GUNS N' ROSES: Coming Back for a Full Tour
After revealing last week they'd be doing a headline slot at Welcome to Rockville, Guns N' Roses have announced a full North American tour -- and a new single. GNR will play in Hollywood, Florida on May 5th before their Rockville slot on May 7th in Daytona Beach. The full tour starts July 23rd in Raleigh, North Carolina and wraps up September 19th in Atlanta.
Fans need to sign up for the GNR artist presale by next Monday, December 1st, with that presale slated for December 3rd at 10am. General on sales start December 5th.
As part of the tour announcement, GNR will release a new single of two songs that date back to the Chinese Democracy sessions -- “Nothin'” and “Atlas” -- on December 2nd. This release had been rumored for months after short clips of both songs leaked on the internet over the summer.
May 5 Hollywood FL Hard Rock Live
May 7 Daytona Beach FL Welcome to Rockville Festival
July 23 Raleigh NC Carter-Finley Stadium
July 26 Saratoga Springs NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center
July 29 Tinley Park IL Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
August 1 Hershey PA Hersheypark Stadium
August 5 Toronto ON Rogers Stadium
August 8 Shakopee MN Mystic Lake Amphitheater
August 12 East Rutherford NJ MetLife Stadium
August 16 St Louis MO Busch Stadium
August 19 Kansas City MO Morton Amphitheater
August 22 Las Vegas NV Allegiant Stadium
August 26 Edmonton AB Commonwealth Stadium
August 29 Vancouver BC BC Place
September 2 San Diego CA Snapdragon Stadium
September 5 Pasadena CA Rose Bowl Stadium
September 9 Arlington TX Globe Life Field
September 12 Ridgedale MO Thunder Ridge Nature Arena
September 16 San Antonio TX Alamodome
September 19 Atlanta GA Truist Park
PETE TOWNSHEND: Let My Love Close the Door?
Pete Townshend's biggest solo hit nearly got left on the cutting room floor. Earlier this month, during the week leading up to the New York premiere of Quadrophenia, a Rock Ballet, Townshend made the media rounds, appearing on two national TV shows as well as national radio broadcast. While on Stephen Colbert he performed "Let My Love Open the Door" with The Late Show Band during a commercial break, which you can now watch on YouTube.
Ironically, the song off his third album, 1980's Empty Glass, almost didn't see the light of day because ATCO Records president Doug Morris felt it didn't belong. Townshend said "The first track was a heavy rock track. The next track was a kind of pop track. The next track was a heavy rock track. And when it got to 'Let Me Love Open the Door' he said, 'I think we should leave this off.' He felt it was too pop. So, the album came out, and that was the record that was the hit -- that was the radio play. And, when I did my second album with him, which was Chinese Eyes, I played it to him and he said, 'Pete, where's the 'Let My Love Open the Door'?'"
Ironically, Townshend also felt it wasn't among his best songs, once saying it was "just a ditty" -- a short, simple song. "Let My Love Open the Door" peaked at number-nine on the Billboard Hot 100 and remains his only Top 10 solo hit.
QUEEN: Keeping Themselves Alive
While Brian May and Roger Taylor are the only two members of Queen who still perform, they say they have "so many opportunities" on how to keep the brand alive long after they're not able. In an interview with Big Issue, May says, “Things that are immersive, like the Sphere in Las Vegas, it will be possible to give people the experience very closely of what things were like for us when we were Freddie [Mercury], John [Deacon], Brian and Roger. And that really appeals to me. “In our Queen shows for a very long time I’ve been doing ‘Love of My Life.’ And in the end, Freddie comes in and joins me on video. It was just quite simply done, but it’s a way of involving Freddie, and I think we can basically take that a lot further. It wouldn’t be just playing old footage or whatever. It would be creating Queen as if we were creating it today.
“I’m very taken with the idea that we can be the original Queen again.”
But Taylor is not completely convinced. Though he did enjoy the ABBA avatar show, Voyages, he noticed some glitches. “I didn’t find the actual projections that convincing. I do think technology now has come so much further since the ABBA show started, I think a lot more can be done.” KISS have an avatar-style show in development and they've also pointed out the advancement in technology since Voyages premiered in 2022. They hope to unveil their production in 2027.
QUEEN: Not a Good Day
The world lost a king on November 24th in 1991 when Freddie Mercury succumbed to complications from AIDS. Brian May posted a tribute on Instagram, which was accompanied by a warning to those who might question what he posted, which is a painting of Mercury through his adult and childhood years. He wrote, "The most beautiful memories are the saddest. Remembering the one and only Freddie M. I'm going to say this only once, to you people who think you're so clever. This [post] has nothing to do with AI. It is the work of an artist whom I was pleased to credit, above [Nenu Ph]. And I'm reminded again that, in commenting, if we have only a negative comment to offer, it's better to shut up."
Queen drummer Roger Taylor also paid tribute by posting on Instagram a photo of himself and Mercury sitting behind a vase of daffoldils, which he captioned, "The Daffodil Twins”……Miss you my friend. Freddie Mercury was 45.
Goo Goo Dolls Announce 2026 Las Vegas Residency
Goo Goo Dolls are getting ready for a Las Vegas Residency at the Venetian Theatre next year. In a post on social media, the band wrote "we're coming to Las Vegas in May 2026." The shows are scheduled for May 15th, 16th, 20th, 22nd, and 23rd. Tickets are available now.
SQUEEZE: Tilbrook Reveals Childhood Abuse
Squeeze singer-guitarist Glenn Tilbrook has revealed that he was abused as a teenager.
He told The Telegraph that he "met a guy when I was 13 who abused me. And he, in many ways, also introduced me to a wider world. He took me to the Glastonbury Festival in 1971.”
Almost the same age as his father, they met through another man at the first gig he ever went to. “It was in a scout hut in Eltham, and it was the Irish band Tír Na Nog, who I really liked. I went by myself. I would have been just early 13, and that’s where I met, not this guy, [named] Ron, but another guy…this guy just says, ‘Come over to our squat.’ And that’s where I met Ron actually, at that squat.” It’s the first time that Tilbrook talked about this part of his life, and he told the paper, "I don’t feel angry, [But] as I’ve got older, I’ve realized things that haven’t been OK, in certain ways that I behave." Earlier this month Squeeze announced that they will release their first studio album in nine years. Trixies will be out on March 6th.
JIMMY CLIFF: Reggae Legend Dead at 81
Jimmy Cliff, the legendary reggae artist and Jamaican icon, has passed away at the age of 81.
His wife Latifa Chambers shared the news on his official Instagram account this morning writing, "It’s with profound sadness that I share that my husband, Jimmy Cliff, has crossed over due to a seizure followed by pneumonia. I am thankful for his family, friends, fellow artists and coworkers who have shared his journey with him. To all his fans around the world, please know that your support was his strength throughout his whole career. He really appreciated each and every fan for their love."
Born in Jamaica in 1944, Cliff was best known for classics like "You Can Get It If You Really Want," "Many Rivers to Cross" and "The Harder They Come," the title track from the 1972 film that made him an international star and helped reggae reach a worldwide audience. He earned two Grammy Awards, seven nominations, and in 2010 became one of only two Jamaicans, alongside Bob Marley, inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Cliff worked with a variety or artists including like the Rolling Stones and Paul Simon, and his songs were covered by Bruce Springsteen and Willie Nelson. Bob Dylan once called Cliff’s 1969 song "Vietnam" the greatest protest song ever written.
IN OTHER NEWS
Lindsey Buckingham revealed in an Instagram post that he's working on a new album, saying that it "reflects what I’ve learned from making solo records over the last 25 years, and it stands as a culmination of both the ethical and idealistic line I’ve worked to hold."
KISS singer-guitarist Paul Stanley will once again make the rounds in support of his artwork. He will put in an appearance at the Wentworth Gallery in Short Hills, New Jersey on December 13th. And in other KISS-related news, their hired-hand guitarist Tommy Thayer has reunited with singer Jaime St. James from his former band, Black ’N Blue, on the new six-song EP Bombshell. It’s available at ThayerStJames.com.
Toto guitarist Steve Lukather was recently in the studio with Ringo Starr, whose All-Starr Band he’s a member of. Luke posted a photo from the session on Instagram. Ringo is working on another country album.
Foo Fighters have put together an animated video for their 2020 cover of Chuck Berry‘s “Run Rudolph Run.” It features Santa and his reindeer jamming on guitar. You can watch it on YouTube.
Heart acknowledged Soundgarden’s recent induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame at their show on Sunday in Seattle – where both bands are from – by performing “Black Hole Sun.” Ann Wilson also dedicated “Magic Man” to Michael Fisher, the guitarist and co-founder of the band that became Heart before Ann and Nancy joined. Fisher was Ann’s former boyfriend and the inspiration for the song.
Blondie drummer Clem Burke would have turned 71 yesterday (Monday, November 24th). Debbie Harry and Chris Stein marked the day with a post on Instagram, which they captioned: “We lost our friend and drummer Clem Burke in April of this year. Clem was the heartbeat of Blondie - vital to our sound, success, and spirit. His extraordinary talent, infectious enthusiasm and fierce work ethic shaped everything we did. From the moment he answered our Village Voice ad for a ‘freak energy musical experienced drummer,’ our lives changed forever. We believe his energy lives on — somewhere still vibrant, echoing in ways we can’t yet understand. Happy Birthday, Clem — wherever you are.” Burke died from cancer.