You find family in the strangest places. I found Rikk at NAMM 2013 and we hit it off right away. We have stayed in touch since then and had a chance to do a phone interview recently. I am honored to share some of Rikk’s latest accomplishments and a bit of his music with this interview. Rikk has recently been endorsed by Splawn Amps and C.R. Alsip Guitars.
What makes a great guitarist? That’s a hard question to answer. I can tell you in my opinion that it’s not just speed, or technical skill, it’s if the player feels what he’s playing and is able to convey that feeling to the listeners. Redd does just that for me. From the first time I saw him perform with Scattered Hamlet I knew there was something special about him. It’s as if the ghosts of guitar legends past are watching over and infusing Redd with their powers. Check out his skills on “Outlaw Anthem”:
Redd, in my opinion, will only continue to grow as a player and I cannot even imagine the level of greatness he will achieve. From straight up Blues based Rock N’ Roll, to in your face crunchy, tasty metal, Redd has it covered. He whips around the stage like a whirling dervish, never missing a lick while doing so. With Adam Joad on vocals/guitar, Jake Delling Le Bas on drums, Richard Erwin on bass/vocals, and Adam Newell on guitars/vocals, Redd and Scattered Hamlet are a musical force to be reckoned with!
Yup, Redd’s got skills, and one day I hope to see Redd gracing the cover of the guitar magazines. Redd is but one of a crop of new guitarists that should be recognized among their peers, I will focus on these players as well in upcoming posts.
Do yourself a favor and check out Scattered Hamlet and pick up their music at the Scattered Hamlet General Store! Scattered Hamlet has just released their first full length CD Skeleton Dixie to the world, your ears are missing out if you haven’t heard it.
Thank you Redd for giving me faith in the next generation of players.
“People just want music they can get up and shake their asses to” A crass but fitting description from guitarist Mike Allen of the musical drive that fuels Southern Ontario’s heavy groove kings HARM. Everyone who has seen HARM live has been churned back through the venue doors hooked, and ready for more. Their musical innovation and intensity translates strongly through mics and amps, hitting the crowds right in their core. They’ve booked packed–house shows around the region and back, including Lee’s Palace, Absinthe, Kathedral, Casbah, Red Rooster and the Horseshoe, to name a few. Harm was also a featured act at 2008’s Roger’s Spring Music Festival and performed at the Y108/RedPipe.ca Breakout Band Challenge and Metal Queen Management’s metal festival in Downsview Park.
Emperors and Elephants formed in late 2011, but despite its youth on the scene has already supported acts such as Soil, PopEvil and many others. Recently my friend Randy “The Arsonist” Cooper added his world class guitar skills to this band. I, for one, cannot wait for the new music to come out from these guys!!!
Influenced by metal greats such as Black Sabbath, Metallica, and Black Label Society, Front man/guitarist, Randall Phillips and Bass player and genetic throwback, Kage sought out to create and spread a metal that was superior. After a short search followed by what some would consider a humilliating first few months the drumming skills of Brett Dobbs was added. After a few failed attempts to round out the quartet the Heretics finally came in contact with Shane Davis, whose tenacity would put the hardest of workers to shame. The Southern Heretics proudly stand guard at the wall that seperates those with souls of metal, from the posers. Unwilling to bend, compromise is not an option, Randall, Kage, Brett and Shane are who they are, non-conformists, Heretics to the end.
Any band that cites the following influences has to be checked out: Blues, Country, Exploitation movies, Captain Morgan spiced gold and Absinthe. Hailing from Sweden this band is new to the scene and we will be keeping our eyes and ears open for more from them.
Strikes At One represents time and the realization that everyone’s time is limited. To that end, Strikes has hit the ground running with the release of their debut EP ‘Hardwired’ earlier this year. Strikes co-produced the EP along with Ryan Guanzon of New Medicine (recorded and produced bass, drums and guitar) and Jon Sinclair, who recently mastered tracks by Shiny Toy Guns.
Featuring Matt Molloy on lead guitar, Jordan Hankey on bass and Beau Bricher on drums, Strikes’ sound was developed in Santa Barbara in the bands personal studio. Adding Bret Campbell to the mix on vocals proved to be the final compliment to the sound they had all been searching for. Strikes’ sound is distinct and uncompromising. Reminiscent of classic rock but with Metal, Funk and Blues influences wrapped into a sound that is undeniably original. The sincerity of Bret’s vocals, the melodic weaving of Matt’s guitar, the punch and calculated clarity of Jordan’s bass and the amazing intensity that Beau brings on the drums. With songs like ‘Pyramid’ that harness raw power to ‘On My Way’ that shows vulnerability to ‘Sayonara’ which was a song written about a tragic loss… “Blowing around like scattered leaves in a life we think we own, but this ain’t home, light falls from me but know I am not left alone,” this band is an experience that is universal to all.
TICKETS ONSALE NOW for the 6th Annual ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL
This Year Featuring:
ROB ZOMBIE, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, MASTODON, AMON AMARTH, MACHINE HEAD, CHILDREN OF BODOM, BEHEMOTH AND MANY MORE
The 72-Hour Get Off Your Ass Deal Starts TODAY – Get $20 Lawn Tickets NOW!
Tour Starts June 29th in San Bernardino, CA
The time has come! Tickets are on sale at 12pm Noon across all markets for ALL 2013 ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL tour stops. Get your tickets NOW at www.rockstarmayhemfest.com or www.livenation.com. Additionally, today is the kick off for the 72-hour $20 Get Off Your Ass ticket deal! Act now – for the next 72 hours (through Monday, March 25th) get off your ass and get $20 lawn tickets for the 2013 ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL (while supplies last, excluding Boise, ID market). Get your 72-hour Get Off Your Asstickets at the official ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL website –http://rockstarmayhemfest.com.
On Monday, the ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL, the world’s biggest hard and heavy music touring festival announced its electrifying sixth-year lineup at the official press conference, which took place at the legendary Whisky A-Go-Go on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, CA. An impressive 3.8 mile processional of custom motorcycles and carriages ushered this year’s artists from the Hollywood Palladium all the way to their final destination at the Whisky. Fans, press and industry came out in droves to witness what proved to be an amazingly unprecedented event. Check out some exclusive footage on the official ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL YouTube page now: http://youtu.be/XjZUtzcLmtE. Also, make sure to check out photos and interviews that took place at the press conference via RollingStone.com, LA Weekly, and FUSE TV now!
Artists performing on the 2013 thunderous fest include main stage metal and horror legend, festival closer, ROBZOMBIE, plus, the triple gold certified FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH and a monster lineup that includes additional main stage bands MASTODON andAMON AMARTH. The festival area is led by stage closers CHILDREN OF BODOM and MACHINE HEAD as well asBEHEMOTH, JOB FOR A COWBOY, EMMURE, BORN OF OSIRIS, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, BUTCHER BABIES, BATTLECROSS, HUNTRESS, THROWNINTO EXILE and CITY IN THE SEA. Four stages will be presented this year for the first time ever and the stages include the ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAIN STAGE, THE JAGERMEISTER STAGE, MUSICIANS INSTITUTE STAGE, as well as, the SUMERIAN RECORDS/HEADBANG FOR THE HIGHWAY CONCOURSE STAGE, (local bands performing on the Sumerian Records/Headbang for the Highway Stage will be announced in June). The World’s Greatest Freestyle Motocross team THE METAL MULISHA is also confirmed to perform on most dates.
Sponsors for the 2013 ROCKSTAR ENERGY MAYHEM FESTIVAL include title sponsor ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK and stage sponsors JAGERMEISTER, MUSICIANSINSTITUTE, and SUMERIAN RECORDS. Festival sponsors include IBANEZ GUITARS,
ZIPPO, METAL BLADE RECORDS, NAPALM RECORDS, SQUATCH SNACK STICKS, FUCK CANCER and KEEP A BREAST. Media partners include REVOLVER MAGAZINE and ZUUS MEDIA.
In addition to catching their favorite bands live, fans can take part in a number of festival activities, including playing the newest video games, perusing vendors, attending autograph signing sessions and a slew of various interactive activities that will only add to the festival experience.
ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK will be sampling their products and providing awesome surprises for all attendees. Rockstar will also present the VIP/Contest winner area designated as THE ROCKSTAR LOUNGE and the festival area PARTY LIKE A ROCKSTAR TENT where fans can sample ice cold Rockstar and get autographs from their favorite bands.
Addition to the festival’s music and arts, MUSICIANS INSTITUTE and the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival have partnered to create the Rockstar Mayhem Independent Artist Scholarship! This scholarship fully covers tuition and material fees for a two quarter IAP certificate (Room, Boarding and Travel are not included.) The application period runs from March 18 until June 1, 2013. Applicants must visitwww.mi.edu/mayhem-rock-festivalscholarship to enter.
The tour will stop in 26 cities across the United States and Canada as it makes its way to the Gexa Energy Pavilion in Dallas, Texas on August 4th, 2013. Dates and venues are listed below. Fans can go to www.rockstarmayhemfest.com to keep up with additional details as they are released.
Tour dates are as follows:
DateCityVenue
6/29 San Bernardino, CA San Manuel Amphitheater
6/30 Mountain View, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre
7/2 Boise, ID Idaho Center Amphitheatre
7/3 Auburn, WA White River Amphitheater
7/5 Phoenix, AZ Desert Sky Pavilion
7/6 Albuquerque, NM Isleta Amphitheatre
7/7 Denver, CO Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
7/10 Toronto, ON Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
7/12 Burgettstown, PA First Niagara Pavilion
7/13 Scranton, PA Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain
7/14 Darien Center, NY Darien Lake PAC
7/16 Mansfield, MA Comcast Center
7/17 Bangor, ME Bangor Waterfront
7/19 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center
7/20 Saratoga Springs, NY SPAC
7/21 Hartford, CT The Comcast Theatre
7/23 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center
7/24 Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live
7/26 Noblesville, IN Klipsch Music Center
7/27 Tinley Park, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
7/28 Clarkston, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre
7/30 Atlanta, GA Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood
7/31 Tampa, FL Live Nation Amphitheatre at the Florida State Fairgrounds
8/2 Austin, TX Austin360 Amphitheater
8/3 The Woodlands, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
8/4 Dallas, TX Gexa Energy Pavilion
ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL STAGES AND ARTISTS:
ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAIN STAGE
ROB ZOMBIE
FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH
MASTODON
AMON AMARTH
MUSICIANS INSTITUTE STAGE JAGERMEISTER STAGE
CHILDREN OF BODOM MACHINE HEAD
BEHEMOTH JOB FOR A COWBOY
EMMURE BUTCHER BABIES
BORN OF OSIRIS BATTLECROSS
MOTIONLESS IN WHITE HUNTRESS
THROWN INTO EXILE
SUMERIAN RECORDS/HEADBANG FOR THE HIGHWAY STAGE
CITY IN THE SEA
3 LOCAL OPENERS
About ROCKSTAR – Rockstar Energy Drink is designed for those who lead active lifestyles – from Athletes to Rockstars. Available in over 20 flavors at convenience and grocery outlets in over 30 countries, Rockstar supports the Rockstar lifestyle across the globe through Action Sports, Motor Sports, and Live Music. New from Rockstar for 2013, Rockstar Energy Water is a non-carbonated and sugar free enhanced water beverage that is now available throughout the U.S. in three refreshing flavors. For more information visit: www.RockstarEnergy.com. Find us at: www.facebook.com/rockstar –www.twitter.com/RockstarEnergy
Live Nation Entertainment is the world’s leading live entertainment and ecommerce company, comprised of four market leaders: www.Tickmaster.com, Live Nation Concerts, Artist Nation and Live Nation Network. www.Ticketmaster.com is the global event ticketing leader and one of the world’s top five ecommerce sites, with a database of over 119 million fans who visit our sites. Live Nation Concerts produce over 22,000 shows annually for more than 2,300 artists globally. Artist Nation is the world’s top artist management company, representing over 200 artists. These businesses power Live Nation Network, the leading provider of entertainment marketing solutions, enabling nearly 800 advertisers to tap into the 250 million consumers Live Nation delivers annually through its live event and digital platforms. For additional information, visit www.livenation.com/investors .
SUNFLOWER DEAD: On Tour Now with ALL THAT REMAINS, HELLYEAH and NONPOINT
Self-Titled Album Out Now via Bloody Bat Records!
SUNFLOWER DEAD is out on the road now with All That Remains, HellYeah, and Nonpoint! Select dates will also include performances by In This Moment. See below for all current tour dates and stay tuned for updates!
SUNFLOWER DEAD’s new music video for their track ‘Make Me Drown’ is available for viewing on YouTube right now at this link:http://youtu.be/I5fb_cOtmTk
SUNFLOWER DEAD tour dates with ALL THAT REMAINS, HELLYEAH, and NONPOINT:
3/22/2013 Club Nokia Los Angeles, CA
3/23/2013 The Knitting Factory Reno, NV (w/ In This Moment)
3/24/2013 The Knitting Factory Boise, ID (w/ In This Moment, NO HellYeah)
3/25/2013 The Black Sheep Colorado Springs, CO (off date, In This Moment headlining)
3/27/2013 In The Venue Salt Lake City, UT
3/29/2013 Wilma Theater Missoula, MT
3/30/2013 The Knitting Factory Spokane, WA
3/31/2013 Roseland Theater Portland, OR
4/1/2013 The Showbox Seattle, WA
4/3/2013 Bismarck Civic Center Bismarck, ND (w/ In This Moment)
4/5/2013 The Venue @ The Hub Fargo, ND
4/6/2013 The Wicked Moose Rochester, MN
4/7/2013 Mojoes Joliet, IL
4/9/2013 Club Fever South Bend, IN
4/10/2013 Austin’s Fuel Room Libertyville, IL
4/12/2013 The Masquerade Atlanta, GA
SUNFLOWER DEAD consists of Jamie Teissere (guitar, formerly of Droid), Michael Del Pizzo (vocals, piano, accordion), Jaboo (guitar) formerly of Two Hit Creeper, Luis Gascon (bass) touring member ofBuckethead, and Jimmy Schultz (drums) touring drummer ofIn This Moment. The band formed with a goal of creating an undeniable unit that would not just move but more importantly, entertain people.
For more information on SUNFLOWER DEAD, please visit these websites:
“Metal On The Mountain” Retreat Scheduled For July 15-19
With the recent exoneration of front man Randy Blythe from all charges in the Czech Republic, LAMB OF GOD announces today a tour of secondary markets May 16th through June 20th. The tour continues the support of the album Resolution and hits 30 markets not yet visited on the current album cycle. Support on all dates will be Decapitated with Terror appearing through June 10th and TheAcacia Strain appearing on the remaining shows.
In addition, the band announces today the Metal on the Mountain retreat July 15th through 19th to be held at the Full Moon Resort in Big Indian, New York. The weeklong retreat, which is limited to 170 fans, will feature activities aimed at musicians and non musicians alike. The curriculum, created by the band, will include guitar and drum clinics with Mark Morton, Willie Adler, and Chris Adler as well as group instruction, songwriting sessions and competitions, nightly jam sessions with the band and fans, band Q & A, the premiere of the LAMB OF GOD feature film scheduled for a fall theatrical release, and a full band concert the final night of the retreat. Long time band album designer Ken Adams will discuss the creation of LAMB OF GOD album and t-shirt designs and band tour manager and sound man Brian Griffin will instruct fans on the art of mixing a live metal show. Non-musical activities will include motorcycle excursions with bassist John Campbell, a seminar on primitive fire building by Randy Blythe, and a casino night. Also, all of the fans will enjoy all of the amenities available at the Full Moon Resort. For more information on the Metal on the Mountain retreat, go to metalonthemountain.com
Dates for the May tour are below. All shows are scheduled to go on sale the weekend of March 29th and 30th.
World-Renowned Drummer Gil Sharone of STOLEN BABIES to Host Artist Workshop at the First GUITAR CENTER Musician’s Expo
On Tour this Month with WORLD/INFERNO FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY
On Tour in April with COAL CHAMBER and SEVENDUST
World-renowned drummer Gil Sharone of STOLEN BABIES is pleased to announce that he will be hosting an artist workshop at Guitar Center’s first Musician’s Expo on Saturday, April 6th at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, CA. Guitar Center’s Musician’s Expo gives the public a sneak peek at the best of next season’s music gear from the music instrument industry’s leading manufacturers, along with artist workshops, group lessons, panel discussions and more, all at one location. Gil Sharone, who is also known around the globe for his impressive work in the reggae world, as well as with bands like Dillinger Escape Plan and +44, will host the workshop at 4:00pm on the day of the event. He will be joined by musicians Chino Moreno (Deftones), Todd Wilkinson (Team Sleep) and Chuck Doom (Crosses). For more information on the expo, visit ModernDrummer.com’s news post on the subject.
Gil Sharone recently announced that he joined the Vater endorsement family! Gil’s fresh perspective on drumming, dedication, and his love for the craft have allowed him to play with many artists he came up listening to like Fishbone, Dillinger Escape Plan, OTEP, Dave Wakeling, Maynard James Keenan, Tom Morello, HR, and Eek-A-Mouse to name a few. Vater took notice to this and once he tried out the sticks, Gil knew it was a match made in drumming heaven.
Gil Sharone is also featured in the new DW Drums ad, just below.
STOLEN BABIES will join Coal Chamber, Sevendust, and Lacuna Coil on their upcoming North American tour for select east coast dates.STOLEN BABIES will join the tour on April 13th in Toronto, ON. Tomorrow, the band will hop on a quick run with WORLD/INFERNO FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY. See below for all confirmed tour dates.
STOLEN BABIES
W/ WORLD/INFERNO FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY
3/21 – Miami, FL @ Churchill’s Pub
3/22 – Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum
3/23 – Orlando, FL @ The Social
3/24 – Atlanta, GA @ Under the Coach – Georgia Tech
3/25 – Greensboro, NC @ Blind Tiger
3/26 – Richmond, VA @ The Camel
3/27 – Baltimore, MD @ The Ottobar
3/28 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes w/ 1ST OF 3
3/29 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza w/ RASPUTINA
3/30 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer w/ RASPUTINA
W/ SEVENDUST, LACUNA COIL, COAL CHAMBER
4/13 – Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy – NO SEVENDUST
4/14 – Hartford, CT @ Webster Theater
4/16 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
4/17 – New York, NY @ Best Buy Theater
4/18 – Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
4/19 – Hampton Beach, NH @ Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
4/20 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Stone Pony
4/22 – Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live
4/23 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte
4/24 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
4/26 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live Ballroom
4/27 – Corpus Christi, TX @ Concrete Street Amphitheater
4/28 – Dallas, TX @ The Palladium Ballroom
STOLEN BABIES released their new album in October, entitled Naught. The album is available at your local music retailer and through iTunes, Amazon and all other standard digital retailers.
STOLEN BABIES is:
Dominique Lenore Persi – Lead Vocals/Accordion
Rani Sharone – Bass/Vocals
Gil Sharone – Drums
Davey Oberlin – Guitar (touring member)
For more information on STOLEN BABIES, please visit these websites:
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN – Swedish freedom rock quartet, Free Fall, has released its debut album,Power & Volume, today in North America via Nuclear Blast. Power & Volume can be purchased online in multiple formats via the Nuclear Blast web-store at: http://smarturl.it/FreeFallPV.
SANTA CLARA, CA March 19, 2013–– Dean Markley announces the latest addition to their artist roster, John 5. As one of today’s influential guitarists, Dean Markley USA looks to John 5 to help further expand the company’s market share and help raise John’s visibility in the world of guitar and entertainment.
John 5 is playing Dean Markley’s Nickel Steel Signature Series strings. The Nickel Steels are hand crafted in the USA with a unique core that adds more mass for greater sustain and has a core to wrap ratio that creates the playing, tone and durability preferred by professional guitarists. This best-selling design and commitment to quality has consistently generated accolades year after year, all around the world by dealers and distributors.
The career of John 5 began to achieve acknowledgements with Marilyn Manson in 1998 but not without paying his dues first. Before landing the Manson gig, John 5 had been performing with Lita Ford, K.D. Lang , Rob Halford, David Lee Roth, and a string of local bands before making his trek to Los Angeles. Throughout his time with Marilyn Manson, he continued working as a session guitarist on several albums to continue building his resume. By 2003, John had teamed up with Fender Musical Instrument Corporation to launch his very own signature model guitar.
2004 marked the beginning of his solo career that now includes six studio albums (Vertigo, Songs for Sanity, The Devil Knows My Name, Requiem, The Art of Malice, and God Told Me To) complimented by a remix album of previous works entitled, Remixploitation.
Come 2006, John found himself teaming up with another iconic artist, Rob Zombie. What started as a planned short stint of gigs has turned into a long standing relationship that now spans over seven years and includes international tours, studio albums and even scoring the Rob Zombie film, The Lords of Salem.
John 5 continues to branch out in his solo and collaborative careers while striving to break new ground with each new effort. While pushing the envelope, he has worked with other luminaries such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ricky Martin, Rod Stewart and Sebastian Bach.
For more information on Dean Markley strings, please visit www.deanmarkley.com
Established in 1972, Dean Markley USA is recognized as an innovator and leader in the world of musical instrument strings. Over the years, the company has expanded its product line to include pickups and accessories. Celebrated by retailers for their sales performance and endorsed by an elite caliber of musicians, Dean Markley USA products are the smart choice. www.DeanMarkley.com