MICHAEL MONROE (HANOI ROCKS) has been invited to support Slash at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland on Tuesday, February 19th. After a long and respectable career Michael Monroe embodies the energy of rock and roll with his electric and passionate performances. Slash, himself has admitted to being a Michael Monroe fan: “Michael Monroe is one of THE great rock and roll front-men. He’s also a good man and a good friend.”
One of the most important rock icons, Slash earned his place as one of history’s greatest guitar heroes 25 years ago on the GUNS N’ ROSES debut Appetite For Destruction. One of Guns N’ Roses’ idols was Hanoi Rocks with Michael Monroe as their leading figure before his solo career. The last time Slash played in Finland was in Ruisrock 2010 where Michael Monroe also appeared as a guest star during his set. Michael Monroe is currectly finishing a new album, due to be released in the spring. In addition to Monroe his band includes bassist Sami Yaffa, guitarists Steve Conte and Dregen and drummer Karl Rockfist.
Slash has blasted Scott Weiland for claiming in various interviews that he was going to be rejoining VELVET REVOLVER, saying, “None of us have a clue what he’s talking about… We’re not buying it.”
Weiland recently said that he thought it was “the perfect time for VELVET REVOLVER to get back together,” telling Rolling Stone magazine, “I am completely open to it, and I know there are other guys in the band that are completely open to it.”
VELVET REVOLVER has been without a singer and on more or less permanent hiatus since Weiland was dismissed from the band in April 2008. He rejoined STONE TEMPLE PILOTS at that time and has toured constantly and cut one album with them.
In an interview in the new issue of Classic Rock, Slash was reluctant to address Weiland‘s recent comments, saying “I don’t even want to give him this attention, to tell you the truth.”
He added: “I think at this point Scott just got fired from STP and I think he’s trying to pull off that trick of trying to get something else going on, and we’re not buying it. The door’s shut on this side and it’s probably shut on that side too, so he’s on his own. And he deserves it, too.”
Slash continued: “Scott is completely speaking out of his ass [about the VELVET REVOLVER reunion]. Nobody at this end has had any conversations with Scott on this subject, except maybe [VELVET REVOLVER guitarist] Dave Kushner, because he was the only one in the band who was really close to him. And all things considered, we don’t have a good professional relationship with Scott.
“And it also pisses me off because he’s put STP through so much shit over the years, and put us through shit too when we were working with him. In 2008, that was all over with, so at this point, when he starts coming up with this stuff, it’s like, whatever.”
The guitarist said he is in a good frame of mind these days and he had no intention of bringing a begative influence like Weiland back into his life. “It’s been great,” Slash said. “It’s basically since I got my shit together and stopped touring with Scott. Even if I didn’t have my solo thing going on, I still wouldn’t work with him.”
VELVET REVOLVER did reunite with Weiland for a four-song set in January 2011 at a Los Angeles tribute concert for late songwriter John O’Brien (see video below), but the band has otherwise remained inactive.
Sharon Osbourne, in partnership with Japanese promoter Hayashi International Promotion (H.I.P.), recently announced the first-ever Ozzfest Japan. The two-day festival will debut Saturday, May 11th and Sunday, May 12th, 2013 at the Makuhari Messe Arena, just outside of Tokyo, and will feature headlining performances from BLACK SABBATH – featuring Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler and Tony Iommi – and SLIPKNOT. Other confirmed acts include: TOOL, DEFTONES, SLASH and STONE SOUR. The official Ozzfest Japan promotional poster can be seen below:
“We are excited for the opportunity to bring Ozzfest to Japan for the first time ever,” says Sharon Osbourne. “We’ve got the perfect combination of Western and Japanese bands. Ozzfest is also thrilled to be presenting Black Sabbath’s first-ever performance in Japan.”
Despite Japan reigning as the second largest music market in the world, Ozzfest Japan 2013 will represent the first major international music festival to ever travel to the country.
“We are thrilled to open a new chapter for this legendary festival in Japan,” H.I.P. President Massy Hayashi says of the significance of bringing Ozzfest to Japan. “I think it will be the perfect chance to bring together the very best international rock music and also give us a chance to show how far Japanese rock has come in recent years.”
According to 7daysindubai.com, guitar legend SLASH (VELVET REVOLVER, ex-GUNS N’ ROSES) will perform in Dubai next month with MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS.
The gig is on Thursday, January 31 at Dubai Tennis Stadium and will be part of the closing weekend of the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) 2013.
Organised by M4 Events and DSF 2013, tickets for the gig cost Dhs300 or Dhs500 and are available from Virgin Megastore, Time Out, Platinum List, Box Office ME, Dobazaar and selected ENOC/EPPCO stations and Zoom Stores, or call 050 284 2020.
Slash has revealed via Twitter that he has recorded a song over the weekend for the first horror film from the guitarist’s production company, Slasher Films, called “Nothing To Fear”. “Myles [Kennedy, singer of Slash's solo band and ALTER BRIDGE] did a fantastic vocal,” Slash added. “[It sounds] haunting/creepy as hell.”
Anthony Leonardi III, a creature artist and storyboard artist who worked on “Rango” and “47 Ronin”, is directing the movie, which began shooting in May in Louisiana.
Slash told The Pulse Of Radio that he’s looking forward to seeing how “Nothing To Fear” turns out. “It’s [a] really good production team, the special effects people are great, the cast is great, the story’s great — everything’s great about it,” he said. “And it will be interesting to see where this particular one, how it comes out and where it goes, ’cause we’re planning on doing two a year.”
“Nothing To Fear” has already been picked up for distribution by Anchor Bay Entertainment.
The movie is the first of a proposed series of horror films produced by Slash‘s company, which he launched last year in partnership with two other producers.
“Nothing To Fear” is based on an actual town in Kansas, which, according to legend, is one of the seven gateways to Hell.
The company has three other films in development, including “Wake The Dead”, which based on the graphic novels by Steven Niles, with Haley Joel Osment playing Victor Franklin, a college student experimenting with reversing death.
Slash described “Wake The Dead” in an interview as “basically a modern, young Frankenstein story about a brilliant college student who’s discovered how to animate dead tissue — but he’s a teenager so he goes overboard.”
With only two shows remaining in 2012, SLASH Featuring MYLES KENNEDY And The Conspirators, have revealed the first portion of their 2013 tour schedule in support of Apocalyptic Love. Confirmed dates are as follows:
November
27 – Sports Palace – Mexico City, Mexico
December
2 – The Wiltern – Los Angeles, CA
February
2 – Küçükçiftlik Park – Istanbul, Turkey
4 – Festivalna Hall – Sofia, Bulgaria
5 – Sala Palatului – Bucharest, Romania
7 – Pet?fi Csarnok – Budapest, Hungary
8 – Hala Tivoli – Ljubljana, Slovenia
10 – Gasometer – Vienna, Austria
11 – Lucerna Music Bar – Prague, Czech Republic
13 – Spodek – Katowice, Poland
14 – Zalgiris Arena – Kaunas, Lithuania
16 – Arena Moscow – Moscow, Russian Federation
17 – A2 Club – Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
19 – Hartwall Arena – Helsinki, Finland
21 – Rockefeller – Oslo, Norway
22 – Annex – Stockholm, Sweden
24 – Falconer Theatre – Copenhagen, Denmark
25 – 013 Tilburg – Tilburg, Netherlands
28 – Nottingham Arena – Nottingham, United Kingdom
March
1 – Blackpool Empress – Blackpool, United Kingdom
Source Bravewords.com SLASH bassist TODD KERNS – who also fronts SIN CITY SINNERS – has written a new blog titled, Seared Bullocks a la Jalapenos; an excerpt follows:
“This is my first blog of the South American tour. I managed to get a couple out in Europe but our life here in Latin America is the most beautiful form of chaos. You will never see such passion as you do from the people down here. Their love of music is vocal and hot and everywhere. We are trapped in 5 star prison cells as security strongly, strongly recommends we not venture beyond the controlled chaos of the hotel or the venue. That is not a complaint in the least. Small price to pay to share your passion with people who wear it so openly.
Crowds of people at the airports. Crowds of people at the hotels. An explosion of voice, punishing heat and passion at the shows. It is overwhelming to say the least. In the most wonderful way imaginable.
So after riding wave after wave of the highest of highs we find ourselves in North America once again, albeit the southern most part. A torturous overnight flight from Buenos Aires to Caracas due to political unrest (not your normal touring complications) had us punch drunk. Add to that a 5 am lobby call the following day (after tearing down Caracas with Rock n Roll no less) to get ourselves to Mexico and you are looking at a traveling circus of zombies.
Zombie circus. That actually sounds interesting. Would the zombies do tricks? I don’t see them having the coordination for tight rope walking though I suppose watching the undead fall to their undeaths brings an entertainment of its own.”
Sharon Osbourne, in partnership with Japanese promoter Hayashi International Promotion (H.I.P.), recently confirmed the first-ever Ozzfest Japan. The two-day festival will debut Saturday, May 11th and Sunday, May 12th, 2013 at the Makuhari Messe Arena, just outside of Tokyo, and will feature headlining performances from BLACK SABBATH – featuring Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler and Tony Iommi – and SLIPKNOT.
Newly confirmed for Ozzfest Japan are TOOL, DEFTONES, SLASH and STONE SOUR.
“We are excited for the opportunity to bring Ozzfest to Japan for the first time ever,” says Sharon Osbourne. “We’ve got the perfect combination of Western and Japanese bands. Ozzfest is also thrilled to be presenting Black Sabbath’s first-ever performance in Japan.”
The inaugural Ozzfest Japan lineup will be co-headlined by Grammy Award-winning multi-platinum rockers Slipknot, who last performed in Japan in 2008. The remaining acts on the festival’s lineup will be revealed later this year, and according to organizers it will feature performances from a dynamic mix of international and domestic bands with the goal of establishing Ozzfest Japan as the leader in the Japanese rock festival market.
Despite Japan reigning as the second largest music market in the world, Ozzfest Japan 2013 will represent the first major international music festival to ever travel to the country.
“We are thrilled to open a new chapter for this legendary festival in Japan,” H.I.P. President Massy Hayashi says of the significance of bringing Ozzfest to Japan. “I think it will be the perfect chance to bring together the very best international rock music and also give us a chance to show how far Japanese rock has come in recent years.”
As of November 1st, ticket prices are as follows: single-day tickets are JPY 14,000, weekend passes are JPY 27,000, weekend passes including an official festival t-shirt are JPY 30,000. All prices include consumption tax, box office commission and ticket printing fees.
Check out a message about the fest from Ozzy, below:
The Indendent recently conducted an interview with legendary guitarist Slash (VELVET REVOLVER, GUNS N’ ROSES). A few excerpts from the chat follow below.
On pop singer Adele:
Slash: “She’s great. She’s a shot in the arm for this industry. She writes her own music that’s not at all contrived. And she’s managed to sell loads of records which makes her a great example to the younger artists. Like Amy Winehouse, she’s organic and real. It’s great to have that happen at this moment when everybody else is so synthetic.”
On his opinion that much of the best music lately has come from British women:
Slash: “Amy Winehouse was great. God bless her. She was one of the purest artists to come out for a long time. Most of those who have come out are female; it’s not the male-dominated rock and roll icons of my generation. It’s refreshing.”
On GUNS N’ ROSES:
Slash: “I still look back on it being the ultimate pre-adult, post-adolescent experience. But I simply don’t think you and I would be speaking had I tried to carry on. I’m a pretty durable survivor and I’m fortunate to be here anyway. But I think if I’d kept trying to negotiate that existence, I wouldn’t be here.”
On his children, London, 9, and Cash, 7:
Slash: “I want to make sure that I instil in my children some of the values that kept me grounded growing up. In the midst of all the drugs and the booze and the chicks, no matter how crazy I have been, there was always a decorum and set of manners. A lot of that came from my parents and wider family.”
Slash has revealed via Facebook that he is “going into the studio tonight” to work on the score for the first horror film from the guitarist’s production company, Slasher Films, called “Nothing To Fear”. “It’s really coming together,” Slash added. “Sounds awesome so far.”
Anthony Leonardi III, a creature artist and storyboard artist who worked on “Rango” and “47 Ronin”, is directing the movie, which began shooting in May in Louisiana.
Slash told The Pulse Of Radio that he’s looking forward to seeing how “Nothing To Fear” turns out. “It’s [a] really good production team, the special effects people are great, the cast is great, the story’s great — everything’s great about it,” he said. “And it will be interesting to see where this particular one, how it comes out and where it goes, ’cause we’re planning on doing two a year.”
“Nothing To Fear” has already been picked up for distribution by Anchor Bay Entertainment.
The movie is the first of a proposed series of horror films produced by Slash‘s company, which he launched last year in partnership with two other producers.
“Nothing To Fear” is based on an actual town in Kansas, which, according to legend, is one of the seven gateways to Hell.
The company has three other films in development, including “Wake The Dead”, which based on the graphic novels by Steven Niles, with Haley Joel Osment playing Victor Franklin, a college student experimenting with reversing death.
Slash described “Wake The Dead” in an interview as “basically a modern, young Frankenstein story about a brilliant college student who’s discovered how to animate dead tissue — but he’s a teenager so he goes overboard.”
