Latest news with #AliceCooper
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Iconic '60s Rocker Talks Wild Times With Elton John, John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix and More
Iconic '60s Rocker Talks Wild Times With Elton John, John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix and More originally appeared on Parade. An iconic '60s heartthrob singer/songwriter gave a new interview divulging all of the fun shenanigans he had back in the day, in honor of turning 80 in 2025. , the last surviving member of the 1960s music group and TV series , regaled People with stories of seeing American debut, nabbing Jimi Hendrix as an opening act for The Monkees (which was a disaster), and hanging out with the Beatles. On being at the legendary Hollywood club The Troubadour with the likes of Alice Cooper, Harry Nilsson, and : "It was the 'go-to' place. That was where we went all the time. Doug Weston was the impresario, and he helped introduce Elton John, Buffalo Springfield, Neil Diamond, . Just an incredible list."Dolenz went on to say he watched Elton John debut there in 1970 — and they accidentally wore the same outfit. "We went down to the Troubadour. My wife at the time had just got back from England…she'd always bring me these great clothes from Carnaby Street and all that stuff. [This time] she brought me this great T-shirt. It was a reproduction of the Andy Warhol [silkscreen] of Marilyn Monroe — the multiple images that he did. I wore that to the show, and my friend said, 'Come over to the afterparty at my house and meet Elton.' So I go over there and Elton John's in the kitchen leaning up against the refrigerator, drinking a beer … wearing the same T-shirt. And, I swear to God, he takes one look at me and he goes, 'Oh f**k!' And he never forgave me," said Dolenz. In 1967, he hung out with at his house in London, "Just me, him and Martha the sheepdog," the Monkees drummer next day, McCartney invited Dolenz to the Abbey Road studios and he was so excited that he got all dressed up in his psychedelic '60s finest — "I looked like a cross between Ronald McDonald and Charlie Manson" — and when he got there, everyone was just sitting around casually and John Lennon said to Dolenz, "Hey Monkee Man, you want to hear what we're working on?" "From then on, he called me Monkee Man," said Dolenz. The singer also made a brief mention to People that he invited a young Jimi Hendrix to open for the Monkees, and both Dolenz and the Monkees' music director were "pleasantly surprised by the reaction" they got. However, the Hendrix/Monkees pairing was notoriously terrible. According to The History Channel, the four Monkees members — Dolenz, Davy Jones, Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork — were all huge fans of Hendrix, but unfortunately, the Monkees' fans were not. Hendrix joined the tour in 1967 and only lasted for seven performances before he bailed because he was constantly getting booed by Monkees fans. As Dolenz wrote in his book I'm a Believer, "Jimi would amble out onto the stage, fire up the amps and break into 'Purple Haze,' and the kids in the audience would instantly drown him out with, 'We want Daaavy [Jones]. God, was it embarrassing." 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 But in the book, Dolenz acknowledged what a massive fan of Hendrix the Monkees all were, especially him, writing, "[Hendrix was] not just your ordinary opening act. It was evident from the start that we were witness to a rare and phenomenal talent. Jimi was virtually the only act I ever made a point of getting to the hall early to see. I would stand in the wings and watch and listen in awe. I felt incredibly lucky just to have been there." So it's funny that the People interview has such a casual, brief mention of Hendrix because that tour was quite the debacle. But anyway, in the People interview, Dolenz also admitted he has a hilariously terrible memory sometimes, like the one time someone asked him if he'd ever met frontman and Dolenz said he saw Morrison play, but he never met him, then his wife jumped in and said, "Micky, he slept on the living floor for three days at our house!" Iconic '60s Rocker Talks Wild Times With Elton John, John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix and More first appeared on Parade on Jun 4, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
CBC
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Canadian producer Bob Ezrin on elevating Pink Floyd, taming KISS and leaving the U.S. behind
Social Sharing Bob Ezrin's resumé is as impressive as it is diverse. Over his five-decade career, the legendary Canadian music producer has worked with dozens of artists, from Alice Cooper and Jane's Addiction to Taylor Swift and Andrea Bocelli. "Most people don't understand what I do for a living," he told CBC's Ian Hanomansing in a wide-ranging interview. "You're dealing with extremely talented, often very high-strung people or complicated people, and you're trying to get the best performance out of them you possibly can on every level." For Ezrin, that work has included concept development, co-writing, arranging and sound design. But it has also required getting more intimate with a band, with Ezrin often playing the role of psychologist, confessor or protector — sometimes all in one day. That work often came at a personal cost — from being individually called out in reviews to a falling-out with an "apoplectic" Roger Waters — but his collaborations have helped create genre-defining releases, like KISS's slick Destroyer from 1976 and Pink Floyd's transcendental 1979 concept album The Wall. Now, as he celebrates receiving a Governor General Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement, the 76-year-old musical icon reflected on everything from recording with Pink Floyd to reworking KISS's sound — and why he decided to renounce his U.S. citizenship. WATCH | Ezrin explains his role: Bob Ezrin explains the role of the producer when making music 8 minutes ago Duration 0:37 Inside the recording process for The Wall One of Ezrin's career highlights came while recording The Wall. He fondly remembers working with guitarist David Gilmour when he played the iconic first solo on Comfortably Numb, one of the band's most iconic songs. Gilmour's two solos on the track are consistently regarded as some of the best of all time. Ezrin says he recognized the power of that first solo as soon as Gilmour started playing along with the track. "I did get tears in my eyes. It just blew me away," he said. "Like, it's so majestic and so melodically perfect and so serves the story, you know, in a way that just regular orchestration or other things like that could never have done." WATCH | Being in the room for Comfortably Numb: What was it like to be in the studio for the Comfortably Numb solo 8 minutes ago Duration 1:10 That moment of perfection came during a famously acrimonious period for Pink Floyd. Main lyricist Waters had started to assert his primacy within the band, Ezrin said. The project was based on Waters's life, so he had a deep, proprietary feeling about it, and was at first resistant to input from the others. 'No points for Ezrin' Even with the tension, Ezrin says there were some good times — "laughter, kibitzing, messing around" — as well as some schoolyard bullying. "There was a lot of picking on me," said Ezrin. "One day I showed up after we had taken a break and everybody had 'NOPE' buttons, N-O-P-E. And what it stood for was 'No Points for Ezrin.'" (Points meaning royalties for the album sales.) "I didn't think it was that serious, and later on I found out that they were more serious than I thought," said Ezrin, who noted that in the end he did get paid for the project. When the album wrapped, Waters and Ezrin had a major falling-out, after Ezrin inadvertently gave away some secrets about The Wall tour to a Billboard journalist. "Roger went absolutely nuclear, apoplectic," said Ezrin. "And he had every right to." The relationship between the two men has never fully recovered, and the rift may have deepened in recent years, with Ezrin even regretting parts of The Wall. "There are some parts … I wish I hadn't done," he said, calling elements of the album "almost neo-fascistic." The album includes fascist imagery to portray the protagonist's downward spiral, as he eventually hallucinates being a neo-Nazi leader. Ezrin says he used to think the references were done satirically, but he now believes Waters wasn't joking. "He wasn't kidding. He really wasn't kidding about some of that stuff," Ezrin said. In recent years, Waters has been accused of repeated antisemitism, with witnesses claiming to have heard him make derogatory references to Jews. He has publicly denied being antisemitic, and has repeatedly said that The Wall is anti-fascist. Tweaking an iconic band's image While Ezrin's production is primarily well regarded by fans and peers, critical reception hasn't always been positive. He laughs when he recalls the first time he worked with the band KISS, on their fourth studio album, Destroyer. "The first review for Destroyer was just devastating," he said. "And in fact the reviewer said something like, 'I've got a mind to go up to Toronto and punch Bob Ezrin in the nose on behalf of KISS fans everywhere.'" This sort of thing used to happen because he was often hired to change the direction of a musical act, he said. WATCH | How Ezrin made KISS get vulnerable: How Bob Ezrin convinced KISS to soften their image 8 minutes ago Duration 1:03 For KISS, Ezrin was brought in to try and broaden their audience, which he said at the time was largely "15-year-old pimply boys." He told the band they needed to show a more vulnerable side to generate interest from "the girls of America." That included reworking the song Beth, changing it from what he called a "screw-you" kind of song to a "gentle, sweet" ballad that was almost lullaby-like, adding in a piano melody and a walking bass line. He also worked to make the overall sound more polished than the band's earlier albums. It was a huge departure for KISS. And while the alterations did anger some die-hard fans, the plan worked. Destroyer became the first KISS album to be certified platinum. Returning home to Canada Ezrin says he is grateful to be recognized with the Governor General's Award. It coincides with a major move for him — he announced in February he'd be renouncing his U.S. citizenship and returning to Toronto, after four decades of living in the States. The political climate had become too polarized, he said. Several months in, he says he's comfortable with his decision. As for what his American friends think, he joked, "Many of them want to be adopted." WATCH | Ezrin on the U.S. political climate: Bob Ezrin renounced his U.S. citizenship and returned to Canada 8 minutes ago Duration 0:56 Music producer Bob Ezrin tells The National's Ian Hamomansing how his American friends reacted to his decision to renounce his U.S. citizenship and return to Canada. Now, at 76, he continues to work. He recently finished an album with the original Alice Cooper Band, and he is wrapping up a project with the English rock band Deep Purple. "Sometimes I have to sort of pinch myself. Because I just do what I do," he said. "But I really appreciate the recognition and I appreciate being appreciated.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Judas Priest kick off Painkiller anniversary tour with rarities-stacked setlist
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Judas Priest kicked off their Shield Of Pain European run at Rockfest in Turku, Finland on Thursday (June 12). The Birmingham heavy metal veterans debuted a severely shaken-up setlist at the festival, playing seven songs from 1990 album Painkiller as they celebrate its 35th anniversary. They also brought out two previously unperformed tracks from last year's Invincible Shield. The Painkiller cuts were as follows: All Guns Blazing (unplayed since 2019), Hell Patrol, A Touch Of Evil, Night Crawler (unplayed since 2012), One Shot At Glory (with the instrumental Battle Hymn as an intro over the backing tape), Between The Hammer And The Anvil and Painkiller. The unaired Invincible Shield tracks were The Serpent And The King and Giants In The Sky. Gates Of Hell, which the band have played multiple times over the last year, also represented the latest album. Other surprises included an early airing of career standout Breaking The Law, which was just the fifth song of the night, and the first performance since 2005 of Solar Angels, from 1981's controversial Point Of Entry album. See the full setlist below. Videos of Judas Priest at Rockfest have also made their way online. Watch some clips below. The Shield Of Pain run will continue on Saturday (June 14) at Tjuvholmen Kro in Hamar, Norway. It will last until late July, capped off by two co-headlining shows with Alice Cooper in Scarborough and London on July 23 and 25. On July 5, Judas Priest will perform at the 60th anniversary celebrations of hard rockers Scorpions in Hannover, Germany. The event clashes with Black Sabbath's star-studded farewell show in Birmingham on the same day. In an exclusive interview with Metal Hammer, singer Rob Halford said he was 'gutted' to be missing his fellow Brummies' swansong. Judas Priest will tour North America with Alice Cooper from September to October. See details and get tickets via their website. All Guns Blazing (first time since 2019)Hell PatrolYou've Got Another Thing Comin'Freewheel BurningBreaking The LawA Touch Of EvilNight Crawler (first time since 2012)FirepowerSolar Angels (first time since 2005)Gates Of HellMetal GodsThe Serpent And The King (live debut)One Shot At GloryBetween The Hammer And The AnvilJudas RisingGiants In The Sky (live debut)PainkillerHell Bent For LeatherLiving After Midnight
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Legendary '70s Rock Band Reunites After 50 Years for Exclusive Show
Legendary '70s Rock Band Reunites After 50 Years for Exclusive Show originally appeared on Parade. It's been over 50 years since the original members of Alice Cooper last released an album. With the announcement of their upcoming record, The Revenge of Alice Cooper, the band is promising fans a special, once-in-a-lifetime experience. This private event will bring together the original members of the legendary rock group—Alice Cooper, Dennis Dunaway, Neal Smith and Michael Bruce. Set to take place at the Union Chapel in London on July 24, 2025, the exclusive show will be limited to just 900 fans. Attendees will get an intimate first listen to the new album, which drops the very next day. In addition to the album playback, the band will participate in an interview and a Q&A session with the audience. Tickets for this highly anticipated event go on sale Wednesday, June 11 at 10:00 a.m. BST through Rough Trade. 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 For those unable to secure a ticket, the show will also be streamed live on the earMUSIC and Alice Cooper YouTube channels, as well as on TalkShopLive. With Alice Cooper's highly anticipated album on the way, fans can expect to hear that same 70s sound — with Dunaway reportedly calling it a 'full circle moment.' Cooper told Billboard earlier this year that recording the new album with his original bandmates felt like picking up where they left off after 1973's Muscle of Love. 'It was just like, 'Okay, this is the next album.' Isn't that funny after 50 years? All of a sudden it just falls into place.' As for touring plans with the original lineup, Cooper says nothing is set in stone. "We haven't even gotten to that point yet. I don't really see it being a full-out tour; it would be very, very hard, I think, if you haven't done it for a long time,' he explained. 'But I could see it being a feature, like going into certain cities … We always leave those things open, and if it looks feasible, then we do it." Legendary '70s Rock Band Reunites After 50 Years for Exclusive Show first appeared on Parade on Jun 10, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
The Irish Sun
11-06-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Republic of Ireland's goal-shy summer ends in a whimper after dreary Luxembourg draw
AT HALF-TIME, sprinklers suddenly emerged from the turf and doused everyone in their range as they rotated. Curiously, they only appeared on the half of the pitch where Ireland's substitutes were going through their paces. 2 Republic of Ireland and Luxembourg played out an uneventful scoreless draw 2 Luxembourg supporters protest in the stadium during the international friendly match between against Republic of Ireland Ordinarily, you might suspect dirty tricks but, here, you wondered if it was on And if they needed waking up then what about the players who had actually been on the pitch during the opening 45 minutes? Presumably, they were being water-boarded in the dressing room. During the warm-up, the Ireland boss had gone over to the Ireland fans who were in one corner of the ground and graciously accepted the birthday card which was thrust in his direction. read more on football If only his players had gone to the same effort to mark the occasion of his 58th birthday. Instead, they turned in a display which suggested they were more concerned with making sure they had everything packed for their end-of-season holidays. All that was lacking was Alice Cooper in the stadium singing 'school's out for summer'. Let's just thank our blessings once again that our World Cup qualifying campaign does not begin until September. Most read in Football Because had a journey with North America with its intended destination been due to start in this window, we would not have managed to reverse out of the driveway. A glance towards the touchline, where 'Don't say that on camera' - Nathan Collins' admission about Caoimhin Kelleher's move leaves Heimir in stitches If he had not anticipated the sort of performance he got from his team, then clearly whoever was doing the formation graphic for UEFA had not got a notion of what to expect. It is safe to say that they were the only person who envisaged seeing Troy Parrott at right-back, But maybe they were onto something because that could scarcely have been less cohesive than what was served up with players in more orthodox roles. Whilst Max O'Leary starting ahead of That saw At 6ft 2in, with his socks hanging around his angles, he had all the look of a Gaelic footballer. Unfortunately it was his appearance rather than his performance which was striking. After a half-hour he was moved onto the left with Will Smallbone taking on his central role but, by the hour mark, both had been replaced by Festy Ebosele and Jack Taylor. Bar O'Leary - who made a fine save from Danel Sinani - no player could have had any complaint had they been hauled ashore. This was a game in which Jason Knight was named player of the match when his most memorable moment was to stick his leg out to deflect a shot. Sometimes, there just is no worthy candidate. LUXEMBOURG PROTESTS Presumably, the only player feeling less comfortable than those in white was Luxembourg striker Gerson Rodrigues. He scored the only goal when his side claimed a shock win over Ireland in Dublin in March 2021 but that is not why he was being booed by the visiting fans, along with a section of the home crowd. His continued selection despite his conviction on three assault and battery charges - including one against his former girlfriend - has drawn sharp criticism. There were several banners in the stand protesting against his presence on the pitch. One said 'red card to violence against women', another read 'football is political'. A group of around 30 home fans held up red cards and they found common cause with the 360 Ireland supporters who booed his every touch. But they would have hoped, and expected, to have had more to cheer about against a team ranked 91st in the world, on paper the worst opposition Ireland had faced in Hallgrímsson's 10 matches in charge. Most people are willing to accept Hallgrímsson's point that Ireland will not dominate possession in a lot of the games they play. This, however, was one where it was not unreasonable to think that Ireland would have the lion's share of the ball. Instead, it was the proverbial hot potato with Ireland gifting possession to the hosts with alarming regularity. Their inability to retain the ball meant they found it next to impossible to carve out any opportunities with their only chance in the first half resulting from a set-piece when Collins hit the post with a header after Dara O'Shea had helped on Smallbone's free-kick. There was an improvement, of sorts, after the break. Ryan Manning - who had come on for the injured Robbie Brady in the first half - sent in a good deep cross from the left with Kasey McAteer sent back across goal but Parrott could not finish and ended up handling the ball. Taylor and Ebosele provided a bit more than the players they had replaced with Adam Idah then thrown on for Ferguson whose 75 minutes summed up what has been a difficult season for him. Nobody could find a winner, though Idah tried his luck with an overhead kick before Taylor later cannoned a shot off the underside of the bar. But, then, this was the sort of game which probably did not deserve one. Whether the players' holidays were earned is open for debate but they certainly looked as though they needed them.
