Van Halen Comes To Sydney
This one really came out of nowhere. Van Halen are booked to play the Stone Music Festival in Sydney, a two-day event named in honour of 1974 cult Australian film Stone and timed to coincide with ANZAC day. It’s on Saturday April 20 and Sunday April 21, with Van Halen headlining on the Saturday and Billy Joel on the Sunday. Other acts currently booked to appear include Kings Of Chaos (Matt Sorum, Duff McKagan, Gilby Clarke, Joe Elliott, Glenn Hughes, Sebastian Bach, Steve Stevens), Buckcherry, Illumination Road, Baby Animals, The Living End, The Superjesus and Lifehouse. It will be Van Halen’s only Australian date (ditto for Joel), so I guess we all better start booking time off work and making hotel and airline reservations, or miss out on Van Halen’s only ever Australian date with David Lee Roth on vocals.
Andrew McManus Not So Excited About Stone Music Festival
As of this writing, social media is lighting up with a comment from Andrew McManus of McManus Entertainment (who is not involved in the Stone Music Festival): “Smells very fishy? Unknown promoters with no money…be very careful punters…you have been warned here!” Ouch!
Megadeth Names New Album, Label
Megadeth has just announced that they’ve signed with Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), where their new album Super Collider will be released via Dave Mustaine’s new label, Tradecraft. Megadeth’s contract with Roadrunner recently wrapped up, and although Dave had been pretty vocal in his criticism of the label’s handling of the band during their tenure there, I’ll point out that he would usually follow this up with “…except the Australian branch.” Aww.
Wanna Jam With Joe Satriani?
Thump Music will give fans the opportunity to jam with the one and only Joe Satriani during his Australian masterclass tour in April. To enter, upload a video to YouTube of yourself jamming to a Satriani song, including ‘Thump Music’ in the title and place your full name, ticket ID and state in the video description. Thump will post the videos on their Facebook page for the public to vote, and the most likes wins. The players from the top three videos in each state will be invited to jam with Joe at the clinic. The competition closes on March 29. By the way, tickets are $80 per person and there will be giveaways and extras, from pedals and strings to instruments. The Melbourne clinic is on Saturday April 13 from 12pm to 3pm.
Katatonia Added To Opeth Tour
Katatonia have snagged the coveted support slot for Opeth’s Australian tour this March. Their new studio album Dead End Kings has been hailed as one of the most unique metal albums, like, ever. As for Opeth, this tour promises to deliver a career defining set featuring songs from across their expansive catalogue. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketek and Oztix for the Thursday March 14 show at The Palace.
Aimee Francis Plays Hometown Gig
Melbourne expat Aimee Francis returns home for a gig at First Floor on Saturday March 2, before she heads off to the States to perform at the legendary Whisky A Go Go and at South By Southwest. Check out her new single Jetplane, out now.
Destroy Music Returns!
Destroy All Lines announce the return of the touring Destroy Music mini festival after a year off. This year the lineup includes The Ghost Inside, Emmure, Antagonist AD and Hand of Mercy. There are two Melbourne shows, both at The Hi-Fi: an over 18 one on Saturday May 25 and an under 18 gig on Sunday May 26. Tickets from The Hi-Fi.
Gig Alert: Scott Ian & Chris Jericho
Anthrax’s Scott Ian and Fozzy’s Chris Jericho will be at the Toff In Town on Wednesday February 27 for an evening of spoken word, telling stories and taking questions about their decades of metal, wrestling and drinking. “This is something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time,” Scott says. “I’ve been travelling the world in the company of and hanging out with the greatest people on the planet for 31 years and I’ve got to tales to tell. Tickets from Moshtix.
Gig Alert: Exordium Mors
Exordium Mors are a New Zealand black/thrash metal band with violent, melodic and epic riffs, bludgeoning basslines and drums and barbaric vocals. This is their first tour in Australia although they are not strangers to the international live circuit, having played their first international gig at Siamese True Metal Fest 2011 with Impiety, Surrender Of Divinity and Zygoatsis. Also being local support bands for Absu, Destruktor, Impiety, Marduk, Goatwhore and more, and with a devastating EP released through Hell’s Vomit Productions entitled Sacrifice, Perish and Demise. They play The Bendigo Hotel on Wednesday February 27 with Belligerent Intent, Scars of Sodom and Twisted Fate.
