RichRock
Blabbermouth.net: In his new autobiography, “Shut Up And Give Me The Mic”, Dee Snider of TWISTED SISTER has nothing nice to say about KROKUS, the veteran hard rockers from Switzerland. For an entire chapter, he rages about KROKUS, calls the band “Crapus” and states: “You have no idea how close you came landing on the bottom of a lake.”
The reason for his outburst: KROKUS commissioned Snider’s wife Suzette in 1982 to sew stage outfits for the band’s U.S. tour, but the former KROKUS manager refused to pay her for her services.
“These guys ripped off my wife and threatened her,” says Snider, who points out that his wife’s mother emigrated from Switzerland.
“I was proud of this rock band from the home country of my mother,” says Suzette. But the pride has turned into rage.
KROKUS bassist/producer Chris Von Rohr recalls: “The clothes did not match at all our expectations. Too much harlequin style. So we made a bonfire of it.”
Many years have passed and KROKUS are older and wiser. “If we have not treated his wife with due respect, we are sorry,” Von Rohr says
Von Rohr proposes to Dee and his wife to bury the hatchet and drink a beer or two together at a festival this year where both bands will perform in reconciliation of an event that happened over 30 years ago.
Swiss newspaper Blick reached Snider by phone and submitted KROKUS’ peace offer. “If they are serious, I think it’s a nice gesture,” says Snider. “But I have to ask my wife first if she is ready to forgive KROKUS.”
KROKUS Vocalist Calls DEE SNIDER Feud ‘Childish’ And ‘Ridiculous’
Blabbermouth.net: In a recent interview with “The Metal Voice” (see video below), KROKUS vocalist Marc Storace responded to Snider’s comments, saying: “This is so childish. We gave her a chance. I mean, how do you do?! Before you buy a truckload of wine, you wanna taste a bottle. SO we just wanted to have samples… to see some clothes. And our tour manager, L.D., he sent off the sizes and… I can’t even remember the details; it’s ridiculous. In the end, she came with the stuff, we tried it on, and it looked horrible. I’m sorry. I mean, I’m sorry. And they got so offended, and it was such a great insult to them. And they wanted their money. And L.D. said, ‘Hey, we’re not buying. Keep the clothes. Sorry. No deal.'”
KROKUS bassist/producer Chris Von Rohr recently recalled: “The clothes did not match at all our expectations. Too much harlequin style. So we made a bonfire of it.”
Many years have passed and KROKUS are older and wiser. “If we have not treated his wife with due respect, we are sorry,” Von Rohr said.
Von Rohr proposed to Dee and his wife to bury the hatchet and drink a beer or two together at a festival this year where both bands will perform in reconciliation of an event that happened over 30 years ago.
Swiss newspaper Blick reached Snider by phone and submitted KROKUS’ peace offer. “If they are serious, I think it’s a nice gesture,” said Snider. “But I have to ask my wife first if she is ready to forgive KROKUS.”
February 20, 2003….A date that will always be remembered by myself and many other people here in Rhode Island.
That night the band Great White was playing at the Station Night Club in West Warwick. A fire caused by pyrotechnics killed 100 people including my sister, Dina DeMaio.
Dina was not there to see Great White. She was working at the Station part-time as a waitress and was not supposed to work that night.
It was her 30th birthday, but the owners of the club asked her to work because of all the people that were going to be there. Dina had never even heard of Great White (she listened to Tupac and that rap crap)… In fact, she called me that afternoon to ask who Great White was because she knew I still listened to 80’s metal.
I was living in Texas at the time. If I was living here in Rhode Island, I might have been there that night as well. I remember telling her ‘Happy Birthday,’ then getting off the phone, never thinking that would be the last time I would ever talk to her.
Now, it’s 10 years later and a lot of narrow-minded, angry people around here put all the blame of the Station Nightclub Fire on Great White. I’m more intelligent than that. The owners of the club, Great White’s manager and the guys in Great White all should have known better than to use Pyrotechnics in a club with low ceilings.
My mother thinks I should not listen to 80’s metal anymore because of what happened, but other types of music just don’t do anything for me. When I listen to Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Dio, Sabbath, it just gets my blood pumping. Am I wrong for it? I don’t know. I’m 42 and old enough to know what I like. I am listening to METAL SHOP right now as I am writing this. Rock on! Keep defending the faith!
-Vincent DeMaio
Blabbermouth.net: (TWISTED SISTER guitarist Jay Jay French) “While most of the world thinks that TWISTED SISTER started in 1984, there are those who know a much different story.”
“Within the next year, a documentary about the history of the first 10 years of TWISTED SISTER will finally be exhibited from the [German] filmmaker Andy Horn.”
“Because of the sheer number of super-sized night clubs that started operating in the tri-state area around 1976, there exists a fan base that only knew us with me, Dee [Snider, vocals], Eddie [Ojeda, guitar] and, for a short time, bassist Ken Neill (with an assortment of changing drummers).”
“However, before that, TWISTED SISTER played hundreds of shows at places like the Mad Hatter in East Quouge, Mr. T’s & Maxis in Wantagh, in Long Island, The Satellite Lounge, The Wreck Room, Dodd’s, The Colony III, The Joker II, The Searchlite, Spruce Goose, The Capricorn and the George Inn in NJ and the Sahara located in Adams, Massachusetts.
“It was clear to me early on that the first version of the band was never going to make it. None of the members, except Kenny, had what it takes. The lack of focus, professionalism and raw talent of the fist version became obvious and the proof is that of all the original five members, I alone remain standing.
“In those days, you played in one club for three-six nights in a row. In the case of the Mad Hatter in East Quouge, we played 78 nights between May and September.
“So here then, for the first time, is the show schedule of TWISTED SISTER’s first year. While rehearsals were well under way in February, the first dates began 40 years ago in March, 1973.
“Have fun. Maybe some of you remember!”
Emerging from the blues and psychedelic rock of the 1960s and ’70s, heavy metal has been a driving force in music for nearly 50 years — known for its massive sound, extended guitar solos, and unrelenting intensity.
Despite being critically reviled throughout its history, metal has stood the test of time with bands such as Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Mötley Crüe achieving legendary status, unfathomable wealth and exerting a profound influence on generations of musicians and fans. Unlike many forms of popular music, whose followers are fickle and transitory, metalheads tend to embrace their favorite bands and follow them over decades. Metal is not only a pastime — it’s a lifestyle.
Written by veteran rock journalists Jon Wiederhorn and Katherine Turman, “Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History Of Metal” (It Books; May 14, 2013; Hardcover; $32.50) was assembled from more than 300 interviews with members of Metallica, Megadeth, Pantera, Van Halen and many others, conducted over a 25-year span. Turman and Wiederhorn dug deep into their extensive list of contacts to uncover never- before-heard stories, eye-opening admissions and the truth behind metal’s most explosive legends. With an introduction by Scott Ian of Anthrax and an afterword by Rob Halford of Judas Priest, this is the book metal fans have been waiting for.
Icons of the genre offer candid and confessional commentary, including: Ronnie James Dio, Ozzy Osbourne, Bruce Dickinson, Eddie Van Halen, Vince Neil, Tommy Lee, Lita Ford, Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, Axl Rose, Slash, Dave Mustaine, King Diamond, Kerry King, Philip Anselmo and more. The many musicians interviewed offer their take on their influences, touring, the music business and songwriting, as well as their often-traumatic upbringings, battles with substance abuse and bizarre sexual exploits. Industry insiders (including managers, record label executives, family members, friends, scenesters, groupies, journalists and porn stars) provide additional insight.
“Louder Than Hell: The Definitive Oral History Of Metal” explores the transformation of metal culture, with stories and anecdotes straight from the mouths of the most infamous and successful bands. Filled with hundreds of revealing interviews representing every type and era of heavy metal — from metal progenitors such as Blue Cheer, Led Zeppelin, and the MC5 to current day innovators — “Louder Than Hell” is the ultimate look behind the curtain at one of our most dynamic, controversial and enduring musical genres.
Alice Cooper: “This is the book every metal fan should own. A fascinating high-octane chronicle of metal mayhem that takes readers on a wild ride, from metal’s earliest days to the headbanging present. I’m not saying this just because I’m in the book, but . . . if you love metal, great stories, and music history told by the people who made it, then ‘Louder Than Hell’ is a must-read.”
No ‘Foolin’ – 30 years ago today (January 20, 1983), “Pyromania” was released.
DefLeppard.com: “Wow ….. I can’t believe it’s 30 years since Pyromania came out! It had been a labour of love to make (little did we know in comparison to Hysteria, it was a piece of cake!)…. Multiple studios in London, one guitarist out, one guitarist in, equipment breakdowns, tapes turning transparent because of the thousands of times they were rewound & fast forwarded for multiple overdubs, but we found our sound on this record with the help of a great producer in Mutt Lange, the new studio technology that we eagerly embraced (unlike many of our peers) and an incredible enthusiasm to “make a record no one else had ever made” whether we did or didn’t isn’t important, what is, is that we had made the record WE wanted to make, it had been percolating in our DNA for 6 years!!…. we finally sounded like the “us” we wanted to be!!!” -Joe Elliott
LOS ANGELES, CA – TUESDAY, January 15, 2013 — Anthems, Anthrax’s long-awaited, eight-track EP that pays tribute to the classic songs by some of Anthrax’s favorite bands from the 1970s, will be released in North America on March 19 (MRI/Megaforce), and on March 22 in Europe (Nuclear Blast). Anthems’s track listing features Rush’s “Anthem,” Thin Lizzy’s “Jailbreak,” “TNT” by AC/DC, Boston’s “Smokin’,” “Big Eyes” by Cheap Trick, Journey’s “Keep on Runnin,” as well as the album version and a special remix of Anthrax’s “Crawl” from the band’s critically-acclaimed 2011 album Worship Music.
Said the band’s vocalist Joey Belladonna, “These are all bands I grew up with and have listened to forever. It’s just great music. I had fun singing these songs and I was happy recording together with Anthrax, doing classic rock songs. Fun stuff!”
On Boston’s “Smokin’,” Anthrax brought in a special guest to play keyboards – Fred Mandel, who has played with Alice Cooper, Queen, Elton John, Cheap Trick, Supertramp and on Pink Floyd’s The Wall. About the track, drummer Charlie Benante said, “If ever there were a perfect first album, it’s Boston’s first album. The harmony leads they did would later be heard by Iron Maiden, which of course would lead to thrash metal.”
The EP will be available on CD as well as digitally via iTunes and other online retailers. In addition to Anthems’ cover art (attached), Benante and artist Stephen Thompson have subtly redesigned each track’s original album cover art to “Anthrax” it. The Anthems EP will first be housed in one of the “re-imagined” digipak covers, and then inserted inside the main CD cover sleeve. The main cover sleeve has been designed in such a way so fans will be able to see which one of the six “re-imagined” covers is inside.
Anthems was produced by Anthrax, Jay Ruston and Rob Caggiano, and recorded for the most part throughout 2012 literally all over the world: at Benante’s home studio, in Ruston’s New York studio, on the band’s tour bus while on last summer’s Mayhem Tour, in hotel rooms, and backstage at their Berlin show last December.
The Grammy-nominated Anthrax – Belladonna, Benate/drums, Scott Ian/guitar and Frank Bello/bass – will hit the road in support Anthems on February 16 with dates in India and Australia, and then return to North America to headline the Metal Alliance Tour that kicks off March 22. For all of these dates, Anthrax will be joined by Shadows Fall guitarist Jon Donais.
(Update 1/18/13): Anthrax’s cover of Rush’s “Anthem” is now available for streaming at RollingStone.com.
Blabbermouth.net: Former DIO and current DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell revealed in April 2012 that he is planning to join forces with three other original DIO members to play “some gigs” that will see the musicians performing material from the early DIO records that Campbell appeared on. Dubbed LAST IN LINE, Campbell, Vinny Appice (drums), Jimmy Bain (bass) and Claude Schnell (keyboards) will be accompanied by singer Andrew Freeman, who has previously fronted HURRICANE and LYNCH MOB.
LAST IN LINE resumed rehearsing in December and is scheduled to have another rehearsal session tonight. Vivian says: “It sounds amazing; the original band’s energy is incredible and Andy Freeman kills it on vocals. This is gonna be so good!”
According to Campbell, the following songs, among others, are being rehearsed for LAST IN LINE’s upcoming live show:
* “Holy Diver”
* “Stand Up And Shout”
* “Don’t Talk To Strangers”
* “Last In Line”
* “Caught In The Middle”
* “Straight Through The Heart”
* “We Rock”
* “Egypt”
* “Invisible”
* “Shame On The Night”
ClassicRockMagazine.com: There are plans for a new Scorpions album, featuring leftovers from the early 1980s.
Klaus Meine: “We started that over a year ago… It will be material that was never finished; songs with pure Scorpions DNA from a very exciting time. Once we close the book on the crazy touring schedule that’s something we’ll pick up again.”
Three years after announcing the Scorpions had decided to wind down their career; the band has changed their minds.
Meine explained the volte-face as follows: “As the emotion built, it [not retiring] became a gradual decision. It’s one thing to say, ‘This is going to be the end of the Scorpions’ and another to do it. Our Sting In The Tail album [2010] was such a success that a whole new generation of fans joined the party. It was amazing. And you know that with all the best parties it’s sometimes hard to find the door?”
Jan. 4, 1986: Thin Lizzy singer/bassist Phil Lynott died at the young age of 36.
His longtime abuse of cocaine, heroin and booze led to his collapse on Christmas day at his home in London.
Kidney and liver infections complicated by pneumonia and, finally, heart failure took his life too soon.
R.I.P.
BigMusicGeek.com: Despite him being rather far removed from the group, do you still have a functional relationship with Chris DeGarmo? What were the main motivating factors behind him leaving the group amid their main commercial peak?
Geoff Tate: “Yes. I’ve always had a relationship with Chris. I just spoke to him last week. …I can’t really answer for him, but from my perspective, he just got sick of it all, ya know? It’s really difficult to keep a band together when they hate you, are resentful of you and are jealous of you. There’s only so many days that you can walk in there with a happy face and say ‘Okay, guys’ (laughs), ya know? He just got worn down by it all and wanted to do something different with his life. He was in an economic position to do something different with his life and he just did it. Speaking to me, he said ‘Look, I’ve really enjoyed this and what we’ve created together and I cherish our partnership, but I really need to do something different with my life. We’ve had a really good run, but it’s time for me to move on and do something different’. You can’t argue with someone for wanting to live their life. Life is short. The road that you get on when you’re twenty years old and think you’re going to travel for the rest of your life…there’s always that crossroads where if all the stars align, maybe you’ll take that left turn instead of a right. He just got off the road. …He wanted to do something different and he went and did it.”