Initial Band Lineup Announced featuring Stone Sour, Seether,
In This Moment, Black Label Society & More
General On Sale Begins Tuesday, June 20 “A ShipRocked Odyssey”
Launches January 21-25, 2018 Onboard Carnival Liberty
From Port Canaveral, Florida To Nassau & Half Moon Cay In The Bahamas
The initial band lineup has been announced for ShipRocked 2018 – “A ShipRocked Odyssey” — set for January 21-25, 2018 onboard Carnival Liberty. Stone Sour, Seether, In This Moment, and Black Label Society lead a lineup of over a dozen bands slated to play the ninth edition of the annual vacation experience as it sails from Port Canaveral, Florida to Nassau and the private island of Half Moon Cay in The Bahamas.
Here’s what some of the bands are saying about this year’s ShipRocked:
“Finally. We’ve been trying to make this happen for a long time. Now Stone Sour is joining the ShipRocked party – and WE HOPE YOU’RE ALL AS EXCITED AS WE ARE!! There’s gonna be music, excitement, craziness and maybe – JUST MAYBE…somebody’s goin’ to get naked. Come join us on ShipRocked!!” – Corey Taylor, Stone Sour
“We’re really looking forward to being back on ShipRocked! We had a blast in 2016 and we intend to go even bigger on the next one!” – Shaun Morgan, Seether
In addition to Stone Sour, Seether, In This Moment, and Black Label Society, the otherworldly lineup for ShipRocked 2018 includes The Stowaways, Nothing More, Starset, Beartooth, Nonpoint, Red Sun Rising, Shaman’s Harvest, Aranda, Badflower, DED, He Is Legend, Royal Republic, Palisades, Doll Skin, and Kaleido, with more to be announced.
ShipRocked’s resident all-star band The Stowaways returns in 2018 for a pair of special shows with its revolving cast of special guests, bringing a mix of classic hits, unexpected surprises, and a roster of performers that can’t be seen anywhere else. Check www.ShipRocked.com for the latest on ShipRocked 2018 and The Stowaways‘ 2018 lineup.
ShipRocked producer Alan Koenig of ASK4 Entertainment says, “We are very proud that the ShipRocked experience continues to grow, and gets better and better with each sailing. This year, we’re primed and ready to take our 9th voyage to infinity and beyond, combining two of our favorite things, space and great live rock music! Blasting off from Port Canaveral with an incredible lineup, 2018’s mission will continue to push the limits and promises to be the most out of this world vacation yet, taking one small step for man, one giant leap for ShipRocker-kind!”
The ShipRocked 2018 pre-sale is sold out. Remaining staterooms for ShipRocked 2018 will go on sale to the general public on Tuesday, June 20 at Noon ET at www.ShipRocked.com.
Blasting off from Port Canaveral, FL, ShipRocked 2018—A ShipRocked Odyssey—is a once-in-a-lifetime getaway featuring nearly two dozen bands and gravity defying live performances, out of this world artist hosted events and activities, meet & greets, crazy theme nights, after hours parties and more.
ShipRocked 2017 sold out in record time and sailed from Miami on January 16 onboard Carnival Victory for four days and nights of a three-ringed floating rock ‘n’ roll circus on the high seas, led by headliners Breaking Benjamin, along with Papa Roach, Alter Bridge, Sevendust, Pop Evil and more. 3,000 ShipRockers shared in “The Greatest Vacation On Earth,” enjoying a packed itinerary of more than 40 performances from 20+ bands — including a pair of unforgettable deck stage sets from ShipRocked’s own all star band The Stowaways — a day on the beach on beautiful Grand Turk in Turks & Caicos, sideshows, theme nights, and more.
NORTH AMERICAN TOUR ALONGSIDE KORN BEGINS JUNE 16TH IN SALT LAKE CITY, UT
HYDROGRAD ARRIVES EVERYWHERE FRIDAY, JUNE 30TH
WATCH STONE SOUR PERFORM NEW SONG “MERCY” LIVE FROM SPHERE STUDIOS
Breakthrough rock act Stone Sour has shared a fourth new track off their highly anticipated LP, HYDROGRAD. Today the band unveiled a live video for “Mercy,” which they performed and recorded at Sphere Studios in North Hollywood, CA. The performance of “Mercy” is streaming now on Stone Sour’s official YouTube channel.
Stone Sour’s eagerly awaited new LP, HYDROGRAD, features the tracks “Song #3,” “Fabuless,” and “Taipei Person/Allah Tea,” which are available now at all DSPs and streaming services. Lead single “Song #3” is currently the #2 song at Active Rock Radio this week as it continues to close in on the #1 spot. Additionally, the Ryan Valdez directed music video for “Song #3” has received 2 million views since it’s release, while the track has been streamed nearly 3 million times on Spotify alone. “Fabuless” is joined by an official music video, directed by Paul Brown, which has amassed over 4 million views on Stone Sour’s official YouTube channel.
HYDROGRAD is available for pre-order at all DSPs and via www.stonesour.com, with all pre-orders accompanied by instant grat downloads of “Fabuless,” “Song #3” and “Taipei Person/Allah Tea” (see tracklisting / album art attached). Exclusive pre-order merch bundles are also available at www.stonesour.com.
Next month Stone Sour will celebrate HYDROGRAD with an epic summer trek alongside fellow Roadrunner recording group Korn. “The Serenity of Summer Tour” gets underway June 16th at Salt Lake City, UT’s USANA Amphitheatre and then travels through early August (see tour itinerary attached). Presented by Live Nation, support throughout the eclectic tour comes from Babymetal, Skillet, Yelawolf, Islander and Ded. Furthermore, Stone Sour has several festival appearances slated for this summer including Rock Fest (7/14), Rock USA (7/15), Chicago Open Air (7/16) and more. This fall Stone Sour will head overseas for an international leg of their ‘Hydrograd World Tour’ which will kick off November 10th with a performance at Moscow, Russia’s Stadium. For complete details and ticket availability, please visit www.stonesour.com.
Stone Sour unleashed their eponymous debut album in 2002 and was immediately confirmed as one of the most significant hard rock outfits of the 21st century. The self-titled release earned RIAA gold certification while singles “Get Inside” and “Inhale” each received GRAMMY® Award nominations for “Best Metal Performance.”
COME WHAT(EVER) MAY followed in 2006 and proved an even greater accomplishment with a top 5 debut on the SoundScan/Billboard 200 and a #1 entry onto Billboard’s “Rock Albums” chart. The acclaimed album spawned still another GRAMMY®-nominated single in “30/30-150” on its own way to RIAA gold certification. COME WHAT(EVER) MAY unleashed a series of rock radio classics, including “Sillyworld,” “Made of Scars,” the #1 hit, “Through Glass,” which spent seven weeks atop Billboard’s “Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks” while also reaching #2 on “Alternative Songs” and the top 40 on the overall “Hot 100.” The song’s companion video was also a favorite, now with over 48 million individual views at YouTube alone.
Stone Sour’s most recent all-original releases, the monumental HOUSE OF GOLD & BONES – PART 1 and HOUSE OF GOLD & BONES – PART 2, both made top 10 debuts on the SoundScan/Billboard 200 just six months apart from one another – the band’s third and fourth consecutive top 10 chart entries. The two-part concept album yielded a string of multi-format rock radio hits, including the top 5 favorites “Absolute Zero,” “Do Me A Favor,” and “Tired,” the latter of which ascended to #1 at Mainstream Rock outlets nationwide.
HOUSE OF GOLD & BONES drew widespread critical applause with ArtistDirect hailing “PART 1” as “a milestone for Stone Sour and for modern rock music. It’s on par with Alice In Chains’ ‘DIRT,’ Metallica’s MASTER OF PUPPETS, Queens of the Stone Age’s SONGS FOR THE DEAF, Soundgarden’s SUPERUNKNOWN, and any other game-changing albums you can think of.” HOUSE OF GOLD & BONES – PART 2 earned equally great acclaim, including placement on Revolver’s “Top 20 Albums of 2013” and Loudwire’s “Top 10 Rock + Metal Albums of 2013” ranking. The Guardian, in its four-out-of-five starred rave, praised Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor’s “remarkable transformation into heavy music’s premier polymath and renaissance man” while further hailing the album’s “towering melodies and moments of radio-friendly majesty, the band’s trademark straddling of the divide between metal and commercial rock sounding increasingly adroit.”
2015 saw the arrival of STRAIGHT OUTTA BURBANK, an unprecedented EP in which Stone Sour take on five immortal songs originally performed by such iconic artists as Bad Brains, Iron Maiden, The Rolling Stones, Mötley Crüe, and Slayer. The EP is highlighted by a stunning rendition of The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” featuring distinctive guest vocals from Lzzy Hale of Atlantic recording group Halestorm, STRAIGHT OUTTA BURBANK is available now at all DSPs and streaming services.
Known far and wide as a truly incendiary live act, Stone Sour has built an international fan following through countless headline tours, multi-artist caravans, and performances at such famed festivals as Rock In Rio and the UK’s Download Festival.
Stone Sour is: Corey Taylor (vocals), Josh Rand (guitar), Roy Mayorga (drums), Johny Chow (bass), and Christian Martucci (guitar).
Blacktop Mojo Announces First Leg Of The “Where The Wind Blows 2017” U.S. Tour
“Where The Wind Blows 2017” Tour to be FREE as Thank You to Friends, Fans, & Supporters!
Palestine, Texas based Southern Hard Rock band Blacktop Mojo have announced the first leg of their “Where The Wind Blows 2017” U.S. Tour. The tour kicks of on July 13th in Abilene, Texas and will work it’s way throughout the United States this summer. The band is touring in support of their critically acclaimed sophomore album Burn The Ships and current radio single “Where The Wind Blows.” Keep an eye out all summer for new dates on the band’s Facebook page. As a thank you to their friends, fans, and supporters, ALL of the shows will be free.
We’ve made so many friends from all over the U.S. the past few years – We couldn’t be more excited to take our live show to their doorsteps for the first time, and share that awesome energy that only rock and roll can offer. – Nathan Gillis (Blacktop Mojo)
Where The Wind Blows 2017 Tour Dates:
07/13 @ Amnesia – Abilene, TX
07/14 @ Perch @ Tricky Falls – El Paso, TX
07/15 @ The Orpheum – Flagstaff, AZ
07/16 @ Slidebar – Fullerton, CA
07/18 @ Brick By Brick – San Diego, CA
07/21 @ Lost On Main – Chico, CA
07/22 @ Old Warehouse – Yakima, WA
07/23 @ The Pin – Spokane, WA
07/25 @ Pub Station – Billings, MT
07/26 @ Knitting Factory – Boise, ID
07/27 @ Diamondz Event Center – Jerome, ID
07/28 @ Roadhouse – Idaho Falls, ID
07/30 @ Lincoln Theater – Lincoln, NE
About Blacktop Mojo:
Formed in the final weeks of 2012, Blacktop Mojo began cutting their teeth in the numerous country venues that Texas has to offer, but the guys never quite felt like they belonged. With each song they wrote, the vocals got less twangy and the sound from the amps became more gravelly and distorted until the guys had found their own unique blend of heavy southern rock. Through touring, the band has played with many national acts such as Bon Jovi, Sammy Hagar, Aaron Lewis, Daryl “DMC” McDaniels, Candlebox, Drowning Pool, Puddle Of Mudd, Smile Empty Soul, Audiotopsy, and Whiskey Myers.
After running the highways for two years in support of their debut album, I Am (2014), in July of this year the band loaded their gear in the van and made a trip to Sound Emporium Studios in Nashville, as well as FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL to make their sophomore effort entitled, Burn The Ships. In addition to the producer of the band’s first record, Philip Mosley, the band brought in co-producer, Jimmy Johnson of the legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studio as well as his long time engineer, Steve Melton (Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Rolling Stones, Bob Seger) to bring a seasoned sonic quality to their brand of raw, grungy rock.
The band caught the public eye in in April of 2016 when they released a music video for their cover of Aerosmith’s 1973 classic hit “Dream On” which has since gone viral with over 1.5 million views on YouTube.
Burn The Ships was released March 10th of 2017 garnering critical acclaim from both US and European press outlets including Loudwire, Revolver Magazine, Outburn Magazine, Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, and many more. Team Rock’s Classic Rock Magazine, is quoted as saying “Blacktop Mojo might just be America’s next big rock band.”
Tampa Bay Florida Death Metal Godfathers OBITUARY collide with Bay Area Thrash Metal Kings EXODUS for another epic Battle of the Bays this Fall! The two American legends went to war in Europe last year and are now bringing the Battle to America this time with support from POWER TRIP and DUST BOLT. The co-headlining tour kicks off September 14 in Durham, NC and ends on October 15 in Baton Rouge, LA. Tickets go on sale this Friday, June 16 and a complete listing of dates is available below.
Additionally, OBITUARY will perform at the prestigious Hellfest Open Air 2017 on June 18 in France and return to Europe for a headline tour on July 8 including multiple festival appearances at Resurrection Festival, Rock Maraton 2017, VOA Heavy Rock Fest and more. All confirmed OBITUARY tour dates are listed below.
OBITUARY’s latest, self-titled album is out now on CD/LP/Digital via Relapse Records. Physical packages and digital order are available via Relapse.com HERE and Bandcamp HERE.
— All Dates Sep 14 to Oct 15 w/ Exodus, Power Trip and Dust Bolt —
Sep 14 Durham, NC Motorco Music Hall
Sep 15 Virginia Beach, VA Shakas Live
Sep 16 Baltimore, MD Baltimore Soundstage
Sep 17 Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom
Sep 19 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall of Williamsburg
Sep 20 Worcester, MA The Palladium (Downstairs)
Sep 21 Burlington, VT Higher Ground
Sep 22 Quebec City, QC Imperial Ball
Sep 23 Ottawa, ON Bronson Centre
Sep 24 London, ON London Music Hall
Sep 26 Grand Rapids, MI The Intersection
Sep 27 Columbus, OH Park Street Saloon
Sep 28 Indianapolis, IN Deluxe @ Old National Center
An album review on Wolves, the 8th full album from Chicago’s Rise Against.
Text Review:
Long lasting hardcore and punk rock bands from the early 2000’s are becoming rare. Over the past 18 years Rise Against have been giving their fierce view on politics and life while becoming more mature in their sound as they transition from stage destruction to more emotional and affirming themes. Wolves, the band’s eight full album is a definite continuation of Rise Against’s view of the world.
Through the past decade, the ferocious intensity of Rise Against has not so much mellowed as it has become more focused and direct. It’s the same strong writing from creative minds that want to get a point across clearer as their priority, as opposed to destroying a stage and smashing guitars. Which version of Rise Against you prefer is up to you, but it should be noted that Chicago’s own has done both of these styles quite well. The album Wolves is a unique entity in that it is trying to offer a bit more of the original Chicago punk days while still offering other serious tracks ranging from love to the current political power in the United States. And within the lyric writing of this album is the intent to not beat around the bush. In an interview with The Shrine Auditorium, Tim McIlrath said: “Wolves isn’t about creating a safe space, it’s about creating a space that’s dangerous for injustice”.
Punk rock historically is supposed to fight the machine while being fast and loud. While age and maturity come for every band, Rise Against have been able to grow as people while still holding to their ideals. Like I said before, whether you prefer the intense and wild early 2000’s style or their honed in and rock style of Appeal To Reason and beyond, Rise Against has stood the test of time in consistently delivering.
“The Violence” is the song that Rise Against released to highlight Wolves and it’s a good baseline for what to expect in energy. I say baseline because there are tracks that get much louder than “The Violence” and other songs that are slower paced but lyrically more direct. In other words, “The Violence” captures is the overall sound and style of the band’s eight album. Over the past few weeks I have listened to “The Violence” over a dozen times. The opening of the chorus “We’re not good enough” is memorable and helps highlight the song. It’s a song that I like, but I admit I don’t love. It’s hard to explain why “The Violence” didn’t hook me. After hearing the rest of the album, I truly feel that there is many more memorable songs on Wolves.
Like I said with “The Violence” being the baseline in volume and style, the standout tracks in my opinion are the louder and faster paced songs. The album opening title-track and “Welcome To The Breakdown” from beginning to end are the amazing songs that made me remember why I love Rise Against. The drumlines, the riffs and short hooks make these songs stand out like gems when compared to the singles “The Violence” and “House On Fire”. Those singles are good songs but there is so much more on this album that is worth diving into that it will make you completely forget them after a full listen of Wolves.
It’s hard to sit still when listening to songs like “Welcome To The Breakdown” and “Bulls***”. There is an anger in the delivery along with some great lyrics that are easy to connect with the listener. The choruses get stuck in your head in a good way and it makes you want to listen more and also see these songs performed live. The album is not a top to bottom masterpiece. Songs like “Parts Per Million” could be completely omitted from not having any impact and “Mourning In Amerika”, while lyrically strong, doesn’t have much impact in the music. But with the remainder of the songs on Wolves ranging from good to great, some of which even including direct statements to the 45th President, it’s hard not to get involved with the album.
While there are two to three tracks that caused me to lose my energy and focus with the album, I can’t deny just how much I got out of a listening experience from Rise Against, again. I say “again”, because since I discovered this band in the late 2000’s, I have not been disappointed with any album they have released and Wolves continues that feeling. Overall, Wolves once again proves that the fire in Rise Against hasn’t died out. Regardless of your political stance or which style of punk rock speed you prefer, this album has songs that will make you remember why you enjoy music in the most while giving you lyrics to remember.
Coming on the heels of the recently released EPK and album announcement, Projected returns with the video for the debut single “Reload.” The video was produced, directed and edited by
Jamie Brown for Smoking Gun Productions and can be seen here: https://youtu.be/Y3dtoi4VZdw. The song comes from the band’s sophomore double-length release, Ignite My Insanity, scheduled for release on July 21st via Rat Pak Records. Thetwo-disc collection is now available for pre-order in various configurations at http://www.ratpakrecords.com/Projected as well as digitally via iTunes at: http://smarturl.it/IMIiTunes. Fans who pre-order the album via iTunes will receive an instant download of “Reload” with two subsequent downloads scheduled prior to the full-album release. Ignite My Insanity is the long awaited follow-up to the 2012 self-released debut album, Human from the band comprised of Sevendust guitarist John Connolly, Alter Bridge/Creed drummer Scott Phillips, Sevendust bassist Vinnie Hornsby and Tremonti guitarist Eric “E-ROCK” Friedman.
Ignite My Insanity features 21 all new tracks from Projected and continues to build upon the sound the band established with their debut. It is an album designed to resonate with fans from the member’s original projects and guaranteed to garner new fans along the way. From the melodic piano interlude of the opener “Strike” to the raucous ending of closer “Battlestations,” the new album takes the listener on a journey inside the minds of the band. Songs like “Six Feet Below,” “Gomorrah,” “Inhuman” and “Upside Down” are infectious rockers. The first single “Reload” is a frenetic composition that showcases the musicianship of these accomplished performers. Alter Bridge/Tremonti songwriter Mark Tremonti co-wrote “Rectify” and “Call Me The Devil” and Sevendust’s Morgan Rose co-wrote “Concede” with the band. The EPK on the making of Ignite My Insanity can be seen here:
A review on The The Birthday Massacre’s seventh full album Under Your Spell.
Text Review:
One band whom I consider on the underground and off the radio radar while still having an extremely strong following thanks to the internet is Canada’s The Birthday Massacre. After their 2014 album Superstition which I loved comes their seventh full album Under Your Spell. And with that strong following came a lot of support in making this album. Thanks to PledgeMusic, The Birthday Massacre’s campaign to create Under Your Spell was not only met but then supported further with an end result of 233% of their campaign goal. One look at the last page of the album’s liner notes will give a glimpse at just how many fans pledged good money to hear new music from the band in their electronic and goth-rock glory.
In the press release and statement from The Birthday Massacre on the new album, they state how Under Your Spell will prove to be the band’s most intimate and emotive record to date. That is a big declaration coming after their album Superstition which was a brooding electronic work that was not only oozing with that goth-rock style, but it was also fantastic. But now in 2017 comes an album that is in almost every way a tribute to the synth and electronic music of the 1980’s. No matter how old you are it is almost undeniable just how much the music on Under Your Spell could be placed in a majority of 80’s movie soundtracks seamlessly. If this would have been The Birthday Massacre’s debut album then people would swear they just stepped out of a time machine.
Along with the 80’s vibe, the noticeable distinction of Under Your Spell when compared to its predecessor is that it is (for the most part) much more energetic and up-tempo. Whether it has more of a hard edge like “Counterpane” or the more carefree style of “One”, there is a feeling that this album has a pace and energy. “Counterpane” was featured in the trailer video for Under Your Spell and is arguably the hardest song on the album. It’s the halfway point and is one of the few breaks from the nostalgic tribute to an electronic decade. This song had the right balance however even with it’s loud opening. Chibi’s vocals in the bridge and chorus are great and it all connects to some hard riffs at the end.
The main stand outs on Under Your Spell I feel are the tracks that indulge in the electronic effects but take some time to breathe while running. I say this because lyrically there are some great themes and concepts here but when the songs have this happy upbeat synthetic bounce it disjoints the tones. Tracks like “All Of Nothing”, “Games”, and the title track are the few that slow the pace down slightly, but even these songs have a rhythm and flow that moves everything along. Musically everything sounds produced and mixed well. Each song feels like an individual event. When you listen to the first half of the album, you get that feeling of each song being a separate entity and they all give a different emotion that way. From the opening synth keys of “One” you get that reminiscent sound of 80’s music and then it goes into that romanticized goth style that The Birthday Massacre is known for.
The first half of Under Your Spell starting with One is where most of the replay value will come. While each song feels individual it feels like the most emotion comes from the first five tracks. I definitely get the vibe of intimate and personal when hearing Chibi sing and lyrically there is a lot to latch on to. The first half of the album is where those qualities shine.
Not every song is going to be getting your undivided attention. Song like “Unkind” and “No Tomorrow” are unfortunately forgettable almost as soon as the track is over. The listening experience all the way through the album can also take you out of the moment because each track feels individual so the flow from track to track isn’t completely smooth. Even with those critiques though, there are several songs and moments that really shine here.
The Birthday Massacre has the ability to say they have a unique sound in 2017 while performing in a genre where many bands are trying to chase the next trend. And while this album may not be the most complete experience you are looking for, there is still a massive amount of creativity and talent that was involved in this electronic love letter to the style of a past decade. Overall, Under Your Spell will please the fans that helped both contribute to this album and the fans that have supported the band though six previous releases. Whether this will be those fans’ favorite album in the discography will be up for debate, but it is a strong effort in emotion and writing that every John Hughes movie from the mid 80’s would be lucky to have.
DROPKICK MURPHYS RELEASE VIDEO FOR “UNTIL THE NEXT TIME”
BAND LAUNCHES FROM BOSTON TO BERKELEY TOUR WITH RANCID JULY 27 THROUGH AUGUST 26
In the midst of European festivals and headlining shows, Dropkick Murphys have released a video for “Until The Next Time,” from their 11 Short Stories Of Pain & Glory album.
Dropkick Murphys’ Ken Casey explains,“The music video for ‘Until The Next Time’ was directed by our longtime friend and amazing photographer Gregory Nolan during our 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory Tour in both Europe and the U.S. This song is about our relationship with YOU, the best fans on the planet. It’s about the memories and the great friends we’ve made along the way…about the pleasure of coming to so many cities that we feel we can almost call home, and the bittersweet moments of having to say goodbye and move on to the next town every night.”
According to drummer Matt Kelly, “Until The Next Time” is “a song about having to put the good times on hold temporarily. We were glad to come, so sad to go, so while we’re here we’ll have us a real good time! See you out on the ice!”
Gregory Nolan, tour videographer and director of the video said, “There are two kinds of shots I love with the Dropkicks: hijinks between band members and moments of connection between the band and fans. The awesome thing about putting together this music video is that I got to shape the story that puts these relationships at the center, with music as the method of connection. It’s the perfect song to celebrate the good times, and to get the sense that the friendships we share will always come back around again.”
Dropkick Murphys—Al Barr, Tim Brennan, Ken Casey, Jeff DaRosa, Matt Kelly, James Lynch—return to the U.S. in July for their co-headlining From Boston To Berkeley Tour with Rancid.The month-long trek kicks off July 27 in Bangor, ME and wraps August 26 at the It’s Not Dead festival in San Bernardino, CA, near Los Angeles. Each night of the tour will culminate with Rancid and Dropkick Murphys on stage together for a joint encore.
The Bouncing Souls and Jake Burns open the July 27 – August 9 shows and The Selecter and Kevin Seconds open from August 11 – 26.
Rancid and Dropkick Murphys have a long and important history together. Back in 1997, Rancid’s Lars Frederiksen came across a copy of DropkickMurphys’ original EP at a friend’s house. He turned it over to his bandmate and Hellcat Records president Tim Armstrong, who quickly snatched up the band for his new label.
Dropkick Murphys are touring in support of their 11 Short Stories Of Pain & Glory album, released through the band’s own Born & Bred Records earlier this year. The album debuted at #8 on the Billboard Top 200 and was the #1 independently released album. There’s a feeling of purpose throughout the album, influenced by the band’s work with The Claddagh Fund, a charity the band established in 2009 to help support addiction recovery as well as children’s and veterans’ organizations. Dropkick Murphys are hands-on in raising funds, mentoring, and lending a helping hand with veterans, youth sports, and drug and alcohol rehabilitation. Many of the songs reflect these experiences, and the band’s sadness, anger and dismay at the opiate epidemic ravaging the country – in particular, Boston and New England — and also their feeling of pride and optimism at the sight of those who have turned their lives around. Dropkick Murphys have become ambassadors for their city. In Boston, it seems like everybody knows someone connected to the band whether by blood, friendship, or the time they shared a brew at a Bruins game. They’ve built a legacy that does Beantown proud.
Current Dropkick Murphys tour dates are as follows:
European Tour Dates
6/23/17 – Grafenhainichen, Germany – With Full Force
6/25/17 – Pilton, UK – Glastonbury Festival
6/26/17 – Nottingham, UK – Nottingham Rock City
6/27/17 – Dunfermline, UK – Alhambra Theatre
6/28/17 – Liverpool, UK – O2 Academy
6/29/17 – Bournemouth, UK – O2 Academy
7/1/17 – Munster, Germany – Vainstream Rockfest
7/2/17 – Werchter, Germany – Rock Werchter
7/3/17 – Saint-Etienne, France – Le Fil
7/4/17 – Zurich, Switzerland – Volkhaus
7/6/17 – Lugo, Spain – Resurrection Festival
7/8/17 – Belfort, France – Les Eurockeennes de Belfort
7/9/17 – Weert, Netherlands – Bospop
7/11/17 – Milan, Italy – Carroponte
7/14/17 – Carhaix-Plouguer, France – Festival Des Vielles Charrues
7/16/17 – Dublin, Ireland – The Iveagh Gardens
From Boston To Berkeley Tour With Rancid & Dropkick Murphys
7/27/17 – Bangor, ME – Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion
7/28/17 – Montreal, QC – Montreal ’77 Festival
7/29/17 – Toronto, ON – Echo Beach
7/30/17 – Cleveland, OH – Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica
7/31/17 – Sterling Heights, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill
8/2/17 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE
8/3/17 – Philadelphia, PA – Festival Pier
8/4/17 – Asbury Park, NJ – Stone Pony Summer Stage
8/5/17 – Boston / Brockton, MA – Brockton Fairgrounds
8/6/17 – Brooklyn, NY – Ford Amphitheatre at Coney Island Boardwalk
8/8/17 – Chicago, IL – Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island
8/9/17 – Milwaukee, WI – BMO Harris Pavilion
8/11/17 – Denver, CO – Sculpture Park
8/12/17 – Salt Lake City, UT – Saltair
8/13/17 – Nampa, ID – Idaho Center Amphitheatre
8/15/17 – Vancouver, BC – Thunderbird Arena
8/16/17 – Seattle, WA – WaMu Theater at Century Link Field Events Center
8/18/17 – San Luis Obispo, CA – Avila Beach
8/19/17 – Sacramento, CA – Memorial Auditorium
8/20/17 – Berkeley, CA – The Greek
8/22/17 – Chandler / Phoenix, AZ – Rawhide Event Center
8/24/17 – San Diego, CA – Petco Park, Park At The Park
8/25/17 – Las Vegas, NV – Downtown Las Vegas Events Center
8/26/17 – San Bernardino, CA – Glen Helen Amphitheater, It’s Not Dead Festival
Bullet For My Valentine have released an official live video clip for “Don’t Need You,” evidencing the pure fire (literally and figuratively) of their two consecutive sold-out performances at the world famous Brixton Academy, London, last December.
The video features footage found on the forthcoming DVD Bullet For My Valentine – Live From Brixton: Chapter Two.
The shows in question saw Bullet For My Valentine perform career-spanning setlists, in addition to select performances of their classic 2005 debut album,The Poison, in full.
Pre-orders for Bullet For My Valentine – Live From Brixton: Chapter Twoare now live HERE.
Fans will now be able to experience the intensity of both “Night One” (December 9‘s “career-spanning” performance) and “Night Two” (December 10‘s The Poison performance) via DVD, Blu-ray, CD, and Vinyl.
Full format details are below:
“Night One” CD (career-spanning setlist)
“Night Two” CD (The Poison in its entirety setlist)
DVD (featuring both nights)
Blu-ray (featuring both nights)
Triple disc Red Vinyl (“Night Two” only)
Additionally, BFMV have started work on a new studio album, which is their first for Search and Destroy/Spinefarm Records.
DOPE / (HED)Pe Announce The Monster High Tour 2017
Ill Niño to Appear on Select Dates
Industrial Metal Veterans DOPE are teaming with G-punk innovators (HED)Pe to announce their The Monster High Tour 2017 with metal rockers Ill Niño on select dates.
“I’m really excited about this tour” says Edsel Dope. “We have never done a proper USA Tour with (HED)Pe, or Ill Niño, so this should be a really cool experience for the fans and for all of us…Me and Jared from Hed Pe are already talking about doing some collaborations before and during the tour…
“We’ve continued to add to our production to each and every tour” Edsel says with a smile.. “The show is almost out of hand at this point”
“I am anticipating that this will be the last Dope tour for a little while” says Edsel…”Once it is over, I want to focus on finishing up the next Dope album before we hit the road again…I am looking forward to seeing of our fans and friends out there this Fall…”
“Hell yea brother! Me and Edsel are gonna bring one hell of a party to your city, so y’all can bring the weed” Says Jared Gomes..
Both bands will play full sets each night and Dope will again be bringing out their highly interactive production, complete with 100 square feet of LED wall, geisers and more.
