The 12th season of VH1 Classic’s ‘That Metal Show‘ kicks off this Saturday (June 1) with Metallica‘s longtime bassist Jason Newsted serving as the primary guest, and of course, show hosts Eddie Trunk, Don Jamieson and Jim Florentine had to dig into Newsted’s past with one of rock’s iconic acts.
In a new video preview, seen above, Jamieson asks Newsted about how he came to join Metallica in the first place. The bassist goes in-depth about the audition process and how he landed the job. He recalls studying up on what Metallica had been playing while opening for Ozzy Osbourne right before Cliff Burton had died.
“I found out the set list that Metallica had played and I wrote ‘em on my stationary and I go, ‘I know these ones, Lars,’” recalled Newsted. “And he goes, ‘Dude, that’s our set list.’ And I was like, ‘Huh, what do you know about that?’” The bassist says it was a whirlwind process with only 11 days separating his final show with Flotsam & Jetsam to when he took the stage with Metallica at Budokan in Japan.
To see the full Jason Newsted interview, be sure to tune in to VH1 Classic’s ‘That Metal Show’ this Saturday night (June 1) at 11PM ET.
RED’s latest album ‘Release the Panic’ was recently unleashed and hit the Top 10 on the Billboard album chart in its debut week. The disc, which features the hit single ‘Perfect Life,’ marks the first time the band has worked with producer Howard Benson (Halestorm, Papa Roach, P.O.D.).
The band is also in the midst of Winter Jam Tour 2013, an annual Christian music festival featuring artists in many different genres. After that tour wraps up, they plan on embarking on a headlining run in April. Loudwire recently caught up with RED guitarist Anthony Armstrong to discuss the album and tour, staying connected with his faith, the first time they heard a RED song played on the radio and other topics.
How did the songwriting and recording process for ‘Release the Panic’ compare to previous RED albums?
They are all pretty comparable. We spent about a year and a half writing this record. A lot goes into it. Picking a producer was a challenging process. Once we got that locked in, we started the pre-production process.
How did you decide on working with producer Howard Benson?
He wasn’t the only guy that was on our radar. We did several interviews and talked with different producers. Howard spelled it out pretty clearly for us as far as what the process would be with him. You don’t waste a lot of time with Howard. A lot of things get done. We took about 2 1/2 months to make the record and actually moved out to Los Angeles for a while to work with Howard.
He made it very clear that he’s not the best at everything. That’s why he has a team of guys. He’s not the best ProTools guy, so he has the best ProTools guy in the business. He’s not the best amp engineer, but he’s got the best guy in the business. He said the process would work really well for us, and he was right. We got in the studio and it was all about the music, not wasting a lot of time on the side trying to get things worked out. If something went wrong, he had a guy there to fix it and get us ready to go. It was cool.
How do you think the band’s sound evolved on this album?
Each record is its own thing. You go into it wanting it to have its own identity more than anything. That’s what we wanted with this record. We didn’t want it to be another “Until We Have Faces,’ another ‘Innocence & Instinct,’ another ‘End of Silence.’ We wanted it to be its own thing, and I think we accomplished that by taking some production elements out, to try some new things. The whole idea behind making this record with Howard was to get to the point. Let’s not be so dramatic and poetic when we don’t need to be. It’s about getting to the point faster and making it memorable.
Were there more electronic elements on this album?
I wouldn’t say electronic. It’s mostly programming elements. You’re not hearing as many symphonic elements. You’re not hearing as much piano or strings. These things have always been in our music, you’re just hearing more of them out front more than ever. People say we’ve “gone electronic,” but we’re doing nothing different on this record as far as that is concerned. Like I said, it’s a mix thing. We just decided to bring it out and make it more prominent in the mix.
You’re currently in the middle of the Winter Jam Tour. How has that been going so far?
This is the fourth time we’ve gotten to do Winter Jam, and that’s definitely a highlight for us. It’s a great tour, and a great time to release a record. Playing in front of thousands of people every night is definitely going to help record sales and help generate new fans and give everybody a chance to hear the record. You have to be in people’s faces for them to get a taste of what you’re going for. Winter Jam affords us that opportunity. It’s the biggest tour in the world during the first quarter. It’s great for any band.
You’ve also developed quite a production to accompany your live show.
We’ve kind of painted ourselves with that brush, and it’s something we look forward to. We have created more of a theatrical element to our band. We’re big believers that there has to be a visual element to carry along with the music. We have focused on that with our live show. We’re working on our new set right now. It’s a whole new fresh look We want to show the fans what we were going for and give them something to visualize along with the new songs.
When you’re playing with such a diverse linup in Winter Jam, how difficult is it to win over the crowd, many who may not be familiar with your band?
It’s a challenge. There are people covering their ears, people cowering in their seats in the fetal position (laughs). They aren’t there for the hard rock element. But our meet and greet lines are wrapped around the arena. We know that there is a need and a want for this type of music. We’re here to do our thing, and I think there are a lot of kids that relate to this type of music. Winter Jam is a great place because there is every type of person that comes to this show.
What do you have coming up after Winter Jam?
We’re going to take 10 days off, then we start our headlining run. We’ll be doing a brand new show in support of the new record.
RED appeals to many different audiences; rock, metal, Christian, secular. How do you balance all those different marketplaces?
I think the balance comes from not labeling ourselves. We don’t call ourselves a Christian band. We don’t call ourselves a mainstream band. We’re just a band. People find comfort in throwing a label on a band. We just set out to play shows It’s easy for us because we know exactly what we’re there for and what we’re doing.
Every band has to learn how to tour, learn how to be on the road, learn how to be professional. When you were starting out, who were some of the bands that helped you learn?
I feel like we went through band boot camp. We went through a lot of growing pains on those early tours that we were on. Bands like Sevendust, Breaking Benjamin and guys like that had crews that had been on the road for 15 or 20 years who weren’t willing to put up with greenhorns. They whipped us into shape really quick. It was a matter of us staying humble. There’s a pecking order and you have to earn respect. It worked out well for us. We just kept our mouths shut and worked our butts off. If you listen and learn, your band grows.
Being on the road so much, how do you stay connected to your faith?
It’s difficult for anyone to be on the road, even if you’re doing devotionals and group discussions and Bible study. On Winter Jam, we have ‘Jam Church” on Sundays. On a tour with ten bands, you’d be surprised how many guys aren’t at Jam Church. You have to make the time, you have to put in the effort to stay connected. One of the things the pastor on this tour says every night to the audience is that I have this iPhone, but if I don’t plug it in, it doesn’t work. If we don’t plug our faith in, how is it going to work? How are we going to be useful in the right moment? We just have to make the time. Because the four of us are like-minded and believers, if one person isn’t motivated, the other three are and can provide encouragement and accountability.
These days RED songs are on the radio all the time. Take me back to the first time you heard one of your band’s songs on the radio.
We finished our first four songs. We were in Franklin, Tenn., about 10 to 12 miles away from downtown Nashville. A local rock station played what they called “the local buzz” on Sundays. We had given them our four songs. That Sunday night we got together and went up to the top of this power station on the top of a hill in Franklin to hang out. The guy on the radio said he didn’t know where these guys came from, but I think they have a bright future, and then he played our song ‘Breathe Into Me.’ I can’t tell you the feeling when he started playing it. We were so overwhelmed with excitement. We thought we had made it and were on top of the world. As young and green as we were, we didn’t realize how much work we had ahead of us.
Eddie Van Halen may have turned in one of the greatest guitar moments in history 35 years ago when the instrumental piece ‘Eruption’ appeared on Van Halen‘s self-titled debut album, but he also set the bar for generations to come. This tricky solo is definitely one for those with nimble fingers and 14-year-old Tina S. has shown she’s up for the challenge.
In a YouTube video posted this past week, the teen offers an incendiary version of the Van Halen classic, rocking her Vigier Excalibur custom guitar through a swagger-filled take. Since being posted on May 20, 2013, the clip has received just shy of four million views. Tina has her own YouTube channel, which also showcases her playing Eddie Van Halen’s solo on ‘Beat It,’ as well as several other classics.
There are times in life where everyone just reaches a fork in the road and that next step truly defines what will become of their future. Sometimes in music, there’s fame, success and creative fulfillment ahead and other times there are opportunities forever lost for something that might have been truly great.
Loudwire has teamed up with Ultimate Classic Rock and Diffuser.fm to revisit some of these key moments in rock that could have altered the music landscape as we know it if the other path was taken.
SLASH AUDITIONS FOR POISON – MOMENTS THAT NEARLY DESTROYED ROCK
Giulio Marcocchi / Ethan Miller, Getty Images
Hollywood was the place to be if you were a rocker looking to make it in the mid ’80s. But not long before we were all welcomed to the jungle, Slashauditioned for the Bret Michaels-led Poison. In a 2010 interview with Classic Rock Revisited, Slash revealed that he had decided to quit the pre-Guns N’ Roses band Hollywood Rose and was referred to Poison by their exiting guitarist at the time.
Slash says he made it to the final two, but knew it wasn’t going to work when he was asked about wearing makeup. Poison ended up offering the job to C.C. Deville. Had Slash been chosen for Poison, would Guns N’ Roses have ever reached the pinnacle without him? And while successful in their own right, would Poison have become the iconic act that GN’R went on to be?
MOTLEY CRUE’S NIKKI SIXX PRONOUNCED LEGALLY DEAD – MOMENTS THAT NEARLY DESTROYED ROCK
Frank Micelotta, Getty Images
Motley Crue‘s ’80s excess is legendary and it really peaked out on Dec. 23, 1987 when the band’s bassist Nikki Sixx was declared legally dead of an overdose before he was eventually revived. While Motley Crue had been highly successful prior to Sixx’s overdose, it should be noted that arguably the band’s most successful release, ‘Dr. Feelgood,’ came after the incident.
Sixx has also gone on to form Sixx: A.M, has become a popular radio host, an author and an accomplished photographer in the years since his almost death. Sixx stated last December on the25th anniversary of his near fatal overdose, “I am extremely grateful to be able to look back over these last 25 years and have all the memories that would of otherwise gone down in flames.”
BLACK SABBATH’S TONY IOMMI LOSES TIPS OF FINGERS – MOMENTS THAT NEARLY DESTROYED ROCK
Jo Hale, Getty Images
Black Sabbath‘s Tony Iommi is a godfather of heavy metal, but his career was almost cut short. As a 17-year-old, Iommi was involved in an industrial accident that resulted in the loss off the tips of middle and ring fingers on his right hand.
As a result, Iommi adjusted his approach to guitar, with down-tuned strings to ease his playing. The end result created a signature sound for Black Sabbath. What could have been a tragic accident in some ways turned out to be a blessing for heavy metal music, but had the accident been worse, heavy metal music as we know it may have never existed.
JOHN FRUSCIANTE EXITS RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS – MOMENTS THAT NEARLY DESTROYED ROCK
Kristian Dowling, Getty Images
Following the tragic death of Hillel Slovak, the Red Hot Chili Peppers recruited John Frusciante as their new guitarist. Frusciante would prove to be an integral member of the band, with his contributions playing a big role in their classic albums ‘Mother’s Milk’ and ‘Blood Sugar Sex Magik.’
However, Frusciante quit RHCP after ‘Blood Sugar Sex Magik,’ and the band recorded the somewhat disappointing album ‘One Hot Minute’ with Dave Navarro on guitar. Thankfully, Frusciante rejoined the group in 1998 and RHCP followed with the acclaimed disc ‘Californication,’ as well as the albums ‘By the Way’ and ‘Stadium Arcadium.’
While Frusciante has since left the band again, there’s no telling what direction RHCP would have headed or if they would have continued had he not joined them that second time in the late ’90s.
TOOL’S MAYNARD JAMES KEENAN PURSUES INTERIOR DESIGN – MOMENTS THAT NEARLY DESTROYED ROCK
Frazer Harrison, Getty Images
There are many rockers who move to California to get discovered, but Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan was more intrigued with pursuing a career in interior design and set decoration upon arriving in Los Angeles. The future frontman attended the Kendall College of Art and Design and took odd jobs like providing feng shui for a pet store.
Fortunately, he would later meet guitarist Adam Jones at a party and they bonded, eventually putting together the beginnings of what would become Tool. While Keenan didn’t end up in interior design, he is still able to use his creativity in performing as a member of such bands as Pusciferand A Perfect Circle as well as Tool. Interior design’s loss is hard rock’s gain, tenfold!
PINK FLOYD ALMOST RAP – MOMENTS THAT NEARLY DESTROYED ROCK
So, what do a legendary British progressive rock band do for a second act when they’re recording their first album after the loss of one of their most important members? They turn to rap, obviously — at least, that’s what producer Bob Ezrin suggested to Pink Floyd when they were recording ‘A Momentary Lapse of Reason.’
“I brought some in to David Gilmour‘s thing going, ‘Boy, I think this stuff with a rock beat would be awesome,’” he recalls.
Fortunately, Gilmour was having none of the credibility-destroying idea. “He said, ‘Oh my God, that would be terrible,’” Ezrin says, laughing. “He couldn’t believe it. He hated the idea.”
KEITH RICHARDS ALMOST LOSES ‘SATISFACTION’ – MOMENTS THAT NEARLY DESTROYED ROCK
In 1965 the Rolling Stones scored their breakthrough hit, ‘Satisfaction’ — but guitarist Keith Richards almost didn’t finish the song. He came up with the main riff during the early morning hours at a motel in Florida while on tour, putting it down on tape before lapsing back into sleep.
When Richards woke, there was only a bit of the riff on tape, followed by 45 minutes of snoring, heclaims. But it was enough for him to show it to Mick Jagger, who recognized its potential and swung into action, finishing the song. Had Richards not taken a moment to record the bit — or forgotten and not gone back to it — the Stones might very well have missed out on their signature song. Ironically, Richards himself didn’t care for it at first.
JOHN LENNON SAYS THE BEATLES ARE ‘MORE POPULAR THAN JESUS’ – MOMENTS THAT NEARLY DESTROYED ROCK
In 1966, John Lennon, in an interview with the London Evening Standard, spoke about his belief that Christianity was dying out, saying of theBeatles, “We’re more popular than Jesus now.”
The quote was taken out of context in the US, prompting an enormous backlash that centered — surprise! — in Alabama, where two disc jockeys initiated a boycott of the Beatles that included burning their records.
The incident could have destroyed the career of the most important rock group of all time — but the furor eventually blew over after Lennon clarified his remarks at a press conference.
OZZY OSBOURNE NEARLY PASSES OUT DURING RANDY RHOADS’ AUDITION – MOMENTS THAT NEARLY DESTROYED ROCK
Ozzy Osbourne is one of the most influential metal performers of all time, but in late 1979 the formerBlack Sabbath singer was unemployed, broke and attempting an unlikely solo career.
During auditions for his new band, in walked a then-little-known guitarist named Randy Rhoads. Not a Sabbath fan, Rhoads hadn’t even wanted to audition, doing so only at the insistence of a friend.
Rhoads had only played a few warmup exercises when an astonished (and highly intoxicated) Osbourne promptly gave him the job before reportedly passing out. It’s hard to imagine Osbourne’s stratospheric solo career happening if he missed out on Rhoads.
JETHRO TULL BEAT METALLICA FOR BEST HARD ROCK/HEAVY METAL GRAMMY – MOMENTS THAT NEARLY DESTROYED ROCK
In 1988, metal was poised to finally make the leap from the shadowy fringes of music into the critical mainstream when Metallica were nominated for a Grammy for Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Performance. But in one of the most incredible upsets in Grammy history, the award instead went to British prog-rockers Jethro Tull.
Fortunately, the incident didn’t permanently damage Metallica, who turned in a slightly more mainstream direction with their next album and have gone on to become the most successful rock act of their generation. But still — what if James Hetfield had taken up the flute in an attempt to chase Tull’ critical success? Where would we all be then, huh?
JOEY RAMONE DITCHES THE KIT – MOMENTS THAT NEARLY DESTROYED ROCK
Evening Standard, Hulton Archive
As true Ramones fans will tell you, Joey Ramone wasn’t always the singer of the iconic NYC band. The gangly fellow born Jeffry Hyman started out on drums, holding down rudimentary beats while Douglas Colvin, soon to be known as Dee Dee Ramones, handled vocals.
This lineup might have stuck, but Dee Dee couldn’t play bass and sing at the same time. Enter Thomas Erdelyi, a friend of the group who had been slated to take over as manager. Erdelyi, subsequently known as drummer Tommy Ramone, convinced Joey to step up to the mic. We’re glad he did. Without Joey’s bleat, the Ramones don’t break, punk doesn’t explode and alt-rock never happens in America.
THE SMITHS MULL MARR-LESS EXISTENCE – MOMENTS THAT NEARLY DESTROYED ROCK
Karl Walter / Lisa Maree Williams, Getty Images
After guitarist Johnny Marr left the Smiths in 1986, remaining members Andy Rourke, Mike Joyce and Morrissey attempted to soldier on without him. They recruited Ivor Perry, formerly of the band Easterhouse, to take his place and set about recording a follow-up to 1987′s ‘Strangeways, Here We Come.’ Perry is a fine player, and the four might have come away with a decent record, but it wouldn’t have been a Smiths album. The group’s sound depended on both Moz’s overwrought lyrics and vocals and Marr’s singular playing, which was about more than mere jangle. Eventually, the sessions broke down, and Morrissey “ran screaming from the room,” according to Perry. After that, the band split, Morrissey went solo and the world was spared something it’ll never endure: a Smiths album that’s less than brilliant.
DAVE GROHL PONDERS NIRVANA – MOMENTS THAT NEARLY DESTROYED ROCK
Ke.Mazur, Getty Images
The first sound you hear on Nirvana‘s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ is Kurt Cobain’s guitar, but it’s Dave Grohl’s introductory drum fill that really gets things going. That percussive blast sparked the ’90s alt-rock revolution, but if it hadn’t have been for Grohl’s wise mother, the war might not have had its opening shot. When Grohl met Cobain and bassist Krist Novaselic, he was on tour with his buddies in the D.C. hardcore band Scream. Kurt and Krist asked him to join their group, a Seattle outfit of some renown, but he was torn, so he asked his mom for advice. “She told me there are times in life when you have to do what’s best for yourself,” Grohl told the Guardian. Would ‘Nevermind’ have been as good without Grohl? Would Nivana have blown up? Would Winger still be on the charts? Thanks to Mama Grohl, we never had to find out.
THE CLASH CONSIDER ROCK HALL REUNION – MOMENTS THAT NEARLY DESTROYED ROCK
Frank Micelotta, Getty Images
Let us start by saying we’re in no way glad Joe Strummer died in 2002. When the Clash legend succumbed to a previously undiagnosed heart condition, rock lost one of its most passionate, least compromising figures. That said, had Joe made it to the 2003 Rock and Roll Hall of of Fame induction ceremony, he might have reunited honorees the Clash for the occasion. He’d convinced guitarist Mick Jones and drummer Topper Headon to join in, leaving bassist Paul Simonon as the lone holdout. Simonon had it right: The Clash only stood to tarnish their legacy, and their story didn’t need this, the Rock Hall, as its final chapter. When Strummer and Jones joined forces one last time in November 2002 at benefit for striking firefighters, it was a more fitting coda for the Only Band That Matters.
BLOOD, SWEAT & CHILTON? – MOMENTS THAT NEARLY DESTROYED ROCK
In 1970, Alex Chilton was a man without a band. The 19-year-old Memphis rocker had tasted success as a member of the Box Tops, scoring a No. 1 hit with ‘The Letter,’ but the group had gone kaput, leaving him to record demos and produce local artists. Around this time, jazz-rock heroes Blood, Sweat & Tears needed to fill the void left by their recently departed vocalist, so they made Chilton an offer. Turns out it was one he could — and did — refuse. The following year, Chilton met Chris Bell and formed Big Star, a wildly influential power-pop band whose list of admirers reads like a Who’s Who of alt- and indie rock. Chilton died in 2010, but he’ll live on forever in the the Replacements tune ‘Alex Chilton,’ which pays tribute to the indie icon.
Although Tony Iommi‘s health has been improving since his early 2012 cancer diagnosis, some unfortunate news has been made public by the iconic Black Sabbath guitarist. Having thought his lymphoma was gone, Iommi was recently informed by his doctor that he most probably never be completely cancer-free.
Iommi’s cancer battle has been one of music’s most inspirational stories in recent history. Having been forced to postpone Black Sabbath’s recording and touring plans, Iommi fought through the worst of his lymphoma all while composing monster riffs for a future release. Despite the setbacks, Black Sabbath have completed recording their first album featuring Iommi, Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler in 35 years, but Iommi’s health hardships may never completely leave him.
In the newest issue of Guitar World magazine, Iommi went in-depth about his current health status:
When I’d finished the chemo and the radiotherapy, I went to see the doctor again for my regular blood tests. I said, ‘So it’s gone now?’ And he said, ‘No, it’s not going to go. You’re not going to get rid of it. But we can treat it and work with it.’ I got all dismal, because I thought it was gone. He said there was a 30 percent chance of it going away, but I was probably going to have this for life. Now I get treatments to keep it from spreading. So every six weeks I go in for an infusion of Rituximab, which is one of the four ingredients when they give you the chemo. It takes a few hours, and it makes you feel a bit crap inside and a bit sick. But a couple weeks after, I start perking up again. So that’s how we are working it with the shows. I go out, then come back and go into the hospital for more treatment, more blood tests and all the rest of the rubbish. And then we do it all over again.
Stay strong, Tony. We’re all pulling for you. Black Sabbath’s ’13′ album will see a June 11 release date, and we can’t wait to hear it in full!
Rock supergroup Velvet Revolver has been struggling with lineup issues for quite some time now since parting with vocalist Scott Weiland. Conflicting stories on Weiland’s place in the band have been prevalent for a year now, but Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash just made it public that the band is “very quietly” looking for a new singer.
Velvet Revolver and Scott Weiland reunited for a one-off performance for a benefit concert in January 2012, and shortly after the gig, Weiland claimed that he was once again a full-time member of VR. Weiland promised a new album and 2012 tour with the band, but Slash quickly swatted down Weiland’s claims. In September 2012, Velvet Revolver bassist Duff McKagan stated that the band’s singer search was “nowhere,” before drummer Matt Sorum further discussed the uncertainty whirling around VR. Scott Weiland has continued to make public statements on a desired reunion, but Slash once again batted down the idea, claiming, “We’re not buying it,” during an early 2013 interview.
Slash recently made an appearance on Flint, Mich., radio station Banana 101.5 to speak about Velvet Revolver’s signature search. “With Velvet, there’s no singer in place, and there hasn’t been, but we’ve been, actually, very quietly been looking for somebody who’s right for that band,” says Slash.
The top-hatted shredder went on to speak about a new project on the horizon. “Interestingly enough, I’m playing some shows in South Africa with [fellow former Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver members] Duff [McKagan] and Matt [Sorum] and Glenn Hughes and Sebastian Bach, and that’s going to be interesting,” Slash describes. “It’s called Kings of Chaos, and Duff and Matt and Steve Stevens and Glenn Hughes and Sebastian Bach are the main band, and then they have guys that come up and guest… It’s going to be sort of like Velvet Revolver with Sebastian and Glenn Hughes singing.”
Stay tuned for more updates on Velvet Revolver’s search for a lead singer as news continues to break.
