David Gilmour revealed he had been offered a trip into space and explained why he politely declined.
In a new fan-led interview with The Guardian, the guitarist also revealed he enjoys a hobby that his insurers would rather he didn’t pursue.
Asked if he’d like to go on an out-of-this-world journey, Gilmour replied, “I have been invited to travel into space, funnily enough. We’d played in Moscow – back when one wasn’t ashamed to – and they asked me if I wanted to go up into space.
“But I had seen their rockets and their capsules in the space museum in Moscow, and I nearly shit myself and said, ‘No, thank you.’ They were rickety and held together with nuts and bolts.”
Another fan asked Gilmour to discuss something that wasn’t commonly known about him, to which he replied, “I’ve always loved carpentry. I’ve made things out of wood pretty much my whole life, from boot removers to tables, to treehouses, to boathouses. The insurance chaps are not overly keen on me doing that in case I chop my fingers off.”
David Gilmour Misses His Stolen Pink Velvet Pants
Elsewhere in the session, he said he didn’t much miss the guitars he auctioned in 2019. “What cushions any of that loss is the good that was – and is being – done by the money that was raised by that auction, which went to ClientEarth,” he explained.
Asked if there were any other formerly-owned items he’d love to have back, he replied, “Not much really. No old cars. No old guitars. I suppose I’d like to have back the red leather jacket that Syd [Barrett] gave me in ’66 or ’67. Also, my pink velvet trousers that I bought from Granny Takes a Trip on Kings Road. They were stolen from the laundromat on Old Brompton Road in 1969 – not that I think I’d fit into them anymore, or that I’d wear them if I did!”
David Gilmour and Roger Waters Solo Albums Ranked
They both laid claim to the Pink Floyd legacy, while only rarely stepping out with solo works.
Bruce Springsteen announced his intention to vote for Kamala Harris in the upcoming presidential election and warned again supporting Donald Trump’s bid for a second term.
In a social media video, recorded in a diner, the Boss said he’s been asked by many people about his political stance but added that he recognized they were no more or less important than anyone else’s.
“We are shortly coming upon one of the most consequential elections in our nation’s history,” Springsteen said. “Perhaps not since the Civil War has this country felt as politically, spiritually and emotionally divided as it does than at this moment.”
But, he argued, “It doesn’t have to be this way. The common values, the shared stories that make us a great and united nation are waiting to be rediscovered and retold once again. Now, that will take time, hard work, intelligence, faith, and women and men with a national good guiding their hearts.”
He went on to describe Trump as “the most dangerous candidate for president in my lifetime,” adding that “his disdain for the sanctity of our constitution, the sanctity of democracy, the sanctity of the rule of law, and the sanctity of the peaceful transfer of power should disqualify him from the office of president ever again. He doesn’t understand the meaning of this country, its history, or what it means to be deeply American.”
Why Bruce Springsteen Believes in Kamala Harris
Conversely, Springsteen said, “Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are committed to a vision of this country that respects and includes everyone, regardless of class, religion, race, your political point of view or sexual identity. And they want to grow our economy in a way that benefits all, not just the few, like me, on top.”
The 75-year-old singer-songwriter – who previously backed Joe Biden, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in their respective presidential campaigns – noted, “That’s the vision of America I’ve been consistently writing about for 55 years.
“Now, everybody sees things different, and I respect your choice as a fellow citizen. But like you, I’ve only got one vote – and it’s one of the most precious possessions that I have. That’s why, come Nov. 5, I’ll be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.”
You can watch Springsteen’s video below.
Bruce Springsteen Albums Ranked
From scrappy Dylan disciple to one of the leading singer-songwriters of his generation, the Boss’ catalog includes both big and small statements of purpose.
Hope is the second album by the Canadian rock band Klaatu, released in September 1977. This album stands out as a concept record, following the journey of space travelers visiting a distant planet. Not only did it showcase the band’s progressive rock tendencies, but it also earned critical praise, winning the Juno Award for “Best Engineered Album” and a Canadian Music Critics award for “Best Album” in the same year. With its blend of space rock and theatrical arrangements, Hope was a more ambitious project compared to Klaatu’s debut, 3:47 EST. The album has since become a favorite among fans of progressive rock and space-themed music.
Produced by Klaatu and Terry Brown, Hope was recorded with the assistance of the London Symphony Orchestra, bringing a grandiose, symphonic element to the tracks. The band’s anonymity was still intact during the album’s release, with no individual credits given to the members. However, it has since been revealed that John Woloschuk, Dee Long, and Terry Draper were the masterminds behind the album. The rich orchestration of tracks like “Long Live Politzania” and “Prelude” showcases the band’s ability to fuse rock with classical influences, creating a unique sound that set them apart from their contemporaries.
Musically, Hope was described as a “sci-fi prog opera,” with elaborate arrangements that critics compared to the works of Queen and The Moody Blues. Tracks like “Around the Universe in Eighty Days” highlight Klaatu’s knack for combining catchy melodies with complex instrumentation, while the closing track, “Hope,” serves as an emotional and uplifting finale to the album. The use of the London Symphony Orchestra throughout the record added depth to the band’s sound, giving the album an expansive and cinematic feel. In 2005, an alternate version of Hope was released as part of the Sun Set collection, featuring the complete contributions of the orchestra, as well as the previously unreleased track “Epilogue.”
The cover artwork for Hope was designed by Ted Jones, continuing the visual theme from Klaatu’s previous album by featuring the sun image that appeared on 3:47 EST. The visual aesthetics, much like the music, were rooted in science fiction, further enhancing the album’s thematic coherence. Hope was later remastered and reissued in 2012 by the band’s independent record label, Klaatunes, ensuring that the album’s cosmic grandeur reached new generations of listeners. While Hope didn’t chart as high as its predecessor, it peaked at number forty-nine on Canada’s Top Albums chart and at eighty-three on the US Billboard 200.
Personnel on the album included Dee Long on guitars and vocals, John Woloschuk handling bass and keyboards, and Terry Draper on drums and percussion. Their collaborative efforts, alongside Terry Brown’s production, gave the album its distinctive blend of progressive rock, orchestral arrangements, and the whimsical charm that fans have come to love.
Threshold are excited to announce the release of newly remixed editions of their first four groundbreaking albums: Clone, Extinct Instinct, Wounded Land and Psychedelicatessen. The albums have been meticulously revisited by guitarist Karl Groom and keyboardist Richard West, bringing these early classics into the modern era with enhanced sonic clarity while preserving their original power and intricacy.
These remixed versions are available on CD and limited edition vinyl, with exclusive transparent color variants for each album. Get yours here.
To celebrate the re-release of Clone, the band has also dropped a brand-new lyric video for the track “Freaks”, featuring the remixed audio from the album.
The song holds a special place in Threshold’s history as one of the first tracks written for Clone, and it marks a pivotal moment when Mac (Andrew “Mac” McDermott) joined the band.
Karl Groom on ‘Freaks’: “‘Freaks’ was one of the first songs written for Clone and was a starting point for Mac joining Threshold. We’re looking forward to playing this on our upcoming tour.”
Richard West added: “It’s amazing to be releasing ‘Freaks’ as a single again over a quarter of a century after it first came out. It was the first song we released after Mac joined the band, and our 2024 remix makes it sound brand new all over again.”
About the remixes:
Each album has been remixed from the original multitrack recordings, bringing new life to these iconic records from Threshold’s formative years. Speaking about the remixing process, Karl Groom shared: “There were obvious shortcomings in the sound of early albums with budget being limited at the time. We’ve brought the sonic quality up to modern standards while retaining the original performances. It’s great to look back at our formative years and the way you take chances in composition that experience would probably make you look at differently.”
Richard West added: “Nuclear Blast approached us about reissuing our back catalogue, and that gave us the perfect opportunity to go back to the original tapes and improve the quality of the mixes. It’s been really nostalgic going back and restoring them to how they were always supposed to sound.”
These remixed albums represent a new chapter for fans both old and new, combining the raw creativity of Threshold’s early work with a refined, modern production.
Karl Groom Reflects on the Evolution of Threshold’s Sound: “Anything released before ‘Dead Reckoning’ feels like a different era completely. That is partly because Mac is unfortunately no longer with us, but also because founding members like Jon Jeary and Nick Midson had moved on, and the sound changed accordingly.”
Ahead of Judas Priest’s October 6 show at Spokane Arena in Spokane, Washington, drummer Scott Travis spoke with Inlander about the band’s latest album, Invincible Shield, and their current support act, Sabaton.
Asked how it’s been, How’s sharing the stage with Sabaton, Scott reveals, “They’re great guys, and we get along with them personally, which is important. The camaraderie is great. Their stage set is awesome. I won’t give it away, but their drum riser is probably one of the coolest I’ve ever seen. They go over well, and even if some people in the audience haven’t heard them before, they always get a good reception.”
Currently the second leg of their Invincible Shield North American Tour, Judas Priest recently shared an official live video for “Riding On The Wind”. Check it out below.
Upcoming Judas Priest live dates are listed below.
October 3 – Billings, MT – First Interstate Arena at MetraPark 5 – Idaho Falls, ID – Mountain America Center 6 – Spokane, WA – Spokane Arena 9 – Everett, WA – Angel of the Winds Arena 10 – Portland, OR – Alaska Airlines’ Theater of the Clouds 12 – Sacramento, CA – After Shock Festival^ 13 – Reno, NV – Grand Sierra Resort and Casino* 15 – Los Angeles, CA – YouTube Theater 16 – Las Vegas, NV – Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood 18 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre 20 – Loveland, CO – Blue Arena 22 – Houston, TX – Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land 24 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater 26 – Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
Official Charts has revealed their official list of the Top 40 biggest LPs of the year to date.
While Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department is officially the UK’s biggest album of 2024 so far, the chart also holds titles from Queen and Fleetwood Mac.
Fleetwood Mac appear on the chart twice, at #6 with 50 Years – Don’t Stop, and at #26 with their classic Rumours album. Queen land at #23 with their best seller, Greatest Hits.
Elsewhere on the list are Elton John (Diamonds, #10), and Linkin Park (Papercuts – The Singles Collection 2000-2023, #38).
R.I.P. Stephen “STEVIE” RAY VAUGHAN: October 3rd, 1954 – August 27th, 1990 (aged 35) On August 27, 1990, legendary guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan was killed in a helicopter crash following a performance in East Troy, Wisconsin. He was 35.
HEAVY BIRTHDAYS
Happy 73rd Jack Grondin (.38 SPECIAL) – October 3rd, 1951
Happy 62nd Tommy Lee (MÖTLEY CRÜE) – October 3rd, 1962 (Photo credit above Joel Barrios)
Happy 60th Denis Cossette (HANKER) – October 3rd, 1964
Happy 58th Frank Hannon (TESLA) – October 3rd, 1966 (Photo credit: Joe Kleon)
Happy 57th Tomi Göttlich (GRAVE DIGGER, REBELLION) – October 3rd, 1967
Happy 53rd Ulf Andreas Cederlund (ENTOMBED, HAYSTACK) – October 3rd, 1971
Happy 52nd Lajon Jermaine Witherspoon (SEVENDUST) – October 3rd, 1972
HEAVY RELEASES
Happy 44th DIAMOND HEAD’s Lightning To The Nations – October 3rd, 1980
AEROSMITH’s Greatest Hits – October 3rd, 1980
Happy 34th BLIND GUARDIAN’S Tales From The Twilight World – October 3rd, 1990
Happy 30th TWISTED SISTER’s Live At Hammersmith – October 3rd, 1994
Happy 19th BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE’s The Poison – October 3rd, 2005
Happy 18th BOURBON CROW’s Highway To Hangovers – October 3rd, 2006
Happy 13th CHRIST AGONY’s NocturN – October 3rd, 2011
Happy 12th OBSESSION’s Order of Chaos – October 3rd, 2012
The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame has announced that Zakk Wylde, Robert Trujillo, Billy Idol, Wolfgang Van Halen, Maynard James Keenan, Jelly Roll, Steve Stevens, Chad Smith, and Andrew Watt will be on hand to honour Ozzy Osbourne when he’s inducted into the Hall for the second time at this year’s induction ceremony on October 19 in in Cleveland, Ohio.
The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame shared the post below, stating: “Taking the stage to celebrate the storied career of The Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne, is a true all-star cast of incredible musicians, including Billy Idol, Jelly Roll, Chad Smith, Wolfgang Van Halen, Zakk Wylde, Maynard James Keenan, Robert Trujillo, Steve Stevens, and watt. Plus, Ozzy super-fan Jack Black is set to stop by. It’s not a Shot In the Dark to say that this tribute is about to be legendary. Don’t miss music’s highest honor, the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductions, LIVE on October 19th on Disney+!” #RockHall2024
The UK’s Daily Record recently reported that Ozzy is preparing to return to the stage for the first time in over a year at the ceremony, despite struggling with mobility issues that make it difficult for him to walk or stand for extended periods.
Sources close to the Black Sabbath frontman say he has informed his band that he will travel from his home in Los Angeles, California to be part of the celebration.
Ozzy Osbourne, Peter Frampton, Foreigner, and MC5 are among the 16 artists named to the 2024 Inductee Class for The Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. The complete list can be viewed below.
“It’s still hard to believe I’m about to be a two-time inductee into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,” Ozzy Osbourne said. “I’m really looking forward to attending the induction ceremony in Cleveland this October. More importantly, I am so blessed to have had such an incredible career with amazing fans who have stuck by me through thick and thin over the years.”
The 2024 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction will be seen live on Saturday, October 19 from the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. The 2024 ceremony will once again stream live on Disney+ with a special airing on ABC at a later date and available on Hulu the next day.
“We’re smelling bodies burning worldwide, and no-one is doing a thing.” Rage Against The Machine’s Tim Commerford on his new band 7D7D, RATM, Trump, media censorship, government lies, and why a world on fire needs musicians to stand up and speak out
(Image credit: Press)
Tim Commerford is on his way to work. Rage Against The Machine‘s bassist reckons that it takes him approximately an hour and a half to complete the drive from his home in Ventura to the North Hollywood rehearsal space in which he and his bandmates in 7D7D are tuning up for their first visit to the UK and Europe, and while California’s overcrowded highways may be a source of irritation to some, Commerford says that his morning commute affords him some welcome quiet time to be alone with his thoughts. It soon becomes evident that he has a lot of thoughts.
A classic power trio, 7D7D features Jonny Polonsky (guitar) and Mathias Wakrat (drums) alongside Commerford, with the vocalist/bassist also responsible for the group’s politically-charged lyrics. When announcing 7D7D’s upcoming shows exclusively via Louder on September 6, the 56-year-old musician declared, “We’re at war and I need to sing about it,”and today, during our 45-minute conversation, he’s extremely passionate when sharing his strongly-held views on a world on fire.
Exactly what his fellow commuters are thinking when they see him thumping the steering wheel while animatedly discussing America’s military-industrial complex, government lies, media censorship, Palestine, the Ukraine and more is open to question, but Commerford isn’t about to hold back for anyone.
You’ve been working with 7D7D for a couple of years, with your first single Capitalism appearing online in November ’22. Your tour announcement suggests that you’re genuinely excited about taking this music to the world. I really am. That’s the truth of it. I’m feeling blessed, for lack of a better term. I’m not a religious person, but I really believe that being in a band is a blessing, and you don’t always get that opportunity. A lot of people would love to be in a band – there’s a lot of people that go to see bands and think, ‘I could do that’ -but they don’t ever do it. It’s only the select few that put a band together and play music and all be on the same page and and be excited at the same time about the same thing. And there’s something powerful in that. I’ve been dealing with a lot of personal things, like cancer, and the beauty of music, for me, really, is I do not think about any of that bullshit when I’m playing music, I get to just blank that out and go into this other place that has nothing to do with that. And for me, that is a saviour, that is helping make my life worth living.
So let’s talk about the band. From the singles you’ve released so far, there seems to be a sort of a jazz sensibility to 7D7D as much as a rock band set-up. Oh, for sure. I never thought that I would be in a band with two guys like these guys. They can play bebop jazz together, they’re incredibly talented, and the music we play is extremely challenging: it’s odd timings, it’s advanced chord progressions, it’s exciting. That’s one beautiful thing about being a musician rather than, say, an athlete: you can get better as you get older. I hope people like it, and if people don’t like it, the way I am looking at it right now is that those people are stupid. [Laughs] But no, seriously, I’m really confident about this band, put us in front of people and no-one’s leaving.
I watched your live rehearsal video for Ouchi, and to me, that recording is on another level to the singles you’ve shared so far, in terms of energy and excitement. Exactly! I agree! And the way we play it now is even better. But yeah, we shot that in our studio on an iPhone, and that’s us, what you hear is what you get. I’m never going to release another song that’s anything but that: I just want to realise live tracks like that, and we already recorded another one that’s sick. I’m not psyched to have this band looked at like, ‘It’s the guy from Rage’s band’, I’m not interested in that. I want to play in front of people that don’t know who I am, that want to judge me for what they hear and what they see. Playing in front of 100,000 people isn’t hard, what’s hard is playing in front of 10 people in a room that holds 200, that’s where you find out who you really are. Like, the last show we played, we were first on on a three band bill, playing at 7:30pm, for $100, and the next one, on October 12 in Hermosa Beach, we’ll get $250. It’s insane, and I’m so into it, it’s so fun.
There’s American bombers striking Syria, and hitting Iraq, and hitting Yemen, but the news will tell us, there’s no war.
In the UK, your first show is going to be at The Underworld, in Camden, which was also the venue for the first Rage Against The Machine show in the UK. There’s a video of that show online, and before playing Bullet in the Head, Zack talks about “the blanket of media that has been thrown above our heads” and about “using your strength as an individual to attack systems like America who continue to rob and rape and murder people in the name of freedom.“ Are you on a similar mission, lyrically and philosophically, with 7D7D? Oh, absolutely. I learned from Rage, and from Zach and Tom and Brad, I learned how to be who I am. I was politicised by that. And one of the things that comes from that is feeling an artistic obligation to say something. I can’t not do that. The songs are all about different issues, and they’re subversive, and twisted, and maybe things that you think are funny in the lyrics, are not.
When you were announced the European tour, you said, ‘We’re at war, and I need to sing about it.’ Could you elaborate upon that? What’s your take on the state of the world right now? Oh, man. My true passion is geo-politics, I’ve never been paying more attention to what’s happening in the world than I am right now. And I’m scared. I have a 21-year-old son and a 20-year-old son, and I know we’re all being propagandised by the party line news that most people watch. I don’t know if you’ve been paying attention, but in Europe, they’re making military transport corridors in Finland, where they’ve been landing F-35 fighters, and American Raptor jets for the first time, and I believe that there will be war in Europe. Joe Biden’s a fucking warmonger, and Donald Trump is a racist fuck, and a warmonger too: he’s saying stuff like, ‘Oh, I would give Israel what they need to finish the job in Gaza’. Then there’s Benjamin Netanyahu, that motherfucker scares me. There’s hundreds of people being killed in Lebanon, there’s American bombers striking Syria, and hitting Iraq, and hitting Yemen, but the news will tell us, there’s no war. And we’re supposed to believe that? We are at war.
What was your take on the two alleged assassination attempts on Donald Trump? I would be lying if I didn’t tell you that when I heard it, the first thing that went through my mind was, Is that real, or is that fucking staged? That was my kneejerk reaction. But this is the environment that’s been created, this world of division in America, and it’s being deliberately engineered. And our presidents do not run the show, they’re fucking Broadway actors being controlled by people with real power.
But then there’s so much in America that’s fucked, so no wonder people are angry. Like, you’ll have a mass shooter in some state, and instead of actually doing something meaningful about guns laws, they’ll just change the stock on a fucking assault rifle: ‘We put a smaller magazine on an AR-15, and now it’s a sporter rifle’. And the laws are different from state to state, and that’s by design.
And, of course, our prison systems are overcrowded with Black and Latino people. And then they sell the prison labour to all the hugest companies in the world. I went oonline the other day to see who uses prison labor the most. Oh, it’s all the biggest fucking companies in the fucking world! It’s bullshit!
My tax dollars don’t go to anything good. I don’t get to direct it to socialised medicine for the poorest. Instead, it goes to our military. We gave our military $994 billion this year: our military spends more money than every single country in the world combined spends on their military. We spent $80 billion last year on nuclear weapons! And every time there’s a war, the dollar goes up. It’s a fucking industry, the biggest one on planet Earth. We have 1000 military bases, Russia and China each have one. And they’re the supposed ‘evil empires’? China has never dropped a bomb on anyone, ever! But we stoke the media flames and make everyone scared to death. America is the Nazis!
We are the fucking people that lived next door to Auschwitz that smelled the fucking bodies burning, and didn’t do a fucking thing
Does all this not get overwhelming for you? Do you not feel like just giving up, and disappearing off the grid? No, not yet. But I get that from everyone. But it makes me so fucking mad what’s happening in the world, I am so fucking pissed about it. And I’m lucky that I’m in a band, and I get to put that anger in my music. Because someone has to speak up, someone has to tell the truth when there’s so much censorship, and so many lies. Right now, the party line is just like, ‘Putin’s a madman’, ‘China’s claiming the whole South China Sea’, that’s all you hear. You never get to hear Xi or Putin speaking, ever. You don’t ever get to turn on CNN or Fox News or MSNBC or ABC or CBS or any of that bullshit, and hear any world leader talking about anything: you only hear a host saying that a world leader said something.
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The propaganda in America is so bad. Joseph Goebbels would be proud to death of this shit. We are – and I love saying it, I’ll go to the gym and say it – we’re fucking Nazis, all of us, me, you, all of us. We are the fucking people that lived next door to Auschwitz that smelled the fucking bodies burning, and we didn’t do a fucking thing about it. People are dying, we’re smelling bodies burning worldwide, and no-one is doing a anything. It’s bullshit. It’s unbelievable to me.
The war in Gaza is a fucking joke. But at least in Gaza, we get numbers of the dead. Why don’t we get that in the Ukraine? Where’s the eye in the sky in the Ukraine?
The only places that give me hope for America are the colleges. I have a son at UCLA and I’m proud that he’s involved in the anti-war protests there. I want to see people out on the streets, protesting. Believe me, when I see Benjamin Netanyahu in Congress calling those people ‘useful idiots’, that makes me more fucking mad. And the coverage of the wars worldwide is a total scam, the military are cleaning things up before the news media roll in. They learned from Vietnam not to show children on fire anymore.
Obviously this is all stuff that you’re highlighting with 7D7D. But people might think that it’s a shame that we don’t also have Rage Against The Machine out there at the moment saying these things, given the size of the platform that you had with that band. Is Rage over as far as you are concerned? Dude, I already said my piece on that before. I’m just the bass player.
I spoke to your friend Tom Morello during the summer and he said something similar, like, ‘I’m just one quarter of the band, I can’t speak for the band’. Look, being in a band, like I said, it’s a very, special thing. And I hear it around me, like, [adopts complaining, whining voice] ‘Why don’t you guys just do it?’ People don’t understand. It’s hard enough to be in a relationship with your significant other. Okay, now, imagine now trying to do that with three or four other creative, independently-minded people. The stars have to align.
My career as a musician is not over. As a rock star? Maybe it is, you know, but am I bummed about it? No, man, I’ve been so lucky to be a part of it. That’s what it is at the end of the day, it’s luck. It was luck that I grew up with Zach, and that I got to meet Tom and Brad. And they were all so pivotal on where I am today. And there’s not a day goes by that I’m not just thankful for everything that I have.
Come see us at The Underworld and see what you think. There might just be us three on stage, you in the audience, and a few crickets, but we’ll be rocking, I promise you.
7D7D Europe / UK tour:
Oct 24: Lisbon Lisboa ao Vivo (LAV), Portugal Oct 25: Oporto Hard Club – Room 2, Portugal Oct 27: Santiago de Compostela Sala Capitol, Spain Oct 28: Madrid Mon Live, Spain Oct 30: Barcelona La (2) de Apolo, Spain
Nov 1: Bilbao Santana27, Spain Nov 3: Bologna Alchemica Music Club, Italy Nov 5: Tilburg O13, Holland Nov 8: London The Underworld, UK
A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne’s private jet, played Angus Young’s Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.
Ozzy Osbourne has revealed what to expect for his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame later this month.
The Black Sabbath vocalist has told Rolling Stone that he’ll be inducted into the Rock Hall at the ceremony on October 19 by actor and musician Jack Black. Furthermore, Billy Idol, Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan and country star Jelly Roll will sing in a star-studded tribute band to the metal legend.
Rolling Stone also reports that longtime Osbourne guitarist Zakk Wylde, Wolfgang Van Halen, longtime Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens and The Prince Of Darkness’s producer Andrew Watt will play guitar at the ceremony. Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, previously a member of Osbourne’s solo band, will man the low end while Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers will drum. Adam Wakeman, who’s worked with Osbourne since 2004 and handled live keyboards for Black Sabbath, will play keys.
Of Black, Osbourne says, “Jack invited my family to the School Of Rock movie premiere in 2002. I’ve always been a big fan of his. Jack is one of the few great actors that is also a genuine rock and roller and not acting the part.”
He adds, “Billy Idol is a rock icon. His music is timeless. Billy Idol should be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.” Plus, “Maynard has been a true family friend since 1997. He is such a creative force. There are few artists who can keep three successful bands going for multiple decades [Tool, A Perfect Circle and Puscifer].”
Osbourne also sings Jelly Roll’s praises, saying, “Who doesn’t love Jelly Roll? His voice is soulful, pure, and dirty. I’m so honoured that someone would do this for me who I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting.”
Regarding Trujillo and Smith, Osbourne tells Rolling Stone, “The rhythm section is the anchor of the band,” Osbourne says, “and you honestly couldn’t get a better rhythm section than Robert Trujillo and Chad Smith.”
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Osbourne’s induction into the Rock Hall was confirmed in April. Foreigner, Cher, Peter Frampton and others will also be inducted this year. This year marked the first time Osbourne was eligible to join the Rock Hall as a solo artist, and he was voted in immediately.
It is currently unclear whether or not Osbourne will himself perform at his Rock Hall induction. The singer retired from touring last year as a result of health troubles, including Parkinson’s Disease.
