Glam Rock
The Darkness unleash new song “I Hate Myself”
The second single from the band's upcoming album Dreams on Toast. The Darkness Unleash New Song “I Hate Myself”: Stream Jon Hadusek
With His Final Dodger Stadium Show, Elton John Wrote His Own Happy Ending: Review
Something I never expected to see in Dodger Stadium during Elton John’s last live concert in North America — a peek at his belly. But due to the poor fit of the icon’s first wardrobe choice (a sequined tuxedo jacket with tails, and pants that needed adjusting every time he stood up to acknowledge the crowd), at a certain point a bit of pink skin became visible through a gap in his button-down shirt. This tiny wardrobe malfunction was the only notable misstep during an intense marathon of music seeped in legacy, and it proved to be charming, in a way — a moment of human fallibility that felt all too relatable. Especially because this semi-final stop on the “Farewell Yellow Brick Road: The Final Tour” was otherwise transcendent, an invitation into the passion Elton John has for his work...
Hanoi Rocks Guitarist: Vince Neil Never Apologized for Car Crash That Killed Band’s Drummer
Hanoi Rocks guitarist Andy McCoy says he’s never received an apology from Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil, whose infamous 1984 car crash resulted in the death of the band’s drummer, Nicholas “Razzle” Dingley. Neil was driving his car when he and Dingley went on a liquor run in Redondo Beach, California, in December 1984. On the way back, the Mötley Crüe vocalist crashed into another vehicle, killing Dingley and leaving both occupants of the other car with brain damage. Neil, who had a .17 blood-alcohol level, ended up spending 15 days in jail for the incident and was ordered to pay $2.6 million to the victims of the crash. McCoy, who set out that night with Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee to find Neil and Dingley when they didn’t return in a timely manner, tells Artists on Record Starring ADIK...
Tracii Guns Performs Entire L.A. Guns Concert Inside Backstage Bathroom: Watch
While the rest of L.A. Guns played a gig on an outdoor stage in Plano, Texas, guitarist Tracii Guns performed from inside a backstage bathroom due to a panic disorder. Tracii Guns is rock veteran, having formed L.A. Guns in 1983, not to mention being a member of an early incarnation of Guns N’ Roses with Axl Rose (who himself was a very brief member of L.A. Guns). While he mostly has his panic order under control, the excessive heat in Plano triggered an episode that led to the unique concert setup. “A lot of people know I have a panic disorder,” he wrote on Facebook prior to the Texas gig. “While I have it 95 percent under control, Heat is the remaining trigger and I simply cannot play in the heat. BUT!!! We have found a solution for today’s show I will be playing in a comfy bathroom dire...
Sparks Kick Off North American Tour at Walt Disney Concert Hall: Recap + Photos
As Edgar Wright’s exhilarating documentary The Sparks Brothers illustrated so well, Ron and Russell Mael, aka Sparks, are “your favorite band’s favorite band” for good reason. The duo have been making delightfully dramatic, experimental yet accessible art rock for over 50 years. Whether they were prancing on Top of The Pops in the ‘70s or blasting from transistor radios on KROQ 106.7 FM in the ‘80s, they never really “fit in” with what was popular at the time. But last night (February 7th) at Los Angeles’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, illuminated by an array of multi-hued stage lights and backed by a solid five-piece band, they were a splendid fit. The Hall is home to the LA Philharmonic, and its grand aesthetic and layout (inside and out), not to mention its unmatched acoustics, make seeing ...
The Darkness Announce Extensive 2022 North American Tour
The Darkness are coming to North America, and they’re doing it up big. The UK rockers have announced a lengthy North American tour in support of their just-released album, Motorheart. Frontman Justin Hawkins, guitarist Dan Hawkins, bassist Frankie Poullain and drummer Rufus Taylor will hit the road next spring for 34 shows, setting off March 9th in San Diego, and running through an April 24th date in Boston. Fans should expect to hear new songs off Motorheart, as well as all the hits. The Dead Deads will open on all dates, with tickets available via Ticketmaster. “You there, in the Americas — hear me, and hear me well: The Darkness know your pain, know that you have cried yourselves to sleep every night, bereft of quality English rock music,” Justin Hawkins said in a statement. “Well, desi...
In Photos: Reunited Lunachicks Play Triumphant New York City Show with Toilet Boys
Thanksgiving Day weekend in New York City means the joyful return of Santa Claus to officially kick off the holiday season. However, this year Santa may have been upstaged — at least for those who prefer to be on the naughty list. Lunachicks, NYC’s loudest native daughters triumphantly returned after a 17-year hiatus, to the delight of a pair of jam-packed crowds during a two-night stand at Webster Hall. Originally planned for April 2020, things got in the way of that. As Lunachicks’ guitarist Gina Volpe joked, “Leave it to us to plan a reunion right before a pandemic.” Rescheduled due to COVID, the band thanked the sold-out crowd for being patient — and their patience paid off. The NYC shows marked the band’s first headlining gigs since 2004, and followed a pair of performances at the Pun...
R.I.P. Hank Von Helvete, Former Turbonegro Singer Dies at 49
Hank Von Helvete, the best-known singer of long-running Norwegian death-punk act Turbonegro, has died at age 49. His passing was confirmed by his family via the Norwegian newspaper Tvedestrandsposten and through Turbonegro’s social media pages, but no cause of death was revealed. Von Helvete (real name Hans-Erik Dyvik Husby) joined Turbonegro as the band’s third lead singer in 1993, taking over for Harald Fossberg. He fronted Turbonegro until his departure in 2009, save for a hiatus that lasted from 1999 to 2002. That break was due in part to Von Helvete’s drug addiction at the time, as he was undergoing treatment for heroin dependency. During his time with Turbonegro, Von Helvete recorded several albums with the group, beginning with 1994’s Never Is Forever and ending with 2007’s Ret...
Alice Cooper: David Bowie Saw My Stage Show and Said This Is What He “Should Be Doing”
Legendary rockers Alice Cooper and David Bowie each broke new ground as theatrical stage performers. While the two pioneers of glam rock were contemporaries, Cooper says it was his stage show that influenced Bowie. In a new feature for Metal Hammer, Cooper answered a number of fan questions. One reader named Debbie asked, “Did you ever cross paths with your theatrical comrade, David Bowie?” “David used to come to the show when he was a mime artist, he was Davy Jones back then,” responded Cooper. “I remember at one of our ‘Welcome to My Nightmare’ shows, he brought his band the Spiders From Mars and he was saying, ‘This is what we should be doing.’ But he never did it the way we did it.” He added, “When we started doing theatrics and still had hit records, that opened up a huge door for Bow...
Art d’Ecco Unveils New Single “Head Rush”: Stream
Neo-glam rocker Art d’Ecco is gearing up to drop his sophomore album, In Standard Definition, on April 23rd via Paper Bag. Today, he’s shared a new single called “Head Rush” and a glitzy music video to give fans a taste of what to expect, both of which can be streamed below. In a press release, Art d’Ecco said the song is about the collective head rush of our youth, a memory he hopes listeners will experience secondhand. “Nostalgia is a powerful drug; it distorts and reframes the past, often reconciling our memories into one place for easy access and to better suit our current disposition or state of mind,” he explained. “I wanted all the hallmarks of a classic rock song — the kind of music that used to blast from the kitchen radio at the summer jobs I’d worked at as a teen. Guitar solo? C...
10 Times David Bowie Was the Coolest Man Who Fell to Earth
Editor’s Note: As we continue to celebrate the life and art of David Bowie, we take a look at some of our favorite Starman’s coolest moments. If you’ve missed any of the Bowie content we shared or reshared this week, you can experience it all again here. Five years ago, the sudden passing of David Bowie sent shockwaves through the whole landscape of popular culture. Born David Jones on January 8, 1947, Bowie was far more than just one of the most groundbreaking, expansive, and fearless musicians of his era; he was also an accomplished actor, painter, sociopolitical advocate, philanthropist, and much more. In a multitude of ways, then, his loss was so tragic and surreal because his life was so inspiring and matchless. (Hell, Flight of the Concords devoted practically a whole episode to him ...
Trent Reznor on David Bowie: “He Helped Me in Those Dark Times Before I Chose to Get My S**t Together”
Editor’s Note: We continue our celebration of the life and art of David Bowie with an exclusive new tribute from Trent Reznor. Keep checking back all week for more content reflecting on our favorite Starman. And, if you’ve missed anything, you can experience it all again here. David Bowie’s impact on fans and musicians transcended definitions of genre, illustrated by the iconic rock chameleon’s influence on industrial heavyweight Trent Reznor. As the Nine Inch Nails mastermind tells Consequence of Sound, having Bowie as both role model and friend helped him through some very dark times. Nine Inch Nails had the honor of opening for Bowie on “The Outside Tour” in 1995, which saw Reznor and company remaining onstage to perform a handful of songs with Bowie at the beginning of the latter’s hea...
