Getty Images (3) Foo Fighters , Kid Rock and Lenny Kravitz were among the musicians that rocked Led Zeppelin classics during the Kennedy Center Honors tribute to the legendary rock band, which took place a few weeks ago but aired last night (Dec. 26) on CBS. Only half of the Foo Fighters’ two-song set from the event, which was originally taped on Dec. 1, aired on TV, but at least we got to see the guys jam out to ‘Rock and Roll’ with the Foos’ drummer Taylor Hawkins stepping into the role of lead singer, doing his best Robert Plant impression. Meanwhile, Grohl paid tribute to his drum hero, the late John Bonham, by pounding the skins during the performance. Kid Rock rocked the stage for a high-energy rendition of ‘Ramble On,’ off 1969?s ‘Led Zeppelin II,’ while Kravitz delivered a strong performance of ‘Whole Lotta Love’ with President Obama seen singing along from the audience. The Zeppelin tribute started with a comedic speech by actor-musician Jack Black and ended with a rendition of ‘Stairway to Heaven’ led by Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart. Check out the performances in the clip below: Watch the Led Zeppelin Kennedy Center Honors Tribute Performances
Twitter: arejayhalestorm Halestorm may have received an early Christmas gift with their Grammy nomination but when we spoke to frontwoman Lzzy Hale she humorously reflected on the presents she got last year and explains what she would like this Christmas. We asked Hale if she ever got her latex pants and custom Gibson guitar, the presents that she told us she wanted last Christmas, and she explained, “I didn’t get either of those items under the tree but it just so happens later on, after a month or so, things started happening.” She goes on to talk about actually getting the infamous latex pants: “I did end up getting them — [Laughs] I don’t know whether to be flattered or creeped out, but I got these latex rubber pants from a fan who actually heard that or saw that article. He was so sweet about it but it was basically in a brown paper bag [Laughs]. It was interesting.” She continued, “It was just a pair of latex pants and the funniest thing was — I still have them. I didn’t wear them yet because I’m trying to think of the most appropriate [time] — it has a couple of accessories on them that I don’t know if it would be appropriate to be photographed in. They have the crotch zipper. I’m like, ‘Well I’m just going to put these in a drawer and will save them for a special occasion’ or maybe not. More power to them, we have crazy fans — you got to respect the crazy.” Hale went on to say, “I also did end up getting a custom Gibson guitar, so it was very cool. They ended up making that for me — so yes both of those came true.” When asked what she would like for this Christmas she responded by saying, “This year you know what I would love, as much as I love to travel and I love how busy our schedule has been — what I would love right now is to be on a boat for three days [Laughs] take some time off. I can’t afford to do that yet but that’s what I want.” [button href=”http://loudwire.com/halestorm-lzzy-hale-on-grammy-nomination-personal-victory-for-the-four-of-us/” title=”Next: Lzzy Hale Talks Grammy Nomination” align=”center”]
YouTube Papa Roach are ending 2012 with a little video extravaganza. Earlier this month, fans got the ‘ Where Did the Angels Go ‘ clip and now, getting in just under the 2012 deadline, there’s a new video for ‘Before I Die.’ The promo itself finds a grieving Jacoby Shaddix haunted by visions of lost love, often to his own detriment. Playing it close to the lyrical concept of the song, the video shows Shaddix expressing his heartbreak by chasing his visions into dangerous situations in an attempt to hold onto the past. Earlier this year, Shaddix told Loudwire about ‘Before I Die,’ “I was going through a separation with my wife during the process of making the record. Fast forward to the present and we’re working it out now, but in the process of making this record we were separated. I was at the end of my rope; I was in a lot of pain. This music is where I found my sanctuary, where I could express myself and just take myself out it for a second and not feel the pain and just be creative. During the process of making this song, ‘Before I Die’ I felt like everything was taken from me and I was just left out there raw and broken, it made everything clear to me, what really mattered to me.” ‘Before I Die’ is a key song for Shaddix as the vocalist says it spurred a change in his life. He explains, “At the end of the day it’s the people that I love in my life that are the most important to me and sometimes when you treat the people that you love the most the worst, that’s the wrong path. I had to take a long hard look at myself and realize how I was living my life and make those changes. Just being out there on my own and having those realizations, that’s where the song came from.” ‘Before I Die’ appears on ‘ The Connection ‘ album and likely will be part of the band’s performances when they begin their 2013 North American touring with Stone Sour . Watch Papa Roach’s ‘Before I Die’ Video [button href=”http://loudwire.com/papa-roach-still-swingin-guitar-center-sessions-exclusive-preview/” title=”Next: Watch Papa Roach’s ‘Still Swingin’ from ‘Guitar Sessions'” align=”center”]
Mary Ouellette, SheWillShootYou.com The end of the year offers the perfect time to reflect on where you’re at in life, and you’d have to think that Black Sabbath guitarist Tony Iommi has a brighter outlook on things now than he did earlier in 2012. The guitarist confirms as much in a newly posted year-end update. Things appeared to be on the upswing for Iommi in 2011 as Black Sabbath had reunited and the band was preparing to work on their first new album in years, but then Iommi learned early this year that he had lymphoma that needed to be treated in order for his survival. Suddenly his focus for 2012 had changed, but thankfully his initial plans for the year still appear to be in reach as his post-chemotherapy recovery has gone well. In his year-end posting , Iommi states: What a year! Certainly not the one I was expecting. Thanks to you all for your massive help and support, it was very encouraging. I’m still working on the album and managed to play three shows, not bad given the news a year ago. I’m looking forward to next year, seeing what you think of the record and touring as much as we’re able. My best wishes to you all, I hope you have a great Christmas and New Year, most of all, stay positive. The guitarist did come through his treatment, worked closely with his bandmates on completing a new record which is now due in April and managed to make a handful of high profile shows in England and the U.S. despite the setback. As for what lies ahead in 2013, Iommi will get in his first extended touring since the reunion was announced. After his lymphoma battle, the guitarist also decided to go back and update his autobiography. The newly reissued paperback version of ‘Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven & Hell With Black Sabbath,’ includes a chapter on his treatment and recovery. In addition, he’s also recorded an audio book with one of his former bandmates providing the voice. He explained , “I had a go myself but wasn’t comfortable when I listened back. Normally you just get an actor to voice it but I didn’t want someone who didn’t know me or the music business so I asked my old mate Bev Bevan (former Black Sabbath / MOVE / ELO drummer) as he already has a radio show and lived some of the chapters with me! I’m really pleased how it’s turned out.” [button href=”http://loudwire.com/black-sabbath-tony-iommi-writing-chemotherapy/” title=”Next: Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi Discusses Writing During Chemotherapy” align=”center”]
Facebook: Suicide Silence The cameras will be rolling when the members of Suicide Silence and their all-star lineup of guest vocalists team up for a memorial concert to salute the band’s late singer, Mitch Lucker . The vocalist died in a motorcycle crash Halloween night and the idea of the show is to not only pay tribute to the singer, but to also raise money for the future education of Lucker’s daughter, Kenadee. The ‘ Ending Is the Beginning: Mitch Lucker Memorial ‘ event will take place tomorrow night (Dec. 21) at the Fox Theater in Pomona, Calif. and a majority of the lineup has been revealed. Hellyeah ‘s Chad Gray , As I Lay Dying ‘s Tim Lambesis and All Shall Perish ‘s Eddie Hermida were the first names revealed for the event. In the weeks since, Asking Alexandria ‘s Danny Worsnop, Whitechapel ‘s Phil Bozeman, Winds of Plague ‘s Johnny Plague, Of Mice & Men ‘s Austin Carlile, Impending Doom ‘s Brook Reeves, After the Burial’s Anthony Notarmaso, Disfiguring the Goddess’ Cameron “Big Chocolate” Argon, former Bury Your Dead musician Myke Terry and ex-Suffokate member Ricky Hoover have also joined the bill. The band did state via their Facebook page that the show will be shot for a future DVD release and that there would be some “big names” that were not revealed in advance of the show. All proceeds from the performance and presumably of the forthcoming DVD would go to the Kenadee Lucker education fund. For more information on how you can donate, click here . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/suicide-silence-donation-page-benefit-daughter-late-singer-mitch-lucker/” title=”Next: Suicide Silence Launch Donation Page for Kenadee Lucker” align=”center”]
Saturday Night Live With all the excitement that’s come from the surviving members of Nirvana writing and performing and recording an original song with Beatles icon Paul McCartney , there are a million questions about the musical collective’s future. Will the spontaneous collaboration lead to more material? Will there be a tour? How exactly do you persuade Sir Paul McCartney to come jam in your basement? To list off the mental ramblings of Nirvana and Beatles fans would fill an encyclopedia, but bassist Krist Novoselic has got some inside info to share via his official blog. Paul McCartney himself has told the tale of how he found himself in the middle of a “Nirvana reunion,” but Novoselic has now documented his side of the story as a casual musician who was offered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. “The collaboration came out of the Sound CIty film that was produced and directed by Dave,” writes Novoselic. “He asked me if I wanted to play with him, Pat and Paul? I said YES! It was a wonderful day — Paul came in with this cigar box guitar and started playing some mean slide on it. He said it was in a “D”. Hearing that, Grunge instincts took over my left hand and I dropped the E on the bass to D. Pat and Dave got into it and the tune took shape. Paul flashed a riff and we picked it up. I busted another one out and everyone picked it up. Things started coming together.” Novoselic continues to recount the dream jam session, while offering his view on exactly what the track ‘Cut Me Some Slack’ represents for the future of the impromptu band. “It was so exciting to play with Paul,” gushes the Nirvana bassist. “I became seized with thoughts, for I hadn’t played like that with Pat or Dave since the last Nirvana show in 1994. Wow, it was emotionally and musically heavy! Some other things brought me back; there was a Lefty on guitar who was a heck of a songwriter. Anyway, words can’t really describe it and I returned to the task at hand. A new song was born! And that’s about it. That’s all it is — a new song by some players who have doing it for a while.” ‘Cut Me Some Slack’ has been performed live twice by the group, debuting the track at the ’12-12-12′ Hurricane Sandy benefit, with an encore on ‘Saturday Night Live’ soon after … not bad for a band without a name. According to Novoselic in a separate blog post , although the project has been called many names, the bassist’s personal favorite seems to be ‘Sirvana,’ which offers a nod to the Beatle legend’s status as Sir Paul McCartney Sirvana’s sole original song is now available to purchase via iTunes . Paul McCartney + Nirvana Members Perform at ’12-12-12′ Benefit
Robert Cianflone, Getty Images Black Sabbath guitarist and master of the riff Tony Iommi has been welcomed into the National Guitar Museum Board of Advisors. Iommi strives to help preserve the legacy of the guitar through the traveling institution, which will showcase its unique exhibit in six different cities between now and September 2015. The National Guitar Museum ‘s traveling instillation, ‘Guitar: The Instrument That Rocked the World,’ launched its first show in 2011, proclaiming the guitar as “The Most Popular Instrument. Ever.” As metal music’s most important six-string strummer, Tony Iommi is a natural fit to bring additional credibility to the museum and exhibit. “I welcome the opportunity to be part of the National Guitar Museum’s goal to highlight the history of the guitar — the instrument that has been part of my life since I was a teenager,” states Iommi. “There is so much more to the guitar than six strings and a slab of wood. Everything about it is fascinating, from how it is crafted to the legion of people who have played it.” Adds HP Newquist, executive director of the NGM, ”Tony is one of the most important rock guitarists to ever pick up the instrument. His guitar playing has defined the sound of heavy metal for more than four decades, and he has influenced countless thousands — if not millions — of players. Tony’s also had a huge affect on the instrument itself, from establishing the Gibson SG as an iconic guitar on to his own innovations in pushing the boundaries of string and pickup technology.” Iommi has joined a legendary group of guitarists already on the museum’s Board of Advisors, including Steve Vai, Ritchie Blackmore ( Deep Purple , Rainbow), Johnny Winter, Joe Bonamassa, Steve Howe (Yes), Liona Boyd, Pat Kirtley and Pete Huttlinger. Once the National Guitar Museum completes its string of instillations, one U.S. city will be named the permanent home of the Museum. Meanwhile, Tony Iommi is currently competing for Rock Titan of the Year in the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards. Place your vote here . [button href=”http://loudwire.com” title=”Former Black Sabbath Drummer Voices Tony Iommi Audiobook” align=”center”]