QUEENSRYCHE began a three night stand at the Los Angeles House of Blues on Friday night and rocked the sold out house with an excellent set blending classic and new material. Opening with "Revolution Calling" from Operation: Mindcrime, which was well represented with other selections ("Speak," "Spreading the Disease," "I Don't Believe in Love," "The Needle Lies," and "Eyes of a Stranger"), the band showcased recent studio release Q2K, playing "Liquid Sky," "The Right Side of My Mind," "Here Comes the Rain," "Sacred Ground" and "Burning Man" as well as favorites that will be on the forthcoming Greatest Hits package (June 27), like "Walk in the Shadows," "Empire," "Silent Lucidity," and "Jet City Woman." Frontman GEOFF TATE, who was in fine shape and even finer voice, commented just before afternoon soundcheck that he was enjoying the opportunity to perform in an intimate setting, noting that the current tour was "a conscious effort to step everything back and showcase our new guitar player and give our audience a taste of the new chemistry of Queensryche." Indeed, new axeslinger KELLY GRAY fits in beautifully, alternating leads with and complementing MICHAEL WILTON. Gray had been slated to produce Q2K, but ended up in the band after CHRIS DeGARMO quit. Tate, in a streaming video interview that will be posted in our Members section later this week, talked about how that happened, plus upcoming plans that include taking July off to write for an new record--possibly a concept album--due out next February or March, and a late summer tour that just might see Queensryche on a bill with IRON MAIDEN and ROB HALFORD.
POISON, CINDERELLA, DOKKEN, and SLAUGHTER will play the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ on June 17th. Tickets are still available.
SAMMY HAGAR has formed his own label, Cabo Wabo Records, a joint venture with Beyond Records, for which he is readying a new album to be released around his birthday, October 13. MIKE CLINK is producing.
One Night Only, the upcoming live disc from THIN LIZZY is now set to be released on July 10.
Another great rock site, AOR Heaven, has reported that David Coverdale will release Into the Light, under his own name and not WHITSNAKE, as previously reported. What do you want to bet it's released as both (a la Restless Heart?)
KING DIAMOND Kicks off a North American tour in Los Angeles, California on July 20 with SHADOWS FALL in support. New album House of God hits stores on June 20. The tour will run through August 27 in Dallas, Texas.
TYPE O NEGATIVE drummer JOHNNY KELLY and his wife ANITA are expecting their first child.
