It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything about Austin Carlile. I’ve asked his former managers if they’ve spoken with him, but no. After Austin left Of Mice & Men, he moved to Costa Rica where his dad lives, and now comes news he’s undergone another serious surgery.
The Pulse Of Radio (via NME & Altpress) says Austin underwent the surgery this week. The singer has been open about his struggle with a rare connective disorder called Marfan Syndrome. He posted this statement to Instagram on Wednesday: “Been in hospital past few days, was taken by helicopter to San Jose, Costa Rica yesterday morning. My team discovered 2 cysts growing on my low spine. I head into the operation room at 6pm today…It has been a rough 8 months. Not out of the woods yet, the fight continues on, I must as well. Please keep me in your prayers this evening.”
Parting ways with the band earlier this year, Carlile stated that Marfan Syndrome is a genetic disorder that was diagnosed when he was 17, and because it’s so rare, he’s working to raise awareness for it. Look for his most current health updates on his Instagram account. His mother died of the disease when he was in his teens. Carlile said he discovered in Oct 2016 that if he continued to perform in the style he was accustomed to, it would cause “permanent and irrevocable damage to my spinal cord and nervous system.”
Remaining Of Mice & Men members released a statement in January in which they said, “Though we’re heartbroken that Carlile can no longer continue, his health has always been of utmost importance to us and we support him now in this decision and are proud of his perseverance over the years. We’ve had an amazing and unforgettable past few years making music and touring the world together, and the four of us look forward to sharing the next chapter of the band’s story with you.”
Quote from Carlile: “Though it’s been a struggle,” he explains that he’s learned “strength, patience and compassion,” with an “ability to understand so much better that so many people have it so much worse than me.”
Meanwhile, check out my video interview with Austin and the band from last year. In the interview, I asked Austin about his health. Please keep him in your thoughts and prayers.
Congrats to Volbeat, their label and promo team on the band’s Number 1 single for “Black Rose,” which features Danko Jones on guest vocals.
For the sixth time in less than five years, Volbeat is #1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Songs airplay chart…A feat that puts the band in a rare category. In comparison, Volbeat now stands alongside such acts as Van Halen, The Black Crowes, Three Days Grace and Shinedown. Each of those bands also had 6 or more in less than 5 years. This marks Volbeat’s second #1 song from last year’s album, Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie. The Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart – has been in place since 1981.
Volbeat is currently on tour with Metallica and Avenged Sevenfold. Their next show is tonight in Dallas, TX.
Stone Sour just posted an in-studio video of a new song, “Mercy.” It’s from their soon to be released album, Hydrograd. Singer, Corey Taylor commented, “This album is great because it’s got elements of everything. It’s got the heavy energy of the ’80s, there’s punk moments, there’s hard rock moments. All this great amalgam of music.”
Hydrograd, the band’ 6th studio album will be available on Jun 30. And about his other band, Slipknot, Taylor says they plan to begin work on new music in “Maybe another year and a half.”
Taylor talked about his first gig with Stone Sour: “I had done little gigs here and there, but there was nobody there, so it didn’t really matter. With Stone Sour at the time, I was not only singing, but I was playing guitar and playing lead. So I was kind of like doing triple duty and super nervous about it. So I didn’t know to bring water with me on stage — I did whatever, so my throat got super dry and I was cracking all over the place. It was brutal. But by the end of it, it was cool. We had such a great time that I had the bug, man. I was, like, ‘We’ve gotta do this.’ We got a new lead guitar player, so I could just sing and play guitar if I needed to. And that was. And then the rest is history.”
I love Queens Of The Stone Age. I’ve always thought in another world, Josh Homme would’ve been a movie idol. But he’ll have to settle for rock star. Listen their new single, “The Way You Used To Do,” from their forthcoming album, Villians, out Aug 25th. Find all of the QOTSA tour dates in Road Rage! Can’t wait to hear the new music!
We’ve talked about this with Dustin Bates and are so happy for him! Multimedia rock band, Starset teamed up with Marvel for the release of a new graphic novel called The Prox Transmissions.
It’s a natural fit, since the group itself is actually based on a science-fiction concept. It was co-written by the band’s frontman Dustin Bates and Marvel’s Peter David of Ben Reilly: Scarlett Spider, Spider-Verse fame.
Bates commented, “I’ve been a fan of Marvel since I was a little kid wishing I was The Hulk and little did I know how much I’d end up identifying with Bruce Banner as I grew into adulthood.”
The Prox Transmissions will be out this Sep.
Peter David said, “It’s an honor to be working with such an iconic brand to spread the inception story of the Society via The Prox Transmission.”
Storyline: Dr. Stephen Browning who intercepts a secret transmission from space. But because Starset’s world is laced in dystopia and disaster, Dr. Browning finds himself in chaos as the message proves to be a dire warning from the future — prompting him to seek help from Dr. Aston Wise, as they embark on a quest to discover the meaning of the message with the fate of humanity in their hands.
Dustin commented, “I’m incredibly excited to have the opportunity to create this graphic novel with Marvel Comics on behalf of The Starset Society.”
Finally today, this is surprising. The Pulse Of Radio reporting it is truly the end of an era — after three decades Neil Young and former wife Pegi Young bringing their Bridge School benefit concerts to a close. The Bridge School was founded in 1986 by the Young’s and others to meet the needs of their children and other families in the Bay Area. The couple’s son Ben was born with cerebral palsy, and he attended the school. Over the years, all proceeds from the pair of October concerts held at Mountain View California’s Shoreline Amphitheater went directly to the school, which remains a non-profit organization educating children with severe speech and physical impairments through the use of augmentative and alternative communication systems and assistive technology.
On the official Bridgeschool.org website Neil Young wrote in part:
After thirty years of hosting the Bridge School Concerts, I would like to say thanks to everyone involved. Of course, I love the students most of all because the light in their eyes tells me we have been doing the right thing for the last thirty years. We have earned millions of dollars and the school is stable financially, able to go forward although we still need an endowment and would welcome one.
Although I will continue in fund raising efforts, for personal reasons beginning this year I will no longer be hosting The Bridge School Concert. I wish everyone the best as the school heads into the future. My heart is with each and every child we have had the honor to serve and those we will continue to serve, and your parents, siblings, and extended families. Thanks to you all for the honor of serving such a great mission. Thanks to my incredible son Ben Young for being there at my side throughout these many Bridge School years. I love you buddy. The Bridge School would not have been possible without you.
Although the Young’s divorce no doubt added to the decision to wrap up the couple’s longtime joint charity benefit, several sources are wondering whether Neil Young’s health could be a factor, with The Mercury News posting, “Neil Young may also be facing health concerns. He was battling an undisclosed illness earlier this year when he bowed out of inducting pals Pearl Jam into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, according to a tweet sent by the Rock Hall. His spokesman later described the health issue as ‘nothing major’ but did not elaborate.”
To celebrate the hard work of the Bridge School, it will be memorialized on DVD is The Bridge School Benefit Concerts – 25th Anniversary Edition, which was released as both a three-DVD set and a two-CD package.
The three-DVD set includes performances from Bruce Springsteen, Metallica, Pearl Jam, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, the Who, Tom Petty, Simon & Garfunkel, Neil Young, and more, along with two documentaries: “The Bridge School Story” and “Backstage At The Bridge School Benefit Concert.” The two-CD set offers performances from Thom Yorke, No Doubt, Jack Johnson, Dave Matthews, Sonic Youth, and more.
On Sunday, Paul McCartney turns 75. How is that possible?????
Have a great weekend!