Queen guitarist Brian May made a surprise appearance at Coachella 2025, performing “Bohemian Rhapsody” with singer Benson Boone.
As a choir sang the song’s opening lines, Boone — wearing a regal cape over one of his distinctive sequined spandex ensembles — approached a grand piano. There, he began to play the classic tune, before flipping off of the instrument (another of his trademark moves) midway through the song. While singing the iconic lyrics made famous by Freddie Mercury, Boone approached “Bohemian Rhapsody”’s climactic guitar solo centerpoint. As he did, May rose from underneath the stage, arriving amid a flurry of riffs and blinding lights.
“Brian May, everybody!” Boone proudly declared as the 77 year-old rocker emphatically tore through the song’s soaring guitar part. May continued through the rest of the track, adding his powerful notes to the rendition. Footage from the performance can be watched below.
May stayed for Boone’s closing song, the chart-topping hit “Beautiful Things.” “It has changed my life this year and I hope you enjoy it,” Boone said of the track, which was accompanied by pyrotechnics and (yes) more flips.
Brian May Teased His Coachella Appearance
Earlier in the day, May teased that something special could be in the works. “Look who I bumped into on the way to the fabled Palm Springs. Maybe something will happen?!” the guitarist wrote on social media, his caption accompanying a picture of himself seated on an airplane across from Boone (the Palm Springs airport is approximately 20 miles from the Indo Polo Grounds, where Coachella is held).
In a separate post, May described Boone as “a truly golden 22 year old prodigy” adding that he was “proud and happy to say we are now officially pals.”
Feature Photo: SImone berna, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
In the early 1980s, a band quietly came together that included some of the most accomplished names in Southern rock—yet despite the caliber of its lineup and the strength of its live performances, the group never released an album. Betts, Hall, Leavell and Trucks, often shortened to BHLT, existed between 1982 and 1984 and featured key members of the Allman Brothers Band and Wet Willie. Guitarist and vocalist Dickey Betts, keyboardist Chuck Leavell, drummer Butch Trucks, and singer/saxophonist Jimmy Hall brought their collective experience to a project that had serious momentum and musical chemistry but never secured a recording contract. Although often overlooked in Southern rock histories, BHLT was a serious band with a defined sound, a solid touring schedule, and a clear creative identity.
The Allman Brothers Band had already experienced a turbulent rise and fall by the time BHLT formed. The group had survived the tragic loss of Duane Allman and found commercial success in the mid-1970s, only to disband in 1976 due to internal conflict. A 1979 reunion proved short-lived, with Arista Records pressuring the band into a more commercially viable direction that ultimately alienated both the band and its audience. By 1982, the Allmans had broken up once again, leaving Betts and Trucks looking for a new outlet. Wet Willie, another Southern band with roots in Capricorn Records, had also dissolved by 1980, freeing up Jimmy Hall for new opportunities. With Chuck Leavell newly off the road from touring with the Rolling Stones, and bassist David “Rook” Goldflies and guitarist/violinist Danny Parks brought into the fold, the stage was set for something unique.
The group’s rehearsal base in Sarasota, Florida, gave way to a series of energetic and well-received live performances. Their first concert took place in Fort Worth, Texas, in December 1982, followed by club shows at venues such as the Agora Ballroom in Atlanta and The Bottom Line in New York City. BHLT even shared stages with The Marshall Tucker Band and Johnny Winter, further proving their range and reputation. At their peak, they played Volunteer Jam IX in Nashville and several high-profile East Coast venues. Their sound, while rooted in the Southern rock tradition, branched off in fresh directions. Betts’ influence brought in blues, country, and Western swing elements, while Hall’s R&B style and Leavell’s jazz-inflected piano lines pushed the band’s arrangements beyond genre expectations.
The group never settled on an official name, which led to ongoing jokes about their acronym sounding like a sandwich or a law firm. Within the band, the name “Sandwich Band” stuck, and their music was sometimes described by Hall as “barbecue music”—a laid-back blend of rock, soul, and groove that avoided falling into formulaic Southern rock tropes. The band’s setlists included new songs such as “Whole Lot of Memories,” Betts’ “Pick a Little Boogie,” Hall’s “Need Somebody Bad,” and Leavell’s version of Betts’ older track “Rain.” While they did perform familiar Allman Brothers songs like “Jessica” and “Ramblin’ Man,” the goal was never to rehash the past. Their music pushed forward with a fresh, genre-blending sound that reflected the experience and evolving interests of its members.
Despite positive reception and a tight musical identity, BHLT never secured a recording deal. The band did enter the studio to record about a dozen demos, including the song “No One to Run With,” which would later be revived by the Allman Brothers for their 1994 album Where It All Begins. Industry obstacles, particularly Dickey Betts and Butch Trucks’ contractual ties to Arista Records and label head Clive Davis’ lack of interest in the project, prevented BHLT from moving forward in the studio. Still, for fans and critics who saw them live, there was little doubt that this was a band capable of greatness.
By mid-1984, with no label support and growing logistical challenges—including Leavell’s continuing commitments with the Rolling Stones—the members of BHLT began to move on. The band quietly dissolved, but not without leaving a lasting impression on those who witnessed them live. For years, only bootlegs and word-of-mouth kept the memory alive, until a 1983 live recording surfaced and was released in 2016 as Betts, Hall, Leavell and Trucks – Live at The Coffee Pot 1983.
While their time together was brief and largely undocumented in terms of studio recordings, the legacy of BHLT remains intact through the careers of its members and the live material that finally found daylight. Chuck Leavell once said, “We had a strong band, and it cooked. In fact, I’ve always said in the years since that BHLT was the best band you’ve never heard of.” Their story is a reminder that not all legendary bands need a long discography—sometimes, it’s the music you didn’t get to hear that leaves the biggest impression.
Check out similar articles on ClassicRockHistory.com Just click on any of the links below……
Brian Kachejian was born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx. He is the founder and Editor in Chief of ClassicRockHistory.com. He has spent thirty years in the music business often working with many of the people who have appeared on this site. Brian Kachejian also holds B.A. and M.A. degrees from Stony Brook University along with New York State Public School Education Certifications in Music and Social Studies. Brian Kachejian is also an active member of the New York Press.
Judas Priest formed in Birmingham, England, in 1969, emerging as an integral force within the heavy metal genre. Their powerful blend of intense guitar riffs, soaring vocals, and striking stage presence quickly positioned them as pioneers within their field. The original lineup evolved significantly in the early years, ultimately solidifying with Rob Halford as the iconic lead vocalist, accompanied by guitarists Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing.
The band’s debut album, “Rocka Rolla,” arrived in 1974, showcasing their early blues-infused hard rock style. However, their subsequent releases “Sad Wings of Destiny” (1976) and “Sin After Sin” (1977) crystallized their signature metal sound, setting a new standard within the genre. Albums like “Stained Class” (1978) and “Killing Machine” (1978, released as “Hell Bent for Leather” in the US) further cemented their reputation for sonic innovation and heavy, driving rhythms.
Judas Priest’s mainstream breakthrough occurred with their 1980 album “British Steel,” featuring hit singles “Breaking the Law” and “Living After Midnight,” which became anthems for metal enthusiasts. The album’s commercial success significantly elevated their international profile, firmly establishing them as a household name within the metal community. Their subsequent albums, including “Screaming for Vengeance” (1982) and “Defenders of the Faith” (1984), maintained this momentum, delivering powerful hits like “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’” that expanded their fanbase worldwide.
Throughout their enduring career, Judas Priest has released eighteen studio albums, achieving global sales exceeding 50 million records. The band’s contributions have been recognized by numerous accolades, including a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 2010 for “Dissident Aggressor” and nominations for albums like “Painkiller” (1990), which many consider a hallmark of their intense, technical proficiency.
Judas Priest is revered by fans for their energetic and theatrical live performances, marked by their distinctive leather-and-studs image popularized by Rob Halford, influencing countless metal bands that followed. Their ability to consistently deliver both musical complexity and sheer entertainment has solidified their status as heavy metal legends. The band’s authentic connection with their audience and relentless commitment to their craft continue to attract generations of devoted fans.
Beyond their musical accomplishments, members of Judas Priest have actively engaged in various social causes and charitable events, including supporting cancer research and disaster relief initiatives. Their willingness to lend their platform to these critical issues further highlights their broader cultural significance and their genuine concern for societal well-being.
Judas Priest’s continued relevance in the heavy metal genre is a testament to their uncompromising dedication and artistic integrity. Their ongoing influence on emerging artists and enduring popularity with fans underscore their pivotal role in shaping metal music history. Judas Priest remains a vital and celebrated force, embodying the essence of heavy metal’s relentless spirit and innovation
Complete List Of Judas Priest Songs From A to Z
(Take These) Chains – Screaming for Vengeance – 1982
A Touch of Evil – Painkiller – 1990
Abductors – Jugulator – 1997
Alone – Nostradamus – 2008
All Fired Up – Turbo – 1986 (2001 bonus track)
All Guns Blazing – Painkiller – 1990
All the Way – Point of Entry – 1981
Angel – Angel of Retribution – 2005
As God Is My Witness – Invincible Shield – 2024
Awakening – Nostradamus – 2008
Battle Cry – Redeemer of Souls – 2014
Battle Hymn – Painkiller – 1990
Before the Dawn – Killing Machine – 1978
Beginning of the End – Redeemer of Souls – 2014
Better by You, Better than Me – Stained Class – 1978
Better by You, Better than Me (Live) – Stained Class – 1978 (2001 bonus track)
Between the Hammer & the Anvil – Painkiller – 1990
Beyond the Realms of Death – Stained Class – 1978
Blood Red Skies – Ram It Down – 1988
Blood Stained – Jugulator – 1997
Bloodstone – Screaming for Vengeance – 1982
Bloodstone (Live) – Ram It Down – 1988 (2001 bonus track)
Bloodsuckers – Demolition – 2001
Brain Dead – Jugulator – 1997
Breaking the Law – British Steel – 1980
Bring It On – Redeemer of Souls – 2014 (Deluxe/EP bonus track)
Bullet Train – Jugulator – 1997
Burn in Hell – Jugulator – 1997
Burnin’ Up – Killing Machine – 1978
Calm Before the Storm – Nostradamus – 2008
Cathedral Spires – Jugulator – 1997
Caviar and Meths – Rocka Rolla – 1974
Cheater – Rocka Rolla – 1974
Children of the Sun – Firepower – 2018
Close to You – Demolition – 2001
Cold Blooded – Redeemer of Souls – 2014
Come and Get It – Ram It Down – 1988
Conquest – Nostradamus – 2008
Creatures – Redeemer of Souls – 2014 (Deluxe/EP bonus track)
Crown of Horns – Invincible Shield – 2024
Crossfire – Redeemer of Souls – 2014
Cyberface – Demolition – 2001
Dawn of Creation – Nostradamus – 2008
Dead Meat – Jugulator – 1997
Deal with the Devil – Angel of Retribution – 2005
Death – Nostradamus – 2008
Death Row – Jugulator – 1997
Decapitate – Jugulator – 1997
Deceiver – Sad Wings of Destiny – 1976
Deep Freeze – Rocka Rolla – 1974
Defenders of the Faith – Defenders of the Faith – 1984
Delivering the Goods – Killing Machine – 1978
Demonizer – Angel of Retribution – 2005
Desert Plains – Point of Entry – 1981
Desert Plains (Live) – Point of Entry – 1981 (2001 bonus track)
You Don’t Have to Be Old to Be Wise – British Steel – 1980
You Say Yes – Point of Entry – 1981
You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’ – Screaming for Vengeance – 1982
Albums
Rocka Rolla (1974): 11 songs
Sad Wings of Destiny (1976): 9 songs
Sin After Sin (1977): 10 songs
Stained Class (1978): 11 songs
Killing Machine (1978): 13 songs
British Steel (1980): 9 songs
Point of Entry (1981): 12 songs
Screaming for Vengeance (1982): 12 songs
Defenders of the Faith (1984): 12 songs
Turbo (1986): 11 songs
Ram It Down (1988): 12 songs
Painkiller (1990): 10 songs
Jugulator (1997): 10 songs
Demolition (2001): 13 songs
Angel of Retribution (2005): 10 songs
Nostradamus (2008): 23 songs
Redeemer of Souls (2014): 18 songs
Firepower (2018): 14 songs
Invincible Shield (2024): 14 songs
Check out our fantastic and entertaining Judas Priest articles, detailing in-depth the band’s albums, songs, band members, and more…all on ClassicRockHistory.com
Brian Kachejian was born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx. He is the founder and Editor in Chief of ClassicRockHistory.com. He has spent thirty years in the music business often working with many of the people who have appeared on this site. Brian Kachejian also holds B.A. and M.A. degrees from Stony Brook University along with New York State Public School Education Certifications in Music and Social Studies. Brian Kachejian is also an active member of the New York Press.
Dropkick Murphys hail from Quincy, Massachusetts, where they were formed in 1996, initially as a side project by bassist and vocalist Ken Casey. The band’s early days revolved around a gritty punk-rock scene infused with a distinctly Celtic influence, rooted deeply in their working-class Boston heritage. They quickly cultivated a strong local following through energetic live performances and relatable lyrical themes centered around blue-collar life, camaraderie, and Irish-American pride.
Since their inception, Dropkick Murphys have released eleven studio albums, each capturing the spirited essence of their live shows. Their debut album, “Do or Die” (1998), produced by Lars Frederiksen of Rancid, introduced their raw, anthemic sound, setting the stage for their musical journey. Their subsequent records, such as “The Gang’s All Here” (1999), “Sing Loud, Sing Proud!” (2001), and “Blackout” (2003), further solidified their reputation, each release expanding their audience and enhancing their distinct sound.
One of Dropkick Murphys’ most significant breakthroughs came with the single “I’m Shipping Up to Boston” from their 2005 album, “The Warrior’s Code.” The track gained massive exposure after being featured prominently in Martin Scorsese’s Academy Award-winning film “The Departed,” dramatically boosting the band’s international visibility. Other popular singles, such as “The State of Massachusetts” from “The Meanest of Times” (2007), continued their success, charting highly and cementing their reputation as a leading force in punk and Celtic rock.
Dropkick Murphys have earned recognition through both critical acclaim and their dedicated global fanbase. Their unique sound has allowed them to stand out in the music industry, leading to numerous successful tours and festival appearances around the world. Notable performances include annual St. Patrick’s Day concerts in Boston, which have become legendary events attracting fans from far and wide, underscoring their deep connection with their roots and their community.
The band’s awards include nominations and wins across various music platforms, further recognizing their contribution to the punk-rock and Celtic rock genres. They have been consistently praised for their high-energy live shows, authentic portrayal of working-class issues, and dedication to their cultural heritage, making them beloved figures in the music industry and among fans worldwide.
Beyond music, Dropkick Murphys are extensively involved in charitable activities, particularly through their foundation, The Claddagh Fund, founded by Ken Casey. The organization supports various community-based charities, veterans’ groups, and addiction recovery initiatives. Their commitment to social causes has reinforced their position as not only entertainers but as responsible and influential community leaders who leverage their music for meaningful impact.
Complete List Of Dropkick Murphys Songs From A to Z
(F)lannigan’s Ball – The Meanest of Times – 2007
(F)lannigan’s Ball (Original Version) – The Meanest of Times – 2007
10 Years of Service – The Gang’s All Here – 1999
1953 – Going Out in Style – 2011
3rd Man In – Do or Die – 1998
4-15-13 – 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory – 2017
78 RPM – Signed and Sealed in Blood – 2013
A Few Good Men – Sing Loud, Sing Proud! – 2001
AK-47 (All I Want For Christmas Is An) – Signed and Sealed in Blood – 2013
All You Fonies – This Machine Still Kills Fascists – 2022
Amazing Grace – The Gang’s All Here – 1999
As One – Blackout – 2003
Barroom Hero – Do or Die – 1998
Bastards on Parade – Blackout – 2003
Black Velvet Band – Blackout – 2003
Blood – 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory – 2017
Blood and Whiskey – The Gang’s All Here – 1999
Boston Asphalt – The Gang’s All Here – 1999
Boys on the Docks (Murphys’ Pub Version) – Do or Die – 1998
Breakdown – The Meanest of Times – 2007
Bring It Home (featuring Jaime Wyatt) – Okemah Rising – 2023
Broken Hymns – Going Out in Style – 2011
Burn – Signed and Sealed in Blood – 2013
Buried Alive – Blackout – 2003
Cadence to Arms – Do or Die – 1998
Cadillac, Cadillac – This Machine Still Kills Fascists – 2022
Cadillac, Cadillac (featuring Sammy Amara of Broilers) – This Machine Still Kills Fascists – 2022
Captain Kelly’s Kitchen – The Warrior’s Code – 2005
Caps and Bottles – Sing Loud, Sing Proud! – 2001
Caught in a Jar – Do or Die – 1998
Chosen Few – Turn Up That Dial – 2021
Citizen C.I.A. – The Warrior’s Code – 2005
City by the Sea – Turn Up That Dial – 2021
Climbing a Chair to Bed – Going Out in Style – 2011
Cruel – Going Out in Style – 2011
Curse of a Fallen Soul – The Gang’s All Here – 1999
Deeds Not Words – Going Out in Style – 2011
Devil’s Brigade – The Gang’s All Here – 1999
Dig a Hole (featuring Woody Guthrie) – This Machine Still Kills Fascists – 2022
Do or Die – Do or Die – 1998
Don’t Tear Us Apart – Signed and Sealed in Blood – 2013
Echoes on “A”. Street – The Meanest of Times – 2007
End of the Night – Signed and Sealed in Blood – 2013
Fairmount Hill – The Meanest of Times – 2007
Famous for Nothing – The Meanest of Times – 2007
Far Away Coast – Do or Die – 1998
Fields of Athenry – Blackout – 2003
Fightstarter Karaoke – Do or Die – 1998
Finnegan’s Wake – Do or Die – 1998
First Class Loser – 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory – 2017
For Boston – Sing Loud, Sing Proud! – 2001
Forever – Sing Loud, Sing Proud! – 2001
Forever 2007 – The Meanest of Times – 2007
Get Up – Do or Die – 1998
God Willing – The Meanest of Times – 2007
Going Out in Style – Going Out in Style – 2011
Going Strong – The Gang’s All Here – 1999
Gonna Be a Blackout Tonight – Blackout – 2003
Good as Gold – Turn Up That Dial – 2021
Good Rats – Sing Loud, Sing Proud! – 2001
Gotta Get to Peekskill (featuring Violent Femmes) – Okemah Rising – 2023
H.B.D.M.F. – Turn Up That Dial – 2021
Hang ‘Em High – Going Out in Style – 2011
Hatebomb – The Warrior’s Code – 2005
Hear the Curfew Blowin – Okemah Rising – 2023
Heroes from Our Past – Sing Loud, Sing Proud! – 2001
Homeward Bound – The Gang’s All Here – 1999
I Had a Hat – 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory – 2017
I Know How It Feels – Okemah Rising – 2023
I Wish You Were Here – Turn Up That Dial – 2021
I’ll Begin Again – The Meanest of Times – 2007
I’m Shipping Up to Boston – The Warrior’s Code – 2005
I’m Shipping Up to Boston (Tulsa Version) – Okemah Rising – 2023
Jailbreak – The Meanest of Times – 2007
James Connolly – Turn Up That Dial – 2021
Jimmy Collins’ Wake – Signed and Sealed in Blood – 2013
Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ya – The Meanest of Times – 2007
Kicked to the Curb – 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory – 2017
Kiss Me I’m Shitfaced – Blackout – 2003
L-EE-B-O-Y – Turn Up That Dial – 2021
Last Letter Home – The Warrior’s Code – 2005
Loyal to No One – The Meanest of Times – 2007
Lucky Charlie – Signed and Sealed in Blood – 2013
Memorial Day – Going Out in Style – 2011
Memories Remain – Do or Die – 1998
Mick Jones Nicked My Pudding – Turn Up That Dial – 2021
Middle Finger – Turn Up That Dial – 2021
Middle Finger (Live on Saint Patrick’s Day 2020) – Turn Up That Dial – 2021
My Eyes Are Gonna Shine – Okemah Rising – 2023
My Hero – Signed and Sealed in Blood – 2013
Never Alone – Do or Die – 1998
Never Forget – The Meanest of Times – 2007
Never Git Drunk No More (alternate version) – This Machine Still Kills Fascists – 2022
Never Git Drunk No More (featuring Nikki Lane) – This Machine Still Kills Fascists – 2022
Never Git Drunk No More (Live at Ryman Auditorium) (featuring Jaime Wyatt) – This Machine Still Kills Fascists – 2022
Noble – Do or Die – 1998
Out of Our Heads – Signed and Sealed in Blood – 2013
Out on the Town – Signed and Sealed in Blood – 2013
Paying My Way – 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory – 2017
Peg o’ My Heart – Going Out in Style – 2011
Perfect Stranger – The Gang’s All Here – 1999
Pipebomb on Lansdowne – The Gang’s All Here – 1999
Prisoner’s Song – Signed and Sealed in Blood – 2013
Queen of Suffolk County – Turn Up That Dial – 2021
Ramble and Roll – Sing Loud, Sing Proud! – 2001
Rebels with a Cause – 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory – 2017
Rippin Up the Boundary Line (featuring Jesse Ahern) – Okemah Rising – 2023
Road of the Righteous – Do or Die – 1998
Roll Call – The Gang’s All Here – 1999
Rose Tattoo – Signed and Sealed in Blood – 2013
Rude Awakenings – The Meanest of Times – 2007
Run Hitler Run – Okemah Rising – 2023
Sandlot – 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory – 2017
Sandlot (Acoustic) – 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory – 2017
Shark Attack – Signed and Sealed in Blood – 2013
Shattered – The Meanest of Times – 2007
Skinhead on the MBTA – Do or Die – 1998
Smash Shit Up – Turn Up That Dial – 2021
Smash Shit Up (Live on Saint Patrick’s Day 2020) – Turn Up That Dial – 2021
Sunday Hardcore Matinee – Going Out in Style – 2011
Sunshine Highway – The Warrior’s Code – 2005
Surrender – The Meanest of Times – 2007
Take ‘Em Down – Going Out in Style – 2011
Take It and Run – The Warrior’s Code – 2005
Talking Hard Work (Woody Guthrie Cover) – Okemah Rising – 2023
Talking Jukebox – This Machine Still Kills Fascists – 2022
Tenant Enemy #1 – Do or Die – 1998
Ten Times More – This Machine Still Kills Fascists – 2022
Tessie – The Warrior’s Code – 2005
The Auld Triangle – The Warrior’s Code – 2005
The Battle Rages On – Signed and Sealed in Blood – 2013
The Battle Rages On (Acoustic) – Signed and Sealed in Blood – 2013
The Bonny – Turn Up That Dial – 2021
The Boys Are Back – Signed and Sealed in Blood – 2013
The Boys Are Back (Acoustic) – Signed and Sealed in Blood – 2013
The Burden – The Warrior’s Code – 2005
The Dirty Glass – Blackout – 2003
The Fighting 69th – The Gang’s All Here – 1999
The Fortunes of War – Sing Loud, Sing Proud! – 2001
The Gang’s All Here – The Gang’s All Here – 1999
The Gauntlet – Sing Loud, Sing Proud! – 2001
The Green Fields of France (No Man’s Land) – The Warrior’s Code – 2005
The Hardest Mile – Going Out in Style – 2011
The Irish Rover – Going Out in Style – 2011
The Last One (featuring Evan Felker) – This Machine Still Kills Fascists – 2022
The Last One (Live at Ryman Auditorium) – This Machine Still Kills Fascists – 2022
The Legend of Finn MacCumhail – Sing Loud, Sing Proud! – 2001
The Lonesome Boatman – 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory – 2017
The New American Way – Sing Loud, Sing Proud! – 2001
The Only Road – The Gang’s All Here – 1999
The Outcast – Blackout – 2003
The Rocky Road to Dublin – Sing Loud, Sing Proud! – 2001
The Season’s Upon Us – Signed and Sealed in Blood – 2013
The Spicy McHaggis Jig – Sing Loud, Sing Proud! – 2001
The State of Massachusetts – The Meanest of Times – 2007
The Thick Skin of Defiance – The Meanest of Times – 2007
The Torch – Sing Loud, Sing Proud! – 2001
The Walking Dead – The Warrior’s Code – 2005
The Warrior’s Code – The Warrior’s Code – 2005
The Wild Rover – Sing Loud, Sing Proud! – 2001
This Is Your Life – Blackout – 2003
Time to Go – Blackout – 2003
Tomorrow’s Industry – The Meanest of Times – 2007
Turn Up That Dial – Turn Up That Dial – 2021
Two 6’s Upside Down – This Machine Still Kills Fascists – 2022
Until the Next Time – 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory – 2017
Upstarts and Broken Hearts – The Gang’s All Here – 1999
Vices and Virtues – The Meanest of Times – 2007
Walk Away – Blackout – 2003
Watchin the World Go By – Okemah Rising – 2023
Waters Are A’Risin – This Machine Still Kills Fascists – 2022
We Shall Overcome – Turn Up That Dial – 2021
Wheel of Misfortune – The Gang’s All Here – 1999
When I Was a Little Boy – Okemah Rising – 2023
Where Trouble Is At – This Machine Still Kills Fascists – 2022
Where Trouble Is At (Live at Ryman Auditorium) – This Machine Still Kills Fascists – 2022
Which Side Are You On? – Sing Loud, Sing Proud! – 2001
Wicked Sensitive Crew – The Warrior’s Code – 2005
Worker’s Song – Blackout – 2003
World Full of Hate – Blackout – 2003
You’ll Never Walk Alone – 11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory – 2017
Your Spirit’s Alive – The Warrior’s Code – 2005
Album Song Count (Running Total)
Do or Die (1998): 16 songs
The Gang’s All Here (1999): 16 songs
Sing Loud, Sing Proud! (2001): 16 songs
Blackout (2003): 14 songs
The Warrior’s Code (2005): 15 songs
The Meanest of Times (2007): 20 songs
Going Out in Style (2011): 13 songs
Signed and Sealed in Blood (2013): 18 songs
11 Short Stories of Pain & Glory (2017): 12 songs
Turn Up That Dial (2021): 16 songs
This Machine Still Kills Fascists (2022): 15 songs
Okemah Rising (2023): 11 songs
Check out our fantastic and entertaining Dropkick Murphys articles, detailing in-depth the band’s albums, songs, band members, and more…all on ClassicRockHistory.com
Brian Kachejian was born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx. He is the founder and Editor in Chief of ClassicRockHistory.com. He has spent thirty years in the music business often working with many of the people who have appeared on this site. Brian Kachejian also holds B.A. and M.A. degrees from Stony Brook University along with New York State Public School Education Certifications in Music and Social Studies. Brian Kachejian is also an active member of the New York Press.
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The last few years have been a whirlwind for Epica. From celebrating their 20-year anniversary to putting in a stint on Metallica’s M72 tour and making the collaborative, experimental The Alchemy Project EP with the likes of Fleshgod Apocalypse and Shining (NO), the Dutch symphonic metal outfit have been on quite the journey. Aspiral feels like a natural response – a return to their roots with a renewed focus on the core of who Epica are.
Everyone knows they can deliver a grandiose metal album with their eyes closed, and Aspiral is, like most Epica records, a sumptuous aural feast. Cross The Divide comes straight out of the gate with high intensity and an instantly memorable chorus melody, sung powerfully by the divinely talented Simone Simons.
The sheer power and depth of emotion she manages to convey with her classical voice while carrying a heavy metal album has never been more apparent than on this record. On Obsidian Heart, one of the standout tracks in which she glides between vocal registers seamlessly with her signature piercing, crystalline timbre, she’s never sounded better.
Everything on Aspiral is carefully considered, but there are many moments that feel more organic than on previous records, like the chugging breakdown and harsh growls at the end of Apparition; there’s more equilibrium between the metal and orchestral elements, with neither overpowering the other.
Is this the ultimate Epica record? While songs such as Metanoia are undeniably them, T.I.M.E. and The Grand Saga Of Existence, while excellent, could almost have been pulled from Nightwish’s Imaginaerum and Human. :||: Nature. respectively. Tuomas Holopainen might not have the monopoly on haunted merry-go-round SFX and existential philosophy, but it’s hard not to draw the comparison.
What Aspiral does have is the atmosphere, emotion and irresistible hooks that Epica are known for, with real warmth beneath the polish.
Aspiral is out April 11 via Nuclear Blast. Epica tour North America from May 6 and play European festivals this summer. For the full list of dates visit their official website.
EPICA – Cross The Divide (OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO) – YouTube
Feature Photo: JazzyJoeyD, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
Dirty Honey made their name the old-school way—grinding it out in Los Angeles, playing club shows, and betting on themselves. Formed in 2017, the band began with singer Marc LaBelle, guitarist John Notto, and bassist Justin Smolian. All three were active in the city’s bar circuit, and after a stint performing in the cover-heavy band Ground Zero, they decided to pursue a more original direction. With the addition of drummer Corey Coverstone—later replaced by Jaydon Bean—they cemented their lineup and chose the name Dirty Honey, inspired by a Robert Plant reference to The Honeydrippers. Their second-ever show took place on the sidewalk of Sunset Boulevard, drawing a crowd of roughly one hundred people, and from there, the mission was clear: lean into the swagger of classic rock and push it into the modern era.
The band’s career took a sharp turn in 2018 after music industry veteran Mark DiDia heard their single “When I’m Gone.” Impressed, he took them on as their manager and quickly landed them slots opening for Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators. “When I’m Gone” became a historic track—it hit number one on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Songs chart, making Dirty Honey the first unsigned band ever to top that chart. That breakout success launched their self-released Dirty Honey EP, which dropped on March 22, 2019. The EP was recorded in Australia with producer Nick DiDia, and within hours of its release, they were receiving messages from friends and family that their songs were spinning on rock radio across the U.S.
The second half of 2019 was defined by aggressive touring. Dirty Honey opened for The Who in Grand Rapids, Michigan, as part of the Moving On! Tour, and supported Alter Bridge and Skillet on the Victorious Sky Tour. They also appeared as the opening act for Guns N’ Roses during the Not in This Lifetime Tour in Las Vegas, further introducing their throwback rock ‘n’ roll sound to massive stadium audiences. Their increasing visibility led to a 2020 iHeartRadio Music Awards nomination for Best New Rock/Alternative Artist, reinforcing their reputation as a fresh voice in modern rock with a deep respect for the past.
Their self-titled debut album was originally intended to be recorded in Australia, but the COVID-19 pandemic forced the band to relocate to Henson Studios in Hollywood. With Nick DiDia producing remotely, the album was completed under unusual circumstances and released on April 23, 2021. Dirty Honey (2021) was praised for its confident blend of bluesy grit and arena-ready hooks. Loudwire named it the 30th best rock/metal album of the year. Tracks like “California Dreamin’” and “The Wire” solidified their sound—rooted in the traditions of Zeppelin and Aerosmith, but with a modern edge that was all their own.
The success of the debut album launched a busy touring schedule in 2021 and 2022. Dirty Honey headlined the California Dreamin’ tour with Joyous Wolf, opened for The Black Crowes on their Shake Your Money Maker tour, and even performed Prince’s “Let’s Go Crazy” for the 2022 NHL Winter Classic. In 2022, they co-headlined the Young Guns Tour with Mammoth WVH and embarked on their first European tour, opening for Guns N’ Roses, Kiss, and Rival Sons. They followed that with a North American leg of the California Dreamin’ Tour, supported by Dorothy and Mac Saturn.
In January 2023, the band revisited their earlier material, releasing a reworked version of “Heartbreaker,” a track originally intended to have a music video that was scrapped during the pandemic. That same month, they launched their first headlining tour of Europe and the UK. These international dates reflected their growing global reach, and the band showed no signs of slowing down. Every phase of their development has been marked by steady creative evolution, tour-tested performance chops, and a no-frills approach to rock that’s earned them credibility with both fans and fellow musicians.
Dirty Honey’s appeal lies in their ability to revive the classic rock sound without resorting to imitation. They’ve released two major records—the Dirty Honey EP (2019) and Dirty Honey (2021)—and have carved out a space for themselves with big hooks, tight grooves, and a passionate fanbase. From playing on sidewalks to topping charts as an unsigned band, they’ve walked a path that mirrors the grit and independence found in their music. Outside the studio, they’ve shown range—from honoring Prince at a national sports event to touring alongside the biggest names in hard rock—and their story continues to unfold with purpose and power.
Complete List Of Dirty Honey Songs From A to Z
Another Last Time – Dirty Honey – 2021
Another Last Time (Live) – Mayhem & Revelry Live – 2025
Break You – Dirty Honey EP – 2019
California Dreamin’ – Dirty Honey – 2021
California Dreamin’ (Live) – Mayhem & Revelry Live – 2025
Can’t Find The Brakes – Can’t Find The Brakes – 2023
Can’t Find The Brakes (Live) – Mayhem & Revelry Live – 2025
Coming Home (Ballad of the Shire) – Can’t Find The Brakes – 2023
Coming Home (Live) – Mayhem & Revelry Live – 2025
Dirty Mind – Can’t Find The Brakes – 2023
Dirty Mind (Live) – Mayhem & Revelry Live – 2025
Don’t Put Out The Fire – Can’t Find The Brakes – 2023
Don’t Put Out The Fire (Live) – Mayhem & Revelry Live – 2025
Down The Road – Dirty Honey EP – 2019
Get A Little High – Can’t Find The Brakes – 2023
Gypsy – Dirty Honey – 2021
Heartbreaker – Dirty Honey EP – 2019
Heartbreaker (Live) – Mayhem & Revelry Live – 2025
No Warning – Dirty Honey – 2021
Rebel Son – Can’t Find The Brakes – 2023
Ride On – Can’t Find The Brakes – 2023
Roam – Can’t Find The Brakes – 2023
Roam (Live) – Mayhem & Revelry Live – 2025
Rolling 7’s – Dirty Honey EP – 2019
Rolling 7’s (Live) – Mayhem & Revelry Live – 2025
Satisfied – Can’t Find The Brakes – 2023
Satisfied (Live) – Mayhem & Revelry Live – 2025
Scars – Dirty Honey EP – 2019
Scars (Live) – Mayhem & Revelry Live – 2025
Take My Hand – Dirty Honey – 2021
The Morning – Dirty Honey – 2021
The Wire – Dirty Honey – 2021
The Wire (Live) – Mayhem & Revelry Live – 2025
Tied Up – Dirty Honey – 2021
Tied Up (Live) – Mayhem & Revelry Live – 2025
When I’m Gone – Dirty Honey EP – 2019
When I’m Gone (Live) – Mayhem & Revelry Live – 2025
Won’t Take Me Alive – Can’t Find The Brakes – 2023
Won’t Take Me Alive (Live) – Mayhem & Revelry Live – 2025
You Make It All Right – Can’t Find The Brakes – 2023
You Make It Alright (Live) – Mayhem & Revelry Live – 2025
Albums and EPs
Dirty Honey EP (2019): 6 songs
Dirty Honey (2021): 8 songs
Can’t Find The Brakes (2023): 11 songs
Mayhem & Revelry Live (2025): 16 songs
Check out our fantastic and entertaining Dirty Honey articles, detailing in-depth the band’s albums, songs, band members, and more…all on ClassicRockHistory.com
Brian Kachejian was born in Manhattan and raised in the Bronx. He is the founder and Editor in Chief of ClassicRockHistory.com. He has spent thirty years in the music business often working with many of the people who have appeared on this site. Brian Kachejian also holds B.A. and M.A. degrees from Stony Brook University along with New York State Public School Education Certifications in Music and Social Studies. Brian Kachejian is also an active member of the New York Press.
“I saw right away that he wrote a lot about urban culture, youth culture and violence. That inspired me to create moodier songs”: The story of Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith’s forgotten 2010s side project
(Image credit: Press)
Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith may be a member of one of the biggest metal bands in history, but he’s also got a quietly experimental streak – something proved by Primal Rock Rebellion, his 2012 collaboration with Mikee Goodman, frontman of British tech-metal pioneers SiKth. We sat down with the two of them ahead of their first – and to date – last album to find out how this odd couple came together.
In an era where Metallica can hook up with the frontman of The Velvet Underground to record an album so cataclysmically ridiculous that it’ll be talked about under cautious facepalms for decades to come, there isn’t much cause to be surprised when it comes to unlikely collaborations these days.
And yet here we are, sitting in a cafeteria in North London as Hammer scratches its head and stares, slack-jawed and confused at the two men sat opposite. One is best known as the frontman in SiKth, one of the most influential metal bands of the last decade, and a musical force of nature that, perhaps – more than any other UK band – can be held responsible for the meteoric rise of the so-called ‘djent’ movement in 2011. The other person sitting with us has influenced a few bands too, apparently. He plays guitar in Iron fucking Maiden. Wait, what?
“We’ve actually been writing songs together for about six years,” reveals legend Adrian Smith, who wrapped up the latest chapter in Maiden’s career with the culmination of the Final Frontier tour in 2011. “Obviously, I’ve been touring and there’s always been one thing or another happening, but in the downtime between touring we’ve been writing!”
This feature originally appeared in Metal Hammer issue 229, March 2012 (Image credit: Future)
Alright, hold up. Two unlikely artists that happen to have a mutual admiration for each other’s work is one thing, but it’s difficult to imagine two worlds further apart than the ones inhabited by Adrian and Mikee Goodman. Maiden certainly can’t be accused of being out of touch with modern metal (there’s their own musical evolution, and the huge variation of their support acts), but it’s still unexpected to find a guitarist of Adrian’s stature and reputation crossing paths with Mikee, whose profile has been under the radar since SiKth ceased to be in 2008. And no, you’re not the only one wondering how this weird pairing came about.
“Adrian rang me up and asked me if I fancied jamming with him,” explains Mikee, still draped in his trademark dreads. “I said ‘yes’, and we basically took it from there.”
Call us presumptuous, but that sounds pretty straightforward. As easy at that?
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“Yeah, it’s probably pretty forward for me,” agrees Adrian with a shrug. “I’m pretty laid back, and at the time it was never supposed to turn into an album or anything like that. I actually had some ideas in rough form and thought I’d see what Mikee could come up with, and it turned out to be very interesting! What he came back with is fresh, something different.”
Primal Rock Rebellion’s Mikee Goodman (left) and Adrian Smith in 2012 (Image credit: Press)
Different is definitely the word. From the sinister, neo-industrial opening seconds of No Friendly Neighbour, it’s pretty damn clear that the pair’s debut album, Awoken Broken, isn’t going to be The Wicker Man rehashed 10 times over with some token gnarly growls sprinkled over the top for laughs. While Adrian’s unmistakable tones are still present and correct, and disciples of Mikee’s work will find his voice as deranged and delightfully wretched as ever – with some cheeky backing vocals from Adrian thrown in on occasion for good measure as it happens – Awoken Broken is very much its own beast.
And in all honesty, it takes a few concerted listens to gauge exactly what kind of beast it is. From the thrashy, galloping No Place Like Home to the brooding, viola-led Tortured Tone and the chunky, scatterbrain riff-off of I See Lights, Adrian weaves in and out of styles and moods that many wouldn’t immediately associate with his style. And yet – and perhaps this is where Primal’s success will ultimately lie – it’s never alienating or forcefully ‘quirky’. Despite this, it’s still a fair shout that Awoken Broken sounds unlike anything else you’re likely to hear this year and, as Mikee explains, the album’s impressive versatility is a reflection of the unusually lengthy period afforded the duo to bring everything together.
“We actually took a year out,” continues the singer. “I was still doing SiKth and Adrian was still doing his thing – obviously – and it just kept coming and going. We had a little period where we wrote six songs. That was quite intense, but it’s been cool, because we’ve been able to hone stuff in a different way, and lyrically I’ve been able to develop over six years. These songs all have a real meaning to them, and I’ve been writing in quite a universal way, so that metaphorically you can go to a lot of different places within them. I can still sing them with as much passion and emotion as I could six years ago.”
Primal Rock Rebellion – No Place Like Home – YouTube
For a man who fronted a band as recklessly forward-thinking and influential as SiKth, the suggestion that Primal Rock Rebellion has provided a whole new kind of venture for Mikee shouldn’t be taken lightly. Lest we forget, SiKth were a band whose blend of progressive songwriting, immense technical prowess and earth-shatteringly heavy grooves has emerged as a driving influence for everyone from Tesseract and Periphery to Textures and Xerath. Frankly, there are genuinely few bands around today that have contributed as much to the direction of metal over the past 10 years as the Watford crew, and it’s perhaps credit to Adrian’s own awareness and willingness to experiment that he took a risk and decided to make that phone call.
“I saw right away that he wrote a lot about urban culture, youth culture and violence,” says Adrian of Mikee’s unique approach to songwriting and urbanised lyrical standpoint. “That inspired me to create moodier songs like No Friendly Neighbour, which has an ominous intro and stuff. Then I might come up with a piece of music that would inspire Mikee lyrically.”
“Yeah, definitely,” agrees his partner. “Lyrics come about in a few different ways. Adrian could give me something and I’d be like, ‘Ah, that reminds me of this thing I’ve been thinking about.’ I found it really productive.
“There was a period where we really got stuck in and wrote four songs and thought, ‘Right, we’ve really got to get an album out, now,” remembers the guitarist. “We were going to do an EP, but no one really does EPs any more, so we went for a full-length!”
Adrian Smith onstage with Iron Maiden in 2012 (Image credit: Scott Legato/Getty Images)
As Mikee keenly notes, he’s certainly learned some new tricks of his own through working with a seasoned pro like Adrian, and he’s come to realise how important it is to occasionally take a back seat and make room for constructive criticism when the time calls. That’s something that – perhaps surprisingly given his humble nature – Mikee openly admits he wasn’t used to dealing with.
“No one’s ever sat down with me and gone, ‘Why don’t you try doing this?’” he muses. “Maybe I just wouldn’t listen to them. When I was in SiKth I was always like, ‘I know what I’m doing. Just give me the music and I’ll do it.’ I think that’s why it worked in SiKth, because there was such friction that everyone was really intensely into what they were doing. With Adrian, he might say, ‘Maybe try this key or work your voice like that.’ That worked both ways in the way I was with Adrian as well – when we got a viola in there I went bleedin’ mental!”
While Mikee is evidently extremely enthusiastic about getting stuck into a project like this – and interestingly, Adrian is keen to assert that Primal Rock Rebellion is definitely designed to be seen as a project, stating firmly right off the bat that this is “not a band” – it becomes increasingly clear through talking to the Maiden guitarist that Awoken Broken serves as a real release for him. It’s a chance for Adrian to flex his creative muscles far harder and more freely than we’re used to seeing from him and a chance to venture beyond the boundaries that working a day job with two other brilliant guitarists and the tireless machine that is Steve Harris will inevitably impose.
“I’m knocked out with it,” Adrian beams. “I think it’s great; it’s an aggressive, melodic style of new metal, and people think it’s fresh and something different. I enjoy the process of writing, I love playing, and Mikee’s even shown me a lot about Pro Tools and stuff like that, so it’s been a lot of fun. I don’t see why we couldn’t do something else down the line.”
Without wanting to dip toes too far into the age-old ‘old dog/new tricks’ cliché, it’s nonetheless refreshing to see that Adrian is just as open as Mikee to learning a few new techniques and taking on a couple of different perspectives from his partner. Perhaps unsurprisingly, neither man is keen to commit to anything beyond the immediate future, either within Primal – “we’ll do another video if someone can give us some more money!” jokes Mikee – or in their individual careers. But with Mikee’s return to the spotlight coming hot on the heels of the explosion of djent and its new tech metal cousins, we can’t help but ask what he makes of his band’s many descendents and imitators…
Primal Rock Rebellion – No Friendly Neighbour – YouTube
“We had our own thing going on in SiKth,” he answers, rather diplomatically. “Our own vibe. It’s good that’s carried on. I’m glad people still want to hear it and are still talking about it today – it means we did something right.”
Fair comment. And how about Maiden, Adrian? Any news other than this summer’s US tour?
“Ahhhhhh, I can’t say!” he replies with a smirk. “There’s nothing finalised yet, put it like that.”
Spoilsport. We guess we’ll have to make do with what is undoubtedly one of the most fascinating and unanticipated collaborations in recent memory. There’s no dubstep, no dance remixes and no crabby old bloke moaning over the top, but damn, it’s still got us scratching our heads.
Originally published in Metal Hammer issue 229, March 2012
Merlin moved into his role as Executive Editor of Louder in early 2022, following over ten years working at Metal Hammer. While there, he served as Online Editor and Deputy Editor, before being promoted to Editor in 2016. Before joining Metal Hammer, Merlin worked as Associate Editor at Terrorizer Magazine and has previously written for the likes of Classic Rock, Rock Sound, eFestivals and others. Across his career he has interviewed legends including Ozzy Osbourne, Lemmy, Metallica, Iron Maiden (including getting a trip on Ed Force One courtesy of Bruce Dickinson), Guns N’ Roses, KISS, Slipknot, System Of A Down and Meat Loaf. He has also presented and produced the Metal Hammer Podcast, presented the Metal Hammer Radio Show and is probably responsible for 90% of all nu metal-related content making it onto the site.
“People condemned us, attacked us because we weren’t the hip of the hip. But we held our course”: The epic story of Journey‘s Escape, the early 80s masterpiece that changed the course of rock
(Image credit: Roger Ressmeyer/CORBIS/VCG via Getty Images)
Journey’s landmark 1981 album Escape is more than just the home of Don’t Stop Believin’ – it’s one of rock’s greatest records. In 2010, ex-singer Steve Perry and longtime keyboard player Jonathan Cain looked back on the making of a masterpiece
“It was like a water balloon being sliced by a slow razor.”
Steve Perry’s voice drops and quietens and he says slowly: “I was sitting in a studio doing the 5.1 surround sound mix for the DVD of the 1981 show in Houston. This would have been around 2005. I was watching that performance, and the audience reaction, and I literally had to stop the tape a few times.
“I didn’t recall it being that way because on stage I was in my own world, going song to song, trying to make sure I’ve got the consistent vocal strength needed, not wanting to blow out… and I found it very hard to look at the screen.
This feature originally appeared in Classic Rock Presents AOR issue 1, August 2010 (Image credit: Future)
“I had to sit there with my head down. I never got on the outside before. I never watched the videos. The truth about my voice – I was ready for that. The truth about the audience response – that was something else. I did not hear that emotion until I was mixing it.”
There’s a feeling about Steve Perry that he’s a man who’s been under siege for the past 20 years. It’s understandable. If Perry had made the best reggae album of all time, or the greatest soul album, even the top punk LP, he’d be fêted without question, the subject of fawning newspaper profiles and ass-kissing magazine retrospectives. But instead, he and Journey made the greatest AOR album of all time, and so he has been scorned by critics, omitted from all of those lists of great singers and best albums.
But all the while, Journey’s music has been out there, a soundtrack to ordinary lives, building up a fund of nostalgic goodwill that is now paying out.
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In a tremendously well-mannered delivery, but without a breath, Perry says: “I want you to know a couple of things, one of which is that the attacks and criticism on the band as being not viable and valid were vicious and, for me personally, I just got a whole bunch of fuck you, because I never cared. Because I was the one who agonised for me. Neal Schon agonised to get his parts as good as they would be. Steve Smith busted his ass. Ross Valory came up with bass lines to rival cello lines. Jonathan Cain came up with some of the most beautiful melodies, some of which were timeless.
“We were just doing the best we could do at the time. Time has shown that people condemned us, attacked us because we weren’t the hip of the hip. We held our course. Emotionally, it was sink or swim. I’d rather fail than be successful being somebody else. I couldn’t live with that. But I can live with failure if I fail on me. I think time has been so kind to us. Maybe we weren’t so fucking bad.”
Journey in 1981: (from left) Ross Valory, Steve Perry, Neal Schon, Jonathan Cain, Steve Smith (Image credit: Chris Walter/WireImage)
Steve Perry joined Journey in 1977, brought in by the band’s manager Herbie Herbert to shift its direction from rather musicianly jazz rock towards something more saleable. They cut three albums in three years, Infinity, Evolution and Departure, each better than the last.
“If it wasn’t for Herbie, I wouldn’t have been in that band,” says Perry. “When we accepted the Walk Of Fame star in Hollywood, I thanked him, although he wasn’t there – and in my heart I wished he was, even though we had our ups and downs – but I wished he was there because I told the crowd that if it wasn’t for Herbie, I would not have been in that band.
“It’s because he made a conscious decision when he heard my demo tape to convince the band that this is the guy. And they were not that convinced. They were looking for a different direction. They wanted a little more of a screamer, I was told. So they were tentative as to whether I was the right guy or not, and I think they were tentative for an album or two. And so there was always a bit of a feeling that I had to prove myself, that I was worthy of being in this band.
“Around Departure [1980], it started to get good. We started to get some hit records. And then when Jon Cain came in to replace Gregg Rolie, it leaped to that next level. With Jon coming in the band we made another change. Whenever you make one change you’re going to alter the recipe of the pie.”
“I was in The Babys before Journey,” says Jonathan Cain, still smiling at his good luck. “We opened up for Journey just before I was hired and I used to watch them from the sidelines. I saw the talent that was there. I was ready. I’d done a couple of albums with The Babys and John Waite, who was the singer, he’d pretty much decided he was going solo, so Journey came along at the right time for me. John taught me a lot about the business. I was married by then to my first wife [the singer Tane Cain] and I knew I could write, so I finished the Babys tour, packed up my stuff and moved to California.”
Journey – Stone In Love (Live 1981: Escape Tour – 2022 HD Remaster) – YouTube
Jonathan Cain was not joining a band run in the conventional fashion. Herbie Herbert had created Journey as a vehicle for Neal Schon, a guitar prodigy who was playing with Carlos Santana at the age of 15, and to whom Herbert had become something of a surrogate father. Perry and Cain represented substantial tweaks to the formula Herbie had in mind, and also to the internal politics of Journey.
“I had this grand plan that I presented to them before the Infinity album,” Herbert said in a 2002 interview. “I said: ‘Here’s the titles of all our albums, Infinity, Evolution, Departure, Captured, Escape, Frontiers and Freedom.’ When Gregg Rolie told me he was leaving, I said: ‘Gregg, how the fuck can I replace you? I want to shut this thing down.’ And Gregg said: ‘This kid that’s in the opening band…” I said: ‘Gregg, the fucking Babys stink!’ He said: ‘No man, watch him again… The kid’s got talent.’”
Steve Perry laughs in agreement as he is read the quote. “The band was built by Herbie around Neal Schon, so he could stand centre stage and be a prolific guitar player,” he says. “So when I joined, if there was any competiveness in a sibling rivalry-type way, it was that there was now this other guy who wanted to share the centre spotlight with the guitar player. Between Neal and I, that was a new rub that needed to be completely worked out and sometimes it did and sometimes it didn’t. That’s what bands do, and that’s what makes it work, by the way. I want to make that clear. The friction brings the heat.”
“When I joined, I was able to help put the pieces more solidly together,” says Cain. “I think I maybe oiled it and everything flowed better. It was that mix of different personalities, they had a kind of swagger to what they did that I really liked. Neal’s guitar playing was incredible. Perry’s voice was in its prime. Steve Smith and Ross Valory laid it down. They were a machine. After The Babys it felt like another level. I remember they had this rehearsal warehouse they used in Oakland, and the first time I went there, all of my gear was set up. I’d never had that before. The band sounded like a rocket taking off. I was just happy to be there, you know.
Journey’s Steve Perry onstage in 1981 (Image credit: Paul Natkin/Getty Images)
“Neal and Steve were quite different. Neal had a lot of rock’n’roll ideas that I would go through and maybe tweak a little and present them to Steve in a more nuanced way. Neal had a lot of unstructured melody in his head. I could sometimes add to those melodies and all of a sudden Steve would know what to do with them. I made suggestions that helped things click.”
“I’d never really known Jonathan Cain or met him,” says Steve Perry. “It didn’t matter much. What mattered was that we were in this band now together, not dissimilar to the way a baseball player gets traded from one team to another. You’re just glad that you’re on the team together. And it really did feel like we had a mission and that was the most important thing, to write great music and record great music and get it in front of people who would hopefully like it as much as we did.
“And so that began a creative courtship between Jonathan and myself and Neal that had never existed before. I remember being in Los Angeles when that tour was over and we were to start writing what was to be the Escape record. I remember just being full of anticipation because Jon and I were going to start writing together but we really didn’t know what we were going to write. On the way up, I had a little group of cassettes that I used to keep melodies on and I had this harmonic line that was basically…” – and at this point, the famous voice, apparently untouched by time, breaks into song – “‘One love feeds the fire, one heart burns desire, wonder who’s crying now…’”
“That was the first thing we wrote, first day,” remembers Cain. “I can’t remember exactly how long it took, but not long. Maybe an afternoon. I have to say the guy’s voice was incredible. He’d just stand there by my piano and out it came. He was amazingly consistent. We had an instant chemistry.”
Journey – Who’s Crying Now (Live 1981: Escape Tour – 2022 HD Remaster) – YouTube
“We wrote that up in an attic above a little room that Pat Morrow, who was our road manager, had. It was up in the Castro district of San Francisco,” recalls Perry. “At the time I was living in the Bay Area too and Jon came over to the house to write some more. He had a little Wurlitzer piano, and he was just messing around and he had this melody with his right hand…” – Perry sings again, this time the piano part that begins Open Arms – “and I was like: ‘What’s THAT?’ He said: ‘Oh, it’s an idea I started a long time ago for The Babys, but John Waite didn’t like it.’ I looked at Jon and I said: ‘You know what, Jon? Too bad for John Waite…’ And right on the spot I just sang that melody that he had on his right hand and it just came out: ‘Lying beside you, here in the dark…’ Then we wrote the chorus. We finished it there on that little Wurlitzer piano in my house. The music probably took a day, and then we tried to make the lyrics work, make them sing well.”
It was Cain who brought the framework of Escape’s most famous and enduring song, too.
“I had the title, Don’t Stop Believin’,” says Cain, “and the end piece and most of the lyrics. But it came together sitting there with Steve. We would arrange and refine. He had to have a lyric that worked for him as a sound as well as in its meaning. We worked very hard on that. We had the same sensibility, I guess. We both loved the radio and we wanted to hear our songs on it. We wanted to write songs that would get played over and over.”
“I think that it was probably emotionally not so comforting for Neal to see us writing together,” says Perry. “But then we wrote with Neal, too. The Don’t Stop Believin’ stuff, we all came up with together. There was a lot of stuff he was involved with co-writing. Stone In Love, with that great guitar riff, that one came from Neal.”
“Neal brought the fire and attitude,” says Cain. “I wasn’t conscious of just writing with Steve or just with Neal. It was about the three of us. Together we made it Journey.”
Journey‘s Neal Schon onstage in 1981 (Image credit: Paul Natkin/Getty Images)
Escape is an album of moments, each of them marking out the songs, equipping them for history: Schon’s guitar break at the end of Who’s Crying Now; Cain’s intro to Don’t Stop Believin’; Perry’s phrasing of ‘Just a smalltown girl…’ or ‘Somewhere in the niiiight’. All are instantly identifiable, and the record is full of them. Schon’s instinctive playing, Perry’s attention to detail, Cain’s craftsmanship, each played their part in its impact.
“I had my moments where I was probably a bit of a stick in the mud for what I believed in, yes,” says Perry. “I never would settle. I know what I can do. There were certain things that I wanted a specific way. So I had to go back and keep trying to do them until I could find the way. One that comes to mind would be the vowel on Open Arms, on the ‘A’ of the chorus. I wanted it to sound a certain fucking way. I wanted it to happen, and I kept re-punching that for a couple of days until I got what I wanted. The same thing happened with Don’t Stop Believin’. I wanted a high note. It wasn’t as crucial as it was on Open Arms, I just wanted that long note to be something really special. I don’t want it to be even a nano-fraction out of pitch. That’s just how obsessed I could be. I’m cranky that way.”
Perry’s obsession extended through the spring of 1981 at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, where Escape was produced by Kevin Elson and Mike Stone, and on through mastering with Bob Ludwig in New York. His memory for the detail of the process is astonishing, extending right down to the type of vinyl used on the original pressing.
Escape was released at the end of July 1981, and at first it followed the usual trajectory of the big hit record: No.1 on the Billboard album chart, four hit singles, sell-out tour. The momentum kept Journey running through its follow-up, Frontiers (1983), another huge hit, and Raised On Radio (1986), which is Perry’s personal masterpiece, if not Journey’s. Then came the fall-out, and the extraordinary afterlife of the songs from Escape.
Journey – Don’t Stop Believin’ (Live 1981: Escape Tour – 2022 HD Remaster) – YouTube
“I will tell you when I got it, and you’re going to think this is crazy, but it didn’t happen for me until I quit the band,” says Perry. “I finally told Jon and Neal: ‘I just can’t keep going any more, I just gotta stop.’ It was after the Raised On Radio tour. In the middle of making that record my mother had passed away. She’d been ill for quite some time, and I came back and finished the record, went on tour and I was toast. It was just a long run from the very beginning, 1978 to that point.
“The manager would put us out there where we were on three, four, five nights in a row, it was a blistering requirement, and my personal life with my ex was over – just a lot had crashed and I had to stop. For the first eight to 10 months I could not listen to music. I was kind of musically damaged. It just reminded me of too much emotionally, and I was concerned that I’d lost my joy and love for music. I guess I’d just worked very hard … they call it roadburn.
“I didn’t listen to any music for almost a year and then one time I heard a Journey song. Only The Young came on the radio, and I’d never heard it like that before. I heard it standing outside of the forest looking at the trees. That was emotionally tough. I didn’t know we were that good.”
“How did Escape affect me?” says Jonathan Cain ruefully. “Well, I got divorced, Steve broke up with Sherrie [Swafford, Perry’s then-girlfriend], families started having an impact, people wanted to do different things. Frontiers was great – I call Escape and Frontiers ‘the twins’. But it became all-consuming. It couldn’t sustain.”
There was one not-so-successful reunion album, 1996’s Trial By Fire, and a tour that was abandoned after Perry sustained a serious hip injury. In May 1998 Steve Perry was legally released from his obligations to Journey [the letter informing him of the fact remains pinned to the wall of the studio at his home]. In the same year a Greatest Hits package that would go on to sell 15 million copies was released. Journey’s place in history seemed set. They were a kitsch throwback, a lightly-regarded footnote. Schon and Cain reconstituted the band and ran through a parade of singers before settling on their latest, Filipino Arnel Pineda, who was discovered singing on YouTube.
Journey in 1981 (Image credit: Roger Ressmeyer/CORBIS/VCG via Getty Images)
And then, as the generation whose youth had been soundtracked by Journey’s songs became influential in the culture, something remarkable began to happen. In 2005, the Chicago White Sox won the World Series of baseball and adopted Don’t Stop Believin’ as their theme song. Steve Perry ended up on the field with them lifting the trophy. Reality TV took hold, and Open Arms became a staple tune for contestants on American Idol [a show judged by Randy Jackson, who had played bass for Journey on the Raised On Radio tour]. Don’t Stop Believin’ appeared in the films The Wedding Singer, Monster and Shrek and on the TV shows Family Guy and My Name Is Earl. In 2007, it was the song played at the climax of The Sopranos’ final show, its significance poured over by the critical community that had shunned it for so long.
By the time a cover by the cast of Glee went to the top of the charts around the world, it had become the most downloaded catalogue song of all time on iTunes. Journey and Steve Perry have now sold more records apart than they did while they were together. It is a strange but satisfying form of redemption.
“At some point those songs crossed over,” says Perry. “My understanding of The Sopranos is that David Chase [the show’s creator] burned a CD and told his writers: ‘This is the closing song.’ They used it as a template emotionally to make it work. When I saw the ending I actually jumped out of my chair and yelled at the screen. It was perfect.
“I stay away from the covers. I just want to keep the definitive versions in my mind and my heart. I don’t have any negative feeling about people doing them, and I’m grateful that they feel that emotionally they can do them, and if people can get a record deal or have a career in the music business, then I’m honoured that they choose them that way, but I choose just to not listen to other versions. I want to keep that original clean in my head.”
“The songs have lasted somehow,” agrees Jonathan Cain. “We left sort of an imprint. The songs are bigger than we are.”
Journey – Open Arms (Official Video – 1982) – YouTube
Steve Perry’s life is today is a quiet one. “I don’t get out much,” he says. “I’m not one of those people who needs to be seen in public places.”
He admits that he has been left a little lost by the changes in the music industry. He has no record deal and no manager, and although there’s little doubt he could find both overnight, is unsure if he wants them.
Talking about Escape enthuses him, he says, as we speak after the interview that it has made him feel like doing something again, and a recent trip to a studio in Los Angeles had a similar effect – and yet he’s conscious too of the emotional cost that renewed exposure to it all might bring. It’s evident from his own words, and those of others, that he is not the easiest person to work with. He is a sensitive perfectionist, fragile, driven, unwilling to compromise on what he sees as the non-negotiables of his art.
Yet all of those qualities have a considerable upside. They led to the creation of Journey’s defining triumvirate of albums, to the songs that have endured and prospered for so long. His former bandmates seem to have accepted the fact too – their latest singer, Arnel Pineda, both looks and sounds like Perry.
“I just don’t want to disappoint people,” Perry says. “I hate expectation, because it’s impossible for people to live up to that. But that was always the case album to album. We were only ever as big as our last hit. What are you gonna do? You just write some music and hope for the best. It’s as good a strategy as any.”
Originally published in Classic Rock Presents AOR issue 1, August 2010
Jon Hotten is an English author and journalist. He is best known for the books Muscle: A Writer’s Trip Through a Sport with No Boundaries and The Years of the Locust. In June 2015 he published a novel, My Life And The Beautiful Music (Cape), based on his time in LA in the late 80s reporting on the heavy metal scene. He was a contributor to Kerrang! magazine from 1987–92 and currently contributes to Classic Rock. Hotten is the author of the popular cricket blog, The Old Batsman, and since February 2013 is a frequent contributor to The Cordon cricket blog at Cricinfo. His most recent book, Bat, Ball & Field, was published in 2022.
A few days ago, a friend of mine got in touch to declare that Let Me Drown, the crunching introduction to Soundgarden’s masterful Superunknown, has to be up there as one of the all-time great grunge openers. A heated back-and-forth followed – hey, we’re a couple of guys in our mid-40s who own more than one flannel shirt, this is how we converse – and I decided the only way to properly win this argument was to take full advantage of being a music journalist and publish the definitive, no-comebacks-allowed top ten grunge openers. Yeah, that’s how petty I am: my list is on Loudersound.com, Joel, so I win. Here it is, from ten down to one, with the rules (that I made up) being only one entry per band. I also reserve the right to come back and rearrange the order if I change my mind in future, ie tomorrow. OK, Let’s get to it…
10. L7 – Wargasm
No grunge band had a greater balance of cool and commotion as L7, as demonstrated on the ferociously excellent Wargasm. The opener on their breakthrough 1992 record Bricks Are Heavy, it’s a snarling, riff-heavy gem.
9. Mother Love Bone – This Is Shangrila
This list could be filled with Pearl Jam-affiliated bands from Temple Of The Dog to Brad to Mad Season, but I’ve kept it to one. It’s impossible to listen to Mother Love Bone and not wonder what might have been. The opening track to their one and only record Apple is one of their best, a grunge in its gladrags masterclass with Andrew Wood as mercurial ringleader.
8. Mudhoney – Touch Me I’m Sick
Speaking to this writer about their trailblazing debut release a few years ago, Mudhoney’s Mark Arm comically remarked, “We might have blown our wad on our first single!”. There were still plenty of excellent Mudhoney moments to come, but the first track on Superfuzz Bigmuff set out their stall stunningly, its Stooges-y menace undimmed in the near-four decades since.
7. Stone Temple Pilots – Meatplow
Scott Weiland & co. had hit huge success with their debut album but everything – the songs, the sound, the attitude – was a step up on follow-up Purple. From the off, Meatplow showed the quartet were a band seizing their moment in the spotlight, a scintillating combo of gnarly riffs and stop-what-you’re-doing-and-look-at-me vocals.
6. Hole – Violet
Given the chaos that Courtney Love’s personal life was mired in at the time – husband Kurt Cobain had very recently died by suicide and her drug addiction and personal life were constantly splattered across the news – there is a clean, crisp edge to Violet that showed Hole were a different beast to their peers. Rumoured to be about her ex Billy Corgan, it centres around the explosive, punky blast of its chorus but its indelible melodicism and sharp hooks were pop of the highest order.
No gently lulling you in on Alice In Chains’ imperial second record Dirt. Them Bones gets right up in your grill from the off with its blistering combo of Layne Staley’s guttural roar and a jagged Jerry Cantrell riff that sounds like its climbing up your spine. Monumental.
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Alice In Chains – Them Bones (Official HD Video) – YouTube
My mate is right, of course, Let Me Drown has to be up there… in the top five. Sonically, Soundgarden always seemed to have something a little extra going on compared to other grunge bands, as if they had six guitarists and four drummers. This deftly layered classic begins like a little like you’ve walked in halfway through, a criss-cross of screeching riffs and beefy drums giving way to Chris Cornell’s impossibly cool vocal. An outrageously good opener.
3. Pearl Jam – Go
A very tough choice between this and Once (and Last Exit!) but Vs. opener Go just for how pummelling and impactful it is, a song that straps you in and rockets you along whether you want to join it or not. It introduced a band who sounded leaner and feistier than they did on Ten, as if they had taken the questioning of their punk credentials personally. Go is a tightly-wound blockbuster.
Cherub Rock spends 25 seconds laying down the building blocks of Siamese Dream’s kaleidoscopic sonic world and then charges into one of the best and most forward-thinking anthems of the 90s. It’s a hard rock epic that sounds like Led Zeppelin in space.
It has to be really, doesn’t it? There’s probably a reader out there who says Serve The Servants is a better opener and maybe the In Utero cut is a stronger representation of who Nirvana were, but for sheer oomph, it has to be Teen Spirit. In the same way that you don’t stop and go, ‘Isn’t air great?!’, it’s a song that has become so embedded in the cultural landscape that you can easily forget what a jaw-droppingly, generationally great tune it is.
Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit (Official Music Video) – YouTube
Metal’s strong bond with the world of comics has endured for decades now, but it’s hard to argue against the most significant crossover of all being Anthrax’s immortal I Am The Law. A thunderous tribute to UK comic 2000 AD’s most famous character, Judge Dredd, it provided guitarist Scott Ian with the perfect opportunity to indulge a newfound love. Scott discovered Dredd after visiting London’s Forbidden Planet store while on a promo trip for second album Spreading The Disease in early ’86.
“The artwork looked so amazing and Dredd was so fucking cool,” Scott recalls. “I picked up a few copies and every time I was in the UK I’d hit up more comic shops looking for it. It was impossible to find in the States. I went to Forbidden Planet in NYC and I said, ‘You guys don’t carry 2000 AD?’ and they said, ‘No, it’s really hard for us to import…’ Because of me badgering them, they ended up getting a couple of copies every month and holding them for me. I was paying five times the price for them and I’m pretty sure they were pocketing the money, but I just needed my Judge Dredd fix.”
Anthrax were in a strong position as they approached the making of their third album, Among The Living. A prominent force in the burgeoning thrash metal scene, their previous two albums had received widespread acclaim and much was expected of the next. Prior to hitting the studio, the band famously toured Europe as main support to Metallica, a tour during which Metallica bassist Cliff Burton tragically died. That experience was reflected in Scott’s lyrics for new epic A.D.I. (Horror Of It All), but the rest of the songs on Among The Living were firmly rooted in Scott’s many cultural passions.
“On that tour with Metallica, we already had the riffs for I Am The Law,” he remembers. “It sounded really anthemic, so what better to write about than this comic book character who just defined anthemic to me? It just worked. What did I know at the ripe old age of 22 or 23? I knew comics, horror and sci-fi, I knew skateboarding… I didn’t really have much life experience. I couldn’t really write about heartbreak or a horrible upbringing, because I didn’t have those. I was just writing about what I knew.”
Alongside Scott’s tribute to Judge Dredd, Among The Living boasted songs inspired by Stephen King’s novel The Stand (Among The Living), novella Apt Pupil (A Skeleton In The Closet) and the life and death of comedian John Belushi (Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.)), but it was I Am The Law that stood out as both the new record’s biggest anthem and its most obvious single. For Scott, the decision to release it in advance of the album made perfect sense, just as long as Anthrax could secure that artwork.
“Either the label or our merch company contacted whoever owned the rights to the Dredd artwork, because we had to have it,” he avows. “Surprisingly enough, they were amazingly open and cool about it. They didn’t ask for some large amount of money for the licensing and they were really excited and happy that we wanted to promote their character, especially in the US where Dredd was a relative unknown. Still to this day, whenever we want to do anything Dredd-related on a t-shirt, they’re always very cool about it.”
Released a few weeks before Among The Living hit the streets, I Am The Law defied the odds by breaching the UK Top 40 singles chart, peaking at Number 32. Anthrax’s already considerable UK fanbase could hardly have been more impressed, and within weeks of the album’s release, the New Yorkers were performing at the legendary Monsters Of Rock festival at Castle Donington and watching I Am The Law send the vast crowd into a state of mud-hurling insanity. More than three decades later, Scott Ian is still playing I Am The Law at every Anthrax show and he sees no reason to stop.
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“I just think it’s a great song that still holds up,” he asserts. “I think that’s what’s great about any classic song. You just don’t get tired of them. That’s how I feel, as the guy who has to play it over and over again. There are many songs in our set that come and go but if we play I Am The Law at every show between now and the end of Anthrax, I wouldn’t have a problem with that. As soon as I bust into that riff, I can’t help but be happy.”
Originally published in Metal Hammer issue 313, August 2018
