REVIEW: ROSE TATTOO – Blood Brothers

The name Rose Tattoo may or may not roll off your tongue as quickly as their Aussie brethren AC/DC and certainly the former hasn’t enjoyed the same prolific career as the latter. Still, if you like your rock served greasy and sloppy with a bit of Zeppelin and Faces in addition to the more obvious AC/DC jerks and chokes, then don’t be afraid to admit yourself as a latecomer. Step on up to Rose Tattoo, because even though the band has historically gone through lineup modifications and band hiatuses, when these lads get together, you can count on it being a loud, heel-stomping affair.

Rose Tattoo’s attitude towards their whiskey-soaked crunch chord chicanery is best summed up by their signature cuts “Bad Boy for Love” and “Nice Boys (Don’t Play Rock ‘n Roll),” the second of which became an equivalent signature cover tune for Guns ‘n Roses. While AC/DC went on with Bon Scott (and even their first few years with Brian Johnson) to become one the most dangerous bands in the world, Rose Tattoo took cue with the blessing of AC/DC’s management (Albert Productions). If there’s a difference between the two bands beyond pinnacles of success reached, it’s the fact Rose Tattoo are more punk-oriented, thus ostracizing them the proverbial bigger and better deal. Consider Rose Tattoo something along the lines of Iggy and The Stooges meets John Lee Hooker, pre-pop superstar Rod Stewart and of course, Angus Young, all set to the shuck and jive spirit of AC/DC’s “Bad Boy Boogie.”

Rose Tattoo’s claim to fame song is “Rock ‘n Roll Outlaw” (better known to eighties hairballs courtesy of Keel’s slip ‘n twang remake on the Dudes soundtrack) from their blistering 1978 self-titled debut album. Though Rose Tattoo might be considered a fair shade better than AC/DC’s Powerage released the same year, Angry Anderson and the boys would quickly be relegated to the cult ranks despite their propensity to blow ear canals to smithereens onstage. As for AC/DC, Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap, which had been released two years’ prior, would find a second life in the early eighties(largely from the dirty title track and the hilarious cloak ‘n dagger raunch of “Big Balls” that had Gen X preteens rolling in school cafeterias), as well as Highway to Hell and of course, their eponymous Back in Black, which helped shove heavy metal on its darkened course.

Anderson has always carried a piss and swill swagger in his stage presence and most certainly his aural delivery. You have to when you’re a survivor of the Sydney pub crawl-and-brawl scene, which is where Rose Tattoo honed their tooth-dislodged style of rock. Though you can hear certain shades of Bon Scott to Anderson’s roughneck vocals, there’s something a bit more classically-trained beneath his wails and croons, a nuance that continues to serve him and Rose Tattoo as of the band’s latest offering Blood Brothers.

Even though “Standover Man,” “Lubricated” and “Man About Town” are more huff-and-puff-blow-the-roof down AC/DC-itched boogie jams, Rose Tattoo are perhaps the most forgivable hijackers of the scores of imitators because of their street bounce—which AC/DC until their latest album Black Ice was starting to lose in increments. You know these riffs like the back of your stankin’ bum, but Rose Tattoo delivers them with confidence and Michael Cocks’ filthy slide notes gives the band proper amplitude, much as he did back in the day before drifting away for a lengthy sabbatical after the band’s 1981 release Assault and Battery.

Though Rose Tattoo has been in a here-and-there stasis following their 2002 album Pain, there’s been no time lost on Blood Brothers, sound-wise. Anderson and his pack of rowdies pump out stamping rockers with unapologetic boom on “Nothing to Lose,” “Black Eyed Bruiser” and the brisk-tempoed “Slipping Away.” The bottlenecked twang of “Once in a Lifetime” is bluntly Zeppelin and Faces, while the slow drag of “City Blues” is basic and primal from the point-of-view of a downtrodden Jack addict.

While AC/DC’s Black Ice is a refreshing howdy-do, put up that album’s title track versus Rose Tattoo’s blood brother (pun intended) “Sweet Meat.” AC/DC throbs with casual candor on “Black Ice’s” strutting rhythm, while Rose Tattoo (in particular Michael Cocks, Stephen King and Dai Pritchard) punishes a very-similar melody with rudely-tugged riffs. Thus between the two, Rose Tattoo delivers more of an asphalt-chewed flavor. That being said, have Rose Tattoo finally bested their more popular peers at their own game? Give Blood Brothers a spin and be the judge…

Tracklist

1. Black Eyed Bruiser
2. Slipping Away
3. Once in a Lifetime
4. 1854
5. City Blues
6. Sweet Meat
7. Man About Town
8. Creeper
9. Stand Over Man
10. Nothing to Lose
11. Lubricated

SPV/Steamhammer
by Ray Van Horn, Jr.

KEEL REUNITES! Back in action after 20 years!

Debut Reunion Concert: January 31, 2009

“The Right To Rock” still echoes the sentiments of a generation and remains one of the defining anthems of 80’s Heavy Metal Music. And KEEL, the band that created it, is finally poised to revisit their legacy and reunite on stage for the first time to celebrate over two decades of good music and good times. 2009 will mark the band’s 25th anniversary, and the passing of twenty years since the classic KEEL lineup performed on stage together.

Ron Keel, Marc Ferrari, Bryan Jay, & Dwain Miller are preparing to perform a select number of dates in 2009. Due to the high visibility the act continues to receive, the members finally feel the time is right to deliver the show fans everywhere have been clamoring for: a KEEL reunion.

In 1985, “The Right To Rock” became the fastest-selling debut album in A&M Record’s history. The title track was a hit on radio & MTV and remains a staple on VH1 Classic, in addition to the group’s subsequent hits “Tears Of Fire,” “Because The Night,” “Somebody’s Waiting,” and “Rock & Roll Outlaw.” They developed a reputation as one of the genre’s most entertaining live acts, opening for heavyweights like Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, Van Halen, and many others. KEEL sold over 2 million albums and was proclaimed Best New Band by Metal Edge Magazine, Circus Magazine, and Rock Scene.

Through the years, the nucleus of the band has remained close friends, working together in various musical and business enterprises. Vocalist Ron Keel has maintained a high profile with a variety of projects and has remained intensely active as a recording and touring musician. He has continued to embrace and promote his time in KEEL in countless interviews, and his live shows have proudly included the KEEL hits. Guitarists Marc Ferrari and Bryan Jay have continued to write, record, and perform and have remained in the industry via music publishing, song licensing, and other business ventures. When Ron’s band passed through L.A. on tour, they were joined on stage by Marc & Bryan – playing a medley of KEEL classics, and proving to themselves and the fans that the magic was still as strong as ever.

Unlike most of their contemporaries, none of the members has ever performed as KEEL since 1989. “It would not have been right,” expresses Ron. “Even though it was my last name, KEEL was a true band and I have always taken a stand against performing under that name with different musicians. I’ve had a number of bands in the years since, including Fair Game, IronHorse, and K2 – but there’s only ever been one KEEL and without Bryan, Marc, and Dwain I wouldn’t be doing this.” The four original members will be joined on stage by Ron’s long-time bassist Geno Arce, who spent six years with him in IronHorse.

A new web site has been launched to establish an internet home for the KEEL Reunion: http://keelreunion.com – and a companion MySpace page: http://myspace.com/keelband

The KEEL “Debut Reunion Concert” will take place in Hollywood on Saturday, January 31st. The location for this historic event will be Club Vodka at The Knitting Factory – see below for details.

Recent highlights have included KEEL’s live version of “The Right To Rock” on the “Hollywood Rocks” boxed 4-CD collection, and the band also participated in the accompanying documentary from Cleopatra Records/Ultra Films – Ron, Marc, and Bryan contributed a candid and insightful interview segment to the project, telling tales of Metal’s heyday, and discussing their career and the possibility of a KEEL reunion.

And in 2008, for the first time ever, KEEL’s rare independent debut album “Lay Down The Law” was finally released on CD by Shrapnel Records, digitally remastered with new packaging.

Plans are for KEEL to reunite at a select number of festivals and showcase dates to perform all their hits and classic favorites in celebration of 25 years of rock n roll history.

Guns n’ Roses Slam Dr Pepper

Guns n’ Rose s have accused Dr Pepper of failing to deliver on their promise of giving a free can of the drink to everyone in America (bar Slash and Buckethead) should ‘Chinese Democracy’ be released this year. Alan Gutman, lawyer for the band and Axl Rose, has written to Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. President and CEO Larry Young, accusing the company of operating an online redemption scheme that’s been an “Unmitigated disaster which defrauded customers”. Gutman is demanding that Dr Pepper extend the period for the offer; he also wants full-page apologies to be taken out by the company in ‘The New York Times’, ‘Los Angeles Times’, ‘USA Today’ and ‘The Wall Street Journal’.

Can you say “Fiasco”?

SAXON AND ICED EARTH OVERSEAS TOUR 2009 ANNOUNCED

Titans among themselves: 1 February 2009 will see the launch of a four-week tour by the two metal legends, Saxon and Iced Earth, in Paris. This sensational co-headlining package is certainly among the strongest of recent years and will take the two bands through countries such as France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Luxemburg, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Austria, Hungary and Italy. Fans can look forward to dynamic power metal at its very best, especially since both groups will also present thoroughly exciting new releases to accompany the tour. Tickets for the concerts are available from ticketing agencies.

Saxon are considered one of the most charismatic acts of today’s metal business. Their latest album release, Into The Labyrinth, out on 12 January 2009 (Germany: 9 January 2009, US: 13 January) via Steamhammer/SPV proves that Saxon mark 2009 haven’t lost any of their expressiveness, enthusiasm and inspiration. Along with numerous classics, vocalist Biff Byford & Co. will present the strongest tracks from their new album during the tour, expertly combining present and past.

For Iced Earth, this will be the first full European tour since the return of frontman, Matt Barlow. “I am pleased Matt is back,” explains guitarist and songwriter Jon Schaffer. “We are brothers with a long, meaningful relationship behind us” The band will present songs from their current album, The Crucible Of Man, and for spring Schaffer has also announced the release of a new DVD.

TOURDATES

01.02. F-Paris – Bataclan
02.02. B-Brussels – AB
03.02. NL-Tilburg – 013
04.02. D-Cologne – Essigfabrik
06.02. LUX-Luxembourg – Den Atelier
07.02. D-Herford – X
08.02. D-Hamburg – Docks
10.02. NO-Oslo – Rockefeller
11.02. SE-Stockholm – Annex
12.02. DK-Copenhagen – Pumpehuset
13.02. D-Berlin – Huxleys
15.02. PL-Warsaw – Spodac
16.02. CZ-Zlin – tba
17.02. A-Vienna – Gasometer
19.02. HU-Budapest – Petofi Hall
20.02. SI-Ljubljana – Mediapark
21.02. HR-Zagreb – Boogaloo
22.02. I-Milan – Rolling Stone
24.02. CH-Zurich – Volkshaus
25.02. F-Strassbourg – La Laiterie
27.02. E-Bilbao – Rockstar Live
28.02. E-Madrid – La Riviera
01.03. E-Barcelona – Razzmatazz

For More Info:
www.saxon747.com
www.icedearth.com
www.spv.de

The HOH Rocks Your Christmas!

Win a “We Wish You A Metal XMAS And A Headbanging New Year” CD and more!

Winners Announced!

Congrats to all the winners in the House of Hair Rocks Your Christmas Contest!

5 GRAND PRIZE WINNERS:

Drew Cantrell, Coffeyville, KS – KKRK 98.9
Greg Fellman, Pocatello, ID – KMGI 102.5
Trent Gallant, Clarksville, – MD WIYY 97.9
Brian Owens, Carleton, MI – WRIF
Matthew Weiske, La Crosse,WI – WRQT 95.7 The Rock

10 ADDITIONAL WINNERS:

Connie Ausema, Prairieville, LA – WKBU 95.7
Jane Blue, Orient, OH – WBWR 105.7 The Brew
Alan Brume,r Surprise, AZ – KDKB 93.3
Joe Chubb, Spring Lake, MI – WMRR 101.7
Roger Engstrom, Sisters, OR – KTWS 98.3 The Twins
William Harbour, Newtonville, NY – WQBK
David Homer, Avon, NY – WBZA 98.9 The Buzz
Mike Rogers, Morganton, NC – WRPQ Rock 101
Kevin Stewman, Enka, NC – WTMT 105.9 The Mountain
Wassmer Jolene, Marion, IA – KRNA

Prizes should arrive within 3 weeks of posted winner names.

Thanks to ALL the HOH and Metal Fans who entered the contest!
- Dee and the House of Hair Team!

The House of Hair and Armoury Records want to Rock Your Christmas! Fed up with Bing Crosby, Bruce Springsteen, Mariah Carey and all those other wimpy Christmas CD’s you’ve been forced to play all these years? The HOH wants to give you a brand new XMAS compilation that’s guaranteed to Rock Your Christmas! It’s called “We Wish You A Metal XMAS And A Headbanging New Year” and it delivers on its promise! Hear songs from Lemmy Kilmister (Motorhead), Alice Cooper, Ronnie James Dio, Geoff Tate (Queensryche), Tim “Ripper” Owens, Stephen Pearcy (Ratt), Tracii Guns, Joe Lynn Turner…and lots more! Packed with 12 new versions of Christmas classics plus a couple of new songs, this CD is guaranteed to Rock Your Christmas!

New York, NY-Armoury Records, distributed by Eagle Rock Entertainment, has released one mighty molten metal blast of good CD cheer: We Wish You A Metal Xmas And A Headbanging New Year.

It’s an all-star assemblage as members of such great hard rock bands as Queensryche, Dio, Alice Cooper, Dokken, KISS, L.A. Guns, Motorhead, Black Sabbath, King’s X, Judas Priest, Anthrax, Ratt, and more all jam out together on some of the most beloved holiday songs of all time.

The kick is in the chemistry between the musicians as members of different bands perform together on the material to create a one-of-a-kind listening experience! Motorhead’s Lemmy, ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons and Foo Fighter Dave Grohl, for instance, team up on “Run Rudolph Run,” a song popularized by Chuck Berry. This is just one of 12 such irresistible pairings.

“This is a metal CD you will want to listen to all year round,” says Wendy Dio, who put the project together with Bob Kulick and Brett Chassen. “It has been a very exciting and exhausting project, but we have managed to get an allstar cast together.”

Ironically, the hardest person to get was Dio himself as he doesn’t sing Christmas songs. Wendy hounded him for days, finally getting him to listen to Kulick’s arrangement of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” Dio liked it, added a few bits, recorded it at Kulick’s studio, and got Tony Iommi to add his signature guitar sound. The result is a very Sabbath Christmas song. Rounding out the circle of familiar characters on this track are Dio bassist Rudy Sarzo and drummer Simon Wright.

“The Metal Xmas album was a great opportunity to pay homage to my least favorite holiday,” says Dio, “and what a lineup of musicians to do it with! The arrangements of the classic noel songs are fresh and heavy with rock’n'roll, and the performances are equally classic. It’s a magical way to change your holiday listening.”

Track Listing

1. We Wish You A Merry Xmas (Jeff Scott Soto / Bruce Kulick / Bob Kulick / Chris Wyse / Ray Luzier)
2. Santa Claus is Coming to Town (Alice Cooper / John 5 / Billy Sheehan / Vinny Appice)
3. Run Rudolph Run (Lemmy / Billy F. Gibbons / Dave Grohl)
4. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Ronnie James Dio / Tony Iommi / Rudy Sarzo / Simon Wright)
5. Little Drummer Boy (Dug Pinnick / George Lynch / Billy Sheehan / Simon Phillips)
6. Santa Claus Is Back In Town (Tim “Ripper” Owens / Steve Morse / Juan Garcia / Marco Mendoza / Vinny Appice)
7. Silent Night (ChuckBilly / Scott Ian / Jon Donais / Chris Wyse / John Tempesta)
8. Silver Bells (Geoff Tate / Carlos Cavazo / James Lomenzo / Ray Luzier)
9. Deck the Halls (Oni Logan / Craig Goldy / Tony Franklin / John Tempesta)
10. Grandma Got Ran Over By A Reindeer (Stephen Pearcy / Tracii Guns / Bob Kulick / Billy Sheehan / Greg Bissonette)
11. Rocking Around the Xmas Tree (Joe Lynn Turner / Bruce Kulick / Bob Kulick / Rudy Sarzo / Simon Wright)
12. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (Tommy Shaw / Steve Lukather / Marco Mendoza / Kenny Aronoff)

ENTER TO WIN: Contest Entry Form

What do you win?

10 Wiinners each get:

(1) CD copy of “We Wish You A Metal XMAS And A Headbanging New Year”

PLUS

Five (5) GRAND PRIZE WINNERS get an autographed copy of the above CD, plus Zoe Vision DVDs from Dio, Motorhead, Alice Cooper and Testament!

ENTER TO WIN: Contest Entry Form

How to Enter:

Fill in the Entry Form here. ONE ENTRY PER PERSON ONLY, please.

How we choose the winner:

Only entries received by 12/17/08 will be considered. The HOH staff will choose the winners via random drawing.

Contest Start Date: Monday, December 1st, 2008

Contest End Date:Wednesday, December 17th, 2008 at midnight

Did I win? Winners will be announced FIRST in the HOH newsletter and one week later on the website. Register for our weekly spam-free HOH Newsletter.

Questions? Email us at info@houseofhaironline.com

This contest is open to residents of the USA and CANADA only.

What’s New – Week of Nov. 24, 2008

If you prefer the smell of hairspray to perfume, the feel of arena fog in your face more than rain and the warmth of sweaty spandex to pure silk – you, my friend, are a hardcore headbanger — and a little freakin’ weird!

The House of Hair is coming your way with your weekly fix of all the metal you can choke down in two hours including Motley Crue, Queensryche, Slaughter and, yes, even some Christmas metal. Ho, ho…hoes! Hey, it’s almost Dee-cember so I can do this!

I’ve got Metallica CDs and Guitar Hero: World Tour games to throw your way this week! It all starts when the House of Hair tears your radio to shreds – you don’t wanna miss it!

Win a GUITAR HERO : WORLD TOUR Game for the Wii

Win a GUITAR HERO : WORLD TOUR Game for the Wii”

Winners Announced!

Just in time for Christmas, our HOH manic prize team has chosen the Grand Prize winner for the House of Hair Guitar Hero: World Tour contest. Admit it – this one just melts your heart! Okay, we’re getting sappy here around the holidays! Here’s a look at Troy’s prize-winning entry:

Grand Prize Winner:

Dee, Last year my four year old boy looked on as someone else played a Scorpions tune on Guitar Hero. He became inspired, rocking and jamming out while bouncing on the bed with an air guitar. When my wife and all four kids (11, 9, 7 and 5) saw Guitar Hero World Tour we knew it was going to be big! The six of us are ready to have a battle of the bands drumming, strumming and singing! Especially since I splurged against my teacher’s salary and got a Wii for Christmas. ROCK ON!!!

Troy Kinney
Buckeye, AZ
KDKB 93.3

Additional Wii game wiiners:

Tammy Buckner, Asheville, NC – WTMT 105.9 The Mountain
Mike Drabek ,Royal Oak, MI – WRIF
Jeef Gherasim, Windsor, Ontario Canada – WRIF
Kirk Peer, Lewis Center, OH – WXXR 98.3 The Fox
Rose Roberts, Phoenix, AZ – KDKB
Brenda Ruperthouse, Pikogen, Quebec Canada – CJQQ Q-92
William Sprague, Kalamazoo, MI – WZUU 92.5 The ZUU
Andy Starowitz, Elba, NY – WBZA 98.9
Ryan Warner, Lebanon, PA – WTPA 93.5

Prizes should arrive within 3 weeks of posted winner names.

Thanks to ALL the HOH and Metal Fans who entered the contest!
- Dee and the House of Hair Team!

The House of Hair is helping you this holiday season! Who doesn’t covet the new Guitar Hero: World Tour game?? Red Octane’s given us 10 Guitar Hero: World Tour Wii games and we’re throwing in 10 copies of Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland CD (the “real” guitar hero!) to rock your world from Universal Music. PLUS, one grand prize winner gets the Guitar Hero: World Tour Complete Band Game (seen in photo) containing the game, the Drum Set, Microphone, NEW guitar controller (featuring a touch-sensitive slide bar on the neck) and stickers to customize your guitar!

ENTER TO WIN: Contest Entry Form

For more info, check out:
Guitar Heros’s official website, RedOctane.com!
Universal Music

What do you win?

10 Wiinners each get:

(1) Guitar Hero: World Tour game for the Wii

PLUS

(1) Jimi Hendrix “Electric Ladyland” CD

AND

One GRAND PRIZE WIINNER gets the Guitar Hero: World Tour Complete Band Game (seen in photo) containing the game, the Drum Set, Microphone, NEW guitar controller (featuring a touch-sensitive slide bar on the neck) and stickers to customize your guitar!

ENTER TO WIN: Contest Entry Form

How to Enter:

Fill in the Entry Form here. ONE ENTRY PER PERSON ONLY, please. Tell us in 100 words or less “Why I need to be a Wiiner of Guitar Hero: World Tour”!! Incomplete entries will be tossed out – all address fields, station (or how you heard about the contest) field, and name fields must be 100% complete!

How we choose the winner:

Only entries received by 12/17/08 will be considered. The HOH staff will choose the winners based on the creativity, sincerity and rock worthiness of their entries. Please try to keep entries under 100 words!!

Contest Start Date: Monday, November 24th, 2008

Contest End Date:Wednesday, December 17th, 2008 at midnight

Did I win? Winners will be announced FIRST in the HOH newsletter and one week later on the website. Register for our weekly spam-free HOH Newsletter.

Questions? Email us at info@houseofhaironline.com

This contest is open to residents of the USA and CANADA only.

CAMP FREDDY RETURNS TO ROXY THEATRE IN L.A.

ROCK N’ ROLL LIVES ON THE SUNSET STRIP: CAMP FREDDY RETURNS TO THE ROXY THEATRE IN LOS ANGELES WITH SPECIAL GUEST DRIVE A FOR SHOWS EVERY TUESDAY IN DECEMBER

Tickets on sale Thursday, November 20.

CAMP FREDDY—known for delivering the real spirit of rock n’ roll, not to mention the musical goods—has announced their return to the Sunset Strip for a second residency at THE ROXY THEATRE where they thrilled crowds during their month-long May residency this year. Every Tuesday throughout the month of December (2, 9, 16 and 23), the band headed up by BILLY MORRISON (Circus Diablo/The Cult), DAVE NAVARRO (Jane’s Addiction, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Panic Channel), MATT SORUM (Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver), DONOVAN LEITCH (son of legendary folk singer Donovan) and CHRIS CHANEY (Jane’s Addiction, Alanis Morrisette) will dive into a treasure trove of classic songs encompassing the best of glam, punk and hard rock. Expect the guys to also celebrate the holiday season during the shows with surprises and unique specials gifts to their fans.

Los Angeles rockers Drive A will support as special guest for all the new dates, and hosting the December 16 and 23 shows is frequent CAMP FREDDY guest Mark McGrath. All the gigs will be presented by the band’s good friends at Rockaholic, the new product from premier hair product maker Bed Head.

Tickets for Camp Freddy at THE ROXY go on sale this Thursday, November 20 for $20. A $150 VIP package will also be made available which includes access to all four of the residency shows plus an exclusive meet and greet with the band.

True to the CAMP FREDDY experience, you never know who or what will happen at their gigs. The band’s sold-out first residency at THE ROXY back in May featured performances by over 40 rockers including; Brandon Boyd (Incubus), Steve Jones (Sex Pistols), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Billy Duffy (The Cult), Steven Perkins (Jane’s Addiction), Brett Scall ions (Fuel), Juliette Lewis, Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme) and Tommy Lee, just to name a few. Other recent guests at CAMP FREDDY shows have included Ozzy Osbourne, Steven Tyler, Paul Stanley, Slash and Xzibit.

Since their formation six years ago when they rocked the opening of The Standard Hotel in downtown Los Angeles at the invitation of Brent Bolthouse, CAMP FREDDY have performed on both coasts of America and on national television shows (“The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “Late Late Show With Craig Kilborn,” “Last Call with Carson Daly”).

www.campfreddy.net
www.myspace.com/campfreddy

www.theroxyonsunset.com
www.myspace.com/theroxyonsunset

Ex-Rainbow Members Unite for OVER THE RAINBOW

Former Rainbow musicians Joe Lynn Turner, Tony Carey, Bobby
Rondinelli and Greg Smith have united with a second generation Blackmore – J.R. Blackmore–son of Ritchie Blackmore – on guitar, to form Over The Rainbow.

Over The Rainbow is:
Vocals: Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow 1980-1984)
Keyboards: Tony Carey (Rainbow 1975-1978)
Drums: Bobby Rondinelli (Rainbow 1980-1983)
Bass: Greg Smith (Rainbow 1994-1997)
Guitar: Jurgen (”J.R.”) Blackmore

Carey, who has produced several artists including Joe Cocker and David Knopf ler
since his Rainbow days says, “Having done everything from country to opera, I
thought it would be fun to play some rock again without the burden of singing
everything.”

Rondinelli adds, “Over the Rainbow re-unites members of one of the most distinctive
sounding bands of all time and introduces a hidden treasure to the world in J.R.
Blackmore.”

The son of the iconic Rainbow founder/guitarist, Ritchie Blackmore, is Jurgen (”J.R.”)
Blackmore. J.R. is a critically acclaimed guitarist in his own right and agreed to join
this endeavor after realizing how intense the demand was for a Rainbow “reunion.”
Over The Rainbow marks the first time that four members from three different eras of
Rainbow will take the stage together along with J.R. Blackmore.

Rainbow has spawned over 20 albums (five Gold, four Silver), seven Billboard Hot 100
and Mainstream Rock tracks, six Top 75 UK songs and at least seven MTV frequently
played videos. Their longest tenure was from its inception through 1984 when it went
on hiatus so Blackmore could reform Deep Purple. A decade later, Rainbow toured
and recorded an album. Since then, Ritchie Blackmore has turned his focus toward
Blackmore’s Night.

Since 1998, former members of Rainbow and their respective management offices
have been bombarded with requests for Rainbow to reunite. Carey, Rondinelli, Smith
a nd Turner answered “the call” but agreed that the only legitimate way that this could
be accomplished was with a Blackmore on guitar. Enter: J.R. Blackmore.

How does the younger Blackmore feel about sharing the stage with musicians he
grew up watching perform in concert with his legendary father? “I have not worked
with them,” says Blackmore, “But, I have admired them since I was young. That makes
them like brothers.”

Greg Smith agrees that the market for Rainbow’s brand of rock is underserved. “I
know there is a big demand for this music,” he says, “The fact that all members are
ex-Rainbow from different periods in the band’s history will give the music the
integrity it deserves. A Blackmore on guitar will give it even more authenticity.”

While Joe Lynn Turner has fond memories of collaborating with and great respect for
Ritchie Blackmore, he’s looking forward to working with his son. He states,
“J.R. is the only logical choice for the guitar slot for Over The Rainbow. I have followed
some of his projects over the years now. He’s very talented.”

Over the Rainbow will begin touring in Russia during February of 2009.

What’s New – Week of Nov. 17, 2008

Tearing outta your speakers and cheap shotting you in the kidneys — but not touching the hair, never the hair – you’re in the House of Hair!

The metal is hot and heavy and headed your way again this week with the Scorpions, Ratt, Judas Priest and more. I’ve also got my killer Metallica giveaway continuing this week — what more could a headbanger ask for? So dust off your tattered denim and leather because two hours of the House of Hair is comin’ tuh git ya!

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