Jukebox – Music News Cuts – 1/5

Jukebox.

Axl Rose

A lot of fun has been poked about in the direction of Guns N’ Roses singer Axl Rose, but according to AC/DC drummer Chris Slade, Axl does not match the caricature portrayed. Rose was a guest vocalist for AC/DC, who had to cancel ten dates off of a concert eight years ago when singer Brian Johnson was threatened with total hearing loss after a lifetime of shows.

Slade had no idea that Axl Rose was going to be trying out as a guest vocalist until he showed up and shook Slade’s hand. Slade noted that, unlike the horror stories he had heard, Rose didn’t match any of it, was a great guy, and could compare to Brian Johnson when it came to joking around.

Slade’s praise did not stop at Axl’s joking nature. He said that Axl’s voice – not the Guns N’ Roses voice – was amazing, expressed great range and re-energized the band, claiming that guitarist Angus Young was jumping around like a schoolboy.

Our area’s performance must have been a fluke then.

Ozzfest

Ever wonder what happened to Ozzfest? Sharon Osbourne, on the Osbourne family podcast, explained it, and it is a sordid tale of greed and entitlement. Well, greed. In talk that included at least the possibility of the Osbournes reviving Ozzfest as a traveling festival, Sharon shared the problems they faced with the original Ozzfests.

From what she said, the bands were great, fine, all dandy, but the managers and agents thought that they were making “trillions” of dollars putting it on, and they wanted an open trough. She mentioned that at the second Ozzfest, Glenn Danzig tried to squeeze ten thousand extra dollars out of them, or he said he wouldn’t go onstage. This was answered when Sharon flashed him the contract. Glenn Danzig didn’t get that ten thousand.

Jack and Kelly Osbourne were musing about a return, and the issue was breached that maybe they should focus on breaking in new bands (with much less demanding agents.) Sharon pointed out that it would be appropriate for a “baby stage” of five- or six-thousand attendees, but a main stage with fifty-thousand attendees would be too intimidating for smaller bands.

Will there be another Ozzfest? Maybe. Stay on it, pray on it.

Black Flag

Black Flag is going to war. Technically, they’re continuing on with the 2024 leg of their “My War” tour. But their war is our war, right? “My War,” if you don’t know, is their 1984 iconic album, and they perform every song in the album on this tour. Also included are cuts from “Nervous Breakdown” through “Damaged” on the second set.

Black Flag has been around since 1976, where they came out of Hermosa Beach, California, and have been called America’s first hardcore band. The current lineup consists of Greg Ginn, singer Mike Vallely, and Harley Duggan and Charles Wiley on rhythm.

BLACK FLAG tour dates:

Dec. 29 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
Dec. 30 – Roseville, CA @ Goldfield Trading Post
Jan. 01 – Vancouver, BC @ Fortune Sound Club
Jan. 02 – Portland, OR @ Bossanova Ballroom
Jan. 03 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
Jan. 05 – San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge
Jan. 06 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Vets Hall
Jan. 07 – Palmdale, CA @ Transplants Brewing Co
Jan. 10 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
Jan. 11 – Hesperia, CA @ Wheelhouse
Jan. 12 – Santa Ana, CA @ Observatory OC
Jan. 13 – Los Angeles, CA @ Regent Theater
Jan. 14 – Ventura, CA @ Ventura Music Hall
Jan. 17 – Sparks, NV @ Ranch House
Jan. 18 – Morro Bay, CA @ The Siren
Jan. 19 – Pioneertown, CA @ Pappy & Harriets
Jan. 20 – Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee
Jan. 21 – El Paso, TX @ Rockhouse
Mar. 07 – Boise, ID @ Revolution Center
Mar. 08 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Liquid Joes
Mar. 09 – Denver, CO @ Oriental Theater
Mar. 10 – Ft. Collins, CO @ The Coast
Mar. 12 – Colorado Springs, CO @ Sunshine Studios
Mar. 14 – McHenry, IL @ The Vixen
Mar. 15 – Joliet, IL @ The Forge
Mar. 16 – Lexington, KY @ Manchester Music Hall
Mar. 18 – Des Moines, IA @ XBK
Mar. 19 – St. Louis, MO @ Red Flag
Mar. 20 – Kansas City, MO @ Knuckleheads
Mar. 21 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom
Mar. 22 – Lubbock, TX @ Jake’s
Mar. 23 – San Antonio, TX @ Paper Tiger
Mar. 24 – Austin, TX @ Come And Take It

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