Tracer kick off UK Tour

Posted on Mar 9, 2012

Due to popular demand, Australian power rock trio “TRACER” kick off their first nationwide headline UK tour at London’s Islington O2 Academy on Tuesday 24th April.

Planet Rock (www.planetrock.com) will start a 48-hour ticket pre-sale for Planet Rock listeners from Wednesday 1st February at 9am. www.ents24.com will start their 24-hour pre-sale on Thursday 2nd February. Tickets will then go on sale to the general public from 10am on Friday 3rd February via the 24 hour box office: 0844 478 0898 and  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 Much and 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 successful 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 then set off on a string of dates throughout Germany, Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK, taking time off only to sign a long term 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, released in October 2011. Entitled “Spaces In Between,” the album includes 12 in-your-face songs that will blow your head off.

Tracer Biography

With a sound reminiscent of 90′s grunge/stoner rock mixed with the everlasting bravado of 70′s classic rock, Tracer is a driving, sonic sledgehammer of massive guitars, clever hooks and raw uncompromising vocals. Forming out of the ashes of blues prodigy band The Brown Brothers in 2004, Michael (Vocals and guitar) and Leigh Brown (Vocals and Bass) teamed up with drummer Andre Wise to make Tracer. With 2 independent releases, 2 international tours and now a record contract under their belt, Tracer is a band that takes every little chance, every crazy idea, and commits everything they have to it.

During 2008 and 2009 Tracer took on an extensive touring schedule with multiple trips to Melbourne, a swag of successful Adelaide shows including a capacity crowd at the Australian album launch for their second critically acclaimed mini-album “L.A.?”

2009 also saw the band share the stage with Little Red, Children Collide, The John Steel Singers and Cassette Kids among others. In late 2009 Tracer set off and toured Europe for three and a half months taking in Germany, the Netherlands, U.K., Denmark, Switzerland and Czech. Tracer also toured as part of The Great Australian Wave (as a showcase at PopKomm in Germany).

Upon returning from Europe the band got busy writing new songs and developing their live show. Demand from overseas led the band to recording 3 new songs to compliment the release of ‘L.A.?’ in Europe. ‘L.A.?’ was met with countless praising reviews in German magazines and an expression of interest from Mascot Records in the Netherlands. Due to the success of the 2009 European tour and an increasing demand from overseas, Tracer played Europe once more with a showcase performance at Germany’s new format PopKomm Music Conference in Berlin. From this performance the band set off on a string of dates throughout Germany, Czech, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK.

The band released their debut LP via Mascot’s Cool Green Recordings on October 3rd 2011. Following the release of the album, the band toured the UK and Europe as support to Royal Republic.

In 2011, their single “Too Much” was A-listed on Planet Rock Radio in the UK for three months. The band generated over 50,000 views for their Too Much video on YouTube.  In December 2011, Planet Rock started A-listing Tracer’s second single “Devil Ride”.

Due to popular demand, Tracer will return to the UK and Europe for their first headline tour in April 2012.

Zafiriou leaves Pink Cream 69

Posted on Mar 6, 2012

Kosta Zafiriou, drummer and original member of PINK CREAM 69 has left the band. He will be replaced by his good friend and long time drum tech Chris Schmidt, who played drums for Sunstorm, Harry Hess’ First Signal and more.

Kosta: "It was a very hard decision to leave the band I co-founded back in 1987, but I am sure this is the right step. Due to my various activities with my company Bottom Row plus being the drummer and manager of my new band UNISONIC, more and more I felt I was retarding PC 69´s career. Chris is a great drummer and a good friend of the band since many years, which makes him the perfect match for PINK CREAM 69. I wish the guys only the best and look forward to see the first show with him – as a visitor, enjoying the songs that accompanied me half of my life!”

The band already started recording the successor to the “In10sity”-album on the 1st of march. The new, yet-untitled, effort will be released by Marquee/Avalon (Japan + SouthEast Asia) and Frontiers Records (rest of the world) in the autumn of 2012.

Says guitarist Alfred Koffler: “The vibe within the band is very enthusiastic and creative. There are far too many strong songs by Dennis (Ward), David (Readman) and myself to pick from. There will be eleven of them on the album plus a couple of bonus tracks for the different markets and formats. We also will have guest appearances by two famous musicians on the new record – both fans of the band. More on that soon!”

For the release of the new PINK CREAM 69 album, the band will also be shooting a new video clip – the first one since “Shame”. The band will be appearing at several European festivals during the summer and will tour after the release of the album.

Europe announce "Bag of Bones" November 2012 UK Tour

Posted on Mar 6, 2012

Following the news of their new studio album Bag of Bones, released April 30th, Swedish rockers EUROPE have today announced a nationwide November 2012 UK tour.

The Bag of Bones tour follows 2011′s hugely successful Balls ‘N’ Banners tour, which included a sold-out concert at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire (where Europe filmed their recent live DVD).

A 48-Hour Ticket Pre-sale will take place on Wednesday 7th March at 9am via www.planetrock.com. Tickets will then go on sale on Friday 9th March via www.ticketweb.co.uk and www.eventim.co.uk. 

BAG OF BONES – UK TOUR DATES

Birmingham 02 Academy – Wednesday 21 November

Glasgow 02 ABC – Thursday 22 November
Manchester HMV Ritz – Friday 23 November
Newcastle 02 Academy – Sunday 25 November
Leeds 02 Academy – Monday 26 November
Nottingham Rock City – Tuesday 27 November
Bristol 02 Academy – Thursday 29 November
Cardiff Coal Exchange – Friday 30 November
London 02 Shepherds Bush Empire – Saturday 1 December

Legendary guitarist ‘Eric Johnson’ announces July UK tour

Posted on Mar 5, 2012

Eric Johnson, the celebrated American electric guitarist, hailed by Joe Bonamassa as “one of the greatest guitar players of all time,” will embark on his first UK tour at the Holmfirth Picturedrome on Friday 5th July. The 5-date mini tour will showcase material from his current album “Up Close”, as well as from his rich back catalogue.

Planet Rock will start at ticket pre-sale on Wednesday 7th March, followed by a ticket pre-sale from Ents24 on Thursday 8th March.

Tickets go on sale to the general public via the 24 hour box office: 0844 478 0898, www.thegigcartel.com.

Johnson is also a respected acoustic, lap steel, resonator and an accomplished pianist and vocalist. He’s best known for his diverse array of music genres evidenced by many different styles incorporated in his studio and live performances, including rock, blues, jazz, fusion, folk, New Age and country music.

Guitar Player magazine called Johnson “one of the most respected guitarists on the planet”. His critically acclaimed, platinum-selling 1990 recording Ah Via Musicom produced the single Cliffs of Dover, for which he won the 1991 Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. Cliffs of Dover also appeared in Guitar Hero 3 – Legends of Rock.

In 1996 he joined forces with Joe Satriani and Steve Vai for the original and legendary G3 tour that garnered a worldwide audience with the platinum selling CD and DVD release.

Johnson is best known for playing stock Fender Stratocasters and Gibson ES-335 electric guitars through a triple amp setup that consists of vintage Fender and Marshall amplifiers.

He plays vintage Stratocasters but also his ‘Fender Signature Stratocaster’ model, which is one of the best selling instruments in the Fender catalogue. He also designed a Signature acoustic guitar that was released by Martin guitars.

Eric Johnson’s stature as one of the premier guitar players in contemporary music is his artistic trump card, backed by a Grammy Award and five nominations, platinum album, Top 10 hits like Cliffs of Dover, praise from critics and the esteem of his peers. The full range of his talents marks him as a gifted songwriter, dynamic live performer, singer, pianist, and song interpreter.

His myriad and distinctive musical gifts are vividly evident on Johnson’s current studio album, Up Close, released on his own Vortexan Music label. The 15-track disc finds the noted master craftsman cutting loose, roaming through variations on the rock, blues, pop, country and jazz genres,  pushing the dynamic range of his artistry, and mixing it up with such friends and peers as guitarists Jimmie Vaughan and Sonny Landreth, plus guest vocalists Steve Miller, Johnny Lang and Malford Milligan.

“I decided to let go a bit and allow things to happen and just go with the flow,” explains Johnson about his approach to the album. “That’s a direction that works better for any artist, and especially for me. I like my work to have a high proficiency, but I also want to go for the energy and magic of the performances.”

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Diamond Dawn sign for Frontier

Posted on Mar 2, 2012

Frontiers Records is have announced the signing of the Swedish Melodic Rock newcomers DIAMOND DAWN. The band was formed in early 2011 in Gothenburg and released digitally the song "Standing As One" which caused a great buzz in the underground scene in Melodic Rock.
The sound of the group represents the best from the musical era of the 80′s with a modern approach to Melodic Hard Rock. The band sent out the following statement: "We are incredibly proud to announce that we have signed a world wide record deal with Frontiers Records. This is an important milestone in our career and we are thrilled about this cooperation which we believe will take the band to a whole new level. Working with Frontiers Records is truly a dream come true for us since they are working with many of our musical heroes".
Diamond Dawn’s debut album, scheduled to be released later this year, will be mixed by Tobias Lindell who has worked with artists such as Europe, Hardcore Superstar, Mustasch and H.e.a.t.

Ian Anderson: Thick as a Brick 2

Posted on Mar 2, 2012

Ian Anderson’s ambitious follow-up to his seminal 1972 opus, Thick As A Brick has been released as a Special edition with CD, audio-visual DVD and 16-page booklet.  Dunfermline-born Anderson formed Jethro Tull in 1968. They went on to become one of the most successful and enduring acts in British rock history, with landmark albums such as Aqualung, Thick As A Brick and Too Old To Rock ‘n’ Roll, Too Young To Die. Jethro Tull have sold some 60 million albums worldwide and performed over 2,500 concerts in 40 countries. Thick as a Brick was one of their most successful albums and in Thick as a Brick 2, Anderson satisfies a demand from Tull fans for more of the same.

The DVD contains 5.1 surround mixes, 24-bit stereo mix, videos covering the making of the album, interviews with the musicians and a lyric reading where Ian Anderson reads the lyrics in various settings.
5.1 and stereo mixing by Steven Wilson.

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EUROPE unveil new album "Bag of Bones" with guest appearance from Joe Bonamassa

Posted on Mar 1, 2012

earMUSIC have announced the new album from Swedish rock supergroup, EUROPE. The long player, set for UK release on Monday 30th April 2012, is entitled Bag of Bones. The first single, Not Supposed To Sing The Blues, will be released digitally on Friday March 9th.

Bag of Bones is produced by Kevin Shirley. No stranger to the crème de la crème of iconic rock, Shirley has produced albums for the likes of Iron Maiden, Joe Bonamassa, Black Country Communion, Black Stone Cherry and Journey.

Contributing slide guitar to the title track Bag of Bones is blues rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa. "We’re honoured that Joe Bonamassa wanted to play some slide guitar on our record. We’re all big fans of his music", says Europe front man Joey Tempest. Released on CD and vinyl formats, the album features a more straightforward rock approach.

“Why drive a VW beetle when you can drive a Rolls Royce?” asks Europe’s guitarist John Norum. “Bag of Bones is a classic rock album with lots of class. Even my mom likes it!”

The new record was produced by one of the world’s most prestigious producers, Kevin Shirley. No stranger to the crème de la crème of iconic rock, Shirley has produced albums for Iron Maiden, Joe Bonamassa, Black Country Communion, Black Stone Cherry and Journey.  Bag of Bones features 11 brand new tracks, including the first single, Not Supposed To Sing The Blues, which will be serviced to radio this Friday, March 2nd and will be released digitally March 9th.

The band recently unveiled the album artwork and now is ready to confirm the track listing of the new album, which is said to be a milestone in Sweden’s biggest hard rock band’s long lasting career.  Prior to the recordings, when EUROPE front man Joey Tempest confessed, "We’re ready to do some serious damage,” – he could not have been anymore correct.  Bag of Bones was already titled "one hell of a record" and is the successor of EUROPE’s 2009 album Last Look at Eden, which proved to be the band’s most important record since The Final Countdown.

Says singer Joey Tempest: "Finally we express ourselves completely without restraint. Straight from heart and soul. It took some time but WE HAVE ARRIVED!"

Contributing slide guitar to the title track Bag of Bones is no one less but currently hottest blues rock name, Joe Bonamassa. "We’re honoured that Joe Bonamassa wanted to play some slide guitar on our record. We’re all big fans of his music", Tempest points out.

The album, which features a more straightforward rock approach including the track Doghouse, already performed during the band’s most recent European tour, is going to be available in a standard CD version as well as on classy vinyl.

“Bag of Bones” Album Track Listing:

1. Riches To Rags
2. Not Supposed To Sing The Blues 
3. Firebox
4. Bag Of Bones
5. Requiem
6. My Woman My Friend
7. Demon Head
8. Drink And A Smile
9. Doghouse
10. Mercy You Mercy Me
11. Bring It All Home

EUROPE drummer Ian Haugland sums up the taste of the new album – "If Bag of Bones was a dinner menu at a restaurant, it would get 5 stars in the Michelin guide. We are ready to take your orders!”

EUROPE are also embedded into the European Handball Federation’s (EHF) Champions League finals in 2012. Part of the EHF & EUROPE Campaign will be a band performance during the "Final4 tournament" award ceremonies on May 27th in Cologne, Germany.

Having confirmed some first festival appearances across Europe over the summer, the Scandinavians are also set to hit worldwide stages with extended touring fall and onwards.

• 01.05. Thanks Jimi Festival – Wroclaw (PL)
• 17.05. Bikers Festival – Wetzikon (CH)
• 25.05. Metallasvenskan – Orebro (S)
• 24.06. Graspop Festival – Dessel (B)
• 30.06. Kirunafestivalen – Kiruna (S)
• 21.07. Olsa Live – Porvoo (FIN)
• 27.07. Rock Of Ages – Seebronn (GER)

Walter Trout adds new date to UK tour

Posted on Feb 28, 2012

Walter Trout has added a new date to his March 2012 UK Tour. The former guitarist for John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, Canned Heat, and John Lee Hooker, will play the Boom Boom Club at Sutton Utd Football Club on Tuesday 13th March.

Walter Trout is one of the world’s great guitarists. Having recently celebrated his 20th year as a solo recording artist, Trout’s UK tour precedes the release of his new studio album Blues For The Modern Daze. The album is released by Provogue Records in the UK on Monday 23rd April, the same day Trout performs a session on BBC Radio 2’s Paul Jones Rhythm & Blues Show.

• Southampton, The Brook -Tuesday 6th March
• Newcastle, o2 Academy -Wednesday 7th March
• Leeds, City Varieties – Thursday 8th March
• Sheffield, o2 Academy – Friday 9th March
• Clitheroe, The Grand – Saturday 10th March
• Salford, The Lowry – Sunday 11th March
• Pontardawe, Arts Centre -Monday 12th March
• Sutton, Boom Boom Club – Tuesday 13th March
• Wolverhampton, Robin 2 -Wednesday 14th March
• Bristol, The Tunnels -Thursday15th March
• Tavistock, The Wharf -Friday 16th March

Walter Trout’s 21st album Blues for the Modern Daze will be released in the UK on Monday 23rd April (24th April in the US). The new album showcases the contemporary guitar legend’s return to his hard-core blues roots, with song writing at a creative and personal zenith. Blues For The Modern Daze is Trout’s sixth recording for Provogue Records, a division of the Mascot Label Group, and his first full-fledged blues album in 23 years as a bandleader.

Walter Trout is one of the world’s great guitarists. The former lead guitar player with John Mayall Blues Breakers, Canned Heat and John Lee Hooker, recently celebrated his 20th years as a solo recording artist in his own right with the chart busting album ‘Common Ground’. Now comes the preview of his brand new album ‘Blues For The Modern Daze’

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Tony Banks: Six – Pieces for Orchestra

Posted on Feb 27, 2012

Tony Banks, founder member of rock band Genesis, has already written a much admired orchestral work called Seven (8.557466), in which he was praised for his ‘genuine melodic gift’ (Gramophone). His new work consists of six evocative songs without words which may arouse in the listener ideas of seduction, journeys, heroes, quests, decisions and goals. Two of the pieces feature solo instruments alto saxophone on Siren and violin on Blade played here by elite soloists, which mesh into Banks’s orchestral tapestry with bewitching effect. The remaining pieces reveal his outstanding lyrical gifts and total command of musical narrative.

Tony Banks has a big following for his solo work outside the group. His classical compositions have been admired for their lyricism and melodic qualities, with some critics noting an affinity with the string works of Vaughan Williams.

Throughout 2009 Charlie Siem’s reputation as one of the brightest new classical artists grew with prestigious concerts in Paris, London, Oslo, Bergen and Basel. He has since enjoyed a very successful career, appearing with major orchestras and at festivals around the world. Martin Robertson began his solo career in 1986, and has since performed as a soloist with the Berlin, Los Angeles and London Philharmonic Orchestras, BBC Symphony Orchestra and the Ensemble Intercontemporain.

Jeff Scott Soto releases new video “Look inside your heart”

Posted on Feb 27, 2012

Jeff Scott Soto fans worldwide can click here to witness the worldwide premiere of the video for “Look Inside Your Heart”. The song is the first single from Soto’s forthcoming album DAMAGE CONTROL and features Soto collaborating with Night Ranger guitarist Joel Hoekstra, who can also be seen in the video. The audio track is available at all digital retail outlets; click here to get it now.

Jeff Scott Soto’s new album DAMAGE CONTROL will be released on March 27th in North America via Frontiers Records. The album was recorded in Fall 2011 and features guest appearances by Jamie Borger and Nalle Påhlsson (Treat), Casey Grillo (Kamelot), Joel Hoekstra (Night Ranger) and Dave Meniketti, founding member of Y&T. DAMAGE CONTROL will be released in two configurations: the basic version in CD jewel box and a deluxe edition in digipak format. The deluxe edition contains three additional bonus tracks and a DVD with videos and interview footage. Please see below for the track listing and click here to view the official trailer for DAMAGE CONTROL.

Jeff Scott Soto has lent his powerhouse vocals to more than 60 albums, expertly navigating numerous genres from hard rock to funk. Soto’s career spans nearly thirty years, beginning as the vocalist for guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen. He has fronted such bands as Talisman, Soul SirkUS and Journey. More recently, Soto has been a vocalist with Trans-Siberian Orchestra gaining a Gold Disc for their 2009 release NIGHT CASTLE.

Jeff Scott Soto DAMAGE CONTROL track listing:

1. Give A Little More

2. Damage Control

3. Look Inside Your Heart

4. Die A Little

5. Take U Down*

6. If I Never Let Her Go

7. Tears That I Cry

8. BonaFide

9. Elena*

10. Krazy World

11. How To Love Again

12. AfterWorld

13. NeverEnding War

14. Afraid To Die*

*Bonus tracks only available on the deluxe edition of DAMAGE CONTROL