Hanoi Rocks to split… Guns N’ Roses leaker pleads not guilty… AC/DC’s Brian Johnson eyes retirement…
Hanoi Rocks have decided to break up. In a statement, Michael Monroe and Andy McCoy said they feel they’ve taken the band as far as it can go and now wish to go their separate ways. All commitments until the end of the year, including the UK tour starting in London on Halloween, will be honoured. In addition, the band have decided to say farewell to their fans by doing a final tour of Japan in spring 2009 and immediately thereafter wrap things up with a few nights at the legendary Tavastia Club in Helsinki, Finland, where their career originally got started in the 1980s. November 26 will see the timely release of the first ever career-spanning Hanoi Rocks retrospective: a two-CD set titled This One’s For Rock’N'Roll – The Best Of Hanoi Rocks 1980-2008. In further Scando-rock news, Sweden’s The Hellacopters – who announced their intention to split earlier this year – are inviting all their fans and friends worldwide to see their final gigs ever, live streamed on www.myspace.com/hellacopters on October 25 and 26.
“>www.myspace.com/hellacopters on October 25 and 26.
The California man charged with illegally leaking tracks of Guns N’ Roses‘ Chinese Democracy pleaded not guilty yesterday in a US federal court. Kevin Cogill, a 27-year-old blogger who uses the alias ‘Skwerl’, uploaded nine tracks from Chinese Democracy on his Antiquiet website in June. He was arrested by the FBI on August 27. Cogill, who won’t say where he got the GN’R tracks from, is charged with violating federal copyright law. He faces three years in federal prison if convicted, and five years if the court finds he posted the songs for commercial gain. No date for the trial has been set.
AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson is eyeing retirement, according to an interview he conducted with USA Today. “At 61, this could be my last shot,” Johnson said, but he added that the run-throughs for the band’s upcoming tour “have been as smooth as a gravy sandwich”. He added: “I try to look after my health. I don’t do a six-mile jog. I might do a half-hour on a bike in the morning.” Read more here. In a separate interview, Johnson told Absolute Radio: “Both me and Angus [Young, guitarist] have got a fitness regime. I’m getting a Formula One guy in. A fitness guy, he’s trying to get me whipped into shape and size. [The show is] two-and-a-bit hours and there’s no time for recovery.” Meanwhile, a Glasgow rock DJ has banned songs by AC/DC from his radio show after the group snubbed Scotland on their world tour. Rock Radio ‘Drivetime’ presenter David ‘The Captain’ Grant said: “I will not be playing another AC/DC song on my show for a long time to come, or until the band change their mind on coming to Scotland as part of the tour.”
Ozzfest looks set to continue in 2009, according to Sharon Osbourne. Ozzy’s other half revealed the news to MTV. When asked if the festival would be a free event as in 2007, she replied: “No, don’t you know that there’s a depression on? Are you mad? We’ve given the real good fans a free show for one time, and now it’s back to business as usual.” It’s not known if Ozzfest will once again become a touring festival as in the past, or if it will remain a one-day event as it was this year. The 2008 Ozzfest featured performances from Ozzy and Metallica.
Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx has had an image of Crüe guitarist Mick Mars tattooed on his leg. Sixx revealed: “Katherine [Kat Von D, Nikki's current girlfriend] tattooed a killer portrait of Mick on my leg and we got to surprise him with it at the Los Angeles Crüe Fest show. It was a pretty emotional roller coaster ride to share the whole experience with Katherine, from the beginning of the idea to the end when we finally show Mick.” The touching moment was filmed for posterity and will be used in an episode of the LA Ink TV show. It airs on Thursday (October 23) in the US.
U2 will receive $19 million worth of Live Nation shares as part of a 12-year deal the band signed with the concert promotion company earlier this year. Live Nation has registered 1.56 million shares to U2. The agreement between U2 and Live Nation includes worldwide touring, merchandising and the band’s U2.com website. U2’s first studio album since 2004’s How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb is due early next year – although speculation is rife that the band are suffering from writer’s block. A video snippet on U2.com shows a painstakingly slow songwriting process. The Edge and producer Daniel Lanois silently stare at a blank piece of paper while Bono thinks about clicking something on a MacBook. You can watch it here. Meanwhile, a filmmaker by the name of KeithFK has made his own ‘literal version’ of the U2 gem I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, where ‘amusing’ lyrics are matched to the action in the video. There’s an especially fine moment when Bono ‘sings’: “I’m lookin’ at Edge in a gay way. He’s not impressed, so I look away at the camera.” Check it out here.
Twisted Sister will release a DVD entitled Live At Bang Your Head on November 24. It documents their 2005 headline performance at the German festival. Bonus features include footage of a concert the band played for US armed forces in Korea in 2003, and an interview conducted in mid 1984 in support of the Stay Hungry album.
Speaking as an Englishman I think AC/DC should do a show for the Scotts.
Now would that come back the other way?????
Why are Hanoi Rocks splitting now?! They’re only just getting back into their stride! Finns, eh!
Oh Mr Johnson yes retirement after all the past 10 years have been hard haven’t they!
And what’s wrong with visiting Scotland??
I know i’m from down South but honestly missing Scotland out is stupid, great crowds, loyal fans & hospitality is awesome, i know i’ve played there!
AC/DC congrats on being Radio 2’s album of the week!! Oh how times have changed things.
Guess in another 10 years the return from retirement tour 2018 will make Radio 3.
Then of course there’s always the return from retirement again tour Zimmer frames included 2028 will make Radio 4.
God help Desert Island Discs.
View on the new album: 1 track good ‘Wheels’. for the rest just go back & listen to BIB, FTATR & HTH.
Considering one of the finest live albums ever recorded was If You Want Blood (Glasgow I think), and that the Youngs and Bon Scott were born n Scotland before emigrating it does seem strange that they are avoiding Scotland.
Mind you, try and get a big band to come to Guernsey! Costs me £300 on average to get to the UK to see a band.
It’s the promoters that Scottish AC/DC fans need to petition; they book the venues and pay the bands. They haven’t any Welsh dates either, do they?
yeah they should do a scottish gig but come on knifejack, johnson is 61, its not in everyone to carry on in rock forever, thay all carnt be richards, lemmy etc! he aint doin bad like!
To quote Shazza “No, don’t you know that there’s a depression on? Are you mad? We’ve given the real good fans a free show for one time, and now it’s back to business as usual.”
Yeah coz that 50 odd million quid stuck in your bank is gonna dry up real soon. And what about the real good fans in the UK (your home nation) that got fcuk all you ignorant bitch.
As for those of you bitching about Brian Johnson calling it a day. Be grateful they got this far, not many.
As for the Scotland issue, the boys excaped there a looooooong time ago, why would they want to go back :@)
Re. Hanoi Rocks – Sorry, but good riddance. Over-rated, under-talented ‘glam’ with dirty fingernails. Who needs that garbage? Seemingly, not even them.
Re. Motley Crue – Arguably worse than Hanoi. WHEN IS SOMETHING GOING TO PERFORM THE SERVICE GRUNGE PERFORMED 20 YEARS AGO? We need MUSIC, not tattoos and big hair.
Re. AC/DC – Great article on Bon’s sad passing in CR’s bog-book. Could they replace Beano? They replaced Bon, so yes, imho.
WTF!!!! I don’t believe this! My friend just told me Scotland has been left out… Last time I checked Ireland Wales and Scotland were part of the UK too. I actually don’t want to believe it- am sure it has to do with a way of selling tickets or something. There is NO WAY they would let us down like this!! I was too young 8 years ago to go see them I didnt like them back then and they arent exactly getting younger… omg they just have to come to Glasgow I mean Angus and Malcom are Glaswegiens!!!!!!
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Kinda upset that AC/DC will retire before i get the chance to see them. However, according to ‘PLANET ROCK’ , they have extended their world tour to midway 2010. Could this mean a PROPER tour of England, Scotland and Wales at GOOD venues i.e Hammersmith/Glasgow apollo( As it was with ‘IF you want blood..’? Or even a visit to Ipswich Regent??? Oh well, We can all dream eh!!
SAMMY BOY
I can’t believe all the nimrods thinking the lads in AC/DC actually has got anything to do with their touring schedule. I remember an interview with Brian Johnson were he said “You come home from vacation in the Bahamas and some suit you’ve never seen before tells you “by the way, the world tour starts in two months, so get in shape!” So what would be a good venue in Scotland for a band that sells out 23 000 tickets in four minutes?
Awful news about Hanoi Rocks, without doubt the best live band on the planet bar none. However at least I have been privileged to see them 4 times since 2002 – something that seemed impossible ten years ago.
Michael Monroe for Velvet Revolver anyone? The guy is the best frontman of the past 20 years and has been criminally overlooked. Could be the kick up the rock n roll ass that VR need.
a good venue in scotland would be murrayfield or hampden, or the SECC, all of which ac/dc could sell out over and over. and it’s fucking irrelevant what venues there are, they should be loyal to their fans as we have been to them all these years, and piss off if you think the youngs don’t have control over where they play. they can pick and choose IF they want to. they need to be arsed first.
if they don’t come here to play on this tour i for one will not be buying into the ac/dc merchandise again.
and while i’m at it, good for david grant the DJ, more DJs in scotland should do the same thing.
Re ACDC. I wasn’t implying anything about retirement at 61 really, although i do feel they should have done so 10 years ago! Sorry the die hard fans but to be honest with ya from the past 5 albums they’ve had there’s a about 1 albums worth of good songs the rest are just quick written fillers! As for the tour schedule, yes it is the management & promoters etc that sort this out but end of the day it’s the fans that pay the wages so to speak & if the band bothered to take note of what their fans are saying they could & should put their foot down & insist on more of a tour. God what happened here? Years ago a UK tour would go on for at least a couple of months & practically every night too. Now it’s a couple of dates at mega big venues at mega big cost for a ticket. Instead of seeing tickets sold out in a day &on E-bay for hundreds that same evening maybe they should consider smaller venues as well, limited purchase of tickets per person & at an affordable price everyone can afford! Other not so big bands seem to manage the smaller venues why can’t the bigger ones do the same? After all the logistics of it all are a damn sight easier to handle with smaller venues then they are with bigger ones. yes i know there’s the sound system, stage show & all that stuff but it can be strimlined down for smaller venues. Cooper can do this as can many others so why not the rest?
Maybe Van Halen in a coupe of years time will show us how it’s done!
Sad to hear about Hanoi but kind of saw it coming – they’ve been treading water a bit for the last couple of albums imho. Still, thanks for some great memories guys and all the best for the future.
Leftin, sorry mate and I know it’s wrong to disrespect the dead but no no no, the last thing the world needs is another Nirvana. One bunch of whinging trog-faced no-marks bleating over-earnestly about how terrible it is being a multi-millionaire rock star was more than enough for one lifetime thanks. Agree with you on Motley Crue though, they are quite spectaculary dreadful.
Totally right about Nirvana. What the hell anyone saw in this band beats me. Christ if he hadn’t shot himself i would have done it!
Only talent was what’s his name drummer bloke!
xxx
@Kaz: It’s time you woke up. There is such a thing as a “contractual obligation” that makes the entire band follow a certain routine. If you look at their schedule they have some days off, which I would think was a good thing. They might put in some extra gigs in those spaces, if they feel up to it. That’s not their call! They just put up an extra gig in Stockholm. How do you think that happened? “Well lads, it’s your day off, but we’ve sold so many tickets that we can fill another hall. Your choice.” There is 2-300 people around these guys who make their choices for them. I really love the “piss off” thing and the idea of seeing them at the Barrowlands with all the neds, but seriously: If ya wanna whine, go for the players and not the band.
no scotish venue???
ive got tickets for the hampden gig in june
maybe this dj should stop listening to status quo and open his ears