The Cardiff Story Museum has teamed up with two of Cardiff’s top music institutions, Clwb Ifor Bach and Spillers Records, to curate The Cardiff Sessions, a night of free live music in the museum’s galleries.

On  May 18 , five Cardiff acts – The Gentle Good (pictured), Spencer McGarry, Evening Chorus, Miss Maud’s Folly and Little Arrow -  all hand picked by The Cardiff Story, Clwb Ifor Bach and Spillers Records, will take the stage for The Cardiff Sessions. Radio Wales DJ Georgia Ruth Williams will MC the night, which will also include a music quiz with prizes provided by Spillers Records.

The event is part of the Museums at Night, an annual after-hours celebration of arts, culture and heritage when hundreds of museums, galleries, libraries, archives and heritage sites open their doors for special evening events. It is coordinated by Culture24, and takes place over the weekend of Friday 18 to Sunday 20 May. The Cardiff Sessions will celebrate some of the best live music Cardiff has to offer, and also give visitors a chance to see the galleries and the city’s history in a new light, completely free of charge.

The Cardiff Story Museum opened its doors for the first time in 2011 to become the only museum dedicated to telling the city’s tale. The Museum focuses on portraying Cardiff’s history through the eyes of those who made it – its people.

The new Museum provides both an introduction to the city for visitors and a community resource for residents. The Museum is open seven days a week and entry is free.

The Museum’s collection is made up of over 3,000 objects, the vast majority of which has been donated by the Cardiff public. Items on display in the museum range from a cutlass used by the Bute Docks police in the late 19th Century to a jukebox from Clwb Ifor Bach Cardiffians danced to 100 years later.  The Cardiff Story also worked in partnership with the National Museum of Wales to allow Cardiffians access to over 8000 Cardiff related objects in their collection. Many of these are on display in the Cardiff in Context gallery.

The new Museum is located on the site of the iconic Victorian Grade II* listed Old Library. The Museum includes a permanent introductory gallery (Cardiff in Context), a fully interactive lifelong learning suite (City Lab), state of the art classrooms, a community showcase gallery and access to the Grade II* Listed historic tiled corridor.

The Museum’s phase 1 development was completed in 2011 with funding from Cardiff Council, Heritage Lottery Fund, the Engelhardt family’s Moondance Foundation, the Welsh Assembly Government via Museums, Libraries and Archives (CyMAL) and the Federation of Museums and Art Galleries Wales with kind contributions from donors to the Big Give public appeal as well as various community groups across the city.

Rachel Carney, Learning Officer at The Cardiff Story said: “We’re really excited about The Cardiff Sessions. It’s not the kind of event you’d usually expect to find in a museum, so it’s a great opportunity to attract new audiences to the galleries. Clwb Ifor Bach and Spillers are the mother ships of the Cardiff music scene – nobody is better placed to curate an evening of some of the best our city has to offer!”

Catrin James, Events Programmer at Clwb Ifor Bach said: “It’s an honour for Clwb Ifor Bach to be part of ‘The Cardiff Sessions’ for Museums at Night 2012. The Cardiff Story is an unique museum that celebrates not only it’s social history but it’s current cultural tapestry of music / theatre & art and beyond. I’m really excited about the night and looking forward to hearing the musicians play in the wonderful surroundings of the museums galleries.”

The Bands

The Gentle Good

The Gentle Good is the stage-name of Cardiff born songwriter Gareth Bonello. Writing in both English and Welsh, The Gentle Good create beautiful modern folk music tinted with psychedelia that has seen the critical press draw comparisons with such luminaries as Nick Drake, Martin Carthy, Bert Jansch, John Renbourn, John Martyn and Donovan. Since Gareth began performing in 2005 his music has become a prominent feature of the Welsh music scene and is regularly broadcast on both Welsh and English language radio and television.

Spencer McGarry Season

A project from Cardiff based composer Spencer McGarry to record 6 albums in 6 different styles, he is currently halfway through having completed a rock, orchestral and electronic pop albums. He will be performing solo, playing songs from forthcoming R’N'B and folk albums.

Evening Chorus

Evening Chorus are currently working on their debut album: a follow up to their self released studio EP, Acorn. Their preference is to small intimate venues delivering handsome, personal acoustic performances. This quaint pretence extends itself to their releases and to their ethos, favouring DIY handmade affairs and a passionate yet flippant attitude towards their career. Evening Chorus offer no pomp nor ceremony but simply pleasant music for those who care to listen.

Miss Maud’s Folly

Miss Maud’s Folly perform a blend of gypsy, jazz and folk tunes, full of beautiful imagery and delightful instrumental arrangements. From raucous, breakneck-paced gypsy tunes to delicate Spanish lullabies; from velvety jazz numbers to lolloping honky-tonk saloon music – the band delights and excites audiences every time they perform.

Little Arrow

Little Arrow are an emerging talent based in Pembrokeshire Wales. The latest musical venture and brainchild of William Hughes, they are an indie-folk outfit combining great songwriting and musicianship with strong textures and driven enthusiasm, which make their live performances a toe tapping moment not easily forgotten.

Over the last 6 months they have established themselves on the Cardiff music scene with numerous gigs, radio plays, great reviews and a growing fan base.Their debut album, Music, Masks and Poems, released last year through Bubblewrap Collective, was well received and their second album is due to be released later this year.

Mascot Label Group have announced the release of the eponymous debut album from Flying Colors – the spectacular new virtuoso prog/pop/metal rock band formed by drummer Mike Portnoy (ex-Dream Theater) and guitarist Steve Morse (Deep Purple). The album is released by Music Theories Recordings in the UK on Monday March 26th, followed by a US release on Tuesday March 27th.

Flying Colors is Mike Portnoy (drums, vocals), Dave LaRue (bass), Neal Morse (keyboards, vocals), Casey McPherson (lead vocals, guitar), and Steve Morse (lead guitar). "This album has bits and pieces of what you’d expect from each of us,” says Portnoy.  “The sum of all its parts led to brand new, unchartered territory for everyone involved."

The formation of Flying Colors began with a simple idea: virtuoso musicians and a pop singer joining together to make new-fashioned music the old fashioned way.  Refreshing, classic, old and new, the recordings are saturated with the many styles, tones and hues of the players who in becoming a band have delivered a unique fusion of vintage craftsmanship and contemporary music.

In 2008, executive producer Bill Evans brought the idea to the world renowned musicians and producer Peter Collins. Intrigued by the idea and the prospect of working together, the four musicians signed on to form a band and record a first album.

Steve Morse and Dave LaRue have developed magical music chemistry over the years that began early in their careers as partners in Dixie Dregs. In 1995, Morse subsequently became a member of Deep Purple, while LaRue’s ongoing musical adventures include Joe Satriani, John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess, Steve Vai, and the aforementioned Portnoy.

Multi-instrumentalist, composer and singer Neal Morse is one of the leading figures in progressive rock, whose notoriety follows his co-founding of the seminal band, Spock’s Beard in 1995, recordings as a solo artist, and contributions to the super-group Transatlantic.

Mike Portnoy is one of the most popular and respected drummers in both metal and rock, and an accomplished writer and producer.  He is the recipient of numerous industry accolades, including 26 Modern Drummer awards, Revolver Magazine’s Golden God award for “Best Drummer" and Drum Magazine’s "Drummer of the Year".  He rose to prominence as the leader, drummer, producer, and co-writer for metal/prog juggernaut Dream Theater, before moving on in 2010. That same year, he worked on Avenged Sevenfold’s #1 album Nightmare and their subsequent tour.

It was Portnoy who recommended Alpha Rev’s emotive singer Casey McPherson as a contender to join Flying Colors. McPherson, who’s 2010 Hollywood/Disney album New Morning debuted in the Top-5 on two Billboard charts, enjoyed major success at radio with multiple hits. The track “New Morning” spent 17 weeks in the Top-10 on Triple A Radio, and enjoyed a run on Vh1’s Top-20 Countdown for months. Steve Morse offers, "Casey was a glorious find, because he could make anything sound fantastic, and is a multitalented like the others."

Flying Colors convened for just nine days in early 2011, and composed and recorded this album during a short and intense session.

"It was quite an experience,” recalls Dave LaRue. “The band moved at a fast pace, ideas flying around the room at all times.  Sections of tunes were arranged, and then re-arranged.  Ideas were tried every which way until we made them work, or, in some cases, discarded them altogether.  Just keeping track of everything was a challenge!"  The album is filled with trial and triumph.  It’s been an inspiring challenge melding folk, prog, pop, and metal all into one big recording."

European Gigs

FLYING COLORS
SEPTEMBER 2012 EUROPEAN TOUR
PLUS SPECIAL GUESTS: BEARDFISH

Sunday, September 9th
Hamburg, Germany – Markthalle
Tickets: €32 – www.ticketmaster.de

Monday, September 10th
Berlin, Germany – C-Club
Tickets: €32 – www.ticketmaster.de

Tuesday, September 11th
Munich, Germany – Theaterfabrik
Tickets: €32 – www.ticketmaster.de

Thursday, September 13th
Milan, Italy – Alcatraz
Tickets: €32 – www.ticketone.it, www.livenation.it

Friday, September 14th
Zurich, Switzerland – Volkshaus
Tickets: CHF 65 – www.taifunmusic.ch, www.ticketcorner.ch

Saturday, September 15th
Stuttgart, Germany – Longhorn
Tickets: €32 – www.ticketmaster.de

Sunday, September 16th
Aschaffenburg, Germany – Colos-Saal
Tickets: €32 – www.ticketmaster.de

Monday, September 17th
Cologne, Germany – Gloria
Tickets: €32 – www.ticketmaster.de

Wednesday, September 19th
Paris, France – Le Trianon
Tickets: €60/50/40 – www.fnacspectacles.com

Thursday, September 20th
Tilburg, Holland – 013
Tickets: €35 -www.ticketmaster.nl

Friday, September 21st
London, England – Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Tickets: £28.50 – www.gigsandtours.com

WIGELIUS is a sensational new AOR band from Sweden built around the talent of Anders Wigelius, a gifted young vocalist who came to the attention of producer Daniel Flores (ISSA, THE MURDER OF MY SWEET, MIND’S EYE) after he sung the popular Journey song "Don’t Stop Believin’" in a contest on the national Swedish TV:

A true Melodic Rock / AOR music fan, Anders grew up with music from Richard Marx, Toto, Journey and Foreigner and played AOR songs covers in a band called GAMBLERS, before going his own way with his own thing. “Since I discovered the joy in writing my own songs and I have been doing it since then” says Anders. “The music of Wigelius is powerful and big: it’s a guitar and drums driven sound, with a strong melodies on top. The arrangements are intricate with some theatrical modern parts, and there’s also a more downscaled side to it with emphasis on an acoustic feel. You can hear influences from Toto, Journey, Van Halen and Whitesnake.”.

Anders is in his early 20′s, which is an advantage when creating new ways of marketing modern AOR. He plays guitars and keyboards and also writes music for other bands and has been quite successful with that. His older brother Erik Wigelius, plays drums. This is a hit, hungry, horny and amazingly talented new band, plus they look amazingly good. “I was fortunate to meet some great guys for this band” continues Anders, “but without Daniel Flores, there wouldn’t be Wigelius. We had a blast recording the album and with his experience the songs just kept getting better and better”. The line-up is rounded up by Jake Svensson on guitars and Chris Pettersson on bass.

Wigelius is also all about having fun! Without the enthusiasm for the music and lots of laughs during the process, "Reinventions" would have never sounded as energetic and "big" as it does. The collaboration turned out to be a perfect match of people sharing the same vision in making music together. The best still lie ahead! Everyone in the band is very excited to be a part of it! Harry Hess (ex HAREM SCAREM) mastered the album.

“Reinventions” track listing includes: Angeline; Talking About Love; Do You Really Know; Next To Me; My Cassandra; Piece Of The Action; Too Young To Fall In Love; Right Here, Right Now; Love Can Be That Much; Hold On To Love; There Is No Me Without You; I Reach Out

You can stream now in full the first single “Angeline” on Frontiers Records webradio www.frontiers.it/webradio and look forward to the band’s videoclip to be launched sometime in June.

WIGELIUS

Anders Wigelius (Vocals)

Erik Wigelius (Drums)

Jake Svensson (Guitars)

Chris "Wielbass" Pettersson (Bass)

Website: www.wigelius.net / www.frontiers.it

Following the release of Blues Funeral back in February, Mark Lanegan Band have recorded four songs for the thirteenth instalment in the 4AD Sessions series.

Pull Studios in Manhattan’s Hudson Square played understated host to a session that leans heavily on Mark’s indelible voice and undeniable presence, as well as the intensity and precision of his band. Filmed during a break in rehearsals for a New York City show that was to herald the release of the album, the session captures a band fully sharpened and itching to hit the road (US dates begin May 10 and are listed below).

Tearing through four stand-out tracks from Blues Funeral, the performance ripples with a quiet fury that will be familiar to all those who’ve followed Mark over a career spanning more than two decades. Backed by a band as skilled as Mark is charismatic, the ambitious range of tracks such as ‘Harborview Hospital’ sit comfortably beside the barely concealed rage of ‘The Gravedigger’s Song’, reminding once again why Blues Funeral is such a rewarding listen.

Unlike other sessions in the series in which a firmly defined visual concept was central to capturing the performance, the intention here was to strip away any studio trickery in order to allow the band to stand-alone. That this simplified approach remains so powerful is testament to the inimitable quality of the music on show and Mark Lanegan’s enduring allure.

Session directed by Robert Semmer. Click here to watch the sessions.

Catch the Mark Lanegan Band on tour in the US this May

May 10 – New York, NY – Webster Hall
May 11 – Washington, DC – 9:30 Club
May 12 – Philadelphia, PA – TLA
May 13 – Boston, MA – Paradise
May 15 – Toronto, ON – Mod Club
May 16 – Detroit, MI – Small’s
May 17 – Chicago, IL – The Metro
May 18 — Minneapolis, MN – Cedar Cultural Centre
May 20 – Denver, CO – Bluebird Theater
May 22 – Los Angeles, CA – Gene Autry Museum – Heritage Courtyard
May 23 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall
May 25 – George, WA – Sasquatch! Festival
May 26 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom

Tracklisting

1. The Gravedigger’s Song
2. St. Louis Elegy
3. Riot In My House
4. Harborview Hospital

The 4AD sessions are a dedicated home for exclusive live sessions from artists on the label, allowing them to also perform new material, alternate versions and back-catalogue covers.

Formed in Northern Ireland in 2005, Million $ Reload started immediately to learn their breed playing live in the local club circuit leaving behind them a trail of fans hungry for more. Their catchy anthemic tunes soon gained them a recording deal, which culminated with the release of the debut album “Anthems Of A Degeneration” in 2008. A tour-de-force of vast hooks, killer riffs and moments of joyous, snake-hipped abandon, with shades of everyone from AC/DC and Aerosmith through to Thin Lizzy and Thunder confirming that these young Irishmen know their history and salute it with style, while also displaying a powerful and compelling character and atmosphere that is all their own.

“Million Dollar Reload sound is the culmination of our individual influences : no frills, balls to the wall, straight up rock n roll” says singer Phil Conalane. “Loud guitars , big vocals and the odd guitar solo with killer hooks. We have a definite sound, it’s not a new sound and we are not trying to re-invent the wheel, there are no delusions of grandeur in M$R . We know what we are about. All of us have our own personal influences that clearly can be heard in our songs, AC/DC, Aerosmith, early GNR . We don’t try to emulate those bands, we have our own take on modern day rock n roll, but they are definitely a big influence”.

The band toured heavily in support of the album and shared stages with Thunder, The Darkness, Buckcherry, Papa Roach and more. This has further pushed the band’s abilities and focused their song writing abilities. The result is the new killer album “A Sinner’s Saint” which has sparkled the attention from the Italian label Frontiers Records which immediately signed the band upon hearing the new stuff the Irish five piece created.

Indeed, from blistering, cocksure sing-alongs like “Blow me away”, “Bullets in the sky” and “Wicked”, through to the irresistible bluesy ballad “Broken”, “A Sinner’s Saint” is a flawless exercise in smart, sassy song writing and a superb showcase for the electrifying chemistry that exists between these five musicians. You can’t keep a band this good, or an album this strong, down for long, and now that they have started to build momentum once again, Million $ Reload must surely be on the road to rock ‘n’ roll glory. They’ve got the balls, the belief and the tunes to make it happen.

“Rock ‘n’ roll is escapism…you can forget about your everyday troubles and woes, rock out, sing and scream along, have a beer and a smoke!” grins Phil Conalane. “It’s nothing new, this kind of balls-out rock ‘n’ roll, but it’s been buried away these last few years because too many people in the industry wrote it off as old fashioned and out of touch, but people are beginning to realise what proper rock ‘n’ roll really is! We’re the real deal and we’re here to stay!”

“A Sinner’s Saint” will include the following track listing : Fight The System; Bullets In The Sky; Blow Me Away; Can’t Tie Me Down; Broken; I Am The Rapture; Wicked; Smoke N Mirrors; Headrush; Pretty People; It Ain’t Over; Protest (Bonus Track).

Enjoy now “Bullets In the Sky” video via the Youtube link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Npj6s8Ns1g (for German fans: vimeo.com/41701460) and listen on the Frontiers webradio www.frontiers.it/webradio to stream it exclusively !

Weblinks: www.milliondollarreload.com / www.frontiers.it

Eagle Rock Entertainment have announced the simultaneous release on June 26, 2012 of Pink Floyd “The Story Of Wish You Were Here” on DVD and Blu-ray.  This is the authorized story of the album made with the full involvement and approval of the members of Pink Floyd.

“Wish You Were Here”, released in September 1975, was the follow up album to the globally successful “The Dark Side Of The Moon” and is cited by many fans, as well as band members Richard Wright and David Gilmour, as their favourite Pink Floyd album. On release it went straight to Number One in both the UK and the US and topped the charts in many other countries around the world. This program tells the story of the making of this landmark release through new interviews with Roger Waters, David Gilmour and Nick Mason and archive interviews with the late Richard Wright. Also featured are sleeve designer Storm Thorgerson, guest vocalist Roy Harper, front cover “burning man” Ronnie Rondell and others involved in the creation of the album. In addition, original recording engineer Brian Humphries revisits the master tapes at Abbey Road Studios to illustrate aspects of the songs’ construction.

Wikipedia details the creation of one of the seminal albums in “progrockia”:

Wish You Were Here is the ninth studio album by Pink Floyd, released in September 1975. The album explores themes of absence, the music business, and former band-mate Syd Barrett’s mental decline. It was inspired by material the band composed while performing across Europe, and recorded over numerous sessions at London’s Abbey Road Studios. Early sessions were a difficult and arduous process but it was Roger Waters’ idea to split the centrepiece track "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" in two, and join each half with three new compositions. "Shine On" was a tribute to Barrett, who, coincidentally, made an impromptu visit to the studio while it was being recorded. The band failed initially to recognise Barrett, who had gained weight and changed in appearance.

As with their previous work, The Dark Side of the Moon, the band made use of studio effects and synthesisers. Roy Harper was a guest vocalist on "Have a Cigar". The album’s packaging, again designed by Storm Thorgerson, featured an opaque black sleeve which hid the album artwork. Wish You Were Here was released in September 1975 to instant success; record company EMI was unable to print enough copies to satisfy demand. Although it initially received mixed reviews, the album has since been acclaimed by critics, and appears in Rolling Stone magazine’s "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list. Band members Richard Wright and David Gilmour have each declared Wish You Were Here their favourite Pink Floyd album.

During 1974 Pink Floyd sketched out three new compositions, "Raving and Drooling", "You Gotta Be Crazy" and "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", performing them at a series of concerts in France and England, their first tour since 1973′s The Dark Side of the Moon. The band had never employed a publicist, and distanced themselves from the press. Their relationship with the media soured, and following a deeply cynical critique of the band’s new material from Nick Kent (a devotee of Syd Barrett) and Pete Erskine of the music paper NME, they returned to the studio in the first week of 1975.

Wish You Were Here is the second Pink Floyd album to use a conceptual theme written entirely by Waters, and echoes his feeling at the time that the camaraderie that had served the band previously was largely absent. The album begins with an eight-minute, thirty seconds instrumental preamble, before segueing into the lyrics for "Shine On You Crazy Diamond". "Shine On" is a tribute to former band member Syd Barrett, whose drug-induced breakdown had forced him to leave the band several years before. Barrett is fondly recalled with lines such as "Remember when you were young, you shone like the sun" and "You reached for the secret too soon, you cried for the moon".

The album is also a critique of the music business; "Shine On" segues seamlessly into "Welcome to the Machine", which begins with the opening of a door—described by Waters as a symbol of musical discovery and progress betrayed by a music industry more interested in greed and success. The song ends with sounds from a party, epitomising "the lack of contact and real feelings between people". Similarly, "Have a Cigar" scorns record industry "fatcats", its lyrics containing well-used clichés such as "can hardly count", "they call it riding the gravy train", and "by the way, which one’s Pink?"—a question actually asked of the band on at least one occasion. “Wish You Were Here" contains lyrics which relate not only to Barrett’s condition, but also to the dichotomy of Waters’ character, as an idealist, and a domineering personality. The album closes with a reprise of "Shine On", and further instrumental excursions.

Alan Parsons was the EMI staff engineer for Pink Floyd’s previous studio album The Dark Side of the Moon, but following its release he declined their offer to continue working with them (instead becoming successful in his own right with The Alan Parsons Project).The group had worked with Brian Humphries on More—recorded at Pye Studios — and again in 1974, where he replaced a somewhat inexperienced concert engineer hired at short notice. He was therefore the natural choice to work on the band’s new material, although as a stranger to EMI’s Abbey Road set-up he encountered some early difficulties, including one instance where he was inadvertently responsible for spoiling the backing tracks of "Shine On"—a piece that Waters and Mason had spent many hours perfecting. The entire piece, corrupted with echo, had to be re-recorded.

Working from Studio Three, the group found it difficult at first to devise any new material, especially as the success of The Dark Side of the Moon had left all four physically and emotionally drained. Richard Wright has since described these early sessions as "falling within a difficult period", and Roger Waters found them "torturous". Drummer Nick Mason found the process of multi-track recording drawn out and tedious, and David Gilmour was more interested in improving the band’s existing material. He was also becoming increasingly frustrated with Mason, whose failing marriage had brought on a general malaise and sense of apathy, both of which interfered with his drumming. Mason has since admitted that Nick Kent’s unrestrained diatribe in NME may have had some influence however in keeping the band together.

It was a very difficult period I have to say. All your childhood dreams had been sort of realized and we had the biggest selling records in the world and all the things you got into it for. The girls and the money and the fame and all that stuff it was all … everything had sort of come our way and you had to reassess what you were in it for thereafter, and it was a pretty confusing and sort of empty time for a while … David Gilmour.

However, after several weeks Waters began to visualise another concept. The three new compositions from 1974′s tour were at least a starting point for a new album, and "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" seemed a reasonable choice as a centrepiece for the new work. Mostly an instrumental twenty-minute-plus piece similar to "Echoes", the opening four-note guitar phrase reminded Waters of the lingering ghost of former band-member Syd Barrett. Gilmour had composed the phrase entirely by accident, but was encouraged by Waters’ positive response. Waters wanted to split "Shine On You Crazy Diamond", and sandwich two new songs between its two halves. Gilmour disagreed, but was outvoted three to one. "Welcome to the Machine" and "Have a Cigar" were barely-veiled attacks on the music business, their lyrics working neatly with "Shine On" to provide an apt summary of the rise and fall of Barrett; “Because I wanted to get as close as possible to what I felt … that sort of indefinable, inevitable melancholy about the disappearance of Syd." "Raving and Drooling" and "You Gotta Be Crazy" had no place in the new concept, and were set aside.

One of the more notable events during the recording of Wish You Were Here occurred on 5 June, 1975. Gilmour married his first wife, Ginger, and it was also the eve of Pink Floyd’s second US tour that year. The band were in the process of completing the final mix of "Shine On", when an overweight man with shaven head and eyebrows, and holding a plastic bag, entered the room. Waters, who was working in the studio, initially did not recognise him. Wright was also mystified by the identity of the visitor. He presumed that the man was a friend of Waters’ and asked him, but soon realised that it was Syd Barrett. Gilmour presumed he was an EMI staff member, and Mason also failed to recognise him; he was "horrified" when Gilmour told him. In Inside Out, Mason recalled Barrett’s conversation as "desultory and not entirely sensible". Storm Thorgerson later reflected on Barrett’s presence: "Two or three people cried. He sat round and talked for a bit but he wasn’t really there."

Waters was reportedly reduced to tears by the sight of his former band mate, who was asked by fellow visitor Andrew King how he had managed to gain so much weight. Barrett said he had a large refrigerator in his kitchen, and that he had been eating lots of pork chops. He also mentioned that he was ready to avail the band of his services, but while listening to the mix of "Shine On", showed no signs of understanding its relevance to his plight. He joined the guests at Gilmour’s wedding reception in the EMI canteen, but left without saying goodbye. None of the band members saw him from that day on to his death in 2006. Although the lyrics had already been created, Barrett’s presence on that day may have influenced the final part of the song — a subtle refrain performed by Wright from "See Emily Play" is audible toward the end of the album.

I’m very sad about Syd. Of course he was important and the band would never have fucking started without him because he was writing all the material. It couldn’t have happened without him but on the other hand it couldn’t have gone on with him. "Shine On" is not really about Syd—he’s just a symbol for all the extremes of absence some people have to indulge in because it’s the only way they can cope with how fucking sad it is, modern life, to withdraw completely. I found that terribly sad. Roger Waters.

Legendary rock’n’roll guitarist Michael Schenker has announced that his brand new classic rock band "Temple of Rock" will embark on a 4-date UK tour in May 2012. The tour kicks-off at the Wolverhampton Wulfrun Hall on Wednesday May 9th.

Tickets for all four “Temple of Rock” UK concerts go on general sale Friday January 13th at 10am. 24 hour ticket hotline: 0844 478 0898. Online: www.thegigcartel.com.

Planet Rock Radio listeners in the UK will be treated to a special 48 hour “Temple of Rock” UK tour ticket pre-sale from 9am on Wednesday January 11th. Ents24 will run an additional 24 hour pre-sale from Thursday January 12th. For further info, please visit www.planetrock.com and www.ents24.com.

Following his acclaimed 2009/10 world tour performing the “MSG 30th Anniversary Show”, where Michael was joined by (original MSG vocalist) Gary Barden, alongside a host of other classic rock legends including Carmine Appice, Simon Phillips, Chris Slade and Chris Glen, Schenker’s “Temple of Rock” is ready to conquer the UK with a brand new kick-ass, all-star line-up.

Boasting Ex-Scorpions stars Herman Rarebell and Francis Buchholz on drums and bass respectively, MSG stalwart Wayne Findlay on keyboards and the magnificent Doogie White (ex Rainbow / Yngwie Malmsteen) on vocals, these “Temple Of Rock” concerts will include a plethora of hits spanning Michael Schenker’s colourful career.

Songs to be performed by the “Temple of Rock” include UFO’s “Rock Bottom" and "Doctor Doctor", MSG’s "Armed and Ready" and "Into The Arena", and the Scorpions classics "Another Piece of Meat" and "Rock You like a Hurricane". In addition, Schenker will perform brand new songs from the recently released "Temple of Rock" album alongside other solo favourites such as "Before the Devil Knows You´re Dead", "Miss Claustrophobia" and "Hangin On".

In 2010, Michael Schenker received the Marshall ’11′ Award at the Classic Rock Magazine Roll Of Honour awards; in 2011 he rocked the High Voltage Festival, and also played some UK dates with Black Country Communion. Now he´s back in 2012 with the "Temple of Rock" world tour.

TICKETS ON SALE: FRIDAY 13th JANUARY at 10am Planet Rock ticket pre-sale from 9am on Wednesday January 11th

24 HOUR BOX OFFICE: 0844 478 0898
BOOK ONLINE: www.thegigcartel.com

Wolverhampton – Wulfrun Hall
Wednesday 9th May
Tickets: £22.50 / Doors: 7.00pm
North Street, Wolverhampton, WV1 1RQ
www.wolvescivic.co.uk

Manchester – HMV Ritz
Thursday 10th May
Tickets: £22.50 / Doors: 7.00pm
Whitworth Street West, Manchester, M1 5NQ
www.hmvritz.com

Glasgow – O2 ABC
Friday 11th May
Tickets: £22.50 / Doors: 6.30pm
Online – www.o2abcglasgow.co.uk
300 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3JA

London – O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
Saturday 12th May
Tickets: £22.50 / Doors: 7.30pm
Shepherd’s Bush Green, London, W12 8TT
www.o2shepherdsbushempire.co.uk

Following on from the huge success of A Grounding In Numbers, ALT is the new release from the legendary Van Der Graaf Generator.

Peter Hammill says, "Most of the music on ALT was made while we weren’t really looking, or perhaps only while the left side of our collective brain was engaged. The album is a mixture of improvisations recorded at sound checks and in the studio and more considered sonic creations which often verge on Musique Concrete."

The fourteen pieces on ALT offer a fascinating glimpse into an alternative Van der Graaf Generator sound world.

Forthcoming Van der Graaf Generator Gigs :

• 22 June 12 USA, Bethlehem, PA, NearFest
• 23 June 12 USA, Sellersville, PA, Sellersville Theater
• 24 June 12 USA, Annapolis, MD, Ram’s Head,
• 27 June 12 USA, Washington, DC, Howard Theater
• 28 June 12 USA, Arlington (Boston), MA, The Regent Theater
• 29 June 12 USA, Buffalo, NY, Tralf Music Hall
• 30 June 12 USA, New York, NY, The Concert Hall, New York Society for Ethical Culture
• 03 July 12 Canada, Montreal Jazz Festival

Tracks

1. Earlybird
2. Extractus
3. Sackbutt
4. Colossus
5. Batty Loop
6. Splendid
7. Repeat After me
8. Elsewhere
9. Here’s One I Made Earlier
10. Midnite Or So
11. D’Accord
12. Mackerel Ate them
13. Tuesday, The Riff
14. Dronus

VdGG Wiki Entry:

Van der Graaf Generator are an English progressive rock band, formed in 1967 in Manchester. They were the first act signed to Charisma Records. The band achieved considerable success in Italy during the 1970s. In 2005 they embarked on a reunion, which continues to the present day.

The signature Van der Graaf Generator sound in the 1970s was a combination of Peter Hammill’s distinctive and dynamic voice and David Jackson’s electronically treated saxophones, generally playing over thick chordal keyboard parts (such as Hammond organ and/or clavinet), and Guy Evans’ rolling, jazz-rock-like drumming. The band explored the complete range of phonaesthetics from euphony to cacophony, often within the same song. Van der Graaf Generator albums tended to be darker in atmosphere than many of their prog-rock peers (a trait they shared with King Crimson, whose guitarist Robert Fripp guested on two of their albums), and guitar solos were the exception rather than the rule.

Hammill is the primary songwriter for the band, and the line between music written for his solo career and for the band is sometimes blurred. In interviews, Hammill stated that even though he wrote the majority of VdGG music, its arrangements were always collective, while in the case of his solo recordings, he wrote and arranged all the compositions.

Continued Here.

Band Website http://www.vandergraafgenerator.co.uk/

Straight off the back of their first triumphant headline UK tour in April 2012, Australian power metal rock trio TRACER return for their second UK headline tour, starting at the Wolverhampton Slade Rooms on Wednesday 26th September.

A 48-hour ticket pre-sale will kick off on Planet Rock on Wednesday 2nd May, followed by a 24-hour ticket pre-sale with www.ents24.com on Thursday 3rd May. Tickets go on general sale on Friday 4th May from the 24 hour box office: 0844 478 0898. Tickets can be booked online from www.thegigcartel.com.

Tracer was recently voted third place in Planet Rock’s “Best New Band” listeners’ poll.  Over the past four months Planet Rock has played the singles Too Mucha nd Devil Ride, two songs taken from Tracer’s debut critically acclaimed album Spaces In Between.

Tracer has captured the excitement and adrenalin rush of rock’n’roll. Tracer’s sound embodies the same raw dynamics and edge to that of Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Queens of the Stone Age and Black Sabbath.

With the release of Spaces in Between, Tracer has attracted rave reviews and interviews in Classic Rock (New Band of the Month), Total Guitar, Rock Sound, Guitarist, Fireworks and Powerplay.  Their video for Too Much has attracted over 50,000 hits on YouTube. In the tradition of three-piece rock bands like Rush and Muse, Tracer’s sound is the audio equivalent to Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now set inside the eye of a hurricane.

Hailing from Adelaide, South Australia, Tracer embrace a sonic sledgehammer sound steeped in epic guitars, thunderous riffs and raw, uncompromising vocals. Their Australian blend of 90’s stoner and 70’s classic rock continues to win them new fans.

When Tracer supported Royal Republic on their 2011 European tour, it soon became evident that Tracer was the band to watch. When the UK’s premiere classic rock radio station, Planet Rock started playing the band’s rock anthem Too Much, listeners responded, and posted messages on the Too Much YouTube video wall by saying, “Planet Rock brought me here.”

Rising from the ashes of blues prodigy band The Brown Brothers in 2004, Michael (vocals, guitar) and Leigh Brown (vocals, bass) teamed up with drummer Andre Wise to form Tracer. 

The following years have seen the trio find success with two independent releases; two international tours, including support slots for Little Red, Children Collide, The John Steel Singers and Cassette Kids. 

Following a debut European tour in late 2009, Tracer returned overseas in September 2010 to take a coveted showcase slot at Germany’s PopKomm Music Conference in Berlin. The band embarked on a string of dates throughout Germany, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK, taking time off only to sign a record deal with Cool Green Recordings, a sub label of the Mascot Label Group.  
Upon returning to Adelaide, the band headed straight into the studio, and recorded what was to be their debut album, Spaces In Between, released October 2011.

TRACER – UK September Tour Dates:

Wednesday 26 September        Wolverhampton Slade Rooms
Thursday 27 September           Manchester Academy
Friday 28 September                Newcastle Cluny
Saturday 29 September            Glasgow ABC
Sunday 30 September              Leeds Cockpit
Wednesday 3 October              Nottingham Rescue Rooms
Thursday 4 October                  Bath Komedia
Friday 5 October                      Gloucester Guildhall
Saturday 6 October                  Poole Mr Kyps
Sunday 7 October                    Brighton The Haunt

Best remembered for "Baby Come Back," a song which topped the US single charts in 1978, Player original line-up included Peter Beckett (guitarist, lead vocalist), J.C. Crowley (guitarist, vocalist), Ronn Moss (bassist, vocalist) and John Friesen (drummer). After extensively playing the club scene in Southern California, Player began to develop a very distinctive edgy, yet very melodic rock style, and was signed by Robert Stigwood to his legendary RSO Records, home to The BeeGees, Eric Clapton, “Saturday Night Fever”, and “Grease”.

Among several notable accolades, Player was named Billboard’s Best New Singles Artist of 1978. Eric Clapton became so impressed with Player that he invited them to be the special guest on his 1978 North American tour. They also performed with Heart, Boz Scaggs, Kenny Loggins and Gino Vannelli to name a few.

Player went on to release four albums during their active touring years until 1982. Moss left in 1981 to pursue an acting career, and has starred for the past 25 years on the daytime soap opera “The Bold and the Beautiful”. JC Crowley pursued a career in country Music, while Beckett continued writing for other artists and movie soundtracks. He also did an eight year stint with Little River Band starting in 1990, while releasing an acclaimed solo cd ‘Beckett’ in 1991.

Beckett got back together with Ronn Moss in 1995, and recorded Player’s fifth album, “Lost in Reality” and toured the United States. Since then, Peter has produced, written and played on two solo CDs for Ronn Moss and composed music for “The Bold And The Beautiful”. Player restarted working on new songs and touring together in 2010. The new line-up features again original members Peter Beckett and Ronn Moss together with Rob Math (guitars), Johnny English (keyboards) and Craig Pilo (drums).

“Player has not released a cd for over 10 yrs. It’s great to actually be creating in the studio for the band once again, as opposed to our many other projects”, says Peter Beckett. “The new album will feature Player’s three part harmony very prominently and include the usual blend of rock and big melodies”.

Ronn Moss adds: “It’s been quite a while since our last record release. Feels great to finally be making new music. I’d say the “stuff of life” has played an integral part of influencing all non-musical activities the last several years. Personal endeavours, other work related ventures, and just being downright lazy, have all played a part in why we haven’t done this sooner than now. But in “now’s” defense, sometimes one has to wait until “now” happens before you can actually be there.”

As a special appetizer to the new release, and in connection with a promotional trip in Italy where Peter and Ronn will appear on several major radio and TV shows in the first week of May, Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the worldwide digital release only of a 3-songs EP entitled “My Addiction” on April 30th.

The EP will also include, along with the title track, “Too Many Reasons” and a new recording of “Baby Come Back” and sets the pace for the new album’s release which is planned for the second half of 2012.

“My Addiction – as well as “Too Many Reasons” – came from co-writing sessions between Beckett and Steve Plunkett. “ I have written tons of songs with "Plunk" over the last 20 years and will continue to do so. We sifted through our joint efforts to see what would fit Player” tells Peter. "Addiction" seemed to be a great choice. This song title was actually stolen from one of our other songs. The other song was actually about addiction. This one is a love song and a lot easier to listen to.

You can order / pre-order “My Addiction” now on iTunes following this link: http://itunes.apple.com/it/preorder/addiction-single/id519148672

“My Addiction” sample can be listened following this link: http://www.frontiers.it/m/uploads/audios/player-myaddiction-sample.mp3

The EP can also be purchased via Amazon worldwide, eMusic and all other digital retailers all over the world. The song “My Addiction” can be streamed in full on the Frontiers Records webradio: www.frontiers.it/webradio

Weblinks: www.player-theband.com / www.frontiers.it

Frontiers Records have signed Richard Marx to the label for the exclusive release of “Inside My Head” – a 2 CD album set featuring rare and new material along with new recordings of his greatest hits – on June 1st in Europe. The first single “Wouldn’t Let Me Love You” will be released digitally on May 1st and can be exclusively streamed in full on the Frontiers Records webradio www.frontiers.it/webradio. A video clip is in the works.

A gifted singer and consummate songwriter Richard Marx has left a powerful mark on the music industry over the past 20 years. With 30 million records sold, 3 Grammy Awards nominations, a Grammy Award for “Song of the Year” and an American Music Award nomination for favourite male singer Marx, who has written fourteen #1 songs and had thirteen US #1 songs on the Billboard charts, has remained a fixture on pop and adult contemporary radio for years.

Marx was the first male solo artist in history to have his first 7 singles reach the top 5 on Billboard’s singles chart, including the 1 hits “Hold On to the Nights,” “Satisfied” and the worldwide classic “Right Here Waiting.” This feat remains unchallenged. He has also emerged as a first rate producer working with some of the biggest names in the music business including *NSYNC, Barbra Streisand, Josh Groban, Kenny Rogers, Sarah Brightman, Lara Fabian, Sister Hazel and The Tubes among others. More recently, he has written and produced records for Daughtry, Leann Rimes, Emerson Drive, Natalie Cole, Keith Urban, Kenny Loggins, Michael Bolton and actor Hugh Jackman.

The first CD of the “Inside My Head” set is a new studio record. It features two bonus tracks as well as collaborations with some of the most talent singer songwriters in the business including Chris Daughtry (“Had Enough” and “On The Inside”), Chad Kroeger of Nickelback (who also co-wrote “On The Inside”), Matt Scannell of Vertical Horizon (who played and co-wrote “Always on Your Mind”), Jason Wade of Lifehouse (who co-wrote “Had Enough”, also released by his band on “Smoke and Mirrors”), Fee Waybill of The Tubes (“Come Running”), Dann Huff (co-producer and guitarist on “Loved”) and many others.

Marx said: “I’m excited to be putting out a new release in Europe. My fans there have been incredibly loyal and I hope they like this new music and I hope to be back over touring there soon.”

The second, bonus CD contains amazing new versions of 12 of Marx’s greatest hits, including “Right Here Waiting”, “Angelia”, “Don’t Mean Nothing” and “Keep Coming Back”.

Marx added: “I wanted to have new recordings of my classic tracks because, while they were all fun to revisit and sing and play again, in a few cases I felt they needed some updating. After playing these songs live for so many years I wanted to incorporate some of the ways the songs have evolved but still retain what people seemed to like about them to begin with.”

“Inside My Head” will be released in a lavish digipak edition and will include the following songs:

CD 1: Had Enough; Wouldn’t Let Me Love You; Like Heaven; On The Inside; Through My Veins; Always On Your Mind; Loved; Come Running; All Over Me; Scars; Done To Me; Over My Head; Part of Me.

CD 2: Don’t Mean Nothing; Should’ve Known Better; Endless Summer Nights; Keep Coming Back; Take This Heart; Hold On To The Nights; Angelia; Hazard; Too Late To Say Goodbye; Satisfied; Right Here Waiting; When You Loved Me.

Thirty years after its eponymous debut album, ASIA ascended to the top of the Billboard Top 100 chart (where the album remained No.1 for 9 consecutive weeks). The legendary British classic rock band returns with a new studio album, a 30th Anniversary edition of their debut album, 2 DVDs, and a world tour that includes UK, Europe, Japan and America.

ASIA will release their new studio album “XXX” (pronounced Triple X) via Frontiers Records, on Monday July 2nd. The new album, produced by Mike Paxman, has been hailed as ASIA’s best album since its classic early 80s releases. The album will be released on CD, collector’s edition CD/DVD (featuring new music videos and behind the scenes footage), and on a limited edition vinyl.

The first single taken from the highly anticipated new album is entitled “Face On The Bridge”, released digitally worldwide on Monday May 14th.

“We’re very pleased with, and confident about, XXX,” says John Wetton. “It encapsulates, lyrically and instrumentally, the essence of the band today. However, it is the very same four people that gave you the original, iconic album 30 years ago.  If you loved it then, you will love it now.”

Says Asia’s guitarist, Steve Howe; “We wanted to recapture the energy of the first album, ASIA has always been about great songs, fantastic musicianship and I am sure fans of the first album, will fall in love with XXX.”

In addition ASIA has also completed “Resonance”, a DVD concert film of the group’s 2010/2011 Omega World Tour, captured live in Switzerland which will be released subsequently.

To celebrate their 30th Anniversary, ASIA will release a collector’s edition box set based on their legendary 1982 eponymous debut album, supported by a myriad of ASIA releases in 2012.

The 30th anniversary edition of their debut album will feature 2 audio CDs (a re-mastered edition of the debut album, plus a CD of live rare tracks), an expansive historical booklet, a limited edition ASIA T-shirt, goodies from ASIA’s 1982 tour, plus a DVD of the new band documentary: ASIA – 30 Years On. A newly commissioned painting by Roger Dean updates the symbolic dragon and pearl from 1982 to 2012, the Year of The Water Dragon (in the Chinese calendar).

Tour Dates

Japan

24th September – Tokyo Shibuya Kokaido
25th September – Tokyo Shibuya Kokaido 
26th September – Osaka Sankei Hall Breeze 
27th September – Zepp Nagoya 

USA

17th October Red Bank, NJ Count Basie 
18th October Boston, MA Wilbur Theater 
19th October Westbury, NY Westbury Theater
20th October Philadelphia, PA Keswick 
21st October Wilmington, DE Opera House
23rd October Syracuse, NY Turning Stone Casino
25th October Ridgefield, CT Ridgefield Playhouse 
26th October Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun 
27th October NY, NY Best Buy Theater
28th October York, PA Strand Capital

Britain

2nd September – Weyfest Festival, Weyfest, UK
15th December – The Wharf, Tavistock, UK
16th December – The Picturedrome, Holmfirth, UK
17th December – Queens Hall, Edinburgh, UK
18th December – TBA
19th December – City Hall, Salisbury, UK
20th December – Town Hall, Birmingham, UK
21st December – RNCM, Manchester, UK
22nd December – Shepherds Bush Empire, London, UK

Planet Rock will launch an exclusive 48-hour ticket pre-sale for ASIA’s UK-leg of the 30th Anniversary tour at 9am on Wednesday April 25th.  Fans can order their tickets from www.planetrock.com. From Friday April 27th, tickets will go on sale to the general public from the 24 Hour Ticket Hotline: 0844 478 0898, www.thegigcartel.com.