UK rock band The Who back on tour after COVID cancellations

NEW YORK  – After costly pandemic cancellations, British rock band The Who is back on the road again with THE WHO HITS BACK! tour.

“We’re just hitting back at COVID because it stopped us in our tracks. We were, we were going to call it, ‘Where Were We?'” lead singer Roger Daltrey said ahead of the tour starting next week.

Canceled charity concerts for The Who’s foundation, Teenage Cancer, at London’s Royal Albert Hall had cost the group about $3 million, said Daltrey, 78. The charity works with UK and U.S. hospitals to develop state-of-the-art spaces for teens suffering from cancer to meet and stay connected.

Daltrey and Pete Townshend, the band’s principal songwriter famed for thrashing his guitar on stage, are the only surviving original members of the group which emerged in 1960s London with drummer Keith Moon and bass player John Entwistle.

The Who has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, with the rock opera “Tommy” and hits like “Won’t Get Fooled Again” and “I Can See For Miles.”

Daltrey and Townshend, along with six band members and an orchestra, will kick off their North American tour on April 22 in Hollywood, Florida, and wrap it up in Las Vegas in November.

The Who’s tours have become a lot more complicated, Daltrey said. “We were, we were four guys with eight amplifiers, a drum kit and a sound system. That was it. We turn up in a U-Haul truck and three roadies would suit us for the night.”

Daltrey refuses to worry about COVID affecting the tour, he said at his England countryside home. “We’re just living our lives. And if you get it and die, you get it and die, you know?”

The rock legend, who has worked with many of the world’s top bands, named Mick Jagger as his top rock band frontman followed jointly by Freddie Mercury and Elton John, Bruce Springsteen and David Bowie.

While the band has no plans to stop touring, the time will come, Daltrey acknowledged.

“I’ve always said about this business. You don’t give it up, it gives you up. I will open my mouth and it won’t come out like it should. And I will go, that’s it, can’t do it anymore.”

-reuters-

Foo Fighters cancel F1 Abu Dhabi concert for medical reasons

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The Foo Fighters rock band has called off its concert at the Formula One race in Abu Dhabi due to “unforeseen medical circumstances,” event organizers said Sunday.

The organizers offered no further details about the medical issue, other than to say that Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters were “unable to travel” to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix for Sunday’s concert.

“The band apologizes for any inconvenience or disappointment caused by this unexpected turn of events,” the statement added. The band offered no immediate comment about the issue on its social media.

Emirati state-linked newspaper The National quoted concert promoter John Lickrish as saying that a member of the band was rushed to a hospital from an airport in Chicago, where the band stopped on the way to Abu Dhabi. He didn’t elaborate on what happened but said the band managers had called him to cancel.

The Foo Fighters last performed in Fresno, California, on Thursday and had been scheduled to end their rock tour in Abu Dhabi.

Instead, organizers said that Dutch DJ Martin Garrix and France’s DJ Snake would perform at the concert that closes the Formula One season at Yas Island, off the east coast of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.

-Associated Press-

Former Skid Row singer Johnny Solinger dies

(CNN)Former Skid Row singer Johnny Solinger has died, according to a post on the Official Skid Row Instagram page. He was 55.

"We are saddened to hear the news of our brother Johnny Solinger," the band said in the post Saturday. "Our thoughts are with his family, friends and fans. Godspeed Singo. Say hello to Scrappy for us."

Solinger announced on his Facebook page in May that he was hospitalized after being diagnosed with liver failure.

"It is with a heavy heart I must let everyone know what's going on with me and my health," he said in the May post. "I have been hospitalized for over the last month. I have been diagnosed with liver failure. And the prognosis is not so good."

A verified GoFundMe campaign was created shortly after by his friend Brian Lawrence to help pay for his medical bills and palliative care.

Lawrence has been posting updates on Solinger's health regularly since the fund started in May. The campaign raised $16,525 of its $100,000 goal.

On Sunday, Lawrence posted an update from Solinger's wife Paula saying: "Johnny has passed. I was holding his hand. He went in peace. Thank you all. I will take a break from everything but please know I am forever grateful for your love."

Skid Row started in 1986, according to the band's website. Solinger replaced original lead singer Sebastian Bach in 1999.

CNN has reached out to Solinger's wife and the organizer of the GoFundMe campaign for a statement.

-edition.cnn.com

Coldplay beam up new single 'Higher Power' to space

LONDON - British band Coldplay chose an out of this world way to mark the release of their latest single “Higher Power” on Friday - by beaming up into space.

The rock group, known for hit songs “Paradise” and “Viva la Vida”, linked up with the International Space Station (ISS) to speak with French ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet about life in space.

They also shared a recorded outdoor performance of their new song, featuring colourful alien holograms dancing to the tune, to Pesquet, who played it on board the ISS.

“Right now we aren’t able to play for anybody on Earth, so we thought we’d just play for you,” lead singer Chris Martin to Pesquet during their chat, a video of which was shared on Friday. “It’s like our one-man concert.”

Last week, the band wrote on its Twitter page that the song, produced by Swedish songwriter and producer Max Martin, “arrived on a little keyboard and a bathroom sink at the start of 2020”.

Coldplay will open next week’s BRIT Awards, Britain’s pop music honours, with a performance of “Higher Power” on the River Thames near the ceremony’s O2 arena venue in London.

They are also set to perform at Glastonbury’s livestream concert on May 22 after the festival’s usual greenfield music event was cancelled again this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Reporting by Marie-Louise Gumuchian; Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky

-reuters-

Rock band Queen get postage stamp of approval

LONDON (Reuters) - British postage stamps which often portray the monarch will honor a different Queen in a new Royal Mail series - the veteran rock band that is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

The set of 13 stamps on sale next month will feature artwork from their most popular album covers, images from the band’s extravagant live performances and their first studio photoshoot in 1974.

“What an honor. We must be really part of the furniture now!” said drummer Roger Taylor.

Guitarist Brian May added: “Since we four precocious boys started out on our quest 50 years ago, our lives have been devoted to making our impossible dream come true.

“Sometimes it’s strange to wake up and realise the position in which we are now held – we have become a national institution!”

Queen, who have sold more than 300 million records, are the third music group to have a dedicated British stamp issue after the Beatles in 2007 and Pink Floyd in 2016.

Writing by Giles Elgood; Editing by Mike Collett-White

-reuters-

'You Are the Champions': Queen, Adam Lambert update anthem for health workers

Rock band Queen and singer Adam Lambert are raising money for health workers fighting COVID-19 with new single "You Are The Champions," an updated version of classic hit "We Are The Champions" recorded on mobile phones under lockdown.

The track is for "all those in the frontline, all around the world... the people who are risking their lives to save us and save our families," guitarist Brian May told Reuters in a video conference call interview from his home in London.

The single came to life when May posted a video online



of himself playing his part, inviting the public to jam. He then urged drummer Roger Taylor and Lambert, who tours with the band in the place of late singer Freddie Mercury, to join in.



The band discussed whether to update the lyrics. In the end, Lambert swapped in "you" for "we" in the final verse, and left the rest of the words unchanged. It was an unusual move for Queen to alter even a single word of a classic song written by Mercury more than 40 years ago.

"But I think this is the type of event that warranted such a change. And it really, because it's such a well-known title, changing that one word makes a huge impact," Lambert told Reuters from his home in Los Angeles.

The lyrics still stand as the ideal anthem for the fight against coronavirus, he added: "It's really a song about overcoming obstacles. It's a song about, you know, defying the odds. And I think that's what we're doing right now."

Taylor's wife filmed him adding drums from his home in the English county of Cornwall. He listened to May's track on headphones and played along while watching on a computer.

"It was quite tricky because Brian was just playing without a metronome or anything," Taylor confided to Reuters.

The musicians and Mercury's estate are donating their proceeds to a World Health Organization fund for health workers. The music video shows footage of frontline workers around the world, including Taylor's daughter, Dr. Rory Taylor, a family doctor in West London.

"People feel it in themselves," May said of Mercury's song. "They feel this challenge. They want to be the best. They want to win. And the song just has it. So it's become a wonderful way of expressing triumph and determination in the face of something very difficult."

The band was meant to be on the road now but had to postpone a 27-date UK and European tour. May said it was "heartbreaking" to call off shows after fans bought 400,000 tickets, and the band hopes to reschedule for next year.

-reuters-

Locked-down Rolling Stones release new track 'Living in a Ghost Town'

(Editor’s note: paragraph 7 contains language that some readers may find offensive)

LONDON (Reuters) - The Rolling Stones gave their fans some satisfaction on Thursday by releasing a new track “Living in a Ghost Town”, part-recorded during the coronavirus lockdown.

The song, powered by a Keith Richards’ riff and a chanted refrain, comes with a video showing deserted streets and subway stations in London, Los Angeles, Kyoto and other cities.

“So the Stones were in the studio recording some new material before the lockdown and there was one song we thought would resonate through the times that we’re living in right now,” Mick Jagger said in a statement.

“We’ve worked on it in isolation. And here it is ... I hope you like it.”





The band said it started recording the track in Los Angeles in 2019. Then, as pandemic restrictions started rolling out across the world, they adjusted some of the lyrics and added other finishing touches to the mix.

In the video, Jagger is seen singing one tweaked line in a plush, wood-panelled room: “Life was so beautiful then we all got locked down. Feel like a ghost, living in a ghost town.”

Keith Richards said the track had been meant for a new album, “then shit hit the fan ... Mick and I decided this one really needed to go to work right now.”

The release comes less than a week after the band’s four members performed “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” from their living rooms via a video conference call - part of the global “One World: Together At Home” broadcast brought together by pop icon Lady Gaga.

A string of stars have been heading online to keep their fans entertained during the lockdown.

Bob Dylan has released two tracks in the past month - his first new original material in eight years - including one near 17-minute reflection on the assassination of US President John F. Kennedy titled “Murder Most Foul”.

“Living in a Ghost Town” is released on streaming and download services only.

Writing by Andrew Heavens; Editing by Hugh Lawson

Metallica streams past performances in weekly concert series

Metallica is keeping fans' spirits up amid the novel coronavirus pandemic by streaming its past performances for free.

The American heavy metal band kicked off its #MetallicaMondays series on March 23 (US time) by uploading a video of its concert in Slane Castle, Ireland last June 8. 

The video was streamed live at 8 p.m. in the US, but fans who missed it can still watch the show as much as they want on Facebook and YouTube.

Those who will tune in on YouTube will see Metallica's donate button for COVID-19 efforts. 

"Need to take a break from Netflix before you binge-watch the entire library? Introducing our brand new concert series: #MetallicaMondays," Metallica said in its social media pages.

Metallica, composed of James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Robert Trujillo, and Lars Ulrich, previously postponed and cancelled some of its upcoming shows due to the coronavirus.

Check out the first entry in #MetallicaMondays below:

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Pearl Jam postpones tour over coronavirus

NEW YORK - American rock band Pearl Jam announced late Monday they are postponing the first leg of their North American tour this spring over coronavirus concerns.

"Unfortunately, communing in large groups is a huge part of what we do as a band and the tour we've been busy planning for months is now in jeopardy... We have and will always keep the safety and well-being of our supporters as top priority," frontman Eddie Vedder said in a statement on social media.

"So it is with deep frustration and regret that we are forced to make this most unfortunate of announcements... This scheduled first leg of our PJ/Gigaton tour will need to be postponed and shows rescheduled for a later date."

The band's new album "Gigaton" is scheduled for release on March 27. They had planned to embark on a 16-date North American tour in March and April, with destinations including New York's Madison Square Garden.

"We've worked hard with all our management and business associates to find other solutions or options but the levels of risk to our audience and their communities is simply too high for our comfort level," the statement signed by Vedder and the band said. 

"Add to that we also have a unique group of passionate fans who travel far and wide. We've always been humbled by this and respect their energies and devotion. However in this case, travel is something to avoid."

He then took a jab at the Donald Trump administration: "It certainly hasn't helped that there's been no clear messages from our government regarding people's safety and our ability to go to work."

"Having no examples of our national health department's ability to get ahead of this, we have no reason to believe that it will be under control in the coming weeks ahead."

Stories of new cases flooded in across the country Monday, from a Washington DC church rector to the head of New York's ports authority, while some stores ran out of hand sanitizer and masks. Twenty-six people have now died in the United States after contracting COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus.

Since the worldwide COVID-19 epidemic began, Trump -- who is himself feared to have been exposed to the virus -- has veered between defending his government from accusations of incompetence to accusing Democrats and the media of exaggerating the crisis in an attempt to hurt his standing in an election year.

mdo/caw/

Agence France-Presse

Green Day postpones Asian tour due to coronavirus concerns

MANILA – Green Day has joined the growing list of bands and artists that have postponed their Asian tour dates over health concerns brought about the threat of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

In a Facebook post on Friday, members of the American rock band announced that they “have made the difficult decision to postpone our upcoming shows in Asia due to health and travel concerns with coronavirus.”

“We know it sucks, as we were looking forward to seeing you all, but hold on to your tickets we’ll be announcing the new dates very soon.”

Green Day’s Manila show was originally scheduled on March 14 at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The band is known for the albums “Dookie” and “American Idiot.”

source: news.abs-cbn.com

UK issues commemorative coin celebrating rock band Queen

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s Royal Mint has issued its first commemorative coin featuring a British rock group, in a tribute to the late Freddie Mercury and the three other band members of Queen.

“This is a ‘who would’ve thought it’ moment. Here we have a coin of the realm, a five-pound coin in fact, made by The Royal Mint, in the customary fashion,” said Queen lead guitarist Brian May in a video clip, holding a one ounce silver proof coin.

“On one side we have The Queen (Elizabeth), on the other side we have Queen. This never happened before,” he said.

All British coins and banknotes bear the head of the monarch.

The coin, released on Monday, features the band’s logo and instruments played by the Queen members: the Bechstein grand piano played by Freddie Mercury for “Bohemian Rhapsody”, May’s “Red Special” guitar, Roger Taylor’s Ludwig bass drum with an early-day Queen crest and John Deacon’s Fender Precision Bass.

The coin’s designer Chris Facey also paid tribute to “Bohemian Rhapsody”, the band’s most celebrated hit, with the keys of the piano on the coin pressed down for the opening notes of the song, The Royal Mint said in a press release.

The commemorative coin is available in gold and silver proof, with prices varying from 13 pounds for a £5 Brilliant uncirculated coin cover to £2,100 for the one ounce gold proof coin.

The Queen coin is the first release in The Royal Mint’s upcoming “Music Legends” series.

Reporting by Reuters Television; Writing by Hanna Rantala; Editing by Gareth Jones

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Mick Jagger says 'on the mend' after medical procedure

NEW YORK - Mick Jagger is "on the mend" after a reportedly successful heart valve procedure in New York, the Rolling Stones front man said Friday.

"Thank you everyone for all your messages of support, I'm feeling much better now and on the mend - and also a huge thank you to all the hospital staff for doing a superb job," said Jagger, 75.

Days earlier The Rolling Stones announced they would postpone the North American leg of their upcoming tour so Jagger could receive medical treatment.

Industry tracker Billboard had said late Thursday doctors performed a minimally invasive transcatheter aortic valve replacement, allowing the artist to avoid major surgery that would open his chest.

Instead, doctors accessed the heart valve of the flamboyant Stones lead singer through his femoral artery in the thigh.

Jagger was resting in the hospital, according to Billboard, citing anonymous sources who said he must lay low for 4 to 5 days so the artery could heal without triggering severe bleeding.

Representatives for Jagger and the Stones did not immediately reply to AFP queries.

After the band that formed in 1962 announced the tour postponement of 17 shows in the US and Canada, Jagger had tweeted that he was "devastated" and would "be working very hard to be back on stage as soon as I can."

 

"I really hate letting you down like this," he said.

Jagger, who has 8 children, 5 grandchildren and a great-granddaughter, has maintained his energetic stage performances well into his 70s.

Agence France-Presse

Mick Jagger to undergo heart surgery - report

LONDON -- Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger will undergo heart surgery this week following the postponement of the band's North American tour for medical reasons, according to a published report.

The US website Drudge Report, citing unidentified sources, said Jagger, 75, would undergo surgery this week in New York to replace a heart valve. New York Post's Page Six website, citing unidentified sources, said the surgery would involve placing a stent in the singer's heart.

Representatives for Jagger in the United States did not return requests for comment. A spokesman for the British band in London declined to comment on the Drudge Report article.

The band on Saturday announced it was postponing all dates on its tour of the United States and Canada to give Jagger time to receive medical treatment. It did not specify what treatment Jagger needed but said he is expected to make a full recovery.

The North American tour had been scheduled to run from April 20 until June 29.

Jagger was photographed on Sunday in Miami Beach, Florida on the beach with his current girlfriend, ballet dancer Melanie Hamrick, their young son, and daughter Georgia May, one of his seven adult children.

The British singer has not explained his medical issue but told fans in a tweet on Saturday that he would be "working very hard to be back on stage as soon as I can."

After a storied sex, drugs and rock-'n-roll lifestyle in his earlier days, Jagger now follows a healthy diet, runs, and works out frequently.

Stents are typically used to prop open arteries that have been cleared of a blockage.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Jonas Brothers reunite, will release first new music in years

NEW YORK - The Jonas Brothers are getting the band back together -- and will release their first single in 6 years, the heartthrob trio announced Thursday.

"We're baaaccckkkk..." the band tweeted.

The Grammy-nominated boy band is set to drop their new song "Sucker" Friday at midnight, their label said, after splitting nearly 6 years ago, citing a "deep rift in the band."

The brothers -- Joe, 29, Kevin, 31, and Nick, 26 -- teased their reunion in a "Carpool Karaoke" spot for The Late Late Show with James Corden.

"It's nice to be able to finally tell somebody," Nick said in a promo for the segment. "We've kept this a secret now for almost 7, 8 months. This is basically our first performance back."

"Sucker" will be the first release from the trio since June 2013's "First Time."

Releasing their first album in 2006, the brothers skyrocketed to global celebrity and found massive commercial success in part thanks to their appearances on the Disney Channel network.

The brothers, who hail from New Jersey, were from a devout Christian family, and in the early stages of their careers their wholesome image included wearing purity rings that promote chastity until marriage.

Following their band's break-up both Nick and Joe pursued other musical projects while Kevin appeared in reality television shows and founded a real estate company.

In December 2018, Nick wed Bollywood actress Priyanka Chopra in a lavish ceremony dubbed India's "wedding of the year."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Brian Velasco's girlfriend issues statement about rocker's death

MANILA – Portia Carlos finally broke her silence on Sunday to address “speculations, gossip, malicious rumors and lies” surrounding the death of her late boyfriend, Razorback drummer Brian Velasco.

Velasco passed away last January 16 in an apparent suicide.

In a lengthy statement sent to entertainment site Push, Carlos explained that Velasco had bipolar disorder “that causes extreme mood swings that include mania or hypomania (emotional highs) or depression (lows).”

Because of his condition, Carlos said doctors put Velasco on medication and he agreed to take it religiously.

However, they learned from the helper who regularly cleaned Velasco’s condominium unit that the musician had not asked her to buy his meds.

“After his death, they also saw some meds in the condo when his supply should have been used up by then. The helper knew when she was supposed to buy the meds if Brian had been taking it regularly,” she said.

“His manic episodes were VERY SIMILAR to his bad drunk episodes. And we all thought he was taking his meds, specifically because he has not had a manic episode since he started taking them. SO, NO. HE WAS NOT ALONE NOR ISOLATED IN HIS LAST FEW DAYS. WE HAVE SEEN WORSE AND WE JUST ASSUMED THAT IT WAS ALCOHOL AND THAT HE WOULD BE SOBER IN A FEW DAYS,” she said.

Categorically denying that Velasco was depressed, Carlos said her late boyfriend was actually making plans prior to January 16.

“On Jan 12 and 13, we spent hours training my always angry shih tzu Jack and Panchito to co-exist because we planned to live together this May so we won’t have to pay for 2 broadband accounts, 2 Meralco bills, 2 assoc dues, and decide each night which unit we were gonna sleep at, only because we needed 2 units in the same building to separate my dog from his Alfie (his recently departed dog). We thought a puppy would be easier for my dog to learn to co-exist with,” she said.

“On Jan. 13, he messaged another drum teacher-friend and asked her when their drum recital was. On Jan 13, over dinner, we were talking about the color of his suits for two upcoming weddings in my family. On Jan 15, OR A DAY BEFORE THE INCIDENT, he spoke to the mom of a student and asked if they had plans to go on a trip because he is scheduling a recital soon,” she added.

According to a psychiatrist she talked to on Saturday, Carlos said Velasco certainly had a manic-depressive episode based on the events and activities she narrated to the expert.

Meanwhile, Carlos also denied that Velasco was beating her up and that their worst fights were all shouting matches.

Carlos said Velasco was not sad his band was on its way down.

“In fact they’re in the last stages of an extremely major project that he had been so happy and excited about. Something so big that, if I'm not mistaken, has never been done in the PH music industry,” she said.

She said Velasco’s family also did not waive the autopsy to supposedly cover up drugs in his system.

“Not true. Brian did not do any drugs, not even weed. He just liked alcohol. Drugs was never a consideration in the 'waiving' of the autopsy. To us, we just lost someone we loved in the most tragic way,” she said.

Velasco joined Razorback in 1996, replacing original drummer Miguel Ortigas, and helped the band become a household name after the release of their second album, "Beggar's Moon."

Razorback's last album, "Acoustic ng Ina Mo," a compilation of acoustic versions of their hits, was released in 2015.

Last year marked their 28th anniversary as a group and saw them drop a new single, "Stargazer," featuring Wolfgang's Basti Atardi.

Velasco's death came more than a week after Razorback headlined a benefit gig for OPM legend Wally Gonzalez, a founding member of the influential rock act Juan Dela Cruz Band.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

RAZORBACK PARTS WAYS WITH VOCALIST KEVIN ROY!

Veteran local rock and roll band Razorback issued an official statement on the departure of their lead vocalist Kevin Roy - a founding member since since its inception in 1990.

On the band’s official Twitter account, Razorback made a clear declaration about the news to part ways with Kevin, and their plans for the future:

“We regret to announce that, due to circumstances beyond our control, we have parted ways with our singer and brother, Kevin Roy. We wish him luck in his future endeavors.”, the band stated.

"Razorback will forge ahead and give you Boars the Rakenrol you deserve. See you in the shows to come.", they assured their fans. Check out their official statement.

At this time, Kevin Roy is yet to announce a statement regarding his departure. He is the formidable voice behind the band’s hits, “Giyang”, “Payaso”, “Wakasan”, and a lot more.

source: myx.abs-cbn.com

Cranberries singer Dolores O'Riordan dies suddenly at 46

DUBLIN - Irish singer-songwriter Dolores O'Riordan, frontwoman of the multi-million selling rock band The Cranberries, died suddenly in London on Monday, aged 46, her publicist said.

"Irish and international singer Dolores O'Riordan has died suddenly in London today, family members are devastated," Lindsey Holmes said in a statement.

"The lead singer...was in London for a short recording session," she added. "No further details are available at this time."

A spokeswoman for London's Metropolitan police said officers are "dealing with a sudden death" after they were called to a hotel in Park Lane, in the center of the British capital, at 0905 GMT this morning.

She did not confirm the identity of the person found.

"A woman in her mid-40s was pronounced dead at the scene," the spokeswoman said.

"At this early stage it is being treated as unexplained and enquiries continue," she added.

Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar was among the first to pay tributes, calling O’Riordan "the voice of a generation."

"For anyone who grew up in Ireland in the 1990s, the Cranberries were an iconic band, who captured all of the angst that came with your teenager years," he said in a statement.

"Her voice and her contribution to music will be remembered far beyond her native county for many years to come."

Family 'very devastated'

The London Hilton on Park Lane confirmed "with deep regret" that an unnamed guest had "sadly passed away" at its hotel.

"Team members acted swiftly to alert the Metropolitan Police and we are co-operating fully with their investigation," a spokeswoman said.

The Cranberries achieved international success in the 1990s with their debut album "Everyone Else is Doing it, So Why Can't We?", which included the hit single "Linger."

Follow-up album "No Need to Argue" went to number one in Australia, France and Germany, and number 6 in the United States.

The album also gave rise to politically charged single "Zombie," an angry response to the deadly Northern Ireland conflict, which hit number one across Europe. The band sold around 40 million records worldwide.

O'Riordan, from Friarstown in the Irish county of Limerick, will be buried in Ireland, according to the parish priest in her home town.

James Walton, priest at Ballybricken and Bohermore parish, told Britain's Press Association her family "is very devastated and upset."

"Her family are still waiting for more details to come from London about her death," he said. "The plan is for her to be buried here at home. When that will be will depend on when her body is released."

'Immense influence on rock'

The Cranberries, formed in 1989 but went on a hiatus in 2003.
O'Riordon told AFP in a 2012 interview that "we were stuck in a rut. We just needed a break."

She headed to Canada, where she gave birth to her third child, but The Cranberries reformed in 2009 after getting together for a one-off show.

"At home I'm a house-keeper and a mum. The kids are, like, 'What's for dinner? Where are my clothes?'. On tour it's, like: 'room-service,'" she said of the comeback.

She hit the headlines in 2014 after pleading guilty to assaulting three police officers and a flight attendant during a flight from New York to Ireland, and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder shortly afterwards.

The band was forced to cancel 14 concerts last year due to "medical reasons associated with a back problem" for O'Riordan.

The singer's last Facebook posting came shortly before Christmas.

"Hi All, Dolores here. Feeling good! I did my first bit of gigging in months at the weekend, performed a few songs at the Billboard annual staff holiday party in New York with the house band," it read.

"Really enjoyed it! Happy Christmas to all our fans!! Xo."

The band recently played in South America, with O'Riordan tweeting pictures of a show in Lima, Peru.

O'Riordan married Don Burton, former tour manager of Duran Duran, in 1994 but the couple, who had three children together, divorced in 2014.

British 1980s band Duran Duran posted on their official Twitter page that "we are crushed to hear the news about the passing of Dolores O'Riordan. Our thoughts go out to her family at this terrible time."

The Cranberries released their final album "Something Else" last year.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young dies aged 64

PARIS - AC/DC guitarist Malcolm Young has died aged 64 after suffering for several years with dementia, the band announced Saturday.

Young founded the Australian rock group with his brother Angus, who said he will leave "an enormous legacy".

"Today it is with deep heartfelt sadness that AC/DC has to announce the passing of Malcolm Young," a statement on the band's website said.

"With enormous dedication and commitment he was the driving force behind the band.

"As a guitarist, songwriter and visionary he was a perfectionist and a unique man."

Best known for their hit song Highway to Hell, AC/DC formed in 1973 and went on to produce 17 studio albums, selling more than 200 million records.

Friends and musicians paid tribute to him on Twitter.

Black Sabbath singer Ozzy Osborne tweeted: "So sad to learn of the passing of yet another friend, Malcolm Young. He will be sadly missed. God Bless."

Def Leppard frontman Joe Elliot called him "an incredible guitar player & the glue for that band onstage & off."

Eddie Van Halen wrote: "It is a sad day in rock and roll. Malcolm Young was my friend and the heart and soul of AC/DC.

"He will be missed and my deepest condolences to his family, bandmates and friends."

Meanwhile Canadian singer-songwriter Bryan Adams said Young's "guitar playing was a huge inspiration," adding "thanks for that."

'ENORMOUS LEGACY'

Malcolm Young had been suffering from dementia for the several years, and was replaced in the band by his nephew Stevie Young.

His family said he died peacefully, with them at his bedside.

His brother Angus paid tribute, saying: "As his brother it is hard to express in words what he has meant to me during my life, the bond we had was unique and very special.

"He leaves behind an enormous legacy that will live on forever.

"Malcolm, job well done."

Elder brother George, who the band described as a mentor, died last month.

The three brothers were born in Scotland and emigrated to Australia as children with their family, although their eldest brother remained in the UK.

A statement from his family, published on the band's Facebook page, said: "It is with deepest sorrow that we inform you of the death of Malcolm Young, beloved husband, father, grandfather and brother.

"Renowned for his musical prowess Malcolm was a songwriter, guitarist, performer, producer and visionary who inspired many.

"From the outset, he knew what he wanted to achieve and, along with his younger brother, took to the world stage giving their all at every show. Nothing less would do for their fans."

Malcolm is survived by his wife O'Linda, children Cara and Ross, son-in-law Josh, three grandchildren, sister Margaret and brother Angus.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

30 years on, U2 still finds relevance in 'The Joshua Tree'

LONDON -- Irish rock group U2 kicked off the European leg of "The Joshua Tree" tour on Saturday by returning to the album that tackled their love-hate relationship with America and propelled them to superstardom when it was released 30 years ago.

The band, led by 57-year-old singer Bono, is playing the entire record to 2.4 million fans on their 2017 tour, including hits "With or Without You" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm looking For."

But they started the London show with early songs "Sunday Bloody Sunday," "New Year's Day," "Bad", and the Martin Luther King Jr.-inspired "Pride (In the Name of Love)," which Bono dedicated to the "Rainbow people of London" who took part in the annual Pride LGBT march in the city earlier on Saturday.

"The Joshua Tree" was played in sequence against a backdrop of video of U.S. landscapes such as Death Valley, and Americans standing in front of the Stars and the Stripes, shot by Dutch photographer Anton Corbijn who created the imagery on the original record.

The group's best-selling album was released in 1987 when Ronald Reagan was U.S. President and his ideological soul mate Margaret Thatcher was in power in Britain.

The tracks "Bullet the Blue Sky" and "Mothers of the Disappeared" were inspired by trips Bono made to Nicaragua and El Salvador, where he saw the impact of U.S. foreign policy, while "Red Hill Mining Town" was about the impact of the socially divisive miners' strike in Britain in the 1980s.

Lead guitarist The Edge said in an interview with Rolling Stone in January that politically "things have kind of come full circle."

"It just felt like, 'Wow, these songs have a new meaning and a new resonance today that they didn't have three years ago, four years ago,'" he told the magazine.

Bono largely let the music speak for itself on Saturday, although a character called "Trump" was called a liar by the "good guy cowboy" in a Western movie-style clip.

"The Joshua Tree," which sold more than 25 million copies, marked the pinnacle of the band tackling social and political issues through rock music.

Their next album, "Rattle and Hum," did not match its success critically or commercially, and the band reinvented themselves in the 1990s by incorporating electronic and alternative rock into their sound.

Seven of their later songs, including "Ultraviolet" and "One," were played as an encore, before Bono invited support act Noel Gallagher back on stage to sing "Don't Look Back in Anger," a song he wrote for his band Oasis.

The track became an anthem for Manchester after 22 people were killed by a suicide bomber in the city in May, and Gallagher also dedicated it to the victims of further attacks and a devastating tower block fire in London in June.

U2, Gallagher and thousands of fans united in singing the anthem, ending a show that proved the enduring relevance and appeal of 1980s and 1990s rock music.

"The Joshua Tree" tour plays seven other European cities before returning to the United States in September.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Led Zeppelin owes millions in royalties to musician: plaintiff attorney

Led Zeppelin may owe an American musician millions of dollars in royalties, a plaintiff's attorney said on Wednesday in closing arguments of a trial over whether the British band stole the opening riff for its 1971 hit "Stairway to Heaven."

Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page, in testimony earlier in the seven-day copyright infringement trial, said the riff was commonly used long before its appearance on American band Spirit's 1967 song "Taurus" and before "Stairway to Heaven."

Lawyer Francis Malofiy, who represents a trustee for late Spirit musician Randy Wolfe, also known as Randy California, told jurors in US District Court in Los Angeles that Page did not say how he was inspired to compose the opening chords of the chart-topping song, which has a place in the Grammy Hall of Fame.

"He didn't tell you where he got the idea," Malofiy said. "That's because the piece of music was lifted from 'Taurus' and Randy California."

Malofiy said he was seeking a one-third writing credit on "Stairway to Heaven" for Wolfe and presented various estimated valuations of damages ranging from $3 million to $30 million.

The federal trial has called into question the originality of the signature song of one of the top-selling rock acts of all time.

Peter Anderson, an attorney for the band, repeated to jurors his argument that the riff that opens "Stairway to Heaven," a chromatic descending arpeggiated line that misses the 'E' note, was in the public domain and had been widely used.

"Randy Wolfe did not create the descending chromatic scale," Anderson told jurors.

Anderson also questioned the damage figures sought by Malofiy, telling jurors that even if they decide Wolfe deserves a writing credit, they would have to determine the value of a riff that only forms part of "Stairway to Heaven."

The lawsuit was brought in 2014 by Michael Skidmore, a trustee for Wolfe. The musician drowned in 1997.

Earlier in the trial, Skidmore's lawyers simultaneously showed the jury two video clips of expert Kevin Hanson playing the riff in both songs. Hanson said the two clips "play together as one piece of music. It is not discordant."

Led Zeppelin's attorneys brought in music expert Lawrence Ferrara, who testified that the "descending chromatic minor line progression" in question at the trial was used 300 years ago, as well as in many pop songs since.

(Writing by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by Peter Cooney)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com