We Will Rock You

FROM WWW.MELODICROCK.COM:

For the first time since the debut album, ASIA worked with an outside producer, Mike Paxman (Uriah Heep, Status Quo) who managed to create a truly special sounding album with the highs, lows and lots of dynamics. He helped the band to put together a tapestry of sound, which demonstrates the rich strata of Asia’s music. Paxman was able to achieve this through the songs which spun real stories of actual events and experiences in locations around the globe. “The songs always have a message, hopefully positive,” says Wetton. “My songs are almost always autobiographical, so there is hope and experience in there, too. The lyric will never leave you on a negative thought. “
As with the most popular of ASIA releases, the cover art specifically designed for the project by acclaimed artist Roger Dean. The concept of the title (Omega), and the ‘Year of the Tiger’ referencing of the cover art underline the fact that this is real Asia. John Wetton explains: “The title ‘Omega’, as any fan of the band will tell you, is ‘very Asia’ (as is the album, by the way). It no more means ‘final’ than ‘Alpha’ means ‘the first’ (which it wasn’t). It’s a great sounding/looking word, and a bookend to ‘Alpha’. In many ways, musically and conceptually, the two albums share commonality.”
“We are embarking on our European tour around the middle of April, then straight in to Japan for the middle of May” says Downes. “It’s going to be fun working out the new setlist because obviously we have another album under our belt now with Omega.”
After touring Europe and Japan, ASIA will embark on a US tour late in the summer of 2010.
Omega will be released in the first pressing in digipak with one exclusive bonus track: Finger on the Trigger; Through My Veins; Holy War; Ever Yours: Listen Children; End of the World; Light The Way; Emily (*); Still The Same; There Was a Time; I Believe; Don’t Wanna Lose You Now. (*) Bonus track first pressing in digipak.

Asia European Tour Dates:
Apr. 21 - Helsinki, Finland - House of Culture
Apr. 22 - Moscow, Russia - B1 Club
Apr. 24 - Rome, Italy - Auditorium
Apr. 26 - Prague, Czech Republic - Lidovy dum Kbely
Apr. 27 - Winterthur, Switzerland - Salzhaus
Apr. 28 - Graz, Austria - Orpheum
Apr. 30 - Paris, France - Casino De Paris
May 1 - Uden, Netherlands - de Pul
May 2 - Asschaffenburg, Germany
May 3 - Nuremburg, Germany - Hirsch
May 4 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
May 6 - Reichenbach, Germany - Die Halle
May 7 - Bochum, Germany - Zeche Prinz-Regent-Strasse 50-60
May 8 - Osnabruck, Germany - Rosenhof Rosenplatz 23
May 9 - Bonn, Germany - Bruckenforum
For All Things ASIA, please visit: www.originalasia.com. For additional information please visit: www.myspace.com/originalasia, www.frontiers.it or www.myspace.com/frontiersrecords

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FROM WWW.MELODICROCK.COM:

Andrew McNeice of Melodic Rock is reporting that Toto  will be e-forming for some European live dates this year.

“Yes, there is talk of some Toto live dates in Europe mid-year, but the full details have not yet been disclosed,” McNeice wrote Friday. ”The line-up and reason for these live dates will be announced any day now. It is not expected there will be any recording or studio work planned following these dates.”

More to come soon!

FROM WWW.SPINNER.COM:

As we all know, Bon Jovi have been a worldwide arena and stadium act for nearly 25 years. And despite a few dips here and there, they’re going as strong as ever. The band has had a distinct Nashville influence in the past few years and, indeed, has made the rare crossover from metal to country and back again. In the end, it’s all arena rock anyway.

But what you don’t know about their current tour, behind their newest release, ‘The Circle,’ is that lead singer Jon Bon Jovi is taking advantage of the routing to do some recon work. The one-time lion-maned teen idol has worked for six years with his charitable organization, the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, to build affordable housing for those in need and to combat homelessness and hunger.

The singer spent previous Bon Jovi tours going from the venue to the hotel to the next city, day in and day out. This time around, he plans to spend some of his downtime actually visiting homeless shelters, learning about various connected issues and seeing what works.

While the band still plays their arsenal of feel-good anthems like ‘Bad Medicine,’ Bon Jovi tells the Associated Press that he’s finally ready for the other side of being a rock star. “When you’re a boy in a rock band, you want to go out and see the world and do all the great things you’re supposed to do when you join a rock band,” he says. But, at 47-years-old… it looks like he’s feeling the Bono within. More power to him

FROM WWW.CLASSICROCKMAGAZINE.COM:

Meat Loaf has tapped an array of special guests for his new album, Hang Cool Teddy Bear – and Classic Rock has heard it.

Brian May, Steve Vai, Justin Hawkins and Jack Black are among those set to appear on the unusually titled disc, based on a short story of the same name by Killian Kerwin, a long-time friend of the singer.

Meat held a listening party in London yesterday (February 26), at which he spilled the beans on the album, which is due to be released in April through Mercury Records.

“I found the title in a Russ Meyer movie called Beyond The Valley Of The Dolls,” he explained. “It’s something you’ll love or hate but you walk past a poster saying Hang Cool Teddy Bear and I can guarantee you’ll stop for three or four seconds. I have your attention.”

Though retaining all of Meat Loaf’s traditional excesses, the album adds a modern-sounding twist. Overall, it’s a really strong rock record with lots of hummable hooks, though quality-wise it’s guilty of tailing off a little towards the end. Meat believes that working with Green Day/Goo Goo Dolls/Fleetwood Mac/Paramore producer Rob Cavallo was pivotal to its quality.

“I’ve been doing this for 43 years, and Rob Cavallo is the best producer in the world,” states Meat. “If you disagree, I’ll take you outside. I knew I was making the most important record of my life and Rob gave me my voice. It’s a Meat Loaf record, but it sounds different and new. It’s fresh.”

Despite the above statement, Hang Cool Teddy Bear was not created easily. “Rob told me: ‘You’ve got 23 songs – three are great, the rest of them suck’. I had a panic attack.”

The album’s opening track, Peace On Earth, sets up its central theme. “It’s the story of a soldier. He’s been in an unspecified battle, and he’s lying face down on the ground,” reveals Meat. “They talk of seeing your life flash backwards when you’re about to die, but this guy’s life flashes forwards instead. He can’t get up. He tries to crawl and he’s unable to do that, too. The songs are about the different scenarios he finds himself in as his life goes by. At the conclusion… well, let’s just say it’s not a Hollywood ending.”

Brian May and Steve Vai can be heard on Love Is Not Real and Song Of Madness, while Jack Black duets with Meat Loaf on Like A Rose. Justin Hawkins wrote two of the album’s songs, the aforementioned Love Is Not Real, plus California Isn’t Big Enough, also adding background vocals and guitar to former. But the most unusual cameo is from former Blackadder/Jeeves And Wooster comedian Hugh Laurie, now a star of the US TV series House, who contributes a piano solo to the song ‘f I Can’t Have You. Meat encountered Laurie, a classically trained musician, whilst making an appearance in House.

“He was really nervous at first,” says the singer. “It was strange seeing someone so confident on TV walk into the studio like he’s a quivering mess. But he nailed it.”

The album’s final song, Elvis In Vegas was written by Jon Bon Jovi, Desmond Child and Billy Falcon. “Jon doesn’t know this yet, but I changed his lyrics to make them fit the concept,” Loaf told the gathering. “I don’t know what Jon’ll say about that but I’ve known him since 1980, so he’ll probably be okay with it.”

The album’s full listing is as follows:

Peace On Earth (with strings arranged and conducted by Dave Campbell)

Living On The Outside

Los Angeloser

If I Can’t Have You (duet with American Idol presenter Kara Dioguardi, Hugh Laurie on piano)

Love Is Not Real (featuring Brian May and Steve Vai, Justin Hawkins on backing vocals and guitar)

Like A Rose’(duet with Jack Black)

Song Of Madness (featuring Brian May and Steve Vai)

Did You Ever Love Somebody

California Isn’t Big Enough

Running Away From Me

Let’s Be In Love (duet with Patti Russo)

If It Rains

Elvis In Vegas

FROM WWW.CLASSICROCKMAGAZINE.COM:

Genesis are not taking Peter Gabriel’s absence from the band’s induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as a snub.Keyboard player Tony Banks told Billboard: “(Gabriel) rang up and said, ‘Look, everyone’s going to say I’m trying to snub you and all the rest of it’. I said, ‘Well, just tell them we didn’t want you to come, so we’re snubbing you!’.

“No…I mean, it’s a fair enough thing. It would’ve been lovely if he could’ve come, but I understand his problem.”

Gabriel will miss the ceremony in New York on March 15, because he’s currently in rehearsals for his upcoming solo tour.

FROM WWW.CLASSICROCKMAGAZINE.COM:

Ozzy Osbourne’s lawsuit against Tony Iommi over the use of the Black Sabbath name is to carry on.

Ozzy is suing Iommi for a 50 percent share in the name, after the guitarist is alleged to have tried to take sole ownership by filing it with the US Patent And Trademark Office last year.

The New York Post reports that Iommi’s lawyer, Andrew DeVore, argued that Osbourne signed away all his rights to the Black Sabbath trademark after he quit the band in 1979.

However, Osbourne’s lawyer, Howard Shire, called that agreement a “red herring” that was “repudiated” when the singer rejoined in 1997 and took over “quality control” of the band’s merchandise, tours and recordings.

Now a federal judge in New York has ruled that the lawsuit is indeed valid and can proceed.

Watch this space, as they say…

FROM WWW.CLASSICROCKREVISITED.COM:

This news is brought to you by VH1 Radio’s Dave Basner

On March 25th, Guns N’ Roses will perform in Lima, Peru and according to Andina.com.pe, the show will be accompanied by the “largest technical staff ever” to handle the massive amounts of sound, light, video and fireworks that will be part of the concert.  The band also requested a “large number of officers” to provide security for the group while they’re in town.  As for singer Axl Rose, in his rider, he reportedly requested, “wines, beers, vodka, red and white roses and a square melon.” 

FROM WWW.CLASSICROCKREVISITED.COM:

This news is brought to you by VH1 Radio’s Dave Basner

Right now, you can grab a free song and video courtesy of Vince Neil.  The Motley Crue singer is giving away the track “Tattoos and Tequila” and it’s accompanying video at VinceNeil.net.  The song is the title track off Vince’s upcoming solo album, which is due out in early May.   

FROM WWW.CLASSICROCKREVISITED.COM:

This news is brought to you by VH1 Radio’s Dave Basner

For the past two years, the directors of Iron Maiden: Flight 666 and Metal: A Headbanger’s Journey have been working on a documentary about Rush.  Now, according to fan site Power Windows, the flick is expected to be out on DVD on May 18th.  The movie, aptly titled Rush: The Documentary, boasts contributions from Metallica, Foo Fighters, Kiss, Billy Corgan and many others.  Learn more at 2112.net/PowerWindows. 

FROM WWW.CLASSICROCKREVISITED.COM:

This news is brought to you by VH1 Radio’s Dave Basner

Chickenfoot will release a live DVD this spring.  The disc, called Chickenfoot Live: Get Your Buzz On, will likely feature footage from the group’s September show in Phoenix and their August gig in Atlanta, both of which were filmed.  Fans will be able to catch sneak previews of the DVD thanks to VirtualVenuesNetwork.com, which will bring clips to big screens at local clubs in select cities.  Learn more at Chickenfoot.com.