Deerhunter at Austin Psych Fest 2013 (more by Tim Griffin)

Governors Ball is less than a month away, and the fest has now released the daily schedule. They've done a pretty good job with not too many giant conflicts -- though there's a few like Grizzly Bear vs Beirut, Bloc Party vs The xx, Erykah Badu vs Beach House, and Nas vs Guns N Roses. Check out the daily line-ups across their four stages below.

Continue reading "Governors Ball announces set times"

Governor's Ball 2012 (more by Amanda Hatfield)

As mentioned, single day tickets to Governor's Ball went on sale today and with that, comes their day-by-day lineups, featuring headliners Kings of Leon (6/7), Guns N Roses (6/8) and Kanye West (6/9). Complete daily line-ups are below.

Continue reading "Governors Ball announces artists by day (tickets on sale)"

Guns N' Roses at Webster Hall in 2012 (more by Ryan Muir)

Who saw this coming? When NYC festival Governors Ball announced their 2013 lineup the headliners were Kanye West, Kings of Leon, and one unannounced artist. You guys guessed things like Phoenix, The Postal Service, Vampire Weekend, and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but now the announcement of the third headliner has come and it's... Guns N' Roses. Amazing? Totally Lame? What do you think?

The band, featuring Axl Rose and no other original members, last visited NYC in 2012 to play a series of club shows.

Tickets for the festival, which also includes Kendrick Lamar, Beach House, The xx, Animal Collective, Grizzly Bear, Nas, Japandroids, and so many more are still available. The fest goes down from June 7 - 9 on Randall's Island.

In related news, Kendrick Lamar just announced a headlining NYC show happening before and presented by Governors Ball.

photos by Ryan Muir

Guns N Roses at Webster Hall

Photographer Ryan Muir is the latest of our uber-talented contributors to drop off his favorite photos that he took in 2012, leaving us with shots of Guns n Roses, The Hives, Purity Ring and much more.

His set of favorite contributions joins fellow photographers Caroline Harrison, Dominick Mastrangelo, Dana (distortion) Yavin, Amanda Hatfield, David Andrako, Jessica Amaya, Fred Pessaro // BBG, and Chris La Putt.

Check out the rest of Ryan's favorite pictures below.

Continue reading "Ryan Muir's favorite Live Music Photos of 2012 (that he took) "

We always thought the Lannisters would be Romney supporters...

Nerds for Obama!

Neil Young , who is now on Twitter and recently played Central Park, thinks MP3s sound like shit and is creating a new 24-bit digital audio service called Pono that he says sounds better.

Neil might not approve but you can stream every single A389 release ever in its entirety at their Bandcamp which is pretty cool. He probably isn't a fan of Eyehategod anyway.

More streaming: give an online listen to Tame Impala's new album Lonerism.

Watch Ty Segall perform on WGN's morning news show... at 8AM. Wonder if he had even been to bed yet?

The Mountain Goats release Transcendental Youth via Merge today. Learn about the recording process in an interview at The Atlantic.

Merge also released the self-titled debut by Mount Moriah today. Mount Moriah is one of the many artists playing the Merge CMJ showcase this year.

Axl Rose is giving an extremely rare interview to Jimmy Kimmel on 10/24, though that is unfortunately before Jimmy starts filming in Brooklyn.

We've got a new interview with Mister Lies over at bvChicago. Mister Lies makes his NYC live debut this week at Cameo.

Conservative blowhard Glenn Beck loves bombastic UK rockers Muse and wrote an open letter to the band to show them just how much. Needless to say, it is nuts.

Radio biographer and historian Alex Cosper discusses the "expanding definition of indie" at the Sacramento Press.

Music Publishing firm ASCAP has just launched a new program called ASCAP OnStage that will pay musicians royalties when their songs are played live.

In other getting paid news, the Spotify-esque web music provider Rdio will pay artists $10 per new subscriber.

Jay-Z played his fourth of eight shows at the Barclays Center last night.

LA via Sri Lanka rapper DeLon traces the reason for him having to drop off a tour with America's Got Talent artist Lindsey Stirling, back to his 2008 criticisms of M.I.A.

more below...

Continue reading "ALSO: Nerds for Obama; Glenn Beck for Muse; Neil Young Vs. MP3s; Axl Rose, Mountain Goats, Tame Impala + more"

photos by Chris La Putt; words by Bill Pearis

While it may not have actually hit triple digits on Saturday (7/7), in the easy-bake oven of asphalt, concrete and steel that is Times Square, it felt like 110 -- especially at 1PM when I arrived there for CBGB Festival's all-day free show. The heat kept attendance on the low side (I should add there was also no line at Shake Shack either on Saturday) but everybody seemed to be having a good time, bands included, for what is the very rare occasion to see live bands in such an iconic NYC setting.

The festival had two stages set up on Saturday with one on 51st, and then one on 47th St right below the TKTS booth and bleachers -- which is where Duff McKagan's Loaded were already playing as I got out of the subway. I was never much of a Guns N' Roses fan and had never listened to Loaded band before but always thought of him as the "punk" member of GN'R. Definitely Loaded swing that way and their set was a mix of Foo Fighters-ish originals and choice covers, including The Damned's "New Rose" and The Stooges' "I Wanna Be Your Dog," the latter of which featured special guest Glen Matlock of the Sex Pistols (who played his own CBGB Fest show at the Living Room with CBGB Fest keynote speaker Krist Novoselic in attendance).They also did GN'R's debut single "It's So Easy" which got some fists pumping.

With no downtime between bands, I hightailed it up Broadway which was closed to traffic and served as a merch area and food truck court. I got there right as Superchunk launched into their first song and new single "This Summer" which continues their hit streak since relaunching the band two years ago. (Not that they ever went away, really.) It was too hot for the crowd to do much beyond nod enthusiastically and sing along to the band's favorites-packed set, but it didn't stop Mac McCaughan and Laura Ballance from pogoing through most of the set, and Mac got off a couple of his signature jumps which could be seen from a block away. (Even when a failed launch had him tumble off the drum riser, Mac kept playing. That's how it's done.) As I said, Superchunk loaded their set with classics, including "Hyper Enough," "Driveway to Driveway," and "Slack Motherfucker," the latter of which was a treat to hear loud in Disneyfied Times Square.

I didn't stick around for the later bands which included The Hold Steady and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (who also played a secret show later that night at Cake Shop), nor did our photographer who headed up to Summerstage for Guided by Voices, but there are pictures of openers Upper West and Zulu Wave below along with more pictures of Superchunk (including setlist) and Duff McKagan's Loaded.

Continue reading "Superchunk and Duff McKagan's Loaded played Times Square as part of CBGB Fest (pics, review)"

Holy Diva

This weekend in NYC offers you a plethora of tribute band options starting tonight (5/18) at Brooklyn Bowl where all girl tribute to Motley Crue "Girls Girls Girls" are sharing a bill with the female-fronted Dio tribute band Holy Diva and Bottoms Up who are a tribute to classic Van Halen - the only classic Van Halen you're going to get in the NYC-area for a while (or maybe just until Saturday) .

If you meet a member of Holy Diva in the crowd, find out what their thoughts are on Black Sabbath's decision to crop Bill Ward out of photos. DIO Rest in Peace.

Saturday (5/19) the fun continues in Prospect Park when GoogaMooga hosts a set by Unchained (another Van Halen tribute band). All girl Led Zeppelin tribute Lez Zeppelin play GoogaMooga on Sunday.

Saturday night is the return of Guns 'N Roses cover band Mr. Brownstone at Bowery Ballroom where they'll be joined by Rolling Stones tribute Mick's Jaguar, which should be a good warm for the Mick Jagger episode of SNL which you can watch on your DVR when you get home from the show. Tickets are still available and we're giving away a pair on Facebook. Adam Hertz & the Interns (ft. The Internettes) and Thunderpony are also on the bill of what should be a very drunken night (though hopefully not one met with serious bodily harm).

Axl Rose @ Webster Hall in February (more by Ryan Muir)

Earlier today we posted Matt Sorum's letter regarding the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction of Guns N'Roses, along with Axl's pre-induction open letter. Today he tweeted a new letter. Check it out below...

Continue reading "Axl Rose writes another lettter (to Cleveland, Ohio, Guns N' Roses Fans and everyone who's shown support for my decision regarding the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.)"

Matt Sorum gestures as Duff McKagan, back left, Steven Adler and Slash, back right, watch, after Guns N' Roses was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Saturday, April 14, 2012, in Cleveland.

Guns n' Roses were inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame over the weekend, but as was reported far and wide, not all the original members, most notably Axl, chose to show up. Matt Sorum was there representing though, and now he just wants to clarify a few things. Red his entire statement below...

Continue reading ""Official Statement from MATT SORUM About Guns N' Roses and the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame Induction""

photos by Ryan Muir

G N' R @ The Ritz

Guns N' Roses (Axl Rose, Dizzy Reed, Tommy Stinson, Chris Pitman, Richard Fortus, Frank Ferrer, and Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal) completed a short intimate tour that mostly happened in NYC in February. It hit Roseland Ballrooom, Terminal 5, Webster Hall (which they renamed 'The Ritz'), Hiro Ballroom, House of Blues in Atlantic City, and Chicago's House of Blues along the way.

They played over 30 songs at Webster Hall, starting around midnight and ending after 3am, working in almost anything you would want to hear including a handful of covers like the James Bond theme, Pink Panther theme, "Riff Raff" by AC/DC, and their usual takes on "Live and Let Die" and Bob Dylan's "Knockin' On Heaven's Door." The full setlist is below, along with more pictures and a video from the 2/15 Webster Hall show that the Toilet Boys opened.

The band's next show is Monday (3/5) in Miami which is followed by some California shows which all happen before SXSW which is where GN'R member Tommy Stinson (formerly of the Replacements) will play at least six solo shows. Tommy then heads out on a short East Coast tour with Kurt Baker in April which hits Union Hall in Brooklyn on April 12. Guns N' Roses head to Europe for a tour later this year.

All tour dates (GNR, Tommy Stinson AND Slash too), more pictures and the other stuff, below...

Continue reading "pics of Guns N' Roses @ 'The Ritz'; Tommy Stinson tour dates"

photos by Ryan Muir

G N' R @ The Ritz

Guns N' Roses (Axl Rose, Dizzy Reed, Tommy Stinson, Chris Pitman, Richard Fortus, Frank Ferrer, and Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal) completed a short intimate tour that mostly happened in NYC in February. It hit Roseland Ballrooom, Terminal 5, Webster Hall (which they renamed 'The Ritz'), Hiro Ballroom, House of Blues in Atlantic City, and Chicago's House of Blues along the way.

They played over 30 songs at Webster Hall, starting around midnight and ending after 3am, working in almost anything you would want to hear including a handful of covers like the James Bond theme, Pink Panther theme, "Riff Raff" by AC/DC, and their usual takes on "Live and Let Die" and Bob Dylan's "Knockin' On Heaven's Door." The full setlist is below, along with more pictures and a video from the 2/15 Webster Hall show that the Toilet Boys opened.

The band's next show is Monday (3/5) in Miami which is followed by some California shows which all happen before SXSW which is where GN'R member Tommy Stinson (formerly of the Replacements) will play at least six solo shows. Tommy then heads out on a short East Coast tour with Kurt Baker in April which hits Union Hall in Brooklyn on April 12. Guns N' Roses head to Europe for a tour later this year.

All tour dates (GNR, Tommy Stinson AND Slash too), more pictures and the other stuff, below...

Continue reading "pics of Guns N' Roses @ 'The Ritz'; Tommy Stinson tour dates"

a pic of Guns N' Roses soundcheck @ Hiro Ballroom (via the Shaltzes)

Guns N' Roses' Fashion Week run of shows, that hit Webster Hall (aka the Ritz) last night (more about that later), actually also includes a private Fashion Week show at Hiro Ballroom tonight (2/16). Steve Lewis talked to Nur Khan, the man behind it, about the show, the venue and the Electric Room where Nur is throwing events too...

The rumor was that the show was going to be at The Electric Room but it got too big a thing and now it's at Hiro. In the future, you plan on doing a lot of shows at The Electric Room. How do you shows there....logistically?

I just did my first show there the other night. I remove furniture in front of a fireplace and half of the room. Set the PA and backline up in front of the fireplace - very similar to what I created with the Rose Bar sessions. You get the idea. You were at some of them. I see The Electric Room as a better fit for emerging bands. I'm doing this at Hiro; it's sort of my two cents into the goodbye. The town is losing another rock and roll room. I'm going to have to build another. We'd still be at Don Hill's if he hadn't died. This show at Hiro is all out ...confetti canons, arealists. It's the last hurrah before Mark Packer takes Hiro and Matsuri over and does what he does to it.

PRESALE HERE

PREVIOUSLY: Guns N' Roses playing small venues, including Roseland, T5 & "The Ritz" (dates)

Guns n Roses @ the Varvatos store in 2010 (more by Nate "Igor" Smith)

Axl Rose's current version of Guns N' Roses are heading out on a short "up close and personal" tour this February, timed to coincide with fashion week (true story). The currently-six-show run kicks off with three NYC shows and also includes a NJ show. They'll play Roseland Ballroom on February 10, Terminal 5 on February 12, and Webster Hall on February 15, except they'll be calling Webster Hall The Ritz for that show, as that was the name of the venue when they filmed Live at the Ritz there in 1988. The tour also brings them to Atlantic City's House of Blues on February 24. Tickets for the NYC shows go on sale Wednesday (2/1) at noon and tickets for the Atlantic City show goes on sale Friday (2/3). All dates are listed below.

In related news, Guns N' Roses tribute band Appetite For Destruction plays BB King's on April 27. Tickets are on sale now.

All dates and the entire "Live at the Ritz" concert from 1988 (it's on YouTube), below...

Continue reading "Guns N' Roses playing small venues, including Roseland, T5 & "The Ritz" (dates)"

Guns N' Roses are going on a tour that hits the Izod Center in NJ on November 17th. Tickets are currently on presale. The passwords are "GNR" and "Better". General sale begins Saturday at 10am. "The band will perform over 2 hours of all of their classic hits" says the ad. All dates below...

Continue reading ""Guns N' Roses" touring, playing Izod Center in Jersey"

Mr. Brownstone @ the Bell House in 2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

The wait is over. Drunken Guns n Roses tribute band Mr. Brownstone will return to the stage on Mischief Night, 2010. It's going down at Brooklyn Bowl and tickets are on sale. I may be unique in that I'm now feeling conflicted between this and Antony with an orchestra at Lincoln Center happening the same night.

The real Slash, who is back on the market, will take the NYC stage in less than a week. Tickets are still on sale (Joe Perry's kids' band 'TAB the Band' and Taddy Porter open the not-too-exciting show)

Duff McKagan meanwhile joined and un-joined Jane's Addiction.

Steven Adler wrote a book.

And Axl Rose refuses to give refunds to those that got the short show in Dublin.

Guns n Roses-less stage in Dublin - 9/1/2010 (mlennox)

"The crowd are not amused as the band do not appear on stage until approx 10:25pm. No interaction or apology by Axl to the crowd who are booing etc.. Bottles are thrown on stage during the start of Welcome To The Jungle. Axl tells the crowd to stop throwing bottles at him or they'll leave. The show goes on for another couple of songs before more bottles are thrown at Axl & he just up's & leaves. The Promoters / Venue staff make announecements to the crowd about trying to fix technical difficulties at first (yeah right!) & then tell people they're working to get the band back & ask the crowd to stop throwing things at Axl. The crowd were told another annoucment would be forthcoming but after 10-15 mins, the house lights just came on & crowds started to leave after O2 staff were telling the crowd it was over & to contact MCD for a refund... I was one fo the crowd who had waited for ages & after been told it was over & the band were not coming back on & to seek my refund from MCD, I heard the band came back on at approx 11:30pm but we weren't allowed back into the venue." [bonoman66]

Continue reading "Axl Rose starts show late, ends early in Dublin (video) "

Slash released a special-guest-filled album solo called called "Slash" in March. Four of the five members of the Appetite for Destruction era Guns N' Roses lineup appear on the album: Slash, Izzy Stradlin, Duff McKagan and Steven Adler. You can figure out who's missing. Iggy Pop, Ozzy, Lemmy, Dave Grohl, Chris Cornell, and others (even Fergie?) (but not Jack White) appear as guests on the album too. You can stream it, and download a track, below.

Slash is currently on tour in Europe. In fact, you may have heard about how he was "attacked" by a fan on stage at a recent show. That viral video is below.

Slash starts playing North American shows in September. That now includes a September 14th show at Terminal 5 in NYC. $32.50 tickets go on sale Friday at noon. All currently announced dates, the attack video, album stream/download widgets and the full "Slash" album tracklist (with guests), below...

Continue reading "Slash, recently "attacked" on stage, released a guest-filled album, touring, playing Terminal 5"

...because the internet was made so we can look at videos of people falling (below with full March 30th Gun n Roses setlist)...

Continue reading "video of Axl Rose falling (and recent Colombia show setlist)..."

"Been waiting outside the Varvatos Bowery store for six hours now. This party better be fun :(" - Nat Thomson

photos by Nate "Igor" Smith

Alberta Cross did in fact play the fashion week party at the Varvatos Store on Thursday night, but it ended up that they were only the opener for a much larger band. That band was Axl Rose and friends aka "Guns n Roses". Packed when it started, people waited for hours for the headliner to appear in the store that used to be CBGB. Over 90 minutes later, after Axl and band had finished a set of seventeen songs to the lucky (and fashionable) people in attendance (like Sebastian Bach and Kevin Bacon), the room was less than half full. People apparently couldn't stay awake - not because of the performance, but because of the (type of crowd it was and the) long wait time followed by the late ending. The show ended around 2:45am.

More pictures, a video and the full setlist below....

Continue reading "Guns n Roses played the Varvatos store (pics, video, setlist)"

photos by Chris La Putt

Jesse "the Devil" Hughes On Axl Rose: "Like any other Guns N' Roses fan, I find Axl to be really insulting. He cost a lot of people their jobs, a lot of heartache and probably some mental breakdowns while he fucked around on a record [Chinese Democracy] for 16 fucking years--just because he wanted to be a dick. I firmly believe that the gods of rock 'n' roll just chose me to kick him out of the gang for gross misuse of power. Axl still has the opportunity to do something that no one expects him to do, which is something cool. I honestly think he can do it, but first, he really needs to control himself a bit, and most importantly, get a real friend."

Rival Schools were the opener, and it wasn't the first time Walter Schreifels shared a NYC bill with the sort-of-QOTSA off-shoot. More pictures and setlists below...

Continue reading "Eagles of Death Metal & Rival Schools played Webster Hall in NYC - pics & setlists"

"A federal judge has sentenced a man who pleaded guilty to leaking part of the Guns N' Roses album Chinese Democracy to a year's probation. Blogger Kevin Cogill will also serve two months of home confinement, subject his computers to government scrutiny, and record a public service announcement for the Industry Association of America." [LiveNews]

Guns N' Roses' and Axl Rose's lawyer has castigated Dr Pepper, accusing the soda maker of failing to deliver on its "Chinese Democracy" (Black Frog/Geffen) free soda promotion, which the band was never involved in.

Beverly Hills-based Alan Gutman has written to Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. president and CEO Larry Young, accusing the company of operating an online redemption scheme that was an "unmitigated disaster which defrauded customers." Gutman is demanding that Dr Pepper makes good on its offer by extending the period for the offer; he also wants full-page apologies in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal.

Gutman's letter makes clear his view that the original campaign was an "exploitation of my clients' legendary reputation and their eagerly awaited album" and "brazenly violated our clients' rights." He is also seeking an "appropriate payment... for the unauthorized use and abuse of their publicity and intellectual property rights," with the threat of further action if an acceptable offer is not made.

"Now is the time to clean up the mess," says Gutman. [Billboard]

A video someone made while camping out at Best Buy on Chinese Democracy's release day, below...

Continue reading "Guns N' Roses vs. Dr Pepper"

KTXT (88.1 FM) out of Texas posted their list of the 10 most disappointing albums of 2008 on their blog The Couch. This is what they came up with...

10. Weezer - The Red Album
9. The Raveonettes - Lust Lust Lust
8. Mars Volta - The Bedlam In Goliath
7. Black Kids - Partie Traumatic
6. CSS - Donkey
5. Ghostland Observatory - Robotique Majestique
4. Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer
3. Beck - Modern Guilt
2. Cold War Kids - Loyalty to Loyalty
1. Ryan Adams and the Cardinals - Cardinology

What are your favorites?

CSS play Webster Hall on December 17th & 18th. Tickets are still on sale. Ghostland Obersvatory are playing Terminal 5 in NYC on December 12th. Tickets are still on sale. Black Kids are playing a private party at Bowery Ballroom on December 9th (no tickets). If you weren't too disappointed, the rest of the BK & GO tour dates below...

Continue reading "What were the most disappointing albums of 2008?"

Kanye West's new album 808s & HEARTBREAK is out in stores on Monday 11/24, but will be streaming at MySpace in its entirety as of midnight (pacific time) Friday night/Saturday morning. Monday is a weird release day.

In a move no doubt designed to get a jump on holiday sales (and facilitate maximum one-stop shopping), Island Def Jam announced that it has moved the release date for three of the label's biggest albums -- West's 808s & Heartbreak, Luda's Theater of the Mind and the Killers' Day & Age -- from a traditional Tuesday launch up to Monday, November 24. All three albums will be available both digitally and physically on that date.

According to a spokesperson for the label, it's a "one time only" strategy, which will jump the industry-wide release schedule "in anticipation of big Thanksgiving-weekend holiday gift shopping."

It bears mentioning that Tuesday release dates have become more and more arbitrary in recent months: Metallica's Death Magnetic was released on Friday, September 12, AC/DC's Black Ice hit Wal-Mart shelves on Sunday, October 20, and Guns N' Roses' much-anticipated Chinese Democracy is slated for a Sunday, November 23, release at Best Buy. [MTV]

Meanwhile, people are already making end of year 'Best Of' lists.