Music News

Rick Wakeman will be joined by Alice Cooper next year to perform his 1975 LP 'The Myths and Legends of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table'.
The third studio album from the keyboard player - based on the legend of England's medieval monarch King Arthur - will be recreated live and in full with the help of the 'Poison' rocker, when the pair headline the first ever Stone Free Festival at The O2 in London in June 2016.
And the 66-year-old musician is delighted he's getting the opportunity to perform the concept album again.
He said: "After the success of the 'Journey To The Centre Of The Earth' shows last year, I'm over the moon to have the opportunity to perform 'King Arthur' for the first time since 1975 with an orchestra and choir. It's going to be wonderful."
The iconic LP contained prog rock classics such as 'Arthur' and 'The Last Battle', which is over nine minutes long, and was written after Rick survived three heart attacks at the age of 25.
Alice, 67, is thrilled to be joining his old pal on stage.
The singer said: "Coming to the UK is always like coming home for us, fans in the UK are always high energy, always there. Headlining the very first Stone Free Festival at London's The O2 in June next year is an example of why we feel so welcome. It will be my only performance in the UK next year, so that makes it even more special. And as always with my show you can expect the unexpected!"
Day and Weekend and Rock Royalty tickets for Stone Free Festival will be on general sale at Stonefreefestival.com on November 20.

Justin Bieber has announced he is going on a world tour.
The 21-year-old pop sensation revealed on Wednesday (11.11.15) he will sing all over the globe next year in support of his new album 'Purpose' and he will kick off proceedings on March 9, 2016 with tickets going on sale next week.
Bieber announced his tour during an appearance on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show', saying: "I'm actually going on tour. This was the only thing I had to remember, and I don't remember it.
"You can go to my website. What am I doing? I'm here to promote an album and a tour."
The 21-year-old singer has already released three tracks from the album - set for release on this Friday (13.11.15) - 'What Do You Mean', 'Sorry' and 'Mark My Words' with the latter two songs dealing with his relationship with ex-girlfriend Selena Gomez.
He revealed: "There's a lot of stuff that reminds me of her. In relationships, you see something on TV and you're like remember when we used to watch this."
If Bieber's last trip around the planet is anything to go by, the 'Promise World Tour' is set to be a lucrative venture for him.
The musician's 'Believe Tour' kicked off in 2012, had seven legs, spanned 15 months and featured over 150 concerts dates, and banked a reputed $209.2 million.

Queen and Adam Lambert will headline the Isle of Wight Festival 2016.
The group will close the annual event at Seaclose Park on Sunday June 12 in what will be their first-ever festival appearance and only UK gig next year, it was confirmed yesterday (10.11.15).
Guitarist Brian May said: "I think Queen at The Isle of Wight Festival is a date that was long overdue. How incredible to take on this challenge at this point in our lives. With an injection of new blood in the shape of the incredible Adam Lambert, Queen will be ready to tear it up on this legendary stage in 2016. Freddie would have loved it. Can't wait."
Drummer Roger Taylor said: "When I think of The Isle of Wight Festival I think of Hendrix, Dylan and The Who. What immortal company to be in.
"Queen are thrilled to be there and can promise a special night."
And organiser John Giddings says he is "honoured" to be welcoming the band to the 15th anniversary of the festival.
He said: "It's an honour for us to have Queen + Adam Lambert at our festival. It's the perfect way for us to celebrate our 15th anniversary. Queen's music appeals to people of all generations and it's hard to think of another band with such a famous collection of songs. It's going to be an incredible moment for The Isle of Wight Festival when they share these songs with us."

Aerosmith feel "abandoned" by Steven Tyler.
The 'Crazy' hitmakers had been expected to go on tour next year, but guitarist Brad Whitford has confirmed the plans are now on ice because the frontman "doesn't want to" go on the road as he is busy with his solo career.
He told Billboard: "Steven doesn't want to do it. It's unfortunate.
"We kind of feel a little bit abandoned by him. I guess he seems to think his solo career is going to go great guns, and he doesn't seem to realise that - in my opinion - his fans around the globe want to see him in the context of Aerosmith and don't really care for whatever he thinks he's gonna do.
"I don't know if he gets that but, hey, that's what he wants to do. I can't put a gun to his head. It's just pretty disappointing."
Brad has been working on his own new album with Ted Nugent singer/guitarist Derek St. Holmes, and thinks the record will be well-received by Aerosmith fans.
He said: "It's a classic rock album -- modern classic rock. I mean, that's what we do. We're all rockers, and we're not gonna try and do anything else but what we know and what we love.
"I think a lot of Aerosmith fans are really going to enjoy this record because all I ever hear is, 'When you gonna do another 'Toys'? When you gonna do another 'Rocks'?'
"That's what this album is. It's very straight-ahead, stripped-down classic rock."

Chris Jericho plans to get a selfie with Brian May at the Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards on Wednesday night (11.11.15).
The frontman of Fozzy and WWE wrestler is hosting the awards ceremony sponsored by Classic Rock magazine and says he is going to use his host status as an "icebreaker" to speak with the stars attending, including Queen guitarist Brian May and Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page.
Speaking exclusively to BANG Showbiz ahead of the awards, he said: "It's a really great icebreaker and I plan to have my camera ready for those guys. Especially Brian May and Jimmy Page if I can. It will be great to at least say hi to those guys because for me I have always been more of a Queen guy than a Led Zeppelin guy.
The 45-year-old is a massive Queen fan and recalled holding onto a page of Kerrang! magazine, from when asked the 'We Will Rock You' hitmaker a question.
He gushed: "Brian May is a number one target if you will if I get a chance to take a picture with. Kerrang! had an ask the stars whatever it is and it was ask Brian May a question and I phoned in because I wanted to ask a question. That was cool and I actually took that page out of Kerrang! and kept it."
The Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards will be held at London's Roundhouse on 11 November.

Azealia Banks is being investigated for criminal battery after allegedly assaulting a nightclub security guard.
TMZ has obtained video of Azealia and some friends at Break Room 86 in Los Angeles late last month, where they were asked to leave after being "unruly".
On their way out the rapper allegedly tried to pull the fire alarm and a security guard grabbed her.
After her pals pulled him off her she can be seen on the video jumping on him and hitting him repeatedly.
This comes just days after the controversial rapper cancelled her upcoming concert dates.
She tweeted: "I'm very busy at work. Your coins will be refunded and I will be back in January."
Meanwhile, in September Banks was caught on video branding a flight attendant a "f***ing f****t" and defended herself on Twitter, insisting she isn't homophobic and alleging she would have been treated differently if she was white.
She wrote: "I am bisexual. my brother is trans. My employees are all gay men. . Nothing else to say.
"Cause yall KNOW, that they would've politely handed a white woman her bags and a spritzer. #whatever (sic)"

Allen Toussaint has died aged 77.
The legendary New Orleans R&B songwriter and producer - known for hit songs such as 'Working In The Coalmine' and 'Southern Nights' - suffered a heart attack shortly after performing on stage at Madrid's Teatro Lara on Monday night (09.11.15), according to Spanish newspaper El Mundo.
Toussaint was discovered in his hotel room and resuscitated
but suffered a second heart attack while being taken to the Jimenez Diaz Foundation Hospital in Madrid where he was pronounced dead on arrival, a spokesperson has confirmed.
The musician was due to play at London's Jazz Festival on Sunday (15.11.15) among other concert dates.
During his varied career, Toussaint worked with some of the greats of popular music, including Sir Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, The Rolling Stones and Joe Cocker, while his songs have been covered by a variety of artists such as The Neville Brothers, Robert Palmer and Otis Reading over the past 40 years.
Since news of his passing broke, several stars have paid tribute to the iconic musician.
The Rolling Stones posted a short message on their Twitter account alongside a video of the song 'Fortune Teller', which Toussaint wrote for the band.
They simply wrote: "RIP Allen Toussaint (sic)"
'The Simpsons' voice actor Harry Shearer shared lyrics to one of Allen's songs on the micro-blogging site as a tribute.
He wrote: "If you didn't know before, now you do (sic)"
While actor-and-musician Hugh Laurie tweeted: "Allen Toussaint. Poor old world, lucky old heaven."
The American musician got his first lucky break stepping in for Huey Smith at the age 17 performing with Earl King's band in Prichard, Alabama.
Toussaint swiftly made a name for himself penning many superb songs, which have become R&B staples and have been covered by numerous artists.
The Rolling Stones were among his biggest admirers, and not long before his death Toussaint admitted he was particularly glad the band decided to record his song 'Fortune Teller' because it earned him a good pay day.
He quipped: "I was so glad when The Stones recorded my song - I knew they would know how to roll it all the way to the bank!"
He is survived by his two children, son Clarence and daughter Alison, who both acted as his managers.

Kirk Hammett says Metallica will play live until they are "into their 70s".
The band's guitarist has promised fans the metal group will perform for as long as they are standing just like their musical peers The Rolling Stones as they still have the drive to get up on stage.
Speaking on 103.3 The Edge Radio, he said: "James, Lars and Rob still have things they want to do.
"We're all getting up there, but we still have drive, we still have energy, we're still inspired, we still have things that we wanna do. Mentally, emotionally - I think that we're not done yet.
"And if people like Keith Richards and Mick Jagger can do it into their 70s, why can't we? That's my attitude."
The 52-year-old rocker says he will keep performing and making music until he physically is unable to.
He continued: "And on a personal level, I'm a musician. I wanna continue to play and perform and do what I do, which is make music. I don't wanna stop doing this. I don't wanna stop making music. I will always be a working musician, until I can't be any more."
The 'Enter Sandman' hitmakers - also comprised of James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and Rob Trujillo - are currently working on the follow up to 2008's 'Death Magnetic' LP.
Kirk admits their new music may not be out until 2017 but he hopes it will be sooner.
He explained: "We're hoping that the album will be released next year. I don't wanna say that we're a third into it, or two-thirds into it, or an eighth into it, because anything could happen that'll just change that number.
"But, eventually, you will see a new Metallica album, and it will most likely be in 2016, and at the very worst, at the beginning of 2017. It's pretty much more along the same lines as 'Death Magnetic' - kind of like that direction."

Busted have already started working on new music and hope to release it after their May 2016 comeback tour.
The rock/pop group - who parted ways in 2005 when frontman Charlie Simpson quit the band - today (10.11.15) announced they had reunited after 10 years apart and it was their excitement about recording fresh songs that brought them back together although the process has been very gradual over the last few years.
Speaking at a press conference at The Soho Hotel in London about how the reunion happened, Charlie said: "This has been an incredibly gradual process. About three years ago Matt and James came round to my house. It was the first time we'd spent time together in eight years.
"It was a surreal moment because we had drifted apart. They came round and we were hanging out in my garden. They wanted to tell me about the idea of doing Busted again and they wanted to run the idea past me."
Charlie - released albums with Fightstar and two solo LPs while away from the group - originally turned them down, but cites that day three years ago as being the "catalyst" for their reformation as he realised he and James were on the same page musically.
He added: "I told them at the time it wasn't something I wanted to pursue. But the amazing thing about that afternoon, which honestly was a catalyst for us being here right now. But we played new music to each other. I had a Spotify playlist on and I was pretty astounded to find out James had been listening to a lot of the music I had been listening to. And when I left the band in 2005 we'd become worlds away creatively. It was an amazing moment, quite a poignant moment that we landed 10 years later and there was some common ground there."
The trio initially got together in April 2015, when Charlie agreed to jam with his old bandmates - who have been a part of super-group McBusted in 2013 and 2014 - and everything fell into place.
Charlie explained: "James came round to mine April of this year and said I want to play you these two songs to see what you think of them. He played them to me and I was like dude that is f***ing awesome.
"He basically said, 'What do you think of us going to the studio for a few days and hanging out as the three of us being creative and see what happens?'
"He had a friend called Eric who owned a studio in Philadelphia and so we got on a plane and went there and we spent all week in the studio."
Busted will tour the UK and Ireland in May 2016 and have promised new music will follow, if not before.
Bassist Matt said: "We are definitely going to be releasing new music ... there might be new music before that who knows."