STONE TEMPLE PILOTS JOINED BY JOHNNY DEPP AT TOUR OPENER
Stone Temple Pilots were joined by actor Johnny Depp and legendary MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer on stage Friday night (March 4th) at the opening show of the band's U.S. tour at The Canyon in Santa Clarita, California. The pair came onstage during the encores to jam with the group on a cover version of the MC5's classic song "Kick Out the Jams" followed by STP's "Sex Type Thing."
The 19-song set, which launched STP's first tour with new singer Jeff Gutt, featured two cuts from the quartet's upcoming album, expected hits like "Plush," "Vasoline" and "Interstate Love Song," plus surprising deep tracks such as "Glide" from the band's No. 4 album, which was performed live for the first time ever. Other rarities included "Army Ants," "Atlanta" and opener “Regeneration,” a track from the Shangri-La Dee Da LP that was played for the first time since 2001.
- Depp is a bandmate of STP bassist Robert DeLeo in Hollywood Vampires, which also features Alice Cooper and Joe Perry.
- Gutt, a Michigan native and former X Factor contestant, was previously a member of the bands Rival City and Dry Cell. He was not found through the year-long open audition process that STP held in 2016, but worked in secret with the band throughout 2017 to write and record new music.
- Gutt's first album with the band, a self-titled effort and STP's seventh overall, is due out on March 16th.
- STP next plays at the Rose in Pasadena on Thursday night (March 8th).
Story source: Blabbermouth / Alternative Nation
CHECK IT OUT: Watch video from STP's tour opener:
MEMBERS OF LINKIN PARK SPOTTED IN STUDIO TOGETHER
Members of Linkin Park have been spotted in the studio together. Singer Mike Shinoda and guitarist Brad Delson were recently tagged in a studio Instagram post, while bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell also shared an in-studio photo that may have been from the same location. Linkin Park has not officially announced whether the group intends to continuing recording and touring together, following last July's suicide of frontman Chester Bennington.
- The band staged an emotional all-star tribute concert for the fallen singer last October, and released a concert album in December, titled One More Light Live, which was recorded on their last tour with Bennington.
- Shinoda released three new solo tracks as a digital EP in late January. Titled Post Traumatic, the set directly addressed Bennington's death and Shinoda's own anxiety over what would come next.
- In the first indication that the band did indeed plan to carry on, Shinoda wrote on Twitter after the EP's release, "I have every intention on continuing with LP, and the guys feel the same. We have a lot of rebuilding to do, and questions to answer, so it'll take time."
Story source: Loudwire
CHECK IT OUT: See the Instagram shots of the band members in the studio:
CLASSIC U2 ALBUMS SET FOR VINYL REISSUE IN APRIL
U2 is re-releasing three of its classics on vinyl representing the '80s, '90s, and the '00s. In a press release, the band announced the April 13th reissues of the 1985 EP Wide Awake In America, 1997's Pop, and 2000's All That You Can’t Leave Behind. All three sets are remastered and pressed on 180-gram vinyl, including a download card, new historical booklets, and faithful reproductions of the original artwork.
- Wide Awake In America was released on June 10th, 1985. The four-track half-live/half-studio EP was originally only released in North America and Japan, and subsequently re-released internationally in the late-1980's. Side One features live performances of "A Sort Of Homecoming" and "Bad" from UK shows on The Unforgettable Fire tour in late-1984. Side Two features two B-sides from the 12-inch single of "The Unforgettable Fire," "The Three Sunrises," and "Love Comes Tumbling."
- Pop was U2’s ninth studio album, released on March 3rd, 1997 and topped the charts in America, the UK, Ireland and 26 other countries. The album features the singles, "Discotheque," "Staring At The Sun," "Last Night On Earth," "Please, If God Will Send His Angels," and "Mofo."
- All That You Can’t Leave Behind was U2's the tenth studio was released on October 30th, 2000. The album scored a total of seven Grammy awards following its release, hitting Number One in 32 countries. Highlights on the set include includes the singles "Beautiful Day," "Stuck In A Moment You Can’t Get Out Of," "Elevation," and "Walk On."
SIDE NOTES
- In December, U2 released its 14th studio album, the chart-topping Songs From Experience. The album, which is the companion piece to the band's 2014 release Songs From Innocence, was recorded over the past three years -- with some tracks taped on a mobile unit during the band's 2015 Innocence + Experience Tour.
- Songs From Experience was produced by Jacknife Lee and Ryan Tedder with Steve Lillywhite, Andy Barlow, and Jolyon Thomas. The album's black and white cover features Bono's son Eli Hewson and The Edge's daughter Sian Evans holding hands.
- U2's previous album -- Songs Of Innocence -- was released on September 9th, 2014 and peaked at Number Nine on the Billboard 200. The set, which hit Number Six in the UK, topped the charts on the Spanish, Polish, Dutch, French, Czech, and Croatian album charts.
- Songs Of Innocence was nominated for the 2014 Grammy Award for Best Rock Album.
CHECK IT OUT: U2's 1997 video for "Discotheque":
CHECK IT OUT: U2 with Mick Jagger on October 30th, 2009 performing "Stuck In A Moment You Can't Get Out Of" live at MSG: