WINGER CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF HITS AT WHISKY, NOV. 11
If you do the math, that nearly-jailbait babe that Kip Winger was serenading in 1988’s “Seventeen” would be a 44-year-old cougar today. But Kip and crew will still be cranking out the obsessive pop-metal ode to young lust when Wingerhits the Sunset Strip to rock the Whisky A Go-Go on Nov. 11. And that’s a good thing.
The New York rockers will be in town to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of the band’s 1988 debut, Winger. The album spawned the hit singles “Headed for a Heartbreak,” “Madalaine,” “Hungry” and, of course, “Seventeen.”
Singer-bassist Kip Winger and his crew–guitarists RebBeach and John Roth anddrummer RodMorgenstein, will be rockin’ and rollin’ out all the hits from Winger straight up to “Better Days Comin'” and the scorching guitar-heavy rocker “Rat Race” from 2014’s Better Days Comin’.
EvolutionEden and Osairis are opening the Whisky show.
FLOTSAM & JETSAM CELEBRATE THREE DECADES OF DOOMSDAY, NOV. 5 AT WHISKY A GO-GO
Metallica‘s ex-bassist Jason Newstead‘s old band Flotsam and Jetsom is bringing its manic metal anthems to the Whisky A Go-Go on Nov. 5 . The metal stalwarts have just returned from a European tour and are promoting F&J’s self-titled 12th studio album, which was released last spring.
But even decades later, the Newstead-era “Hammerhead” and “She Took an Axe” from Flotsam’s 1986 debut, Doomsday for the Deceiver, and “Wading Through the Darkness” and F&J’s cover of Elton John‘s “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting,” from 1988’s breakthrough album Cuatro, are still as blistering and badass as they come.
“We are very excited to get out with this package and thrash through the United States, playing material from our new album, fan favorites, as well as celebrating the 30-year anniversary of Doomsday for the Deceiver,” promises Flotsam and Jetsam drummer Jason Bittner.
Bay Area thrash-metal newbies Hatchetwill also be shredding at Whisky as Flotsam’s support act on the U.S. tour.
YOU WANTED THE BEST…SO WHY ISN’T KISS’ ‘FREEDOM TO ROCK TOUR’ SELLING?
By David Ciminelli
Armed with an arsenal of timeless hard rock anthems and high-energy sing-along hits, KISS has proved for four decades that the band can effortlessly pack any arena around the world. So, why isn’t the iconic group’s current “Freedom to Rock Tour” selling? Has KISS’ sonic boom gone bust? After 40 years as the hottest band in the land, have fans grown too tired to rock and roll all night and party every day?
When one KISS fan, Ron Valdes, went to Facebook and posed these questions about KISS current tour, which launched July 7 in Boise, Idaho, the response was overwhelming. Valdes accompanied his query about the tour’s poor ticket sales with screen shots of the seating charts from arenas across the country, which revealed that approximately two months after they went in sale, there are more seats available than sold at pretty much all venues. So, what gives? KISS unarguably still gives fans the greatest live show in rock, but why has the “Freedom” not even come close to selling out?
“This [was] truly depressing, an exercise in depression,” says Valdes about putting together his comprehensive Facebook post. The longtime KISS fan does however have a solution: “Two words can fix this tour: Ace Frehley,” he says with a laugh.
“I wish I could’ve seen the real KISS,” says fan Owen Walton. “[Instead] I’m stuck watching FrankenAce [Thayer] perform ‘Shock Me.'”
“Why play the same show every year?! Doesn’t make sense,” commented Jeff T., another member of the KISS Army who posted his theory on Facebook about the dismal ticket sales.
Dozens of KISS diehards have logged on to offer up their opinions on the matter, with many amending that the current line up pales in comparison to the original, and some surmise that perhaps the band tours too much without mixing up its set list.
“No Motley Crue, no Def Leppard, no real KISS, [that’s why there is] nobody there,” says Bill Wang, citing the lack of a decent support act on the “Freedom to Rock Tour” and the obvious absence of well-liked original members Ace Frehley and Peter Criss, who were replaced long ago with lead guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer, respectively. Not helping matters is the fact that KISS chose American Idol Season 13 winner Caleb Johnson as an opening act. (Fortunately, ex-Motley Crue frontman John Corabi‘s band Dead Daises (pictured right) replaces Johnson from August 10 to the end of the tour on September 10.)
“They’re not the greatest anymore,” adds Valdes. “They are near 70 years old. PaulStanley‘s vocals can’t hold up any more. They have been doing the same show for decades. It’s over.”
“They just couldn’t [retire] after the “Farewell [reunion] Tour,” so here we are,” says Jeff T. “Even Bruce [Kulick (right), who replaced Frehley for a brief period in the mid-80s to mid-90s] could get me to go if it was a no makeup show. I have a feeling Ace might get the call.”
There is a hint of good news in this dilemma, however. Fans that have attended shows on the “Freedom to Rock Tour” have unanimously posted glowing reviews on Facebook, calling the current your “outrageously fun” and “the best show ever.”
Also, controversy over the seemingly lax ticket sales could be premature, with things picking up closer to showtime.
“Wait for day of,” suggests KISS fan Marshall Harrod. “So far the shows have been packed.”
Fans have until fall to catch KISS live as the “Freedom to Rock Tour” ends with a bang on September 10 in Huntington, West Virginia.
Check out the tour dates for the remaining shows below.
July 25: Wichita, KS (Intrust Bank Arena)
July 27: Sioux City, IA (Tyson Events Center)
July 29: Cheyenne, WY (Cheyenne Frontier Days)
July 30: Minot, ND (North Dakota State Fair)
Aug. 1: Mankato, MN (Verizon Wireless Center)
Aug. 3: Duluth, MN (Amsoil Arena)
Aug. 5: Moline, IL (iWireless Arena)
Aug. 6: La Crosse, WI (La Crosse Center)
Aug. 8: Milwaukee, WI (BMO Harris Bradley Center)
Aug. 10: Green Bay, WI (Resch Center)
Aug. 12: Fort Wayne, IN (Allen County Memorial Coliseum)
RELIVE HOLLYWOOD’S HEAVY METAL GLORY DAYS WITH THE BEST OF RATT, DOKKEN, SKIDROW, CINDERELLA & MORE MONSTERS OF METAL AT CATHOUSE LIVE, AUG. 15 IN THE O.C.
‘CAT’ PEOPLE: Taime Downe, Riki Rachtman, Izzy Stradlin and Axl Rose at the Cathouse.
Legendary club promoter Riki Rachtman is back to save the modern music scene by opening up a big ol’ can of heavy metal whoop ass on August 15 with the hotly anticipated return of one of his most famous Hollywood clubs, the Cathouse. And he’s bringing a few famous friends with him when Cathouse Live rocks The O.C. this summer.
Bringing added heat to Southern California’s summer concert season are legendary hard-rock frontmen Sebastian Bach, Stephen Pearcy (right), Tom Keifer, Don Dokken and Tracii Guns, whowill be covering the greatest hits of Skidrow, Ratt, Cinderella, Dokken and L.A. Guns, respectively, onthe Cathouse Live main stage at Irvine Meadows.
Theheavy metal hit-makers will besharing an all-star bill with Extreme, Trixter, Saigon Kick and Sunset Strip refugees Bang Tango, BulletBoys, Junkyard, Pretty Boy Floyd and Little Caesar. Plus, there are many more timeless metal bands that will keep Cathouse Live rockin’ from sun up ’til sun down on August 15.
Rachtman’s rockin’ summertime revival offers a rare opportunity for fans to get a taste of the famous club he launched in 1986 with some help from Faster Pussycat’s Taime Downe. Cathouse became a favorite hangout for the likes of everyone from Axl Rose (right) to Lita Ford and hosted every band from Pantera to Pearl Jam. The Hollywood hot spot, which closed its doors on Highland forever in the Nineties, is immortalized in classics by Motley Crüe, AliceCooper and Faster Pussycat.
We raise our Bics to Rachtman for bringing the best of classic metal back to SoCal this summer with Cathouse Live. And the best part? Tickets start at $15! Get more details here.
(Main photo: (clockwise from top, left to right): Don Dokken, Bang Tango, Sebastian Bach, Riki Rachtman, Trixter, Extreme, BulletBoys’ Marq Torien and Tracii Guns)
BEVERLY HILLS ADDS SOME ROCK TO ITS RITZ WHEN WHITESNAKE HEADLINES SABAN THEATRE, JUNE 9
The still of the night in the 90210 won’t be still for long!
Hit-making heavy metal band Whitesnake is slithering its way over to Beverly Hills’ Saban Theatre on June 9, when frontman David Coverdale will rock Wilshire with the band’s endless list of metal classics, like “Still of the Night,” “Slow an’ Easy” “Fool for Your Loving” and “Here I Go Again.”
The hits are gonna keep rollin’ all night, straight through to 2011’s “Love Will Set You Free” from Forevermore.
Coverdale and his crew — guitarists Reb Beach and Joel Hoekstra; drummer Tommy Aldridge; bassist Michael Devin; and keyboardist Michele Luppi — will also be crankin’ amped-up Deep Purple classics from Whitesnake’s recent covers release, The Purple Album.
THE RUNAWAYS’ CHERIE CURRIE TALKS BOOKS & BEATS, JUNE 6 IN SANTA MONICA
On June 6 in Santa Monica, the night will not be all about “Marcia! Marcia! Marcia!” when The Brady Bunch star Susan Olsen, who played Cindy on the classic TV show, interviews rock icon Cheri Currie of the groundbreaking all-girl rock band The Runaways (pictured right in 1977).
Beginning at 2 p.m. at the Santa Monica Bay Women’s Club Ballroom, the showcase is part of the Santa Monica Library‘s 2015 Adult Summer Reading series and will focus on Currie’s best-selling 1989 memoir, Neon Angel.
The special event is free to fans and will also feature a showing of the 2010 movie The Runaways, which stars Dakota Fanning as Currie (right) and is based on Neon Angel, followed by a chat between pop culture legends Currie and Olsen.
Currie is also celebrating the release of her rockin’ new album, Reverie, her first full-album release since 1980’s Messin’ with the Boys.
Get more information about the Santa Monica event here.
LED ZEPPELIN LEGEND ROBERT PLANT TO ROCK HOLLYWOOD HILLS, JUNE 2
Been a long time since you rock and rolled?
Robert Plant is returning to L.A. to grace the gorgeous Hollywood Hills summer skyline with his golden pipes when he headlines the GreekTheatre on June 2.
This time around, the Led Zeppelin legend is bringing along his new band, the Sensational Space Shifters, pictured right at L.A.’s Shrine Theatre in 2013. The iconic singer-songwriter and his band will be focusing on music from their 2014 album, Lullaby and… the Ceaseless Roar.
Get ticket information and more details on the Greek show here.
Check out and the Sensational Space Shifters in the short film Returning to the Borders, below.
Hollywood Roses Revisits Guns N’ Roses at Whisky, Feb. 14
Sure, on Valentine’s Day, you can always do the usual wine and roses thing with your better half.
However, we have a much better suggestion: the Night Train and Roses thing!
On February 14, toast the evening with some Night Train while getting your faces rocked off by the sounds of Hollywood hit-makers Guns N’ Roses at local faves Hollywood Roses‘ headlining gig at the world-famous Whisky A Go-Go!
The Whisky is located in the heart of the Strip’s Rock Row at 8901 Sunset Boulevard at Clark Street. Get more details and tickets for Hollywood Roses’ Valentine’s Day show here.
But don’t blame us if the date starts to feel a little uncomfortable should the band break out “Used to Love Her”!
Foxy Rockers The Ramonas & Black Sabbitch to Cover Metal Classics at Viper Room, Jan. 22 & 24
It’s a week of girl power and punk-metal madness when hard rockin’ female-fronted bands Black Sabbitch(pictured above) and The Ramonas (right) visit West Hollywood.
On January 22, get set to be sedated on Sunset when Viper Room brings the sounds of The Ramones to the heart of the Strip.
Straight outta London and heading to WeHo for a special late-night show are Brit rockers The Ramonas, an all-female tribute to Queens, N.Y.’s favorite sons.
Viper Room keeps the classics cranked all week long, hosting L.A.’s own all-girl Black Sabbath tribute band Black Sabbitchon January 24. The local legends will be covering the best of Ozzy and company beginning at midnight.
Viper Room is located at 8852 Sunset Boulevard in the heart of West Hollywood. Get ticket details for The Ramonas’ concert here and for the Black Sabbitch show here.
The O.C. Hosts Three Nights of All-Star Tribute Concerts to Rock Gods Randy Rhoads, Bonzo, John Entwistle & Keith Moon, Jan. 22-24
Timeless hard rockin’ hits by Led Zeppelin, Ozzy Osbourne and The Who will be shaking up The O.C. from January 22 to 24, when California Music Fest hosts three nights of classic cover tunes by superstar performers from the world of metal paying tribute to late, great legends John Bonham (right), Randy Rhoads (main photo, top), John Entwistle and Keith Moon!
Past performances at the annual concert events included legendary guest artists like Skidrow rocker Sebastian Bach; Quiet Riot, Ozzy and Whitesnake bassist Rudy Sarzo and Metallica’s Robert Trujillo.
All three concerts are set to rock the roof off of Santa Ana’s The Observatory Orange County, located at 3503 S. Harbor Blvd. Get ticket details on the full concert series here.
OzzMania, Just Like Priest, Motorbreath & More are Bringing Heavy Metal Hits to House of Blues Sunset, Jan. 21
Going through Ozzfest withdrawl? Relax — there is a rock and roll reprise of sorts on the horizon.
West Hollywood hot spot House of Blues Sunset is hosting the closest thing you’re ever gonna find to Ozzfest on January 21, when OzzMania(right) brings to the Strip an arsenal of Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath hits, along with four other metal-loving tribute bands!
SoCal cover band OzzMania proves you can’t kill rock and roll with a headlining night of non-stop metal that will be shaking up Sunset alongside Slayer-worshipping rockers Slaytanic; masters of Metallica, Motorbreath(right); spot-on Judas Priest imitators Just Like Priest (main photo, top); and Du Hast, which will rock out some Rammstein.
House of Blues Sunset is at located at 8430 Sunset. Get tickets and show times here.
READY TO RING IN SOME ROCK: (clockwise from top left): Ozzy Osbourne, Poison, Stephen Pearcy, Duff McKagan, Marilyn Manson and KISS
SUNSET & CLARK: 10 OF THE HARDEST-ROCKIN’ THINGS WE’RE LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2015!
1. GETTING POISON’D
Metal fans looking for nothin’ but a good time won’t have to wait too much longer now that Poison has announced that the Sunset Strip-launched legends will be hitting the road again next year.
“It looks like it will happen [in 2015],” Bret Michaels recently confirmed to Cleveland Scene. “It’s been a few years. We just want to put together the right package and show to celebrate with everyone.”
2. OZZY OSBOURNE’S RETURN TO TV
The legendary P.O.F.D. himself is returning to reality television for new episodes of The Osbournes, which will find Ozzy Osbourne and the fam — Kelly, Jack and Sharon — giving fans another peek into their lives a decade after the hit show ended its run on MTV. This time around, The Osbournes will include, according to Sharon Osbourne, eight new episodes and will debut on VH-1 in early 2015.
3. STEPHEN PEARCY GETTING ‘SMASH’-ED
Sunset Strip legend and former Ratt frontman Stephen Pearcy is following up his recent headlining gig at the Whisky A Go Go with the release of his fourth scorching solo album, Smash, due out in early 2015.
4. CHRIS CORNELL, MIKE MCCREADY & DUFF MCKAGAN RELAUNCHING MAD SEASON
The Nineties supergroup Mad Season is reuniting — sort of — on January 30 in Seattle. Mad Season founding members Mike McCready of Pearl Jam and Screaming Trees drummer Barrett Martin will return with a revamped lineup that includes legendary Guns N’ Roses/Velvet Revolver bassist Duff McKagan replacing late Walkabouts rocker John Baker, who passed away in 1999,and grunge god Chris Cornell taking the mic in place of Alice in Chains’ Layne Staley, who died in 2002.
The band, which is reportedly planning a new album, will be taking the stage with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra as part of SSO’s “Sonic Evolution” showcase. The once-in-a-lifetime concert will also feature works inspired by Nirvana and Pearl Jam, along with the world-premiere of McCready’s decidedly less grungy orchestral composition “Waking the Horizon.”
5. METALLICA DROPPING A NEW ALBUM…MAYBE
“I’m pretty convinced that 90% of the record is actually written; it’s just gotta be kind of assembled between all those riffs,” Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich revealed to Metal Zone last summer. “It’s just a matter of connecting this to this and sort of shaping it into a song. And so, I’m pretty psyched about that.”
In September, frontman James Hetfield (pictured) confirmed the long-awaited album’s progress, telling Pulse of Radio: “We’ve come up with enough material for a record, for sure…We just haven’t had the time to really focus on it and…start whittling at these masterpieces.”
Bassist Robert Trujillo, who previously reported that Death Magnetic producer Rick Rubin will also helm the new album, provided an update to RockCellar Magazine in early December.
“We’re just blueprinting everything right now,” said Truillo. “There are a lot of ideas, a lot of song bodies, you gotta go through the process. For me personally I’m really excited about what we’ve been able to jam out.”
The band has promised fans that they’ll be hearing Metallica’s tenth studio album by as early as 2015 and no later than 2016.
6. BULLETBOYS RETURNING TO SUNSET
L.A. metalheads BulletBoys are bringing the band’s awesome hard rock hits like “Smooth Up in Ya,” “Hard as a Rock,” the killer cover “For the Love of Money” and “Freakshow” to the Whisky A Go Go on March 19!
Frontman Marq Torien and most of the band’s founding lineup are still cranking out killer original rock jams, like the stellar “Symphony” from BB’s upcoming release Elefante. Get ticket details here.
7. SYSTEM OF A DOWN GETTING ‘SOUL’-FUL AT FORUM
SoCal superstars System of a Down are set to headline another hometown show in the new year, when they will rock Inglewood on April 6, bringing the band’s “Wake Up the Souls Tour” to the Forum.
8. ROCKING OUT TO A NEW KISS ALBUM
Iconic rock god Gene Simmons revealed to the Toronto Sun earlier this year that the world’s hardest-working rock band has its sights set on releasing new material very soon.
“I recently wrote a new song called ‘Your Wish is My Command,’ so the process has already started,” revealed Gene Simmons about the upcoming follow-up to 2012’s Monster.
9. MARILYN MANSON UNLEASHING ‘HELL’ ON EARTH
Shock rocker and antichrist superstar Marilyn Manson will be returning to the spotlight in 2015 to rock your face off with his ninth studio album, The Pale Emperor, which drops January 20. If the album’s kick-off single “Third Day of a Seven-Day Binge” is any indication of the weight of the new material, Pale Emperor is going to be stellar.
A day after the album drops, Manson will launch “The Hell Not Hallelujah Tour,” which snakes its way through the U.S. starting in Washington, D.C. on January 21 and ending in Vegas on February 14. The singer-songwriter will then head overseas to rock a few summer festivals. Unfortunately, Manson has not announced an L.A. date.
10. HEAVY METAL HITTING THE HIGH SEAS
Los Angeles bands Buckcherry (right) and Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society along with Limp Bizkit, P.O.D. and Filter lead a rockin’ roster of awesome acts that will be hitting the high seas February 2-6 as the star attractions of ShipRocked: The Ultimate Rock N’ Roll Cruise.
Sailing from Florida to the Bahamas and back, ShipRocked will also showcase the super-band Metal Allegiance, which includes current and former members of legendary metal bands Megadeth, Anthrax, Pantera, Testament and Dream Theatre.
YOU WANTED THE BEST (KISS TRIBUTE BAND), YOU GOT THE BEST: PRISS AT VIPER ROOM, NOVEMBER 14
Hey,Iron Maidens, we’ve found the perfect band should the female Maiden cover group ever decide to start its own Metalpalooza festival: PRISS, a face-painted, leather-costumed, hard-rockin’ KISS tribute band that is fronted by four fierce female rockers.
The L.A. band, which certifiably kicks ass — check ’em out here — will be heading to the Sunset Strip on Friday, November 14, to bring the hits from one of the greatest rock bands on the planet to the Viper Room. The 21-and-over show also features two more really good local bands that are definitely worth checking out: Spirit in the Room and Breaking Arrows.
Even the “God of Thunder” himself, Gene Simmons, has given PRISS a seal of approval, featuring the band on Family Jewels last year, when Shannon Tweed joined PRISS on stage as “Queen Simmons.”
The ladies of PRISS not only prove that KISS’ famous costumes — and various incarnations of them — look even better on a sexy-edgy all-female band, they are also remarkable musicians that rock just as hard as the ground-breaking, multi-platinum group that inspired them.
PRISS is comprised of starry-eyed guitarist-vocalist Doll Stanley (Moa Henriksson); darling demon bassist-vocalist and “Goddess of Thunder,” Jean Simone (Andrea Zermeno); spacey lead six-string slinger Lace Frehley (Jennifer Paro); and foxy feline drummer Luda Criss (Judy Cocuzza).
Viper Room is located in the heart of West Hollywood, at 8852 Sunset Boulevard at Larrabee. Doors open at 9 p.m. and tickets are only $10. (Seriously, $10!) Get tickets and more information here.
The only reason you can possibly have for missing PRISS on the Sunset Strip is that you’re laid up in a KISS Kasket! See you at the show!
SLASH & MYLES KENNEDY SERVE UP ‘NIGHTRAIN’ ON DIRECTV, NOV. 7
Guitar Center has just released a badass sneak-peek at the upcoming Slash with Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators concert set to premiere on DIRECTV on November 7.
Taped at the Roxy on September 25, the clip features the rockers performing a scorching cover of Guns N’ Roses‘ “Nightrain.” Contrary to Slash’s shirt, the number definitely does not suck!
Catch the full show November 7 at 9 p.m. on DIRECTV channel 239.
LED ZEPPELIN GUITAR GOD JIMMY PAGE TO TALK MUSIC & MAYHEM WITH CHRIS CORNELL NOV. 12 IN L.A.
Been a long time since you rock and rolled? Los Angeles music fans are getting a rare opportunity to witness rock history next month, when iconic superstars Chris Cornell (right) and Jimmy Page share a conversation about the 70-year-old Led Zeppelin founder’s glorious years in one of the world’s greatest bands on November 12 at Downtown L.A.’s legendary The Theatre at Ace Hotel.
The event, “An Evening with Jimmy Page in Conversation with Chris Cornell,” is being held to celebrate the release of the iconic British guitarist’s photo memoir, Jimmy Page.
Soundgarden frontman Cornell and Page will be chatting about the latter’s time in the Yardbirds and Zeppelin and showcase some private phtos from Page’s personal collection. Genesis Publishing’s 500-page book , which debuted last month, features over 650 rare photos and artwork from the musician’s pre- and post-Zeppelin superstardom and traces his career from the start right up to his 2008 stint performing “Whole Lotta Love” alongside Leona Lewis at the Beijing Olympics.
“An Evening with Jimmy Page in Conversation with Chris Cornell” starts at 8:30 p.m.; doors open at 7 p.m. Tickets are $100, which includes a copy of Page’s memoir, and $150, which includes the book and a poster. The Theatre at Ace Hotel at 939 Broadway. Get ticket details here.
WINGER CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF HITS AT WHISKY, NOV. 11
FLOTSAM & JETSAM CELEBRATE THREE DECADES OF DOOMSDAY, NOV. 5 AT WHISKY A GO-GO
Metallica‘s ex-bassist Jason Newstead‘s old band 
“We are very excited to get out with this package and thrash through the United States, playing material from our new album, fan favorites, as well as celebrating the 30-year anniversary of Doomsday for the Deceiver,” promises Flotsam and Jetsam drummer Jason Bittner.
SUNSETandCLARK.blog 