Sonisphere teams up with Guitar Hero /Metallica/

SONISPHERE is teaming up with Guitar Hero for all six of the new Rock festival’s European dates, lucky competition winners have the chance to meet METALLICA and play Guitar Hero in front of thousands on the main stage.

As sponsor of this year’s SONISPHERE Festivals throughout Europe and with Guitar Hero’s latest signing, METALLICA, headlining the events, what better way to celebrate than to give fans a piece of the action?

SONISPHERE festival goers can live out their fantasies on Guitar Hero instruments at all six SONISPHERE venues storming through Holland, Germany, Spain, Sweden, Finland, before finishing with two-days at the historic Knebworth House in the UK, as well as at some of the band’s 37 European tour locations.

Plus, METALLICA fans on the European tour dates can win exclusive tickets to the SONISPHERE festivals and get their hands on signed Guitar Hero: Metallica merchandise.

A lucky few will also win the chance to play the game on the main stage at a SONISPHERE in front of tens of thousands of fans, whilst two competition winners from each country will bag the ultimate prize: The chance to meet METALLICA!

Become a legend this year with Guitar Hero: Metallica as you play through the stunning musical career of the world’s greatest metal band. Shred on guitar, rip on drums and wail on the mic to a set list featuring over 45 explosive hits from Metallica’s illustrious career and a wide variety of other legendary artists personally selected by the band, such as SONISPHERE allies ALICE IN CHAINS, MACHINE HEAD, MASTODON, THIN LIZZY and THE SWORD.

As part of Activision’s sponsorship of the SONISPHERE Festivals, each of METALLICA’s tour dates will also include Guitar Hero: Metallica pre-show events, giving fans the opportunity to unleash their inner rock god on specially made Guitar Hero stages before the release of Guitar Hero: Metallica in May 2009.

In addition, there will also be a variety of free limited edition Guitar Hero: Metallica items up for grabs, as well as after-parties featuring live DJs, on-stage Guitar Hero: Metallica dueling for prizes and celebrity face-offs, at some venues.

'Guitar Hero: Metallica is all about putting the ultimate metal experience into the hands of gamers and evolving the relationship between music and gaming,' says Sian Evans, European marketing manager, Activision, 'Sponsoring the SONISPHERE Festivals in 2009 is a great extension of this and being able to give fans a chance to play the game before the band’s European tour shows is a fantastic opportunity to share the passion within the game with some of their biggest fans.'

Jimi Hendrix- ---Foxy Lady

Music of the day----Back in black

Faith No More to headline Hove

A reunited Faith No More will headline this year's Hove Festival in Norway. It is eleven years since the band initially split up, and Hove is one of the few hand-picked festivals in Europe which can add the band to their line-up. The legendary rock band will headline on Thursday the 25th of June. So far Hove is the bands’ only confirmed gig in Scandinavia.

'Their headline performance at Pheonix in 1993 is still ringing in my ears. This is a hell of a coup for Hove! Faith No More’s music remains relevant today and their influence over today's younger bands is huge' commented Melvin Benn, who in addition to Norway’s Hove Festival is one of the main organisers for Glastonbury, Latitude, Reading and Leeds.

Situated on an island close to the southern city of Arendal, the Hove Festival site is surrounded by deep woods and a mirror-like ocean. This is the most natural location for a festival that prides itself in being the first carbon neutral festival in Scandinavia.

The line up so far includes among others: The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, Slipknot, The Ting Tings, Q-Tip, Fleet Foxes, Crookers, Disturbed, Metronomy, Eagles of Death Metal and many more.

Hove 2009 will take place between the 22nd and 25th of June. For tickets and more info about the festival, see www.hovefestival.com.

Coldplay, Beastie Boys, Arctic Monkeys for All Points West

Coldplay, Beastie Boys, Vampire Weekend and Arctic Monkeys have all been confirmed to perform at this year’s All Points West festival in New Jersey.

The second annual event will take place in Liberty State Park, just a ferry ride from Manhattan, from July 31 to August 2 and will also feature Tool, Echo And The Bunnymen, My Bloody Valentine, MGMT, The Black Keys, Fleet Foxes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, We Are Scientists and Lykke Li, among many others.

The lineup so far is:

Friday, July 31:
Beastie Boys
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Vampire Weekend
The National
Fleet Foxes
MSTRKRFT
Q-Tip
The Pharcyde
Organized Konfusion
The Knux
Ra Ra Riot
Seasick Steve
Telepathe
Shearwater
Heartless Bastards
Flying Lotus
College Humor Live
Arj Barker
Eugene Mirman
Bo Burnham

Saturday, August 1:
Tool
My Bloody Valentine
Gogol Bordello
Arctic Monkeys
Neko Case
The Ting Tings
Yelle
Crystal Castles
St Vincent
Tokyo Police Club
The Cool Kids
Kool Keith
Cage The Elephant
Chairlift
White Rabbits
Electric Touch
The Postelles
Black Gold
College Humor Live
Tim And Eric
Judah Friedlander
Jim Jeffries

Sunday, August 2:
Coldplay
Echo And The Bunnymen
MGMT
The Black Keys
Elbow
Silversun Pickups
Mogwai
We Are Scientists
Ghostland Observatory
The Gaslight Anthem
Etienne De Crecy
Lykke Li
Akron/Family
Steel Train
Kitty, Daisy And Lewis
College Humor Live
Janeane Garofalo
Michael Showalter
Todd Barry

According to organisers, this year’s event has been improved since last summer with improved transport capacity to the venue. In addition, beer gardens will be larger and include shade tents for comfort.

Keith Richards almost pulled gig over shepherd's pie

Keith Richards almost cancelled a concert because of a shepherd's pie.

Former Stereophonics drummer Stuart Cable - who supported The Rolling Stones on a European tour - was amazed when the band's frontman Sir Mick Jagger warned him he was in trouble for helping himself to a portion of the mashed potato-topped treat before Keith had eaten.

Stuart revealed in his new book 'Demons and Cocktails': "I whacked several hefty spoonfuls onto my plate. Mick Jagger came in and stopped in his tracks and the pleasantness suddenly left his face, 'Who's eating that?' /how to play the guitar/

"He said, 'Do you know the rules? You never, ever, take the shepherd's pie unless Keith's broken the crust first.' He twirled on his heels and said jokingly, 'Enjoy the show, boys. If there will be a show. I'm not sure if he'll go on after this.' At least I thought it was a joke."
Desperate to avoid a disaster, Stuart was ordered to take the pie back to the canteen to be "recrusted". /how to play the guitar/

He explained: "Luckily, when I got to catering I knew the waitress. She took it back and shook her head slowly and muttered, 'Don't you know the rules?'
But she soon went to work on it and re-laid the potato topping making it as good as new, even if it was a little thinner. Major world disaster averted."
Despite his attempts to conceal the pilfered pie, Stuart was confronted by Keith after the show.

He added: "Later that night we were invited to play pool with them. Suddenly Keith stopped the game in mid-stroke. The lines on his face were more prominent than normal. Then he potted the yellow, placed his cue down and wandered over to me, a joint dangling on the edge of his lips. 'You ate my shepherd's pie, didn't you?' he whispered." /how to play the guitar/

Wolfmother return with new track

WOLFMOTHER are about to return with a new line-up and a brand new track.



The band announced last August that they had effectively split up, after bassist and keyboard player Chris Ross left due to "irreconcilable personal and musical differences". /how to play the guitar/

But and guitarist Andrew Stockdale vowed to continue under the Wolfmother name with a new line-up.

And today they released a download of a new track called Back Round, available from today on Wolfmother.com.

Although the track is free, the band are encouraging fans to donate to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal at redcross.org.au. /how to play the guitar/

The new look band debuted the track last Friday (March 27) at the MTV Australia Music Awards in Sydney.

They have now returned to LA to complete their album with producer Alan Moulder. /how to play the guitar/