Move over, Bustle In Your Hedgerow: The genuine article may be coming back.
The three not-quite-dead-yet members of a little rock band called Led Zeppelin are reportedly talking about a reunion, at least for one show. Bob Page, Jim Plant and the SuperJammy Jam John Paul Jones have discussed plans to get together for a one-off memorial concert for legendary record executive, Ahmet Ertegun.
And no-one can quite believe it, but during discussions about the concert they all gave the green light to a tour if it all does well and they don’t all fall out.
We’ll believe it when we see Plant in skinny pants on stage with Jimmy, John and Bonham’s kid. Until then, it’s still incidents and accidents, hints and allegations.
Former 70 Volt Parade lead singer Trey Anastasio currently has no gigs on the docket after cancelling his headlining spot at the 10,000 Lakes Festival in July. Whatever the reason, though, that 10KLF appearance would have been a perfect kick-off to Big Red’s Get Out on the Road and Support a New Album Tour.
Thanks to our friends Hadley and The Otrane for giving us the heads up that a new Trey album is allegedly due for release in late July. Both Allmusic and Barnes and Noble now have listings for The Horseshoe Curve on their websites.
Back in December, before Trey’s much-discussed arrest, Big Red spoke to Bob at the Humblog about this new no-lyrics, more-horns release:
I already have another record that will come out after this one, an instrumental record, no singing. It’s hard to explain, but it’s a 10-piece band with horns where the horns are layered. It’s out there. You know if this was on a major label, I’d have to explain it. Now I don’t have to explain it to anybody except Patrick Jordan my one employee.
A search of Google turned up this potential track listing for The Horseshoe Curve:
1. Sidewalks Of San Francisco
2. Olivia
3. Burlap Sack and Pumps
4. The Horseshoe Curve
5. Noodle Rave
6. Tube Top Tony
7. Porters Pyramids (f/k/a Undermind Intro)
8. MLC Jam
As Trey Loyalists, we can only hope this will be Big Red’s return to glory.
Rumors have been flying fast and furious about which musicians will round out Phil Lesh’s lineup of Friends at the two stealth SOBs shows in New York next week.
Trey Anstasio back-up singer Christina Durfee posted on her MySpace page that she’ll be in the house that night, though she’s since yanked down the entry. That increased speculation that Big Red himself will be on stage with Phil, but now all signs are pointing to blues musician Larry McCray on at least one guitar spot.
According to the latest comments on McCray’s MySpace page:
Tomorrow Larry McCray celebrates with the start of six tour dates as a member of Phil Lesh and Friends. April 9th and 10th dates at S.O.B.’s in NYC are sold out. Larry will also be playing shows in San Francisco.
We’ll await official confirmation, and there’s a bit of confusion here — six tour dates? — but that comment sure makes it seem like he’s in the band. I’m smelling some late ’60s shit here, and I’m tasting an epic Viola Lee Blues.
Earlier this week we announced the return of music’s biggest dork: Phil Lesh has been nursed back to health and he’ll play two shows at SOB’s in New York. But who will be Phil’s friends for this homestand?
We got a clue today: It may be Big Red. One of Trey Anastasio’s backup singers announced on her MySpace page that she’ll be playing the Phil shows. Here’s the latest from Christina Durfee’s MySpace:
Christina will perform two very special intimate shows with Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh at SOB’s in New York City on Monday, April 9th and Tuesday, April 10th. Tickets are limited so be sure to visit Phillesh.net for complete show information!
Make it happen, Red, make it happen. I want another They Love Each Other. And, frankly, I want it right now.
Update: Our sources inside Crimson Dego’s camp tell us that there will be NO Trey at this show…but we’re keeping it up as a rumor because, hey, you never know.
Heads up, Second City: The Chicago Tribune is reporting Eric Clapton will bring his Crossroads Guitar Festival to the City of Awesome Hot Dogs this summer.
But as fantastic as that news is for Chicagoans, I’d like to point everyone’s attention to the last line of the Trib piece: “Among the performers to be announced will be Steve Winwood, several sources say, who will join Clapton for a collaboration on songs recorded by Blind Faith, their short-lived ’60s super group.”
A Blind Faith quasi-reunion?! I’ve written so many letters to Clapton and Winwood about the very subject of getting the band back together that I’m not even welcome at Slow Hand’s cottage anymore. I remember the good old days when the three of us would sit around the pool and bathe in the blistering London sun — err, do they have sun in England? – while drinking Appletinis.
But why stop at Winwood sitting in with Clapton’s band? Why not pick up a bassist and a new drummer for the show (do you risk throwing Ginger Baker out there, who may actually have died with Ric Grech almost two decades ago)? I went to one of those Cream shows at MSG, and I liked it, I really did, but Clapton was way too fast for Baker. I think a reformation of BF with Baker would be sweet, but to truly be a top-notch show, I feel like Stevie and Eric need to go out with a new bassist and a new drummer. Of course, that’s just one man’s opinion.
Who’d you like to see sit in with them if this ever comes to fruition?
We’ve got a juicy rumor that seems to be making the jump to fact. A number of industry sources have indicated to us that the North American segment of the Live Earth festival will be held at Shea Stadium in Flushing, Queens.
Hey, Gore, Shea is a shithole. Perhaps the organizers were feeling a bit of nostalgia, as the home of the Mets will be closing after the 2008 baseball season.
Aside from the word of our sources, here’s another clue: The Mets will be away from the park from June 29th to July 11th, giving the organizers and field crew plenty of time to assemble and take down the stage and production elements.
The 07/07/07 Live Earth is a 24-hour festival billed as the “The Concert for a Climate in Distress.” Al Gore, the main spokeperson for the worldwide event, says it will take place at seven separate locations, each one on a different continent. Confirmed locations include London’s Hyde Park, Johannesburg, Shanghai, and Sydney. The venue in Antarctica has yet to be announced, but I have a feeling that will be an easy ticket no matter at which igloo the bands play.
The performers that have been announced at press time are:
* AFI * Akon * The Black Eyed Peas * Bloc Party * Bon Jovi * Corrine Bailey Rae * Damien Rice * Duran Duran * Enrique Iglesias * Fall Out Boy * Faith Hill * Foo Fighters * Genesis * John Mayer * John Legend * Kanye West * Keane * Kelly Clarkson * Kenna * Korn * Lenny Kravitz * Maná * Melissa Etheridge * Paolo Nutini * Pharrell Williams * The Police * Ray LaMontagne * Red Hot Chili Peppers * Robin Thicke * Sheryl Crow * Snoop Dogg * Snow Patrol * Tim McGraw
Read on for more on the storied history of rock concerts at Shea Stadium…
The loud and persistent rumors that Pearl Jam would finally be playing the Bonnaroo festival never quite materialized. But Sun-Times critic Jim DeRogatis broke the news today that the grunge legends will headline Lollapalooza.
The major headliner for year three of the retooled Lollapalooza concert will be none other than the band that became the breakout superstar of the old Lollapalooza back in 1992: Seattle’s godfathers of grunge, Pearl Jam.
The three-day concert will take place in Grant Park from Aug. 3-5, and Lollapalooza promoters don’t plan on announcing the 130-band lineup or putting tickets on sale for several weeks, until late March or early April. They declined to comment on any of the acts Wednesday.
Nevertheless, three concert industry sources confirmed that fans may expect Evanston native Eddie Vedder and his band to perform on Chicago’s lakefront as part of a U.S. tour that will follow a European jaunt that has already been announced in June, and which includes several major music festivals.
Hey, where’s the ubiquitous blogging euphoria on that bit of news, folks?
Just when you thought there was no way to become more addicted to guitar-controlled video games, Destructoid is reporting a hip new rumor about Red Octane’s ingenious plans to attack to your anti-procrastinatory impulses.
According to the gamer culture website’s weekend scoop:
Marcus and Red Octane appear to have another plan. He told us that they are currently in the design stages of something a little more complicated. Something with more frets and strings. Yep, it sounds like Red Octane is developing a full-fledged game that will teach you to play an actual guitar! He gave us a line, and we all found it delightful: “Once you’re done playing with your toys [the current GH guitars], you come see us.” He said they have plans to teach people not only how to play, but to make their own songs and share them across the tubes and challenge each other. I assume this is all very early in design, but as one of those guys that picked up a real guitar after playing Guitar Hero, I was stoked to hear this news.
Previously on Hidden Track: Guitar Hero 2: Now Even Awesomer
Prepare yourselves for an onslaught of song-related puns. Over the next few months, we’re all about to be subjected to clever doozies like “I’ve read the Message in a Bottle, and it says The Police are getting the band back together.”
The language is still purposefully vague, the commitments missing completely. But the chatter flying around our old mercantile mater is now suggesting we may see a reunion of The Police some time this summer. Several papers in Jolly Ol’ England believe Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland will triple-kiss and make up for a tour around the time of the band’s 30th anniversary:
“Sting is in talks to re-form The Police and tour with the group - 30 years after they were formed. The band, who rank alongside The Rolling Stones and The Beatles among the greats of rock, are considering playing a series of dates in the UK next summer.”
Like GnR’s long-awaited Chinese Democracy release and Sting’s long-delayed tantric release, I’ll believe this piece of reunion news when I actually see it.
Related streaming audio: The Police at NYC’s Bottom Line on 4/3/79; and in Minneapolis on 5/24/79; and in Roslyn, Lawn Gisland on 10/2/79.
We’re nearing the Christmas season and yet no announcement’s been made…
Finally, unofficial word’s starting to trickle out about the 18th Annual Warren Haynes Christmas Jam. Bluestraveler.net reports:
“…flyers handed out at a recent Gov’t Mule show in Greensboro, North Carolina state that the John Popper Project would be part of the lineup for the 18th Annual Warren Haynes Christmas Jam. According to the flyers, the X-Mas Jam will also feature Audley Freed; Col. Bruce Hampton; Dave Matthews; Dave Schools; Gov’t Mule; Marty Stuart and his Fabulous Superlatives; the New Orleans Social Club featuring Ivan Neville, George Porter, Henry Butler and Leo Nocentelli; and the Taj Mahal Trio. The show will take place December 18th at the Asheville Civic Center in Asheville, NC; more information is expected to be announced soon on xmasjam.com.”
Caveat: If that date is indeed accurate, this would mark the first time the X-Mas jam would be held on a Monday, which doesn’t make a whole lotta sense. Being that we’re only about one month away, let’s get some answers, Warren…
Update: It’s possible the show will be that Saturday, December 16th. We’ll keep you updated as the rumors continue to flood the Internets…
