The Offspring Announces Shows Focusing On Punk Stuff

The Offspring is announcing a pair of shows focusing on the band's older "punk" music.In a post on Facebook, the group noted that they keep seeing more and more requests for songs they don't usually play in their regular sets. They wrote "we hear you, to here it is: two exclusive Quebec shows where we're going to only play the punk stuff, the old stuff, the songs dear to us." The show takes place on August 3rd in Quebec City, and August 5th in Montreal.Tickets go on sale this Friday.

SHINEDOWN's 'Safe And Sound' Makes History With 25th No. 1 At Mediabase Active Rock Chart

SHINEDOWN's latest single, "Safe And Sound", has reached No. 1 on the Mediabase Active Rock chart, marking the band's 25th No. 1 at the format and extending their record for the most No. 1 songs in Mediabase Active Rock chart history. The achievement comes just in time for the release of their new album, "Ei8ht", on May 29. The band's success includes recent standout performances, awards, and philanthropic efforts, with their "Dance Kid Dance Act II" world tour kicking off this summer. Produced by bassist Eric Bass, "Ei8ht" showcases SHINEDOWN's evolution while maintaining their signature sound and energy.

JOHN 5 Shoots Down Rumor MÖTLEY CRÜE Members Play Along To Backing Tracks Live: 'Everybody Plays Everything' And 'We Work Hard At It'

In a recent interview, MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist John 5 addressed the use of backing tracks in the band's live shows, emphasizing that all band members play their instruments live, with only backing vocals and orchestral tracks being pre-recorded. Former frontman John Corabi confirmed the use of backing tracks during his time in the band but expressed uncertainty about the current lineup. The band's manager, Allen Kovac, refuted claims made by founding guitarist Mick Mars about the live performances, stating that all instrumental parts are played live, with only augmented vocals being pre-recorded. The ongoing legal battle between Mars and the band revolves around allegations of mistreatment and elder abuse, with Mars citing health issues as the reason for his retirement from touring.

Def Leppard Releases Two Greatest Hits Vinyl Editions Next Month

Def Leppard is set to release two new editions of Greatest Hits on June 12, including standard black vinyl and special edition blood red marbled vinyl. The band recently completed a successful residency in Las Vegas, toured India, and released a new single called "Rejoice." Frontman Joe Elliott revealed that the group is working on a new studio album, with about 17 or 18 songs written and almost two albums recorded. The musicians developed a new remote recording method during the pandemic, and the upcoming album will feature a mix of fast and slow songs, including some with piano. Def Leppard will tour the UK and Europe in June and July with special guests Extreme, including a headline show at The O2 in London and their first Paris concert in nearly 30 years.

HALESTORM's LZZY HALE On Upcoming Tour With BABYMETAL: 'I'm So Excited About The Idea Because It's A Little Off Center'

HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale discussed the band's upcoming North American tour with BABYMETAL on the "Whiplash" radio show. The tour will run from September 2 to October 1, and Lzzy expressed excitement about the unique opportunity. Beyond the tour, HALESTORM plans to balance live shows, studio work, and personal time. The band's latest album, "Everest," was released in August 2021, showcasing their powerful live performances and musical prowess. HALESTORM's history of success includes Grammy wins and collaborations with rock icons, solidifying their reputation in the music industry.

QUEEN: Will They Get Moonwalked Over?

Queen's reign as the highest-grossing musician bio-pic of all-time based on worldwide box office receipts with 2018's Bohemian Rhapsody is facing a real challenge from ‘Michael,’ the story of Michael Jackson. Since its release on April 24th, Michael has grossed $703.8-million according to BoxOfficeMojo.com, making it only the second musician bio-pic to earn more than $300-million, and it's surpassed Jackson's onetime, albeit dead, father-in-law Elvis Presley's ‘Elvis for’ second place behind Bo Rhap with $910.8-million. According to Billboard, "Bohemian Rhapsody‘s position is secure," doubting that "Michael can close the $206.9-million gap" to overtake it for the top spot.

MACCA, STONES, ELTON & OASIS: Baby, They're Some Rich Men

England's Sunday Times Magazine is out with its annual "Rich List" and among the Top 10 wealthiest British musicians or those who work in the industry are the usual suspects -- Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Elton John. A newcomer to the list at 11 are the

Gallagher brothers of Oasis -- Noel and Liam -- thanks to last year's reunion tour. The richest of them all is Leonard Blavatnik, the Russian-born businessman who owns most of Warner Music Group, with just under $36-billion.

The Top 11 is as follows:

1.Sir Leonard Blavatnik - $36-billion

2.Clive Calder (founded Zomba Group and Jive Records) - $4.3-billion

3.Sir Cameron Mackintosh (musical theater producer) - $1.9-billion

4.Sir Paul and Lady (Nancy) McCartney - $1.4-billion

5.Lord Andrew Lloyd-Webber - $689-million

6.Sir Elton John - $641-million

7.Sir Mick Jagger - $601-million

8.Keith Richards - $601-million

9.Ed Sheeran - $547-million

10.Emily Eavis and family (founders and producers of the Glastonbury festival) - $534-million

11.Noel and Liam Gallagher - $501-million

And speaking of lists, Elton John has made Time magazine's "Time 100 Philanthropy" list for his AIDS Foundation raising more than $650-million. Commenting on this recognition, Elton says, "[My husband David Furnish and I are] honored to be named alongside the most influential people shaping the future of giving. Philanthropy, at its heart, is solidarity. It’s funding the boldest, bravest ideas before anyone else will. It’s standing with the people the world has tried to push aside and refusing to accept that any life is worth less than another. “And that’s exactly what we are committed to doing through Elton John AIDS Foundation's mission: to end the AIDS epidemic and ensure that no one is left behind. So thank you Time. And more than anything, thank you to every person who has stood with us along the way. The fight to end AIDS is far from over. Neither are we.” Elton founded the organization in 1992.

Willie Nelson also made the list for his work with Farm Aid.

OASIS: I'm Not That Rich!

Noel Gallagher is surprised he made the U.K. Sunday Times' list of richest musicians.

The publication said that Noel and his brother Liam were number-11 on the list with $501 million brought in by their 2025 reunion tour. Noel told BBC 5 that after seeing the list, "I was lying in bed this morning thinking, I better call my accountant because I know for a fact that I haven’t got that much money.” As for the documentary about that tour which is due out in theaters September 11th, Noel said, “I still haven’t seen it, me and our kid [Liam] still haven’t seen it. They are still tweaking it; I think they want to get it to a point before they show me and Liam. Obviously, people have seen it and say it’s quite an emotional journey [because] a lot of it is to do with fans and stuff.” Gallagher did add that he is involved in the soundtrack and currently “mixing the sound for it now at my studio."

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: No Diss-Respect

Bruce Springsteen didn't snub former New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie at his show last Thursday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. After taking his nightly stroll through the audience during "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" and making his way back to the stage, Springsteen had his head down and was singing as he came to the side of the stage where Christie was standing and walked right by without acknowledging his extended hand in hopes of him giving him five. Of course, this was caught on video and went viral, but his manager Jon Landau says, "Current stories claiming a break in the friendship between Bruce and Chris Christie are absurd. We’ve all been friends for years, Chris was attending his 180th show, standing at the side of the stage as our guest. And we hope to see him at our next 180 shows, as our guest. Period.”

After the show, Christie posted a photo on Instagram of him and Springsteen backstage, captioning it with, “Is a dream a lie if it don’t come true?”, which is a line from “The River.”

Springsteen takes his Land of Hope and Dreams tour to Pittsburgh this Tuesday, and then he'll be back in New York on Wednesday to perform on the next to last episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Paul McCartney will perform on Thursday's finale.

RICHIE SAMBORA: Proud Pop

Richie Sambora was back on stage Saturday in Montecito, California, singing Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" with the band at his daughter Ava's wedding to Tyler Farrar. He posted footage of the performance on Instagram along with a video of his and Ava's dance, which was to the song he wrote for her. "I'll Always Walk Beside You." Sambora left Bon Jovi in 2013 to spend more time with Ava, saying in 2014, "A girl needs that masculine energy in the house. There's a big jolt of love and happiness, and I dig being a father... We needed each other." Ava's mother is Sambora's ex-wife, actress Heather Locklear.

SMASHING PUMPKINS: Surprise Show to Announce Tour

The Smashing Pumpkins decided to announce their fall tour with a show -- and a "funeral."

The "funeral" was for the "Zero" character from Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and it featured black-and-white pic of Billy Corgan from that era wearing a "Zero" shirt, a coffin in the middle of the venue that was surrounded by bald men wearing "Zero" shirt and even a eulogy. That was followed by Corgan and the Pumpkins doing a 12 song set of Mellon Collie

tracks like "1979," "Bullet With Butterfly Wings," "Jellybelly," "Tonight, Tonight" and "Zero," as well as the first performance of "Here Is No Why" since 1997. Watch the entire event on

YouTube. The Rats in a Cage Tour is billed as "a one-of-a-kind show featuring two distinct sets celebrating the 30th anniversary of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and nearly four decades of hits and dark treasures. The trek starts September 30th in Columbus, Ohio and wraps up November 12th in Inglewood, Calfornia. Tickets go on sale on Thursday.

ROD STEWART: Hanging it Up?

Back in 2023, Rod Stewart made it very clear that he "shall never retire," but at 81 he realizes his performing days are dwindling. In an interview with the UK's TalkSport he says, "I’m touring the UK next year, doing the O2 (in London), and that’ll probably be it, I think. I'll have to do something new." Until then, Stewart has his plate full with a new album in the can that he says is a "classic rock n’ roll album, very closely based on the beginning of my career"; a private show in Monte Carlo; his Las Vegas residency, which gets underway again on May 27th at Caesars Palace; U.S. dates in June, July, August and September, including more residency dates in August; and a handful of European dates in late June and early July. And Stewart will be on network TV this Tuesday night with Forever Young: A Grammy Salute to Rod Stewart Live at 8 ET/PT on CBS and Paramount+.

ALLMANS, DEAD & CO: Oteil's Icelandic Banjo Offering

Oteil Burbridge, who played bass in the Allman Brothers Band and Dead & Company, and his longtime collaborator Lamar Williams Junior have a new album called The Offering that has an interesting history. First off, the pair and their producer headed off to Iceland a few years ago to record. Burbridge says that when they were at the studio "there was like two feet of snow, and a there's also a live volcano spewing and you're looking at both at the same time. It's got wild energy." And that energy made its way to the album.

Oteil: "And it's just a magic spot. You're really close to Santa Claus and all the elves and all that stuiff is real. It's real."

Lamar: "You can really feel it."

Oteil: "I think you can hear it on the records."

The group of songs on the album date back over a decade and came about when Williams heard Burbridge practicing a brand-new instrument -- the banjo.

Lamar: "Oteil was learning banjo at the time and coming up with all these cool melodies.and lines. And I just happened to be a fly on the wall one day and got to hear it and was just like what are you doing over here?"

Oteil: "I thought it was my little esoteric stuff that would just probably never go anywhere and be on some obscure instrumental Oteil banjo record."

Deep Purple Share New Song From Upcoming Album

Deep Purple are sharing a new song. It's called "Arrogant Boy" and drummer Ian Paice describes the new track as "a Highway Star-style rock n' roll tune. The track is from their upcoming album "SPLAT!." The full album will be out on July 3rd.

The Offspring Announces Shows Focusing On Punk Stuff

The Offspring is announcing a pair of shows focusing on the band's older "punk" music. In a post on Facebook, the group noted that they keep seeing more and more requests for songs they don't usually play in their regular sets. They wrote "we hear you, so here it is: two exclusive Quebec shows where we're going to only play the punk stuff, the old stuff, the songs dear to us." The shows take place on August 3rd in Quebec City, and August 5th in Montreal.Tickets go on sale this Friday.

Everclear, American Hi-Fi To Share Fall Tour

Everclear and American Hi-Fi have announced a joint tour. "The Lucky 7 Tour" kicks off October 22nd in Los Angeles, with stops in Kansas City, Denver and more before a final show in Nashville November 22nd. Pre-sales begin today, with the public on sale beginning tomorrow at 10am local time. For more info, visit Everclear's website. See the first ten dates of the trek below.

May 30 – Reno, NV – Reno River Festival
June 6 – Biloxi, MS – Hard Rock Hotel and Casino
June 7 – Southaven, MS – BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove
June 11 – Antioch, IL – Village of Antioch Concert Series
June 13 – Peachtree City, GA – Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater
June 17 – Richmond, VA – Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
June 18 – Bethlehem, PA – Musikfest Café
June 19 – Morgantown, WV – Hazel Ruby McQuain Amphitheater
June 20 – Sayreville, NJ – Starland Ballroom
June 21 – Nantucket, MA – The Muse

IN OTHER NEWS

Elton John has teamed with iHeartMedia to create the Elton John Impact Awards, a podcast that will honor “six incredible icons and trailblazers whose work has shaped culture, advanced equality and driven positive change for the LGBTQ+ community. They are Melissa Etheridge,

Billie Jean King, Laverne Cox, Chappell Roan, Orville Peck, and Jonathan Bailey. It will be available on June 1st on the iHeartRadio App and wherever you get your podcasts.

Metallica have launched MetallicaLogoGenerator.com. The site allows you to make your own personal version of the ReLoad album cover. The box set version of the 1997 album is due out June 26th.

The Rolling Stones are teaming with the Red Devils of Mexico baseball team for six exclusive caps and a special edition jersey. All items in this collection will be available starting June 5th.

Queen guitarist Brian May has provided the solo to two versions of the song "Eternia" from the new He-Man movie, Masters of the Universe. You can find them both on YouTube, The film premieres this Monday at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

Tesla have shared their cover of Queen's "Spread Your Wings," which appears on their covers album Homage that's out on July 17th. Check it out on YouTube.

KISS did their first-ever show in Germany 50 years ago Monday – May 18th, 1975. Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley will celebrate the anniversary by hosting a fan event in Germany in October with details to come.

Sting has performed an acoustic version of “All This Time / The Last Ship” from his musical, The Last Ship, as part of Lincoln Center’s Sidewalk Sessions, which you can watch on YouTube. The Last Ship will be staged at the Metropolitan Opera House at New York’s Lincoln Center from June 9th through the 24th.

The third annual Bon’s Birthday Bash will be held on July 9th at The Cutting Room in New York City. The only U.S. tribute event to the late AC/DC singer authorized by the Bon Scott estate will feature performances by Corey Glover of Living Colour, Steve Brown of Trixter and more.

Former Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman will publish his new autobiography, The Wizard of Prog, on October 29th. And next year in the UK he will embark on The Wizard of Prog tour starting February 17th in Brighton, England through March 12th in Leicester, England. He says, “All tours are special, but this one is really very special. I can’t exactly tell you why, but trust me … it is!” Wakeman turned 77 today (Monday).

Squeeze reunited with original keyboardist Jools Holland on his BBC show Later With Jools Holland to perform "Take Me I'm Yours" off their 1978 self-titled debut album. Watch it on YouTube. Holland was a founding member of the band in which he served two tours of duty – 1974 to ’80, and ’85 to ’90 – and played on six albums.

Chris Cornell's 2007 album, Carry On, will be reissued on vinyl for the first time on June 26th. The two-LP set adds two bonus tracks first released in the U.K. and Japan, plus an extended version of his cover of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean."

Dickerman