard and is fitted with Daisy Custom tuners, a Tune-O-Matic bridge with Stop Bar, Daisy Rock High-Output Humbuckers, and a 3-way pickup selector. The Daisy Rock Siren guitar is now available in Vivacious Violet and Black Ice finishes, and in the all-new Atomic Pink and Black Sparkle finishes, each for a retail price of $499 and a street price of $349 each.

Like all Daisy Rock Guitars, the Rock Candy Classic, Rock Candy Special, and Siren electric guitars are backed by a limited lifetime warranty and arrive set up and ready to play! Purchase your new Daisy Rock guitar at your favorite music instrument retailer, or online at DaisyRock.Com.

Labels: Daisy Rock Guitars, Guitar News Daily

harmony-central.com
For over 40 years, Alvarez has crafted acoustic guitars with a unique combination of quality, playability and aesthetics. At this years LIMS show, Alvarez will be relaunched in the UK by their new exclusive official reseller, Gear4music. Gear4music will retail the acoustic guitars directly to the public, and supply them to music shops throughout the country.

Alvarez guitars have been favoured by many famous musicians for their bright, clean tone. Greats including Carlos Santana, David Crosby and Graham Nash have all used Alvarez guitars. Regardless of the player's ability or budget, Alvarez has an instrument custom-designed for purpose. There is the full spectrum of guitars available, from the entry level Regent Series to the Masterworks Series of professional instruments, each with its own superb tone and careful build.

The T series electronics featured across the range of Alvarez electro-acoustics is recognised as one of the most natural sounding electronic systems found in acoustic guitars. Guitars featuring the Alvarez System 600T MKII allow a further dimension to be added to the guitar sound, with the inclusion of an aux input. In addition, the integrated chromatic tuner ensures you can always keep your guitar in tune.

Managing Director of Gear4music, Andrew Wass, stated that "to be able to supply Alvarez guitars throughout the UK is a real honour, and an exciting opportunity for Gear4music. Alvarez is one of the leading brands in the USA, and we are confident that when guitarists across the UK play an Alvarez acoustic they will be impressed by its feel, sound and appearance."

Gear4music will be exhibiting Alvarez guitars at LIMS 2009 from 11th - 14th June 2009. For all enquiries about Alvarez guitars contact the Gear4music team on 0871 309 0800.

To learn more about Gear4music visit: http://www.gear4music.com/

For more information, visit their web site at http://www.alvarezgtr.com/.

Labels: Alvarez, guitars, UK

This is the most famous band you never heard of. A true metal head should check them out!

Anvil Documentary Blu-ray Details and Guitar Giveaway

Universal Studios Home Entertainment has made public the details for the Blu-ray release of the documentary 'Anvil! The Story of Anvil', which is due to hit British store shelves on June 15, day-and-date with the DVD. To celebrate the release, Amazon is giving away a guitar signed by the two lead members of Anvil.

Bonus features include:

* Audio commentary with Sacha Gervasi, Rebecca Yeldham and Andrew Dickler
* Audio commentary with Sacha Gervasi, Robb Reiner and Steve 'Lips' Kudlow
* Five deleted scenes
* "This Feels Good", interview with band
* "Where Are They Now?", interview with original band members
* Interview with Lars Ulrich
* Sacha Gervasi Rocks with Anvil

Amazon UK is giving away a Gibson Flying V guitar, signed by Steve "Lips" Kudlow and Robb Reiner. The contest is open to UK residents only, and it closes at 11:59 p.m., June 28 (no purchase is necessary). You can access the giveaway here.

This movie follows the Canadian heavy-metal band Anvil, which earned a cult following in the 1980s but never really made it, yet they continue to rock on. The film was shown at Sundance Film Festival in 2008 to great acclaim.

Labels: Anvil, Documentary, Guitar Giveaway

mauinews.com

WAILUKU - A 21-year-old Makawao man was placed on five years' probation Thursday for breaking into a Makawao home and stealing two guitars last year.

In accordance with a plea agreement, 2nd Circuit Judge Joseph Cardoza also ordered Chaz K.Y. Tokunaga to pay $80 in restitution. He was given credit for 221 days he had already served in jail.

Cardoza said if Tokunaga follows a "plan" that has been laid out for him, including drug treatment, he can succeed.

The judge added that Tokunaga has good family support and that even though he may not agree with what his family says or his therapists say, he could learn in the end that it is sound advice.

"Listen carefully to those who attempt to treat you, as well as those who are attempting to provide you love and support," Cardoza said.

Tokunaga pleaded no contest to first-degree burglary, second-degree theft and two counts of fourth-degree theft.

The charges stem from an incident between Aug. 30 and Sept. 9, 2008, when Tokunaga and co-defendant James Silva entered a home on Makalani Place in Makawao and took two guitars, according to court records.

Silva then pawned the guitars at National Pawn and Web Auctions, records show.

In May, Silva was sentenced to 60 days in jail, five years' probation and $80 in restitution in the case, according to court records.

Both Silva and Tokunaga had been at a party at the Makalani Place residence and were told to leave. The homeowner reported there were many people he didn't know at the party, according to court records.

When Silva and Tokunaga went outside the home, friends of the owner pulled "shanks," or homemade knives, on them, the records said.

Tokunaga challenged the others to a fight but left. The following day, he and Silva returned to the house to get one of their belongings back. When no one answered the door, the two entered and took a Fender bass guitar and an Ibanez SAS electric guitar, according to court records.

Tokunaga was sentenced to similar terms last week in another courtroom for an unrelated burglary and theft case.

Tokunaga was ordered by both judges to report to a Salvation Army drug program on Oahu when he is released from jail.

Labels: guitar crime, Guitar News Daily

Labels: Woodstock; social networking

twitter.com/SlashHudson
Guitarist Slash revealed on Twitter that he is working with his former Guns N' Roses bandmate Izzy Stralin. Slash posted, "Izzy is down here putting some rhythm gtr on a track, sounds fucking cool. There is an unmistakable sound that me & Izzy's guitars make when performed together."

A few days ago Slash also stated that the vocals are almost finished recording for his upcoming solo album with the following post:

"Hey all, how's it going? I've been really busy with recording etc, I haven't been keeping in touch.

Outside of working on the record things have been quiet. No Velvet Revolver updates as of this writing, but I'm anxious to see something happen with an amazing frontman for the band in the not too distant future, whoever that might be.

My gig at the Quart Fest is coming up in Norway, June 30th. Which, is starting to come together. I'll post who all's playing next week, but it's a great line-up and the songs so far are shaping up to be a really great set.

As far as the record goes, we're almost done with vocals, 2 more songs left and a couple odds and ends. Then, I can stand back and see what we've got. It is a fucking awesome ensemble, that much I do know, with brilliant performances from each and every singer. I do hope to have a release date soon, but I can assure you, as I said before, it won't be this year. It will, most definitely, be out be very early in the new year. Even though the recording process is almost done, the legal logistics involved with so many different artists takes a minute to iron out.

When the record is released I plan on posting what gear was used on what songs; guitars, amps etc. Although, most of it was done with one guitar and 2 amps. A lot of interesting mike set-ups though. The record is being recorded anolog as well, this might be one of the last rock and roll records to be recorded that way, no joke. So, of course, I have to release it on vinyl, as well as cd.

Right then, I guess that's it. I'll have the Quart Fest line-up for you guys next week and anything else that comes up as well, have a good one."

Labels: Izzy, Slash, Solo Record

Labels: Soft Guitars

Labels: Crue Fest

nytimes.com
On the walls of the famed Manny's Music store near Times Square, photographs of the world's most renowned musicians hang in varying degrees of condition and age, many featuring personal notes that reflect the quirky personalities of their subjects.


"To Manny, Keep one eye closed at all costs. Love, Bob Dylan," reads one.

"Manny's is the best. Bob Marley," reads another.

If those walls could talk now, the sounds of lament would be crystal clear. After 74 years, Manny's " at the heart and soul of Music Row on West 48th Street " closed its doors for good on Sunday. The store will be converted by its owner, Sam Ash Music, into a giant Sam Ash guitar shop, and all of the photos will be taken off the walls and put in storage.

"In these economic times we felt it wasn't carrying its own weight," said Paul Ash, 80, the president of Sam Ash Music, which has 45 stores nationwide, including three others on West 48th Street.

In a city where independent drugstores and coffee shops have all seemingly been replaced by Duane Reades and Starbucks, the loss of a place like Manny's is seen by some as further erosion of the variety that made New York special.

On Saturday, Ray Maxwell, 48, of Ridgewood, N.J., brought his son Jackson, 13, to experience Manny's before it was gone.

"This really is the heart and soul of the New York City music community," said Mr. Maxwell, as his son moved slowly from picture to picture, taking in all those who came before him.

Jackson, who plays bass in a band called Babylon Rugs, muttered in wide-eyed amazement, "The vibe is just crazy."

Manny Goldrich, who sold brass instruments in the early 1930s, opened the shop on West 48th Street, known as Music Row because of its proximity to Broadway, recording studios and the Brill Building, where many music publishers had offices.

The store hit its heyday in the 1960s, when British Invasion bands like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the Who made Manny's a must-stop destination upon landing in America.

"It's amazing how many people have shopped here; the Beatles bought their guitars here," Irina Nazarenko, 44, a visitor from London, marveled on Sunday as her partner, Hauser Wolfgang, 59, bought a $3,500 electric guitar.

Before his death in 1968, Mr. Goldrich passed the store on to his son, Henry Goldrich, now 77. Ian Goldrich, Henry's son, took over in the early 1990s, around the time that business slowed because of record labels investing less in new artists, several nearby recording studios closing, and more shoppers turning to catalogs and the Internet, he said.

"People always tell me, 'I bought my first guitar here,' " Ian Goldrich said. "I tell them, 'Well, you haven't bought anything from me in 10 years.' "

Mr. Goldrich, 49, sold Manny's to Sam Ash Music about 10 years ago, and said he "made peace with my grandfather nine and a half years ago."

After Mr. Goldrich sold Manny's, the store began selling many of the same instruments sold at Sam Ash, although it retained the Manny's name, decor and icons, including the photographs and Mr. Goldrich himself.

Sandra Manley, a spokeswoman for the Rockefeller Group, which owns the buildings on West 48th Street that the three Sam Ash stores and Manny's occupy, said that soon the area would essentially change "from Music Row to Sam Ash Row."

To preserve some of the store's character, Holly Goldrich, Manny Goldrich's granddaughter, built a Web site, www.mannysvirtualwall.com, where fans can view some of the more than 3,000 autographed pictures from the "Wall of Fame."

"It's a virtual hang,"Ms. Goldrich, 44, said. "It's a recreation of Manny's Music store, even with the changing of 48th Street."

Recently, artists like Neil Diamond, Eddie Vedder and Keith Urban have come to Manny's for a final visit, Mr. Goldrich said.

"The fact is it's still the most famous music store in the world from a historical perspective," he said. "But not from a business perspective."

Labels: Bob Dylan, guitar crime; guitar new daily, Manny’s Music store, Sam Ash, Times Square