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The guitar itself has been custom airbrushed by one of the Nation’s leading and most recognized airbrush artists and clear coated so that this will last you a lifetime!

More than just a show piece, this guitar is a brand new full size guitar which is fully functional. This is PSA/DNA authenticated. Please bid on this unique item for a great cause and good luck.

Bassist Chris Squire was reportedly admitted to the hospital on February 9 with an unspecified medical emergency which required surgery on his leg.

The unlucky group was forced to postpone dates in 2008 after Anderson suffered a severe asthma attack and was subsequently diagnosed with respiratory failure.

The singer has made it clear in recent blog posts he is unhappy with the fact his bandmates are touring without him.

Eddie Van Halen has announced that he is making a foray into the fashion world, by hawking a collection of sneakers modelled on his famous red, white and black striped ‘Frankenstein’ guitar.

Having worn the custom made clogs onstage for years, it seems the idea has only recently occurred to Eddie.

In a statement he says: “So many people would ask me, where can I get a pair of those? After hearing that for about 15 years, I figured they were something that people obviously wanted, so making them available and official seemed like a natural progression”

In addition to the ‘Frankenstein’ design, the Converse style sneakers are also available adorned with designs that pay homage to some of Eddies other axe’s – White with black stripes, and black with yellow stripes – and all are emblazoned with ‘5150’ logo running down the heal.

All designs are available from EVHgear.com.

Speaking about the as-yet-untitled new album, which also features former Nine Inch Nails tub-thumper Josh Freese on drums and former Jane’s Addiction bassist Chris Chaney, Slash revealed on his MySpace page: “We’ve nailed four killer tracks with four amazing vocals so far and nailing another one Tuesday [April 14], so things are going extremely well.

“Everybody who has contributed vocals so far have been flawless and the rhythm section, Josh and Chris, are priceless.

“Eric Valentine is a genius producer, not to mention his team is great. All in all this last couple of weeks have been a hell a lot of fun and we’re just getting started.

“It’s definitely going to be a kick-ass record, if I do say so myself.”

As far as for who will be performing vocal duties on the record, Slash’s wife Perla Hudson has allegedly revealed that both Ozzy Osbourne, and The Black Eyed Pea’s Fergie will be guesting on the album.

Filmed digitally in Hi Def to provide pristine picture quality, FLIGHT 666 was directed by Sam Dunn and Scot McFadyen with the award-winning Banger Productions team (‘Metal - A Headbanger’s Journey’ and ‘GLOBAL METAL’) who take you right inside the Maiden family with almost total access to the band, something which Maiden have never allowed before. The stunning 5.1 soundtrack was specially mixed by Maiden producer Kevin Shirley to complement the picture quality as an ultimate attack on your senses.

As a very special bonus for the fans, Maiden have included a second disc of the entire set from the 2008 segment of this tour with  the DVD (and as a long-play Blu-ray). Sixteen songs from sixteen different cities in eleven countries around the world, for the first time ever encompassing such varied places and cultures in one concert. (See full track listing below). In addition to a standard double DVD, EMI will release a special souvenir Limited Edition Deluxe DVD with 30 page booklet. The soundtrack audio version of the live show will be available on two CDs, as a limited edition vinyl set with two picture discs, and a digital download especially for those fans who do not have DVD access or just want to enjoy the show as a great live album.  All are lavishly packaged as an ultimate memento of a tour to remember!

Here’s the trailer-

“All those who have been into UFO for a long time will find all our characteristic trademarks on ‘The Visitor’, and anybody new to the band will be impressed by our enthusiasm and dynamism,” frontman Phil Mogg enthuses on the subject of the new songs. “The Visitor” sees the band benefiting especially from their collaboration with Vinnie Moore, who joined UFO in autumn 2003 and has made an excellent impression on the albums “You Are Here” (2004) and “The Monkey Puzzle” (2006), and on the band’s tours. Mogg says,”Without running down previous UFO lineups, it’s been a long time since we had a team as strong as this one. Vinnie contributes his youthful energy and amazing guitar technique, and in Andy’s return we’ve seen the reappearance of a musician who has always been very important to the band’s original sound.”

Release dates for “The Visitor”:

Germany, Austria, Switzerland: May 29th
Rest of Europe: June 2nd
USA, Canada: June 2nd

“The Visitor” track listing:

1. Saving Me
2. On The Waterfront
3. Hell Driver
4. Stop Breaking Down
5. Rock Ready
6. Living Proof
7. Can’t Buy A Thrill
8. Forsaken
9. Villains & Thieves
10. Stranger In Town
11. Dancing With St. Peter (2009 edition) (digipack bonus track

Here’s my all-time favorite UFO song- “Love to Love” with Vinnie on guitar…

Playing a series of intimate venues, this initial tour is set to launch on May 14th at the El Corazon in Seattle, Washington. The shows will conclude at TLA in Philadelphia, PA on May 29th, with tickets prices throughout averaging $50 per show.

Chickenfoot’s North American dates:

May 14 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA
May 15 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC
May 17 - The Fillmore - San Francisco, CA
May 19 - The Roxy Theatre - West Hollywood, CA
May 22 - Park West - Chicago, IL
May 24 - The Mod Club Theatre - Toronto, ON
May 26 - Middle East Upstairs - Cambridge, MA
May 28 - The Fillmore NY Irving Plaza - New York, NY
May 29 - TLA - Philadelphia, PA

“We spent a lot of time together in the recording studio working long hours to make Chickenfoot live up to expectations,” said Satriani. “We really feel like we’ve mastered it and recorded a great album but now we’re especially excited to take the show on the road and see how the fans react to it live. I think we are really going to feed off of the fan’s energy. We’re really that type of band.”

“Chickenfoot” will be packaged in heat-sensitive artwork, which means when you put your hand on the CD inlay, photos of the band members will be revealed behind the Chickenfoot band logo.

“Chickenfoot” track listing:

1. Avenida Revolution
2. Soap on a Rope
3. Sexy Little Thing
4. Oh Yeah
5. Runnin’ Out
6. Get It Up
7. Down the Drain
8. My Kinda Girl
9. Learning to Fall
10. Turnin’ Left
11. Future in the Past

A great band is nothing without a great rhythm section, and Chickenfoot has one of the best in the two-man team of bassist Michael Anthony and drummer Chad Smith.

As a founding member (and fellow Rock and Roll Hall of Famer) of Van Halen, Anthony laid the bedrock for which guitar genius Eddie Van Halen could fly. More than that, he provided a signature style of background vocal that became an intrinsic part of that band. “A total fluke,” the good-natured bassist humbly asserts. “I was just doing what came naturally.”

Hagar sees Anthony’s abilities differently. “Michael keeps the band going,” he says. “Listen, he’s never going to get the kind of credit he deserves — he played next to Eddie Van Halen. Hell, Jack Bruce didn’t get much credit compared to Eric Clapton — that’s just the nature of things. Mikey held down the fort, and he still does.”

Aiding Anthony in holding down the fort is Chad Smith, drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who have, since Smith joined the group in the late Eighties, gone from cult faves to a worldwide force. Heretofore thought of as a “funk/alternative” drummer, Smith gets to rock hard with Chickenfoot, and the percussion explosion he creates might come as a surprise to those who only know of his work from tracks like “Under The Bridge.”

The members of Chickenfoot admit that the band came together almost by accident, a result of jams held at Hagar’s club, Cabo Wabo Cantina, in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

“We were just having fun,” recalls Michael Anthony. “After Sammy and I left Van Halen, we’d get together with musicians, and certain people seemed to really gel. Chad came down and we got on well with him. Gradually, we started talking about doing something more serious, but we needed a guitarist. Somebody smokin’ — somebody who could take us to the Promised Land.”

Enter Satch, who hooked up with Hagar, Anthony and Smith and felt “an immediate connection unlike anything I’d ever experienced before.” To Satriani, who had almost abandoned his lifelong dream of being a part of a “big-time rock band,” here was his chance, and here were his bandmates. “After just a few songs, it became stunningly obvious that we shared an overall musical agenda,” he says. “The only question was could we make a great album?”

The band answered that question last fall when they hunkered down with the illustrious producer Andy Johns at George Lucas’ Skywalker Studios and knocked out a batch of songs that sets a new standard for rock music in the new millennium.

From the thunderous, ominous opening strains of “Avenida Revolution” (detailing the bloody drug wars in Tijuana, in which Hagar makes his feelings come through his skin) to the album closer, the shimmering rock ballad “Future’s in the Past”, “Chickenfoot” is a firebomb of a record, the likes of which we haven’t heard in ages.

The band kicks and snorts their way through a passel of take-no-prisoners rockers like “Soap on a Rope,” “Sexy Little Thing,” “Oh Yeah” and “My Kind of Girl.”

“These are the kinds of songs I could never do on my own,” says Satriani. “I needed a band like this to make those songs come alive.”

The band explores mature themes on songs such as “Runnin’ Out,” about a world stretched to the breaking point to “Learning to Fall,” perhaps the most poignant love song Hagar has ever written lyrics for. As both a vocalist and songwriter, Hagar’s intensity and forcefulness are on vivid display on “Chickenfoot.”

“I write what comes to mind,” the singer says. “I’m not bound by anything subject-wise. I’m inspired by the music. When I heard the music Joe was going for, it made me reach, it made me stretch. I think it made me sing in a way that I normally wouldn’t have done. We seem to have that kind of effect on each other.”

Satriani agrees. “People have this idea of what this band is about, or what Sammy Hagar is about as a lyricist and a vocalist,” he says. “The thing is that we manage to get each guy to up his game in a non-confrontational way. When I play with Chickenfoot, I find myself wanting to give them more all the time. I don’t hold anything back. I think the rest of the guys feel the same way.”

That Satriani unleashes sheets of shred magna is, of course, a given, but what’s interesting is, as individualistic and recognizable as his talents are — and this is true of all the players — they transform in a strange and beautiful way on “Chickenfoot.”

Likewise, Anthony and Smith, channel past heroes. For Anthony it’s Electric Flag bassist Harvey Brooks. For Smith it’s Zeppelin’s John Bonham. Together, they perform something of an astonishing balancing act, dispending performances that meet at the intersection of Heavy and Nimble. This is what a rhythm section does, drives the band in forceful, creative ways. Listen to Chickenfoot and you’ll hear what a true rhythm section sounds like.

“Chickenfoot,” which is already being hailed as the most intense rock ‘n’ roll album since Led Zeppelin’s classic efforts, coincides with a European tour that will consist of outdoor festivals, including Montreaux, Switzerland, and Bospop, Holland, plus various intimate indoor rock shows, including the London O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire on June 25th.

Rolling Stone

When Rolling Stone caught up with Joe Perry backstage at last week’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, the guitarist said he was pumped about touring with world’s most famously bearded band. “That’s just amazing to be able to play with them because it’s going to be a kickass show,” Perry said, adding that Aerosmith would reinvigorate their set lists this time around. Perry also told RS that Aerosmith’s new album has been delayed, but they’re aiming to finish it after the tour wraps.

While venues for the majority of shows hasn’t been announced — details for just three shows were announced last week — it’s easy to guess what amphitheater or arena the tour might hit by looking at the itinerary. For instance, Wantagh, New York’s show will obviously take place at the Nikon at Jones Beach, the Holmdel, New Jersey show will be at the PNC Bank Arts Centre, Uncasville, Connecticut is Mohegan Sun, etc. Guess the venue in your market by checking out the full tour dates below — and stick with Rolling Stone for the most updated news on the Aerosmith/ZZ Top tour.

Aerosmith & ZZ Top 2009 Summer Tour Dates

June 10 - St. Louis, MO
June 13 - East Troy, WI
June 16 - Boston, MA
June 21 - Bristow, VA @ Nissan Pavilion

In 1998, we wanted to share our love of the music that provided the soundtrack
to his youth: Rock and Roll from the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s and early ’80s. After a
two year period of research and development, the domain name ClassicBands.com
was registered and the website went online on November 2nd, 2000. Content came
together slowly, starting with biographies of Rock and Roll artists of the
Classic Rock era, followed by Rock trivia, artist’s birthdays and U.S. and U.K.
record charts.

The quality of the website took a giant leap forward when Mr.
Gary James, who has spoken with over 1200 entertainment personalities, agreed to
include his fascinating interviews at ClassicBands.com. Since that time, over
300 interviews with the artists who actually made the music, have been added.
Gary James has sat down with the likes of Gene Simmons, Cliff Richard, Eric
Burdon, Fabian, Gene Pitney, Paul Revere, Dave Clark and members of The Doors,
Creedence Clearwater Revival, Chicago and hundreds more. He has also looked into
the circumstances surrounding the deaths of John Lennon, Jim Morrison, Kurt
Cobain and Elvis Presley, with in-depth talks with informed authors and experts.
Gary promises our readers that the best is yet to come.

Some of the challenges the website has faced over the years is the
accuracy of the content. On several occasions, artists themselves have made
contact to correct or make additions to their profile. Respect for copyright is
always a prime consideration, and on the rare instance that an offence occurs,
action is swiftly taken to correct the situation and apologies are issued. For
those who are planning or currently have a website, we would highly recommend a
similar policy. Simply copying and pasting material from other sources is a
recipe for trouble.

Classicbands.com is constantly growing. Readers continue to suggest new
material and make recommendations. All of their proposals are considered. New
additions include a web poll where viewers can register their opinions, a Rock
and Roll quote of the week and a section called “Who Sang That Hit“, where
readers can look up who recorded a song and where it peaked on the U.S. Top 40.

The subject of Rock and Roll covers a wide variety of musical tastes and
interests and while you can’t please everyone, we will continue to explore as
many genres as possible, from Rock-a-billy, British Invasion, Disco, Bubble Gum
and Hard Rock. As Billy Joel wrote: “It’s All Rock and Roll To Me.”

The site really is amazing. It’s a got very clean layout, extremely organized categories and most of all- tons of amazing classic rock information! Visit classicbands.com, I think you’ll like it as much as I do!

Over the years, footage and audio of the Oregon-based Merry Pranksters have surfaced, but was little more than ragged, disjointed documentation of the group tripping and weirding out. Except for Neal Cassady’s endless speed-jacked rap, there was little narrative. Now, director Gus Van Sant is helming the book’s adaptation to the big screen with Milk and Big Love writer Dustin Lance Black. Milk’s director of photography Harris Savides is also committed to the film.

After several false starts, the project is coming together. “These seeds have been in the wind for a long time,” says Ken Babbs, Kesey’s best friend and fellow Merry Prankster. “I talked to Gus. And I was happy he was making the movie. Back in the 1970s, Kesey and Gus were friends and Ken told him if anyone ever made the film he wanted Gus to do it.”

Van Sant originally pictured the late Heath Ledger for the Kesey role, but now has two marquee names in mind: Woody Harrelson and Jack Black, which might make the film more of comedy than a zany drug jag. Caroline Garcia (a.k.a. Mountain Girl), a Prankster and former wife of Jerry Garcia, said Harrelson visited Kesey shortly before he died. “They went out into the field and had a pretty good mind meld,” Garcia says. “I just know he could play the role.” Garcia mentioned Black might be a fit for “The Mad Chemist,” the infamous LSD impresario Owsley “Bear” Stanley, who launched an untold number of minds into outer space and was an artist and early sound engineer for the Dead (he’s credited with revolutionizing live stereo sound). Black’s camp had no comment. And who will play Caroline Garcia? She suggests Scarlett Johansson. Maybe Maura Tierney. “Well, I’m 5′10″, so she would have to be tall. I mean, I ride a Harley Davidson.”

Read the whole interview @ Rolling Stone

Here’s a 2008 interview with Tom Wolfe for Time Magazine: