Vinnie Paul keeps his late brother and Pantera bandmate Dimebag close to his heart as he continues his musical career. The Hellyeah drummer says: "The only pressure I’ve ever felt is not to let my brother down, and not to let myself down."
He adds: “I’ve done my best as a person to carry on and make myself happy because I know that’s what he’d want me to do. He’s part of what I do – I’ve felt like he’s with us from day one when we put Hellyeah together.” [PlanetMosh]
Blog: Why we should let Pantera rest in peace
An online museum dedicated to Bruce Springsteen will launch next month to mark the 30th anniversary of his Born In The USA album. The site, BlindedByTheLIght.com, is set to include over 300 items and will offer visitors the chance to win prizes every six months.
Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan recently marked his 50th birthday with a show featuring music and members from all his projects, including Failure, Puscifer, A Perfect Circle and Green Jello. Keenan served wine to all the guests at the event, which was set out like a garden barbecue. [Artisan]
Original Foreigner bassist Ed Gagliardi has died at the age of 62, former vocalist Lou Gramm has reported. He says: “It is with a heavy heart that I let fans know that Ed passed away last evening. I had spoken to Ed a few weeks ago and we were making plans to meet at my show in Orlando in July. Rest in peace, Ed. Always your bandmate, Lou.”
Blondie have confirmed a show at the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire on June 30, in addition to their previously-announced appearance at Sheffield’s O2 Academy on June 29. Tickets go on sale on Friday.
**Robert Plant **has revealed his next solo album will be released in September. He hasn’t confirmed its name but says it’s “very crunchy and gritty, very West African and very Massive Attack. There’s a lot of bottom end, so it might sound all right at a Jamaican party.” [Rolling Stone]
Ice-T describes upcoming Body Count album Manslaughter as “brutal.” He adds: “People have been asking me to do some music, and I haven’t really been inspired to do hip-hop for a while, because hip-hop got really pop to me. But my band always wants to play, so we decided to do an album.” It’s due out next month. [TheFlama]
Former Dire Straits keyboardist Alan Clark is surprised they managed to make a follow-up to iconic release Brothers In Arms. Clark, who leads offshoot band The Straits, reports: “For Mark Knopfler it would have been a great idea to leave it on a massive high like Brothers In Arms. Mark was very interested in doing his solo projects. He was also very interested in producing other people and doing movie scores. I think if things had worked out differently, then that might have been it, actually.” [Ultimate Classic Rock]
Former Queensryche singer Geoff Tate’s first studio project after reaching an agreement with his ex-bandmates will be a concept album. He says: “This story is incredibly interesting and is all set to music. Right now I’m planning on doing a trilogy-like release. I’m very excited; I don’t have any confines, so it gives me a lot of freedom to go in these directions I haven’t been able to go in before.” [News-Herald]
Disturbed – and mainman David Draiman – are the subject of a spoof advert which pretends to be promoting an album called Disturbed’s Greatest Hit. View it below.
