Nikki Sixx may be touring down under with Motley Crue in Australia, but the bassist is keeping his mind creatively occupied with ideas for his other band Sixx: A.M. as well. In his latest Australian tour journal, the bassist reveals that he’s been working on new music during his downtime on the road.
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Nikki Sixx Working on New Sixx: A.M. Song During Motley Crue’s Australian Tour
Shinedown, Three Days Grace + P.O.D. Devour Massachusetts With Rock Assault
Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com “You left me here like a chalk outline” – the chorus to the first single off of Three Days Grace latest disc ‘Transit of Venus’ rang out almost prophetic in nature as the band took the stage to ravage a rock-hungry New England crowd on a freezing February evening in Lowell, Mass., on Wednesday (Feb. 20). Shortly before the co-headlining tour with Shinedown kicked off, former Three Days Grace frontman Adam Gontier unceremoniously up and left the band without much notice, leaving them in a bit of a bind. Luckily, the music genes seem run deep in bassist Brad Walst’s family and he was able to recruit his brother, My Darkest Days frontman Matt Walst, to fill in on the trek. While this left Matt with some large shoes to fill and certainly sky high expectations, he seems to have settled into the role as the (temporary?) Three Days Grace vocalist with ease. The band erupted onto the stage looking as if they just crawled out of the wreckage of a post-apocalyptic showdown. With guns blazing in the form of behemoth beams of pyro, the band certainly showed no signs of only having recruited their singer a month ago, they played like a well-oiled machine. With one of the best bass faces in the business, Brad Walst performs alongside guitarist Barry Stock and drummer Neil Sanderson as seasoned vets on the stage. And while Matt Walst may be seeing some of the largest crowds he’s seen throughout his young career, you’d never know it. It’s hard to deny that many bands are defined by their lead singer and vocalwise, Walst’s voice has a lower register and overall sounds a lot cleaner than Gontier’s. There’s a lot less grit and grime and a bit more clarity fueled by his tenacity to deliver the songs in a manner where they still sound familiar. Of course, Gontier’s gritty vocals complement the often angst-ridded lyrics of Three Days Grace songs, but judging by the reaction of the crowd, Matt Walst was accepted with open arms. While the future of Three Days Grace seems a bit unclear at the moment, the band has truly embraced the rebellious spirit of rock and punched it into high gear to move forward wherever their path may take them. Shinedown were up next, starting off their set with a bit of a surprise. Drummer Barry Kerch walked onto stage solo and took his place behind the kit. As the music for their song ‘Enemies’ engulfed the arena, fans were searching to see where it was coming from. They only had to look back to the mixing board to see a separate smaller stage where vocalist Brent Smith, guitarist Zach Myers and bassist Eric Bass were getting the night started, rocking their hearts out. Halfway through the song, the three darted through the crowd and back to the main stage for a proper introduction to the near capacity venue. With something that has become part of a ritual at any Shinedown show, Smith encouraged fans to say hello to the people around them, engage a bit, and just have a good time throughout the night. It’s this all for one and one for all vibe that provides a lot of the backbone to their latest disc ‘Amaryllis’ and fuels such a solid connection between the band and their fans. Decked out head to toe in formal attire and looking like they’re possibly in the best shape of their lives, the sharp-dressed men of Shinedown didn’t let formality cloud their vision of getting down and dirty and delivering the best rock show in town. With a set that showcased their latest disc while still offering up some of the biggest hits of their career throughout, fans soaked up a retrospective of Shinedown’s full discography spanning from 2003’s ‘Leave a Whisper’ to their latest single ‘I’ll Follow You.” One thing Shinedown has mastered is seamlessly in a live environment is transitioning from uptempo rockers to more heartfelt ballads without losing energy along the way. This is something that has clearly come from years of experience. There’s a lot of fun going on up there too. Between Smith striking rockstar worthy poses centerstage, Myers and Bass swapping sides of the stage to say hi to the fans sitting on the sides, and Kerch’s hair flying to the beat of his own drum, the guys in Shinedown obviously love what they do, and that kind of infectious energy is the permeating kind. Although it seemed that their time onstage felt a bit short — Shinedown fans would probably feel that way if the set spanned three hours – the band delivered a jam-packed set that featured a slew of familiar chart-topping hits. Boom! P.O.D. got the night started with a short set that featured hit tunes like ‘Alive’ and ‘Youth of a Nation.’ Before their time was over, frontman Sonny Sandoval jumped off the stage and right into the fray to visit the fans in the front row and sing a song with them. After their hiatus, it’s great to see P.O.D. back in their element. It’s obvious that’s where they are at their best, so get there early to check them out! The Shinedown, Three Days Grace, P.O.D. tour continues through the end of March, check out all the remaining dates here . Photos of Shinedown, Three Days Grace + P.O.D. in Lowell, Mass.: Shinedown: Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Three Days Grace: Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com P.O.D.: Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com
Olympic Swimmer Ryan Lochte Recreates Nirvana’s ‘Nevermind’ Album Cover
Matthias Clamer, ESPN The Magazine If imitation is the ultimate sign of flattery, then Nirvana ‘s ‘Nevermind’ album cover has to be one of the most beloved images in pop culture history. The iconic artwork has been replicated many times over the years, and Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte is the latest to pay tribute, recreating the image for ‘ESPN The Magazine’s new music issue. The magazine has turned their focus to sports loving musicians for their latest issue, with Pearl Jam ‘s Jeff Ament recently sharing his basketball past in a piece that turned up prior to the issue’s release. Incidentally, the image of Lochte swimming with the almighty dollar in front of him seems apt as since his Olympic victories the commercial opportunities have opened up. He recently signed on to star in the reality series , ‘What Would Ryan Lochte Do?’ The ‘ESPN The Magazine’ music issue hit newsstands today (Feb. 8). See a full gallery of Ryan Lochte’s ‘Nevermind’ photo shoot here and see a behind-the-scenes video below: Ryan Lochte ‘Nevermind’ Photo Shoot – Behind-the-Scenes Video [button href=”http://loudwire.com/unique-smells-like-teen-spirit-covers/” title=”Next: Unique ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ Covers” align=”center”]
Coheed and Cambria Offer Full Stream of New Disc ‘The Afterman: Descension’
Hundred Handed / Everything Evil Progressive rock quartet Coheed and Cambria will be releasing the second part of their ‘Afterman’ double album on Feb. 5, but fans won’t have to wait until tomorrow to hear the band’s seventh studio album. Coheed & Cambria’s ‘The Afterman: Descension’ is now available for streaming in full at RollingStone.com (click below). The New York band released the first part of their ‘Afterman’ series, ‘Ascension,’ in October of last year, allowing fans to absorb part of the progressive space journey before hitting them with part two. Based on the ‘Amory Wars’ comic books written by Coheed & Cambria frontman Claudio Sanchez, ‘The Afterman: Descension’ will be the latest part of the story, completing the ‘Afterman’ sequence. ‘The Afterman: Ascension’ received positive reviews by critics after its release, and when listening to the journey’s second half, it’s fair to speculate that the critical praise Coheed & Cambria have captured will continue. Mixing their slow-churning prog with energetic post-hardcore and pop punk sensibilities, the epic nature of C&C’s music doesn’t diminish a bit with this latest release. Rolling Stone has unveiled ‘The Aftermath: Descension’ exclusively for online streaming, so click on the button below to check out the full album for yourself. Happy space travels! [button href=”hhttp://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/coheed-and-cambria-the-afterman-descension-vol-2-album-premiere-20130204″ title=”Click to Listen to Coheed and Cambria’s ‘The Afterman: Descension’ in Full” align=”center”]
Lamb of God Vocalist Randy Blythe’s Manslaughter Trial Begins in Czech Republic
Instagram: drandallblythe Randy Blythe has traveled back to the Czech Republic, where his trial on manslaughter charges began today (Feb. 4). Before entering the courtroom, the Lamb of God vocalist posted a photo of himself in a suit and tie (seen to the left), with a message to his fans: “And so it begins,” wrote Blythe on Instagram . “I am calm & prepared. Everyone, thanks for your good thoughts and prayers. Have a nice day, y’all!” As widely reported, Blythe was arrested this past summer on charges of manslaughter stemming from the 2010 death of a 19-year-old man named Daniel, who passed away a few weeks after allegedly being tossed from the stage at a Lamb of God show. Daniel’s family is seeking $530,000 U.S. dollars for the loss of their son, while Blythe also faces 5 to 10 years in prison if convicted. According to The Gauntlet , at the Prague City Court today, Blythe stated, “I’ve kept my word. I said that I would come back to court today and I did. I do not shy away from responsibility. I’m not a person who runs away from problems. But I do not want to be punished for something I did not do. The fan’s death breaks my heart. I never saw Daniel and I never came in contact with him.” The trial, which is expected to run from today through Friday, Feb. 8, began with both sides presenting their cases. In a rough translation from the Czech news site Cesky Rozhlas , the prosecution claimed that Blythe pushed Daniel with great force to the point that he fell off the stage over a metal barrier and hit his head on the ground. The prosecutor went on to explain that the young man hit the back and lower part of his brain, suffering internal bleeding. Blythe testified that the security at the club was insufficient and that several fans tried to rush the stage. As mentioned above, the Gauntlet reports that Blythe insisted he never saw Daniel or came into contact with him. According to WTVR , Lamb of God’s drummer Chris Adler and manager Larry Mazer testified on Blythe’s behalf, praising his character and calling him a quiet person despite his onstage persona. Tomorrow’s proceedings are expected to include testimony from 12 witnesses who attended the 2010 concert. We will update this story as news breaks. Check back with Loudwire for the latest on Randy Blythe’s ongoing trial in the Czech Republic. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/tags/randy-blythe/” title=”See More of the Latest News on Randy Blythe” align=”center”]