Newsbites: Bowie reveals next single

David Bowie will release The Stars (Are Out Tonight) as the second single from surprise comeback album The Next Day. It’s available on February 26 as a digital download. A limited-edition seven-inch vinyl edition will be on sale for Record Store Day on April 20, with the album’s lead single Where Are We Now? on the B-side. Two other seven-inch discs are also planned for Record Store Day: a Drive-In Saturday picture disc and the Bowie 1965! EP.

Rush have been nominated for two Juno awards in their native Canada, alongside Devin Townsend, who’s been shortlisted for one gong. Geddy Lee and co are nominated for Group Of The Year alongside Billy Talent, Marianas Trench, Metric and The Sheepdogs. In the Rock Album Of The Year category they’re head-to-head with Big Wreck, Billy Talent, The Sheepdogs and The Tragically Hip. Meanwhile, Devin Townsend Project’s acclaimed Epicloud stands against Cancer Bats, Castle, Ed Deo and Woods of Ypres for Metal/Hard Music Album Of The Year. The 2013 Junos take place on April 21. [Prog Magazine]

Slayer guitarist Kerry King doesn’t want his band to operate a revolving-door policy over the continued absence of Jeff Hanneman, who’s still recovering from a near-fatal spider bite sustained in 2011. Exodus axeman Gary Holt has stood in for him, and King wants it to stay that way. He say: “I don’t want it to be a carousel, where if Gary can’t do it we get somebody else, and if he can’t do it we get somebody else again. We told Gary when our schedule is and said, ‘Please keep it open.’ We don’t know when Jeff’s going to be able to play guitar. Jeff’s a wait-and-see thing.” [TheMusic.com.au]

Some of Ireland’s biggest music names will gather for a benefit concert in aid of ex Wings guitarist Henry McCullough, who suffered permanent disablement after a heart attack in November. Salute To Henry takes place on March 3 in Vicar Street, Dublin, and stars Christy Moore, Sweeny’s Men, Mick Flannery, The Fleadh Cowboys and many others. Buy tickets.

Steve Winwood will play six shows across the UK in June:
Jun 17: Cambridge Corn Exchange
Jun 19: Brighton Dome
Jun 20: London O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Jun 22: Briston Colston Hall
Jun 24: Salford Lowry
Jun 30: Margate Winter Gardens

Overkill have called off the remainder of their current tour after frontman Bobby ‘Blitz’ Ellsworth was diagnosed with “walking pneumonia.” The band report: “Let’s put the rumours to rest before speculation runs rampant. Blitz was medically advised not to perform, due to potentially getting worse if he did. When the health risk is no longer an issue he’ll be ready to kick ass once again.”

Skunk Anansie will perform their first-ever acoustic show at London’s Cadogan Hall on April 15. Singer Skin says: “It’s going to be a really special show for us with loads more people onstage, re-worked classics and some songs we’ve never performed live before.”

Anvil will release new album Hope In Hell on May 27 – their first featuring new bassist Sal Italiano, who joined after Glenn Five quit in anger. Frontman Lips Kudlow comments: “We’re really happy with Sal. His style is powerful and amazingly imaginative. It’s a little as if we’d enlisted Steve Harris.”

Whitesnake offshoot band Snakecharmer have confirmed a series of UK concerts in the coming months:
Feb 23: London Islington Assembly
Jun 21: Manchester Academy
Jun 30: Nottingham Rock City
Aug 16: Clumber Park Festival
Sep 1: Weyfest Festival

The Treatment will be joining Status Quo on their ‘Frantic Four’ UK tour that sees Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt, Alan Lancaster and John Coghlan back together on stage again. Says Treatment frontman, Matt Jones: “We absolutely cannot wait for the upcoming Status Quo tour. All of us have grown up listening to Quo, so to get the chance to open the shows for the Frantic Four line-up is a true honour. These shows will be the biggest ones we’ve played on UK soil, and the whole thing will be a real dream come true.” The Treatment will also guest with Slash on four shows in February and March. The full list of dates – including one headline show in Northern Ireland – is as follows:-
February
28     Nottingham Arena, Nottingham  (w/ Slash)
March
01    Empress Ballroom, Blackpool  (w/ Slash)
02    The Diamond Club, Ballymena (headline show)
03    Olympia Theatre, Dublin  (w/ Slash)
04    Olympia Theatre, Dublin (w/ Slash)
06     Apollo, Manchester (w/Status Quo)
07     Civic Hall, Wolverhampton (w/Status Quo)
09     O2 Academy, Glasgow (w/Status Quo)
10     O2 Academy, Glasgow (w/Status Quo)
12     O2 Apollo, Manchester (w/Status Quo)
13     Civic Hall, Wolverhampton (w/Status Quo)
15     Hammersmith Apollo, London (w/Status Quo)
16     Hammersmith Apollo, London (w/Status Quo)
17     Wembley Arena, London (w/Status Quo)
Tickets for the dates with Status Quo are available here: http://www.livenation.co.uk/artist/status-quo-tickets
Tickets for the dates with Slash are available here: http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/Slash-tickets/artist/771959
Tickets for the headline show in Ballymena are available here: http://tinyurl.com/atomrjg; this will the second time the Cambridge outfit have played The Diamond Club.

A rare TV interview with late Deep Purple keyboardist Jon Lord has made an appearance online. In the 1969 chat on Canadian TV, Lord discusses the difference in music and culture between the UK and North America. View it below.