Guitar International: There was a recent interview with [fellow DEF LEPPARD guitarist] Vivian Campbell where he said he isn’t challenged guitar-wise in DEF LEPPARD, and that you get all the good guitar parts. How do you respond to that statement?

Phil: Because it’s all my shit. Vivian joined a band that I helped create. He’s coming into my house! It’s not all the good parts, it’s the DEF LEPPARD sound that me and Steve [Clark; late DEF LEPPARD guitarist] created. We got together with [producer Robert] “Mutt” Lange, and there was already a sound in place. Also, we play all the hits live, which were written before Viv was in the band.

Guitar International: Are there hard feelings when he says something like that?

Phil: No not at all. It’s just the ways it falls. I can’t help it that all my shit sounds great!

Guitar International: I understand that you’re working on a new DEF LEPPARD live CD with some studio tracks.

Phil: Yeah, it’s got three new studio tracks, we wanted five but we couldn’t finish them in time.

Guitar International: When will the new record be out in stores?

Phil: Mid-May.

Read the entire interview from Guitar International. 

METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett joined TOOL on stage during the band’s January 14 concert at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu, Hawaii. They played a partial cover of METALLICA‘s “Orion” and before segueing into the TOOL song “Lateralus”. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be viewed below.

Hammett previously jammed with TOOL at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center in August 2006.

METALLICA wrapped up its two-year-long “World Magnetic” tour on November 21, 2010 with the last of three shows in Melbourne, Australia, bringing to an end a trek that began on September 12, 2008 in Berlin to support the band’s ninth studio album, “Death Magnetic”. The group issued a statement compiling the tour’s numbers, which included “45 countries, 143 arena shows, 34 festival shows, 29 stadium shows, four club/theater shows, three TV/radio shows, two Hall of Fame shows, 3790 songs, and not a single setlist was the same.”

The group played a total of 216 shows in 800 days.

METALLICA is already confirmed to headline Rock In Rio this September in Brazil. The band will also make several festival appearances in Europe over the summer.

METALLICA turns 30 in January. The earliest version of the group was formed by Lars Ulrich and frontman James Hetfield in January 1981 after Ulrich answered a newspaper ad from Hetfield.

The band threw an end-of-tour party on November 19, 2010 in Melbourne for its 120-member crew, which was described as “surprisingly tame” by Heraldsun.com.au. The band flew home to the U.S. on a private jet immediately after coming offstage.

Myke is currently focusing on his solo material that will feature not only his songwriting but also his musicianship. The project is sure to please anyone that was a fan of Myke‘s work with BURY YOUR DEAD while also appealing to new listeners, who will appreciate the music’s balance of rock and soul. Terry also plans to collaborate outside the rock genre, further expanding his musical breadth.

Commented Terry: “After spending over three years with BURY YOUR DEAD, becoming a family, and almost losing our lives together, I would think that we would all have each other’s backs better than this. I never thought someone who hadn’t sweat, bled, or cried with us would have the power to dictate the inner workings of our band.

“I’d like to thank everyone that bought a BURY YOUR DEAD CD, came to a show, or played with us for making the past few years of my life so amazing and I look forward to my future as a solo artist.

“I’m sure everyone who has ever chanted ‘Bring back Bruso‘ is now stoked for his return.”

For the latest information on Myke‘s project, visit www.myketerry.com.

Rich’s Music Exchange conducted an interview with ’80s hard rock queen Lita Ford at this past weekend’s NAMM international music industry trade show in Anaheim, California. During the chat, which can be viewed below, Lita revealed that she is currently working on her new album for a tentative spring release.

“Wicked Wonderland”, the first album in 15 years from Lita Ford, sold around 2,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 31 on the Top Hard Music Albums chart.

“Wicked Wonderland” was released in Europe on October 2, 2009 via earMUSIC/Edel. The set was issued in the U.S. on October 6, 2009 through Lita‘s own JLRG Entertainment label as a regular CD and limited-edition vinyl with different artwork.

In an “innovative” music marketing move, Ford released a single from “Wicked Wonderland” on Stockroom.com, the world’s leading fetish site. It was believed to be the first time a relatively high-profile music release was launched through a web site catering to the alternative fetish lifestyle.

NINE INCH NAILS mainman Trent Reznor and collaborator Atticus Ross won best original score for “The Social Network” at the 68th annual Golden Globe Awards Sunday night (January 16) in Beverly Hills, California. The Facebook-inspired film led all Golden Globe winners with four awards, including best dramatic picture.

“A year ago I had no idea I’d have the opportunity to score a film,” Reznor said. “The idea of standing up here to accept this award is surreal.”

“It’s not a movie about Facebook,” Reznor said. “It’s about creativity and consequences. It’s about people.”

“I feel spoiled by this whole thing,” Reznor said of the music he created for “The Social Network”. “It was so smooth really.”

“There was hard work, but there really was never moments of desperation creatively where we were looking for ideas or approaches,” Reznor added.

In an interview with PBS‘ Tavis Smiley, Reznor said he initially turned down director David Fincher‘s offer to score the film. “It took a long time in the ’90s to get my act together,” he said. “Jump ahead to this past decade and I got sober and I worked on myself and the act of creativity became something I looked forward to now instead of dreading.”

He added: “At the time when fame presented itself to me, I was not at a point in my own life where I was equipped to deal with it. I had a built-in sense of not being good enough that I’ve carried with me from wherever it’s come from, and an easy way to fit in was to self-medicate… Twenty years into making music, the soundtrack has been a breath of fresh air.”

Published by rbtaleman

Heavy metal (fiend/friend?) Writer, frustrat(or), frustrat(ee), decorated U.S. Navy veteran, Husband(twice), father(three times), grandfather(of seven), FM radio veteran, Concertgoer, music collector, muscle car aficianado. Grown up since five. Child since 45. View all posts by rbtaleman