Last night, Rush were among the inductees at the occasionally unruly 28th Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony at Los Angeles’ Nokia Theatre.
“Rock and roll has forever been ensconced in mystery,” said Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl during his induction speech for Rush. “But there’s one mystery that surely eclipses them all: When the fuck did Rush become cool? … Their legacy is that of a band that stayed true to themselves no matter how uncool they seemed to anyone. Rush have always been cool! Consider this mystery solved and it’s our honor to finally induct Rush into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.”
Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins and Grohl then appeared on a darkened stage dressed in vintage ’70s-era Rush kimonos and performed the “Overture” from Rush’s classic 2112 album. They were then joined on stage by the real Rush — Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart — who played spirited versions of “Tom Sawyer” and “The Spirit of Radio.”
You can check out some fan-filmed footage of Foo Fighters covering Rush below. Stay tuned for more videos from the event!
Other inductees included Heart, Lou Adler, Donna Summer, Quincy Jones, Randy Newman and the late blues legend Albert King, who was honored by Gary Clark Jr. and John Mayer.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony will air May 18 on HBO.
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When Rush are finally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame next month, Foo Fighters will be doing the inducting.
Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl — who seems to be everywhere these days — and Taylor Hawkins will honor Rush’s Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart at the ceremony, which will take place at the Nokia Theatre in LA on April 18. Event organizer Joel Peresman also said Grohl and Hawkins might also perform with Rush.
“Dave and Taylor were one of the first people we thought about to induct Rush,” Peresman told Rolling Stone. “They said ‘yes’ in about two seconds. I’m hopeful [futureusgallerythey will perform]. More than a few times in the past, people have got caught in the moment and decide to perform. That’s what happened last year with Green Day — they were just there to present an award to Guns N’ Roses, and after hanging around rehearsals, they decided to play. You have Dave around, Don Henley there — who knows what will happen? We have some very interesting people.”
Other confirmed “inductors” include Don Henley of the Eagles, who will induct Randy Newman. Pearl Jam’s Mike McCready and Alice In Chains’ Jerry Cantrell will appear with Heart, who will be inducted by Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell.
Here’s the full list of this year’s inductees:
• Rush
• Public Enemy
• Heart
• Randy Newman
• Donna Summer
• Albert King (Hear the newly remastered ‘Born Under a Bad Sign’ album HERE)
• Lou Adler
• Quincy Jones
For more about Albert King, check out the new issue of Guitar Aficionado magazine, which celebrates the blues master’s overdue induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with a look at his life and legacy. It’s available at the Guitar World Online Store!
]]>QOTSA frontman Josh Homme announced the departure of drummer Joey Castillo earlier today to Radio 1′s Zane Lowe, which coincided with the band posting the below picture to Facebook indicating someone named Dave tracking drums on the new album. Considering Grohl previously played on the band’s 2002 album, Songs for the Deaf — not to mention the fact that Grohl and Homme are bandmates in Them Crooked Vultures — all signs seem to point to the head Foo laying down tracks for the new Queens of the Stone Age record.
While there is no timetable for the release of the follow-up to 2007′s Era Vulgaris, a Tweet from the band suggests the album will be out ahead of the band’s mid-June appearance at the U.K.’s Download festival. A fan asked if there would be a new album out in time for the festival, with the band responding, “Fuck yes there will be.”
After the Internet was all abuzz following Dave Grohl’s comments during this past weekend’s Global Citizen Festival in New York’s Central Park that hinted a Foo Fighters hiatus, the head Foo himself has issued an open letter to fans clarifying matters.
The full letter reads:
“Hey everyone…
“Dave here. Just wanted to write and thank you all again from the bottom of my heart for another incredible year. (Our 18th, to be exact!) We truly never could have done any of this without you…
“Never in my wildest dreams did I think Foo Fighters would make it this far. I never thought we COULD make it this far, to be honest. There were times when I didn’t think the band would survive. There were times when I wanted to give up. But… I can’t give up this band. And I never will. Because it’s not just a band to me. It’s my life. It’s my family. It’s my world.
“Yes… I was serious. I’m not sure when the Foo Fighters are going to play again. It feels strange to say that, but it’s a good thing for all of us to go away for a while. It’s one of the reasons we’re still here. Make sense? I never want to NOT be in this band. So, sometimes it’s good to just… put it back in the garage for a while…
“But, no gold watches or vacations just yet… I’ll be focusing all of my energy on finishing up my Sound City documentary film and album for worldwide release in the very near future. A year in the making, it could be the biggest, most important project I’ve ever worked on. Get ready… it’s coming.
“Me, Taylor, Nate, Pat, Chris, and Rami… I’m sure we’ll all see you out there… somewhere…
“Thank you, thank you, thank you…
“Dave”
Foo Fighters released their latest album, Wasting Light, last Spring.
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Projected–the supergroup featuring members of Sevendust, Alter Bridge, and Creed–recently released their debut album, Human, which won Revolver‘s Album of the Week poll last week. Now main man John Connelly, also of Sevendust, selects his personal favorite supergroups.
1. Bad Company “Great songwriting with Paul Rogers voice makes for an awesome combination. Still to this day, Rodgers has one of the best voices in rock. Timeless music.”
2. Temple of the Dog “A great one off from a few of the pioneers of the Seattle scene. Great compilation of music written as a tribute to Andrew Wood.”
3. Foo Fighters “Come on! Anything Dave Grohl touches turns to gold. One of the best songwriters in music today hands down. Always keeping it real. The modern-day Tom Petty really.”
4. A Perfect Circle “In some ways, this band is what I wished Tool might have morphed into. More simple arrangements and simpler songwriting than Tool, which is ironically what put Tool on the map with “Sober.” Awesome songwriting and hooks.”
5. Black Country Communion “Time to go to school! Joe Bonamassa is one of the best guitar players in the game and his side band ain’t too shabby either. Glenn Hughes voice on top of it all makes for some of the coolest music most folks don’t know about.”
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At the GRAMMY Awards on Sunday, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl made some statements (reprinted below) that appeared to be about him hating electronic music when he accepted the Best Rock Performance trophy for his band (which is up for several Revolver Golden Gods Awards). Now he’s issued the statement below clarifying his remarks. Let us know what you think of what he says in the comments.
“Oh, what a night we had last Sunday at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards. The glitz! The Glamour! SEACREST! Where do I begin?? Chillin’ with Lil’ Wayne…meeting Cyndi Lauper’s adorable mother…the complimentary blinking Coldplay bracelet…..much too much to recap. It’s really is still a bit of a blur. But, if there’s one thing that I remember VERY clearly, it was accepting the Grammy for Best Rock Performance…and then saying this:
“‘To me this award means a lot because it shows that the human element of music is what’s important. Singing into a microphone and learning to play an instrument and learning to do your craft, that’s the most important thing for people to do… It’s not about being perfect, it’s not about sounding absolutely correct, it’s not about what goes on in a computer. It’s about what goes on in here [futureusgalleryyour heart] and what goes on in here [futureusgalleryyour head].’
“Not the Gettysburg Address, but hey……I’m a drummer, remember?
“Well, me and my big mouth. Never has a 33-second acceptance rant evoked such caps-lock postboard rage as my lil’ ode to analog recording has. OK….maybe Kanye has me on this one, but….Imma let you finish….just wanted to clarify something…
“I love music. I love ALL kinds of music. From Kyuss to Kraftwerk, Pinetop Perkins to Prodigy, Dead Kennedys to Deadmau5…..I love music. Electronic or acoustic, it doesn’t matter to me. The simple act of creating music is a beautiful gift that ALL human beings are blessed with. And the diversity of one musician’s personality to the next is what makes music so exciting and…..human.
“That’s exactly what I was referring to. The “human element”. That thing that happens when a song speeds up slightly, or a vocal goes a little sharp. That thing that makes people sound like PEOPLE. Somewhere along the line those things became “bad” things, and with the great advances in digital recording technology over the years they became easily “fixed”. The end result? I my humble opinion…..a lot of music that sounds perfect, but lacks personality. The one thing that makes music so exciting in the first place.
“And, unfortunately, some of these great advances have taken the focus off of the actual craft of performance. Look, I am not Yngwie Malmsteen. I am not John Bonham. Hell…I’m not even Josh Groban, for that matter. But I try really fucking hard so that I don’t have to rely on anything but my hands and my heart to play a song. I do the best that I possibly can within my limitations, and accept that it sounds like me. Because that’s what I think is most important. It should be real, right? Everybody wants something real.
“I don’t know how to do what Skrillex does (though I fucking love it) but I do know that the reason he is so loved is because he sounds like Skrillex, and that’s badass. We have a different process and a different set of tools, but the “craft” is equally as important, I’m sure. I mean…..if it were that easy, anyone could do it, right? (See what I did there?)
“So, don’t give me two Crown Royals and then ask me to make a speech at your wedding, because I might just bust into the advantages of recording to 2-inch tape.
“Now, I think I have to go scream at some kids to get off my lawn.
“Stay frosty.
“Davemau5”
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Ratt vocalist Stephen Pearcy has revealed that he and bandmate Warren DeMartini have been collaborating with Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl. A series of tweets by Pearcy intimated that he and guitarist DeMartini were contributing a song to an upcoming, as yet unknown, project, by the former Nirvana skinsman.
“We’ll let [futureusgalleryDave] tell you about when he’s ready, kidz,” Pearcy tweeted. “Not for a Ratt record.”
Ratt are currently working on a follow-up to 2010′s Infestation.
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We just posted our list of the Best Music Videos of 2011. Now we’re asking you, what is your favorite among our picks? Vote below, as many times as you want, to tell us.
UPDATE: Find out the winners here.
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Sure, music videos aren’t what they used to be since MTV all but dropped the “M.” But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t still bands who give a serious shit about the clips they produce to accompany their songs. 2011 had its share of badass music videos–here are our picks for the 10 best. And if you don’t like our ranking, tell us which video is your favorite in our poll here.
10. Opeth, “The Devil’s Orchard”
The Swedish prog lords have long been regarded as true artists within their field, and in the gorgeous clip, they have the imagery to match their music.
09. Falling in Reverse, “I’m Not a Vampire”
Frontman Ronnie Radke’s struggles with addiction are well documented; here, he shows a winning willingness to laugh at himself, turning his issues with drugs into a hilarious spoof of Celebrity Rehab.
08. Suicide Silence, “You Only Live Once”
What do you get when your band rocks out right in the “range” part of a shooting range? Bloody awesomeness.
07. Asking Alexandria, “To the Stage”
These Brit metalcore maniacs live up to their party-hard image with this debauched, Trainspotting-esque clip, which ends with a twisted surprise cliff-hanger of a climax that suggests that maybe they understand that following in the footsteps of the Crüe ain’t all fun and games, after all.
06. Foo Fighters, “White Limo”
When your limo driver is motherfucking Lemmy Kilmister, you know you’re in for a bumpy ride–and in the best way possible.
05. Behemoth, “Lucifer”
As if overcoming leukemia weren’t epic enough, Behemoth main man Nergal then led his band to make this irresistibly lurid and disturbing video for the 8-minute closer to 2009 album, Evangelion. Warning: NSFW.
04. Mastodon, “Deathbound”
In this video, for a previously unreleased track from the Crack the Skye sessions, the Atlantan prog-metal mad men spoof Mister Roger’s Neighborhood to horns-throwing results. It doesn’t hurt, too, that the song is one of their heaviest in years.
03. Puscifer, “Man Overboard”
Tool’s music video are legendary, of course, and with this clip from his side band Puscifer, frontman Maynard James Keenan delivered surreal visuals worthy of his main outfit.
02. Rammstein, “Mein Land”
When not setting themselves on fire onstage, Rammstein consistently deliver some of the best music videos around, whether baring their bratwurst or not, and they did not disappoint this year with this brilliantly ridiculous retro surfing clip. Who said Germans don’t have a sense of humor?
01. Skrillex, “First of the Year (Equinox)”
Sure, haters will argue that–new Korn album aside–dubstep ain’t “rock,” but there’s no denying that this song’s glitchy breakdowns are heavy as all hell. Or that this video itself is metal as fuck. No wonder Beavis and Butt Head gave it a view–to add to its 23 million on YouTube. In the words of Beavis, “Whoa, that’s cool.”
Vote for your favorite video on this list in our poll here.
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Revolver, the World’s Loudest Rock Magazine, is celebrating the release of its “Mega 100th Issue” by spotlighting the “100 Greatest Living Rock Stars.” From Ozzy to Axl to Lemmy, the issue features those who have rocked the hardest and lived to tell about it. On newsstands now and available online right here, the issue also features Revolver’s Top 20 albums of 2011, which crowns Korn’s controversial dubstep-infused record, The Path of Totality, with top honors.
The “100 Greatest Living Rock Stars” list takes a no-holds-barred look at the rock arena and highlights those artists who embody rock and roll’s rebel attitude. Whether it’s the well-chronicled debauched exploits of Mötley Crüe or newcomer James Durbin bringing metal to pop’s biggest forum, American Idol, these artists have what it takes to stand out from the pack. Included in the feature are rock star tips and tales from Gene Simmons, Chris Cornell, Bret Michaels and Dave Navarro, among others.
“Some would say the era of the rock star is dead,” says Revolver Editor in Chief Brandon Geist. “And those are probably the same disbelievers who have told us many times that rock is dead, that metal is dead, that print is dead. And yet, here Revolver is at 100 issues—100 real, tangible, bathroom-ready printed issues—celebrating 100 rock stars who are very much alive and kicking ass. Needlessly to say, reports of all these deaths are greatly exaggerated.”
The cover of Revolver’s “Mega 100th Issue” features 22 notable rockers partying hard in celebration of the milestone in a special illustration created by famed horror-artist Jason Edmiston. These rock stars include: Guns N’ Roses’ Axl Rose, Ozzy Osbourne, Metallica’s James Hetfield, Kiss’ Gene Simmons, Korn’s Jonathan Davis, Marilyn Manson, Slash, Mötley Crüe and Sixx:A.M.’s Nikki Sixx, Slipknot and Stone Sour’s Corey Taylor, Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister, Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl, Alice Cooper, Rob Zombie, Slayer’s Kerry King, Black Label Society’s Zakk Wylde, Down and Pantera’s Phil Anselmo, Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe, Avenged Sevenfold’s M. Shadows, Jane’s Addiction’s Dave Navarro, Sebastian Bach, Black Veil Brides’ Andy Biersack, and Falling in Reverse’s Ronnie Radke.
The cover of Revolver was recently named by Billboard to be the #1 place to get maximum exposure as a hard-rock artist; Revolver expands its reign as the leading hard-rock and heavy-metal destination with its 100th issue, which is its first issue ever to be sold at Walmart. Kicking off the relationship, 775 of the retailer’s top locations will feature custom Revolver displays in their music sections to make the issue easily accessible for music fans around the country. The celebratory issue is also the first to feature a redesign to both the up-front and back-of-book sections.
Also included in the “Mega 100th Issue” is Revolver’s highly anticipated list of the Top 20 albums of 2011. Album of the Year honors go to Korn for their album The Path of Totality, which sees the pioneering metal band collaborating with such dubstep producers as Skrillex, Excision, Kill the Noise and Nosia. Other albums making the cut include Machine Head’s Unto the Locust, Megadeth’s TH1RT3EN, the Foo Fighters’ Wasting Light and Evanescence’s self-titled release.
In addition, the issue features a commemorative fold-out poster of late, great Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell; a download code for 15 free songs including tracks by Black Label Society, Hatebreed, High on Fire; articles on Black Sabbath, Shinedown, Gwar, Skeletonwitch, Clutch, and many others; as well as the “Top 10 Presents to Kick 2012 Up to 11,” Revolver’s holiday gift guide with the perfect items for the rockers on your list.
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