thePULSEBy Steph Moore
RUN, DON’T “WALK,” TO THE FOO FIGHTERS TOUR!
With a sold out weekend at Milton Keynes National Bowl in London ~ where they rocked the worlds of no less than 130,000 insanely appreciative fans ~ under their belts, Foo Fighters have confirmed the latest series of dates in their forthcoming U.S. arena tour.
Pre-sales for the new dates will begin 10 a.m. local time July 13. General on sales begin 10 a.m. local time July 15. The November 7 date went on sale to the public July 22.
Special guests for the November dates will be Social Distortion and The Joy Formidable. 
Foo Fighters’ October-November arena headline tour is the latest installment in a juggernaut of a worldwide campaign that included the band headlining European festivals as well as making an August 7 appearance as a Lollapalooza 2011 headliner.
The ever-expanding tour rides the relentless momentum of Foo Fighters’ recently released seventh album Wasting Light, certified gold less than two months after debuting at #1 in a dozen countries. Wasting Light has also generated arguably the best critical notices of the band’s 16-year career. The newly released Foo Fighters: Back & Forth documentary, directed by Oscar winner James Moll, has done likewise, with a just-out four-star ROLLING STONE rave review: “…a classic rockumentary arc… Dave Grohl has lived an extraordinarily cinematic life.”
Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel, Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear will be playing hits spanning the Foo Fighters’ catalogue of multi-platinum arena anthems, including new staples such as the 13-week Modern Rock #1 “Rope” and “Walk,” the band’s latest single and subject of the brilliant Sam Jones-directed parody of the classic crime drama Falling Down (starring Michael Douglas). Already a viral sensation, the “Walk” clip has been viewed more than a million times since its June 2 premiere.
More dates will be announced as they are confirmed. For more info, visit tour.foofighters.com
Catch the Foo Fighters on November 16 at the TD Garden with support from both Social Distortion & The Joy Formidable.
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ARCH ENEMY HEADLINES THE “METAL SUCKS AND FULL METAL JACKIE PRESENT: NORTH AMERICAN KHAOS 2011”
Sweden’s extreme heavy metal act Arch Enemy has announced its return to North America; they’ll be headlining the “MetalSucks and Full Metal Jackie Present: North American Khaos 2011” tour, set to launch in September and featuring DevilDriver, Skeletonwitch and Chthonic in support. 
“We pledge to the United States of America and its beautiful neighbor Canada that we will only bring the utmost heavy metal ‘Khaos’ to your shores!” said vocalist Angela Gossow. “We can’t wait to kick off this tour come September. After all the European summer festivals, we are ready to fire!”
“We are very happy to be coming back to the US and Canada hot on the heels of our new Khaos Legions opus!” added guitarist Michael Amott. “We’re working on a special set list and some other surprises. We chose the other bands on the bill because they are all killer, and bring their own terrifying brand of brutal steel! Yes, good times lie ahead for the metal connoisseur of North America!”
Arch Enemy is touring in support of its first collection of new material since 2007, Khaos Legions, which hit stores in North America on June 7th via Century Media Records.
Khaos Legions can be purchased online as a standard edition CD at: www.amazon.com/Khaos-Legions-Arch-Enemy/dp/B004XUQUFW/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1306883106&sr=8-4, as a deluxe edition CD at: www.amazon.com/Khaos-Legions-Arch-Enemy/dp/B004XUQUQ6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1306883106&sr=8-1, or for digital download at: itunes.apple.com/us/album/khaos-legions/id440793935.
Catch Arch Enemy on the “MetalSucks and Full Metal Jackie Present: North American Khaos 2011” tour Sept. 10 at The Palladium in Worcester.
ARCH ENEMY online…
www.khaoslegions.com
www.archenemy.net
www.facebook.com/archenemyofficial
www.myspace.com/archenemy
www.twitter.com/archenemymetal
www.youtube.com/archenemyofficial
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CARNIVAL OF MADNESS TOUR 2011
The highly anticipated Carnival of Madness Tour, sponsored by Monster Energy Drink, has added more dates to the 15 previously announced. Joining the Carnival this summer will be Theory of a Deadman, Alter Bridge, Black Stone Cherry, Adelitas Way and Emphatic.
VIP ticket pre-sales for these new dates are now available for fans belonging to Theory of a Deadman’s Deadfan Club, and on the Carnival of Madness mailing list at www.carnivalofmadness.com. VIP bundles that include a meet and greet with Theory of a Deadman, fan club membership, exclusive merchandise, and tickets will be available for purchase at
www.ticketmaster.com/Theory-of-a-Deadman-tickets/artist/841413?tm_link=edp_Artist_Name.
The Carnival of Madness Tour made its inaugural launch in 2010 with Shinedown, Sevendust, Chevelle, Puddle of Mudd and 10 Years, which proved to be one of the biggest rock shows of the summer as a Top 50 tour.
Catch the Carnival of Madness 2011 at:
Hampton Beach Casino, Hampton Beach, NH, on Sat., Sept. 3
Central MA Expo Center, Fitchburg, MA, on Mon., Sept. 5
All of the ticket on-sale info can be found at www.carnivalofmadness.com. The Carnival acknowledges the current state of the economy, offering reasonable $25-$35 tickets.
For up-to-the minute news and information, please visit www.carnivalofmadness.com.
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MR. BIG’S FIRST TOUR IN 15 YEARS
TOUR SUPPORTS THEIR NEW ALBUM, WHAT IF…
Mr. Big is once again ready to bring their unique brand of hard rock to the masses with their first U.S. tour in 15 years ~ not to mention a new album. Returning fresh from a successful run of tour dates overseas, vocalist Eric Martin, guitarist Paul Gilbert, bassist Billy Sheehan, and drummer Pat Torpey hit the road in the United States earlier this summer in support of the band’s new album, What If… “Man, it’s been a long time,” says guitarist Paul Gilbert. I can’t wait to play our first show in America in about 15 years. It’s gonna be huge!”
What If… is Mr. Big’s first all original album since the reunion of the four original members back in early 2009. Sixteen years after the release of Hey Man, the new recording is set to bring Mr. Big back to the top of the current hard rock scene. 
Guitarist Paul Gilbert shared, “This is the first Mr. Big album I have been a part of since fourteen years and it was done in a snap. It was fun and we had really a good time in making this one.” Continued Billy Sheehan, “It’s so great to be back with Paul, Eric and Pat too. We wrote this record like we did in the old days for the first 2 records. Jamming together in the same room to write songs.” Pat Torpey added, “Some of the recording process is different now from what we were used to in the old times. But I think this record really managed to capture the performances of the band, not of the individual musicians.”
Their hits included “To Be With You,” (Billboard Hot 100 number one single in 15 countries for week in 1991, propelling the band the band to huge international success and record sales in the multi-millions) “Wild World,” Green-Tinted Sixties Mind,” “Just Take My Heart,” and a host of heavy metal songs that were played mostly during their live performances: “Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy,” “Addicted to that Rush,” “Colorado Bulldog,” and “Take Cover.”
What If… is released in a special edition CD + DVD in digipak, regular CD, vinyl and digital download and in a limited edition luxury box including the CD, DVD, LP and exclusive memorabilia.
In other Mr. Big news, the next single from the new album, “American Beauty,” has been getting radio play ~ and great reviews! ~ since July.
Catch the band at Showcase Live in Foxboro, MA on August 24.
THIS JUST IN! Get your VIP Experience packages for Mr. Big now at www.rightrockclothingco.com/store/category.php?id_category=25
Each package is $195 per person and includes:
- A Concert Ticket (or ticket reimbursement if ticket was already purchased elsewhere)
- Meet & Greet w/ MR. BIG
- Photograph w/ MR. BIG
- Autograph Session w/ MR. BIG
- Limited Edition VIP Experience T Shirt
- Autographed 8 X 10
- Official VIP Experience Laminate
- Set of official guitar picks
- MR. BIG Sticker
Rightrock will ship out in advance the VIP Laminate, t-shirt, sticker, guitar picks and event outline to the VIPs. The day of the show you meet up with the VIP Host (a member of Mr. Big’s crew) who will distribute the tickets and 8 X 10 photos. The VIP Host will then take you to the VIP area and take a photo of you with the band. You also have an autograph / meet time with the band to make it a bit more personal. The Meet and Greet will be before the show. So be the first on your block to be a rock star and get our VIP with MR. BIG!
Photo by William Hames
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ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK UPROAR FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES DETAILS FOR ‘BEST BUY MUSIC GEAR BATTLE OF THE BANDS POWERED BY ERNIE BALL’
Tour Features Headliners Avenged Sevenfold As Well As Three Days Grace, Seether, Bullet For My Valentine, Escape The Fate, Sevendust, Black Tide, Art Of Dying And Hell Or Highwater
For the first time, the 2011 Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival will host the Best Buy Music Gear Battle of The Bands Powered by Ernie Ball. This competition will allow one unsigned band the opportunity to play live on the Best Buy Music Gear Stage at each U.S. tour stop during the August 28-October 14 trek. Finalists will compete for a grand prize package worth more than $20,000.
The Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival features multi-platinum headliner Avenged Sevenfold, along with main stage artists Three Days Grace, Seether, Bullet For My Valentine and Escape The Fate. The North American touring music and lifestyle festival also includes Best Buy Music Gear Stage headliners Sevendust, as well as Black Tide, Art Of Dying and Hell Or Highwater.
To enter the Best Buy Music Gear Battle of The Bands Powered by Ernie Ball, bands simply register by completing a short informational profile and uploading at least one MP3 to the Battle Of The Bands website (www.RockstarUPROAR.com/battleofthebands).
Entrants should use the Band Promotional Toolkit provided in their profile upon logging in to promote their entry on the web and drive fans to vote. Fans can also register at www.RockstarUPROAR.com/battleofthebands to become an official contest judge.
The top 100 bands receiving the most fan votes in each U.S. tour market will be judged by a panel of industry professionals and UPROAR artists. This panel will choose the winner for each local U.S. tour market. Winners for each local U.S. market will be announced two weeks before that tour date. The winner in each city will perform in the opening slot on the Best Buy Music Gear Stage at the Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival and will be automatically entered into the Grand Prize competition.
Each U.S. tour market’s winning band will be eligible to compete for the Grand Prize. One band will be chosen by a panel of judges–including UPROAR artists and industry professionals–to win the Grand Prize package from the Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival, Ernie Ball Music Man and Best Buy Music Gear.
The grand prize package includes:
- A coveted spot to play live on the entire 2012 Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival
- EP produced by Jay Baumgardner at NRG Studios in North Hollywood, CA
- $10,000 worth of gear from Best Buy Music Gear
- Editorial Coverage in Guitar Player Magazine
- Music Video by Plural Eyes Media
- Photo Shoot by LA-based Rock Photographer Lisa Johnson (www.MySpace.com/LisaJohnsonPhoto)
- One-year supply of Ernie Ball strings
- One-year supply of Rockstar Energy Drink
- Pair of KICKER headphones for each band member
- Travel Bag for each band member courtesy of Rockstar Energy Drink
Best Buy Music Gear brings rockers a great line-up of accessories–picks, sticks, strings, stands and more–at every Best Buy store in the country, with convenient hours. Go to www.BestBuy.com/MIgear for details and the expanded Music Gear selection, coming July 17.
The all-day Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival will run from 2pm-11pm in most cities, and tickets are affordably priced between $20 and $69.99. Go to www.RockstarUproar.com and www.LiveNation.com for full details and to purchase tickets.
Check out the show on Sunday, August 28 at the Comcast Center in Boston!
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JACK’S MANNEQUIN SET TO RELEASE PEOPLE AND THINGS ON OCTOBER 4TH
LISTEN TO THE FIRST SINGLE, “MY RACING THOUGHTS,” NOW!
Jack’s Mannequin is back. On October 4th, Andrew McMahon and crew return with a new record, People and Things. The first single, “My Racing Thoughts,” is now streaming on the band’s website and will be available in multiple pre-order bundles starting August 2nd. Fans who choose to buy from the presale will be rewarded with “My Racing Thoughts” as the instant gratification track upon order. “My Racing Thoughts” will also be on sale independently at iTunes August 2nd.
Says Andrew McMahon about People and Things:
“I consider ‘People and Things’ a relationship record. My goal with many of the songs was to strip away the flowery language and sentiment attached to newer love and replace it with starker, less blinded language about more binding love. In the time following the last Jack’s album the people in my world were moving in together, getting married, trying to find quote unquote ‘real jobs’ and reconciling new lives that looked a lot less like youth than some of us cared for. Marriage is a bit of a beast to tackle in a pop record but when I wrote ‘My Racing Thoughts,’ it became clear how powerful and loaded a subject this kind of love is and somewhere in that moment I began to lock into the broad concept for the writing sessions to come.”
Jack’s Mannequin is playing a couple of dates on this year’s Vans Warped Tour before heading out on a co-headlining summer tour with Guster, full list of upcoming dates is below. Additionally, for the first time in the band’s history, Jack’s Mannequin will be playing a show with a full symphony orchestra. On Thursday, October 6th, Jack’s Mannequin will team up with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra to create symphonic arrangements for some of their best-known hits at The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts. Look for a big fall tour announcement coming next month.
People and Things marks McMahon’s third studio release as Jack’s Mannequin, following up 2005’s Everything In Transit and 2008’s The Glass Passenger. In 2009, Jack’s Mannequin released the documentary Dear Jack, which followed Andrew’s treatment and recovery from leukemia, and brought to life with a triumphant performance on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.”
Catch the band at the Bank of America Pavillion, co-headlining with Guster, on August 12.
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jacksmannequin
Twitter: twitter.com/#!/jacksmannequin
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SKELETONWITCH ANNOUNCE STREET DATE FOR FOREVER ABOMINATION AND ADD NEW TOUR DATES
Skeletonwitch have announced October 11th, 2011 as the release date for their new album, Forever Abomination. The band recorded the album in Los Angeles with producer Matt Hyde (Slayer, Hatebreed) and have launched an official site, foreverabomination.com , for updates and pre-order information. As previously announced, Skeletonwitch are participating in a fall North American tour along with Arch Enemy, Devildriver, and Chthonic: Catch the band on 9/10 at The Palladium in Worcester.
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SHIROCK’S EVERYTHING BURNS (DELUXE) AND FAN TIME LIVE!
Hailing from Nashville, TN, SHIROCK recently released their debut for The Movement Group, Everything Burns (Deluxe), produced by Jay Ruston (The Donnas, Everclear, Matisyahu, and Cold War Kids).
On July 27, starting at 8:00pm EST, listeners were invited to “attend” a live stream and Q&A with SHIROCK frontman and founders Chuck and Pap, as well as see and hear a special acoustic mini session. To view Fan Time Live! live-stream page go to www.ustream.tv/fantimelive.
FAN TIME LIVE! gives fans from all over the world the opportunity to chat live and watch their favorite bands perform acoustic via live-stream. Hosting live-stream events on a weekly basis, FAN TIME LIVE! has gained a fan base of over 42,000 unique viewers in only a few months, recent guests include, Big D & The Kids Table, The Bouncing Souls, Greg Attonito, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal and more. To find out more information about FAN TIME LIVE! you can email info@fantimelive.com.
SHIROCK (pronounced SHY-ROCK) is: Chuck Shirock ~ lead vocals, guitar, Pap Shirock ~ lead vocals, keys, Adam Gatchel ~ drums, Kevin Whitsett ~ bass, Evan Weatherford ~ lead guitar
The new video for the track “Still Young” is sweeping the video channels; it’s recently been added to MTVu, Princess Cruise Lines, and California Music Channel (to name a few) and has been receiving tons of in-store video play at Wet Seal, Kohl’s and American Eagle Outfitter’s.
” ‘Still Young’ is a song about trying to find hope when all we felt was doubt and uncertainty – it’s about feeling overwhelmed by the pressures of big ideas and passing time, but realizing that as long as we are alive there is still a chance to make a difference,” Chuck says.
Everything Burns (Deluxe) is a 20 song voyage on freedom, love, hope, fear, transformation and just what it means to become a better human being. That might seems like a tall order for a rock album but SHIROCK makes their soul searching inquiries sound exhilarating, with swooning choruses, sparkly panoramic arrangements and lyrics that may at times flirt with darkness but ultimately tilt towards optimism.
“It’s taken quite a journey, and many songs to get to Everything Burns. Pap and I recorded 3 albums of demos before we finally met Adam, and later, Kevin and Evan – but Everything Burns is SHIROCK’s debut,” says the band’s charismatic leader in describing some of the key tracks on the album. “The songs on the album ~ they’re our lives, our relationships, our friendships within the band. They’re our pursuit of trying to figure out who we are and how it all makes sense,” Chuck says. “It’s all of that put to music.”
Taking a quick detour from her role as SHIROCK keyboard player and singer Pap Shirock can now be seen featured in American Eagle Outfitters ‘We The People” campaign. Check it out here: www.ae.com/web/browse/category.jsp?catId=cat90040
For more information go to
www.SHIROCK.net / www.EverythingBurns.org / www.IrockClothing.com
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THE CRYSTAL METHOD
America’s top electronic act ~ THE CRYSTAL METHOD ~ are coming to Mansfield, MA on Saturday, August 20 at Comcast Center as a featured artist on the IDentity Festival, the first-ever touring electronic only music festival that will visit major outdoor amphitheatres throughout North America in August and September and give fans the full electronic music experience. The line-up for IDENTITY ~ which is set to further galvanize the electronic music explosion ~ is highlighted by the hottest cutting-edge artists of the genre including Kaskade, Steve Aoki, Pretty Lights, Rusko, Booka Shade, DJ Shadow, Chuckie, Avicii, Jessie and the Toy Boys, Nero, Afrobeta and many more. Check out the specific lineup for your city at idfestival.com/city/mansfield. 
On the tour, The Crystal Method will be highlighting a brand new track called “Play for Real” during their sets. It features two members of the British rock band The Heavy on vocals and guitar. A video was created via the popular video game site Machinima with information on a remix package that will be available soon. “Play For Real” will be released digitally early this month on TCM’s own Tiny e Records.
Heralded by the Village Voice in spring 2009 as “…one of the best live dance acts on Earth,” The Crystal Method (aka Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland) have been known over the last 10-plus years for their enduring dance floor anthems (“Now Is The Time,” “Keep Hope Alive”), airwave smashes (“Trip Like I Do”) and a willingness to collaborate with an array of talent ~ including rock’s elite like Scott Weiland, Matisyahu, New Order’s Peter Hook and Filter’s Richard Patrick. The duo has dominated the remix, film soundtrack, television, gaming and advertising worlds. Their platinum-status debut album, Vegas (released in 1997), is one of the biggest-selling electronic albums of all time, landing them in the top five of best-selling electronic acts in America. They scored the film London as well as the themes for TV shows “Bones” and “Third Watch” and were the first act to work with Nike for their running soundtrack series, but it’s the Grammy-nominated Divided By Night, their 2009 studio album, that takes The Crystal Method to all new heights.
