R.I.P ANDY JOHNS
The rock world is currently in mourning for veteran producer/engineer Andy Johns, who was famous for his engineering work with Led Zeppelin as well as producing albums like Van Halen’s For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge and Joe Satriani’s The Extremist. No details were available at press time but tributes are all over social media from folks who worked with him and fans who loved his work. It’s pretty safe to say that rock music as we know it probably wouldn’t sound the same (especially in the drum department) if not for Andy Johns.
COMEDY FESTIVAL TREMBLES AT THE MIGHT OF SATAN’S FINEST
Satan’s Finest is a stand-up comedy show playing through the MICF that focuses on heavy metal. Featuring Mitch Alexander and Jackson Voorhaar, it runs April 7-11 and 14-18 at Horse Bazaar, 397 Little Lonsdale St, at 9.30pm.
GET YER SPASM ON
Introducing The Spasms! A brand new garage/punk/psych three-piece from the pits of Melbourne and the minds of Kit Atkinson (The Kits), Pete Hansford and John Davis. Inspired by The Gories, The Cramps and Thee Headcoats, you can see The Spasms in the flesh as they headline Black Night Crash at Rochester Castle, Fitzroy this Saturday April 13. Support comes from sludge’n’roll locals Sexy/Heavy. Entry $5. Doors 9pm.
G’N’R GO NIGHT-NIGHT
Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star, the company which creates “beautiful lullaby versions of your favorite artists,” will release Lullaby Versions Of Guns N’ Roses on April 30 via Roma Music Group. It includes Sweet Child O’ Mine, Don’t Cry, Welcome To The Jungle, November Rain, Patience, Paradise City, Mr. Brownstone, Nightrain and more. Just the thing to send the kiddies off to sleep. Check out the samples online – it pretty much sounds exactly like you might think it would.
AEROSMITH ADDS SECOND MELBOURNE SHOW
Aerosmith has joined the Stone Music Festival lineup in Sydney on April 28, cancelling their Sydney gig in favour of co-headlining the festival with Van Halen and also adding a second Melbourne solo show. They’re at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl on April 28 now as well as the originally scheduled date on April 27.
ENSLAVED TOUR POSTPONED
First the bad news: Enslaved’s tour has been postponed due to a little immigration department red tape. Now the good news: it turns out ‘postponed’ doesn’t mean ‘cancelled,’ and new dates have already been scheduled. They’ll now be in Melbourne on Friday November 1. Already-purchased tickets will be honoured at the new date.
CELEBRATE THREE DECADES OF BRUTALITY
Dreadnaught, 20-year veterans of the Aussie metal scene, are bringing their tried and tested brand of metal and Australian Rock to the stage on Saturday April 27 at The Gasometer in Collingwood. Joining them are State of Integrity (QLD) celebrating 10 years of melodic death/thrash with their Decade of Integrity Australia wide tour. Join the Amish will slay us all with their fresh thrash stylings, and Diprosus will kick off the night with their chunky groove-and-thrash style riffs! For more information, please visit the official website, 3decadesofbrutality.com
OBITUARY SUPPORTS ANNOUNCED
Are you going to Obituary’s tour in May? Well then, my friend, get ready to have your guts torn out and feasted upon by Denouncement Pyre and King Parrot, who have both been named supports of the gig. Tickets on sale now!
MAGNUS KARLSSON GOES SOLO
He’s played on pretty much everybody else’s albums (Allen/Lande, Kiske/Somerville, Starbreaker) and finally Magnus Karlsson is striking out on his own with Free Fall, his debut album out in June via Frontiers Records. Expect guest appearances by Russell Allen (Symphony X, Adrenaline Mob), Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear, Gamma Ray), Tony Harnell (TNT, Starbreaker), Mark Boals (Yngwie Malmsteen, The Codex), Rick Altzi (Masterplan, At Vance), Mike Andersson (Star One, Full Force), Rickard Bengtsson (Last Tribe), Herman Saming (A.C.T) and David Readman (Pink Cream 69, Vodoo Circle). “I’ve had the honour to collaborate with some of the greatest singers and musicians in the world”, says Magnus. “Artists who have made my life richer with their magical music. On this album I got the chance to write tailor made songs for some of my absolute favourite singers. I was thinking, what would I really like to hear from this or that guy and then I wrote the songs. It’s like if I’m missing a song with my favourite singer in my record collection, then I just make that song for him! I listen like a fan and I write like a fan well…I am a fan!”
SAINT VITUS TO TOUR!
Ladies and gentlemen, prepare thyselves for the first ever Australian tour by North America’s godfathers of doom, Saint Vitus! Before Sunn O)), Kyuss, Fu Manchu, Earth, everyone basically, there was Saint Vitus! Starting way back in 1978 on the streets of LA, Saint Vitus have influenced every single doom band known to man, and woman. Along with Black Sabbath and Pentagram, they were among the founding fathers of what was later called Doom Metal. They’ll be at The Hi-Fi on Saturday July 20 with special guests Clagg. Tickets from oztix.com.au.
HELP TWELVE FOOT NINJA EAT TROLLS
Twelve Foot Ninja respond to an internet troll with dismemberment and cannibalism. It’s probably their private lives too, but it’s most definitely their next video, which they promise to create with the help of fans via the crowd funding campaign they’ve just launched at pozible.com/tfn. The band’s pitch video on Pozible.com includes Mortal Kombat styled bone busting, head explosions, ninja teleportation, as well as sneak previews of scenes filmed with US prog metal wizards Periphery. Zip over to pozible.com/tfn to kick in a few shekels for the lads, will ya?
