Is there a place that Dave Grohl doesn't show up? Is there an artist that he hasn't performed with? What could possibly be on his 'Bucket List'? Check out the video of the Foo's performing with Mick Jagger from SNL this weekend!
Tell me what you think? Is is Sabbath without Bill?
"Dear Sabbath Fans and Fellow Musicians,
I sincerely regret to inform you that after a final effort to participate in the upcoming Sabbath shows a failure to agree has continued. At this time I have to inform you that I won’t be playing with Black Sabbath at the Birmingham gig dated May 19th, 2012, nor will I be playing at Download on June 10th, 2012. Further, I will not be playing at Lollapalooza on August 3, 2012.
It is with a very sad heart that I bring you this news. I am sincerely passionate in my desire to play with the band, and I’m very, very sorry that it’s fallen to this. This statement is even more painstaking to write, as I was particularly excited to play alongside Tony Iommi after the recent treatments he underwent. I wanted that to become a reality
To express my thoughts about you, the Sabbath fans, I’m going to speak to you all through an experience my brother James had recently. My brother Jimmy lives in the U.K. When speaking with him a couple of days ago, he told me that an acquaintance had stopped him on the street and confronted him, "is your brother playing Birmingham? What’s going on? I waited in line with my son and paid x amount for the concert tickets."
The man’s son is a young drummer. He’s going to see Sabbath, and he wants to see Bill Ward play drums. Upon hearing this news, I felt horrible. I couldn’t help feeling some resentment towards the failure to reach an agreement, the failure to remember where we came from, the failure to be as brothers, as we once were. To be clear, I’m not blaming the other guys or finding any faults with them. I would think it can’t be easy for them either, but this situation is just really sad. It’s sad that it’s come to this. "This" will surely leave a mark and be unwelcome to the memory. Hopefully "this" will heal and pass in time.
My heart sank when Jimmy told me about this young boy. I know this boy is going to be disappointed, and I don’t know how to amend it, other than to put my arms around the boy and tell him I love him. Sabbath fans have a voice and a face, to me you’re human, you have families and despair. You have ferocity and emotions and graciousness, and at this moment as far as I’m concerned you are also that young boy in England. I don’t know how to amend my part in these failings other than to put my arms around you and say I love you and let you know I’m very, very sorry.
Throughout this process, which began over a year ago, I have had to stand up for myself time and time again. I have had to stand up for myself and in doing so realize my actions indirectly, although unintentionally, are upsetting and hurting a lot of you. I know in my heart I couldn’t have done these concerts by agreeing the terms suggested. I made a solemn vow after the last European and Ozzfest concerts that I would never again enter into what was, in my opinion, a totally unsatisfactory contract. I have to stand for something, and as painful as it is, I’m doing it.
Earlier in April 2012, I’d been asked to participate "minimally" in the Download festival. I believe I’d been offered no more than three songs to play while another drummer presumably played the rest of the show with Black Sabbath. I was not willing to participate in that offer. I was not prepared to watch another drummer play a Sabbath set, while I was to play only three songs.
I found out about the Birmingham gig on Monday, April 30 through the Internet ad. I was taken aback somewhat by the date, and the fact it was Birmingham. Knowing the "signable" contract negotiations were at best in shreds, I was upset by the idea that the band was going to play Birmingham and play it assumedly without me. I had no prior knowledge of the date and location, and I felt totally excluded. We contacted the representative for Black Sabbath to see if something could be worked out. In the meantime my drum crew and I, along with our US endorsers, finished all the necessary planning for a swift departure to the UK. There wasn’t a whole lot to complete; we’d all been on standby more or less since mid-January 2012. The remaining work in the UK was confirmed done by our European and UK endorsers and we were good to go by Friday, May 4 2012. There were two stress points: firstly, getting an agreement in place, and secondly, getting to England in a timely manner. Jetlag time was taken into account as well as drum practice, a drum practice room in the heart of Birmingham, accommodation, and travel arrangements were all in place to meet with any band rehearsals that may have transpired before the Birmingham show. So far everything that had been arranged was on my dime, but we didn’t move ahead without a realistic confirmation.
Communications between the representative and my lawyer continued through the weekend of May 5 finalizing on Wednesday, May 9. The offer we received on May 9 was, "come to the UK, play for free and see how the first show goes." I was tempted. Playing for free would not have been a problem for me, but "seeing how the first show goes" left an element of risk which could have affected Download. My ideal thought was to play in full the Birmingham show, in full Download, and in full Lollapalooza.
I had notified the representative that May 10 was my cutoff day in order to have good lead-in time for England. On the night of May 9 I asked for a brief letter to be sent to the representative asking to find out if we were at an end. On the morning of Thursday, May 10, I received a reply in the affirmative. After consulting with my advisors and crew a decision was made to let go and stop.
I can’t prioritize the Sabbath fans making one show more important than the other. I can’t do that. All of you are important. It’s all the gigs or none at all. I can’t come to Birmingham and "see what happens" knowing there is a risk of not being able to play Download or Lollapalooza. Again, for me, it’s all or nothing. I had to say "no" to Birmingham on the principle of wanting to play all the shows. Saying no to Birmingham is very difficult for me. My family grew up in Birmingham. Black Sabbath grew up in Birmingham. It’s still my hometown and I resent having to arrive at such a difficult choice.
Although the statement was made that, "the door is always open" for me, as explained above, walking through that door is not always as easy as it sounds. There are many complicated issues and unseen and unspoken agendas on hand. I can assure you, my criteria for a "signable" contract is based in mindful principles, respectability, and acknowledgement of my history within the band.
I hold no malice or resentment towards the other band members. I love them; I’m tolerant of them; I’m frustrated with them, as they may be with me. My fight has never been with them. I’ll love them forever. In my opinion, nobody wins this time; the band doesn’t win; the fans for an original lineup don’t win. Nobody wins, nobody. Even the ones who thought they did.
I didn’t want to make this decision, but I have to be honest and transparent. This is the statement I didn’t want to write; it’s the last thing I wanted to do. But, I have written it, and now it can go into the universe.
Since Spring of 2011, I’ve waited patiently and hopefully for a signable contract, you know the rest. I stand for the boy in the U.K., for the coming drum student, for all the drummers, who write their parts out and get stiffed on the publishing, I stand with the Sabbath fans chanting "Bill Ward" and asking "why?" and I stand with Tony and Geezer and Ozzy.
On a final note, even though I’m at an end with the upcoming announced concerts, I will remain with an open mind and a position of willingness to negotiate "signable" terms with Sabbath’s representatives in the future.
Stay strong.
Stay safe.
With all my heart and strength, I love you,
Bill Ward"
In 1986, The Beastie Boys released "License to Ill" and changed music forever. In 1986, I was a freshman in High School... and a metal head. I'll be the first to admit that I didn't get the Beastie Boys at first. To me, music was hairspray, lipstick, spandex, guitar solos, and Jack Daniels. What do you want... I was 15! In school, you were what you listened to, and it seemed like all of the 'jocks' liked the Beastie Boys, so I didn't want to. But then something changed. I went to a keg party (yes, I know that I am blowing my role model status by admitting that I drank while underage) and the Beastie Boys came on the radio. Everyone... and I mean everyone was singing along. The Jocks, the metal heads, the preps, the druggies, the nerds, the band geeks, and every other ridiculous clique that exists in High School were all agreeing on one thing... The Beastie Boys!
Over the years, The Beastie Boys reinforced the solid bridge that they had built between music genre's, by releasing hit after hit, and selling out every tour that they went out on. I'll always regret that the Beastie Boys/Rage Against The Machine tour never made it back to Foxboro. That show would have been EPIC! Think about it, Rage Against the Machine probably wouldn't have even existed without the Beastie Boys. Neither would Linkin Park, and countless other artists, who didn't have to be afraid to try and mix styles, because the Beaties proved that it was possible.
They paved the way on MTV, and showed just how powerful music videos could be. MCA organized political rallies and concerts in support of Tibet, and the list of influences goes on and on. 3 guys from NYC, set out in 1979 as a hardcore punk group and ended up bridging Rock and Hip Hop forever.
Last month, the Beastie Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class of 2012, and I'm just happy that MCA was alive to see it. To see just how much value the music community puts on his, and the other 'Boys' contribution to music as a whole, I can only imagine it was very meaningful to him.
MCA, you like so many before you, have been taken from us WAY too soon. But, your influence and legacy will remain long after we all join you in whatever afterlife exists. Thank you for being on the radio at that keg party when I was 15, and for all of the other great memories that I have with your music as the soundtrack!
This is, and will always be my FAVORITE beastie Boys song!
Reaction to MCA's death was swift and widespread on twitter:
#restinpeaceMCA 1 of my favorite hiphop groups...hiphop raised a lot of us & now we have to wake up because are hero's are dying too younge
Billie Joe Armstrong@BJAofficial
Lollapalooza94 talked to Yauch almost everyday He was full of wisdom & encouragement for a freaked out kid like I was. Thank you MCA. LoveBJ
Dana White@danawhite
So bummed about Adam Yauch (mca) from the Beastie Boys passing today! RIP
uncle kracker@unclekracker
"License to ill" was the soundtrack of my youth and "MCA" was as much a part of my teenage years as any one of my friends.
DAVID DRAIMAN@DAVIDMDRAIMAN
LISTENED TO THE BEASTIE BOYS SINCE I WAS A KID. RIP ADAM (MCA) YAUCH. YOU WILL BE MISSED.
Big Daddy Kane@officialbdk
Rest in peace MCA of the Beastie Boys. A pioneer, legend & OG that will be missed.
â Papa Roach â @paparoach
Rest in Peace to a hip hop pioneer - Adam Yauch aka MCA of Beastie Boys.
For more info on MCA, see below.
Featured Audio:
Adam Nathaniel Yauch (August 5, 1964 - May 4, 2012) was a founding member of hip hop trio, the Beastie Boys. He was frequently known by his stage name, MCA, and other pseudonyms such as Nathanial Hörnblowér.
Yauch died on May 4, 2012. He announced in 2009 that he was being treated for cancer, but it is not yet known if his death was a direct result of the cancer.
Yauch was born an only child in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Frances and Noel Yauch, who is a painter and architect. His father was Catholic and his mother was Jewish.[3] In high school, he taught himself to play the bass guitar, and formed Beastie Boys. They played their first show — then still a hardcore punk band in the vein of Reagan Youth — on his 17th birthday, while still attending Edward R. Murrow High School in the Midwood neighborhood of Brooklyn. He attended Bard College for 2 years before dropping out. Two years later, when Yauch was 22, the Beastie Boys, now performing as a hip hop trio, released their first album Licensed to Ill on Def Jam Records.
Gary Cherone & Nuno Bettencourt have been making music and making Boston fans proud for decades. They burst onto the music scene with Extreme, have been part of International festivals, joined other bands like Van Halen and Satellite Party, played in cover bands and released solo projects, but now they are paying tribute to Fenway Park and raising money for charity!
As we celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Major League Baseballs most beloved ballpark, Fenway Park, once again Red Sox ownership has found a way to help out deserving charities at the same time.
With the release of Fenway Park's Greatest Hits, the proceeds are going to benefit The Red Sox Foundation.
Internet pre sale begins on May 1, On May 8, the CD will be available exclusively at the Yawkey Way Store/The Official Red Sox Team Store and at redsox.com/fenway100album. It will be available at traditional retail and all digital retailers on May 22.
Fan favorites include "Let the Good Times Roll," "Sweet Caroline," "Dirty Water," "Tessie," "Dream On" and "Take Me Out to the Ball Game." Also features 2 original songs written especially for the project, "2007" and "Fenway Park," as well as a special tribute to the great Ted Williams with John Updike's legendary piece "Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu."
Features current Red Sox players David Ortiz, Ryan Kalish, Darnell McDonald, Clay Buchholz, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Alfredo Aceves, Kevin Youkilis, Daniel Bard and special percussion by Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia.
Features Red Sox alumni Rico Petrocelli, Curt Schilling, Jim Lonborg, Kevin Millar and Jerry Remy.
Special guests include Ken Casey of the Dropkick Murphys, Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt from Extreme, Dicky Barrett from the Mighty Mighty BossToneS, Grammy nominated artist Jon Butcher, Mark Salling from FOX's Glee, Seth Justman from J. Geils Band, Mike Mushok from Staind, Emmy nominated actor Mike O'Malley, Baseball Hall of Fame journalist Peter Gammons, and children from the team's charitable Red Sox Scholars program.
Features top session musicians Kenny Aronoff, Gregg Bissonette, Leland Sklar, Tim Pierce and Matt Rollings.
I had a chance to talk to Mike Shinoda from Linkin Park, and DJ Kilmore from Incubus recently... Both bands are part of the Honda Civic Tour which is coming to the Comcast cebter later on this summer. Both bands have been friends for many years, and WAAF has been playing them both from the early days. That is why we couldn't have a serious conversation!
