All About Rock Music
Sunday 13 May 2012
Mini Biography Of Slash (GnR)
Saul Hudson, mainly known as Slash, was born on July 23, 1965, and
was raised in Stoke-on-Trent. Both his parents worked in the
entertainment business, his mother being a clothing designer (she did
some of David Bowie's costumes) and his father being an art director for
a record company. When Slash was 11 he moved with his mother to Los
Angeles, leaving his father behind in England, although he eventually
joined them in L.A. years later. Slash became sort of an outsider at
school since he didn't really fit in with other kids. In the mid 70s his
parents separated and Slash moved in with his grandmother. During this
time Slash got interested in BMX riding, and went on to win several
awards and money in competitions. When he was 15 he got his first guitar, and
his schoolwork started to go downhill as he skipped class to sit playing
guitar all day. Slash eventually got so tired of school that he dropped
out in 11th grade. As he lived in Los Angeles, a city flourishing with
new, young rock bands, he quickly got in touch with people to jam with.
After meeting Steven Adler the two of them formed a band called Road
Crew. Then he met Izzy Stradlin who played in a band with Axl Rose, and
after hearing Axl sing live, he was set on getting him in his band. Soon
a bass player answered one of Slash's ads in the paper, and Slash
(guitar), Steven (drums), Izzy (guitar), Axl (vocals) and Duff McKagan
(bass) formed Guns N' Roses in 1986. Soon enough, GNR were known across
the globe as the new rock n' roll sensation. Album sales went sky high
and the band was having a blast on their world tours, and during this
time Slash worked with artists like Michael Jackson on the Dangerous
album and Lenny Kravitz, just to name two. But after the Use Your
Illusion tour, GNR decided to take a break. Slash however, needed to
play music and so he formed his own band Slash's Snakepit. With the
success of this bands album It's Five O'Clock Somewhere (1995), Slash
told the public that Slash's Snakepit would be back again. During this
time Slash and Axl were having some heated arguments about Guns N' Roses
and what would happen next. Guns N' Roses as we knew them then, was
terminated by the result as Slash decided to leave the band, handing all
rights of the band name over to Axl. After this Slash did a few gigs
here and there, formed a band called Blues Ball who played blues covers,
and even brought back Slash's Snakepit as he said he would, although
they didn't last very long this time either. In 2000, Slash met Perla
Ferrar and on October 15, 2001, married her. It's not surprising that he
wore black leather pants, a white shirt and his faithful black leather
jacket to the wedding! His new status as a married man didn't slow him
down, though. In 2003, Velvet Revolver was formed by the former members
of Guns N' Roses; Slash, Duff and Matt (who replaced Steven in 1990),
Scott Weiland (vocals) from Stone Temple Pilots and Dave Kushner
(guitar) from Wasted Youth. Velvet Revolver's debut
album Contraband (2004) was long-awaited and sold incredibly well. They
are now going to show up on the second Live Aid concert along with many
other huge artists, which will be held in London. Velvet Revolver's
plans to become a rock band of great magnitude are definitely in the
works, and Slash himself has earned his title as one of the greatest
rock n' roll guitar players in history.
Saturday 12 May 2012
Oasis Biography
The very first time Oasis played together they promised they were going
to be the best, that they'd never settle for the dull thud of
mediocrity. And then they set about proving it. Right from the off, they
resisted the security of the obvious, of doing things the way they were
supposed to. They never sent a demo to a record company, knew that
supreme self-confidence and a host of classic songs would be enough to
curve destiny their way. When Creation Records supremo Alan McGee saw
them at a club gig in Glasgow they had no manager, no agent, and no
money. Just greatness. He signed them on the spot. An unsuspecting world
was about to be blown away.
On April 11th 1994, Oasis released their debut single, 'Supersonic', an elegantly noisy pop celebration. By now their live shows were being talked of as something very special and they'd built an extensive, committed fan base. A trio of classic singles, 'Shakermaker', 'Live Forever' and 'Cigarettes and Alcohol' further emphasised Oasis' soaringly assured power. Their increasingly growing audience began to wonder what they ever did without them.
On April 11th 1994, Oasis released their debut single, 'Supersonic', an elegantly noisy pop celebration. By now their live shows were being talked of as something very special and they'd built an extensive, committed fan base. A trio of classic singles, 'Shakermaker', 'Live Forever' and 'Cigarettes and Alcohol' further emphasised Oasis' soaringly assured power. Their increasingly growing audience began to wonder what they ever did without them.
Alter Bridge Biography
Alter Bridge is an American rock band based in Orlando,
Florida. The band was formed in 2004 by then-former members of Creed,
Mark Tremonti (lead guitar, vocals), Brian Marshall (bass) and Scott
Phillips (drums), with Myles Kennedy (lead vocals, rhythm guitar),
formerly of The Mayfield Four.
The band was formed in 2004 by Mark Tremonti and Scott Phillips, both
members of Creed, which had gone through a breakup due to issues with
singer Scott Stapp. According to Tremonti, "Creed had taken its course,"
and both he and Phillips, after jamming shortly after Stapp's departure
and attempt at a solo career, realized that they were anxious to start
recording and performing music again.
They reunited with
former bassist Brian Marshall, who had left Creed much earlier, and
called up guitarist/vocalist Myles Kennedy, formerly of The Mayfield
Four, a rock band that Creed had toured with earlier in the band's
career before they made it big. Kennedy, Tremonti, Phillips and Marshall
started a new band and soon after juggling a few names (one of which
was One Day Remains, which eventually became the title for their debut
album), settled on the moniker Alter Bridge, which was named after a
bridge in Detroit near Tremonti's home on Alter Road. The bridge led to a
bad side of town and the neighborhood children were not allowed to
cross because of this. Thus, according to Tremonti, the name of the band
symbolizes going over into the unknown and starting something new.
Friday 11 May 2012
The 27 Club
Jimi Hendrix – The Jimi Hendrix Experience (died 1970)
There was nothing about Jimi Hendrix that didn’t stick out; from his
flamboyant outfits, to his left-handed guitar, or his use of amp
overdrive. After being turned down by The Rolling Stones, Jimi was
introduced to Chas Chandler via Keith Richard’s girlfriend. They went on
to form The Jimi Hendrix Experience
a rock band that would revolutionize the genre forever. In 1969, he
headlined the biggest music festival of all time, Woodstock. One year
later, Jimi Hendrix was found dead after overdosing on pills and
drowning in his own vomit (asphyxiation).
Brian Jones – The Rolling Stones (1969)
Brian Jones was the founder of a little known band named The Rolling Stones. While on the phone to secure a gig with a venue owner, Brian came up with the name “Rollin(g) Stones” by reading it off an album that was laying around. Their music consisted mostly of R&B covers and it wasn’t until Andrew Loog Oldham joined that they began shifting their focus to newer, more original material. This transition reduced Jones' role in the band which was further accelerated with his drug habit and alcohol abuse. He became alienated from The Rolling Stones and eventually, he was no longer a member of the band he helped form. One month later, he was found face down in his swimming pool.Thursday 10 May 2012
Bon Jovi Biography
After ushering in the era of pop-metal with their 1986 blockbuster
Slippery When Wet and its hit singles “You Give Love a Bad Name,”
“Wanted Dead or Alive,” and “Living on a Prayer,” Bon Jovi wound up
transcending the big-haired ‘80s, withstanding changes in style and
sound to become one of the biggest American rock bands of their time,
selling over 120 million albums worldwide, and sustaining their
popularity well into the new millennium. As the times changed, so did
the band’s sound. They slowly peeled away the arena rock guitars of the
‘80s, occasionally scoring on the adult contemporary charts and
sometimes singing country music without ever rejecting hard rock, a move
that illustrated how they never abandoned their roots and became second
only to Bruce Springsteen in defining the sound and spirit of New
Jersey rock & roll.
Bon Jovi took their name from lead singer Jon Bon Jovi (born Jon Bongiovi), who spent his adolescence playing in local Jersey bands with David Bryan (born David Rashbaum). Jon’s cousin, Tony Bongiovi, owned the celebrated New York recording studio the Power Station and Jon spent many hours there, working as a janitor and recording demos after hours, sometimes supported by members of the E Street Band or Aldo Nova. One of those demos, "Runaway," became a hit on local New Jersey radio and lead to the formation of Bon Jovi the band, as Jon and Bryan were supported by guitarist Dave Sabo, bassist Alec John Such, and drummer Tico Torres. “Runaway” spurred a major-label bidding war leading to a contract with Polygram/Mercury in 1983. Before the group entered the studio, though, Bon Jovi replaced Sabo with Richie Sambora, a working guitarist with a long résumé including a stint as a member of Message.
Bon Jovi took their name from lead singer Jon Bon Jovi (born Jon Bongiovi), who spent his adolescence playing in local Jersey bands with David Bryan (born David Rashbaum). Jon’s cousin, Tony Bongiovi, owned the celebrated New York recording studio the Power Station and Jon spent many hours there, working as a janitor and recording demos after hours, sometimes supported by members of the E Street Band or Aldo Nova. One of those demos, "Runaway," became a hit on local New Jersey radio and lead to the formation of Bon Jovi the band, as Jon and Bryan were supported by guitarist Dave Sabo, bassist Alec John Such, and drummer Tico Torres. “Runaway” spurred a major-label bidding war leading to a contract with Polygram/Mercury in 1983. Before the group entered the studio, though, Bon Jovi replaced Sabo with Richie Sambora, a working guitarist with a long résumé including a stint as a member of Message.
Tuesday 8 May 2012
Nirvana Biography
Prior to Nirvana, alternative music was consigned to specialty sections
of record stores and major labels considered it to be, at the very most,
a tax write-off. After the band's second album, 1991's Nevermind,
nothing was ever quite the same, for better and for worse. Nirvana
popularized punk, post-punk, and indie rock, unintentionally bringing it
into the American mainstream like no other band before it. While its
sound was equal parts Black Sabbath (as learned by fellow Washington
underground rockers the Melvins) and Cheap Trick, Nirvana's aesthetics
were strictly indie rock. They covered Vaselines songs, they revived new
wave cuts by Devo, and leader Kurt Cobain relentlessly pushed his
favorite bands -- whether it was the art punk of the Raincoats or the
country-fried hardcore of the Meat Puppets -- as if his favorite records
were always more important than his own music. While Nirvana's ideology
was indie rock and melodies were pop, the sonic rush of their records
and live shows merged the post-industrial white noise with heavy metal
grind. And that's what made the group an unprecedented multi-platinum
sensation. Jane's Addiction and Soundgarden may have proven to the vast
American heavy metal audience that alternative could rock, and the
Pixies may have merged pop sensibilities with indie rock white noise,
but Nirvana pulled at all together, creating a sound that was both fiery
and melodic. Since Nirvana was rooted in the indie aesthetic, but loved
pop music, they fought their stardom while courting it, becoming some
of the most notorious anti-rock stars in history. The result was a
conscious attempt to shed their audience with the abrasive In Utero,
which only partially fulfilled the band's goal. But by that point, the
fate of the band and Kurt Cobain had been sealed. Suffering from drug
addiction and manic depression, Cobain had become destructive and
suicidal, though his management and label were able to hide the extent
of his problems from the public until April 8, 1994, when he was found
dead of a self-inflicted shotgun wound. Cobain may not have been able to
weather Nirvana's success, but the band's legacy stands as one of the
most influential in rock & roll history.
Friday 4 May 2012
Jimi Hendrix Biography
Widely recognized as one of the most creative and influential
musicians of the 20th century, Jimi Hendrix pioneered the explosive
possibilities of the electric guitar. Hendrix's innovative style of
combining fuzz, feedback and controlled distortion created a new musical
form. Because he was unable to read or write music, it is nothing short
of remarkable that Jimi Hendrix's meteoric rise in the music took place
in just four short years. His musical language continues to influence a
host of modern musicians, from George Clinton to Miles Davis, and Steve
Vai to Jonny Lang.
Jimi Hendrix, born Johnny Allen Hendrix at 10:15 a.m. on November 27,
1942, at Seattle's King County Hospital, was later renamed James
Marshall by his father, James "Al" Hendrix. Young Jimmy (as he was
referred to at the time) took an interest in music, drawing influence
from virtually every major artist at the time, including B.B. King,
Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Buddy Holly, and Robert Johnson. Entirely
self-taught, Jimmy's inability to read music made him concentrate even
harder on the music he heard.
Al took notice of Jimmy's interest in the guitar, recalling, "I used
to have Jimmy clean up the bedroom all the time while I was gone, and
when I would come home I would find a lot of broom straws around the
foot of the bed. I'd say to him, `Well didn't you sweep up the floor?'
and he'd say, `Oh yeah,' he did. But I'd find out later that he used to
be sitting at the end of the bed there and strumming the broom like he
was playing a guitar." Al found an old one-string ukulele, which he gave
to Jimmy to play a huge improvement over the broom.
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