THE LONGSHOT GOES LIVE
Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong's new band, The Longshot, made its live debut on Friday (April 13th) at Oakland’s 1-2-3-4 Go! Records on April 13. The show followed on the heels of The Longshot's debut self-titled EP, which made its way to stores and streaming services last week. Armstrong revealed the act to the world earlier this month on Instagram.
(Ultimate Classic Rock)
SYSTEM OF A DOWN GUITARIST TO RELEASE NEW MUSIC FROM SIDE PROJECT
System Of A Down guitarist Daron Malakian's long-dormant side project, Scars On Broadway, will release a brand new single and video on April 23rd. The track will mark the first new music from Scars since the song "F**king" came out in 2010. The band itself, now rebranded Daron Malakian And Scars On Broadway, has undergone a complete overhaul, with none of the members from the group's 2008 debut -- including System drummer John Dolmayan -- appearing on the new song.
Malakian explained the personnel changes in an online post, saying, "Nobody quit. When I first started Scars, I always said that it would be different lineups from album to album. Depends on the type of direction I want to take. Different musicians work for different styles. That is partly why I added my name in front of the band's."
- Scars On Broadway has just the one LP to its credit so far and last performed in 2012 as the opening act for Deftones in Los Angeles.
- The group has only played live sporadically over the years: a headlining trek in 2008 was canceled, with Malakian citing his lack of enthusiasm and "his heart not being into touring" as the chief reasons behind the decision.
- The guitarist later explained that he thought it was "almost too soon" for him to go on the road after System Of A Down went on hiatus in 2006, also citing issues in his personal life that "made it impossible" for him to tour.
- System Of A Down, which has toured intermittently since ending its hiatus in 2011, has some shows coming up this spring but has not released new music in 12 years.
Story source: Blabbermouth
METALLICA SETS FIRST DATE OF SERVICE FOR CHARITABLE FOUNDATION
Metallica's All Within My Hands charitable foundation announced on Monday (April 16th) that its first day of service will take place on Wednesday, May 23rd, with the band and the foundation inviting fans across the United States to volunteer for a day at the community food banks the band supported during last summer's North American tour. In cooperation with Feeding America, Metallica made contributions to its local partners in each city the band visited during its 2017 stadium tour. With the aim of continuing to support the fight against hunger, Metallica is encouraging fans to give a few hours of their time on May 23rd to make a difference.
- Metallica has posted a list of participating food banks along with more information about how to sign up to pitch in that day. Each registered volunteer on May 23rd will receive a special All Within My Hands T-shirt commemorating the foundation's first united day of service. Volunteers must register in advance and walk-ins will not be accepted.
- For those who do not live near one of the food banks listed on the site or are unavailable on this day, the band encourage visiting FeedingAmerica.org to find a local food bank in their community.
- Metallica launched All Within My Hands last year with the aim of assisting and enriching the lives of members of the communities who have supported them for so many years, as well as encourage participation from fans and friends and facilitate volunteerism among the Metallica family.
- The 2018-2019 North American leg of Metallica's "WorldWired" tour will kick off on September 2nd in Madison, Wisconsin, with dates scheduled through March 13th in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Each ticket purchase will be accompanied by a physical or digital copy of the band's 2016 LP, Hardwired...To Self-Destruct.