Happy Birthday Freddie!!!

Legenday rockstar and Queen frontman Freddie Mercury was born 69 years ago (5th of September 1946). Happy Birthday Freddie!!!

Did you know?:

-He was a Parsi born in Zanzibar, an island near India.

-His real name was Farrokh Bulsara.

-He died of bronchopneumonia caused by AIDS on 24 November 1991.

Montreux Party!

"Where's the party?!"

Today in Montreux - Happy Birthday Freddie!

If you fancy buying Freddie a pressie why not donate to the Mercury Phoenix Trust @ www.mercuryphoenixtrust.com/donate

Follow all today's action in Montreux at The Official Freddie Mercury Birthday on twitter, facebook and Queen's instagram @officialqueenmusic.

http://www.mercuryphoenixtrust.com/site/post_Happy%20Birthday%20Freddie!%20Montreux%20Party!_11235

Black Sabbath Announce Final Tour

A few months ago, Black Sabbath teased something that was referred to as their “final show.” That concert, originally scheduled for Nov. 21-22 at Makuhari Messe near Tokyo was eventually canceled. But now it looks like they’re ready to go out on the road for one last tour.

The band just released a 75-second video that announces their final road trip. In the clip, which you can watch above, a doomsday voice intones, “It’s the beginning of the end. It started nearly five decades ago with a crack of thunder, a distant bell ringing and monstrous riff that shook the earth.”

The video loads up on the band’s achievements, running through proclamations like “In that moment, heavy metal was born” (possibly), “Now it ends, the final tour by the greatest metal band of all time” (probably) and “[They're] closing the final chapter in the final volume” (we’ll see).

Not so surprisingly, the band’s original drummer, Bill Ward, isn’t listed in the roll call of tour participants, which includes the other three members: Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler. Ward has been sparring with his bandmates, particularly Osbourne, since the group recorded and released its reunion album, 13, without him a couple years ago. Still, no drummer was part of the doomsday voice’s lineup, so maybe there’s hope yet.

The tour — which starts on Jan. 20 in Omaha — will cover North America and Australia and New Zealand. You can see the entire list of dates below.

Black Sabbath 2016 Tour Dates

1/20 Omaha, NE Century Link Center
1/22 Chicago, IL United Center
1/25 Minneapolis, MN Target Center
1/28 Saskatoon, SK Sasktel Centre
1/30 Edmonton, AB Rexall Centre
2/1 Calgary, AB Scotiabank Saddledome
2/3 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena
2/6 Tacoma, WA Tacoma Dome
2/9 San Jose, CA SAP Center
2/11 Los Angeles, CA The Forum
2/13 Las Vegas, NV Mandalay Bay Events Center
2/15 Denver, CO Pepsi Center
2/17 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
2/19 Detroit, MI The Palace of Auburn Hills
2/21 Hamilton, ON FirstOntario Centre
2/23 Montreal, QB Bell Centre
2/25 New York City, NY Madison Square Garden

Australia/New Zealand Tour Dates
4/15 Perth Perth Arena
4/17 Adelaide Entertainment Centre
4/19 Melbourne Rod Laver Arena
4/23 Sydney Allphones Arena
4/25 Brisbane Entertainment Centre
4/28 Auckland Vector Arena
4/30 Dunedin Forsyth Barr Stadium

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/black-sabbath-final-tour

PINK FLOYD IN THE FLESH

Rare Floyd photos from the Jill Furmanovsky archive

Celebrated photographer Jill Furmanovsky digs into her archive to find some rare and previously unseen Floyd photos from her many years of shooting the band.

Pink Floyd with Storm Thorgerson having dinner | © Jill Furmanovsky / rockarchive.com

Roger Waters, Roy Harper and Roy's son listen to a playback at Abbey Road in 1975. Roy was guest vocalist on Have a Cigar. A friend of Gilmour, he was recording his own album in Abbey Road and popped in to say hello. | © Jill Furmanovsky / rockarchive.com

David Gilmour backstage during the Dark Side Of The Moon tour in 1974. I think this was taken in the Usher Hall Edinburgh in Nov 1974. I love the faded grandeur of the flocked wall paper and velvet furniture | © Jill Furmanovsky / rockarchive.com

David Gilmour in 1972 | © Jill Furmanovsky / rockarchive.com

Pink Floyd at The Roundhouse, Camden. 9th July 1967 | © Colin N Purvor / rockarchive.com

For their first photo shoot, Colin Prime took the band down to Ruskin park. All the guys were in high spirits at the time (Syd was performing cartwheels) but quite laid back | © Colin Prime / rockarchive.com

This was Pink Floyd’s first official photo shoot, in Ruskin Park. Although a photographer by trade, Colin Prime’s other love was music, and he worked part time as a disc jockey in the evenings. | © Colin Prime / rockarchive.com

It was while Colin Prime was hanging around the clubs he came across a group just starting out called Pink Floyd (Nick Mason, Syd Barrett, Roger Waters and Richard Wright). This led to the band’s first photo shoot (above), and Syd Barrett used one of his photos as the design for the back cover of the band’s debut album, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn.

Pink Floyd in Hyde Park, London, 18th July 1970 | © Tony Collins / rockarchive.com

Tony Collins: "This was the first time I'd ever seen Pink Floyd live (above). They played numbers from their new album Atom Heart Mother. For the first couple of numbers I stood watching and listening-then to my dismay stewards started clearing photographers from the front of the stage, and at that point I hadn't taken a single picture! However, to my complete surprise, a steward took my arm and guided me up the steps at the side of the stage. Suddenly, there I was, standing practically in amongst the band-and I wasn't about to waste the opportunity, I still don't know who they thought I was!"

Dark Side of the Moon Tour 1974: Nick Mason, David Gilmour & Roger Waters during a sound-check | © Jill Furmanovsky / rockarchive.com

After the Dark Side Of The Moon tour the band went into Abbey Road to make the album that became 'Wish You Were Here'. They must have been recording 'Welcome to the Machine' because Roy Harper is in some of the pictures | © Jill Furmanovsky / rockarchive.com

Storm encouraged me to try unusual things, like placing the camera on a tripod and moving it as I took the photo. The idea was to be experimental; to convey the feeling of music through the lens. This a rare colour shot from that era | © Jill Furmanovsky / rockarchive.com

Pink Floyd line up for Live8 | © Jill Furmanovsky / rockarchive.com

Roger and Nick on a train to Edinburgh, DSOTM tour 1974. On the journey back to London Pink Floyd and crew took over a whole sleeper train, which saved on hotels and was tremendous fun in an Enid Blyton sort of way! | © Jill Furmanovsky / rockarchive.com

https://classicrock.teamrock.com/features/2015-09-03/pink-floyd-in-the-flesh

IF YOU BUY ONE ALBUM OUT THIS WEEK, MAKE IT...

Iron Maiden - The Book Of Souls

It’s here. Like the longed-for, hairy Father Christmas of heavy metal, the Maiden ship hath arriveth.

The bottom line: The Book Of Souls is Iron Maiden as you know them, but rejuvenated by the riffy weight that spawned some of their prime early 80s material. Hearty, rabble-rousing yarns of yore, chords like still-twitching steaks, thick BBQ sauce layers of guitars, Bruce Dickinson’s lungs of operatic steel… they're back with colossal intent.

The level of security, the iron tower of bureaucracy that’s gone into policing this release, has been immense. Even now I’m almost afraid to write about it, in case of inadvertently infringing some measure. Distribution of review copies has been strictly vetted. Accidentally leaked slithers of information, confusion over release dates etc were met with aghast panic… Christ, the White House isn’t this well guarded. Such is the reverence commanded by the Maiden camp circa 2015.

And actually, that’s kind of brilliant. For a band so gleefully hooked in a world unshaken since the 80s – visually built around Eddie the Head, for godssake – to generate this much anticipation in the iPad age, is a lovely thing. You could argue it’s just plain daft (“I stopped liking them when I grew up” one friend told me) but their enduring legacy is pretty remarkable. A triumph of pomp and far-fetched protein over ‘cool’ subtlety.

In many ways, however, it’s a more thoughtful Maiden on show here, with solemn layers flourishing in the multi-tonal likes of The Great Unknown. Eastern, Kashmir-esque edges pepper the title track, while The Red And The Black is a classic, mad pirate-wailing piece of Harris-penned oomph – which, like many tracks here, grows into a bigger, more varied monster than you expect.

If you don’t already like Iron Maiden, chances are you won’t now. Saying this, Speed Of Light probably has the best shot at converting non-fans. It’s lip-smackingly tasty, there’s a sparky, almost celtic momentum as the verses climax, and that chorus… it's bloody marvellous, and a snappy counterpart to Bruce’s epic, proggy 18-minuterEmpire Of The Clouds (don't fear the length though; it's an accomplished album highlight).

Maiden fans, rejoice and strap in – you’re in for a great ride, with just about everything you wanted. 

https://classicrock.teamrock.com/features/2015-09-04/if-you-buy-one-album-out-this-week-make-it-23

ARAYA HAILS ANTHRAX FOR 'NEVER CHANGING'

Slayer mainman can't wait to hit the road with Scott Ian – and backs Kerry King over Mayhem boss spat

Slayer's Tom Araya says he can't wait to hit the road with Anthrax and that he admires Scott Ian and co for never changing who they are.

The singer and bass player recalls meeting Anthrax for the first time on the 1990/1991 Clash Of The Titans tour. The two bands will tour together again later this year.

Araya tells the Metal Hammer Magazine show on TeamRock Radio: "They've never changed, they've always been the same guys. Which is a rarity because a lot of people change. It will be great to see them and do another tour with them. They have good humour, it'll be fun."

Amaya adds that he has also stayed pretty much the same, other than that he tends to avoid the spotlight when he's not on stage.

He adds: "One thing that has changed is that I shy away from publicity. I don't make appearances. I won't go to a club, I feel uncomfortable. I'm a bass player and I play in this band called Slayer. And that's the extent of how I feel about what I do.

"I'll buy tickets to a show, but I'll see if there's a way that I can avoid the public and just hang out, watch it and then leave immediately. I don't even hang out at our shows."

And the frontman also backed his bandmate Kerry King over his public spat with Mayhem festival organiser Kevin Lyman, who said fat, old, bald metal bands were to blame for the event's decline.

Araya says: "My take on that was that's Kerry speaking his mind, and I was a little taken aback by what Kevin had to say. It was half truths that he spoke. My hat's off to Kerry, because he has a tendency to speak his mind. I was feeling the same thing Kerry was when I read that. I was thinking, 'You're an ass.' In my opinion, metal's not dead."

Slayer release 11th album Repentless on September 11. Hear the full interview on the Metal Hammer Magazine show on TeamRock Radio from 9pm on Friday.

http://classicrock.teamrock.com/news/2015-09-03/araya-hails-anthrax-for-never-changing

LEMMY SAYS ‘I CAN’T DO IT’ AND WALKS OFF STAGE

Motorhead icon stops Texas show after 3 songs

Motorhead icon Lemmy Kilmister stopped the band’s show in Texas last night and admitted: “I can’t do it.”

They managed to deliver three tracks before the 69-year-old introduced their track Metropolis, but then told the crowd he couldn’t continue, and led his bandmates off stage at Emo’s in Austin.

It follows his walk-off last week in Salt Lake City, where the band cited the high altitude as the reason behind Lemmy’s inability to breathe. They cancelled the following night’s show in Denver, at an even higher altitude.

Glide reports that the venue house lights went up after the “fatigued and winded” frontman returned to apologise to a generally supportive crowd, who then left in a mood of concern and mild annoyance.

Lemmy has suffered a series of health setbacks in recent years, after having a heart bypass and suffering a haematoma in 2013.

Motorhead released 22nd album Bad Magic this week. They’re scheduled to continue their US tour tonight (September 2) in Texas. The run is set to be followed by dates in Europe and the UK, with a 40th anniversary show at London’s Eventim Apollo on January 29.

http://classicrock.teamrock.com/news/2015-09-02/motorhead-lemmy-stop-show-texas-cant-do-it