Nuclear Blast An incredibly epic marriage proposal took place last night (Sept. 26) in Santiago, Chile. During a performance from Dutch symphonic metal act Epica , a fan was invited onstage for “something special,” before proposing to his girlfriend in front of the audience. After performing the track ‘Sancta Terra,’ the band took their first of two encores that night. Before blasting into their track ‘Quietus,’ guitarist / vocalist Mark Jansen invited fan Robert Castillo onstage and gave him a mic. Castillo began to tell the crowd how he met a woman at a prior Epica show, who would later become “the love of my life.” Castillo then invited his girlfriend, Cynthia Oyarzun, onstage. After hugging and kissing her, Castillo went down on one knee and asked her in English, “Will you marry me?” She accepted his proposal, which was met with cheers from the audience and the band. Epica vocalist Simone Simons came out from backstage to congratulate the couple, wishing them “love, luck and a lot of sex.” Check out this fan filmed footage of the Epica marriage proposal in the video below. Fan Proposes to Girlfriend at Epica Concert
Peta2 Serj Tankian has spent countless hours trying to raise the awareness of human rights, and now in a new Peta2 video he’s taking the time to address how we view animal rights, as well. The System of a Down singer challenges the idea that animals are lesser beings on this planet, and states, “I think that’s something that we always forget with our self-differentiation and egos – that we think that we’re different, but we are animals.” By putting out the idea that we as humans are actually animals, too, the singer is hoping that it changes the way that we view things like the killing of other creatures. Tankian says that he’s surprise that there aren’t more people adopting animals from shelters. “There’s so many animals in the shelters right now and have been for a good period of time and statistics are that at least 50% of them are killed,” says Tankian. “It’s cause no one adopts them, and it’s a shame.” He also chimes in on the seal slaughter that goes on annually in Canada, stating, “It’s shocking that something like this could still be happening today.” The singer has joined the likes of fellow rockers Dave Navarro , Rise Against ‘s Tim McIlrath, OTEP , Dillinger Escape Plan , Social Distortion ‘s Mike Ness and more in teaming with peta2 in trying to sway the way that humans view cruelty toward animals. Tankian’s peta2 video can be seen below: Watch Serj Tankian Talk To Peta2 [button href=”http://loudwire.com/system-of-a-down-serj-tankian-offers-his-take-on-the-2012-u-s-presidential-election/” title=”Next: Serj Tankian Talks 2012 Presidential Election” align=”center”]
Ian Hitchcock, Getty Images In what may prove to be a jarring legal setback for artists who live next door to famous people and want to try and use that proximity as the basis for an unauthorized exhibit, Axl Rose has issued a cease-and-desist notice to the exhibitor behind the L.A. art show titled ‘ Axl Rose Was My Neighbor .’ Compiled by Laura London, who describes herself as “similar to a social anthropologist” in the way she managed to snap photos of property belonging to Axl Rose, who was her neighbor, ‘Axl Rose Was My Neighbor’ purports to offer viewers a glimpse into the Guns N’ Roses frontman’s suburban existence during the early ’90s through a combination of London’s photographs and the work of actors who will create a, ahem, “docudrama based on an interpretation and depiction of actual events.” Surprisingly, Rose does not seem at all interested in having strangers view photos of his former home, and/or a recreation of his past that London describes as “a combination of personal experience, memory, observation and imagination.” He seems particularly perturbed by one photo in particular, which depicts a garage door spray-painted with hostile graffiti aimed at Rose’s ex-wife, Erin Everly; while London claims Rose is responsible for the vandalism, he’s calling her contention “outrageous, false, fabricated and highly defamatory.” “Mr. Rose never spray-painted anything,” reads the letter, drafted by Rose’s busy attorney. “Your salacious and inflammatory statements are plainly designed to garner attention and line your pockets with money.” The letter is directed toward Mat Gleason, the founder of the exhibition space Coagula Curatorial , while Laura London is CC’ed, as well. TMZ has posted the letter , which requests that the exhibitor post an apology and that all presentations of ’Once Upon a Time … Axl Rose Was My Neighbor’ be canceled. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/axl-rose-was-my-neighbor-photo-recreation-exhibit-fall/” title=”Next: Learn More About the Axl Rose Photo Exhibit” align=”center”]
Photo by Chris Konigsmayr Here’s a look at the top stories of the day on Loudwire and around the Web: – Papa Roach ‘s Jacoby Shaddix offers an update on his recovery after vocal surgery, and it’s definitely not affected his outgoing spirit. [ Loudwire ] – They’ve rocked hard for over 30 years, setting the standard for thrash metal. Check out our salute to Slayer with the 10 Best Slayer Songs. [ Loudwire ] – Slash definitely has a fondness for animation after his ‘Phineas and Ferb’ appearance. Watch the rocker’s sinister new animated clip for ‘Bad Rain.’ [ Loudwire ] – Bruce Springsteen guitarist Steven Van Zandt is looking for some Kickstarter campaign backers to get the Rascals back together and touring. [ Ultimate Classic Rock ] – It’s a sad day with the death of legendary crooner Andy Williams. Take a look a several alternative covers of his classic song ‘Moon River.’ [ Diffuser.fm ] – It’s been buzzed about for a couple of years but that Thom Yorke / Flea band Atoms for Peace may have finally nailed down a schedule for their first album. [ Rock Music Report ]
Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Motley Crue singer Vince Neil is doing his part to encourage the next generation of rockers, as the vocalist hopped onstage with the members of teen rock band Going Dark to perform the classic ‘Girls Girls Girls’ in New Jersey over the weekend. The singer has been staging after-parties following shows on the Motley Crue and Kiss tour, often times employing a local band to play and occasionally making their day by joining them onstage. Neil recently did a similar thing after his band’s Toronto performance , teaming up with Motley Crue tribute band, Crued. TMZ reports that the New Jersey party definitely was special for the 12-, 14- and 16-year-old members of the band, as not only did Neil sing with them, but he brought along porn star Lisa Ann to dance onstage while they played. After the song was over, Neil high-fived, shook hands, and hugged the band members before the group signed off for the evening. Neil isn’t the first celebrity to cross their paths, as Going Dark recently had boxing champ Sergio Martinez intro their video for ‘Stand Up.’ Watch Vince Neil Perform ‘Girls Girls Girls’ With Gone Dark [button href=”http://loudwire.com/motley-crue-kiss-donate-100k-relief-fund-aurora-shooting-victims/” title=”Next: Motley Crue and Kiss Donate $100K to Aurora Shooting Victims” align=”center”]
Prospect Park Congrats are in order for Five Finger Death Punch , as the group’s latest record, ‘ American Capitalist ,’ has been certified gold for shipping over 500,000 copies in the United States. The band’s previous two albums — 2007′s ‘The Way of the Fist’ and 2009′s ‘War Is the Answer’ — also achieved the mark. ‘American Capitalist’ shot out of the gate with a solid start, debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 album chart back in October 2011. Guitarist Zoltan Bathory says of the accomplishment, “I think it’s a huge win for all of us, not just for us as a band but for the entire genre of hard rock and heavy metal. This is a loud and clear indicator that heavy music is in demand and if a relatively new band like us can accomplish something like this, then maybe this is just the prelude for the shape of things to come.” The album sales also coincide with the band’s chart success with their singles, as the group has surpassed 3.6 million songs sold. In total, the group has scored ten Top 10 singles at Active Rock radio and a No. 1 song with the current single ‘ Coming Down .’ Singer Ivan Moody says, “Radio stations across the U.S., and basically the whole world, have been very supportive of the band. We are grateful and remain indebted to them for stepping behind us, and as our fan base continues to grow year after year, it is clear that rock radio is far from dead. People are listening.” Five Finger Death Punch spent the summer headlining the Trespass America tour, and they’re currently catching a breather before finishing up 2012 with their performance on the Shiprocked Cruise leaving from Fort Lauderdale, Fla,. on Nov. 27. Guitarist Jason Hook recently stated that the group is looking ahead to the ‘American Capitalist’ follow-up and have an eye toward January to start work on the effort. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/five-finger-death-punch-invite-next-generation-of-heavy-metal-onstage/” title=”Next: Five Finger Death Punch Teach Next Generation of Metal” align=”center”]
Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Fans turned out in droves for the New York City stop of the ‘Epic Kings & Idols’ tour featuring Katatonia , Devin Townsend Project , Paradise Lost and Stolen Babies. Katatonia are out in support of their ninth full length record ‘Dead End Kings’ and they kicked off their set with ‘Dead Letters’ from the new album. The Swedish metalers also performed new tracks like ‘Buidings,’ ‘Lethean’ and ‘The Racing Heart’ along with older cuts ‘Teargas,’ ‘Walking by a Wire,’ ‘My Twin’ and more. Devin Townsend and the rest of his band had the most energetic set of the night and put on one of the best shows of the year. Townsend has one hell of a voice and he belted out songs such as ‘Supercrush,’ ‘Juular,’ ‘Vampira,’ as well as numerous others. The band also showcased the new album ‘Epicloud’ with performances of ‘Kingdom,’ ‘Lucky Animals’ and ‘Grace.’ Townsend is known for his fun stage presence, and he threw smiles and funny faces to the welcoming and enthusiastic crowd. The Devin Townsend Project is one group of musicians that cannot be missed in concert. Paradise Lost performed a vigorous set that kicked off with ‘Enchantment,’ ‘Erased’ and ‘The Enemy.’ They also played the title track of their latest record ‘Tragic Idol’ and another new tune ‘In This We Dwell,’ as well as older favorites ‘Faith Divides Us’ and ‘Say Just Words.’ Stolen Babies opened up the show and began the night of madness with their carnivalesque, avant garde metal set, which fans really dug. Frontwoman and accordion player Dominique Lenore Persi would later grace the stage again during Devin Townsend’s set. Check out our photos below of the show at New York City’s Irving Plaza. Katatonia Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Devin Townsend Project: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Paradise Lost: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Stolen Babies: Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire Liz Ramanand, Loudwire