Sunset Strip Music Festival to celebrate The Doors legacy

SUNSET STRIP MUSIC FESTIVAL (SSMF) organizers today announced that the fifth annual three-day music festival–taking place on THE SUNSET STRIPThursday, August 16 through Saturday, August 18–will celebrate the music and legacy of THE DOORS.

The festival will kick off with an exclusive VIP event honoring the iconic Sunset Strip band on August 16, which will feature an all-star band celebrating THE DOORS, and will conclude with an all-day street fest on Saturday, August 18. MARILYN MANSON will headline the outdoor street fest, which will also feature performances by THE OFFSPRING, STEVE AOKI, BAD RELIGION, very special guest BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, FAR EAST MOVEMENT, DE LA SOUL, DEAD SARA, DAS RACIST, THE MOWGLI’S and more. Many of the artists will celebrate THE DOORS by performing their take on some of THE DOORS’ legendary songs.The venues within the street festival closure–The Roxy Theatre, Whisky A Go-Go and Key Club–will also host full lineups from more than 50 bands throughout the day.

Look for further lineup announcements to be revealed in the coming weeks. Tickets are on sale today (6/13) via TicketWeb.com/SSMF (various pricing options below). A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit IMPACT DRUG AND ALCOHOL TREATMENT CENTER in Pasadena, CA., which has been treating individuals struggling with the powerful force of addiction since 1969. Impact is a residential treatment community for men and women from all walks of life and has outpatient clinics, transitional housing and in-custody programs throughout L.A. County. Impact offers programs to everyone from the roadie to the rock star, with their simple and effective no-nonsense approach to substance abuse treatment.  For more information, go to http://www.impacthouse.com.

As in years past, Sunset Boulevard will be closed to traffic between Doheny Drive and San Vicente Boulevard and transformed into a premier concert destination with two outdoor stages, beer gardens, an artist autograph tent, an outdoor VIP rooftop lounge, silent disco, VIP Lounge at On The Rox, food trucks and interactive experiences.

“We are happy to bring another amazing and diverse lineup to the boulevard as we celebrate the music and legacy of one of The Sunset Strip’s most influential artists, The Doors,” noted SSMF executive director Todd Steadman. “We’re also excited to mark the fifth year of the music festival. SSMF is a homegrown, not-for-profit festival that continues to grow each year. It is shaped by a team of venue owners who partner each year to create a unifying event that celebrates The Sunset Strip and the community of musicians and music fans it has fostered. We look forward to seeing past attendees and welcoming new fans to this year’s event.”

THE DOORS–organist RAY MANZAREK, guitarist ROBBY KRIEGER, drummer JOHN DENSMORE and late singer JIM MORRISON–have earned worldwide notoriety for being one of the most influential rock groups of all time. With an intoxicating, genre-blending sound, provocative and uncompromising songs, and the mesmerizing power of singer Jim Morrison’s poetry and presence, THE DOORS had a transformative impact not only on popular music but on popular culture. The band was formed in Venice, Calif., and remains a vital piece to the legacy and history of The Sunset Strip. It was on The Strip that THE DOORS got their start at the London Fog before moving down the street to perform as the house band at the Whisky A Go-Go. A show at the Whisky in August 1966 helped them land a deal with Elektra Records, which would propel the band into international music icons.

“The Doors are honored to be celebrated by the magical, legendary Strip,” says RAY MANZAREK.  “A great leap forward from the Summer Of Love to today. What a great time we’re going to have! The Sunset Strip. Live bands, loud music, Rock and Roll. It’s the ‘60s all over again, and everyone is welcome. Dancing in the streets. Joy, Love, Peace.  And we want to get it all together just One – More – TIME! Could this be the beginning of the new Golden Age? Let it be so.”  ROBBY KRIEGER says, “It’s a thrill to be honored by The Sunset Strip Music Festival this year. Venice was our home, but The Doors lived and came of age on the Sunset Strip. It’s exciting to see that the legacy we helped create is still alive and thriving today!”  JOHN DENSMORE adds, “The Sunset Strip in the ‘60s was the incubation canal for an entire renaissance in music, and its impact is still with us.  The Doors are proud to be honored this year at the 5th annual SSMF celebration.”

Tickets for SSMF 2012 are on sale beginning today at TicketWeb and are free of additional ticketing fees. Ticket options include general admission August 18 street festival ticket for $75 and VIP options for $135, which includes access to the rooftop VIP area with views of the West stage, VIP areas in the beer garden and venues, access to VIP lounge On The Rox, a separate entrance and additional perks. A very limited number of three-day VIP passes will also be available for $250. These special passes include access to THE DOORS celebration on Thursday, August 16, VIP access to the August 18 street festival and entrance to all of the Sunset Strip Venues on August 16, 17 and 18–House of Blues, The Roxy Theatre, Viper Room, Whisky A Go-Go and Key Club–pending capacity.

Previous SSMF performers have included Ozzy Osbourne, Motley Crue, The Smashing Pumpkins, Slash featuring Fergie, Public Enemy, Common, Bush, LMFAO, Kid Cudi, Neon Trees, Matt & Kim, Cobra Starship and She Wants Revenge, among others.  Highlights from SSMF 2011–which drew a festival record of 15,000 music fans from Southern California and beyond–can be seen here: http://bit.ly/SSMF11vid.

Attendees traveling to SSMF can also enjoy a special offer on Virgin America flights to Los Angeles between August 13 and 21, when they book online at: http://www.virginamerica.com/vx/booking/ssmf.html?cid=PRO_338.

SSMF2012’s proud supporting sponsors include Virgin America, Jack Daniel’s, Gibson Guitar, Bud Light, Monster Energy Drink, Los Angeles Hornburg Range Rover and Land Rover on The Sunset Strip, Glaceau Vitaminwater, Mondrian, 98.7fm, TicketWeb, City of West Hollywood, West Hollywood Marketing & Visitors Bureau and Clear Channel Outdoor. Street fest/event production provided by Swing House Hollywood. Festival creative provided by Signature Creative.

For the latest SUNSET STRIP MUSIC FESTIVAL news, visit www.sunsetstripmusicfestival.com

Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody announces new singer

Italy’s power-driven symphonic/cinematic/orchestral band now known as LUCA TURILLI’S RHAPSODY has issued the following statement:
 
“Hi to All,
 
Today is a great and very important day for our band.  We are finally proud to present the new singer of RHAPSODY to the world, the person who, thanks to his unique vocal talent, will contribute to the artistic perspectives of the band in the years to come. The secret is finally revealed: the new singer is Italian and his name is ALESSANDRO CONTI.”
 
Guitarist / composer / founding member Luca Turilli states:
 
“Alessandro is the singer of our band since many months already but we wanted to present him in the way he deserves, and this means: through his voice!  We wanted to find a singer able to sing in different ways and offering different ‘colors.’  Such ability is fundamental for me as in every RHAPSODY album, I like to compose different styles of songs, passing from the most cinematic and epic impact of some songs to the operatic majesty of other ones, from celestial voices to more aggressive tones.  Alessandro was just the best choice in this sense as in- between the multitude of all his vocal colors, he has a great high tone but also an operatic approach that makes the difference.  He studied at the Corale Lirica Rossini of Modena as first tenor, the same school attended by the great and unforgettable Luciano Pavarotti.”
 
Here is Alessandro’s first official statement as the new singer of RHAPSODY:

“I am very enthusiastic to be the new voice of RHAPSODY and the person the band was searching for.  Ascending To Infinity is just an amazing piece of art and maybe not even the word ‘epic’ is enough to describe its emotional power… what is sure is that I am really proud to be part of it.  Now I am looking forward to meeting all the existing and new RHAPSODY fans around the world.
 
Ascending To Infinity was recorded in Kempten, Germany at Sebastian Roeder’s Backyard Studios.  It will be released this summer in North America by Nuclear Blast and will include over 60 minutes of music.  View track listing information here.
 
Visit LUCA TURILLI’S RHAPSODY online at http://www.LTRHAPSODY.com & on Facebook.

Follow Luca Turilli at http://www.LUCATURILLI.com and  www.NEOCLASSICALREVELATION.com.

 
 

The Who Close TCT Shows With Performance Of Quadrophenia

The Who closed this year’s series of benefit concerts for the UK charity Teenage Cancer Trust at London’s Royal Albert Hall last night (Tuesday, March 30th) with a full-length performance of their 1973 rock opera Quadrophenia. The Who’s usual touring band of Roger Daltrey (lead vocals), Pete Townshend (vocals and guitar), Zak Starkey (drums), Pino Palladino (bass), John “Rabbit” Bundrick (keyboards), and Simon Townshend (guitar and backing vocals) was augmented for the show by horn and string sections. They were also joined by special guests Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam and Tom Meighan of Kasabian. Vedder sang “The Punk and the Godfather” while Meighan sang Keith Moon’s part in “Bell Boy” and began the song seated on a scooter. 

There was no encore after the performance of Quadrophenia. Daltrey is the patron of the Teenage Cancer Trust, and is believed to have attended all of the shows this year. He may have been too tired to do an encore last night. 

There have been rumors that last night’s show might have been the last gig ever by The Who. Pete Townshend’s tinnitus has been bothering him lately, and some scheduled shows by The Who in North America have already been cancelled. The reviews for last night’s show were positive. If last night’s performance of their best album was the last show that The Who perform, then they went out on a high note. 

For more about The Who ‘s Quadrophenia show last night, see the reviews from XFM London, NME.com, RollingStone.com, and the UK newspapers The Times of London, The Sun, and the Evening Standard. 

Matt Kent of TheWho.com took a bunch of great photos at the show, one of which is above. To view the photos, go to TheWho.com.

Liam Gallagher Gives In-Depth Interview To New York’s WRXP-FM

Former Oasis lead vocalist Liam Gallagher recently sat down for a lengthy, in-depth interview with Matt Pinfield and Leslie Fram of New York City rock radio station WRXP-FM. In the interview, Gallagher spoke about his upcoming album, his rift with brother Noel, his Pretty Green clothing line, and the lack of style displayed by Coldplay and U2. The interview is both funny and interesting. 

To watch the interview, go to the WXRP-FM Web site or watch it in three parts from You Tube below. 

Part 1: 

 

Part 2: 

 

Part 3: 

 

For more on Gallagher’s interview with WRXP-FM, see the article about it from NME.com.

Rock Photographer Jim Marshall Leaves Behind Great Portfolio Of Rock Photos

Legendary rock photographer Jim Marshall (pictured above) died at age 74 this past Wednesday, March 24th, in New York City. Marshall photographed many of rock’s legendary performers, including The Who, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, and the Rolling Stones. A photo of The Who taken by Marshall for Teen Set magazine in 1967 is below. 

One of Marshall’s most famous photos is of Jimi Hendrix setting fire to his guitar at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. The photo is pictured below. 

To view a gallery of Marshall’s photos, see NME.com. 

For more on Jim Marshall and his photography, go to his official Web site at http://www.marshallphoto.com/. 

Jim Marshall 1936-2010 R.I.P.

Absolute Radio Web Site Features Live Tracks From Them Crooked Vultures’ TCT Concert

Three songs from Them Crooked Vultures’ show for the benefit of the UK charity Teenage Cancer Trust this past Monday, March 22nd, at London’s Royal Albert Hall are now featured on the Web site of UK radio station Absolute Radio. (Absolute Radio is one of the sponsors of the concert series, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year.) The songs that can be heard on the Absolute Radio Web site are “New Fang,” “Dead End Friends,” and “Gunman.” They sound fantastic. It’s too bad that they didn’t make more of the concert available for listening. 

To hear the live tracks from Them Crooked Vultures, go to the Absolute Radio Web site.

Florence And The Machine Perform “Dog Days Are Over” On UK Breakfast Show GMTV

Florence and the Machine appeared on the UK breakfast program GMTV earlier this week and performed their latest single “Dog Days Are Over.” Florence Welch was also interviewed by GMTV presenter Lorraine Kelly and she talked about the upcoming American tour. 

To watch Florence and the Machine on GMTV, click below: 

 

For more on Florence and the Machine, go to:
http://www.florenceandthemachine.net
http://www.myspace.com/florenceandthemachine

Them Crooked Vultures Do Interview With Absolute Radio Before TCT Gig In London

Last night at London’s Royal Albert Hall, Them Crooked Vultures opened the 10th anniversary of the series of benefit concerts for the UK charity Teenage Cancer Trust. Prior to the concert, the members of Them Crooked Vultures—John Paul Jones, Dave Grohl, and Josh Homme—sat for an interview with Ben Jones of the UK radio station Absolute Radio. In the interview, the band discussed how Roger Daltrey, the Teenage Cancer Trust’s patron, got them to do the gig. To watch the interview, click below: 

BBC 6 Music’s Web site has a review of Them Crooked Vultures’ Teenage Cancer Trust show. It seems like it was a pretty impressive show.

Kate Nash Flies The Friendly Skies In “Do Wah Doo” Video

Kate Nash’s new single “Do Wah Doo” has a very 1960s sound to it. So it’s not surprising that the video for the song would have a retro look, featuring Nash clad in vintage-looking flight-attendant uniform. 

To watch the video for “Do Wah Doo” by Kate Nash, click below: 

 

“Do Wah Doo” sounds considerably different than the material on Nash’s debut album, Made of Bricks, such as the UK hit singles “Foundations” and “Mouthwash.” There is also a big contrast between “Do Wah Doo” and “I Just Love You More,” the punky-sounding song from Nash’s new album that was made available as a free download from Nash’s Web site last month. I’m quite curious to hear what the rest of the album sounds like. 

Nash’s new album, My Best Friend Is You, will be released on Monday, April 19th in the UK. 

For additional information on Kate Nash, go to:
http://www.katenash.co.uk
http://www.myspace.com/katenashmusic
http://www.youtube.com/user/KateNashVEVO

Paul Weller Releases Video For New Single “Wake Up The Nation”

Paul Weller has released the second video from his forthcoming album, Wake Up The Nation. It’s for the new single, which is the title track of the new album. The video is a good showcase for the single, which is two-and-half minutes long. One of the lyrics in the song is “Get your face off the Facebook.” I guess that the Modfather isn’t much for social networking!

The “Wake Up The Nation” single will be released on Monday, April 12th in the UK, with the album following a week later, on Monday, April 19th.

 To watch the video for “Wake Up The Nation” by Paul Weller, click below: 

 

Weller will be playing a five-night stand at London’s Royal Albert Hall from May 24th through May 28th.