Rush’s bassist vocalist Geddy Lee sits down and talks with special guest interviewer Montrealer/ actor Jay Baruchel in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on Nov 21, 2023 at Place Des Arts during his North American Book Tour 2023.
Rush’s Geddy Lee Reveals Hardest Song To Sing While Playing Bass Live- Book Tour Part 1
Rush’s Geddy Lee Reveals How The Song ‘La Villa Strangiato’ Was Written & Recorded-Book Tour Part 2
Rush’s Geddy Lee Says ‘Maybe I’ll Get Back To My Day Job’ – Book Tour Part 3
Geddy Lee In Conversation, a series of intimate dates across the UK and North America with legendary Rock ’n’ Roll Hall Of Famer Geddy Lee. The spoken word tour will see the Rush singer/bassist bring to life his forthcoming memoir My Effin’ Life, released on 14th November (HarperCollins).
The evening promises to be an extraordinary experience, a once-in-a-life-time event. After the curtain rises, Geddy Lee will give his fans a peek into the very fabric of his life: from a deep reflection into his family and childhood, to a steep dive into the history of Rush; from the determined pursuit of music, to the personal memories of his life-long friends and band-mates Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart.
Joined on stage by a special guest interviewer, Geddy Lee will be reading key passages from his forthcoming book My Effin’ Life; he will then share thoughts and stories taken from his experience. Furthermore, fans will then have the chance to participate in a special Q&A, with Geddy Lee answering their questions directly.
When asked about his memoir the legend comments: “Writing this book has meant spending so much time living in the past”. Lee continues: “I’ve never lived my life looking anywhere but forward, which is why I resisted doing this kind of thing for so long. Being in a band all those years was reassuring because it was an ongoing thing. It felt like it was forever. There was always unfinished business: the next record, the next set design, the next tour. It’s been the theme of my life. But you need a lot more determination to proceed in the world of music without the comfort of your bandmates, and I can only hope that finishing this book will release me to return to what I do and love best”.
Jimmy Kay from Canada’s The Metal Voice recently spoke to Lynch Mob and former Dokken guitarist George Lynch. In the interview Lynch explains Lynch Mob’s farewell retirement plans, Tour setlists and new album Babylon.
When asked about the current version of the Lynch Mob Band “It’s a killer version of the band, it’s solid so and I am afraid of this falling apart. So what we are doing is, this is going to be it. This is going to be the final version of the band. We will have this record (Babylon), we will go out and tour for a year, it will be our final ride and that will be it. We will go out on our terms rather than somebody steering away our singer or our bass player and having to start over. Ok here is the 27th version of Lynch Mob. So this will be the last version of Lynch Mob. Last tour, last record and that will be the final chapter and the end of the story. We will go out with a bang instead of a whimper. “
When asked if this is going to be a never ending farewell, like the Scorpions “This will be it, we put a date on it, the last show will be Monsters of Rock cruise 2025.”
When asked if Lynch Mob will tour with Dokken again or has that door been shut “It’s kind of run it’s course, yeah I think so. That’s fine. It was something I was pushing to do for many years and I have been proposing the idea with different agents I have had with over the decades. And I never found anyone to pick up the ball and run with it until I found my present agency which also represents Dokken. Don and I are on relatively good terms and so it worked. He agreed to it, so we went out. I always thought the competitive kind of thing, the story, back story, if people were aware of it would bring some interest and it worked and I think that is healthy. That is entertainment. “ When asked how truthful or exaggerated was it that he and Don Dokken could not get along over the years. “Well I’m not pointing any fingers that just generally human beings have a tendency, maybe to mimic the narrative. So you repeat a lie long enough it becomes the truth, not the truth . Listen I don’t have any problems with people, generally I am fine and I am also very forgiving if I do have problems with people, that is water under the bridge. Life is too short and too precious. I like people and I like making things work and fixing things. But not everybody feels the same way I do. “
When asked if Dokken’s guitarist Jon Levin guitar tone and sound is a compliment or insult as he kind of sounds like him “Somebody’s got to sound like me. I think that is the whole point of him, that is kind of what he is supposed to do. Insulting no. I feel it’s absolutely a compliment. I am not insulted by that.”
Frontiers Music Srl is pleased to announce the upcoming release of the newest studio album from Lynch Mob, “Babylon”. The band is known for their high energy, guitar driven, hard rock vibe, while featuring elements of classic rock, blues, and metal, with a propensity for improvisation. Joining revered guitarist and band founder George Lynch (The End Machine, The Banishment, ex-Dokken) for this newest Lynch Mob album are vocalist Gabriel Colón, bassist Jaron Gulino (Tantric, Heavens Edge), and drummer Jimmy D’anda (ex-Bulletboys).
“There’s been so many iterations of Lynch Mob since the first line-up in 1989 of Oni Logan, Mick Brown, Anthony Esposito, and myself. Putting Lynch Mob together was just an extension of what I’d always strived for in a band: the best possible musicians, chemistry, and brotherhood. My bands have not only been my best friends, but also family. When we come up together and work hard and struggle together, we create a bond that lasts a lifetime. I think that’s the thing I love the most about my musical journey…creating music in the studio, stepping on stage, and sharing that bond with my friends through music. Thank you to everyone who has been in my band. I really feel it’s ours”, says Lynch. Lynch Mob was formed in 1989 after George Lynch parted ways with his former band Dokken. Their debut release “Wicked Sensation” was met with critical and fan acclaim and went on to be certified gold in sales by the RIAA. The band would continue on through the years with a cast of talented players joining Lynch throughout their musical journey over the course of six more studio albums. “Babylon” is Lynch Mob’s eighth studio album overall and the first since 2017’s “The Brotherhood”.
“Babylon” tracklisting:
Erase
Time After Time
Caught Up
I’m Ready
How You Fall
Million Miles Away
Let It Go
Fire Master
The Synner
Babylon Time: 0.49.59
Line-up: Gabriel Colón: Vocals George Lynch: Guitars Jimmy D’anda: Drums Jaron Gulino: Bass
Canada’s The Metal Voice recently spoke to former Scorpions’ guitarist Uli Jon Roth about his Electric Sun re-issues, his new Book, Upcoming tours and new music.
Uli Jon Roth Was Asked if he will be releasing new music or a new album soon he replied,” I’ve been recording a lot, particularly recently in Cologne (Germany) at the Dierks studios where we did our Scorpions’ album and we made really good progress. So there are quite a few tracks in the making. Rather than a complete album, it will probably be chunks of three (songs) at a time. We are already playing three of those tracks on the next English tour.”
Uli Jon Roth is a pioneer, a visionary, and explorer who has put his 50-year career in the service of art and music. He is one of the most mentioned and most influential rock guitarists of modern times.
2023 is a very special year in the career of Uli – with a series of releases and touring planned. The year has already seen BMG reissues of the five seminal the Scorpions albums Uli was a part of – reinforcing the monumental legacy and trailblazing worldwide impact his tenure in that band exerted.
The first release is now set – Electric Son “Earthquake” being released in November 2023. The album was lovingly transferred from the original 2-track master tapes at Dierks Studios, the very place where all the iconic Scorpions albums came to life. Through painstaking precision, the sound quality has been restored, capturing and reviving its original vibe for a new generation of listeners. Further refining the sound quality, the albums were meticulously remastered by there renowned sound engineer, Dieter Wegener. The album will be release on Vinyl Gatefold and CD Mini Gatefold.
Electric Sun Reissue Tracklisting: 1. Electric Sun 2. Lilac 3. Burning Wheels Turning 4. Japanese Dream 5. Sundown 6. Winterdays 7. Still So Many Lives Away 8. Earthquake Bonus tracks: 9. JAM ‘Spirits Soar 1978 10. JAM ‘BETWEEN THE TIDES’ – 1978
Jimmy Kay from Canada’s The Metal Voice recently spoke to Hollywood filmmaker Penelope Spheeris about her documentaries (The Decline of Western Civilization, part 1-3) and her feature films (Wayne’s World etc..) as well as her upcoming documentary that was shelved for 20 years ‘We Sold Our Soul For Rock and Roll’ OzzFest.
When asked about the infamous scene in The Decline of Western Civilization Part 2: The Metal Years with Chris Holmes (W.A.S.P.) in the pool “I knew Chris before we did the movie obviously and I knew his mom and I asked her to come along because I got along with her and I liked her. Honestly when I was shooting that scene, I thought it was just no good, it didn’t work. And I took the cameraman behind a tree and I’m like dude we didn’t get it. We don’t have this scene. I asked Blackie (Lawless) if we could interview him and he didn’t want to do it cause he is too cool or something. I then went to the financier and said after the whole thing was over with I said can we re-shoot that scene cause it didn’t work. It is the scene in Decline 2 that everybody remembers and thinks of first. So you never know? “
When asked about Chris Holmes ‘claim that he was not directly paid for his participation in Decline part 2 documentary “I feel bad that I think he feels that we didn’t pay him. There was a club called FM Station over in the valley and a little while after we did the film I heard someone yelling my name and I turned around and it’s Chris and he is going, “hey Penelope how come you didn’t pay me for doing your movie? ” And I said, “I did pay you, you were too drunk to remember you got the check. ” That was the first time I heard that I thought he did not get paid. The thing is the director doesn’t pay the people in the movie. The production manager or the producers pay them. And every time we filmed the producers or production managers walked over and handed them (participants) a check. We have to do that or it’s not legal to even be filming them. So we did pay him. I wasn’t there but they said they paid him. What I would like to do is straighten it all out and that would be to pay him, again. Cause I don’t want him to feel bad or think that I gypped him or say bad things cause he thinks I’m a bad person, I’m not. I would be happy to pay him $300 dollars again, no problem. I’ve done well in this business so I’ll give Chris Holmes $300 dollars. I just don’t want him to feel bad. I like Chris.”
In a past interviews with Chris Holmes on The Metal Voice Holmes stated, “She (Penelope Spheeris) still owes me 300 bucks, Penelope Spheeris paid 300 bucks but it went to management (W.A.S.P.) not me. The deal was she called me personally and she should have paid me personally, so she still owes me 300 bucks. She called me up wanting to do another interview for the box set that is coming out. I told her if you want to pay me my 300 bucks I’ll think about it.”
Jimmy Kay and Alan Dixon of The Metal Voice recently spoke to Blackie Lawless of W.A.S.P. in a multi part series interview.
In part 3 Blackie discusses his religious convictions and songs, friendship with Ex-Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley and the use of backing tracks live.
Do you struggle with your religious convictions and the songs of your past “No, that’s all part of the growth period. Everybody does that. Anybody that really comes to Faith, it’s just all part of the growth process. It gives you contrast and I don’t mean to go into a Biblical analogy here but you’re literally going from the dark to the light but that creates that contrast. And from a writing perspective it really is a kind of a cool thing because it gives you a different way of looking at things. It enables me to get into more in-depth ideas. As a songwriter how many times and how long can you write songs about your girlfriend’s red high heel shoes before it starts to get a little mundane. It’s nice to have a fresh perspective. “
When asked about his connection with Ace Frehley of Kiss in his early years “We were just kids, I met him right around the time the band got started. It was just one of those things, more of a meeting of the minds. And you develop a friendship because they’re kindred spirits. So it was really no more than that. And we’ve been able to maintain that friendship for many many years.”
Then asked if they in the same gang together “No, let’s put it this way. I can remember him and I collecting Coke bottles to cash in for deposits and going and buying .25 cent beers at happy hours. So that gives you an idea how far it goes back.”
When asked if he is getting tired people asking him about W.A.S.P. using backing tracks live No. The conclusion that I came to was this. Up until about five years ago we did everything. It was literally a four-piece band. What you heard is what you got. And I came to the conclusion that when we did the anniversary tour for the Crimson Idol, we then brought in all that orchestration and I stood in the middle of the room and I listened to that in rehearsal for the first time and it was like an out-of- body experience. I mean it was unbelievable. And I remember thinking I’ve never heard this sound like this other than the record and I thought this is what I want to do from now on. I want this. I want it to sound exactly like the record. If you listen to a record like ‘Live at Leeds’ The Who. That’s a rock band doing a three-piece musical version of Tommy or some of the other earlier songs. It’s great for what it is but it doesn’t sound like Tommy. What they do now with all the pieces that they take out, those performances sound like the record. So you have to make a decision as an artist what do you want that performance to sound like? Now as a singer, I take a lot of pride in what I do. When you’ve been given a gift like I’ve been given most singers I know want to show that thing off and I’m no different. So yeah, that’s me singing out there but as far as any other Orchestra tracks or backing vocal tracks, I’m sorry there’s just not enough of us on stage to make it sound like that record it’s impossible. So again, the artist has to make the decision of what they want to sound like when they go out. And from that first time, like I said I, stood in the middle of the room and I listened to that orchestration, it blew me away and I thought this is what I’m doing from here on out.”
When asked about the meaning of half speed on the new W.A.S.P. The 7 Savage Box set “Well when they do half speed Masters that’s what we use to make the Press copies from in the factory. So in other words it is the closest thing to the original recording you’re ever going to hear. It’s the final product that we make that goes from the multitrack down to what’s called a half inch master and it’s a pristine copy.”
W.A.S.P. announce ‘The 7 Savage: 1984-1992’ deluxe 8LP boxset from their ‘Capitol Years’, with studio album half-speed mastering, LP of bonus tracks, 60 page book, posters and numbered certificate. The 7 Savage: 1984-1992 will be released Friday 27th October 2023 on Madfish and is strictly limited to 2000 copies worldwide.
Compiled with the full cooperation of Blackie Lawless, the box set also includes a 60-page book with exclusive and rare pictures from legendary metal photographers (including Ross Halfin, Tony Mottram, David Plastik and Paul Natkin), along with extensive liner notes from Amit Sharma (Kerrang!, Planet Rock). Also included is an exclusive Blackie Lawless poster, plus an individually numbered circular saw shaped certificate.
Jimmy Kay and Alan Dixon of The Metal Voice recently spoke to Blackie Lawless of W.A.S.P. in a multi part series interview.
In part 2 Blackie discusses the passing of former W.A.S.P. drummer Steve Riley, the PMRC hearings and free speech, plus gives an update on the progress of new W.A.S.P. album and a whole lot more’
When asked about the passing of former W.A.S.P. Drummer Steve Riley “I wrote a thing for him, the day that it happened because that came as a big shock to all of us because none of us saw that coming. When something like that is so sudden, it catches you flat-footed, there’s no other way to describe it. I lost my dad four years ago this month and in an 18 month period I lost 11 people and not one of them to COVID. It was just you know one thing after another and 11 people in that short period of time. I start thinking to myself what’s going on here? I mean this is a wave that personally I’d never seen before. And to be honest to write eulogies over and over again it gets it’s draining because one of the conclusions I came to and I don’t mean for this to sound insensitive but death sucks. There’s no other way to describe it. I learned and as a writer there’s no words that we have that we can say that we can assemble together to make sense out of those losses. It’s like love, they say love is the most beautiful of all frustrations because there’s no words to describe what it really is. Death is the same way, there are no words that we can assemble or group together that really is going to change what it is but what do you say to someone to comfort them. So like I said in Steve’s case that that caught us all flat-footed, we did not see that coming. I wrote that in that eulogy (Official Statement on social media). One of the things that I said in there is that those songs that he played on Wild Child, Blind in Texas, I Don’t Need No Doctor, those songs cemented our Legacy (W.A.S.P.) and he’s a big part of that.”
When asked if it was a mistake having just him on the album covers, from album two to three “No because that was a conscious decision. What happened Tony Richards (Drummer), was forcibly removed from the band and I don’t really like to use those terms but it was against all of our will. I mean Tony had an alleged drug problem that EMI felt very strongly about. We signed the largest deal in history for any previously unsigned band, it was for $2.5 million we won the lottery overnight. But they had such a huge investment in us they were nervous. They (label) did not feel comfortable and they literally forced our hand to remove him and replace him and that’s where Steve Riley came in. But the problem with us was and Chris (Holmes) and I fought it tooth and nail because we understood how valuable Tony was to us. When Tony was there, we were a real band and we promoted ourselves as such but when Tony was gone we felt like we were mortally wounded and we were no longer the band that we once were. So as a band we made a decision to put me on the next two covers but even that didn’t feel right and if you’ve noticed ever since the band has never been on the cover from that time forward. “
When asked to give an update on the new W.A.S.P. Album “There are a number of subjects that I am looking at right now that are knocking on the door of what we are talking about. We’re pretty far into it right now but when this thing happened (Back Issues) on the tour and I blew a gasket, then all that got put on the back burner. But we’re pretty far into the writing process right now and we’re excited about it. It just looks like we won’t be able to get back to it until after the new year. Nobody makes money making records anymore, so if you’re going to make (New) records now you’re doing it because of your legacy. And if you’re going to do that then you really have to make sure that it’s as strong as it can be because it’s always going to be measured against what you did to begin with. All bands make their bones the first five years they’re together, the first five or six records they make their whole Legacy. Their Legacy is cemented there. It doesn’t mean you can’t make good records later on down the line but everything’s going to be constantly compared to that early stuff. So for it to get an honest review or a fair shake so to speak that new record has to maybe be even better than the original stuff because people have had so many years to romance those older songs in their heads.”
W.A.S.P. announce ‘The 7 Savage: 1984-1992’ deluxe 8LP boxset from their ‘Capitol Years’, with studio album half-speed mastering, LP of bonus tracks, 60 page book, posters and numbered certificate. The 7 Savage: 1984-1992 will be released Friday 27th October 2023 on Madfish and is strictly limited to 2000 copies worldwide.
Their first five studio albums (W.A.S.P., The Last Command, Inside the Electric Circus, The Headless Children & TheCrimson Idol) contributed enough on their own for W.A.S.P. to be considered one of the greatest rock bands of all-time. Those LPs are all presented in this set, mastered half-speed at Air Studios, London for a superior, sharper, more direct and engaging sound.
Packaged within a deluxe red leatherette effect double slipcase, ‘The 7 Savage: 1984-1992’ is completed on vinyl with two more LPs: 1987’s Live… in the Raw and new compilation Bonus Tracks & B-Sides featuring the controversial breakthrough anthem ‘Animal (F**k Like a Beast)’.
Compiled with the full cooperation of Blackie Lawless, the box set also includes a 60-page book with exclusive and rare pictures from legendary metal photographers (including Ross Halfin, Tony Mottram, David Plastik and Paul Natkin), along with extensive liner notes from Amit Sharma (Kerrang!, Planet Rock). Also included is an exclusive Blackie Lawless poster, plus an individually numbered circular saw shaped certificate.
DISC 1 – W.A.S.P. (Half-speed Master)
A.1. I Wanna Be Somebody [03:44] A.2. L.O.V.E. Machine [03:52] A.3. The Flame [03:42]A.4. B.A.D. [03:57] A.5. School Daze [03:35] B.1. Hellion [03:39] B.2. Sleeping (In The Fire) [03:56] B.3. On Your Knees [03:49] B.4. Tormentor [04:11] B.5. The Torture Never Stops [03:56]
DISC 2 The Last Command (Half-speed Master)
A.1. Wild Child [05:12] A.2. Ballcrusher [03:28] A.3. Fistful Of Diamonds [04:14] A.4. Jack Action [04:17] A.5. Widowmaker [05:18] B.1. Blind In Texas [04:21] B.2. Cries In The Night [03:42] B.3. The Last Command [04:11] B.4. Running Wild In The Streets [03:30] B.5. Sex Drive [03:12]
DISC 3 Inside the Electric Circus (Half-speed Master)
A.1. The Big Welcome [01:22] A.2. Inside The Electric Circus [03:33] A.3. I Dont Need No Doctor [03:26]A.4. 9.5. - N.A.S.T.Y. [04:48] A.5. Restless Gypsy [04:59]A.6. Shoot From The Hip [04:38] B.1. Im Alive [04:22] B.2. Easy Living [03:12] B.3. Sweet Cheetah [05:16] B.4. Mantronic [04:10] B.5. King Of Sodom And Gomorrah [03:50] B.6. The Rock Rolls On [03:52]
DISC 4 The Headless Children (Half-speed Master)
A.1. The Heretic (The Lost Child) [07:23] A.2. The Real Me [03:20] A.3. The Headless Children [05:46] A.4. Thunderhead [06:50] B.1. Mean Man [04:48] B.2. The Neutron Bomber [04:10] B.3. Mephisto Waltz [01:28] B.4. Forever Free [05:09] B.5. Maneater [04:47] B.6. Rebel In The F.D.G. [05:08]
DISC 5 The Crimson Idol (Half-speed Master)
A.1. The Titanic Overture [03:31] A.2. The Invisible Boy [05:13] A.3. Arena Of Pleasure [04:15] A.4. Chainsaw Charlie (Murders In The New Morgue) [08:43] B.1. The Gypsy Meets The Boy [04:15] B.2. Doctor Rockter [03:54] B.3. I Am One [05:24]
DISC 6 The Crimson Idol (Half-speed Master)
C.1. The Idol [08:40] C.2. Hold On To My Heart [04:22] C.3. The Great Misconceptions Of Me [09:44] D.1. The Story Of Jonathan (Prologue To The Crimson Idol)[16:35] D.2. Phantoms In The Mirror [04:36] D.3. The Eulogy [04:16]
DISC 7 Live… in the Raw
A.1. Inside The Electric Circus (live) [04:31] A.2. I Don`t Need No Doctor (live) [03:40] A.3. L.O.V.E. Machine (live) [04:27] A.4. Wild Child (live) [06:02] A.5. 9.5. – N.A.S.T.Y. (live) [05:11] A.6. Sleeping (In The Fire) (live) [05:27] B.1. The Manimal (live) [04:44] B.2. I Wanna Be Somebody (live) [06:43] B.3. Harder Faster (live) [07:19] B.4. Blind In Texas (live) [05:41] B.5. Scream Until You Like It (Theme from Ghoulies II) [03:25]
DISC 8 Bonus Tracks & B-sides
A.1. Animal (F**k Like A Beast) [03:07] A.2. Show No Mercy [03:48] A.3. Paint It Black [03:28] A.4. Savage [03:33] A.5. Mississippi Queen [03:22] A.6. Flesh And Fire [04:38] A.7. D.B. Blues [03:25] B.1. Locomotive Breath [03:00] B.2. For Whom The Bell Tolls [03:48] B.3. Lake Of Fools [05:33] B.4. War Cry [05:33] B.5. When The Levee Breaks [07:06]
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s ASA unveil the long-overdue release of "Collective Failure" + first music video for title-track! Check it out and stay tuned for more news! Click image to watch the video
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s SARCOFAGUS return with a Historic 2010 Concert Video Premiere on YouTube! Click image to watch the video
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Metal Shock Finland (World Assault ) 