"New" Hendrix Tape For Sale, Shows "Softer" Side

Reuters is reporting that a home recording by Jimi Hendrix, which its owners said showed the 1960s rock icon's softer side, will be auctioned next month and is expected to fetch between 50,000 and 100,000 pounds ($70-140,000).

According to co-owner Mark Sutherland, the tape was recorded by Hendrix in New York in 1968 and then taken to Britain.

Carl Niekirk worked in a photography studio below Hendrix's central London residence where, because there was only one entrance to the building, he often doubled as doorman for his famous neighbor, letting in guests including George Harrison.

"I don't know how the tapes got from New York to London, but they must have been important if he took them with him," Sutherland said.

"Hendrix ended up in London above where Carl worked. Carl kept getting disturbed by people, and said 'a favor for a favor' ... and Jimi gave him two tapes."

Sutherland said a friend met Niekirk in a pub several years ago and bought the tape from him "for a nominal fee." He is not sure what happened to the second recording.

Since then the tape's new owners have been in legal dispute with the Hendrix estate, and Sutherland said he was now finally able to auction it. Hendrix's estate was not immediately available for comment.

Sutherland and Ted Owen, managing director of pop memorabilia auctioneer the Fame Bureau which is handling the April 28 online auction, are confident the tape is genuine.

"It's pretty obvious," Owen told Reuters. "I have listened to nearly every outtake of Jimi Hendrix and am very familiar with the personal reels. Thirty seven are known to exist, but now only one is out there in the public domain."

Sutherland said the tape featured 14 tracks, including Hendrix performing Bob Dylan track "Tears of Rage." Hendrix famously covered Dylan with "All Along The Watchtower."

"His playing is unique but there are a lot of Hendrix clones," said Sutherland, who is a record producer.

"As soon as he started singing, though, that was it. There is a Dylan song on there in an acoustic and folksy-type style that no-one's heard. It is away from Jimi's wildness and blues."

The tape includes tracks from the 1968 album "Electric Ladyland" and features Hendrix singing and playing the guitar as well as an unidentified harmonica player.

Interest in Hendrix memorabilia has been high in recent years. In September the first guitar to be set alight by Hendrix on stage fetched 280,000 pounds at a Fame Bureau auction.

Hendrix is considered one of rock's greatest guitarists and showmen and a pioneer of the psychedelic music scene. He died in London in 1970 aged 27.

NHOR Interview With The Muggs In April Issue Of Spain's This Is ROCK Magazine

Just wanted to give readers of this site who may reside in Spain, or any Spanish speaking country throughout the world (even those who aren't) a head's up that through our collaboration with Spain's premier classic rock magazine, This Is ROCK, selected portions of our interview with Danny Methric of Detroit's hard rockin' The Muggs are featured in a 4 page, full color article on the band in their April issue, out on news stands now. Look for Iron Maiden on the cover.

Also in the magazine this month are features on The Black Crowes, The Allman Brothers Band, Marillion, Rush, Journey, Mott The Hoople, a NWOBHM 30th anniversary tribute and much, much more!

Judas Priest To Revisit 'British Steel' On Summer Tour

Judas Priest plans to play albums from its past and present in their entirety this year.

The group will hold a preliminary 30th anniversary of its 1980 "British Steel" album during a 17-date North American summer concert tour that kicks off July 1 in St. Charles, Mo., and also includes a stop at Milwaukee's Summerfest on July 2 before wrapping Aug. 2 in Universal City, Calif. Whitesnake will open all of the dates.

"British Steel" was a commercial breakthrough for Priest on these shores, launching the radio hits "Breaking the Law" and "Living AFter Midnight." The title track and "Metal Gods" have also become staples in the group's repertoire. It was certified gold in 1982 and platinum in 1989.

Meanwhile, frontman Rob Halford tells Billboard.com that plans are afoot to stage Priest's latest release, the 2008 rock opera "Nostradamus," in it's entirely later in the year. "I would say we're hypothetically looking towards late fall, early winter -- in our heads we've got September, October lodged in our heads," Halford says. "That's the next big moment for the band. We've never done anything like that before."

"Nostradamus," Priest's 16th studio album, debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 and garnered a pair of Grammy Award nominations, in both the Hard Rock and Heavy metal categories.

Halford says the group is currently running through ideas of how to present "Nostradamus" on stage. "Are you just gonna stand there and play?" he notes. "Are you going to have screens? Extras? Are you going to have a stage set? What are you gonna do? Those are all things we have yet to hammer down, but we're ready to bring something very special and unique and different to the performance. It's going to be quite an exciting achievement for the band towards the end of '09.

"But what's the rush? It'll be ready when it's ready."

Nightwatcher's House Of Rock 1st Anniversary Jeff Beck Giveaway

It was a year ago this month that Nightwatcher's House Of Rock was founded, so yes, it's our first anniversary! To help celebrate this milestone, courtesy of Eagle Vision and Universal Music Group we'd like to give three of our readers each a brand new, sealed copy of legendary guitarist Jeff Beck's fantastic 'Performing This Week...Live At Ronnie Scott's' DVD absolutely free!

Filmed over the course of several gigs at the famed Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in 2007, Performing This Week…( companion CD released November 25) features a compilation of material spanning Beck’s genre-jumping career. From Rock to Jazz to Blues, with some Boogie and Beatles to boot, this was a week that positively rocked the intimate London club. Featuring stunning audio and video, filmed in 16:9 aspect ratio, this is the first full length DVD from one of the finest guitarists ever to pick up the instrument. The first to be approved by the man himself, the DVD, due out March 31st in the U.S., is stocked with not just a conglomerate of great performance picks, but stellar bonus material. A rare in-depth interview features Beck talking about his experience at Ronnie Scott’s, as well as giving the floor to his band members for some interview time. Also containing guest appearances by yet another rock legend Eric Clapton on two songs, Joss Stone and Imogen Heap, this is a must have for any fan of incredible guitar work.

And all you have to do to enter is answer this simple question : What is the name of the Jeff Beck album which contains the classic "Beck's Bolero"?

Just send your correct answer to nhorgiveaways@gmail.com and you're entered, simple as that! A word of warning though, this DVD is Region 1, so unless you live in the region served by that designation, or have a DVD player that's region free, it probably won't work for ya. The giveaway ends 12:00 A.M. EST, April 10th, with the winners being selected at random from the entries received. The winners then will be sent an e mail letting them know they've won, and will have 72 hours to respond to that e mail with a valid shipping address. If a winner fails to reply within the 72 hour period, another winner will be chosen from the remaining winning entries.

Good luck, and most of all, thank you all for making this first year a most successful one!

John Entwistle's Death Saved The Who

The Who would be no more if bass player John Entwistle hadn't died in 2002 - because Pete Townshend only agreed to hit the road to help his pal out of debt.

Band leader Townshend reveals he planned to bow out of performing with the rock group after that year's hits tour, but when Entwistle died in Las Vegas on the eve of the trek, the guitarist was forced to forget his past differences with frontman Roger Daltrey, and get on with the shows. The tour brought the two existing The Who stars closer - and led to bigger plans.

The guitarist tells the Sydney Daily Telegraph newspaper, "John's death in 2002 was a factor in the return to serious touring. That 2002 tour was the last I ever intended to do with the band, and my mission was to make enough money for John so that he could get out of debt. He had some back tax, and a double mortgage to juggle. He died the day before the tour was meant to begin. I felt his mischievous and wonderful sense of irony in that: 'You thought you'd give me a hand-out Pete. Well, now I'm giving you a hand-out. Take my share, and tour without me if you dare.'"

Daltrey and Townshend took on the challenge, replaced Entwistle with accomplished session musician Pino Palladino and performed in Los Angeles to kick off the tour - as planned.

Townshend adds, "It felt like a gracious gift from John, in the best of humor, even though his passing was really tragic. Roger and I were thrown together. We had been respectful, and friendly to each other, but we had never been great friends. We had never managed to find a way to live with how different we are, and how differently we think and work. With John gone, we were on our own, no distractions, no excuses that we were working to help John pay his debts."

After 60 years Ozzy Osbourne Learning To Drive

If we didn't have enough to worry about on the roads these days comes the news that after 60 years, Ozzy Osbourne is learning how to drive - just so he can get out of his madhouse.

The rock icon has set himself a task of learning to drive this year, so he can get a little quiet time. He says, "My house is like an insane asylum and I thought, 'It would be great to get in my car and drive around the block - just to be on my own.'"

But Ozzy admits he's struggling to find driving instructors who will give him lessons. He explains, "Nobody will stay in the car with me for more than three lessons; they all think I'm nuts."

His wife Sharon put her life in Ozzy's hands earlier this month when she let the rocker drive her the two hours from Los Angeles to Palm Springs.

Legendary Irish Rockers Thin Lizzy Show They're Still Dangerous, If Not Definitive On 'Still Dangerous'

Thin Lizzy
Still Dangerous
Live At The Tower Theatre Philadelphia 1977
VH1 Classics

Review by Nightwatcher

'Live And Dangerous', Irish hard rockers Thin Lizzy's 1978 live offering, culled from their 1977 tour has long been considered one of the greatest live albums of all time. Ranking at the top, or near the top of many critics' and fans' lists alike. The potent combination of the fantastic songwriting skills of late bassist/vocalist Phil Lynott and the fierce instrumental attack of guitarists Scott Gorham and Brian Robertson and drummer Brian Downey , particularly in a live setting - is the stuff legends are made of.

However, in the thirty years since the album was released there have been persistent rumors that a great majority of that album was overdubbed in the studio after the fact. How much has been hotly debated, ranging from the assertion that the only real live elements of 'Live and Dangerous' are the drums and the audience to the album being 75% live/25% studio overdubs. Still dangerous, but apparently not so live in either case.

A fact that the release of 'Still Dangerous : Live At The Tower Theater 1977', newly "discovered" from long lost tapes by Gorham, apparently is meant to rectify. The press release hyperbole regarding the album states, "Still Dangerous" is the raw, unadulterated, untouched sound of Thin Lizzy at the absolute height of its powers. Recorded on the band's sold-out 1977 "Bad Reputation" tour, "Still Dangerous" captures the classic quartet of Lynott, Downey, Gorham and Robertson on fire at the celebrated Tower Theatre in Philadelphia". Later going on to state ""Still Dangerous" is the definitive live statement", and downplaying the previous classic, it certainly has a lot to live up to, wouldn't you think? Is this the definitive live statement by one of hard rock's most beloved bands of all time?

Well, yes...and no. While the 10 tracks which are included in this package are certainly great, the sound, remixed and produced by legendary producer Glyn Johns (The Who, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles) is exemplary, and the performances are uniformly wonderful, the fact that only 10 tracks were included makes this seem incomplete. Various bootlegs of this show include numerous tracks that were omitted here, the track order was switched around a bit, and there was some editing and rearranging done when comparing A/B to the original source. So much for raw, unadulterated and untouched sound.

However, with that caveat in place, with Phil Lynott having succumbed from the combined effects of various unsavory substances in 1986, any vintage live Thin Lizzy, especially when it sounds this good, is cause to rejoice. The band was firing on all cylinders on this tour, the last with guitarist Robertson, who combined with Gorham add up to one of the top guitar duos of all time. Basically a greatest hits package, it does capture the raw, powerful essence of Lizzy, and does contain a pair of tracks which weren't on its predecessor, namely a charging version of "Opium Trail" and the socially conscious "Soldier Of Fortune", so it does have added value in that respect. It would've been fantastic to hear classics like "Still In Love With You" added, and at a running time of a little over 47 minutes, it doesn't seem that time was an issue.

In closing, with all the crap which is foisted upon the marketplace these days, when something of this high quality does get released, it almost seems incredulous that one would be critical, and pick apart something which on the surface, just listening all the way through sounds amazing, but that's what we as journalists get paid the big bucks for.

So, if you've been waiting for the definitive live statement, this ain't quite it, but by all means buy this anyway, as you'll still get plenty of enjoyment from what is here, and if it serves as inspiration to young musicians today like 'Live And Dangerous' did for countless others throughout the three decades since that album's release, then the music world will be all the better for it. If all you've heard from the band is "The Boys Are Back In Town" on your local classic rock radio, you owe it to yourself to investigate these rock legends deeper, as they're much, much more than that. (10/10) for the performances, (8.5/10) for the overall package.

Allman Top : ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons Sitting In With The Allman Brothers Band

Here's some fan footage taken when legendary ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons sat in with The Allman Brothers Band on a rendition of "Jesus Just Left Chicago", March 24th, 2009 at New York's historic Beacon Theatre.

When Gibbons came out, the whole band donned fake beards and one would suppose, "Cheap Sunglasses"! Gibbons also performed two other songs with the band, "Stormy Monday" and"Statesboro Blues". Other musical guests appearing with the band that night were slide guitar virtuoso Sonny Landreth and John Popper of Blues Traveler.

Rock Legend Greg Rolie Talks Black Magic Woman

Recently our good friends at AntiMUSIC spoke with rock legend Greg Rolie, founding vocalist/keyboardist of both Santana and Journey for a feature on their Singled Out Classics, where the topic of discussion was the story behind the Santana classic "Black Magic Woman". Without further ado, here's the story behind one of rock's all time classics :

"Black Magic Woman is still one my favorite songs to sing and perform even after almost 40 years. It took me about a year to convince the band that we should do this song. It was one I had a passion for and I knew I could sing it. Some songs are made for you and other songs you just sing. This one was made for me. A little known fact is that Mike Shrieve (drummer for Santana) turned me on to Black Magic Woman. He knew I was a big Peter Green fan from his involvement with John Mayall's Blues Breakers where Peter took Eric Clapton's place as the lead guitarist and played on the album "Hard Road". Mike gave me the Fleetwood Mac album with lead guitarist Peter Green and I found Black Magic Woman penned by Peter. It became a #4 Hit for Santana and one of the most recognizable Santana songs for decades to follow. I'm sure glad Mike gave it to me".

To read the original article go to this location

Chickenfoot Debut Album To Hatch In June

Undercover is reporting that Chickenfoot, the new supergroup featuring members of Van Halen, Red Hot Chili Peppers and one Joe Satriani, will release their debut album in June.

The album will be released by earMUSIC in Germany on June 5th and in the UK on Monday June 8th. The album will be released by Best Buy in the US on Sunday, June 7th.

Chickenfoot is Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony from Van Halen, Chad Smith from Red Hot Chili Peppers and Satriani.

The band made themselves known late last year. It came about like this. "We were just having fun," Michael Anthony said in a statement. "After Sammy and I left Van Halen, we'd get together with musicians, and certain people seemed to really gel. Chad came down and we got on well with him. Gradually, we started talking about doing something more serious, but we needed a guitarist. Somebody smokin' - somebody who could take us to the Promised Land."

Then came Satch. "After just a few songs, it became stunningly obvious that we shared an overall musical agenda. The only question was could we make a great album?", he said.

The tracklisting for the album is:

1. Avenida Revolution
2. Soap on a Rope
3. Sexy Little Thing
4. Oh Yeah
5. Runnin' Out
6. Get It Up
7. Down the Drain
8. My Kinda Girl
9. Learning to Fall
10. Turnin' Left
11. Future in the Past

A European tour will start in Austria on June 20.

Motörhead's Lemmy Kilmister : Hendrix Was The King Of Sex, Drugs & Rock 'N' Roll

Contact Music is reporting that Motörhead's Lemmy Kilmister insists no one will ever be able to top Jimi Hendrix's rock star credentials - because he was the best guitarist, drug user, womanizer and sex soldier the world has ever known.

The Ace of Spades hitmaker worked as Hendrix's roadie and drug dealer in 1967 - and still revels in tales of the late guitar great's debauchery.

Lemmy says, "I'd score acid for him. I'd get 10 tabs, and he'd take seven and give me three, which I thought was very reasonable.

"He was great, a perfect old-school gentleman - if a girl came into the room, he'd shoot to his feet."

But it was Hendrix's bedroom antics that impressed Lemmy the most: "If you wanted to see some athletic f**king, Jimi was the boy for it. I'd never seen anything like it - there were always lines of chicks going nuts outside his dressing room. It was like, 'Take a number and wait.'"

And Lemmy insists no one comes close to Hendrix as a guitarist: "He played rhythm and lead at the same time, under his leg, behind his back, left and right, upside down... God bless Eddie Van Halen, he's nowhere near. Hendrix did it all, and when he died, it stopped."

John Henry, Blue Collar Blues And The Royal Albert Hall : An Exclusive Interview With Joe Bonamassa

The story of Joe Bonamassa is a familiar one, at least in blues - rock circles, and one which has been told and retold in numerous articles both online and in print, even by this writer. So much so that one can almost recite it from memory. "Blues guitar prodigy, born in Utica, New York, started playing at age 4, toured with B.B. King by 12..."...stop me if you've heard this one before. You have? Okay, let's fast forward to the more present day. Those of you who haven't heard the story before can certainly Google it, but the past is the past and only serves to illustrate the path this artist took to become one of the most preeminent blues rock guitarists of modern times.

The fact is, ever since releasing his debut solo album, 'A New Day Yesterday' in 2000, Bonamassa has been on the radar of in - the- know fans of blistering blues guitar and has been steadily building an audience ever since. Five more studio albums and two live offerings later, all of which have hit the higher reaches of Billboard's Blues Charts, with four hitting # 1, his career has been on the rise exponetionally due to growing acceptance of his mix of heavy blues and classic styled rock, putting him on the precipice of a near decade long "overnight success" story.

Although a good portion of the past decade has been spent touring, so much so one of the artist's official slogans is "Always On The Road", constant hard work wouldn't be the be all and end all to success if the music itself wasn't there. Music history is filled with countless bands who toured until they couldn't remember what city they were in, but it's the rare few who inspire the devotion of his fans, some of whom travel across the U.S. and even overseas to witness what have become known as legendary performances, reminiscent of the very finest the genre has ever had to offer.

Continuing into the present, many are crossing the pond for Bonamassa's sold out show in May at London's prestigious Royal Albert Hall. A landmark in the guitarist's career, self described as "Twenty years of professional sweat and toil all culminating into one moment", it puts him in the company of such heavyweights as The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, The Who and Led Zeppelin as artists who have played the historic venue.

Leading up to this historic performance comes a brand new studio album, the Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Aerosmith, The Black Crowes) produced 'The Ballad Of John Henry' released February 24th through J&R Adventures world wide. Quite possibly his strongest offering yet, it shows Bonamassa moving away from the acoustic textures which were a characteristic of 2007's 'Sloe Gin' and back towards a leaner, electric based sound, while at the same time expanding his horizons both musically and compositionally.

Consisting of 12 tracks (13 on the iTunes version), it showcases both the impressive guitar and vocal abilities of the 31 year old as he moves from strength to strength. The album features strong original material highlighting his newly re-discovered songwriting skills, such as on the "Kashmir" meets swampy blues of the title track and the introspective, Santana-esque "Happier Times". Also containing covers such as Tom Waits' "Jockey Full Of Bourbon", Sam Brown's "Stop" and the Anthony Newley/Leslie Bricusse penned classic "Feelin' Good", it's the song, not the solo which is the driving force at this stage of the game. Albeit slicker and more mature than his earlier more traditional blues-based releases, it's a combination which has garnered him the highest chart positions of his entire career. Not only did he hit #1 on Billboard's Blues Charts for the fifth time, so far the album debuted at #103 on Billboard's Album Charts in the United States and # 26 in the UK Album charts the first week of release -- proof positive his audience continues to grow with every new delivery.

Recently I caught up with Bonamassa on the eve of his world tour, where the topics of discussion ranged from the new album, the upcoming show at The Royal Albert Hall, the renewed confidence in his songwriting abilities, Gary Moore, John Mayer, Rolling Stone Magazine and much, much more. Read on as we have an exclusive conversation with "New King Of The Blues", Joe Bonamassa...Click ahead for the exclusive interview

Metallica's James Hetfield : "Motörhead, Deep Purple, Rush, Alice Cooper, Even Steppenwolf Should Be In Rock Hall Of Fame"

MTV.com is reporting:

To hear him tell it, Metallica's James Hetfield wasn't even aware that his band was eligible for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It took Black Sabbath for him to realize it.

"I never thought much about the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame until we were approached to induct Black Sabbath in 2006, and then they asked us to play, which was like, 'OK ... we will!' " Hetfield laughed, talking to MTV News shortly before taking the stage for a "secret" SXSW Metallica set. "So we were there, and then they were saying, 'You know, you guys are up for this in a few years.' And I went, 'Wow, really?' And I started doing the math ... 'OK, 25 years after our first record ... yeah, it's now.' And my first thought was 'Man, it's gone by very quickly.' "

And so, when the Hall came calling earlier this year to tell Metallica that they'd made the cut, Hetfield wasn't exactly surprised. But he was humbled.

"It's very cool. I think we've paid our dues, and we've got a few fans who probably think the same thing," he said. "There's a lot of gratitude around it, the fact that we were acknowledged, and that, hopefully, we can help get some heavy music in. [Ideally] we'd kick the door open even further for some friends of ours - we've got a lot of friends that want to come in and be noted and represent a big part of rock and roll history."

And to that end, Hetfield's got an entire list of hard-rock acts that he believes should be joining Metallica in the Hall - and he's not afraid to ruffle a few feathers to help their cause.

"Motörhead for sure,Deep Purple, Rush, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and even stuff before that ... Steppenwolf. It's crazy that Ted Nugent is not there; that dude is about as rock and roll as it gets. Alice Cooper, Kiss ... that's a pretty good list," he said. "These are bands that represent history and mean a lot to so many people. I think that alone means they should be in there too."

Zappa Bust Likely For Baltimore

Baltimore's public art commission hopes to erect a bust of eccentric rocker Frank Zappa in the city's Fells Point neighborhood.

The commission formally endorsed the idea during its meeting Wednesday.

Tracy Baskerville, a spokeswoman for Baltimore's Office of Promotion and the Arts, says the commission will settle on a final location after meetings with Fells Point community leaders. But she says commissioners would like to place the bust near the harbor on Broadway, the street that anchors the neighborhood. Fells Point is a major tourist draw and is known for its nightlife and bohemian vibe.

The bust is a gift from Zappa fans in Lithuania and is a replica of one in Vilnius, Lithuania's capital. Zappa was born in Baltimore.

Jeff Beck's Performing This Week...Live At Ronnie Scott's DVD to Hit Stores March 31

On March 31, Eagle Rock Entertainment, through its Eagle Vision subsidiary, will release Jeff Beck's Performing This Week…Live at Ronnie Scott’s on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Filmed over the course of several gigs at the famed Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in 2007, Performing This Week…(CD released November 25) features a compilation of material spanning Beck’s genre-jumping career. From Rock to Jazz to Blues, with some Boogie and Beatles to boot, this was a week that positively rocked the intimate London club. His band includes Tal Wilkenfeld (bass), Vinnie Colaiuta (drums), and Jason Rebello (keyboards). Joss Stone, Imogen Heap, and Eric Clapton also made special appearances, complementing Beck’s wild guitar work with their diverse vocal approaches.

"This was a great week. Playing in such an intimate club with my friends and my amazing band…. What more could a musician want." - Jeff Beck

These DVDs are the first to be approved by the man himself. They are stocked with not just a conglomerate of great performance picks, but stellar bonus material. A rare in-depth interview features Beck talking about his experience at Ronnie Scott’s, as well as giving the floor to his band members for some interview time. The Blu-Ray also includes an exclusive 7-track rockabilly set with the Big Town Playboys.

Track listing:
1.) Beck’s Bolero
2.) Eternity’s Breath
3.) Stratus
4.) Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers
5.) Behind The Veil
6.) You Never Know
7.) Nadia
8.) Blast From The East
9.) Led Boots
10.) Angel (Footsteps)
11.) People Get Ready – with Joss Stone
12.) Scatterbrain
13.) Goodbye Pork Pie Hat / Brush With The Blues
14.) Space Boogie
15.) Blanket – with Imogen Heap
16.) Big Block
17.) A Day In The Life
18.) Little Brown Bird – with Eric Clapton
19.) You Need Love – with Eric Clapton
20.) Rollin’ And Tumblin’ – with Imogen Heap
21.) Where Were You

Blu-Ray Bonus Tracks:
1.) Race With The Devil
2.) Crazy Legs
3.) Train Kept A Rollin’
4.) My Baby Left Me
5.) Matchbox
6.) Baby Blue
7.) Honky Tonk / Beck Interview on Rockabilly set

To pre order the DVD go to this location :

Eric Clapton Joins The Allman Brothers At The Beacon

It's not every day that you have the opportunity to have 3 guitarists considered to be among the best in the world share the stage.


But that's just what happened last night when Eric Clapton sat in during the Allman Brothers' show at the Beacon Theatre, 03-19-2009. Here's a taste, in the form of some fan produced footage of Warren Haynes, Derek Trucks and EC performing the Derek and The Dominos classic "Layla":



One can find a nice review of the entire show at Swampland

More footage on YouTube, courtesy of Moogis.com :

Key To The Highway
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzzAwOj4gyU
Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxoerz9BxCg
Little Wing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72jbV9-ZOH4

The Zombies Confirm Live Reunion DVD

The Zombies have confirmed the April 20th UK and European DVD release of "Odessey and Oracle Revisited: The 40TH Anniversary Concert".

Mixed in 5.1 Surround Sound, and boasting an exclusive 2008 filmed interview, the DVD was originally filmed during March 2008 when the band performed three sold out nights at the London Shepherd's Bush Empire. The gigs were attended by Paul Weller, Robert Plant, Robyn Hitchcock, Snow Patrol and Garbage.

The release of the live DVD coincides with The Zombies' last-ever UK concert performances of the "Odessey and Oracle" album. The band will perform the milestone 1968 album at the Glasgow ABC (April 21), Bristol Colston Hall (April 23), Manchester Bridgewater Hall (April 24) and London Hammersmith Apollo (April 25). Ticket Hotline: 08700 600 100. Book Online: www.ticketweb.co.uk.

This will be the very last time the remaining original line-up of The Zombies will perform the entirety of this seminal album in the UK. The original founding members include Rod Argent (keyboards), Colin Blunstone (vocals), Hugh Grundy (drums), Chris White (bass).

When the album was originally released in 1968, it was cited as being one of the most significant and influential psychedelic albums of all time, and is often compared to The Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper" and the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds"

Joe Lynn Turner Hits Straight Between The Eyes On 'Live In Germany'

Joe Lynn Turner
Live In Germany
Blistering Records

Review by Nightwatcher.


First coming to world- wide prominence after being tapped for the lead vocalist spot in Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow in 1980, it may come as a surprise that 'Live In Germany', recorded September 30, 2007, at the United Forces Of Rock festival at Ludwigsburg, Germany, is legendary vocalist Joe Lynn Turner's first official live album. But considering the overall high quality presented, it begs for a sequel in hopefully the not too distant future

While the set list, consisting of mainly Rainbow and the odd Deep Purple track (in this case "Burn") is overly familiar, with only three tracks culled from his ten album solo career, the energy given to the songs throughout the entire 75 minute show is commendable.

Despite, or perhaps because of the fact the band were unaware they were being recorded this night, the performances showcase these familiar songs quite well. Turner is in fine voice, and delivers with all the vigor and power of the original studio recordings over two decades past. The band, consisting of Karl Cochran on guitar, Greg Smith on bass, Michael Sorrentino on drums and Carmine Giglio on keys, romp through the material as if they wrote it, even stretching out a bit at times to display their impressive musical interplay.

The sound is pristine, being recorded direct to hard drive, with very little overdubs, which lend to an authentic "live" feel, but at the same time polished enough and with more than enough punch in the mix which begs to be turned up loud. While it would be nice if more of Turner's solo consistently strong solo work were represented, there really are no complaints here. Serving as a well paced document of the most well known songs of his career, if you're a fan of melodic hard rock this will be a welcome addition to your collection. 8/10

http://www.joelynnturner.com/

Click here to access our exclusive interview with Joe Lynn Turner, wherein he discusses the recording of this album in detail.

Queen's First EP To Be Rereleased As Limited Edition CD

There will be a limited edition release of Queen’s First EP, originally released as a fan club/promo only offering in 1977, on CD in conjunction with International Record Store Day / the coalition of record stores in the US.

Hollywood Records are co-ordinating the EP and have set a release date of April 14th.

There will be no more than 3,000 units produced all of which will be numbered. The EP will only to be available in the participating traditional record stores.

Track listing on original release in 1977 :

1. Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy (2:53)
2. Death On Two Legs (Dedicated To...) (3:44)
3. Tenement Funster (2:47)
4. White Queen (As It Began) (4:35)

Beatles To Release Back Catalog On Website?

Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are looking at releasing the Beatles back catalog through their own website.

The two surviving members, along with the estates of the late John Lennon and George Harrison, have been negotiating with Apple about an iTunes release.

But Harrison's son Dhani told Blender that they are not satisfied with the offer made by Apple and they may go elsewhere.

He said: "We're losing money every day. So what do you do? You have to have your own delivery system, or you have to do a good deal with Steve Jobs.

"But he says that a download is worth 99 cents, and we disagree."

Meanwhile, the Beatles edition of the Rock Band video game has been given a September 9 release date.

More Allmans From The Beacon

Here's yet another clip from The Allman Brothers' 15 date run at New York City's historic Beacon Theatre, this year in honor of the band's late, great guitarist Duane Allman. One of the guests who appeared last night was Boz Scaggs,(with The Asbury Juke Horns) performing with the ABB on a version of a song from his 1969 debut album, a cover version of bluesman Fenton Robinson's "Somebody Loan Me A Dime". The original track featured a then 22 year old Duane Allman on lead guitar, and is considered a milestone in the history of blues rock guitar.

UFO 'The Visitor' Album Artwork Revealed

The 20th studio album from hard rock legends UFO called 'The Visitor' will be released in CD and LP format. There will be also a digi-pack album with a bonus track. The CD cover can be viewed at the left. The official tracklisting will follow soon.

Release dates for The Visitor on Steamhammer/SPV:

Germany/Austria/Switzerland: May 29th
UK/rest of Europe: June 2nd
USA/Canada: June 2nd

UFO composed more than 35 new tracks in the run-up to the recordings, 13 of which were short-listed and produced at the studio. 11 of these songs are expected to make it onto the regular album, the other two are scheduled to become bonus tracks for a limited edition digipak.

The current line-up continues to consist of the three original members, Phil Mogg (vocals), Paul Raymond (guitar, keyboards), and Andy Parker (drums), as well as American world-class guitarist Vinnie Moore. Bass legend and original member Pete Way is currently suffering from a liver disease and was unfortunately not available for the studio production.

“All those who have been into UFO for a long time will find all our characteristic trademarks on The Visitor, and anybody new to the band will be impressed by our enthusiasm and dynamism,” frontman Phil Mogg enthuses on the subject of the new songs.

"The Visitor" sees the band benefiting especially from their collaboration with Vinnie Moore, who joined UFO in autumn 2003 and has made an excellent impression on the albums, "You Are Here" (2004) and "The Monkey Puzzle" (2006), and on the band’s tours.

Mogg: “Without running down previous UFO lineups - it’s been a long time since we had a team as strong as this one. Vinnie contributes his youthful energy and amazing guitar technique, and in Andy’s return we’ve seen the reappearance of a musician who has always been very important to the band’s original sound.”

Naturally the band will embark on a major world tour this year. Concert dates will be announced soon, and appearances at the Rock Hard festival at the end of May and the Wacken Open Air at the beginning of August 2009 in Germany have been confirmed.

Deep Purple Made In Japan Film Unearthed

According to Deep Purple fan-site The Highway Star, Deep Purple's Made In Japan concerts were filmed. At least in part. Seven reels of silent 8mm footage filmed at Deep Purple’s famous August 1972 Japanese concerts have been found. Rumors of such film have persisted for years, and now their existence has been verified.

Audio recordings of these three concerts formed the basis of the legendary Made In Japan album released in 1973 and the Live In Japan 3CD released in 1993.

Read more of the The Highway Star report here.

Bad Company Feel Like Makin' a Comeback

Bad Company, (Paul Rodgers, Mick Ralphs and Simon Kirke), are planning to reunite for a tour this year. Dates for the trek will be announced shortly. A DVD capturing the group's last reunion performance -- a one-off Aug. 8, 2008, concert in Hollywood, Fla. -- will be released soon.

In other news, Bad Company's "Can't Get Enough," as well as songs by Queen, the Police and Steppenwolf, will appear in the We Rock: Drum King video game, scheduled to hit stores in May.

For more info go to the official Bad Company web site at this location.

Johnny Winter And The Allman Brothers Band Cruisin' Down Highway 61

On Tuesday, March 10th, legendary blues rock guitarist Johnny Winter sat in with The Allman Brothers Band on the second night of their 15 show residency at New York's Beacon Theatre. Here's a smokin' version of Bob Dylan's classic "Highway 61 Revisited", captured from the Moogis.com webcasts.

One can still subscribe to the live webcasts and access past shows on demand at http://www.moogis.com./

Guests who have sat in with the ABB thus far during the first three shows besides Winter have included blues greats Buddy Guy and Taj Mahal, Trey Anastasio and Phil McConnell of Phish and Cesar Rojas and David Hildalgo of Los Lobos, with many, many more to come.

To read our exclusive interview with Butch Trucks of The Allman Brothers Band regarding the Beacon shows go to this location.

Riding That Blues Train With Seasick Steve

Pollstar is reporting that the 2009 Brit Awards are over and all is right with the world. Kanye West walked away with the international male solo artist prize, quelling any histrionics. He had tough competition, too, in Neil Diamond, Beck, Jay-Z and Seasick Steve.

That’s right: Seasick Steve.

It’s forgivable for Stateside readers to be puzzled. However, by his own account, Seasick Steve performed at more festivals in the U.K. last summer than any other performer.

He’s a product of Tennessee but lives overseas. His grizzled look and three-string guitar have made him a star in a land filled with the sweet sounds of Katie Melua and the pulsing beats of techno.

Dave Kaplan of The Agency Group is one of the recent converts. Kaplan, who has booked The White Stripes from inception, was hanging out with the band’s manager, Ian Montone, at a U.K. festival. They were packed into a tent with tens of thousands, watching a guy in overalls play a beat-up guitar.

Kaplan chatted with Seasick Steve afterward.

“He started telling us about this time he hopped a train,” Kaplan told Pollstar. “He was at a recording studio in Nashville, and he said the train was moving so slowly, he figured he could get on it. He was very engaging, very funny.”

One thing led to another and now the bluesman is expected to head Stateside in May for some club dates and maybe some festivals. But Kaplan knows it’s “early days” for Steve, who’s still looking for a U.S. record label and its marketing power.

As for touring the U.S., Steve said he’s ready.

“I don’t wanna kill myself doing it, but I'll give it my best shot,” he told Pollstar.

And that’s all we could get out of him. Steve was in London, recovering from an illness that temporarily cost him his voice, so he had to communicate through his manager, Andy Zammit. Then it was off to Australia for some R&R.

“Going to America is a whole different ballgame because he had a heart attack about six years ago,” Zammit told Pollstar. “He values his life more than his career. … He does as much as he can. We’re at that transition point at the moment. It’s been U.K., Benelux, Australia and all of a sudden, in the past few months, everybody wants a slice of the action.”

So, who is this guy? To understand his newfound popularity, it’s best to start at the beginning.

Receiving only a few words from the man born Steven Gene Wold is fitting because his story has a mythical quality. He spent years as a transient, was friends with Janis Joplin and Joni Mitchell, and recorded indie bands, including Modest Mouse, in Olympia, Wash. He won’t tell his age out of superstition.

Basically, Wold was taught guitar at age 8 by an elderly black man who worked at his grandfather’s garage. When Steve was a teenager, a rift with his stepfather led to years of hitchhiking and hopping freight trains. He worked as a carnie, roofer, short-order cook, shoe salesman and carpenter, all the while playing cover music in bars.

His wife asked him in 2001 to move with her back to her native Norway, and Steve left behind his Olympia recording career. That’s nothing Steve wasn’t used to: The couple has lived in 59 houses over a span of 27 years, according to the musician.

Steve put together a trio called Seasick Steve & The Level Devils – he had acquired the nickname after getting sick on a ferry traveling from Norway to Denmark. The trio played some gigs and even put out a record, but the 2004 heart attack halted everything.

To keep Steve active, his wife asked him to record an album for her. Steve set up a four-track and two mics in the kitchen. The result found its way to Zammit, who distributed it on his one-man label, Bronzerat.

Meanwhile, the producers for Jools Holland’s “Annual Hootenanny” saw Steve at a soundcheck. That led to an appearance on New Year’s Eve, 2006.

“Things just went crazy as soon as that show finished; he became an overnight hit, I guess,” said Zammit, who quickly took on management duties. “I did everything by default. I booked his first tour in March. Just before that we got an agent [Mick Griffiths] because it was so obvious to everybody that Seasick Steve would be a huge festival hit.

“We played pretty much every festival you could imagine. We did the same thing the following year and that was that.”
Seasick Steve has two gold records in the U.K. Meanwhile, he’s sold out Royal Albert Hall.

“We’re taking it one step at a time and playing wherever we can,” Zammit said. “He’s big in Belgium – whatever that means! We’re just going inch by inch, taking it at a leisurely pace.”

Deep Purple Vocalist Ian Gillan Preps First Solo Album In 12 Years

`One Eye To Morocco` will be legendary Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan’s first solo album of new material in over a decade.

Gillan’s last album was 'Dreamcatcher' from 1997, but in 2006 he released a re-recorded collection of songs from each of his musical eras called ‘Gillan’s Inn’.

'One Eye To Morocco' was written during gaps in the most recent Deep Purple world tour.

The title is a reference to being cross-eyed. The full expression is “to have one eye to Morocco and another to Caucasus”.

The album will be released on March 23rd.

Deep Purple will return to active duty in November.

Status Quo Loses Trademark Tail

Francis Rossi has finally chopped off his famous ponytail.

The Status Quo star said he felt the time had come to get rid of it as it was beginning to 'look ridiculous'.

Rossi, 59, has had the same look for 35 years and first grew his trademark locks in the 1970s as the band were becoming famous around the world.

He said: "It looked fabulous - I felt like a fashion icon."

But he admitted that as his hair started to thin, it was finally time to get rid of it.

Speaking to the Sun, he said: "In the past few years my hair has got so thin that there's not enough to work into a decent ponytail.

'A few weeks ago it dawned on me that I looked ridiculous. So I decided to forget about clinging to my youth and it was time to grow old gracefully.

'When it came off I was horrified to look at these six inches of wizened grey strands.
'I realized I must have looked really stupid.'

Rossi, who co-founded Status Quo with Rick Parfitt, said his wife Eileen approved of his new look.

He added: 'Samson lost his strength when his hair was chopped off - I hope this doesn’t mean I’ve lost the ability to play my one chord.'

Status Quo embark on a 31-date winter tour of the UK from November this year including a date at Wembley Arena on December 12.

Mick Fleetwood To Get 'Blue Again' March 17th

Revisiting the blues and the blues-oriented classic songs of Fleetwood Mac, iconic rock drummer and band co-founder Mick Fleetwood has assembled a hand-picked quartet of musicians, The Mick Fleetwood Blues Band, who've created this stunning new live recording, due out March 17th in the U.S. via 429 Records.

Equal parts blues rave-up and loving homage to the early incarnation of Fleetwood Mac,'Blue Again' is a showcase for Fleetwood, who has teamed up on this recording with guitarist and lead vocalist Rick Vito, bassist Lenny Castellanos and keyboardist Mark Johnstone. This powerhouse blues project features versions of early Peter Green-penned hits such as 'Black Magic Woman,' 'Albatross' and 'Rattlesnake Shake' as well as original material composed by Rick Vito (with a rollicking version of Elmore James' 'Shake Your Moneymaker' included for good measure).

Produced by Mick Fleetwood and Rick Vito, Blue Again' was recorded live at the Sheldon Concert Hall in St. Louis, Missouri in February of 2008. The immaculate recording gives the songs a vibrant, modern immediacy which transcends easy nostalgia. Says Fleetwood in the liner notes: "Over my career I've been called a pop star and a rock star, yet in my inner heart, I will always be part bluesman. On my journey from blues to a life of rock n roll, I've always remembered where I started."

'Blue Again' is both an original musical tour de force and a respectful tribute to Fleetwood Mac (in the midst of celebrating their 40th Anniversary), initiated by the sole member of the band to be in every incarnation from the beginning.

A companion DVD is scheduled for release in Fall 2009.

Legendary Santana/Journey Founding Member Gregg Rolie to Release Live DVD

You've heard his voice and keyboards on such classic Santana hits as “Black Magic Woman", “Evil Ways", “No One To Depend On", “Everybody's Everything" and “Oye Como Va", now legendary Santana / Journey founding member, and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Gregg Rolie is preparing to release a DVD of his band in concert at the Sturgis Motorcycle Ralley in 2007. Shot with 17 cameras, the Gregg Rolie Band whip up an exciting memorable performance featuring all the beloved Santana hits, as well as tracks from his 2001 critically acclaimed solo CD 'Roots'..

Along with preparations for the new DVD release, Gregg Rolie will be featured on the PBS special Trini Lopez Presents The Legends of Latin Music. Filmed at the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles last October, the program will be aired in March 2009. Celebrating its 40th Anniversary, this year Warner Home Video will be releasing a Blu-ray and DVD Ultimate Collector's Edition with high definition picture and sound of 'Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music', which will also feature two hours of bonus material, some of it newly-discovered. Much to the elation of fans worldwide, extra footage of Santana's historic Woodstock performance will be included. Held at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas on Saturday March 23, along with Santana alumni Michael Shrieve, Gregg will reside on a discussion panel of performers, filmakers and key technicians who helped create the timeless music classic and Oscar winning 'Best Documentary' Woodstock.

“The first time I played with Gregg everything just clicked. In a humble way, it was very much like McCartney and Lennon. You know when there's chemistry there. Drummers came and went; congeros came and went, but his feeling and my feeling...sometimes it was hard to tell who was the needle and who was the thread." Carlos Santana

Gregg Rolie is responsible for co-founding two phenomenally popular, multi-platinum super groups - Santana and Journey. In 1998, the world class keyboardist/vocalist/producer was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame as part of the original Santana band. Formed in San Francisco in 1969, the multi-cultural ensemble produced three groundbreaking hit albums which yeilded several FM staples. “There's one unique ability of the band," Gregg told music critic Ben Fong-Torres, “and that was that it created music that there is no name for... Santana's music is such a jell of different material that there just is no name for it, and there's no one that plays it like Santana does." Departing after the pioneering jazz fusion offering 'Caravansarai' in 1972, both band members Gregg Rolie and Neal Schon went on to form quintessential 1980s hit-makers Journey. After co-writing and producing the band's first 7 albums, along with constant touring, Gregg decided to leave Journey once the hugely successful 1981 live double LP 'Captured' was issued. During the '80s Rolie wrote, produced and played on the Santana albums 'Shango' and 'Freedom', and released his debut, self-titled 1985 solo album and its 1987 follow-up 'Gringo', before co-founding the all-new Journey-esque rock group The Storm at the tail end of the decade. The Storm released two albums: 92s eponymous disc that yielded the #13 Billboard Hot 100 hit “Ive Got A Lot To Learn About Love" and 96s 'Eye Of the Storm'. That same year, Rolie, along with five other original Santana members, formed Abraxas Pool, a spirited collaboration that resulted in the 1997 critically acclaimed album of the same name.

Thirty-five years after Gregg and Carlos met in San Francisco, 2001 marked the release of Rolie's third solo album 'Roots'. The first-ever release on Bay-Area based Tower Records' new proprietary label 33rd Street, 'Roots' finds Gregg revisiting the incredible brew of sounds he helped conjure up in the late 60's. Rolie calls Roots' twelve original selections “Latin rock plus"; the instrumentation is Latin percussion, with organ, guitar, horns, and lots of great solo work and songwriting", adding that “I really wanted to go all the way back to my Santana roots".

The Gregg Rolie Band consists of founding Santana member Michael Carabello on Congas, Adrian Areas (son of original Santana percussionist Jose Chepi to Areas) on Timbales, drummer Ron Wikso (who was also in The Storm), Kurt Griffey on guitars, internationally acclaimed bassist, Chapman Stick artist and Santana alumni Alphonso Johnson and former Jean Luc Ponty keyboardist Wally Minko. “If you are having a good time at anything you do, you are going to do a good job at what you do," Gregg recently told music critic Jim Harrington. “That's really where the key to this band is. We really just enjoy each other a tremendous amount and have a lot of fun with this. We will get up to playing about 50 dates a year, and really that's about all I want to do." The Gregg Rolie Band will be performing throughout 2009 with tour dates listed on his official website.

http://www.greggrolie.com/

Gregg Rolie with Carlos Santana 2007

Roger Daltrey Slams Animal Loving Public

Roger Daltrey has criticized the public for donating money to animal charities and not young cancer patients.
The Who legend said he was amazed that many people donate their money to help mistreated animals but ignore human plight and suffering.

He said: "It is a blot on our society when, if these teenagers had four legs and fur or feathers we would raise the money in a year.

"It's tragic and it makes me want to fight even harder."


The rocker set up the Teenage Cancer Trust foundation in 2000, which raises money for specialist care units to treat young adults battling life-threatening illnesses.

He also organizes annual benefit concerts to fund the organization.

The Answer Storm Into UK Charts

Northern Irish blues rockers The Answer have stormed the UK midweek top 20 with their 2nd album 'Everyday Demons’ to both rapturous critical and fan response, reaching #11 on the album charts. The new UK album comes quickly after the January success in Japan when 'Everyday Demons’ entered the international Japanese album charts at number 8.

The band are successfully supporting AC/DC on the European leg of the Black Ice tour and
The Answer are also pleased to announce that they will be main support on all of the AC/DC European and UK stadium shows across the summer. (Wembley, Hampden Park and Punchestown, Dublin)

Moogis, Skydog And The Beacon Theatre : An Exclusive Interview With Butch Trucks Of The Allman Brothers Band

Born in Jacksonville, Florida in 1947, Butch Trucks is a true musical pioneer. As a co-founder of The Allman Brothers Band in 1969, the drummer, nicknamed "The Freight Train", laid down a powerful conventional beat which has been an integral part of the band's sound since the beginning. A sound which was not only original, but also was the principal blueprint for the whole Southern rock genre, paving the way for Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Marshall Tucker Band, Molly Hatchet and seemingly countless others throughout the 70's.

The original lineup, which besides Trucks included the brothers, vocalist/keyboardist Gregg and guitarist Duane Allman, guitarist Dickie Betts, bassist Berry Oakley and fellow drummer/percussionist Jaimoe Johanson, broke onto the rock scene with their unique blend of blues rock, jazz, hard rock and country when they released their self-titled debut album, which received great critical acclaim upon arrival. Although there have been triumphs and tragedies, trials and tribulations, break-ups and reunions, the band, now with Trucks' nephew Derek on slide guitar, continues to leave spellbound audiences to the present day.

The band's influence is still felt to this very day, with modern day jam bands picking up the torch and drawing inspiration from a band who in 1971 Rolling Stone Magazine hailed as "the best damn rock and roll band" of "the past five years." High praise indeed considering at the time legendary acts such as The Rolling Stones, The Who and Led Zeppelin were still in their prime. Besides that bestowment, they had the unique distinction of having all 4 of their primary guitarists tabbed by the magazine on their 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time list in 2003. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 1995, their legacy as one of the finest bands of all time is safe and secure.

In 1989, when the band reunited for the second time, after a seven year hiatus in the wake of the massive success of the 'Dreams' box set, they initiated an annual tradition by playing a series of shows at New York City's historic Beacon Theatre. The tradition is known as the "Beacon Run" among fans, who travel from across the United States, Canada and Western Europe to see these annual March and April shows.

After a year's absence due to the cancellation of the 2008 run while band leader Gregg Allman recovered from a bout with hepatitis C, the band is back to business with a 15 show residency. This year, the rock legends celebrate their 40th Anniversary with an impressive list of legendary musical guests, the likes of which, although still kept under wraps, are, in Trucks' words, "taking a quantum leap" from previous years. Rock legends such as Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones' Ronnie Wood, and even former co- founding guitarist Dickie Betts, among others, have been speculated as being just a few of the high profile artists possibly appearing -- all to pay homage to the band's late founding guitarist Duane Allman, who tragically died in a motorcycle accident October 29, 1971 at the age of 24.

This year's run also is pushing the boundaries for another reason. Through Trucks' new venture Moogis, the Allman Brothers' entire residency, March 9th - 28th, will be streamed live on the Internet via a subscription service. Paying members of the community-based site can not only watch the shows live as they happen, but be able to revisit them on demand, along with other exclusive video and audio from past shows, for a six month period. This concept has been done before, but never by a major band to this extent, proving they continue to break new ground, not only musically but on a technical level as well. Not surprising when taking into consideration that they were quite possibly the first major rock band to have a web site, being open to the possibilities of the then - emergent technology at an early stage.

Recently I caught up with Trucks at home in Florida, where we discussed the Moogis webcasts, the upcoming Beacon Theatre shows, Duane Allman, the future of The Allman Brothers Band and much more. Read on as we have an exclusive conversation with founding member of The Allman Brothers Band and member of the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame, Butch Trucks....

Click here for the exclusive interview.

Austin's Arc Angels To Take Flight Again

Arc Angels, the Austin, Texas-based all-star group formed in the wake of Stevie Ray Vaughn's death, are ready to take full flight again. After playing together periodically during the past seven years, the band plans to release a DVD this year, tour extensively -- including two appearances during this month's South By Southwest music festival and a May run with Eric Clapton in England -- and start work in its first album in 17 years.

"We feel like we have unfinished business here, and it always feels right when we're together," guitarist Doyle Bramhall II tells Billboard.com. "The chemistry is sort of undeniable when we get together. We really enjoy playing with one another." Arc Angels formed during the early '90s, following fellow Texas hero Stevie Ray Vaughan's Aug. 27, 1990 death a helicopter crash in East Troy, Wisc. Vaughan's Double Trouble Rhythm Section -- drummer Chris Layton and bassist Tommy Shannon -- joined forces with Bramhall and Charlie Sexton at the Austin Rehearsal Center (ARC), which gave the group its name. But after one well-received album, 1992's "Arc Angels," the group broke up in 1994 -- partly, Bramhall acknowledges, due to his heroin addiction.

Bramhall says the DVD, which includes concert footage shot in 2005 during concerts at Stubb's and Antone's in Austin as well as a documentary, will offer a frank look at Arc Angels rise, fall and rebirth. "It just sort of blew up very quickly," he explains. "We were having a lot of success rapidly, and there was a lot of stress created by that. And I was at the time very into self-sabotage, so it was sort of doomed from the beginning, unfortunately."

Bramhall will be stepping away from his current employer, Eric Clapton, to play with Arc Angels this spring and summer. The group is also recording a pair of new songs for the DVD, and it plans to return to the studio in the fall. "We're going to write as much as we can...over the next four, five months and see what we have at the end of the summer," Bramhall says. "We're all really happy. There's not that many opportunities in bands to get that kind of second chance to actually see it through, 'cause most people don't get along by this point. We've all become really great friends and just want to go out and tour and see where we can take this."

Back To The Garden? Woodstock 40th Anniversary Festivals Set For New York And Berlin

Classic Rock Magazine is reporting that The Woodstock Festival is due to return this year to celebrate its 40th anniversary.

Woodstock is going to hit both New York and Berlin in August 2009. According to promoter Michael Lang, the New York festival will take place exactly on the 40th anniversary, August 15-16th, while the Berlin event will be from August 22-23rd at an abandoned airport. The exact location for the U.S. festival has not been determined as of yet and neither have the acts set to fit the bill.

Hailed as the ultimate “peace and love” festival in 1969, this reputation was turned on its head after the violence and riots that were supposedly incited by bands such as Limp Bizkit, Insane Clown Posse and Kid Rock when the festival returned for its 30th anniversary show in 1999.

Regardless, the organizers have claimed they wish to recruit more of the headliners from the original 1969 line-up, namely The Grateful Dead, The Who and Santana.

Full Album Stream Of Thin Lizzy's 'Still Dangerous' Available Online

“STILL DANGEROUS : THIN LIZZY - LIVE AT THE TOWER THEATRE, PHILADELHIA, 1977”, out today March 3rd, via VH1 Classic Records is the raw, unadulterated, untouched sound of Thin Lizzy at the absolute height of their powers.

Recorded on the band's sell out 1977 “Bad Reputation” tour, “Still Dangerous” captures the classic quartet of Lynott, Downey, Gorham and Robertson on fire at the celebrated Tower Theatre in Philadelphia.

The album features tracks that never made the “Live & Dangerous” release and all cuts are previously unreleased. The album was mixed by the legendary Glyn Johns (The Rolling Stones, The Who, The Eagles, Led Zeppelin), with contributions from Scott Gorham and Brian Downey.

“Still Dangerous” is the definitive live statement from one of rock's most revered and enduring groups. The recordings that make up “Still Dangerous” were discovered by accident in an overlooked band lockup - a happy accident for Thin Lizzy fans and music fans in general as it is set to become an essential addition to the legacy of one of rocks greatest ever acts. The album is fully endorsed by Phil Lynott's estate and the band.

A full album stream can be accessed at the location below :


http://www.spinner.com/new-releases#/15