Newsbites: Aerosmith in country Carrie clash

Guest gloom: Aerosmith

Aerosmith weren’t all in favour of having country singer Carrie Underwood appear on new album Music From Another Dimension. Brad Whitford admits: “There was a little bit of resistance. It didn’t come from me, but I heard it like, ‘Wait a minute – this is an Aerosmith album, right? It should be all Aerosmith.’ But it’s like, do you have a problem when you listen to Bob Dylan’s record and this guy’s sitting in on guitar? No. If you’re in a position where you call Carrie and she says, ‘I’d love to come over,’ then fuckin’ A!” [Rolling Stone]

Duff McKagan‘s book It’s So Easy And Other Lies is to be turned into a biopic, with the bassist on board as a producer. The film will document McKagan’s years with Guns n’Roses and his drug problems. Co-producer Steven G Kaplan says: “We are thrilled to partner with Duff on this impactful documentary, which transcends the rise, fall and redemption of a rock star and delves into real life issues of addiction and sobriety.”

Meanwhile, Guns n’Roses delivered a 27-song set on the first night of their 12-date residency at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. The band played Chinese Democracy; Welcome To The Jungle; It’s So Easy; Mr. Brownstone; Estranged; Better; Richard Fortus solo; Live And Let Die; This I Lov; Rocket Queen; Motivation; Dizzy Reed solo; Street of Dreams; You Could Be Mine; Ballad of Death (DJ Ashba solo); Sweet Child O’ Mine; Another Brick In The Wall (jam); November Rain; Glad To Be Here (Bumblefoot solo); Don’t Cry; Don’t Let It Bring You Down (Neil Young cover); Civil War; Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door; Nightrain; Madagascar; Patience; Paradise City.

Geoff Tate says he’s already spent a fortune on chasing his former Queensryche bandmates through legal action – and he might have to spend more if he eventually wins the right to use the band name from them. A current temporary judgement allows both parties to work as Queensryche, and two bands will tour under the title next year. Tate says: “Whoever wins the name has to pay the other party off the value of what the name is worth at that point. So either I’ll be getting a large sum of money, or they will. It’s definitely not the way I envisioned my band and my life’s work ending – I envisioned us all being elderly gentlemen sitting round the park playing checkers, going, ‘Hey, you remember back in the day when we did this?’” [Screamer]

Robert Plant could stage another Band of Joy project in the future, says guitarist and producer Buddy Miller. The pair arranged a casual songwriting session in Nashville last year, but the results were so positive they decided to record them with Band of Joy drummer Marco Giovino. Miller explains: “We didn’t mean to, but we sort of wrote a record’s worth and I said, ‘While we’re doing this, why don’t I put up some miss and document it?’ It sounded so good we accidentally made a record.” Miller describes the unfinished material as “urgent, tribal and rockin’”.

Former WASP guitarist Randy Piper is holding auditions to find a vocalist for his new project. He says: “The right person should be able to sing classic WASP hits, sound greatr, be free of drug or alcohol issues, and be able to travel overseas. A great stage presence and the ability to relate to and command an audience is a must.” Find out more.

Soulfly frontman Max Cavalera has teamed up with Mars Volta collaborator Dave Elitch, Mastodon frontman Troy Sanders, Converge bassist Nate Netwon and Dillinger Escape Plan vocalist Greg Puciato to form a new metal supergroup. Cavalera says: “It’s going to be very original. I don’t know any other metal projects out there with three people singing like this. We’re hoping to get in the studio in January. The main thing we don’t have is a name.” [Metal Sucks]

Mitch Lucker, frontman with metal band Suicide Silence, has been killed in a motorcycle accident. He was 28. Dino Cazares of Fear Factory is among those who have paid tributes to the musician, saying: “I’ve watched him grow up when Suicide Silence were just a local band in the area. He was so young with a great future ahead of him – he was truly an all-round good dude.”

Soundgarden will play three intimate shows to launch comeback album King Animal. They’ll appear at the Irving Plaza, New York, on November 13; the Phoenix Concert Theater, Ontario, on November 16; and the Fonda Theatre, Los Angeles, on November 27. Fans who pre-order King Animal before November 8 will be sent a password allowing access to pre-sale tickets for the shows. The band warn that passes will be sold on a first-come-first-served basis, and possession of a password does not guarantee the chance to buy a ticket. Soundgarden have released another commentary video, this time discussing the track Halfway There.