RUSH: Tour Extended, Post First Clip With New Drummer
Rush are taking their Fifty Something tour into 2027. They've announced legs in South America, the U.K. and Europe, with South America set January 14th through February 4th followed by the Europe and the U.K. running February 19th through April 10th. The trek includes their first ever date in Poland, which is where Geddy Lee's parents were born. It's the first time Rush have played in Europe in over 13 years, and 17 years since they performed in South America. The video announcement of the tour is also their first public appearance with the late Neil Peart's replacement, Anika Nilles. In the clip she says that the country she's most excited to play is Germany, which is where she was born and lives.
In other Rush news, the tour will include some new faces. In order to perform as "Rush,"
Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson had to find a drummer who could fill the formidable shoes of the late Neal Peart. Anika Nilles was announced late last year to fill that role. Yesterday, the band revealed that they were bringing on veteran keyboardist Loren Gold. As Geddy told "Planet Rock," "He's played with the Who for the last 12 years or more and also Chicago, and he’s a real veteran. So we're excited to bring him on board and our first rehearsal with him starts very soon." Up until now, Lee handled not only bass and vocals but keyboards, sometimes all at the same time. Now, as Alex Lifeson has said, "It's going to free us up to work on those dance moves." Watch the tour announcement video on YouTube. The Fifty Something tour gets underway June 7th in Inglewood, California.
Pink Floyd's Restored "Live At Pompeii" Home Release Announced
Pink Floyd fans, get ready to fire up your home theaters. The newly restored version of Floyd‘s legendary concert film, "Live at Pompeii – MCMLIXXII" is arriving Friday on 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray. The 4K rendering originally premiered in theaters in last spring, and was painstakingly restored from the original 35 millimeter print of the film. "Pompeii" mixes live footage from the Pompeii amphitheater, filmed over four days in October 1971, and behind-the-scenes, in-studio clips from the "Dark Side of the Moon" sessions at Abbey Road.
Jimi Hendrix Street Naming Postponed Due To New York Blizzard
New York is going to have to wait a little longer to have a street named after Jimi Hendrix. Earlier this month, the city's West 8th Street in Manhattan's Greenwich Village was due to be co-named Jimi Hendrix Way. The renaming was scheduled to take place today, but it was pushed back due to extensive snowfall. A new date will be announced as soon as possible
PAUL RODGERS: He's Fine
With Alex Van Halen recently saying Paul Rodgers turned down his and Steve Lukather's invitation to sing on the album they're recording, the rumor mill started churning with reports that Rodgers, who has had numerous health issues since 2016, including two major strokes, is not well. As we exclusively reported last week, he told us, "Luke sent me a track, a good rock track I might add, however I am no longer in that high octane rock phase of life, which is what the track deserves. Instead, I am happily in my acoustic Zen phase. However, I am humbled that they asked me." Well, if that wasn't explanatory enough, he now says, "To squash the rumors... My health is good. I feel fit and strong and I am rehearsing to perform March 2nd at the Adopt the Arts Sound and Vision Awards in Palm Springs. "Thanks to Van Halen for inviting me to work on a track with them, but I am in my acoustic, zen phase of life." Rodgers is being honored at the awards along with Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler. An all-star band led by former Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum, who founded the Adopt the Arts program, will pay tribute to both artists. All proceeds benefit Adopt the Arts Foundation — providing music education and creative opportunities for more than 3,500 elementary students in Los Angeles and the Coachella Valley. Last year, Rodgers joined members of the program for a special rendition of Bad Co.’s "Rock & Roll Fantasy.”
Metallica To Be Honored As Visionary Partner Of the Year At 2026 Red Cross Gala
Metallica are set to be honored at the 2026 Red Cross Gala in California. They'll be recognized as the Visionary Partner of the Year during the San Francisco event on March 21st. In a statement, the band thanked the Red Cross for the recognition and their fans for their support, adding "seeing fans, volunteers, and entire communities show up again and again shows just how much this work matters. In 2025, the band teamed up with The Red Cross to set up blood drives alongside stops on their "M72" tour.
FOREIGNER: Another Big Reissue on the Way?
After a big reissue of Foreigner's 4 last year, it looks like the next album from their catalog to get the deluxe treatment will be 1979's Head Games. Bassist Jeff Pilson told Rock Of Nations
that they found some unfinished tracks from the Head Games sessions and that "Lou [Gramm] is really excited about that, for them seeing the light of day. We've got some real good special surprises coming." Pilson did tease that one of the songs would feature a new part recorded by someone famous. "There's a song that was unreleased that never got a guitar solo on it, from the Head Games record, and we found somebody very perfect to put a guitar solo on. I'm gonna wait until there's an announcement, but it's a friend of Mick [Jones's]." The deluxe version of Foreigner's 4 album that came out last year had a newly finished track called "Fool If You Love Him" written by Jones and Gramm during the 4 sessions that featured a new verse written by Gramm and new vocals.
TOOL, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, LIMP BIZKIT: Get Louder
Iron Maiden, My Chemical Romance, Limp Bizkit and Tool are the headliners at the Louder Than Life festival, September 17th through the 20th at the Kentucky Expo Center in Louisville, Kentucky. Over 200 acts are on the bill. Here are the lineup highlights broken down by day.
· September 17th: Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Alice Cooper, Anthrax, Pantera, Ride Against, Jimmy Eat World, Skillet, Starset and From Ashes to New.
· September 18th: My Chemical Romance, A Day to Remember, Pierce the Veil, The Pretty Reckless, The Warning, Badflower and Chad Gray of Mudvayne.
· September 19th: Limp Bizkit, Sublime, Tom Morello, Papa Roach, Ice Nine Kills, Nothing More, The Funeral Portrait, Halestorm and In This Moment.
· September 20th: Tool, The Prodigy, Mastodon, Black Label Society, Killswitch Engage, Black Veil Brides, Atreyu and Sleep Theory.
Download Festival 2026
The 2026 ‘Download Festival‘ has added more artists to the lineup, including A Day To Remember, Daughtry, Creeper, and others. Death metal band Decessus, known for their vocalist winning Miss World Chile, will also perform. The festival, headlined by Guns N’ Roses, Linkin Park, and Limp Bizkit, will take place June 10th-14th at Donington Park in Derby, UK. Tickets are now available for presale online.
Michael Anthony Has Advice for Van Halen
Former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony shared his thoughts on a possible new album reportedly in the works, suggesting it should be an instrumental tribute to Eddie Van Halen. The project, led by Alex Van Halen, involves unfinished recordings from the band's active days, with Wolfgang Van Halen on bass. Steve Lukather is assisting Alex in reviewing the material, ensuring it meets their quality standards. Paul Rodgers declined an invitation to participate in the project, citing his current focus on acoustic music. Sammy Hagar and David Lee Roth were not mentioned in the plans for the new album. Anthony will reunite with Hagar for a Las Vegas residency and tour, celebrating their shared love for music and cars. The 5150 album will also receive an expanded reissue on Mar. 27.
DEF LEPPARD: The Return of Elton Joe
It seems like Joe Elliott of Def Leppard has improved his piano chops -- especially when it comes to Elton John. Last August, Elliott posted a video on Instagram where he revealed that for the first time in 46 years of touring, he had a hotel room with a piano in it. The edited clip started at 12:56 a.m. and features him botching songs by David Bowie, Mott the Hoople
and Elton John and cursing at himself frequently before he finally gives up 90 minutes later.
Well, six months on, Elliott found another piano and this time he does a very good take on Elton John's "Rocket Man" in a video that's captioned, "Elton Joe makes a most triumphant return." Elliott ends the video by saying, "Better, much better -- and sober! That helps!"
Elliott and Def Leppard resume their Las Vegas residency Tuesday night.
(Note: The first video is the one where Elliott curses in frustration again and again, so it's not safe for air.)
IN OTHER NEWS
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will announce its nominees for the Class of 2026 this Wednesday morning.
Bon Jovi Forever: A Tony Robbins Special, which features live footage and Jon Bon Jovi being interviewed by Tony Robbins, is now available on Paramount Plus.
Ex-Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore has been given the Lifetime Achievement Award
from the National Guitar Museum. Previous honorees include Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath,
Jeff Beck, Bonnie Raitt, and Alex Lifeson of Rush.
Bob Dylan has finally sold his townhouse in the Harlem section of New York City. He lived at the landmark townhouse from 1986 to 2000 but didn't put it up for sale until last year. The last asking price for the home was $2.75 million.
The Pinkpop festival in The Netherlands has shared a pro-shot video of the late Chris Cornell's set during the 2009 version of the event. Watch it on YouTube.
Close Enemies, the band that features Aerosmith bassist Tom Hamilton, has shared another video. Check out "Rain" on YouTube.
Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith has done another drum cover video for Drumeo. This time it's a song by his first "drum crush," Ian Paice of Deep Purple and the title track to their 1974 album Burn. Smith says it's a song that you can only play "if you practice." Watch it on YouTube.
On This Day
· In 1965 - The Beatles began work on their second movie, Help!
· In 1969 - Before breaking up, the Jimi Hendrix Experience performed its last British concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
· In 1971 - Janis Joplin's posthumous release, Pearl, was awarded a Gold record.
· In 1976 - The Eagles' Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975) becomes the first album certified Platinum by the RIAA, a designation introduced in 1975.
· In 1979 - The Police single, "Roxanne," entered the Billboard Hot 100 charts for the first time, where it would remain for 13 weeks.
· In 1981 - The Double Fantasy album won John Lennon a posthumous Grammy for Best Album.
· In 1982 - The Police won Best British Group at the first annual Brit Awards, held in London.
· In 1988 - As a joke, Alice Cooper announced plans to run for Governor of Arizona as a member of the "Wild" Party.
· In 1992 - Kurt Cobain married Courtney Love in Waikiki, Hawaii.
· in 1998, Elton John was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace in London. He was awarded the title of Knight Bachelor for "services to music and charitable services". John has performed at a number of royal events, such as the funeral of Princess Diana at Westminster Abbey in 1997, the Party at the Palace in 2002 and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Concert outside Buckingham Palace in 2012.
in 1998, Pamela Lee had husband Tommy Lee arrested on battery charges