Ahead of their one-night-only return to the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, IL, Glenn Hughes and Doug Aldrich join METAL KAOZ to reflect on Rock music, creativity, and the spirit that still drives them decades later. From the organic magic of â70s Rock to refusing repetition in their artistry, the legendary musicians discuss music beyond money, the pressure of special performances, and what singing can teach you about life itself. One thing becomes clear: true Rock âNâ Roll has no age limit.
With the new album now announced, let the publicity blitz marathon begin. Ian Gillan has already made a couple of UK radio appearances. Continue Reading »
Simon was slightly off with the timeframe of the new album release — the date is set for July 3, and the album is called Splat!. It will arrive in several formats, and the tour starting with North America in August will re-dress itself as the Splat! World Tour. Continue Reading »
Tony Carey (once a regular on our site) talks to a fella called Cassius Morris. They spoke about Mandoki Soulmates, how the show business has changed since the 70s, “introverted extravert” Ritchie Blackmore, Dennis Rodman, cost of that giant rainbow across the stage, starting a retirement home for ex-Rainbow musicians, and many other things. Enjoy! Continue Reading »
When Tommy Bolin stepped into the James Gang, he was replacing Domenic Troiano and, previously, Joe Walsh. When he later joined Deep Purple, he was replacing Ritchie Blackmore. Two wildly different guitarists, two established legacies, and Bolin was expected to fill both without missing a step.
What made Bolin’s path unique is that he didn’t approach either role as a continuation of what came before. Rather than mimic Walsh’s laid-back, groove-driven style or Blackmore’s classically influenced precision, Bolin leaned into a fluid, genre-blurring approach that pulled from jazz, funk, Latin rhythms, and straight-ahead rock. And this was evident throughout the two studio albums Bolin appeared on with the James Gang (1973’s “Bang” and 1974’s “Miami”), as well as the lone studio offering he appeared on with Deep Purple (1975’s “Come Taste the Band”).
That instinctive, open-ended style reshaped the bands around him as much as it defined his own voice. In the James Gang, it marked a return to a heavier, more direct rock feel; in Deep Purple, it pushed the group into unfamiliar territory, adding color and looseness to a band previously rooted in structure and precision. Bolin wasn’t trying to outdo the players who came before himâhe was rewriting the role entirely, even if audiences and expectations hadn’t quite caught up yet.
Calgary Heraldhas a piece on the Rolling Stones Mobile truck, now residing at the Canadian National Music Centre. The Centre is launching a series of events called Liner Notes dedicated to the history of the legendary mobile studio and selected classic albums recorded with its help:
It really is hallowed ground. Itâs weird to be in a place where Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney and Richie Blackmore, all those people youâre inspired by, have sat in front of those speakers and listened to their music for the first time.
Liner Notes: Inside the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio is part storytelling tour, part listening session, exploring the legendary albums recorded in the “Sistine Chapel of rock ‘n’ roll.”
The first event in the series is dedicated to the Stones’ own Sticky Fingers, with Machine Head to follow at some point in the future.
Roppongi Rocks has a short review of the Deep Purple gig in Tokyo Budokan, on April 11, 2026:
They opened the Budokan show in style with âHighway Starâ. Deep Purple back on stage at Budokan! This is what it is all about. Classics such as âLazyâ, âSpace Truckinââ and âSmoke on the Waterâ were obvious highlights in a great show. But we also got terrific performances of âAnyaâ and the slower âWhen a Blind Man Criesâ. I also dug the excellent versions of âHard Lovinâ Manâ and âInto the Fireâ.
The Rock Legends package tour featuring Joe Lynn Turner, among other people, and scheduled for a string of dates in November 2026 in Germany and Austria, has been cancelled:
Unfortunately, the complete tour of âRock Legendsâ has to be cancelled without replacement despite the 2025 postponement. Tickets already purchased can be refunded at the respective ticket office or via eventim.de. We very much regret the inconvenience caused and ask for your understanding!
The tour was originally scheduled for October 2025, at which point it was postponed for a year later, with some dates dropped, and some others rebooked into smaller venues.
In other JLT news, in late April he has completed a short 3-gig tour of Scandinavia, where he performed his first solo album Rescue You in its entirety.
His backing musicians on this tour were:
Nikolo Kotzev on guitar
Ken Sandin on bass
Will Oaks on keyboards
Darby Todd on drums
Thanks to Marc for the Rock Legends heads-up, to Adrian er Kul for the video clips, and to Blabbermouth for bringing them to your attention.
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