1987 Powerline Magazine Interview with Megadeth Posted on Powerline A.D. Website

Those were the days. A B&W metal fanzine. What humble beginnings and proud of it, too. But the two Dave’s of Megadeth were good enough at the time to grant us an exclusive interview (and photoshoot!). They were good to the underground press (Hey, Metallica didn’t grant us an interview until later, when we were on the newsstands!).

Go to www.powerlinead.com to read an interview Powerline conducted in mid-1987 with Megadth’s Dave Mustaine and David Ellefson.

Of course, Metallica was discussed. Also Kerry King gets bashed. Big time.

NFL Is Asked To Remove The Who From Super Bowl Halftime Show

According to a report from NME.com, the National Football League has been asked by an American child-welfare organization to remove The Who from the halftime performance slot at next month’s Super Bowl. ChildAbuseWatch.net told a Florida newspaper that it objects to Pete Townshend’s participation in the halftime show due to his 2003 arrest and police caution over accessing child pornography. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy told the Associated Press that The Who will play the show. McCarthy commented, “UK police cleared him since he was doing research for a project on child abuse.”

While I’m sure that ChildAbuseWatch.net meant well, they should have done more research before going public with their request. Townshend was doing research for a book on his life at the time of his arrest. He had allegedly been abused by a family member as a child and those experiences formed part of the story of The Who’s famed rock opera Tommy. It appears that the only thing that Townshend was guilty of was being naive and not checking with his attorney or the police about the proper ways to research child abuse.

The Who’s performance at the Super Bowl will take place on February 7th in Miami.

For more on this story, see the articles from NME.com, the Associated Press, and the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Soundgarden Reunion Still in the Super Unknown

I will be absolutely thrilled if Soundgarden gets back together and tours. It would be even more thrilling if they recorded a new album beforehand.

There have been rumors of a Soundgarden’s reunion all of last year. Now vocalist Chris Cornell announces that a reunion is planned via the Website www.soundgardenworld.com:

“The 12 year break is over and school is back in session.”

Cornell also added on his Twitter page, Twitter.com/chriscornell:

“Knights of the Soundtable ride again!”

This is all very exciting but as NME put it, “The band members are yet to reveal what their reunion will entail.” And the band agreed that nothing would happen unless all original members were together for this. Cornell:

“When Soundgarden broke up, my discussions with the rest of the band was ‘We have to have an agreement that we will never tour Soundgarden – Soundgarden will never exist – without it being a unanimous decision and that everyone who was in the band is in the band’

Certain musicians have other commitments, like drummer Matt Cameron touring this spring and summer with Pearl Jam. And nobody has played together since the late 90s.

It would also be a bummer if this reunion was merely a couple of festival gigs here and there.

If anything it will keep Cornell away from his solo work. Or, at the very least, Timbaland.

Iron Maiden Ready to Work on New Album But Will the Music Be a lot Different?

Maiden drummer Nico McBrain (right) recently told Metal God Eddie Trunk that the band will enter the studio in a few weeks to record their new album, and, according to Trunk:

” … there was about eight songs written so far so the band would probably need to come up with a few more new songs while recording. [He added that] the material was a little different than past albums and they were taking their time with the recording schedule.”

A little different than past albums? That in itself can be a red flag for die-hard fans. I know every time I hear something like that, I cringe. Usually that means experimental or more commercial material. With Maiden, one would hope it’s neither.

But it was not too long ago when guitarist Janick Gers said “”The most important thing for a band is to create new music, otherwise you’re not valid — you become a parody.”

Emphasis, I guess, on the word “new.”

Frank Turner Does Terrific Live Session For XFM London

Folk/punk singer-songwriter Frank Turner (pictured above in a Greg Nolan photo) recently did a great live session at the Leicester Square studios of XFM London. Turner performed his songs “Poetry Of The Deed,” “Isobel,” and “The Road.” He also played a tongue-in-cheek cover of Wham’s “Last Christmas” and was interviewed by XFM London DJ Steve Harris. To listen to the session, click here.

For more on Frank Turner, go to:
http://www.frank-turner.com
http://www.myspace.com/frankturner