Cohen will perform three dates in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch later this year
before heading to Australia. His last tour received overwhelmingly positive reviews, and received the Helpmann Award for the Best International Concert in 2009.
Stuff.co.nz reviewer Michael Field said Cohen was in fine form during last year's January show in Auckland.
"That distinctive voice is unchanged and powerful ... the songs sounded fresh and new."
Tickets for the shows go on sale on May 31.
October 29: Vector Arena, Auckland
October 31: TSB Arena, Wellington
November 3: Westpac Arena, Christchurch
The lineup was announced today for the festival known as G-TARanaki 2010, a five-day musical celebration of the guitar to be held in New Plymouth.
The headline act is ex-Guns 'N Roses/Velvet Revolver axe-man Slash. He will be joined by Alter Bridge vocalist Myles Kennedy along with bassist Todd Kerns (Sin City Sinners, Static in Stereo, Age of Electric), rhythm guitarist Bobby Schneck (Green Day, Weezer) and drummer Brent Fitz (Alice Cooper, Vince Neil).
Also visiting from overseas is Uli Jon Roth ex-Scorpions. The classically trained German rock guitarist appeared at the 2008 G-TARanaki summit. He'll offer workshops and masterclasses and lead an all-star jam session as part of the Friday night concert.
Jennifer Batten, who was Michael Jackson's live guitarist across three world tours and worked with Jeff Beck in the late 1990s, will perform at G-TARanaki also. Batten is a class player with chops that allow her to move from metal shred to world music, to funk, fusion and electronica. http://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/blogs/blog-on-the-tracks/3737795/G-TARanaki-2010
Vinnie Moore is also on the bill. He was discovered due to a demo tape he sent to Guitar Player magazine. From there he became an influential shredder then toured and recorded with Alice Cooper and is currently playing with UFO.
Hail! is a metal supergroup with a shifting lineup. For G-TARanaki it will be Scott Travis of Judas Priest banging the skins, Scott MacAlpine (from Steve Vai's band) on lead guitar and Tony Franklin Jennifer Batten(The Firm, Quiet Riot, Blue Murder) on bass.
From Mountain - and from work with the likes of Van Halen, Mick Jagger and Billy Joel - Leslie West will be on board.
California Guitar Trio will work through almost every genre of music.
Joining the California Guitar trio and performing solo is bass legend Tony Levin. You would know his work from King Crimson, from touring and recording with Peter Gabriel - from his Chapman Stick playing as well as his bass playing; possibly even from his inclusion on John Lennon & Yoko Ono's Double Fantasy album.
Another great bass player making the trip is Guy Pratt. Pratt took on the role of bass player for Pink Floyd for the post-Roger Waters albums and tours. He has also toured (including New Zealand) with Bryan Ferry and has played extensively with Robert Palmer, was a member of Icehouse and played on the tour behind the Coverdale Page album. In 2007 he published a memoir - filled with great touring and recording stories - My Bass and Other Animals. And from there he has gone on to a sideline career in standup comedy - touring with his music anecdotes.
Oli Brown Band features Britain's newest blues guitar prodigy, Oli Brown. He released his debut, Open Road in 2008. He was just 19. From there Mike Vernon, producer of early John Mayall and Fleetwood Mac albums, came out of retirement to produce the Oli Brown Band's follow-up, Heads I Win, Tails You Lose.
Speaking of young stars, Desiree Bassett is just 17. Here's a clip of her, aged 15, covering Jimi Hendrix. From here she has gone on to release three CDs and play alongside Jimmie Vaughan and Sammy Hagar. She is from New Haven, Connecticut.
There are New Zealand bands performing as part of G-TARanaki also.
The Checks will be there. In Dread Response is an Auckland metal band. For the cheekier side of metal try Shotgun Alley. And there's also The Thomas Oliver Band from Wellington, Kara Gordon Trio, an Auckland group that performed at 2008's G-TARanaki, and Blue Monkey Racket, a Taranaki blues band.
So, how does this all work? And what's happening?
A Friday night concert at the TSB Stadium will see The Checks, Desiree Bassett and Oli Brown Band as well as Tony Levin with the California Guitar Trio. This evening will be headlined by the Uli Jon Roth All-Star Jam with Leslie West, Desiree Bassett, Vinnie Moore and Jennifer Batten.
On Saturday there will be a concert at the TSB Stadium that kicks off with Shotgun Alley and In Dread Response. Then there will be sets by Vinnie Moore, Jennifer Batten and Hail! Finally, Slash will close the evening. There's a chance the likes of Batten and Moore may join him for an all-star jam to conclude.
There are three midnight sessions at Puke Ariki. Thursday's will see The Thomas Oliver Band, Guy Pratt, Levin with the California Guitar Trio, Oli Brown Band and Desiree Bassett.
Friday will feature Kara Gordon Trio, Leslie West, Desiree Bassett, Guy Pratt, Vinnie Moore and then Tony Levin solo.
Saturday's midnight session will be the Brian Hatcher Band, Jennifer Batten, Uli Jon Roth, Hail! and Slash.
At the Sky Academy on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday Uli Jon Roth will be sharing his knowledge with music students in afternoon sessions (1.30-5.30).
There are forums and clinics across the Friday and Saturday - everything from local bands showing how to shred to Dominion Law discussing the legal side of the music business. One of the highlights will surely be Tony Levin discussing working with the likes of Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel, John Lennon and King Crimson.
There's also a G-TARanaki Guitar Exhibition.
Tickets go on sale to the public from Monday, May 31. Visit here (official G-TARanaki site) to sign up for e-newsletters and to receive further information.
When it comes to Elvis Presley and Las Vegas you might have thought you'd seen and heard it all.
The King's name is synonymous with the City of Sin - from the countless impersonators, Elvis-inspired wedding chapels, and numerous dedication shows.
But a new Cirque Du Soleil extravaganza, playing in the city Elvis spent so much time in as an entertainer, is injecting new life into the late star - more than 30 years after his death. Called Viva Elvis, it is based on Elvis's music, career and personal life, taking in his humble beginnings, army service, death of his twin brother, marriage to Priscilla, and of course his Vegas show days.
It features about 30 Elvis songs, but in a respectful twist, there's no vocal impersonator. Rather the songs feature Elvis' vocals backed by a live band, sped up to give a modern edge with some sung by a woman. Emotion is the theme of the day with this show as you can't help but feel something, Elvis fan or not. There are video montages with some never seen before footage. His personal life and relationship with Priscilla dominates as she had a lot do with the show as an adviser and collaborator.
There's a building-sized wedding cake with Priscilla and Elvis labelled across the bottom and a female singer standing on the top, while there's also a ballet performed inside wedding rings to illustrate their love, to the song Can't Help Falling In Love. An acrobatic number on a huge guitar represents the sadness Elvis felt at never knowing his twin brother, who was stillborn, played to the ballad One Night. There's also colour, action, and high energy, with Jailhouse Rock, and Viva las Vegas, featuring 40 Elvis impersonators.
Traditional Cirque Du Soleil fans, however, may be disappointed as it is more about storytelling than acrobatics. But playing at the new 2000 seat Elvis theatre at the new Aria Resort & Casino at City Center in Las Vegas - since February - there is no better place for this show. This is the city where Elvis spent many of his performing days. He first played in Las Vegas at the age of 21 in 1956, at the New Frontier Hotel, where he was billed The Atomic Powered Singer. Then in the early 1960s he spent weeks in the town filming the movie Viva Las Vegas. But it was his appearances there over the years 1969 to 1976 that cemented his legendary status and eternal link with the City of Sin.
Cirque shows, from the famous Canadian circus entertainment company, have been playing in Vegas since the early 1990s, finding their natural home.
The Elvis show comes as the acrobatic circus shows diversify to take on legendary musicians following the success of Love, which features the music of The Beatles.
Next on the cards is a Cirque show as a tribute to the late king of pop Michael Jackson.
But for now, it's all about Elvis - especially as the King would've celebrated his 75th birthday this year.
Expectations are that it will become one of the longest-running Cirque shows.
Urbandale police are investigating the death of the bass guitarist for Grammy award-winning Slipknot at a local hotel.
Paul Dedrick Gray, 38, of Johnston was found dead at approximately 10:50 a.m. today (May 24) by an employee at TownePlace Suites, 8800 Northpark Drive, police said.
There was no evidence of foul play, police said, but the investigation is ongoing.
An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday. Toxicology tests will be done.
Gray was a founding member of Slipknot and one of only two members not born in Iowa. The band broke into the mainstream with a platinum-selling self-titled debut in 1999. Two follow-ups, 2002's "Iowa" and 2005's "Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses)" also went platinum. The band has been nominated for seven Grammy awards, winning in 2006 for best metal performance.
“It’s just a devastating loss for the Des Moines music scene and the world’s music scene,” said Matt Nyberg, who was dubbed “First Maggot” by Slipknot’s Shawn Crahan. Nyberg’s band Facecage is on Slipknot lead singer Corey Taylor’s Great Big Mouth Records. “He was always one of the nicest guys. You never heard anything negative from him."
In 2008, Slipknot released its most recent album, “All Hope Is Gone,” and toured arenas, including its first-ever show at Wells Fargo Arena in January. The band ended its tour cycle in October, and members of the band have been working on individual projects since then.
Gray was arrested on drug charges in June 2003, after he crashed his Porsche into a Des Moines motorist at Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway and Carpenter Avenue.
Police charged Gray with marijuana possession, cocaine possession, possession of drug paraphernalia and a red-light violation. He later pleaded guilty to operating while under the influence of drugs, and was sentenced to one year of informal probation.
His court file included a handwritten note from Dr. Joe Takamine, who described a conversation with Gray about his “sporadic use of various drugs and of the long periods of abstinence in between.”
Takamine concluded that Gray was not addicted to any drug and understood the consequences of drug use.
"In light of his past and present history and because of his great love of music, I feel that Mr. Gray will refrain from future use of mind-altering chemicals," Takamine wrote.
Two years after his first visit, Jack Johnson will once again be at the TSB Bowl of Brooklands with a new album under his belt, and a back catalogue of hits spanning his multi-platinum selling albums "Brushfire Fairytales", "On and On", "In Between Dreams" and "Sleep Through The Static".
Performing such classics as "Inaudible Melodies", "Sitting Waiting Wishing", "Flake", "Taylor", and "Times Like These", alongside his latest hit "You And Your Heart" Jack brings in tow his ever faithful travelling companions, and will be touring once again with long time band members Adam Topol (drums), Merlo Podlewski (bass) and Zach Gill (keys).
After selling an astonishing 18 million records worldwide, Jack Johnson, is set to release his fifth studio album - the aptly titled "To The Sea" - produced by Robert Carranza, and Jack Johnson, which also features guest appearances from long time collaborator and friend G. Love, and Paula Fuga. The first taster from the record comes in the shape of single and first track on the album "You And Your Heart" - a beautiful, melodic slice of acoustic bliss, that is indicative of - and perfectly introduces - "To The Sea", to Jack's ever faithful, and ever growing audience.
As with his last world tour in 2008, and in a continuing effort to acknowledge and support the important work that non-profit groups are doing in communities across the planet, Jack Johnson's 2010 world tour is reaching out to groups who are activating positive change in the realms of water quality, community and school gardens, land preservation, environmental education and more. Jack Johnson has again engaged a number of these organisations to be present at his Australian shows to raise awareness of their objectives.
100 per cent of Jack Johnson's 2008 tour profits were used to establish the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation, an endowment founded by Jack and Kim Johnson to support environmental, art and music education now and into the future. This initiative is building upon his philanthropic efforts, and Jack Johnson will once again donate 100 per cent of his 2010 world tour profits to support the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation and will offer direct and matching donations to All At Once partner non-profits.
As hard as it is to believe Shihad have been strutting their stuff for near on twenty one years now. Never ones to waste an opportunity to party, the boys will be playing two intimate shows but only in Sydney and Melbourne to celebrate.
To ensure that these gigs are extra special Jon Toogood and co will play two of the band’s most iconic albums – Killjoy and The General Electric – back to back, giving us all an excuse to re-discover the joy of wearing cargo shorts at night.
Ten premium tickets will also be available to each show, allowing the ticket holder to meet the band and take home an exclusive limited edition screen printed and individually signed poster.
With their eighth studio album due for release this September, there may just be another twenty-one years to come from Shihad.
Dust off the Vans and celebrate Shihad turning twenty-one at the following gis:
Friday 13th August playing KILLJOY – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
Saturday 14th August playing THE GENERAL ELECTRIC – Northcote Social Club, Melbourne
Friday 20th August playing KILLJOY – The Annandale Hotel, Sydney
Saturday 21st August playing THE GENERAL ELECTRIC – The Annandale Hotel, Sydney http://www.fasterlouder.com.au/news/local/23757/Shihad-turn-twenty-one.htm
In 2008 a topiary tribute to The Beatles was unveiled on a traffic island in Liverpool. Unfortunately someone chopped Ringo’s head off after he admitted he misses nothing about his hometown.
