Reeling after I got news yesterday of a suicide of yet another friend of mine. She apparently had been contemplating it for a long time. We once worked together and she was the first woman disco DJ in Boston. I am very sad and want to remind anyone who is experiencing these thoughts of suicide, there is another way. Please call 800-273-8255 or go to save.org. Don’t leave your friends and family like this. There is hope even if you think it’s hopeless. 🙁 Hundreds of fans gathered in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday night (Aug. 6) to pay tribute to the late Linkin Park singer, Chester Bennington. They waved their phones and candles in the air while performers played songs. At the same time hundreds of similar events were held all over the world. For instance, in Moscow, flowers and candles were left outside the US Embassy. Several artists have played songs in concert in memory of Bennington as well. The 41 year old committed suicide on Jul 20. OK, let’s move on the happier items. Like this fan-filmed front row footage of Foo Fighters from their performance on Saturday night at the Metro in Chicago. The band, as reported yesterday, played a 3 1/2 hour show (what, he’s Bruce Springsteennow?) and this is the set list with some videos I found on YouTube:
- “Aurora”
- “Run” (new)
- “All My Life”
- “Times Like These”
- “White Limo”
- “Learn to Fly”
- “The Sky Is a Neighborhood” (New)
- “Something From Nothing”
- “The Pretender”
- “Big Me”
- “Cold Day in the Sun”
- “Congregation”
- “La Dee Da” (New)
- “Walk”
- <a href="” target=”_blank”>”These Days”
- “My Hero”
- “Skin and Bones”
- “<a href="” target=”_blank”>Dirty Water” (New)
- <a href="” target=”_blank”>”Rope”
- “Arlandria”
- <a href="” target=”_blank”>”Sunday Rain” (New)
- <a href="” target=”_blank”>”Mountain Song” (Jane’s Addiction cover, with Perry Farrell)
- “Monkey Wrench”
- “This Is a Call”
- “<a href="” target=”_blank”>I’ll Stick Around“
- “Miss You” (Rolling Stones cover)
- <a href="” target=”_blank”>”Under Pressure” (Queen cover)
- “Stay With Me” (Faces cover)
- “Breakdown” (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers cover)
- “Best of You”
- <a href="” target=”_blank”>”Let There Be Rock” (AC/DC cover)
- “Everlong” The two band members of Royal Blood have been added to the list of bands that have teamed up with the Yellow Bird Project. Royal Blood designed an exclusive band t-shirt to benefit Trekstock, a charity that provides social and practical support to young adults with cancer in the UK.According to the Yellow Bird Project, 100% from each sale will go directly to the youth cancer charity that aims to support patients through and beyond treatment by offering relevant physical, emotional and practical support. The duo is currently on the charts with “Lights Out.” Be listening for my backstage interview with Royal Blood’s Mike Kerr on the World Famous hardDrive and hardDrive XL with Lou Brutussoon! Prophets Of Rage have released another track from their forthcoming self-titled album, “Radical Eyes.” It’s the third song that the group featuring members of Rage Against The Machine, Public Enemy, and Cypress Hill have released so far. Chuck D (of Public Enemy) released a statement to Rolling Stone. He said: “The Western world has created biased structures and stereotypes. Opposing viewpoints and movements are seen as radical rather than diversity. ‘Radical Eyes’ is the lens everything is viewed through, any life movement in opposition is considered radicalized.” Look in Road Rage for all the Prophets Of Rage tour dates, with more TBA soon! The album drops Sep 15th. And finally today, Metallica and the San Francisco Giants held the fifth annual “Metallica Night” last night (Monday, Aug 7) at AT&T Park in San Francisco as the Giants took the field against the Chicago Cubs. Metallica once again threw out the first pitch and James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett performed a version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” and Kirk played “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” for the crowd as well. Go Kirk! Special-event Metallica ticket packages included a ticket to the game and a limited-edition Metallica/Giants T-shirt, with a portion of the proceeds from every special-event ticket sold benefiting the Posey Family Foundation. There was also an exclusive VIP event that night in Triples Alley with Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich hosting a pre-game question-and-answer session with tennis coach, commentator and author Brad Gilbert to talk sports, music and more. “We are fortunate enough to live in the Bay Area and hook up with the Giants,” Hetfield told local rock station Live 105 back in 2015 about the tradition. “They are a bunch of local boys doing good and we are hopefully in the same department as that. It’s basically a fun night. Local people. Local music.” Hammett told ESPN.com that he feels the version of the national anthem he and Hetfield play is “really unique and different,” and it’s great that they can play it for their home team and hometown audience. Metallica has always kept strong ties to the Bay Area sports scene: the band has also performed before Golden State Warriors basketball games and San Jose Sharks hockey games. (Thanks Blabbermouth!) John Perry of the 95 WIIL Rock and hardDrive affiliate conducted an interview with Ozzy Osbourne on Jul 16 at the Chicago Open Air festival in Bridgeview, IL. You can now listen to the chat using the SoundCloud. Asked about some people’s claim that “rock is dead,” Ozzy responded: “I’m still alive. [But] I never thought in my lifetime I’d see the demise of records. I never use the computer. It’s totally changed. A lot of people steal music now, so a lot of people can’t afford to do it anymore.” Ozzy said that he has no plans to retire anytime soon. “I think I’ll do this till the day I die,” he predicted. “It’s not a job; it’s a passion. It’s great. It pays well.” Ozzy‘s appearance at Chicago Open Air marked his second solo concert since the completion of BLACK SABBATH‘s “The End” tour. The singer is joined on the current run of dates by guitarist Zakk Wylde, who was the SABBATH frontman’s regular axeman from 1988 to 2007, although they’ve often performed together since then. Osbourne‘s touring lineup also includes Rob “Blasko” Nicholson on bass, Tommy Clufetos on drums and Adam Wakeman on keyboards. Ozzy currently has only six more dates scheduled between now and early November. This month will see the singer play Buffalo Chip in Sturgis, SD, Treasure Island Resort & Casino in Welch, MN and the Moonstock festival in Cartersville, IL. More shows will follow in September and October, with the final date take place at this year’s edition of the Ozzfest Meets Knotfest on November 4 in San Bernadino, CA. Happy 44th to Scott Stapp of Art Of Anarchy and Creed. Happy 56th to The Edge of U2.