METALDATES - Concert News Archive

05/20/99

* A day after announcing a time change for their Seattle-market show at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, WA, Aerosmith has announced the postponement of the show. The Gorge postponement follows last week's unplayed shows in Bakersfield, CA; Phoenix, AZ and Mountain View, CA, all blamed on an unspecified illness affecting a band member, according to the band's official fan club site, Aero Force One.
- TicketMaster

* On July 15-18, the Chippewa Valley Rock Fest celebrates heavy rock with appearances sheduled by Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Blue Oyster Cult, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Kansas, Scorpions, Poison, Sammy Hagar, Peter Frampton, Foreigner and Journey. The show is being held on 24447 County Highway S, Cadott, WI. For more info, dial (1 800) 326-FEST or mailto:info@rock-fest.com. The website is located at http://www.rock-fest.com
- HardRadio

05/14/99

* David Lee Roth will be KICKIN' ASS & TAKIN' NAMES all over the entire world!! Diamond Dave will kick off the world tour festivities by destroying Amsterdam on June 9th, 1999, which is the first stop for the mighty DLR headlining European tour. The American leg of the tour begins on June 23rd in Winston-Salem, NC. There is still no official word on the DLR Band line-up, but Ray Luzier (Drums) and Bart Walsh (ex-Atomic Punks, guitar) are locked in.
- www.DavidLeeRoth.com

* Motorhead kicked off a North American tour on May 4 in Canada with Dropkick Murphy's and Hatebreed. The band will head to Europe for festivals during June-August. Following that, Motorhead will start recording the next studio album and do a second leg in both North America and Europe before the end of the year. Motorhead has just released Everything Louder Than Everyone Else, a double live CD on CMC International including 25 classic tracks recorded in Hamburg, Germany.

* Due to scheduling conflicts, Twisted Sister may not hit the road this summer as previously reported. Guitarist Jay Jay French and producer Toby Wright are currently working on Sevendust's sophomore effort. According to net sources, Snider is tied up promoting the video release of Strangeland and busy with his radio show. As for the rumours suggesting Twisted Sister opening up for Iron Maiden, Bruce Dickinson stated in a recent interview that NO '80s acts will be opening up for Maiden.
- HardRadio

05/07/99

* According to www.motley.com, Motley Crue have announced that drummer Tommy Lee will not be touring with the band this summer on their Maximum Rock Amphitheater Tour and has given notice to leave the group. Tommy Lee says, "I wish the guys all the best of luck this summer. I will miss them and the fans, but it's time for me to totally embrace my family and my new projects." Lee will take his time away and work on a new project, the Methods of Mayhem. Bassist Nikki Sixx, says "We support Tommy in his decision to take some time off from touring and trust he will enjoy success in whatever he sets out to accomplish." The Crue has asked Guns N' Roses drummer Matt Sorum to fill-in for the summer tour. As for the aforementioned tour with the Scorpions, both bands will be performing for 90 minutes each with the Crue playing last.

Newly returned Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson fulfilled previous solo obligations and toured Brazil late April. The touring band was the same as who recorded Bruce's brilliant solo album, The Chemical Wedding, and includes guitarists Adrian Smith and Roy Z, bassist Eddie Casillas and drummer Dave Ingraham. A live album was recorded as a "story to date of my solo stuff," Bruce stated. It's been a real pleasure working with Roy, Eddie and Dave - not to mention H - but I'm sure we'll all do more together in the future when our other commitments allow." However, Dickinson and Co. had some problems during the recordings in Sao Paulo. Some technical problems in the bass almost failed the recordings, but the crew fixed up everything just in time. Bruce recorded the shows in Sao Paulo, in Curitiba and in Vinhedo. The album is due to be out in October via Air Raid Records.
- HardRadio

04/28/99

* Metallica with San Francisco Symphony - April 21/22, 1999:

The press releases stated Metallica would be Metallica and the Symphony would be the Symphony- Metallica stayed true to their word. When the show was announced many questions were raised, "will it be black tie or black t-shirt ?" "will the boys get dressed up?" and mainly..."How the hell are they going to pull this one off???"

After waiting in the mile long line, complete with religious protesters as free entertainment, we are allowed into the venue where we are led to our seats by an usher who hands each person a complimentary Metallica and the SF Symphony program, complete with set list. Only a few fans came in black tie, but it was the most well behaved Metallica audience I have ever seen- probably due to the lack of alcohol at the show. It was almost as if the crowd was confused about how to act, whether sit or stand, scream or clap politely. Judging by the 14 cameras, complete with one on a crane sweeping through the audience passing people's head by mere inches, the orchestra warming up, the arrival of band members parents and family sitting two rows behind us, and James taking a photo from the side of the stage, it was obvious this show was going to be really special.

At a little after 8PM Michael Kamen took the stage and conducted the Symphony as they played "Ecstasy of Gold", followed by James as they began "Call of Ktulu", followed by each band member as it became time for their part: Lars, then Jason, and finally Kirk, all of whom dressed well for Metallica standards but not quite in tuxedos.

The symphony did their thing and Metallica definitely did theirs, putting every ounce of energy into possibly the best performance I have ever seen. Despite a few mistakes by Lars, the show was perfect. Unfortunately neither of the "Unforgiven"s made the set list nor did "Fade to Black", three songs I was excited to hear with a Symphony. The set list did include two new songs, "No Leaf Clover" and "Human", which both received a good response from the crowd. "Human" was especially good with the Symphony because it had a mellow intro from the symphony then went into a heavy Metallica riff, similar to "2x4".

The highlight of the show came with, "For Whom the Bell Tolls", the perfect combination of the beautiful sound of the Symphony mixed with the energy of Metallica, which ALMOST had the orchestra headbanging. After the song Michael Kamen and James exchanged big grins and a thumbs up from Kamen with an overwhelming response from the audience. The show concluded with "Battery" and the band introducing Michael Kamen and the San Francisco Symphony to the crowd, who by now were back to their normal crazy Metallica fan selves and went nuts. The biggest surprise came when the Symphony got a louder round of applause then Metallica themselves....could this be a sign??? To answer everyone's question, Yes, the boys definitley pulled it off.
- www.metallica.com

04/25/99

* Motley Crue and the Scorpions have announced a 40-city summer amphitheatre tour to launch late June. According to sources close to the band, the tour will feature 90 minute sets from The Scorpions and Motley Crue (who will close the concert) highlighting their respective arsenal of hits including "Dr. Feelgood", "Kickstart My Start" and "Wild Side" from Motley Crue and "Rock You Like A Hurricane", "No One Like You" and "Big City Nights" from the Scorpions. "We wanted to bring our fans a in-your-face rock line-up for the summer and playing with the Scorpions was the perfect match. It will be loud and excessive." Says Nikki Sixx, bassist Motley Crue. "Fans will be excited with this line-up, it’s a great opportunity to see two bands with tons of songs you know. Motley Crue and the Scorpions will testosterone rock’s answer to the Lilith Fair," said Scott Gelman, JAM Productions.
- www.motley.com

* POISON TOURS IN 1999!

For those of you who may not be in touch with what's up with Poison. No question about it, Poison officially hits the road at the end of May with the original line-up of Bret Michaels, Rikki Rockett, Bobby Dall and Poison welcomes back C.C. DeVille. The 1999 tour will sport Poison's over the top live performance as you have never seen it and promises to be the tour of year. The tour will also include Ratt, Great White & L.A. Guns.
- PoisonWeb.com

* Newly returned Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson will be fulfilling previous solo obligations with a tour of Brazil later this month. The dates, which had been agreed upon, in principle, prior to Bruce rejoining Maiden are: Tuesday, April 20 - Metropolitan in Rio De Janiero; Wednesday, April 21 - Via Funchal in Sao Paulo; Friday April 23 - Forum in Curitiba and Saturday, April 24 - Adler in Vinhedo (Sao Paulo). The touring band will be the same as who recorded Bruce's recently successful solo album, The Chemical Wedding, and includes guitarists Adrian Smith and Roy Z, bassist Eddie Casillas and drummer Dave Ingraham. Says Bruce, "As we've been talking about these dates since last November, long before the prospect of Maiden came up, it made sense to do them. We have the time within Maiden's schedule and we all love touring Brazil, and we finally get Roy out on tour this time 'round as he couldn't make the European tour due to production commitments. Whilst out there, we'll try to get a live album together as s sort of "story to date" of my solo stuff. It's been a real pleasure working with Roy, Eddie and Dave - not to mention H - but I'm sure we'll all do more together in the future when our other commitments allow. The Tribe are a great band and deserve their own success, and I think Roy is a World Class Producer."

* On June 3-5 in Bad Allhau/Burgenland, Austria a Metal festival called Rock In Allhau is set to feature the following acts: W.A.S.P., Manowar, Cinderella, Overkill, Mercyful Fate, Rage, Nevermore, Angra, Sodom, Great White, Quiet Riot, Skyclad, Gilby Clarke / Eric Singer, Lefay and many more.
- HardRadio

04/15/99

* Judas Priest was scheduled to headline the second stage of this year's Ozzfest, but decided to pull out of the show. "We had to pull out of Ozzfest '99 due to record company commitments," the band stated. "We are in the process of signing a new deal with a major record label and have to deliver our new studio album to them by October this year, which means we will have to be in the studio throughout the summer. We are extremely disappointed that we can't do these shows as we were really looking forward to playing these dates. We apologise to everyone and look forward to getting back out on the road once the album is released."

* Sammy Hagar, who recently wrapped up his tour of Hard Rock Cafes, plans to tour this summer in support of his new album, Red Voodoo. Hagar is currently looking for an opening act.
- HardRadio

* Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich wishes more American music festivals were as diverse as Woodstock '99. "It's much more in line with the European festival circuit," Ulrich says, "where you get Metallica and Sheryl Crow together, you get to hang out with Phil Collins backstage." Hey Lars, not only is you're band the biggest sell-outs ever, but on top of that, you're also the biggest queer I've ever seen.

04/09/99

* Ozzfest '99: The Last Supper - Black Sabbath to make final bow on fourth annual Ozzfest

The invitations are sealed. The table is set. The event of the millenium is being staged once and for all. The last supper for Black Sabbath. This winter's sensational Reunion tour saw frontman Ozzy Osbourne return to the fold for the original band's first full tour in twenty years. In response to SRO crowds across the country and overwhelming fan demand, Sabbath are returning for one final swing as the main attraction of this year's Ozzfest. The legendary band's 1999 winter jaunt solidified their status as the kings of heavy music, and served as a powerful reminder of the vitality of their timeless music. The Sabs will headline the perennially top-grossing (per show, '97 and '98) Ozzfest, beginning May 27 in West Palm Beach, Fla., in the company of the best of their progeny and disciples, from the dark theatrics of Rob Zombie to Deftones' blistering emotional fury to the total abandon of Slayer. Also appearing on the main stage: veteran originalists Primus and stories-in-the-making Godsmack and System of a Down. This year's second stage boasts metal legends Judas Priest in the top spot with a supporting cast of hungry, heavy upstarts including Nashville Pussy, Buckcherry, Hed(pe), Pushmonkey, Drain, Static-X, and, for the first time on the Ozzfest, unsigned bands: Los Angeles-based Flashpoint and England's Apartment 26. In addition to the two stages of music, Never Never Land, the circus-like concourse of attractions, exhibitors, and exhibitionists, will once again return with its diversions for the restless. The day promises to be an explosive juggernaut of apocalyptic rock and roll fever.
- www.ozzfest.com

04/08/99

* Iron Maiden Reunion Update:

Uniting Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith with, Harris, Murray, McBrain and Gers, have been writing material in Miami, Florida. They will be performing shows in North America this summer, followed by dates in Europe. A new studio album and World Tour is set for 2000. The set list and huge staging and production will be based on the Soundtrack and visuals of Ed Hunter. Rumour has it that Megadeth will open up in Europe but not North America.

* In April, Bruce Dickinson is confirmed to perform three dates on The Chemical Wedding tour. Sources say that this, the final chapter of the tour, will be made up of shows in Rio De Janeiro (April 20), Sao Paulo (April 21) and Curitiba (April 22). Dickinson, speaking from Miami says that his next solo outing will be a live album recorded on this tour, due out in July/August.
- HardRadio

* It has been confirmed that the US Embassy sent a letter to Kiss, stating that they cannot guarantee the group's security during concerts which had been planned for April 1 & 2 in Moscow and April 4th in St. Petersburg. This is all due to the NATO air bombardments in Kosovo, Yugoslavia, which have pissed off a lot of people there, and have caused rioting at the embassy and general bad feelings towards locally resident Americans. It has been stated by the local promoters that Kiss has therefore canceled the shows there. No word yet on whether they'll be rescheduled, or how refunds are to be processed.
- The Kiss Asylum

04/04/99

* Guns N' Roses and Aerosmith may join Woodstock '99, event sources say. Metallica, Offspring and Marilyn Manson are confirmed for the event, July 23-25 in Rome, N.Y. The roster will be officially announced next week. As for the Guns N' Roses reunion, it isn't much of a reunion. In fact, frontman Rose is the only remaining member from the band's Appetite for Destruction heyday. Rose owns the GNR name; bandmates such as Slash, Izzy Stradlin and Steven Adler are long gone.
- RockDaily

03/30/99

* Metallica have confirmed a Brazilian tour with Sepultura. Both bands will play on May 6th (Porto Alegre), May 8th (Sao Paulo) and May 9th (Rio de Janeiro). The scheduled venues hold 20,000 people or more.

* Overkill have begun its tour in support of their latest release, Necroshine. "Man, find something you love to do and you never work a day in your life," said frontman Bobby Blitz. Since the recording of Necroshine, guitarist Sebastian Marino has split with the band. "Sebastian had to leave for personal reasons," said Blitz. "I don't feel it's necessary to go into because it's personal and that's his business. He remained committed until the last note he recorded for Necroshine." Dave Lynsk has been named as Marino's replacement. After finishing this leg of the tour, Overkill will play festivals in Europe, including Dynamo and Gods of Metal. The second leg of the U.S. tour will begin in late June.
- HardRadio

03/25/99

* Metallica and Ted Nugent have announced plans to play a New Year's Eve concert at the Detroit-area Pontiac Silverdome. Ticket prices have not yet been announced, and tickets are set for sale on October 23rd, according to the show's promoter, Cellar Door/ Belkin. The pairing is one of many rock events currently in various stages of planning across the country for New Year's Eve, 1999, a date that is already being marketed heavily by event organizers around the world.
- TicketMaster

03/22/99

* If everything goes as planned, Motley Crue and the Scorpions will be co-headlining a North America tour this summer. The Scorps' Eye To Eye record will be out in May. As for the Crue catalogue, both the box set and reissues should begin appearing in June.

* Sepultura will be touring North America until March 20th, have a week off and head to Spain for a couple of live performances. Following this, they will tour South America with Rob Zombie and Metallica.
- HardRadio

03/20/99

* Now in Europe, Kiss will head down to South America to tour April 10 - 24. The first date will be in Buenos Aires, Argentina (on the 10th). While other stops include Santiago, Chile, Puerto Allegre and Sao Paulo in Brazil, San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Mexico City, Mexico. Paul Stanley will trade his Kiss makeup for a different kind of mask when he steps into the title role of The Phantom Of The Opera at the Pantages Theatre in Toronto, Ontario for 10 weeks starting in June. The band will be on a break while Paul appears in the musical, but plans to resume touring in North America in August, coinciding with the August 13 release of Detroit Rock City. A tour of Asia is on the drawing boards for the fall.
- The Rock Gallery

03/16/99

* Ozzfest '99 is now confirmed. Joining Black Sabbath on the main stage for their 'final' tour, are Rob Zombie, Slayer, Deftones, Primus, Godsmack and System of a Down. The second stage acts include Judas Priest, Nashville Pussy, Puya, Pushmonkey and the unsigned bands Flashpoint and Apartment 26 (features Geezer Butler's son). According to Sharon Osbourne, the tour will mark Sabbath's swansong as the group plans to disband permanently after Ozzfest to focus on solo projects. Ozzfest kicks off on May 28 in Florida wraps up July 17 in Los Angeles.

03/09/99

* Iron Maiden will start a major 10 date European Tour in Paris on 9.9.99 in the 16,500 capacity Salle Omnisport de Bercy. This will be the first European show with the new Maiden line-up of Bruce Dickinson (Vocals), Steve Harris (Bass), Adrian Smith (Guitar), Janick Gers (Guitar), Dave Murray (Guitar) and Nicko McBrain (Drums). Says Bruce "We can’t wait to get back on stage together. We’ll be taking out a massive show with loads of lights, pyro, production and VOLUME. The show and set will be based on Ed Hunter, our PC Game which will be out in May, so I reckon we’re gonna enjoy this! The game soundtrack is the Top 20 Maiden tracks of all time as voted by fans on our website." "We chose the date 9.9.99 specifically - and not only for the obvious reasons! This is also the date when some ‘experts’ predict computer malfunction mania may kick in with the clocks turning over to 0.0.00. So if the place does go haywire on the night this might be the first and last show!" More dates will be announced soon.
- The Official Iron Maiden Website

* March Metal Meltdown will take place March 12 - 13. The first edition of this festival will be held in Asbury Park, New Jersey at the Convention Hall and the adjacent Paramount Theatre. The show will feature 100 bands on 3 stages and runs from 5pm-1:30am on Friday and 12 noon-1:30am on Saturday. Friday night will also have 5 wrestling matches featuring Ian Rotten, Scorpio, The Pit Bulls, Giant Silva, Michael Heyes, and more. And on Saturday, NWOBHM Night Hosted By Jasmine St. Caire, with porn stars: Brittany O'connell, Tera Heart & Micky Lynn. The following bands have been confirmed for the festival:

Friday: Dimmu Borgir, Amorphis, Hypocrisy, Iced Earth, Mortician, Incantation, Earth Crisis, Dehumanized, Internal Bleeding, Dying Fetus, G.O.D., NJ Bloodline, Chaos Theory, October Thorns, Stretcher, Cross Thread, Grey Skys Fallen, For The Love Of, Solus, Vitamin F, Vindiction, Divine Silence, Savant, Malicious Intent, Malamor, In Ruins, Forgotten, Benumb, Skinless, Dysphoria, Step Kings, Burial, Ill Nino, Turmoil, Hinge

Saturday: Sepultura, Biohazard, Meshuggah, Cryptopsy, Gorguts, Vader, Napalm Death, Enslaved, Candiria, Dead By Morning, Monster X, Dirty Brown Eye, Redline, Profane, Immortal Cringe, E-Town Concrete, Wykked Wytch, Disarray, Long Winter's Stare, Shango, Obliviaxe, Myself Am Hell, Infusion, Dying Breed, Sarcophagus, Fallen Christ, Vital Remains, Bloodstorm, Evilution, Garden of Shadows, Grim Reality, Impaler, Far From Within, Rare Form, Darkmoon, Corrupture, Divine Empire, Somnus, Balistik Kick, Lorde Of All Desires, Deathkids, Slaughter House, Bloodfeast, Whiplash, Vicious Rumors, Riot, Anvil, Sweet Savage, Blitzkrieg, Jess Cox (Tygers of Pantang), Raven, Grim Reaper, Butchery, Human Disorder, One Minute Silence, Spineshank, Hatebreed, Scrape, Anal Blast, Cephalic Carnage, Disfigured, Dillinger Escape Plan, Exhumed, Morgion, Todays The Day, Puya, Madball
- HeadBangersDelight

03/05/99

* According to Earache Records, the Undisputed No.1 Death Metal act Morbid Angel have announced details of a headline slot on the forthcoming No Mercy Festivals in Europe. Boasting an impressive array of support acts, the No Mercy Festival dates will take in 11 shows in Europe during April 1999. The full band line up is: Morbid Angel, Emperor, Absu, The Crown, Limbonic Art, Peccatum. The dates will be complemented by a larger set of Morbid Angel headline dates as part of their second European tour in support of the 'Formulas Fatal to the Flesh' album which of course includes their appearance at the Dynamo Festival May 21-23.

02/28/99

* Beginning Memorial Day, Poison, Ratt, Cinderella, and Great White (or possibly Dokken) are expected to hit the road for a sixty-date tour, primarily playing in sheds across the country. Though the festival has been in flux for some time now, the retro excursion's line-up is nearly finalized. "They're very likely gonna do it," says Tammy Gardner, a representative at Great White's management firm. But there's a potential conflict: It's believed that Great White or Dokken will open the tour, with each band's camp directing "if they're on it, we're not on it"-type remarks toward the other, according to a source on a rival retro-metal tour. "We're still on it or plan to be on it," says a representative at Dokken's management company. "They're ready, willing and able." Last September, Poison frontman Bret Michaels had his sights set on a more star-studded glam-metal package tour that he hoped would feature Motley Crue along with Def Leppard and Whitesnake. It's not known if this poor-man's package will also be dubbed "Exile From Mainstream," a folksy epithet Michaels had dubbed that unrealized tour. - Rolling Stone Network

02/25/99

* Firehouse concert review submitted by Rich the Concert Junkie (02/20/99 Las Vegas, NV):

Fire!!!!!!! There is no damage, just rock and roll Firehouse style. Firehouse rocked Pinke's of Las Vegas on Saturday, February 20. All four original members played a true kick-ass show. "Lets hear all the horny people out there," screamed lead vocalist ,CJ Snare. Can this guy sing? His voice hit all the high and low notes. His harmonies with the other talented members were pure rock and roll. The new album, which will be released in the United States this summer, is named Category 5 for their fifth record and it's also named after Hurricane Hugo which devastated the South during 1989. A new song titled "ACID RAIN" about a day in the studio when it was pouring rain. This song, written by bassist, Perry Richardson has an environmental twist. "Have Mercy" is another new song the band performed at the show. Both tunes rocked. Drummer Michael Foster played hard and heavy. Bill Leverty on ax had great stage presence and solos that were rock'in from the first tune to the last. Richardson's solos drove the crowd into a frenzy. Perry said, "It's not as heavy a record as the first one, overall it's more from the heart." There are two ballads on the new album. Perry said of the band's most recent recordings, "I think it's a lot different." In reference to the band's song writing he added, "We tried not change too much at one time." A few of the songs performed were, "All She Wrote", "Seven Bridges Road" (which the band did a great job harmonizing on), "Love Of A Lifetime", "Don't Treat Me Bad", plus many more. Since the summer of 1998 the band has been playing clubs and theaters. To contact this great rock'in band go to the web and log on to Firehousemusic.com. When the show ended the band stayed and signed autographs and posed for pictures. This is a band of the people which is rare today in the music industry.

02/24/99

* Under strict orders from Ozzy's doctors the final four shows of the Black Sabbath 1999 Reunion Tour have been postponed. The rescheduled dates have yet to be confirmed but they will take place sometime in May or June. As soon as the dates are finalized we will post them on this site. The following shows will be rescheduled: Denver (2-21), Salt Lake (2-22), Peoria (2-25), & Ames (2-26). - BlackSabbath.com

02/20/99

* Slaughter concert review submitted by Rich the Concert Junkie (02-13-99 Las Vegas, NV):

"Up all night," truer words could not be spoken! Slaughter rocked the roof off Texas Station Casino. This performance was high energy all the way. The suspects: Mark Slaughter, Dana Strum, Blas Elias and Jeff Blando. The boys hit the stage in pure hard rock form. Mark belted out the lyrics to "Wild Life", Mad About You", "Searchin", "Fly to the Angels" and many more. Mark's voice was loud and powerful. Blas on the drums was f-ken un believable. Dana and Jeff played their axes like madmen. Besides their stage presence, they are two very talented players. Mark said, "The Rock Never Stops Tour was a big success. We did over 100 shows. People are ready to have a good time again." Mark was correct, the crowd was put into a frenzy, enjoying the entire rockin show. This show is the last of the tour. Strum said, "Its been one year, one month and a few days since Tim Kelly died. "Fly to the Angels" was performed in his memory." Slaughter will be back in the studio to record a new record soon. The band will be part of a tour with Ted Nugent this summer. Forty dates have already been booked. A final thought: This is a fun kick-ass show, a must see. One show that is all energy and talent.......Rich the Concert Junkie

02/19/99

* Last Tuesday, February 9, Black Sabbath management banned the Toronto media from covering the much-hyped reunion show at SkyDome's Skytent. Sabbath management gave no reason why reviewers and photographers were denied access to the show. Press were given one option - buy tickets. Quite difficult when the suggestion was offered last minute, a week after the show had sold out. Such media banning is virtually unheard of in the rock world when it comes to large shows, aside from certain big-name artists denying photo passes. Aside from their management slapping Canadian media in the face, Sabbath impressed 20,000 diehards, supporting their 'comeback' record, Reunion. Although the setlist proved rather bland (all songs were pulled from the first three records except for two - 'Dirty Women' and 'Snowblind'), virtually mimicking their current live opus, Iommi, Butler, Ward and Ozzy were in fine form, with only the latter showing a few bumps and bruises. >From the lead-off number 'War Pigs', to 'Into The Void', 'Fairies Wear Boots' and the stirring 'Electric Funeral', the entity of Black Sabbath remains awe-inspiring and a haunting spectacle of what heavy rock is truly about.

* Fear Factory have rescheduled their postponed Toronto performance. The show will remain at the same venue, The Opera House, on Wednesday, March 31st. Due to the theft of their equipment in Philly late January, the band was forced to cancel their headlining North American tour in order to go back home to Los Angeles and work on replacing all stolen equipment. The Montreal show at Le Medley is still to be rescheduled. Support acts on the Toronto performance will be System Of A Down and (hed) pe.

* It appears that the 1999 edition of the Rock Never Stops Tour will include Ted Nugent, Night Ranger, Quiet Riot and Slaughter and is set to run from July 1 through September 6. - HardRadio

02/13/99

* Will there be a Poison tour this summer? C.C. Deville, looking fit and trim, says "Maybe, If we can all get along. We'll see." However, flyers announcing Bret Michaels' Saturday live performance at the Peavey booth read, "Poison tour starts Memorial Day with special guests Ratt, Dokken, Great White, and Slaughter."

Bret Michaels packed 'em in to the Peavey performance room recently for a lively set that relied heavily on his solo album material ("Party Rock Band," "Angst Mary," "Sounds of Sex," "Little Willy") but had plenty to please Poison fans, including the familiar cover "Your Mama Don't Dance" and "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," and joined by drummer Rikki Rockett, "Unskinny Bop, "Nothing But a Good Time," and "Talk DIrty to Me." Rikki also sang the finale, a cover of Kiss' "Rock And Roll All Nite," with Bret, much to fans' delight. Afterward, Bret was in a great mood and looking forward to the summer tour. "We're definitely doing it, we're stoked, and we're getting along great," he said. Before the targeted Memorial Day kickoff, Bret will be busy directing the movie The Famous Final Scene, which goes before the cameras March 26. His already completed No Code of Conduct should be out late spring/early summer. - BRET MICHAELS ENTERTAINMENT

02/09/99

* Well, the metal world has been thrown into turmoil with the recent rumours of singer Blaze Bayley being ousted from Iron Maiden and Bruce Dickinson meeting with the remaining members (specifically bassist/founder Steve Harris) about a possible reunion. 1999 is the official 20th Anniversary for Iron Maiden and it has been confirmed by sources that something very special is imminent. These rumours have been fuelled by Dickinson pulling out of any tour committments for North America, apparently discouraged by lack of promotion and tour support from CMC, his label in the U.S. Dickinson has told BW&BK that he wouldn't be against any future, "one-off" reunion with his old bandmates. BW&BK has also been told that before the end of February ALL RUMOURS will be resolved at a press conference in London, brought to you exclusively in North America by HardRadio.

* The new Def Leppard album supposedly will be finished in two months and a world tour will begin in May. They'll start in Europe then hit the US and Canada in the summer. The Leps are set to play the final day of a three-day festival called the Classic Rock Weekend, slated for July 30 - August 1 in Minnedosa, Manitoba, Canada.

* Metalllica and performers from the original Woodstock, have been booked for the 30th anniversary celebration of Woodstock in Europe this summer. The festival will take place in Weiner Neustadt, Austria, July 16-18. 250,000 people are expected to view over 100 acts on two main stages. A week later, a second Woodstock 99 concert will occur in Saugerties, N.Y. The performers for that event, to run from July 23-25, have yet to be determined. - HardRadio

02/02/99

* Black Sabbath concert review submitted by C.J. - (San Antonio: 01-22-99):

The almighty BLACK SABBATH destroyed San Antonio. The band opened with a video montage of SABBATH footage and from then on there was no looking back,the stage was covered in smoke and the band came from under the stage as if they were a product of hell. the air raid sirens led the band into their opener WAR PIGS, from there the bands pounded out an hour and forty five minutes of there best,N.I.B, FAIRIES WEAR BOOTS, SNOWBLIND, INTO THE VOID, IRON MAN, and CHILDREN OF THE GRAVE to name a few. One of the biggest highlights of the evening was when the band performed AFTER FOREVER which was a big surprise. The Alamodome really heated up during BLACK SABBATH when several huge torches came into play. OZZY was in true form leaping up and down and running all over the place like a madman .The band looked and sounded better than ever. Sabbath came out for the traditional encore PARANOID which really tore the house down. The show ended with explosions, fireworks, and lots of SABBATH confetti falling from the sky. As the lights came on CHANGES was played through the sound system and all then loyal fans hung around for a sing along. On a side note, a film crew captured SABBATH in all it's glory for a home video due out later this year.

02/01/99

* Sepultura, the Brazilian legends, will be touring most of the year and will most likely be on Ozzfest '99. Currently the band is scheduled to play as a part of CMW (Canadian Music Week) '99 in Toronto.

* Stratovarius and Superior opened up for Angra in Paris recently and Bruce Dickinson joined the headliners on their second encore with rousing renditions of 'Run To The Hills' and 'Flight Of Icarus'. - HardRadio

01/28/99

* Black Sabbath Reunion Tour Update: Still no replacement date for the Salt Lake City & Denver shows. They're to be made up after the Detriot shows in the middle of February. Found out a few things last night.. The postponed dates were due to Ozzy with the flu, and Tony having pulled a muscle in his back (although it was more for Oz) Vinny Appice is on the tour too. He's not playing, he's there "in case Bill craps out". Vinny also hurt his leg, which is funny, because he's not playing. The guys are travelling by bus, not airplane. Apparently Geezer, Oz, & Tony like it that way; Bill doesn't care how they go. There's a rumour that there might be another date or two added somewhere else in the US (I have no idea where) when they make up the Denver & SLC shows. There are no plans for any dates outside the US at all beyond what is already listed. After the tour is over, they "go home and work on solo projects". Nothing more is planned. At least not yet.

01/26/99

* Monster Magnet concert review submitted by Rich the Concert Junkie - (Las Vegas: 1-23-99):

"Brothers and sisters," screamed Dave Wyndorf, lead throat of the wild and exciting band MONSTER MAGNET. Wyndorf and company landed on stage with all their fresh and inovative songs of their latest album POWERTRIP (A & M)." I own Las Vegas, Nevada" Wyndorf screamed. Band members, EdMandell (lead guitar), Joe Calandra (bass), Jon Kleiman (drums) and Wyndorf wrote the album in Las Vegas. When the band played the song Powertrip, the lyrics "I'm never gonna work another day in my life", was sung by the audience at The Joint at The Hard Rock in unison with the band. The crowd loved this high velocity show. Learn it ,know it, live it......."POWERTRIP" the album is a must buy! .....RICH THE CONCERT JUNKIE

* Phil Lewis Band concert review submitted by Rich the Concert Junkie - (Las Vegas: 1-23-99):

Phil Lewis, former lead vocalist of LA GUNS, brought down the house at PINKIES in LAS VEGAS. Hitting the stage sporting blue jeans, a red shirt, black vest and a black Gibson guitar, which he played very well. More importantly his voice souding AWESOME. Belting out classic songs like "BALLAD OF JAYNE", "OVER THE EDGE" AND the last song of the night "RIP AND TEAR" which had KEFF from PRETTY BOY FLOYD joining in on the fun. Phil screamed, " I F-KEN LOVE LAS VEGAS", and the crowd loved him back with fan-fair. The album MORE PURPLE THAN BLACK is his newest creation. This album has hard rocking tunes, ballads and intense lyrics. The entire album kicks major ass. Songs like... "I DON'T THINK SO", "HOW LONG CAN YOU GO", "I STAND ACCUSED", and "COULD NOT LIVE WITHOUT YOU", all have creative lyrics and cool guitar work. His vocals sounding perfect, Phil did not miss a beat. He was backed by great musicians, Rod Arias on the Drums who played the cans like a pro, Brent Muscat on lead guitar played hard, Eric Stacy, the bass man who jammed, ( two talented veterens from FASTER PUSSYCAT), and John Juster, keys and sax added a fresh dimension. I had an opportunity to speak with Phil before the show, he discussed his new album and talked about the songs having a personal theme. Phil mentioned he was having fun playing shows with his new band. His KICK ASS album, which is available at all shows, is currently being distributed in Europe and Canada and will soon hit the states. Phil is going back into the studio with LA GUNS to re-record 6 songs from previous albums and record some cover tunes. Phil talked about his LA GUNS days and how the band was very hungry when first hitting the music scene. He also felt that at the end of the 80's the music scene was diluted with a lot of no-talent bands. A FINAL THOUGHT....... THIS IS ONE FUN ROCKIN SHOW that can not be missed......................................... RICH THE CONCERT JUNKIE............

01/22/99

* Heavy metal kings Metallica, not content with reintroducing fans to the joys of King Diamond and Bob Seger on their latest release, Garage Inc., will be teaming with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra for two concerts April 21-22. The shows at the 3,000-seat Berkeley Community Theater will be a unique homecoming for the Bay Area band, who have always remained refreshingly down-to-earth about their fame and musical experimentation. They seem unfazed about teaming with the revitalized San Francisco Symphony: "Maybe Metallica will be in black tie," said drummer and band spokesman Lars Ulrich. And the orchestra? "Black leather," quipped lead guitarist Kirk Hammett. The concerts will be conducted by Michael Kamen, who fans will know as the long-haired composer of the Lethal Weapon soundtracks with Eric Clapton, and who first worked with the band on the "Nothing Else Matters" track from their eponymous 1991 breakthrough CD. Kamen first became popular with rock musicians seeking orchestral backing after he helped resurrect Aerosmith's career by conducting an orchestra behind the band for "Dream On" at the 1991 MTV Music Video Awards show. Both Kamen and the band stress that the show will not be Metalli-lite. "This is not going to be the easy-listening version of Metallica," Kamen said at a San Francisco press conference this week. "The idea is to have Metallica be Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony be the San Francisco Symphony. I think there's more in common than there are differences." As for an opening act? We're pulling for a reunited Spinal Tap reviving their rock opera Stonehenge. Or a puppet show. - E! Online News

01/19/99

* Metallica did it three years ago and dissenters christened it the end of the alternative era as we know it. Now, one-time tour mates and equally un-alternative act Guns n' Roses may be following in the footsteps of their current archenemies by signing up to headline Lollapalooza. Though discussions are in early stages, the G n' R camp has been contacted about joining the summer alt-fest; the news comes one year after the ground-breaking festival was cancelled for the first time since it began eight years ago. According to a source close to G n' R, Lollapalooza organizers at the William Morris Agency approached the band's management about joining the tour and, though "there's nothing firm about it," the two parties are discussing the possibility. The negotiations alone signal that the band may actually have a new album out some time this summer. "We wouldn't be discussing it if we didn't think they could [get it out in time for the tour to start]," says the source. An additional source says Guns n' Roses have also been contacted to appear on the annual OzzFest tour. - JamTV

01/15/99

* According to sources close to the band, Iron Maiden are truly unhappy with singer Blaze Bayley's work as a lead singer. After a recent show in Buenos Aires, guitarist Janick Gers told friends: "I can't stand it anymore!" South American sources state that Blaze used to go in one van and the rest of the band (Steve Harris, Dave Murray, Nick McBrain and Janick) would travel in another van. They practically never talked to him. Sources informed BW&BK that the band has contacted Bruce Dickinson to discuss a possible reunion and a world tour. Before that, the managers were trying a contact with singer Doug White (ex-RAINBOW) for a possible audition. One thing you can be sure: 1999 will be the 20th anniversary of the official "birth" of Maiden and we understand that Blaze Bayley won't be there for the celebration. In fact, the recent South-American tour might have been the last tour of Bayley as the lead singer of Iron Maiden. - HardRadio

* Longtime Milwaukee Metalfest promoter Jack Koshick has announced that Asbury Park, N.J., will be the site of March Metal Meltdown, a two-day metal extravaganza similar to the legendary Metalfest, on March 12 and 13. "Because of the great success we've had in Milwaukee over the past 13 years, we've decided to grow and do one on the East Coast," said Koshick. March Metal Meltdown will take place at Convention Hall and the Paramount Theatre, which are adjacent to each other on the boardwalk of Asbury Park. The event will run 5 p.m.-1:30 a.m. on Friday, March 12 and 12 noon-1:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 13. Tickets are $30 for one day and $50 for a two-day pass. Tickets will go on sale Saturday, January 16 through TicketMaster - (201) 507-8900, (609) 520-8383, (212) 307-7171, www.ticketmaster.com - and select ticket outlets in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. The show is all ages. In addition to bands, March Metal Meltdown will host exhibition booths and superstars of the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), Extreme Championship Wrestling (ECW), and adult entertainment. Bands appearing at the event will be announced shortly. Bands and exhibitors interested in being a part of the event should contact: Jack Koshick Presents, 1626 N. Prospect Avenue, Suite 1801, Milwaukee, WI, 53202. Hotline: (414) 225-9060 Fax: (414) 225-9025. - HardRadio

01/08/99

* Pantera concert review submitted by Rich the Concert Junkie: (Las Vegas - January 2nd, 1999)

COWBOYS FROM HELL HIT THE THOMAS AND MACK IN VIVA LAS VEGAS, PHIL ANSELMO STATED IN SO MANY WORDS, WE ARE A BUNCH OF DRUNKS HAVING A GOOD TIME. PANTERA, LOUD AND PROUD HITTING THE STAGE WITH CEMETARY GATES,NEW LEVEL,5 MINUTES ALONE, THE SONG WALK WAS F-KEN LOUD AND AND ROCKEN, AND ALL THE HARD POUNDING HITS PANTERA COULD LATHER UP. DIMEBAG DARRELL WITH HIS SOUTHERN REBEL FLAG SHIRT WAS PLAYING THE SHIT OUT OF THE GUITAR LIKE A STAR ON THE TEXAS FLAG. REX ON BASS AND VINNIE ON THE CANS WERE POUNDING THE STAGE LIKE COWBOYS FROM HELL. SCREAMING LYRICS AND INTERACTION WITH THE AUDIENCE LIKE A CLOSE FAMILY. THESE GUYS ARE PROS AND CAN PLAY LIKE NO-ONE. A HOT TICKET-LOUD PROUD AND VULGAR- A SHOW LIKE NO OTHER.
RICH, THE CONCERT JUNKIE

01/05/99

* Dokken kept the between holidays revelry going at L.A.’s Key Club on December 26th, which was the band’s first area show since Reb Beach joined on guitar. Reb had shared a concert bill with Dokken before, when he was in Winger and more recently with Alice Cooper, and he fits the band perfectly. That was apparent from the first note of Into the Fire, which launched a set of familiar and tightly played tunes including Too High to Fly, Tooth And Nail, The Hunter, When Heaven Comes Down, Breaking the Chains, Paris is Burning, Alone Again, Kiss of Death, It’s Not Love, and in the encore, Just Got Lucky (with bassist Jeff Pilson on lead vocals), In My Dreams, and a cover of Highway Star, on which RATT’s Stephen Pearcy joined Don Dokken to sing. George Lynch didn’t seem to be missed by anyone, certainly not by his ex-bandmates. “I’m so happy,” said Don Dokken, thrilled about the addition of Reb, and Jeff seconded that. “It feels like a band.” “Wait till you hear the new stuff,” Don said, referring to the new songs written for the next album, IX (it’s their ninth). “One of the ballads will make you cry. Best thing I’ve written since Alone Again.” A spring release is expected. - The Rock Gallery

* Aerosmith made a grand entrance at their Boston New Year's Eve show by having 20 firefighters spray extinguishers at the crowd. Then five firemen took off their uniforms to reveal themselves as the band. "[Steven] Tyler was in impeccable voice," writes a critic. - The Boston Herald

01/01/99

* 80s rock ruled again on the Sunset Strip on Thursday night, when Warrant, Slaughter, and Pretty Boy Floyd checked into the Roxy for the first show of a two night stand. For Warrant and Slaughter, who've been touring off and on since summer, it was the first L.A. appearance in some time and the first with their current lineups—guitarist Erik Turner rejoined the band and Danny Wagner moved from keyboards to drums since Warrant’s last area show in January, and Jeff Blando joined Slaughter on guitar after the untimely death of Tim Kelly last February. Mark Slaughter asked for ten seconds of silence to honor Tim’s memory before dedicating Fly to the Angels to him toward the close of Slaughter’s tight hour long set, which included Eye to Eye, Burning Bridges, Days Gone By, Spend My Life, Mad About You, and crowd-pleasing closer Up All Night, for which guitarist Dave Marshall (who’d filled in with Slaughter in years past and used to be in Vince Neil’s band) joined them on stage.

Warrant, fronted by a now sober (five and a half months so far) Jani Lane, was in fine form as they delivered all the expected hits and a few surprises. Down Boys, Machine Gun, Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, 32 Pennies, and Cherry Pie were accounted for, but so were Undertow, A.Y.M., Indian Giver, Hole In My Wall, and a cover of Black Sabbath’s War Pigs at the end. A ballad medley blended the well-known Heaven, Blind Faith, Sometimes She Cries, and I Saw Red (Jani still sees red about the unfaithful ex who inspired it: “To this day I still hate this fuckin’ bitch!,” he announced) with the more obscure Sad Theresa and April 2031. .....The show drew a fair share of musicians, including Bobby Blotzer and Robbie Crane of RATT, Motorhead’s Lemmy, Lonnie Vincent of Bulletboys, Scorpions (and former Warrant) drummer James Kottak and his wife and Krunk-mate Athena, Mike Inez (Alice In Chains), Ryan Roxie (now playing with Slash), and Jack Blades, who confirmed that Damn Yankees will do another album. - The Rock Gallery

12/29/98

* Check out the Ultimate Band list's website to WIN FRONT ROW TICKETS TO SEE BLACK SABBATH AND PANTERA!. As you probably already know, the tour begins on New Year's Eve and the UBL and BLACKSABBATHdirect.com can put you in the front row. I'm hoping to post some reviews from the first few shows.

12/26/98

* Metallica is set to announce a symphonic pairing with conductor/composer Michael Kamen and the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra at a press conference January 6 in San Francisco. According to Kamen's official website, negotiations for up to three live shows in San Francisco with the Symphony, most likely in April, have been underway since September. - MTV

* Coinciding with the release of their brand new 'Caravan Beyond Redemption' album, Cathedral have announced their first UK shows in almost two years. The headline tour takes in nine shows, and features support act Orange Goblin. The tour kicks off January 28th at the Milton Keynes Woughton Centre and concludes March 9th at Lousanne, Dolce Vita.

12/23/98

* The 3-D screen Kiss used at their Milwaukee show Sunday was "a one-trick pony not nearly as entertaining as the band's other shenanigans," a critic writes. One highlight came when Ace Frehley's guitar gave off smoke before launching skyward. - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

* Aerosmith will pick up their 1999 tour in April after taking a three-month break following the holidays. The band's springtime tour will launch on April 13th in Memphis, Tennessee after ending the current run in Chattanooga on January 6th. No opening act has yet been named for the tour, which will run through the South before venturing into other parts of the country. - TicketMaster

* Korn and Rob Zombie will begin their long-delayed tour package February 26th in Tucson, AZ. The first leg of the tour, announced via Korn's official web site, takes the two acts along the southeast corner of the country and curves upward to a group of midwest dates. Additional dates are expected to be announced shortly. - TicketMaster

12/21/98

* As reported recently, Iron Maiden's South American tour was troubled. To make things worse, sources say that Maiden is not too happy about their lead singer Blaze Bayley and that this is probably going to be his last tour with the band. In fact, on one of the shows, the band played Virtual XI in it's entirety, avoiding a lot of classic songs. There's also talk of Maiden unsuccessfully trying to persuade Bruce Dickinson to come back to the band, although Bruce has told BW&BK in the past that he would play with the band again - another studio album is another story, given Dickinson and Harris' varying 'philosophies'. What is interesting is that 1999 is the 20th Anniversary of Iron Maiden and reliable sources say that Bruce will be back and Maiden will tour the globe. - HardRadio

12/19/98

* Dokken Concert Review submitted by Rich the Concert Junkie: (Las Vegas - 12/17/98)

THE CROWD WAS AW-STRUCK WHEN DON AND THE BOYS HIT THE STAGE....ROCKEN WITH DOKKEN......THE WORDS SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY. DOKKEN LIT UP THE JOINT IIN THE HARD ROCK CASINO. DON WAS BELTING OUT THE CLASSIC LYRICS OF BREAKING THE CHAINS, ITS NOT LOVE, TOOTH AND NAIL, IN MY DEAMS, AND MANY MORE. BUT LET ME ANSWER THE QUESTION.....REB BEACH; IS HE AS GOOD AS GEORGE? TWO DIFFERENT GUITAR STYLES. REB WAS ON FIRE, THE SOLO'S WERE SMOKEN. DON'S VOICE ON THE POWER BALLAD ALONE AGAIN WAS HOT. PILSON ON BASS NEVER A DISSAPPOINTMENT. PILSON TOOK LEAD VOCALS ON JUST GOT LUCKY....F-KEN ROCKED. WILD MICK BROWN,THE NAME SAYS IT ALL. THE ROCKEN CHEMISTRY BETWEEN BEACH AND THE OTHERS WAS NOTICED..ALL HAVING A GREAT TIME ON STAGE. IT WAS A NIGHT OF CLASSIC DOKKEN....IT DOESN''T GET BETTER THAN THIS!!!! RICH ,THE CONCERT JUNKIE

12/18/98

* Motley Crue Concert Review submitted by Rich: (Los Angeles - 12/15/98)

Two words...DR. FEELGOOD, THE first song that the boys opened with and what an opening. But first a little background info, my friend Brian and I, drove in from Las Vegas to see the show. TWO more words un-fkn believable. Vince hit the stage with all the Crue lyrics that are fit to print, his voice sounding great. Tommy was un-real on the drums. His interaction with the crowd was pure Tommy. He's free out of the cage he stated in so many words.Tommy was like a general with the ladies getting them to show some skin (an important igrediant in any Crue show). Nicki with his hard pounding bass, always high energy. And last but not least there was Mick and his ax. A few of the tunes that were played in crue style were,.....Girls Girls Girls, Enslaved, Live Wire, Shout at the Devil 98, Home Sweet Home, Smoking In the Boys Room,Wild Side,Looks That Kill; and so on.The Crue ended with a great encore of 10 Seconds to Love. Motley Crue put on a high energy show that should not be missed!!!!!! It was well worth the five hour drive. CRUE ROCKS....RICH THE CRUE HEAD

* In other Crue news, Nikki Sixx's wife, Baywatch babe Donna D'Errico, Friday helped Sixx celebrate his 40th birthday onstage in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., with a topless performance. Also, Tommy Lee reportedly passed out drunk in a Miami bar over the weekend and had to be carried out by staff.

12/15/98

* The Iron Maiden / Helloween show in Sao Paulo on Saturday December 5th was attended by in excess of 20,000 fans and went extremely well. The following day, both bands performed at Skol Rock, a huge outdoors festival sponsored by one of Brazilian's biggest beer manufactureres. It was the big final of the battle of the bands contest they hold every year and the eight finalists played in front of an immense crowd. The entire show was broadcasted by MTV Brazil. Helloween performed an hour-plus concert. Maiden's concert was a metal marathon where they played all of Virtual XI as well as older material.

* Black Sabbath are currently in Wales, set to begin two weeks of rehearsals in advance of their upcoming North American tour. The tour will feature the following supporting acts:

December 31, 1998: Slayer, Pantera, Soulfly, Megadeth
January 2 to January 5: Pantera, Incubus
January 6: Pantera, System of a Down
January 7 to January 24: Pantera, Incubus
January 25 to February 15: Pantera, Deftones
- HardRadio

* Van Halen fans in Puerto Rico can't believe their bad luck. The Van Halen show that was due to take place Friday was cancelled. According to the Official VH site, Gary Cherone has strep throat and tonsilitis, and has been advised by his doctor not to perform. Van Halen were originally supposed to play in San Juan on September 20, but the show was cancelled due to Hurricane Georges. - Van Halen News Desk

12/10/98

* Van Halen's final show of the III World Tour is scheduled for San Juan, Puerto Rico on Friday night. Check back for a review this weekend. - The Official VH Web Site

12/08/98

* While on tour in last Wednesday in Italy with Death-Metal kings Napalm Death, Cradle Of Filth were arrested by armed police at the Vatican for wearing 'I Love Satan' T-shirts in the Holy City. The band was in the middle of a photo session when they were pounced on by officers bearing sub-machine guns. The Euorpean tour will conclude with two special Black Christmas shows at Sheffield Corporation Nightclub (December 16) and Glasgow Garage (17). - New Music Express

12/07/98

* Helloween are returning to America for the first time in 10-years, but only for a one-night stand. The Hamburg, Germany-based band will be playing an all-ages club show at Coney Island High in New York City, Sunday, December 20. The last time the band found themselves Stateside was the MTV Headbanger's Ball tour in 1988. Helloween are currently in South America with Iron Maiden, however both bands are suffering problems. The first concert at Metropolitan Hall in Rio de Janeiro on December 2 was riddled with 45 degree celsius heat. One person among the 10,000 gathered smacked Maiden axeman Janick Gers with an unknown object. As a result there was no encore. The next concert in Campinas (one hour from Sao Paulo) was scheduled for December 4. However, BW&BK scribes attending the show say that it rained all day long and promoters had huge problems with equipment. They decided to cancel the show, but they only told the 15,000 fans at 10:40 p.m.. At 10:45 a riot started and the promoters were forced to call the Military Police because people started to destroy the venue. Fans were confronted by police and people started throwing rocks, refuse etc... The rain looked to be a factor the following night in Sao Paulo. Furthermore, the concert in Chile was cancelled and Nicko McBrain stated that the reason was due to the political troubles between Chile and England about the ex-dictator Pinochet. The bands are also scheduled to play in Curitiba (Brazil) and Beunos Aires (Argentina). - HardRadio

* Fear Factory will back on the road in North America in January. The tour is a four band package. Confirmed are Spineshank, System of a Down, and Godsmack. - HardRadio

12/05/98

* At the Kiss show in Toronto Wednesday, some fans pointed laser pens at the band, much to the annoyance of Paul Stanley. Laser-pen-wielding hooligans had previously pissed off Kiss at a New Jersey show. Despite the disruptive fans, the Toronto show "was big, bold and brassy," writes a critic in the Toronto Sun.

12/03/98

* Steven Tyler "never stopped once" during Aerosmith's "very slick" show Tuesday in Grand Rapids, Mich., a critic writes. The band's hits "were fired like rounds from an Uzi and performed with plenty of sheen and consistency." Check out a full review by The Grand Rapids Press.

* Kiss Psycho Circus Tour Review from Madison Square Garden courtesy of The Kiss Asylum.

12/01/98

* Van Halen's Gary Cherone took some time last Saturday night to jam with some old friends at "Backstage" in Haverhill, MA. The club, which is co-owned by former Extreme drummer Paul Geary along with Haverhill local Bill Johnson was host to the November 28 gig where Gary and former bandmate Pat Badger joined local band English Rage (featuring Steve Leavitt on guitar) to perform "Play That Funky Music," Aerosmith's "Walking the Dog," and ZZ Top's "Tush" to the thrilled audience. The evening marked Gary's second appearance at the club since it's grand opening in September of this year.

11/27/98

* Dream Theater have just announced a 5 gig tour during the end of December. Drummer Mike Portnoy released the following statement on DreamTheater.Net:

Hi Everybody.... Well here are the confirmed dates for this year's holiday shows....... An Intimate Evening with Dream Theater: Up Close & Personal The shows will be "pseudo-Unplugged" (ala the fan club show in Rotterdam) In other words....Don't plan on hearing Pull Me Under!!!!! There will be no opening act. Instead, We will be showing excerpts of "5 Years in a LIVEtime" with additional rare video outtakes from the Portnoy Archieves.....

Sat 26 Dec Old Bridge NJ - Birch Hill 201-939-5454
Sun 27 Dec Philadelphia PA - Electric Factory 215-569-9400
Mon 28 Dec New Haven CT - Toad's Place 203-562-5694
Tue 29 Dec New York NY - Irving Plaza 212-610-2417
Wed 30 Dec Poughkeepsie NY - The Chance 914-471-2490

11/25/98

* The feud that erupted earlier this year between Rob Zombie and Korn -- and which prompted Zombie to drop off the Family Values tour, has now been resolved peacefully. Both acts announced on Monday that they had buried the hatchet and have agreed to tour together sometime in 1999. The Zombie-Korn road show is tentatively set to launch on February 25 at a venue to be determined, and Zombie and Korn drummer David Silvera told MTV that the earlier disagreement was a problem between management, and not the performer themselves. - MTV

11/24/98

* Kiss drummer Peter Criss screamed at a fan who shined a laser pointer in his eyes Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J. Singer Paul Stanley said, "In every crowd, there's one or two people who don't belong," and challenged the fan to a fight. - The Washington Post

* Rob Zombie is what you get "when you cross the Spice Girls with Black Sabbath," writes a critic who saw Zombie Saturday in San Jose, Calif. "Zombie may look like the scariest dude this side of Charles Manson, but he's got a soft, white underbelly." Click here to read a full review.

11/21/98

* Bruce Dickinson is currently touring Europe in support of his amazing Chemical Wedding cd. This leg of the tour will be ending in December, followed by a North American tour early next year.

"The truth is never clear... until it clobbers you over the head. That's what happened when I decided to make the ultimate metal record. My favorite stuff, legends, sci-fi, fairy stories, dark deeds of the occult, set to slamming riffed, soaring vocals and great tunes. I'd already made the decision that there were to be no acoustic, commercial, loads-of-lush harmonies-type songs, nothing twee. I didn't want any of that on this record. I wanted to make a really heavy album, heavy in every sense. I thought it would just be a good thing to do, because I wanted to surprise people. If we did another 'Accident Of Birth' I would be disappointed. It would be Heavy-Metal-By-Numbers again. This is heavier than anything I've ever done with Maiden, and in many ways it's more of a Metal album than Maiden have ever made. It's the first record of the rest of my life. Life begins at 40."
(BRUCE DICKINSON, 1998)

11/18/98

* Last night Metallica played their first show of the Garage Inc. tour at the Warehouse in Toronto. According to MetOnTour, the show was definitely one of the most different setlists in Metallica's career - this one featured ONLY cover songs. Plus - fresh off an appendectomy, Kirk Hammett played the entire set sitting on a stool. This was the second gig that featured The Misfits' hit, "Die, Die My Darling" and Bob Seger's "Turn The Page" from the upcoming GARAGE, INC. album. Toronto fans were also the first to hear covers of Black Sabbath, Thin Lizzy and Mercyful Fate songs.

Setlist: Die Die My Darling, Blitzkrieg, Small Hours, The Prince, Sabbra Cadabra, Whiskey In The Jar, Stone Cold Crazy, Mercyful Fate, Turn The Page, Am I Evil?, So What, Killing Time, The Wait, Last Caress/Green Hell, Breadfan, Overkill

11/16/98

* Vancouver's Econoline Crush has landed the coveted opening slot for Kiss's Psycho Circus tour, but its not an easy assignment. On the first of 28 dates at Boston's Fleet Center, singer Trevor Hurst says the crowd is "not the friendliest." How can he tell? "They're booing and giving me the finger," he says unfazed. "But you know what, they're loyal (to KISS). Two days in a row now, I've had coffee with the manager for KISS, Doc McGee, and we've been talking about it. He's been telling me that Bon Jovi, everybody all the way down the line, were petrified to open for KISS because it's such a frightening audience." - JamMusic

11/14/98

* Fans had to wear special glasses to see a video of Gene Simmons wagging his tongue during Kiss' U.S. tour opener Thursday in Boston. The 3-D gimmickry was "fairly hokey," a critic reports, "but there was plenty of spectacle to balance the goofiness." The band was "surprisingly tighter" than on last year's reunion tour. Check out a full review by the Boston Herald.

* Motley Crue will webcast live from Chicago tonight at 10 p.m. EST.

11/12/98

* Kiss will launch their world tour in support of their recent release Psycho Circus tonight at Boston's FleetCenter. The first leg of dates cover the Northeast portion of the U.S. quite extensively, dipping into the Midwest before the January cutoff. It's likely that the band will work its way through the Southeast from there to synch up with their announced plan to play the Superbowl pregame show in Miami on January 31st. - TicketMaster

* Cinderella bassist Eric Brittingham was hospitalized near Toledo, Ohio, Saturday after he lost control of his truck and it flipped over. Brittingham is in serious condition. The rest of the band had been playing shows without Brittingham, who was on a brief hiatus, and will continue touring. - RockDaily

* Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett is doing fine after an emergency appendectomy in London over the weekend. Hammett's surgery won't affect the band's short North American club tour, set to begin Tuesday in Toronto. - MTV

11/10/98

* Cannibal Corpse have just returned to the states after completing an amazing European tour (which also included labelmates Dark Funeral) and the band will be heading to South America for more dates before they take a much needed rest.

11/08/98

* Napalm Death have announced details of a UK headline tour in support of their new "Words from the Exit Wound" album, released on October 26. The tour sees the extreme kings paired with new millennium thrash upstarts The Haunted, who have received rave reviews for their self titled debut album released earlier in the year. Also on the Earache label, Morbid Angel will tour the U.S. in December as part of their "Formulas Fatal to the Flesh Tour".

11/05/98

* After announcing plans to tour though February 1999 in support of its new live double-album, "A Little South of Sanity," Aerosmith has now decided to halt the tour after its January 4 concert in Pittsburgh. It isn't known whether the downtime means that singer Steven Tyler will be heading back for additional surgery on his knee -- which he injured during a concert in Anchorage, Alaska in May. Ticketmaster reports that the band's management indicated that Tyler simply needed a break from the road. Aerosmith now plans to take several months off after the Pittsburgh date, and then resume touring sometime in late March-early April. The group has been out on the road almost non-stop since the release of its last studio record, "Nine Lives," in March of 1997. - MTV

* Check out a review of the Oct. 31st Kiss show at Dodger Stadium. Speaking of Kiss, they will film a concert scene for the movie Detroit Rock City Dec. 3 in Toronto, the day after their show there. Toronto will be standing in for late-'70s Detroit, which is where the movie scene is set. Fans will be used as extras. - AllStar

* A security guard in Greensboro, NC filed a civil suit last week against Motley Crue members Tommy Lee and Nikki Sixx, alleging that he was kicked, spit on and called a racial slur during a October 30th, 1997 concert at the Greensboro Coliseum. The Greensboro incident was captured on videotape by a fan and can be viewed at MTV News, along with a transcription of Sixx's communication with the guard. - Ticketmaster

* Ozzy Osbourne canceled a planned appearance in Vancouver, British Columbia, Monday, citing exhaustion after a promotional appearance with Black Sabbath Friday in Toronto. A record company rep said Osbourne's cancellation was not drug-related. - RockDaily

11/01/98

* Here, in order, is the set list for the KISS Psycho Circus Tour show at Dodger Stadium last night:

Psycho Circus, Shout It Out Loud, Let Me Go Rock & Roll, Shock Me, Do You Love Me, Calling Dr. Love, Firehouse, Cold Gin, Nothin' To Lose, She (Drum Solo), I Was Made For Lovin' You, Into The Void (Guitar Solo), Love Gun, Within, 100,000 Years, King of the Nighttime World (Bass Solo), God of Thunder, Deuce, Detroit Rock City, ENCORE: Beth, Black Diamond, Rock & Roll All Nite. - Kiss Asylum

10/30/98

* LATE NIGHT WITH BLACK SABBATH!
The band will be performing tonight on Late Night With David Letterman as part of Dave's Halloween Special. This performance is their first live television appearance in 23 years. Don't you dare miss this!

10/29/98

* Check out Pantera and Black Sabbath dates just announced.

* Mike Muir of Suicidal Tendencies recently released the following statement:

"We will be doing a U.S. tour starting in November for a month. When the new record comes out we will be touring the world. We plan on spreading the Suicidal word and hope you will too. Look for the Suicidal label and remember if you aren't now you never were and if you ain't Suicidal you ain't shit!"

* Click here for info on Metallica's upcoming mini-tour.

10/26/98

* Bruce Dickinson said that he will have more than one support band in Europe and in North America he said he will probably tour in February, and only said he may be the second of a triple bill. No bands were specified. He did say the set list will comprise of seven Chemical Wedding songs and he will play a song from every album, except Skunkworks. - HardRadio

10/24/98

* Metallica will play a half dozen club shows to promote Garage Inc., out Nov. 24. The band has confirmed dates in Chicago, Nov. 19, and Detroit, Nov. 20. Drummer Lars Ulrich says the idea is "to go back to our garage roots." - RockDaily

* If you are a heavy-metal fan in the New York area, chances are you were at the Roseland Ballroom on Wednesday evening, attending the triple bill of Sepultura, Vision of Disorder and Earth Crisis. Click here for a full review. - SonicNet

10/22/98

* A lawsuit was filed on Monday by a concert-goer who attended an October 1997 Aerosmith show. The plaintiff, Mark Nieto, claims that he suffered permanent hearing loss following an Aerosmith performance at the Concord Pavilion in Concord, California, and that he was not made aware of the possibility of such a hearing loss prior to the show, according to the Associated Press. Nieto's suit cites both Aerosmith and the publicly-owned Concord Pavilion as the parties responsible for his condition, and seeks damages based on incurred medical expenses and lost wages. As for Aerosmith, the band is currently in a stretch of Canadian dates of its North American tour, and is scheduled to play the Quebec Coliseum Arena in Quebec on Thursday and the Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ontario on Saturday. - MTV

* Four new Kiss dates just announced:

11/12/98 Boston MA, FleetCenter
11/22/98 East Rutherford NJ, Continental Airline Arena
11/23/98 New York NY, Madison Square Garden
11/27/98 Uniondale NY, Nassau Coliseum

10/20/98

* Brazilian riff-mongers Sepultura have delayed their October 20 in-store appearance in Toronto. The band were scheduled to drop by the HMV Superstore on Yonge Street today to draw the winning ballot in a contest that will send two lucky people to London, England. The appearance, and therefore the contest draw, will now take place Thursday, October 29 at 5:00pm. - ChartAttack

* Metallica helped promote the upcoming Trey Parker movie "Orgazmo" by playing an eight song set at party thrown at the Playboy Mansion in Beverly Hills on Sunday. Though they are not a part of the film or its soundtrack, they are fans of the creator and star and were happy to perform in front of an audience which included Parker's "South Park" partner Matt Stone, rocker Tommy Lee, singer Dwight Yoakam, actors Robert Duvall, Jon Lovitz, Gabriel Byrne, and "Playboy" godfather Hugh Hefner. Included in their set was a cover of the Misfits' "Die Die My Darling," a cover of Bob Seger's "Turn The Page" and several of their classic hits. The two covers performed were the only songs off of their upcoming double disc compilation album "Garage Inc.," which is due out on Nov. 24. - MTV

10/19/98

* Before they hit the road in support of their latest Greatest Hits album (due Oct. 27 on Beyond/ Motley Records), Motley Crue will be hitting the wrestling mats. On Monday (Oct. 19), the band will be in Milwaukee for a live taping of Raw is War, the Monday night wrestling show on the USA Network. The band will be hanging out with WWF wrestlers -- D-Generation X -- and don't be surprised if they end up in the ring. There are no plans for the band to wrestle, but as one spokesperson for the band put it, "anything could happen." The band will head to Madison, Wis. the following night (Oct. 20) to tape a live performance. The Crue's live debut of "Bitter Pill" will air on the USA Network wrestling show Sunday Night Heat on Oct. 25. They will also perform "Wild Side," with D-Generation X wrestler Road Dog Jesse James helping out on vocals. "Wild Side" will air Oct. 26 on Raw is War. Motley Crue kicks off their Greatest Hits tour Oct. 21 in Ames, Iowa. - AllStar

10/15/98

* Jackyl will attempt to make the Guinness Book of World Records by playing 100 concerts in 50 days. As part of this effort, they'll do 20 shows in 24 hours Oct. 21 in Abilene, Texas. "It'll be like the Jerry Lewis telethon," frontman Jesse James Dupree says, "only louder." - WallOfSound

10/13/98

* Steven Tyler proved "clearly tireless" as he "bounced," "pranced" and "spun" during Aerosmith's show in Bristow, Va., Friday, a critic writes. A set of "adrenaline-pumping, decibel-busting songs" was capped by "I Don't Want To Miss a Thing," which had fans holding aloft their lighters. Click here to read a full review. - RockDaily

* Click here to read a review of Rob Zombie's gig in Houston on Friday.

10/10/98

* Pantera will be touring with Black Sabbath! The tour starts on New Years Eve in Phoenix, AZ, and will last about 6 weeks. Pantera will be playing a full 60 minute set. No Confirmed dates just yet but I will posting them when they are confirmed. The New Years Eve show in Phoenix will be Soulfly, Slayer, Pantera, and Sabbath. This will be the only date with these four bands. The rest of the tour will be Pantera and Black Sabbath only. - Concrete Management

10/08/98

* Heavy metal godfathers Black Sabbath will crank up their visibility in a big way in the coming months to hype the release of their live reunion album which is due October 20. The band is planning a Halloween appearance on "The Late Show With David Letterman," which marks their first television performance in 23 years. Sabbath will then stage its first-ever in-store appearances with eight stops across the U.S. The run will begin on October 19 in New York, the night before the album's release, and will also see the band visit Philadelphia, Boston, Cleveland, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Minneapolis. - MTV

10/06/98

* Fresh from a short break in between gigs, Van Halen blew the doors off The Joint in Las Vegas, NV over the weekend with two sold out shows. The band was tight, loud and blistering. One of the highlights for many on both evenings featured Edward playing a brand new red, white and black striped Wolfgang Special. The band is on another short break before they pick things up again for their very first appearance in Anchorage, AK on 10/13. From there, they hit Honolulu, HI on 10/16 followed by ten shows in Japan. - Click here to view the set-list from the Saturday night show and check out a pic of Ed's new Wolfgang. - Official VH site

* Ozzfest grossed an average of $800,000 per show this summer, and was the summer's second most successful festival tour, behind the all-woman Lilith Fair, according to industry figures. Lilith made less per show, but was a longer tour. The Vans Warped tour, featuring Bad Religion and Rancid, pulled in a respectable $200,000 per gig. - RockDaily

10/04/98

* Call it a case of rock meets wrestling, but Mötley Crüe will appear on the World Wrestling Federation's "Monday Night RAW" program Oct. 26, according to bassist Nikki Sixx, who posted the news to the Crüe's America Online folder. Rumor has it they'll play two songs live, and maybee even get into a brawl or two... should be interesting.

* Sepultura will meet up with Slayer on their European tour starting on November 3rd in Milan, Italy. According to Hardradio, System of a Down and Entombed will be the opening acts.

10/01/98

* Gwar will be kicking off a tour Oct. 19th in State College, PA. They will be playing with The Misfits until Oct. 24th, then they'll join up with The Insane Clown Posse. The Original Beefcake has joined back with Gwar and will be touring with them on the Hell-Oween Tour.

* David Lee Roth is supposedly thinking about scrapping the idea of touring this fall in favor of pounding out another album and then touring. - Hardradio

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