There has been a lot of buzz about The Dead Daisies lately, and, after seeing them perform I now know why. We were fortunate enough to have been granted an interview with vocalist Jon Stevens (Sydney, Noiseworks, INXS) on their tour bus prior to their performance. He was very entertaining and the interview was a blast. We were treated with kindness and grace and felt comfortable and welcome. Jon even provided us with signed copies of the debut CD from The Dead Daisies. If you look at the CD in the picture it says” Play Loud” -Jon Stevens
Here is the interview enjoy!:
The CD is amazing to say the least. It features Jon Stevens- vocals/guitars, David Lowy- guitars, John Fields- bass/guitars/keyboards/percussion, Vanessa Amorosi- vocals, Kevin Savigar- keyboards, Dorian Crozier- drums, Isaac Carpenter- drums (“Yesterday & Tomorrow”). The amazing single from this release is “Lock’N’Load” and features Jon Stevens – Lead & Backing Vocals/Acoustic Guitar, Slash – Lead Guitar, David Lowy- Guitar, Johnny Salerno- Drums, Simon Hosford- Bass/Electric & Acoustic Guitar, John Fields- Organ.
We were in for quite the surprise for the live performance. The touring band consisted of the following individuals:
Jon Stevens – Jon Stevens’ remarkable career as a singer, songwriter and performer has spanned over 20 years and reaped many achievements, including ARIA chart-topping success as the front man of legendary Australian bands Noiseworks and INXS. photo by the Hellion
Frank Ferrer- Frank Ferrer is an American rock drummer and session musician. In October 2006, Ferrer became an official member of the American hard rock band Guns N’ Roses after serving as the band’s emergency substitute drummer for Bryan Mantia on several occasions during the band’s summer 2006 European tour. Ferrer is also a member of The Psychedelic Furs as well as a former member of Love Spit Love. He has recorded and worked with several high profile musicians including The Beautiful, Robi “Draco” Rosa, and Sarah Clifford. -photo by Charlie Owens
Richard Fortus – Originally from St. Louis, Missouri, Fortus is a current guitarist of legendary American rock band Guns N’ Roses, handling both rhythm and lead duties since 2001. -photo by the Hellion
Dizzy Reed is a multi-talented keyboard/vocalist who is currently touring with Guns ‘N’ Roses and has been with Axl since almost the beginning. He is well respected in the Los Angeles music community as a guest player with many well known artists and with his own solo projects. Dizzy brings the blues rock energy to the stage! – photo Charlie Owens
Bobby Schneck – Bobby Schneck got his start in the bars and clubs of the midwest at the age of 17 playing everything from country to funk to full bore heavy metal. After moving to LA in 1987 he found himself in one of the biggest Sunset Strip bands of the day called B.B. Chung King and the Screaming Buddaheads. A fan of the band turned out to be Slash who would regularly sit in with the band. In 1996 Slash tapped Bobby to tour with Slash’s Blues Ball, a funk and RB rock band that circled the globe on and off for 18 months. He went on to record and tour with Eddie Money, Five For Fighting, Gilby Clarke, Warren Zevon, Green Day and Weezer and then filled in for an ailing Brad Whitford on the 2009 Aerosmith Tour. Slash again tapped him for the “We’re All Gonna Die” tour in 2010 featuring Myles Kennedy on vocals. -photo by the Hellion
Marco Mendoza- Marco comes from a very musical family and started playing the guitar at an early age. Marco is perhaps mostly known for his work with a number of rock bands and artists such as Thin Lizzy, Blue Murder, Whitesnake , Ted Nugent, Neal Schon and Soul SirkUS, Lynch Mob, as well as diverse artists such as Dolores O’Riordan from the Cranberries. He is currently touring with his solo project and Thin Lizzy (Black Star Riders). – photo by the Hellion
The Dead Daisies put on one of the best sets I have seen in a long, long time. Good old Rock N’ Roll lives on in The Dead Daisies for sure. Big names, big music, without big egos make these guys an all around class act. Thank you gentlemen, from the bottom of our hearts. – Team HellBangs
Andy- Lead Vocals
Tom – Guitars
Goran – Bass
Michael – Drums
The up-and-coming sensational four-piece modern metal band ToxicRose was formed in Stockholm Sweden in 2010.
Consisting of Tom (Gemini Five), Andy and Michael (both EX Lipstixx ‘n’ Bulletz) and Goran (EX Sexydeath).
There is no compromising or limits in the world of ToxicRose. Powerful Vocals combined with Aggressive Guitars , Grand melodic Synths & Dark Emotional Lyrics.
TXR stands tall for the outcast and they’re here to take metal to a new level.
With their catchy melodic epic metal anthems and shocking look they are unstoppable!
Peter Tägtgren – Vocals & Guitar
David Wallin – Drums (2003)
Michael Bohlin – Guitar (2007)
Johan Husgafvel – Bass (2007)
PAIN is a musical project from Sweden that mix heavy metal with influences from electronic music and techno. The project started out as a hobby project for front man Peter Tägtgren, whose idea was to fuse heavy metal with 1980s-inspired electro-industrial and techno influences. Tägtgren, who is also the vocalist/guitarist of Hypocrisy and producer of his own The Abyss studios, is the only current member.
Jason M Arigoni -Vocals-Songwriting
Dan Zavadil- Bass-Songwriting
Session Players:
Jason Bittner-Drums
Ben Carroll-Guitar
With strong melodic presences and driving beats, HALF PAST MY SIN will find a place with fans of bands like SEVENDUST, DISTURBED and DROWNING POOL, to name a few…..
The new Album from Half Past My Sin “4:44” featuring Sinn on vocals and Dan Zavadil on bass with special guests Jason Bittner of Shadows Fall on drums and Ben Carroll of RA on guitars!!! Also appearing on 4:44 will be the songwriting Clint Lowery of Sevendust!!!
Out early 2013!!!!
welcome to the sin!!!
Jason Newsted – Bass, vocals
Jesus Mendez Jr. – Drums
Jessie Farnsworth – guitars
In December 2012, Jason announced that he had formed his own band called Newsted with drummer Jesus Mendez Jr. and guitarist Jessie Farnsworth. The band released a four-song EP, titled Metal, on January 8, 2013.
Ricky Warwick – Vocals/Guitar
Scott Gorham – Guitars
Damon Johnson – Guitars
Marco Mendoza – Bass
Jimmy DeGrasso – Drums
In October 2012 Thin Lizzy announced that they would not be recording new material under the Thin Lizzy monicker. The last incarnation of the band – Scott Gorham, Brian Downey, Darren Wharton, Ricky Warwick, Damon Johnson and Marco Mendoza – would be looking to form a new project.
Step forward Black Star Riders…
Today sees the announcement of the new band formed by Thin Lizzy alumni Ricky Warwick (vocals), Scott Gorham (guitar), Damon Johnson (guitar), Marco Mendoza (bass) with new addition Jimmy DeGrasso on drums (Alice Cooper, Megadeth, David Lee Roth, Suicidal Tendencies). The change in personnel came about as Brian Downey didn’t want to commit to the touring cycle a new album would entail and Darren Wharton wanted to concentrate on Dare and other music and film projects.
Black Star Riders is set to enter the studio in Los Angeles in January 2013 to start recording their debut album with the legendary Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Aerosmith, Rush). The album will feature material the band wrote whilst touring as Thin Lizzy and the sound retains that classic feel but is very much its own as well. The Black Star Riders record is the next step in the evolution of the Thin Lizzy story.
Chad Smith – Drums
Boe Skadeland – Bass
Todd Evans – Guitar/Vocals
Based out of Toledo, Ohio, MOBILE DEATHCAMP has been sawing clubs in half, and leaving crowds with their collective jaws on the floor since the band’s inception in 2008. Formed by Todd Evans at the end of his 6 year stint as Beefcake The Mighty with the legendary shock rockers, GWAR, and joined in aural battle by Boe Skadeland and Chad Smith, this musical terror pocket has been consistently leveling venues across North America.
Johnny DiCarlo – Lead Vocals – Guitar
James Watson – Guitar – Vocals
Marcus Giannamore – Drums
George Scott – Bass
“NeverWake” concentrates on songs that reside between Rock and Metal to bridge both genres. They combine memorable, melodic vocals and gothic guitar harmonies over heavy distortion to achieve their style. They are currently looking to be signed to a record label and hit the road. NeverWake continues to develop their style by incorporating more complex riffs, heavier background vocal style, and dark orchestration while keeping their melodic lyricism. NeverWake released their debut full-length album “VITALITY” in August 2011, produced/engineered/mixed by Mike Ofca at Innovation Studios! “Vitality” is available on iTunes and other main online retailers. You can also order the hard copy by emailing neverwakemusic@gmail.com for inquires.
Recently, they have also released their debut music video on YouTube for the song “Pulse”, produced by Jeff Moore of Axtravaganza Films!
Mark Alexander – Guitar
Sam Rhodes – Guitar
Jason Sain – Vocals
Matt Staley – Bass
Kenny Wyatt – Drums
3 Quarters Dead was formed back in 1999 with original members Kenny Wyatt and Mark Alexander. After they returned from a tour with Mushroomhead, they began recording their second full length CD with Steve Felton (Skinny) of Mushroomhead. The vocalist at that time was Waylon Reavis who was recruited by Mushroomhead to take the place of J-Mann (aka Jason Popson) who had announced his departure from the band. After starting all over, they finally found a vocalist that suited their style of music. Jason Sain started with the band in late 2007. In 2008 they recorded “Between Angels & Demons” with producer Jamie King of ‘Between The Buried & Me’, ‘The Human Abstract’ fame. In late 2009 they signed with indie label ‘Project Alpha Music’ and released their latest effort “Once Upon This Broken Glass” in March, 2010.
The lead single, “The Unknown” is off of their new CD “Once Upon This Broken Glass. It about loves someone who doesn’t love you back. This song has many melodic sections to it. But when you hear the change ups which are dynamic, it sets a tone of a story being told through 3 degrees of separation. These three levels are clearly defined and portrayed beautifully by the talents of these individuals.
In 2009, Uta Plotkin added her voice to Witch Mountain in front of a triumphant sold out crowd at Portland, OR’s venerable club Satyricon. Supporting Pentagram—East coast godfathers of American doom who also took far too long to receive their rightful due—Plotkin brought the necessary ingredient that Witch Mountain founders Rob Wrong and Nate Carson had been seeking since they initially formed the group back in 1997.
Originally far out of step with the lazy, indie-rock scene in Portland, guitarist Wrong and drummer Carson sought to put their own stamp on the tradition of doom metal as laid down by Black Sabbath, Candlemass, Trouble, and Saint Vitus. Years of road work in support of peers such as High on Fire, Spirit Caravan, Electric Wizard, YOB, Weedeater, Eyehategod, and all the rest had granted Witch Mountain a solid footnote in the history of one of music’s heaviest genres. And though real life careers took the band largely out of commission between 2003 and 2008, Plotkin’s emergence kicked the band back into a high gear that shows no signs of waning.
With renewed vigor, WM returned to the studio to capture the long-awaited sophomore album South of Salem. Produced by master “engine-ear” Billy Anderson (Sleep, Neurosis, Melvins), the record was self-released by the band on vinyl, and shortly thereafter recognized as the “#4 Best Metal Album of 2011” by NPR. With a SXSW showcase, west coast tours with Christian Mistress and Wino project Premonition 13, and a massively downloaded Adult Swim compilation under its belt, Witch Mountain proved its modern work ethic and soon signed up with dream label Profound Lore.
Once South of Salem was unleashed on CD and properly distributed, it was time to follow up with all new material. 2012’s Cauldron of the Wild was the answer, produced once more by Billy Anderson, and this time featuring a further matured sound and more immersive influence from Plotkin. Rob Wrong was writing the best, heaviest blues-metal he’d yet conjured, and Carson–as both manager and booker–kept the band grounded in a professional DIY ethic. New bassist Neal Munson fit like a glove, and overall the group has never fired on all cylinders so successfully.
BLACK STAR RIDERS
Ricky Warwick, Scott Gorham, Damon Johnson,
Marco Mendoza, Jimmy DeGrasso
New Band
New Album
Touring Plans
In October 2012 Thin Lizzy announced that they would not be recording new material under the Thin Lizzy monicker. The last incarnation of the band – Scott Gorham, Brian Downey, Darren Wharton, Ricky Warwick, Damon Johnson and Marco Mendoza – would be looking to form a new project.
Step forward Black Star Riders…
Today sees the announcement of the new band formed by Thin Lizzy alumni Ricky Warwick (vocals), Scott Gorham (guitar), Damon Johnson (guitar), Marco Mendoza (bass) with new addition Jimmy DeGrasso on drums (Alice Cooper, Megadeth, David Lee Roth, Suicidal Tendencies). The change in personnel came about as Brian Downey didn’t want to commit to the touring cycle a new album would entail and Darren Wharton wanted to concentrate on Dare and other music and film projects.
Black Star Riders is set to enter the studio in Los Angeles in January 2013 to start recording their debut album with the legendary Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Aerosmith, Rush). The album will feature material the band wrote whilst touring as Thin Lizzy and the sound retains that classic feel but is very much its own as well. The Black Star Riders record is the next step in the evolution of the Thin Lizzy story.
“We are all very excited about the music that we have created for Black Star Riders. The synergy between the five of us has been phenomenal and I can’t wait for the world to hear these songs.” Ricky Warwick
The new, as yet untitled, album will be released in May 2013 through Nuclear Blast – the label behind acts such as Anthrax, Nightwish and Meshuggah. Black Star Riders are one of the first bands signed by Monte Conner – the former Roadrunner A&R guru who has signed acts such as Slipknot, Machine Head, Sepultura and Rush. Conner recently joined Nuclear Blast as the president of Nuclear Blast Entertainment, a new U.S. partnership he co-founded with Nuclear Blast owner Markus Staiger.
Says Conner: “As a lifelong Thin Lizzy fan, I was floored by this line-up’s new material. Not only do the new songs sound like Thin Lizzy but they sound like CLASSIC Thin Lizzy. Black Star Riders totally captures the essence of what was great about the original band while at the same time adding something totally fresh and modern. Even when I heard the band decided to change their name, my interest in signing them did not waver for one second.”
The band are looking to support their May album release with European festivals shows in the summer of 2013 and follow this up with worldwide touring. The set list will consist of material from the new album and classic Thin Lizzy material.
Classic Rock Magazine has an EXCLUSIVE interview with Black Star Riders in their edition that hits the streets on January 3rd 2013.
the Hellion Rocks 