Tag: Steve Stevens
0 STEVE STEVENS OF BILLY IDOL JOINS 2ND ANNUAL ROCK AGAINST MS BENEFIT CONCERT WEDNESDAY MARCH 26TH @ THE WHISKY A GO-GO
STEVE STEVENS OF BILLY IDOL JOINS 2ND ANNUAL ROCK AGAINST MS BENEFIT CONCERT WEDNESDAY MARCH 26TH @ THE WHISKY A GO-GO
GUITAR PLAYER MAGAZINE PRESENTS LITA FORD WITH THE
“CERTIFIED LEGEND AWARD”
MONSTER ENERGY DRINK & THE WHISKY A GO-GO PRESENTS:
2ND ANNUAL ROCK AGAINST MS ALL-STAR BENEFIT CONCERT
AT THE WHISKY A GO-GO WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26TH
FEATURING: STEVE STEVENS (BILLY IDOL), LITA FORD, CHERIE CURRIE, KENNY ARONOFF,
GILBY CLARKE, JAMES LOMENZO, GRETCHEN BONADUCE, JACK RUSSELL’S GREAT WHITE, PHIL BUCKMAN, AUGUST ZADRA, BOBBY ROCK, MARTY O”BRIEN, MITCH PERRY, ERIK ELDENIUS, JOE RETTA, PETTY CASH (Members of THE OFFSPRING, FILTER, JULIETTE LEWIS & THE LICKS) & MORE!!
MANY MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED IN THE COMING WEEKS!!
2ND ANNUAL ROCK AGAINST MS returns to the Whisky A Go-Go in Hollywood with yet another amazing All-Star line up. The 2nd Annual has the Rock Stars returning in support of long time friend and publicist, Nancy B. Sayle. This rock-fueled concert is to help raise awareness and funding for Sayle and her new foundation benefiting those living with MS.
Guitar Player Magazine is in the house to present Lita Ford their top award – Inspired by Chet Atkins’ phrase “Certified Guitar Player”—and typically bestowed at NAMM during Muriel Anderson’s All-Star Guitar Night—this award debuted in 2003 with Les Paul as the first recipient. Since then, GP has honored Duane Eddy, Nokie Edwards, Dick Dale, Larry Carlton, Tommy Emmanuel, Mike Stern, Lee Ritenour, Robben Ford, Joe Perry, and others. “Lita Ford slugged it out with the boys club in an era where female musicians who liked to rock hard had very few heroes,” says GUITAR PLAYER Editor in Chief Michael Molenda. “But Lita was there, and man, did she cut a heroic figure. She was tough. She was smart. She could write a good song. And she could shred. Stinging bends. Fierce vibrato. A great sense of melody and phrasing. Since the Runaways in the late 1970s, and throughout her solo career, Lita has been a beacon of cool, and an inspiration for girls AND boys who want to express themselves through the guitar. She is the definition of a Certified Legend.”
In its finishing stages, the ROCK AGAINST MS FOUNDATION will provide services from a three (3) grant resource system, which will provide daily care, quality of life needs and emergency funding, while assisting people with multiple sclerosis (MS) to live independent and full lives. Additionally, a brick and mortar facility we will call THE ROCK HOUSE is in the planning stages, and will provide free of charge, multiple programs and opportunities designed to heal the mind, body and spirit of all those whose lives have been affected by MS.
WHEN: Wednesday, March 26th 2014
WHERE: CONCERT / VIP MEET & GREET
The Whisky A Go-Go
8901 W. Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90069
VIP Meet & Greet: 6:00 PM
Doors: 7:00PM
Show Starts at 8PM
TICKETS:
- GENERAL ADMISSION – $35
- FLOOR – W/ PRE-SHOW MEET & GREET AT 6PM – $100
- BALCONY – VIP MEET & GREET – $150
- VIP – RESERVED BOOTH FOR 4 PPL W/ MEET & GREET – $500
- VIP – RESERVED BOOTH FOR 8 PPL W/ MEET & GREET – $1,000
PURCHASE: BUY TICKETS HERE: http://ticketf.ly/1mf2eJl
SPONSORS: 95.5 KLOS, GUITAR CENTER, MONSTER ENERGY DRINK, SCHECTER GUITARS, D’ADDARIO, EVANS, SIR, PRO MARK, WHISKY A GO-GO, RAINBOW BAR & GRILL
About Multiple Sclerosis
- Every hour in the United States, someone is newly diagnosed with MS, an unpredictable, often disabling disease of the central nervous system.
- MS interrupts the flow of information from the brain to the body and stops people from moving.
- Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The advancement, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted, but advances in research and treatment are moving us closer to a world free of MS.
- Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with more than twice as many women as men being diagnosed with the disease.
- MS affects more than 400,000 people in the U.S. and 2.1 million worldwide.
For more information go to www.facebook.com/rockagainstMSfoundation
0 SEBASTIAN BACH JOINS FORCES WITH DUFF McKAGAN, JOHN 5, STEVE STEVENS FOR NEW ALBUM
Iconic rock vocalist Sebastian Bach is currently hard at work in the studio, under the direction of producer Bob Marlette (Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, Shinedown etc) to record the anticipated follow up album to the acclaimed KICKING AND SCREAMING. The new effort will be released via label home Frontiers Records and is tentatively scheduled for spring 2014.
Of his forthcoming new album, Sebastian Bach commented, “I am happy to say we have completed the drums and most of the bass guitar for the new record. It is a pleasure to write songs with Duff, Steve, Bob, and Devin. The album will be mastered by Tom Baker who has mastered my last three albums. This CD will be balls-out, in-your-face high-energy rock ‘n roll which just so happens to be my favorite style of music. I look forward to releasing the record and playing these songs live for you all in 2014!”
Sebastian managed to involve in the writing and recording some very special friends and guest stars, including none other than: Duff McKagan (Velvet Revolver, Guns n’Roses), and not one but two top class guitar players: John 5 (Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie) and Steve Stevens (Billy Idol). Rounding up the lineup on the album are Devin Bronson on guitars and Bobby Jarzombek on drums. Duff and Sebastian have previously collaborated on Duff’s solo album “Believe In Me”.
In the meantime Sebastian has made available a new live video clip of “Big Guns” taken from the recent Live DVD/CD package ABACAHALYPSE NOW released last March on Frontiers. This is the 3rd video from ABACHALYPSE NOW and is now available at Sebastian Bach’s Official YouTube Page. The DVD/CD set includes Bach’s recent explosive performances from the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles (originally broadcasted on AXS TV in North America), Hellfest in France, Graspop in Belgium and more. Follow this link to enjoy.
Sebastian Bach has sold in excess of 20 million records worldwide as lead singer with his former band, Skid Row and as a solo artist. Far from just being a multi-platinum recording artist, the singer/songwriter/actor/entertainer has expanded his career over the past decade to include episodic television with a 5-season recurring role on the CW’s hit series “Gilmore Girls”, starring roles on Broadway (“Jekyll & Hyde”, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”) and national touring companies (“Jesus Christ Superstar”), and has appeared regularly on MTV and VH1.
Bach on the web:
www.facebook.com/sebastianbach
1 Witch – The Hex Is On…And Then Some (2011)
The history of Witch dates all the way back to 1982. Peter Wabitt and Punky Peru formed the band when their former member Don Costa was snatched up by Ozzy Osbourne. Witch opened for many bands on the Sunset Strip including W.A.S.P., Loudness, Obviously, the band never had the same level of success as the Motley Crue and Ratt, but that doesn’t mean the band didn’t have some cool tunes to check out.
Most of the band’s discography was only available on Vinyl and Cassette. FNA Records has unearthed some cool metal tunes that most people never got a chance to hear.Most of the songs on The Hex is On…And Then Some is from Witch’s original EP from 1984, The Hex Is On.
What does Witch sound like? The band has the raw sound of early Motley Crue, with little bits of Quiet Riot and Twisted Sister thrown in for good measure. The second half of the CD features tunes with some massive guest stars like Slash, Steve Stevens, Rowan Robertson and Chris Holmes. The sound quality is a mixed bag on this CD due to the age of the recordings. It does not take away from the fact that FNA Records has unearthed some extremely cool tunes with The Hex is On… And Then Some. Just give the songs “Damnation”, “Can’t Take Our Rock” and “Black Magic” a listen and you will know what I mean.
The song “Black Magic” with Steve Stevens over the top guitar playing is almost worth the price of admission of the CD all by itself. The song “Crazy” with Chris Holmes on guitar would sound great on the radio today! This is another really cool tune.
If you are a fan of 80’s metal, you gotta look into Witch, and this lost classic, The Hex is On… And Then Some. I think you will enjoy it. I know I have been!
For more information on Witch, please visit the band’s website. You can listen to song samples, and purchase the CD from FNA Records at this link.
Rating: 
Out of 10
Tracks:
1. Intro
2. Nervous Wreck
3. Damnation
4. Bewitched
5. Wet and Wild
6. Cinderella (In Black Leather)
7. Can’t Take Our Rock
8. Victory Without Pain
9. 1:45
10. Take Me Away (version 1)
11. Mad for Life (with Rowan Robertson on guitars)
12. Games that People Play (with Rowan Robertson on guitars)
13. Playing in the Rain (with Slash on Lead Guitar, Keith Emerson on Piano, Rowan Robertson on Guitars, Phil Chen on Bass)
14. Black Magic (with Steve Stevens on Lead Guitar, Rowan Robertson on Guitars, Phil Chen on Bass)
15. Pay the Due (Rowan Robertson-Guitars, Phil Chen-Bass, Howard Leese-Keyboards)
16. Take Me Away (version 2) (Rowan Robertson-Guitars, Phil Chen-Bass, Howard Leese-Keyboards)
17. Nothing Last Forever (Rowan Robertson-Guitars, Phil Chen-Bass, Henn Stone-Guitars)
18. Crazy (with Chris Holmes of W.A.S.P. on Lead Guitar, Rowan Robertson-Guitars, Phil Chen-Bass)
19. Conviction (Rowan Robertson-Guitars, Phil Chen-Bass, Henn Stone-Guitars)
Witch is:
Peter Wabitt – Vocals
Punky Peru – Drums
Ronny Too – Guitars
Jim Warmon – Bass
3 McQueen Street – S/T (1991)
A few weeks ago on the Hard Rock Hideout Radio show, Brian Basher played a tune from the band McQueen Street. I immediately went scurrying through my collection of music to revisit this CD. I haven’t listened to McQueen Street in years, and never got around to loading it onto my drive.
The songs on this band’s 1991 debut area good mix of sleazy rockers, pop metal and even the dreaded ballads.
“In Heaven” is a tune that should have been a modest hit for McQueen Street. This song is worthy of a few replays.
“My Religion”, “Stick It” and “Money” are all solid tunes. I have played “Time” a few times, and I have grown to like this one quite a bit. There are parts of this song that have a real Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora type of style to it.
It almost sounds as if the band was trying to tap into the Aerosmith/Guns N’ Roses vibe with “Going Back To Mexico”. It doesn’t come close to achieving that level of greatness, 
and falls flat. The opening of this song reminds me of the Lionel Richie song “Dancing on the Ceiling” (insert shudder here).
“Woman In Love” features the six string wizardry of Steve Stevens, and this song rips as a result of his amazing fret work.
Derek Welsh’s vocals are quite noisy on the closing song “When I’m In The Mood”. This is fairly average stuff.
Overall, there a few good songs on this CD, and I am sure the hair metal fans will enjoy it. I wouldn’t consider this CD essential listening, but is worth picking up if the price is right.
It has been out of print for years, so eBay and Amazon.com are the best places to f ind it.
Rating: 
Out of 10
Track Listing:
- Only The Wind
- Two Worlds
- In Heaven
- Going Back To Mexico
- My Religion
- Stick It
- Money
- Time
- Woman In Love
- When I’m In The Mood
McQueen Street:
Derek Welsh – lead vocals and guitar
Michael Powers – lead guitar and background vocals
Richard Hatcher – bass and background vocals
Chris Welsh – drums, percussion and background vocal
Additional Musicians:
Jeff Scott Soto – background vocals
Steve Stevens – additional guitar
C.J. Vanston – keyboards
1 Billy Idol – The Very Best of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself (2008)
I don’t usually review greatest hits collections at Hard Rock Hideout. I usually prefer to collect an artists complete catalog, and create my own greatest hits collection. It is my feeling that each album is worth a review. Unless you are a die hard fan of a particular artist, it highly unlikely you will own all of their albums or compact discs. So why review this disc?
Not only does this disc come with two new tunes (John Wayne and New Future Weapon), but it also contains the complete Billy Idol video collection. Two of the videos on the DVD are previously unreleased versions.
Billy Idol’s music speaks for itself. His hybrid version of punk, pop and hard rock has created a slew of top 10 hits all over the world, and has turned Idol into a rock icon. Billy’s right hand man, guitarist Steve Stevens is easily one of the most under rated axe slingers from the 80’s. There are many songs on this collection where he cuts loose with some very cool guitar riffs. I often feel that his talent was overshadowed by the keyboards in Idol’s music, but he is a very good player nonetheless.
Many of you may already own Billy Idol’s first Greatest Hit collection, Vital Idol from 1987, or the newer one from 2001. Even if you do, you still may want to give this new collection a look. This Deluxe edition surpasses all of the previous versions. This collection is also a great starting point for new fans to check out the best parts of Idol’s career spanning music. I love owning copies of the music videos, so the DVD is one bonus that adds a lot of value to this collection. The only negative that I found with this collection is in the CD booklet. I thought it was a little light on information, and could have had a lot more details and pictures. That is only a small problem, and the music is what is the most important thing anyway.
The deluxe edition of Idolize Yourself is available at most retailers for under $20.00. It is well worth the price in my opinion.
For more information on Billy Idol, check out his website Billy Idol.net.
Rating:
Out of 10
Track Listing:
Disc: 1 (CD)
1. Dancing With Myself
2. Hot In The City
3. White Wedding Part 1
4. Rebel Yell
5. Eyes Without A Face
6. Flesh For Fantasy
7. Catch My Fall
8. To Be A Lover
9. Don’t Need A Gun
10. Sweet Sixteen
11. Mony, Mony (Live)
12. Cradle Of Love
13. L.A. Woman
14. Shock To The System
15. Speed
16. World Comin’ Down
17. John Wayne – new exclusive track
18. New Future Weapon – new exclusive track
Disc: 2 (DVD)
1. Dancing With Myself
2. Hot In The City (Uncensored Version) – previously unreleased
3. White Wedding, Part 1
4. Rebel Yell
5. Eyes Without A Face
6. Flesh For Fantasy
7. Catch My Fall
8. To Be A Lover
9. Don’t Need A Gun
10. Sweet Sixteen
11. Mony, Mony (Live)
12. Cradle Of Love (Extended Billy Idol Only Version) – previously unreleased
13. L.A. Woman
0 Win A Copy of The Very Best of Billy Idol CD
Billy Idol has recorded two brand new songs for The Very Best Of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself, a new career-spanning CD, Deluxe Edition CD/DVD and digital collection to be released June 24 by Capitol/EMI. The two songs, “John Wayne” and “New Future Weapon,” will be exclusively available on the new release, which features all seven of Idol’s Top 10 hits among its 18 tracks, including two #1s. The Deluxe Edition adds 13 music videos making their DVD release debuts, including two alternate video edits that have never before been released in any format. The CD and CD/DVD packages are both designed by Shepard Fairey and include liner notes by David Wild.
The Very Best Of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself gathers together the music that Billy Idol has taken to stages all around the world, as well as two brand new songs. The new tracks find the man still at the peak of his powers, working with longtime partner and guitar great Steve Stevens and his other current band members, drummer and songwriting collaborator Brian Tichy and keyboardist Derek Sherinian. On June 24, Idol will perform songs from the new release on the outdoor stage of ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”
Of his new song “John Wayne,” Idol says, “When I’m singing it, I’m thinking about the characters John Wayne played. They were usually men with a flaw in their character or something dark in their past they’re trying to rise above before the end of the movie. So it’s not about the kick-in-the-door John Wayne or the barroom fight John Wayne — it’s more the man who overcomes.”
Of the collection’s other new track, “New Future Weapon,” Idol says, “I was reading about the new stealth fighter plane the Raptor, and I was struck by the ambivalence of the pilot talking about the enemy. Musically, it’s got a bit of the Spaghetti Western about it. It’s a sick song, as you might expect.”
The two new songs are produced by Josh Abraham, whose production discography includes Velvet Revolver’s double platinum, Grammy Award-winning Contraband, 30 Seconds To Mars’ platinum A Beautiful Lie, Staind’s eight-times platinum Break The Cycle and double platinum 14 Shades of Grey, Limp Bizkit’s seven-times platinum Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water, and Courtney Love’s America’s Sweetheart, among many others.
The Deluxe Edition CD/DVD adds 13 music videos that helped forever define Idol as a rock icon, including previously unreleased edits of “Cradle Of Love” and “Hot In The City.” “We worked hard so there would be some consistency to the videos and so we wouldn’t have to be embarrassed one day,” Idol says. “We sweated over them – video hell, we would call it.” As with his vital music, Idol liked to use his videos to shake things up as much as possible. “That was a pretty bland time of corporate rock and afternoon television music, and we wanted to bring in a little more danger and after hours fun into it,” he explains. “Maybe that’s why we looked like vampires.”
Part of the Bromley Contingent of early Sex Pistols fans, Billy Idol was inspired to front the popular British punk band Generation X from 1976 until the band’s break-up in 1981. From there, he decided to try his luck in America. “I definitely took punk with me wherever I’ve gone,” Idol says. “That was the whole idea really. I wanted to transform my music, but I didn’t want to ever lose sight of that punk rock attitude. Whether we turned to hard rock or disco or whatever the hell else we did over the years, that helped give the music a spirit it would not have had if I hadn’t come out of the punk movement.”
Idol’s first solo album was released by Chrysalis in 1982, but it didn’t hit its chart peak until the following year. The self-titled album’s “White Wedding” and “Dancing with Myself” (a new version of a song Idol first recorded with Generation X) were major club hits in 1983, fueled by heavy video play on MTV. “White Wedding” also crossed over to the Top 5 of the Mainstream Rock chart, while “Hot In the City” made the Top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100, and Billy Idol was certified gold with U.S. sales totaling more than 500,000 units.
Idol really smashed through with his 1984 double platinum album, Rebel Yell. Stocked with major radio and MTV hits, including “Rebel Yell,” “Eyes Without a Face,” “Flesh For Fantasy” and “Catch My Fall,” the album reached #6 on the Billboard 200.
1987’s platinum-selling Vital Idol collection presented his hits in expanded remixes, including the chart-topping smash “Mony, Mony;” that same year, Idol released a new album, the platinum Top 10 Whiplash Smile, with its standout singles “To Be A Lover” and “Don’t Need A Gun.” The platinum-certified Charmed Life album followed in 1990 with “Cradle Of Love” and “L.A. Woman.” 1993’s Cyberpunk included the Top 10 Mainstream Rock hit “Shock To The System.” A platinum-selling Greatest Hits collection, released in 2000, re-charged Idol’s catalog, and 12 years after his last new album release, he returned with Devil’s Playground in 2005 (Sanctuary). The album’s “World Comin’ Down” is included in the new collection’s tracks.
“It’s funny what you have to do to carve out your own niche,” Idol says with a laugh when asked about the new collection’s Idolize Yourself title. “But everyone should idolize themselves, shouldn’t they?” The niche that Billy Idol has created over these past few decades is no laughing matter. Beyond the platinum sound and the platinum hair, Idol is respected as the original punk rocker who long ago found a way to take that sneering punk attitude to the top of the charts.
Listening back to The Very Best Of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself, the man himself felt a real sense of pride. “I was knocked out,” Idol says. “For all the up and downs, there’s some quality there. So I feel like I can walk into my house justified. The highs were very high — sometimes too high — and the lows were low, but somehow it still holds up.”
Track Listing:
1. Dancing With Myself
2. Hot In The City
3. White Wedding Part 1
4. Rebel Yell
5. Eyes Without A Face
6. Flesh For Fantasy
7. Catch My Fall
8. To Be A Lover
9. Don’t Need A Gun
10. Sweet Sixteen
11. Mony, Mony (Live)
12. Cradle Of Love
13. L.A. Woman
14. Shock To The System
15. Speed
16. World Comin’ Down
17. John Wayne – new exclusive track
18. New Future Weapon – new exclusive track
HardRockHideout.com has one copy of The Very Best of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself to give away to one lucky reader.
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